Looking for a "Mainstream" anime movie or two

[Valkyr47]

Ive never really seen or been interested in any anime stuff... most of if really struck me as being just plain weird and bizarre

a friend asked me to watch something called Dragonball Z or something like that and it was absolutely terrible

That being said i stumbled across a review for Akira here on blu-ray.com and have seen this movie sitting on the shelves at best buy...

the screenshots look pretty neat and i love futuristic dystopian settings, like Blade Runner for example

Would Akira be a good movie for someone who has never seen an Anime? someone that is not looking to "get into" the genre but just maybe add a few staples to my collection?

if so, are there ANY others that are somewhat mainstream or more digestible for a non-anime fan? the only other one ive heard of before is Ghost in the shell, a search here on blu-ray reveals there is a Ghost in the Shell 2.0 on blu-ray, but i dont know what the 2.0 means... and a few reviews seemed dissapointed to not have the original version

[detective392]

I think that Akira is a really good movie that you seem like you would like. Not sure if you go for anything aimed at kids but Ponyo is an awesome movie with a really good transfer.

[logain74]

Akira can be weird & bizarre too, but it does have great hand-drawn animation. Something a little more mainstream in the future-dystopian setting would be Ghost in the Shell, or Appleseed.

If you don't mind extreme violence and more mature themes, I would recommend the movie Ninja Scroll but my highest recommendation would go to the series Berserk.

Some of the most popular & critically acclaimed anime is from directory Hayao Miyazaki. His more mainstream ones would be Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle.

[Valkyr47]

is ghost in the shell 2.0 ok to watch?

from the review i couldnt gather what the differences are between that and the original

[Batman1980]

I have no idea on 2.0 but you can't go wrong with -
Robotech Shadow Chronicles
Either Final Fantasy movie
Either Appleseed movie

[Zen_Amako]

Originally Posted by Valkyr47

is ghost in the shell 2.0 ok to watch?

from the review i couldnt gather what the differences are between that and the original

It's essentially the same movie, but there is more CGI (sometimes replacing shots that were originally cel animated) and a different color scheme. I prefer the original version myself.

As far as anime on Blu-ray in North America, I would recommend:

Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind (when it is released)
Sword of the Stranger
Paprika
Evangelion 1.11 / 2.22 (when it is released)
Akira

[Trekkie313]

Cowboy Bebop

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Valkyr47

Would Akira be a good movie for someone who has never seen an Anime?

No. No, no, no, no, no, no. NO.
I have spent twenty years trying to repair the damage inflicted on unfortunate first-timers by the overenthusiastic.
For twenty years, Akira has been the REASON first-timers think anime is "weird and bizarre" and never get around to watching safe TV series, which are at least made for a commercial audience.

Originally Posted by Valkyr47

is ghost in the shell 2.0 ok to watch?
from the review i couldnt gather what the differences are between that and the original

2.0 is essentially GITS1: the Lucas Special Edition, now with new CGI effects.
Again, not by any means to be confused with "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence", which is an infamously ponderous mess that even the Japanese giggled at.

And since we're not discussing anime series, which are far more "mainstream" than the artsy pursuits of Theatrical art, the six-monthly posting of Audience-Friendly Mainstream MOVIE titles on disk:
- Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, and
- The Castle of Cagliostro (the usual first three answers for "Anything with the Studio Ghibli label", without the fear that someone would start with the artsy Princess Mononoke, or the absolute-mess Howl's Moving Castle...As someone pointed out, though, Nausicaa is coming to Blu, My Neighbor Totoro may be next, and Ponyo is already out but aimed at preschoolers.)
- Dirty Pair: Project Eden (and look for the TV series, now available at RightStuf.com, after twenty fan-holy-grail years!)
- Urusei Yatsura 1 & 2, Only You and Beautiful Dreamer (the latter is considered one of the top ten anime films, period, and the former is an addictively cute and sentimental adaptation of sci-fi high-school screwball--Might need to Wiki some info on the TV series first, but the movies don't need that much explanation beyond knowing how the two main characters first met.)
- Cowboy Bebop: the Movie - One of the reasons TV-based anime movies rock. Picture Firefly on steroids, with a film-noir center.
- Death Note (live action), based one of the most addictive TV series in anime, a mix of X-Files and Columbo
- Summer Wars, Japan's entry for Best Foreign Film this year, and one of the few, if any, non-TV-based theatrical arthouse-imports with a discernible sense of humor--Still artsy, but picture GITS1 Meets the Parents.

(Now, if we were posting TV series, I'd post the recommendation that Azumanga Daioh is good for just about anybody, but it's sadly gotten harder to find a copy, with the anime disk market disappearing.... )
Also, if you hated Dragon Ball Z, the first Dragon Ball series (aimed more for 7-10 kids) might put it a little more into context, and might even explain that live-action US version that made everybody shrug. )

[AaronSCH]

I have to totally disagree with EricJ on this one. Akira is the only anime title in my Blu-ray collection. Yes, it can be bizarre, but it is an epic animated film with mature themes that peaked my interest in the genre.

