Space Fantasia 2001 Nights

Akio Sugino is hailed as one of the most prominent animation directors and character designers in the industry, known in Japan as one half of anime's "golden combo" alongside Osamu Dezaki. Their frequent collaborations led to many of the early defining works in the medium, and are iconic masterpieces that have significantly held up over time. Sugino's output was integral to legitimizing anime as an art form and turning itself more distinct from Western animation, evolving and reimagining his Mushi Pro, Tezuka-inspired roots.

Sugino's character art replicates Greek sculptures of the old, appropriating its design philosophy to Japanese animation by paying heed to anatomical correctness. Sugino's characters have imposing presences that are accentuated by their long limbs, broad shoulders, and chiseled facial features. Upon seeing a Sugino-designed character you are immediately given the impression of a walking legend, an almost mythical feeling to their appearance on the screen.

This interest stack tracks down his iconic career and features a selection of his most valuable contributions as a character designer. Works are in chronological order.

Additional Sugino sources:
A 6-part interview that focuses on his career: https://karageko.com/2019/07/14/the-other-half-of-the-golden-combo-akio-sugino-interview-mushi-production-era-part-1/
A shorter interview that also talks about Dezaki: https://karageko.com/2022/02/16/akio-suginos-brief-reflections-on-a-long-career/

Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by concern for scientific accuracy and logic. The heart of the "hard science fiction" designation is the relationship of the science content and attitude to the rest of the narrative, and the "hardness" or rigor of the science itself. One requirement for hard SF is procedural or intentional: a story should try to be accurate, logical, credible and rigorous in its use of current scientific and technical knowledge about which technology, phenomena, scenarios and situations that are practically or theoretically possible. For example, the development of concrete proposals for spaceships, space stations, space missions, and a US space program in the 1950s and 1960s influenced a widespread proliferation of "hard" space stories.

(Note: not all of these works are considered hard sci-fi, but I decided to put them here due to them being potentially interesting to people that love logical space-themed stories as much as I do)

Works that look at humanity from a more bright perspective

I remember going to the video store, browsing the shelves, and picking out a movie based on the box art alone. I'd look at the front, I'd look at the back, and more often than not I'd put it back on the shelf. Occasionally there'd be something like Ghost in the Shell or Ninja Scroll, and I knew I just had to rent it, or more accurately get my parents to rent it.

This isn't just a list of movies that were available on VHS at my local video store, this is also a list of movies that I would have rented had they been there. They have box art and synopsis appeal, regardless of the reality contained within.

This is my virtual VHS store, where we say Japanimation and we don't stock TV shows unless they're only a few episodes long. I hope you like violence and nudity. Things here also generally skew older, keeping with the VHS theme.

This is the good stuff list. If you want the bad stuff list, go here: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/9520

Tags: Old, Oldtaku, Retro, Violent, 1980s, 1990s

good anime with a score of 6 or less.

In the dawn of the digital age, many creators have expressed their hopes and fears about technology and its influence on human society through science fiction anime, creating many interesting interepretations of what our future could be (or even what our present is) with regards to the ever accelerating integration of technology into our lives.

Some of these anime may explore technological revolution in a military or political context, some others in intimate personal dramas. Some are hard, realistic, grounded sci-fi with a lo of genuine scientific backing and others are bordering in fantasy. Some of these are true cyberpunk, and others are entirely opposed to it. Some of these works are pessimistic and fearful about tecnhology, whereas others present hopeful and idealistic possibilities, and some others simply present a grey future with as many advantages as disadvantages. But the main connecting aspect here is the exploration of sci-fi as a fundamental theme and the exploration of te philosophical, sociopolitical and/or psychological consequences of technology whether directly or indirectly, seriously or lightheartedly.

Common tropes & themes: artificial intelligence & meaning of being human, technological implants/bodily enhancements, virtual/augmented reality, social media & deep internet, space travel & space war, extreme capitalism and urbanism in the digital age, personal relationships between humans and androids, discrimination and opression between humans and androids, psychological/physical deterioration due to use of experimental technology

Notes:
- For Blame! read the manga instead
- For The Animatrix, watch The Matrix movies first
- For Blade Runner: Black Out 2022, watch the Blade Runner movies first

Every cinema or direct to video anime film that came out in 1987.

Part 1: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34036

1986: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34034
https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34035
1988: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34043

Group of friends watching some weird forgotten stuff

(updated daily)