Confessions of an Anime Neophyte

Forgive me, dear readers, for I have sinned.

My first sin is that this article was due to be posted on Tuesday; I've dragged my feet and here we are into the weekend. But the bigger sin is my long-held reservation about anime.

You see, I have an addictive personality, and I've been afraid for years that if I watched more than the occasional Japanese animated movie, I would become hopelessly hooked and end up a ragged homeless person, begging passing strangers for spare change so I could buy the 379th episode of a never-ending series.

Then, after watching a review copy of Afro Samurai and loving it (sorry, haters), I decided to invest in the first volumes of a half-dozen recent series -- just to have a taste, just to see what I was missing, just to see if I liked it.

And now my worst fears have become horrid reality. I am hooked. After the jump, I will confess my top 5 new addictions.

One more prefacing note: please share your recommendations for other recent anime series by leaving a comment. Or, tell me why I should immediately stop watching the ones I've listed. Or, give me the number for the local chapter of Anime-o-holics Anonymous.

5. Black Lagoon

Sometimes you just need a shot of adrenaline. A young salaryman is kidnapped by a gang of hoodlums who storm his company -- and then his corporate overlord tells him he must sacrifice himself to preserve the company's business secret! He's none too happy with that idea and ends up joining the law-breaking yet guardedly friendly band of rogues. Very simple plots, plenty of colorful gun battles and explosions, and a prototypical babe with a bad attitude made this one go down easy. This is what I call mindless fun. And it doesn't give me hives -- unlike the mere thought of enduring Rush Hour 3. I've already ordered Volume 2.

4. Noein

I have the vague feeling that the set-up may be quite familiar to anime fans, but I liked the contrast between the two basic settings. Noein features young teens fighting and crushing and playing on earth, while metaphysical creatures flit between dimensions and repair (or cause) ruptures in the space-time continuum. Just when the teen interplay becomes wearisome, the spirit warriors wreck havoc with random blotches of dream machinery and color patterns that resemble inkspots gone wild. I think the run of four volumes has concluded, so don't tell me how it ends; I'm waiting for Volume 2 to arrive.

3. Hellsing Ultimate

Whoa. Everyone wants to tell their own version of the vampire story, and I enjoyed the hell out of this one. (He he. Permit me my little jokes, please.) The animation is florid and expressive. Crispin Freeman is suitably spooky as the powerful Alucard, who is the #1 tool of the Hellsing Organization, authorized to deal with all things supernatural in England. Two volumes have been released so far in the US; the first is 50 minutes and the second 40. That's not very long for the money you pay, but I anticipate watching each one several times. So far it feels like a very rich meal; eat too much at one sitting and you might keel over and die. The third volume is due in October.

2. Le Chevalier D'Eon

Production I.G. pulls out all the stops on this lushly animated period piece. Set in 18th Century France and filled with royal intrigue, we follow the title character on secret missions for King Louis. Le Chevalier's sister has been killed and her spirit cannot rest until her death is avenged. Le Chevalier is rarin' to do so, but wait until he finds out how his sister's spirit manifests itself. It caught me completely off-guard. Le Chevalier was inspired by a real-life figure; helpful supplemental features on the disks and informative booklets could make you believe you're spending your time in an educational pursuit. But really it's the stinging swordplay, hounds from hell, and other assorted weirdness that's hooked me. I've watched the eight episodes on the first two disks and am eagerly waiting for Volume 3 to arrive, er, as soon as I can afford to order it.

1. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

I read an online recommendation of this, but by the time the first DVD arrived, I'd forgotten what the review said. I popped it in at a friend's house, and we laughed ourselves hoarse through Episode 1. Haruhi is one of those strong-minded, out-of-my-way girls that storm their way through adolescence, letting nothing stand in their way. She is fearlessly unselfconscious -- she thinks nothing of changing into her clothes for gym class in the midst of a roomful of fellow students, sending everyone scurrying away out of embarrassment. She's the kind of girl who grabs people by force and bends them to her will. And her character is so self-important, without a shred of humor or modesty or humility, that it made us laugh until our sides split. Because we had known girls like that, and been caught up in their orbit of activity, and snuck away to live another day.

But I fear to say any more than that, because it would spoil the discovery. Just know that Haruhi wants to see aliens, time travelers, and ESPers, and she always gets what she wants. Through the first seven episodes in two volumes, the series is mind-blowingly good. (And Crispin Freeman is truly spectacular in his voice work as the hapless boy caught in a whirlwind.) It is rapidly establishing itself as my favorite viewing experience of the year.

More, please.