anime recommendations wanted

[Darkflame]

On Mon, 25 Jan 1999, Hil Hughes wrote:

> Perhaps this is a good chance to introduce myself to this list.  My name is
> Hil Hughes, and I am currently researching anime in Kyoto, and I am
> particularly interested in the idea of how anime, in its current state,
> developed from other domestic and foreign art forms/influences.  To this
> point in my studies, kabuki especially seems to play a strong role in the
> plot and visual elements, and I am beginning to look into bunraku and
> foreign films of the 1950.  Any suggestions as to material (reading or film)
> for this would be greatly appreciated.  At the same time, I am strongly
> interested in the religious symbology that appears in an amazing amount of
> anime, particularly post-industrial science-fiction anime.  Any book
> suggestions on Buddhist, Shinto, or Japanese-Christian "apocalyptic" imagery
> would be fantastic- in English or Japanese.
> 

It's a bit more comedic in tone, but Dominion Tank Police also has good
merits as criticism of the future of urban development.  It seems that
anything by Masamune Shirow is great, (eg., Ghost in the Shell, which the
original poster already mentioned, and Appleseed, which was mentioned by
Mr. Hughes).  I also recommend Evangelion, and I hope that the movie, End
of Evangelion, will reach these shores soon.  Sanctuary is a great film as
well, but it concentrates more on the Yakuza than the fate of cities in
the future.  Armitage III is concentrated more on Mars, but it is also a
good, if short, series. It has been a long time since I have seen it, but
I think Grey is another good movie. I highly recommend Nausicaa of the
Valley of Wind, which will be released in the US by Disney eventually,
since they are releasing the entire catalog of Hayao Miyazaki's works.
Hopefully they will release it in Subtitled/widescreen just as they did
with Kiki's Delivery Service.  That's all I can think of at the moment for
urban futuristic anime (and Nausicaa is borderline that, but I really,
really recommend it!!) I recommend subtitled releases, but that is really
my preference.

(by the by, this is my first post, greetings! My name is Wendy Shaeffer,
and I live in Savannah, GA, and attend Armstrong Atlantic State
University.  I have been interested in film since my first year, thanks to
my film teacher, Dr. Karen Hollinger. I have been merely lurking on this
list for months now...)

--Wendy S.