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Question:
I love being an anime fan and as a red blooded male I love having a natural attraction to male fanservice. Moe, Lolicon, Ecchi, Hentai, Yuri, and Shoujo-Ai. However nothing dampens my enthusiasm faster when female anime fans use the sexist card making me feel ashamed for enjoying such cute and erotic material. I am a rational adult and I am able to distinguish reality from fantasy and I treat females with the utmost respect. What can be said to female anime fans to show that we aren’t sexist pigs?

Answer:
To my own dismay as well, American perceptions of entertainment media, morality, social responsibility, and political correctness have evolved and gradually become so extensive, convoluted, and contradictory that, at times, the obvious solution isn’t evident. To quote Star Trek’s Dr. Beverly Crusher, “If there’s nothing wrong with me… maybe there’s something wrong with the universe.” If the rational assumption is made that entertainment fiction appreciated by sane and rational consumers can and even should appeal to its viewers’ favored predilictions, then there’s absolutely nothing innately wrong with fan service of any variety in anime. Nor is there anything intrinsically wrong with reasonable, rational viewers enjoying entertainment media that’s specifically designed to entertain. In effect, the ultimate problem isn’t the media or the viewer; the conflict is the critic that steadfastly clings to a biased, persecutory attitude without considering all of the relevant circumstances.

I’m not fond of playing advice columnist, but in this particular case, stating the obvious seems appropriate. If you’re unable to convince particular women that you’re an ethical, rational person that indulges your natural instincts via fiction while maintaining a perfectly appropriate social civility, the problem isn’t you; it’s the women you’re facing. If the women you’re opposite to are so narrow-minded that they refuse to acknowledge the evidence before them and instead adhere to their groundless, irrational moral outrage, find other, more rational women to associate with and talk to. If the women you’re concerned with refuse to recognize reality, then nothing at all you do or say will be able to change their minds. You’re facing a simply unwinnable battle, so the only options are to continue suffering demeaning, unreasonable and inaccurate moral chastizement from these women, or distance yourself from them and associate with friendlier, more reasonable people. Simply put, haters are gonna hate.

Question:
I might be in the minority when I ask this but why do Western anime fans try to draw parallels with anime and reality? I mean anime is fiction, I can understand viewer association but even anime like that is fictional to a degree. So why do fans need anime to be down to earth as possible in order for it to be enjoyable?

Answer:

This question elicits a bifurcated response, and ironically the explanatory principle doesn’t always manifest in reality. Certainly anime is fiction. Even more than live-action movies, which at least star human beings and frequently occur in real-world settings, anime is fiction because literally everything is made up, either hand-drawn or crafted with computer generated imagery. But the visual appearance of anime doesn’t distance its concepts and content from reality. Viewers would be wise not to base a comprehensive perspective of Japan and Japanese culture on its depiction within anime, but anime does, to an extent, reflect the common appearance, culture, and routines of Japan. After all, if anime was entirely foreign to Japanese viewers, it wouldn’t be as popular as it is. Small details in anime like homes with front gates, “uchimizu” (splashing water on the sidewalk), the popularity of family restaurants, school sport & culture festivals, after school clubs, sailor suit school uniforms, crowded commuter trains, typical Japanese foods, neighborhood shrines, drunken salarymen, and the relative scarcity of foreign visitors in rural Japan are all common tropes that do actually reflect real, everyday Japan. But other aspects of Japanese anime, including lunch on the school roof, teens living alone, and even the frequency of groups of teens of mixed gender, are exaggerated in anime for stylistic and narrative effect, not to mention that naturally the supernatural and sci-fi aspects of anime are complete fiction. So extrapolating some degree of parallel between anime and reality is not inappropriate. Furthermore, American fans sometimes allow their affection for anime to manifest in reality in the form of dyed hair colors and pointless goggles in public.

However, at the same time particularly Americans suffer under the yoke of an intrinsic abhorrence of escapism. Ironically, while Hollywood leads the world in the development of fantasy, Americans are socially encouraged to recognize reality. From the pitiful characterizations of literary characters like Holden Caulfield & Willy Loman that don’t recognize cold reality, to the American political accusation that politicians and the rich don’t understand the common man, to the widely held belief that comics and cartoons are for kids, American adults are inundated with encouragement to dismiss fiction, fantasy, and dreams in favor of goals and reality. Whether the fiction is literature, comics, games, movies, toys, or anime, Americans are encouraged to put away children’s toys and become adults, guiltily enjoy a temporary break from reality but never dwell in fantasy. American anime fans are thus caught between a personal compulsion to indulge their fascination with fantasy and external pressure to disregard juvenile past times. So the compromise is to consume fiction and fantasy that’s not far removed from reality. American otaku claim to appreciate realistic, dramatic anime because they feel justified and rational in doing so. There’s less reason to be embarrassed by watching cartoons if the animation is “realistic” and doesn’t revel in juvenile fantasy.

The irony, however, is that typical American otaku appease their conscience by claiming to appreciate and desire serious, dramatic, realistic anime, yet when anime appear that actually do exhibit those characteristics, like Human Scramble, Bartender, Ristorante Paradiso, Master Keaton, and Only Yesterday, American otaku typically don’t watch them. While we commonly claim to enjoy and desire realistic anime, we frequently only express that opinion to protect our egotism when we actually, honestly prefer and routinely watch more fanciful, fantastic anime. A film like Tokyo Godfathers is outstanding and relatively realistic, yet exponentially more American otaku will purchase and watch a complete fantasy anime like the bestselling Rosario+Vampire or High School of the Dead.

