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Air Master – Anime Review

The Lone Dragon — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:54:08 +0000

“There’s nothing sadder than a thing of beauty left unseen.”

So, I was stumbling about the internet, when I came across this description for some anime I never heard of:

“Aikawa Maki, a high school student (with a reputation of being an exceptional street fighter), is known on the streets as Air Master. Standing at 7 ft, she has the ability to seemingly fly through the air. Trying to attain the highest level of excitement and tension, she searches for stronger opponents.”

I think I stopped reading at “standing at 7 ft”, and started looking for footage of this nonsense. Little did I realize that I was about to discover ONE OF MY FAVORITE CARTOONS OF ALL TIME. Right up there with Tom and Jerry, Looney Toons, Popeye, and Pokemon…now stands Air Master. No joke.

It scares me to think that a random sequence of events was the only thing leading me to something so extraordinary.

Here are 10 reasons why Air Master is one of my favorite works of animation ever.

1. The Air Master

Maki, the show’s namesake, gets my vote for the greatest animated female character ever. Respectable. Strong. Unique. Awesome.

Though, this might be difficult to believe considering the amounts of fan service strewn throughout the series. During the first moments of the first episode, we’re greeted by a group of uniformed high school girls in remarkably short skirts, one with an impossibly large chest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0qKH8VyWzo

“Oh, I see…it’s one of ‘those’ anime.” you start to say to yourself.

But, wait a second…something isn’t quite right here. Are those high school girls playing…VIRTUA FIGHTER?! This is the first subtle clue that, no, this cartoon isn’t quite like the others…

The second clue isn’t so subtle. Enter Maki, the Air Master.

Iori Yagami. Put him in a skirt. Make him about 6’5″. Make him female. Now you have Maki.

Suddenly, the fan service actually starts to serve a FUNCTIONAL PURPOSE…as a reminder that Maki is indeed female. Because, beyond the skirt, Maki spits all over the stereotypical traits of “traditional female characters”. She’s tall. She’s muscular. She owns people left and right. She can take a hit. She’s not portrayed as “emotional” or “childish”. She’s not cute (not in the traditional anime sense, at least). She’s not ugly. She’s a slob. She NEVER HAS A LOVE INTEREST (though many love her). She’s the main character. Un-frickin-heard of.

Maki is a slightly more charming, lazier, female version of Ryu. She asks herself the big philosophical questions…she ponders the meaning of the fight…she seeks her true purpose in life…

And, yet, she’s actually a bit of an idiot. Not a giggling, “tee-hee-hee”, air head, type of stupid. But, legitimately stupid. In the middle of one fight, she actually forgets what her special move is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZjTI2YC0Qo (at 1:09)

An engaging character.

2. Sakiyama Kaori

…is the shiznit. If Maki is the greatest animated female character ever, Kaori may be 2nd.

Kaori is the Vegeta to Maki’s Goku…constantly trying to compete with Maki, but always destined to inferiority. She is loud, obnoxious, creeezy, and a bit tragic.

Episode 12 demonstrates her awesomeness perfectly:

(part 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwj3nrxAsGQ
(part 3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9iKyzC3IvM

Nothing more needs to be said.

3. Characters in general

In addition to Maki and Kaori, the rest of the cast has its charms. Two more awesome female characters appear Kai and Yuki…plus some cool male fighters, as well, like Kinjirou and Tsukio. The volatile personalities of all these characters interact and drive the story forward.

Renge, the loud mouthed, large headed little girl is hilarious. I don’t care what anyone says.

4. Excellent control of perspective

The series is very good at making you root for different characters depending on the context. The best example is a guy named Julietta…a.k.a. grand master bishonen man. Wears purple. Has a swagger. Hands in pockets. Deep voice. Kicks people into ceilings. Has “hidden strength”. Yeah.

On one hand, Julietta does despicable things like attempting to take advantage of Maki (twice), or launching innocent people down the street with his foot (i.e. girls who are hitting on him, random middle aged men, people that just try to talk to him).

Yet, somehow you find yourself sympathizing with him during certain fights or scenarios. It’s amazing.

The same is true with other characters. Kaori debuts as Maki’s malicious rival…but later on in the series, when Kaori fights Maki again, you actually find yourself rooting AGAINST Maki…the main character of the entire cartoon.

