122 replies to this topic

[BlackLightning]

Okay, still another update and I am not TOO far behind this time. Hooray!

Jokes aside, this topic's subject is about one of my favorite manga genres, and several shows pushed it forward or tried making something different:

Romance Robot Trilogy: Combattler V, Voltes V, Tosho Daimos --Click here to view--

It is also named the Tadao Nagahama Trilogy. They were three independent series usually are credited with helping the genre to evolve. They were created by Saburo Yatsude (a collective name for a group of Toei animators. Later they created Voltron, another popular super robot show) and directed by Tadao Nagahama. It is also worth of mentioning Yoshiyuki Tomino, one of the creators of Gundam, worked on Voltes V.

Combattler V was the first show. It narrates how thousand years ago the inhabitants of the planet Campbell left their planet and sought new worlds to inhabit. One group led by the scientist Oreana landed on Earth but they were delayed. In the XXI century they finally awaken and begin the conquest of the Earth using their bio-mechanical creatures. The only thing can defeat them is the super-electromagnetic robot, Combattler V.

The plot was pretty simple and straight-forward, but the show was nice to watch and the characters weren’t void of inner conflicts: Hyoma Aoi (the tema’s captain) got his arms destroyed in a battle and needed getting cybernetic replacements; Chizuru Nanbara (team’s female member and granddaughter of the builder of Combattler. She eventually fell in love with Hyoma) was ill with valvula heart disease but she tried hiding it because she didn’t want leaving her teammates alone…

Voltes V was the next series in the Trilogy, and it was more serious and darker than Combattler, with superior character development, specially among the villains. The history begins in the planet Boazan, an Empire has achieved a highly advanced technological level, but with a society held in a strict caste-system. Boazans born with horns are the ruling class, whereas hornless Boazans are slaves.

An aristocratic child was born hornless, but their family fitted him with fake ones in order to prevent him from being sold in slavery. Eventually he became a great scientific genius, and he was the next in line for the imperial throne. Though, Zambojil found out the truth, exposed him and became emperor while the young genius became a slave. The ex-aristocrat led a rebellion of slaves, but they were defeated, and he had to flee to Earth.

After arriving to our planet, he took the name of Go Kentaro, got married and had three children: Kenichi, Daihiro and Hiyoshi. However, he knew sooner or later Boazan forces would strike Earth and to slave its inhabitants. In order to prevent that future, he started working alongside the Earth defense forces, including General Oka and Professor Hamaguchi to create a new weapon: the super robot Voltes V, piloted by the three sons of Kentaro, Megumi Oka –General’s daughter and expert kunoichi-, and the former rodeo star, Mine Ippei.

At last the Boazan armada strikes Earth. They deploy their beast fighters all over the world and easily beat most of the armies of the planet. However, they are defeated by the Voltes Team. Thus starts a long war, with the Boazan invaders focusing their attacks on Japan, and the Voltes V struggling for defending Earth as the Go siblings search their long-lost father and several important characters –from either sides- die.

Later in the series, the Go brothers discover their half-alien heritage and struggle to deal with it as the Voltes Team comes to a realization: in order to end the war it is not enough with defeating the invading army. They must strike Boazan and liberate the slaves from the oppression of the Emperor Zu Zambojil.

Toushou Daimos was the last series in the Trilogy (and it is worth noting Daimos was one of the first mechas fought using martial arts). This series also showed a conflict where no side was actually evil, trying giving a message about the evils of war.

After the destruction of the planet Baam, the survivors are forced to emigrate in search of a new place where live. During their journey they arrive to Earth, and their leader, Emperor Leon wishes purchasing land where his people can peacefully settle down. With that goal he meets with a delegation from Earth in order to negotiate the buyout. Unfortunately, during the negotiations, Georiya, Leon’s second in command, assassinates the Emperor and frames the delegation from Earth for the murder. In the ensuing chaos, Doctor Isamu Ryuzaki from Earth is shot and killed.

Shortly after the disastrous council, Olban (Leon’s personal counsellor. Georiya is his right hand, and assassinated the Emperor under his orders) usurps the throne and begins a campaign of conquest in order to take over Earth, led by Admiral Richter, Leon’s son. Richter is pained and furious due to his father’s death and he hates the Earth people whom he believes responsible. He wants taking revenge on them, but he also is worried about his people’s safety and need for a new homeland. Thus, he launches a brutal offensive against Earth, deploying several types of Mecha Soldiers effectively overwhelm the Earth army.

The only thing capable to prevent the annihilation of the Earthlings is Daimos, a transforming super robot and its pilot, Kazuya Ryuzaki, son of the assassinated Doctor Ryuzaki. However, he meets a beautiful girl named Erika during one battle. The mysterious girl is amnesiac and can’t remember anything, and he takes her in and falls in love with her. And she falls in love with him.

However Erika gradually regains her missing memory and it turns out she is Richter’s sister.

Oops.

And she –wrongly- believes she is guilty of the death of the Doctor Ryuzaki, and she is afraid of confessing that to Kazuya.

Double oops.

Over the course of their struggles to reunite, Kazuya and Erika each learn that the other’s people are not all evil... and that their own people are not all good.

The end also is quite bittersweet. Kazuya and Erika reunite, the conspirators are exposed and defeated and Baam makes peace with Earth. However many good people died cause a conflict neither side wanted.

The three series ran from 1976 to 1979, right before Gundam started. Combattler V consists of fifty-four episodes, Voltes V of forty episodes and Daimos of forty-four. There is at least a manga involving the three series and they have consistently showed up on Super Robot Wars video games and manga based on that franchise.

To watch Combattler V: Anime

To watch Voltes V: Anime

To watch Tosho Daimos: Anime

To read manga: Manga

This manga is actually a crossover blending the threes shows and another series named Daltanias.

I have mentioned Tomino –the father of Mobile Suit Gundam- worked on Voltes V. Before making Gundam he worked on more shows. And one of them was:

Zambot 3 --Click here to view--

There once existed a planet named Beal, until it was wiped out by the mysterious entity known as Gaizok. The few remaining survivors escaped to Earth and split into three families, named Jin, Kamie, and Kamikita respectively. While attempting to start a new life, the collectively known "Jin Family" prepared for the inevitable Gaizok invasion on Earth and its giant mechanical beasts known as "Mecha Boosts". In order to defend their new home, they have built three vehicles which when combined form the mighty Zambot 3. The Jin Family must not only defend against Gaizok attacks, but also harsh criticisms from the very people they protect, who blame the Jin Family for the invasion in the first place.

At first glance the plot seems pretty standard. However it stood out for several things: the pilots are very young, nearly children, which did their trials and suffering more appalling (moreover, not all of them survive the war). Death and destruction counts and it isn’t shrugged off (sometimes they fought on the ruins of cities obliterated in a previous battle). The enemy is unusually blood-thirsty and doesn’t wish conquering Earth but simply wiping out humankind (and it is even worst when you learn their motives. In order to avoid spoilers, let’s tell they think Earthlings are the bad guys and a menace), levelling entire cities to ruins, and it isn’t above of using other means other than super robots (such like capturing innocent people, turning them into human bombs and letting them return to their houses and families… before making them exploding). The Zambot pilots and their families not only have to fight aliens but also face the reject of the humankind, who blames them for the Gaizok attacks. And the end is very bittersweet (I don’t want spoiling it, but somehow it managed be sad, dark, gloomy, mind-screwing… and unexpectedly heart-warming).

This was one of the shows earned Tomino the nickname “Kill’em All”. It was aired in 1977 and it is twenty-three episodes long. It is worth of being watched, even if it can be slightly depressing.

To watch the anime: Anime

Patlabor --Click here to view--

Labor: The common name for robots designed for heavy industrial use. The rise of labors sparked a revolution in construction and civil engineering, but labor-related crime skyrocketed as well. To combat this new threat, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police created a patrol labor unit, the Special Vehicles Unit Second Section. This was the origin of Patlabor.

In the near future, robots called Labors, designed for heavy industrial work are mass-produced in Japan. However, some people use labors to commit crimes. In order to fight that kind of criminals, it is created a special elite police squad: the Special Vehicles Unit. That Special Unit is composed of 2 divisions: Division 1 is a squad of highly-competent and hard-working cops led by a serious, nonsensical boss; Division 2 is a band of rookies with a propensity for property damage, led by a slouch, sleepy-looking boss.

The story is focused on the cops of the Division 2 and their daily lives as they combat crime using his Patrol Labors… also as known as Patlabor.

Patlabor is a blend of cop show, political thriller, comedy, drama, slice of live series and mecha show.

Nearly all super robot anime have used Mazinger Z or Mobile Suit Gundam like templates, including parodies (Daiturn-3) or deconstructions (Evangelion). Patlabor is one of the few series entirely ditches either of those templates and associated tropes. The labours are not glorified war vehicles or battle-suits but real-looking vehicles with limitations, that may break up and need constant maintenance, and often they aren’t human-alike. They are so completely blended in the environment and in such a realistic way you have nearly forgotten about their existence till the action begins. And the battles between robots are very well animated and thrilling, but they also use to be brief. And the show isn’t focused on them but in the people working in the Division 2 and their daily troubles.

The characters are deep and charismatic: the main character is Noa Izumi, a young woman is fresh off the Academy and is a robot otaku has applied for the job only so she could pilot a giant robot (she was grief-stricken when she learnt labors are NOT built for flight). Other characters are: Asuma Shinohara, Noa’s partner who is in love with her but is unable to spit it out; Isao Ota, a (very) trigger-happy, gun-loving, impulsive, hot-headed and gruff-looking police who refuses to admit he is soft-hearted deep-down; Kiichi Gotoh, Division 1’s captain, who is apparently lazy and carefree but is incredibly observant, devilishly clever and DOWNRIGHT Machiavellian…

I absolutely love to bits this series, and it is highly recommended even if you don’t like robot shows.

To read the manga: Manga

To watch the anime: Anime

Vision of Escaflowne --Click here to view--

Hitomi is an apparently ordinary high school student who read tarot cards and belongs to her school’s track team… if it wasn’t because sometimes she has odd, unusually vivid dreams.

One say she learns her crush, Amano Susumu is leaving for studying abroad, and ask him kissing her if she can run one hundred meters in 13 seconds. Before she can finish the sprint, though, a pillar of light appears from nowhere, and a dragon emerges out from it, chased by a young, armoured warrior. The warrior –Prince Van, rescues Hitomi and her friends from the dragon, slays the beast and cuts its heart off the corpse to take something glowing form it. Suddenly, another pillar of light flares up and sends Hitomi and Van away to Van’s world, Gaea, where Earth itself hovers in the night sky.

Once there, Hitomi quickly learns that world is being torn apart by a terrible war. Fanelia –Van’s kingdom- and other many countries are at war with the Zaibach Empire. Emperor Dornkirk intends using his technology and army of giant robots –named “Guymelefs” to conquer Gaea and create a world without uncertainty. The best chance to defeat his army is the mighty Escaflowne, a guymelef guarded by Fanelia, which must be powered by an object found only in the heart of a dragon. The heir to the kingdom must slay a dragon and retrieve that object in order to be acclaimed king.

Shortly after arriving to Fanelia Van is crowned, but the Zaibach Empire abruptly attacks the capital city, decimating its army and burning it to cinders. Hitomi and Van are barely capable to power up the Escaflowne and fleeing from the mighty Zaibachian army. Since that time, their lives become a race not only for saving Gaea, but also for staying alive…

Tenku no Escaflowne (also known as Vision of Escaflowne or simply Escaflowne) was a successful twenty-six episodes long anime broadcast in 1996. It gained critical acclaim by its engaging plot, great animation and spectacular music.

To watch the anime: Anime

Ok. Done.

I hope I can update soon. I think I will try something different instead of writing reviewes about mostly action shows. Maybe I should take advantage of Madoka's current popularity and making a post about other magical girls series.

