J.D. Salinger, Gyroids and Spider-Tanks

Anime Christmas  - Week 4 - Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

Ridley Scott's Blade Runner set an important standard for science fiction that few visual works have met since. It was a film that closely examined humanity and the effects of progressing technology on the individual on an intellectual and emotional level. Although many others will argue that other works such as the Star Trek franchise and even the recent Battlestar Galactica remake explore these themes as well, few will argue that the sophistication and poignancy with which Blade Runner attacks these ideas has gone almost unmatched.

This, however, is where Kenji Kamiyama's Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex comes in. Over the course of two 26 episode series, Ghost in the Shell: SAC manages to establish and extend ideas put forward by Blade Runner beyond the limitations of a 120 minute film. The maturity with which this anime explores the human condition as cyborgs, androids and constant unfettered access to electronic information become more prolific in our lives will leave your lungs short of breath and your mind thoroughly exercised. It is thought-provoking and intellectually driven like no other anime I have seen.

Three main characters: Motoko "Major" Kusanagi (foreground) and Togusa and Batou (background)

But first - a history lesson. Ghost in the Shell itself refers to a setting and a collection of characters common to three unrelated storylines - so unrelated that they could be considered different 'realities'. The confusion comes about because publication of each of the three realities is happening alternately and concurrently. Chronologically, the first reality is depicted in Shirow Masamune's serial Manga, published from 1989 to 1997, with sequel Manga published in the early 2000s. From this manga was adapted a film: Mamoru Oshii's 1995 film Ghost in the Shell - the second reality. Within this reality a second film, Ghost in the Shell: Innocence,  was released on 2004. The final reality comes from two anime series and one theatrically released movie, also adapting elements from the original manga: Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, (or Ghost in the Shell: SAC for short). Each storyline chooses to depict the setting and the characters in significantly different ways, though central elements remain the same.

It is the third and most mature of these realities (if not as well known in western media) that I rate amongst the best anime I have ever watched.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC is set in the year 2030, where the geopolitical landscape has drastically changed as a result of  a further two world wars and Japan has emerged a thriving economic and technological power. In this world, prosthetic technology has advanced to the point where virtually all disabilities are curable with any number of prosthetic implants that perform better than organs they are replacing.

Both series of SAC follow an aggressive, black-ops, law enforcement and detective agency known as Public Security Section 9. Section 9 is staffed by mostly ex military personnel who have undergone major cybernetic enhancements. Among them are Motoko 'Major' Kusanagi - a steadfast field leader who underwent 'full body prosthesis' as a young child and has emerged as one of the fiercest and formidable field combatants in the modern world; Batou a light hearted if typical alpha-male and second in command; and Togusa the only non-military and completely human (having all natural body parts) field member of Section 9, recruited from the police force as a stand-out detective. Heading section nine is Daisuke 'Chief' Aramaki, an determined, politically connected old man whose age and political prowess betray the virility of his crusade for justice.

The Section 9 rogues gallery. including the Major (centre), Batou (centre left), Togusa (centre Right) and chief Aramki (foreground right)

SAC and it's second season (entitled SAC: 2nd GIG) explore two major themes prevalent in the world it's set in. The first series follows the 'Laughing Man' crime - a mysterious, unsolved Catcher in the Rye inspired kidnapping that inspired many copycats since, and the second follows terrorism wrought by the 'Individual Eleven' syndicate - a militant body with extremist anti-government, pro-refugee views.

The Laughing Man story arc has attained legendary status within the fictional setting of Ghost in the Shell and in the real world across the internet as more and more people view the series - and with good reason. The story arc is both enthralling and thought provoking. The mystery behind the Laughing Man crime and the conspiracy that is eventually uncovered by Section 9 is presented in a manner which puts much western crime-fiction to shame. The complexity of the crime itself and how the legend evolves as the information is proliferated across an internet much more sophisticated and accessible than our own is not only believable, but extremely thought-provoking.

The unfolding of the first series prompts an introversion into how our minds and opinions are shaped by mass media and projects how mass media will be shaped by more and more people being given access to tools to proliferate their own ideas. It is one of few visual works that examine the social implications of  the growth information technology on such a grand and profound scale. Other science fiction works do well to tell stories of human exploration and how expansion has effected the human condition, but few prompt such introversion as the Laughing Man story arc, with the depiction of minds as fragile as ours being exposed to so much information at once. The result is a story that moves you intellectually and emotionally as the perpetrator behind the crimes and the lines between what is right and wrong become more and more muddled.

