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Two months after everyone else on the planet has done THEIR decade in review, we decide it’s time we start on ours! With special guest, TV’s Matt Alt from AltJapan!
MOST DANGEROUS Matt Alt is the author of books and things, but it’s cool because they have pretty pictures:
Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide
Hello, Please! Very Helpful Super Kawaii Characters from Japan
Super #1 Robot: Japanese Robot Toys, 1972-1982
Perhaps you have read Matt Alt’s articles within the pages of Otaku USA magazine, the finest of all magazines which you should buy/subscribe to if you love us as much as you say you do. Perhaps you have heard of the Japanese adventures Matt Alt has undertaken on the Hot Tears of Shame podcast. Or perhaps you have read about the exploits, adventures, and conquests of Matt Alt on your favorite Wapanese gamer blog. Or maybe you missed it because there are like, 70 updates a day on that site. Craaaaaaaaaaaazy, man. Regardless, the AWO decade in review will build off of Matt Alt’s writings at CNNGo.com, namely this article.
ENJOY YOURSELF.
[Don’t enter BS information into the comments fields. I’ve edited this post to take out the most obvious baiting remarks, but this took more time than I would prefer. If I have to do this too often, I’ll just either stop approving your comments or ban you entirely. –Daryl]
Actually, I’ve been saying that Eva “ruined” the genre for a while, too. There was this industry guy I knew who told me I didn’t “get it” when I told him I disliked it. He was also one of those guys who took the show so literally back then that he had his own copy of the Kabbalah. Thank Gawd the Anno-philes started toning it down when they were forced to defend Ebichu and the live-action Cutey Honey.
“Before they decided never to give Kawajiri money”: He seems to be stuck on Ninja Scroll 2. Even Maruyama didn’t know what was up with that sequel. As for the Escaflowne movie, I heard Arjuna’s more divisive.
“before [Gatekeepers], they [Gonzo] were doing video game cut-scenes”: Blue Sub came out earlier, but I think they also did FX for one of the Ultraman movies.
“Cowboy Bebop movie”: You forgot to mention its original subtitle, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, which was omitted because of a greedy record company; the sign of other obnoxious releases to come. [*cough* Kodocha *cough*]
“Interstella”: BTW, they [Daft Punk] got their own YT channel playing segments of that now.
Anyway, I’m kinda sad Descendants of Darkness got omitted, because that show has better art and is more coherent than its manga counter-part. As for Metropolis, Daryl’s not alone on that. I loved it, but I’ve heard mixed comments from some people on it. I heard the studio delayed it, in fear of how it would resonate with people still traumatized after 9/11. [I hear that’s also why the Bebop movie took so long to come out in the U.S.]
Gerald on Patlabor WXIII: “Misses the point of Patlabor”: It’s based on one of the novels…I will agree with you on Noir, though. I was bored on the first ep.
[Hikaru no Go at first glance] “sounds like the most boring series in creation”: That’s definitely what I get with the manga, anyway.
“Most Americans probably don’t even know what Go is”: Actually, Viz noted various American tournaments and training camps when they published it in Jump. But yeah, it’s the board game equivalent of rugby here. As for PoT, I see more cosplayers for it than HnG, so I guess it’s doing a little better in the U.S.
“Cat Soup”: Surprised you didn’t bring up Tamala. [I didn’t bring up Tamala 2010 because that movie is terrible. –Daryl]
As for Gundam, *my* opinion on why the original show doesn’t do better here is that relies on a slower form of story-telling which is not really what Americans fans want. They prefer knowing everything up-front, and don’t really care much for suspense or surprises.
“Cat Returns”: I’ll be sacrilegious and argue it’s a more entertaining film than Whisper of the Heart, which comes off awkward and uncertain of where it wants to go next.
When you guys started talking I was thinking “If they’re going to do the whole decade, it’s going to be like a five hour podcast.” Still, a weekly release is fun too.
Nice show overall, interesting to hear about some stuff I definetely missed out on. Plus, I think you need to create a whole episode were Gerald can explain why he hates awesome anime. Not in a “haha, Gerald is just wrong” sort of way, but in a way where I wish to hear his explanations for not liking stuff.
Also, thanks for the 12 Kingdoms review, even though it was ages ago. Just watched it all recently and that show was super awesome and very different from a lot of the stuff thats getting made at the moment.
Cool.
Now I know what I’ll be listening to on my way to work today.
The Studio 4c short “Comedy” was released on one of the volumes of the Japanese DVD magazine thingy Grasshoppa!, the DVD for which was actually subbed. Remarkably, that’s actually only the second most notable thing on that volume – that disk has this amazing/insane Hideaki Anno live action short called Ryusei-Kacho.
