A couple of comments on my last post about Violet Evergarden were from people who either haven’t watched anime before or haven’t watched it in a while. Now, I’m not an expert on anime, but I did get sucked down this rabbit hole recently, so I feel like I should inflict it on a few more people… Uh, I mean that I have something to say about getting into anime later in life. It’s a bit of an extreme case for me, I’m pushing toward 60 steadily, but this is meant to give some suggestions for anyone not coming to the subject having watched anime from a young age. Or if you just want to try something new, whatever works.
I’m going to give as many examples as I can from Netflix, because they have a fairly substantial anime collection and a lot of people have Netflix subscriptions. I will also be taking some examples from Funimation and Crunchyroll, both of which provide free-with-advertising videos as well as trial periods for their subscription services if you feel like giving them a go.
Couple of notes.
- Anime is not a genre. Anime is basically a shortened form of the Japanese word for animation (which is an English borrow word, so we use a word from Japanese which they borrowed from English), and it has many genres of entertainment beneath it. If you like Anime A, there is no surety that you’ll like Anime B, but the same is true if you change like to dislike.
- Anime is not for kids. In fact, some anime should never be shown to kids. Just as anime is not a genre, anime is produced for all age ranges. Viewer discretion is advised.
- Anime and hentai are not the same thing. Actually, if you’re Japanese, hentai isn’t a thing. The word hentai is Japanese, but it means something akin to pervert. The Japanese would describe what the West calls hentai as ‘pornographic anime.’ Still, most anime you can find on Netflix and the other streaming services is absolutely not hentai.
- Dubs and subs. I’ve focused primarily on series with English dubs available. This is more accessible, I think. If you get into it, you’ll end up following season shows, and that really means subtitles. Due to some truly awful dubs back in the day, there’s something of a prejudice against dubbed anime in the fandom, but the truth is that modern dubs can be just as good and they’re almost always easier to watch. Go with what you like, but it’s usually easier to start with dubs unless you happen to understand Japanese.
On to the good stuff.
First, the classics. Akira is a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk anime with violent biker gangs, body-horror, seriously OP psychic powers, and space lasers. It’s one of the first anime I ever watched, long before I really got into it. I didn’t like it, but recently I thought to give it another go and, well, I still think it’s overrated. I can appreciate the animation more, and I believe I’m a minority viewpoint, but I don’t like Akira that much.
Similarly, I tried to get into Neon Genesis Evangelion and I failed. It’s got a somewhat compelling story, but I found the characters entirely unsympathetic and it didn’t hold my interest beyond about eight episodes. It is, however, considered awesome by the majority of fans, so it’s probably worth a crack. Unlike Akira there are a bunch of Evangelion series, so if you like them, there’s plenty to watch.
Ghost in the Shell… Both of the above two are available on Netflix, GitS isn’t (at least in the UK). You can find two of the four Arise films on Netflix, the live-action movie, and their own series Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, but the original movie isn’t there and neither is Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (upon which SAC_2045 is based). Funimation has pretty much everything GitS-related aside from the live-action movie and SAC_2045. Now, I don’t hate the original animated version of GitS, but Stand Alone Complex is better. SAC is closer to the manga all this is based on. It’s funnier, has more and better action, and I’d argue it covers the themes the film does in much greater detail without the confusing rubbish of the last few minutes. Anyway, GitS is the basis behind Aneka, Fox, and Tatsu, so I’d consider it a worthwhile view in any form.
Anything by Studio Ghibli… and I have to admit that I keep meaning to watch a bunch of these and I never get around to it. Studio Ghibli has produced so many classic examples of anime, it’s just about impossible to list them all, but you can find a list of most of them on Netflix who have a huge bundle of Ghibli films available. Noted examples in no particular order: Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Naursicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Howl’s Moving Castle. There are a bunch of other ones.
