A few of my favorite animes.

Since I did a list of my favorite foreign films, I felt that I needed to also make a list of my very favorite animes. Anyone that knows me well knows I am an avid anime watcher. If it came down to giving up Netflix or my Crunchyroll membership, I don't think I can do without my Crunchyroll. I like watching these in Japanese, as I prefer watching all things it in original form (casting and language) and that is also how I practice and learn more Japanese.

Movies

Ghost in the Shell. Mamoru Oshii.
I debated including this in my favorite foreign films of all time, as Ghost in the Shell transcends anime and is definitely in my top movies of all time. I recently rewatched it and the camera work, UI and animation are still ground breaking. This was made in the 1995. This movie affected film making and UI of many tech products in more ways than you realize.



Your Name. Makoto Shinkai.
Makoto Shinkai has quickly become one of my favorite directors. I have seen most, if not all, of his films. Your Name was on my top movie list of 2016. The nuances of how he portrays every day life and its complexities is superb. Not to mention that his animation is just plain gorgeous, especially his backgrounds. I also really enjoyed his series She and Her Cat, which you can watch on Crunchyroll. I just saw Weathering With You at The Roxie last night and it is another stunner.



Spirited Away. My Neighbor Totoro. Hayao Miyazaki.
Miyazaki is a classic and master and most people's entryway into anime. I think my first one of his may be Spirited Away, then I made my way down the entire Studio Ghibli catalogue. I own a few of his movies and I enjoy rewatching them from time to time, especially with children.





Hotarubi No Mori. Takahiro Omori.
This is a short and only 44 minutes and I watched this on Crunchyroll. A girl gets lost in the forest and gets rescued by a spirit. They begin a friendship. Then the plot thickens...



Grave of the Fireflies. Isao Takahata.
This WWII orphan story may be one of the saddest and powerful animes I have seen. It gives you a glimpse into the aftermaths of Japan after WWII on its people. This is an extremely haunting movie.



A Silent Voice. Naoko Yamada.
This is one of those slice of life animes that is extremely relevant and poignant. It's about a bully and a deaf girl in his class and his interactions with her when he gets older in making amends. Another powerful story.



Ninja Scroll. Yoshiaki Kawajiri.
Anyone that knows me well would know about my twisted sense of humor and that I can lean toward the dark side as much as the light for things of beauty. There is something very beautiful about the animation of Ninja Scroll, so much that I watched this daily in college for a year. I was so happy that this animation studio also ended up doing 2 of the Animatrix stories.



Series

Paradise Kiss. Nana.
I love the illustrations of Ai Yazawa from these mangas (I own all of Nana). The anime of both lives up to my expectations. In fact, I own the box set of Paradise Kiss (very hard to find). I love fashion, Vivienne Westwood, punk rock and anime. I also own the soundtrack of Nana.





Food Wars. Shokugeki no Soma.
This is a crowd favorite right now. How do you sexualize food and still make it a very charming story with real recipes? Of course the Japanese figured it out! Then I went to a party with mostly chefs and was telling Hiro Sone about this show as I think he would love it and he tells me he actually went to Totsuki. Go figure!!!



Yona of the Dawn.
I really love this manga too and I am still reading it. Action. Adventure. Unrequited love. Betrayal. Dragons. Kind of...



Skip Beat!
I love Kyoko and her misadventures. I am following the manga religiously. It's just so charming and funny.



Chiharafuru.
I had no idea what karuta was until I watched this show. I can almost even speaking in these 100 poems. ALMOST.



Ouran High School Host Club.
This is the most ridiculous premise: a high school girl, who looks like a boy, accidentally breaks a really expensive vase at the club of a rich high school. The boys mistake her as a boy and she then becomes a member of a high school host club to pay off all the debt owed for the vase. Trust me, it's hilarious.



Samurai Champoo.
Yes, yes, I've seen Cowboy Bebop, but I still prefer Samurai Champoo.



Demon Slayer.
A boy becomes a demon slayer as he wants to avenge his family who got wiped out by them. His sister got turned into a demon but is traveling with him during his quest.



Psycho Pass.
By the same studio that did Ghost in the Shell. This is a super dark anime. Season 2 is even more gruesome and I do not recommend that one. Season one poses some very interesting philosophical and ethical questions...



Your Lie In April.
This is a beautifully charming (and sad) story. Definitely one of the more emotional ones. Just watch it.



Kids on the Slope.
Love the soundtrack. Love the story. I really like these slice of life animes in case you haven't noticed.