ARC Awards And Some Anime Tips
As I mentioned in the previous post, I like animation. This includes anime. Anime has become quite a bit more popular over the last few years (thanks in large part to the ease of digital distribution of fansubs and recent pop culture popularity) and some people have asked for recommendations on what to watch. Like any media – there is good stuff and there is bad stuff… similar to summer blockbusters. Luckily, there is one place that tends to pick quite a few of the “good ones” regularly and that is the Anime Reactor Community Awards (ARC Awards).
The ARC Awards are done once a year and it is a community process to narrow down and vote for anime in a number of categories. The biggest category is “Best Anime Overall” which is equatable to the “Best Picture” award at the Oscar’s. The winners get recognition in the form of a banner that is used at AniDB (largest database for Anime – like IMDb is for movies).
Here are the past ARC Award winners for “Best Anime Overall”
- Sekai no Senki II – 2001
- Azumanga Daioh – 2002
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – 2003
- Full Metal Alchemist – 2004
- School Rumble – 2005
- Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu – 2006
- Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann – 2007
A wide variety of genre’s have won the award including drama, action, and comedy. Be sure to check out the results to see the other categories and selections as well as the other nominees.
Now… that covers newer anime but some people want the classics – the ones “everyone know” (at least the ones anime fans refer to just like movie buffs say “you have to see this”). That gets harder. There are obvious classics, but like many classics, sometimes they don’t translate as well to newer audiences. If you are interested in trying some anime… stick to the ones listed above and you’ll probably be happier. If you really become interested, there are lots of places to find those classics I mentioned – and I’ll be happy to recommend a few.
Lastly comes the big debate with anime … subbed or dubbed. This debate is actually true of almost all foreign media and it usually comes down to preference. Subtitles (subbed) give a more accurate translation and representation of the story and you get the original actors voice and intonation as intended, but it can detract from your viewing as you have to focus more on reading. Dubbed is easier to follow and is less distracting from the visuals but you might lose story elements or get awkward lines as the translation is changed to fit speech time. Older anime that you find on VHS or DVD was plagued by bad dubbing but over the last 7 years or so it has gotten much better and so comes down more to preference (though there are still some dubs that make me cringe).
So there you have it. The basics to get started watching anime. Hopefully this has helped answer some of the basic questions but if you have more, feel free to ask me.
NOTE: Anime can be more adult in nature than the average American cartoon. Anime is marketed in Japan to a wider audience so be sure to check up on a show before getting it for minors to watch. I’ve seen parents get an anime for their kids because it looked cute on the cover only to end up quite distraught when the cute little girl turns out to be a homicidal maniac. I should also mention the same is true for manga; I’ve stopped many a parent from buying a manga title just by having them flip through the pages first – comics and cartoons aren’t just for kids.
Related posts:
