In the second episode of Ocha!’s “Shows You Must Watch“, we’re going to take a look at some of the most memorable anime, those with fantastic stories and wonderful characters. This time, I’d like to share with you some classic anime titles that I believe are timeless works of art that has made anime such an addictive experience.

Of course, there are those popular all-time classics like ye olde Dragon Ball, Mobile Suit Gundam, or even Doraemon. However, I’d like to bring to light titles that have been buried under the ridiculous pile of mainstream predictable shonen, moe-moe fanservice harem and mecha with plot-shielded bishounen pilots.

I wish to dedicate this post to the anime that has left us with wonderful memories, and that warm, fuzzy, satisfying sensation in our hearts =D

Full Metal Alchemist

Let’s kick it off with one of the best shonen adventures ever! This was one of the shows that was subbed by so many groups during its time. Which is only fair, as Full Metal Alchemist is quite an amazing show.

It follows the adventures of the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse, in their search for an artifact known as the Philospher’s Stone. As the title implies, the main theme of the show is alchemy and is set in the age of steam technology early gunpowder warfare. Alchemy is about breaking down an object, and reconstructing it into something else.

Any alchemical practice conforms to Law of Equal Trade, meaning that you cannot conjure more than what you have. If say, you have a broken radio, alchemy can fix it, but it cannot make it into a bigger radio. In an attempt to resurrect their mother, the Elric brothers suffered massive losses. Edward lost an arm and leg, while Alphonse lost his entire body; his soul now sealed within a hollow suit of armor. Their journey to find the Stone is because the stone is believe to be capable of ignoring the Law of Equal Trade, and they intend to use it to recover their lost bodies.

FMA was unlike many of the mainstream contemporary shonen that was aired at the time [i.e. Naruto, One Piece]. It was driven by a plot full of twists, mysteries and of course, high-octane action. Its generous bits of comedy moments made it an instant hit with audiences across many age groups, and I remember it was received very well during my anime club’s weekly screening [that was many years ago].

Awesome stuff. Be sure to watch it if you haven’t!

Last Exile

This has to be one of my personal all-time favourites. Unlike manga adaptations [such as Fullmetal Alchemist], Last Exile was an original production by GONZO, featuring unique character designs by Range Murata. It was one of the very few steampunk anime series around and it was a major hit among anime fans.

Last Exile revolves around the courier pilot Claus Valca and his trusty navigator, Lavie Head. They have been childhood friends, and their fathers shared the same pilot/co-pilot relationship until they passed away. The young pilots earn their living as messengers, braving through war-torn skies to fulfil their duty.

It was a time of conflict between the peoples of Anatoray and Disith, and their battles are overseen by the enigmatic Guild. In an expected turn of events, Claus and Lavie were entrusted with a mission to deliver a little girl to the Silvana, a rogue Anatoray battleship and the two quickly found themselves entangled in a struggle between forces they had never imagined.

What makes Last Exile a classic, compared to other series during its time, is how it gave the steampunk genre a fresh look. There were already a lot of anime that featured large-scale battleship warfare [thanks, Gundam] but they weren’t the least inspiring. I mean, yeah, battleships in space, we’ve seen that in Star Wars, Star Trek, and a billion other sci-fi shows, where massive spaceships fire gigantic laser beams and release an endless supply of missiles.

Aerial battles in Last Exile was different in the sense it involved a lot of things that affects real-life situations. Steam powered ships that [conveniently] levitate with engines of alien technology. Cannons that take time to charge and propelled by steam power. Musketeers armed with steam powered rifles. Ships that take a good amount of time to turn around before it can flee.

It gave steampunk a whole new degree of believability. Of course, there’s also the brilliant storyline and epic musical score which only serves to make this show one of my top recommendations.

Gunslinger Girl

I’m not exactly sure how many anime involved Italian fiction back in the day, but Gunslinger Girl was definitely the one I remember the most, and for good reason, too. It was a rather short-running anime, numbering only 13 episodes but boy was it a marvelous run.

Gunslinger Girl is a story about a government body that acts as a charitable institution, when it is in fact a secret military unit designated to oppose terrorism. One of its divisions employs young girls fitted with cybernetic body parts, giving them superhuman strength, reflexes and precision. This division is where the story unfolds.

It’s a tragic tale, really. All the girls lived a terrible life, and each of them suffered different circumstances that led them into being brainwashed and transformed into ruthless killing machines. Each girl is assigned to a unit called a fratello [Italian for siblings] and they each trained and supervised by a male handler. Each fratello has its own specialty, such as tactical sniping, close-quarters combat and counter-intelligence operations.

