Bestof list – Secret House of Anime (2025)

Despite their age and what (HBO) Max thinks, Looney Tunes (I’m also including Merry Melodies under this banner as well) were and still are a staple of many peoples cartoon watching experience (including adults). As a kid I watched and loved these cartoons so much that I had memorized their music and stories. Thanks to the ample re-releases of these shorts on VHS and Cartoon Network, and the encouragement of my family, these cartoons became an important part of my life.

It is vital that they are still made available and appreciated. People should have just as much (if not more) opportunities to watch and appreciate these masterpieces as I did growing up. While I do appreciate that new material is still being created for these classic characters, it is the old cartoon shorts that really matter and that should remain available to watch. With Max threatening to remove these classics from streaming this series felt necessary and urgent to write. Hopefully these lists will help keep these works alive and part of the public consciousness.

Also I wanted an opportunity to share some of my own personal favorite cartoons, and share them with fans and newcomers alike!

Daffy Duck and Porky Pig:

While the characterization of Porky and Daffy can be drastically different depending on the director and the time period (Porky was one of Warner Brothers first popular characters after Bosko the clown and originated over 90 years ago), both have had many great iterations. Daffy originated as a wild troublemaker, but in many later cartoons (especially directed by Chuck Jones) is depicted as a selfish and arrogant buffoon who gets in over his head. Porky was gradually slimmed down from his initial design and was made more clever. Porky also often plays the role of a more grounded foil to Daffy’s absurd antics, especially in Jones cartoons.

Choosing just eleven cartoons to feature on this list was painful. There are so many memorable and great cartoons I had to leave out, including: The Stupor Salesman, The Great Piggy Bank Robbery, Rabbit Season, Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century, Duck Amuck, Fool Coverage, Stupor Duck, and the three Sylvester and Porky thriller shorts. While leaving out these heavy hitters might seem totally wrong, because there are so many incredible cartoons I had to draw the line somewhere. I also chose many cartoons on this list because I wanted a chance to talk about them and highlight why I love them so much.

1. Boobs in the Woods: If I were to recommend one classic cartoon starring Porky and Daffy this would be it. Boobs in the Woods follows Porky as he tries to enjoy the countryside. Unfortunately, Daffy shows up and decides that Porky is the perfect target for wild pranks. This short is filled with rapid fire disguises and ample harassment by Daffy, designed to ruin poor Porky’s rest and relaxation. Especially funny moments include Daffy asking Porky for increasingly absurdly specific licenses, and one where Daffy tricks Porky into thinking he is playing in a baseball game. While this cartoon does have elements of uncomfortable racism, its absurd and fast pace and delightful non-sequitur opening song makes it one of my favorites.

2. Porky Pig’s Feat: Porky Pig’s Feat is another masterpiece that is at the same quality level as Boobs in the Woods. It follows Daffy and Porky as they try to escape the manager of the “Broken Arms Hotel,” and the huge and absurd bill he wants them to pay. This cartoon is full of wild energy, great movement, and hilarious instances of the duo being foiled as they try to humiliate and abuse their way out of the hotel. The short is capped off with a great surprise cameo by Bugs Bunny. Porky Pig’s Feat packs tons of laughs into its short run time, and is an intensely funny watch start to finish.

3. Deduce, you say: Deduce, you say, has Daffy play Dorlock Homes, a bumbling detective on the hunt for the criminal the Shropshire Slasher, along with his sidekick Dr. Watkins (Porky Pig). While Daffy’s attempts to physically stop the Slasher are a total failure, Porky is able through calm questioning to be far more successful. This cartoon is full of hilarious moments and lines such as when the menacing Slasher tells Porky, “I want to do what’s right, I do.” And then willingly gives himself up, or when the Slasher gives his name (Shropshire Slasher) as his profession. Deduce, you say, is a true Jones classic!

4. Drip-Along Daffy: Another great Jones cartoon, Drip-Along Daffy sees the duck placed in a classic western lawless town. He and his comedy relief sidekick Porky soon face off against the notorious outlaw Nasty Canasta. As expected Daffy fails repeatedly to threaten or stop the confident Canasta, and ultimately it is Porky’s ingenuity that saves the day. Especially funny moments include the constant barrage of gun-fire throughout the town (complete with bullet traffic lights), and Canasta’s deadly drink which is served with thick gloves and a welding mask and causes the ice cubes placed into the drink to whimper, and flee to a fire bucket for relief.

5. Design for Leaving: While many of the great cartoons with Porky and Daffy see them together, there are a few really good cartoons only starring one of them. Designed for Leaving has Daffy acting as salesman trying to sell (hunter) Elmer Fudd the home of the future. The short has Daffy forcefully installing all sorts of malfunction gadgets into Elmer’s home that cause him no end of trouble. Especially funny is Elmer’s desire to push a big “wed,” button to which Daffy replies, “No! No! No! No! No! Not the wed one! Don’t ever push the wed one!” and the overeager fireman robot who constantly dumps water over Elmer’s head. While Design for Leaving doesn’t appear on many people’s list of top cartoons, I’ve always had a major soft spot for it.

6. Daffy Doodles: In this cartoon Daffy plays a mustache painting graffiti artist who paints staches all over New York. This prompts police officer Porky to hunt him down, and try to put a stop to his strange vandalism. What follows is a cat and mouse game, and chase throughout the city as Porky tries (largely without success) to stop Daffy’s silly antics. What really stands out to me about this cartoon (other than its fun fast paced nature) is its intense use of the main theme from the musical 42 Street. This theme is especially effective during a scene where Daffy runs into the underground and paints staches on everyone in a subway car. Daffy Doodles is a fun ride from start to finish and a cartoon I always look forward to seeing.

7. Robin Hood Daffy: It was very hard deciding on which of Chuck Jones Daffy cartoons I wanted to feature on this list. Jones has so many incredible shorts featuring the arrogant version of the character. Despite the many great choices though, I knew right away that Robin Hood Daffy needed to be on this list. Robin Hood Daffy features the duck as the famous green tight wearing hero and Porky as Friar Tuck. Most of the short involves Daffy trying to prove to a bemused Porky he really is Robin Hood. Throughout the cartoon Daffy attempts to rob an obviously wealthy man riding a prancing donkey, but always ends up failing miserably. Most famous is the scene where Daffy is constantly trying to swing down from a tree; instead crashing into another tree or missing his target altogether.

