20 Awesomest Anime of the Decade (2000-2009)

I’ve seen me lots of animu in the last decade. I started watching this stuff in late 2001, and it’s ruined my life ever since. That being said, I felt it was my obligation to impart upon you the fact that there are good anime out there. It’s not all moeblobs and slice of life bullshit. So, as it’s so trendy to do right now, I’m giving you my list of the 20 Most Awesomest Anime of 2000’s. Keep in mind that even though I have ranked these, they are all equally awesome. My list probably won’t sit well with the pretentious arthouse goons or the moe-loving fapboys, but rest assured these anime are actually good shows.

20.) Boogiepop Phantom (2000) – This is one of those series where the fun comes in figuring out what the hell is going on. It’s a supernatural thriller, with each episode taking place from the point of view of a different character. I love the washed out color palette, the haunting music, the “realistic” look of the characters (i.e. no crazy hair colors), and the non-linear story. Instead of spoon feeding the viewer, it allows you to deduce what really happened on your own, although this may require multiple viewings. As the “angel of death,” Boogiepop doesn’t really have a name that would inspire fear in anybody, but if you watch this series late at night with the lights off, you might get a little freaked out.

19.) Paprika (2006) – A film from a true master, Satoshi Kon. While Millenium Actress is probably his most praised work, I find that there is something intangibly better about this movie. Kon continually plays with themes of identity and reality, and he does so to perfection here. In a future world where people can use technology to enter dreams, a doctor is attempting to use it to help psychiatric patients. She uses a persona known as Paprika. As the movie progresses, the line between what is real and what is the dream world blurs. Eventually, things spiral out of control, and climax in one of the weirdest and most incredible finales ever put to film.

Top 30 Anime Openings (with Video Evidence): Part 3

I’m back with the third and final entry in this three part series. This week, the next ten openings will be revealed. There probably aren’t a lot of surprises here, and most are lauded amongst the anime fan community as great openings. There will be, however, a few that I imagine are a bit unexpected. Once you’re done watching, feel free to leave a comment about the entire 30 entry list. Anyway, on to the openings.

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10.) Hellsing – A World Without Logos by Yasushi Ishii

Songs just really don’t get much cooler than this one. The jazzy theme melds nicely with the crazy visuals, making for a very surreal experience. It also manages to fit the tone of the series perfectly.

9.) The Big O – Big O! by Rui Nagai

A very catchy song, an homage to Queen, and awesome retro visuals. This is certainly an incredibly memorable opening.

8.) Berserk – Tell Me Why by PenPals

With so much Engrish, how could anyone not like this opening? It’s short, has a scratchy guitar, and just plain rocks. Plus, anything having to do with Berserk is cool in my book.