And now let’s move on to the more modern stuff, which I generally prefer, to be honest. Having said that, there’s a specific genre I can’t seem to get into, that being:
Shonen Battle. Shonen literally translates to boy or youth, it’s the designation for manga and anime targeted at teenage boys (no, not that way; get your mind out of the gutter). Shonen battle anime does exactly what it says on the tin: it gives you over-the-top battles, generally spanning multiple episodes, tournament arcs, and usually younger male protagonists. Shonen Battle is the physical embodiment of power creep. There’s always a bigger, badder bad guy, and there’s always a bigger, more OTT power the protagonist can pull out of his arse to defeat him. Classical shonen battle is (you guessed it) Dragon Ball and all its franchised follow-ups. Also in the famous category are Naruto and Hunter x Hunter. They aren’t on Netflix, but My Hero Academia is, and that’s one of the most popular shows in the genre currently. I got about eight episodes into MHA, got bored, and stopped. I got a little further with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, which I definitely think is a cut above the rest regarding the animation, but these shows all seem the same to me. I keep hunting for one I like, and I’m not doing well.
Also in this category, sort of, is One Punch Man, though it’s very much a satire rather than a straight take. It’s the story of an ordinary man who manages to make himself so powerful that he can take down any enemy with one punch. He then becomes entire disillusioned because nothing is a challenge any more. It’s funny. Season one is on Netflix. I recommend it. If you like it, season two is on Crunchyroll.
If you tried Violet Evergarden and liked it, you may wish to try a few more of its ilk. There are a bunch on Netflix: A Silent Voice, Your Name, Your Lie in April, Anohana, and Erased. Anohana in particular is known for making grown men blubber. I can’t really recommend any because I haven’t watched them. I’ll save them for the next time I want a cathartic experience.
I should mention JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Haven’t watched, don’t want to go down that rabbit hole. It’s… weird. Just from clips on YouTube, I know it’s weird. Netflix has two seasons of it, and it’s very popular with people who cannot shut up about it online.
What got me into anime this time around was A Certain Scientific Railgun, so let’s cover that franchise. The A Certain… anime series are getting pretty voluminous at this point. A Certain Magical Index is the base series, taken from a light novel series. That got a manga spin-off concerning a girl who can fire coins at hypersonic speeds, hence her nickname of Railgun. One of the villains of her arc (actually appearing in both Index and Railgun from different viewpoints) goes by the name of Accelerator, a boy able to manipulate vectors and one of the most OP characters there is. He got his own anime, A Certain Scientific Accelerator. Index and Railgun have three seasons each, Accelerator currently has one. There’s also an Index film, The Miracle of Endemyion, which just turned up on Netflix, but you’d need to go looking on Funimation if you want the rest. The worldbuilding in this franchise is great and the setting is partial inspiration for the Death’s Handmaiden setting as well as some aspects of Ultrahumans.
The other inspiration for that series is The Irregular at Magic High School. The first season of that is on Netflix, but it is subtitled Japanese. If you want to watch the second season, you need to go looking on Funimation, but there’s a dub of that (but the sub is better). If you want to watch the movie… Well, I had to order it from somewhere on Amazon. It was scripted by the author of the light novels, but it’s not really required viewing.
Some of my favourite anime falls (at least partially) into the Slice of Life category. On Netflix, there’s Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions. One season on Netflix, a second available on Funimation. Two films on Netflix. Elsewhere you can find Nichijou, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Interviews with Monster Girls, The Helpful Fox Senko-san, and numerous others. Those last three are my go-to anime to watch when I’m feeling down, particularly Monster Girls which manages to be wholesome, funny, sexy in the right way, and touching. As with most Slice of Life (otherwise known as Cute Girls Do Cute Things), nothing happens in an interesting way.
What else… Oh yeah, isekai. Isekai isn’t really a genre, it’s a set-up. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe would be isekai, if written by a Japanese author. So would A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Aneka is, by some tokens, an isekai. Basically, take someone out of their normal environment and toss them into another one. It’s a literary convention which allows exposition without making the characters look stupid: they need to explain things to the noob. The one that really kicked off the isekai bandwagon was Sword Art Online. I can’t recommend it because I haven’t watched it and thanks to the deluge of reviews denouncing it as trash, I probably never will. I suspect that, if you like it, you’ll love it, and otherwise you’ll hate it. It’s on Netflix, however, so it’s available. Angel Beats is also on Netflix and is supposed to be a lot better, though I only kept going for a few episodes.
