Best Anime Songs

Music adds another dimension to anime. Whether it’s J-Pop, J-Rock or something else, music is a key part of what makes watching anime such an enjoyable experience. In anime, the right music can emphasize the feeling or tone of a scene, making it all the more powerful. 

An awesome song in the opening theme of an anime can also go a long way towards capturing the show’s essence while making it memorable to viewers. Something shows like Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece have got nailed down pretty well.

In short, fantastic music is something that all great anime have in common. Here’s a Top 15 List of what I think are some of the Best Anime Songs around.

1. Mezamero! Yasei (from NARUTO)
2. Cha-La Head-Cha-La (from Dragon Ball Z)
3. Asterisk (from Bleach)
4. Rhythem Emotion (From "Mobile Suit Gundam W")
5. Yurayura (from NARUTO)
6. Innocent Sorrow (From "D.Gray-Man")
7. Yakusoku Wa Iranai (from "Escaflowne")
8. White Reflection (from NEW MOBILE REPORT GUNDAM-W ENDLESS WALTZ)
9. The World (From "Death Note")
10. Uragiri No Yuuyake (From "Durarara!!")
11. Heart of Sword (from Rurouni Kenshin)
12. Tabi No Tochu (from SPICE AND WOLF)
13. Get Along (from "Slayers")
14. Rise (from THE GHOST IN THE SHELL)
15. We Are (from "ONE PIECE")





To listen to more of the best music in anime check out our other posts: Naruto Music.

Why Bleach was Cancelled: And Why Filler is an Anime Killer

For anime fans no one word brings feelings of hate, anger, and frustration as much as does the word “filler”. Filler episodes or short “filler miniseries” are a common occurrence in anime. The nature of the industry makes it so, as most anime are based upon manga and follow manga storylines. If the anime series gets too far ahead and catches up to where the manga is then the anime producers make the call to bring out the filler.

Recently the decision was made in Japan to cancel new episodes of Bleach which were airing regularly on TV Tokyo. At a time Bleach was one of most popular and beloved anime series in Japan and North America. But over the last couple of years enthusiasm for the series has been in decline.

A major reason for the show losing support was its obnoxious amount of filler. If you ask me, Bleach is a casualty of filler. But not just any filler, exceptionally bad filler. An anime, no matter how good the main story is, cannot survive if for every normal episode there is a horrible filler episode to match it.

With Bleach it certainly felt like this was the case. The New Captain Shūsuke Amagai arc definitely comes to mind with over 20 excruciating episodes of Ichigo trying to save an annoying little girl. 

The popular anime series Naruto and Naruto Shippuden also have their fair share of awful filler. Though in Naruto’s case, the production team opts for smaller mini arcs instead of full season filler storylines like in Bleach. Hard to say which one is worse. Both are terrible in their own ways.

In fact, for these anime there are even entire filler guides dedicated to allowing fans of these shows to bypass filler and escape the pain of having to sit through it.

So what does all this mean?

To me, this is a clear signal that shows like Bleach can’t last if every time a filler episode is aired it makes fans want to bang their face against a wall. 

It’s sad that horrible filler ruins what is otherwise great anime. But even sadder is that it doesn’t have to be this way. 

Believe it or not, filler doesn’t have to be bad. There are series with watchable or even (get this!) likable filler. Inuyasha and Full Metal Alchemist are both anime with filler that blends seamlessly into the main story. Episodes that are not taken directly from the manga are very well written and cannot easily be told apart from any other episode.

These series have filler that adds something of value to the show. This could be an interesting side story or just flushing out the main characters’ personalities. These types of episodes are not intrusive and don’t harm the integrity of the normal show.

So, to the producers of Bleach and any other anime with Bleach quality filler, if you are incapable of making filler that doesn’t ruin your show, or filler that serves no purpose other than to stall for time, then please simply don’t use filler.

Just wait. Wait until the manga or other source material gets far enough ahead for the anime to resume. Most fans would be far happier waiting a little longer for a new season to begin rather than spending that time wading through filler hell. I know I would be.

Toonami is Back

So it finally happened. After years of fighting and campaigning, Toonami Fans can now rest easy. Toonami is Back.

