Watching anime has become one of the most fabulous things that I’ve come to enjoy. Sure, there’s plenty of popular shows with stereotypical plots, characters and themes, and I’ve seen a few of those to know that there are way better stuff just waiting to be discovered.

If you arrived here for your weekly fix of ToshoSensou, I figure you would be the type to be able to appreciate things I call the unique, the obscure, and the beautiful.

In the first installation of Ocha’s “Shows You Must Watch”, I shall introduce you [or for those who have seen them, together we reminisce], some of the most beautiful anime series to have ever hit the torrents.

Beautifully Mysterious: Mushishi

This is a story about Mushi, supernatural creatures invisible to the normal person’s naked eye. They are creatures of eccentric living habits, very basic instincts and behave much like any other organic, non-sentient beings. However, they come into contact with people once in a while, causing strange illnesses and various phenomena.

It revolves around Ginko, a Mushi Master [Mushi-Shi], who travels from place to place, helping people in their troubles against these mysterious life forms.

Unlike many anime that attempts a theme of supernatural and paranormal beings, Mushishi is a show that emphasizes less on dramatic or flashy scenes, and more towards the magical and mystifying nature of things humans do not truly understand.

Mushishi tells its compelling tales through beautiful landscapes, peaceful music and passionate monologues. For those who lack appreciation for fine art, this would appear to be an EXTREMELY boring anime. Of course, very few would stay long enough to fully appreciate its true beauty.

Beautifully Romantic: Honey and Clover

Romantic comedies are a popular theme among manga and anime creators, but very few have ever managed to escape the classic formula of harem, reverse harem and unresolved sexual tension. Those that do, though, often came out to be quite fascinating.

Honey and Clover is one of those few. It tells the stories of three young men, students of an art university, living their comedic lives and their romantic struggles. They are fellow housemates, and each of them are involved in a romantic triangle of sorts, on top of various other real-life challenges such as graduating and finding a job.

In a culture where romance has almost always been portrayed as ideal, beautiful, and always with a happy ending, Honey and Clover explores the reality of romance. We get shy, we get ourselves misunderstood, and we get ourselves - and sometimes our loved ones - hurt. Love, as showcased in Honey and Clover, is indeed intoxicatingly beautiful, but it is also excruciatingly painful.

Romance, in reality, is like that. With beautiful music and dramatic dialogue, Honey and Clover is definitely one of the best romance shows I’ve ever seen. I can watch it again and again, and still feel like crying every single time I reach the end.

Beautifully Artistic: Beyond the Clouds

Shinkai Makoto is an up-and-rising anime director. He has so far created some short home videos, several OP sequences for visual novels, and two theatrical films. I’d like to talk about one of his most popular works, which had practically shoved the spotlight into his face.

The Promised Place Beyond the Clouds is a theatrical anime feature which made its debut in 2004. It is a romantic science fiction about a childhood promise. Three friends had promised to journey together to a distant place beyond the clouds. However, when one of them slipped into a coma, the other two could only press on forward with their lives, and the promise remained only a distant memory-until a mysterious event forced them to rebuild that dream.

Beyond the Clouds is probably one of the most visually awe-inspiring anime movies I’ve ever seen. Of course, well, I don’t know if he’s as imaginative as Miyazaki, but I can say that Shinkai is definitely fantastic on a different level. The movie explores the lines between dreams and reality, and Beyond the Clouds pulls it off spectacularly with surreal visuals and a brilliant musical score.

After you watch this one, I suggest you go find Hoshi no Koe, and then his latest film, 5 Centimeters Per Second.

Beautifully Tragic: Jigoku Shoujo

Horror is a common genre in various forms of pop culture, and anime is no exception that. Out of the few horror anime I’ve come across [I'm not a big fan of being scared to death], there is one that I believe deserves extra attention - at least to deviate the spotlight away from the “Horror = Hellsing” stereotype.

Every modern human society is not without it’s dark side. Some people live humble, earnest lives, and some pursue proud, deceptive and greedy ones. Where injustices roam free, many have wished to exact vengeance, and but very few actually manage to do so. Enter Enma Ai, the mysterious maiden with blood-red eyes, who will take vengeance on your behalf, and literally drag your enemy directly down to the depths of darkness and ferry them beyond the Gates of Hell.

Jigoku Shoujo is, in essence, a horror anime. However, it doesn’t need to use zombies, ghosts, mutants, epic screams or dramatic psychotic violin shrieks to scare you. In fact, it doesn’t even try to scare you. Jigoku Shoujo doesn’t bring darkness in the form of demons or evil spirits, but from the deepest, darkest corners of the gentle human heart.

It explores the farthest extremes of anguish, despair, fear, hatred and all the dark things that burn your soul with fury everytime you think about it. Evil, at the end of the day, comes from within mankind itself, and Jigoku Shoujo shows that vengeance, though it may prove to be a satisfying end, is perhaps more bitter than it is sweet.

Tragedy has never been as beautiful as this.

Beautifully Magical: Someday’s Dreamers

Someday’s Dreamers is, I think, one of the most underrated shows ever. It is a slice-of-life story about Yume, and young Mage undergoing apprenticeship with a qualified, licensed Mage. Yes, to be a Mage, one must abide by laws created for them. Anyone with magical ability must receive training, undergo tests, and qualify for a license before they can use their powers. To perform any act of Magic without any official record is against the law, the tortfeasor will suffer punishment.

Such is the world where Magic is fully acknowledged and utilised by a modern society. A Mage is practically just like any other working professional. He earns an income by casting a spell at a client’s request and lives a humble life just like any other working man. Yes, the theme is magic and sorcery, but Someday’s Dreamers explores various themes and ideas that lay beyond the flashy visuals of magic.

Since it is set in a modern society, a Mage is subject to everything else any normal person is subjected to. Mistakes, paperwork, bills, taxes, grocery shopping and in some occasions, difficulties in romance. Magic is bound to the law, and therefore cannot be abused to freely fulfill one’s will.

Someday’s Dreamers gives you a chance to imagine things like “Ah, if there was such a thing as Magic, how would modern society be like?”. Forget manipulating Chi or Chakra, or wielding magic wands and reading off spells from tomes. True Magic comes from the heart, and is utilised only as society sees it fit. Like Mushishi, any typical tightwad Narutard would wave this off as an extremely dull show.

But trust me, if you gave it a chance, you’ll be able appreciate the charm of Magic like you’ve never imagined it before.

What’s Next?

Next week, we’ll take a look at some all-time anime classics. Stay tuned! =D

PS: I think when it’s completed, I’ll add Kurenai to this list - or maybe not :p

This post is tagged Honey and Clover, Jigoku Shoujo, Makoto Shinkai, Mushishi, Someday's Dreamers

This post filed in *Feature, *Review, Beyond the Clouds, Honey and Clover, Jigoku Shoujo, Shows You Must Watch, Someday's Dreamers