8. To Duck… or Not to Duck: To Duck… or Not to Duck is another great Elmer and Daffy short. This one sees the two squaring off in a boxing match after Daffy challenges Elmer to a “fair fight.” What is really funny about this cartoon is the role reversal of their usual roles. Elmer’s naivety leads him to be the victim of constant pummeling by Daffy and his duck pals who cheat at every opportunity. I especially love the gag where Elmer’s loyal dog Laramore (the greatest dog name ever) has objects lobbed at him every time he (alone) cheers for Elmer.

9. Daffy Duck Hunt: Daffy Duck Hunt is another cartoon featuring Daffy battling hunters. This short stars Porky and Foghorn Leghorn’s frequent dog nemesis as they go duck hunting. After pretending to be dead Porky takes Daffy to his home and sticks him in a walk-in freezer, unaware that Daffy is still very much alive. The trouble-making duck doesn’t stay still for long though, frequently trying to escape only to frame the dog whenever Porky comes to investigate. Daffy Duck Hunt feels like an updated version of Daffy’s origin in Porky’s Duck Hunt, filled with absurd wild gags such as Daffy dressing up as Santa Claus despite it being July and then conducting Porky and his dog in a round of Jingle Bells.

10. Daffy Duck Slept Here: As many of these cartoons illustrate, it is never a good idea to be in a hotel (or anywhere else) with Daffy Duck. While I was tempted to place A Pest in the House in this slot, I couldn’t resist choosing Daffy Duck Slept Here instead. This short involves Porky being forced to share a room with Daffy. This of course devolves into chaos as Daffy will not let Porky sleep. I especially loved the gags referencing the movie Harvey or when Porky keeps repeating French and Spanish words for goodnight leaving Daffy perplexed.

11. The Ducksters: I wanted to end off this list with another one of my personal favorites. The Ducksters sees Daffy hosting an obnoxious game-show and tormenting Porky every chance he gets. While this is a common premise for these shorts, The Ducksters stands out thanks to its execution. Chuck Jones does an excellent job adding in joke references, and creating a dynamic between the two that is especially funny. One running joke I especially loved was the game show’s strange sponsor, the Eagle Hand Laundry (“if your eagle’s hands are dirty, we’ll wash ’em clean!”) which is repeated by Daffy throughout the cartoon.

Movies:

Nosferatu: Despite Nosferatu not earning as much buzz or awards as other films this year (even the horror film “the Substance,” received more attention), it is by far the most beautiful looking, thought provoking, and dread inducing film of last year. A remake of the classic silent film, Nosferatu features the ancient vampire Count Orlok who is obsessed with German woman Ellen Hutte. He uses his servant Herr Knock to take advantage of her husband Thomas, a real estate agent hoping to advance his career. Orlock terrifies and manipulates the young agent into letting him to purchase land near the couple’s home, and makes his way to their town bringing death and madness with him.

Rarely do I feel that remakes of horror films are worthwhile or justified, especially when remaking silent films. Nosferatu is a rare example of a film that gets things right. This is both down to Robert Eggers incredible directing, screenplay, and eye for aesthetics and framing (along with Jarin Blaschke his go to cinematographer) and the outstanding casting of the film. One thing Eggers leans heavily on with this film is tight claustrophobic close up shots, and the use of sound to tell the story. While this does detract from the dreamlike silent quality of the original it creates a sense of dread and an atmosphere more explicit and gruesome.

Another reason why this film works so well comes down to its actors and the roles they play. Unlike most vampire films set in the Victorian era where women are usually passive victims to vampiric sin and need rescuing, Ellen is the strongest character of the film. Her character journey and complex struggles are amazingly portrayed by Lily-Rose Depp. Despite her suffering and torment, she remains resolute and prepared in a way that others in the film are not. Not even Willem Dafoe’s eccentric Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz (a character standing in for Van Helsing) is capable of facing and understanding the evil count like she is.

Another great casting choice was Bill Skarsgård portrayal of Count Orlok. While the Count’s design is not as surreal and inhuman as the silent film’s Max Shreck, Skarsgård has a commanding evil presence thanks to the sickening special and audio effects used. This overwhelming horror casts a shadow on the minds of all those who encounter him. Nosferatu is a rare exception of a remake that feels justified and worthwhile. It is an excellent film that deserves far more attention and praise than it has been getting.

Delicious in Dungeon: While I didn’t see many anime series this year, Delicious in Dungeon stood out to me as especially memorable. Delicious in Dungeon follows the story of a fantasy adventuring party who is trying to find and save their priestess companion after they lose touch with her in a battle with a red dragon. Because the party is broke and hungry, its eccentric leader Laios enthusiastically decides that the solution to their money problems is eating the monster wildlife they encounter to save money and keep them fed. This attracts the cooking obsessed dwarf Senshi who joins them on their journey.

Delicious in Dungeon is a show that works well for two reasons. The first is its sense of world and cuisine building. Each episode sees the party learning more about the monsters and world they are in, and using delicious looking recipes to cook up the various monsters they encounter. Episodes also slowly reveal the history and culture of the dungeon, and how important it is as a varied ecosystem. These details breathe life into the world and make the series stand out far more than many other DnD inspired works.

The other key aspect of Delicious in Dungeon are the characters and their dynamics with each other. It is interesting to see how the more giddy and outgoing members like human warrior Laois and the obsessive dwarf chef/warrior Senshi contrast with Marcille the half elf mage and Chilchuck the halfling’s rogue who are both more practical, and take a more cautious approach. Despite their differences though, each character in the party cares deeply for each other. This strong emphasis on world building and food, combined with interesting character dynamics makes Delicious in Dungeon one of the most enjoyable new anime series I have seen in awhile.

Hundreds of Beavers: Hundreds of Beavers is a strange and wonderful film released for streaming this year. It is based around an applejack salesman who has to learn to become a trapper after beaver’s sabotage and destroy his orchard business. What follows is an absurd journey where he learns to survive, tries to earn the affections of the trouble-making fur traders’ daughter, and takes on a mysterious beaver menace.

Hundreds of Beavers could best be described as a life action cartoon. While a film about animal killing might not sound pleasant, its tone and style are very appealing. One thing that really stood out to me was the film’s lack of dialogue. The only non-sound effect dialogue that is included is used as a joke involving intertitles. Other than that, the rest of the film has no dialogue at all, relying solely on the physicality of the actors to carry it.