Only the first 25 episodes of Cyborg 009 were released on DVD in Australia. And I’m pretty sure that after comparing it with the dub, that it has dubtitles 🙁
The Australian Cyborg 009 release is out of print and, unfortunately, it was almost impossible to find when it was in print.
I liked Vandread from 2001. Better than Nadesico IMO.
Why couldn’t the whole decade be done in one show?
So 4c lives from making music videos? Will probably look them up then, was also wondering how they were still around. Those anthologies must also help. And keep forgetting about princess tutu even tho it has been on my too watch list for way too long.
Also, there still are people out there who still acknowledge the greatness of scryed.
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/2575/geassscryed.jpg
I always get a kick hearing you guys trash Noir, it was what got me listening to you guys in the first place when I listened to a random show. I’m surprised you dont hear more people talk about it and how bad it was. It always sticks out in my mind as it’s the only show I kept buying hoping and expecting it to get good and it never did.
Tessa=pedobait?
Ok sure. Keep thinking that.
i totally loved this episode, and i’m way into the idea of 5 more. recapping a decade by shit-talking it is always a blast.
Daryl, I remember Wild 7. Why? Because when I was 13, I was drawn to anything with the world “wild” in the title (see: my nick). However, I never engaged with the series beyond flipping through a volume. You don’t have much money to buy things at age 13, you see.
I still hold a good amount of interest in the series, as I love anything in which The Law is put into the hands of Outlaws. I also dig the old artwork.
Considering I didn’t really get into digital fansubs until half-way through the decade, this coverage of the early 2000s is quite interesting. Can’t wait for the rest of it!
I always love a cartoon that has RECKLESS FIRE!
Kind of have to agree with what W.A.H. has to say.It’s interesting to hear your judgement of shows in the early 2000’s.The only thing was,however,watching Gatekeepers,Vandread,Sakura Wars/Taisen,Niea_7 and Black Heaven with subtitles in 2001 on AXN was a bliss.A BLISS,I TELL YOU.
P.S.:I’ve just finished all 110 episodes of LotGH(courtesy of Anime Classic),and My Conquest is the Sea of Stars on a Blu-Ray rip,and it is just epic.Will you guys have a proper review of it in the future,instead of just the interview back then?
Good to see you finally got Matt Alt on for something.
I’ll be checking out Wild 7 for sure.
Always good to hear Matt in action, he’ll be greatly amused that I’m not commenting on things he would be sure I’d jump on. 🙂
Heat Guy J…yeah, I have no clue what happened there. Yes it was ‘average’ but there’s nothing really wrong with that. I wonder if some got put off by the rather regretful CG animation that blended poorly with the digicel work. And whatever happened to the second series that was talked about in the extras? Did the death of Geneon in America torpedo the production?
Overman King Gainer is still Xabungle Lite, and Gainer really, really needed about 4 more episodes to make the ending less jammed together and jumbled.
Ohh man, I wish I had broadband and Skype, because you’re going to be talking about 2003 and I would really love to jump in and vent my hate for Licensed by Royalty (or L/R). Gaaah that show just…argh! ARRGGH!
Great podcast so far. I’m always a sucker for “of the decade” style lists like these. Just some comments so far:
Spirited Away was released here in 2002, won the Academy Award in early ’03. This is significant because it was the same time as the Iraq invasion, and the same year Michael Moore gave his anti-war speech when accepting the Oscar for Bowling for Columbine. The whole war debate somewhat overshadowed the actual awards that year (as it probably should have), and thus many of the films from ’02 were overlooked (the same year The Pianist, Chicago, The Hours, and several other strongly rated but somewhat overlooked movies were released).
I remember my girlfriend’s father, who was a 3rd grade teacher, tried to show Spirited Away to his class, and they didn’t like it! I always thought that was funny.
[If your post is primarily in response to one specific comment, use the Reply button located beside that comment to nest your reply. It’ll make things easier to keep track of. I tried moving some of these comments around, but one of them got permanently blown away by mistake. Fortunately, it’s quoted in full below. –Daryl]
“There was some girl who was weeping for joy in front of Miyazaki @ the premiere in L.A. who said she was so elated to see it, because she didn’t have much entertainment for herself, when she was Chihiro’s age.”
A there was a number of parents with their kids at the Ponyo screening at the local film festival. The SUBTITLED screening. Which is unusual since it’s a film fest and just 3 years earlier when I went to see Howl’s Movie Castle it was all hipsters and adults.
Have to get some culture into them early I guess.
[Pick a username and stick with it already; I’m changing this one to match your previous post]
The children at the Ponyo screening I saw were crying. Ponyo made me wonder if Miyazaki didn’t have a point about kids being sheltered, since, nowadays, you’d never depict them lighting a match in any other context outside of a Cub Scout scene.
