NoaIzumiWhere to Start
November 22nd 2008 20:47
OK, you’ve chosen a series to check out. Now what?
Most of the popular animes make use of different media. Inuyasha, for example, started out as a manga, then came out as a TV series, and has also spawned four movies so far. Slayers started out as a series of novels, which were adapted into a TV series, than movies and OVAs. You’re Under Arrest went from manga to OVA (original video animation), which was merged with a TV series, then the mini-specials came out as an OVA, then the movie. Patlabor started out as a manga, than the (first) OVA came out, then the (first) movie, then the TV series, then the second OVA, then the second and eventually third movies. So with all that to choose from, where’s the best place in a series to start?
It’s an important question to consider. A few weeks ago, I rented Maze. It’s a fantasy anime, similar to Inuyasha, but somewhat less dramatic and somewhat more risqué. I knew there was an OVA made, and a TV series that was made after the OVA, so I figured the OVA would be the place to begin. I’d watch an hour and a half DVD, and see if I liked it enough to go on with the TV series. Good plan, right? Well, not quite. The anime Maze is based on a series of novels, like Slayers, and the makers of the OVA made the assumption that the audience for the OVA would be mainly people who had read at least one of the books. So I started watching the OVA, and instead of starting at the beginning, with a proper introduction to the characters, who are added one by one with the appropriate background, the story starts in the middle, with all the characters in a big group, each with a brief introductory exposition so thin, it’s obviously meant for people already familiar with them. Maze is a fun anime, but the result of being plopped right in the thick of things without any explanation of who’s who and what’s what was less than satisfying. Turns out that I would have been better with the TV series, which does start of the beginning and tells the story the way it’s supposed to be told. So if you’re about to launch into an anime series, where do you start without becoming lost?
Fortunately, in the case of most series, the answer is: almost anywhere. Most movies that are based on TV or OVA series are meant more for the audience of the series, but they generally do a good job of making it understandable for the uninitiated. You’re Under Arrest is a good example. Of all the YUA media, the movie is probably the worst place to start, because part of the enjoyment depends on knowing the characters and the relationships between them. But I saw the movie again recently, and I realized it does a pretty good job of explaining all that. It’s better if you’ve seen some of the series and know who all the players are, but even if you don’t, it’s still a good movie and a good introduction to the world of You’re Under Arrest.
The Inuyasha movies are another case of this. The first and third ones (although not the second or fourth) have a certain amount of exposition that explains who everyone is and what they’re doing. It winds up being a little clunkier than in the YUA movie, but it still does the job. In addition, the DVDs of each of the movies have “Special footage” in the extras, clips from the series that give relevant background. Again, it’s better to start from the series or the manga, but the movies aren’t too confusing.
In some cases, the movie doesn’t explain much, but it doesn’t really matter anyway. The eX-Driver movie has little explanation of the characters or what they do, but you don’t need it to enjoy the plot and the car chases. When watching the Gunsmith Cats OVA, readers of the manga will get the reference to Kenny and they’ll know why the sign over the gun shop looks so strange, but neither is necessary to enjoy the story. The series Adventures of the Mini-Goddesses doesn’t explain the relationship between Belldandy and Keiichi, but he never appears anyway, so whatever, enjoy the cuteness.
In other cases, the movie or OVA simply retells the story. The Blue Gender and Escaflowne movies are basically the same story as the series, trimmed down and put into movie form, so it doesn’t matter too much which one you start with. The TV series of Patlabor restarted the series, so seeing the first OVA was strictly optional. Likewise, the OVA and TV series for Area 88 tell the same basic story in a somewhat different way, so neither depends on the other. Other examples include Bubblegum Crisis and Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040, Burn Up Scramble and the other incarnations of the Burn Up series, Dirty Pair and Dirty Pair Flash, the Ghost in the Shell movie and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Hellsing and Hellsing Ultimate, and Ah my Goddess (TV) and Oh my Goddess (OVA). All are different tellings of the same story, independent of each other.
Fortunately, with the rise of anime overseas, more people are seeing the series that the movies are based on. In America, the Cowboy Bebop movie didn’t give much introduction to the characters, but thanks to anime rentals and the Cartoon Network, most of the American audience was familiar with the Bebop crew already.
Before starting an anime series, it’s just best to do a little research first. With a little searching, the web has all the information you need. Even if you wind up starting in not the best place, though, don’t be scared. It’ll take a little while to get up to speed, but it’s usually still well worth continuing. A good anime series will draw you in, even if you start in the middle.
