Even though we showed in our last blog article in the series Misconceptions about Japan that the Japanese are not progressive in every respect, they are absolute leaders in one: animated films and series. Opinions are often divided when it comes to Japanese anime. For some, they are children's cartoons and adolescent fantasies, for others a typical Japanese phenomenon that you don't understand anyway. Too bad, because one of the most convenient and entertaining ways to learn more about Japan is to watch anime. But it's not so easy to get started with the multitude of series and movies, the prevailing clichés and the different genres. In addition, the "typical Japanese" anime, which also serve the common clichés, are often only directed at a certain target group or are difficult to follow.

In addition to these typical anime, however, there are a number of series that are, simply put, "different. Anime that are strongly influenced by Western culture, cross genre boundaries and have rightly received great international recognition. So, in order to clear up some prejudices, I present you some of these anime series in my list. And don't worry: The episodes of the series are usually limited to 20-25 minutes and so you can find out relatively quickly whether the whole thing appeals to you or not.

1. cowboy bebop - カウボーイビバップ

It's no coincidence that the first entry on this list was also one of the first anime series to be broadcast on German TV via MTV in 2003. Because: Internationally, this "Space Western" is not only considered one of the best anime ever, but also a showcase in terms of animation, soundtrack and narrative class. A group of bounty hunters ("cowboys") around the main protagonist Spike Spiegel meet on the spaceship "Bebop" in the year 2071. Together they experience action-packed, weird and sometimes sad adventures. Episode after episode, you learn more about the dark past and the motivation of the individual heroes. What makes the series special, besides the jazzy/funky, high-quality produced soundtrack and the fluid and detailed animations, is the dense atmosphere: melancholic, gloomy and always with a slightly satirical undertone, Cowboy Bebop quickly casts its spell. The team around director Shinichirō Watanabe skillfully balances humor and drama. The series was celebrated both in Japan and abroad and won several awards. In particular, the drawing style and music were a welcome change in Japan from the typically cutesy "kawaii" style and J-pop soundtracks that took some getting used to. If you only watch one series, Cowboy Bebop should be it.

2. samurai champloo - サムライチャンプル

Once again, director Shinichirō Watanabe and his team were responsible for this series. Not quite as dark as Cowboy Bebop, and with plenty of humor and a hip-hop soundtrack, we accompany a masterless samurai, an outlaw from Okinawa and a young girl on their road trip through Edo period Japan. Together they search for the samurai who smells like sunflowers. Samurai Champloo effortlessly combines the old Japan of the Middle Ages with modern hip-hop culture and, along the way, teaches the viewer a few (freely interpreted) historical facts. If all this sounds too silly for you, let me tell you: for every laugh there is also a tear and for every slapstick interlude there is a violent outburst. This always brings the anime back down to earth and balances out the series. Again, of course, fluid animation and tight storytelling are a hallmark of the series and the perfectly choreographed fight scenes are very impressive to watch. Unfortunately, the series fared similarly to Cowboy Bebop in Japan: as much as the critics celebrated it, the big success failed to materialize, at least in Japan. Just 26 episodes and no clearly defined target audience made it difficult to build a successful franchise with either anime - the basic prerequisite for success in Japan. Shinichirō Watanabe's vision was more important than the marketing potential. One reason why his anime are so incredibly good.

3. mushishi - 蟲師

Mushishi is not nearly as well-known as the previously mentioned series and also differs in many other aspects from other anime. Love adventures, sword fights, emotional outbursts or fast camera movements are not to be found here. Almost meditative, a melancholic soundtrack accompanies the main character Ginko on his journey through the mysterious world populated by Mushi. These Mushi can have both positive and negative influences on humans and the rest of nature. Ginko is a scholar who can help people, animals and plants with the negative effects. The narration by Ginko himself, the unagitated plot and the low-key action all contribute greatly to the relaxed feeling one gets while watching. It helps that the episodes are self-contained and can be watched separately. Often decidedly sad and beautiful and without any surprising twists, it's hard to describe why you should watch this series of all things. Until you simply watch an episode spellbound and leave your everyday life completely behind for just under 25 minutes.

4. full metal alchemist - 鋼の錬金術師

Full Metal Alchemist is the closest to the prevailing anime clichés from this list. The good thing is that behind the typical anime drawing style, the J-pop theme songs and the occasional silly scenes, there is an impressive and complex story that is told at a perfect pace. Even more than Samurai Champloo or Cowboy Bebop, Full Metal Alchemist lives from the progression of the story and the development of the main characters: Edward and Alphonse are accompanied in their often painful evolution from children to adults. The world of the two brothers is defined by alchemy and thrown into chaos by political intrigue, artificially created humans and war. Internationally acclaimed and successful, this anime shows that the old Japanese formula perfectly implemented in every detail, can definitely create something new and unique. So if you don't mind the slightly clichéd drawing style and stick it out until after the intro, you'll be rewarded with an exciting and emotional journey. The original anime from 2003 was re-released in 2009 as "Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood". Although the remake is closer to the manga and considered by many to be even better, I prefer to watch the original for its dark atmosphere and steady narrative pace.

5. one-punch man - ワンパンマン

One-Punch Man is the perfect conclusion to this list. Precisely because the anime is a parody of the many anime clichés, such as the ever-stronger hero or petite damsel in distress. It helps that the anime's humor works just fine even without any knowledge of these clichés. The story is quickly told: Saitama is a simple office worker who decides to become a superhero after an encounter with a monster. However, he always (unintentionally) defeats all his opponents with a single blow. The resulting anger of his opponents and competitors and his own frustration make for plenty of absurd situations. The completely indifferent attitude with which Saitama faces the bizarre monsters and catastrophic situations is what makes it so incredibly fun to watch. Certainly not a storytelling masterpiece or character development with depth. But that's not what One-Punch Man is trying to be. The Bud Spencer of anime is just so incredibly endearing through his indifference and good nature, and through his everyday problems closer than conventional heroes.

CONCLUSION: Something for everyone

These 5 titles only scratch the surface of the vast catalog of decades-old anime series. Due to many international influences, the bold implementation of new ideas and the otherness of these titles, they offer the perfect introduction to the world of Japanese series art. The depth of the character development and the complexity of some storylines will certainly surprise some - something like this is simply not used to "cartoons" in the West. And if you can't find a suitable series in this list, because of the huge range of different genres and their creators, there's bound to be another series somewhere that you'll like, too. In any case, there are enough: estimates put the number of existing anime series at 10,000-15,000.

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*Image by Moujib Aghrout (Unsplash). His Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojaghrout