Anime Movie [WORK]
Spirited Away is an undisputable crossover hit, one that continues to enthral and charm audiences nationwide, introducing western audiences at large to the works of Studio Ghibli. The surreal, mythological tale tracks the misadventures of ten-year-old Chihiro who, along with her parents, stumbles across a resplendent paranormal bathhouse occupied by weird and wonderful folkloric creatures and spirits. It's a coming-of-age tale like no other with a thematic depth, sheer creativity and beauty of execution that remains the Ghibli signature. It's not just one of the animation house's greatest titles, but one of the best movies of the 21st century.
anime movie
For many anime fans of a certain generation, Ninja Scroll was their introduction to the medium. Released in the UK in 1995 and again in its fully uncensored form in 2004, it's a hyper-violent action-adventure classic and a pioneer of mature-audience anime. The film follows Kibagami Jubei, a mercenary swordsman in feudal Edo-era Japan who is begrudgingly commissioned to stop the Shogun Of The Dark. This mission involves taking on the Eight Devils of Kimon, an elite ninja unit with supernatural abilities, with the assistance of Kagero, a beautiful-but-poisonous ninja, and Dakuan, a vile little spymaster. Though iconic and carrying great artistic merit, some scenes in Ninja Scroll have not stood the test of time due to the objectification and violent treatment of the female lead, Kagero.
Based on the hit anime show, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie sees audiences reunited with the star-faring bounty hunters of the spaceship Bebop: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Ed, and corgi Ein. In 2071, a man unleashes a deadly pathogen in Mars' capital city. When a huge bounty is put out to bring down the chemical terrorist, the crew spread out to snare their quarry. True to form, the tale features mega-corporation conspiracies and plenty of swashbuckling twists and turns, interspersed with the moments of emotional weight beloved by Bebop fans. The events of the movie fall between episodes 22 and 23 of the series, but can be viewed as a standalone, introducing new viewers to a sci-fi, jazzy-noir delight.
Another Miyazaki masterpiece, Princess Mononoke is decidedly darker than the usual Studio Ghibli fare. This historical fantasy tells the story of Ashitaka, a prince corrupted by a deadly curse. Leaving his home in search of a cure, he soon finds himself caught in the middle of a war between the gods of the forest and an industrious human mining colony. The movie is clear in its overarching themes of environmentalism and mortality, more nuanced than the typical good-bad binary. A thoroughly gorgeous, imaginative work of epic fantasy fiction.
Tokyo Godfathers is a heart-warming and bittersweet anime holiday movie that'll raise a laugh as quickly as draw a tear. In a sentimental turn by Perfect Blue's Satoshi Kon, the movie follows three homeless individuals (a drunk, a drag queen, and a runaway) who find an abandoned newborn on Christmas Eve. The trio decides to reacquaint the child with its mother, and travel the streets of Tokyo on Christmas Day, encountering various individuals who slowly reveal the sad and dark truth behind the child's lineage.
No, Metropolis isn't an anime remix of Fritz Lang's 1927 sci-fi classic - though the original manga owes it some influence. It's a dieselpunk tale of retro-futurism and the human soul, written by Katsuhiro Otomo of Akira fame and directed by Rintaro, an animator who previously worked on Ninja Scroll. The main thrust of the movie follows Kenichi and his uncle as they try and uncover the truth behind a mysterious girl named Tima, but several interweaving narrative lines are at play, each conspiring to show you the real star: the city of Metropolis. The architecture of Metropolis is complex, grand, intricate, and sprawling and houses a not-so-subtle class criticism, with the bourgeoisie humans living above and the disenfranchised and abused working-class robots living below. It's one of the best architectures to ever grace anime cinema.
On the edge of war, a kingdom and a republic face each other as they push for technological superiority. Though political leaders see the progression of technology in terms of its warring potential, others see it as a positive force that will see humans finally visit space. Throw into the mix some personal drama and religious struggles, and you've got yourself a tale worthy of your time. Once a box-office flop, Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise is a surprisingly artful and experimental title now recognised as a foundational anime text (even in light of its poorly aged approach to gender politics). It was also the first anime outing for both Bandai and Gainax, now among the most important companies in the anime industry.