Ah, can't believe I forgot about Escaflowne, it was one of my fav childhood mecha anime (Seriously Escaflowne is just bad-ass) not to mention that it prob was one of the first anime that introduced multi-mode mecha (Robot form and Flight Form) and Living Mecha.

Todays topic is: Living Mecha

When it comes to Living Mecha, there is only 1 title that springs to my mind:

Zoids Series:

The zoids series actually started as a model kit toys line but its popularity is largely owed to their anime series. So far there are 4 Anime series on the Zoids line but as far as Classic is concerned, only two can be called classic which the other two are actually quite new

Zoids: Chaotic Century and Zoids: Guardian Force --Click here to view--

Zoids: Chaotic Century follows a boy named Van Flyheight (romanised as Freiheit in the Japanese version); the series starts with him being chased by bandits into some old ruins, where he finds a girl named Fiona (Fine in the Japanese) and a small silver Zoid, which he names Zeke (Sieg), in old capsules. Zeke, who is later found to be an Organoid, helps Van and Fiona escape the bandits by reactivating a broken Shield Liger and helping Van pilot it out. As the series progresses, Van meets various opponents, such as Raven, and friends, like Moonbay and Irvine, and eventually ends up helping Fiona in her quest to regain her memory and to find the Zoid Eve.

Three to four years after the defeat of the Death Saurer, the second story arc, Zoids: Guardian Force, begins. Van has been training for the past few months under the direction of Colonel Kreuger in the Helic Republic Army. Because of several events and assumed terrorists arising, the Helic Republic and Guylos Empire form a joint military task force called the Guardian Force. Van soon meets up with Fiona, who has been searching for Zoid Eve along with Dr. D., a seemingly insane and childish genius. They set out to find Zoid Eve together again, and, along the way, meet up with both old and new friends and foes.

Zoids: New Century Zero --Click here to view--

Zoids: New Century Zero takes place several centuries after Guardian Force, where Zoid battles have become a tournament-based league. The main character is Bit Cloud, a junk dealer, who runs into the Blitz Team. As Bit interferes in a match with the Blitz Team he comes across the Liger Zero, a Zoid possessed by the Blitz Team which no one can pilot. Bit and Liger form a partnership and end up joining the Blitz Team in their various league matches. He is aided by his teammates, Leena Toros, Brad Hunter, Jamie Hemeros, as well as their leader, Dr. Steve Toros.

The Liger Zero is revealed to be a unique Zoid, an Ultimate X; it contains an "Integrated Organoid System", or "black box"—a self-supporting artificial intelligence program that allows the Liger Zero to learn and adapt on its own. Only special "chosen ones" can pilot an Ultimate X.

Along the way, Bit's unique Zoid gets the attention of the Backdraft Group, an organization who is trying to take over Zoid battles and make them more "interesting." The Backdraft attempts to acquire the Liger Zero by any means possible. They eventually unearth the Berserk Fury, a powerful Zoid that also contains an Integrated Organoid System.

[Jenskott]

Ah, can't believe I forgot about Escaflowne, it was one of my fav childhood mecha anime (Seriously Escaflowne is just bad-ass)

Whenever I hear that I feel old.

I think I was already seventeen or eighteen the first time I watched it. I liked the aspect of mixing high-fantasy with science fiction, the battles between giant robots in a mystical setting, and the dark plot ongoing. And you can't forget about the orchestrated music. It was pretty good, indeed.

not to mention that it prob was one of the first anime that introduced multi-mode mecha (Robot form and Flight Form) and Living Mecha.

I know you have specified you are talking about anime series, but don't let a Transformer fan hear that .

Hmm... Maybe it is one of the first ones, indeed. Macross often is regarded like the first one (Cause the valkyries were jets morphed into robots), but I can think of some older shows where a mecha had at least two modes (Daimos and Daiturn come to mind). But I can't think of many shows earlier to Escaflowne, even though I haven't watched all mecha show in existence.

Okay, enough of ranting. Zoids sounds interesting. I have wanted checking it for a while, although I have had no time for it.

[BlackLightning]

Whenever I hear that I feel old.

I think I was already seventeen or eighteen the first time I watched it. I liked the aspect of mixing high-fantasy with science fiction, the battles between giant robots in a mystical setting, and the dark plot ongoing. And you can't forget about the orchestrated music. It was pretty good, indeed.



I know you have specified you are talking about anime series, but don't let a Transformer fan hear that .

Hmm... Maybe it is one of the first ones, indeed. Macross often is regarded like the first one (Cause the valkyries were jets morphed into robots), but I can think of some older shows where a mecha had at least two modes (Daimos and Daiturn come to mind). But I can't think of many shows earlier to Escaflowne, even though I haven't watched all mecha show in existence.

Okay, enough of ranting. Zoids sounds interesting. I have wanted checking it for a while, although I have had no time for it.

I've been a zoids fan for sometime already. By far, I think New Century Zero is the best among the series. The problem is that its extremely hard to find the original Japanese with English sub rather than the quite horrible sounding English dub. I've ben searching it since a few years ago but it just too hard.

[Jenskott]

I've been a zoids fan for sometime already. By far, I think New Century Zero is the best among the series. The problem is that its extremely hard to find the original Japanese with English sub rather than the quite horrible sounding English dub. I've ben searching it since a few years ago but it just too hard.

Tell me about it. Often I try to find subbed Japanese raws or subtitles because many series suffer from an awful dubbing. Unfortunately, if one show is already officially translated, not many fans bother in subbing it.

By the way, I know you aren't too much in mecha series, but since you like Gundam I think you might like Armored Trooper VOTOMS. It also features robots, but the show tries being more realistic than the Gundam series, and the tone is more dramatic (or maybe I should tell cynical and pesimistic). The first series was made in 1983, but several OVAs were produced back in 2007 so they shouldn't be so hard to find. And I Think another OVA is being aired this year (I guess I might review it one day, but not today. I am a bit tired right now, and it will be a while before I make another super robot-themed post).

Edited by Jenskott, 30 March 2011 - 02:11 PM.

[Jenskott]

New post! The current topic is magical girl series. Since I am due to recommend some shojo manga and right now a new magical girl anime is apparently gaining popularity, it seems like a good time.

Believe it or not, the origin of magical girls was a sixties’ American live-action sitcom: Bewitched. However the first magical girls usually were: young girls found -or were handed out by some kind of mystical being- a magical artefact granted them some power (usually transforming themselves); or alien princess with sorcery powers were visiting Earth under a human disguise (if you realize, Sailor Moon has inherited both aspects of those early series). More often than not, those girls used her powers to get in mischief and/or helping people.

The first magical girl manga were Himitsu no Akko-chan by Fujio Akatsuka (another of the most important and most influential Japanese comic-book writers in the sixties, and a pioneer of comical manga) and Sally the Witch by Mitsuteru Yokoyama (Tetusjin-28 go’s creator). Those shojo manga generally were intended for a younger audience.

Himitsu no Akko-chan --Click here to view--

Atsuko Kagami –Akko-chan- is a lively, young girl who likes mirrors. One day, her favourite mirror – which one of her parents gave to her like a present- gets broken, and she chooses burying it instead of throwing it in the trash can. Later she is contacted in her dreams by a spirit is moved by the respect she treated the mirror with. In reward, he gifts her with a magical mirror and teaches her an enchantment will allow her morph into anything and anyone she wants, and even copying their abilities.

Himitsu no Akko-chan was created in 1963 and it lasted three volumes. The anime version was produced in 1969 and lasted 94 episodes. It has been remade twice in the eighties and nineties.

To read the manga:
To read the anime:

Sally the Witch --Click here to view--

The main character –Sally- was the princess of the witch world of Astoria. One day she decided teleporting to Earth –the mid-world- to make friends. Quickly she finds a criminal menacing two schoolgirls and she secretly uses her magic powers in order to scare it away, thus gaining two new friends. From that point on the show follows her daily adventures and misadventures as she lives on Earth, facing a bunch of troubles and using her magic to solve them.

Even though Himitsu no Akko-chan’s manga was published before Yokoyama’s manga, Sally the Witch was translated to anime form first, and thus it became the first magical girl anime (it also was one of the first full-colour anime shows. Curiously, since the series was produced when anime shows were transitioning from black and white to full colour, the first seventeen chapters are still black and white).

Again, the manga was created by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, and it ran from 1966 to 1967, being one-volume long. The anime version ran from 1966 to 1968 and it lasted 109 episodes. A sequel was made in 1989 (Sally the Witch 2) and a film in 1990.
To read the manga:
To watch the anime: Anime

Hana no Ko LunLun --Click here to view--

Long ago, plant spirits and fairy-like creatures lived in peace and harmony with humankind. Unfortunately, humans gradually got greedier and crueler, and the plant spirits fled to another world. They named it “Flower Star” and settled in there.

However, their legacy still remained in people who reminded the meaning of love and kindness. Two spirits, Nubo and Cato, are sent to Earth under animal disguises to find an human capable to find the magical Flower of Seven Colors, the symbol of the ruling family of Flower Star, so that a new ruler can fill the throne.

In France they meet LunLun, a young orphan who lives with her grandparents who own a flower shop. On her fifteenth birthday, they ask her join and she accepts. The unlikely trio travel all over Europe, searching the flower, helping every person they meet, and dodging the chase of the fairy Togenishia and her servant Boris, who want finding the flower to become the ruler of Flower Star. Fortunately LunLun is aided by Serge, a mysterious photographer follows her and hands out to people she helps packets of flower seeds which symbolize the lesson they have learnt in the language of flowers.

The manga was created by Shiro Jinbo in 1979 and it is STILL being published (having spawned thirty-six volumes so far). The show was aired in 1979 in Japan, lasting fifty chapters, and it was successfully broadcast in the West successfully, mainly in Europa and Latin America, and a few episodes was dubbed into English and aired in USA (where the series was renamed Angel). So, it was one of the first magical girl anime shows were released outside of Japan. A film was made in 1980, and two more films were made back in 2009.

The show itself is a tad corny, but I watched it back when I was a kid, so I have fond memories of it. And it is entertaining, regardless.

To read the manga:
To watch the anime:

Steadily the magical girl shows evolved, getting more violent or even darker. Cutey Honey was the first magical girl show where the main character was a warrior tried saving the world of an evil organization (giving birth to the warrior magical girl subgenre), the origin of the main character is tied to science instead of magic, and featured fanservice. I have already recommended Cutey Honey in another post so I’ll refer to it.

After Cutey Honey, another show was aired where the main character fought genuinely evil people, got hurt or lost fights, and had to deal with troubles her magic couldn’t solve:

Majokko Meg-chan --Click here to view--

Majokko Meg-chan (or Majokko Megu-chan) tells the story of Meg, a young witch who has been sent to Earth as a part of a test for becoming queen of the Witch World. Meg is a contender for the throne but she knows very little of human relationships. Thus, she is sent to Earth in her early teens and adopted by Mami Kanzaki, a former witch forsook her life in the Witch World to wed an human (it is worth to mention Mami used an enchantment to make her family believe Meg had always been a family member… right like Chibi Usa did twenty years later in Sailor Moon). Mentored by Mami, Megu learns to control her abilities and emotions.

Throughout the story, Meg learns about emotions she had never known: love, hatred, fury, compassion, sadness, joy, loneliness, grief… and gradually she stops being a stubborn, clumsy, egoist brat and evolves into a courageous, compassionate and kind young woman. Constantly she battles monsters, demons and other sorceress, but quickly she realizes her worst enemy is the darker side of the human being. And thank to her trials she grows up and matures, becoming a woman worthy of ruling over the Witch World.

Majokko Meg-chan was quite notable since it was marketed to both girls and boys and it featured a tomboyish character, introduced a rival and truly evil enemies, touched on serious subjects (domestic abuse, infidelity, drug abuse, child abandonment…), had the heroine losing fights and suffering consequences as well as facing troubles she knew her magic couldn’t solve, and featured fanservice. Some of those innovations were introduced by Cutey Honey (a funny fact is a spoof of Cutey Honey showed up on an episode), but Majokko Meg-chan developed them and introduced new developments became staples of the genre.