Personally, I honestly do appreciate and enjoy realistic, dramatic anime, but not as much as capricious, imaginative fantasy anime. I’m not embarrassed whatsoever by my wholehearted enthusiasm for anime, and I don’t feel any compulsion at all to justify, rationalize, or misrepresent my affection for anime. I encourage other otaku to adopt a similar perspective. Superficially claiming to prefer “realistic” down-to-earth anime as a psychological defense mechanism is pointless because the effort doesn’t convince anyone of anything important in any meaningful way. I think that anime fans should honestly embrace whatever variety of anime they most enjoy regardless of perceived criticism from peers. Claiming to appreciate realistic anime, just to appear more adult and objectively sceptical, is a fruitless effort. Viewers that genuinely prefer “realistic” anime should express that preference when appropriate. Those who honestly appreciate more fanciful anime should just admit their preference to themselves and others and simply enjoy whatever they enjoy instead of pretending to have tastes that they don’t. Anime is an entertainment medium. If we don’t watch the anime that entertains us most, we do a service to no one.

Question:
Is Bodacious Space Pirates the new Bubblegum Crisis? That is a sci-fi show which has good buzz in anime fandom, but not necessarily broad appeal. I’m saying that, because like BGC, I don’t find myself “getting” what people find intriguing about the show. To me, ‘Pirates is essentially a series incorporating the same techie jargon as the director’s other space show, Nadesico. But, again like BGC, it uses current anime female tropes as the highlights. Not to mention that it balances its sci-fi elements with slice-of-life situations like BGC. My theory for why BGC even took off in the first place was that there was a following for cyberpunk-themed stories in the 80s, but it was not yet the norm for anime to adapt cyberpunk just yet. BGC got out of the gate first, so it got the glory. So I imagine something similar going on with Bodacious Space Pirates. It’s not the norm to see traditional SF storytelling in anime anymore, so even though it does not stand out very well, BSP is embraced, simply for not easily going the harem route with its female entourage.

Answer:
Based on its first half, I can reflect upon the current Moretsu Uchuu Kaizoku anime series and make comparison to other anime, although Bubblegum Crisis is not a title which I personally would immediate think to compare it to. I’m opposed to the official English title of the show for two reasons. Having been a young teen in the 1980s, I inexorably associate “bodacious” with gagging by spoon. Furthermore, there’s absolutely nothing especially “bodacious” about the admirably restrained Moretsu Uchuu Kaizoku anime series. I respect the show’s deliberate, gradual narrative development and slow, natural construction of character introductions and relationships; however, I wonder if, at its current pace and style, it will be able to sufficiently explore all of its attributes. Among other considerations, I’ve noticed that the series has yet to even introduce one character prominent in the series’ cast photo. Perhaps as a by-product of the series languishing in development for so long, the tall black man in the cast shot at the end of the opening credits is not in the show, and prominent cyborg tactical officer Schnitzer is not in the cast shot.

Moretsu Uchuu Kaizoku may have earned some respect among viewers simply for being a serious bishoujo space anime, the first since 2009′s Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo and, prior to that, 2005′s Starship Operators. I’m consciously overlooking 2007′s Rocket Girls because nearly all of that series occurred on Earth, and 2009′s Kiddy Girl-and because it’s neither serious nor good. The first dramatic bishoujo space anime in four years is, in the context of the contemporary anime fan community, just a few months short of an eternity. So the show almost certainly has gained some praise for being relatively unique and different from contemporary conventions. The show additionally earns some praise for emphasizing believable, scientific drama and reasonable, rational situations and conflict resolution rather than overt sensationalism and gimmicky fan service.

But comparison to Bubblegum Crisis seems inappropriate and unjust, at least so far. Particularly the 1987-1991 Bubblegum Crisis OVA series remains quite beloved not due to rose-colored nostalgia but because it’s quite good. Bubblegum Crisis featured rational, thoughtful adult female characters with multi-faceted personalities, captivating mecha designs, a fascinating and believable cyberpunk world concept, and intense, genuinely affecting action. Particularly Bubblegum Crisis OVAs 1-3 and 5-7 still hold up today as excellent sci-fi action anime, even compared to contemporary descendants like Infinite Stratos. While Bubblegum Crisis has earned its position in the lexicon of anime history, the question this response addresses proving that very fact, I don’t feel assured that Moretsu Uchuu Kaizoku will be so fondly remembered and respected twenty years from now. Although Moretsu Uchuu Kaizoku is commendable for taking a respectable, serious narrative approach rather than the lowbrow exploitation route, its narrative is poorly fleshed out, and its supporting characters fare even worse. Bubblegum Crisis viewers know, understand, and love the Knight Sabers. Vision’s quest for revenge is passionate. Priss’ story arc related to Sylvie is emotionally devastating. Moretsu Uchuu Kaizoku viewers objectively learn Gruelle Serenity’s target within the golden ghost ship but never clearly understand, and more importantly never feel her motivation. Viewers are told, not shown, the impact of the reclamation of the golden ghost ship. The Bentenmaru’s bridge crew are unique characters, yet viewers don’t care for them, presently, as anything more than orbital supporting characters. Viewers hear plenty about “Blaster Ririka,” yet Rikika Kato contributes nearly nothing to the story. Chiaki Kurihara is one of the show’s most appealing characters, yet so far she’s proven entirely superfluous. She’s done absolutely nothing clearly vital to the narrative so far that couldn’t have been done by someone else. While Bubblegum Crisis draws viewers into its world, story, and characters, Moretsu Uchuu Kaizoku viewers passively observe and appreciate the story told without feeling personally invested in it.

