It's a long debate. People on the internet get way too passionate about trivial stuff, and most of the time, they look like a bunch of angry little children while doing it. It's harder to happen here on Japanator, but it happens sometimes. There are people who like to watch their anime/drama/japanese-thingy with subs, and there are people who would rather watch it dubbed. This being the internetz, of course the two groups of people can't tolerate the existence of each other, and they clash using all the stupid words they can think off.

I did write all of this to say my own opinion: I am on the subtitles side. Let me explain why.



I like subs because they keep the work the most original possible, while doing it in a form which I can understand. Animes, games, dramas, movies and such, they are all audio-visual experiences. If the character on screen move his/her mouth and the words don't match, it's weird.

This is especially frustrating in a live action movie. Dubs kills more than half of the original actor's efforts to bring the character to life.

Just imagine your mother or your best friend with a different voice. It would be weird, wouldn't it? Well, fans of japanese culture DO have their favorite actors/actresses/voice talents, so depriving them from the work of their idols is a bad thing.

And people who complain about needing to read while watching a movie... People around the globe, outside of the United States, watched hundreds of Hollywood flicks while reading subtitles. Maybe americans aren't so used to it as much as people from other countries, but believe me, it's possible to watch and read at the same time.

Of course there's engrish, of course fansubs often make mistakes, but you can't take those as proof that "dubbed is better", because people who commit those kinds of mistakes are no professionals. This can be avoided by watching a proper, subtitled localization.

Liking subtitles is not being a weeaboo, a japanese elitist or nothing like that. At least, for normal people. This is about keeping the piece original, this is about giving the proper value to the people who brought the story to life. If the movie was made in the USA, keep it in english and make subs for people of other countries. If it's chinese, keep it chinese with english subtitles. And it's not wrong loving the japanese language as it is. If you hate japanese so much, you shouldn't be watching japanese stuff.

(And I know, in an ideal world, you can have both subs and dubs in original DVDs and Blu-rays, but this can be a problem with movie releases or poor decisions by publishers.)

I am male. I am as straight as you can get. Hey, I love boobs as much as every man does.

And I love Arashi in a manly, non-homossexual way. Watching their tv shows is one of my favorites forms of entertainment. Somehow, they manage to pull off an incredibly silly act, yet extremelly funny, on every one of their public appearances.

Anyway, let me show you why Arashi is amazing to watch, even if you are not a fangirl who would squeal by a mere glance of one of those guys. Here's the 3 main reasons why Arashi is awesome and you would make a favor to yourself by watching them:

1. It's not just a boyband



I hated boybands not so long ago. Well, in a way, I still do. But contrary to the majority of others boybands, Arashi is not just a bunch of guys trying so hard to look badass and totally in love with each other.

Actually, what differentiates Arashi is... they fail. They do not try to look cool in every second. Au contraire. Their tv shows are funny because they are not afraid to join comedians in their silly gags, or do some ridiculous cosplay, or even looking like a complete fool before the cameras. All while looking natural, like a bunch of friends just having fun.

You can doubt the quality of their songs (I don't), you can even skip their stupid dance moves (yes, they are weird), but you can't deny, they are funny.

2. Want some eye candy?



So, you love the female form, and you desperately need to look at some pretty girls in your entertainment, that's why you watch those piles of idols DVDs and harem animes, right?

Well, let me tell you this: few things attract pretty, famous women like popular guys. And Arashi is just surrounded by gorgeous women in their line of work. Be it at their dramas or tv shows, they co-starred with the best looking japanese celebrities, and while you are laughing from the last Sakurai fail or Aiba stupid comment, you can look at the ones like Oshikiri Moe, Fukada Kyoko, Hoshino Aki, Karina, Aragaki Yui, Toda Erika, and the list goes on and on.

3. Female idol groups sucks anyway



Really, they do. All they can do is act artificially cute and eat food while randomly blabbering "oishii" or something like that. Plus, a female idol gets kicked to the limbo as soon as they turn 20 and stop looking like a kindergarden child.

