A

Ah My Goddess - Movie See: Oh My Goddess

Ai Yori Aoshi & Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi

In the opening Aoi, very traditionally dressed, has gone to Tokyo to look for someone special she has not seen in years. This sheltered girl has never done anything so bold and is quite confused with all the bustle of the train station. In the midst of all this her shoe strap breaks and she does not know what to do. Kaoru, young man, walks up and offers to fix it. He ends up helping her find her way as she is going to the same station as he is. Aoi has an address he offers to help her find, when they arrive and turn the corner all they see is an empty lot, it begins to rain. At the Kaoru's apartment Aoi does not know how to find the person she was looking for and pulls out a photo of her and him from when they were little. Kaoru looks at it and says "Why do you have a photo of Aoi-chan and me?" Aoi had misswritten the address. So begins a love story of a couple who's families had decided when they were very little that they would marry, a decision that was unmade shortly before the story begins.

Cultural Details: Contemporary urban life.

Cautions: Very slight sexual humor.

Akira - Movie

Famous for its historical importance in introducing anime to many in the English speaking world in the early 1990s when it played art house theaters. Many non-fans think of Akira as an example of the best in anime, which it was when it was released, it is now usually considered as an example of middle of the road animation which is an indication of how much anime has developed since it first came out. Akira is still a fun piece of work and likely to be popular in any collection with it's stunning graphics and highly innovative music track.

There is also an Akira manga translation available.

Cautions: One scene with upper torso nudity.

B

Banner of the Stars see: Crest of the Stars

Blood the Last Vampire (Movie)

Blue Seed - TV series

Momiji is a typical 14 year old, except that since she was a small child she has undergone regular Shintō ritual purifications and training by her grandmother. Other than that she is a little clumsy, weak in school, thinks she is an only child and in many ways still just a kid. But then she is threatened one morning on her way to school by a young man who mentions a twin sister and her school is attacked by something very nasty and very old that wants her dead.

Cultural Details: Many historical localities, landmarks, folklore, religion, relationships.

Cautions: Violence and some panty humor.

Blue Submarine No.6 - OVA series

A four part OVA series mixing computer generated animation with digitally painted cell animation. The animation is rough where the two are joined but this is quickly forgotten as the story draws you in. As the series progresses so does the ability of the studio to better blend the painted and computer generated elements. This is the tale of a future war between genetically modified creatures and the remnant of humanity struggling to survive. Caught in this was are characters on both sides who form an uneasy relationship.

Cautions: Violence and some slight nudity.

BubbleGum Crisis - OVA series

A series that has been popular with English speaking fans for many years. This is a series of stories about the Knight Sabers a mercenary group often fighting against an unscrupulous multi-national corporation and its partially biological Boomers. Strongly influenced by the US movies Bladerunner and Streets of Fire.
Note: There is also a Bubblegum Crisis 2040 TV series which is different from what I am recommending.

Cautions: Violence and mild nudity.

C

Castle in the Sky - Movie

Directed by Miyazaki Hayao. Sheeta has a gem that pirates and government agents are after. Pazu is an orphan living in a mining town with big dreams. Together they discover a common bond as they help each other and have an adventure the rest of us can enjoy watching.

Castle of Cagliostro - Movie

The Castle of Cagliostro is one of the most popular anime directed by Miyazaki Hayao before he went on to found the famous Studio Ghibli. The quality of this anime is so good it is hard to believe this is a title from 1979. The script was coauthored by Miyazaki and Yamazaki Haruya. Miyazaki also did the storyboards. And his touch shows with his trademark beautiful cloudscapes and flight sequences.

While not intended for small kids they seem to enjoy the slapstick humor of this title.

Chobits - TV series

Based on a manga by CLAMP. Hideki failed his college entrance exams and has moved to Tokyo to attend a special school to prepare him for another try. Raised on a farm he had no one to talk to as he worked but the animals and has a habit of talking to himself, much to our amusement. In Tokyo he is amazed how humanoid common persocoms (personal computers) are, and disappointed how expensive they are. One night while heading to his apartment he spots one in a trash pile and takes it home. Can this technically inept young man cope with a persocom in the form of a very cute girl, a persocom that is an unusual model unlike any on the market?

There is also a Chobits manga.

Cultural details: Everyday life in Tokyo.

Cautions: Incredibly cute, includes humorous sexual situations and nudity.

Cowboy Bebop - TV series

Bounty hunters near Mars in a future gone a little seedy, but then bounty hunters often are not in the best parts of town. As the story goes on you discover more about why the future is not all bright and shiny. Excellent jazz music by Yoko Kanno and well done choreography for the fight scenes. Aimed at an adult TV viewing audience this show is popular with teens.

Cowboy Bebop The Movie - movie

Set between episodes in the TV series the characters of the show are on the trail of a fugitive. A fugitive who has a very deadly weapon that already has killed hundreds, a fugitive who all reports indicate died years ago.

Cautions: Violence and cleavage.

Crest of the Stars - TV Series

Jinto's home world has been invaded by the Abh, a beautiful blue haired people who live for centuries with little sign of aging. His father makes a choice against overwhelming odds to prevent a war that is sure to be lost and Jinto has to live with the consequences. Then the story moves to seven years later when Jinto enters military training and meets Lafiel, an Abh trainee who is to be important in his life. Then war breaks out.

A great piece of science fiction dealing with the contact between two very different cultures.

D

The Dagger of Kamui - Movie

The story of Jiro, a foundling whose adopted family is murdered and his quest for revenge. With the assistance of a ninja master Jiro learns to be a skilled fighter. But not all is as it seems and he has to determine who is in fact his ally and who is his enemy. Set in the late Edo Period as the government of the shogun is collapsing with locations ranging from Hokkaido to the United States.

Cautions: Violence and mild nudity.

Cultural Details: Late Edo culture and politics.

Dirty Pair OVA series and movies

What can I say about a tongue in cheek science fiction series involving two attractive, underdressed female agents who always succeed in their missions with lots of collateral damage? Well I can say it's fun, action oriented and has some great lines as when one of our heroines said to a sexist marine "Gee you were good looking until you opened your mouth"

What I am recommending here is the older OVA series not the newer, and still amusing Dirty Pair Flash series.

