Anime
Anime is the Japanese word for Animation. In Japan, the animation industry is more in the forefront than in the US, and animated shows covering virtually every genre can be found in the form of television shows, Original Animation Videos and feature films.
Much like any other entertainment medium, anime can range from the very silly to the very serious, and is not necessarily intended for children or any specific age group. Below is a hand-picked selection of titles that Alice's mavens consider the best of the genre on offer.
Right: 'Ghost In The Shell'
Royal Space Force: The Wings Of Honneamise (1994)
Director: Hiroyuki Yamaga
Starring: Melody Lee, Robert Matthews, Lee Stone
Stunning animation and Ryuichi Sakamoto's amazing score highlight this tale of politics and love set against the backdrop of social unrest in a war-ra... Read more
Saiyuki - Requiem (2001)
7/10
Director: Hayato Date
Blending action, fantasy and comedy and based partly on a 16th Century Chinese folktale that also served as inspiration for 'Monkey!', 'Requiem' is th... Read more
Shadow Skill (1997)
5.5/10
Director: Gisaburo Sugii, Hiroshi Hegishi
Starring: Animation
In a war torn world of deadly conflict, one small group of heroes stands against the forces of darkness, armed only with two weapons - their unswervin... Read more
She, the Ultimate Weapon: Another Love Song (2005)
7.2/10
Director: Atsuko Kase
In this stand-alone side story to the groundbreaking series, Chise is a cute and delicate teenage girl, transformed into the Ultimate Weapon though sh... Read more
Spirited Away (2002)
8.6/10
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
From Hayao Miyazaki ('Princess Mononoke') comes this magical animated adventure about 10-year-old Chihiro, who, along with her parents, is trapped by... Read more
Spirited Away ( Blu-ray ) (2002)
8.6/10
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Animation visionary Hayao Miyazaki gets to fully unlock his boundless imagination through the otherworldly adventures of an innocent young girl that i... Read more
Spriggan (2000)
6.6/10
Director: Hirotsugu Kawasaki
Katsuhiro Otomo, the animator of the ground-breaking anime classic 'Akira', was the executive producer of this amazing mixture of visionary sci-fi and... Read more
Steamboy (2004)
6.9/10
Director: Katsuhiro Otomo
Starring: Voices Of, Anna Paquin, Alfred Molina, Patrick Stewart
The long-awaited new film from 'Akira' director Katsuhiro Otomo does not disappoint. One of the most expensive animes ever made, this is a retro-styl... Read more
Street Fighter II (1994)
7.3/10
Director: Gisaburo Sugii
The future is a dark place where the forces of Shadoland attempt to harness psychic power. If they succeed, it could be the end of civilization. Only... Read more
Summer Wars (2010)
7.5/10
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Starring: Voice Of, Nanami Sakuraba, Ryunosuke Kamiki
Kenji is your typical teenage misfit. He's good at math, bad with girls, and spends most of his time hanging out in the all-powerful, online community... Read more