In an isekai class of its own is Konosuba. Correctly, it’s Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o! which translates as God’s Blessings on this Wonderful World! It’s a character comedy, technically a satire on the isekai genre, but really more like a sitcom. There’s a film, The Legend of Crimson, which I went to the cinema to see. You don’t have to, but you will need to try out Crunchyroll to watch it. At least you can watch all of it dubbed (though the subbed version is at least as good, maybe better, depending on preference).
Oh, another isekai worth watching is The Saga of Tanya the Evil. This one has some excellent world building and some interesting philosophy, if you’re willing to look past the setting which has been heavily mistaken for Nazi Germany. It’s not, but I can understand how people might see it that way. Personally, I liked it enough to buy it on BlueRay. There’s a series and a film on Crunchyroll. It’s well worth the viewing, but the film has never received a dub. Oh, and the music in this one is awesome too.
I nearly forgot the slimesekai! That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is a bit like Konosuba, but it’s more of a deconstruction of the genre than a satire. Like Tanya, it features an older protagonist (prior to their death anyway), but Tanya gets reincarnated as a human (of the opposite sex) while Rimaru gets reincarnated as the world’s most powerful slime monster. It’s a funny series, getting kind of dark as things progress. Season two is running on Crunchyroll at the moment (subtitled), while the dub is available on Funimation (coming out a couple of weeks after the Japanese version).
And Ascendance of a Bookworm is on Crunchyroll too. Watching that pushed me into writing The Empress’s Mage.
I could keep going for pages… Quick-fire round:
- PSYCHO-PASS (Funimation) is good and added some colour to Tatsu. (You’d get the joke there if you watched it.)
- Cop Craft (Funimation) was one I enjoyed. A sort of reverse isekai.
- Overlord (Funimation or Crunchyroll) is another isekai I should’ve mentioned already. It’s a bit different. Funny as well as very dark in places.
- The Rising of the Shield Hero (Funimation and Crunchyroll, I think) is another isekai which I’m less fond of.
- My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom (Crunchyroll) is a very funny isekai with a twist.
- One Piece is a very, very, very long anime which you’ll have to find for yourself. Has a lot of fans. Probably not for the beginner.
- So, I’m a Spider, So What? (Crunchyroll) is an iskai with a twist so big it corkscrews and a weirdly sympathetic protagonist. Currently being dubbed, but you get 24 episodes in the first season.
- The Misfit of Demon King Academy (Crunchyroll) takes the concept of the overpowered protagonist and dials it up to 15 (11 wasn’t high enough). There’s argument over whether it’s a straight comedy or meant to be taken seriously. Whatever, it’s funny. In the first episode, the protagonist beats someone to death just using his heartbeat.
- Blend-S (Funimation and Crunchyroll) is ‘cute girls doing cute things’ dialled up to 11 with a subtle hint of unintended sadism. Funny, but only available subtitled.
- I’ve been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level (Crunchyroll) is cute girls do cute things in another world. Well, I think it’s funny and you may too.
I’m going to stop now. I’m sure there’s stuff I should’ve mentioned and haven’t. If you want to give more anime a go, these are some ideas for what to try. Just remember, pretty much everything is an acquired taste. If you do find something you like, let me know in the comments (and I never usually say that).
Witches and Ray-Guns 
Thanks for the list of suggestions. I’m even a little older than you being in my 60s now. I watched a little anime back in the 80s and then got really into in the late 90s while working in the animation industry so I saw all the classics like Akira, Valley of the Wind and the other Miyazaki movies, Appleseed films and tv, the original Neon Genesis Evangelion which I loved and a heap other other stuff like Tenchi Muyo and Oh My Goddess! I’ll check out your list of new titles and see what I like.
I second the Appleseed movies recommendation – I think Ex Machina was the one John Woo was involved in and I probably watched it a dozen times back in the day.
Last Exile. Claymore. (sigh) I spent hundreds, perhaps thousands on anime VHS and DVDs back in the pre-streaming era the 80s, 90s and 00s and barely remember any of it.
Kids these days have no idea how much easier acquiring entertainment has become in this digital age.
