Timeless classics you can't miss.
Japanese animation has been mainstream for some time now. However, many still consider anime to be something purely subcultural: too strangely drawn, too strangely told.
Especially for those who have never seen a single anime, I have prepared a selection of anime classics from various genres that will dispel your last doubts and help you immerse yourself in a world of exciting adventures.
1. Great Teacher Onizuka, 1999-2000
An unusual teacher arrives at an ordinary Japanese school. Eikichi Onizuka is 22 years old and a former leader of a biker gang. He is given the most difficult class in the school's history.
Over the course of the series, viewers are treated to a somewhat comical, somewhat piercingly serious story about the re-education of students, their problems, and the unusual solutions to thе problems.
2. Akira, 1988
Neo-Tokyo is the Japanese capital, rebuilt after a nuclear explosion and World War III. The city is in turmoil, with fanatics awaiting the arrival of the mysterious Akira, and the military conducting experiments on children to obtain a powerful telekinetic weapon.
When outsider biker Tetsuo gains unprecedented paranormal powers, a threat hangs over the city and the world.
Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira is an anime masterpiece: not only a treasure trove of vivid imagery and urgent topics for the postwar world, but also an example of perfectionism in the work of artists, sound engineers and, of course, the director.
3. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, 2009-2010
Brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric experiment unsuccessfully with their father's alchemical formulas in an attempt to resurrect their mother, injuring themselves in the process.
Afterward, they attempt to correct their mistakes and search for the Philosopher's Stone, which will help them understand the nature of alchemical transformations and ultimately bring their mother back to life.
Fullmetal Alchemist is rightly considered one of the most unique shonen in history, as it avoided almost all of the standard clichés of the genre, but did not slide into deconstruction and a snobbish attitude towards classic teenage tropes.
4. Perfect Blue, 1997
Mima is a popular singer. After deciding to try something new, she leaves the stage to become an actress. However, not everything goes according to plan as she gets a role in the detective series where she has to act in erotic scenes, which does not correspond to the image of a pop star.
Gradually, Mima begins to lose her own identity and balance on the edge of sanity.
This anime will appeal to fans of cinematic surrealism and psychological thrillers. It is no coincidence that Satoshi Kon has been compared to David Lynch: the Twin Peaks slogan "We live inside a dream" is ideal for Perfect Blue.
5. Attack on Titan, 2013-2023
Titans appear on Earth and humans are forced to hide behind three rings of giant walls. Eren Yeager is a boy who lives inside the walls and desperately wants to see the outside world.
One day, the Titans break into the city, and among the countless victims is the boy's mother. Eren vows to kill all the giants and joins the Survey Corps, a military unit that is allowed to leave the walls.
Attack on Titan is one of the most important anime hits, offering viewers such a range of genres and a number of plot twists that other anime series cannot boast.