The Laughing Man insignia - a badge of justice adopted by corporate terrorists in the first Ghost in the Shell: SAC series.

The second series and story arc - the 'Individual Eleven' - depicts a desperate political battle as refugees from two world wars struggle to find their own identity and establish a place for themselves in the new world. What sets the Individual Eleven story arc apart from other political fiction is that it looks more deeply into each characters' individual motivations than most storytellers are able to achieve. Although the political machinations are detailed and complex (to the inaccessibility of many viewers, unfortunately), Kamiyama's writing and direction always fall back to the personal story of each of the characters.

What results is a detailed exposition of the personal stories of not only the members of Section 9, but of also members of the Individual Eleven (namely their charismatic leader, Hideo Kuze) and the political powers that seek to quash both parties. It is in these personal expositions, expanding from the first series, that we begin to see echos of the ideas originally prevalent in Blade Runner. Through different contexts and characters, Kamiyama shows us how we are supposed to identify ourselves as humans in a world where our bodies can become entirely artificial and where politics and war have destroyed all present day ideas of cultural identity.

Special mention must be made of the Tachikomas - multi-purpose 'spider-tanks' outfitted with learning Artificial Intelligence used in Section 9 as artillery backup and extra heavy muscle. Their journey through both series and developing sense of self-awareness, self-worth and self-sacrifice provide the most profound insight into the nature of what it is to be human and have a soul.

The Major (right) confronts Kuze (left) in the climax of Ghost In the Shell: SAC 2nd GIG

The series does not go without some major criticism. Sadly, the first series of the anime is rampant with what is known is 'fan-service'. Fan-service is a term that refers to elements that are specifically aimed at satiating the tastes of immature teenage boys. In the first series of SAC, this takes the form of cheesy one-liners, half baked 'standalone' episodes (unrelated to the main story arc) and, most significantly, Motoko Kusanagi's choice of costume: a pink one-piece swimsuit with over-thigh pink stockings and a leather jacket. Sadly, the first series shares the original Manga's vision of pandering to teenage boys, with the Manga depicting a gratuitously explicit lesbian orgy and the anime portraying Kusanagi with lesbian overtones that don't significantly contribute to the exposition of her character.

The second series does improve on this. Kusanagi is seen wearing more tastefully fashionable clothing day to day and full body suits whilst in the field. 2nd GIG significantly fleshes out Kusanagi's back story, making her a much more of a complex three-dimensional character than in the first series. The second series also cuts out much of the 'standalone' stories, choosing instead to focus on furthering the main plotline.

The Major in her swimsuit and stockings - her costume on and off duty for most of the first series

Despite its flaws, it is hard to top Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex across any genre or medium in sophistication of thought and intelligence in storytelling. Much modern science fiction relies on action, special effects and horror in order to entertain modern audiences. Ghost in the Shell is one of few works that explores high science fiction concepts in a mature and well thought out manner. Its intellectualism is alienating for many, but save the unfortunate fan-service that dominates most other works in the Ghost in the Shell franchise, Stand Alone Complex is a masterpiece of storytelling in animation.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Wanderers

 Anime Christmas - Week 3 - Planetes

I am a stickler for Science Fiction. My relative immersion in the genre is more or less why I decided to study engineering. There are two major pitfalls in the presentation of speculative fiction, however. The first is most commonly recognised - that the 'science' and the world in general is not well thought out enough and results in derision from cynical (and rather lonely) nerds. The second is the most prolific - that the world is so detailed and complex that the fiction is too daunting to get into and the work goes largely unappreciated by anyone not hardened to the genre.

Planetes, adapted to anime by director Goro Taniguchi and screenwriter Ichiro Okouchi (a duo that would later make Code Geass) is one of those rare works of fiction that hits the sweet spot in between those two points. It presents plausible science fiction whilst focusing on down-to-earth, character-level exposition so that your average viewer can really connect with and understand the themes that are raised in the anime.

Hard Science Fiction - Hachi adjusts his inertia in order to collect a piece of space debris

Planetes (transliterated from the greek Πλανήτης meaning 'wanderer' from where we derive the word 'planet') de-romanticises the nature of space travel for a young, fresh 20 year old Ai Tanabe. In the year 2075, space-born rubbish has built up to the point where it poses major hazards for anyone wanting to operate in orbit around earth. In response, space development corporations have started up their own "Debris Sections" - departments whose job it is to clean up the garbage in space and make it safer for all space-bound travelers. It is in such a section at space development conglomerate Technora Corporation that Ai begins her career in the space industry. 