Great show guys, and I like the idea of a weekly Podcast.
I liked Read or Die a lot as well, and while I dont think the series is BETTER than the OAV, I still think its a fun watch.
Sadly you missed talking about a favourite of mine: Infinite Ryvius. SUre its Lord of the Flies in Space, but i thought it was a very tense understated anime series, and worth a look see 🙂
Look forward to the next one guys. Daryl; Feel better mate.
It’s been great to hear about many anime that I remember fondly as well as those I wasn’t familiar with at all. It’s a shame a few of the more intriguing titles I hadn’t heard about never got a North American release (like Mini-Pato) but I’m nonetheless enjoying the overview immensely. I suspect that, once completed, this is destined to be the best “decade in review” of the century.
To Gerald- It’s ok, I didn’t care for Metropolis either. Tries too hard to be deep. Also it’s hard to take a story seriously like that but use cartoony character designs (yes I know, this was Tezuka’s thing but still).
fascinating ep guys, great job.
really took me back to a lot of shows i remembered.
now you’ve created a niche little miniseries… a sort of vh1 i love the 90’s.
speaking of, would you guys cover the 90’s in this fashion as well… there are
a lot of titles I missed, hell even the 80’s w/zillion and such (if im right.)
I found it odd you guys didn’t mention several notable shows from this time period, including Witch Hunter Robin and Boogiepop Phantom, both of which got tons of hype (Robin in particular), but I guess you just found those shows to be bad, which is understandable, as neither of those shows seem to be very well regarded today. I’m one of the three people in the universe who liked Noir, so I guess I just like boring shows.
Witch Hunter Robin had a great visual sense to it, but the show didn’t live up to it so I deliberately didn’t mention it. But Boogiepop Phantom is something I just straight-up overlooked, as I own that series and do intend to review it…someday. I don’t think anyone else has seen it/likes it though. We also overlooked mentioning this little known anime that started in 2002 called Naruto. Oddly enough, not a single listener has pointed this out to us!
As for Mini-Pato, that DID get a commercial release! It was bundled with the 3-disc Special Edition of Patlabor WXIII.
Nobody pointed it out because it sucks… J/K. But I don’t like it, so I didn’t notice.
That really sad to hear, Boogiepop Phantom is one of my favorite show, and one of the best series of 2001. but at the same time Naruto not on the list. Win some or lose some.
Excellent! Oddly enough WXIII is the one slice of Patlabor goodness that I haven’t partaken in despite having had the SE box set on the shelf for years now. For some reason since it wasn’t “Patlabor [The Movie] 3” I’ve had some odd resistance toward watching. Clearly that’s something I’ll have to remedy ASAP after this revelation. Thanks for the info Daryl!
I totally forgot to bring my WXIII sleeve for Takada to sign when she was at AX. Luckily for me, I had those BVUSA booklets for 1+2, though.
Witch Hunter Robin suffered from an almost Gonzo-like failure at the end which made me very sad. but boy did it have style, showing that Sunrise still has the chops visually.
But it’s a trap! Robin is MOE! Oh, god, how did I not know that? Well, other than not understanding the growing threat of MOE at the time.
If it was really a trap Robin would be a boy.
It’s a MOE trap, not the tranny kind.
Because dammit, I found her kinda hot. Not as hot as…oh god, not the ‘airhead’ girl, the one that’s kinda sorta got a Gillian Anderson vibe going on, I would SO hit that.
*sob*
“Witch Hunter Robin suffered from an almost Gonzo-like failure at the end”
Nice way of putting it, it totally did go like most of the Gonzo ones. I remember initially liking the series a lot, but did not care much about the mess at the end.
If you’re anything like me, when you’re listening to AWO while in the car or at work, you wish you could write down notes of the anime the gang mentions so you can look them up later. There’s a fair number of anime here I hadn’t heard of before, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. But of course, you forget all about it later without having pen, paper or Notepad nearby to remind you.
So I listened to the show again this afternoon, and looked up all the names for every show mentioned. Here they are, organized by year and when they were mentioned on the podcast. The ones with asterisks (*) are “no-good-piece-of-shit-motherfuckers.”
Though I refuse to put asterisks by Metropolis or Millennium Actress.