Bubblegum Crisis is a classic. When it fires on all cylinders, it excels to an effective excellence that practically no other bishoujo sci-fi action anime has matched since, despite efforts from shows including Bakuretsu Tenshi, Kiddy Grade, Tetsuwan Birdy, Senki Zessho Symphogear, Shinkyoku Sokai Polyphonica, Strike Witches, and Infinite Stratos. Moretsu Uchuu Kaizoku is a praiseworthy effort, but at it half-way point hasn’t yet concretely embedded itself into the hearts of viewers. In fact, by its half-way point, even 2009′s SoraKake Girl seemed to be more popular in the otaku community than Space Pirates is now, yet a mere three years later SoraKake Girl is practically forgotten. Moretsu Uchuu Kaizoku still has another 12 episodes to earn its immortality among otaku recollection, but if it continues to develop the way its first 13 episodes have, it won’t create the same degree of memorable impact on viewers that six episodes of the original eight episode Bubblegum Criris OVA series did with a strong cast – not just a good protagonist – an engaging world setting, and impactful, affecting action that feels like it has gravity and emotional weight.

Question:
What’s John’s definition of “fan pandering”? I feel like that phrase is one of the most overused buzzwords in the modern anime fandom to describe anime that they don’t like or perceive as bad.

Answer:
Extensive experience watching a vast variety of anime has convinced me that originality is a tremendously overrated signifier of quality. Originality is certainly commendable, but being different doesn’t automatically designate that something is good. In many cases, trends, traditions, and conventional practices exist because they’re most effective while alternatives are less effective. However, utilization or adherence to convention must incorporate some degree of uniqueness, creativity, or originality in order to be distinctive and appealing. Particularly over the past decade, as American anime fans have increasingly found access to a larger variety of contemporary Japnese anime, American otaku have realized that a lot of anime is redundant or derivative. And insecure American otaku that desire justification for watching “cartoons” demand originality, creativity, and literary artistry in anime, frequently dismissing derivative, sensationalistic, or redundant shows as “pandering” and therefore of lesser quality and integrity.

The exact constitution of “otaku pandering” is particularly relevant to me because, coincidentally, just a dozen hours before reading this question watched the first two episodes of the new Accel World anime and found it to be precisely “otaku pandering.” My foremost belief is that anime should be fun and enjoyable,excepting, of course, serious and provocative dramas or educational anime that are not intended to be lighthearted. The broad, logical definition of “otaku pandering” is anime that overtly and deliberately delivers and emphasizes characteristics intended to appeal to established otaku. By such logic, moé anime, in particular, is frequently accused of being “otaku pandering” because it relies upon delivering an established formula of visual design and characterization that Japanese otaku appreciate. But simply delivering cliché alone doesn’t necessarily make an anime bad. Guilty Crown offers a milquetoast protagonist, a supernatural concept previously seen in X and Utena, and even supplemental otaku fetishes like an idol singer and artificial cat ears. Yet Guilty Crown still manages to be moderately interesting because of its fantastic, dynamic, creative action scenes. A-Channel is essentially Lucky Star without the anime in-jokes, yet it still manages to be equally fun because it establishes its own, distinct identity. Shows like B-gata H-kei, Joshikosei, and Gokujo rely heavily on flashes of nudity and the concept of girls behaving crudely. Both characteristics should be cliché and both are certainly beloved viewer fetishes, yet these shows don’t feel like “pandering” because they’re still creative and enjoyable.

When I personally think of “otaku pandering” shows, I think of titles including Accel World, Afro Samurai Resurrection, Hellsing Ultimate, Mardock Scramble, Ergo Proxy, Trinity Blood, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, and almost, but possibly not quite Nisemonogatari. “Otaku pandering” is, or should be, a construction that not only delivers but exclusively relies upon cliché and otaku fetish components. Anime productions like the Hellsing OVA series, Afro Samurai Resurrection, and Mardock Scramble wallow in indulgent, gratuitous violence and thick atmosphere, expecting that those superficial characteristics are adequate to sustain the entire production. Accel World has a nice, superficial, visual design, a one-dimensional protagonist that viewers can easily associate with and root for, and a pair of female characters that viewers are familiar with: the diva-like prima-donna with a human side, and the childhood friend and unrequited love. And Accel World has practically nothing else. The story set-up has no compelling substance: it’s entirely a collection of popular tropes culled from other anime. Just putting a lot of popular settings, character types, and conflicts into a single anime, without doing anything creative or interesting with them, is lazy, uninteresting pandering. It will certainly be popular, but it’s nothing more than the sum of its parts.

Anime productions like Fate/zero and Madoka Magica don’t introduce anything new to anime. Fate/zero relies on viewer familiarity with the characters, settings, relationships and conflicts. It uses music that its producers know is popular among otaku. It employs a lush, atmospheric setting that its producers know that otaku viewers will love. But Fate/zero doesn’t stop there. It doesn’t rely solely upon those attributes. Madoka Magica uses the tropes of magical girl anime and an Evangelion-esque deconstruction of genre. But it’s also compelling and affecting. While it may consist of a bunch of cliché tropes and components, the result is greater than the sum of its parts. Many “otaku pandering” anime exhibit average or even above-average production values. Those production values alone are one of the superficial attributes that the show relies upon to attract otaku. Otaku pandering shows are the ones that assume that if they include several characteristics that otaku are known to love, the anime doesn’t need to inject any amount of thoughtful creativity. The superficial fan favorite characteristics will sell the show. And in many cases, considering the success of titles like Hellsing Ultimate, wallowing in bloody gore that lacks any degree of emotional impact and repeating the same redundant monologues ad nauseam actually is enough to satisfy otaku.

