Oh, man, you watched the last episode of Excel Saga? Ouch. There's a reason why the episode was banned from the Japanese airwaves (if I remember correctly).
The last two episodes of the series ruin what is otherwise an often funny and witty series, mocking various genres of anime. I agree, the last episode should be packed up, sealed with duct tape, launched into outer space, then blown up with a giant missile.
Now, as for my opinion an anime in general, it remains consistent with my opinion on any art form: The large majority of any given art form (music, animation, literature, etc.) is sub-par and detained for the trash heap.
If you were to bring me two people that have never watched anime before, I could name ten series that would cause one person to swear off anime forever. Conversely, I could name ten series that would inspire the other person to pledge their undying love to the art form.
Imagine if the only rock and roll you ever heard was a modern garage band with the typical teen angst motif. There's a fair chance that, if this was the first time you heard a guitar, you would say that all rock and roll was complete and utter trash (unless you're into that sort of tripe). Conversely, if you were introduced to rock and roll by way of such legends as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Claption, you would likely love what you heard and go run out to find more music in the same genre. You would then find that the large majority of rock and roll tracks aren't worth a 4MB slot on your hard drive.
Now then, moving right along.
I think the issue of explicit content in anime has received so much attention for a few reasons:
1. The American assumption that animation is intended solely for children persists today. The Flinstones aired in prime time forty years ago and the Simpsons have been on the air for over thirteen (right?) seasons, yet this assumption survives. Why, I can't say.
2. Anything with explicit content is going to receive more attention from American mass media. It's not a flaw with media; it's a flaw in human nature. If a series features rich characters, a complex story, and fully developed settings, it won't get as much coverage as a series filled with naked Japanese schoolgirls. Sad, but true.
3. Parents are slacking. I have yet to see a series including explicit content without a relevant warning on the packaging. Parents who let their 10-year old watch "Hellsing" are likely the same parents who bought Doom 3 for their children. Somehow, when the parent walks into the room and a character is being decapitated, it's not the parent's fault for not reading the packaging. It's the industry's fault for producing the material. This is called "passing the buck." It is also called "bad parenting."
Now I, of all people, understand that your local Best Buy or Blockbuster is not the only source for anime. In fact, it is perhaps the worst source as very few great series are brought to the US. Terrible series stand the best chances of making it to television (e.g. Dragonball Z, Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh). There are, of course, exceptions (Cowboy Bebop airing on Cartoon Network during Adult Swim), but they are few and far between.
Retail stores and television are only two methods of obtaining anime. Parents can most easily monitor these sources. There is a third source which parents are less likely to monitor--the Internet. Sites such as
AnimeSuki offer downloads for fansubbed anime. Fansubbed anime is anime which has been subtitled by fans and, except in cases of some very foolish groups, does not include series licensed in the US. (AnimeSuki refuses to list any anime that has been licensed in the US.) Though this source may be harder for parents to monitor, it does not free them of the responsibility. The Internet can be a dangerous place for even informed users; it is a hazardous place for curious children.
That all being said, I would like to ask everyone not to immediately dismiss all anime because of a few terrible series. If I had sworn off anime after watching Neon Genesis Evangelion, I would never have discovered and fell in love with Read or Die TV. (Truth be told, I still cannot determine if I like Evangelion, three years after watching the series. All I know is that the End of Evangelion movie should never be viewed by human eyes.)
I suppose I would be slacking a bit if I only gave a general explanation. The following opinions are solely my own. Please keep in mind that I tend to be more critical of artistic expression than anyone else of my generation.
Anime To Avoid As Though Your Life Depended On It
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La Blue Girl. Because it's hentai (i.e. animated porn).
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Revolutionary Girl Utena. Probably my male bias here, but I would rather watch paint dry for two hours than watch the first four episodes again. Teenage anime fangirls love this series and, for the life of me, I have no idea why.
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Hellsing. I'm sorry. I know I'm going cause a ruckus with this one as it seems to be a favorite among teen males, but I have to pan this series--not for its explicitly graphic violence, which is itself reason enough to kick it to the curb, but for the absolute laziness of the writers. It is yet another formulaic rehash of the vampire story, using the same "The occult is cool! Let's use it to gloss over our obvious lack of storytelling skill!" sentiment that made Doom 3 such a hit. The series offends me both as a Christian and as a writer.
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Perfect Blue. True, it's a movie, not a series, but it does feature explicit material. Children should not approach this movie within ten feet. Adults over 18 should also keep away as this particular suspense thriller will scoop out your brain and leave it on the floor.
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End of Evangelion. Just the movie. Not the series. This movie is perhaps the worst movie ever made, with the exception of "Nadesico: Prince of Darkness." While the art is gorgeous, this mindless parade of Jewish and Christian symbology was intended as "revenge" on fans of the series who refused to accept the psychological resolution of episodes 25 and 26 as a proper ending. No. I'm not kidding.
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Nadesico: Prince of Darkness. Another movie, this one takes place after the end of one of my favorite series of all time, Nadesico. This movie is just plain evil. It takes the lighthearted yet sincere heart of a terrific series and buries it under confusing plot mutilations and an angst-y atmosphere. If you watch the series--and you should--avoid this movie like the plague.
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Ebichu: The Housekeeping Hamster. Contains very, very naughty humor and other, well, naughtiness. The art looks very cute, but don't be fooled--this is about as perverted as anime gets.