2000
-Ah! My Goddess (Movie)
-FLCL
-Crest of the Stars/Banner of the Stars series
-Blood: the Last Vampire
-Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
-Escaflowne: The Movie [* –Daryl]
-Hajime no Ippo
-Pilot Candidate*
-G-Savior (Live action Gundam movie) [* –Daryl]
-Gear Fighter Dendoh
-Shin Getter Robo vs. Neo Getter Robo
-Gao Gai Gar
-Gao Gai Gar Final
-Kikaider
-Legend of the Galactic Heroes was wrapping up
-Niea_7
-Brigadoon
-Gravitation
2001
-Animation Runner Kuromi
-Baki the Grappler
-Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
-Interstella 5555
-Cyborg 009
-Cat Soup
-Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within [* –Daryl]
-Metropolis
-Millennium Actress
-Patlabor WXIII
-Fruits Basket
-Noir*
-Crayon Shin Chan: The Adult Empire Strikes Back
-Mazinkaiser
-Spirited Away
-ROD the OVA
-Hikaru no Go
-JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (Prequel series)
-S-cry-ed
-Prince of Tennis [* –Daryl]
2002
-Wild 7
-Mini-Pato
-Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
-Full Metal Panic!
-Gravion
-RahXephon
-Voices of a Distant Star
-Princess Tutu
-Magical Shopping Arcade Abenoboshi*
-“Comedy” from Sweat Punch
-Twelve Kingdoms
-Gundam SEED
-Saint Seya Hades OVA
-Overman King Gainer
-Heat Guy J
-Haibane Renmei
-Macross Zero*
Big props for mentioning Haibane Renmei, Daryl, the GREATEST anime of the decade, and a wag of my finger to Clarissa and Gerald for not finishing that series. It’s essential viewing.
Looking over my MAL page, here are a few series I think are notables you didn’t mention. Curious if there’s any reason why you didn’t.
-Alien Nine (OVA) (2001)
-Now and Then, Here and There (2000, though it started airing in 1999) [That is why. I thought of it as a 90s series. –Daryl]
-Cardcaptor Sakura (finished airing in 2000) [* –Daryl]
-Galaxy Angel (2001)
Interstella 5555 is so freaking amazing!!! Well, what MTV and CN (I even taped what Toonami Midnight Run showed back in 2001) was introduced to at the time was the first 4 tracks off Daft Punk “Discovery” album. I didn’t see the whole movie till 2003 when a friend of mine gave me a CD with the movie on it and I remember watching the best hour of anime of my life on my computer. I don’t understand why that movie didn’t receive any recognition whatsoever. Also what I found out, if you want a DVD copy of the movie, you have to get it overseas, or at least to me that was the only way I could get a copy the last time I checked.
I always enjoy a good First Gundam debate. I have to give Bandai props for finally trying to Americanize it with the 2001 dub, but it was doomed from the start by one very simple fact: First Gundam does not exist in any form that is marketable to America. The animation is primitive after you’ve been spoiled by Gundam Wing (or indeed just about anything that’s come out since) and it takes forever for the story to get going, especially since it seems made up one episode at a time until you get through the first half.
If Sunrise & Bandai would just suck it up and re-animated First Gundam at today’s standards, they’d have something saleable. Anything short of that will go nowhere.
By the way, does anyone remember what actually killed First Gundam on Cartoon Network? 9/11. I was taping the show every day at 4pm and as of 9/11 it stopped running with about two weeks to go. Why? It was a war show. CN pulled it because it was about war.
I’m more surprised that the company went all out for the Char’s Counterattack release. They *had* to know only hardcore fans were gonna be the only ones interested by then. As for First Gundam, I thought that just got taken down ‘cus of crappy ratings. But I guess I *have* to sit through it one of these days on CR, due to that Paprika bonus featurette.
With a world-impacting event like 9/11 thrown into the mix, all bets are off. However, I will say that the dub is not at all a bad one. Some of the acting is excellent, some is average. I don’t recall any of it being terrible. And the story was 100% intact but for one throwaway episode that was thrown away. I give it thumbs up, FWIW.
9/11 may also be the why gundam fan base didn’t go beyond far. If I not wrong, after wing Cartoon Network put 08th, of course the First, and SD Gundam Force was on Toonami. than after that only G Gundam and Gundam 0080 (Midnight Run only) was on Toonami. Gundam SEED was mean to bring back some fire but fail due to editing.
Also, the analogy with 1st Star Trek doesn’t work because Japan got it soon after it started airing in the US. It was popular. Popular enough for a Japanese company to employ Leonard Nimoy in its ad.
Well also remember, the very next week after 9/11, Gundam 08th MS Team aired as well. The original Gundam wasn’t the only series that experienced that kind of treatment. That same year when Adult Swim had started its anime run (with the handicapped child Pilot Candidate and the jock superstar Cowboy Bebop), Cowboy Bebop had one of their episodes cut in its first run, “Waltz for Venus”, because the first 3 minutes of the episode had something to do with hijackers on an airplane (minus bounty hunters to take them out). I didn’t happened to see that because my introduction to Cowboy Bebop was episode 20 “Pierrot le Fou”.
