My Mechanical Romance

By: Nadia Oxford
Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2007

This week, I'm continuing my crash-course on anime and manga. What's good? What's bad? What's horrid? It's all subjective … one man's trash is another man's treasure, etc.

It may not seem like it at first, but anime and manga caters to a wide range of tastes. In America, many fans view it as a more "adult" alternative to cartoons. We all love animated junk, but it's rare to find cartoons tailored towards an older demographic in the US.

Truthfully, anime is meant for everyone, and Japan has a lot of it. Boys, girls, teenagers, dogs, cats, freaks and geeks … you're certain to find something you like. You just need to know where to start. In today's Mumbling Kitsune, I'll list some of my own favourites. They're sure to delight you, or else make you want to throw rocks at my head (more than ever).

ACTION!

Pow, crunch, bam. Modern Japan is a peaceful country with little in the way of violent crime, but the country knows how to throw together a good fight scene. Mecha battles are a staple on Japanese television and are the basis for animes and manga like Gundam and Evangelion. But chances are good you grew up watching Mechs smash each other up, yet you totally forgot about it.

Voltron -- Five robot lions joined to create a giant killer robot. Remember now? Hailed by many nostalgic cartoon lovers as a true hero of the 80's, Voltron's adventures were sanitized when they were brought over to America. But back then there were no Internet fanboys to tattle on animation studios, and everyone just had a good time. Voltron was awesome … until the 3D remake stunk up the airwaves in the late 1990's. Euuwww. Still, if you're in the mood to relive your childhood, you can't go wrong with Voltron.

While mechs define Japanese entertainment, it's not surprising there's a lot of anime and manga chronicling the lonesome, dusty wanderings of samurai. Samurai stories often go over well in America, which is enamored with similarly-themed Western films. Usagi Yojimbo is very popular in Japan, and the warrior rabbit is easily recognised in the US as well, where he sometimes battled alongside the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Other (somewhat modified) samurai adventures include:

Ronin Warriors -- Ronin Warriors hit American airwaves in 1995, and was adapted quite faithfully compared to other anime ventures at the time. Ronin Warriors features five futuristic warriors who summon mystical armour henshin-style to fight evil. The series was put on DVD in 2003 and is definitely worth a look for anyone who's into cool fights.

Satsuma Gishiden -- A samurai manga published by Dark Horse that's in the same vein of the critically acclaimed Lone Wolf and Cub. There are no cyber-swords or giant monsters; Satsuma Gishiden is rooted in actual Japanese history, during a time when the samurai were regarded as far less than noble.

Kurogane -- A standard manga story of a wandering ronin … except he's a robot. Nothing terribly new otherwise, but a pretty fun read.

But what if you just want some straight ass-kicking with no strings attached? Anime has you covered.

Inuyasha -- Want an anime with endless fights against cool demon creatures? Inuyasha's for you. The anime follows the adventures of a half-demon and a girl who spills into feudal Japan from the modern world. A relationship quickly sparks between the two, but be prepared to stick around if you want to see anything substantial develop; Inuyasha is one of the longest-running anime series ever created. Considering anime series' tendencies to never end, that's saying a lot.

Dragon Ball / Dragon Ball Z / Naruto -- Whether you choose the manga or anime for these well-loved mystical kung-fu series (I personally recommend the manga), you're in for a good time. DBZ gets fairly ridiculous at times, but if you've had a rough day it's really fun to watch someone get kicked through a sheer cliff wall. Also, the Dragon Ball series has giant monkeys.

LOVE!

It's almost Valentine's Day! You can give your true love a bunch of chemical-sprayed roses that'll wilt in record time, or else you can give the gift of manga … and possibly never have sex again. But you'll never know unless you try. Love stories in manga and anime are sickeningly, shamelessly sweet. A few to keep in mind:

Emma -- Emma is an excellent choice for anyone who's intimidated by anime. The art is soft and gorgeous, the writing is top notch, the characters are fleshed out well and the theme is Victorian London rather than something bizarre, like a schoolgirl teddy bear festival. Young Emma is a maid who's been in the service of a retired Governess for most of her life. A lad from a rich family takes an interest in her, but his attempts at courtship are hindered by his disapproving family and his friend, an Indian prince who's about as subtle as the elephants and harem girls he brings with him to Britain. A very cute and likeable manga.

12 Days -- June Kim's one-shot manga about two lesbian lovers who are ripped apart by a tragic accident might not make you feel especially frisky, but it will motivate you to cherish what you have. Jackie, a young woman living in New York, loses her lover Noah to a devastating car accident. She drinks Noah's ashes over a 12 day period to try and put her soul at ease. The narration is a little overblown at times, but the dialogue and art are well done.

Penguin Revolution -- A girl dresses up as a boy to protect her budding relationship with a handsome man. Okay, so you've probably heard that one before (ironically). Yukari Fujmaru, the manga's lead character, is a self-made girl has the ability to sense an actor's talent before their career blooms. She becomes the manager for her love interest, Katsugari, a low-level "Penguin" at a talent agency. But she has to follow one rule: No one inside our outside the agency must know she's a female. Sweet, goofy fun.

Next week concludes my list of recommendations. Have an excellent Valentine's Day and cuddle with your loved one, or cry in your warmed-over bowl of Chef Lonelyheart's Soup for One. Either way, chocolate is half-price on the 15^th and everyone wins.