There is also an excellent Dirty Pair pseudo-manga by Adam Warren as well as translated volumes of the original novels.

Cautions: Violence and mild nudity.

E

El Hazard: Magnificent World - Original OVA series

Partially inspired by the pulp science fiction of Edmund Hamilton and the old Prisoner of Zenda movie this is the tale of a young man who finds himself transported to another world. A world where it turns out he looks very much like a missing princess. A princess who is needed for public appearances.

(The original OVA series is recommended over the later TV and OVA series, The Wanderers: El Hazard, El Hazard 2 and El Hazard: The Alternative World)

Escaflowne ** TV series

High school student Hitomi has always been good at predicting the future with tarot cards. One day at school she collapses while at track practice and has a vision. That evening she finds out the boy she is in love with is going to leave Japan suddenly decides to tell him how she feels before he leaves. But the evening when she does part of her vision becomes real and in the end she is transported to another world. That is the first episode, to find what happens to her I suggest getting the whole series.

F

FLCL - OVA

Jr High student Naota's older brother has gone to America to play pro baseball and now has a blond girl friend. Mamimi, the brother's Japanese high school girlfriend does not know this but is making moves on Naota. Then Hanako shows up on a Vespa with guitar. Oh yes then there are the robots, aliens, government agencies.and a space pirate. Throughout all of this Naota has to deal with the hormonal changes of being an adolescent.

Cultural Details: Life in contemporary Japan. Comes with extensive liner notes

G

Ghost in The Shell

Ghost in The Shell - Movie

The critically acclaimed adaptation of Shirow Masamune's manga of the same title remains a visually stunning science fiction tale of political intrigue. Directed by Oshii Mamoru one of Kurosawa's favorite directors. The special edition of the video and the DVD include extras such as a "making of" behind the scenes look at the production.

Cautions: Violence, some nudity and skin tight body suits.

Ghost in The Shell 2: Innocence - Movie

Set several years after the first movie. The major is still missing, Batou and Tosuga are assigned a case which may or may not involve terrorists. A manufacturer of androids has been lending out test models to select clients. When the models break down and murder their new masters Section Nine steps in to investigate.

Cautions: Violence, some nudity.

Ghost in The Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Ghost in The Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig (TV series), Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society (movie)

Set either before the movie or in an alternative storyline the TV series shows the major and her comrades carrying out their duty as a special security unit. Fans of the manga will recognise some interesting hardware used by the members of Section Nine.
Warning: There are also two collections which are excerpts from the TV shows set up as single stories Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: The Laughing Man, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig: Individual 11. You may wish to avoid getting these.

There are also Ghost in the Shell manga and novels available

GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka - TV series

Ex-biker gone to college Onizuka decides to become a high school teacher, motivated by desires that would upset the parents of any teen aged daughter. But this highly short tempered and violent fellow also has a sincerity and concern for his students that shapes his actions in virtuous, if very unconventional, ways.

Cultural Details: Modern school and urban life.

Cautions:
Sexual humor, often at Onizuka's expense, and some violence, often at Onizuka's hands.
However the manga is stronger and is not recommended for kids.

Gundam See: Mobile Suit Gundam

H

Hakkenden OVA series

An adaptation of a famous 19th century samurai novel, dense with Buddhist and Confucian symbolism this is the tale of eight men who are somehow connected to eight virtues through separate prayer beads each has had with them since childhood. A tale of vengeance and karma, excellent for fans of Japanese cinema.

Available both subtitled and re-dubbed.

Cultural Details: Traditional settings, clothing, locations, religious and philosophical views.

Cautions: Violence.

Here is Greenwood OVA series

One of the first shôjo anime released in the US. This is the story of Kazuya who has missed the first month of high school and is assigned to the Greenwood dorm. A dorm with the odder students of his high school, he discovers how odd when he meets is room mate. A great short series of tales taken from the manga which is also available in English.

Howl's Moving Castle - Movie

Young Sophie is cursed by the Witch of the Waste and becomes an old woman. She leaves home and ends up in the castle of Howl a famous wizard, the castle is not in one place as it walks across the land.

K

Kiki's Delivery Service - Movie

Kiki is a young witch, according to tradition she must leave home at the age of thirteen, find a town with no witch and become independent. She doesn't have many skills but her cat Jiji at least can help by offering advice. This is a tale of maturation set in a fictional European style setting with some very stunning animation.

L

Last Exile - TV series

Claus and Lavie are a team, flying their vanship delivering messages to earn a living. Then an unexpected cargo lands in their hands with a request to deliver it, a very dangerous assignment that will involve them in a war that may determine the fate of not only their nation but of their world. Beautifully illustrated with animation by Gonzo, a company that is setting new standards for computer animation.

M

Macross

Macross TV series

The commonly used name for SuperDimensional Fortress Macross. A major classic work of anime. A massive spaceship crashes on Earth, obviously damaged in some sort of conflict. The United Nations recognizes a major threat to Earth and unifies the planet under it's rule, some nations resist and a decade of war takes place at the same time that the ship is studied and restored. Then during the ceremonies for it's test flight a fleet appears in space, then the ship automatically attacks.

Macross Plus OVA series

Taking place decades after the events of the original Macross series this is the story of two young test pilots and a young woman who is the manager of the hottest music act in the settled parts of the galaxy. There is trouble in their past and it has come back to them as they find themselves together again after 7 years of separation.

I recommend the 4 episode Macross Plus OVA series over the feature movie which is just a shorter edited version of the OVA tapes with a few minutes of new animation.

Maison Ikkoku TV series

Maison Ikkoku is the story of Godai, a young man who falls in love and has to deal with how to pursue the woman he wants. Godai is surrounded by a variety of characters, in more than one sense of the word, and has to deal with his own fears and emotional clumsiness, all of which provide an entertaining series.

Cultural Details: Foods, etiquette, household items, schools, day to day life.

