1) Howl’s Moving Castle by Studio Ghibli2) Cardcaptor Sakura (1996) version by CLAMP | Honorable Mention: Clear Card Arc3) Ouran High School Host Club4) Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Season5) The Cat Returns by Studio Ghibli
01. HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE
Gorgeous scenery. I watched this in 2004 when my dad brought it home for me from work one afternoon in middle school. And I always re-watch this film whenever I need to lift up my spirits and it always works. It’s as breath-taking as when I saw it when I was fourteen-years-old. The details and love that went into this are just simply amazing. It’s on the same level as Anastasia for me. The inspiration for this stunning animation film is Diana Wynne Jone’s ’Howl’s Moving Castle’ published in 1986. I’ve also read it and there are only slight differences between the two. Both are highly enjoyable.
Note: I don’t consider marking favorites as spoilers as I don’t think you’ll remember every pre-knowledge single detail as the story unfolds. If anything I think it whets your appetite more for the content. But that’s just my opinion. If you’d like, you may quickly skip ahead on to the next bullet point. Mind you, it is hard to review anime without giving a little bit away. And I feel like it’s just ambiguous enough to lure you in as well.
The voice actor for Howl is the same as Batman: Christian Bale.
And the soundtrack is phenomenal. Courtesy of Joe Hisashi.
My favorite characters are: Howl, The little Glob henchmen with Venetian Masks, and Calcifer!Favorite scene: Sky walk date and the re-opening of the hat shop
02. CARDCAPTOR SAKURA (1996)
I prefer the original version that debuted in 1996. The Clear Card Arc is okay, but it’s not really a favorite of mine. I think the heart and soul is very much intact in the original. And if you end up liking this series, I also recommend that you check out the manga. CLAMP is the genius behind Cardcaptor Sakura. They are manga-ka artists that made all of the lovable characters that are in Cardcaptor Sakura. Their craft of story-telling is something that would be very hard to imitate and it’s true because none of the magical girls series has been able to replicate the success that is Cardcaptor Sakura.
We live in dark times, and I think you won’t regret giving this brilliant anime a try. It spans for 70 episodes but every single one is a delight to watch.
Btw, this is the series where my Tarot cards come from. As for the Tarot series, not sure how I’m going to continue with it. I’m still slowly trying to get feet back on the ground and still dusting myself off, so we’ll see what happens :)
My favorite characters are: Cerberus, Tomoyo, Sakura’s motherFavorite scene: Kinomoto household, anywhere there’s falling sakura in the background, and anytime a bento is shown
03. OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB
This is available on Netflix so if you have access to it, you should definitely give it a try. It’s a comedy sprinkled with romance. The hints of romance is neither overwhelming nor underwhelming and it is amazing because it does focus on friendship and memories more. There are also a lot of life lessons that are invaluable handed to the viewer as gently as possible. It’s about being open-minded and being kind. And I love how this show is able to balance that kind of weight with scenes that make your stomach hurt from laughing so much. I’m always left crumpled every time the Twins come on.
Also, I just noticed that I haven’t been giving summaries to each show. I apologize for that. My goal is just to get you to copy and paste the title and let Google explain to you the one-liner summary. So, I’m hoping that my commentary on how the crafting, execution, the impression that has been left on me and me singing praises about it is enough to make you curious to look it up.
My favorite characters are: Tamaki, Haruhi, and the Hitachiin TwinsFavorite scene: Pink clock tower with Sakura in full bloom, The Waltz with fireworks after the Club is saved
04. POKEMON - DIAMOND & PEARL
Pokemon is available in a lot of places for free. I know they’re virtually everywhere. I use to watch it on Netflix, Hulu, and the official site called “Pokemon TV” actually lets you see the latest season. And you can watch it on your mobile device, desktop, and iPad or whatever else you fancy.
I recommend the Diamond and Pearl Season because it just happens to be my favorite. In every other season like “Ruby and Sapphire,” “Black and White,” or “XYZ” there’s a continuity of peaceful scenery that I don’t know how else to describe other than supremely calming. It’s very serene and it makes you instantly happier.
Whichever season you decide on, I think you’ll be very satisfied with how Pokemon delivers. From the cutest character designs, silly comic scenes, to the heavier concepts of saying goodbye, parting ways, and how to handle defeat gracefully. There’s a lot in Pokemon that I know people write off as non-important, but you’ll be surprised at how it operates just as well as literature would for both children and young adults.
My favorite characters are: Pikachu, Piplup, Ash Ketchum, Brock, and DawnFavorite scene: Traveling scene in the forest or countryside, Gym battles
05. THE CAT RETURNS
A lot of people don’t like this a lot, which always surprises me. I think most of them prefer ‘Whisper of the Heart” which for me that one was just okay? It has too much going on for me to appreciate it whereas “The Cat Returns” has this clear, focused, linear storyline that it’s trying to tell you. So you won’t ever feel lost. If you like both, great. If you prefer the original, that’s also awesome. If you’re in the minority like me who prefer the sequel, you’re super awesome.
I watched this freshman year of high school. Actually, even before I entered high school. I watched it in those mini-laptops that used to exist, I forgot what they were called. But yeah, the minute the Blue Ghibli screen with the white-outlined Totoro’s came on, I was completely bewitched. After finishing the film, I thought it was magical. And when I watched WOTH in my college years, I still think TCR was more magical than the original film.
If you didn’t know the voice actor for the Baron is the same legendary guy in The Princess Bride who played Westley: Cary Elwes
My favorite characters are: Haru, Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, Yuki, and MutaFavorite scene: Dance scene in the cat kingdom, Haru’s conversations with her mom in their cozy kitchen, Haru’s room
The rest I simply looked up in Google :)
If you would like to see more of my anime recommendations, I highly suggest you check out five of the places where I keep track of new anime shows I've been watching: one | two | three | four | five
If you would like to see more of my anime recommendations, I highly suggest you check out five of the places where I keep track of new anime shows I've been watching: one | two | three | four | five
Take care,
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