The manga was created by Tomo Inoue and Akio Narita in 1974, and the anime version ran from 1974 to 1975 and lasted 72 episodes.

To watch the anime:

Later in the eighties the genre had evolved still again, and another kind of magical girl showed up: the main characters were teen girls instead of kids –therefore her love lives were more important than in the earlier shows- and they didn’t use her powers for fighting evil or purely helping people but for her own benefit:

Magical Angel Creamy Mami --Click here to view--

Yu Morisawa is a blue-haired, ten-year old girl lives with her parents in their creperie and is in love with her best friend, Toshio, a fourteen-year old boy cares for her like a little sister.

One day Yu sees a glowing, flying saucer floating in the air. She manages sneaking into the ship and meeting the alien, and she helps him to find his way home. In reward he lends her his powers, contained in a magical powder compact, for a one year length, and two magical kitten-alike beings, Posi and Nega. Chanting several magical words, Yu can turn into a beautiful, purple-haired, sixteen-year old girl.

The next day Yu is hanging around in her new form when she meets Shingo Tachibana, a company manager. He talks her into sign a contract in order to become an idol singer, and Yu agrees, using the pseudonym of Creamy (her parents’ restaurant’s name).

During one whole year, Yu has to lead a dual life, going to school as Yu and becoming a successful idol singer as Creamy, all the whole as she tries winning Shingo over, and has to deal with her newfound rival (Megumi, the former idol of Parthenon Productions, the company Creamy works for) and with plots to discover her true identity.

Creamy Mami was created by Studio Pierrot in 1983 and was the first magical girl anime they did (the most of earlier magical girl shows had been made by Toei Animation), as well as the first anime featuring character designs by Akemi Takada, and it became fifty-two episodes long. A manga version was released along the anime, written by Kazunori Ito and drawn by Yuko Kitagawa. An OVA was produced in 1985 to close definitely the story (six years after the end of the anime, Yu has to become Creamy again in order to help her former company in spite of having lost her powers).

It is a fun, light-hearted, heart-warming anime. And it is still well-remembered in Japan more than twenty years after the end of the series: in 2005, the web-poll for TV Asahi's top-100 anime of all time saw Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel poll 82nd (source: Wikipedia).

To read the manga:
To watch the anime: Anime

Mahou no Star Magical Emi --Click here to view--

Mai Kazuki is the youngest descendant of a family of magicians, and an aspiring magician herself. Unfortunately she is clumsy and inexperienced and not skilful enough. Despite it she dreams with becoming like her heroine and role model, the legendary magician Emily Howell, and getting into her grandparents’ troupe, Magic Carat.

One day she is visited by a mirror fairy named Topo, who gives her a bracelet allows Mai transforming into a grownup version of herself and wielding real magic. Mai uses her gift to becoming a star magician under the pseudonym Magical Emi, and occasionally helping people. Soon her Emi self becomes hugely successful and popular.

However Mai realizes throughout the series being Emi is neither so funny nor as emotionally rewarding as being Mai. Her real self has to work hard to manage a simple trick whereas her Emi self can make anything simply by willing it. Thus, by the end of the series, Mai chooses giving up her powers and working hard to become a magician instead of relying on some mystical trinket.

Magical Emi was the third magical girl series created by Studio Pierrot, and it aired from 1985 to 1986. The anime show lasted thirty-eight episodes and two OVAs. As it was being broadcast, a version manga was published, written and drawn by Kiyoko Arai and being three volumes-long.

Admittedly it isn’t as good as Creamy Mami –or at least I thought it was inferior back when I watched it-, but it was funny and kept me entertained.

To watch the anime:
To watch the OVA: OVA

The genre went on changing, but warrior magical girl was but a subgenre… up to 1992. Sailor Moon was born that year, mixing magical girl and super sentai tropes. Its incredible success spawned a legion of imitators, and its popularity in the West changed the perception of what magical girl shows were. Thus, the magical girl who is a warrior fights evil became the dominant kind.

An example of warrior magical girl earlier to Sailor Moon was:

Devil Hunter Yoko --Click here to view--

Yohko Ono is an apparently normal, vivacious and spirited high schoolgirl living with her single mother and her grandmother. Unbeknownst to her, she is the last in line of a family of devil hunters has hunted down demon through the history, and she is destined to be the 108th devil hunter of her clan. However the former hunter was her grandmother, since the hunter must remain virgin until the time when her powers manifest for first time (which happens when she becomes sixteen-years old), and Yoho’s mother… well, she didn’t.

And now she has become sixteen, her life is in danger. An army of demons is gathering to kill the last demon hunter before she can access her powers, and so eradicate their ancient enemies once and for all.

I would not show this series to a minor because it had two distasteful moments in the first OVA (one instance is a demon possessed a friend of Yoko in order to steal her virginity and preventing her from becoming a huntress. Even if the attempt was unsuccessful and Yohko was saved by her grandmother, I found it disturbing). They were two moments happened in the beginning, and the series ditched fanservice elements as the plot progressed, and the story and action were pretty good to make up for it, so it didn’t permanently sour me on the show. But I wish someone would have warned me about them before watching it. So I am doing it now beforehand.

To watch the OVA: OVA

There are some manga or anime I have been unable to find links to. If someone can provide links I would be most grateful.

And I hope I can update soon again.

[Jenskott]

Rather writing a long post about a specific subject, today I am in the mood for some shows mixing action with comedy.

Project Eiko --Click here to view--

Several years before the start of the history, an alien space ship fell down on Earth. A large city was built around it, named Graviton City.

Several years later, Eiko Magami gets ready to attend Graviton High School along her best friend, Shiiko Kotobuki. Eiko is a redheaded, hotheaded, lazy teenager who sees herself like a perfectly normal teenager… despite she is gifted with super-strength, super-speed and other powers. Her friend is a ditzy, extremely sensitive and a tad childish blonde girl.

During the first school day they meet Biko Daitokuji, a blue-haired, extremely intelligent, spoiled rich girl, who quickly becomes obsessed and determined to befriend Shiiko for some reason. Quickly she realizes the origin of her obsession and her urges for getting Eiko out of the picture become homicidal (the thought of both of them could become Shiiko friends at once never occurs to her).

Shortly after she confronts to both girls and reminds to Eiko the three of them had attended the same primary school (a fact Eiko and Shiiko had completely forgotten about). Back then she wanted being Shiiko’s friend so she resorted to… bully her and pick on her in order to get her attention. Whenever it happened, Eiko stepped on and protected Shiiko by punching Biko. And thus Eiko and Shiiko became good friends, and Biko grew resentful of Eiko throughout the ages.

And now, years later, she still wants defeating Eiko and winning Shiiko’s friendship over. Thus, she defies Eiko with a mecha piloted by one of the Biko’s underlings.

Eiko pounds it flat in three seconds.

From that day on, it starts a morning ritual of Biko defying Eiko with robots she designed and built overnight and Eiko crushing them before the sound of the bell. After several days, Biko finally snaps out and challenges Eiko to a fist fight, geared with a combat armor she has crafted. Eiko –who is also fed up with the morning fights- accepts and both nuke it out, demolishing the school and a chunk of the city during the brawl.

However their battle is cut short. Eiko and Shiiko had unknowingly been spied every morning by a weird, heavily clothed person (who Eiko ran over every morning during her property-destructing sprints). That person turns out to be an alien whose race built the space ship crashed on Earth. Apparently her princess went missing several years ago, right when the ship crashed down, and they have been searching her the whole time. And the spy –Agent D- thinks Shiiko is their missing princess. After receiving D’s report, D’s chief –Captain Napolipolita- marches towards Earth on board of a battleship, quickly crushing the planetary defense forces, positioning his ship over Graviton City and sorting soldiers in order to retrieve Shiiko.

Shiiko is captured and taken inside the alien ship, and Eiko and Biko temporarily call for a truce to rescue Shiiko.

Project A-ko started like a film released in 1983, and its success led to the making of a series of OVAs continued the story. It was an over-the-top, sci-fi comedy included a ton of shout-outs and parodies of different shows and genres (for example: Captain Napolipolita greatly looks like Captain Harlock… with a twist. Eiko’s parents turn out to be EXTREMELY similar to Clark Kent –Superman—and Diana Prince –Wonder Woman-. I guess that explains her powers).

It is real funny and recommendable.

To watch the film and OVAs: Anime

Samurai Pizza Cats --Click here to view--

Little Tokyo is a city is a blend of feudal and modern Japan, populated by cybernetic and anthropomorphic animals. It is ruled by an affable and well-intentioned Emperor… or it would be if he wasn’t downright bananas. The real leader is his bossy, stuck-up daughter and a council headed by Seymour Cheese, an ambitious Prime Minister (with a fondness by cross-dressing, and –literally- exploding when he gets angry) who plots usurping the throne with his army of crow ninjas, led by Jerry Atric (Seymour’s advisor) and his second-in-command, Bad Bird (the only sane “man” among the bad guys).

Seymour (also known as Big Cheese) also seems thinking sending a giant –and goofy-looking- robot to destroy the city and crush your enemies is a fail proof tactic despite of AMPLE evidence and experience stating otherwise.

Another member of the council is Al Dente, Commander of the Palace Guard, who suspects from the Prime Minister and is constantly uncovering his plots, but unfortunately never is able to prove anything. So he assembles the Secret Ninja Team, the Samurai Pizza Cats in order to ruin any brainless, takeover scheme Seymour is cooking up.

The Samurai Pizza Cats are three ninja-gifted cats (Speedy Cerviche, the confident, sarcastic leader who is contractually obliged to perform his finishing, robot-slicing sword slash every episode; Polly Esther, the dynamic, short-tempered girl bosses her teammates the whole time; and Guido Anchovie, the womanizer spends the whole time chasing girls and trying being the cool guy of the team… with very little success, by the way) work as staff in a local pizzeria like undercover agents as they work to uncover and ruin Cheese’s plots. In order to fulfill their missions they rely on their ninja skills, their special weapons, armors, and even a giant robot.

Kyattou Ninden Teyandee was born like a gigantic, downright crazy parody of Super robot genre, super-hero genre, super sentai shows and all sorts of things you can think of. It was licensed in USA by Saban Entertaiment, but they didn’t manage to get transcripts of the original dialog, so they resorted to make up things. The result was the show became even crazier and more hilarious, chockfull with humor, puns and running gags.

It was aired from 1990 to 1992 and it lasted fifty-four episodes.

To watch the anime: Anime

Dragon Half --Click here to view--

Mink is a determined, strong-willed, (usually) kind, short-tempered, hotheaded girl… who turns out to be a half human/half dragon breed. Fifteen years ago, his father was a Royal Guard knight was tasked by the King the chore of slaying a female imperial red dragon. For some reason, he fell in love with the human shape of that dragon and they eloped and gave birth to Mink (who looks like a normal human girl but for two long horns protruding from her red hair, two wings sprouting from her back and a long tail. Oh, and her utterly monstrous strength).

Mink grieves constantly because they live in a tiny, insolated town in order to keep themselves hidden from the wrath of the king (who not only wants punishing her father by his betrayal but also is infatuated with her mother), her father is nowadays a womanizing slacker, her parents are constantly fighting and trashing their home, and she is in love with kitten Saucer, a famous singer… who is also a renowned dragon-slayer.

One day Mink decides she needs turning herself in human to have a chance to win d*ck’s heart over, so she along her two best friends (Lufa, a selfish, money-grubbing, horny elven girl who is an utterly incompetent and useless sorceress; and Pia, a high-spirited, soft-hearted, short dwarven girl is the nicest person of the trio by far) sets in a quest to find a legendary potion is said can turn any creature into a human being. However she soon learns the only way to retrieve the potion is defeat Azetodeth, the Great Demon Lord.

Thus, Mink, Lufa and Pia start a journey to find the powerful demon and defeat him. In the meantime they must deal with corrupt kings, spoiled princesses, incompetent murderers, clueless wizards, dumb and/or horny monsters and all sort of craziness.

Dragon Half is a parody of all kind of high-fantasy stories, from tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons to video games like Dragon Quest. It was written and drawn by Ryuusuke Mita from 1988 to 1994 and it is seven-volumes-long. A two-episodes-long OVA adaptation was made in 1993, narrating the beginning of the manga with a notoriously chibi style.

To read the manga: Manga
To watch the OVA: OVA

That is all for now. I hope write a new post pretty soon.

[Jenskott]

Again I am late. I am sorry. I actually have a good reason, but I will not bore you with excuses.

The today subject is sport-themed mangas. And I’ll include shonen and shojo manga series.

Sport mangas were influenced by samurai mangas early on, adopting many of their tropes (such like the main character enduring a hellish training, players using special techniques) and themes (such like being loyal to your team, never giving up, facing every match like if it was a battle…). Throughout the years those elements were toned down in favor of others such like romance.

The genre began giving their first steps early on (there already were successful sports manga in the early fifties), but the first hugely successful series started getting published in the late sixties:

Akittena no Joe/Tomorrow’s Joe --Click here to view--

Joe Kabuki –the main character- is a troubled –and not quite nice- orphan who runs away from the orphanage. During his wanderings over the slums of Tokyo, he meets former boxing trainer Danpei. Later, Joe is arrested and goes to a temporary jail and later a juvenile prison where he meets and fights several of his future rivals, friends and foes. Gradually Joe develops a liking for boxing and starts being instructed by Danpei.

Throughout the manga, Joe develops his skills as he tries becoming the best in the world, achieving big victories, suffering crushing defeats and undergoing through betrayals, reconciliations, letdowns, joys and pains.

Akittena no Joe (or Tomorrow’s Joe) was a critically acclaimed and immensely popular manga, written by Atao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba in 1968, spawning two anime series, a movie and a live-action movie (premiered in 2011). It was so popular when two characters died in the ring, both had real-life funerals held for them by fans.

The manga was twenty-five-volumes-long, and the first anime series lasted 79 episodes (and the next “only” lasted 47).

To read the manga: Manga
To watch the anime: Anime

Kyojin no Hoshi/Star of Giants --Click here to view--

The main character is Hyuma Hoshi, a young baseball pitcher who dreams of joining the Giants team (in real life Yomiuri Giants is the most popular baseball team in Japan) and becoming a great baseball player right like his father, Ittetsu Hoshi, a former –and promising- baseball player was forced to retire after getting injured in World War II, right when he was going to make his playing debut in the Giants.

Guided by his father, Hyuma willingly undergoes a hellish training in order to hone his skills as Ittetsu struggles for earning money and having his son accepted by a rich school with a powerful baseball team so he can win the National High School Baseball Tournament and the Giants notice him. After several years of training and playing, Hyuma manages achieving his dream and joining the Giants.

And soon he realizes his hardships, sufferings and trials have just begun…

Kyojin no Hoshi was written by Ikki Kajiwara and drawn by Noboru Kawasaki, and ran from 1966 to 1971. The manga was adapted in 1968, becoming the first sports anime and spawning several anime series and movies. It was hugely popular due to the dramatic, emotional story and the surreal baseball matches, which favored imagination and fantasy instead of staying close to real baseball and what is physically possible in order to further the emotional impact.

To read the manga:
To watch the anime:

Attack No. 1 --Click here to view--

The main character is Kozue Ayuhara; a strong-willed girl transferred to Fujimi College and tried out for the school volleyball team, dreaming with becoming the best player in the world. Quickly her talent and skill impress coach Hongo, and she befriends her teammate Midori Hayakawa. However she becomes rivals with Yoshimura, the star of the team, and she gradually discovers the fight for reaching and remaining in the top would bring stress, suffering and other dilemmas. Her struggle for fulfilling her dream and the hardships and troubles come with it will lead the story.

Chikako Urano –one of the founders of the shojo anime- created Attack No.1 in 1968, and it was 12-volumes-long (plus a two-volumes-long sequel in 1975). It was adapted in an anime in 1969, lasting 104 episodes and being the first sports shojo anime. The series tried luring an older female audience by capitalizing on the boom of the gold medal Japanese women’s volleyball team in the 1964 Olympics, and it stood out, becoming a classic shojo manga and having a deep impact, not only in shojo manga but also in Japanese society.

To read the manga:
To watch the anime:

Attack No. 1 inspired the shojo manga Attacker You! which I have already talked about (I think).

Ace wo Nerae!/Aim for the Ace!/ --Click here to view--

Hiromi Oka is an ordinary high school girl wishes becoming a good tennis player, right like her idol, Reika Ryuzaki “Madame Butterfly”, the best player in the team. She starts playing in her high school’s team, but she looks pretty clumsy at the beginning. However, the team gets a new trainer, Jin Munataka, who sees potential in her and trains her in order to turn her in a great player. Unfortunately, Hiromi has to endure the anger and jealousy of her teammates, since they think the trainer is favoring her over them.

Gradually Hiromi improves her skills while she struggles for overcoming her weaknesses and proving her worth. She also fells in love with another tennis player, Takayuki Todo, but her coach advices her not getting too involved and focusing in becoming a great tennis player. Hiromi suffers due to this, and she often loses her confidence, but thanks to the support of her trainer, her family and her friends she overcomes her mental and emotional weaknesses and becomes and stronger person, and driven by her love for tennis, she becomes one of the best players in the world.

Ace wo Neare! was an incredibly successful and highly influential shojo manga, written and drawn by Sumika Yamamoto. It ran from 1973 to 1980, and it became 18-volumes-long. It was adapted in several anime series in the seventies and eighties (the first of them started being broadcast in 1973 and was 26-episodes-long), and a TV-drama was made in 2004.

To read the manga:
To watch the anime: Anime!

Dokaben --Click here to view--

Right like Kyojin no Hoshi, Dokaben is one of the most popular baseball manga ever done.

The –long- story begins when Taro Yamada, a huge, calm boy starts in Takaoka Middle School. His massive body, his tranquil nature and kind-hearted behavior draw the attention and anger of Masami Iwaki, a huge bully who had ruled over the school with iron fist until the arrival of Taro. However he is unable to hit Yamada.

Quickly, Taro’s schoolmates realize his potential, and the captains of every sport club on the school try to have him to join. Eventually, Taro, Iwaki and their teammates, Tonoma and Satonaka join the baseball team.

So the story of Dokaben began, and it continued in Dai Kōshien, Dokaben Pro Baseball Story, and Dokaben SuperStars Story. The first series ran from 1974 to 1981, and it was 48-volumes-long, and the last series began in 2004 and it is still ongoing. All of them have been written and drawn by Shinji Mizushima. The anime ran from 1976 to 1979 and it is 163-episodes-long.

Unlike Kyojin no Hoshi and its imitators, Dokaben tried being more realistic, sticking to the rules of the baseball and willingly avoiding fantastic tones. It is one of the most popular sport manga in Japan, maybe it is only second to Slam Dunk, but unfortunately it is highly unlikely it comes out of Japan.

To read the manga:
To watch the anime:

In the eighties were born several tremendously popular sport mangas: Captain Tsubasa by Yoichi Takahashi and Touch by Mitsuru Adachi (one of the most popular Japanese mangakas). However I have already talked about both of them in this thread (and Adachi works are worth of a most detailed post anyways).

It’s also worth noting long before creating Monster, 20th Century Boys or Pluto, Naoki Urasawa also created a sport manga:

Yawara --Click here to view--

Yawara Inokuma is a young, pretty fifteen year girl who wants nothing more than being an ordinary girl. Unfortunately she comes from a long line of expert judo fighters, she has an innate talent for judo, and her grandfather is determined to train her to win gold in the Olympics. He has been training her for her whole life, and he is authoritative, manipulative, and is not above using any method or trick to manage his goals.

Understandably, Yawara resents his grandfather’s manipulations and training, and avoids judo as much as she can. However, she can’t stop practice judo either, and steadily she starts to understand why her grandfather loves judo and appreciate it herself as she trains hard for the next Olympics.

Yawara was Urasawa’s first success, and the manga ran from 1986 to 1993, spanning 29 volumes. A 124-episodes-long anime and two OVAs were made. The manga sticks to real judo and focus on character development and it is a very nice reading.

To read the manga: Manga
To watch the anime:

Another successful manga was Hajime no Ippo:

Hajime no Ippo/Fighting Spirit --Click here to view--

Ippo Makunouchi is a shy high school boy who is always helping his mother run their fishing family business. Because he lost his father when he was a young kid and spends his whole free time helping his mother, he never had time to make friends. Due to that and his meek nature, a group of bullies is constantly picking on him and beating him.

One day they try giving him a serious beating, but Ippo is saved by a professional boxer passed by. After stopping the bullies, Mamoru Takamura, the boxer, took him to a gym. After Ippo woke up, Takamura invited him to punch a sandbag in order to vent his frustrations and cheer himself up. Surprisingly they discover Ippo is pretty talented, and after dwelling on the matter, Ippo decides he would like becoming a professional boxer.

After convincing Takamura, Ippo joins the Kamogawa Boxing Gym and starts training for earning the Japanese featherweight title, learning the real meaning of strength and becoming a better person in the process.

The manga was created by Hajime Morikawa in 1989 and it is still ongoing, spanning 95 volumes so far, and several animated adaptations.

To read the manga: Manga
To watch the anime: Anime

Perhaps the most successful and most popular sport manga is Slam Dunk, but I have already written a post about it.

And that is all for now regarding classic sport mangas.

[BlackLightning]

hmm... don't think this is added into the list yet:

Akira --Click here to view--

The film depicts a dystopian Neo-Tokyo in 2019. The plot focuses on biker Tetsuo Shima (Nozomu Sasaki) and his psychological powers and the biker gang member Shotaro Kaneda (Mitsuo Iwata), who tries to hunt down Tetsuo from releasing Akira. While most of the character designs and basic settings were adapted from the original 2182-page manga epic, the restructured plot of the movie differs considerably from the print version, pruning much of the last half of the manga. The film became a hugely popular cult film and is widely considered to be a landmark in Japanese animation and film making in general.

[Catwho]

First time in this thread. Very solid recommendations all around. Thanks for putting it together.

Here are a few of my all-time favorites that aren't on the list.

Revolutionary Girl Utena - 1997 - The direct answer to Rose of Versailles and an all around deconstruction of the shoujo fairy tale genre. It is considered the shoujo answer to Neon Genesis Evangelion, doing with princes, princesses, castles, and swords what NGE did with giant robots. The series has three forms: the anime, which was released simultaneously with the manga, and the movie which was released as a retelling. All three forms are different, although the anime is generally considered to be the final canon (I think of the manga as Utena's view of the story, and the movie as Anthy's memories of the story.)

The Irresponsible Captain Tylor - 1993 - A parody of Battle Spaceship Yamato in some ways, and a fun sci-fi romp in its own right. Based on light novels, not manga. Justy Ueki Tylor ("Just Awake") fumbles his way into the Space Corps because he thinks he'll have an easy life and meet pretty girls, and he actually does quite well in the pension department until he manages to get promoted to captain of a spaceship, despite himself.

Crest of the Stars/Battle of the Stars - 1999 - A bit more serious than Tylor, this one is also a space opera, following the lives of Jinto Lynn, a young Lander who finds himself inheriting the title of Count and leadership of his planet, which was acquired by the Abh Empire. He meets a young Abh, Lafiel, whom he forms an unusual and lasting friendship with, and they have serious adventures on the advent of a giant space war.

[Jenskott]

hmm... don't think this is added into the list yet:

Akira --Click here to view--

The film depicts a dystopian Neo-Tokyo in 2019. The plot focuses on biker Tetsuo Shima (Nozomu Sasaki) and his psychological powers and the biker gang member Shotaro Kaneda (Mitsuo Iwata), who tries to hunt down Tetsuo from releasing Akira. While most of the character designs and basic settings were adapted from the original 2182-page manga epic, the restructured plot of the movie differs considerably from the print version, pruning much of the last half of the manga. The film became a hugely popular cult film and is widely considered to be a landmark in Japanese animation and film making in general.