Another stand out aspect of this film is the repeated cartoon-like jokes it makes involving the heroes’ traps and plans failing, working in a way that was not intended, and/or being used for comedic effect. This cartoonish feel is furthered by how the animals in the film are portrayed. While the film has some nice stop-motion effects, most of the animals in the film are played by people in amusingly cheap mascot suits who behave like humans. The film doesn’t even remotely try to hide this or portray anything tonally that isn’t a farce. These elements come together to create a Wile E Coyote and Roadrunner like film that was one of the few movie highlights of last year.

Wallace and Gromit in Vengeance Most Fowl: While it could be argued that the latest Wallace and Gromit film wasn’t technically released in the United States until January, it was a film too important not to include on this year’s list. Vengeance Most Fowl follows the iconic British duo: the daft English inventor Wallace and his problem solving dog Gromit as they take on their old nemesis the master criminal (and chicken impersonator) Feathers McGraw. This adventure sees the duo working to clear their names and stop the evil penguin’s newest scheme involving gnome robots before he makes off with a rare diamond, and frames them.

This film feels bigger and more high stakes than ever, but also never feels like it loses its sense of charm. While I still prefer the simplicity of the Wrong Trousers (which uses a very similar premise) Vengeance still has the magic and humor that make the duo so special, and feels like a natural follow up. Once again the problems caused by Wallace’s bumbling naivety must be fixed by his exacerbated dog Gromit. This comedic plot never gets old, and balances out well with the bigger feel and more sentimental tone. The new characters presented are also a lot of fun, especially the Norribit robots. These robotic gnomes range from a bit creepy to totally menacing with their limited features and the subtle but effective facial changes they make when turned evil or good. While Memoir of a Snail and Flow both look outstanding (sadly I haven’t had a chance to watch either yet), this film was by far my favourite new animated film of this year.

Manga:

Ryan Holmberg Manga (UFO Mushroom Invasion, Igaguri: Young Judo Master, and Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke)– One of the names that kept coming up again and again this year was Ryan Holmberg. Holmberg is a translator and manga scholar largely responsible for highlighting alternative manga such as the works of Tsuge. While he isn’t the first to translate and talk about alternative manga his translation and scholarship on The Man Without Talent helped open the doors to a variety of more experimental and avant garde works being printed. Holmberg’s efforts have also helped to promote and translate many early standout titles so that they can be enjoyed outside of Japan.

This year saw him translate a variety of different, but important titles. One title he translated last year was UFO Mushroom Invasion, a surreal science-fiction horror work that makes up for its stock characters with terrifying mushroom-based terror. Another manga he released last year was Igaguri: Young Judo Master, an important post war shounen sports manga about a young judo prodigy. He also translated Ninja Sarutobi Sasuke, a 60’s manga starring a ninja who defies reality, time and space. In addition to these books Holmberg also translated Tsuge’s Oba Electroplating Factory, a book that I haven’t gotten a chance to read yet, but is probably also excellent. All these books are incredible and well worth reading, especially if you are interested in alternative non-mainstream comics.

Captain Momo’s Secret Base: Captain Momo’s Secret Base is one of the most unusual survival narratives I have seen. This manga by Kenji Tsuruta (creator of Spirit of Wonder, the Emanon series, and Wandering Island) focuses on Momo, a cargo ship captain and her cat “First Officer-Grandpa,” John as they drift through space. Because she is considered a low priority for the shipping company she is only allotted just enough power to survive and travel to her destination. The problem is that space is BORING and with nothing else to do Momo often must find ways to balance her dwindling power with food and entertainment.

While most survival stories are focused on characters fighting to survive against the elements, this one has its lead fighting against boredom and the power limitations of her ship. Other than her cat Momo is absolutely alone on her ship and has very little human contact save for occasional check-ins from her superior. This means that throughout the story Momo is constantly bored and looking for some form of entertainment, while also trying to be as careful as possible about the ship’s power so that her life support systems don’t go out. In this environment small things like making food or squeezing through a laundry door become a big deal.

One thing that jumps out about this series right away is its use of nudity. Because Momo is mostly alone and bored she doesn’t bother wearing clothing most of the time. Despite this I don’t think that the author’s intentions were (primarily) sexual. This nudity is casual, and airs on the more realistic side with Momo doing common activities like reading, sleeping, and making food while nude as a way of showing a lack of care about corporate protocol. Another striking thing about this title is the quality of the artwork. Tsuruta once again flexes his fantastic art skills in this series, with a style that is intricately detailed reflecting both the working-class hum-drum environment Momo lives in and contrasting it to the deep and beautiful emptiness of space. This art also does an incredible job of portraying Momo herself, her supervisor, and her cat who seemingly narrates parts of the story.

It surprises me that this title hasn’t received more attention and isn’t on more best of the year lists, despite its author’s strong reputation, the unusual nature of the story, and its gorgeous artwork. While some reviewers have complained that nothing happens and that the nudity doesn’t add anything, I think in both cases these unusual elements help add to the charm of this quirky title rather than detract from it.

Giga Town: The Guide to Manga Iconography: Giga Town is one of the hidden gems of the year. This book draws from the Choju-jinbutsu-giga, a comedical historical scroll, using its style and themes to create short gag strips highlighting various techniques and symbols commonly used in manga.

These strips are not only fun in their own right, but also great for learning about common short hands in manga. This makes it a great guide for manga veterans and newcomers alike who want to learn more about how manga is designed. Another great aspect of the book is the drawing style by veteran creator Fumiyo Kouno. Kouno manages to capture the style and even a bit of the feel of these scrolls, blending its aspects with informative content. Giga Town is absolutely worth reading for those new to manga and veterans alike.

Yokai: The Art of Shigeru Mizuki: This book reminded me of the Asian Comic’s exhibit I saw last year at the Bowers Museum. This exhibit was one of the biggest English language exhibits highlighting comics from throughout Asia. One element that stood out to me at this exhibit was a room used to house the supernatural themed comic art, especially works by Mizuki. Yokai is a book collecting Mizuki’s drawings including those that were used in the exhibit as well as many similar works featuring Japanese spirits, monsters, and ghosts.

I’m not always a fan of art books because only those with great artwork feel like they can stand on their own. Thankfully this is absolutely the case with this book which features all sorts of strange and wonderful illustrations as well as brief descriptions of each creature. The unique detail and wonderful coloring (a rarity for manga releases) had me fascinated with each page. Despite having a much higher cost than you usually find with manga books and the lack of a narrative it has, the detail and care put into each drawing makes this title well worth its asking price.

