Blog Post
Let's rocket!
by joy k
Osamu Tezuka is often called the father of manga, and we can also thank him for much of what we find in anime today. He was one of the first Japanese artists to use the distinctive “big eyes” style that’s in so much anime and manga, and the original Astro Boy was the first Japanese animation to be shown on American television. Several versions of Astro Boy—the tale of a robot boy who becomes a superhero who fights for justice and peace—have been produced since then. This state of the art update from 2003 ( Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4, Vol. 5) uses computer animation while still preserving Tezuka’s original drawing style.
Blog Post
See ya, space cowboy
by joy k
Cowboy Bebop is an anime that wears its influences on its sleeves. On its surface, it’s a cool science fiction story set in a future where most of humanity has left the ruined Earth to seek better lives in other parts of the solar system. But it’s also steeped in the traditions of noir and westerns, with bounty hunters and mysterious femme fatales, and all those influences come together to make it one of the most stylish and memorable anime series around.
Come for the very pretty animation and jazzy score; stay for the memorable characters. Spike and Jet, our protagonists, have all the mercenary instincts of the very good bounty hunters that they are, but they’re hampered by bad luck and the occasional twinge of conscience. Along the way they meet Faye Valentine, who’s trying to pay off a really big debt; Ed, a brilliant hacker; and Ein, the smartest Welsh corgi that you’ll ever meet.
If you like the anime tv series, you might also be interested in the feature film and the companion manga.
Blog Post
Off to see the world—three days at a time
by joy k
Kino’s Journey is a story in the tradition of Gulliver’s Travels. In each episode, we follow Kino, a young adventurer, and Hermes, Kino’s talking motorcycle, as they travel through new and strange lands. Their journey has only one rule: they won’t stay in any one country for more than three days and two nights. While Kino’s world isn’t exactly magical—well, aside from the talking motorcycle—it has a certain dreamlike, fairy-tale quality, and the viewer soon begins to see the truth in Kino’s words: “The world is not beautiful; and that, in a way, lends it a sort of beauty.”
Blog Post
Sports Manga @ Animanga Club on January 24
by joy k
Get in the game as the Animanga Club discusses our favorite sports manga and does a cool craft. We’ll be focusing on Prince of Tennis, Eyeshield 21, and Crimson Hero, but come with recommendations of others sports manga that you’ve loved. Pocky and other snacks will be provided. The event will be held from 7:00-8:30 pm at the Malletts Creek Branch on Wednesday, January 24th.
Blog Post
Anime books and magazines
by joy k
The library doesn’t just have great anime tv series and films in its dvd collection; it also has books about anime in our nonfiction collection. I especially like Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation by Susan J. Napier and The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation since 1917 by Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy.
And if you want the very latest news on anime, take a look at Newtype USA magazine, which is available at all library branches.
Blog Post
One Piece @ Animanga Club January 2
by erin
Who will be the first to find the Pirate King's lost treasure? Join us as we discuss the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates in Eiichiro Oda's One Piece Manga. We'll make our own pirate flag and come up with our pirate names. As always Pocky and other snacks and drinks will be provided! See you from 7:00-8:30 at the Downtown Library...
Blog Post
Avatar: The Last Airbender
by joy k
The world of Avatar: The Last Airbender is divided into four nations—Earth, Water, Fire, and Air—each with its own type of elemental magic, known as “bending.” The four peoples lived together in harmony the Fire nation began to invade its neighbors. Only the Avatar, a special bender born with the ability to manipulate all four elements, could have ended the war, but when the Fire nation began its attacks, the Avatar had mysteriously disappeared.
A hundred years have passed since the Fire nation began its invasion, and it now seems poised to complete its conquest. But two siblings from the water tribe, Katara and Sokka, have just found the missing Avatar, a twelve-year-old boy named Aang, and his flying bison frozen in an iceberg. Can Aang learn to master all four elements and restore peace?
This cartoon isn’t technically anime, but it’s certainly heavily influenced by anime in its character designs and plot structure. Creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino have specifically cited the films of Hayao Miyazaki as influences. The action scenes are particularly fun to watch; each type of bending is inspired by a different martial art—for example, waterbending is based on tai chi, and firebending is based on Northern Shaolin—and that makes the showdowns between the different characters very exciting to watch.
Blog Post
Dattebayo!
by joy k
Ann Arbor ninja rejoice! The first set of Naruto anime dvds (Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3) has just landed at the library. You can always read the manga while you’re waiting for your copy to come in, or you can investigate some of the library’s recent teen novels about ninja, such as Blue Fingers: A Ninja’s Tale by Cheryl Aylward Whitesel and In Darkness, Death by Dorothy Hoobler.
Blog Post
Dragons and destiny
by joy k
Hitomi is a perfectly average high school student, aside from her gift for reading tarot cards. A magical accident involving a dragon sweeps her away to the hidden world of Gaea, where she falls into the company of Van, a boy prince with a mysterious past. There the dangerous Zaibach Empire is doing its best to conquer all the surrounding countries, and Van’s homeland is next on its list. Soon Hitomi’s ability to predict the future is a power that everyone wants to use.
In the ten years since it first aired in Japan, The Vision of Escaflowne tv series has become an anime classic. The Japanese language track features some of anime industry’s best voice talent. Maaya Sakamoto, who is now winning new fans for her recent performance of Haruhi in Ouran High School Host Club, had her first major role in Hitomi; she also sings the opening theme song.
Volume 1 (episodes 1-4)
Volume 2 (episodes 5-8)
Volume 3 (episodes 9-11)
Volume 4 (episodes 12-14)
Volume 5 (episodes 15-17)
Volume 6 (episodes 18-20)
Volume 7 (episodes 21-23)
Volume 8 (episodes 24-26)
The movie version of Escaflowne features the same voice actors but retells the story from the tv series from a slightly darker perspective.
Blog Post
Pas de duck
by joy k
Fairy tales meet ballet in the anime series Princess Tutu. The mysterious Herr Drosselmeyer offers Duck—a sweet but clumsy ballet student—the chance to help one of her classmates. When she accepts, he gives her a pendant that transforms her into the magical Princess Tutu, whose beautiful dancing has the power to heal people’s hearts. There’s just one problem: whenever Duck acts like a duck, she turns into one. Quack! Is she a girl dreaming of being a duck, or a duck dreaming of being a girl?
The library also has lots of books about ballet and sound recordings of the ballets Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, both of which are referenced in the series.