The Debris Section of Technora Satellite 7, dubbed 'Half Section' is staffed by a series of colourful 'half crazy', 'half witted' characters. Amongst the venerable staff at Half Section are Hachimaki, a loud, obnoxious but ultimately passionate astronaut; Fee, a tough non-nonsense spaceship pilot; and Yuri, the soft-spoken voice of reason for the team. From the perspective of Ai and the others at Half Section we begin to see a world not too far from our own, where space-bound operations are commonplace.

Half Section - Ai (right) argues with Hachimaki (2nd Left) whilst Yuri (far left) tends to the space station's animals and Fee (background) gets ready for a smoke in her smoke-suit.

The anime manages to combine realism and believability with relatibility and a sense of personal, down to earth connectedness with the characters on screen. Planetes manages to avoid what other science fiction works have done by focusing on forging this incredibly complex and interesting world through the eyes of characters that we would meet walking down the street, in a pub or in the office.

The realism and research depicted in Planetes is only rivaled by the most sophisticated of Hollywood screenplays and special effects. The series does not only tell of an extraordinary amount of research, but also visually depicts the space environments in a very fluid and breath-taking way. The nature of maneuvering in space, the effects of gravity and the limits of what foreseeable human technology can do is depicted with great care and detail.

This is coupled with the much-reported fact that the cel-count was increased during zero-gravity sequences in order to make character movement seem more fluid and portray a more believable space-like environment. The result is a depiction of a strongly believable and real-world like space environment.

Fluidity in motion - depiction of zero-gravity envrionment

This believability is extended to the themes present on the nature of space-development and its effects on both a personal and geo-political scale. Throughout the series we are presented with themes that range from a girl born on the moon who has developed health problems due to growing up in a low-gravity environment; to small upstart space-development companies being swallowed by larger, more aggressive conglomerates; and even to the small fictional third world country of El Tanika and the involvement of the militaristic International Treaty Organisation (INTO) in a geopolitical landscape changing due to humanity's reaching out into space. Planetes is rich with detail and very well thought out themes that strike home because they are so relatable to events happening in the present day.

The emotional connection with this series, though, comes mainly through the loving characterisation of the members of Half Section. Fundamentally, Ai, Hachimaki, Fee and even the eccentric Debris Section Managers, Phillipe and Ravi, are characters we wouldn't be surprised to come across in every day life. These are people that we can imagine settling down and having a beer with at the local pub once our day at work is over. They are people that come from a context that is not very far removed from our own.

For this reason, the anime is able to reach out to even non science fiction fanboys and grab the attention of its audience. It is through Half Section's eyes that Taniguchi presents the complex setting and themes inherent within Planetes. We see and experience things as they experience them and feel the awe, excitement and disappointment at what happens as we begin to stride out into space.

That isn't to say, though, that the anime doesn't misstep with its characterisation and themes. More than once, Ai will present a naive and overly altruistic view on the nature of cliches like 'love conquers all' and 'destiny' and what have you. Given her development and coming of age is a major theme of the anime, a few too many happy endings ring true to such soft and slightly unbelievable motivations and end up betraying the 'hard' nature of the hard science fiction.

Ai (left) and Hachimaki (right) - their budding relationship is a major theme throughout the series

I won't lie - my personal (and perhaps professional) interest in humanity taking steps in space exploration is a major contributor to my fondness of this series. The idea that people are actively seeking to explore the rest of the Solar System and that people look to the sky with a real sense of awe and wonder is one that hits home particularly for me. Once upon a time I wanted to be an astronaut, now I'm looking at making a career out of building satellites.

It makes me slightly sad that so much of the world's energy has been focused on internal struggles and disagreements on economics and the environment, and that so much of our technological development has focused on consumer electronics and iPhones. The movement to send more men out further into space is dying. This anime represents what we could do in a very real way, and what I want 2075 to look like.

Eikichi Onizuka, 22 years old. Bachelor. Teacher. Yoroshiku.

Anime Christmas - Week 2 - Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO)

Common reactions to this anime from my friends include: "Are you serious...", "What?!" and "Oh Japan...". The nature of the central character to this anime is somewhat contentious, and the anime almost matches its poignancy with its misgivings. At its heart though, I found Noriyuki Abe's anime adaption of Great Teacher Onizuka to be a good thing and certainly one of the most entertaining anime I've watched. You just have to take a fair bit of it with a rather large grain of salt.

