According to Twitter, it’s always a good problem when an anime season has too many good shows. This logic is sound: I would rather spend my time choosing between awesome series than trying to find just ONE to hold my interest. In addition to keeping my occupied, it also adds just enough spice to long road trips, because now I’ve got a backlog to work on instead of just staring out the window.

Spring 2013 is one of those good seasons. Seriously, between apocalyptic battles between man and monster, giant robots, elder gods and something new from Gen Urobuchi, it was a challenge to find that one show to follow until summer. So I decided to follow four, with the potential for a fifth to come later. Hence, this will be part one of my Spring 2013 impressions, the second to come after I’ve fully caught up.

First Pick: Valvrave the Liberator

I’ve had a really low opinion of giant robot shows for the past few years. While my “formative time” as an anime fan was spent watching a lot of Gundam, recently (since around the time Code Geass was airing) I discovered how little I cared about mecha as a genre. Gundam AGE didn’t strike a chord with me (or anyone, really…), and I would be hard-pressed to identify a single robot series that I found compelling or interesting. And then came Valvrave.

Off the bat, this show plays like Gundam Seed did a decade ago. Space colonies at war, hidden weapons of destruction, betrayal, espionage, schoolchildren, a stab at the Russians…the pilot was scene for scene a rehash of Seed (with a single nod to Destiny midway through), and yet did not come off as being “fake” in any way. It moved quickly, hooking me as a viewer and making me feel invested in a narrative that’s been done to death by every other mecha franchise since ever.

Then came the “obligatory” curve: the machine itself was either sentient, or some kind of channel for powers beyond the comprehension of man. Cue awesome neon lights, an ass-kicking, and an enemy army on the run. Okay, been there, but this is pretty flashy. What else you got? Pilot gets shot- repeatedly- but gets up and bites a his assailant. Okay, vampires? Unexpected, especially for a science fiction series? No, wait…not vampires…he BODY-SWAPPED with him? And now he can use all those “1337 ninja skillz” against his foes? What IS this show? I DO NOT CARE!

Valvrave, no matter how derivative it comes off at times, is fun, and even a bit refreshing. It drops hints slowly as to what the bigger picture is, so while fans can appreciate the nods to past mecha series, they can also look forward to twists and turns as the story progresses. As of the second episode, none of the characters are all that different from the “cookie cutter” mold established thirty years ago, but the influx of animation technologies and grandiose fight scenes help you forget its “roots.” I’m eager to see where this series goes in the end, but as long as it keeps up the bells, whistles and head-shots, I think I can live with the results. After all, Valvrave is also wicked fun, not bogged down in political jargon or complicated diplomatics. There’s a war, there’s a giant robot, let’s see where this goes. It adds up to being fun, which in the end is one of the major reasons for watching anime in the first place.

Valvrave gets an A, for awesome. And there’s a post-credit scene in episode 1.

Second Pick: Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan)

Last summer I watched a series where humanity was in a state of decline and “otherworldly” beings were now the masters of Earth. This season that theme comes back, but it’s no longer cute little faeries creating bread from rubber, megalomaniacal skinless chickens, and yaoi criticism. Attack on Titan is a dark, moody show that depicts mankind not just in decline, but on the defensive against a powerful, predatory foe eager to devour us all. How does it feel being knocked down a peg on the food chain?

The plot establishes itself quickly: in the face of monstrous, androgynous beings called “Eotena” (who are deliciously creepy thanks to wide grins, sharp teeth and an utter lack of both clothing and genitalia), mankind has withdrawn behind massive walls built to keep our dwindling population safe from being eaten off the face of the planet. These walls, and the people living behind them, have stood for a century without breech, a fact which leaves some of the residents more complacent about our standing in the world. A young boy dreams of a future where he (and the rest of humanity) can rise up and strike down their tormentors, and establish a new world outside the walls, where men are no longer “livestock,” but the true masters of nature.

Then the destruction comes. Confronted with an Eotena far larger and stronger than any encountered before, the walls are breached, and mankind once again becomes cattle to be devoured by their gigantic foes. Attack on Titan weaves together a powerful message of survival, politics, ambition, and annihilation, as the resources and resourcefulness of humanity as a species must contend with forces beyond our control, and capability to fight. The Eotena are mindless killing machines with no thought other than acquiring prey. The soldiers lack courage needed to fight against them, or find themselves hopelessly outmatched. Bravery and food are both in short supply, enough to spur on suicide missions against an unbeatable foe, mostly in the name of “population control.”

Lunch time…

This is a very dismal series. Recalling imagery from “War of the Worlds,” “Berserk,” and “Gojira,” it depicts civilization on the brink on collapse. Heroes are born, but are powerless to institute change. Like its kaiju-cousins, its better to run, hide, and survive than fight back, but where is the honor in that? Is it even possible to be honorable when life as you know it is coming to an end? (Or, as one character puts it: you lack the strength to save the world. I lack the courage.) What must you do to survive? These are themes explored in just the first two episodes, with promises of secret powers and weapons to come later.

Attack on Titan also receives an A, for allegory and adult themes.

A few years ago, I found myself sitting in a movie theatre watching an animated adaptation of Ursula LeGuin’s landmark “Earthsea” series. Produced by the legendary Studio Ghibli, it marked the directorial debut of one Goro Miyazaki, son of the acclaimed animator and storyteller Hayao Miyazaki. I left the show feeling satisfied with the end result, and pondering where this new voice in filmmaking would go with his next piece, should he actually direct a second film.

