Appleseed: Alpha (2014)

 
『アップルシード アルファ』(appuru shīdo arufa)

[PG-13]

Based on the comic book by the creator of Ghost in the Shell, a young female soldier Deunan and her cyborg partner Briareos survive through the post World War 3 apocalyptic New York in search of human's future hope, the legendary city of Olympus.

I understand this movie is a kind of alternative prequel to the original series. The visually amazing and detailed artwork seems oddly mismatched with simple cartoon violence. Nearly all the characters are unlikable, but for the villain Two-Horns (pictured) who has some good lines. The generic plot is surprisingly juvenile - women in peril, things magically work out, and bad-guys are bad for no other reason.

It's a fascinating film to watch fail. Character's dialog jumps too quickly from surly, to despondent, to determined, yet the only 'animated' face is Two-Horns. There is too much dialog - perhaps because nobody can properly move their eyebrows after the apocalypse.

Polar Bear Café (2012)

『しろくまカフェ』（Shirokuma Cafe）

The everyday drama of a group of oddly realistic animals mingling with humans. Most of the story develops at a café run by a popular polar bear who also enjoys wordplay. He offers sage advice to a high-strung penguin, and an overly relaxed panda.

This comedy series was not released for North America, but all 50 episodes were available for streaming on CrunchyRoll. 8/10 stars on IMDB. Jokes range from subtle to running sight gags, and the stories themselves develop into situational humor. The voice-acting and artwork are excellent.

Eden of the East (2009)

『東のエデン』(higashi no eden)

When Saki gets into trouble with the police, she is helped by a strange naked man with two things, a gun and a cell phone loaded with $75 million dollars.

Big Hero 6 (2014)

『ベイマックス』(beimakkusu)

The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.

The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)

『借りぐらしのアリエッティ』(kari-gurashi no arietti)

14-year-old Arrietty and the rest of the Clock family live in peaceful anonymity as they make their own home from items "borrowed" from the house's human inhabitants. However, life changes for the Clocks when a human boy discovers Arrietty.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

『火垂るの墓』(hotaru no haka)

In the final months of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his sister Setsuko are orphaned when their mother is killed during an air raid in Kobe, Japan. After a falling out with their aunt, they move into an abandoned bomb shelter. With no surviving relatives and their emergency rations depleted, Seita and Setsuko struggle to survive.

The Boy and the Beast (2015)

『バケモノの子』(bakemono no ko)

Kyuta, a resentful boy living in Shibuya, and Kumatetsu, a lonesome beast from Jutengai, an imaginary world. One day, Kyuta forays into the imaginary world and, as he's looking for his way back, meets Kumatetsu who becomes his spirit guide. That encounter leads them to many adventures.

A Scanner Darkly (2006)

An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result.

Castle in the Sky (1986)

『天空の城ラピュタ』(tenkū no shiro rapyuta)

The orphan Sheeta inherited a mysterious crystal that links her to the mythical sky-kingdom of Laputa. With the help of resourceful Pazu and a rollicking band of sky pirates, she makes her way to the ruins of the once-great civilization. Sheeta and Pazu must outwit the evil Muska, who plans to use Laputa's science to make himself ruler of the world.

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

『KUBO/クボ 二本の弦の秘密』(kubo nihon no gen no himitsu)

Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.

Appleseed (2004)

『アップルシード』（APPLESEED）

In a utopian society created at the end of the third world war, a female warrior who has been plucked from the badlands begins to see cracks in this new facade. And what does this community have planned for the rest of humankind?

Akira (1988)

Childhood friends Tetsuo and Kaneda are pulled into the post-apocalyptic underworld of Neo-Tokyo and forced to fight for their very survival. Kaneda is a bike gang leader, and Tetsuo is a member of a tough motorcycle crew who becomes involved in a covert government project called Akira. But a bloody battle ensues when Kaneda sets out to save his friend.

Color and background exceed what you'd expect in an action movie in 1988. The dark city and bright characters look distinct and interesting - there are numerous costume changes. I'm a fan of the neon-dystopia look. The action-sequences, what in live-action would be disgusting and un-watchable, are best described as surreal, drug-fueled, even painterly.

The protagonists are youth, driven by uncomplicated instincts. I didn't attach to any stand-out characters. Nobody I'd miss when they met their inevitable conclusion. The plots, of which there are several, are opaque and overlapping. There are these easily identified groups. The uniforms help, as do tropes such as government, rebels, bikers, scientists, secret-society.

The dialog doesn't hand-feed detail, the visuals try and tell the whole story. But each group doesn't get that much screen-time. This world is easily big enough for a sequel, if not a series.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

『となりのトトロ』（My Neighbor Totoro）

Two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, move into the countryside with their academic father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding camphor trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical keepers of the forest. When normally fearless Mei runs off after a tearful panic, Satsuki seeks help from myriad creatures to find her.

Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The initial 1993 English dub was not as well received as the improved 2006 translation. The film became so popular that Studio Ghibli adopted Totoro as their company mascot.

Spirited Away (2001)

千と千尋の神隠し (sen to chihiro no kamikakushi), "Sen and Chihiro's Spiriting Away"

A ten-year-old girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange colorful world of Shinto spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation into pigs, she takes a job working in a bathhouse to free her family and return to the human world.

Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli, it was produced with a budget of US$19 million. It became the the most successful film in Japanese history, grossing over US$289 million.

It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards, making it the only hand drawn animated film and Japanese animated film to win best animated film.