Alley: For manga readers who are horror fans Junji Ito needs no introduction. Ito is by far the most popular horror manga writer in the United States. His memorable tales typically feature shockingly horrific things happening to people. This year saw the release of Alley, another collection of his short stories. This collection often highlights the theme of being careful who you trust and body horror.

If you are interested in horror then Alley will be right up your alley. Its creepy tales are a lot of fun to read. Like most story collections the tales in this book vary in quality, however, there are some that are extremely effective. I was especially fond of the strange tale that sees people possessed and floating up in the air before their bodies rain back down, and the sinister ice cream man story that sees people transforming into ice cream. Regardless if this is your favourite or least favourite of his collection of stories, Ito’s art and the variety of tales included make it easily rank it among the best horror comics of the year.

Is the Order a Rabbit?: Is the Order a Rabbit is a cute title that brought me a lot of joy. It begins with excitable highschool exchange student Cocoa moving into a small town to live in a boarding house. She soon meets Chino, a stoic serious junior highschooler who is the daughter of the boarding housing owner and runs a cafe during the day. Cocoa excitedly decides that she wants to help with the cafe and soon meets other girls in the town with similar jobs such as the part-time military like cafe worker Rize, Chiya a japanese poetry enthusiast running the rival Ama Usa An a Japanese style cafe, and Syaro a poor girl mistakenly seen as rich by Chino and Cocoa who lives next door to Chiya and works at a local herbal tea shop.

With all the problems that exist in the world it sometimes just feels good to read something that is comforting. Is the Order a Rabbit? Is the sort of read that makes you feel good. It is funny, fun, and heartwarming, a combination that feels good, especially during difficult times. While its stories aren’t super deep they have a relaxing quality which I find deeply therapeutic (similar to series such as Laid-Back Camp).

One of my favorite parts of Is the Order a Rabbit is its setting. This series takes place in a small Mediterranean style town in Japan that is brimming with character. For some reason it reminds me of my childhood in Connecticut, where I lived in a small town that stressed community and a slower pace of life. Another thing that is nice about this series are its character designs. While not groundbreaking each character is very cute, and has a distinct appearance that reflects their personality. Is the Order a Rabbit? is a series I had a lot of fun reading, and one that always puts me in a good mood.

Tomorrow’s Joe: Tomorrow’s Joe is a quintessential 80’s interest-based manga. It follows Joe, a drifter from the wrong side of the tracks who is always getting into trouble, and Danpei Tange, a boxing trainer and former star boxer who is now a down on his luck alcoholic. These two misfits are brought together by Joe’s furious and unwavering spirit, and Danpei’s determination to make Joe a star boxer.

Like many manga of the 80’s, Tomorrow’s Joe is epic in tone and scale. It begins with a bird’s eye view of Tokyo before moving into the slums of the city. After this introduction it isn’t long before we meet Joe who frequently gets into fights with local kids and gangsters. Eventually he is sent to jail along with Danpei where most of the remaining volume takes place.

This manga is very working class, has a dramatic sports feel, and has an action packed Tezuka like style. It brings all these themes together to create a sense of violent action on a grand scale, while maintaining an honest sense of heart. It is great that classic works like Tomorrow’s Joe are finally being released and starting to get the love and attention they deserve from English language readers.

I.L.: The late 60’s and early 70’s was difficult for Osamu “the God of Comics,” Tezuka. Despite his previous popularity, many readers during this period were looking for more adult works. These changes in tastes and his personal struggles lead Tezuka to create some of the most unusual and avant garde works of his career including: Phoenix, Swallowing the Earth, Barbara, Apollo’s Song, and this title I.L. I.L. starts with Imari Daisaku, a down on his luck formerly successful filmmaker who through a supernatural experience is gifted the humanoid mannequin I.L. Each story has I.L. use her shape-shifting powers to help someone, while also exploring Daisaku’s struggles with his own perspectives of realism and fantasy.

In I.L. Tezuka let himself be carried by his boundless imagination and his interests. I.L. features stories reflecting Tezuka’s own experiences and struggles with the changing world, as well as his own worldview and themes that fascinated him, especially those of transformation. These elements come together to form a book filled with very adult (the cover even includes a large warning sticker on it) morality plays/fairy tales filled with “Tezuka-isms.” Tezuka is always worth reading for his art and his imaginative concepts, but this title is among his best during this unusual period of his career and one of the most reflective of who he was.

Video games:

Atari 50: This year was a great one for Digital Eclipse and Atari. While I haven’t gotten a chance to try everything both companies released, I was especially impressed by the latest Atari 50th DLCs. Although these new DLC’s were not free like the first one was, they provided 28 games for only around $8 (which comes out to less than $.29 a game). This amount is well worth the price for classic games like Berserk alone, and is an incredible addition to the collection which now totals 153 games.

While I didn’t enjoy every addition and was puzzled by certain games being absent in the collection (Battle Zone, Primal Rage and Klaxx still haven’t been added), it would be a lie if I were to say that the DLCs weren’t well worth the money. They contain so many incredible classics and hidden gems such as Anteater, Red Baron, Berserk, Frenzy, Steeplechase, Dark Cavern, Avalanche, Frogs and Flies, Astroblast, etc… These games are a joy to play, and adapted well to modern controls. These new DLCs also offer a detailed and multi-format look at more of Atari’s storied history. If you are looking for a collection of games that is fantastic, that will give you a great bang for your buck, and/or that provides detailed historical overviews then this collection is a must buy!

Hades: Hades is a game my brother repeatedly recommended. He would keep asking me if I had played it yet, until I finally caved and bought it. I am so glad I finally did though as Hades is one of the best games I played all year. Hades has you play as Zagreus the son of Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. Your goal as Zagreus is to escape the underworld and reunite with your mother Persephone on the surface. This is a major challenge though as you have to fight through many treacherous levels of the underworld to escape it and your disapproving father.

What makes Hades such a great game is the addictive challenge it provides. Each journey you take is a struggle where getting the right upgrades is key to survival. It is a game designed with the goal of defeating you alot. While this challenge would normally be frustrating, Hades has a number of incentives to keep trying. Each run through the underworld has you collecting various objects that upgrade and improve Zagreus’s next adventure allowing him to get farther and farther. Another powerful form of assistance you get is from the blessings of the gods and goddesses of Olympus. While the blessing you want might not appear in one journey, each journey provides a new opportunity to find better gifts and improve your build. These rewards kept me coming back again and again, to the point where I had to stop playing Hades at night because I couldn’t stop. Hades is an excellent game and I cannot wait to play the sequel.