Earthsea ended up receiving a lot of heat from the animation community, panned for weak storytelling, unfinished ideas and a rushed “feeling” to the entire project. For my part, I saw the film as an emulation of what Ghibli had produced before: it definitely lacked the sense of identity and “personal voice” that classics like “Princess Mononoke,” “Spirited Away,” and “Pom Poko” had utilized to great effect, and at times felt like it was “trying too hard” to be a Ghibli film. Rather than create its own space, it was too preoccupied with fitting a specific mold that its predecessors had established.

not-so-Extraordinary

Much of that blame was laid squarely on the shoulders of the younger Miyazaki. It’s no big secret that his father did not want him making that film. It’s no big secret that the elder Miyazaki had once tried to do the same, but was met with roadblocks from author LeGuin. It’s also no big secret that Goro’s insistence that he make the film translated to tensions between father and son. And it’s also no big secret that Earthsea itself is one of those “impossible projects:” literary works that are downright incompatible with translation to the screen (if you don’t believe me, feel free to watch the SyFy original movie adaptation of Earthsea…or just watch a film version of anything by Alan Moore).

I mention this because over the weekend I was fortunate enough to attend to US premiere of Goro Miyazaki’s latest film, “From Up on Poppy Hill,” a project he worked on in conjunction with his father as a sort of animated “olive branch” between two strained family members. And the first thought to run through my mind after the credits rolled was: “see, he can make a great film with the right source material.”

For starters, this film, which was adapted from the comic “Kokuriko-zaka Kara” by Chizuru Takahashi and Tetsuro Sayama, returns to a time period that Ghibli has had great success with in the past: postwar Japan. Set against a backdrop of the looming 1964 Olympic games, 16 year old Umi Matsuzaki must come to terms with both the loss of her father years earlier, and the emotions in her own heart as she builds a friendship with fellow student Shun Kazama.

This type of story is one that Ghibli has done time and again, from Laputa in the 1980s to 1995‘s Whisper of the Heart: strong themes of love, loss, nostalgia and reconciling the past and present in a time of great change pervade every line and scene, introducing westerners to many of subtle (and often unrecorded) path of “progress” Japan has been on since the mid-1800s. Conflict between heritage, history and embracing the future has been a frequent one, and finding that balance between the two is both challenging and rewarding- in many ways, this film is a sort of “collective version” of the under-known “Only Yesterday,” a similar tale with a similar outcome, and similarly satisfying in its resolution.

As the film progresses (and quite humorously, at that), Umi and Shun becomes leaders in a “cleanup” for their school’s historic “Latin Quarter:” a clubhouse that has fallen into disrepair and is in danger of being torn down to make room for “progress” in the form of a new facility building. As their efforts gradually build, more of their fellow students join in the cause, transforming the repair work into a near school-wide project that serves, as Umi states, to bring them together as a community. More than just a home for the “misfit” clubs, the building symbolizes that intangible connection that runs through all students in the school, and while some might be apathetic to the loss, it simply makes those dedicated to the project work that much harder.

At the same time, Umi is struggling to come to terms with both her lost father, her feelings for Shun, and a revelation that threatens to derail the friendship that has allowed for them to spearhead the Latin Quarter project. This part of the narrative is similar to many that Ghibli has done in the past, and might even be considered obvious for anyone who has watched the “canon” before. Though, in its defense, it is handled very well, and far more “organically” than earlier films like Whisper of the Heart. While the true joy of the film revolves around the Latin Quarter, neither plot feels overblown or underdeveloped, but rather balances and revolves well around each other (something which was lacking in films like Arrietty). You actually care about that old Latin Quarter building- partly because of its playful charm, and partly because of all the students and alumni who cherish the memories they made there. You feel hope for the young Umi, ever diligent in her raising of the signal flags, pointing a way home for her lost father. You laugh at the exaggerated mindsets of the club members, so enthralled by their studies, but still willing to come together for a collective goal that unifies and defines what they share, and are at risk to lose. You actually develop a stake in the entire affair, rather than simply watch a story unfold.

Plot aside, this film is also absolutely lovely to watch: the “Ghibli aesthetic” is wonderfully present in lush colors, the variety of character/face designs and the use of shadow and subtlety to differentiate between cities and settings. Fresh is fresh, dingy is dingy, locations come alive of their own accord- all things that Ghibli has perfected over the years, and viewers have come to expect. While it lacks some of the “fantastic” elements found in the elder Miyazaki’s classics, it still manages to reflect and convey its own distinct form of “old world charm” in both the clubhouse and the surrounding port town. (In particular, that first glimpse inside the Latin Quarter is probably the most “Glibli-like” visual sequence in the film: some might wonder if they would get lost amidst the dust and gathered relics of clubs past.)

When I speak about the films of studio Ghibli, I often make mention that if Earthsea is the worst film Goro Miyazaki makes, it’s a pretty good start to his career. From Up on Poppy Hill is proof of that: his ambition is clearly present in the direction, while his father’s steady hand keeps him from running “off the page.” As a collaborative effort, this film is both solid and enjoyable. It’s not perfect, but much like the setting and story, neither are those who live in it, and that just adds to its charm.

and’s she’s quite the looker too…

In Japan, there is a certain goddess. A pillar of righteousness, she sits high in the heavens, casting her light down upon everything beneath her. Countless other gods, enraptured by her splendor and majesty, hurry about trying to cull favor from this radiant maiden of unearthly beauty. Her name is Amaterasu, the embodiment of the sun itself, ancestor of the imperial family, and possessor of the supreme power of all kami: ready to defend her people at a moment’s notice against evil and ever vigilant in her watch over all those beneath her.

At least until her favorite anime comes on. Then, you’re s-o-l.

A playful entry into the winter 2013 anime season, SHAFT’s Sasami-san@ganbaranai (Ms Sasami @ Unmotivated) is an alternate take on the legend of the sun goddess, told from the point of a cute, hikikomori schoolgirl and her faceless brother. But while the legend of Amaterasu is a tale of bullying, retreat and the eventual emergence of the brilliance of the sun, Sasami’s story is a little more…relatable? Typical? Expected? Actually, it’s hard to put into words.

