This is part one of a two part series. With a live action Akira film about to grace screens, possibly with Leonardo DiCaprio in lead role of Shotaro Kaneda (obviously they will de-Asian the character), I felt it was time for Film-Book.com to share with you essential Anime films you need see when speaking, talking or referencing anything in the Anime world.
1.) Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken)
This film single-handedly cemented my love for Anime films, though Robotech (Macross) and Tranzor Z (Mazinger Z) were precursor elements. When I first saw it I had never seen anything as violent in my life. This is the anime film that I have viewed the most in my life. “Power without perception is spiritually useless and therefore of no true value.” I just quoted that from memory. I told you I’ve seen this flick a lot. An Apocalypse, Mad Max influences and Kung-Fu. It’s completely ridicules but fun to watch.
2.) Ninja Scroll
Great story, great action and some very nice plot twists. Accessible to everyone. A very good film about ronin and ninjas. The Eight Devils of Kimon and Himuro Gemma make this film a repeat watch.
3.) Vampire Hunter D: Blood Lust
Love this film. It has elements of the future mixed with elements of the past. In addition D is badass and his parasite sidekick has some surprisingly good dialogue. Come for the action, stay for Meier Link.
4.) Ghost in the Shell
Complex, dense, thought provoking, a film that questions what it is to exist, to be human and the dynamics of a person’s soul. Ghost in the Shell is Blade Runner made for philosophy professors and the highly intelligent.
5.) Princess Mononoke
The first Hayao Miyazaki film I ever saw and the film responsible for turning me into a fan of his work, present, past and future. Out of all of the movies on this list, this is the most beautiful and epic in scope. I had the pleasure of seeing this twice in theaters after watching it spoken of on HBO about the greatest animated films. I’m glad I did and so will you when you watch it.
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