Well, I’ve got a job now and I’ll be going back to college in January, so I won’t have time to watch any more animes – which means I won’t be writing any more anime reviews. But I thought I’d finish up the year with a list of my top five favorite anime series. While there are many other animes that I like, these particular ones in my opinion stand far above the rest. Here they are in order, with Cowboy Bebop topping the list. You can click on the titles to read longer reviews, or click on the DVD covers to check their availability at Amazon.
1. Cowboy Bebop
Set in the year 2071, this jazzy space western is about some cowboys (bounty hunters) who travel around the solar system in their ship, the Bebop. The main character, Spike Spiegel, is a Martian. (No, not a little green alien, but a human born on Mars.) Cowboy Bebop is at the #1 spot because it has the best of everything that I like: colorful animation, diverse soundtrack, interesting characters, sophisticated stories, sci-fi setting, crime fighting, humor, and lots of action. This is a fun anime to watch, even more than once. No matter what, you’ll never get tired of it. It’s also one of the few animes that has great voice acting in the English dubbed version.
2. Clannad
The word “Clannad” is derived from “clan,” the Irish word for family. And that’s really what is at the heart of this engaging slice-of-life anime – the building of families. Not just actual relatives, but a close circle of friends who are like family. Soon you will feel as if the characters are your friends, too. And just like in real life, you will encounter both heart-warming and heart-wrenching moments. Furthermore, the lush visuals and beautiful soundtrack make this anime truly enjoyable to watch.
3. Glass Mask
This is the story of a teenage girl who dreams of becoming a stage actress. You can’t help but cheer for Maya in her quest to reach her goal, as she is beset with many unexpected challenges to overcome. Glass Mask is a realistic drama that shows all the intense training that goes on behind the scenes, and the characters even perform excerpts from actual plays. This is also one of my more recently watched animes, so the fact it’s so far up in my favorites should be a hint that it’s really, really good.
4. Planetes
The year is 2075. It has been over a century since mankind first ventured into space. Unfortunately, we have also left a lot of debris out there. The Debris Section works hard to keep space safe, preventing the damage or destruction of satellites, space stations, and spacecraft from collision with debris. As someone who likes science, I was impressed with this anime’s realistic portrayal of space technology.
5. Rozen Maiden
Jun Sakurada is a reclusive boy who spends the whole day locked in his room surfing the internet… and playing with dolls. The Rozen Maidens are a collection of magical dolls created by the great dollmaker Rozen. Each one is actually alive. The quirky characters, exquisite artwork, Old English style doll costumes, and mix of classical/rock music bring this enchanting anime to life.
If you want to browse through all the previous anime reviews at Homeschooling Teen (there are over 70 of them!), click here. The majority of these anime reviews were written either by me or my brother, Xbolt (he’s the one who started this column back in 2009), along with a few other people. Anyone else who wants to write an anime review for Homeschooling Teen, please send it to: mail@homeschoolingteen.com
Thanks for reading, and have fun watching!
~Super Searcher