By day, the spunky Sasami Tsukuyomi is content to lounge around, taking time out of her busy schedule of gaming and sleeping to spy on her elder brother while he works his job at the local high school she should be attending. By night, she demands that he profess his love to her, feed her, wash her and put her to bed, so the following day she can repeat the process. Punish his supposed ecchi moments, act aloof until he’s swooning, and deflect his advances continuously.  Not too different from any pampered princess living out her daily dreams of not doing anything.

But Sasami is different. Unlike a mere mortal royal, she is the heir to the power of the sun itself, and with it has the ability to force anyone – god or human alike – to do her “bidding,” those wishes she has in her heart that she rarely vocalizes. These “transformations” come back to haunt her time and again, but still she resists, preferring the life of a shut in to that of a responsible person. For shame, denying the obligations of the mighty sun goddess- she would never do such a…oh…OH!, I get it now. Clever girl…

From the outset, Sasami-san@ganbaranai borrows liberally from the legend of the “original hikikomori,” Amaterasu. In the legends, the maiden of the sun is driven underground by her brother, the “vile” Susano-o. Taking refuge in a cave, she refuses to come back out, depriving the world of her radiance and allowing for monsters to run rampant. Some clever and enterprising folks manage to use her own envy against her, convincing her (through the use of several well-placed mirrors) that they have chosen a new sun goddess, and luring her back out. From then on her, place remains in the sky, driving off ghostly spirits and giving light to the people. All that’s missing here is the computers.

kawaii…and not a little reminiscent of Chobits…

Sasami, the heir of this cosmic power, lives her life indoors. Every time she attempts to leave the house, a powerful wave of nausea and disorientations overtakes her. She retreats back inside. She finds amusement in petty things. She can’t take care of herself. And her brother, kami bless, him, dotes on her unceasingly. Continue along this path until forced to leave, in order to protect the brother she realizes she loves, from sacrificing himself for her. Not a word-for-word updating of the original tale, but close enough to provide a cute, modern insight into the source material. (Even cuter when you realize her faceless bother Kamiomi is Tsuki-yomi, the “faceless” god of the moon- ever present, ever mysterious, ever-doting…well, maybe that last part is a stretch.)

Of course, her brother is “assisted” in his duties by three “sisters,” the Yagamis, who are themselves human incarnations of the three regalia of Japan – the mirror, the sword and the “jewel” – tasked with assisting in Sasami’s “upkeep” and making sure the transformations she seems to throw around like proverbial candy don’t come back to take a bite out of HER. Each sister, from the innocent, yet still oddly busty, Tama, to the almost mecha-musume Kagami, to the slightly skewed Tsurugi (also a teacher at Sasami’s high school), play important roles in maintaining a balance between the real world and Sasami’s whims. Each one also plays a deeper role than even Sasami realizes, though saying anything else would be spoilers.

On the surface, Sasami-san@ganbaranai feels a lot like a certain other moe-style show from a few years ago: a light novel series about girl seeking something more from life, subconsciously gains the power to influence reality to meet her desires, then needs to be “saved” by a cadre of fellow students brought together because of her existence and affect on cosmic balance…we’ve heard all this before…

The difference between Sasami and Haruhi, however, lies in the fact that unlike the latter, she isn’t an arrogant (at least not too much), relatively unlikable tsundere forcing her interests on others. In fact, Sasami is more innocent, perhaps even sweeter, than Haruhi Suzumiya ever could be. And that innocence makes her character far more interesting and relatable. When she makes a mistake, she tries to fix it. When she realizes how her actions impact those she loves, she attempts to make amends. And unlike Haruhi, she eventually gains a full understanding of what she is, and grows from it.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Sasami-san@ganbaranai is the moe show I’ve been looking for. More fun than Jintai, a better use of folklore than Inu X Boku and at times sillier than Haiyore!, this is the kind of show I’d expect from SHAFT: nothing groundbreaking, but a better use of tropes and narrative than simply cute girls doing cute things. A solid entry for winter season, and enough to tide one over until the spring.

Nickelodeon’s new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle was met with controversy and fan outrage before it actually premiere. The new CG style turned a lot of people off and no one knew if this show would be any good. I’ve seen almost every iteration for the Turtles from the original cartoon to the movies to the really crappy live action tv show with the fifth female turtle. (And if you remember the Coming Out of Our Shells tour, extra brownie points for you) I had my reservation as well but after seeing the first hour-long episode, I was hooked!

And so were most of the naysayers. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles quickly became Nickelodeon’s highest rated program with 3.9 million viewers in it’s premiere week and constantly pulling in the viewership. This rendition of the turtles has managed to not only pay homage to its predecessors, but stand out on it’s own with a well balance of action and comedy.

For anyone who may not now what TMNT is about, four turtles where mutated into human size, intelligent beings that learned ninjustu from their master Splinter, once human but now a giant rat, and battle their arch nemesis, The Shedder. In this reimagining of the turtles, series creator Ciro Nieli, set out to show the brotherhood between the turtles. Being a fan of the turtles since the comics, Nieli really wanted to make each turtle an individual, and man did he succeed. Each turtle really stands apart from the rest, from the way they act to the way they look. These turtles really look different from each other, and I’m not just talking about a different skin tone, but their height, body build, even eye color is unique to each turtle.

