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Cloe's Recommendations▲▼
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Rating▲▼
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Comment▲▼
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| Angel's Egg (movie) |
Masterpiece |
This dark tale of a small girl sullenly wandering through an abandoned, post-apocalyptic city, is a triumph of mood and setting. This animation is not about unnecessary dialogue, intricate plot, or mindless action. It is quiet, thoughtful, and absolutely gorgeous to watch. Its visual splendor is second to none. |
| Arjuna (TV) |
Masterpiece |
I admire this title's audacity to bring serious environmental and social issues to the forefront. Add to this beautiful artwork, wonderfully fluid animation, and the best example (ever) of how to effectively use music to enhance a story, and you have one of the crowning achievements of modern anime. |
| Bobby's Girl (movie) |
Masterpiece |
Nostalgic, nuanced, wonderful. This film perfectly captures the universal sense of approaching a crossroads in life every person shares. The absolutely phenomenal pencil-shaded animated sequence by Koji Morimoto alone makes this film worth seeing. |
| Cat Soup (OAV) |
Masterpiece |
Even more surreal than Mind Game, this short film held me in complete awe. Imaginative art and exceptional animation highlight this strange tale to create a unique experience that won't soon be forgotten. |
| Comedy (OAV) |
Masterpiece |
A short film by Studio 4°C, this time directed by Kazuto Nakazawa. One of the finest short animations ever to emerge from Japan, this simple and stirring tale tells the story of a little Irish girl trying to save her village from the British invasion of Ireland. Unique subject matter for an anime. Director Nakazawa creates a beautiful, mysterious mood for the animation with a subdued, greyish color pallete and classical opera as BGM. Strongly recommended. |
| (The) Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (movie) |
Masterpiece |
Exquisite. Corrects one of the series' main flaws, which was missing an emotional core. Kyon's pain is palpable and powerful. This is the shining jewel of the Suzumiya franchise. |
| FLCL (OAV) |
Masterpiece |
Exhillerating, breathtaking, wonderful. Highly creative animation meets a whimsical cast of characters to bring together this slightly surreal, highly entertaining comedy. A must-see. |
| Jumping (movie) |
Masterpiece |
A masterful short film from the superlative animator Osamu Tezuka. It acts simultaneously as a political allegory and pure visual eye candy. |
| Legend of the Forest (movie) |
Masterpiece |
I absolutely delight in everything Osamu Tezuka has been involved with. From his incredibly innovative short films such as Jumping and Broken Down Film to his beloved features such as Unico, there is not a single work which I don't hold in reverence. I believe Legend of the Forest is his crowning achievement. Not only for its mind-boggling animation, but for its homage to the history of animation. In an incredible display of creativity, Tezuka's story folds out through different stages reflecting the birth of animation, starting with illustrations, the zoetrope, moving on through "Humorous Phases of Funny Faces," "Gertie the Dinosaur" and "Felix the Cat," and ending with classic Disney style, and even a bit of UPA. I'm a bit of a film history nut, so this title is my dream come true. |
| Magnetic Rose (movie) |
Masterpiece |
Another one of my favorites from Koji Morimoto. This short film succeeds where other suspense/thriller/paranormal anime fail through empathy and compassion for its characters. Heinz's loss is the most heartbreaking I've ever experienced. And yes, I feel like I experienced it with him. |
| Mind Game (movie) |
Masterpiece |
The only consistency in the animation style of this film is its unfailing habit of completely changing and transcending genre every few minutes. One would think a fusion of such a variety of visual styles would prove unsettling, but it all fits together brilliantly. Even better is that the film has emotional content and a solid story to back up the amazing art. |
| Mushi-Shi (TV) |
Masterpiece |
Stunning. Subtle. Melancholy. Hopeful. Masterpiece. |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV) |
Masterpiece |
Disregarding the fact that this is one of the most disputed titles (probably ever) in anime, I enjoy the integrity of this title just for itself. I like that it takes risks in the presentation of the storytelling, and even if it doesn't quite live up to the mammoth expectations it has set for itself, I would rather see something attempt to be bold and fail than stay safe and succeed. |
| Noiseman Sound Insect (movie) |
Masterpiece |
Another masterpiece by Koji Morimoto. The greatest strength of this piece is the sheer whimsy and creativity of Noiseman's world. Only Morimoto could create such a unique universe. The pacing is flawless as well. |
| Paranoia Agent (TV) |
Masterpiece |
One of the hardest emotions to evict from the viewer when watching animation is fear. Let's face it; most "horror" animation isn't scary at all. But Paranoia Agent succeeds where others fail. Creepy, otherworldy, and inhabited by a colorful (if slightly strange) cast of characters, this is one experience that led to my reluctance to walk alone at night. This is Satoshi Kon's finest work. |
| Revolutionary Girl Utena (TV) |
Masterpiece |
The best quality of this show is the sheer creativity of its art direction. Spinning roses? Sure. Romanesque architecture in every background? Why not? Upside-down floating castles? Works for me. The animation isn't the greatest, but the engaging story, quirky characters, and bizarre editing techniques reeled me in and kept me at undying attention. |
| Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie |
Masterpiece |
The feature film version of Utena is even more stylized than the TV series, if you can believe it. Add fluid, beautiful animation, toss in a handful of absolutely gorgeous backgrounds, mix in a dash of creative editing and top off with a 20-minute car transformation/wash/race/chase sequence, and you have an abstract experience that's bound to stick with you for a long time. |
| Spirited Away (movie) |
Masterpiece |
This coming-of-age tale is like a sweeter, but far more bizarre, version of Alice in Wonderland. With a dragon. Dragons are good. |
