AnimeSuki Forum - View Single Post - Inteligent Themed ANIME and GREAT STORIES!!!!!!

kujoe · 2004-01-23, 09:03

A fan of anime with intelligent themes? We seem to be a neglected breed, my friend. There are some out there that might interest you. Others have already mentioned these however. Here are some of my suggestions:

Rahxephon - Some claim that it's a rip-off of Eva, and I can't blame them. But it's more engaging in my opinion. I found it more engaging in an emotional level than Eva. It's not purely a mecha anime since there's sometimes more focus on the drama revolving around the characters. You be the judge. (Check out Eva as well. You might like it more than Rahxephon. Or you might like both of them.)

Juuni Kokki - This, you definitely have to at least check out! It's Oriental fantasy for the thinking viewer, in the sense that all its elements contribute to a fully realized world--infused with its own myths, ethos and lore. The writing is solid, and involves a female protagonist who's got none of that "I need a bodyguard" syndrome. This show sucks you in slowly, so you might want to watch until ep 8 or so before making your decision.

Now and Then, Here and There - Quite a surprising little gem. But it's one of those series that I found to be a one-shot deal. After watching the last ep, that was it. Still, I suggest you look up on this. Basically the story revolves around children caught in the sway of war and the will to survive.

Texhnolyze - The setting of the show is very suffocating all throughout--bleak and hopeless. I've only watched around 6 to 8 eps so I can't comment on the story yet, but so far I'm hooked. It's definitely well-made (a look on the members of the staff can convince you) but overall I think the show is an acquired taste. (I almost called it quits while watching the 1st episode...)

Gunslinger Girl - A show about young girls who are given a second chance in life in order to become efficient and cold-blooded killers for a top secret agency. That's the irony of it there. Sometimes the show becomes a very fleeting and poignant look at those things we take for granted.

Rurouni Kenshin OVA series - Don't need to elaborate I guess.

I think the problem with intelligent anime lies not in the lack of it, but lies on the fact that most anime are made for pure entertainment. Anime usually touches a lot on heavy themes, but more often than not, the way they're presented aims for a wide audience. Onegai Teacher for instance, gets a few plus pts. from me for the very fact that it touches on the idea of married life--where husband and wife are considered as two different individuals with separate, personal problems of their own. Now, that in itself is quite rare for anime in my opinion. In the end however, OT is simply a light-hearted shounen romance that may or may not appeal to the viewer.

But yeah...it's still preferable to balance what you watch. Sometimes, I'd rather go for a good laugh or an anime that you can simply sit back and enjoy.

2004-01-23, 09:03	Link #49
kujoe from head to heel Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Age: 42	A fan of anime with intelligent themes? We seem to be a neglected breed, my friend. There are some out there that might interest you. Others have already mentioned these however. Here are some of my suggestions: Rahxephon - Some claim that it's a rip-off of Eva, and I can't blame them. But it's more engaging in my opinion. I found it more engaging in an emotional level than Eva. It's not purely a mecha anime since there's sometimes more focus on the drama revolving around the characters. You be the judge. (Check out Eva as well. You might like it more than Rahxephon. Or you might like both of them.) Juuni Kokki - This, you definitely have to at least check out! It's Oriental fantasy for the thinking viewer, in the sense that all its elements contribute to a fully realized world--infused with its own myths, ethos and lore. The writing is solid, and involves a female protagonist who's got none of that "I need a bodyguard" syndrome. This show sucks you in slowly, so you might want to watch until ep 8 or so before making your decision. Now and Then, Here and There - Quite a surprising little gem. But it's one of those series that I found to be a one-shot deal. After watching the last ep, that was it. Still, I suggest you look up on this. Basically the story revolves around children caught in the sway of war and the will to survive. Texhnolyze - The setting of the show is very suffocating all throughout--bleak and hopeless. I've only watched around 6 to 8 eps so I can't comment on the story yet, but so far I'm hooked. It's definitely well-made (a look on the members of the staff can convince you) but overall I think the show is an acquired taste. (I almost called it quits while watching the 1st episode...) Gunslinger Girl - A show about young girls who are given a second chance in life in order to become efficient and cold-blooded killers for a top secret agency. That's the irony of it there. Sometimes the show becomes a very fleeting and poignant look at those things we take for granted. Rurouni Kenshin OVA series - Don't need to elaborate I guess. I think the problem with intelligent anime lies not in the lack of it, but lies on the fact that most anime are made for pure entertainment. Anime usually touches a lot on heavy themes, but more often than not, the way they're presented aims for a wide audience. Onegai Teacher for instance, gets a few plus pts. from me for the very fact that it touches on the idea of married life--where husband and wife are considered as two different individuals with separate, personal problems of their own. Now, that in itself is quite rare for anime in my opinion. In the end however, OT is simply a light-hearted shounen romance that may or may not appeal to the viewer. But yeah...it's still preferable to balance what you watch. Sometimes, I'd rather go for a good laugh or an anime that you can simply sit back and enjoy.