Fan service is not inherently bad. If anime didn’t provide anything that viewers enjoy seeing, we wouldn’t watch anime. The reason we enjoy and respect anime is because anime delivers the characteristics that we want to see in an interesting way. Good anime, regardless of age or genre, engage viewers by evoking a greater, more emotional response than a mere knee-jerk visceral reaction. Trinity Blood is dynamic looking. It features gothic atmosphere, gunplay, vampires, attractive characters – all elements that otaku like. But it fails to, or arguably doesn’t even try to evoke a greater, deeper, more emotional connection with the viewer beyond merely satisfying a desire for visual flashiness and “cool.” It’s attractive to otaku in particular on the outside but empty inside, summarizing the figurative description of “otaku pandering.”

Question:
Recent times have seen the return of quite a few exceptional anime directors, including Hamasaki Hiroshi (Steins;Gate), Satou Keiichi (Tiger & Bunny), Ikuhara Kunihiko (Mawaru Penguin Drum), Watanabe Shinichirou (Sakamichi no Apollon), Yamamoto Sayo (Lupin the Third: Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna), Okiura Hiroyuki (Momo e no Tegami), Shiotani Haoyoshi (Blood-C: The Last Dark), and Kizaki Fuminori (X-Men). Are there any other anime directors you feel should have a come-back?

Answer:
Honestly, I had to ponder this question for a time because we naturally recollect the directors who are active today but tend to somewhat forget those who are not. Furthermore, legitimately expecting particular directors to take charge of new productions partially requires a recognition of the director’s age and activity. Certain directors have retired or consciously removed themselves from primary creative roles to background, supporting roles. Initially Takahashi Ryosuke sprang to mind, but he’s directing the current Ozuma television series. On further consideration, I thought of four additional animators who have been frustratingly quiet of late.

Daisuke Nishio’s directorial style isn’t obvious or pretentious, but achieving the goal of all directors, Nishio’s productions are consistently enjoyable. Highlights from Nishio’s career include helming the Dragon Ball anime franchise, 3×3 Eyes, Air Master, and the first two seasons of Pretty Cure. His most recent work as a director was the highly amusing Dragon Ball-esque “Odd One Out” segment of 2010′s Halo Legends anthology. Whether directing children’s anime like Dr. Slump and Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro, mainstream adolescent anime like Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo, One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, and Pretty Cure, or darker, otaku-oriented anime like 3×3 Eyes and Crying Freeman, Nishio consistently produces anime that’s enjoyable to watch. His last work as a TV director was the widely ignored 2008 CG anime RoboDz.

Yoshiaki Kawajiri has kept active in anime production, recently working on shows including Chihayafuru, Blade, Iron Man, and the Tibet Inu Monogatari motion picture. He’s given fans unforgettable anime including Yoji Toshi, Jubei Ninpucho, and Vampire Hunter D (2000); however, Kawajiri hasn’t sat in the director’s chair since 2007′s Highlander anime film, a movie that’s much better in its Japanese “director’s cut” than in its shortened American producer’s cut. Kawajiri’s signature ominous, masculine visual design may seem out of place among the dominant contemporary whimsical tone of anime design, but it never feels old or unwelcome.

Fellow Madhouse allum Rintaro has likewise been active in contemporary anime production, having worked on last year’s Blade TV series and directed the 2009 feature Yona Yona Penguin. But I dearly miss the visionary, eclectic stylist that gave us creative, dynamic , kinetic anime including the “Labyrinth Labyrinths” segment of the 1986 Manie-Manie Meikyu Monogatari anthology, X Densha de Ikou (1987), and Download (1992). Recent directorial works including Metropolis, X, and Tenjho Tenge have been enjoyable but stylistically rather bland: not nearly as unique and expressive as his most creative work from the 1980s and early 90s. I’d like to see that particular Rintaro return.

Animator Mitsuo Iso seems to be in semi-retirement, having contributed animation to the 2010 Welcome to the Space Show motion picture but prior to that only animated in 2007 and 2003 after being prolific in the 1990s. Iso’s singular directorial credit is the universally acclaimed 2007 television series Denno Coil, which he conceptually created in addition to directing. Denno Coil was a masterwork that became a small reference point for popular culture. So a second work from this visionary director is long overdue.

Question:
Fate/Zero first and then Rin-ne no Lagrange. Now rumors are circulating that the upcoming Medaka Box may be split between two cours as well. Do you think this is an emerging trend? Instead of the usual production concerns, could this be a new way of maintaining interest in a franchise or series?