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Spriggan. I describe this as the Japanese attempt at making an American action movie--complete with all American action movie faults. Confusing and generally formulaic plot, pointless violence, and flat characters toss this to the bottom of the heap. If someone built a computer to automatically generate an action movie, this would be the result. Bland, boring sludge.
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Ninja Scroll. Yuck. Just...yuck. This movie features some of the most disgusting scenes in anime, including one where a soldier's arms are torn off. But it's just not gore, oh no! There's also sexually explicit material. If people cite cases of extreme violence in anime, they'll likely mention this title.
Anime to Skip
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Naruto. While this series features some great battles, it also features far too many flashbacks (sometimes recounting events earlier in the same episode) and leaves too many promises unfulfilled. This series, minus a few of the great fights, is better as a manga.
Anime to skip: Those Who Hunt Elves, Fushigi Yuugi, Hunter X Hunter OVA 2, Hunter X Hunter: Greed Island, Escaflowne, Kono Minikukumo Utsukushii Seka, Prince of Tennis.
Anime I Could Take Or Leave
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Akira. Yes, yes, it's an anime classic. It's also utterly confusing to the anime initiate. The result of trying to pack too much manga into too little movie, this movie left me saying, "Whaa?" after it was over. I would probably have enjoyed it more if I hadn't seen far better beforehand. Also contains explicit violence.
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Neon Genesis Evangelion. This was one of my first ventures into anime and I wasn't scared away, so it must do something right. The atmosphere of the series, the hint of something constantly lurking under the surface, and the lack of a real "hero" sets this apart from Western art. The long silences, confusing plot twists, and dominance of Freudian and Jungian theory may cause some Western viewers to swear off anime forever. This is a series to watch because it is part of the anime essentials--not because you'll particuarly enjoy it. Imagine it as the "1984" of anime.
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Hunter X Hunter. While this series features the same "Can we please get on with this?" action as Naruto, it ends with episode 60-something and then continues in a second and third OVA. As long as you stop watching after the first OVA, you're set.
Other anime I could take or leave: Slayers, Slayers Next, Slayers Try, Outlaw Star, Grenadier, Last Exile.
Anime I Would Recommend
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Rah Xephon. This series features some of the most beautiful art I have ever seen in anime. The plot is a bit confusing at times, but still worth a watch. Should you decide to skip this series, I still recommend watching episode 19. It is one of the saddest and most well written episodes of anime I've ever seen.
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Hamtaro. Yes, that's right. I said Hamtaro. While I'm not a huge fan of the series, it does contain a certain charm that makes it a fitting introduction to anime for children.
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Scryed. While not the best series out there and occasionally suffering from formulaic plot development, this series presents two lead characters, neither of which is suited to the title of "hero" or "villain." The series seems to end early in episode 24, making the end a bit anticlimatic. Still, a good series overall.
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Vandread, Vandread: Second Stage. I did not include this series in the "Series You Must Watch" list only because I seem to be the only one of my friends who loved it. It features an interesting premise (men and women live on separate planets and the genders are at war with each other) which the writers execute quite well.
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FLCL. It seems people either love or hate this series. I, as you can tell, loved it. I didn't mark it as a must-see because it seems to polarize anime fans. I enjoyed the humor, the artwork, and the animation style. I watched the series in a time when I was in desparate need of something new and it did not disappoint. It also features one of the coolest villains ever.
Other anime I would recommend: Ghost In The Shell (caution: adults only, contains nudity and violence), Ghost In The Shell 2 (not for children, but for different reasons than the first--more cerebral and mature than children would enjoy), Ghost In The Shell: Standalone Complex, Ghost In The Shell: 2nd GIG, Jubei-chan, Jubei-chan 2, Bleach, My HiME, Samurai 7, Samurai Champloo, Panda Z.
Anime You Must Watch
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Read or Die OVA, Read or Die TV. Can't watch one without the other. Start with the OVA. This series is my favorite of all time, featuring the character development, plot complexity, and emotional involvement of the viewer that represents what anime can be at its best. If there is one series I could recommend to the world, it would be Read or Die.
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Cowboy Bebop. The series that breaks all the rules. It was licensed in the US and it still rocks. The English voice actors are better suited to the characters than the Japanese voice actors, making the dubbed version enjoyable to watch. The series received tons of attention in the US; Cartoon Network even picked it up for its Adult Swim programming. The Cowboy Bebop movie also rocks. Yep. It breaks every rule. The only shortcoming of this series is that the mythology is only presented in three episodes: 5, 25, and 26. Highlight of the series? Episode 17: Mushroom Samba, one of the funniest episodes of anime ever.
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Trigun. Another series that inexplicably received due attention in America, Trigun features some of the best humor and loveable characters in anime. This is anime for the masses--not too deep, not too shallow, and intriguing to the public at large. This series has something for pretty much everyone.
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Nadesico. Now, I seem to be the only one among my friends who truly fell in love with this series. Of course, some of my friends also thought Hellsing was fantastic. Nadesico features loveable characters, an intriguing plot, enough anime standards (standard swimsuit episode, standard episode 14 recap, etc.) without succumbing totally to formula. Most importantly, the series does not take itself too seriously, even mocking the space opera saga by means of the "series within a series," Gekiganger. If you thought Evangelion was too heady and the characters too whiny, Nadesico is the cure for what ails you.
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Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu?. This series is
hilarious. The comic follow-up to "Full Metal Panic," the series is well-suited as a relief from more "heady" anime but still features loveable characters and entertaining stories.
Heh. This post is about four pages longer than I planned. I hope this gives those curious about anime a good starting point.
