Monday, June 6, 2011

My Anime History: Paradise Lost, Reality Found

My Anime History: Paradise Lost, Reality Found

My Anime History: Paradise Lost, Reality Found

Posted: 05 Jun 2011 01:28 AM PDT

Shakugan No Shana, my favorite #1 fantasy series.

In response to a project by Nopy, I decided to go back to my former years to recount my history with anime and how it all started. Well, more of a recollection of series that had a profound effect on me than anything else.

Even as I compose this post, I have viewed 85+ titles (and still growing rapidly) which range from everything including OVA, OAD, movies, full length series, and everything else in between. Through it all, whether subbed or dubbed, long or short, their have been series that stood out above all others I viewed and ultimately shaped and influence my overall perspective of the world around me and what I thought of myself. Not that anime had any major profound effect on my life, however I can not entirely dismiss that it surely did not either…

Like all others, my first experiences began way back, harken to those days spending time after school in 5th grade or so watching series such as: Sailor Moon, Pokemon, Ronni Warriors, Dragon Ball Z, Robotech, Gundam Wing, etc. There also others like Inuyasha, Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, and Neon Genesis Evangelion that I remember watching way back when on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim Hour when I became slightly older.

Of course, until progressing to my high school years, I barely understood anime in that sense than I know it now. Mainly, my life was rich in other experiences, like my love for writing, reading, and now heavily, computers that eventually deemed me a prodigy at age 5. Ridiculous that at through my elementary years all the way to 5th grade, I was the one to repair the school classroom computers from both hardware and software issues. However, I digress and back to anime, in which during my high school years it came into play.

Cowboy Bebop, a very deep and cool series in it's own right. critically acclaimed and award-winning by Shinichirō Watanabe

Apart from finding friends (and current girlfriend) with the similar likes as I had toward anime, my life was somewhat normal, however nothing easy. In my studies (expect for math) I was a perfect student in ever aspect to the point which others saw those qualities in me and seen me as such. My grades, teacher responses, and even my own responses would dignify this. However, as well as things were, I felt outplace and missing something, since my life lacked any real enjoyment. One day after returning home from a stressful day of class, I decided to relax a bit and eventually found an Anime series that would be so much more than I expected and my first “real” Anime experience. My own “reality” was about to be influenced by one I could barely imagine.

RAHXEPHON, a series that I mistook for another old school mecha series was indeed one that I very much appreciated and needed to watch. As much as it was a visual feast for my eyes at the time, it was also one of silent resilience with a philosophical note on everything it exemplified and also a very “real” social notation I felt. I soon found myself looking at a mirror image of sorts between myself and the clumsy protagonist, Ayato Kamina in his search for self-worth and truly understanding himself. Not only for the protagonist nor ideas that I admire this series, but also how it blended theses details to a create powerful symbolic force that I thought only existed from reading classical literature. Well after I completed series, I felt like my own reality shifted to something greater and could make something out of who I was believed to be. It was also a series that inspired me to pick back up some of my musical and writing abilities…even though those skills seem to fade in and out between fields of brilliance and average.

Rahxephon, a series that is proabably overlooked by many Anime fanatics

Moving from my years in high school, adding more series to my list still, I soon entered college, still delving into anime ever now and then. Again, I managed stumbled upon another series that changed my perspective.

In watching a series like, ZEGAPAIN, another brilliant story using the guise of the mecha genre, was something that both an inspiration and as well a constant reminder of pressing forward for the truth and the reality you seek. Not to give too much away for those that have not had a chance to view it, it is a tale that simply must be watched above all else. The dialogue combined with the action content and music was so fueling to the soul, I actually shed a tear of excitement and wonder as the main character made a heartfelt resolution in the later episodes as he fought for something that almost seemed unattainable against an almost human adversary. For a better reality one must uncover the true nature of things; not as how they are seen, but the meaning they posses, that concept is what this Anime taught me. Further more, go after anything desired for the greater good no matter how intangible the goal seems. It was very helpful to keep this series in mind during my first year of college studies away from home. I see why now this series was granted a remake.

"My Pain Never To Be Forgotten, My Memories Never To Be Erased." -Zegapain Tagline-

Besides those two main series, they have been others that held similar roles, but also one’s that instilled other qualities and also helped me to find more well-received series or series I considered that way. School Rumble, Minami-Ke, and Hyakko geared me toward the comedy and the slice-of-life genre and also showed me how life was not just all work and no play as well as enjoying a healthy and fruitful school life. Shakugan No Shana and The Girl With The Third Blue Eye embodied the true and gritty fantasy series I loved to and the ideas that I admire of it’s creator to create such a world that is unique and draws the viewer in; which in turn also inspired my hand in writing more. I found the beauty in romance and love in such series like Ah! My Goddess and Toradora, but also thoughtfulness and solace in Kanon. I could go on with this listing, however, that’s not the point and something greater to mention.

School Rumble

This life force of art, animation, music, and characters called “Anime”, something that I did not even know by name in my youthful days later became more than hobby, but also a way of life as much as a social and philosophical note on my own personal reality. That personal paradise where I went to escape from it all, went for a little more extra encouragement, and went for just pure fun in a sense became a distinguished reality to help me take on the one I reside in, however, at the same time is no substitute. Just like John Milton’s book entitled “Paradise Lost” retelling the disobedience of Adam and Eve as well as there fall, I have not really lost my Paradise, but found a new one etching a life out of reality and trying my hardest everyday to constantly change that reality to something better. I’m truly glad I found Anime and consider it my “Tree Of Eternal Life”.
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