My first exposure to anime was a late-night set of showings on BBC 2 in the early 90s (I think). When I started liking GitS:SAC, I had to buy the DVDs (dozens of them).
Streaming is a lot easier, and now you can actually go to the cinema to see some movies. Which I will be doing in about an hour: I’m going to subject myself to the Violet Evergarden movie.
I’ve seen one Appleseed movie, a CGI animation. I liked it, but I’ve never tried the others since they can be difficult to find on streaming services.
My experience with anime started in the late 80s on VHS tapes. For folks who’ve become jaded on Western animation, anime can be a breath of fresh air. Granted, there’s some really atrocious works, but there’s also gems as you’ve found – and the industry pulls few punches when telling stories.
NGE (Neon Genesis) for me fell into the “what the heck did I just watch?” category. You might like SAO, I’d recommend streaming the first season. If you can find it, Aria the Animation is a calm slice of life anime with both sci-fi and occasional supernatural elements.
I think, going forward, more authors and visual works will be heavily influenced by anime as it becomes more ‘mainstream’ (which will be both good and bad). It’s payback for Disney and western animation 😀
There’s also the shounen battle anime variants. Turns out, you don’t need to battle it out with your fists or blades to make a shounen battle series. Hikaru no Go, and Prince of Tennis are both worth a watch. Both are a bit dated, though, so for a recent one, try Food Wars. The culinary world has never looked this intense (nor has foodgasms ever been this literal. This is NOT a kid show). I’ve binged two seasons on Netflix.
Funny thing-
The very first cartoon that I remember watching as a kid was the Western version of ‘Space Battleship Yamato’. Western audiences saw it in the early 1970s as an strange show called ‘Starblazers’. I watched a lot of other cartoons, but that one was the first. Odd. To this day, hearing the theme song for that cartoon still gets me exited. I did not watch it way back then for character development. It has some but not a lot. I watched it because it was a battleship in outer space firing big lasers.
I knew none of the history of the Yamato until much later, but I think that ‘Starblazers’ is why I started reading WWII history, focusing in the Pacific. Then I kept doing it because it was both horrifying and fascinating in equal measure.
Anime is a wide genre and as has been said, it has all kinds of stuff in it. Good, bad and indifferent.
But for me? It will ALWAYS be about a space going battleship first.
Weirdly, the idea of putting battleships in space seems to be a thing in Japan.
If you’ve never seen it, try ‘Space Pirate Captain Harlock.’ Technically not a battleship in space, and yet so a battleship in space. Also pretty good and I think it might still be on Netflix. If not, I’ve seen it elsewhere. (That’s the 2013 CGI movie. Apparently, it’s been a lot of other things too.)
I saw that, and it was okay, but not Starblazers. NOTHING I have seen comes close tot he original, not even the sequels. (We shall not discuss the terrible 2010 live action version that should have been fired out of a Wave Motion Gun instead of put on a screen!)
Live action anime basically never works.
Nope.
Back when I was a kit the dubbing on monster flicks from Japan was ,without using nasty words, horrible. I watched Godzilla in its original subtitled form, full length and it was so much better than the Raymond Burr version in English. It was interesting to see the differences between the subtitled phrase and the spoken word.
Interesting thing to note:
Though I don’t think they ever do this with live-action movies, when they dub anime, they often change the dialogue a bit so that the speech patterns match the lip flapping on the animation.
They never seem to do this with live action dubs, in fact. I generally prefer to watch foreign live action films subtitled, because the disparity between the subs and the mouth movements drives me nuts. It’s not as bad with animation, even when they don’t try too hard to make it match.
if your looking for something a tiny bit off the beaten path that does wonders for subverting expectations, i highly recommend mahou shoujo madoka magica, aka puella magi madoka magica with the latter being it’s name on netflix. what you isn’t what you get, so enjoy
When I used to visit Montreal I would love to see the American shows dubed into French. Watching Dan Blocker as Hoss in Bonanza speak French was a riot.
As far as Battleships in Space I think John Ringo did something like that in on of his novels.
