Over time I find that I have become less and less interested in the products that Hollywood has provided. A constant stream of reboots, retreads, sequels and just plain poor quality films and shows has caused me to simply look elsewhere for quality storytelling. And since I started watching Anime back in the mid-90s I have become more and more interested in that alternative form of entertainment. Thus going forward I would like to recommend some shows both old and new that may deserve your attention, especially if you have, like me, grown weary of the agenda-driven content that is now so commonly produced by the cultural elites on the coasts.
The first of these, but certainly not the last, is a great little short series from 2017, “Girls Last Tour.” Here we have a couple of videos that will give you a taste of the show and why you should watch it. It should be mentioned that if you want to see these shows you can easily find them online. There are plenty of sites for streaming anime nowadays and I would recommend that you take advantage of them. Don’t let Hollywood limit your entertainment choices when there is a whole world of great alternative storytelling available at the click of a mouse.
And one more thing that I should have added earlier. In the West we tend to be used to the idea that animation is the domain of children. And if the only thing you ever saw was Disney princess movies and Bugs Bunny you would be right. But in Japan animation is seen as just another medium for telling a story. And it can be any kind of story; romance, science-fiction, comedy, political and action thrillers, slice-of-life and so on. In other words, just because it’s animated doesn’t mean it’s not for adults. The best Anime is often used to explore serious themes about the human condition that Hollywood no longer seems interested in. These are the kinds of Anime that I like and you might be pleasantly surprised to find just how compelling, interesting and emotionally moving they can be.
And in addition to the various character and thematic elements, it has a stunningly beautiful sound-track.