Cartoon Network announced on Wednesday that Toonami would be returning to the air on May 26^th. And we here at Awesome Anime couldn’t be any happier.

We’ve had our eye on the possibility of Toonami making a comeback for some time. Most recently, as a prank Adult Swim aired old Toonami shows and bumpers on April Fool’s Day. What was seen as half joke and half test run created considerable buzz online and in social media. (See our Post: Is Toonami Really Back?) 

No word yet as to what the new lineup will be. Personally, I’m hoping they throw in some classics along with any new series. Maybe a little Rurouni Kenshin… 

But anyway, Toonami is back and hopefully here to stay. So suit up and stay tuned!

And congratz to all the fans and Toonami faithful that made Toonami’s return a reality. It feels like nostalgia in here.

-SuperFan5

Most Awesome Anime: Ranma ½ (Manga Series)

This month we’re kicking off our new series of continuing posts called Most Awesome Anime. Here we will be sharing our top choices of both Anime and Manga.

To start things off this month we are featuring the manga Ranma ½. Written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi (also the creator of Urusei Yatsura and Inuyasha), Ranma ½ began as a publication in Shōnen Sunday where it ran from 1987 to 1996.

Ranma is definitely one of the funniest and well… more interesting manga stories that I have come across.

It begins as Ranma Saotome, a 16 year old martial artist returns to Japan along with his father after training in China.

At the request of Mr. Saotome’s old friend Soun Tendo, the two arrive at his Dojo of “Anything-Goes Martial Arts”. As per the arrangement made between the two fathers years ago, Ranma is to marry one of Soun Tendo’s three daughters and carry on the dojo’s legacy.

Only there is a slight problem.

While training in China at the accursed springs of Jusenkyo, Ranma and his father had a bit of an accident.

During a sparring bout they both fell into the springs and were cursed. Now Ranma turns into a girl every time he is splashed with cold water. And his father…let’s say has a bit of a panda problem.

After seeing this, Kasumi, Nabiki quickly volunteer their younger sister Akane for bridal duty. The same age as Ranma, Akane is a hot-tempered karate enthusiast who says she hates boys.  

But her sisters point out that Ranma is a good match since he’s half girl!

Obviously neither are too excited about the engagement plans. Ranma wants to return to China and lift the curse while Akane just doesn’t want anything to do with Ranma.

But unfortunately for them a constant stream of martial arts challengers and wacky suitors seem to only push them closer together.  

The love-hate relationship between Ranma and Akane though typical of the genre, still proves to be very entertaining. And Ranma’s “unique problem” creates some amusing situations of its own. As a splash of cold water will often change him into a girl at the most inopportune times.

But the real laughs seem to come mostly from the exotic cast of characters and bizarre types of martial art battles which they get caught up in.

Whether it’s fighting crazy Kendo captains, Amazon warriors, martial art magicians, or competing in anything from Rhythmic Gymnastic Wrestling to Figure Skating Battle Royals, the story remains hilarious and highly entertaining.

An extremely enjoyable manga. Lighthearted and funny with some added romance and a large dose of action, Ranma ½ is well worth picking up.

Is Toonami Really Back?

A few months ago we posted an article about Cartoon Network’s anime block Toonami which ran for over a decade and ended in 2008 (What Ever Happened to Toonami). To our massive surprise Toonami made an unannounced return last Saturday night on CN’s Adult Swim.

From midnight to 6am some of Toonami’s classics like Dragon Ball Z, Gundam Wing, and Outlaw Star were back on the air. Even more surprising was that Toonami’s host T.O.M voiced by Steve Blum did a brand new review of recently released Mass Effect 3.  

The word quickly spread and the internet was buzzing with excitement over the news of Toonami’s revival. Only there was one problem: the date. 

Sadly, the day that Toonami had come back also happened to be April Fools. 

Many were quick to point out that Adult Swim was no stranger to April Fools and this was more than likely a prank. In the past Adult Swim had aired shows like Mr. T and Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos for April Fools. And on one year fart noises were even added to the audio of regular scheduled shows like Fullmetal Alchemist and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

Our opinion: Although many online have dismissed this as a somewhat cruel prank on Toonami fans, we feel that it’s something more. 

