The Hobbitjedi - Cartoon & Anime
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The Cartoons and Japanese Anime I've Enjoyed
My primary cartoon viewing days were as a kid back in the 80's watching almost every show that came on the air. To this day, Transformers remains my favorite cartoon of the 80's. Being a bit older, but a bit nostalgic, I wondered what more was out there. Batman: The Animated Series was probably the first cartoon I saw that broke out of the the cartoon mold I knew. There were actually decent plots and dialogue and a matured sensibility about the show (That and Bruce Wayne/ Batman was neither the psycho the movies made him out to be nor the police officer in a cape the old series made him out to be). Perhaps I'll devote a section to the cartoon sometime later. Anyway, I then discovered anime shows like Gundam Wing and The Big O. (Actually, the first anime show I watched on a regular basis was Ronin Warriors. While the plot was decent, Batman's stories seem stronger. I'll need to work on some stuff for the Ronin Warriors.) These series didn't fit the mold in the same way Batman did not. So, I now find myself looking for similar shows that meet the side of me that refuses to grow up and the side of me that already has. Here's some info on them. Expect this section to grow a bit once I get more time.
Anime and Mecha: Loose Definitions
Anime-a stylized type of animation originating from Japan, usually featuring, but not limited to, characters with large eyes and an intricate plot line that sometimes borders on being confusing. (The latter may be due to translation. Sub-titled or dubbed, I can still get lost.)
Mecha- typically, an advanced robot often piloted by a person, but the term can also refer to any type of mechanical construct such as ships, tanks, etc.
Otaku-a devote fan or anime geek, but more recently, the term has come to simply refer to a fan of anime.
Big O
The Big O made its debut to American audiences on Cartoon Network's Toonami. The series has been billed as a mix between Batman: The Animated Series and Gundam. The plot was intriquing but unfinished. The Big O, the giant robot of the series, has an older mecha style that is less realistic than Gundam sometimes tries to be, but it fits the series. The series ends in a cliffhanger at episode 13 and no more episodes have been made. Hopefully, that will change. Here's the story:
The inhabitants of Paradigm City have no memory of their past due to a disaster no one can remember. Humanity has learned to use the technology around them, and people seek to remember what was forgotten. Roger Smith, a negotiator, pilots the Megadeus, the Big O, in order to protect the city from its never-ending assault of giant robots. He is aided by an android name Dorothy and his butler Norman. Click the logo for some info and images from the series.
Escaflowne
Escaflowne, also known as The Vision of Escaflowne, is a fantasy series that American movie makers should take note of next time they try to do a film of the genre. It is like Final Fantasy in its melding of the medieval world with some modern devices. Knights pilot giant suits of armor, known as a Guymelef, to do battle and mysterious powers abound in the land. The story involves the wisking away of Hitomi, an average school girl who runs track, to the land of Gaea, where the earth, or the "Mystic Moon" as Gaea's inhabitants call it, hangs in the night sky. She must then help Prince Van, who uses the Ecaflowne armor, fight the evil Zaibach Empire spreading across the land. Click the name for some images from the series.
Gundam Wing
Gundam Wing is a show that has helped give Gundam a greater force here in the US. Gundam Wing is an alternate universe series that is but one part of over 20 years of Gundam in Japan. Here's a brief synopsis:
In the year AC 195, After Colony 195, mankind has constructed large colonies orbiting the planet and mobile suits, armored robots piloted by a human, are the main weapons of war. The colonies are being oppressed by the United Earth Sphere Alliance. Operation Meteor sends five young pilots to the earth in Gundams, ultra-powerful mobile suits made from a nearly indestructible and rare alloy called Gundanium, in order to free the colonies. Meanwhile, an organization known as OZ seeks to seize the Alliance for its own purposes. The pilots must determine who there allies and foes are as they try to unify both earth and space.
Gundam Wing has 49 episodes and a three part movie that is both a sequel and, due to its flashback scenes, a prequel. It has awesome music composed by Kou Ootani and some awesome theme songs performed by TWO-MIX. The plot can be complex, sometimes to the point of confusion, and the characters are all diverse and show definite change over the course of the show. The Gundam pilots are Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, and Chang Wufei. Allies and villians, some of them flip-flop on this during the series, include Relena Peacecraft, Zechs Marquise, Lucrezia Noin, Sally Po, and Treize Khushrenada. Only the sequel, Endless Waltz, reveals the true origins of Operation Meteor. Gundam Wing is anime at its finest.
Click the Gundam Wing logo to go to that section, or click on the original Gundam to see images from it and some of the series that followed it: 08th MS Team, 0080: War in the Pocket, and 0083: Stardust Memory. The section for Gundam 0080 is now up and being worked upon.
Transformers
The most logical place to put the Transformers was on the page with the other robots, though it is not exactly anime. Transformers, in its original incarnation, ran in the 80's. It was mainly a vehicle to plug toys, but it worked really well. Thankfully, nostalgia makes up for what the show lacked in the way of plot. The animation and stories, while not excpetional, are pretty good. The movie features much improved animation and had a pretty good plot, even if they did kill off Optimus Prime. Here's the story:
On a world of machines, Cybertron, two races capable of transforming from giant robots to vehicles and other devices are fighting for control. They are the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. The battle eventually comes to earth as some Autobots seek new energy sources. The plot revolves around this continual struggle between the two sides. Transformers, more than meets the eye. . .
Click the logo to see some Optimus Prime wallpapers.
The Big O is copyright Sunrise Inc. Gundam is copyright SOTSU Agency, Sunrise - ANB, and Bandai.
Transformers is copyright Hasbro Inc. and Sunbow Production Inc. Escaflowne is copyright TX-Sunrise Inc.