The Santa Fe New Mexican – March 18, 2016 – Anime — the shortened version of the Japanese word for “animation” — remains popular with teens partially because of its delicate pencil strokes, its computerized 3-D design and killer plots that couldn’t possibly be taken from real life. At the same time, I think teens can relate to the trials and tribulations that many of the anime characters go through when it comes to love, loss and pain. Anime can be action, comedy or just about anything in between, and here are a few of my favorites:
Naruto: An orphaned boy who is unaware of a demon spirit sealed inside him is even more confused as to why his entire village neglects him. Naruto vows to gain the villagers’ respect by becoming the most powerful shinobi (ninja). He graduates from the academy as a genin (first-level shinobi) and joins a team of shinobi in what is the beginning of a battle for world peace and the formation of unbreakable bonds. And that summary barely scratches the surface of the 670-episode ongoing series drawn by Masashi Kishimoto. While this anime fails at incorporating romance, the soundtrack is killer, it is full of action-packed battle sequences and every character’s backstory includes tear-worthy morals.
Skip Beat! — A high school girl, Mogami Kyoko, follows her childhood friend Fuwa Sho to Tokyo to help him achieve his dream of becoming a singer. When she discovers that he simply sees her as a housemaid, she plots revenge by entering show business herself with the goal of becoming more famous than him. But it isn’t quite the classic vengeance story, as Mogami Kyoko finds new romantic interests, befriends a unique co-worker and repairs her broken personality through performing. The most impressive part of the story is the fact that our heroine grew up pleasing other people rather than herself, so her journey becomes one of self-discovery wrapped up in a very funny rom-com. The series, created by Yoshiki Nakamura, proved so popular it was remade as a Taiwanese drama.
Angel Beats! — A teenage boy wakes up one day to discover that he is dead and remembers only his name. He learns that he is in the Afterlife — a high school where dead teens “graduate” only after they find what they never had before: a normal life. This anime is definitely a tragedy as lost memories about each individual’s past are revealed. A subplot involves teens who are fighting with a mysterious girl called Tenshi. It’s only 13 episodes long, but if you are looking for anime that has the whole package of romance, action, sadness and even comedy, this is a good one to start with. It has a killer opening song, too. Created by Jun Maeda.