Regarding that poll on the site, I actually picked 2001 for the best year in anime, because it was my best year to start me off on where I am today. My little history on that was I was out of anime for about 8 months or so that year (which lead me to miss Outlaw Star and Big O on Toonami), but I do remember watching some of Mobile Suit Gundam on Toonami for a few minutes before 9/11 happened, but didn’t really want to spend time watching it (yes I know, shame on me). But what got me back into anime was watching Gundam 08th MS Team. I remember watching the first or second episode and thinking “Hey, this is pretty cool” ( I was also into WW2 stuff at the time as well), then eventually I started to watch more and more of the series, and before I knew it, I was back in the anime world. Well also what helped that was I had a friend in my freshman year of HS (which were still friends to this day) who was a huge Gundam fan which got me into loving Gundam and anime to this day.
If you think about it, the years 2000 to 2005 ish were good times for Gundam fans. I started seeing the decline in Gundam in the states toward middle to the end of 2005 due to my local hobby stores like Hungatees (NC own hobby stores) stopped carrying Gundam models, which I was very sad about (well maybe, the stuff they had was over priced, but I did get some sweet stuff from them like a HGUC Zaku III and HGUC Hyaku Shiki). Plus when the Zeta Gundam boxset came out, I sure as heck didn’t have 200 bucks to throw down on it (thank god they did the individual DVD’s later, I did get some sweet deals on those).
But yea, going back to Pilot Candidate, I think I taped the first episode when it aired in 2001 on Adult Swim, and all I remember was “spaceship…teleporting…some girl…uh…maybe a mech?” Yea, that’s all I got.
I suppose Big-O didn’t make the list since the bulk of it was released prior to 2000 but hopefully its second season will get an honorable mention in the ’03 lineup if only for its unique history with CN. Saikano was certainly popular and still has a respectable following but I don’t see it on Bradley’s list.
I thought I heard Hellsing mentioned but I don’t see that on the list either although it’s quite possible you’re holding out for a later mention of Hellsing Ultimate. Mahoromatic might be a worthy mention as well given its upcoming retread. And lastly, Please Teacher, while not a masterpiece, is perhaps well-watched enough to warrant some credit as being one of its era’s more iconic titles.
I clean forgot about Saikano, good catch. I also realized after I submitted my post that InuYasha started airing in 2000, and despite its flaws, I feel obligated to mention it since it was the first series I watched.
When I was writing my own “Best of the Decade” retrospective/list over at THEM, I gave a lot of thought as to whether to count series like Now and Then, Here and There and Great Teacher Onizuka that aired in the late nineties and finished at the start of the Ohs. I eventually decided to include them, largely because I felt that these series needed more exposure in the fandom.
And somehow I’m surprised Daryl hates Cardcaptor Sakura, though I know I shouldn’t be.
Bradley: Well, love it or hate it, I’m more surprised AWO keeps letting me clog up their comments section with absolute horseshit as I continue to list my email address as “anonymous@anonymous.com” despite the fact that it’s not and I was told to “not write BS information” into the comments fields. See, when they told me that I automatically assumed by mistake they were talking about my actual posts because–let’s face it–that’s all I ever write.
I hadn’t meant to imply “your” list per se but the episode’s title list. Good call on IY as well. Fan or not it’s hard to ignore any Rumiko Takahashi series.
In the interim I also though of Jin-Roh. Did that somehow get missed too?
InuYasha was a bad taste in my (and other) mouth. So the less talk about it, the better.
Oh you’re right. Someone on the interwebs doesn’t like it so it shouldn’t be discussed. Shortest decade in review everrr!!
If Inuyasha was like 26 some episodes, I would have liked it more. First watching it on Adult Swim in 2002 I was like “Ok, collect the jewel shards, that sounds pretty easy enough to do.” But then it was “No, lets spend 9000 episodes going into some BS side story about nothing” and “Oh, we got the jewel shards, but then Naraku shows up and now we gotta fight him but lets go here for another 9000 episodes” and by then, I just didn’t care.
IY is the laziest Rumiko Takahashi series, which is of course why it’s been her most well-received in the U.S. [And maybe even in Japan.] Personally, I liked it more when it was called Fire Tripper.
But there is a silver lining, in that a cross-over audience willing to see her other work probably made it possible for Animeigo to finally finish UY and for Viz to bring back OPG and Maison Ikkoku. Now if only I could actually *afford* the former series, even with Woodhead’s ridiculous discounts…
Where or when did Daryl say that he hates CCS?
I can’t imagine him caring for it, since I don’t even remember him mentioning it apart from in this thread to remind you that it’s not a 2000’s anime.