Answer:
At this point in time, I think it’s simply too early to accurately determine whether two cour shows with a 13 or so week hiatus after the first cour are an emerging trend. However, while the the procedure and promise may be both frustrating for fans, the practice also has several encouraging advantages. Traditionally an anime TV series is planned for a limited or ongoing broadcast length. High profile shounen, shoujo, and children’s anime expected to become mainstream hits are developed for an ongoing broadcast that will continue for a year or more. Typical anime are planned for one or two “cours,” 13 week spans that begin in January, April, July, and October. Pre-planning broadcast length ensures that anime don’t overextend themselves, committing to extended production and production costs that may not be justified if the show isn’t popular. Deciding to extend and franchise a surprise hit is much easier than backing out of plans for a lengthy show. The fact that producers have already committed to two seasons of an anime series suggests a strong confidence in the show. Certainly, two divided cours can be interpreted as an “escape route,” allowing producers to cancel or reconsider additional episodes if the first 13 don’t prove successful, but announcing 26 episodes in advance practically obligates the production staff to actually make and broadcast all 26 episodes. More importantly, given the seeming confidence in the title, a season hiatus may allow for a slightly more generous production schedule, allowing the animation producers to put more effort into the weekly episodes and sustain high quality. With the exception of episode 11, last year’s first season of Fate/zero was consistently attractive looking and well animated. The current Rinne no Lagrange TV series has maintained a consistently high level of production quality.

While fans may resent a mid-series cliffhanger and a 13 week hiatus between episodes, the delay may fuel anticipation, which works in favor of the anime and its producers. If the show actually exhibits particularly praiseworthy production values upon its return, it will validate its hiatus and ultimately satisfy viewers more than a single span of 26 weekly episodes with a noticeable mid-series decline in production quality. There aren’t enough particularly strong potential anime titles to make divided two-cour programs dominant or even especially frequent. The majority of future TV anime will likely remain single cour productions, each of which has the potential to be continued. In the case of shows planned for two cours, benefits do seem to exist for splitting the shows into alternating, rather than adjacent, cours. But this practice only seems viable for series with unusually strong backing. The viewer anticipation created by a mid-season break practically obligates higher than average production values that justify the wait and reward the returning viewer. So while split two-cour shows probably won’t be common, viewers can seemingly expect that the ones which are announced in advance will be especially high quality shows that use their mid-season break as extra time to allow for greater production effort than typical shows produced on tight schedules get.

Question:
Recently I have heard a lot about animation quality as one of the qualities when it comes to determining whether an anime is good or bad. But I actually have no idea how one should define good animation quality in anime. Is it detailed colorful frames? Does it have to do with more frames per second equal fluid movement? And finally how does budget affect the quality of an anime?

Answer:
Countless anime fans tend to define their affection for anime with broad terms and generalize reaction with critique. Such exuberance is certainly welcome in the otaku community, but at the same time it can also be irritating because it’s not always technically accurate. Countless fans thoughtlessly say “good animation” when they’re actually referring to visual appearance: character design, color design and contrast, background design. Strictly speaking, “animation” doesn’t refer to how an anime looks; it refers to how an anime moves, literally how well it’s animated.

Film is projected at 24 frames per second while NTSC television is aired at 30 frames per second. In other words, for a Japanese anime movie, each image on the film reel appears on screen for 1/24th of a second. In order to create the image of movement, conventional hand drawn animation has traditionally been produced with twelve drawings photographed to create each second of film. Each drawing appears on two frames of film; when strung together, the images create the impression of movement. This practice of drawing enough art to allow each step in a motion to consist of two frames is called “twos.” Traditionally, in order to save money and time, Japanese animation has relied upon “twos” or even “threes” or “fours” to reduce the number of hand-drawn illustrations necessary to create animation. Reportedly vintage Disney movies frequently used 18, rather than 12, drawings per second to create slightly smoother, more fluid animation. The best traditional animation is animated on “ones,” meaning that a single second of on-screen footage, which consists of 24 or 30 frames of film, was actually created with 24 or 30 separate hand-drawn illustrations. Naturally, drawing, coloring, and photographing that many separate images is time consuming and more costly. For an ideal example of the effect that different animation frame rates make, sample episodes of the 2005 Mushishi anime television series. While standard character movements were animated in typical “twos,” the movements of the ethereal, ghost-like mushi were animated in “ones.” The visual effect is that the fluid, lifelike movement of the mushi appears to be CG rendered when, in fact, it’s all hand-drawn traditional animation.

In practical terms, especially fluid animation stands out. Especially when viewers are used to conventional Japanese animation that uses “limited animation,” animation that takes shortcuts like using “twos, threes,” or “fours” instead of animating every single frame, the visual impact of highly fluid animation is almost jarring. Although the eye can’t distinguish frame count, the mind will unconsciously notice when movement is more fluid. Particularly in the 1980s, when Japan was flush with money and animators had the luxury of indulging their animator’s desires, many anime productions had especially intricate, fluid animation because there was more money available to pay animators to drawn more frames of animation. These days, however, with tighter budgets and schedules, especially well animated anime is far less common. However, occasionally stand-outs like Mushishi do appear. Contemporary anime like Gunslinger Girl, Manabi Straight, Denno Coil, RD Sennou Choushashitsu, and Kamichu have unusually fluid animation. Feature films like Welcome to the Space Show, the Kara no Kyokai movies, and Redline also feature more animation than usually included in anime films, and more fluid, smooth motion animation than usually present in anime features.

Animation quality is certainly an interesting component of anime, and it can certainly advance the quality of an anime. But animation quality alone doesn’t define the quality of an anime and shouldn’t be the foremost criteria that an observer or critic looks at. Shows like History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi, Toriko, and Fairy Tail, for example, have rather poor animation quality yet are still very popular. Anime like Manabi Straight and especially the Crayon Shin-chan movies have excellent animation quality yet aren’t popular among American viewers at all. Appreciating frame rates and technical artistry are intriguing aspects of anime fandom, but examining the trees while missing the forest isn’t the point.