Millennium Actress - Movie

Directed by Kon Satoshi. Tachibana Gen'ya is making a documentary and interviews Fujiwara Chiyoko, an actress who retired at the height of her career. This is a lovely homage to 20th century Japanese cinema as in a series of flashbacks tells the story of a young girl who accepted an offer to act and grew into a woman while in pursiut of the man she loved.

Cultural Details: 20th century japanese history and cinema, household items,, day to day life.

Mobile Suit Gundam

The Mobile Suit Gundam series of anime shows has been a major part of anime since 1979 when the first series was broadcast on TV. The quality of the shows greatly varies but many are excellent highly dramatic works worthy of consideration as among the best in anime.

Universal Century Gundam:

The titles listed here are all from the stories using the UC, Universal Century, dating system. These are in my opinion some of the best of the Gundam stories. Other Gundam series such as Gundam Wing, Gundam SEED, the very silly G-Gundam and the juvenile Superior Defender Gundam Force are set in entirely other fictional universes and have almost nothing in common with the Universal Century Gundam shows.

The Background:

The story is set in the not too distant future, space programs have advanced far enough to use materials from off the Earth, mainly the moon and asteroids, to provide needed resources. Using resources in space is called In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and is cheaper than lifting large amounts of material off the Earth. Such resources include metals, oxygen bonded to minerals and solar energy.

On the Earth energy shortages, pollution and environmental problems complicated by a large population leads to an adventuresome program to build space colonies, not colonies on other planets but giant rotating cylinders, each colony large enough to comfortably house millions. These are called O'Neill colonies after the physicist who first proposed them in the 1970s. At the time the story begins the Earth is under the control of a large federation of nations, a government for the entire planet. It is decided that there is a need to save the Earth from further damage and to even allow nature to repair what damage has been done. To do this it is decided to relocate a large portion of the human population into clusters of colonies at Lagrange points, clusters called sides. Each side is composed of dozins colonies, the older smaller colonies holding about 3 million inhabitants the larger ones about 15 million or more. The relocation is not voluntary and many sent to the sides, or the Lunar colonies, are resentful at having to leave Earth.

A new calendar is in use dating from the settlement of the first colonies. Many of the shows have titles containing references to the year in which they take place. In time the populations settle in and life goes one, some colonies specialize in raising food, some even develop tourism industries, trade develops and political movements adjust to the new conditions. Side 3, which is located opposite the moon from Earth had become the Principality of Zeon espousing grand ideals but in reality becoming an oppressive regime under the rule of the Zabi family. In 0079 Zeon revolts against the rule of the Earth Federation and attacks the Earth Federation with little warning.

Early in what became known as the One Year War half of humanity is wiped out, 5 billion dead, mainly as a result of the destruction of many of the colonies. A result of this is the Treaty of Antarctica banning nuclear weapons, poison gas and the total destruction of colonies. Long distance combat has been rendered useless by the discovery of Minovsky particles which when scattered block radio and radar effectively eliminating many of the techniques of 20th Century warfare. A major new kind of weapon has come into existence, large, usually anthropomorphic, Mobile Suits designed for close combat and useable in space or on Earth.

All of these tales have no faster than light drives, no aliens and all of the stories take place within the orbital range of the Moon.

A major theme in the Gundam series is the effect of warfare on civilian populations. While the shows take place in war time they are not simple action entertainment as an entire environment has been woven into a complex setting for the tales.

During the One Year War:

Mobile Suit Gundam the Movies

The TV show reedited into three movies. The fact that they did the story into three movies preserves much of the story that would have been lost if they tried to compress it into one movie. If you want the story in a subtitled version, or just don't want to sit throught the long re-dubbed version, this is the one to get.

Mobile Suit Gundam The 08th MS Team OVA series

Set in Asia in UC 0079, this side story deals with the war in a specific area and not only the people on the major sides but the local guerrilla forces. The story focuses on Shiro a young officer straight from the colonies in charge of the 08th MS Team.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080 OVA series

The story of a young boy living on a neutral colony who is having to cope with the separation of his parents and trouble in school. He ends up befriending a young Zeon soldier who is actually part of a group investigating a hidden Federation research facility. Then the colony openly sides with the Federation and things get dangerous.

After the One Year War:

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 OVA series

The war is over but some elements of the old Zeon troops feel that they cannot live with the peace treaty and attempt to start a new war by stealing and using a special experimental Gundam unit armed with a nuclear warhead. Among the Federation crew sent to recover it is a young woman engineer who is in charge of the stolen Gundam unit as well as experimental unit and the test pilots who were to have tested the new Gundams.

Mobile Suit Gundam Zeta TV series

Universal Century 0087 again conflict grows, the Earth Federation established the Titans after the events of Mobile Suit Gundam 0083. The arrogance of the Federation and the brutality of the Titans is proving too much and a resistance is growing. A resistance in which former enemies are now allies, many are still determining the group they will support and which gives us more glimpses of the Universal Century settings of the stories.

Mobile Suit Gundam Char's Counterattack - Movie

More than ten years have passed since the One Year war ended. Suddenly Char reappears with a new army and threatens the Earth Federation. Amuro again takes on his old opponent in their final match.

Mobile Suit Gundam F91 - Movie

UC 123 after 30 peaceful years a new group, the Crossbones Vanguard, attacks and takes over the Frontier IV colony. A college student, Seabook Arno, finds himself not only in a war but that people he knew have been involved in projects that will reluctantly lead him into battle.

My Neighbor Totoro - Movie

A tale of two young girls who move to a country house with their father in the 1950s to be closer to the hospital where there mother is staying. Released in the United States by Fox, the license for this title will soon expire and the distribution rights transfer to Disney at which point it may be unavailable for some time. This is highly popular with parents and children.

Cultural Details: Household details, country life.

N

Nadia TV series

The story is loosely based on Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, perhaps inspired by would be a better term. Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water is a rich and well crafted work about a young inventor, Jean, who meets a young dark skinned circus performer, Nadia, and helps her escape from a woman with two thugs who are trying to get Nadia and the blue gem she is wearing around her neck.

After their dramatic escape Jean and Nadia end up setting out to find about her past, and so the adventure begins as they are pursued by more than one group after the gem. But I'm getting ahead of the events in the first few episodes.

Made for NHK, the Japanese public broadcasting system.

Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind - Movie

The tale of a young princess from a small kingdom who is drawn into a war by a powerful allied state. The setting is a world where there are few places left for people to live, much of the world is covered by large poisonous forests inhabited by large insects, incests who when agnered attack and spread deadly spores enlarging the forest.

Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series

The highly acclaimed TV series from Gainax this was aimed at an older audience and is a science fiction extravaganza that is more about human feelings and trust than dealing with some very alien attackers. Many of the staff who worked on Nadia also worked on this title. If you have seen Nadia you will recognize many references to that earlier series.

There is also a manga series.

Cultural Details: Foods, etiquette, locations.

Cautions: Violence and nudity.

O

Oh! My Goddess OVA series

A heartwarming and humorous story of Keiichi, a young man who has been granted a wish by a visiting goddess (Belldandy), thinking it is a joke by his dorm mates he makes an honest decision that has very unexpected results. As the story develops we find that the bond between him and Belldandy is deeper than he, or we, thought.

Cultural Details: Foods, locations, architecture, household items, college life.

Cautions: A few seconds of sexual humor in the second episode.

Ah! My Goddess: The Movie - Movie

Something or someone is causing trouble for Belldandy and Keiichi. And more than just her and her human friends are in great danger. This story takes place long after the OVA and includes characters from the manga. Well animated and worth getting after seeing the OVA or reading the manga.

Otaku no Video OVA series

A classic mokumentary of Japanese fan culture, including it's less savory sides. Otaku no Video is in the form of an animated story of a group of fans who turn pro, just as the makers did, and each chapter is framed by an actual interview with a 'real' fan. I know one teacher who is using this series in a grade school class. The DVD has the option of showing only the animation without the interviews.

Cautions: Mild nudity, animated except for one scene on a TV screen in the background during one interview.

Cultural Details: Urban live in contemporary Japan, fan culture.

P

Patlabor, a note:

In the near future advances in mechanical and computer technology have resulted in the development of a new type of highly efficient construction machines called Labors. As these become more widely used for legitimate purposes there is also a rise in crime involving these machines. The Patlabor series is about a special police unit in Tokyo charged with dealing with Labor crime. Patlabor is a shortened way of saying Patrol Labor. The machines are secondary in the stories, the series revolves around the people involved in the unit.

Patlabor is also known as Patlabor the Mobile Police and Mobile Police Patlabor. There is also a manga series of which a few volumes were translated into English.

Cultural Details: Tokyo locations, etiquette, expressions of feelings, foods.

Sequence:

1. The 'Original Series' is an OVA series which came first.
   It was after the success of this OVA series that the TV show came to be.
2. Then there was the 'TV Series'
   The TV series reintroduces the characters in a different manner than the OVA series and takes places them in a variety of situations not in the Original Series OVA. More humor exists in the TV series than in the OVA.
3. After that the "New Files" OVA series.
   This second OVA series continues the TV series finishing some of the story arcs.
4. Movies.
   The first movie seems to fit in late in the TV series and the second movie after the rest of the series. The third movie takes place sometime before the 2nd movie.
   Patlabor 1 - Movie
   Labors require very complex software, so complex that the machines have to be 'trained' to work with a particular operator's style. What happens when a major upgrade to the operating system contains a virus, and how does the potential harm it can cause be avoided. Directed by Oshii Mamoru.
   The numbered limited edition contains two books and an additional DVD for documentary material.
   100 minutes.
   Patlabor 2 - Movie
   Something mysterious is going on, a potential military coup involving elements in the Japanese military with American backing has the country on the brink of disaster. And someone in the Patrol Labor units has a personal history with a major player. Directed by Oshii Mamoru.
   The numbered limited edition contains two books and an additional DVD for documentary material.
   108 minutes.
   Patlabor 3 (WXIII) - Movie
   Labors are being attacked in the vicinity of Tokyo Bay. As the death toll mounts two detectives come closer to a conclusion that would have been too fantastic when they began the research. The Patlabor team is called in late in the story to deal with an opponent that so far has eluded not only the police but also the military.

Perfect Blue - Movie

The story of a singer turned actress who's career decisions are not well liked by her earlier fans, one of whom has become very dangerous. Often compared to the works of Alfred Hitchcock this anime has scenes which some fans find disturbing, something which was intended by the director. This is not an anime for children, they would be bored throughout most of it.

Cautions: Nudity and graphic violence. Includes a sequence where a rape scene is filmed for the TV show.

Cultural Details: Urban live in contemporary Japan, entertainment industry.

Planetes - TV series

In the future humanity has built space stations, a colony on the moon and sent several expeditions to Mars. And there is garbage, dangerous garbage flying in orbit at high speed, even a small piece can kill if it hits a space ship the right way. Hence there are garbage collectors. This is the story of Tanabe, Hachimaki and the other teem members of the Debris Section of a particular large company. An underfunded and understaffed section that has been given the nickname half-section.

Pom Poko - Movie

In the 1960s a massive series of planned housing expansions were built in the rural Tama region of Tokyo, yes Tokyo has a rural district. The local tanuki banded together to fight back and protect their environment. What is a tanuki? It is a native East Asian canine that in Japan has a long tradition of using magical powers to create illusions and trick people. For some strange reason, likely the facial markings, tanuki is translated as racoon in this version. Anyone who is familiar with racoons would see that they look very different.

Cautions: Expect lots of earthy Japanese humor, including male tanuki testicles, and slapstick fun in this one.

Cultural Details: Rich in references to traditional Japan, from entertainment, legend, art, religion etc.

Porco Rosso - Movie

Marco is a decorated ace from WWI, he honed his skills fighting against the Germans. Somehow cuirsed and turned into a pig he is now known as Porco Rosso and earns a living as a bounty hunter in the Adriatic, usually dealing with air pirates. A very funny and touching story with a political subtext of life during the rise of fascism. Great for the entire family.

Princess Mononoke - Movie

One of Miyazaki Hayao's most lavish works available in English. Also one of the most expensive and commercially successful feature Japanese films in history. This is the story of a young man cursed by a boar 'god' gone mad. He travels to find the source of the madness in the hope of locating a cure before he dies.