[Since you seem to have an extremely hard time grasping this very simple concept that applies to pretty much every other website on the Internet: every time you continue to enter a false email address your post will automatically be marked as spam by the software and is thus often auto-deleted without anyone ever so much as reading it. And for the record, Card Captor Sakura is a 1990s anime whose major US fan impact occurred in the 1990s. Therefore, it warrants no mention from us no matter HOW many times you or anyone else posts about it! –Daryl]
Yes, but it was (mis)handled by Nelvana in the 2000s. And it’s the first shojo anime to be broadcast on American network TV in a prime slot, rather than being syndicated and often dumped into red-eye hours like DiC and Sailor Moon initially. And ironically, the unedited, non-broadcast version did better on home video.
Fine. Fixed.
“Card Captor Sakura is a 1990s anime whose major US fan impact occurred in the 1990s.”
Um, only for the people who watched fansubs. But the manga didn’t even get licensed by Tokyopop until the show was scheduled to be broadcast here. And it was probably the first shojo title to prove the genre was marketable here. Sailor Moon and Utena were cult shows, and FUNi wouldn’t have licensed Fruits Basket if the demand for that genre in general wasn’t there.
I used to diminish Pokemon, because I always thought it was the laziest and greediest Nintendo concept, and thus didn’t consider it to be “real” anime. However, that fucker still sells, and I can’t ignore the fact that it helped make the genre mainstream here.
A problems with you Statement here. Sailor Moon was on Toonami at after school hours before Cardcaptor was on Kid WB, and was one of the most successful anime of the early 2000. Also, how Pokemon a laziest Nintendo concept, seeing how game/toy into anime have been going on before Pokemon was made
It should make the list, though, just because it was the first mech anime which didn’t coast on a toy tie-in or fan-girls to do well here.
S-Cry-ed was great, however I thought the final episode could have been omitted completely, and the show would have been the same or better. Kikaider was great as well. I loved the mix of zaniness and drama in FLCL, The Pillows didn’t hurt either. Shin Getter vs. Neo Getter was Badass. How can you not love a show that has a Robot Cowboy that rides a Robot Horse, and wears a flying Robot Hat, that is piloted by the Robot Cowboy pilot’s Wife; that he also uses as a shield. Oh yeah, and punching dinosaurs. (Thanks, Fightbait, for turning me on to that one.) I’m sad to not hear you talk about Mahoromatic at all, but I’m sure I’m one of only 100 or so people who even watched that show. And Tsunami3K.
My hopes for the rest of the decade are to hear you talk about: Baccano, Basquash, Bokurano, Eden of the East, Kenichi, Rideback, Sengoku Basara, Eureka Seven, Samurai 7, Tsubasa/xxxHolic(No hate for Clamp!) REC, Last Exile…and maybe Xam’d. Oh yeah, and 5 cm/s; but Clarissa is reviewing that on the next regular episode. I cannot wait. I absolutely loved that movie. The very end, with “One More Time;One More Chance” was full of emotion for me.
Also, for Clarissa, I just finished watching the original Saint Seiya, and I had wanted to buy it, but I cannot find the full sow subbed or dubbed anywhere. I think you’ve covered it in some other episode, but I don’t know if you had any status on how much is actually released in English. I know it’s Huge in Latin America, but not so much here; which is sad because it was influential to other mangaka’s, which eventually brought us shows like Bleach.
Patiently waiting for the next episode.
Right now, Saint Seiya is unfinished in its official US release. Things aren’t really looking good for it to get picked back up. ADV released 60 episodes worth of the uncut version, which were later collected into two “brick” releases with 30 episodes each – that’s probably the best way to get it if you’re so inclined.
I’m hoping that Saint Seiya Lost Canvas may make it through due to the updated character designs and being a short OAV, and that it may somehow enable someone to license rescue the rest of the original and dump it out in a few thinpacks.
Discotek could always get it, if the Fist thing works out. I’m suprised FUNi hasn’t considered picking it up for streaming, though.
I wouldn’t bother with streaming right now. Unless you’ve got a great connection, streaming is not a great option, I also like HD. I’d be happier with download able content with commercials in it. I’ll look at streaming as a better option when we get wide spread faster internet speeds.
Can’t wait now, next episode will start with 2003, and therefore you will have to get into Texhnolyze, the greatest anything ever! I have been trying to get you to review that forever, but you said you wouldn’t because Gerald “intensely, intensely hates it!” Gerald is out of his mind, that show is, to me at least, the most important anime ever made! I want to know what Clarissa thinks, as she is the most intelligent and clear-headed one by far.
