MyAnimeList.net

Mar 22, 2016 11:30 PM

My Top 15 Favorite Anime - Part B

Anime Relations: Haibane Renmei, Aria the Animation, Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World, Tokyo Godfathers, Bartender

5 - Tokyo Godfathers

"Miracles"

As the first of my Top 5, Tokyo Godfathers, to me, is the epitome of Christmas-related anime, my favorite Satoshi Kon film, and the one anime film I hold above all others. This is a film full of insane off the wall comedy, impossible coincidences, and miracles upon miracles that would have been ridiculous during any other time of the year. It takes into account real world contexts, using characters uncommon to media in general, and in ways which really get you into that nostalgic festive mood. In an age where we've disregarded miracles after "growing up" and "facing reality," this film proves, at least to me, that there's still room in this world for dumb optimism, if just during a single time of the year.

4 – Bartender

"Theatrics of Life"

Here is my favorite example of a truly mature anime.

Now, to qualify that hefty statement, I see maturity in two ways: maturity for the eyes and maturity for the mind. In their purest sense, I would consider something like Elfen Lied mature for the eyes, as visually, it is not appropriate for kids to watch. Hopefully that goes without saying, but excessively violent and sexual content shouldn't be shown to kids. Yes, we've probably been exposed to such works when we were kids, and it was like stepping into the world of grownups. And yes, with the internet today, access to such graphic material has become far too easy. Just because we can doesn't mean we should however. Even as a joke, even if you're playing around, and even you're trying to prove a point, the perception of anime as a collection of violent and sexual works persists due to this train of thought.

In defense of anime's potential for mature works, graphic works are brought up to combat its paradoxically childish image. That, in of itself however, links the graphic nature of anime to that same childish image, which just makes the whole situation worse. There is overlap between content mature for the eyes and mind, without a doubt. For example, Satoshi Kon's works, as previously mentioned, demonstrates this through such films like Perfect Blue and Paprika. Besides being graphic in visual content, the complexity involved in diving into the mind of an idol going insane or dream jumping to chase down a criminal could confuse anyone. One deals with what you see, and the other deals with how it makes you think.

Bartender exists on the far edge of the visual and mental maturity spectrum. There is no violent or sexual themes whatsoever. It's calm, reserved, and tranquil, speaking only of the passing lives of various adults as they narrate their own thoughts and troubles. Alcohol is featured, but it's treated with class and respect. In fact, Bartender doubles as an educational anime, giving brief insights into different cocktails, their histories, how they're made, and how they should be enjoyed. It lends quite well to a live action drama, and there actually exists a live action version of Bartender. The anime, however, has the advantage of being drawn.

This is, perhaps, the most theatrical anime I've seen. Like a stage play, actors narrate scenes as they play out, with each new character returning upon successive episodes to take turns speaking about a new story. Stage lines hardly exist as visuals blend multiple realities together. At times, a character is speaking to us directly. Then they're speaking to other characters in the same scene before returning to us. At times, the scenery become actors themselves, engaging the characters directly through light and shadow.

From the actors, to the soft dimmed visuals, to the smooth jazzy music, we're eased into the world of Eden Hall. Much like a fairy tale, each story presents its scenario, its characters, and the moral lesson associated with each episode. These lessons, however, aren't of friendship or hard work. They're lessons of letting go of the past after reaching retirement age. They're about finding forgiveness for past mistakes. They're about rekindling love after many years of marriage, dealing with con artists, or learning how not to take crap from a horrible office boss.

Broad lessons and morals regarding worldly affairs, politics, society and the human condition are great to discuss, and such topics could provide insight for potential solutions. Such anime attempting to address these ideas are post-apocalyptic and dystopic works, fantasy anime dealing with racism and discrimination, psychological anime picking apart human behavior, and works set in the present day with clear messages towards the powers that be.