Cultural Details: Life in pre-Edo Period Japan, includes commoners, samurai and religious beliefs.

Cautions: This was not done for children as it is a complex story and has a certain amount of combat and death in it, but Miyazaki came to the conclusion that children are perceptive enough to be able to understand and enjoy it.

Note: Includes English, French and Japanese language tracks.

R

Ranma 1/2 (TV series, OVA series and Movies)

The third and most successful anime series adaptation of a Takahashi Rumiko manga series. Ranma is a young martial artist who has had an unfortunate accident. Akane is Ranma's fiance due to an arrangement between their fathers, much of the story is about how these two strong willed children deal with the situation they find themselves in..

I recommend concentrating on the TV series as the movies and OVAs have characters that enter the TV series quite late. One unfortunate example of misleading wording is that the early tape boxes describe the series as a "sex comedy" a better choice of words would have been "gender comedy" since traditional gender roles are poked fun at in the story and there is no sexual activity depicted.

There is also a translation of the manga series.

Cultural Details: School life, martial arts, relationships, foods, clothing, traditional home and garden.

Cautions: Some nudity.

Roujin Z - Movie

The Ministry of Health is trying out a new high tech automated bed for elderly patients, but the young nursing student in charge of the elderly man who has been chosen for the experiment has different ideas about what is best in patient care, and so does the bed.

Cultural Details: Everyday life.

Rurouni Kenshin Trust and Betrayal - OVA series (English redub titled and DVD labeled as Samurai X Trust and Betrayal)

The end of the Tokugawa Era was set in motion as a response to US warships under the command of admiral Perry sailing into Japanese territory and negotiating a treaty under threat of bombardment. This event set into motion a series of violent actions by various elements in Japanese society that led to the downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate. This OVA is the story of one young swordsman who put into action his desire to better his nation by becoming an assassin in this bloody period of Japanese history.

This actually is a prequel for the earlier TV series, there is also a movie, Samurai X: The Motion Picture, and later OVA series, Samurai X: Reflection, which take place after the TV series, both of which many fans do not care for.

Cultural Details: Set in mid 19th century Kyoto, many details relating to political forces of the time. I have a special supplement to the Anime Companion devoted to the OVA series.

Cautions: Not for children, a sophisticated storyline & violence.

Rurouni Kenshin - TV series

A very long series set 10 years after the events of the OVA series. With a less realistic style and much lighter at first than the OVA series this series grows on fans quickly. But don't expect it to stay light for long, this series takes on some serious tones rather quickly.

The manga is also available in English.

Cultural Details: Rich in details about personages and life in the Meiji era.

Cultural Details: Everyday life.

S

Serial Experiments Lain - TV series

An award winning TV series about human interaction with technology. Lain is a young girl whose interest in computers is sparked when she receives email from a girl in her school. Email sent after the girl had jumped to her death from a building. As the tale develops Lain discovers that much of her life is not waht it seems to be on the surface.

Cultural Details: School life, relationships, foods.

Cautions: Slight sexual situation in one episode.

Spirited Away movie

Winner of the 2002 Japanese Academy Award for Best Picture and the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. The US re-dubbed theatrical release won the Oscar for the Best Animated Feature for 2002.
Chihiro and her parents are moving to a new home when they get lost on a country road. They explore an old building and emerge on the other side thinking they have found an abandoned theme park, in reality they are very much on the 'other side' and have found a place humans are not ment to be. The parents are turned into pigs and Chihiro has to find a job to survive or she too will turn into an animal and be eaten. She find courage and allies as she struggles to survive and rescue her parents.

T

Tenchi Muyo OVA series

I recommend the original OVA series over the later TV series, Tenchi Universe and Tenchi in Tokyo. One day Tenchi sneaks into a cave on the grounds of the family shrine and ends up releasing a demon that has been imprisoned there for centuries. He believes he has succeeded in resealing the demon in the cave, until it visits him one night searching for revenge on the family of his ancestor who confined the demon in the first place. A mervelous science - fantasy.

Available both subtitled and re-dubbed.

Cultural Details: Everyday life.

Tokyo Godfathers - Movie

On Christmas three homeless people in Tokyo find a baby in a trash heap. Gin the grouchy drunk, Hana a cross dressing queer and Miyuki a teenage runaway have formed a household of sorts and now must decide what to do with the foundling. Hana takes command and they decide to search for the mother. Inspired by the John Ford movie 3 Godfathers this is a study of the relationships between and reasons these three have become homeless.

Only in Japanese with subtitles.

Cultural Details: Everyday life, homelessness, Metropolitan Tokyo.

Cultural Details: Some strong language.

U

Urusei Yatsura TV-Continuing series, OVA series and Movies

Very long series 50 DVD discs (100 minutes each), 6 OVA discs and 6 movies. This is a very popular series with fans and is the first anime series based on the works of Takahashi Rumiko.

Ataru is far more than your typical high school sex fiend, when we first see him he is drooling after watching a beautiful woman walk by. The Earth is about to be invaded and the alien's computer has chosen him to be Earth's champion in a competition, he has to grab the horns of the alien princess Lum, who happens to have a great figure and wear a bikini. But no one told him she could fly, to encourage him his girlfriend offers to marry him if he succeeds. when he finally garbs the horns he says that he can finally get married and Lum, thinking he means her, accepts. So the long strange and very funny story begins.

Part of the manga series is also available in translation.

Cultural Details: Day to day life, school, foods, locations, folklore, gender relations. Comes with extensive liner notes

V

Vampire Princess Miyu OVA series

A sequential series of interconnected stories about a woman who is trying to track down a young female vampire. moody and dramatic. There is also a TV series.

Cultural Details: Historical locations, architecture, school life. Comes with liner notes.

W

Whisper of the Heart - Movie

Shizuku is in her last year of middle school, one day she notices a familiar name in the checkout slips for the books she is borrowing for summer reading. She eventualy meets Seiji who has a clear vision of what he wants to do with his life. A tale of growing up and taking risks.

Cultural Details: Modern urban life, school..

