Some suggestions on where to start
Who doesn’t like watching cartoons? I know I do, especially on Saturday mornings where you can just lay back, relax and watch old classics like Scooby-Doo, or even Loony Tunes. They’re enjoyable to watch for both kids and adults, especially with the smart little dark or even dirty jokes the writers can sneak in—jokes you appreciate even more once you’re older. However, there is a type of cartoon that has recently become popular in North America and the U.S. This style of cartoon animation, ladies and gentleman, is called anime. Originating from Japan, anime is generally aimed towards older audiences, and encompasses new and interesting storylines that are more mature and even purposely darker than appropriate for younger audiences.
Let’s start with some of the anime that has started gaining ground within western society shall we? For those who like going to local video stores like HMV, you may have noticed a new and growing section filled with various anime from popular mainstream titles such as Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach, and Pokemon. Some of these titles, like Pokemon, you would have assumed are just regular English cartoons, but actually originated from Japan and, in partnership with North American animation studios, had English voice actors to “dub” over the Japanese [pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…encompasses new and interesting storylines…[/pullquote]
audio. While some of you may recognize most of these titles as action stories, anime actually encompasses a very large variety of genres that surpasses regular cartoon selections. From thriller, mystery, romance, drama, horror, sci-fi, etc. Now, instead of rattling off more titles or genres, how about I give a list and hopefully some of my choices will perk your interest and make you decide to give them a try yourself?
First off, Durarara!! Don’t let the title fool you, this is anime is a great watch and is available in both Japanese and English on Netflix. Following a young high school boy named Mikado Ryugamine who dreamed of an exciting life of the big city, the series opens with his transfer to a school in the urban hub, Ikebukuro. There he meets a childhood friend who warns Mikado about people who he does not want to cross: a champion fighter who can lift cars, a strange informant who’s fascinated with humans, and a mysterious gang called “The Dollars.”. This anime, however, has a large cast of characters who share the focus throughout the series equally, showing how each of their lives intersect to create a bigger picture from what each character knows about events occurring within Ikebukuro. One warning, however, the story is slow to start but picks up after the third episode.
Second, Your Lie in April. This anime actually tugged at my heart strings. We follow prodigious pianist Kousei Arima, nicknamed “Human Metronome,” but after the death of his mother, Kousei breaks down during a recital and can no longer hear the sound of the piano. It is two years after that Kousei, after giving up the piano, meets violinist Kaori Miyazono. A stubborn and willful girl who stirs up his world and forces him to confront the musical world he thought he had left behind. This anime picks up pretty quickly and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves music or enjoys a good tear-jerker because while it seems happy in the beginning…Oh boy, are you wrong by the end of it.
Thirdly, if you like dark storylines, try Monster. Quick warning: this anime consists of 74 episodes—this may sound like a lot, but trust me. Some animes are actually longer than that, with some series even reaching past 300. The story begins with Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a renowned young brain surgeon working in Europe. During one long night, he faces a critical decision to save either the life of a young boy or the town’s mayor. Trust me, he should have gone with the mayor because saving the boy, Johan, leads to terrible consequences that no one could have predicted. Honestly, the quality of writing within this story is fantastic and delivers a blunt and realistic examination of the value of human life.