For a show that featured lovely young girls, it was also terribly bloody and brutal. They would kill without batting an eyelid and take a bullet without so much as returning 15 more. Not only was it a fascinating tale of counter-terrorism, but it was also a passionately touching story as the girls come to realise their identity and come to terms with the reality set before them.

It’s too bad the second season is just begging to make a sale in the moe market. A real shame for such a brilliant anime.

Chrno Crusade

Chrno Crusade was another one of GONZO’s golden age productions. It was adapted from a shonen manga and I first saw it during one of my anime club’s weekly screenings. It featured an action-packed storyline and loads of comical humor.

It revolves around Sister Rosette, and nun of the Magdalene Order in the 1920’s era of the United States. She is a member of a church militant that exists to combat demonic threats that have been regularly appearing across America. Rosette is accompanied by Chrono, her humble demon partner with whom she made a pact with.

Yep, a nun with a gun and a pact with a demonic one [hey it rhymes!]. Not something you’d see everyday, especially if the demon is a pretty-looking boy with his long hair in a braid. Rosette and Chrono have been friends since childhood, and there used to be a third person in the gang: Rosette’s younger brother Joshua. However, in a tragic disaster Joshua was kidnapped by Aion, Chrono ancient arch-nemesis. Together the duo journey across the country as they uncover the mysteries behind the demon attacks and search for Joshua.

Shonen is but a strange genre. There are the typical ones with main characters who start out lame, and grow stronger as they encounter newer, tougher enemies along the linear and predictable storyline. And then there are the non-typical ones, such as FMA and Chrno Crusade. These are the kind of shows that really win my approval.

Chrno Crusade’s story unfolds as it explores the in-depth universes of the mortal plane and the realms of Heaven and Hell. Not only is it a fantastic tale of adventure, but it is also an emotionally gripping story of love and loss. The characters were all marvelously portrayed by some of the most talented seiyuu around, the likes of Akira Ishida [Athrun Zala, Gaara], Michiko Neya [Riza Hawkeye, Melissa Mao] and Kazuhiko Inoue [Hatake Kakashi, Jerid Messa].

Definitely a classic not to be missed *double thumbs-up*

Full Metal Panic

Ah, how can anyone talk about classics without ever bringing up this gem?

As mentioned by HolyCow, Full Metal Panic is originally a series of light novels, which were then adapted by GONZO into one of the most entertaining anime to have ever been distributed over the bittorrent networks. FMP is a shonen mecha anime, and it is therefore loaded with giant robots carrying giant guns firing giant bullets. Unlike many other real-robot [as opposed to super-robot] shows, FMP manages to be comically hilarious without losing the thrill serious tactical face-offs.

Sagara Sousuke is a young sergeant in the elite paramilitary organization, Mithril. The unit exists solely as an anti-terrorist force and it acts independently, without belonging to any single nation or government, and as such is comprised of personnel from across the globe. Sousuke is charged with a mission to protect Chidori Kaname, a teenage girl who is endowed with knowledge of the top-secret Black Technology, even before she was born.

Sousuke, having lived a soldier’s life of constant warfare since childhood, finds himself as an undercover operative, disguised as Chidori’s high-school classmate. He quickly suffers difficulty adjusting to life among common folk and his honest acts [based on military instincts] have, more often than not, caused trouble for his charge. However, the terrorist threat cast upon Chidori is real, and Sousuke has to give everything he’s got to ensure the success of his mission.

I didn’t mention the mecha portion, did I? Well, the mecha action only comes in later during the series, and although it makes up a large part of the story, it’s really not the biggest thing in the whole show [figuratively speaking, that is]. FMP is one of those stories that was so well-developed, you just can’t help but hunger for more.

Its comedic moments are truly original and the mecha battles are just enough to push the plot forward - unlike other mecha shows which rely too much on bipedal chunky metal action to win its crowd. FMP tells its stories with a fascinating touch of humanity and it draws you deeper into the characters without resorting to cheap tried-and-tested methods of mainstream comedy shows.

That, my friend, is what makes this show a true classic.

What’s Next?

Of course, these are merely classics we’re talking about. Next time, we’ll take a look some anime that has achieved the divine status of Legendary. Stay tuned!

PS: Wow, now that I look back, GONZO sure made some pretty awesome stuff back then. Today,….

*thinks of Blassreiter*…

Heh.

This post is tagged Chrno Crusade, Full Metal Panic, Fullmetal Alchemist, Gunslinger Girl, Last Exile

This post filed in *Feature, *Review, Anime, Shows You Must Watch