Michael Anderle did it in one of his novels and yes, ALL of the anime geeks lost their minds when the ships took off right out of the water.
If you are a mature adult and are actually looking for stories written by Japanese authors with Life Experience, which are well crafted, which genuinely have depth then here are a few shows
They are all dubbed. And the English Voice Actors gave fine performances.
Comedy: Ghost Stories.
Ghost Stories is an episodic series. Each episode is it’s own comedy. There is no overall plot. It’s not for every one.
Bleach
If you’re older in life you have probably had some experience with loss. It is a long running show. The first major storyline in the series is: The Soul Society.
If you’re Human. If you can feel emotion. If you have a soul. There is a chance you will be drawn into the story and hooked into watching one episode after another.
They were adapting the books into animation faster than the author could write them (that’s how riveting Bleach was / and still is). So the studio made oritinal storylines just for the TV Show to allow the publishers to catch up. This content which deviates from the gripping main storyline is actually very good. And some of the characters in the off-topic storylines are incorporated into the adapted story once the series continues. There is a period when they caught up to the books again so they started giving 5 minute recaps at the start of each episode. You will notice this when it starts. It is really quite simple once you notice that particular run of episodes to simply move the time slide to after the recap + opening song to get to the actual content.
There is some powerful storytelling in Bleach. Great Opening and Closing Theme songs from A-List Japanese Music Groups.
If you decide to watch it be sure to watch until the episode completely ends.
Death Note.
What if the grim reaper gave you his book in which the name of any one who is written therin … you probably know what happens.
Well…. If you like suspense thrillers, you’re in for a treat. At it’s core the series has very strong story writing and character writing.
Golgo 13
Golgo 13 The TV Series
Golgo 13 The Professional + Other Movies
So You like James Bond movies huh? You also like Clint Eastwood movies from back in the day too eh? Hey did you ever watch Mission Impossible? How about The A-Team… Golgo 13 however… well he’s an assasin. You won’t get carried off to prison and hire an expensive lawyer to get you out of jail so you can continue your ciminal activities to your hearts content when Golgo’s on the job. Golgo is not an Hero. He is an Anti-Hero (The series lets you figure out who he his on your own).
It is a series where each episode is a seperate job. There are a few 2-parters.
Many younger viewerrs erronously claim there are no recurring characters. (There Are). Many younger viewers also erronously claim, you can watch any episode in any order….. There actually is a progression in the series. Which you will not see if you approach it haphazardly.
The first episode is a great introduction to the series. And has one of the recurring characters people who approachh the series haphazardly and not very attentively completely fail to notice.
After a Victorian Romance;
Emma Monogatari (Emma A Victorian Romance).
It is an Award Winning Book Series. The author put her heart and soul into it. She really did a tremendous amount of research into her setting for the story. It is …. if you are into 1800s European Romance Stories then well… The Manga (books) are amazing and The TV Show which ran for two seasons is really good.
Which brings me to;
Kino’s Journey
You can start with Kino’s Journey 2017 or Kino’s Journey 2003.
Both TV Series are based on the work of the same author.
And each TV Series is a different adaptation.
It’s an extremely well written work. You will think and you will think and you will never forget some of the places she goes and she takes us on her journey. It’s thought provoking. In a good way.
Some other anime series:
Zipang
A 21st Century (Modern) Battle Ship is transported to the past (Time Travel)
How did this happen? This is a mystery. But where have they been sent to:
The middle of the battlefield in the second world war!
What do they do? Do they intervene. Do they save lives. Do they change history. What do they do? Should they do nothing? What should they do?
The name of the anime is Zipang and it has an all adult cast. It’s got 3 dimensional characters. It’s a millitary anime. If you like Battlestar Galactica you’ll love this. Note: This is a mostly male cast of characters…. considering the circumstances.
An Old Office Anime:
Dai Guard Terrestrial Defense Corp is possibly the best office anime ever made.
So in a world where there are Mecha Giant Robots.
Instead of fighting huge hulking robots smash. We watch how it’s like to be an office worker in a company with disruption, corporate takeovers, redundancies… well don’t let the giant robot fool you this is a 10 / 10 office anime. It’s got characters who aren’t perfect who you’ll fall in love with. And it’s got a lot of things.
If you like Boxing. Just start watching Hajime no Ippo: Fighting Spirit already.
Oh so you liked Rocky didya. There you go. Enjoy. It’s got a lot of episodes and it was written by some one who absolutely loves boxing. You’ll know you’re watching some thing made by some one who really knows the sport and the history of boxing. The End.
So You like Old 80s and Before Kung Fu Flicks You know like: Hey! You Killed My Father Many Years Ago… cue 90 minutes of action you know the kind of movies Bruce Lee did. You got the idea? Yeah?
Hokuto no Ken: Fist Of The North Star
That is your anime. It is for people who are over the age of 18. It’s Dark. And it is heaps of fun.
For something that is lighter and softer: Trigun. The main character has spiky blonde hair, wears sunglasses and a blood red long coat (in the hot desert) and carries around a couple of pistols. And is a big believer in love and peace.
The Way Of The Househusband:
Is a refreshing adult anime. Got a question? It’s all there in the title.
Noragami
Is a fine story about a forgotten God who has fallen out of favour who lives below the poverty line. Even though this is the case this poor God will not forsake or abandon any one who reaches out to him for aid.
The lady who wrote this is a fine story teller.
Ore Monogatari: My Love Story!!
The lady who wrote this is a very hard working author. Everything you need to know about the show is in the title.
I’m not going to agree with all of those, though I think you’ve probably spelled out the audiences for them quite well. I tried Bleach and got bored. Same with Noragami, but less so. Never finished it. Way of the Househusband got some less than stellar reviews. Ghost Stories… Oh, Ghost Stories. I must have watched it three times now. The dub is awesome. I agree it might not be for everyone, but it’s probably for anyone who reads my stuff. You can just tell the voice actors and writing staff had a really amazing time recording it. And it’s actually pretty scary in places too.
I started Bleach at a time in life when I lost some one.
And as you know. The first storyarc of the show is: The Soul Society.
I watched The English Dub.
I feel it helps some-times to pay attention to your self, where you are, your specific individual situation when hunting for anime over reviews.
(How I found out about Bleach wasn’t through actually searching for it. I came accross a beautiful piece of music and started noticing people speaking about the show. I was like… you know I’ll give this show a chance, because any show with music like this… I’ve watched it twice now. And I’d like to thank you for reminding me there are a couple of the arcs which deviate from the main story I skipped over. [Once that main story has it’s hooks into you it is hard to tear yourself away from it, the arc I’ve been meaning to see is the Zampacuto arc I’m dying to see what lies within “Kenny”-‘s blade]
On TWOTH:
For viewers familliar with representations of Mobsters, Mafioso and / or Mafia Families in Western Media it will be impossible for you not to get at least a chuckle (or two) from the happy house- uh… the happy couple.
Younger viewers who watch every currently airing seasonal show as soon as it hits a streaming platform within clicking distance wouldn’t have got most of the parody.
The artstyle of the show is also not popular with younger viewers who will have limited exposure to stop-motion. Older viewers with exposure to diverse forms of limited animation and art-styles are from what I have personally seen, enjoy the presentation.
The Way Of The Househusband is absolutely not for any one who is after a superbly animated show (That would be as you mentioned… the province of: Studio Ghibli).
Wow! So you watched Ghost Stories a few times. lol.
Have you also seen Samurai Pizza Cats (The first six episodes are a scream!)
I watched Violet Evergarden after losing my mother. It was cathartic.
Haven’t seen Samurai Pizza Cats. Maybe I should look it up.
I just wanted to say, Thanks for this blog and Thanks for the discussion.
You know what? I’ve heard of Violet Evergarden and I’m going to watch it next.
I would just like to add an Edit to my first comment: I personally refer to Ep 1 to Ep 63 of Bleach as The Soul Society. Many people do. However in this group of episodes (The first 3 Seasons) The official title of the first season (Episode 1 to 20) is: The Substitute.
Season 1: The Substitute, is the 1st part of The Soul Society (By the end of the 1st episode if you’re new to the series… you’ll have an idea why.
Rayguns & Witches is a pretty cool name.