Tetris forever: Tetris is in many ways the ultimate puzzle game. It is a game with a long and impactful history, but despite its many variations remains fundamentally the same. Its simple gameplay involves manipulating falling shapes in order to create lines which then disappear. This collection shows that there is much more to Tetris, though than just its many many incredible games.

Tetris Forever highlights the complex and winding story of the game’s creation, and the friendship developed between creator Alexey Pajitnov and producer Henk Rogers. It is an amazing tale of life long partnership and how a creator and producer came together to make Tetris the most influential puzzle game of all time. While I grew up and still favor the Game Boy version of Tetris, I was blown away with how many versions Digital Eclipse were able to license and how much history they provided, including stories and material related to Nintendo which is often hard to get. While I am hoping that some more versions of the game (including the Gameboy game) are added, what is included historically is outstanding and any version of Tetris is well worth playing and a lot of fun (especially the new one that came with the collection which includes a neat throwback game mechanic).

The Jeff Minter collection: Jeff Minter is a genius. He deserves just as much if not more attention than other famous figures in the industry for his creativity, game design, and willingness to create and build upon classic computer and arcade games. Minter’s countless off the wall and classic games and creations are all documented in detail in this collection.

This collection not only highlights Minter’s life and contribution to the industry and interactions through detailed documents, documentary footage, models, interviews, and artwork, but also includes information about his visual synthesizer work. Included are all of his early works including his less popular and successful games highlighting his journey as a designer. While not all of the included games are fun (which he willingly admits) it still has many versions of his games including Attack of the Mutant Camels, Gridrunner, Tempest 2000, and Psychedelia (just to name a few) and a number of hidden gems. This is a Digital Eclipse compilation that knocks it out of the park as a documentation of history and an amazing collection of unique versions of one of the best games of all time.

Moose Life: It was really hard for me to choose between this game and the psychedelic trip of Polybius for this list. Ultimately though I had to choose the arcade style majesty of the moose. Moose Life is one of my favorite Minter’s games, combining arcade-like excitement with a greater sense of balance and surrealism. It is a free roaming style shmup where you as a moose must battle abstract enemies, and free sheep from a ball and carry them to the end where you are rewarded with points and poems.

This is an experience like no other. Moose Life is a game that I easily sink hours and hours into so that I can improve my scores and see more of it. Despite having a simple concept and design, what really sells me on this game is the creativity, fair difficulty curve, and plethora of power ups provided. This prevents the game from being overwhelmed by complex rules while also keeping it fresh each play. One of Minter’s goals has often been to get you, “into the zone,” which is captured perfectly in this game.

Powerwash Simulator: Powerwash Simulator is a game that keeps on giving. While its premise of spraying water at dirt to clear dirty surfaces is incredibly simple, this simplicity is what makes it so much fun. Powerwash simulator has so many fun locations and vehicles to clean, including ones from popular franchises like Spongebob and Final Fantasy.

Washing things in this game is an incredibly therapeutic experience. Powerwash Simulator is a game where I can turn off the sound, put on some music, and just take in the experience. Unlike most games there is no real urgency or pace you have to keep. The biggest issue you have to tackle is finding something in need of cleaning and finding a way to get at it. It is a lot of fun to run around looking for the hidden dirt crevices, and scaling and jumping through high places to get difficult to reach messes. If you are a fan of games like solitaire where you have time to relax, pause, and move at your own pace this is the game to get.

Books:

Fer-de-Lance: While not as well known to general readers, Rex Stout’s eccentric detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin are very important to many mystery fans. This book introduces the duo with a case surrounding the disappearance of an Italian laborer and the mysterious death of college president Peter Oliver Barstow.

It features many of the staples of Wolfe stories including: Archie’s caustic manner, and questioning of witnesses on Wolfe’s behalf, and Wolfe’s large size and particular eating and drinking habits, his love for plants, his incapability with women, and most importantly his refusal to leave his home or break his patterns for anyone. Throughout the story Wolfe has Archie do all the driving and work outside of his home, often having Archie drive witnesses and suspects to his flat when he wants to question them. Wolfe is also infamous for making people wait on him, even forcing police detectives to wait until he gets up and has had his breakfast before he will speak to them. These neurodiverse behaviors are an extremely interesting part of his character.

Despite being driven by interesting and eccentric characters Fer-de-Lance doesn’t skimp on the plot. The story quickly goes from a missing person case to one of complex murder where Wolfe and Archie have to slowly unravel the mystery. Things happen methodically in Fer-de-Lance with the two overcoming all sorts of obstacles in order to find the truth including a refusal of people to answer questions, having to piecing together important details of the case, the police often demanding things, and deadly threats. Despite Archie’s caustic nature and Wolfe’s eccentricity the pair are eventually able to piece everything together. Fer-De-Lance is an excellent introductory novel that has made me excited to explore more of the duo’s exploits.

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space: This year I attended Crip Reads, a disability community book club hosted by the Los Angeles Spoonie Collective. In it we read many incredible books by disabled authors on Disability Justice and disabled experience. One of my favorite books (among many great books I read) was Disfigured. This title looks at how Fairy Tales relate and differ from the disabled experience, and why the impact of Fairy Tales is complex and often troubling for disabled people. It also follows the author’s own experiences growing up as a disabled child connecting it with the fairy tale format.

One thing that I found especially impactful about this book is how it weaves personal narrative into academic text. While many books we read did this, this one was very good about balancing the author’s experiences with academic study. While exploring the impact of fairy tales, Leduc ties her work in with her own stories of childhood and experience as a disabled person with cerebral palsy, as well as the stories and experiences of other disabled people. The result is a book that effectively examines fairy tales, how they continue to permeate into our culture through sources like Disney, and the direct effect they have on disabled people.

The Mimosa confessions: The Mimosa Confessions is an interesting light novel focused on trans experiences. It tackles themes of transitioning and romance, themes rarely touched upon in “light,” novels or any form of Japanese media. The story stars outcast Sakuma, a highschool loner whose life is drastically changed when he begins to build a friendship with classmate Natsuki; and then finds out that his ultra popular classmate and former best friend Ushio is a trans-woman. Sakuma struggles to support or understand Ushio who has become even more of a social pariah than him and is bullied by classmates, but does his best to support her while also trying to further his relationship with Natsuki.