This show has been great thus far. As others have stated, I also enjoy the decade in review type of shows and this one is by far the best because I can relate to it the most. I started watch anime in late 1990s with all the fansub VHS tapes and I remember how digisubs were just becoming more and more prevalent, so it’s really interesting to hear about shows that became mainstream because of the advent of the new medium.
Can’t wait to hear the rest of the decade. Keep up the great work!
Oh yea, something else you forgot to mention in 2001, Initial D: Third Stage movie.
I don’t know how you guys look at that side of anime (if not the automotive world in general), but the movie was done amazingly well. Granted if you wanted to see it, you would have to catch up on First and Second stages to know what is going on for the 3rd Stage or read up to volume 16 or so of the manga.
Maybe you guys can do a mention on the 4th Stage TV series as well? Well, I’ll find out soon enough on the next podcast 🙂
Soooo, we’re pretty sure it was D.Z. making all those annoying anon posts on the old blog now…
He’s a man on a mission.
Oh, yeah, forgot a favorite of mine which didn’t make the list. Salaryman Kintaro finally got made into an anime around this time. It didn’t catch on here, since the majority of people who buy anime in the U.S. aren’t (or weren’t) old enough to have had an office job, yet, but it’s great for people who like series dealing with real world stuff. And then there’s the Excel Saga, spin-off Puni Puni Poemi, which is probably the only spoof of hentai anime we’ll ever get here. (Or at least the only good one. Though I did sort of dig that U-Jin Doraemon thing from CPM from a while back…)
Escaflowne the Movie: I must be the only person who like the movie and not the TV show. Maybe because I saw the first, but I think the movie cut out All the problems that I have with the show.
Gatekeepers: I saw the sequel OVA (Gatekeepers 21) without seeing the first and thought it was ok.
Animation Runner Kuromi: Back when CPM was still around, I saw & loved it. Now I own the DVD thank to you guys reminding me.
Cyborg 009: Like the 2004 Astro Boy remember seeing it on Toonami and wonder what going on, never seeing pass that one episode.
Cat Soup: What The F**k!
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Pop in the DVD, press on the mute button, turn up the your music, do some works.
Metroplis: A little too long, but a good movie.
Millennium Actress: My favorite Satoshi Kon movie next to Perfect Blue.
Patlabor WXII: have it been the only Patlabor I watch, I really enjoy the movie.
Spirited Away: I actually like howl’s and Ponyo more than Spirited Away, but Princess Mononoke is by far he best.
Read or Die the OVA: like the ROD, but your right in saying the OVA are the best.
S-cry-ed: They was some great episode (like 22 or 23) but it too uneven.
Full Metal Panic: This is the best example for single disc anime, because you can just the first 12 episodes and stop. Also, I don’t get the problems with Tessa as a character. I understand someone like her doesn’t make sense as captain, but let not forget that FMP is about a 16 year old soldier protecting a high school girl who kick he ass every time he use a weapon. Yes, yes, there images & doujinshi out there of her naked, But that more of the losing fans out than the actually character.
Since best-of lists exist for the sole purpose of people filling up the comments section with what THEY would have chosen, here are my best-ofs for 2000-2002
-Gaogaigar Final [uh, we said that –Daryl]: Not as much fun as the tv series once it got going, but still good.
-Shin Getter Robo vs Neo Getter Robo [and we said that –Daryl]: complete awesome that I never get tired of.
-Grappler Baki [we said that too –Daryl]: Until we get the manga in english, this is the best it’s going to get. Marred by a completely terrible DVD master. At least the economy box set is super cheap.
-JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures prequel [and this one –Daryl]: Awesome, not as well-animated as the original series. Hurry the eff up, Viz. I want to read the complete manga, and I can’t bear to read the hideous scanlations out there.
-S-CRY-ed [ditto; so are you basically just saying “me too!” here? –Daryl]: For the reason of total, indefensible, nostalgia.
And the WORST anime I saw during this period: Great Dangaioh. So freaking painful to watch, made somewhat hilarious by the last 15 seconds rendering the entire series pointless.
And the anime that I’m most disappointed still isn’t available in English: Maju Sensen. There are parts of that manga that are more badass than Devilman.
No, the worst was Cross Game from last year. I mean, come on. Lets set the show up in the first episode as a love story between the boy and girl, then at the end of that episode, Kill her off. Awesome. That killed it for me. That and Clannad, That show made no sense, but had an awesome closing.
Daryl, it’s almost but not quite the same thing as saying “me too!”, considering those are the only anime I consider good/great from the 2000-2002 time period. You guys mentioned a lot of stuff that I didn’t, and not because I haven’t seen it.
From the year 2000, I liked Transformers Car Robots (as long as you don’t take it seriously).
Also, I know I’m giving myself rope to hang but I enjoyed Please Teacher/Twins.
