I like mainly adult and psychological anime. I really want to learn from the characters, by analyzing their lives and their motives.
For example, the feeling of revenge and hate coming from the Count of Monte Cristo is just stunning (Gankutsuou). Even Alexandre Dumas himself couldn't bring the count to life like the guys at Gonzo did. Too bad that Romeo X Juliet couldn't achieve as much as Gankutsuou. It was having potential, but it turned out to be a mess.
So, here a reason and a list of anime I liked.(not in particular order)
1. Gankutsuou
The count foolishness, remind me of myself. So full of hate, so reckless and inflexible but always right about most of the things he knows. He's only waiting to achieve what he seeks, so cold and without emotion except when his past come to haunt himself. The best anime series I have ever seen.
2. X Clamp TV
The choice between the nature and mankind, of course I sided with nature, during the show, to eradicate mankind. I am what you can call a misanthropic person, so fascinated by our exploits in science, and so ashamed to be human by seeing the worst that we can do. Sexual tourism, pedophilia, cannibalism, animal cruelty, organs traffic, politics and pollution represent some of the main reasons I can't accept the concept of humanity as it is right now.
3. Evangelion
The whole story is good and represents an atheist vision of the bible, but what really shine is the characters. Asuka represent an occidental schizophrenic and Shinji represent the failure of the oriental perception. Put both together with someone like Misato, who is emotionally dependant and you got an explosive cocktail of psychological philosophy about who we are. I will not hide the fact that Asuka is totally screwed, but it's also the best representation I have found of me. Seeing your reactions and emotions through omniscient eyes is something spectacular. It changed my life for the best and the worst.
4. Millennium Actress
I cry a lot when I see anime of this magnitude, like the ones in this list, but just seeing that my vision toward our final moments is exactly like what Satoshi Kon is showing in this movie impressed me in such a way that I felled into a state of severe depression after the movie. Also, Susumu Hirasawa was making the soundtrack and ROTATION was the ending theme... nothing to really help but feeling so overwhelm with joy and deep sorrows. What I can say is that our final moments can fulfill our deepest wish by finally making our dream a reality... you die with the ecstasy of been where you want to be with whoever you wish to be.
5. Perfect Blue
Another Satoshi Kon movie, in this one I was seeing my deepest fear of suffering from schizophrenia. Been lost in forever dreams or nightmares, leaving you with no sense of what is real or not.
6. Black Lagoon
Rebecca is someone who suffered so greatly that death seems to be at her side. At certain point she even teasing anyone who dare to even say a word about her pain or what she feel... until she get a damn kick in the ass by someone she was seeing as an idiot. Since this time, I just wished that someone could give me this damn kick in the ass that could change my perception or making me realize something so important that I could never go back the way I was.
7. Boogiepop Phantom
A series made by Satoshi Kon teaming with Susumu Hirasawa once again. I remember one episode that I really liked, this episode was showing someone so afraid of this monstrosity of what life is. This deep feeling of being so powerless toward life is present. There is no reason for living and some peoples who can't find anything they want to live for are deeply affected by this. They are traumatized by this and can't carry the weight of living. For them, only death awaits, and they can't rejoice more than believing that death is the end with no other things after. I know how it is, I am still facing this eventuality.
8. Berserk
Griffith got the strange capability of overcoming anything. I'm exactly like that and I also share the same feeling of being able to sacrifice everything or anyone in my life to fulfill my dream or my vision. I'm able to make numerous sacrifices for something I believe in. So sharp and so cold at the same time, so unique that few can really share our vision. Our best friend is everything for us, even if we could sacrifice this friendship at any time if the need is present. Susumu Hirasawa is making the soundtrack, the experience is simply magnificent.
9. A.D. Police OVA and Ghost In The Shell The Movie
I love SCI-FI anime that really show us what technology would do for humanity. We are closer and closer to see army men using suits like Halo or Crysis. It's not so far away until seeing some real change due to new technologies. Just take for example internet, who would have thought it would become like this? In just a decade we saw some sever problems related to internet dependency. With Cybernisation more and more at our door, we can't deny the great problems that will come from a moral standpoint. From an electrical engineer, I'm simply stunned to see so much fantasies being realized with the help of science. Science was at first something used by men to answer questions that religion was filling, but now it's only a way for us to realize our fantasies. What we have seen in movies like Blade Runner or anime like A.D. Police is coming progressively into motion. I am fascinated by this and I want to take part in researches having for goal to develop cybernisation.
10. Haibane Renmei
Probably one of the most incredible anime I got the pleasure to see. The concept is simply amazing and every christians should watch it. Like Evangelion, a lot of questions about our existence and christanity are present. The story is about a bunch of girls that made suicide. They are living in the purgatory for purging their souls until the final moment where they could pass over in the afterlife. A lot of japanese influence is present, but it's mainly an occidental concept. What we can witness is a lot of compassion coming from the main characters, but this compassion is hiding something... if you have something in common with Reki, I sympathize with you...
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