One of the biggest difficulties when writing a story centered around transgender characters is finding a balance between a sense of hopefulness, while also presenting the real challenges transgender people face on a daily basis. If the story is too gentle it risks losing any sense of relatability or meaning, but if it is too dark then it can be off putting and be an unpleasant experience to read. While there are great transgender stories I have enjoyed such as: Melissa (formerly George), Jack (Not Jackie), Wandering Son, Rain, and Enlightened Transsexual Comix, there are many works that do a poor job of representing trans people and community.

Thankfully The Mimosa Confessions gets this balance right. Despite its narrator and lead being cisgender, it does a great job capturing what it is like to transition in a society with very rigid gender expectations and very little understanding transgender people or experiences. This series does a great job of depicting the anxiety and awkwardness felt by Sakuma trying to be understanding and supportive. It also does a good job of balancing his character making him kind, while also being a socially isolated and awkward teen who doesn’t always get things right. Another thing this series does well is depicting the struggles faced by Ushio, getting her classmates to even accept, and dealing with the pressures of transitioning in a society where that is not understood. The Mimosa Confessions is a great trans narrative that has a special place in my heart.

Nekomonogatari Black: Nekomonogatari is another part of the long-running Monogatari series that I read last year. This darker than usual book focuses on family, with its half-vampire lead character Koyomi Araragi trying to help/deal with his long time friend Tsubasa Hanekawa. Tsubasa’s distant and abusive step-parents cause her a lot of distress which eventually manifests through a Sawarineko, a cat spirit which increases her physical abilities and acts as a Hyde like figure who helps her act on her frustrations.

The Monogatari series prides itself on how strange it is. Despite being a series about supernatural problems it is the characters personalities and banter that are the strangest part of the narrative. Nisio Isin is the master of playful dialogue, strange sexual tension, and weird character traits. While this story does have less of this than usual, what is present is still highly stylized and gripping and blends well with the more action/drama heavy narrative of this book.

Horror collector: Horror Collector is one of those series that has only grown on me as I read more of it. It focuses on kids encountering various Japanese urban legends and monsters, as well as the journey’s of Fushigi Senno, a mysterious boy in a red hood looking for his sister.

Although this series is clearly aimed at younger readers it can easily be enjoyed by anyone. Despite its simple syntax I thoroughly enjoyed reading it because it doesn’t talk down to its readers. It delivers interesting and horrifying stories well, despite being aimed at kids. While its content isn’t very graphic, Horror Collector does have stories with a real sense of danger where its child characters can be traumatized or even killed, while facing all sorts of interesting threats derived from Japanese folklore.

I also really enjoy the sparing use of the framing story, allowing most stories to focus on a new group of kids, but also always having Senno at least briefly appear as he travels and hunts down anomalies. This framing device helps to break up the formula while not distracting from the premise of having kids facing the unknown. I wish that all light novels were as engaging and original as Horror Collector and have to applaud it and the other light novels in the Yen Press JY imprint.

The Crime Book: The Crime Book is a great introduction to the history of famous crimes. It breaks down and covers all sorts of crimes and criminal activity, making their histories accessible by using all sorts of graphic and text including diagrams, timelines, and information about related crimes.

The DK Big Ideas Simply Explained series is really impressive. While there are times where I want to dive deeper into a subject than these books offer, they are always a great way to learn more about a subject and build foundational knowledge. The first book I picked up in this series was on philosophy, and helped me to understand a variety of concepts in Western philosophical theory (as well as providing a bit of information on Eastern philosophy).

I had a similar experience with The Crime Book where I learned a lot. This book does a great job of covering famous crimes, how criminals operate, and how the police approached major crimes. I was also very impressed with how it used a variety of approaches to provide context for its information. The Crime Book is a great book for understanding the basic history of crime and law, and a great jumping off point for those who want to explore the topic.

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas: While in real life having Hercule Poirot show up for Christmas would signal a terrible event, reading this book during the holiday season was a real treat. Poirot’s Christmas sees Poirot sent to investigate the murder of a wealthy English patriarch during the Christmas holiday. Poirot must determine along with his friend and the local chief inspector who among the patriarch’s feuding family killed him, with every member having a strong motive to do so.

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas has all the trappings of a great Christie novel. It has multiple clever mysteries, a large cast of eccentric characters, and Poirot unraveling the crime by observing the small details others miss. These elements all come together to create a fun read with an interesting feel. Despite having many of the hallmarks you would expect from a Poirot novel, it is still a solid read worth seeking out for both Christie fans and those who are new to her works.

Catalog of Wonders: Catalog of Wonders was a book I knew I’d enjoy from the title alone. It is a light novel series focused on the misfortunes caused by objects provided by two mysterious human-like entities. Each story focuses on kids who use bad judgement or are selfish and then are harmed directly and/or indirectly by objects sold to them.

Catalog of Wonders draws largely from the EC tradition of stories with dark twist endings. Unlike Horror Collector, its tales range in tone from small stories of misfortune such as a little girl who ends up feeling like a third wheel, to stories involving murder and death. While the tone of some of the stories is probably too dark for younger readers despite their lack of graphicness, as an adult I couldn’t help but enjoy them. It was always interesting to see how each weird device purchased would create trouble.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the blending of a typical Japanese town environment with a mysterious area of danger and mystery. Many of the characters wander into a mysterious part of town that they are unfamiliar with, and that just so happens to have a strange shop that has, “exactly what they are looking for.” Despite this neighborhood just seeming to the characters like an old and eccentric place as a reader we immediately know something distinctly off about it, especially with the mysterious silver haired girl with an eye patch, and the man always hidden by his coat always showing up. This helps add to the atmosphere and suspense of the story giving it a classic feel.

While I wouldn’t recommend this title to young readers unlike Horror Collector, it still has plenty of interesting stories, devices, and mysteries to easily hook me and make me eager for the next book in the series and to share it with teens.

Gold Pollen and Other Stories: To even describe Golden Pollen is a challenge. While it is true that it is an Avante Garde work and a major influence on the Garo alternative manga movement, describing how that applies to the art or story structure (especially to the average manga reader) is a challenge.

This collection of stories is one that is very demanding of the reader. It often represents a dream-like stream of consciousness style narrative, but is usually grounded in very real and difficult feelings, even among the strange going ons. This combination creates a contrast between its dream-like structure and down to earth subject matter that is hard to explain.