Most of the popular animes make use of different media. Inuyasha, for example, started out as a manga, then came out as a TV series, and has also spawned four movies so far. Slayers started out as a series of novels, which were adapted into a TV series, than movies and OVAs. You’re Under Arrest went from manga to OVA (original video animation), which was merged with a TV series, then the mini-specials came out as an OVA, then the movie. Patlabor started out as a manga, than the (first) OVA came out, then the (first) movie, then the TV series, then the second OVA, then the second and eventually third movies. So with all that to choose from, where’s the best place in a series to start?
It’s an important question to consider. A few weeks ago, I rented Maze. It’s a fantasy anime, similar to Inuyasha, but somewhat less dramatic and somewhat more risqué. I knew there was an OVA made, and a TV series that was made after the OVA, so I figured the OVA would be the place to begin. I’d watch an hour and a half DVD, and see if I liked it enough to go on with the TV series. Good plan, right? Well, not quite. The anime Maze is based on a series of novels, like Slayers, and the makers of the OVA made the assumption that the audience for the OVA would be mainly people who had read at least one of the books. So I started watching the OVA, and instead of starting at the beginning, with a proper introduction to the characters, who are added one by one with the appropriate background, the story starts in the middle, with all the characters in a big group, each with a brief introductory exposition so thin, it’s obviously meant for people already familiar with them. Maze is a fun anime, but the result of being plopped right in the thick of things without any explanation of who’s who and what’s what was less than satisfying. Turns out that I would have been better with the TV series, which does start of the beginning and tells the story the way it’s supposed to be told. So if you’re about to launch into an anime series, where do you start without becoming lost?
Fortunately, in the case of most series, the answer is: almost anywhere. Most movies that are based on TV or OVA series are meant more for the audience of the series, but they generally do a good job of making it understandable for the uninitiated. You’re Under Arrest is a good example. Of all the YUA media, the movie is probably the worst place to start, because part of the enjoyment depends on knowing the characters and the relationships between them. But I saw the movie again recently, and I realized it does a pretty good job of explaining all that. It’s better if you’ve seen some of the series and know who all the players are, but even if you don’t, it’s still a good movie and a good introduction to the world of You’re Under Arrest.
The Inuyasha movies are another case of this. The first and third ones (although not the second or fourth) have a certain amount of exposition that explains who everyone is and what they’re doing. It winds up being a little clunkier than in the YUA movie, but it still does the job. In addition, the DVDs of each of the movies have “Special footage” in the extras, clips from the series that give relevant background. Again, it’s better to start from the series or the manga, but the movies aren’t too confusing.
In some cases, the movie doesn’t explain much, but it doesn’t really matter anyway. The eX-Driver movie has little explanation of the characters or what they do, but you don’t need it to enjoy the plot and the car chases. When watching the Gunsmith Cats OVA, readers of the manga will get the reference to Kenny and they’ll know why the sign over the gun shop looks so strange, but neither is necessary to enjoy the story. The series Adventures of the Mini-Goddesses doesn’t explain the relationship between Belldandy and Keiichi, but he never appears anyway, so whatever, enjoy the cuteness.
In other cases, the movie or OVA simply retells the story. The Blue Gender and Escaflowne movies are basically the same story as the series, trimmed down and put into movie form, so it doesn’t matter too much which one you start with. The TV series of Patlabor restarted the series, so seeing the first OVA was strictly optional. Likewise, the OVA and TV series for Area 88 tell the same basic story in a somewhat different way, so neither depends on the other. Other examples include Bubblegum Crisis and Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040, Burn Up Scramble and the other incarnations of the Burn Up series, Dirty Pair and Dirty Pair Flash, the Ghost in the Shell movie and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Hellsing and Hellsing Ultimate, and Ah my Goddess (TV) and Oh my Goddess (OVA). All are different tellings of the same story, independent of each other.
Fortunately, with the rise of anime overseas, more people are seeing the series that the movies are based on. In America, the Cowboy Bebop movie didn’t give much introduction to the characters, but thanks to anime rentals and the Cartoon Network, most of the American audience was familiar with the Bebop crew already.
Before starting an anime series, it’s just best to do a little research first. With a little searching, the web has all the information you need. Even if you wind up starting in not the best place, though, don’t be scared. It’ll take a little while to get up to speed, but it’s usually still well worth continuing. A good anime series will draw you in, even if you start in the middle.
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