Dynamic characters = good.

5. Closing credits are awesome

Yup.

6. Video game references

The entire premise of the show proves that the creator must be a fighting game fan, especially after episode 16. Plus, certain characters bear striking resemblances to people we know…

Maki ~ Iori Yagami
Kinjirou ~ Kyo Kusanagi

It’s Kyo v Iori!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr2gqnlyZcY

Tsukio ~ MOTW Terry Bogard
Sky Star ~ Blue Mary
Yashiki ~ Ken Masters
Shinnousuke – Kilik

Perhaps the most blatant is Shigeo, who is literally an Akira cosplayer. The dude played Virtua Fighter so much that he decided to BECOME Akira:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxTzU1LgVZU

7. Awesome fight scenes

I approve. Check the above Kyo v Iori vid from 1:30 to 1:53 for maximum dirtiness.

8. Looks purdy

It’s well drawn and well animated for a 27 episode seires.

9. No audience

I can’t tell who the target audience is. I mean, it’s a fighting anime, so…teenage males, maybe? But, it stars a big, muscular, independent woman…

Plus, there are some mature moments…like when Julietta attempts to take advantage of Maki, and receives a kick to the face for his troubles…

There’s lots of blood…no gore, though.

A lot of fan service…for males, I suppose? But, the fan service is hardly central…

But, then there are scenes that I can’t see most males enjoying…like the time where Maki, her friends, and some older women are sitting around a table at a restaurant, talking. The scene lasts for more than 4 minutes. I can’t imagine male audiences lining up for that…

Not to mention the scene where the Kyo Kusanagi look-a-like kisses another man…

With no particular audience in mind, Air Master really freed itself to do whatever the heck it wanted. The result is familiar to everyone, and shocking to everyone at the same time.

10. Equality

There’s an underlying theme of equality that I really appreciate. Women fight women, women fight men, men fight men. We could argue about how realistic this may or may not be, but I don’t care. I find it refreshing.

This sense of equality even extends beyond the ring…as women fall in love with women, women with men, men with women, and men with men. Apparently, anything goes in Air Master.

If you’ve got a theme, you’ve got to carry it through, right?

In closing, Air Master is for people who appreciate really strong female characters, interesting male characters, good fightin’, lots of humor, a few uncomfortable moments (just to keep you on your toes), and a general lighthearted mood, and the occasional profound moment. A lot of fan service thrown in, but it gets absorbed by the undeniable strength of the female characters.

They help me forget the horrible aftertaste of the Sakuras and Kagomes of the world.

Particularly noteworthy episodes:
Episode 9 – I don’t know where to start…
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v38970907cZqjKFs

Episodes 12, 13, 14 – the wrestling episodes are hotness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qajpyaz_-s

Episode 15 – Maki and Kaori destroy the Power Rangers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_h5NRiU2m8

Episode 20 – Kyo Kusanagi vs Blue Mary- awesome fight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1LdVN5KBeM

Epsiode 23 – awesome fight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01sJ2I5FhBs

But, for best results watch it straight through!

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Anime and Manga Review: Bleach

Jan Suzukawa — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:24:15 +0000

Bleach is an enormously popular anime and manga series. Everyone already knows about it, right?

But with all of the anime out there to be watched, you may have given Bleach a miss, figuring all shonen series are the same. However, Bleach is one of the best shonen series for good reasons.

The hero of Bleach is Ichigo Kurosaki, a 15-year-old who receives shinigami (soul reaper) powers from Rukia Kuchiki, a shinigami from Soul Society. Soul Society is the place where souls go after they die, and shinigami are responsible for sending souls who are stuck on Earth for various reasons on to the other side. Ichigo’s school friends also develop special powers, and together they embark upon the series of adventures that comprise the storyline of Bleach.

Bleach is all about the fighting. There aren’t many emotion-driven or relationship-driven scenes – this is a shonen story after all – but on the rare occasions when an emotionally-charged moment is required the series definitely lives up to it. (The episode when Rukia’s execution day arrives and Ichigo comes to saves her is a good example.) But generally, what fuels Bleach is the sense of adventure and great fight scenes between characters with strange and fantastical powers.