This is Japan's sexist policies fault, I know. While a female idol is kicked out of the group if she has a boyfriend, Arashi members can get away even if they smoke pot and make threesomes. That's Japan for you, but that's one of the reasons too why Arashi is better than AKB48, Perfume or whatever the otakus are drooling over nowadays.

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So, all in all, Arashi is awesome. That's why you, regardless of sexual orientations, should at least give them a chance to make you laugh and forget your shitty day. Or, if you had a great day, make it even better with some Arashi in it.

It's not my intention to be the most hated user in Japanator, but I want to express what I think and there's many times when my tastes go against the tastes of the otakusphere. That and the fact that I like to use bad words to thrash what I don't like might end turning me pretty unpopular in this community.

Anyway, I hate tsundere girls. I don't get why a bipolar disturb can be considered a charm. Sure, anime girls with twin pigtails and absolute territory can be cute (although I don't like that aswell), but having personality issues is not charming on my eyes, it's irritating.

If I see a girl being all bitchy about everything, I wouldn't have the patience to stick around, wait until she changes completely and become the sweetest person in the world who is totally in love with me. I would say 'good bye' and go on with my life, looking for someone normal. Or at least someone who does not change her opinion about everything every effing minute.

To keep up with a tsundere girl, one must have patience. Or don't have a spine, what I believe it's the case with most male protagonists in anime. It's the equivalent to a woman being married to a husband who constantly beats her up. That's not love, it's sticking around a person with a disturb. It's not charming, it's a mental disease.



I don't know what manga this image comes from, but it's hilarious and I want to punch every tsundere girl in anime history in the f*cking face.

I was watching my weekly fix of Music Japan on NHK World, then right after it I got struck with pure epicness: an animation showing a high school girl, then a NHK newscaster saying something about a meteor coming from the sky and striking Shibuya. Suddenly, the NHK building transforms into a mecha and fires his lasers to stop the meteor, all while director Domo-kun watches the action with his sunglasses. When the giant building-mecha used all his energy holding the meteor and is on the verge of falling down, the animation ends.

"Wow!" is all that I could think at the moment. So, I rushed to the internet to find out what the f@#$ I just saw, hoping it was a teaser to an all new anime series. Seriously, I would kill to watch an epic anime with mechas and Domo-kun!

Anyway, the short animation is the 14th episode of Ani*Kuri15, a series of 15 short movies of 1 minute each, made by many famous producers and directors from studios like Gainax, Gonzo and Madhouse, including legends like Satoshi Kon.

The 14th episode is still my favorite, but all of them are great. The Wikipedia article says the series was uploaded to NHK official website, but I couldn't find it there, so here's the Youtube link where you can watch all the episodes..

For more information about the directors, go to the Wikipedia article.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade is a game released last year, a 2D beat 'em up exclusive to the Wii. So what? Several game sites already made reviews about the game, even Japanator's sister (or brother?) site, Destructoid. What do I have to say about the game that nobody already said? And why do I think you need to give the game a shot?

Well, first off, besides Muramasa being a game, to me, people who visit Japanator might enjoy it even better than the average Destructoid visitor. Muramasa is all based on japanese mithology and history, but besides that, its own narration and philosofy is much closer to what we are used to see in anime and japanese productions. Because of that, we, as fans of the japanese culture, are much more inclined to like the game than the average gamer.



I heard some complaints about the game that made me think. Some complaints were about the game having no main villain, and the fact that you can kick many asses, but in the end, you still can't defeat Budha or some of his servants. Those are the kind of stuff we can see in japanese productions. And people who know a thing or two about japanese culture and traditions may very well understand better some of the decisions made by the developing team.

As Momohime, you actually take the role of the main villain. She is a princess possessed by Jinkuro, an evil swordsman with his own power-hungry agenda. And even if you still beat some gods in the way of your journey, you just can't even dream about defeating some major entities, like Enma or Fudo Miyou. They are main figures in japanese religion and beliefs, it would just make no sense if you could get there and punch them in the face. It would be as stupid as beating God himself in a game.