Mechs are quintessential anime fodder, providing a potent mix of technological marvel and over-the-top action. Sometimes, as with 1989's Patlabor: The Movie, they can also provide the backdrop for some brilliant political drama, conspiratorial narrative chops and a few Biblical references. Here, in a fictitious 1999, the hopes of Tokyo are tied to Labors - giant mechs used to build and protect. When pilots begin to lose control of their Labors, potential catastrophe looms, and the faceless manufacturer comes under scrutiny. As soon as you've done watching this one, you'll want to jump right into the just-as-good, moodier sequel.
If you're looking for pure anime artistry, track down cult-favourite anime racer Redline. Loaded with extreme bravado, pumped-up threats, and uber-tough posturing, Redline transports audiences to a futuristic underground elimination race where there's only one rule: win. It's all about the incredibly stylised action, reinforced by a killer soundtrack. Much like in Cowboy Bebop, the futuristic world here feels broad and alive, edging Redline ahead of other racer movies.
The Animatrix is an unusual entry. The brainchild of the Wachowskis, this release is a compilation of nine short stories directed by nine established anime directors. Each using their own particular set of skills and imaginative powers, the directors have created a mix of stories that are a unique expansion and exploration of the events before and adjacent to mainline Matrix movies. The Animatrix is a genre-mixing, expectation-bending and worthy addition to Matrix mythology.
Following in the footsteps of their unofficial Studio Ghibli compendium, Michael Leader and Jake Cunningham return in this book to take a broader look at the anime scene. The Anime Movie Guide explores 30 classic anime movies, from Ninja Scroll to Your Name, and Interstella 555 to Promare. Each entry is explored with an essay, celebrating and expounding the virtues of established essential and hidden gems.
Traditionally, the popularity of anime among Western audiences has negatively affected its availability. Though contemporary streaming platforms are doing their best to fill in the gaps, many essential anime movies are hard to get because of their initial limited releases. This has also helped fuel the cult status of many hard-to-find anime releases, such as Roujin Z, Patlabor: The Movie and Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise.
All but the most mainstream anime movies will often need to be purchased second-hand, as subtitled and dubbed releases in Europe are limited and physical copies are scarce. This is particularly true for movies from the 1980s and early-1990s and explains the higher cost (though this does give you the peace of mind that your copy will hold its resale value). You may also find yourself needing a region-free DVD player, too, to play US-release NTSC copies.
Anime (Japanese: アニメ, IPA: [aɲime] (listen)) is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, anime refers specifically to animation produced in Japan.[1] However, in Japan and in Japanese, anime (a term derived from a shortening of the English word animation) describes all animated works, regardless of style or origin. Animation produced outside of Japan with similar style to Japanese animation is commonly referred to as anime-influenced animation.
The earliest commercial Japanese animations date to 1917. A characteristic art style emerged in the 1960s with the works of cartoonist Osamu Tezuka and spread in following decades, developing a large domestic audience. Anime is distributed theatrically, through television broadcasts, directly to home media, and over the Internet. In addition to original works, anime are often adaptations of Japanese comics (manga), light novels, or video games. It is classified into numerous genres targeting various broad and niche audiences.
Anime is a diverse medium with distinctive production methods that have adapted in response to emergent technologies. It combines graphic art, characterization, cinematography, and other forms of imaginative and individualistic techniques.[2] Compared to Western animation, anime production generally focuses less on movement, and more on the detail of settings and use of "camera effects", such as panning, zooming, and angle shots.[2] Diverse art styles are used, and character proportions and features can be quite varied, with a common characteristic feature being large and emotive eyes.[3]
The anime industry consists of over 430 production companies, including major studios such as Studio Ghibli, Kyoto Animation, Sunrise, Bones, Ufotable, MAPPA, Wit Studio, CoMix Wave Films, Production I.G and Toei Animation. Since the 1980s, the medium has also seen widespread international success with the rise of foreign dubbed, subtitled programming, and since the 2010s its increasing distribution through streaming services and a widening demographic embrace of anime culture, both within Japan and worldwide.[4] As of 2016, Japanese animation accounted for 60% of the world's animated television shows.[5]
As a type of animation, anime is an art form that comprises many genres found in other mediums; it is sometimes mistakenly classified as a genre itself.[6] In Japanese, the term anime is used to refer to all animated works, regardless of style or origin.[7] English-language dictionaries typically define anime (/ˈænɪmeɪ/)[8] as "a style of Japanese animation"[9] or as "a style of animation originating in Japan".[10] Other definitions are based on origin, making production in Japan a requisite for a work to be considered "anime".[11] 041b061a72