Anime is animated Japanese movies, which is often inspired by Manga, Japanese comic books enjoyed by adults and children. Anime and manga artwork is particularly appealing and draws many Westerners to the genre, but it is a little daunting as there is a lot to choose from. Therefore an anime reviewer may be the best place to stop first.
There is no better time to get into this movie genre as Studio Ghibli's The Tale of Princess Kaguya has just been nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. This movie is due for general release in the cinemas on March 20th 2015 in the United Kingdom. As a reflection of the popularity of anime in the West, Lucy Liu and James Marsden are amongst some of the actors doing the voices for the animation.
Studio Ghibli is a good spring board for the anime novice, as producers of Japanese-style animation catered for a Western market. They have produced a number of movies which are all charming in their own way. A personal highpoint has to be My Neighbour Totoro released in 1988, which tells the post-war adventures of sisters Mei and Satsuki who after moving to their new home discover there are wood-sprites in their garden the leader of which is Totoro; a loveable creature we all wish was real. The theme tune is super-catchy as well, although this may not be seen as a plus.
In 2008 SG released the movie Ponyo; a tale about a cute goldfish, who wants to be a little girl. With the help of her young friend Sosuke, she has lots of adventures which are cute and highly amusing.
For those who want to avoid the super-cute may want to turn to a classic anime series; Death Note. This was a TV series in 2006-7 which follows Light Yagami, who when he encounters a Death Notebook belonging to a God of Death is able to kill people by simply writing their name. He starts a one man campaign to eliminate the world's criminals. Based on 12 manga books the series ran to 37 episodes.
Ghost in the Shell, is another hard-hitting crime series, which started as a graphic novel series. In 1995 a movie of the same name was produced, and then like Star Trek, a number of spin offs arose including Stand Alone Complex (2002) and Arise (2013). In 2015 there is another instalment of this latter spin-off.
If you are interested in this Ghost in the Shell franchise you have a backlog, so put a weekend by to get up to speed. In short, the story follows the police special unit, called the Public Security Section Nine, who are beset by cyber-criminals, corrupt officials and of course the complications all this brings.
It can be difficult in the United Kingdom to identify anime movies or TV series to watch as they are not on general cinema release; other than Studio Ghibli which is not everyone's cup of tea. There are websites that provide a round up all the latest releases, like the www.animenewsnetwork.com but whether these will be available in your area is something you will have to check. However, the effort you put in will be repaid in entertainment hours.
There is no better time to get into this movie genre as Studio Ghibli's The Tale of Princess Kaguya has just been nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. This movie is due for general release in the cinemas on March 20th 2015 in the United Kingdom. As a reflection of the popularity of anime in the West, Lucy Liu and James Marsden are amongst some of the actors doing the voices for the animation.
Studio Ghibli is a good spring board for the anime novice, as producers of Japanese-style animation catered for a Western market. They have produced a number of movies which are all charming in their own way. A personal highpoint has to be My Neighbour Totoro released in 1988, which tells the post-war adventures of sisters Mei and Satsuki who after moving to their new home discover there are wood-sprites in their garden the leader of which is Totoro; a loveable creature we all wish was real. The theme tune is super-catchy as well, although this may not be seen as a plus.
In 2008 SG released the movie Ponyo; a tale about a cute goldfish, who wants to be a little girl. With the help of her young friend Sosuke, she has lots of adventures which are cute and highly amusing.
For those who want to avoid the super-cute may want to turn to a classic anime series; Death Note. This was a TV series in 2006-7 which follows Light Yagami, who when he encounters a Death Notebook belonging to a God of Death is able to kill people by simply writing their name. He starts a one man campaign to eliminate the world's criminals. Based on 12 manga books the series ran to 37 episodes.
Ghost in the Shell, is another hard-hitting crime series, which started as a graphic novel series. In 1995 a movie of the same name was produced, and then like Star Trek, a number of spin offs arose including Stand Alone Complex (2002) and Arise (2013). In 2015 there is another instalment of this latter spin-off.
If you are interested in this Ghost in the Shell franchise you have a backlog, so put a weekend by to get up to speed. In short, the story follows the police special unit, called the Public Security Section Nine, who are beset by cyber-criminals, corrupt officials and of course the complications all this brings.
It can be difficult in the United Kingdom to identify anime movies or TV series to watch as they are not on general cinema release; other than Studio Ghibli which is not everyone's cup of tea. There are websites that provide a round up all the latest releases, like the www.animenewsnetwork.com but whether these will be available in your area is something you will have to check. However, the effort you put in will be repaid in entertainment hours.
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