Question:
Lately I’ve been doing research about the most underrated anime titles of all time (taking the amount of approval and attention they got from viewers as a criteria) and for this purpose I’ve read a lot of blogs, reviews, forums and rank lists. But the internet, being as vast as it is, contained various results concerning this topic, some of which came from questionable sources, hence I couldn’t judge the level of their accuracy. I am aware that a fully objective list cannot be made, since the number of animations is “infinite” and the content of such lists vary depending on the researchers. What I am interested in, in this case, is your personal opinion of what the most underrated anime titles of all time are? (among the ones you’ve managed to sample of course.)

Answer:
Properly discussing or categorizing history’s “most under-rated” or under appreciated anime requires careful effort to distinguish a difference between objectively and universally under-rated titles and anime that simply aren’t widely recognized in America or anime which were once highly respected but have since become forgotten. Whenever discussion of under appreciated anime arises, inevitably outstanding titles like Serial Experiments Lain, Denno Coil, Kaiba, Angel’s Egg, Mind Game, and possibly even Gosenzosama Banbanzai will be referenced. However, despite being little known in America, these brilliant productions have been major award winners in Japan and internationally, and have been long respected and acknowledged by knowledgeable Japanese & international critics and fans. So calling these shows “under-rated” is only accurate from the very limited perspective of contemporary American discussion. Without doubt, these aforementioned shows are are among the most criminally under appreciated by average contemporary American viewers, but historically these shows have received better, more deserving reception in Japan and elsewhere. So a more accurate and genuine catalog of truly under appreciated anime would be one that identifies anime that have largely never gotten their due credit anywhere, from any significant audience.

Director Rintaro’s 1992 sci-fi action OVA Download, alternately known as “Down Load: Namiamidabutsu wa Ai no Uta,” is one of anime history’s most criminally lost gems. This stunningly stylized hybrid of Lupin III & Akira noteably features landmark animation from auteur animators Yoshinori Kanada & Tatsuyuki Tanaka, and cyberpunk concepts years ahead of their time. The fact that the OVA has never been released on DVD makes it especially obscure and unseen these days.

A relatively small number of ultra-hardcore connoisseurs of outstanding animation quality respect animator Yoshinori Kanada’s work in the earlier 1984 anime film Birth. However, despite having been released on American home video twice, the movie remains practically unknown and forgotten in America and globally. Perhaps due to its disposable title, “Birth,” or its even worse initial American release moniker “Planet Busters,” and doubtlessly due somewhat to its extremely minimal narrative, the film has never been especially regarded outside of a tiny cult following. Yet this fun film exhibits some of the finest, most detailed, most intricate, and most exhilarating hand drawn and hand painted animation that Japan has ever produced.

In July 2007 Madhouse released its feature film adaptation of Makoto Isshiki’s Piano no Mori manga. The film was only moderately successful at the Japanese box office, and despite being nominated for a best animated film academy prize, it was heavily overshadowed by the heavily promoted and discussed Rebuild of Evangelion movie 1, Tekkon Kinkreet, and Kappa no Koo to Natsuyasumi movies. Since then, the film has settled into relative obscurity despite being, arguably, the finest anime film of 2007. The movie doesn’t have the sensationalism and fantasy of Summer Days with Coo, the name recognition of Evangelion, nor the newsworthiness of a foreign director, but it has more charm, emotional resonance, and honest humanity than any of its higher profile sibling films.

For reasons alien to me, the 2007 Shion no Ou television anime slipped by largely unseen by seemingly nearly everyone despite being a fascinating, gripping and unique series. Perhaps not since 1996′s Kiko-chan Smile TV series had a leading character spoken so little. In fact, the protagonist of Shion no Ou was a mute girl, forcing the anime to convey her personality and thoughts through animation and action. This tense drama series paralleled competitive shougi with the lingering mystery of the unsolved murder of the protagonist’s parents. Naturally, the two narratives are more intertwined than obvious.

Studio BONES’s biggest successes and most popular titles, including Wolf’s Rain, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Soul Eater, have overshadowed what are actually among the studio’s best shows: Niju Menso no Musume, Kurau: Phantom Memory, and Oh! Edo Rocket. Kurau seemed to largely slip beneath the radar in Japan when it aired in 2004. While it does have some domestic fans, it doesn’t seem to be as respected or appreciated as the depth of its characterization should merit. The 2007 Oh! Edo Rocket television series has never been very appreciated in America, but it did garner relatively high praise in Japan. 2008′s Niju Menso no Musume, however, seems to have been largely universally overlooked when it’s an engrossing, distinctive, surprising show that breaks molds by illustrating the maturation of an independent, strong-willed young girl who doesn’t look for romance or approval but instead challenges herself to claim her own independence and ability to fight for her own principles and defend her own values and friends herself.

Possibly because Mizuki Kawashita’s Hatsukoi Gentei manga received a lukewarm reception and surprised many readers with its unexpectedly short publication, expectations for the 2009 TV anime were limited (no pun intended), and countless potential viewers dismissed Hatsukoi Limited as just another disposable schoolgirl anime. However, the few viewers that did give the show a chance found that it was unexpectedly charming and heartwarming, including far more honest and realistic character development than typical of high-school romance anime.

RD Senno Chosashitsu was the second of two collaborations between Production I.G and manga artist Masamune Shirow. Probably due to the weakness of the first collaboration, Shinrei Gari, and limited advance detail on its story, many viewers and critics seemed to ignore “Real Drive.” The show did develop a very small but devoted fan following because Real Drive revealed itself to be an unusually distinctive, beautifully animated, very fascinating slice of intelligent, accessible speculative science fiction.

