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influential anime, 21st century?
last modified: Monday, December 18, 2006 (12:51:01 AM)
I got this cool Eva figurine from a friend this weekend at a Christmas party this weekend. He knew I liked anime but didn't know that much about it, so I wrote a quick synopsis of the show and implored him to watch it because it was largely responsible for the shape of anime in the late 90s.

Specifically, I mentioned that Evangelion added a lot to the "visual and narrative culture". The sense of self-loathing was relatively new at the time. Unlike all the giant robot shows before, they didn't avoid fighting because of honor and/or thiny veiled pacifist tendencies, they refused to fight because they were really scared of pain and death. The pervasive realist bent to all the technology was also fairly new. Even the sound that the fifth angel's laser weapon makes (you know, the flying cube that drills down to NERV) is now the universal sound of anime-themed destruction (see: Azumanga Daioh and others).

The legacy is obvious: a plethora of mysterious, confusing plots pockmarked with pseudo-religious psychobabble. Evangelion wasn't exactly the first to do this, but it certainly was the loudest.

I think there were better shows/movies from that era, but none with more lasting impact.

That raises the question of this entry. What are the most influential works so far in the 21st century? This is a separate question from "what is your favorite anime?" In twenty years, what will be anime's Radiohead and Saving Private Ryan (read: not necessarily best-ever, but still inspiring to the next wave of creators)?

None of the ones I thought of are the kinds that I think will have any sweeping influence, only little pockets of influence:

Hoshi no Koe
Why: Is this the beginning of serious independant "anime-style" creative animation?
Why not: Makoto Shinkai's followup, Beyond the Clouds, was a garbled mess. Was Hoshi no Koe (Voice of a Distant Star) an accident?

Ghost in the Shell: SAC
Why: Could this be the a step towards mature political/espionage thriller anime with killer CG production?
Why not: Very, very talky when the money isn't on screen. Only half as clever as it seems to think it is.

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
Why: High school drama anime gets a nasty mean streak.
Why not: Treads dangerously into disposable melodrama.

Honey and Clover/Nana... and Genshiken, to some extent
Why: Angsty realist coming of age dramas weasel their way onto the small screen. Eat your heart out Zach Braff.
Why not: What is animation doing that live action can't, if given a proper budget (see Hana Yori Dango)?

But obviously, none of these (off the top of my head) have any sort of universal power to change anime. Can you think of any?
re: influential anime, 21st century?Monday, December 18, 2006 - 9:21:35 AM
JWR

One destined to stand out I would say would be Elfen Lied which is a balancing act between horrific violence & tender moments & SciFi storyline.



re: influential anime, 21st century?Monday, December 18, 2006 - 12:08:52 PM
guyvariii

If you’re talking about fan favorites, I’m guessing Hunter X Hunter, Inuyasha, Naruto and the beginning of Bleach.


re: influential anime, 21st century?Monday, January 08, 2007 - 3:30:16 PM
momo

Definitely GITS followed closely by FMA. Both reshaped the classic narrative, defined what is heroism, and delved deeply into the human psyche and what drives us to do things.

Some argue GITS is too metaphysical and far too cerebral, but in truth that is one of the many directions mankind if exploring and will achieve within the future.

Both explore their share of dark moments, unbridled potential, regret, devotion, rebirth, and coming full circle.