Anime and Manga of the Week (1st Week, January 2010)

Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV series)/ Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (manga)

Okay guys, to kick things off, I'll start this so-called blog of mine with the weekly dose of anime and manga feature. For starters, this week features classics that every anime and manga enthusiast must see and experience: Neon Genesis Evangelion anime and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind manga.

Please do note that most posts may contain personal biases, so pardon me for that. Also, I never intended this blog to some sort of "famous anime reviewer blog" so I'll keep things simple and short.

Anime of the Week: Neon Genesis Evangelion

Japanese: 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン

Type: TV series

Episodes: 26

Aired: Oct 3, 1995 to Mar 27, 1996

Producers: GAINAX, ADV Films, NAS

Genre: Action, Mecha, Sci-fi, Drama, Psychological

Synopsis: In the year 2015, the Angels, huge, tremendously powerful, alien war machines, appear in Tokyo for the second time. The only hope for Mankind`s survival lies in the Evangelion, a humanoid fighting machine developed by NERV, a special United Nations agency. Capable of withstanding anything the Angels can dish out, the Evangelion`s one drawback lies in the limited number of people able to pilot them. Only a handful of teenagers, all born fourteen years ago, nine months after the Angels first appeared, are able to interface with the Evangelion. One such teenager is Shinji Ikari, whose father heads the NERV team that developed and maintains the Evangelion. Thrust into a maelstrom of battle and events that he does not understand, Shinji is forced to plumb the depths of his own inner resources for the courage and strength to not only fight, but to survive, or risk losing everything. (Source: AniDB)

Phantom's thoughts:

Although not my first anime series, Evangelion is the most influential anime for me. And I'm sure that goes the same to most anime enthusiasts. Sure the series was never perfect. (LOL CONGRATULATIONS END.) In fact, it does have a fair share of haters as well. The philosophy, the focus on human psyche, and all those 'pretentious' shit was not for everyone. Controversial it seems, but still Evangelion was monumental enough that it raised the bar on viewing standards of anime fans since the 90's.

Recently, both newfags and the loyal fanbase gets a good dose of Evangelion experience through the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy. And hey, I just have to mention that Eva got a kickass soundtrack.

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Manga of the Week: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Japanese: 風の谷のナウシカ

Type: Manga

Volumes: 7

Published: Feb 1982 to Mar 1994

Authors: Miyazaki Hayao

Serialization: None

Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Supernatural

Synopsis: A millennium has passed since "Seven Days of Fire," an apocalyptic war that almost wiped out human civilization. Since then, the earth is covered with an ever-growing "Sea of Corruption," a vast forest of fungi that secretes poisonous miasma and invasive spores, along with large and deadly insects inhabit within.

In order to fight for more habitable lands unpolluted by the Sea of Corruption, the Kingdom of Torumekia has declared war against the Dorok Empire. Nausicaä, princess and heir of a small city-state named "Valley of the Wind" which pledged alliance with Torumekia, is now forced to join Torumekian to invade Dorok Empire. This war will change her life and the fate of human race forever. (Source: ANN)

Phantom's thoughts:

Whenever there's Miyazaki Hayao mentioned in any form of media, you bet it is something special. The theatrical feature of Nausicaa sure is well-received; but as for some reason, the manga didn't received same attention. Nausicaa manga has an outstanding artwork, and a well-written story that involves humans destroying, which is fairly typical Miyazaki plot. However, the manga seemed to have a darker, more mature tone than its anime counterpart. Nausicaa is a charismatic character, albeit her frequent moralfag tendencies; and the this apocalytic world is something you just have to experience to believe. In short, read it, faggot.

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I have yet to think of any layout for this blog. I'll stick with this for a while.