2005: A Year in Review
In recent years, with the growth of anime and the perpetual increase of the quantity of titles being made, many fans have noticed a dip in the quality of anime on the whole with time, something that some feared would continue forever. That was until 2005; a year that we here at The Nihon Review have seen as a Renaissance for anime. Arguably, no year post-Y2k has delivered as high a concentration of quality titles as the year just completed. Characters are becoming complex again. Stories are becoming more fascinating. And, obviously, aesthetics are ever improving. 2005 has offered a myriad of memorable titles, the following of which are the ones that we here at The Nihon Review believe will define how history will eventually view the best year anime has seen in this contemporary era.
Introduction by: Sorrow-kun
Anime Highlights from 2005
Sorrow-kun on: Mai-HiME
If there’s a fitting metaphor for Mai-HiME, it’s that this series was a wild rollercoaster ride. Even today, people are still talking about this controversial gem and its dramatic, almost over-the-top, but certainly never dull, second half. If there was a series that could serve as a precursor to how amazing 2005 was going to turn out, it was this one. Even though it’s probably been talked about to death, one of the things that I don’t think it receives enough credit for is just how well it managed its monster-sized cast. This, in my opinion, is something that I cannot speak highly enough about. If only the ending wasn’t so terrible…
Tamashii on: BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad
There’s no doubt: there is a lot of laughter and joy in watching BECK. The music, BECK‘s defining feature, is an acknowledged accomplishment, setting a new standard of quality for rock scores. The creators broke through many challenges (the budget and the manga-to-anime adaptation among many others) to give us something incredibly memorable and incredibly entertaining. This anime counterpart mirrored its manga predecessor almost to perfection, with the story and characters relived in live color. Though the ending was contrived, it worked, and unfortunately, was a sign that there was to be no second season. BECK was 2005’s highlight. Every rock anime from now on will have a new standard to adjust to, but never to surpass.
Sorrow-kun on: Fantastic Children
Fantastic Children featured one of the most amazing stories of the year. It may have started slowly, but once it reached its second half, it turned out to be an engrossing epic filled with love, conspiracy, distrust, betrayal and sin; all the elements of a fascinating story, and all brought together perfectly. With amazing moments, monster plot twists and heroic characters, this is one that unfortunately went far further under the radar than it deserved.
DarkKanti on: The Place Promised in Our Early Days
Acclaimed director Shinkai Makato‘s latest work, the technically brilliant The Place Promised in Our Early Days, is probably one of the best movies to come out of 2005. With stunning visuals and sweeping music, the presentation is clearly top notch. The characters and plot is what makes watching this worth the time. Although it occasionally gets bogged down by the incoherent techno-babble and sc-fi elements, its beauty surpasses all its flaws and makes for an amazing movie.
Sorrow-kun on: Ganktutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
It’s almost a shame that GONZO‘s futuristic adaptation of Alexander Dumas‘s timeless tale of revenge has gone as unnoticed in the west as it had in the east. But Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is, to the few who have snatched it off the shelves, the GONZO‘s greatest masterpiece to date. Boasting a unique animation style and a strong dramatic plot, Gankutsuou’s characters are as rich and enigmatic as its art. Complimented by an amazing classical soundtrack and a pulsating atmosphere, Gankutsuou captures the essence of Dumas’s classic tale perfectly.
GenkiSakura on: Howl’s Moving Castle
Just because Hayao Miyazaki is over 60 years old, that doesn’t mean he can’t direct a brilliant fantasy film (he’s brought that down to a science). He does so in Howl’s Moving Castle, a film based on the Diana Wynne Jones book of the same name. With romance, action and charming characters, along with the usual wonderful artwork and score, Howl’s Moving Castle is a gorgeous film. Although the ending may seem to leave lingering questions, the overall package is stunning, making it a worthwhile anime of 2005.
Sorrow-kun on: AIR
If there’s an anime that burns a big hole through the common conception of the dating sim genre, it’s Key‘s AIR. Many words describe what is almost inarguably the best visual novel-to-anime adaptation to date: mysterious, melancholy, morbid, moving. AIR is an aesthetical triumph, boasting one of the most vibrant, beautiful and fluid animation. Similarly, the soundtrack is breathtaking. But, I wouldn’t be talking so highly about this series if art and music was all it had going for it. Its story is another tier above the poorly executed melodramatic muck one usually sees in dating sim anime. Its characters are similarly compelling. It is for this reason that I think AIR‘s memorable story could blaze a new path that the rest of the genre would be foolish not to follow.
DarkKanti on: Eureka 7
Eureka 7 is the next big thing to come out of Bones, a company known for such hits as Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven’s Door and Fullmetal Alchemist. This 50 episode series has yet to finish, but has some serious eye candy in both the animation and character design categories. Although the plot hasn’t come full circle yet, the characters are deep and enticing. This is definitely one to look out for as it continues its run into 2006.
Sorrow-kun on: Honey & Clover
From the minute you see Honey & Clover‘s bizarre opening sequence the expectations generally are for something unique. At its core, Honey & Clover is a slice-of-life series, its introspective analyses of its characters are nothing short of profound. These are realistic people, the types we know (or even are) in real life, making them particularly easy to relate to. They go through the same lessons we all have (and some we haven’t) in a way that’s interesting to the audience. It’s made to provoke thought not about just what we see on the screen, but about ourselves; the character development is exquisite. Takemoto’s ride is, without doubt, the best example of character development I’ve seen for a very long time in anime.