You are right, it had not been added. Usually, when I think of a new item to add, I think of manga, anime or OVA series. So I had not added movies so far. Mm... Maybe I should make a Miyazaki/Studio Ghlibi post.

Anyway, I still remember when Akira was broadcast in theaters for first time. Back then it had a huge impact. People in the West were shocked. Akira was absolutely different to the animated shows and films they were used to watch, and it shattered many preconceptions about what cartoons could or should be. It was one of the Japanese shows (alright, it is a movie, not an animated series, but you get what I mean) responsible for making anime popular in the West back in the nineties.

First time in this thread. Very solid recommendations all around. Thanks for putting it together.

Thank you! Sometimes it is somewhat laborious, but it is funny, too.

Here are a few of my all-time favorites that aren't on the list.

Revolutionary Girl Utena - 1997 - The direct answer to Rose of Versailles and an all around deconstruction of the shoujo fairy tale genre. It is considered the shoujo answer to Neon Genesis Evangelion, doing with princes, princesses, castles, and swords what NGE did with giant robots. The series has three forms: the anime, which was released simultaneously with the manga, and the movie which was released as a retelling. All three forms are different, although the anime is generally considered to be the final canon (I think of the manga as Utena's view of the story, and the movie as Anthy's memories of the story.)

The Irresponsible Captain Tylor - 1993 - A parody of Battle Spaceship Yamato in some ways, and a fun sci-fi romp in its own right. Based on light novels, not manga. Justy Ueki Tylor ("Just Awake") fumbles his way into the Space Corps because he thinks he'll have an easy life and meet pretty girls, and he actually does quite well in the pension department until he manages to get promoted to captain of a spaceship, despite himself.

Crest of the Stars/Battle of the Stars - 1999 - A bit more serious than Tylor, this one is also a space opera, following the lives of Jinto Lynn, a young Lander who finds himself inheriting the title of Count and leadership of his planet, which was acquired by the Abh Empire. He meets a young Abh, Lafiel, whom he forms an unusual and lasting friendship with, and they have serious adventures on the advent of a giant space war.

Thank you. I will add them.

I remember Utena and Captain Tylor, although I never watched them back in the day. Crest of the Stars... I think I have not watched it, but it sounds interesting.

I'll update the List. I think I'll also add links to several good fansubbers sites or blogs I have met.

[Jenskott]

Today I am recommending some crime stuff. Other than City Hunter I have not recommended many manga or anime of that sort, so I will try and catch up now.

I warn a lot of this shows are seinen manga, no shonen manga, so they have mature content.

Lupin III --Click here to view--

Lupin III is a thief, grandson of the infamous thief Arsene Lupin (a hero created by French novelist Maurice LeBlanc in XIX century and main character of several novels). He is a cunning, resourceful, womanizing master thief who has never been caught and loves committing over-the-top crimes such like stealing valuable art or even national landmarks. He loves challenges and he travels throughout the world alongside his band (master swordsman Goemon Ishikawa –descendant of a Japanese folk hero-, Jigen –a taciturn, formidable sharpshooter, and Fujiko Mine, an incredibly stacked, conniving, femme fatale who is sometimes his ally, sometimes his rival and sometimes his love interest), searching for new challenges. If an item or a fortune is highly guarded and seemingly is impossible stealing it, it will lure Lupin’s attention, and he WILL steal it.

Throughout his adventures and his crazy capers, Lupin is relentlessly chased and hounded by Zenigata, an Interpol inspector is utterly incorruptible, incredibly hardheaded and is adamantly set in catching Lupin and putting him behind bars. Nonetheless, he never manages catching him, but he often settles for catching whatever criminals were interfering one of the daring Lupin’s schemes.

Lupin is an anime icon. His crazy, exotic, hilarious adventures, combining action and humor, were created by Kazuhiko Kato (who uses the pseudonym Monkey Punch) in 1967, lasting fourteen volumes (and later getting a seventeen-volumes-long sequel), and spawning several anime shows, and dozens of movies (it has been a tradition of sorts premiering a new Lupin movie every year for twenty years. The third of them –Castle of Cagliostro- was the directorial film debut of Hayao Miyazaki).

To read the manga: Manga

To watch the anime: Anime

At the same time Lupin was being published, it started another long-running crime-themed seinen manga. Unlike Lupin III, which was mostly funny and exciting, it was more serious and way darker.

Golgo 13 --Click here to view--

Duke Togo (codenamed Golgo 13) is a mysterious assassin-for-hire. His ancestry is unknown (even though he looks somewhat Japanese), his country of origin is unknown, nothing is known about his life before becoming an assassin, and nobody is even sure Duke Togo is his real name. He never shows any feelings, keeping always his taciturn, hardened, cold countenance at all times, he doesn’t care at all for politics or ideologies, he has absolutely no moral compunctions and he is an excellent sniper. On the whole he seems the perfect killing machine to whoever can afford hiring him.

However he obeys his own set of rules: he will only meet his clients once, he refuses entering long-term contracts with them, and even though he will accept any assignment regardless its morality, his clients MUST tell him his reasons and be honest about them… because any dishonesty or betrayal will be NOT forgiven and WILL be punished.

He has an impressive reputation, since he has never failed a mission. If you ever show up on his targets list, draw up your will and start making funeral arrangements. He is also a notorious womanizer, but don’t expect he gets ever attached to any woman.

Takao Saito created Golgo 13 in 1968 and it is still ongoing. It has been adapted into animated films, live-action films, and finally an anime show in 2008.

To read the manga: Manga

To watch the anime: Anime

In the Light versus Dark scale, City Hunter stood between those series: it is more dramatic than Lupin III but it is lighter and funnier than Golgo 13 (and Ryo Saeba is way more charismatic).

Sanctuary --Click here to view--

Akira Hojo is a charming, handsome, affable, ruthless, thirty-something yakuza leader who has the ambition, the skill and the desire of being on the top of the Japanese criminal world and is quickly climbing up the ladder. Chiaki Asami is an educated, intelligent, trusted advisor of a member of Japanese Diet, who takes advantage of an opportunity to steal his superior’s seat and launch a campaign to reform Japanese politics.

Few people knows Hojo arranged Asami’s opportunity and is using his illegally-earned fortune and his contacts in the Japanese underworld to budget Asami’s campaigns and managing Asami fills the Prime Minister seat and reforms Japan.

Hojo and Asami were children of Japanese expatriates in Cambodia in 1975. That year the Khmer Rogue seized power and exterminated millions of Cambodians. Hojo and Asami were sent to the work camps and managed fleeing, developing an unbreakable bond of friendship, a talent for ruthless practicality and a strong will for surviving throughout the entire process.

Eventually they managed escaping back to Japan… and they got disappointed. Long years of commodity and economic prosperity had created a peacefully decadent society, and had turned people into listless, passive drones had lost their will of struggling, surviving and striving.

Thus, they consider they have to reform society in something they can consider a sanctuary. Their plan is one of them becomes a politician and the another drops out of high school and joins yakuza to provide funds to allow his friend rises to the top of the political world.

However, their efforts to reform Japan will be hampered by yakuzas, businessmen, corrupt politicians of all stripes… who doesn’t wish the situation changes because they have thrived in it.

Sanctuary is a political and yakuza drama, written by Sho Fumimura (Fist of North Star’s writer) and drawn by Ryoichi Ikegami from 1990 to 1995 was published in twelve volumes. It is an incredibly engaging and marvelously drawn, thrilling story, and it inspired a live-action film and an Ova series.

To read the manga: Manga

To watch the OVA: OVA

Crying Freeman --Click here to view--

Yoh Hinomura is an internationally-renowned potter who accidentally comes into possession of evidence incriminating a Chinese triad organization known like “The 108 Dragons”. He refuses turning the film over to them, sending it to the police instead, and in punishment he is kidnapped by them unwillingly turned into one of his assassins. Using acupuncture needles and hypnotic suggestion, he becomes one of their best assassins. However he always sheds remorseful tears after murdering his targets.

Emu Hino is a beautiful, lonely, secluded, thirty-years-old Japanese female artist who accidentally witness one of the Yoh’s assassinations. She knows he will attempt killing her sooner or later, but she is tired of living, so she waits for him as she paints his portrait.

Whenn he finally comes, she confesses she is sick of loneliness and she doesn’t care if she dies… but she asks him he makes love to her before. Yoh obliges her, but then he finds out he can’t kill her. He has fallen in love with her. And maybe his love for her might become his salvation…

If he manages surviving all mafia gangs he has managed pissing off, of course.

Crying Freeman was created by Kazuo Koike (Lone Wolf and Cub’s writer) and Ryoichi Ikegami in 1986 and it lasted six volumes. A six-episode OVA series was produced that year.

The story is intense and the art is gorgeous, but maybe it is not for everyone. Not only because the sex scenes or the bloody content, but also because it frequently shows a double standard regarding men and women.

To read the manga: Manga

To watch the OVA: OVA

Gunsmith Cats --Click here to view--

The main characters, Rally Vincent and Minnie May are two gunsmiths women live and work in Chicago. However they also are two of the best bounty hunters in the city: Rally is obsessed with weapons and is an amazing sharpshooter, and May is obsessed with bombs and she is expert in blowing up stuff. Together, they fight all kind of criminals and psychopaths in the underground.

Gunsmith Cats is an eight-volume-long seinen manga created by Kenichi Sonoda in 1991, packed with action, drama, beautiful girls, fast cars, loud explosions and fierce shoot-outs (and in fact it was inspired by Riding Bean, an unsuccessful anime he had formerly worked in). A three-episode-long Ova was made in 1995 (and it is notorious by the degree of research and accuracy it shows. It is as accuracy many Chicago fans can identify specific streets and even the period of time when the anime was made). Kenichi Sonoda wrote a sequel in 2004 was five-volume-long (although I am not sure I want acknowledging its existence, though).

To read the manga: Manga

To watch the anime: OVA

The next manga is, at last, a shonen manga.

Kindaichi Case Files --Click here to view--

Kindaichi Hajime, grandson of the famous detective Kindaichi Kosuke (a famous fictional Japanese detective) learnt the craft of his grandfather, and after proving himself to the police, finds constantly tangled up in cases he must solve.

The series follows a strong formula, mixing elements of horror with mystery: a murderer disguises himself like a legendary monster and kills people in ways relate the legend, he leaves clues only Kindaichi notices, he is always motivated by some kind of moving tragedy in his past, and finally the story reaches a climax where Kindaichi unmasks him in a dramatic, public confrontation.

Even though it is virtually unknown in the West, Kindaichi Shonen no Jikenbo was one of the most populars in Japan for a long while, and it is one of the earliest detective manga. It was written by Yozaburo Kanari and Seimaru Amagi, and it was drawn by Fumiya Sato. It started in 1992 and it is still ongoing. It has been adapted in anime series, novels and animated and live-action movies.

To read the manga: Manga

To watch the anime: Anime

Detective Conan --Click here to view--

Shinichi Kudo is a sixteen-year old high school student who loves reading mystery novels and solving crimes. Despite his youth, he is becoming one of the best detectives in Japan thank you to his cleverness and analytical mind. He is so famous local police asks him for help.

One day, after going to the amusement park with Ran Mouri, his childhood friend (who he is madly in love with. A pity he does not dare to confess… and find out his feelings are requited), he witnessed two men in black clothes committing a crime. They see him, knock him out and shove down his throat a pill is an experimental poison is supposed to kill him and not show up in the autopsy.

However it doesn’t kill him. It shrinks him.

Turned into a six-years-old, Shinichi creates a new identity, calling himself Conan Edogawa (a combination of the names of two famous mystery writers: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Rampo Edogawa) as he tries finding and catching the men in black shrunk him, all the while keeping his true identity from his friends since he is afraid of the men in black find out about it and kill them.