You’ve also given me a reminder to watch Akira
Which reminds me of the series Black Jack OVA.
Dec 21 1993 to Dec 16 2011 – 12 Episodes
Each episode is a short film about 50 minutes long. It was / is a 1 hour TV Show.
Black Jack (1993)
Is the kind of show where they released an OVA (Episode) every now and again. It’s not meant to be burned through or binged.
I’m on episode 2. I rate it a 10/10. where quality of content triumphs over quantity.
Our hero is an unlicensed medical doctor. It’s…. complicated.
Be warned, Violet Evergarden will have you blubbing like a baby. Bring tissues. It starts slow, but from episode 3 onward, it’s a rollercoaster.
Ha ha. I believe you 100%.
Btw. You’re absolutely right about Noragami. And I’d like to withdraw my recommendation for it.
I’ve just completed rewatching the show and I remember I didn’t start the show until I’d seen a lot of anime over a ten year period.
And without being aware of it been imbued with (and developed a feel for) the culture in japan, their traditions, cultural motifs and lore. Boosted by watching a tiny amount of Japanese News every now and again
Any one who has sat through (for example) 50 anime tv series made for young adults, mature adults and / or the general audience will be in a better position to process the show better.
For some one getting into anime for the first time, there are so many shows (in a variety of genres) which should be seen before Noragami.
for example: ERASED culturally it’s a very accessible show. It doesn’t expect or require the viewer to have a native’s understanding of the local culture. And without being aware of it, it will gently inform you.
Thanks for the discussion.
Erased is on my ‘I should watch this and will never get around to it’ list, unfortunately.
I’ve finished watching Violet Evergarden.
It’s a fine slow-burner.
Yeah. I cried. And I cried. And I cried.
And I was happy for some of the characters. Very happy for them.
And was informed by some of the character studies, the subtext and the aesops therein.
Did you watch the movies yet?
There’s actually one overlong episode about an opera singer (which made me cry), and two films. ‘Eternity and the Automemory Doll’ is evil (because you think you got through it without sobbing, and then it gut punches you), and ‘The Movie’ which wraps up Violet’s storyline.
I saw the half hour ep (ep 14) which was added on after the series came to an end and fits just before the midway part of the series (which they decided not to air).
I can see why the series composition team decided not to air it.
They would have had to heavily edit it to fit into the tv network’s ad breaks / time slot and it does kind of break the feel / vibe / flow of the series.
Personally [SPOILERS AHEAD] [Spoiler Warning] Everything beyond this point is a Spoiler!
————————–Spoilers Below——————————–
I didn’t like how the MC was being used by the … who felt the world owed h.. a living / felt the world owed h.. a favour.
I was wondering why and how the heck the m…… puts up with this until…
And neither the agency nor the lyricist were credited for their work.. That rankles… YMMV.
There was good character development however for me The Agency needs to enforce it’s rules and charge appropriately for business to business commissions. From a Real Life Present Day IP and Copyright perspective this ep was frustrating for me.
I got to thinking… So is this a one off or are there other contributors in receipt of neither royalties nor credit.
The episode is historically accurate. Performing arts has been an industry with many, many unfair practices for centuries. (The episode is a bit too real for me).
——————Spoilers End ——————————
I’ll get around to the movie in a while.
I kinda like to just reflect on some shows for a while before I proceed.
Seems reasonable. ‘The Movie’ wasn’t available when I watched the rest of the available stuff. Well, it actually came out in cinemas just after I watched the rest. I got lucky (sort of) and found a showing of it in one of my local cinemas, but this was just about the time the country was opening back up after COVID. So, I ended up sitting in a theatre with a mask on and tears streaming down my face, watching a subtitled Japanese movie.
Ha. They got you. So have you ever thought of writing a comic and pitching it to Image. I don’t know if they still do it but they used to publish sci-fi and fantasy novels.
Thought about it, sure. Actually doing it is another matter. I tried, with a friend, to script a comic once. He was going to do the artwork, I was going to script it and do dialogue. Scripting comics is HARD. It’s alarmingly like doing a screenplay, which is something else I never want to have to do.