Top 10 Anime Films
Bleach: Memories of Nobody - This is the first anime movie I saw in theaters. I watched it with a good friend of mine back when we were in middle school and we loved it. I don't think there was a full crowd but I remember a guy whistling when Rangiku appeared and a lot of people cheering when Zaraki made his entrance. I got the film on DVD and let my 8th grade Math teacher borrow it............. he forgot to give it back. I think I've seen the film once or twice since then and I still liked it. The film's soundtrack specifically "Number One(Movie Version)" and "Sen no Yoru wo Koete" bring back nostalgic feelings when I listen to them. Memories of Nobody is something I saw when anime was still new to me and for that I'll always think of it fondly.
Your Name - This movie had a lot of hype going into it. It had spectacular animation and was breaking box office records. It was hard not to go in with high expectations but I manged to contain myself for it. I saw this in a theater with four other people and I only talked to one guy after it ended. He said "That was a good movie" and all I could say was "Yeah". Honestly Your Name is the kind of thing that's good for boring reasons. It's a really well animated movie with a heartfelt story and I don't think there's anything I can say that won't sound like a pull quote from a review used in movie trailers. I still love it though, the last few minutes had me on the edge of my seat cheering for romance; which is something I've never done before.
One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Festival Island - The Mamoru Hosoda film I'll never own.
Of the thirteen One Piece movies only four have been licensed by Funimation for release in the North America. I'm sure there's a lot of complicated reasons for this but it really is a bummer. I've seen all of them and all of them are pretty good. Three of the 4 licensed by Funi are Strong World, Z, and Gold. Those three are definitely some of the best works the One Piece franchise has to offer but my absolute favorite and in my opinion the best one is the sixth film, Baron Omatsuri and the Festival Island. What's special about this one to me it the dark atmosphere it has. One Piece has gone to some dark places but it's never been portrayed as dark in a manner like this. The movie challenges the character's relationships and has some pretty disturbing imagery that manages to capture the heart of One Piece while also offering something very unique. It offers a nice contrast to the series as well as Hosoda's other works. I watched this in the summer of my 8th grade year when I was diving full force into One Piece and this left a strong impression on me back then. When I watched it for my birthday this year it had my full attention and now I think it's even better.
InuYasha Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler - I remember back when Blockbuster was still in business I rented this movie and watched it multiple times. Then i rented again and watched it multiple more times. Then I rented it again and watched it multiple more times. Then I rented again and my brother "accidentally" took it with him. I said this list would mostly about feelings instead of how good they are but of the four InuYasha movies Swords of an Honorable Ruler is the best and it's not even close. But even if it weren't it's still a really cool action movie with some awesome sword fights and crazy attacks. My younger self would get so hype watching the dragon twister and my older self really appreciates the animation and writing that goes into the fight scenes. I genuinely feel it should be considered among the best action films anime has to offer.
Revolutionary Girl Utena: Adolescence of Utena - The first time I saw Adolescence I didn't care for it. I thought it was fine but with an obviously weird ending. But as I grew to appreciate Kunihiko Ikuhara more I grew to appreciate this movie. The second time I saw Adolescence of Utena I thought it was fantastic and I might even prefer it to the TV series. I'd like to see more anime movies try this approach to theatrical adaptations instead of just recap films. It's hypnotizing to look at and even though it's not something I would recommend going into blind I'd love to show it just about anyone.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya - Before watching this movie all I knew about it was that it was Ghibli and it was nominated for an Oscar. It's rare for anime to get Academy Award recognition and even though it didn't win I still felt it was worth. Princess Kaguya was directed by the late Isao Takahata and when he passed away I made sure to go and purchase this film. Takahata's directing in this movie is incredible and I look forrward to checking out his other works.
Naruto the Movie: Nina Clash in the Land of the Snow - Unlike the One Piece movies the Naruto movies aren't very impressive. There's usually some great animation and handful of likable characters but the stories and villains are usually sub par. Still there are some good Naruto flicks; Road to Ninja, The Last, and Boruto, are all good times but for me the most cinematic of them all is the big screen debut directed by Tensai Okamura. I bought the first three Naruto movies two years ago and this was the most fun to rewatch. Just like with Memories of Nobody and Baron Omatsuri I have fond memories of watching this when I was getting into anime and it still appeals to me now. That's what I look for in media, something that I can appreciate on multiple levels.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion - If you were to ask me which I preferred the original NGE TV series or the Rebuilds I wouldn't be able to make a decision. I love them too much. I'm also open to the idea that the Rebuilds are sequel but that's another topic. With that being said, if I were to pick something from EVA that occupies my mind the most it would be End of Evangelion. 1.11 has the climactic final battle with Ramiel, 2.22 has Asuka, and 3.33 has a jarring setting that forces to really ask yourself what you're watching but EoE has so many iconic moments in it's 90 minute run-time that it's hard to beat. Hideaki Anno crafted a psychological horror film that could send anyone into despair from one viewing. Bear with me while I use this stockphrase but EoE is an experience unlike any other.
The Boy and the Beast - Depending on how you ask this is Hosoda's worst film or his best film. I've already described how I felt about his One Piece but I remember his Digimon movie. Summer Wars, which I've heard has basically the same plot as is Digimon is an instant classic and something I'd show to anyone interested in anime. As for Wolf Children I liked it but it's not something I actively want to rewatch. The Boy and The Beast is my favorite Hosoda. I saw it in theaters and loved it so much that I wen back to see it again the next. I saw it three times before I actually bought it on DVD. It's a really cool movie about strength and father with some great music, voice acting, and animation. It draws me in every time.
Spirited Away - I think everyone can remember their first Ghibli and/or Miyazaki film. It's usually their favorite and can tell you a bit about what kind of stories they love. Someone who likes Howl's Moving Castle might be a sucker for romance; while someone who likes Nausicaa probably love epic fantasies with female leads. For me, I like Coming of Age stories and this one really hits that spot. The first time I saw Spirited Away was on Toonami during their Month of Miyazaki celebration but I don't remember thinking much of it as a child. But as a teenager and a young adult the story hit me harder. I wasn't thinking about how change could be scary for a child when I was a child but when I watch it now I'm overtaken by feelings quite hard to describe. I consider myself quite different from Sen but I can live vicariously through her story. I've watched a majority of Miyazaki's films ranging from Castle of Cagliostro to The Wind Rises. I've found them to be very impressive but the only one I consider to be a masterpiece, the only one that can make feel joy and sadness, is Spirited Away.
Comments
Post a Comment