Along with all of the action scenes, Bleach features a huge cast of colorful characters, in particular the captains and vice-captains of the thirteen Soul Society protection squads. It’s a tribute to creator Tite Kubo’s imagination that he has created so many fascinating characters that there’s going to be at least a few you’ll be intrigued by, and continue to watch the series for. Ichigo is also an engaging hero and deservedly one of the most popular protagonists in all of anime.

So if you’ve been avoiding Bleach, you may want to give it a try – because you’ve been missing out on a lot of fun.

Bleach was created by Tite Kubo. The manga is published by Viz Media, and the anime is produced by Studio Pierrot.

Jan Suzukawa works in the manga industry as a freelance editor and English adaptation writer. Website: www.jansuzukawa.com. Blog: jansuzukawa.blogspot.com.

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Anime Review: Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales

Jan Suzukawa — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 04:58:47 +0000

If you’re in the mood for atmospheric horror anime set in samurai-era Japan, Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales makes for a nicely creepy evening or two of anime entertainment. Each self-contained tale is vastly different in tone from the other stories, and can be watched separately from the others.

The first is the darkest of the three stories. Yotsuya Kaidan (Yotsuya Ghost Story) is a retelling of a traditional Japanese ghost story. Tamiya Iemon, a ronin samurai, marries a beautiful woman named Oiwa; but after the birth of their child he grows restless. When a scheming young woman from a rich family offers her family’s wealth if he will marry her, Iemon agrees. The young woman poisons Oiwa, and Oiwa later dies; but after death she continues to haunt her former husband and all of his associates. The character designs for Yotsuya Kaidan are by famed artist Yoshitaka Amano.

The second tale is Tenshu Monogatari (Goddess of the Dark Tower), a haunting romantic drama set in feudal Japan about Zushonosuke, a falconer, who is ordered by his domain lord to retrieve an expensive falcon that has escaped. While searching for the falcon, Zushonosuke comes across a beautiful woman bathing in a lake, Tomihime. He follows the falcon to the woman’s castle, only to discover that she is a fallen god and the falcon is actually the spirit of her mother. Her mother committed the sin of falling in love with a human – the same sin Tomihime comes to fear she will commit with Zushonosuke. The tone of Tenshu Monogatari, rather than horror, is more romantic and supernatural.

The final installment of Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales, entitled Bake Neko (Goblin Cat), employs a fascinating and unique art style as background to a quirky horror story. A demon cat haunts a corrupt rich family. A traveling medicine seller arrives, and as the demon cat’s attacks increase the medicine seller promises to exorcise it, but only if he understands why the family is being haunted – which leads to the unveiling of the family’s dark history and secrets.

Incidentally, Bake Neko gave rise to a separate anime series, Mononoke, which follows the continuing adventures of the enigmatic medicine seller, utilizing the same unusual art style.

Each of the three tales is around two hours in length (Goblin Cat is a little shorter, at one and one-half hours).

Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales was produced by Toei Animation and licensed by Geneon.

Jan Suzukawa works in the manga industry as a freelance editor and English adaptation writer. Website: www.jansuzukawa.com. Blog: jansuzukawa.blogspot.com.

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Anime Review: Cats, Cats and More Cats

Jan Suzukawa — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:47:39 +0000

Two Anime Series Featuring Mini-Episodes About Cats

Some days are stressful, and can only be made better by… watching mini-episodes of anime series featuring cats.

Chi’s Sweet Home is about a kitten who becomes separated from her mother and is discovered lying on the ground by Youhei, a little boy. Youhei is an only child whose family lives in an apartment building that doesn’t allow pets, so he and his parents have to keep Chi hidden. While they search for someone else to take Chi in, they begin to fall in love with the little cutie.

If you’ve ever wondered what your cat is thinking, this series may be of some assistance. Chi speaks so that the viewer understands her, but the human characters only hear her making typical cat noises. The actor playing Chi sounds just like an insatiably curious young kitten having adventures, if said kitten could speak. The creators have perfectly captured the habits and quirks of cats, like how they can become mesmerized by a moving shoelace, and hate baths (Chi screams that she’s going to die while they’re bathing her). The dad in the family becomes enamored of Chi, on one occasion buying a multitude of cat toys for her, only to find Chi just wants to play with the rustling plastic bag he brought the toys home in.