Y

You're Under Arrest OVA, TV series, and movie

An up front fun series of tales about traffic police in modern Tokyo. A great combination of humor, action and drama.

Cultural Details: Locations, foods, day to day life. Comes with liner notes.

Cautions Some scantily clad women in one or two episodes and a cross dressing officer.

Problematic Content in Anime and Manga

Anime and manga are not just for children. Much of what is produced is for young adults and adults. Now children often enjoy viewing or reading many anime and manga aimed at an older audience just as children may enjoy reading many novels or watching movies that are intended for adults. For this reason librarians should not limit purchases to very young age groups. Also in Japan the definitions of children's and adult's entertainments are more ambiguous than in the US, for example some types of sexual humor, often at the expense of adult dignity, are found in some works written for children.

For parents discussing something taking place in an anime or manga can be a good launching point for dealing with subjects which an adult may be reluctant to bring up with teens or children.

Companies are very good about adding warnings to their packages for works aimed at an older audience. If you have questions about at particular anime or manga feel free email me and I will gladly attempt to answer your questions. For librarians good place to ask is GNLIB, the Graphic Novels in Libraries email list.

Note: Be aware that much of anime's bad reputation is a result of coverage in the British tabloids in the early 1990s. It seems that Manga Entertainment decided to choose some of the most violent anime available for their early releases. They apparently felt that the likely market was fans of more violent action films and if you look at their catalog it seems that they still hold that view for many titles, they also have some great classics. Reporters with short deadlines usually simply repeat much of what was said in other newspaper articles so certain opinions and views from those early reports have been around for years and still occasionally pop up.

Violence:

Until recently much of the anime and manga translated into English was of an action-oriented nature, science fiction and fantasy being the two genres most represented. Now these are usually no more violent than what can be seen in American comics, on TV or in movie theaters. But there are cases where violence can be carried to an extreme, simply flipping through a few pages of a manga or checking the notes on a video box often will provide a clue on this.

One book I would like to recommend to adults who are concerned about the impact of action shows on children is Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence by Gerald Jones. This is an excellent study by a father who has been involved in manga publishing in America and teaches writing, including comic book writing, to children.

Note: Be aware that some U.S. anime companies have exaggerated violence or sexual content in their ads or notes to encourage sales and the content may actually be milder than implied.

Nudity:

Nudity is not unusual in some anime and manga, even TV shows and manga for children. This is a result of a different culture's views on naked bodies. Often nudity is used for comic effect and the characters involved may be highly embarrassed. Or a character may simply be taking a bath as in the delightful children's classic My Neighbor Totoro when the father and his daughters take a bath together, a normal parent child emotional bonding activity in Japan. Sometimes nudity or partial nudity may be used simply to sell the product, much like the U.S.

One amusing, or sad, detail is when the Dragon Ball children's TV series was brought to U.S. television computer generated shorts were added to an infant who liked to run around nude. In some series bath or hot spring scenes on US TV have featured digitally added swim suits.

Sexual content:

"Etchi nanowa ikenaito omoimasu"
("I think dirty thoughts are bad")
Mahoro in the ending sequence of the first season of the MahoRomatic TV anime.

Given that some anime are released in the OVA format for specific market niches it should not be too surprising that erotic and pornographic anime exists. The same applies for manga which has even more specialized markets. Now in the U.S. anime market this genre of anime is actually quite over represented compared to the total percentage of anime video releases in Japan. It is possible to easily create a huge collection of anime and manga without any explicit sexual content.

In most series sexual content is usually hinted at rather than explicit, one example is a young impressionable lesbian character in the first El Hazard OVA series (a series I highly recommend) or off screen hints of sexual activity late in His or Her Circumstance and Revolutionary Girl Utena.

Adult genitals are only shown in pornographic anime or manga and even then only rarely. In the original Japanese releases of anime and manga genitals are either not shown, covered over with a black dot or with large pixels due to Japanese censorship laws. Some American companies have had, in manga, the genitals redrawn by the original artists, or, in anime, cut scenes restored or computer generated pixels removed. Recent changes in Japanese laws are allowing a larger percentage of an explicit image to be shown not only in adult anime and manga but in photography and film. However censorship of images still exists in Japan just not as broadly as in the past.

Avoiding explicitly sexual anime and manga is easy as they often are special product lines put out by subsidiaries of larger companies or separate companies. In some cases they may be a very small portion of an anime or manga. On the other hand some series may be rated 18+ and actually not be pornography in the American sense of almost all sex and little story. An example is the 18+ rated manga IWGP Ikebukuro West Gate Park which has a few pages of nudity and sex in every volume, however the story is not sex driven the age rating coming from just a handful of pages.

The U.S. press has made statements of it's own about sex in anime and manga that are in fact untrue. A case in point is when the character Belldandy in the Oh! My Goddess OVA series was referred to as a "soft porn goddess" in the Village Voice (Sept 3, 1996 p.34). Oh My Goddess! is a very tender romantic comedy in which Belldandy actually kisses her boyfriend a couple of times, and not on the mouth. Her trendy sister Urd is a little more outrageous but again for comedic effect and only in one scene in the OVA. Fortunately in recent years the press has done a better job of covering anime and manga.

One result of this kind of reporting is that an East Coast video chain at one time classed all anime as for adults only, even titles for little kids.

Smoking and Drinking

As animation in Japan is not considered to be just a medium for children's stories it is not surprising to find scenes where characters are smoking and drinking. One will even find occasional cases where a delinquent teen may light up a cigarette, or have a drink. However such behavior in anime and manga is the exception and usually has a place in the story being told. Alcohol and tobacco are almost always consumed by adults and in a proper adult context.

The response of American TV with anime has been an expected one where such scenes are either cut, digitally altered to remove the offending substance or dialogue is re-written so sake becomes bottled water or tea. Such work is often crude, in one case a cigarette was digitally removed but not the smoke. On video such alterations only exist if the release is of the edited TV version of the show. Regular releases leave the material in it's proper place and form.