In the meantime he witnesses and solves all murder and crime he stumbles into… which happens in a nearly daily basis.

Gosho Aoyama started writing Detective Conan in 1994 (shortly after finishing Kenyuu Densetsu Yaiba) and it is still ongoing. It has been adapted in an anime series (it began in 1996 and it is still ongoing, too), several movies, live-action series (and in 2009 a crossover with Lupin III). How you can tell, it is amazingly popular.

To read the manga: Manga

To watch the anime: Anime

That is it for now.

[Burning_Wulf]

I have, what I think, is some decent recommendations. Since I didn't see these in the list, I thought I'd throw this out there.

Perfect Blue --Click here to view--

Pop singer Mima Kirigoe looks forward to a bright neww career when she quits her chart-topping trio to become an actress. When she lands a role in a suspense murder mystery, Mima's life begins to fall apart. Reality and hallucianations merge into a terrifying netherworld where dreams become nightmares. Mima discovers a website describing her everyday life down to finest detail. Quickly descending into a state of paranoid delusions, she watches her associates are threatened and killed by a mysterious stalker.

Demon City Shinjuku --Click here to view--

Kyoya's father was a great warrior, killed at the hands of the diabolical psychic, Rebi Ra, who has now opened a portal to hell in the city of Shinjuku. It falls to Kyoya to finish what his father started and battle his way through demons, while protecting a young woman from harm. The only problem is that he's not exactly your classic hero type, and his powers are still latent.

Darkside Blues --Click here to view--

The story involves the town of Kabuki-cho, home of a resistance faction called Messiah. In the futuristic setting, Kabuki-cho is one of the last places of freedom because the Persona Century Corporation has taken control of the majority of the Earth. Kabuki-cho is hence known as "The Dark Side of Tokyo". Furthermore a mysterious stranger called Darkside appears to protect the citizens of Kabuki-cho.

Venus Wars --Click here to view--

The new frontier of Venus has degenerated into a dystopia ravaged by the civil war between Ishtar and Aphrodia. Bubbly reporter Susan Sommers arrives in the capitol of Aphrodia just before it's captured by Ishtar. She falls in with a bunch of teen-agers who live for a sort of motorcycle version of Roller Derby. Daredevil rider Hiro and his friends reluctantly join the struggle to free Aphrodia from the invaders. Not surprisingly, Hiro proves an ace at piloting the mono-cycles that are the Aphrodians' secret weapon in the key battle.

I also need to warn that some of the above recommended can have mature content.

[Jenskott]

I have watched Venus Wars. It was a good movie, some bike chase scenes were excellent, and

I must admit I shed a tear at the end --Click here to view--

when Hiro and Maggie are reunited

. However I did not know there was a previous manga the movie was based on.

Some of the themes of the movie reminded me of Mobile Suit Gundam. Maybe it is because Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, the creator, worked on Gundam, too.

I have heard of Perfect Blue and Demon City Shinjuku, albeit I have watched neither. I had not heard of Darkside Blues, though.

Nevertheless, I will start searching for links. Thank you for the recommendations.

And now a batch of sci-fi anime:

Reiji Matsumoto is one of the most important Japanese mangaka, and right like Osamu Tezuka, he wrote an impressive number of sci-fi hits. Other than Captain Harlock and Space Cruiser Yamato, some of his most important and most famous stories are:

Galaxy Express 999 --Click here to view--

Tetsuro Hoshino, an orphaned street child, dreams with owning a mechanical body, thinking he become indestructible and immortal and would be freer. Though, he can not afford a mechanical body, since they are unbelievably expensive. However, they are supposedly given away for free in the Andromeda Galaxy, the end of line for the Galaxy Express 999, a space train comes to Earth once a year.

Tetsuro and his mother travel to Megalopolis, a city where they hope get jobs in order to make enough money to pay for passes for the space train. However, Tetsuro’s mother is killed by Count Mecha’s human hunters. Before she dies, she asks his son continuing the journey, get a machine body and live the eternal life she could not.

Later Tetsuro a beautiful and enigmatic woman named Maetel, who greatly resembles his late mother. Maetel offers him a pass for 999 if he will be her travel companion, and Tetsuro, who longs for a mechanical body and craves for avenging his mother, agrees.

Along the travel, Tetsuro has many adventures and meets many different kinds of people. And gradually he realizes getting a mechanical body may not be so great how he thinks, and he starts questioning his goals.

However the worst part start when he and Maetel arrive at their destination, Planet Prometheum, and he learns what is really happening in that place, and he needs deciding what kind of person he wants becoming.

The original manga ran from 1977 to 1987, and it lasted twenty-one volumes. Several anime series, film and OVA series were made, adapting the history.

To read the manga: Manga
To watch the anime: Anime

Queen Milennia --Click here to view--

In the –then- future year 1999, Professor Amamori discovers a 10th planet in Solar System, and he baptises it La-Metal.

However, he notes its orbit is quite… eccentric. Actually, he calculates it will collide with Earth on September 9, 1999, at 09:09:09.

It turns out La-Metal orbits Solar System every thousand years, but this time it will come dangerously near to impact Earth. La-Metal would barely sustain damage, but Earth would be destroyed.

La-Metal is inhabited by a humanoid species, ruled by Queen Larela, who plans abducing a big number of humans before the impact and enslaving them. To that end, there already are several of her operatives on Earth, led by her daughter, Prometium II. Known as Queen Milennia, she has lived for thousand years on Earth, and currently goes by the name Yukino Yayoi and is friend with Professor Amamori’s grandson.

Though she has comes to loving Earth and people living on it, and starts questioning her mission. Finally she decides saving both worlds, beginning a desperate plan to avoid her mother’s plans come to fruition.

Reiji Matsumoto started Queen Milennia in 1980, and it lasted five volumes. It was adapted in a forty-two-episodes-long anime and a film, and several light novels were written.

To read manga:
To watch anime:

The next story is a shojo manga written by Moto Hagio, one of the most important shojo manga writers:

They Were Eleven --Click here to view--

In the future, Earth –now named Terra-, and several planetary civilizations have made contact and created one central school for the best of the best students. The entrance test is hard, but it is said admission guarantees an influential position after graduation, and ensures the winner will have the riches of the universe at his or her reach. Thus, beings from around the universe known gather to take the examination.

Ten young cadets are put on a space ship on orbit around a small star like the final part of the test: surviving as long as they can with what they have. However, once they arrive at the ship, they find out their crew has mysteriously gained an extra member. One of them must be a spy, but they can’t ascertain who that person is. Meanwhile, the test begins, and troubles arise, and they must fix them as they try to determining who the spy is.

And then things start going wrong. Very wrong.

Moto Hagio published They Were Eleven in 1975, and it is a single-volume-long. A movie was made in 1986.

To read the manga:
To watch the movie:

Gall Force --Click here to view--

The setting of the series is a several-centuries-old space war between two races: the Solnoids, a race of women; and the Paranoids, a race of amorphous beings use powered armour suits. After a hard battle, a Solenoid ship is separated from the fleet. After narrowing escaping from another meaningless battle, the seven-member crew decides finding the fleet to continue with their mission. However they get caught in a conspiracy which will get dire consequences for all concerned.

And that is only the beginning of the series.

Gall Force was a franchise comprised of several OVA-series and films born in 1986.

To watch the OVAs:

Zillion --Click here to view--

The story starts in plant Maris in the year 2387. An alien race known as Nozas strikes the planet, intending exterminate all humans in order to lay their eggs on the planet and reproduce.

Due to the sheer ferociousness and superior weaponry of the apparently indestructible aliens, humankind is being wiped out. However, three mysterious pistols –named Zillion weapon system cause the weird energy powering them- are found and handed out to three teenagers: JJ, Champ and Apple. They form the White Knights squad to fight back the Nozas.

This series looks like a laundry list of tropes used in sci-fi anime in the eighties. However, I watched it when I was a teen, and I found it very entertaining, even if it is not the greatest anime ever. And it still had plenty mysteries, and awesome and shocking moments.

It was made in 1987 by Tatsunoko and it was thirty-one-episodes-long. An OVA and several video games were made from Zillion.

To watch the anime: Anime

Crusher Joe --Click here to view--

Year 2160. Faster than light travel has been reached and humankind has spread over to other solar systems.

In that setting, an organization known as “Crusher Conference” is created. It is a group of individuals perform dangerous tasks in space –such like destroying asteroids blocking space lanes, which earned them the nickname of Crushers- for a fee. Generally Crushers are infamous by being a rough, unruly bunch, but they subscribe to several specific rules, and when they accept a job, they are honour-bound to carry it through. The Crusher Council has a brilliant reputation among all worlds.

And the most famous Crusher team is the led by Crusher Dan and his successor, Crusher Joe.

Crusher Joe was born like a series of novels penned by Haruka Takachiko in the late-seventies-early eighties which were adapted in a film and several OVA series in 1989.

To watch the anime: Anime

Cowboy Bebop --Click here to view--

In the late 2st century, Earth has been greatly depopulated after a cosmic accident blew up half moon. Space travel has been developed, and humankind has spread over other planets of the solar system. However, crime has also spread, and the solar system police reinstate the bounty hunter figure to aid them to fight crime.

Cowboy Bebop is the story of four bounty hunters -barely- live in the spaceship Bebop: Spike Siegel, Faye Valentine, Jet Black and Ed and her dog Ein. Together, they face dangerous criminals, occasional starvation and their dark pasts throughout a plot full with drama and humour, leading a dramatic, explosive conclusion.

This anime was created in 1998 and it lasted twenty-six episodes. It was enough famous and successful to a movie was made.

To watch the anime: Anime

[BlackLightning]

thinkin about Gundam reminds me of 1 anime that I watch years ago. Its a bit on the unpopular side of the spectrum due to the mecha design looks kinda stiff and the animation aren\'t that impressive compared to the more popular gundam series but personally I think the story has more impact to me than Gundam with the more serious tone of the series.

So today\'s topic for me are: Seinen/Action

Brain Powerd --Click here to view--

Brain Powerd is set in a future time in which Earth has been afflicted by earthquakes and floods. The source of this is a traced to a gargantuan, alien spacecraft dubbed \"Orphan\", which sits deep beneath the Pacific Ocean. Scientists Kensaku Isami and Midori Isami work within Orphan in order to uncover its vast knowledge, reach the Earth\'s surface with the craft, and travel the galaxy, resulting in the annihilation of all lifeforms on Earth.[1] Their agents, the \"Reclaimers\", pilot living organic mechas (or \"Antibodies\") in the army Grand Cher, and seek to retrieve Orphan\'s vital disc plates which are scattered across the planet. The series begins with the teenage lead Hime Utsumiya venturing upon such a disc plate, which revives into a unique Antibody, called \"Brain Powerd\", with which she forms a deep connection. Within a year, Hime joins a group wishing the counter the ideals of the Orphan researchers, stationed aboard the battleship Novis Noah. She is soon joined by Yu Isami, an ex-Reclaimer who leaves Orphan after learning of the catastrophe his parents seek to unleash. Hime and Yu soon enter upon an adventure which may decide the future of humanity.

The Mecha in the series are designed by Mamoru Nagano (better known as the artist of Zeta Gundam)

Another Anime that goes into the action/suspense/horror is:

Silent Mobius --Click here to view--

In 1999 Gigelf Liqueur, aided by the Magician\'s Guild, set into motion a plan to open a gate between Earth and the world of Nemesis. The intent was to exchange Earth\'s polluted air and water with clean air and water from Nemesis. To aid in this endeavor, a huge cyclotron was built under Tokyo. Unfortunately for all involved, Ganossa Maximilian—Gigelf\'s old apprentice—sabotaged the plan, opening the gate early and perverting the gate for his own means. Following this event, Gigelf and the Magician\'s Guild battled an invasion of Lucifer Hawk (the name for the inhabitants of Nemesis) for a number of years. Gigelf was killed in 2006 and it would seem that the rest of the Guild met similar fates over the next few years.

