All in Anime
GARGANTIA ON THE VERDUROUS PLANET
Plot twists develop that are unexpected and handled in surprisingly dramatic and original ways. I found the series getting more interesting as it progressed as it addressed issues of militarism, greed, social structure, duty, honor, generational transition, artificial intelligence, and reliance on technology.
Hiroyuki Okiura's LETTER TO MOMO
What a lovely, gentle, and funny film this is!
Yasuomi Umetsu’s KITE
Kite from 1998 has an infamous reputation.
Shinji Aramaki's SPACE PIRATE CAPTAIN HARLOCK
There’s so much eye candy displayed you almost forget about the labored exposition and hackneyed plot.
Eric Khoo's TATSUMI
Tatsumi is an adult animated film about the life and short stories of Yoshihiro Tatsumi who is often credited with starting a movement in Japan to publish adult-themed manga comics.
Hayao Miyazaki's LUPIN THE 3RD: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO
This is Miyazaki’s first feature films. It portends a lot of what’s to come in his career: dizzying action, vibrant color, clever stories, strong females, and humor.
Akiyuki Shinbo's LE PORTRAIT DE PETITE COSSETTE
A young man becomes obsessed with the spirit of a murdered girl he finds entrapped in a glass in the antique shop where he works.
Hayao Miyazaki's PONYO
This is some of Miyazaki’s best work. It’s enchanting, touching, sentimental, funny, and occasionally, simply astonishing. Miyazaki has a gift for capturing the honesty and wonder of childhood yet he does so without sugarcoating or pandering.
Fumihiko Sori's VEXILLE
This movie has plot holes galore, the graphic concepts and technologies are derivative, and the characters are oddly un-engaging. Still, it moves along at a very fast clip, the story itself is unusual, and some of the action sequences are spectacular.
Mamoru Hosoda's “THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME”
At first I thought, “Uh-oh, this is another one of those interminable animes about Japanese high school kids dealing with adolescent angst.” Boy, was I wrong.
Keiichi Sugiyama's ORIGIN: SPIRITS OF THE PAST
The visuals and artwork are impressive but the characters and story are a letdown.