Regrettably, Fuji TV network producer Koji Yamamoto announced in October 2010 that the Aoi Hana TV series adaptation of Takako Shimura’s yuri manga would not get a second season. Yamamoto expressed disappointment that J.C. Staff had produced an exceptionally high quality anime that not enough viewers and consumers had supported. Aoi Hana is a literally beautiful and very affecting subtle romantic drama about teen girls defining their affections and realizing that they may be more attracted to other girls than to boys. The fact that this touching show didn’t succeed remains one of the great injustices of anime history.

Rather than conventionally underrated, creator Shouji Kawamori’s exceptional 2001 television series Chikyu Shojo Arujuna is widely simply rejected, considered confusing heavy-handed ecological diatribe. Certainly, while the show does aggressively espouse Kawamori’s naturalist philosophy, the anime itself is technically wonderful looking and a groundbreaking, unique merger of Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, and deconstruction of conventional anime tropes. In fact, Arjuna emphasizes that its protagonist acting as a conventional anime hero normally would is actually counterproductive and unnatural. Earth Girl Arjuna is a tremendous, landmark series that’s usually attacked rather than respected.

Creator Ryosuke Takahashi is highly respected for his beloved realistic robot anime Armorer Trooper Votoms & SPT Layzner, yet his most realistic mecha anime is largely overlooked. Although Flag did get a Japanese feature film, its initial production as a web anime limited its exposure. The series’ documentary style makes it unique in the history of anime, but at the same time alienates it from viewers expecting conventional anime. Flag is a fascinating, believable examination of the possible role of mecha in military conflict, so unflinching in its narrative honesty that it’s sometimes frustrating to viewers that want more conventional entertainment.

The 2008 three-episode independently produced CG anime OVA series Hoshi no Umi no Amuri ~ Amuri in Star Ocean gets ignored because it’s CG rather than traditional animation, because it’s independent animation, and because it superficially resembles shoujo anime in outer space. Regrettably, countless viewers that offhandedly disregarded the series failed to recognize its wonderful creativity and absolutely breathtaking visual design. The sheer amount of imagination evident in this series overwhelms nearly every other anime in existence.

Doubtlessly there are other deserving and under-respected anime that I’ve either, myself, forgotten to acknowledge, or which I’m personally not familiar with. I’m particularly tempted to nominate the amazing 2010 Cat Shit One pilot anime which gets a lot of buzz for its novelty yet little respect for its awesome technical prowess and carefully researched and presented realism. Likewise, I’m tempted to also mention the lovely 2005 Arashi no Yori Ni motion picture which is almost totally unknown in America but is more respected internationally, and the superb 2005 Mushishi TV series which does gather praise, yet not nearly as much as it deserves. But I hope that my initial categorization at least provides context for further consideration and discussion.

Question:
Why do you think there was a sudden change to a female director for Lupin? Is there a feeling that Fujiko has not gotten more focus in recent Lupin specials? Or did TMS just want to do something different, since this is an anniversary year for the franchise? Or is just the idea that it’ll help Japanese viewers deal with the recent seiyuu change-up?

Also, is Sayo Yamamoto the first [female] director of any anime in general? I noted her credits on Texhnolyze and Michiko to Hachin, but I do not know many female animators in the industry who get to that level. And will it become a trend, due to male self-serving otaku like Anno alienating regular viewers?

Answer:
I really don’t have any credentialed insight into the production decisions behind next month’s LUPIN the Third ~Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna~ television series, so I can’t say whether TMS Entertainment’s decision to hire a female director was a political or simply practical decision; however, the selection of Sayo Yamamoto feels like a wise choice. Supporting character Fujiko Mine has never has as prominent role in the Lupin III franchise as Jigen and Goemon, nor is she as popular a character as Lupin. So I don’t suspect that a decision was made to thrust Fujiko into the spotlight as an attempt to inflate her prominence. Rather, since this new Lupin TV series has been confirmed to be only 13 late-night episodes impelled to emphasize risqué sensuality, focusing on Fujiko seems like a natural focus since Lupin and his male cohorts aren’t exactly sexy. Furthermore, placing Michiko to Hatchin director Sayo Yamamoto in charge of this re-focused Lupin anime seems ideal because the 2008 Michiko to Hatchin anime series looks and feels almost exactly like a prototype anime starring Fujiko Mine. Particularly given the broadcast length and time-slot, this new Lupin anime is definitely not targeted at the mainstream family audience that conventional Lupin III anime is designed for. Unlike past Lupin anime, next month’s series isn’t airing in prime-time, and it’s not scheduled for an extended broadcast run. The short length, late-night timeslot, shifted focus, and presence of primary creative staffers Sayo Yamamoto & Takeshi Koike all signify that the Fujiko Mine TV series is consciously planned as a short, experimental divergence from the conventions of the Lupin anime franchise designed to appeal to hardcore otaku rather than mainstream, average viewers used to Hayao Miyazaki’s version of Lupin and the typically family-friendly annual TV movies. I don’t think that this short series is intended as an introduction to a new voice cast. When Lupin’s voice first changed in 1995, fans and viewers expressed little anxiety or resistance. The new Lupin voice cast that will star in next month’s TV series, in fact, already premiered in last year’s prime-time “Chi no Kokuin ~Eien no Mermaid~” TV special.

