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The Mike Toole Show - A Very Anime Christmas


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Tenchi



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 4463
Location: Ottawa... now I'm an ex-Anglo Montrealer.
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 5:30 pm Reply with quote
I'm doing an "Anime Christmas Episode "Advent Calendar"" in my Twitter feed and you've hit on one of my top 3, the one I'm putting on Christmas Eve in fact, Urusei Yatsura: "Pitter Patter Christmas Eve", but here's my other 2:

Kamichu! "We Do What We Like", which answers the common question, "How can one celebrate Christmas when one recently became a Shinto deity?" Yeah, it's a contradiction, but it's Kamichu so we can celebrate the ascension of Yurie Hitotsubashi to the Shinto pantheon and Santa will still leave goodies in her stockings despite his ostensibly cheering for Team Jesus.

Ichigo Mashimaro/Strawberry Marshmallow:, "Present", in which Miu dresses up as Santa and Nobue, Chika, and Ana dress up as reindeer in order to preserve Matsuri's innocent belief in Santa for one more year. Hey, just why does college student Nobue have child-size Santa Claus and reindeer costumes in her closet anyway? It's a mystery.... no, not really. She gets off on cosplay.

EDIT: Oh, for the record, I far, far prefer Paul McCartney's "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime" to John Lennon's depressing dirge "Happy Christmas (War is Over)", which always makes me change the channel when it's used in charity commercials.
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trunkschan90



Joined: 08 Aug 2002
Posts: 592
Location: California
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 5:53 pm Reply with quote
I've seen some of those Christmas eps/specials/movies, although I wonder what a Dragonball Z Xmas would be like Laughing Goku would just eat all the Christmas cake.

I like the Hamtaro Christmas episodes that aired in Toonami years ago.
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meruru



Joined: 16 Jun 2009
Posts: 470
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 5:54 pm Reply with quote
Of those I've watched Big O and Card Captor Sakura. Alot of times I think Christmas episodes are kind of meh, but I found both of those episodes to be pretty good. Also seen Tokyo Godfathers, which is a pretty good movie. However, my favorite Christmas episode (heck, it's one of my favorite episodes) was the one from Full Moon wo Sagashite. It was pretty freaking adorable: spoiler[Meroko's accepted that all she and Takuto will only just be friends, but she tries really hard to make a present for him anyways (she kind of fails at it, but it's so sweet that she tried); Takuto reconciles with her for her being rather annoying before; Wakaouji and Ooshige get together... Plus it's one of like two episodes where they use the song Smile.]
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CaptainFalcon



Joined: 16 Mar 2009
Posts: 14
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:02 pm Reply with quote
Okay, in my opinion, the best Christmas episode ever in existance is the Christmas episode in Kyouran Kazoku Nikki/Crazy Family's Diary in which...

Well, let me just say Kamehameha waves and muscular men are involved.
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Otaking09



Joined: 24 Feb 2009
Posts: 637
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:03 pm Reply with quote
Azumanga Daioh christmas.... That was a cute one.

The Popotan ep, when spoiler[they're at that Shinto priest's establishment], and they spread the joy of Christmas even though they don't celebrate it. That was one of the better moments of the show.

Hayate... eheh. That was a stupidly realistic take. Man, everyone is so cruel to him.

Thanks for giving some love to Martian Successor Nadesico.

Another excuse to watch Urusei and Cardcaptor.

It's funny; that ep of Big O might as well have come out cheesy as hell, but it actually was warm. huh.

And of course... T. Godfathers... If there's a movie that can make someone believe. That would be it.

Great show as always! Man, I want show everyone this segment...
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SoloButterfly



Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 239
Location: Masaki Residence
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:05 pm Reply with quote
I think you've included most of my favorites. R.o.d. And Tokyo Godfathers in particular get watched every year. I also like to include the Digimon Adventure 02 Christmas episode, the Pokémon winter specials (yes I'm secretly 5 years old). And the second Tenchi movie Manatsu no Eve has a lot of Christmas imagery in it.
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Crisha
Moderator


Joined: 21 Apr 2010
Posts: 4290
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:09 pm Reply with quote
OMG, I completely forgot about The Big O and CCS ones! I'll need to watch them!

And now I wish I owned Tokyo Godfathers. I could start making that my own tradition along with watching "It's a Wonderful Life" with my family (that movie will always take the #1 Christmas spot. Very Happy)

Quote:
Personally, I think that an obvious One Piece Christmas special, with songs and snow and gifts and a big, stupid adventure possibly involving the rescue of Santa himself, would be a massive worldwide hit. Can you picture it? How about a Bleach Christmas special? Or Gundam Saves Santa Claus? Or a Very Black Butler Christmas? Think about it!


