Changes made to The Anime Review of the Year 2008 Part 2

Revision 2

Created on Friday, 2nd January 2009, 16:04
Change Submitted by Jitendar Canth

List of Changes:

Change #1 - [page1] <newline> <newline>And so

Revision 1

Created on Friday, 2nd January 2009, 16:03
Change Submitted by Jitendar Canth

List of Changes:

Change #1 - [page1] <newline> <newline>And so we come to the countdown of my personal top ten anime picks of the year. I previously mentioned, before I was cruelly struck down by flu, that this year I had managed to see a staggering 50 or so new release titles, a figure that’s amazing considering that along with the rest of the economy, anime is undergoing a period of contraction and consolidation. I don’t think that any year previously has yielded ten notable titles, but this year I had almost twenty to choose from. Remember that this is a selection of the anime that I have seen, when you are complaining that there is no Ergo Proxy, Le Chevalier D’Eon, Gundam, Hell Girl, E’s Otherwise, Utawarerumono or Guyver up therepage1] <newline> <newline>And so we come to the countdown of my personal top ten anime picks of the year. I previously mentioned, before I was cruelly struck down by flu, that this year I had managed to see a staggering 50 or so new release titles, a figure that’s amazing considering that along with the rest of the economy, anime is undergoing a period of contraction and consolidation. I don’t think that any year previously has yielded ten notable titles, but this year I had almost twenty to choose from. Remember that this is a selection of the anime that I have seen, when you are complaining that there is no Ergo Proxy, Le Chevalier D’Eon, Gundam, Hell Girl, E’s Otherwise, Utawarerumono or Guyver up there. <newline> <newline>[imgmc=0000202102.jpg|0000104734] <newline>But first the also-rans, the titles that could easily have been up there, and are well worth considering in their own right, especially if you have a gap on your anime shelf that needs filling. 2008 was a bumper year for anime movies, with both classics and newer films coming to our shores. A big buzz surrounded Gonzo and their first major feature, Origin, Spirits Of The Past. Hidden beneath the brouhaha was their second release, [b]Brave Story[/b], which was a surprisingly pleasant modern fairy tale, great family entertainment. I was thrilled by [b]Starship Operators[/b], sci-fi meets reality TV, which did better strategy and action in its 5 hours, than most of recent Trek has managed in the last 10 years. Classic fantasy action came with the blood and guts of [b]Berserk[/b], but also some powerful characterisations and complex narrative, while more blood and guts flowed in the atmospheric and stylish [b]Hellsing Ultimate[/b]. [b]xxxHolic[apost]s[/b] first half was released, and what seemed on the surface to be a fairly innocuous spooky anthology turned out to have quite a subversive edge to it. Then there are two titles that almost had me counting in base 12 for this list, as they really do belong on every DVD shelf. First Manga Entertainment’s 2008 tour-de-force, [b]Death Note[/b], where a simple concept of a notebook that acts as Grim Reaper leads to some of the most complex mind-games ever animated, with two of the medium’s most memorable characters. Then there was Revelation’s [b]Beck[/b], slice of life brilliance, that tells the story of a rock band from inception to the big time. It marries the mundane with the fantastic, perfectly pitched storytelling that keeps you hooked to the television and begging for more. And it’s got a zombie dog. <newline>

Initial Version

Created on Friday, 2nd January 2009, 15:59
First Submitted by Jitendar Canth