Anime is not for kids. Why you should definitely watch “Attack on Titan” and other movies and TV series from the Land of the Rising Sun.

“Attack on Titan” has become the main find of 2022 for your humble movie editor, also beating out “Fargo,” “Friends” and “Twin Peaks” on the list of best IMDb series. And at night, the long-awaited finale of the series came out. This is the same anime that, like Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpieces, should appeal even to those who are not the biggest fans of the genre, who see Japanese animation as “for everyone” for kids, geeks, and fans of Asian culture. The cliché that film adaptations of manga, light novels (light novels) or computer games are not for everyone often deprives us of watching more than worthy projects, but traces of anime influence can be found even in Hollywood hits. True, for example, the scene in which the “dream” is destroyed in Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” was clearly inspired by Satoshi Kon’s “Paprika”, released four years before one of the main science fiction films of the decade. And the Wachowski sisters, Lana and Lilly, were heavily inspired by Ghost in the Shell when making The Matrix. Therefore, in the movie there are sections with flying pillars and watermelons spectacularly jumping out of the window, and even the same credits with green symbols across the screen. What can we say, even if “The Lion King”, a classic Disney cartoon, was born thanks to Kimba from “The Emperor of the Jungle” and Shakespeare’s Hamlet?

Anime as a part of popular culture began to strengthen its position in the 60s, when “Astro Boy”, the same “Emperor of the Jungle”, “Speed ​​​​Racer” first appeared on the screens. And although it is one of the most popular genres today, it originated as cheap animation that could be put on the air due to low production costs. This is what determined the abundance of static shots, non-standard angles, bright facial expressions of the characters – a style that is recognizable all over the world.

This also includes emotional Morse code, so in the anime shame is shown by red streaks on the cheeks, sadness by a river of tears, confusion by a drop of sweat – everything so that every viewer can easily read what is happening on the screen.

For the same purpose, for example, all characters in Japanese animation are made as if according to a template – these are typical images in which you can easily recognize yourself.

The major boom and development of anime occurred in the late 80s and early 90s, when anime first began to be shown on big screens in the United States. Apparently, no one had any doubt that Japanese animation was a serious business.

It fascinates adults with its abundance of themes, unique art, genre flexibility, versatility, where all other cartoons “speak” primarily to children – in the abundance of projects produced by Japanese studios, something can be found for both science fiction lovers and early fans. robots, and also for those who missed stories about growing up and first love.

Moreover, most often one did not interfere with the other and coexisted quite harmoniously within the same series. There seemed to be no limits when it came to sources for anime writers in general: they included both classic manga and European fairy tales, and in 1980, for example, the anime “Twelve Months” was born, created by Soyuzmultfilm. In collaboration with Japanese animation studio Toei.

Today anime is one of the main animation genres, which has strengthened its presence at the top in the last few years. That’s why Netflix is ​​making remakes of “Cowboy Bebop” and “Death Note” with real artists, and “Attack on Titan” rightfully has the status of one of the best series of the 21st century and “leaves no chance.” The Sopranos” and “Game of Thrones” in the Kinopoisk rating. What should you watch if you still doubt that anime is not just a hobby for children?

“Attack on Titan” (2013 – …)

Humanity has been fighting titans for many years; huge, irrational creatures that eat people just for fun. After a long struggle, the remnants of humanity build three walls to protect themselves from danger, but one day one of them collapses and before the eyes of only the children – Eren Yeager and his half-sister Mikasa Ackerman – the titans disappear. their home. Thus begins one of the best anime in the world right now, a luxurious example of Japanese animation, a gritty war drama that touches on so many philosophical themes that even Darren Aronofsky would be jealous. Social inequality, the search for right and wrong, the fragility of human life, references to mythology and even the works of Francisco Goya – believe it is worth watching.

“Death Note” (2006 – 2007)

It seems like no conversation about anime would be complete without mentioning Death Note. A cult series about high school student Light Yagami, who comes into possession of Ryuk’s notebook of Shinigami (supposedly fictional supernatural creatures). Every person written in this notebook dies, so the main character decides to fight evil in the world with its help.

“Homeless God” (2014 – 2015)

A little-known God who does not have his own temple decides to help everyone he encounters with any desire in order to gain at least some recognition. One day, he saves a girl from a rich family from death; Thus begins the adventures of an unlucky god in the unpredictable world of humans.

“Evangelion” (1995 – 1996)

2015, Tokyo – 3. 15 years ago, the Second Impact occurred, resulting in Antarctica melting, a global cataclysm engulfing the Earth, and most of humanity dying. Now the planet is attacked by Angels, mysterious creatures that only the giant robots of the Evangelion series, created using biotechnology, can resist. While 14-year-old Shinji Ikari was on his way to meet his father, the head of the influential organization NERV, Tokyo 3 was attacked by an Angel. With the help of Captain Misato Katsuragi, the man reaches NERV’s underground headquarters and all he wants to say to his father is how much he hates him. But it turns out that he has to get on the robot right now and fight Melek.

“Your Name” (2016)

For those who lack romance and drama in their lives. Tokyo boy Taki and country girl Mitsuha discover a strange bond between them. In their dreams, they change bodies and live each other’s lives. But one day this ability disappears as suddenly as it appeared. Taki decides to find the girl of his dreams at all costs.

“Five Centimeters Per Second” (2007)

An incredibly beautiful anime, worth watching just for the pictures. These are three stories from Takaki Tono’s life, which began in Japan in the mid-1990s. By the way, most of the landscapes and everyday scenes were created based on photographs of real places in Japan.

“One Punch Man” (2015 – 2019)

A man named Saitama lives in a world that is ironically similar to ours. He is 25 years old, bald and handsome, and at the same time he is so strong that he destroys everything that poses a danger to humanity with a single blow. He is searching for himself in this life, slapping monsters and bad guys at the same time. Ideal for those who have watched The Avengers millions of times and want something new.

“Garden of Elegant Dreams” (2013)

A young man named Takao meets a mysterious young woman. Takao’s random and seemingly pointless meetings in the park where he skips school while working towards his strange dream of devoting his life to designing and making shoes are repeated over and over again, but only on rainy days. The end of the rainy season is approaching and they have more to say to each other.

“Cowboy Bebop” (1998 – 1999)

Former police officer Jet Black and Spike Spiegel with a dark past had no plans to increase the crew (homes and transportation) of the spaceship Bebop. But the nets they cast to catch society’s expensive scum have brought them Faye Valentine, a charming gambler with a huge debt, Ed, a lost computer nerd, and Ein, perhaps the smartest dog in the world. The Bebop team continues their bounty hunting with this composition.

“Mafia Psycho 100” (2016 – …)

Shigeo Kageyama, also known as Mob, is an eighth grader with psychic powers. From a young age, he can bend spoons and lift things with his mind, but later he begins to hesitate to use his abilities in public. And now all she wants is to be friends with her classmate Tsubomi. She tries to solve the mystery of her destiny by continuing her daily life with her psychic guide, who has no power.

“Dorohedoro” (2020)

People are unlucky to live in a world called the Hole, where wizards from parallel dimensions come to practice their skills on humanity. One day, a girl named Nikaido finds the victim of these terrible experiments: a man with a crocodile head and amnesia. Nikaido names his new friend Kaiman, and now they capture the magicians and Kaiman tries to regain his lost memories and former appearance by biting off their heads. Meanwhile, the supreme wizard En, who is obsessed with mushrooms, decides to capture and kill those who reduce the number of his kind. Breaking the pattern on all fronts.