[Al_The_Strange]

A lot of good ones have been mentioned; I think "Akira," "GITS" (either version), "The Cowboy Bebop," "The Ninja Scroll" and any Hayao Miyazaki movies are all must-sees.

I would add:

"The Animatrix" (best recommended if you're a "Matrix" fan. These are short stories, but they could be seen in one sitting as a movie)
"Battle Angel" (if you can find it; it's a short two-part OVA)
"Blood: The Last Vampire"
"Evangelion 1.11" (and 2.22 is coming out soon! )
"Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within"
"Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children" (best recommended if you enjoyed the video game)
"Memories" (short stories, can be seen in one sitting)
"Metropolis" (not to be confused with the 1927 silent film)
"NeoTokyo" (three short stories, could be seen in one sitting)
"Paprika"
"ROD: Read or Die" (it's an OVA, but could be seen in one sitting as a movie)
"Steamboy"
"Sword of the Stranger"
"Tekkonkinkreet"
"X: The Movie" (I prefer the series myself, but the movie is pretty fun)

[SixSpeedSamurai]

Akira is kind of heavy scifi in my opinion, but it's a masterpiece that should not be ignored.

Ninja Scroll is another favorite.

Ghost in the Shell, the first one.

Fist of the Northstar. Just coming up on 25 years old I think, it has not aged well for the animation, but the violence and fights are worth the watch.

[Valkyr47]

thanks for all the replies so far!

i just read another review on amazon and they state that the original unaltered Ghost in the Shell is included as a bonus feature on the blu-ray... sounds perfect but apparently the video quality is terrible

like so bad its virtually unwatchable and leagues worse than the standard dvd version

any truth to that?

in the past anytime someone has claimed a movie looked worse than the DVD i found it to be wrong, but maybe in this case the video quality really is that poor

if the transfer of the original looks fine, then im not even gonna question this purchase anymore as for 15 bucks i can have both versions to watch and decide for myself

thanks!

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Valkyr47

thanks for all the replies so far!

i just read another review on amazon and they state that the original unaltered Ghost in the Shell is included as a bonus feature on the blu-ray... sounds perfect but apparently the video quality is terrible

like so bad its virtually unwatchable and leagues worse than the standard dvd version

any truth to that?

in the past anytime someone has claimed a movie looked worse than the DVD i found it to be wrong, but maybe in this case the video quality really is that poor

if the transfer of the original looks fine, then im not even gonna question this purchase anymore as for 15 bucks i can have both versions to watch and decide for myself

thanks!

Well, it's 1080i, so it naturally does have more noise and pixilation. Colors are more washed out. But I think it still looks sharp. Grading it PQ-wise, I gave it a 3.5/5, whereas the 2.0 version is more like a 4.5/5. I think it's passable for a Blu-Ray, and should definitely be better than a DVD (bah, some reviewers exaggerate too much).

The DVD for "GITS" has never been phenomenal, so the Blu-Ray is a good deal for sure!

[Al_The_Strange]

Ugh, how could I forget! "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust" is another highly recommended title!

"Escaflowne: The Movie" is good too.

[technique]

I used to be heavy into anime back in the day but kind of dropped off the genre now. When i did watch it my favorites were Wicked City, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed, Ninja Scroll, Devilman, Golgo 13. I think only a few of those are available on blu ray like Akira, Ninja Scroll etc..not sure about the others.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by technique

I think only a few of those are available on blu ray like Akira, Ninja Scroll etc..not sure about the others.

I wish "The Ninja Scroll" was available on Blu-Ray...

But yeah, anime hasn't been hitting Blu-Ray much at all.

[technique]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I wish "The Ninja Scroll" was available on Blu-Ray...

But yeah, anime hasn't been hitting Blu-Ray much at all.

ohh ok it isn't i wasn't sure...wish it was also.

[ANDYBALLINA]

Im not to big into Anime either, but I found the following to be very good.

Appleseed: Exmachina (very, very good Sci Fi)
Vexille


The following are not on Blu ray, but I highly recommend them.

Death Note series (extremely good, with an interesting storyline and characters, highly recommend this)
Grave of the Fireflies (very sad, but good)

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by technique

I used to be heavy into anime back in the day but kind of dropped off the genre now. When i did watch it my favorites were Wicked City, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed, Ninja Scroll, Devilman, Golgo 13. I think only a few of those are available on blu ray like Akira, Ninja Scroll etc..not sure about the others.

So....back in the 90's, then?

(Please excuse my Old-Skool Fan eye-twitch , but the entire MangaUS/Streamline Pictures days, even up to the early birth-of-DVD days from '97-'99 is a sore spot.
In the days before Cartoon Network, US either got the artsy imports like Akira, or we got the bottom dregs of the barrel that only lone garage companies could afford, and Japan's own industry hadn't gotten rolling yet.
In the old days of growing anime acceptance, all we had was the feel-good mainstream of "Slayers" and "Ranma 1/2" to prove to poor, persecuted first-timers that all anime WASN'T the ponderous tech-splatter freak-show that Wicked, Scroll, and Akira was what Carl Macek was pushing in our arthouse/VCR faces.

The biggest battle in mainstream anime acceptance has been convincing a lot of old fans that new titles have been released on disk SINCE 1996. You can see from the other posts in the thread how difficult that can be.)

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by Valkyr47

Would Akira be a good movie for someone who has never seen an Anime? someone that is not looking to "get into" the genre but just maybe add a few staples to my collection?

if so, are there ANY others that are somewhat mainstream or more digestible for a non-anime fan? the only other one ive heard of before is Ghost in the shell, a search here on blu-ray reveals there is a Ghost in the Shell 2.0 on blu-ray, but i dont know what the 2.0 means... and a few reviews seemed dissapointed to not have the original version

You are in the right direction. I'm the same as you - I can't stand countless bad Japanese anime, and furthermore Japanese animation filmmakers also spend years on animating a particular huge animated film but they forget to hire a writer (Ghost in the Shell sequel or both Final Fantasy movies, for example).

So a big yes to your gut instinct:
1. Akira blu-ray: a total masterpiece and if you don't like it it's the type of blu-ray that you can sell for more than you paid for.
2. Ghost in the Shell 2.0 blu-ray: I was skeptical too of the added CGI, but it's no big deal. The Ghost in the Shell Special Edition DVD (sans added CGI) and the Ghost in the Shell 2.0 blu-ray (with added CGI) are both equally awesome. The blu-ray quality is so much better than the previous DVDs (I had owned 2 DVD versions).

Although they aren't considered anime, Hayao Miyazaki films are all animated masterpieces. The worst Miyazaki/Ghibli film is still pretty good and better than a typical Disney or Pixar film. Miyazaki is the best filmmaker in Japan and you should buy the Ponyo and Naussicaa Valley of the Wind blu-rays, and the DVDs of Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, and any others from Miyazaki/Ghibli.

But if you want more anime films on blu-ray with awesome animation and with a solid, clear story, then there are just a few more available:
1. Sword of the Stranger
2. Origin Spirits of the Past (Region B)
3. Vexille
4. Appleseed (the sequel is on blu-ray too but it's awful)
5. Sky Blue (Region B)
6. Paprika
7. Tekkon Kinkreet

And if you want more after that, then you'll have to seek out the dvd versions of:
1. Mindgame (I'll sell you a copy if you want. This is the best, most creative, amazing story, inspiring, awesome soundtrack, non-Miyazaki/Ghibli Japanese animated film that I have ever seen. This film is right up there with Akira and Ghost in the Shell.) Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU4Ef...41816&index=65
2. Metropolis
3. Ninja Scroll
4. Dead Leaves (not a great story, but an absolutely insane and entertaining film) Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT9-l9SkihI
5. Steamboy

To name a few of the bad and/or overrated ones, I would skip Ghost in the Shell 2, Final Fantasies, Appleseed 2, Jin-Roh, Sky Crawlers, and the Cowboy Bebop movie. The people that love the Cowboy Bebop movie are the ones that love the show (which I never watched). Cowboy Bebop is what I think of as typical bad anime to a person that doesn't care for anime, but is loved by anime lovers. Another highly respectfed new Japanese animated film is The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (USA DVD or non-USA blu-rays), but like Cowboy Bepop, I thought it was overrated, sappy, boring and reminded me why I don't like typical anime films/shows. And as a huge Miyazaki/Ghibli obsessed fan (I have all the movies/shows/videos/commercials on DVD/blu-ray that involved him and his company), I have no understanding of how some people compare the director, Mamoru Hosoda, of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time as the next Miyazaki. There is nothing that resembles Miyazaki or Ghibli in his films. I'll still watch his next hyped film Summer Wars out of curiosity, but I'm not expecting much.

If you really enjoy Akira and Ghost in the Shell, don't get suckered into believing that the directors have talent and you are curious to seek out their other films. The Akira director, Otomo, has only done one other film that was better than fair - Steamboy. And the Ghost In the Shell director, Mamoru Oshii, has only done one other film that was better than fair as well - Avalon. All the other films they have worked on are really not that good. They are basically one-hit wonders. Oshii did anime-fan favorites Patlabor 1 and Patlabor 2, but they are typical anime films - great for anime fans, but not for casual anime fans.