hi!
how's it going? so Tuesday is Tuneday and we have the 3rd (of 5) entry on the list of best anime intro/outros. so far we have had:
- Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
- Hellsing Series 1
song number 3 is from the most disturbing anime since "A Kite" (don't watch that, it's horrible, you have been warned). Our anime today though is the only anime you should watch if you only ever watch one anime. the original manga was brutal and unbelievably violent, and the anime... kept that element! it is written by a woman, which is arguably the only reason it gets away with it, and at its core is about what it means to be human and the emotions that come with it. the intro song is sung by a Japanese opera singer lady, in Latin, over Klimt inspired artwork. it shouldn't really work, but NOTHING about this cartoon should. and yet it does :-D most of the (really bad) violence is perpetrated by children against other children. they are all girls under the age of 16. they are often naked. see what i mean? and the best thing about it? those aren't even the darkest elements of this show. not by a loooooooong way... told over only 13 super-tight episodes, several narratives meander and pass through one another. it literally grabs you by the testicles (if you don't have testicles and would like to know what it feels like - watch this), and by the end you really don't want the virtually inevitable to happen. even though you know it has to.
despite the fact some of the content could be seen as questionable and the violence is gratuitous to the extreme - limbs ripped off, hearts punched through chests, exploding heads, infanticide, animal cruelty, child abuse - and much MUCH more - it remains a masterpiece of the genre. and the song is awesome too.
It's Elfen Lied - Lilium by Noma Kumiko.
seriously though, if you haven't already, go and watch it RIGHT NOW (DISCLAIMER: if you are old enough. i'm pretty sure it's an 18. it should be. and DO NOT watch this with your parents) or better still - read it. it might make you feel... funny/wrong/horrified. don't worry, that's ok. it happens to everyone the first time. :-)
only 2 left... so who's it going to be?
answers on a digital postcard below,
HA