I think I'm beyond disturbed now. Bleach sounds like the most probable to me, as an appropriate filler, since the setting takes place in the current day world. One Piece and Gundam could work out as well. But Black Butler. Shocked NOOOOOOOOO. I'll have nightmares now! Santa! Poor Santa!
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doctordoom85



Joined: 12 Jun 2008
Posts: 2091
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:30 pm Reply with quote
Hmm, I definitely need to see more. Azumanga Daioh, Hayate, and Cardcaptor Sakura are the only ones I've watched so far on that list. Tokyo Godfathers is definitely on my to-get list.

Hidamari Sketch's first season ended with a cute Christmas episode. Also, Lucky Star did at least one Christmas episode (maybe more, but I don't think so), but the manga mentions it quite a bit more. Hetalia also did an episode focusing on how different nations celebrate Christmas.

Now I'm racking my brain trying to think of more examples. It doesn't help that sometimes I forget an anime just focused on New Year's (like Fruits Basket) instead of Christmas, and get mixed up as a result.

Edit: Wait, Gintama featured Santa at one point, didn't it? I'm having trouble remembering, I assume it took place during or around Christmas.
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eva88



Joined: 09 Sep 2009
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:35 pm Reply with quote
Forgot Rahxephon!
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Charred Knight



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 3085
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:37 pm Reply with quote
My problem with Tokyo Godfathers is that Kon keeps on changing his mind on what kind of movie it was going to be so it changes between a traditional Christmas movie where the hand of God trying to bring three homeless people and a baby back to the baby's family to a pretty cynical movie which has scenes where one of the homeless people is attacked by thugs and left for dead. Basically imagine if in Rudolph the Red nose Reindeer, the Elf foreman break's Hermies legs with a sledgehammer while mocking Hermie's dream of being a dentist. A good movie, but not really to the level of "How the Grinch stole Christmas" or even Rudolph though I would say it's on the level of Frosty.

Of course it's certainly better than "Grandma got ran over by a reindeer"


Last edited by Charred Knight on Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:49 pm; edited 1 time in total
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agila61



Joined: 22 Feb 2009
Posts: 3213
Location: NE Ohio
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:39 pm Reply with quote
I think that Maria-sama tends to gets sad for Christmas. Season 4 ep7, "A Blank Map of the Future" centers on a Yamayurikai Christmas party and ends with a tragedy in a tea cup.
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Dorcas_Aurelia



Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 5344
Location: Philly
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 6:43 pm Reply with quote
No Ai Yori Aoshi episode mention? It may not really fit into the story canon neatly, but it's charming and heartfelt.

I recall Vandread having a decent Xmas episode as well.

CaptainFalcon wrote:
Okay, in my opinion, the best Christmas episode ever in existance is the Christmas episode in Kyouran Kazoku Nikki/Crazy Family's Diary in which...

Right on! But my reasons for thinking so aren't exactly the same as yours. I like the satire of the consumerist element of Xmas and the idea that one little action a year does anything to help the impoverished and abused.
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belvadeer





PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 7:05 pm Reply with quote
CaptainFalcon wrote:
Okay, in my opinion, the best Christmas episode ever in existance is the Christmas episode in Kyouran Kazoku Nikki/Crazy Family's Diary in which...

Well, let me just say Kamehameha waves and muscular men are involved.


Oh my god, I remember that! Anime hyper

Sailor Moon and Big O's Christmas parts were quite awesome actually. Santa showing up to save Sailor Moon and Chibimoon really made me go "WTF" in a good way Very Happy

I don't have an anime to contribute, but how about a game? Anyone remember Secret of Mana where you had to defeat Santa after he turned into the Frost Gigas? Santa being a monster, wow, scary.

As for that scene from Hayate, I just imagined that ending up on lulz.net XP
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Shenl742



Joined: 11 Feb 2010
Posts: 1524
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 7:14 pm Reply with quote
Charred Knight wrote:
My problem with Tokyo Godfathers is that Kon keeps on changing his mind on what kind of movie it was going to be so it changes between a traditional Christmas movie where the hand of God trying to bring three homeless people and a baby back to the baby's family to a pretty cynical movie which has scenes where one of the homeless people is attacked by thugs and left for dead. Basically imagine if in Rudolph the Red nose Reindeer, the Elf foreman break's Hermies legs with a sledgehammer while mocking Hermie's dream of being a dentist.


But he gets rescued by a (somewhat literal) fairie right after he gets beaten up!

Sure some bad things happen to the characters in Tokyo Godfathers, but something good also happens right after. For all the struggles they endure, they do end up getting rewarded for their kindness and deterimanation for the baby.

I really don't see anything cynical about it at all. If anything the movie's message seems to be, "good things really can happen to good people".
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zanarkand princess



Joined: 27 Oct 2007
Posts: 1484
PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 7:16 pm Reply with quote
Toradora's more recent but very nice Christmas episode deserved a mention, if I may say so.
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