A few months ago, Anime Insider magazine made a list of the 50 best animes of all time and having seen most of the titles they nominated, I would be inclined to agree with most of their choices. I also came to the conclusion that this blog would be an excellent place to post my own reviews of my ever-expanding collection of anime movies and series. So in no particular order....
Robert's favorite anime selections...
I guess I could have started with my first exposure to anime (Battle of the Planets) or the show I own the most merchandise from (Neon Genesis Evangelion), but I feel it appropriate to start with my hands-down favorite anime movie of all time, Hayao Miazaki's Nausicca of the Valley of the Wind.
The film sets itself in a far-flung post-apocalyptic earth, but unlike typical Mad-Max style techno barbarism, we find a quasi-medieval world of feudal kingdoms, WWI tank-and-trench warfare, airships, giant insects, and a posonous fungal forest that has pushed the last remaining vestiges of humanity to the fringes of habitable land. The manga on which the movie is based delves far deeper into the religions and socio-political aspects of the world the story takes place in, but all of these details are mere plot dressings for the movie's true star.
In all of the titles I have seen, both American and foreign I have never seen a more engaging character than the movie's heroine, Nausicca. Miazakii has created several eco-themed tales since this film came out in 1985, but the nearly Christ-like love and determination that Nausicca displays is the reason that she stayed at the top of the "favorite anime character" listings for over a decade. She steadfastly holds to her convictions, trying to both save her friends and enemies from their misguided attempts to conquer nature, a path she alone realizes will lead to their ultimate destruction.
I'm not going to reveal the whole plot here, nor critique its slightly-dated (but still better than most) animation techniques, but I will say that it has my favorite ending of all the anime movies I own.
Disney released Nausicca a few years ago with a typical big-name cast, so it should be still available at most video stores. I currently own 5 distinct versions; 2 bootlegs, the official disney release, the god-awfull-buchered "warriors of the wind" version, and the crown jewel of my collection, the twentieth anniversary japaneese edition-the one that came with a framed lithograph, cloth dvd case, and a porcelin figurine of Nausicca herself- well worth the $220 I paid for it...
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