Amazon Prime Video: 10 classics of Japanese animation to see urgently

news culture Amazon Prime Video: 10 classics of Japanese animation to see urgently

Akira

Some films never go out of fashion, and this is the case with the film Akira considered a timeless classic. This feature film is directed by Katsushiro Otomo in 1988 (Steamboy, Metropolis) and directed by TMS Entertainment (Detective Conan, Lupine III, Sherlock Holmes). He himself is at the origin of the manga Akira which he subsequently produced. The plot takes place in 2019 in a New Japan marked by the Third World War which took place 31 years before. Tetsuo is part of a biker gang and almost runs over a child. It turns out that the toddler he takes in with his group is actually a being under government surveillance. Tetsuo and the whole gang are then embarked and then released except for the latter. He ends up running away and discovers that like the child, he has psychic powers. Driven by an intense hatred, the young man begins to sow chaos.

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Demon Slayer

Demon Slayer is a phenomenon in the manga sphere. The work of Koyoharu Gotouge is successful thanks in particular to its adaptation in an animated series by the studio Ufotable (Fate/Zero God Eater; Tales of Zestria the X). The manga is currently finished, but the adaptation continues. It currently has one movie and two seasons. For centuries, urban legends about human-eating demons prowling the forest have kept locals from venturing there. In this world, we follow the young Tanjirô. The latter has lost his father and is doing everything to provide for the needs of his family. One day, Tanjirô leaves to sell coal in town and discovers on returning home his massacred family. The only survivor is none other than her sister Nezuko except that she is now a demon. However, she still possesses human aspects and Tanjirô cannot resign himself to killing his younger sister. Thus begins his life as a demon hunter while he searches in parallel for a cure so that Nezuko becomes human again.

Detective Conan

Detective Conan is a river series with no less than a hundred volumes in Japan. Beginning in 1994, the paper work was rewarded with an anime adaptation two years later, which in 2022 has more than a thousand episodes. The animated series, produced by TMS Entertainment (Akira, Sherlock Holmes, Lupine III), is still not finished and has no less than twenty films. Shinichi Kudo is a high school student known for solving multiple cases. After solving a murder case, the latter crosses paths with men dressed in black whom he had already met at crime scenes. Shinichi stoked by his detective spirit decides to follow them and discovers that they are blackmailers. The men realize the tail and make the young investigator drink an experimental poison. This poison rejuvenates Shinichi who then takes the name of Edogawa Conan. He will then do everything to find the men who did this to him. A problem remains. It is not easy to be listened to by adults when you look like a child even if the hero has lost none of his intuition and his genius.

Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell is a film directed by Mamoru Oshii (Patlabor 1 & 2). The studio behind this masterpiece is that of Production IG (Haikyû, Kuroko’s Basketball). Ghost in the Shell is originally an anticipation manga by Masamune Shirow released in 1991 and composed of two volumes. The animated adaptation was released in 1995 and a second episode was released in 2004. A Live-Action Ghost in the Shell film also made headlines in 2017 with Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow, Lucy) as the character. main. Major Motoko Kusanagi is part of section 9, the special police unit set up to counter cyber-terrorists. The Major is actually an agent with a cybernetic body. The latter begins to ask questions about its nature and the notion of “Ghost”. In this corrupt age where brain hacking is commonplace, memories are now mere data. The origin of life becomes a real question especially when Mokoto Kusanagi investigates a case involving the biggest cybercriminal.

The boy and the beast

Mamoru Hosoda is one of those genius directors who are often compared to Hayo Miyazaki (co-founder of Ghibli studios). The man released Belle at the end of 2021, The Boy and the Beast at the start of 2016 and Les Enfants Loups during the summer of 2012.The boy and the beast takes place between Shibuya, a Tokyo district, and Shibutenmachi, a city populated by supernatural creatures. Kyuta is an orphan boy who will be adopted by Kumatetsu, a humanoid bear. Alongside Kumatetsu, the child will learn everything about bushido, both the principles strictly speaking and sword fighting. During this apprenticeship, a paternal relationship is created between the two characters with all that that implies. Between loves, conflicts, fights and moments of fusion, the touching daily life of Kuyta and Kumatetsu promises to be eventful.

naruto

naruto is one of One Piece’s historical rivals in the early 2000s. Masashi Kishimoto’s manga depicts a world populated by ninjas in which Naruto grows up. The work was adapted in series in 2002 by Studio Pierrot (Bleach, Beelzebub, Tokyo Ghoul). This adaptation is sequenced in 2 parts, Naruto which contains 220 episodes and Naruto Shippuden 500 episodes long. Naruto is a young child despised by the people of his village because in him is sealed Kyubi, the nine-tailed fox demon. To understand, you have to go back 12 years ago, the hidden village of Konoha, one of the five great ninja villages, is ravaged by a demon. The head of the village, the Hokage, then decides to seal the demon in an infant. The years pass and Naruto grows up with the goal of becoming Hokage in turn so that everyone realizes his value. The road to recognition will be strewn with pitfalls.

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Nicky Larson (City Hunter)

CityHunter (or Nicky Larson in French) is an animated series which is extremely well known in France since in October 1990 it was broadcast on TF1, and more precisely in Le Club Dorothée. She therefore cradled the adolescence of an entire generation. Ryô Saeba, aka City Hunter, and more commonly known as Nicky Larson in France, is a professional contract killer. He is the best in his field. Specializing in close protection and investigation, N. Larson stands out in particular for his exceptional shooting skills. His weak point… this killer can’t resist pretty girls and his perverse mind often leads him into funny situations. However, Kaori (alias Laura with us) is there to support her, but also to divert the man from the other women with a big blow of a hammer.

Psycho Pass

Psycho Pass is an anime series made by Wit Studios (Ranking of Kings, Vinland Saga). Following the success of the series, the work is adapted into manga for a total of 6 volumes. Psycho-Pass stands out mainly for its cyberpunk universe incorporating certain codes from dystopian novels. In the future, a technology can quantify someone’s mental state and determine whether or not they represent a danger to society. With this system called Psycho-Pass, it is possible to identify potential criminals and intervene upstream of crimes. A Criminal Investigation Section is responsible, depending on the situation, for apprehending or eliminating criminals.

sherlock holmes

Produced by TMS Entertainment (Akira, Lupine III), Meitanei Holmes known as sherlock holmes in the West was broadcast for the first time in November 1984 and relates the adventures of the most famous detective in literature. This series is produced by Hayao Miyazaki who decides to transcribe the characters in the form of animals according to their character. Thus, Sherlock Holmes will be a cunning fox and Moriarty a sneaky wolf. In this way, the one who is considered the father of Japanese animation tells this great classic that are the adventures of the most famous detective with a touch of poetry and great singularity.

Vinland Saga

Exclusively broadcast on Prime Video, Vinland Saga is the adaptation of the eponymous manga which is currently being published with no less than 22 volumes to its credit. The series is animated by Wit Studio (Spy x Family, Attack on Titan). A mixture of historical fact and fiction, Vinland Saga tells the story of young Thorfinn Thorsson. The child sees his father, one of the greatest Viking warriors, being murdered by pirates before his eyes. This life-changing event pushes the young man to join this mercenary brigade with the sole purpose of avenging his late father by eliminating their leader Askeladd during a regular duel. Against a background of revenge, the child who has become a young man finds himself in the middle of a war for the crown of England.