Forum - View topicExperimental Anime?
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Iconoclast
 Posts: 56 |
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I recently saw the film Mind Game and I'm very curious about anime that is experimental.
What anime titles fall into the categories underground/indie/experimental? I can only think of a few.... tamala 2010, mind game, cat soup, piece of phantasmagoria, etc. Can anyone help me figure out what other anime fall into the following? 
I apologize if this post is better suited under an existing thread. |
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undeadben
 Posts: 1212 Location: West Texas |
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Quack Experimental Anime Excel Saga
 Kidding, I'm sorry, saw your thread title and thought that is what it was before I read your post and I just couldn't help myself.
I'm not sure if there are anime that are specifically experimental, but I could also say that almost every anime is experimental. Especially the newer ones that come out with a new design for something that hasn't been done before. Or even trying to come up with an original idea or using a somewhat seldom used one can also be experimental. Almost every new anime is searching for that new original concept design and experimenting. As for the movie Mind Game, in my opinion that was just a horrible waste of time. Either animate or stick to live action, that "new" technique looked horrible on screen. |
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Iconoclast
Posts: 56 |
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Yah, I realize alot of anime sorta fall into that x_x Which is why I'm having such a hard time phrasing what I mean. I guess I'm just curious about the lesser known stuff. The artsy fartsy sorta anime. x_x |
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bennyb
 Posts: 477 |
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Aw man I was gonna make that joke! Haha |
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Cloe
Moderator
 Posts: 2728 Location: Los Angeles, CA |
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Ah, another Mind Game fan. Always glad to see those.
For starters, there are some pretty good experimental titles mentioned towards the end of this thread that may interest you. Experimental/highly creative/artsy anime is my absolute favorite, so I'm always on the lookout for good titles to watch. It's true that these kinds of titles are hard to sniff out, so here are some good resources: Catsuka.com - A French website that focuses on high-quality independent/creative from around the world. Easy to navigate and there are lots of vids to get a taste of the work of different directors. Anipages Daily - A highly regarded animation blog that focuses on Japanese animators and their work, most of the time emphasizing the creative/experimental. (This is where I first learned about the existence of Mind Game over two years ago.) Studio 4°C - FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THIS STUDIO. The people there have put out consistently high quality and creative work since the mid-90s, and it's by far my favorite animation studio. (They brought about Mind Game, and their new film Tekkon Kinkurito looks absolutely stunning.) Now for my suggestions (mostly short films, hope that's okay): Atama Yama (Mt. Head), directed by Koji Yamamura - A wonderful short film in a very unique animation style about a man who inexplicably begins growing a cherry tree from his head. It's available on this DVD, a collection of award-winning short animations from around the world. (Highly recommended if you're interested in independent animation.) Eternal Family, directed by Koji Morimoto - A really bizarre and beautifully animated tale about a family whose lives are watched by the world on TV (think The Truman Show on acid). Koji Morimoto is my favorite director, and his talent as an animator and filmmaker really shines in his weird little short films like this one. Digital Juice (collection of Studio 4°C short films) - Great, great stuff. There's some good experimentative use of 3D animation, photographic animation (think of Mind Game, and a great mixed-media piece titled "Table and Fishman" directed by Osamu Kobayashi about... a talking table and a fishman. Great stuff. The Diary of Tortov Roddle, directed by Kunio Katou - A wonderful short film, very subtle. About a traveler and the surreal places he visits. It's quite nice and the art style is very unique. Glassy Ocean: Kujira no Chouyaku, directed by Shigeru Tamura - A story about people who live on the surface of a glass ocean; they spend half a day watching a whale slooooooooowly breach. It's quite touching and beautiful, again in a very subtle way like Tortov Roddle. Windy Tales, directed by Junji Nishimura - A TV series with a very unique look and feel to the animation. The story is closer to a standard fantasy than any of the other titles I suggested, but the art is just so nice. Legend of the Forest, directed by Osamu Tezuka - I could recommend a million Tezuka short films, since he's a master storyteller and many of his old animations are quite experimental in storytelling (Jumping) and technique (Memory). But I consider this film his crowning achievement. As the story unfolds, the styles of animation used parallel the actual history of animation; it's quite brilliant. (ie: The film starts out with still drawings, then makes a reference to the zoetrope, then parodies early animations like Fantasmagorie, then Gertie the Dinosaur, then Felix the Cat, and so on and so forth). Again, brilliant. Finally, if you liked Mind Game and Cat Soup, be sure to check out the brand new anime series Kemonozume. It is the work of Masaaki Yuasa, director of Mind Game. I'm getting ready to watch it here in a few minutes and I'll be sure to post my thoughts on it; the trailer looks amazing. [EDIT: Just watched the first ep. of Kemonozume and literally began to CRY during the opening credits because it made me so happy... planning to post my full thoughts on it in another thread.] There are many, many more titles I can tell you about (didn't want this post to get too long), so if you want to hear more just let me know. Last edited by Cloe on Wed Aug 09, 2006 3:16 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Cloe
Moderator
Posts: 2728 Location: Los Angeles, CA |
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It's true that every new anime attempts to take a viewer somewhere they haven't gone before, but there's still quite a difference between mainstream anime titles and experimental titles like Iconoclast is inquiring about. I highly disagree that "almost every anime is experimental."