DarkKanti on: Fukatoi Alternative
One of the most fast paced and fun shows of the year is Fukatoi Alternative. Set in an alternate universe from the much more mundane Fukatoi, Alternative brings along memorable characters and some of the most fun you’ll have watching anime. The first episode alone is enough for anybody to immediately make a connection between Alternative and FLCL. What really makes Fukatoi Alternative shine above the rest, though, is its lead character Rentarou, as he is one of the best and most original male leads this year.
Sorrow-kun on: Speed Grapher
Speed Grapher is a series that compels its audience to throw away any and all misconceptions about the direction GONZO is heading in. Its story isn’t quite on the level of Fantastic Children or Gankutsuou, but it’s very close. Featuring impressive plot twists and one of the most intriguing antagonists of the year, Speed Grapher‘s action packed storyline is littered with innovative fights and characters that grow through reflection and development that some doubted that GONZO was capable of. The ending was extremely satisfying to boot. If only the darn thing had been animated better.
DarkKanti on: Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid
For the people following the Full Metal Panic! series, this new season was one of the most highly anticipated titles, and fortunately for all of the fans, The Second Raid delivered. Sporting the best visuals yet out of the FMP! series, The Second Raid takes a much more serious stance compared to its predecessors. The action oriented plot is not only pleasing to the eyes, but also to the mind. The Second Raid brings along some excellent character and relationship development between the two protagonists, Chidori and Sosuke. All these reasons and more make Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid one of the highlights of 2005.
Kuma on: Hell Girl
Hell Girl is a treat for horror fans. Each episode thus far has been a short story where a character makes a deal with the Hell Girl to drag a hated rival/antagonist/generally bad person immediately to Hell at the cost of his/her own ultimate damnation. The episodes paint a picture of humanity’s darkest sins and the desperate measures people take when left with no other options. Not many episodes have been released yet and the ones that have been are repetitive, but the show is brimming with psychological and philosophical potential. I hope Hell Girl doesn’t settle for simply being creepy and lives up to the potential that will make it one of the year’s best.
DarkKanti on: Paradise Kiss
Manga fans rejoice! Paradise Kiss has finally gotten its own anime adaptation. Staying true to the beautiful artwork in the manga, the series itself flaunts topnotch visuals. The music is also noteworthy as the band Franz Ferdinand lends their musical talent to the ending theme. However, it’s the give and take relationships, particularly between Yukari and George, that shine most in this series.
Kuma on: Mushishi
Fans of myths and fables will definitely want to check out Mushishi. In a pre-industrial world, Ginko, a “Mushishi,” travels the land helping people deal with various problems caused by Mushi. Mushi are ectoplasmic-like creatures that take on many forms. Mushishi draws you into its world so well that you will forget that you are watching an anime and think that you are actually there. With haunting music and simple yet beautiful artwork, Mushishi feels like Kino’s Journey with the focus being on myth instead of philosophy (although there is some of that, too).
The Best Anime of 2005
DarkKanti: In a year filled with so many phenominal series, movies, and OVA’s, it is incredibly difficult to choose a favorite, let alone a “best;” however, there was one title that I looked forward to and ultimately enjoyed the most, and that was Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid. Every FMP fan should see this (the third) season as it is without a doubt the very best FMP has yet to offer. Although the ending might have been wrapped up a bit too quickly, the massive amount of character developement and edge-of-your seat battle sequences completely set a new bar for the action genre.
Tamashii: 2005 saw a spurt of excellence, with shows such as The Promised Place in Our Early Days and Fantastic Children. But, Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad epitomizes this newfound quality with its rock-anthems and stark characters. The results are in, everyone: Beck is 2005’s best.
Sorrow-kun: For all the great titles of this year, no matter what I saw, there was one in particular from early in the year that I just couldn’t forget, one that outshone all of these titles in my eyes (if only by a very small margin). That anime was BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad. Possessing an excellent atmosphere, great character personalities and character development, and a fascinating story, few coming-of-age stories rival BECK, anime or not.
Genkisakura: 2005 got a boost when Hayao Miyazaki released another artistic gem in the form of Howl’s Moving Castle. Chock full of quality artwork and music from start to finish, it doesn’t fail to please as one of the best of 2005.
Kuma: Of all the spectacular shows, Mushishi had many things I did not see in other titles this past year. With a unique world the likes of which I have not seen since Last Exile, philosophy that reminds me of Kino’s Journey, and a subdued atmosphere reminiscent of Haibane Renmei, Mushishi has much in common with some of the best anime out there and will definitely be talked about for years to come. As long as titles like Mushishi are being made, an anime renaissance will never be out of the question.
2005 was a special year due to the massive concentration of high-caliber titles. To speculate whether the future for anime will be as bright as what we’ve experienced this year, or if history will view 2005 as an unfortunately fleeting highlight for the medium is difficult without that elusive crystal ball. As anime fans, all we can do is remain optimistic, yet vigilant in our support for the medium. But, when we see as many quality titles as we’ve been treated to this year, we have reason to be encouraged about the future of modern anime.
Conclusion by: Sorrow-kun
