As a newcomer to anime, it was suggested that I watch a couple of different styles as well as formats. There’s so much to choose from, but here’s where I began…

Ghost In A Shell: So, I’m gonna start off by simply saying: “Wow.” I know this an oldie but goodie, but I think that seeing this movie first really set the bar high. I was consistently impressed by not only the animation, but maybe even more so by the storyline. While following the covert ops team in a techno-crime thriller sounds like it could be complex enough, I was often caught off guard by all of the existential subtext. Motoko Kusanagi’s “construction” lends itself to major philosophical issues; by having a human brain and spinal cord while the rest of her body is mechanized she is constantly reminded of her duality. To me, this added another level of depth to “The Major” as she forged ahead in her fight against the Puppet Master.

The animation was also pretty amazing. The two scenes that really stood out were the creation of the cyborg shell and when Kusanagi is attacked towards the end of the film. In each scene the attention to detail and the feeling of fluid motion added to the emotion for me. I don’t think it’s an accident that these two scenes stood out because I was captivated by her creation in the beginning and then to see her maimed torso limply dangling from the steel claws was devastating.

Ghost In A Shell was more than I had expected and to be honest, I would say that I’d have to see it a few more times to really absorb all that was going on–and I’m happy to do it. Next,

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: As a more recent anime and a romantic comedy tv series, The Melancholy was quite different. With a happy-go-lucky soundtrack and in a high school setting: the characters were lighter, the storyline bubblier (and at times a bit stranger) and even the animation seemed a bit less intense. Right off the bat it had the appeal of any high school show: handsome boys and cute girls navigating the quirks and twitches of teenage life. Of course, starting with the intro we have the idea of espers, time-travelers and aliens drilled into our heads (three times in the first 5 minutes of the show) so we know that this is more than just your ordinary gang of chums. Haruhi is spunky, outspoken and has lots of ‘tude and honestly, I initially found her irritating, but she is so cute and I kept wondering what she’d do next. (Always the sign of a good story.) I do think that listening to it in English might have been part of the problem. I kept noticing an overenuncitation of words and a very clipped way of speaking–mix that with an overly enthusiastic cheerleading voice and I was cringing at times. But, I am glad I watched a few more episodes. As more characters are revealed, the feeling of the show shifts: the music changes and there is a foreboding quality to the storyline. There’s a great scene in Episode three where Itzuki (an esper) reveals himself to Kyong–they are sitting at some abandoned tables on the school grounds and the scene looks as if it is being shot from below. The table looms large between these two characters only further illustrating the fact that even though these two look like schoolboys, only one is human and the other is not. I loved it’s noir-like quality. So, I will be watching a few more of these to see where it goes, and um, I do have to admit, I kinda like the opening and closing credits–they’re catchy!

I realize that this is just the tiniest tip of the iceberg as far as anime is concerned, but so far, I definitely like what I’ve seen. From the depth and complexity of the storylines to the incredibly beautiful artwork, I can see what draws people in. I’m intrigued by the fantasy aspect to anime–more specifically the idea that although we all look similar on the outside, we never really know what lies beneath. From the depth and complexity of the storylines to the incredibly beautiful artwork, I can see what draws people in. For the time being I think that Ghost In A Shell is more my speed, but I will definitely be sampling other films and series. I’m looking forward to checking out some Moon Phase and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. I don’t know if I qualify as a true okatu yet, but I’m on my way…

Jayelle Stermer is a newcomer to all things otaku, with a slightly obssesive interest in fashion, pop culture, and hip-hop. She is a contributing editor at otakuden.com, where you can find her postings along with cool pics of anime figures, local event listings and reviews.