Hayashi’s art likewise is very atypical compared to most commercial and popular manga artists. In many ways his art more resembles a combination of Japanese woodblock prints with pop-culture influences like Warhol than it does, “typical,” manga style art. Its frequent use of printed color also makes it stand out from other manga titles which are usually in black and white. Hayashi’s figures also draw from all sorts of sources coming together to create a chaotic, but fascinating feel. While this collection is absolutely not for everyone, it is well worth looking into especially for those wanting something off the beaten path.

The Man Without Talent: Tsuge is another defining artist in the Japanese Alternative Comics movement. The Man Without Talent is his eccentric semi-autobiography detailing aspects of his life and the world around him, including many instances of dark comedy and personal failings.

To call The Man Without Talent weird would be an understatement. It follows Sukezo Sukegawa, a man who seems like he fails at all his endeavors including fitting in with society and his family. Instead of drawing comics which brings in money he decides he will try various other things. He attempts without success to sell stones he finds near the river, cameras, and junk items. Sukegawa is clearly a stand-in for Tsuge himself, but his story is filled with made up elements including odd instances of magical realism.

The Man Without Talent has detailed artwork that highlights Tsugue’s experiences with hardship and poverty. Frequently Tsuge depicts himself and his world as downtrodden to the point of absurdity. He brings you into his home, his poor neighborhood, and the river bed where he spends most of his days lounging and waiting for success. While Tsuge is far from a reliable source (as seen in the next entry), his stories and experience still had a profound effect on me.

My Picture Diary: In many ways My Picture Diary is a response to Tsuge’s own work. This book by Tsuge’s wife Maki Fujiwara is focused on her life and family experiences. It explores what it was like dealing with her husband’s mental health insecurities, and how she mostly raises their child mostly on her own.

My Picture Diary is important in viewing Tsugue as a whole person, and more importantly Fujiwara’s life and experiences. While this work is subjective, Fujiwara clearly has a very different view of Tsugue than he does, especially in the context of her own role as a wife taking care of a child and family. Gender roles in Japan, especially when this diary was created, were very rigid with women expected to prioritize and take care of the home, family, and their husbands. This sexism is compounded by Tsugue’s frequent distance and fighting with her, and having to deal with cancer.

The art for My Picture Diary on the surface might seem simplistic. The more I read through the diary though, the more I noticed the art’s expressiveness and details. Fujiwara has an exceptional eye for detail, and her depictions of the world feel real and poignant. Her art also does a great job of capturing her struggles with neglect and trying to keep a house together despite crushing poverty. While Tsugue is a fascinating mangeka, I personally related even more to the struggles faced by Fujiwara.

Show-ha Shoten!: Show-ha Shoten! is an interesting series. It follows a budding comedy duo as they develop and grow together as comedy performers. The manga follows them as they learn from one another and other comedy acts, and grow as comedians.

While there are a number of hobby/sports/activity based manga series, Show-ha faces a unique challenge. Translating the Manzai style of comedy and Japanese humor into English in a meaningful way is an extremely difficult task. Like other works requiring cultural background and interpretation such as Akane-Banishi and Polar Bear Cafe I have to applaud the translator’s hard work bringing out the meaning and context in their translations. Another element of the writing that stood out was how the writers captured all the varied comedy styles the book presents. While the story is largely stock, its ability to represent comedy and comedic process in a relatable way is where it shines and what makes you want to root for the heroes and keep reading.

Because a lot of humor is based in physical expression, having unique and expressive character designs for a series like this is a must. Thankful Show-ha does a great job of portraying all sorts of diverse characters breathing life into their routines. Character’s range in personality, comedy styles, and appearances and have liveliness brought to them by veteran artist Takeshi Obata (responsible for the art in series like Death Note and Bakuman). This series’ diverse characters, and their varied personalities and comedy styles helped to elevate it and kept me invested throughout it.

Detective Conan: While I have still yet to come close to catching up with Detective Conan it is always fun to read. Conan is the story of a teen detective transformed back into a boy. To protect his identity against the evil Black Organization he takes up the moniker of Conan Edogawa (a combination of two of his favorite mystery writers) and secretly helps his girlfriend’s bumbling PI father solve crimes using inventions created by his friend the eccentric inventor Dr. Hiroshi Agasa.

While Detective Conan like One Piece is seemingly unending and is ever growing, I still hope one day to catch up with it. Having lots of chapters Detective Conan manages to hold my attention with each of its mysteries. Clearly its creator Gosho Aoyama is a major mystery fan and reader which shines through in this work. Each mystery is filled with the classic twists and turns you would expect from a great writer. Another thing that this series does well is create an endearing and distinct cast of characters allowing Conan to have stories starring a variety of people including his classmates, his girlfriend’s and her father, his girlfriend’s friend, his own eccentric parents, the police force, and the evil and mysterious Black Organization.

Another element of Conan that is important to its success is its art style. Aoyama creates all sorts of character designs, rarely repeating them. This brings life into the world making even minor characters memorable. I especially love the design of Mori, Conan’s girlfriend’s bumbling father, and the Kaido Kid, an expert Phantom thief modelled after Arsene Lupin. Another notable aspect of Aoyama’s artwork is in his depiction of settings and background details. Setting is key to a good mystery, which is something that Aoyama understands and always works hard to create; despite the grinding pace a prominent Jump Artist like him faces. You can always count on Conan to provide a good setting, unique characters and a thrilling mystery.

Blade of the Immortal: Blade of the Immortal is a series from what I call the three essential Samurai manga. A strange combination of fantasy and samurai drama; Blade of the Immortal stars Manji, a rough ronin with regenerative powers who teams up with Rin, a teen whose family was murdered by antagonist Anotsu and his gang of outcasts.

While the premise of Blade of the Immortal starts off as a revenge tale, it quickly ends up becoming more complex. The motives and actions of characters are deep, and the morality of their actions are often called into question. Even acts of cruelty and violence (which there are alot of) often have a cause, even if that cause is not justified. As the story progresses more and more factions and conflicts become present.

One of the most impressive aspects of Blade of the Immortal is in its design. Blade of the immortal is a series with some of the most detailed panels I have read. Each panel itself is a work of (often violent) art with a cinematic and expressive style. It is very rare to see such intricate art in a serialized story. Going back and getting into Blade of the Immortal again through its omnibus releases was a real treat and manga highlight this year.