In 2023, Rally Cheyenne, daughter of Guild member Lufa Cheyenne and born mixed heritage (her father was from Nemesis), felt partially responsible for the growing attacks on innocent humans by marauding creatures from Nemesis. She started the organization with a mere three officers (Kiddy Phenil, Lebia Maverick and Nami Yamigumo) and a sub-commander (Mana Isozaki). Over the next few years, she added Yuki Saiko, Katsumi Liqueur and Lum Cheng to the team, aiding in the fight to protect Earth from the vicious Lucifer Hawk.

This is one of the few early anime that tries to get action, suspense, sci fi and horror in one genre. The plot has more twist than more than 80% of other animes that I ever watch and the serious tone of the series makes it more suitable for more mature audience or seinen. It is nonetheless is another anime that literally screams \"female action\" seconds only to the infamous \"Geneshaft\"

Witch Hunter Robin --Click here to view--

Robin Sena is a \"craft user\", born in Japan and raised by the Roman Catholic Church in Italy. She is trained to use her craft of fire to hunt down witches. Witchcraft is a genetic trait, dormant within a number of individuals within the human population. Powers can be \"awakened\" in these dormant human \"seeds\" at any time, which seems to also drive the awakened witch into various forms of homicidal madness or sociopathy. Trained hunters, craft-users or \"seeds\" themselves that have not become full witches, are needed to keep watch over \"seeds\" and hunt those whose abilities become active, serving in secret organizations, such as the parent branch \"Solomon\" and the \"STN-J\" branch in Japan, as self-appointed witch police to curtail the use of witchcraft in society, and to keep the witch kind a secret from the public. Even the police, who cooperate with STN-J in abnormal criminal cases, do not know what STN-J does.

The series begins when Robin arrives in Japan to gain information for Solomon headquarters about a fabled item that holds the \"secrets of the craft\", while acting undercover as a new hunter to the STN-J in their efforts to capture witches. It is hinted that she subconsciously understands something of the STN-J\'s use of Orbo.

Orbo is a green liquid that negates witch abilities. STN-J\'s hunters carry small vials of it on necklaces in the shape of a cross as a form of protection against their targets\' craft. Hunters also carry air pistols which fire darts or pellets of Orbo that dampen witch powers when it enters the bloodstream of the target witch. Hunters who are craft-users or seeds can use Orbo with little ill effects, although their own powers are reportedly diminished while using it. Robin, a craft-user herself, says that she will not keep Orbo on her because she says it is \"disgusting\" (\"気持ち悪い\" or \"bad feeling\" in japanese).

As the series goes on, Robin grows increasingly uncomfortable with her role in hunting and capturing other witches. She begins to question the treatment they receive while incarcerated in the mysterious \"Factory\". After the discovery of \"secrets of the craft,\" she is entrapped and attacked twice by \"witch bullets\". Subsequently, the STN-J is attacked, presumably for \"secrets of the craft,\" although the Solomon attack was carried out to find what Zaizen, the director of the STN-J, was planning.

Robin begins to worry that she will become a target and grows to suspect that her partner Amon will hunt her. Eventually, Robin does become a target of Solomon and labeled a witch, becoming \"hunted\". In the end, Robin finds out more about her craft and that of witches than she knew at the beginning.

Initially, the series appears to take a \"monster of the week\" approach. About halfway through the 26-episode season, the characters and the relationships between them are established and the main plot gets underway.

Edited by BlackLightning, 22 October 2011 - 10:13 AM.

[Jenskott]

Brain Powerd - I remember Brain Powerd. Back then, super robots were the rage again due to Evangelion, and a lot of robot shows were born back then tried copying Gainax show's style (Gasaraki, Raxephon...). Most of them were quickly forgotten, though.

It was made by Yoshiyuki Tomino, creator of Gundam, Raideen, Zambot, Daitarn-3, Dunbine, L-Gaim... TVTropes defined Brain Powerd like "what would happen if Tomino tried making an Evangelion-style show". It's funny when you realize Evangelion is partially based on Ideon, a Tomino's robot show. You can tell the circle closes.

Unfortunately I have only read the manga, and it was not very good. Often I was confused about what was happening due to the artist didn't explain the situation properly or didn't draw the action in a clear fashion. So I stopped reading it after few chapters.

However I have been told the anime was way better. I hope it is, but I have not got time to check it out.

Silent Mobius - Wow. I can't believe I completely forget about Silent Mobius. I read the first chapters a long time ago and I very much liked it. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the next volumes (although I learnt of some of the plot twists. My reaction to one of them was: "SHE changed sides?") and I gradually forgotten about it. Thank you for reminding me.

You know, Halloween is coming up. I think I should make another post about horror-themed anime shows.

[ciardha]

Whenever I hear that I feel old.

I think I was already seventeen or eighteen the first time I watched it.

Heh, and that makes me feel old I was 31 when I saw it. For some reason it just didn't click with me. Guess Hitomi was too passive natured for me. (I was watching Rayearth and Fushigi Yuugi at the same time and those did click with me. Fuu in MKR and Miaka in FY. Fuu is kind and has some self-esteem issues, but still she quickly steps up to the plate on fighting- she gets the first "powerup" if I'm recalling correctly, because of that. And her romance with Fuu was more on a equal plain than Hitomi with either of the guys.)

[Jenskott]

Heh, and that makes me feel old I was 31 when I saw it.

Indeed. I still remember when a student of a friend of mine is teacher told he watched Slayers when he was a "little boy".

He was sixteen when he said that, and the show had been aired eight years before, so... yes, he watched it when he was a little boy. But I was nearly twenty-six, and I had watched the show when I was around eighteen, and I did not notice had already been several years, and some people already regarded like "ancient" shows I watched when I was a teenager.

Fuu is kind and has some self-esteem issues, but still she quickly steps up to the plate on fighting- she gets the first "powerup" if I'm recalling correctly, because of that.

It has been ages since I read Magic Knight Rayearth but I think that is right.

This is a Halloween special post. The subject will be series with strong elements of horror and fantasy:

Youkai Ningen Bem --Click here to view--

Bem, Berra and Berro are three youkai (a Japanese word for a kind of supernatural being. It is usually translated by “demon” or monster, but “sprite” would probably be a more accurate translation) arrive at a Japanese coastal city, and detect an evil atmosphere pervading the place, brought about cause bad or immoral actions and mischief caused by evil humans or youkai.

Thus, they decided staying in the city and fighting against monsters and youkai attack humans. Eventually they manage make some friends, but mostly they are abused by other humans due to their appearance. However they keep fighting to protect the city, hoping people will eventually accept them, and maybe they are turned into human beings one day in return for their good actions.

This series was produced in 1968 and it lasted twenty-six episodes. Though, a sequel was made in 2006. And a Live-Action drama was started this year.

Watch the anime:

Mermaid Saga --Click here to view--

Mermaid Saga is a collection of short stories written and drawn by Rumiko Takahashi. Takahashi is best known by her comedic stories, but this manga is completely different: it is very, VERY dark and the horror elements are ever-present as comedic elements are underplayed or utterly absent.

According a Japanese legend, mermaid flesh can grant immortality if eaten. However, there is a bigger chance of a person suffers a horrifying death or be transformed into a damned, monstrous creature known as a Lost Soul.

Five hundred years ago, Yuta -the main character- and several of his fishermen friends caught a mermaid and ate her flesh. Despite his misgivings about it, he also ate it, goaded by his friends. All of them but him died within days.

Several centuries later he is still alive, seemingly being not one year younger, and feeling a deep loneliness. He has spent ages wandering over Japan, searching for another mermaid –on the dubious grounds of maybe her flesh will cure his immortality-, when he meets a beautiful young woman named Mana, who has unwillingly gained immortality, too. Together of them wander over Japan, searching for a cure for their immortality maybe doesn’t exist, as they have fend off other monsters and Lost Souls dared to try to cheat death.

Rumiko Takahashi wrote the first Mermaid tale in 1994, and the complete saga is compiled in three volumes. Two OVAs were made in the early nineties and a thirteen-episodes-long anime in 2003.

Read the manga: Manga
Watch the anime: OVAs ; Anime

Another story with strong horror elements and no humour whatsoever written by Rumiko Takahashi was Laughing Target. It was a short one-shot was included in the Rumic World compilation.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure --Click here to view--

XIXth century. A boy named Jonathan Joestar meets a boy named Dio Brando. Jonathan’s father adopts Dio, not knowing he is dooming his son to a life of humiliations and suffering. Dio plans inheriting the fortune of the family Joestar, and so he endeavours to drive Jonathan (or JoJo for short) mad, putting him through the wringer: he beats him up, kills his dog, has his friends hating him… and meanwhile earns the trust of JoJo’s father.

However, JoJo is capable to overcome Dio’s emotional abuse, grows up and becomes an archaeologist, discovering a stone mask and believing it is a trap kills whoever wears it.

However, his father grows ill, and he suspects Dio is planning to kill him. He and his friend Robert Speeedwagon get an antidote, save Jonathan’s father, gather evidence against Dio and they confront him. Dio decides he must kill them lest his scheme is exposed, and they fight. In the fight, Dio reveals he has used the stone mask on itself, but instead of dying, he has become a vampire. JoJo and Robert fight Dio off, but he escapes.

Soon after, Jojo and Robert meet an Italian man known as William Zeppeli, who teaches JoJo a fighting style to hunt vampires. After JoJo learns Zeppeli’s fighting art, the group travels to a European village to face Dio off.

And this is only the beginning of one of the longest-running shonen manga ever published in Shonen Jump. Created by Hirohiko Araki in 1987, it is still ongoing. The series is famous by his distinctive art style, complex plot, spectacular fights which are won using planning rather violence, and tons of Western rock music references. Several OVA series, films and novels have been made.

Read the manga: Manga
Watch the anime: Anime

Ghost Sweeper Mikami --Click here to view--

Due to overdevelopment and crowding in Japan, many spirits and ghosts have lost their houses and wander over the country, causing troubles. Due to it, a new profession is created: the ghost sweepers, private exorcists for hire.

Reiko Mikami leads the Mikami GS Company, renowned like the best ghost-sweeper in the business. It is formed by Reiko and her two assistants, Tadao Yokoshima (a high school student works for the minimum wage at the hope of some day Reiko will notice him) and Okinu (a ghost girl).

Takashi Shiima started writing GS: Mikami in 1991, and it lasted thirty-nine volumes. A forty-five-episodes-lond anime series and an animated film was made in the nineties.

Read the manga: Manga
Watch the anime: Anime

Ushio To Tora --Click here to view--

Ushio Aotsuki is an ordinary high school student whose family are the caretakers of an ancient shrine. Five-hundred-years ago, his samurai ancestor fought a tiger-alike monster to a standstill and trapped him against a rock using a cursed spear named the Beast Spear which grants strength, speed and endurance to the wielder in exchange for his soul.

As he is cleaning up around, Ushio accidentally stumbles in an ancient doorway, and finds the demonic monster pinned to a wall. Its evil aura draws lesser monsters in the temple, and Ushio agrees releasing the monster if he aids to fight them off. Once freed, though, the monster breaks his word and attacks Ushio, gloating he is free to eat humans once more. Outraged and afraid, Ushio wields the Beast Spear, channelling its power, cowing the demonic creature and forcing it to fulfil its side of the bargain.

After defeating the minor monsters, Ushio decides keeping the monster (which he nicknames Tora, the Japanese word for “tiger”) near in order to prevent it from slaying and devouring humans, and Tora sticks around, waiting for one chance to eat Ushio.

However, the removing of the Beast Spear leads to a chain of events and sets an ancient prophecy off, drawing back a merciless enemy with enough power to destroy Japan. Ushio and Tora get forced to fight against legions of monsters of Japanese lore and folktales, as their relationship strengthens.