As I play Muramasa, I like to imagine I'm actually playing what most of anime-based games could be. Just like movie-based games, there are not much anime-based games that are good. It still there are more good games based on animes than on movies, but those are exceptions, not the rule.

Particularly, Muramasa feels like a mix between Bleach and Soul Eater. As in Bleach, every sword has its own name and its own special power, and as in Soul Eater, you need to colect souls to forge more powerful weapons. The gameplay is so fluid and fast-paced that I think something like it could be done with animes such as Samurai Champloo or Claymore, and it would be a great game.



The best part is, you are controlling very agile characters, so the impression you are actually "playing an anime" is even stronger. You can jump very high and zip across the screen as you slash through hordes of enemies, then struggle against large bosses, all of this while the gorgeous mix of traditional japanese art and modern anime fills your screen.

I heard many people complain about the repetitiveness of the gameplay, but here comes a hint: if the game is too easy in Musou Mode, the easiest mode, go for the Shura Mode, where things are way harder, and button-mashing will just get you killed. After that, you can try Shigurui Mode, where you just have 1 HP, and only one mistake takes you out. On Shigurui Mode, strategy and memorizing patterns are vital, as is selecting the best blades against each boss.

All in all, Muramasa is my favorite game of 2009. It is not perfect by no means, but considering its theme and my love for japanese culture, it's a no-brainer. I really recommend for everybody here, since you would not be in Japanator if you don't like japanese culture as much as I do.

Quick fact 1: Momohime has the best character design ever. And yes, it is a fact because... I listed it as quick FACT number 1, so there you go.

Quick fact 2: "Momohime" could translate as "Princess Peach". The actual kanji has another meaning by what I heard, but this could be a homage to Nintendo's Princess Peach. Although I doubt Bowser could lay his fingers in this Princess...

So yeah, Japanator made a top 50 animes of the decade. Many titles from the list are some of my favorites, like Black Lagoon, Gurren Lagann and Death Note. Many others I don't know yet. And many others I don't like, but hey, that's called having an opinion. Everybody have one. Everybody have their personal favorites. And to my surprise, there is a bunch of great animes I really consider masterpieces that didn't make into Japanator's top 50 animes of the decade.

This is a top 10 of honorable mentions. MY top 10. To me, all of them would fit perfectly fine in a top 50 animes of the decade. These are not my top 10 favorites of all time, nor the top 10 of the decade, I did not include animes that are in Japanator's list. You are free to disagree, but who knows, maybe there's some good titles out there for you to know, watch and have fun!

So, let's get 'em rolling!



Basilisk is the anime adaptation of the famous "The Kouga Ninja Scroll" novel, by Futaro Yamada, published in 1958. It's a love story, it's action packed, it's beautifully animated. Two ninja clans are in war, and 10 of the best ninjas of each clan fight it out to decide which is the best. Of course, the love couple is divided between the clans. It's like Romeo and Juliet, but with ninjas. Sinister ninjas with bizarre powers, exagerated, but far from being a Naruto rip-off. Basilisk is way better. Believe it!



Yakushiji Ryoko is probably the most elegant female anime character ever. She is the chief of a police department responsible for investigate supernatural cases. Her name isn't in the title of the show for nothing, she is the center of the story and what really make the anime shine. Think of Yakushiji Ryoko as a grown-up Suzumiya Haruhi, but with power to acomplish what she wants. A note-worth scene happens at the end of the 13 episode series, when Ryoko hides in a closed mall while soldiers and tanks are after her. She calmly takes a bath, change her clothes and face a tank wearing high heels and a red dress. Yes, she is badass like that.



Tenjou Tenge is one of those animes that ends with much story to be told yet, when the manga proceeds on it. But I consider the anime superior anyway. The theme is one of my favorites: martial arts in high school. Yes, the anime features big boobed female characters, but it's far from being a Ikkitousen, at least the anime is, where the pervness is scaled down a bit. The action scenes are great, just watch the first 5 minutes of the second episode and you will know what I mean.