These turtles really do feel unique. Their personalities shine with both original and new flare.  Of course they touch on the Leo and Raph rivalry, but I really like what they do here with Don and especially Mikey. While Mikey is always the younger brother and the “party dude,” I feel like he truly exudes the younger brother wonderment and innocence. April was turned into a teenager to be closer to the turtles. So far, it works really well, yet many times she turns into the damsel in distress. And Donatello’s crush is funny, yet sometimes creepy. With Casey Jones already announced for the second season, it’ll be interesting to see how this dynamic changes. Master Splinter was also de-aged and is much younger then what he is normally portrayed in other iterations. This also works with the series, as he is powerful and funny. And of course we can’t forget the shedder, who is truly foreboding and scary. It took a little while for him to really show up, but when he finally did, the payout was superb. The fight was brutal and you truly get a sense of his evilness.

While an awesome show, not everything is great though; the first couple episodes really felt like a “monster of the week” formula, and April feel under used. A lot of people were complaining about the CG before the show aired but for it’s style it works perfectly. I really can’t find too much to complain about. I love this show; it is the perfect mix of comedy from the original series and dark from the 2003 series. If you have not given this show a chance yet you are doing yourself a disfavor. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles airs at 11 am on Saturday mornings. Watch it and be amazed. BOOYAKASHA!!!

Thankfully we all survived the apocalypse so that we can create our personal year-end lists and Google everyone else’s. “Personal” should be a keyword when it comes to such obligatory and ultimately arbitrary rankings. “Best” and “worst” are labels in the eye of the beholder. It really boils down to what any given critic, blogger, or Joe Schmo likes or dislikes. For me, the best storytelling of any year occupies the middle grounds between intellectual ambition and simple entertainment, technical filmmaking craft and plot, and a sense of heavy importance and light re-watch-ability. So keeping in mind individual taste, pretensions, and the pool of films from this year that I didn’t see, here is my personal list of the best films released in 2012.

(NOTE: This list was comprised before the wide release of Amour, a Best Picture nominee and a film that’s already racking up various other awards, nominations, and making the majority of critics’ Top 10 lists.)

The Best

10. Beasts of the Southern Wild

I had the privilege of seeing the world premiere of Beasts of the Southern Wild at the Sundance Film Festival last January. Executed by a first-time filmmaker with a non-professional cast, I knew it was something special when I got the chills during its opening credit sequence. But I didn’t fully appreciate it as a whole until a second viewing when it opened in wide release. The film exists in a surreal magical realism whirlpool of present/past, timeliness/timelessness, and profoundness/naiveté. It follows the post-Katrina experiences of a little girl named Hushpuppy, who lives in a portion of the bayou dubbed “The Bathtub” with her rough around the edges father. Through cinema verite style accounts of her interactions with her dad, others around her, giant beasts she imagines, and her strangely insightful childish voiceover musings, we come to share a bit of her worldview, complete with melting polar ice caps and the belief that “in a million years, when kids go to school, they gonna know: Once there was a Hushpuppy, and she lived with her daddy in The Bathtub.” Who among us doesn’t secretly want such a thing?

9. The Avengers

There isn’t much left to be said about The Avengers. If you’ve seen the movie, its success speaks for itself, and one would be hard-pressed to find a person who hasn’t seen it. (It may even be difficult to find someone who hasn’t seen it more than once.) We got fan service in the jokes, the fights, and the references, but the whole thing worked well enough as a movie in general that anyone could get on board and have a good time. A deft balancing act in action, story, dialogue, humor, and overall nerdgasmic ambition, it was about as good as we could have been given.

8. Footnote

In stark contrast to The Avengers, Footnote is a small-scale, character-driven Israeli film that received a foreign language Oscar nomination in 2011, but wasn’t released until last year. It focuses on the conflict between father and son scholars who resent one another for their varying degrees of esteem in the academic community. The film takes on a visual style and tone that matches its characters’ idiosyncratic personalities, vamping up a somewhat simple narrative’s dramatic and emotional resonance. In a single scene that takes place in a cramped conference room with way too many people, we understand everything the film is trying to say about not only academia politics, but the general socially constructed hierarchies and bureaucracies in which we all find ourselves.

7. Moonrise Kingdom

You don’t have to love Wes Anderson to love Moonrise Kingdom, but I don’t see how any fan could not adore it. It’s a no shag movie that achieves Anderson’s precise technical dexterity while still mustering up enough emotional presence to make it richer than something like The Life Aquatic or The Darjeeling Limited. Its primary focus is on the nature of community and how it can both make us conform and fulfill us as individuals at the same time. Look no further than the description of an orchestra in the film’s introductory sequence to take in this theme. Adults act like kids, kids act like adults, and a bunch of surreal business abounds, ultimately amounting to the humble sentiment that wherever we find ourselves—even if it’s not the best—is probably a better place than being lost and alone.

6. Compliance

This movie year offered an abundance of squirm-inducing moments, ranging from torture, to beatings, to catastrophic disasters, to drug abuse, but Compliance may be the most persistently hard to watch of all. This may seem ironic, given that the entire narrative takes place amongst a handful of minimum-waged ordinary people in the back room of a fast food restaurant. Based on a true story, it reenacts the startling events that would have made Stanley Milgram giggle with glee, while leaving us flabbergasted and resistant to the idea that they’re based on fact. In a deft opening segment of no more than 15 minutes, we’re introduced to the setting, the atmosphere, and the restaurant’s staff, led by a worn-down, middle-aged manager played by Ann Dowd in one of the best performances of the year. A mysterious man calls the restaurant claiming to be a cop and stating that he has reason to believe one of the female employees has stolen from a customer’s purse. Things spiral out of control as he spends the remainder of the day handing out completely ludicrous and unreasonable orders that the staff unquestionably comply with, believing he is a voice of authority. You won’t want to watch what these subservient characters are capable of, but you won’t be able to look away either. It will leave you with a bitter aftertaste that will have you condescendingly shaking your head while timidly wondering how much of it you would have done differently, had it been you.

