Netflix Hotness: Anime Round 1
Netflix is awesome! Everyone knows that, but not everyone knows what they’re gonna watch next. I don’t trust that 5 star rating system and neither should you. So instead, let me give you a few recommendations, so you can spend less time guessing and more time watching.
Today’s feature is all about anime. If you’ve got a hankering for giant robots or sushi, this is probably a good list for you.
Xam’d: Lost Memories Episodes: 26
The first thing you’ll notice is the striking pastels that make up this unique visual style; think steam-punk meets Miyazaki. It’s got one long story, with great character arcs to set an an extremely rich and well thought out universe. Xam’d is set in a new country divided by civil war, which separates the large cast into 3 different factions. As lovable as most of the characters may be, my favorite part about Xam’d is the enemies. The monsters aren’t designed to be scary as much as they are drawn to be emotive. The facial animations are elaborate and pour tons of emotion though every well written chunk of dialogue.
FLCL Episodes: 6
This one is a no brainer, but I had to add it to the list just in case some poor soul has been deprived of its excellence. It’s fast, it’s chaotic, it’s dense and it’s smarter than you’ll ever know. It’s a coming of age story with themes of sex, love, friendship, and giant robot battles. Sounds like your typical anime, but 10 minutes in and you’ll see how studio Gainax created a world with its own set of rules and pacing. To put it simply, FLCL is my favorite piece of digital media in existence. Hands down, it’s the best. I could ramble on all day, but I’d rather talk to you directly about my Canti/Atomsk Costumes.
Mushishi Episodes: 26
This is probably the most relaxed series I’ve ever watched. The slow paced opening sequence sets an fitting tone for this series of mystical stories. The plot revolves around a nomadic priest-like character. They call him a “mushi master” which roughly means he has great understanding of how spirits work. The art is solid, with the mountains of feudal Japan as the show’s backdrop, while the writing touches on subject you’ve probably never heard of before. For the most part, each episode is a different isolated story with very little cross over. You can watch 1 episode and feel comfortable with its conclusion. This makes Mushi a great pick if you don’t have much time to commit to any one series.
That’s it for the first set. Be sure to geek out on me with some of your own favorite Netflix picks!
About the Author
Joe-Lou is an offbeat musician from Providence RI. His real job involves designing exhibits, but by night he does this stuff.
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