Top Five Anime Showdown - Part Four

[silverthunder]

This is the second to last post on this little time-waster... It's been fun. But it's almost over now.


Hikaru no Go vs Mushishi

Reasoning: Both shows are very good, for entirely different reasons. Hikaru no Go has phenomenal character growth because it is a coming of age for Hikaru (as well as a number of others); Mushishi does not have this, because its only constant character has adapted to a life of continual change through personal growth at an earlier time in his life. Hikaru is laid completely bare to the viewer; we understand his inner most thoughts because we are privvy to them and to the motivations behind them - we have watched him grow up. Ginko is a mystery; we watch his journey as if from a distance, and often are not given access to his thoughts. His motivations are made clear through his actions, and we somehow feel as if we know him quite well without understanding him completely. In this way, I would say we feel like a friend to Ginko and an unknown observer to Hikaru. Either way is good.

The main reason I picked Mushishi over Hikaru no Go is the base plot. Mushishi is exciting; Hikaru no Go's events are more mundane. I find the prospect of following Ginko to unexplored territory to be more interesting than looking over Hikaru's shoulder at a game of Go.

Victor: Mushishi



Hikaru no Go vs Uninhabited Planet Survive

Reasoning: A combination of reasons, really. UPS's story is more endearing and entertaining, there is a better mix of male and female characters, and I like the animation and the character designs better. Uninhabited Planet Survive is weaker plotwise, but I find this plot more engaging. Hikaru no Go has a slow, almost dreamy pace - it took a long time to get into, because it wasn't very exciting at first. Uninhabited Planet Survive hooked my attention and kept it for the duration. It didn't achieve brilliance, but it was fun and exciting and I grew so very attached to its characters. I love both series, but UPS somehow has a firmer hold on me.

Victor: Uninhabited Planet Survive



Twelve Kingdoms vs Uninhabited Planet Survive

Reasoning: This one more to do with the mood. Twelve Kingdoms is a very heavy series - full of the darker side of human nature, nasty politics, and corruption. Uninhabited Planet Survive is light and full of hope. Perhaps it's childish of me, but I've always preferred stories with themes of friendship, hope, and other such warm gushy feelings to stories filled up with darker emotions.

Victor: Uninhabited Planet Survive



The Wins Tally so Far

Hikaru no Go: 1 win
Mushishi: 3 wins
Princess Tutu: 1 win
Twelve Kingdoms: 1 win
Uninhabited Planet Survive: 3 wins

Basically, so far, Mushishi and Uninhabited Planet Survive are tied for first, and the other three are going to end up tied for third. So the last showdown will be between Mushishi and Uninhabited Planet Survive, and it'll decide who comes in first and who comes in second as my personal favorite.

Exciting, huh? Really.

Comments

[pichi.livejournal.com]

I continue to enjoy reading these evaluations on what's liked better why, and reading these had reminded me of how I need to find a way to watch past those first 21 or so eps of UPS. Look forward to the finale ^_^

[silverthunder]

I'm glad you like them! :) I'd still write them even if no one was reading them, but it's kind of nice to know someone's finding them fun besides me. And yes, you should watch more UPS. I'm not sure if it's still on youtube, but I know there's that torrent file with the whole series on isohunt. It's an excellent series.

[jupiterah2.livejournal.com]

Hehe, ya they are interesting. Wish I had the time to watch enough shows to do something like that lol.

Rar

[silverthunder]

Well, these are all shows I finished watching some time ago, but they're still my favorites. :)

I don't watch as much anime as I used to, that's for sure... It's kinda sad.