Within Bartender, we instead have more personal lessons about living life on a day to day basis. Or, if not lessons, we instead get to look into the lives of very realistic people, learning about how different walks of life act and react within their own worlds. No matter how big we, as individuals, talk or think, it's difficult to understand the scale of anything beyond our arm's length. More so, before trying to address concerns at a global or existential level, we should at least take a moment to address ourselves and our neighbors.

After periods of time watching works of fantasy, action, science fiction, comedy and whatnot, I always return to Bartender for a moment of respite. I've seen this series described as hipster and boring, and I accept those criticisms. Bartender is a very different anime, dealing with issues that are neither entertaining nor fun. The tales aren't of grand or eccentric individuals, but of people who could meet at a random bus stop. Each episode has always humbled me, just as it did the first time I watched them. These are episodic stories that can be revisited like an old friend, drinks and all.

3 - Haibane Renmei

"Faith"

Haibane Renmei reflects like a pool of water - all the beauty and ugliness of yourself and the world around you is displayed in full view. If you try to grasp it, the reflection becomes muddled and distorted. Or, if you simply look on without further thought, then you'll get exactly that: nothing. From what you invest in the series, you'll get that much return.

Of all my favorites, Haibane Renmei is the most difficult to speak about. All my favorites have personal meanings to me, but Haibane Renmei's intent is to create that personal connection. So, when talking about Haibane Renmei, it becomes extremely personal to me as its enjoyment completely revolves around what I drew from the series. As a heads up, my intent is neither to force my beliefs onto others, nor is it to ask for the beliefs of others. I'm doing this only to speak about the anime Haibane Renmei and what it means to me.

I'm not sure if I believe in any particular religion. Perhaps I simply believe in whatever is most convenient at any given time. Perhaps I also dislike thoughts of placing my hopes and blames on a being beyond myself. I should be in control of my own life, and it is my own two hands that create my own successes and failures. No matter how much I look to teachings and beliefs, I'm the one that must take action to move my own world forward.

Yet, the idea of "faith" strikes a chord within me. Whether if it's god or numbers, faith is used to place trust in concepts and ideas beyond ourselves. Faith dictates how we entrust ourselves to a higher power. We trust that when we roll a dice, the laws of probability shouldn't screw us over too hard. We trust that when we place our foot on the ground, gravity will continue functioning properly. And, we trust that when we pass on, whatever we expect to happen will happen.

Before all that though, there comes a faith in ourselves. Haibane Renmei, as I see it, addresses this. Waking up in the morning, doing daily chores, learning about the world, meeting people, avoiding people, achieving small successes, making painful mistakes, wandering about on rails or in fog, looking on as the sun becomes the moon, retiring and repeating the process. I can't imagine doing this all on pure instinct. Humans aren't purely driven by instinct anymore. We can think and feel. We can act on logic and reason, just as we can act irrationally and unreasonably. We can act against our own nature, against the wishes of others and against the world. Amidst all this, we, as individuals, function based on our own individual principles, whatever they may be.

So, in the context of Haibane Renmei, before seeking answers from the world at large, we should first seek them within ourselves. After all, given the right perspective, we, as individuals, are under no obligation to seek anything from others, especially forgiveness. We can do so out of manners or respect, but that's based on our own conscience. But, how do you seek forgiveness in yourself?

When you make a mistake, you can apologize to other parties, who can then can accept or disregard your sentiments. That's out of your control. However, when seeking forgiveness within yourself, by what measure can that be attained? As self-conscious beings, we can see and understand how we act and behave. We can recognize when we're doing good or evil, or at least interpret our own actions as such. So, when we see ourselves as wrongful and recognize it as such, are we absolved of that wrongful action upon forgiving ourselves? Or, if we do wrong and do not recognize it, by our own interpretation, is it still a wrongful action?

If we have sinned and recognize it, is it still a sin? And, to whom must this sin be forgiven by for it to pass?

Amidst the serene, rustic nature of Haibane Renmei, these are such questions that arose as I watched. Although the image of Sora no Woto's lone trumpeter in a wasteland is one of the most profound I've seen, the image of Rakka at the bottom of a well achieves another level. It goes beyond just an eye-catching image that questions worldly mysteries, the scene invites introspection and understanding of Rakka and yourself. That feeling of hitting rock bottom, where you're on your hands and knees, completely lost in your own world is...is painful.

