Anime Addiction

There was a time when I got so hooked on watching Japanese anime that I think I understood the stories without looking at the subtitles. I collected them like crazy, frequenting DVD shops in search of interesting ones, and watching them until my eyes hurt. Talk about an anime addict. Good thing I got past that. I still love watching them, but the addiction is not quite as strong as it used to be. Anyway, looking back, here is a list of my favorite ones:

• Fushigi Yūgi - Time travel, friendship, youth angst, magic, otherworldly things, elaborate costumes, Tamahome, Miyaka, and most of all beloved Hotohori. Need I say more?
• Samurai Champloo - Loved Jin, loved the way Fuu says "Honto," loved Mugen and all his crude ways. Plus, this is really a major champloo. Topic ranges from history to anything at all. Music is anything from folk to rap. With this one, you never quite know what the next episode will be about.
• Basilisk - Tragedy, from start to finish. Think Romeo and Juliet with a Samurai twist.
• Death Note - This one is dark enough to appeal to me. A perfect example of how a good intention can be perverted to justify evil, how evil can look like a perfect being, and how, in spite of it all, good manages to triumph in the end. I simply enjoyed watching L and Light pit their minds against each other.
• Ayashi No Ceres - I'm just starting this one. So far, it looks promising. But then again, otherworldly stuff has always appealed to me.
• Hanayori Dango is not on my top five, mainly because it lacks that otherworldly aspect that I like. But it comes close. Bittersweet romance, catchy music (Stepping out...), beautiful girls and guys. And, who wouldn’t love the anime where Meteor Garden was based on?
• Yamato Nadeshiko, otherwise known as the Wallflower, or Perfect Girl Evolution, is another favorite, mainly because of the Sunako-Kyohei love/hate romance. I love the manga series more, though. Something got lost when it was made into an anime series.

Anime movies are easier to watch as they are shorter. There is no pressure to watch daily, or for a prolonged period of time (think lunch and dinner in front of your TV set on your rest days), just to know what will happen at the end. Here are some of my most loved anime movies:

• Graveyard of the Fireflies - One comment, heart wrenching.
• Whisper of the Heart - I liked this one because it is a feel good story about young romance. Nothing angst-filled here, just good old fashioned young love, sweet love. They don't make love stories like this anymore.
• Spirited Away - You could read this as an allegory on maturity, a study on losing one's identity, or simply just enjoy young girl's adventure as she is transported into an unknown world.
• Princess Mononoke - A statement on loving nature. Beautifully made, this is actually an award-winning film.

Well, that's it for now. I still have a stack of DVDs to watch. I'm sure I'll find more anime to love.