The second season, Chi’s New Address, shows the family moving to a new apartment just so they can keep Chi. Each Chi episode is only three minutes long, so you can indulge in taking a cat break whenever you need to.

For a completely different kind of cat-centric anime, there’s Neko Rahmen (“Cat Ramen”), a 13-episode series about a cat who owns a ramen shop. Neko Rahmen is more for teenagers and adults than young children, as its humor is more sophisticated. Taisho, a cheerfully unprincipled ramen chef, has only one regular customer, the affable Mr. Tanaka. Despite his not very good ramen, Taisho schemes to expand his business by using bizarre tactics, such as serving ramen topped with cat food to a famous food critic (who turns out to love it) and hiring ineffective assistants, like the French chef who tries to turn the ramen shop into a French bistro. My favorite episode has Taisho experimenting with the menu, offering up “Dessert Ramen” (ramen topped with strawberries and milk “for the ladies”) and “Gone Slightly Bad Ramen” with ingredients that have gone… slightly bad.

Neko Rahmen episodes are even shorter than the Chi episodes, logging in at only two and a half minutes apiece. You can watch the entire series in just under 35 minutes!

Chi’s Sweet Home is produced by Madhouse Ltd. Neko Rahmen is produced by Think Corporation. The second season of Chi’s Sweet Home and all of the Neko Rahmen episodes are available for viewing at Crunchyroll: www.crunchyroll.com.

Jan Suzukawa works in the manga industry as a freelance editor and English adaptation writer. Website: www.jansuzukawa.com. Blog: jansuzukawa.blogspot.com.

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Anime Review: Diamond Daydreams

Jan Suzukawa — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:54:17 +0000

Since we’re heading into the winter season, I thought it might be fun to review an anime that is set in the wintry locale of Hokkaido.

There doesn’t seem to be much josei anime out there, but one that stands out is Diamond Daydreams, a 13-episode series about six young women in the northern island of Hokkaido in Japan. Originally titled Diamond Dustdrops, the title referred to the ice-crystal phenomenon where the crystals glitter like diamond dust in the winter sky. The folk legend has it that wishes made upon seeing the diamond dust come true.

The six women live in different cities in Hokkaido and come from various backgrounds. Atsuko works in a Hakodate fish shop with her mother. Although she is already committed for a future arranged marriage, she finds herself attracted to an older man, a local jazz musician. Young Karin is an invalid in the hospital whose doctor tries to convince her to have a needed operation; but since her father died while undergoing surgery, she’s afraid to. Kyoko, a trendy filmmaker, is a demanding perfectionist whose controlling nature threatens her relationship with her easygoing boyfriend.

Suomi is a professional ice-skater with a secret from her childhood. Shoko is a radio talk show host in Sapporo who advises listeners on their love life problems – and who is secretly dating a married man herself. And in the final story, Akari struggles to support her widower father, who is ailing after his wife’s death.

Each character’s story is told in two episodes, with the final 13th episode serving as a grand finale in which each woman’s story is brought to a conclusion. The DVD set also features interesting extras on Hokkaido as a travel destination. If you need a break from shonen fight scenes and shojo schoolgirl stories, Diamond Daydreams might be the perfect anime to watch on a cold winter evening.

Diamond Daydreams was produced by Studio Deen and is distributed by ADV Films.

This column will be taking a break for the holidays, and will return in January. Happy holidays, everyone!

Jan Suzukawa works in the manga industry as a freelance editor and English adaptation writer. Website: www.jansuzukawa.com. Blog: jansuzukawa.blogspot.com.

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Anime Review: Night Head Genesis

Jan Suzukawa — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:12:38 +0000

Night Head Genesis is a dark and atmospheric – and oddly overlooked – anime series based on Night Head, a 1992 Japanese live-action TV series.

Naoto and Naoya Kirihara are two brothers with incredible psychic abilities. Unfortunately for them, this results in their being taken from their parents as young children and imprisoned in a research center located in an isolated mountain wilderness for fifteen years.

The story begins when the energy barrier surrounding the research center suddenly dissolves, enabling the brothers to escape. Now young men, Naoto and Naoya reenter the world they’ve been protected from for years – or perhaps, the world that has been protected from them for years.