Eikichi Onizuka - Borderline delinquent schoolteacher

The series chronicles the misadventures of the naive, brash, outrageous and academically inept ex-biker Eikichi Onizuka as he tries to become a school teacher in late-nineties Japan. However, Onizuka is a man pointedly unmindful of the standards and expectations of both teacher and student in a rather rigid society and consequently comes into grief with local educational authorities and lobby groups fairly often. Along with a high school class who have a passionate hatred for all teachers, what follows is a heart-warming, if at times questionable 43 half-hour episodes.

All of the manga, anime and live-action incarnations of the Great Teacher Onizuka story have achieved enormous popularity. GTO is an optimistic story that draws its appeal from the earnestness and bizarreness of Onizuka's approach to teaching, and the affect that the man is able to have on a set of emotionally damaged students. Pair this with the perfect comedic artistry and timing in the anime and what results is quite a memorable experience and an anime that should be watched by anyone who has gone through or is going through high school.

Much of the comedic value of GTO comes from the manner in which the titular character goes about realising his dream of being a ‘great teacher’. Eikichi Onizuka presents a mesmerising and (arguably) admirably idealistic view on what the teacher-student relationship should be. At heart Eikichi wants to become a teacher to make school 'fun' and undo the wrongs that were done to him as a student because he was viewed as 'trash'. Now, on its own this sentiment would not be a recipe for realistically happy endings. But the beauty of this anime is that the tour-de-force that is Onizuka’s brashness and block headed determination makes his slightly unrealistic hope for education a reality in outrageous and inevitably comical ways.

The manner in which Onizuka wins over the heart of his students to that end is as mesmerising and unbelievable as it is comedic. Eikichi goes about his life rather carelessly and throughout most of the series stumbles upon the right solution not because of any conscious effort to, but that’s because his actions are the inevitable result of who he is. Throughout the course of the series, we see him throw himself off a building no less than 5 times in order to save students falling from great heights; he consecutively dates the mother of every student in his class in order to get to know their home lives better; and he ties up and terrorises most (if not all) students in his class who cause him grief.

Onizuka has a fondness for wearing animal costumes, and generally dicking about whenever teaching

At face value most of the above actions make him seem more like a careless borderline criminal. The charm and heart of this series, though, lies in Eikichi’s earnestness and his ability to profoundly affect the people around him. Onizuka presents a mesmerising and (arguably) admirably idealistic view on what the teacher-student relationship should be. He pushes closeness and understanding rather than the prejudice and labelling that other teachers and perhaps too many in modern society use to deal with disaffected youths. And his philosophy is made all the more poignant because he himself was a juvenile delinquent once upon a time – and he grew up to realise how much more fulfilled his life would be if he had older figures who cared.

The subsequent attachments that students in his class subsequently form to him are quite touching. To echo a sentiment I mentioned before regarding Gurren Lagann, it comes off less as being naive and more as being hopefully optimistic, given the culture of apathy that was in vogue when I was in high school (not too long ago). As the series progresses, more students come to see him not just as an abstract teacher figure who is to be respected, but as a valuable friend without whom their lives would be a little less bright. This connection, portrayed quite believably, is one that can be somewhat lost as generations grow further apart from each other.

Yoshikawa (left) in particular forms a close bond with Onizuka as he is ostricised in the classroom for being quiet and meek

No proper treatise of  GTO can go without mention of the visual style of the anime. This anime has possibly the best slapstick and visual comedic timing of any animated television show I have ever watched. Whilst the various plot elements have comedic value in and of themselves, the series rises above all others in making us laugh with bizarre facial expressions, over-exaggerated body movements and background slapstick that harks back to the days of silent cinema and Charlie Chaplain.

The visual gags are coupled with Scooby-doo style sound effects and a brilliantly mischievous score that emphasises exactly how much of a caricature Onizuka tends to make himself. Often you will hear a slow understated trumpet or a kick-ass ascending big band motif that alerts you to the fact that Eikichi is about to do something monumentally stupid. The result is a lot of hearty laughter as Onizuka rolls form one ridiculous situation to the next

Background Comedy - Onizuka outside the window, surreptitiously listening in on his students being scolded inside

I cannot finish this post however, without warning you about the misgivings I have on this anime. There are a notable number of scenes in this anime which border on perversion and situations where you start to question Onizuka's judgement. The series itself starts with Onizuka wanting to become a teacher in order to hunt for a young wife (though he does find his conscience and calling to teaching very quickly). These elements are not a deal-breaker for the entire series, but they exist and should be viewed with some amount of objectivity. That said, it should be noted that many of the perverse elements from the manga were actually toned down for the television adaptations, with much nudity and violence removed.