Another thing, why do people like FLCL if that too is a heavy anime reference show too? Do people just ignore that and think it’s just deep and crazy?
Car Robots is notable for me as it was the beginning of the end of my interest in Transformers as a whole (capped off by Revenge of the Fallen). It really accelerated my interest in anime as I turned my focus to shows like Gundam and Macross as Wing and such were just taking off at the time.
I LOVE “Animation Runner Kuromi” ! One of my favorite comedies! It’s nice to hear you guys liked it. “Interstella 5555” is an AMAZING movie and Daft Punk rules! “Alien Nine” also came out in 2001, which is an amazing little series. It’s quite the disturbing and creepy little show.
“Cat Soup” is something I still want to see. The stoners like that eh? But yeah it’s not for the otaku IMO, and I never saw it
lol[don’t do stuff like this –Daryl]. CPM had some balls to release that even back then though, that’s why I always respected them.LoLyou guys don’t like “Noir”? I’m watching it right now and I like it *shrug* .ROD OVA is MUCH better then the TV show 😉 . Love the OVA. I think Manga made a great pick as well. They tend to stick to some random shows with more mainstream appeal, but they know what they’re doing. That’s one of my favorite OVAs.
s-CRY-ed is indeed an up and down kinda show. I have huge problems with it, but there are parts I really liked too.
Wild 7…I’ve heard of that! But I know nothing about it. Sounds pretty cool
lol!! Reminds me of Mad Bull 34…because whatyouryou’re describing is NUTSlol. Totally “off the hook” as you will.Dai Sato indeed wrote the script on Gits SAC. He is one of my favorite screenwriters.
But what’s the best show of 2002? “Petite Princess Yucie”! I am not joking…that is such an amazing TV series. Everyone should watch it. “Princess Tutu” was great too though!
“Abenobashi” was a great show. I really liked it, but I didn’t like the ending very much.
The only thing I’ve really seen by Studio 4c is “Tweeny Witches” which was really good.
I hate Chobits, I try to pretend that didn’t happen 😛 .
If you want insane Tomino…GARZEY’S WING…that must be seen!
Heat Guy J was a big mistake for Geneon
lol…theyspeantspent what Funimationspeantspent on FMA on that. Very painful.Haibane Renmei was great! It was a little hard to watch, because the first half is very slow. But the last episode is AMAZING.
Almost “
AngleAngel Cop” zone?LOL!!!That show is frigen crazy! I like how you guys reference that and Mad Bull all the timehehe.Anyway great podcast guys! Love your show!!! AWO
for the win😉BTW someone should give Yoshiaki Kawajiri money to do something. I love his OVAs and Movies.
Definitely agreed on Millennium Actress — that’s my favorite Kon movie. Also agreed on Spirited Away; I like it, but as far as Miyazaki goes, I’m a bigger fan of Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke.
Gundam 00 had its problems, but there’s no way Gundam SEED was even close to as good. It was bland, passionless tripe, a staple of early 2000s anime. So many similar shows just had this fake veneer that screamed, “Ooooh look, shiny!” It was insulting.
Please talk more shit about Dunbine.
No .hack//SIGN mention here? C’mon, the music was great! (Incidentally, I think it’s better to watch the show to the isolated score track on the dubbed dvds.) If there ever was an anime that was bolstered from mediocrity to something more on the merits of the soundtrack alone, it’s .hack//SIGN.
[Nope! Not even worth acknowledging. The Yuki Kaijura soundtrack is the ONLY redeeming factor of that franchise, and even then the usage of the tracks is inappropriate to what’s actually happening. It wasn’t “bolstered from mediocrity” thanks to the soundtrack, it was elevated UP to “sub-par, below average, unentertaining, and transparently designed by committee.” –Daryl]
Though I don’t feel like reading through the 75 or so comments before me (and knowing how tardy I am for bothering to get to it by this point), here’s my two pennies…
– The Evangelion Legacy is something I’m not too big on either.
– I remember Candidate For Goddess when it was on Cartoon Network, but remember thinking the show was pretty off as well even though I tried sticking to it because I liked it’s Busby Berkeley-ish opening theme.
– The early 2000’s was obviously a big time for anime to find it’s way to the American public and where we were then as viewers and fans.
– I wish I never went to see FF: The Spirits Within.
– “The Adult Empire Strikes Back” was a very good Shinchan film. I sorta wished FUNimation had licensed that.
– Certainly Go managed to find an audience here thanks to Hikaru no Go.
– “The Cat Returns” is a nice kid film. And I agree with Daryl’s opinions on Mononoke Hime being Miyazaki’s best over Spirited Away.
Well, on to 2003!