I respectfully disagree; I thought the visual style of Mind Game was stunning and daring. Very different from run-of-the-mill anime and very pleasant to look at. It was a refreshing break from big eyes and little mouths, and a breath of fresh air. |
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selenta
 Subscriber Posts: 1774 Location: Seattle, WA |
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Hehe, I was going to say that "Cloe is your man" for finding those off-the-wall shows, but I guess that's not exactly accurate.
 Seriously though, I don't think anyone else on these forums has seen as many niche titles as her.
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Iconoclast
Posts: 56 |
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YES! Thanks! This is exactly what I mean!! The experimental stuff. Thanks so much for sharing! I'm interested in this sort of anime and would gladly like to hear more 
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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I saw the thread title and I was thinking the exact same thing as you
I'm thinking Project Arms was pretty experimental though. Trying to discover the secret behind the Arms and stuff. |
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papa john
 Posts: 65 Location: florida |
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im not shur if this is what you mean.. but
id say FLCL is experimental, it was produced as an OVA. the series seemed to be a sort of concept car of anime that went over fairly well. not to mention i herd they went way over budget while makeing this.(probally why their are only 6 episodes) Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi seems to be in the same category.. im not shur but Elfen Lied was vary different from what i have seen and would seem it was experimental.. but seeing as it went for a whole season probally not. but i know the 13th episode is a OVA that doesnt exactly fit with the rest of the series storyline perfectly but was added to kinda fill in some sorta-missing info.. Battle Programmer Shirase was done in 15 minute episodes, which i think is vary unherd of, i forget what the actuall reason for this was.. some of the comedy starts out fresh but starts repeating itself literly.. about 6 times.. i think they copyed and pasted some of it.. budget was probally drying up  the series on its airing seemed to fail utterly and completly and the season wasnt even finish if i remember correectly. but this series seems to have found a following none the less.
if you like the hacker theme you should defintly watch this one but be warned it does contain *cough* loli *cough* which is probally why it didn't do to well..(rated as pg 14 with no sexual stuff). its intresting because the main character is a AWSOME hacker.. who defends different companies and the military from the "evil king of america" not for money but for really rare computer parts. storyline: basicly the king steals a shipment of servers..(by hackign the delivery thingey) and trys useing them to blow up a building (i forget how) only to have his server blow up thanks to the awsomeness of shirase... and the coolest part of all.. shirase hijacks 3 spy satellites and uses the first 2 as a sheild for the third so he can crash it and blow something up(i forget what lol), AWSOME and and it even sounds like its possible to do...
id recomend finding this last one for free unless you can find it at a vary reasonable price. 1:30 for opening and ending theme make each episode 12 minutes long... and if you add in the "what happend last time on shirase" your down to about 10 minutes new material MAX... sorry for going slightly offtopic at the end
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Cloe
Moderator
Posts: 2728 Location: Los Angeles, CA |
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I'd say FLCL is psuedo-experimental, but not nearly to the extent of some of the other suggestions. I still recommend it though, as it's a personal favorite of mine and just lots of fun.
I don't think Elfen Lied or Abenobashi really count as artsy either (although Elfen Lied's opening, by itself, certainly does). Okay, I'll recommend a few more. Angel's Egg, directed by Mamoru Oshii - this movie is wonderfully atmospheric and although it's not necessarily experimental in the same sense as Mind Game or Tamala 2010, it's certainly an incredible work of art. Although the film is about eighty minutes long, the total amount of dialogue adds up to only about two pages of text.  And yet there's so much depth.
Speaking of Oshii, I'd also be on the lookout for his new film Tachiguishi Retsuden, a pseudo animated live-action hybrid which takes advantage of both animated photography and pixilation, the frame-by-frame animation of large objects and people. VERY unique. Here's the trailer. I already recommended Osamu Tezuka's masterpiece Legend of the Forest, but his short films are masterworks in themselves. Jumping is one of my all-time favorites, and very different from anything I've ever seen. Tales of a Street Corner also has a different feel to it and is quite lovely. Also look for Broken Down Film, Memory, Mermaid, Male, and Drop. All pretty old, but definitely worth seeing. Noiseman Sound Insect, directed by Koji Morimoto - A breathless 15-minute ride through an abstract world inhabited by flying ghosts that look like fish and create songs you can see. Yeah, very bizarre. A masterpiece. Tobira O Akete, directed by Koji Morimoto - A young girl's romp through a playful dreamlike world. No story, just observation. Absolutely wonderful animation. Manie Manie (released in the States as Neo Tokyo) - This is a three-part omnibus film like Memories. I recommend it because of the first short film it contains: "Labyrinth." Like Tobira O Akete, it's about a girl who stumbles into a strange, surreal world. Unique character design and VERY beautiful animation make this most memorable. Other Worlds, directed by Makoto Shinkai - This ultra short short is actually available for legal download on his website. Very subtle; it evokes many strong emotions whenever I watch it. |
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TeaDragon
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It wasn't so long ago that Anime didn't have the mainstream statue it does today, so I can see why someone said all anime is experimental. Also, I would say that that is true because of the subject matter and stories that are found in anime. It's all very out there conpared with Walt Disney fare. Also, animation studios did and continue to push the envelope of technique and special effects.