5. Skyfall

James Bond seemed to be reinvented yet again this year, even if Daniel Craig was still the man in the tux. With the capable Sam Mendes at the directorial helm, we got a stylish thriller that stripped itself down to franchise basics while feeling strikingly relevant and fresh—something that the film itself addresses through numerous cynical characters questioning the contemporary merits of MI6. Bond mainstays were played up—including the musical theme, returning characters, and a memorable maniacal villain—but we also got to see some interesting new aspects of the 007 universe in the form of a vulnerable aging Bond (he even gets shot for the first time!), the mother-son relationship between him and M, and a plot that favored character backstory over save-the-entire-world heroics.

4. Zero Dark Thirty

All political controversy aside, Zero Dark Thirty should be assessed as a film—and it’s a damn good one. Even better than director Kathryn Bigelow’s last film, the Best Picture winning The Hurt Locker, it dramatizes America’s hunt for and assassination of Osama bin Laden. Through the lens of our protagonist, CIA agent Maya (Best Actress frontrunner, Jessica Chastain), the procedural-loving film takes us through the last decade of paranoia, bloodlust, and pain that America has undergone since 9/11. Opening on a black screen to the sounds of September 11th distress calls, and punctuated throughout by the various terrorist attacks of the last 10 years, the narrative concludes on the infamous raid of bin Laden’s compound. There isn’t a false beat to be found in the film, while Bigelow and writer Mark Boal expertly manage to somehow work-in character development and drama in an otherwise clinical picture. The final shot of the film single-handedly sums up not only the picture, but the collective consciousness of the entire post-9/11 era. Like Maya in that final moment, we neither want to stand up and cheer, nor hang our heads in desperation. Torture scenes and all, the film is a perfect reflection of our nation’s moral, political, and emotional ambiguity.

3. Holy Motors

With Hugo, The Artist, and My Week with Marilyn, 2011 wasn’t unfamiliar with movies about Movies, but 2012’s Holy Motors outshines them all. It’s French writer/director Leos Carax’s ode to cinema’s power, and a general lamentation over what the movies have become and where they are headed. Denis Lavant plays the craftily-named Oscar, a man whose apparent profession is to be driven around in a limo, changing costumes and inhabiting different personas as he acts out “scenes” in different locations around town. We soon come to realize that Oscar is a stand-in for various types of movie characters in different genres, and with each vignette he takes part in, we gain a deeper understanding of what Carax may be getting at. Whether it is action, melodrama, musical, motion capture-produced fantasy, or a bizarre concluding love story between Oscar and a chimpanzee, the film seems to be hypothesizing that cinema manifests itself through many faces and forms, and rather than dying, it will continually be reborn.

2. The Master

P.T. Anderson’s latest is 2012’s best example of the kind of film you know is great and admirable without fully comprehending why. It’s a tricky and complex masterpiece that you can’t quite decipher, but will remain with you long after you’ve seen it. I’m not sure even Anderson could unpack all of its layered meanings, but I don’t think I’d want him to since, like a great novel, retroactively interpreting its symbolic ambiguities is half the fun. Loosely based on the creation of scientology, its primary focus is on the relationship between a pseudo-cult’s leader, Lancaster Dodd, and a mentally unstable drifter, Freddie Quell, each played with awe-inspiring adroitness by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix, respectively. Like Anderson’s other films, The Master feels thematically weighty without being pretentious, and showcases his peerless aesthetic craftsmanship. The hands down best scene of the year comes in the form of a technically simplistic dialogue exchange between Hoffman and Phoenix, as they sit down to undergo a “processing” interview in the lower deck of Dodd’s yacht.

1. Django Unchained

It’s difficult to pinpoint why Django is the favorite of the year. Like nearly all of Quentin Tarantino’s films, many people read it as a shallow exercise in style with limited moral weight and nothing much to say. Others have reduced it to Inglorious Basterds 2.0. While there are degrees of truth to each of these assessments, this story of a German bounty hunter who exchanges a slave’s assistance for a reunion with his wife, presents a complex revisionist fantasy that genre-mashes blaxploitation, spaghetti western, period piece, and the revenge narrative that Tarantino never seems to tire of. With a menagerie of talented cast members (Leo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson) giving top notch performances, the pithy and lively script is brought to life with not only naturalism, but a sense of authenticity and enthusiasm. It’s tough to know when we’re supposed to be cheering, laughing, or wincing at the onscreen goings on. White and black audiences are likely to process the film in very different ways, but it teeters just on the favorable sides of the contemporary borders surrounding both racism and apologist guilt. From a storytelling standpoint, the film loses its footing a little in its final act, slipping into some conventional violence-for-violence’s-sake territory, but it doesn’t destroy the preceding glory of the movie’s character-driven dramatic conflict, study in race relation, and the unsettling general enjoyment that’s to be found in this least of expected places.

The Rest

20. Oslo, August 31st

This scruffy film is foreign, bleak, and not the slightest bit uplifting, but I urge you to watch it. It follows a recovering drug addict through his experiences on August 31st in Oslo. You don’t have to be a user or addict of any kind to identify with this complex protagonist.

19. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

I didn’t get around to many documentaries in 2012, so I may be biased, but I’m still upset this one didn’t get an Oscar nom. Jiro is a cantankerous, neurotic old chef who runs the most renowned sushi shop in the world. People come from far and wide to his little subway station restaurant to sample his perfect sushi meals. The film explores his profession, his sons, and the beauty of his craft.

18. ParaNorman

It was a disappointing year for Pixar with Brave, and Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph was abnormally good, but ParaNorman is the best animated film of 2012. Don’t listen to those Ice Age and Madagascar-loving morons.

17. Take This Waltz

Michelle Williams, a tourist destination pamphlet writer, is married to Seth Rogen, a boring chicken cookbook writer. She meets Luke Kirby, a handsome rickshaw driver, and falls in love. Sound annoyingly twee enough? It kind of is, but it works.

16. Magic Mike

A personal biggest surprise of the year, this movie is about way more than male strippers. Steven Soderbergh crafts a story of economic turmoil, male identity, and occupational passion versus financial security. For the dudes out there who are uncomfortable with seeing Channing Tatum strip, take solace in a topless Olivia Munn (queen of the nerds) in the opening scene.

15. Lincoln

Likely to win multiple Oscars next month, including a probable Best Picture statue, Lincoln’s true achievement is in its adept script and Daniel Day-Lewis’s masterful performance.

14. Killer Joe

A self-proclaimed “twisted, redneck trailer-park murder story” that showcases Matthew McConaughey in yet another strong supporting role of late (see Bernie and Magic Mike). You’ll never look at a KFC drumstick the same way again.

13. Argo

With the exception of his dry performance, Ben Affleck hits the nail squarely on the head this time around. A tense, entertaining popcorn flick that’s based on true events but enhanced by old fashioned Hollywood flare.

12. Looper

Writer/director Rian Johnson reunites with Joseph Gordon-Levitt for his clever take on time travel sci-fi. Were all the narrative loops closed? Not exactly, but we’ll cut it some slack due to its overall awesomeness.

11. The Cabin in the Woods

An incredibly smart piece of horror movie satire. Through its meta perspective on the genre, filmmaking, and us—the passive audience—The Cabin in the Woods is an extremely enjoyable and funny send up of the predictable horror clichés we all hate to love and love to hate.

Simple and/or Guilty Pleasures

10. Pitch Perfect—campy good fun that transcends chick-flick trappings

9. Goon—a messy, throwaway hockey movie that’s enjoyable throughout

8. The Raid: Redemption—a bloody, Korean, video game-esque action piece

7. Chronicle—not the best, but the most unique superhero movie of the year

6. Ted—as funny as Family Guy with much more heart

5. The Grey—Liam Neeson fighting off wolves and pondering God’s existence

4. Jeff, Who Lives at Home—the Duplass brothers’ latest small-but-big indie

3. Prometheus—narratively dreadful, but ambitiously juicy

2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey—familiar, but in a good way

1. The Dark Knight Rises—endless plot holes, but still Nolan’s glorious trilogy capper

So here is GovPancakes with Real Otaku Gamer again with another anime review, this time it isn’t something as mainstream as Blue Gender, its more of a hidden gem called Natsume’s Book of Friends . Its about a boy who’s Grandmother was cursed by having the ability to see demons. She held amazing spiritual powers and could fight the demons. As a result she created The Book of Friends and sealed/made the demons she defeated slaves to her every whim just by saying their names.

Now in present time Natsume himself shares the same curse. His parents pass away and he moves from relative to relative while dealing with this curse. He runs to a shrine to avoid some demons and ends up releasing a powerful demon named Madara that takes the form of a Lucky Cat but can transform into a giant wolf-like creature. Madara informs then confronts Natsume about the book and tries to take it. Natsume defeats him and Madara decides to watch over Natsume while Natsume tries to release all the demons, and Natsume promises that Madara can have the book if he dies in return for helping.

Now I haven’t watched the whole anime yet I’m about 8 episodes in and I’m enjoying it a ton. Its a mix of an action/comedy/adventure. The music is pretty fitting to the anime nothing outstanding. The animation is pretty nice and the demons and characters are definitely remember-able and not just basic redraws of the same type. I’ve only found it subbed not dubbed and I’m completely fine with that. What’s drawing me to the anime is the story. Every time Natsume releases a demon he learns more of his grandmother and the demons himself. Also there are others with his curse that he finds that cause conflict. The story just grabs me to watch it.

Hello everyone this is GovPancakes with Real Otaku Gamer here to bring you new anime to watch. This time its an anime called Blue Gender. Now you may not of heard of it because its a older anime. The Genre is Action/Mecha, now before i start a lot of people go “oh man it has mechs in it I don’t wanna watch that”. Stop it. This anime isn’t focused on the mechs its focused on the people.

The anime starts off with a Recovery team trying to recover these people called sleepers (humans that were put into a cryogenic stasis because of an unknown disease). The main character Yuji, just happens to be one. He gets forced awake into a time where humans (not all but a mass amount) have been pushed into space to live on a space port called Second Earth by these Bug-like Creatures called The Blue. The Blue are a special kind of bug that can eat organic and inorganic objects…so basically everything. They only have one weakness which is their “core”, which later in the anime becomes an issue.

Yuji joins the recovery team and their second in command Marlene, who’s job is to transport Yuji to Second Earth. Reality hits him that time has definitely changed since he was in stasis that all that he knows is gone. The humans of this time are a lot more heartless and act completely different from his time.

Now what makes this anime good is how realistic it is. Its really raunchy and gory, sex scenes, blood in about every episode, swearing, but its not over the top. The people are completely heartless just like The Blue are. Its an amazing story about survival. The action is amazing and realistic. If someone looks like they are about to die then they probably are. The relationship between characters is also a factor in the battles which adds to the story. The art style for its time was great and its still good now. The voices aren’t bad and the music is sub par at best.

In conclusion I say if you liked Starship Troopers give it a shot. It has almost the same focus but its not funny, and a lot more serious. Amazing anime that I give a 8/10

Last year, the anime world was introduced to a magical girl series by the name of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Often cited as a refutation of previous mahou shoujo series, a deconstruction of moe/lolicon storytelling, and a turning point within anime on par with Neon Genesis Evangelion, the show reached a huge audience both inside and outside of Japan, garnering acclaim, respect and legions of dedicated fans.

The series was the brainchild of one Gen Urobuchi, and like much of the reviews and accolades suggested, it was a new direction for magical girl series. Fast forward one year, and a new product created by the same Gen Urobuchi is airing on Fuji TV in Japan. But anyone expecting frilly dresses and kawaii shoujo lolis will be in for a rude awakening, because it is as far from Madoka as one could feasibly get.

Psycho Pass is equal parts character study, crime drama, and science fiction horror show. Blending together elements of modern police procedurals (“Criminal Minds” fans take note) and dystopian SF realities (ditto, “Matrix”-heads), Urobuchi and the rest of Production I.G. have managed to create the most revolting, “controversial,” but completely addictive, series of the Fall season.

In a future where the world is under constant surveillance by a near-omnipotent AI called the Sibyl system, ordinary citizens are at the mercy of their “hue-” a multi-colored “aura check” symbolized by the Psycho Pass, an all purpose identification and sanity-measurement system meant to monitor their “crime coefficient,” or the likelihood that they will commit a violent action. People who’s coefficient rises above a “normal” state, whether through criminal action or strong emotion, are at the mercy of police units composed of investigators and enforcers, whose job it remains to detain or execute those with unacceptable “criminal tendencies.”

Enter into this fray Akane Tsunemori, a young and “idealistic” inspector fresh off her exams, who entered the police force simply because her aptitude tests placed her at the top rungs of society. Believing she can enact real change, she is teamed up with veteran enforcer Shinya Kougami, a former inspector who lost his position- and his freedom- when his pursuit of a single case caused his psycho pass to indicate him as a threat. As Tsunemori struggles to understand the world she has chosen to jump into, Shinya continues his obsession towards a lost partner, and a shadowy force hiding just behind the surface of crimes he finds himself investigating.

Creepiest villain since Johann Liebert

And lording over the crime and brutality that Akane and Kougami repeatedly find themselves surrounded by is one Shougo Makishima, a veritable “consulting criminal” on par with Moriarty himself. Not since Orihara Izaya has a villain come along content to just be a villain, and watch others carry out their schemes using his assistance. Meticulous, charismatic and savage in the extreme, Makishima plays his “allies” to their utmost, until their hubris (or mistakes) leads to their downfall, ultimately withdrawing his support and watching them be consumed by their building insanity.

One of the first striking aspects of this series is how dark it is. From rape in the pilot to murder, vivisection, retribution and internet anonymity, the show covers many of the same topics that are viewed as taboo or controversial within our own world. Not willing to shy away from the details, this is a series where bad things happen to ordinary people, often with no chance for last-second rescues or intervention by law abiding forces. It is common for story characters to disappear at the end of an episode, only to have their fates revealed in the following one. Trust is almost non-existent, as the enforcers themselves are often viewed as criminals who cannot be trusted (a fact that is explained in the first episode, when Akane is told her “Dominator,” the gun she uses to expediate action, can be fired at any enforcer at any time, and kill them), and inspectors can be seen as little more than “ticking time bombs,” just waiting for the stress of their job to take its “inevitable” toll.

As an exploration into the darker aspects of humanity, Psycho Pass is an excellent study of character: villains are not one-dimensional killing machines, but often multifaceted human characters, driven to crime through stress or the desire for “perfection.” Humanism, the idea that man alone represents the utmost perfection, is a powerful theme, whether exploring the motivations to kill or the motivations for justice. Watching a noble hero lose themselves to base instinct, or a drive bordering on obsession- normally a taboo subject itself- becomes part of the narrative, as characters come to the realization that the world is a dark, dark place, and one can only survive by accepting it, or ignoring it (and there are enforcers that do both).

Be forewarned, this series is not for the faint of heart. Like the aforementioned “Criminal Minds,” it is easy for a viewer to be repulsed by what they see. Urobuchi pulls no punches this time, and despite the show having elements of dystopian science fiction, the situations and actions of the characters are very much rooted in reality. There are scenes depicting violence against women, violence against teenagers, and bodily explosions on par with Gantz.

But looking beyond the blood and depravity, you will find a deep, psycho-philosophical narrative about justice, hubris, duty and degeneration that will keep you hooked long after the credits role. Much like Madoka, this kind of show comes along rarely, and while I disdain using the term “required viewing,” Psycho Pass is one of those shows that anime fans should watch. It is a splendid depiction of character, atmosphere and storytelling that one would come to expect from Production IG, and especially Urobuchi. This series is easily the best one I’ve seen all year, and likely in years to come.

Watch Psycho Pass online at Funimation

Anime on public television has been losing a lot of steam the last few years or so. Cartoon Network only shows anime Saturday night, with half of it being old reruns, and the only other place you’ll find without a special cable or Direct T.V. package is Dragonball Kai on Nicktoons. Say what you will about liking or disliking English dubs, they have gotten a lot better over the years. Viz Media wished to provide a more widely available medium of anime by creating Neon Alley, the PS3 streaming channel of nothing but anime and old Japanese films, all dubbed in English. It’s been out for two months now and if you haven’t already checked it out, I’m sure you are wondering if this service is worth it?

Neon Alley is a streaming service for the Playstation 3. However it acts like a television station with set programming schedules and little commercial breaks plugging arriving anime, games, manga, and more otaku goodness. The service brings back some older shows that disappeared from cable like Naruto, One Piece, InuYasha, and more. The real treat here is that it is bringing in new shows like Blue Exorcist and Tiger and Bunny, along with movies, shorts, and old live action Japanese movies. When shows like Naruto and One Piece were originally on T.V. many long time fans complained about the edits and censorship they had to endure. That worry is gone, on Neon Alley, all there content is uncut both old and new. While I personally enjoy both original Japanese dub and English dub, it may turn some of you off to know the Neon Ally only shows English dubbed content. A pretty bold move considering many anime lovers out there prefer the original Japanese voices. However there is a growing fan base for English dub and I think this service proves that.