Kazuhiro Fujiita created this supernatural/action manga in 1990, and it is thirty-three volumes long. The story was adapted in several OVA series in the nineties.

Read the manga: Manga
Watch the OVAs: OVA

Haunted Junction --Click here to view--

Saitou High School is located on a crucible of mystical and supernatural energies that make all things of weird things happen and turn it in the most haunted school in Japan. Ghosts, monsters and apparitions are everywhere –including the bathrooms-, there are a giant spirit in the gym, whoever jumps in the fourth lane in the swimming pool instantly drowns, the Chairman and owner of the school itself is a ghost –a fact he takes great pains to REPEATEDLY remind everybody of-… Unsurprisingly, the entrance exams are several tests of mental fortitude and physical endurance.

To try and keep some semblance of control, the Chairman has organized a student council formed by the children of the local clergy: Haruto Hojo, son of a minister; Kazumi Ryudo, grandson of a Buddhist monk; and Mutsuki Asahina, miko and daughter of a Shinto priestess. Their duty is keeping the school ghosts in line, keeping good relationships among the human students and the spectres haunting the school grounds, and investigating supernatural incidents in other schools can jeopardize the relationships between both sides.

However, Haruto, who is president of the Holy Student Council, is miserable because he hates his work and hates dealing with ghosts, and even though he is constantly wanting to resign, he is not allowed because he is actually a competent leader when he is not wallowing in angst, Kazumi is constantly getting possessed by ghosts when he is not chasing after female ghosts, and the less said about Mutsuki, the better.

Shockingly, they are actually a competent unit to solve supernatural crimes. As the plot advances, they discover: their school is actually built on a doorway to the Hell, and the ghosts inhabiting the building are in charge of keeping it closed; and there are a mysterious organization that is capturing and enslaving school ghosts and using them to cause troubles.

And that organization is NOT happy with the existence of people who strives for improving relationships among human beings and ghosts.

Haunted Junction is an entertaining supernatural comedy with dose of action and adventure. Even though it is not the best or more memorable manga around, I found it highly entertaining.

It was created in 1996 by Nemu Mukudori and it ended in 2001 after thirteen volumes. An anime show was made in 1997, being twelve episodes-long and adapting the first chapters.

Read the manga: Manga
Watch the anime: Anime

Inu-Yasha --Click here to view--

Kagome Higurashi is a seemingly ordinary high school student lives in her family’s Shinto shrine. She sees herself like a completely normal girl, in spite of the weird folktales her nagging grandfather is constantly telling her, and she forgets as soon as he has finished his fable.

One day, his brother’s cat enters in a hutch joined to the shrine. The hutch encloses an ancient dry well and entrance is forbidden. Kagome goes into the tiny building and she has just found their cat when all of sudden, a weird, six-armed creature –half-woman, half-centipede- emerges out of the well and drags Kagome into it.

Kagome struggles against the creature and gets rid of it, landing on the bottom of the well. Wondering about what has just happened, she climbs out of the hole to find the world has changed. The shrine and the city have faded, and now an ancient forest surrounds her.

Shocked and puzzled, Kagome starts walking, wondering what has happened to his home, when she finds a massive tree, and a strange person pinned to it with an arrow. He would seem a normal teen but for two dog-like ears sticking out of his white-haired head.

She is examining him –and checking his dog ears are real- when she is arrested for several persons and carried to a medieval-looking village. The townsfolk’s clothes and language is right like it was five hundred years ago, and Kagome is beginning wondering if she has not travelled back in time.

The chieftain –an old, stern-looking woman with one eye patch, named Kaede- interrogates her and mentions off-handily she looks right like her deceased sister, Kikyo. She takes Kagome in, and explains fifty years before, her sister Kikyo, a kind and powerful shrine maiden and excellent archer, fought a dog demon named Inu-Yasha, who had stolen the jewel named Shikon, an object can greatly increase the demoniac power and her sister was custodian of. Kikyo won by pinning Inu-Yasha to a tree, but she ended up badly wounded. Before dying, she asked Kaede her body got incinerated along the jewel, so that no demon or youkai was able to get its hands on it.

Kagome is pondering about it and wondering how the heck she will return to her time and home, when the half-centipede creature assailed her earlier attacks the village. Kagome decides she will lead the monster to the old well to try and trapping it, and she dashes off towards the forest, the monster chasing after her closely.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the wood, not far from the well, Inu-Yasha wakes up, feeling the scent of the woman killed him, and sensing she is nearby...

This is the start of Inu-Yasha, the longest Rumiko Takahashi’s story so far (it is fifty-six-volumes-long). Takahashi started the story in 1996 and she was making it for twelve years, and it spawned several anime shows and films.

It is darker than her main works (Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, Ranma 1/2), but it is still more light-hearted than her darker and more depressing works. Takahashi had already used the time travel plot in an earlier one-shot –named Fire Tripper-, but here she deepens in it.

Unfortunately, usual fan complains are even though the story was very engaging at the beginning, it drew out too way much, and the final is too ambiguous. Still it is worth to read.

Read the manga: Manga

Watch the anime: Anime

[BlackLightning]

Hmm... I don't think this had been added:

Video Girl Ai: is a manga series created by Masakazu Katsura started in 1989 and continued until 1992, and fifteen manga volumes were produced as well as anime and live action.

The story starts when Yota Moteuchi finds out that the girl he likes, Moemi Hayakawa, is in love with his best friend, Takashi Niimai. Disappointed by this fact, he decides to rent a video from a mysterious video store that appeared in front of him on his way home. The video store was called "Gokuraku" ("Paradise"). The unique thing about this video store was that the videos in the store contained "video girls", girls which literally come to life and out of the user's television when the video tape is played to cheer the renter up. Not knowing about the video girls, Yota chooses to rent the video 'I'll Cheer You Up!', starring Ai Amano. Ai comes to life with the purpose to brighten up Yota's life and encourage him to pursue his love.

However, Yota plays the video on a broken video recorder, which causes Ai to come out "broken"; among other effects she has the ability to feel emotions. This additional feature of Ai causes her to eventually fall in love with Yota; a feeling which, after giving up on Moemi, Yota begins to return. However, a mysterious man related to Gokuraku known as Rolex enters the story and tries to recall Ai as she is faulty, and the fact that Ai's tape is nearing the end of its playing time makes matters even worse.

From this point on, the story changes focus slightly and concentrates on Yota and Ai attempting to overcome the difficulties presented by Gokuraku. Various other complications come into the story; for example Yota's continuing love for Moemi, and his relationship with a new character, Nobuko Nizaki.

Initially, Ai spends some of her time teasing Yota mercilessly in various sexual manners i.e. pretending to initiate intercourse, or joining Yota "innocently" in the bath "to help him wash". Yota's resulting embarrassment and attempt to extricate himself from the situation results, as always, in some slapstick humor and more resulting sexual tension.

3x3 Eyes / Sazan Eyes: is a manga created by acclaimed manga artist Yuzo Takada, and is his most successful series. It spans 40 volumes, beginning in 1987 and ending in 2002. n 1993, it won the Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen.[1] The English-language manga was being published by Dark Horse Comics, but was canceled before the release of volume 9 in 2005.

3x3 Eyes follows the adventures of Pai, the last remaining Sanjiyan Unkara (三只眼 吽迦羅, sometimes translated as triclops), and her new Wu (Chinese reading of 无; an immortal companion), Yakumo, as they desperately try to find a way to make Pai human so that she can forget her troubled past. Pai travelled to Tokyo searching for the artifact, but shortly after she arrived, a thief snatched her backpack and cane from her. A teenage lad, Yakumo, tackled the crook and managed to get the pack back for her, though the thief escaped with the cane. Yakumo took her to his work, where Pai was able to get cleaned up, and where she discovered that he was the son of Professor Fujii, an archaeologist she had met in Tibet four years prior. The Professor had been researching the legends of the Sanjiyans and had befriended her and offered to help her find the Ningen, only to fall ill and die. Pai had his last letter to his son in her backpack, which asked Yakumo to help Pai with her quest. Although he didn't believe his father's tales of Pai being a monster, he agreed to assist her.

Their discussion was interrupted by news reports of a giant monster flying over the city. Pai recognised the creature as her pet Takuhi, who must have been released from his home in Pai's cane by the thief, and who was now looking for her. Pai set out to retrieve him, with Yakumo close behind. However when Yakumo saw Takuhi fly towards Pai, the lad mistook the beast's welcome for an attack, and shoved Pai out the way; immediately Takuhi ripped into the lad, fatally wounding him. Unwilling to lose the boy she had been hunting for and just located, Pai's third eye opened, and she absorbed his soul. This restored his body, but tied him to her as her undead servant. Linked to her, he can only become human again when she becomes human. In the way of this goal are hordes of monsters and demons from the Shadow World, some desiring Pai's powers, others who seek the Ningen for their own. Yakumo can again become mortal and end his constant need to protect Pai because if Pai dies, then so will he. Along the way, they encounter many followers of the now-dead demon god Kaiyanwang, all of whom wish to kill Pai or siphon off her power in order to resurrect their deity and/or gain immortality.

[digifruit]

lol, no one mentioned Golden Boy yet? Or is it just that no one wanted to be the one to mention it? haha. Well, anyway, I'd recommend giving Golden Boy a shot if you're comfortable with dirty humor and erotic comedy. It's about a guy who drops out of law school just before graduation even though he has enough credits to graduate and instead bikes around Japan looking for odd jobs because he's a "student of life". I'd highly recommend the English dub, it's friggin hilarious and easily accessed from most anime streaming sites.

Another one that I didn't see on the list is Crayon Shin-chan. I grew up watching the Korean version as a kid, so I can't really comment much on the original Japanese or the English dub (which is the more easily available one). It's a satirical anime about an elementary school kid, but it contrasts the kiddy animation style with adult humor (kind of like a Japanese version of South Park, I guess). It was one of the biggest comedy hits in Japan back in the day, so it comes recommended.

And one of my favorite anime growing up as a kid is a really obscure one (well, in the US anyway)... anyone ever heard of Dodge Danpei? It's a shounen sports anime and pretty much hits up all the typical shounen tropes that it's practically Dragon Ball that takes place on the dodgeball field, with characters coming up with insane "super moves" and stuff. It's definitely a kid's anime though, so it probably hasn't aged well, haha, not that it's widely available anyway. I think a fansub group translated the first episode just for kicks, but I think it stops there for English-release. I watched it in Korean, and it might actually still be available at Korean video shops.

[BlackLightning]

lol, no one mentioned Golden Boy yet? Or is it just that no one wanted to be the one to mention it? haha. Well, anyway, I'd recommend giving Golden Boy a shot if you're comfortable with dirty humor and erotic comedy. It's about a guy who drops out of law school just before graduation even though he has enough credits to graduate and instead bikes around Japan looking for odd jobs because he's a "student of life". I'd highly recommend the English dub, it's friggin hilarious and easily accessed from most anime streaming sites.

Another one that I didn't see on the list is Crayon Shin-chan. I grew up watching the Korean version as a kid, so I can't really comment much on the original Japanese or the English dub (which is the more easily available one). It's a satirical anime about an elementary school kid, but it contrasts the kiddy animation style with adult humor (kind of like a Japanese version of South Park, I guess). It was one of the biggest comedy hits in Japan back in the day, so it comes recommended.

And one of my favorite anime growing up as a kid is a really obscure one (well, in the US anyway)... anyone ever heard of Dodge Danpei? It's a shounen sports anime and pretty much hits up all the typical shounen tropes that it's practically Dragon Ball that takes place on the dodgeball field, with characters coming up with insane "super moves" and stuff. It's definitely a kid's anime though, so it probably hasn't aged well, haha, not that it's widely available anyway. I think a fansub group translated the first episode just for kicks, but I think it stops there for English-release. I watched it in Korean, and it might actually still be available at Korean video shops.

I know all 3 of them but only the last 1 is the one that I can remotely say that I like it. I think the manga was discontinued and I didn't know about the anime.