Naoto, the older brother, has psychokinesis, or the ability to move objects using his mind. He is protective of Naoya, quick to anger, and can hurt others through his psychic abilities when he loses his temper. Naoya is clairvoyant and telepathic, and frequently afflicted by traumatic visions when physically touched by other people. In contrast to the more confident Naoto, Naoya is sensitive and timid, usually hiding behind Naoto figuratively (and sometimes literally). As the brothers had only each other to rely on for so long, they have an extremely close bond.

Naoto and Naoya are soon confronted by mysterious events involving other psychically-gifted people, including a female serial killer, and an unusual girl named Shouko who appears to be connected to the spirit realm.

The brothers learn that a vision predicts they will cause mankind’s extinction in an event known as “the Upheaval.” The Ark Corporation, a shadowy organization alluded to early on, becomes central to the plot in the final third of the series. Naoto and Naoya close in on the secret behind the Ark Corporation, but the time of the Upheaval is rapidly approaching…

Veteran seiyuu Toshiyuki Morikawa and Akira Ishida portray the Kirihara brothers. The attractive character designs are by manga artist You Higuri. The overall mood of the series is somber and often creepy. Due to frequent adult themes, Night Head Genesis isn’t suitable for younger than pre-teenage children.

Night Head Genesis is a 24-episode series, licensed in the U.S. by AnimeWorks and Media Blasters.

Jan Suzukawa works in the manga industry as a freelance editor and English adaptation writer. Website: www.jansuzukawa.com. Blog: jansuzukawa.blogspot.com.

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Anime Review: Paprika

Ann — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:54:22 +0000

If you’re a fan of director Satoshi Kon’s brilliant anime series Paranoia Agent, but haven’t seen any of his feature films – you might consider seeing possibly his greatest film to date: the dazzling, futuristic Paprika (2006).

Paprika opens with police detective Konakawa Toshimi being counseled by “Paprika,” a lively red-haired young woman. As it turns out, Paprika is actually the alter ego of Dr. Atsuko Chiba, a research psychoanalyst. Using the “DC Mini,” an experimental device that enables the viewing of a person’s dreams, Dr. Chiba enters the dreams of others in the virtual persona of Paprika in order to treat them.

Three DC Minis get stolen from the lab, and evidence points to it being an inside job. One by one, the scientists at the lab and other characters are brought into the dream world, as the real world and dream world begin to collide.

Dr. Chiba avoids dealing with her emotions and focuses instead on science, while Det. Toshimi is haunted by a recurring nightmare that seems important, but which he can’t discern the meaning of. Their stories intertwine throughout the film as each comes to a realization of their own truth and, in Dr. Chiba’s case, a recognition of what is missing from her life as well.

A recurring image of a dream world parade of cultural icons and strange creatures, symbolic of what captivates people and what people dream about, weaves in and out of Paprika, eventually spilling into the real world at the climax of the film.

Of Satoshi Kon’s feature films – Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers and Perfect Blue being the others – Paprika is by far my favorite. The art is full of colorful kinetic imagery, making the film a visual feast; and the music score is top-notch, particularly the solemn yet quirky background music of the dream parade.

Paprika was produced by Madhouse/Rainbow SPA and distributed by Sony Pictures Classics.

Jan Suzukawa works in the manga industry as a freelance editor and English adaptation writer. Website: www.jansuzukawa.com. Blog: jansuzukawa.blogspot.com.

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Anime Review: Sword of the Stranger

Jan Suzukawa — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:43:18 +0000

It’s no small achievement when a movie accomplishes everything it set out to do. Although the plot and characterization are spare, Sword of the Stranger tells the story it meant to tell – and does it beautifully.

Set in late Edo period Japan, Sword of the Stranger is about Kotaro, a young boy who is fleeing from the Chinese Emperor’s soldiers. Along the way Kotaro meets “Nanashi” (“No Name”), a mysterious samurai loner. Together with Kotaro’s dog Tobimaru, the three form a family of sorts on the road as they stay one step ahead of Kotaro’s pursuers.

Among the boy’s pursuers is another mysterious loner: Luo-Lang, a blond-haired and blue-eyed stranger from the West. Luo-Lang’s secret personal agenda is to find the greatest opponent and fight the ultimate fight, as outwardly he serves the Chinese Emperor in searching for Kotaro.

