Pablo Colon, a freshman business major, said anime is a childhood comfort and pleasurable pastime.
1. “Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet” written by Wataru Mitogawa
“I love the art style and the story. Humanity has to survive and coexist with the Earth. I would have say I connect with Pinion’s older brother, who is killed by a creature. The monsters are actually humans genetically mutated to better serve and survive. Then the main character realizes he is fighting humans, not aliens. There are some fairly violent anime. The main character lives with the people on Earth. He changes from a hardened killer into a human. On Earth he is allowed to enjoy life, have friends and take care of families, free will and choose what to do with life. No individuals, just military units. The people exist to fight against the “aliens.” In real life the military has an important role to play. With how things are right know I don’t know about current things but there’s always a fight somewhere.”
2. “Darker than Black” directed, created and written by Tensai Okamura
“The story structure goes to subsections. The art-style fighting sequence is well choreographed. The ending for the second season was confusing. If I was a contractor, my power would be able to absorb force and repel it back on my enemy. The price would be writing papers.”
3. “Eureka Seven” written by Dai Satō
“Puppy love is what the entire show is about. All animated. The coolest thing in the world when I was a kid. My favorite character is probably the grandpa. Funny guy. I personally like the fighting relationship with the characters. Most important aspect is the relationship between the main characters. Better than any of these shows. The end is pretty good and you know where their relationship is going. I’m here for a romantic sort of conclusion. I don’t want to be left hanging. Offer me a carrot then rip it away.”
4. ”Baccano!” written by Ryōgo Narita
“Probably if you aren’t paying attention you have no idea where you are. Not a linear story, really confusing. I like the voice acting with people talking in Brooklyn accents. Doesn’t feel right when you listen to it in Japanese. My favorite character is Rail Tracer. He protects the passengers and kills the bad guys, which makes him a hero despite being a psychopathic killer. The couple that becomes immortal is in ‘Durarara!’ It makes sense that they would be in another show since they are immortal. It was made by the same people as ‘Baccanno!’ The show has two stories: On the train and then in New York. The immortality is a special kind of hell to see everyone you know die slowly. Immortals have to be eaten by another Immortal. There are so many characters the show is mentally engaging and forces you to pay attention. Any other show would be hectic and long, linear.”
5. ”RahXephon” written by Takeaki Momose
“Many people say that is a copy of ‘Evangelion.’ It’s kind of not normal. The Mecha are clay-based and the main character makes music to make the world better. He is called an instrumentalist. The main character uses RahXephon to change the world for the better. I watched it when I was five or six, and I watched it again recently. It is 1999 based artwork, but it was all hand drawn and there isn’t any CG. CG clashes with art and looks bad. Some are done well and others are not effectively done. The main character think he’s growing then he messes up. He is supposed to merge with the spirit of RahXephon. My favorite character is the old guy. For most of the show he is the wise one that is playing a game or doing calligraphy. My favorite part was when RahXephon reveals himself. He looks like a big person with face wings. When I first saw it I thought it was so cool. The first three episodes were a blur for me. The main character is teleported into an egg. The bad Mecha try and get him but ends up having his face melt. It’s awesome. I saw it again recently and still enjoyed it.”
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Imani Lambert is a culture reporter from the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
