Best anime openings for Christmas insanity (part two)

After the Black Friday madness, it's time to continue with my list of the top 26 opening sequences for anime shows. Moving onward to number 20...

20. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, first season
This opening looks more like one of those 70s romance shows, like "That Girl" or "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." The characters dress up with considerable class. Even the juxtaposition of the drawings make them look like high-end individuals. It's still a classic for me.

No moe show has stirred as much controversy as the second season of Haruhi. This show isn't an ordinary experiment in shoujo anime anymore. It is guaranteed to test your toleration for anime boredom.

Yet, this is also why it's one of the more important shows of the decade. There's no other show that will amuse you and disgust you as much as Haruhi. If you're into camera tricks and classy cinematography, get season one for $35. Season two is also available at a more expensive $49.

19. Super Dimensional Fortress Macross
Not too many of the old mecha show openings lasted the test of time. However, almost every old anime fan remembers this grand opening for "Macross."

This is another one of those really corny intros where the singer has to sing the name of the show. The epic scale of the orchestra and the electric guitars makes the show much larger than life. The hero of the series, Rick Hunter, also looks incredibly cool as the star pilot of the series.

Most of the DVDs are still available on amazon.com. You have to make sure to buy only the grey copies with the words "Super Dimensional Fortress Macross," though. This was one of the shows that was first released with a terrible English dub and none of the original Japanese audio, so make sure you find the proper version.

18. Death Note, second opening
People don't usually hear about death metal bands in Japan, so this was an excellent intro that showed off the random, schizophrenic sound of Japanese metal. It also included some of the edgiest visuals for an anime opening.

It doesn't make much sense, but it truly captures the dangerous atmosphere of "Death Note."

In case anyone is wondering, Funimation recently released the Death Note episodes in two box sets. Each part is available for only $28.

17. Hidamari Sketch x365
I didn't even consider putting "Hidamari Sketch" into the list until I saw the second opening. The show easily trumps Haruhi and "Lucky Star" with a cheery, hyper intro that captures everything that makes it so special.

This intro included everything. The characters show off their name stamped on their faces and arms. We get to see all the characters, from the weird principal to the caterpillar mascot. Panels from the comic are even flashing by at high speeds.

Sure, this intro copies the flying character sequence from Azumanga Daioh. Twice. Yet, no one can argue about how the animators neatly synchronized all the letters, numbers and character motions to match the fast music.

Seasons one and two are available on amazon.com for $36 each.


16. Xam'd - "Shut Up and Explode"
Xam'd is one of those shows that you have to watch, just because it looks cool and surreal. This opening happens to have the hardest-hitting post-punk song I've ever heard in an anime.

There's plenty of things that just look great. The giant Xam'd monsters that are destroying buildings. The unique motions of the characters to the hip music. The person who probably lured people in the most is the girl who looks like a cross between Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa. Come on, you have to watch a show just because this girl's image was inspired by two of the best Hayao Miyazaki films of all time.

Xam'd is available in two box sets. The first box is available for $37.

In another week, we'll look at numbers 15-11 on the list.

Images courtesy of photobucket.com.

DVD Review - Mythology meets mecha in "Aquarion"

This year has already offered two robot anime series, and "Aquarion" may be one of the most unusual series. The anime packs robot-fighting and Greek and Biblical mythology together in a action series that is exciting, no matter how odd the blend is.

I never thought that an anime would even try to mix mythology and mecha action together, but "Aquarion" blends it effortlessly. It's also no surprise that this series is that good, because it is directed by Shoji Kawamori, who directed the excellent "Macross Plus" series. The series begins immediately with a narrative on the distant future, where Shadow Angels are returning after a twelve thousand years to eliminate all the humans of the world. Fortunately, the humans have managed to launch ships, called Vectors, to destroy these Shadow Angels before they send the humans to an alternative dimension. Only Element users can use Vectors. And, in the Transformers tradition, these Vectors can transform into a humongous robot, called an Aquarion.

Meanwhile, an escapee from an internment camp, is rumored to be long-forgotton descendant of the hero Apollonius, who saved the world twelve thousand years ago. This guy, Apollo, is the Solar Wing whom Silvia, one of the Element users, is looking for to help her get stronger as a pilot. However, they couldn't be any more incompatible--Silvia comes from a line of nobility and Apollo is a brash street brat who crawls on his hands and feet like a cat. However, he certainly has the ability to harness the Aquarion's abilities to the fullest.

Then again, his emotions of agony are so strong that he can cause the Aquarion to self-destruct. He also lost his best friend, Baron, to the shadow Angels in episode one. Not surprisingly, one of the Shadow Angels tapped into his emotions to cause the Aquarion to explode, destroying an entire city.

However, despite this dark turn of events in episode two, this is one of the funniest robot anime series I have ever seen. I especially love watching Silvia and Apollo fight over the controls of the Vector. Each the pilots are very recognizable in their physical abilities, too. Sirius, Silvia's sister, is a perfectionist and swordsman who believes that he deserves to be called the descendant of Apollonius. Hong is a female pilot who is suffering after an accident which put her boyfriend in a coma. Pierre is one of the hilarious pilots, who flirts with the ladies and tends to show off his flaming kick a little too much.

While these are only a few of the pilots of the series, they all are very memorable. I love the chemistry between Silvia and Apollo, who constantly tease each other whenever they meet. And unlike other robot series, this is an anime about teamwork. All the character constantly look at each other's actions in order to discover the Shadow Angels weaknesses. I loved the fourth episode, where the characters had to discover how to withstand a Shadow Angel's attack, in which the Angel reversed gravity whenever he beat his staff on the ground. Of course, the Aquarion was able to defeat the angel by tapping into the Earth's power, buried underneath the ground.

There's also a much deeper plot to it as well, one that implements Biblical imagery. The Shadow Wings are actually capturing humans to recreate the second Tree of Life. It sounds like a really twisted version of the Creation story. Nonetheless, this series is a true gem.

And it's not quite for kids either. There is a reason why "Aquarion" is rated TV-MA. Be willing to bear the brief moments when the characters are naked when they are merging the Vectors into an Aquarion, and the scenes after pilots trade places by transporting, when the female pilots are bare naked.