Support the Classics pt. 1

So being one of the writers for “Anime News”, I’ve been trying very hard to keep the blogs from being a personal statement, but I can’t help but use the first person for this. So two days ago, my siblings were in town and my future brother-in-law noticed that I was into anime and asked me about the new live action Dragonball movie. The conversation soon turned into a nostalgia session and I went through the entire series with him in great detail. And then I realized what these classic animes have done not only for my childhood but for anime in general.

Just like any other subject, (sports, music, film), you have to have an understand and respect for the classics. You can’t truly appreciate Kobe without knowing Michael Jordan. You can’t fully understand The Game without experiencing Dr. Dre. Dave Chappelle wasn’t the first to do controversial racial comedy; his role model was Richard Pryor. The same is true for anime.

I currently watch and enjoy animes such as: Naruto, Full Metal Alchemist and Code Geass. But at the same time, I don’t think I could truthfully stomach these shows without my background in Dragonball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho and Gundam Wing. Not that the current shows aren’t compelling on their own, but everyone one of these series gives a nod to their predecessors. When an action anime puts a loveable, naïve idiot in an orange jumpsuit and gives him completely unchecked power compared to the rest of the world, it is an acknowledgement to its roots. Being able to recognize these connections is pretty cool too and only makes these new tales that much more exciting. Its like an indirect extension of some of my favorite shows.