At the end of the day, Great Teacher Onizuka is one of the great classic anime and is probably the only 'conventional' anime that I will review. Of the anime that I would recommend to those who are entering the genre, GTO would be the one that follows convention most closely (with others like Cowboy Bebop being unique in their own right). It does a good job of making us empathise with an otherwise unsavoury character, and takes us on a rather wild and unpredictable ride in the process

Onizuka-sensei - what a boss.

'With your drill, pierce the heavens'

Anime Christmas - Week 1 - Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

When I first asked my friend to describe this anime to me, he attempted to make the shape of an exponential curve with both his arms, accompanied by barely human but very triumphant noises coming from his mouth. After watching the series, though, I've found myself doing more or less the same thing whenever I recommend Hiroyuki Imaishi's acclaimed anime to other people.

Kamina, Simon, Yoko and the Gurren Lagann mecha (Background)

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (or Gurren Lagann for short) tells the story of human-kind's resurgence to power on an Earth set in the distant future. On this Earth, the surface is dominated by wildlife and half human 'beast-men' who are hellbent on oppressing the human race by forcing them to live in underground mining settlements. It is in one of these settlements that our protagonist, young Simon the driller, comes across a mysterious 'Core Drill' that unlocks an even more mysterious robot buried in the soil beneath his home. Edged on by his over-the-top, in-your-face brother (from an ambiguous mother), Kamina, Simon and his newfound mecha (dubbed the 'Lagann') become the catalyst for a human revolution of gargantuan scale.

Simon and the Core Drill

This is one of my favourite anime for three reasons: the story, the characters, and what it says about the human spirit.

The most appropriate word to use to describe this particular anime is an adjective that is perhaps overused in our current internet generation: epic. The series becomes more epic in epically increasing amounts with every single passing moment in every single passing episode. From a meager existence underground, we are taken on a journey that starts with a boy fighting only to protect his overzealous older brother, and ends with a man defending universe in the preservation of hope and passion for all intelligent beings who inhabit it. The progression and suspense of the plot is such that it is difficult to give any detail at all without ruining some major plot reveals (which, by the way, start from episode two and do not stop).

The scale of this series surpasses that of all modern speculative fiction that I have ever come across (save for a select few, such as Dune and all its sequels). And I do not make that statement lightly. The ever increasing scale of the plot is represented quite literally in the expansion of the size of the robots in this series. Simon's initially modest 'Lagann' combines with other robots which fit into each other like Matryoshka dolls. It makes for some very fun and very entertaining transformation sequences. Admittedly, the anime starts out somewhat slow. The first few episodes leave a little to be desired. But the series gains momentum. Fast.

More importantly, though, this anime does most television shows are only able to do superficially - it affects your emotions in a truly profound way. The characters are vivid, detailed, tangible and each relatable in a very real sense. As the stakes in the plot become higher, so does your emotional investment in each of the characters. On their journey they meet and recruit a host of other characters, including the iconic Yoko - a top grade marksman with little desire for clothing. Each character is given adequate attention and detail, and it never feels crowded on the screen.

From the left: Kamina and Simon (left and centre) as they see the surface for the first time after escaping the underground with Yoko (right)

Such is the skill of veteran screenwriter Kazuki Nakashima's characterisation, that not only do you find yourself on the verge of tears at Simon's struggles, but you find yourself in the odd position of feeling sorry for the show's supposed villains as well. This anime is not a simple good-guy, bad-guy story. The characters on both sides are surprisingly complex and fleshed out in  such a way that the struggles of all are laid out to bare.

And finally, the message that this anime sends out about the human spirit. Though somewhat naive and idealistic,  it is delivered in a deftly subtle but breathtaking way. Ultimately the story and the characters in Gurren Lagann serve as metaphors for the nature of perseverance and willpower. The very premise of the anime - having mecha that are somehow powered by the personal impetus and willpower of the pilot - further that particular purpose.

What sets Gurren Lagann apart from other, much cheesier Super Robot Anime, though, is that the discourse provided on the nature of modern apathy is presented in quite a meaningfully sophisticated manner. Over the course of the series we are shown how standing up and saying no to injustice is a step towards a more hopeful future. In this framework, the anime  subtly and intelligently explores the nature of revolution and its need in a stagnant and apathetic society.