Special considerations for librarians

1. Subscribe to GNLIB, the Graphic Novels in Libraries email list. This is a great place to ask any questions about anime or manga.
2. Titles of English speaking market releases of manga or subtitled and re-dubbed anime series may be different.
   In such cases if you obtain the bilingual DVD be sure to include alternative titles in your catalog.
   Be aware that the manga and anime versions of a story may also have different titles, such as Kare Kano and His and Her Circumstances or Onegai Teacher and Please Teacher.
3. Don't collect for one age group, there are many wonderful titles for children teens and adults. Focusing too much on one age group will limit the collection just as it would for other areas of the collection. A special problem is spending too much time and resources on kids and teen collections while ignoring titles for adults.
4. Shelving should be divided up as it would be for other fiction, usually separate sections for kids, teens and adults. It may be tempting with a small collection to place all the anime or manga in a single section, however given the diversity of genres and age appropriate content such could be problematic. In any case given the continuing popularity of anime and manga such single sections will fill up quickly.
5. You may want to include headings in your catalog entries that will allow patrons to easily search for anime or manga. This will be especially useful for locating titles one is not familiar with and for items in unfamiliar sections
6. Anime series are almost always a serialization of a single story, videos should be obtained in sequence as missing an episode is like missing a chapter in a book.
7. Manga series are also almost always a serialization of a single story, for this reason you may want to purchase an extra copy of volume one as it is likely to be checked out more often and wear out faster.
8. For libraries the connection between anime and manga means that it may be a good idea to coordinate purchases between book and video librarians for series available in both formats. This coordination should not only be for anime and manga but also include live action movies, novels, soundtracks and books on specific series.
9. For series be sure you label the videos or manga clearly so patrons know the sequence.
   Not all series have volume numbers clearly printed on them.
10. One note on etiquette: Avoid the using term Japanimation to refer to anime as many fans (myself included) object to its use, especially as it sometimes is rendered as Jap-animation. Any fan, and many in the general public, will understand the use of the term anime.

Finding Reviews

Locating adequate reviews of anime and manga can be difficult at times. Regular sources such as Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), Library Journal and American Libraries are doing a better job than in the past. However it is also necessary to go to specialized print sources such as anime magazines like Newtype USA, Protoculture Addicts and Anime Insider. Online resources include Anime On DVD, Anime News Network, Anime Jump, and for their in-house age ratings The Right Stuf online retailer.

Also check general sites which include anime and manga among what they cover. For example: no flying, no tights; which covers graphic novels in general, Sequential Tart; a site with a female focus, The Diamond Bookshelf reviews; by librarian Kat Kan who also writes for VOYA, and Graphic Novel Comparison Chart; this page lists the number of volumes in the original series for not only manga but also for products from Korea and China.

Anime Conventions.

More and more anime conventions are taking place across the US and other countries. The Anime Web Turnpike (http://www.anipike.com/) maintains links to convention related web pages around the world. Attending a convention is a good way to talk to dealers, distributors and representatives of US Production companies.

If a convention is taking place in your area you may want to co-ordinate an event at a library branch near the convention or at your main library. It may even be possible to arrange for the convention organizers to arrange for a Guest Of Honor to speak at such an event. A good time for such an event is before or after the convention takes place so you don't compete with the convention for attendees.

Anime clubs

The growing popularity of anime and manga has resulted in a large number of clubs, usually on college and university campuses but increasingly at high schools and public libraries, devoted to this topic. Clubs usually do more than just watch anime. Many clubs produce newsletters, have video, and occasionally book, lending libraries for members, and organize special events.

It may be worth contacting a local club to see if they are willing to meet with librarians to discuss recommended titles and even screen some anime to help in the selection process. Such contact with a club can easily become an ongoing relationship providing your library with knowledgeable volunteer consultants and mutual publicity.

Be aware that clubs often show fan-subtitled releases of titles not commercially available outside of Japan.

Pirated anime and manga goods

Anime and manga enjoy a wide popularity outside of Japan. This has resulted in a certain amount of shoddy pirated goods being available on the market. This is especially important to remember if you are planning a display or are creating a collection of anime soundtracks. Most commonly what one will see are cheaply made posters, music CDs on the Taiwanese Son May (SM) label and regionless DVDs. These materials should be avoided in obtaining materials for your collection. Any goods made in Japan or released by companies in the US are likely to be legitimate. However some pirates make their discs with Japanese text on the boxes. A major clue with DVD discs is that many pirated goods include chinese subtitles and are region free

Re-Dubbed vs Subtitled Anime

One old controversy in anime fandom is over the preference between viewing anime that has been subtitled or re-dubbed into English. With the growing popularity of DVD this is less of a consideration as most discs include both a re-dub and a subtitled track. Be aware that some series are issued with a highly edited re-dubbed version and an uncut version on separately sold DVD discs, at times with different titles. An example of this is the highly edited Cardcaptors (re-dubbed only) and the unedited Cardcaptor Sakura (subtitled only) which are the same show. In some cases you can only get a title in a re-dubbed or subtitled version but not both the languages on a video still need to be a consideration be a consideration in buying titles.

NOTE: VHS these days is always re-dubbed and for small children.

It is a good idea to consider re-dubbed when the audience will be younger children. Subtitled anime is good for most other age groups. I have seen grade school kids do quite well keeping up with subtitled anime but they were already fans by that point.

To aid in the selection process I have created lists of some recommended titles.

Anime and Manga Terminology

Here is a list of select terms used to describe anime and manga. It is helpful to understand these basic terms when conversing with others or reading on the subject.
Note: Japanese words have no plural ending, for example manga can refer to one or several manga depending on the context. Also be aware that the Japanese use of these terms sometimes varies from English speaking fan use.

Anime アニメ:

Animation produced in Japan for the Japanese market.
Anime, as defined by common fan usage, is simply any animation that is made in Japan for a Japanese audience. In Japan the word simply means any animation made anywhere in the world. Commercial anime dates back to 1917. Modern anime dates from the 1960s with the work of Osamu Tezuka, best known in the U.S. for "Astro Boy", Tetsuwan Atom in the original Japanese.

While anime is sometimes erroneously referred to as a "genre" it is in reality a medium that includes any genre that can be found in cinema or literature. The evaluation of anime titles should be done with all the care that goes into evaluating movies or novels, even more so since it is often hard to get good reviews of anime to aid the selection process.