Casshern Sins is actually a new version of Casshern, an anime made by the Tatsunoko Studios in... well, when the dinossaurs still lived on Earth. Sins is not a remake, it's a new version in its entirety. The world is occupied by robots. Casshern, with no memories about his past, is the responsible for killing the goddess of the world, thus spreading the destruction of all, and obviously, he is the most hated being in the world. This anime is extremely meaningful, the best anime yet to question life and death, and this is kinda weird, since it features robots. But it really makes you think.



At first, Chrono Crusade may look like it is a light-hearted story about a girl shooting monsters in the face, but it has a deep story about a demon seeking redemption, and a girl who is up to anything, even giving her soul, in order to find her sick brother. It can get somehow annoying when you discover that the main villain is responsible for every characters misery, but it's a beautiful story yet.



Another one by Tatsunoko Studios, this is a series of short OVAs. Karas are powerful beings responsible for protecting each city. Youkai lives in the cities, but most of the time are invisible to human eyes. The OVAs tell the story of a former Karas, who plans to take over the city. In the very beginning of the series, a fierce fight between the main villain and the actual Karas show a great mix of standard animation and CG. The visuals are great, the best I ever saw until today.



GunGrave is a anime adaptation of a game for the PS2 with the same name. The creator of Trigun is involved with GunGrave, which just adds to the awesomeness, but the storytelling is much closer to another classic, Berserk. Two men who grew on the streets as brothers join the mob to pursue power and a better way of life. The plot and the characters are presented little by little, so when sh*t hits the fan, you know exactly how bad it tranforms the world as the characters know it, and it's a big shock.



This is a very different title from your average anime, since its artstyle until the theme. Kaiji is a hopeless punk who works at lousy part-time jobs and has no chance of a better life. To make things even worst, Kaiji gets the visit of a man saying his friend got a huge debt in Kaiji's name, so his only option is joining a series of dangerous gambling games to pay it off. Psicological games, where courage and inteligence are the key to win, and to survive. It's a very real approach of how money makes the world spin and can affect desperate people.



It was a huge shock to me when I realized Japanator had Soul Eater out of its top 50 list. There's plenty of coverage in the first page, I thought it was one of the favorites among staff. Very well, Soul Eater is one of MY favorites, thanks to its superb style. The story, the characters, the setting, everything is so over the top you can't help but join the ride and have a good laugh.



What can I say about Claymore? The animation is so beautiful you will think you are watching a OVA. When I first watched it, I thought it was another "generic girl with big sword fights monsters". Well, everything in Claymore is extremely well done, everything is there for a good reason. For example, just women can be Claymores, since men turn into monsters, unable to resist the power used by those half yoma, half human warriors. Claymore is about despair, in a world where humanity's saviors are half monsters, and even them can't protect the world of the strongest monsters out there. Great story, superb presentation. The only fault is the end, but you aways can get the manga to see what happens.

And here's a surprise! (Kinda of...)



Yes, Hajime no Ippo is my favorite anime EVER. I included it in this list because it began in 2000, but the first series ended in 2002. New Challenger, which continues where the first stopped, had all of its 26 episodes aired in 2009. When some friends told me about Ippo, I joked saying something like "eh, I don't wanna watch a bunch of muscular, sweaty men". Obviously, I was almost retarded at the time. Hajime no Ippo shows how boxing can be complex, with very enjoyable fights, lots of estrategy and no special powers anywhere. The fights are really great, but the characters are not fighting all the time, and their time off are just as enjoyable, when the anime turns in one of the best comedys out there. The manga is still being released, and different from another animes that end before the manga, Hajime no Ippo leaves its end open, so we can aways hope for more adaptations into anime of this great series!

Wow, talk about wall of text! Anime is one of my passions and I will aways take a step further and be here to enjoy them and share the joy they can bring to any otaku's life! If you don't know some title from this list, go watch it, all of them are great!