Probably the best bet is to look for the "artistic" and "bizarre subject matter" type animes. Classics like Wind of Amnesia is a great anime. Classics like that that have great art and animation and really good stories. I wouldn't even know where to begin. It's great to read about all the short films that deal with poetic themes, if only those were available here in the States. Even a show like Immortal Grand Prix, though average by today's standards, is still about racing mech's, which to me is highly original in the world of anime, let alone how it compares to animation from around the world, where the idea of giant robots and their pilots is unheard of, but which has been around in Japan since the 1970s with Mobile Suit Gundam and even before that. From Cowboy Bebop episodes to NeoTokyo, Memories, Oshii's work, Cat Soup, Spring and Chaos, to Boogie Pop Phantom, Serial Experiment Lain, Last Exile, Wolf's Rain. Anime creator's explore the further reaches and deepest depths of the human imagination. How many people can say they saw Ghost in the Shell or Perfect Blue or Jin-Roh in an actual movie theater? I can only say I have to the last two. Everyone has seen Howl's in the theater, but ten, twenty years ago it was different. Think of how non-mainstream comic books still are in this country. Anything animated that isn't done by Disney is bound to be somewhat indie and experimental in comparison. At least that was true 20 years ago, now we've seen that the experiment works and is gonna be in business for our lifetimes and lifetimes to come. Animation is simply an amazing, amazing, artistic medium. |
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epixeltwin
 Posts: 325 Location: Montreal, Qc, Canada |
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Might I suggest Dead Leaves, IIRC it's form Production I.G. It's a weird and violent sci-fi story with a prison break... A mad clash with crazy characters and a groundbreaking design.
For those of you who've seen it the part with spoiler[the baby shooting a gun] was just tooooo awesome.
That's surely not a japanese guy talkin' Everything you said would be valid if anime came from america, but it is created in japan... As much as it might register as bizarre here, it's just plain normal over there. Also, there's not only Walt Disney and Columbia out there... You have many, many indie films, from Asian and European cinema to Hong-Kong flicks. Anime isn't the only medium of art that's not been sold to the devil, come on. But it IS an amazing medium of art with a really wide array of themes, I agree on that. |
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Belle Starlia
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Well, I do know She and Her Cat (made by the guy who did Beyond the Clouds: The Promised Place) was entirely experimental. And it shoes considering it's very, very short.
One anime that I'm quite fond of, Fantastic Children happened to be the creators pet project, so I guess you could call it experimental - and a very good experiment at that. |
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TeaDragon
Posts: 5 |
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Got me pegged. I'm not Japanese.
So what do the Japanese consider experimental and, forgive the term, artsy? If they've been watching Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion since the 60s, and giant robot and Mobile Suit Gundam in the 70s, along with a million others, the criteria for expermental would be very different. There have been stylistic changes over the years. Still, the idea of experimental is well understood. Still, as you said, in Japan a most experimental would not be so much subject matter but the size of the production team. Was KakuRenbo experimental? It clearly shows its depth to anime, but has a unique story and is done in 3D by a staff of two. The same was true of Voices of a Distant Star, expect it was one person who made that film in 7 month. Eventually it seems that creators prefer having a good sized staff to work with, and so they'l work wthin the studio system there in Japan. And everyonce in a while there'll be a Blood: The Last Vampire, Dead Leaves, Serial Experiments Lain, etc. Even FLCL is not so much experimental as it is in keeping well within the Gainax tradition. Gainax's His and Her Circumstances has a manga feel to some of it, and uses some manga techniques like a four panel split screen to show action. FLCL seemed new to me when I first saw it, but the more I saw Gainax productions, including Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, the more I realized it was just another classic Gainax animation. Still, It's worth watching anime like Darkside Blues, Venus Wars, Bounty Dog, Cyber City 808, Demon City Shinjuku, Roujin-Z, cause it's just really good anime. It's got the sci-fi, the occult, the magic, the classic anime look and atmosphere that probably drew many of us to anime in the first place. The japanese are great at dealing with dark and non-mainstream subject matter. There are so many Live Action films, you'd love, including: Tetsuo: The Iron Man and every other film by Shinya Tsukamoto Electric Dragon 80,000V 964 Pinnochio Pulse(the original Japanese version) MPD Psycho, a TV series by Takashii Miike based on the manga IZO by Takashii Miike, and many other Miike films 3 Extremes and 3 Extremes II The Eye and The Eye 2 by the Pang Brothers Dreams by Akira Kurosawa |
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