 Those who have been through the same education on English Literature as I have will groan, but to describe this series, I will fall back on an outdated cliche: this anime is a triumph of the human spirit. It is rare to find a science fiction story that works in so many fantastical elements whilst maintaining a close link with your emotions. Too often do other shows try to do the same things and make us scoff and roll our eyes cynically. It is singularly impossible for any audience to bear a cynical grudge against this series. Nakashima and Imaishi have managed to find that rare balance between inspiring idealism and naive foolishness.

Gurren Lagann has almost everything. It is comedic and it is tragic. It has love and it has heartbreaking loss. It takes you to the heights of triumph, only to plunge you back into the depths of despair where it seems like there is no hope - until Simon decides that it's not over and spins his drill even faster.

 I challenge you to watch the final scene of the series and not shed manly tears.

Anime Anime Anime

Anime Christmas - Week 0

The bad rap that Anime gets from western culture is undeserved. To those who are unacquainted with the genre, two opinions form: 1 - that Anime is 'just cartoon' and therefore only for kids, or 2 - that Anime just serves fanboys with oversexualised depictions of women (of all ages) and fantastical, high concept situations.  

The first sentiment represents a significant cultural misunderstanding. Western, English speaking cartoons have existed mostly for the entertainment of children. Cartoons were meant to be light hearted, no frills and mostly fun form of entertainment. The two major cartoon production companies in America, Warner Bros. and Disney, made damn well sure that this was the case for about 50 years.

In Japan, though, Anime and 'cartoon' media have always been treated as a legitimate form of art and expression. So much so that their Anime market is not only one of their most successful entertainment-based exports, but also dominant in their media. On our television screens and in our movie theaters, we see the opposite happening with cartoons not being given nearly as much money or attention as 'live action' films and television shows.

Anime is often as rich with visual detail as blockbuster Hollywood films - scene taken from Ghost in the Shell: Innocence 

The differences in the evolution of media in both societies has bred differences of gut reactions when considering this particular genre. People who grew up watching English speaking television see animation as a kids thing - non serious and funny. But before fobbing off Anime as 'just another cartoon', we need to consider that Anime is a serious form of expression for a lot of Japanese storytelling and art. More money, attention and love have been put into Anime than has ever been put into a Disney or Warner Bros cartoon. 

Anime does have its downfalls. On the second point I raised earlier, I concede that about 98 percent of the visual and (less so) character depictions of women in Anime are doing no favour for feminism. Women, irregardless of age, are almost always impossibly buxom and wear form fitting and very revealing outfits (googling the character of Miu from History's Strongest Disciple: Kenichi will raise some very alarming questions about appropriateness, considering Miu's age).

Motoko Kusanagi (Left) - one of the most well developed but most poorly dressed female characters in Anime. At least Batou (right) is grinning as  he gets a good view.

However, Hollywood is able to fail in many of the same way that people see Anime to fail. As there are a multitude of seemingly trashy Anime, there are also trashy Hollywood films. Such films exist solely for the exploitation of explosion effects and sexualising women. And the proportion of Hollywood films whose story lack substance would easily equal that of the proportion of Anime that are considered unsophisticated or poor.

What a fair number of people don't realise, though, is that Anime is exploiting an opportunity unique to animation: storytelling for a drastically reduced cost. Animation costs, though not insignificant, represent a notable saving on having to build props or render a complex background from a green-screen. With this, many Japanese (and some American and English) storytellers have been able to tell some truly breathtaking and amazing stories. Such stories would not make it to the cut of a big budget Hollywood film or the cutthroat American television industry - without having to sacrifice artistic vision for what would be a good investment for the ratings.

That said, Anime does have the same woes in regard to 'audience pandering' as American Telvision or film does. But the low cost and high (local) demand for Anime makes the form extremely prolific. This proliferation allows for a much more varied and creative set of works to be made.  Without it, some quite unique and beautiful storytelling would not occur. Exemplars of this phenomenon are listed below.

To celebrate my staying with this blog until now, I've decided to declare December an Anime Christmas. For each week left of 2012 I'll be writing articles about my four favourite anime (aside from Cowboy Bebop, which I've already covered). They are

Week 1: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Week 2: Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO)

  

Week 3: Πλανήτης or "Planetes"

Week 4: Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

I hope you have as much fun reading about them as I do revisiting them.