I've seen this series described as an emo trip, where characters complain and cry over nothing. I'm unsure of how to respond to such criticism, as they feel so spiteful and malicious. More so, I can't imagine taking offense to this show, unless the sheer thought of a character expressing a negative emotion is repulsive. Or, perhaps, the apparent Christian imagery somehow overshadows the pagan rituals, the lack of clear distinct symbolism, and immaterial presence of a higher being, and that's deemed offensive.

My favorite episode in Haibane Renmei is the 5th episode, where Rakka and Nemu try to write a book of the world's creation for a pregnant woman. This is the image of two beings resembling angels trying to interpret how the world was created from crumbling tomes, all for a newborn child. Nondescript, unimposing and open for interpretation, the story poses, in a childlike manner, one possible way the world of Haibane Renmei came to be, as well as the reason for why they continue to exist. It asks for neither argument nor confirmation. The show sets the idea before us, the viewers, and leaves it at that. What happens after is up to us.

Finally, the character of Reki. As one of the older characters, she has much more emotional baggage than everyone else, and that's before considering her circumstances by the end of the series. She's cool and confident, yet insecure and screwed up internally. She's constantly seeking something within herself and Rakka, if just to absolve herself of her own guilt. She never claims to be all knowing or all seeing, but she'd like to, if just to be relied upon, just like she relied on Kumamori, the Haibane Reki relied on in her youth. This isn't out of duty or good will, but out of selfishness. Reki defines herself through others, and requires this to give herself purpose. Otherwise, she'll get dragged back into her own world - one of self-pity and self-destruction.

At least, that's what I can tell. I won't claim she's complex or a great character, as that requires forming my own interpretation of her as a component of the series. To this day, Reki is an enigmatic character to me, whose personality and history are so intertwined that it requires multiple series rewatches to fully understand. Rather than act like I know what I'm talking about, I'd much rather admit to my own ignorance here, despite having the audacity to call her one of my favorite characters.

2 - Kino's Journey

"Wandering, wondering"

Of the anime I've seen fully, Kino's Journey is my favorite. My absolute favorite.

Possessing traits of all previously mentioned titles, this is a calm, introspective title that invites interpretation over direct answers. At the same time, it can be charming and funny, as it can be sarcastic and witty. Kino's Journey can also become metaphorical and abstract, just as it can be as sharp and poignant as a knife. It addresses functions of society and habitual patterns of individuals, exploring the natures of both in extreme examples to reveal their real world implications. These are fantasy countries where such civilizations could never exist, but if they did, what would they be like? And, if they're right or wrong in their way of living, how are those lessons reflected upon ourselves? Kino's Journey poses such questions without being accusational, and does so with the intent to create "what if" scenarios to muse over.

In addition to satisfying my appetite for introspection, Kino is also my favorite character in anime. Yeah. Number 1 and everything.

Kino herself is my favorite character in anime. She comes across as gender neutral, revealing the limitations of the English language in referring to her as a "she." Kino's also neutral in personality, choosing to not involve herself with the affairs of other people. This stance, however, is constantly challenged throughout the series, where she, at many times, breaks her neutrality to act upon a given situation. At times, it's to defend her own safety. At other times, it's because she was disgusted at the actions of others.

She's not a complex character, nor does she have a rich background. She's not particularly badass, nor is she particularly cute, cool, funny, serious, rude or friendly. Kino's polite, yet distant. She's discerning and poetic, but not necessarily intelligent or cultured. She's capable of fighting, but would rather avoid it if possible. Yet, she'll defend her own safety without hesitation. She looks like a plain, ordinary teenage male protagonist with short, dark, disheveled hair. And yet, she's one of the most confident and thoughtful characters I've seen. Hell, she's the source of the show's mantra:

"The world is not beautiful; therefore it is."

