It makes films that appeal to a wide demographic by refusing to talk down to children and allowing adults to explore their own feelings in unexpected ways. There’s no arguing that Studio Ghibli’s commitment to artistry and empathetic storytelling has transformed modern filmmaking. The work by Miyazaki, Takahata, and their team to blend fantasy and reality can be seen in the films of people as different as Guillermo del Toro, a vocal fan who blends fantasy and reality in his works, and Wes Anderson, who praised Miyazaki when talking about Isle of Dogs: “With Miyazaki, you get nature and you get moments of peace, a kind of rhythm that is not in the American animation tradition so much.” Their reach would extend far beyond Japan: Studio Ghibli influenced animators and live-action filmmakers around the world. For the next three decades, Studio Ghibli went on to produce some of the most critically acclaimed and financially successful films in its home country of Japan, many of them the highest-grossing films in the country for the years they were released. In 1985, two friends and longtime collaborators - Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, fresh off the success of their recent project Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - founded a company that would change animation as we know it. We are republishing it on the occasion of the launch of HBO Max, the platform upon which Studio Ghibli’s films are now streaming for the first time in the U.S. The show also has absurdist humor and sight gags that work regardless of your frame of reference.This article originally ran in November 2019. Some of that comes from jokes that land despite the language barrier. Still, the show manages to be legitimately funny, which is why it takes the title of best comedy anime. Gintama straddles a fine line where some jokes may be lost on Western audiences.
The original played the material straight, while the dub is one of the most hilarious anime series of all time.
Ghost Story is another example where the humor was introduced almost entirely in the dub. In the original Japanese, the humor was primarily based on puns and double-talk. A prime example is Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, which Western audiences know for its surrealist, nonsensical humor. The funniest series out there rely on Japanese puns that don't translate.
Rated: TV-14 Honorable mentions: The Devil is a Part Timer, Space Brothers, Ghost Stories (Dub), Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Hinamatsuri, Excel SagaĬomedy is a hard nut to crack when it comes to anime. Some jokes may be lost on Western audiences. The original has an even pace and more drama. Both have great animation, engaging stories, and fantastic dubs.īrotherhood is a good choice if you prefer a faster pace, more action, and more humor.
Brotherhood came later, and it faithfully adapts the entire manga. The difference is the former was produced while the manga was in production, so the end of the show has nothing to do with the manga. The more contentious issue is whether to choose Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.įor the uninitiated, Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are based on the same manga. There's no question about whether the story of the Elric brothers belongs on any list of the best anime of all time. Building on that foundation, it delivers a story about two brothers that's as grounded as the setting is fantastic.
The reason Fullmetal Alchemist is the best fantasy anime of all time is that it paints a fully realized, unique world with internally consistent rules that have real consequences. Rated: TV-14 Honorable mentions: Slayers, Fairy Tale, Log Horizon, Magi