It’s true that Toonami may not be back for good at the moment. However, its brief return paves way for exactly that to happen. At the very least, April Fools was an opportunity for Cartoon Network to test the waters and see what kind of a reception Toonami would get in 2012.

After Saturday, night amidst a storm of attention they got there answer.

According to Wikipedia on April 2 Adult Swim posted a message to their Twitter page, simply stating, "Want it back? Let us know. #BringBackToonami". And on April 4, Adult Swim followed up this tweet with one stating, "#BringBackToonami We've heard you. Thank you for your passion and interest - stay tuned."

Our bet is that we have not seen the last of Toonami.

-SuperFan5

P.S

For those of you interested in getting Toonami back check out Adult Swim’s Twitter page and let them know what you want!

Want it back? Let us know. #BringBackToonami
— [adult swim] (@adultswim) April 3, 2012

Update: Pokémon Plane Sighted!

A friend of mine was recently in Japan and while at the airport they actually spotted this Pokémon Jet! All Nippon Airways (ANA) has been flying these planes since 1999. Since then the airline has added a number of different airplane models to their fleet, all fully decked out with Pokémon characters.

Here’s the picture my friend was able to take with his iPhone.

This plane in particular has a super colorful design and sports a number of Pokémon on its hull including Pikachu.

According to ANA, the Pokémon theme isn’t limited just to the skin of the plane. Passengers on these flights receive a full Pokémon experience with fully themed cabins.

Headrests, flight attendant uniforms, food containers, inflight entertainment, and even souvenir bags given out on the flight are all tailored to Pokémon.

My friend said it was definitely fun to see in person. If you are ever flying in Japan keep your eyes open and you may just spot one.

References

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Jet

2. http://www.ana.co.jp/eng/flights/pokemonjet/main.html

Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds - Boston

Hey,

Just got back from Boston where over the weekend I went to see Final Fantasy Distant Worlds. For those of you who don’t know, Distant Worlds is a live symphony orchestra that works in union with Square Enix to tour around the world playing music from the Final Fantasy series. 

The musical scores from Final Fantasy are arguably some of the best pieces ever to be featured in any video game. And seeing the music being played live was definitely an amazing experience. 

Some of the classic FF scores played in Boston were: "Suteki da ne", "Terra's Theme", “Opera: Maria and Draco”, "Aerith's Theme", and “Swing de Chocobo”.

I was even lucky enough that on the night I went to the concert it was attended by Masashi Hamauzu who co-composed the music of Final Fantasy X and was the main composer of Final Fantasy XIII. In the last performance of the night Masashi Hamauzu actually joined in with the choir for “One-Winged Angel” from Final Fantasy: Advent Children. 

Pretty awesome to see. Especially since Hamauzu provided bass vocals in the original eight-person chorus when the song was recorded for Final Fantasy VII.  

Though the music definitely stands on its own, during performances Distant Worlds also displays unique content from Final Fantasy games on a giant screen. The CGI and gameplay clips are edited by Square Enix for the special use of Distant Worlds. 

As a result, this gives a kind of “Fantasia” like feel to the performances as the images playing on the screen are synchronized to the music of the orchestra. This also adds a whole other dimension to the concert and makes the experience all the more enjoyable. 

I think there is something inherently special about stunning audio and visual elements being used together in harmony.  And it is here that Distant Worlds achieves something great and truly shines.

If you are a fan of the series, like video game music, or classical music in general I absolutely recommend checking out one of their performances.

SuperFan5

About Us

Today one of Japan’s biggest exports is its pop culture. In North America as well as all over the world, people have come to know and love the unique and exciting forms of media that have come from Japan. From the classic animation works of Hayao Miyazaki to iconic video games like Super Mario and Final Fantasy, Japanese media has had a profound influence on entertainment across the globe.

In this blog we will be posting anything ranging from articles to reviews all about Japanese media and its entertainment culture. So if you’re one of the millions of fans out there who enjoys Japanese anime, manga, and games as much as we do, this site is for you!

If you would like to join our community, feel free to read, write, and discuss to your hearts content. So just sit back, relax, and enjoy!