Of course, it sounds awkward in English, so I like to take it by its alternative translation:

"The world is not beautiful; but that, in a way, lends to a sort of beauty."

This is the sublime beauty Edmund Burke described back in the 18th century. While the world may contain disturbing, pathetic, and ugly things, it continues to live on. Each day will end and the next will begin, regardless of the events occurring throughout. People too are as beautiful as they are ugly. Kino herself described people as such, where she loves people for being the most beautiful aspects of the world. Of course, beauty, in this sense, could describe people killing each other for sport, all to maintain a false sense of peace. This could also describe people trying to live beyond past mistakes, hopefully finding a way to preserve their daily lives.

I like Kino's Journey for being non-indicative of people or places. Rather than creating a direct message towards groups or concepts, the story places itself within a fantasy world immune to limits of age, technology, and reality. It's a world inhabited by ideas, not by clear logic or reason. At the same time, it's not chaotic. There's a rhythm and flow in each country, where they abide by their own customs and rules. The world at large, however, is less strict in that regard. As such, there's much flexibility to its world that lends to a variety of scenarios.

One my absolute favorite singular anime episode is the second episode of Kino's Journey. In the middle of a blizzard, we get to see a demonstration of humanity's survival instinct, a challenge of Kino's neutrality, one of the best fights I've seen, one of the best usages of silence and atmosphere I've seen, and overall one of the best examples of minimalism through the anime. The episode features moments of horror, charm, snarky comedy, philosophical introspection, culture, happiness, desperation and passive acceptance, all within an episode's time frame and a less than stellar budget.

On the flip side, Kino's Journey saw weakness in its middle episodes. To this day, I still don't take well to episodes 6 and 7, which dedicate two episodes to Kino acting against her established neutrality. She fought in awkward setups with people that were introduced and tossed aside, she was nearly invincible throughout the fights, and she implemented a rule for the country upon winning that contradicted her own beliefs. The second point actually bothered me the most, as throughout the series, her encounters were swift and fatal, often leaving her completely shaken. Here, she's more than willing to fight, and when she does, she literally dances around opponents without receiving a single scratch. I've always seen Kino as a straightforward, resourceful, and thoughtful character, but these episode makes her seem like an outright perfect character. That's a bit much.

That's about my only qualm with Kino's Journey though. There are other nitpicks as well, such as the 8th episode being longer than it needed and the 11th episode feeling far too straightforward for what the series is capable of, but I've accepted those as qualities of the show. If imperfection can lead to a sense of beauty, then it's fine for Kino's Journey to have imperfections to its name. They don't detract from the overall experience, and when Kino's Journey hits its high points, it becomes an anime I'm more than happy to praise in the public realm.

1 - The Aria Series

"Utopia"

As a note, as of March 22th, 2016, I haven't actually finished Aria. It's been On Hold for five years, though I've gone out of my way to purchase their DVD box sets and what manga has been released in the west. It's a testament to how much the first few episodes have impacted me, and how cautious I am in saving the show for a special occasion.

I've only seen the first 6 episodes, and I can only clearly recall the first two, as I've rewatched those intermittently throughout the past 5 years. Since then, I've bought the limited edition box sets for the series, the Aqua manga, and the 6 released Aria manga volumes that were released before the whole issue TokyoPop losing a bunch of licenses and shut down its NA branch around 2011. I hope this demonstrates just how much I'm willing to bet on Aria being my absolute favorite anime, even beyond that of Kino's Journey. Luckily at least, since I haven't even seen the anime, I have no fear of providing spoilers.

Aria exists as, as I would describe it, an animated travel brochure of the happiest place in the universe. While Kino's Journey is sublime in its beauty, Aria is picturesque, choosing to color itself in soft pastels and calm, warm, bright colors. The music is soothing and relaxing, recalling Mediterranean waterfronts and towns full of character and history. The atmosphere lulls you into a tranquil state of mind, as if the real world were nonexistent for the duration of the episode.