In Japan, anime is released in three ways:

1. TV shows - often later re-released on video.
2. Movies - often later re-released on video.
3. OVA

BL or Boys Love see: Yaoi

Dōjinshi 同人誌:

Fan produced manga or other self published works.

These are usually made by small fan circles and often will use characters from anime, manga, TV shows, games or actual persons. Japanese companies tend to ignore dōjinshi which use trademarked characters or see it as a sign of the popularity of their products. Outside Japan dōjinshi have a reputation for being sexually explicit, this is not the case as there are plenty which are not. Some non-Japanese will incorrectly use the term to refer to any erotic manga.

Gekiga 劇画:

Dramatic pictures. A type of realistic manga for, mainly male, older teens and adults developed in the 1950s which often includes antiheroes such as gangsters, poor samurai and the urban poor, often in violent and sexual situations. Today such stories are common in manga intended for adult consumption.

Hentai 変態:

Usually translated as perverted, or sexually explicit. This word in Japanese usage is far more complex than that as it has other meanings such as metamorphosis, weird, an anomaly, or abnormal. But most of the time that you see or hear it in anime or in fan circles it refers to perverted.

English speakers will apply it as an adjective as in 'hentai manga' or 'hentai anime'. The Japanese do not do this, rather they will speak of ero-manga or ero-anime. The Japanese will use the term to refer to a person as in "he is hentai".

Japanimation:

A term created by combining the words Japan and animation. The pronunciation is Japan-i-ma-tion. All evidence indicates this term was invented by C/FO (Cartoon Fantasy Organization) member Carl Gafford in 1979. By the early to mid 1990s the term has fallen into disfavor among fans, especially as some non fans started pronouncing it "Jap-animation".

Josei 女性:

This means woman, when used to describe manga or anime as in 'josei manga' it refers to works made for that demographic. In Japan there is a very large market for manga aimed at adult women.

Manga 漫画:

Manga can be roughly translated as "comic books", in reality it is a much more complex subject. Manga can include almost every subject imaginable from funny stories to serious literature. Technical manuals and even legal case histories have been released in manga format. Looking at some books about manga, especially those of Frederik Schodt, will probably be the best way to understand this unique form of publishing.

Many companies outside of Japan are issuing translated manga in multi-volume sets at an increasing pace. In most cases they are no longer flipping the images and leaving the manga in the original right to left format. There are two reasons to do this, some manga artists will not allow their art to be flipped to a European left to right format, the other reason is that leaving the art unflipped reduces the time and expense it takes to bring a translated title to the market by eliminating much of the retouching of images. I have discovered that most readers have little trouble reading unflipped manga, something that caught me by surprise.

Otaku オタク:

A word originally used as a polite way to refer to someone. It has undergone several changes to a newer use to refer to highly serious fans. The term can be derogatory or neutral depending on the situation. While increasingly the Japanese term is used rather than trying to find a rough translation common translations include, fan, fanboy, geek and nerd.

OVA:

Original Video Animation. These are anime released directly to video. This method of release allows companies to target specialized audiences in a way that is not financially or socially possible with TV or movie releases. Sometime you will see this spelled OAV in English works.

Seinen 青年:

A term for young man, usually men in their late teens to mid twenties either college students or young working men. This word should not be confused with another word pronounced seinen, meaning adult, but written with different kanji 成年.

Shōjo 少女:

While usually translated as girl, young woman would also be appropriate. Generally the word refers to school age girls and teens. Japanese sources list ages ranging from as young as seven to ten at the youngest to about eighteen at the oldest. There is a large market for manga and anime aimed at this group. Stories in the shōjo demographic range from innocent girl's stories to stronger material for the older readers.

Shōnen 少年:

A school aged boy roughly under the age of 18.

This definition has an overlap with seinen in the later years. Entertainment aimed at this demographic tends to be action or humor oriented, however there are exceptions as in romance stories for boys.

Shōnen-ai see: Yaoi

Yaoi やおい:

English speakers use this term to refer to male male romance or sexually explicit tales. However in Japan yaoi is used for a genre of dōjinshi rather than regular commercial products. For commercial products in this genre of male-male stories the Japanese have used several terms over the years. Originally, in the early 1970s, the term shōnen-ai was used, then the literal English translation of shōnen-ai: "Boys Love", came into being, today "BL", which is short for Boys Love, is what one usually hears used by Japanese. This genre is mainly produced by women and for female fans in both Japan and other nations.

Introduction:

You may have had some very young, so cute from trying to look hip, library patron ask you, "Do you have any Gundam?" Or a serious student requesting the set of the Hakkenden, for a project on 19th century Japanese literature. Or had a club ask to use your meeting room to show anime. Or youngsters ask if you had books on how to draw manga. Or an adult who usually checks out foreign cinema ask for Millennium Actress? Or a peace activist ask for the Grave of the Fireflies.

Have you wondered what all of this was about?

In 1996 I decided that given the continuing increase in popularity of anime and manga in the English speaking world that it was perhaps time that a resource be created to help librarians understand these forms of entertainment and to aid in the selection of items for their collections. This guide is the result.

Many years ago I spoke with my young nephews, then in middle school, about what it was they like about anime, in comparison with American animation. They said that a major difference is that anime has a story and you can never be sure what the ending will be. It is not unusual for a major character in an anime or manga to die, to lose the one they love to another, or fail at what they are trying to do. Even in works aimed at little children these things happen, which is a little hard for Americans who are familiar with stories that consistently have a happy ending to deal with. Another thing my nephews liked was that the characters are more complex, villains can be understandable and even change their ways, heroes can show bad traits and even commit horrid acts. Of course the "little guy" also said he liked "cool robots". The same things that drew then to anime then still draw children and adults to the medium today.

Some Americans have trouble with what I call the "Shakespearean quality" of anime and manga stories. It is common in a serious anime for comedic moments to occur, or tragic moments in normally humorous anime and manga. For most people the comparison with the similar use of humor and seriousness in the works of Shakespeare makes this mix more understandable

anime fan

thxx to animax that we all can enjoy anime with good engdub so is there any new any feel free to post