The shows available right now are pretty diverse but I would like to see more shows in the future. With only a limited amount of shows, you see a lot of repeats throughout the week. Which can be good when you can’t always catch the show you want but also can be annoying when you have the time to see your shows and you have to rewatch them several times during the week. That is however becoming less of an issue with shows like Naruto and One Piece already having a decent amount of episodes ready to be viewed so you get marathons. I don’t know how I feel about Blue Exorcist dub yet but I am loving the Tiger and Bunny one. Already an interesting and original plot, it revolves heroes who are sponsored by companies to see who the best hero is. I haven’t seen a show like this in a while, both comical and action packed with a lot of heart. It’s worth checking out.

It comes down to the age-old otaku question, sub or dub? Whichever one you prefer just remember fan dubs do not support anime shows. We all love our anime shows and by watching fan dubs the companies and the artist do not get the money they deserve. If you prefer subs, check out the companies who license anime here in America to see if they stream their content. You can also check out Crunchy Role and other sites like that who support their anime shows. That aside, I would definitely recommend Neon Alley. I love to support my shows and Neon Alley is a great way to do so. The dubs on there are good to great and they are working hard to provide good shows and grab more for fans. If you have your reservations about it, they offer a free week trial period. If you have a Playstation 3 and love anime, this is definitely a must. Now if you’ll excuse me, a new episode of Tiger and Bunny is on!

The wonderful land of OZ.

Summer Wars is a mere three years old, but its sheer anime geek value warrants a fond look back. For those who never got around to seeking it out on Bluray, DVD, or a special screening at the local arthouse theater, now is as good a time as any to get the crystal clear Bluray (take note of the string of accolades across the top of the disc case, including the 2010 Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year). Have faith in such a purchase—it has substantial reviewability.

Mamoru Hosoda, who is responsible for Summer Wars’ storyline and directing, is probably (hopefully) more well-known to ROG readers for The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), than for his early work on the Digimon Adventure series and the sixth One Piece movie. He brings to this film a kinetic stylishness that excels in the action sequences, propels the abundant scenes depicting large Japanese family dynamics, and knows just how much to quail itself for some truly dramatic flourishes.

King Kazuma and Love Machine do epic battle. (It’s cooler than it sounds.)

The film’s protagonist is Kenji Koiso—a likeable, but ultimately generic anime high schooler (scrawny, insecure, prone to arousal-induced nose bleeds, but a whiz when it comes to generating computer code). Plucked from his comfort zone in the school’s computer lab, Kenji is recruited by area hottie, Natsuki Shinohara, to accompany her on a trip to Ueda to celebrate her grandma’s 90^th birthday with her whole litany of family members. Kenji, of course, abides, but is horrified to soon discover that he’s being used. Natsuki pretends he’s her fiancé when introducing him to her grandmother, Sakae.

Kenji can’t help but forgive such a ruse, given that Sakae proves to be what is likely the most easily loveable old lady ever dropped into an anime, and Natsuki only wanted to make her proud by bringing home a would-be husband. Equal parts cantankerous senior citizen and wistful sage with a fun-loving, youthful spirit, it soon becomes clear that Sakae is practically the family’s demigod. She’s universally revered for her wisdom, compassion, know-how, and flexible ability to fill-in for all the missing supportive figures in each family member’s life. All but one, that is. Adopted son, Wabisuke, had a falling out with the beloved old lady, and he still holds a grudge. We’ll get to him later.

You’ll wish Sakae was your grandmother as soon as you hear her talk.

With all this calibrated sentimentality in place, Summer Wars is just as much an action movie. Seemingly the entire population is caught up in the happenings of a virtual world called OZ. Kenji happens to be a moderator and major player in the inner workings of OZ. These virtual reality scenes are where the film really hits its aesthetic stride. OZ is a sort of netherworld consisting of a white expanse of empty space in which a complex network construct floats. Each OZ member has a cartoonish avatar that resides in the construct and interacts with other members, sort of like The Sims meets Facebook. Multiple battles take place in this space, borrowing the spirit of Pokémon or World of Warcraft as concentrated nerds pound out commands on their keyboards to animate their avatar warriors.

When an anonymous person texts Kenji a long string of code, he intuitively cracks it and sends a response. In doing so, he unknowingly unleashes mass chaos within OZ, threatening the accounts of millions. In this middle act, the film’s stakes start to mount in both the virtual and material realms. The malicious hacker, Love Machine, has an evil avatar, reminiscent of Deadmau5 in appearance. As he starts to wreak havoc in OZ, killing off avatars and deconstructing code, tension builds amongst the family gathering when Wabisuke shows up for a late birthday wish. An argument breaks out and we start to see what it is like when someone challenges Sakae.

The climax won’t be spoiled here, but it manages be mostly suspenseful, unexpected, visually engaging, and an inventive merging of the real and virtual plot threads. Most importantly of all, it is inclusive of the entire cast and each of its members’ personal strengths. It thrives on the film’s persistent appreciation of familial importance, but never really dips into sappy territory. Due to a heartbreaking event midway through the film, the ending also has an emotional resonance that couples nicely with its final showdown in OZ.

Kenji, caught in the grasp of his usual facial expression.

All in all, Summer Wars achieves a multi-layered showmanship that encompasses the drama, action, artistry, and humor of a well-rounded anime. In making its virtual/material split both dichotomous and codependent, it explores the nature of modern human interaction in a world where people can create artificial identities and relationships with international strangers just as easily as they can have lasting bonds with the friends and family around them. It also questions the wisdom of investing so much faith and reliance in the effectiveness of technology and social networking. The real world hangs in the balance just as much as the world of OZ, and it becomes apparent how far removed the characters are from their reality. At the same time, the film counters the cold sheen of OZ with the comforting traditional Japanese estate the family lives in. Can the two realms coexist? We can only hope.