I absolutely love how the opening theme plays over the actual episode. It gives the impression that there's no moment of the anime wasted. The opening itself is integrated into the anime, and it blends into the episode itself. In other anime, the opening would be a quick introduction to the anime, a filler moment to draw the episode out, a shorthand representation of the anime as a whole, or an obligatory insertion because that's what every other anime does. Here, the opening is critically important for Aria, as it establishes the tone for the episode while the episode is playing. This also prevents the opening from becoming obstructive as it's part of the episode, rather than a sudden break from the episode in question.

Also, as an architecture student, I'm absolutely in love with how Aria portrays the city of Neo-Venezia. Placed on a terraformed Mars, the city is characterized by its replica Venetian Gothic architecture, locked in time through futuristic technology. Before tourists, the city moves slowly on foot and on gondolas, allowing them to absorb the city into themselves as they explore streets and canals. For the inhabitants, they have access to flying bikes and aircraft, but they also choose to live just as relaxed, living by the flow of the waves and the passing of each day.

Every moment is insignificant and meaningless, yet during those moments, if you stop and look around, you'll notice people going about their daily lives. You'll see birds flying around, keeping up with their flock. You'll notice artifacts left behind by neighbors of today and yesteryear, speaking volumes of how spaces have persisted over time. Worn away walls, rusted signs and cars, and ruins which nature have taken back. And, as the day goes on and tires out, lights will begin flickering on before the sky, set aflame by the setting sun. The chirping of birds are soon replaced by insects. People begin returning to their homes. The day begins to wind down as the moon begins peeking out from the clouds. Strange, you didn't even notice it rising. But it's in full view now, and it dyes the town in a deep blue. Looking over the town, its colors have changed, even though it's the same place. The people are gone, and have been replaced by a tranquil silence, interrupted by the occasional cricket. So, with the day finally over, you retire to your home, only to repeat your daily tasks the next day.

This boring, normal, everyday life spent passively observing the world around is my ideal life. But, it'll never happen. Reality exists. Obligations will need to be met. Bills will need to be paid. Misfortunes will have to be faced. Around the world, there are injustices, sickness, poverty and wars. In our neighborhoods, there are vagrants and questionable people going about. Crimes persist, politicians and business people become corrupt. Vandalism, robberies, fights, drugs, sex, vandalism and murders.

The perfect life without drama is impossible. It doesn't exist.

But, at least for a moment, Aria makes it possible. In this fictional, unrealistic, idealistic, faraway place, there lies a Utopia. An actual, bright futuristic Utopia. It's a future that's not depressing or overwrought with technology. Instead, it's a kind place that's too good to be real. Isn't it strange? We can believe in a Blade Runner future where we've driven ourselves into the dark abyss, but a future of happiness is immediately scrutinized?

Aria reminds me that no matter how bad things get, how screwed up this world becomes, there's still a hope that things get better. At the very least, through the minds of the creators, there's a shared belief that there's at least one future for us that's a beautiful place to be. Until then, Aria exists as a wonderful little miracle, and the greatest anime I've ever seen, despite not having completed it.

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Link to Part A

tl;dr -

5 - Tokyo Godfathers: “My Christmas anime”

4 - Bartender: “My mature anime”

3 - Haibane Renmei: “My self-reflection anime”

2 - Kino’s Journey: “My philosophical anime”

1 - The Aria Series: “My healing anime”

Posted by Shocked | Mar 22, 2016 11:30 PM | 1 comments

	Shocked \| Apr 7, 2016 7:22 AM Thanks for the thoughts! And yeah, one of these days, hopefully Kino's Journey is revived. Its light novel is still going, so there's always that small hope. Given how many things are being brought back like Mushishi, Osomatsu-san, Berserk, and FLCL, who knows. Blog - Comment

HenshinDrift | Apr 7, 2016 6:43 AM

You really do have unique taste in anime atmosphere. Most of them have great touching moments that will captivate anyone that watch it. One of them is my favourite which is Kino's Journey. I really hope there is continuation because it was just great that taught us through philosophical life centring human nature and behaviour. Anticipated to see your next favorite anime.

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