Animation proclamation, a top 10 list
Anime and animated movies. From Dragonball to Batman, what gives? Here are 10 choices in case you wanna dive into crazy plots, crazier characters and the most epic and awesome of Japanese and American fights
10. Dragonball, from the 1st to Kai and beyond
Akira Toryama’s original masterpiece, which is basically a synonym for Shōnen anime, tells us the story of chubby, tailed and spiky-haired Goku, who clearly never realizes he’s the most powerful being the Universe has ever seen.
Nevertheless, Goku is not a story of hard work. I mean, it can be, but it’s also a hymn to camaraderie, comedy, love, friendly love, lovely friendships, basically, the whole package. World building, comic relief characters and truly outstanding fights are also a trademark.
The Portuguese dubbed version is a masterclass in terms of extracting the best the show had to offer. Actually, the guy who voiced Vegeta has a youtube channel today… as Vegeta.
9. Naruto, from Chronicles to Shippuden
Naruto steals a whole lot from Dragonball (least likely of heroes; troubled childhood; beast within) but stands alone in terms of fight choreography, world building, character development (let us forget Anko, mmkay?!) and overall ambience of the show.
The dialogues can veer into the very deep and philosophical (with the likes of Pain and Obito) and Naruto gives us something Dragonball didn’t achieve, from what I recall back in those Goku days: every episode of the Chronicles (1st season, before the time skip) finishes with a ‘good lesson’, in terms of morality, core values, ethics…
It’s a show created by Masashi Kishimoto back in 1997, in loving memory of his dad.
Today it still airs as Boruto, which follows the adventures of Naruto’s first born… Boruto. #kindalamedontfollowit
8. HunterXHunter
Here’s a show… that will knock your socks off. Hunter has Mozart during fights. Hunter has probably the best Japanese composer of all things anime. Hunter has the coolest characters and names (I mean, Zeno, Silva, Leorio?!) you’ve seen.
Hunter has Hisoka. Gon. Killua.
It’s a show that delivers every little thing one can expect from Japanese creations: improbable plots, dystopian world building, awesome movement (light and frame rate, just grand!) and the pace, in my opinion, is unmatched.
It never wears you down, it just hooks you for more and more. There are no fillers on Hunter.
There are three main arcs.
One always better than the previous.
There’s even a ‘live-action’ videogame played by the characters!
Oh, Hunter is about everything we mentioned about the other shows. And more. It feels fresh. It has some new ideas.
Just another… Japanese masterpiece!
7. gen:LOCK
I’ve wrote about this. And there’s why…
6. Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Now movies. This is a flick from 2019, powered by DC and Nickelodeon.
You wouldn’t expect anything… I dunno, you can’t expect anything, it’s animated, it’s not Japanese, it features Batman voiced by a 50-year old and Michaelangelo still acting like a dumbass.
You get the Movie Title and more: Batman villains, some funny easter eggs and a quick n’easy movie to enjoy to make your inner child go… cowabunga.
Even Batman says it! #bossanova
5. Ninja Scroll
I’m just pulling a Kuchyose No-Jutsu (or 口寄せの術, if you know your Japanese) from the dudes at Manga.
Ninja Scroll is just… I dunno… Ninja Scroll?!
A story about honor. Vengeance. More honor. And even more vengeance.
Features a love interest.
Bestiality. Some kind of nudity. Welcome to Manga.
Sorry… welcome to the 90s. And then Manga!
4. Street Fighter II: the Animated Movie
Well… this is probably the only series I can trust you to follow the English dubbed version. Because it is genuinely good. And the soundtrack? Alice in Chains. Silverchair. It’s so American and so good it stinks…
Guile is ridiculous.
Chun-Li is awesome.
Ryu is the GOAT.
Sagat is badass.
And Bison is served a Fatality.
Woops.
Wrong reference here…
3. Spider Man: Into the Spider Verse
Probably the best animated movie to come out in… a decade, or something. It surely is the best Spidey to have come out since… oh, can it be the best Spidey movie until this date?! #yup
The style, the voice acting, the pace, the plot, the gags, the action is just truly outstanding.
And it’s fresh. It adds to what the public perceives as the same old Parker story. This is what hooked me a great deal.
Everybody knows Logan #amnesia
Wayne #daddyissues
With this movie… we learn something else besides the boring and obvious.
And we do so in a rather unique execution. Magical stuff!
2. Just About Anything by Hayao Miyazaki
Stream anything by the Grandmaster of it All. I can suggest, for starters, Princess Mononoke.
You might thank me later…
1. One Punch Man
Season 1: best thing ever.
Season 2: Matrix Reloaded.
It was very disappointing what they did to this show: they could carry it into Dragonball-territory in terms of originality, freshness, gag-per-sec ratio.
One Punch Man is the best I’ve seen.
It tops Hunter in animation.
It tops Dragonball in comedy.
It tops Naruto in dialogues and fights.
One word for you:
Saitama. #GOAT