The samurai swordplay and fight scenes are exciting and perfectly choreographed. The relationship that forms between the gentle-spirited Nanashi and little feisty Kotaro is believable in its development. And the pacing of the movie feels just right – moved forward by thrilling action sequences, but slowing down when it needs to in order to further develop the story and characters. The theme music is stately and memorable, complementing the mood of the film perfectly.

Sword of the Stranger is an understated gem and deserving of a much wider audience than it has had to date.

Sword of the Stranger (2008) was directed by Masahiro Ando and produced by Bones.

Jan Suzukawa works in the manga industry as a freelance editor and English adaptation writer. Website: www.jansuzukawa.com. Blog: jansuzukawa.blogspot.com.

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Anime Review: The Gokusen

Jan Suzukawa — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:45:31 +0000

Kumiko “Yankumi” Yamaguchi is a cheerful and somewhat ditzy-seeming homeroom teacher for a class of delinquents at Shirokin Gakuen, a private high school for boys. She is small of stature, wears glasses, and looks unimposing. But things are not quite what they seem with the new teacher. The boys in her homeroom class are tough, but Yankumi – as it turns out – is a whole lot tougher than any of them.

The Gokusen is a comedy anime series that presents a fresh twist on the old person-torn-between-two-worlds scenario. Kumiko’s dream has always been to teach; but after her parents’ death she was raised by her grandfather Kuroda, who just happened to be the head of the Oedo Group – a powerful yakuza clan. As Kuroda’s only heir, Kumiko is set to inherit the leadership of the clan.

Since Kumiko’s connection with the yakuza would get her fired, she has to keep her family background a secret at the school, while at the same time teaching and improving the lives of her students. Trained in martial arts, she conceals her true tough girl persona and manages for the most part to fool her students about her yakuza identity. But there is one student, Shin Sawada – the bright and handsome leader of the delinquents – who suspects that Kumiko is not what she seems… which is where the fun really begins.

Kumiko is an appealing heroine in her desire to live her dream of being a teacher, while at the same time remaining loyal to her grandfather and the clan. How she manages her double life as teacher and yakuza princess makes The Gokusen an amusing and entertaining anime series.

The Gokusen was produced by Madhouse Studios. Licensed in the U.S. by Media Blasters and distributed by AnimeWorks.

Jan Suzukawa works in the manga industry as a freelance editor and English adaptation writer. Website: www.jansuzukawa.com. Blog: jansuzukawa.blogspot.com.

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Anime Review: Voices of a Distant Star

Jan Suzukawa — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:40:56 +0000

One of anime’s classic films, Voices of a Distant Star – only 25 minutes in length – is both absorbing and deeply moving.

Voices of a Distant Star is about two young teenagers, Mikako and Noboru, in the mid-21st century. While in the final year of junior high, Mikako is chosen by the U.N. Space Army as a “Special Member,” or combat space pilot, and is sent to serve in space.

She and Noboru communicate by texting messages to each other on their cell phones, but as Mikako’s division travels farther and farther away from Earth, the longer it takes for cell phone mail to be delivered. At first it takes six months; then one year; then, as Mikako travels light years to Sirius, eight years and seven months. And as Noboru grows older in Earth years, Mikako remains virtually the same age.

As Mikako fights the alien Tarsian forces and experiences grand new vistas on different planets, Noboru remains behind in Japan, waiting longer and longer to receive each of her messages. Both he and Mikako, in her combat ship in space, miss each other as the years pass, but time and distance begin to take their inevitable toll.

The themes of isolation and people drifting apart feel as immediate as in any story set in present day, with the futuristic elements just adding to the overall visual effect. The animation is beautiful, with magnificent alien landscapes contrasting with rain falling on Japanese city streets, infusing the film with a quiet melancholy.

If you have friends who don’t understand why you watch anime, Voices of a Distant Star is the perfect recommendation for them.

Voices of a Distant Star (2002) was directed by Makoto Shinkai.

Jan Suzukawa works in the manga industry as a freelance editor and English adaptation writer. Website: www.jansuzukawa.com. Blog: jansuzukawa.blogspot.com.