Sayo Yamamoto isn’t a solitary female anime director, although the anime production industry is largely dominated by male directors. Haruka Ninomiya directed the 2005 Suki na Mono wa Suki Dakara Shouganai!! tv series. Mitsuko Kase directed the 2002 Saishu Heiki Kanojo, 2008 Crystal Blaze, and 2009 Ristorante Paradiso television series. Naoko Yamada directed the 2009 K-On! television series. Kiyoko Sayama directed the 1996 Harimogu Harry and 1998 Saber Marionette J to X TV series, 2000 Angel Sanctuary OVA, and 2008 Skip Beat and Vampire Knight TV series. Yukiyo Teramoto directed the 27th and 31st Doraemon movies released in 2007 & 2011. However, female directors do remain an exception in anime production, and despite some sexist rhetoric from noted male anime directors including Hideaki Anno and Hayao Miyazaki notwithstanding, I don’t envision the industry drastically changing in the foreseeable future. Like many industries, the anime industry favors its established routines and status quo and doesn’t encourage massive paradigm shift.

Question:
The other day I was enjoying your run of the mill, average budget anime “Tokko” & out of the blue something caught my eye, the police car was done with CG, it was ugly, it broke the immersion & I hated it, then I started thinking, why do so many anime nowadays use CG weather it’s a random object or a car or a character, is it because it’s cheaper to produce, is it a style thing that I’m not getting, what anime started this trend & how did it become so popular, how does Japanese fans & critics feel about it, it’s not just cheap anime that use CG, even high profile films like GITS & EVA use it.

Answer:
The images above demonstrating early fascination with CG animation come from the pages of This Is Animation Volume 1, published in 1982.

Contemporary anime typically incorporates CG to save time and money, not necessarily for stylistic effect. In the early days of practical computing, computer rendered visual effects were incorporated into 70′s anime like Game Center Arashi & Tekkaman, and full computer animation integrated into anime like the Lensman and Golgo 13 movies for its novelty impact. In the early 1980s CG animation was new and fascinating, suggesting a future possibilities for animation. Animators at the time were excited to experiment with new digital technology and eager to show off new, high-tech animation to audiences. Of course, these days the CG in the climax of the 1983 Golgo 13 movie looks laughably primitive. But time and technology hasn’t really changed that much because a lot of CG rendered objects and animation in contemporary anime still look jarringly unnatural.

In the DVD supplemental “making of” the Armitage III: Dual Matrix movie, director Katsuhito Akiyama points out and praises the film’s car chase, explaining that the extensive use of CG rendered cars created a sense of realistic speed and momentum practically impossible to evoke with traditional 2D animation. Unfortunately, Akiyama seems so enthused with the technical accomplishment that he overlooks the superficial fact that the scene just looks ugly. Initial D serves as a similar but better example. Initial D rendered its racing cars in CG, using the advantages of CG to create a thrilling sense of motion, speed, and momentum. The contemporary eX-Driver anime illustrated its racing cars with traditional animation. While the effort is commendable, eX-Driver doesn’t exude anywhere near the sensation of realistic momentum that the CG in Initial D accomplishes. In effect, CG in anime is sometimes a stylistic choice, and sometimes even a good, effective choice. However, most of the time the incorporation of CG is a necessity rather than a stylistic choice.

Anime, after all, is a commercial product that has to be produced quickly and within budget. Furthermore, a lot of supplemental animation work for Japanese anime is now contracted to Korean and Chinese studios rather than produced within Japan. In traditional 2D animation, everything must be drawn by hand. A car driving along a road is naturally seen from different perspectives. An airplane shifts and tilts as it moves. In traditional animation each of those shifts in perspective have to be separately hand-drawn. These days, animation producers don’t frequently have the luxury of time and animators free to hand-draw multiple shots of a single vehicle in motion. When the supplemental animators are overseas, the animation director doesn’t even have the ability to look and ensure that the animators are skilled at drawing sequential frames consistently. CG eliminates these obstacles. When a vehicle or mecha is rendered in CG once, it never needs to be re-drawn. It can be immediately inserted into anime from any angle or perspective. CG is most often used for mecha, from daily utility machines like automobiles, to giant robots and flying ships. The reasoning should be fairly obvious. Cold, artificial looking CG may be deemed appropriate for inanimate objects, giving them a more metallic, constructed look. CG is less often used for characters, with the exception of all-CG animation, because animators do realize that CG still doesn’t have the ability to look as natural and soothing as traditional 2D illustration. But the anime industry is trying to address even that conflict. Studio 4C’s Berserk movie trilogy is breaking ground in technical animation production by integrating 2D and 3D animation in a way never done before. The Berserk movies merge hand-drawn human faces with CG rendered hair and clothing. The visual effect is a bit distracting and jarring, just as the incorporation of CG in the Golgo 13 movie was thirty years ago. But hopefully the first step taken by the Berserk movies will quicken into a jog that results in other future anime being able to affordably and efficiently depict & animate elaborate costume and clothing designs and even new, previously impossible or impractical character types in routine anime.

All contemporary Japanese animators utilize and rely on some degree of supplemental CG animation these days by necessity. Madhouse’s 2009 film Redline eschewed all CG assistance and, as a result, required seven years to animate. Typical anime can’t afford that much time for animators to draw literally everything by hand. Certain directors, notably Mamoru Oshii and Shoujo Kawamori among them, seem particularly fond of experimenting with and utilizing CG animation. Most animators and viewers realize that the incorporation of CG elements and animation in contemporary anime is simply a practical necessity.