Crazy Food Truck: Sometimes it is great to read a quiet, artistic, and thoughtful work and really get invested in it. Other times though you might just want to turn off your brain and read a silly series like this one. Crazy Food Truck is about a post-apocalyptic world and a food truck chef named Gordon who stumbles upon the strange, neurodiverse, and sexy woman Arisa, and decides to help her out. What follows is an adventure filled with action and food.

Crazy Food Truck is not a deep series and that is ok. Clearly this series was influenced by action and exploitation films like Mad Max, Commando, Death Race 2000, and Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, which were then combined with cooking manga and shows. Crazy Food Truck is pretty much what you’d expect from this blend, a work filled with violence, sexual content, and plenty of food.

While the art in Crazy Food Truck isn’t about to win any awards, it does its job well. One area where it does well is in its food design. Its creator Rokurou Ogaki clearly knows that one key to a great cooking series is mouthwatering food design. Another thing this series does well is present good action. Whether the action is tense anticipation, an explosion of violence, or even just food preparation this manga is a lot of fun to look at. Crazy Food Truck is a fast fun ride that didn’t overstay its welcome and a nice change of pace from what I usually read.

Best Films

Last Man on Earth: This year I watched a lot of Vincent Price films with my father, but my personal favourite would have to be Last Man on Earth. In it Price plays a lonely scientist battling zombie-like vampires created by a deadly plague. He is all alone throughout most of the movie hunting down the very people he once called friends, neighbors, and family.

What is remarkable about this film is just how much Price carries it and the emotional range he has. For most of the movie Price is acting alone in a world filled with nothing but shambling dead. Throughout the film we see him go through a variety of emotions as he tries to come to terms with his situation. Last Man on Earth takes its time, and is well worth the journey and the exciting payoff.

Torture Garden: Burgess Meredith is an incredible actor. Even when playing throw away characters in bad low budget films like the Manitou his screen presence steals the show. Torture garden has Meredith playing the mysterious and captivating carny Dr. Diabolo. Like other anthology films such as Asylum and Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, Torture Garden focuses on the stories of an ensemble introduced within the framing story. In it each of the cast is shown a possible strange and dark fate that may await them.

Despite not all the stories in this collections being equally effective (which is common for these types of films), Torture Garden did a great job capturing my attention. Its stories were generally well acted and interesting. It also includes many great actors and actresses in addition to Meredith such as Jack Palance, Beverly Adams, and Peter Cushing who all add to the experience. Another aspect of the film that is surprising is how cheap its budget was (it was made for only $500,000). Despite this low cost its effects were mostly very effective despite being minimal; especially during the Man who Collected Poe sequence. Despite not being one of Amicus’s most famous works, it is still one of my personal favourites.

Son of Frankenstein: Son of Frankenstein is an excellent piece of suspense. In it Basil Rathbone’s Wolf Frankenstein and his family return to the village where his father created the infamous monster. Understandably the town is suspicious and unwelcoming to him, despite his determination to make friends. He soon finds that the monster which he thought was long dead is actually still alive. This discovery pushes him to get involved with his father’s mysterious undead assistant Ygor, hoping to prove the importance of his father’s work. Unfortunately Ygor has other plans…

In addition to the lavish sets and great acting, the main draw of this film is the suspense. Rathbone’s Wolf becomes increasingly obsessed with rehabilitating the monster, and paranoid that his actions will be found out by the local officer Inspector Krogh, a man with a traumatic past linked to the monster. To make things worse, Ygor decides to use his friend the monster for revenge on those that hanged him, angering the townspeople. These things ensure that the film is constantly ratcheting up the tension.

While this picture suffers from the terrible child acting of Wolf’s son and not having James Whale at the helm, it still ranks among the best Universal created. The reason the film works so well despite these issues is because of how different it is from the first two pictures. While Rowland V. Lee is no Whale’s, his support of Bela Lugosi as Ygor and his ability to generate suspense made him the right choice for the film. While I still prefer the originality, humor, and pathos of Bride of Frankenstein over this one, I cannot deny that its suspense, budget, and most of the acting in Son are all top notch and make it well worth seeing.

Pinocchio: Rewatching Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio reminded me just how incredible of a film it is. Despite being “for children,” it is a challenging and complex adaptation. While featuring many of the elements of the original story and Disney film, this version of Pinocchio takes place in World War 2 and is much darker and weirder than any I have seen before.

Pinocchio is not just dark and weird for the sake of being creepy though. It is a film that talks frankly about deep subjects like mortality, parenthood, family, loss, war, and facism. It also combines these subjects with humor and a genuine heartfelt feeling. As the characters learned and grew during the film I felt for their struggles and was invested in their victories and losses. This combined with stellar stop motion effects makes Pinocchio not only a great film, but one I would consider a landmark masterpiece.

Jason and the Argonauts: Jason and the Argonauts is a film well worth seeing for the special effects alone. It is a fantastic journey where Jason is sent by his treacherous uncle on a quest to the far reaches of the earth to retrieve a magical golden ram’s hide. To aid him in his dangerous quest he has a master crafter build him the incredible ship the Argo, he then forms an all star crew of strongest heroes he can find, and receives the blessing of the goddess Hera to assist him on his quest.

What sets Jason and the Argonauts apart is not the acting which is serviceable but not spectacular, nor the plot which ends prematurely. What is most remarkable about the film are its details. Argonauts features all sorts of fantastical creatures including a menacing giant bronze statue, harpies, a multi-headed hydra, and a vicious army of skeletons that each had to be painstakingly animated and matched up with live action footage (all of which Harryhausen did all by himself!) These incredible effects are complimented by a memorable and fantastic score by composer Bernard Hermann making this a film adventure not to miss.

The Brides of Dracula: The Brides of Dracula continues the story from Hammer’s (Horror of) Dracula. It follows a woman starting her new career as a teacher in a woman’s school. Things get complex though when she accidentally becomes embroiled in Van Helsing’s latest battle against vampiric forces by accidently freeing a noble man with a dark secret.

While clearly not the equal of its predecessor Brides is still an excellent film. It feels in some ways much more like a continuation than the rest of the Dracula films with Terrence Fisher directing, Peter Cushing returning as a determined Van Helsing, and feeling very similar in tone. Despite lacking Lee’s gravitas and James Bernard fantastic scoring it still has plenty of incredible tension, horror, and vampire hunting.

Cheesiest

Goldfinger: While James Bond films aren’t exactly known for being serious, Goldfinger feels over the top even for this franchise. Goldfinger is a major departure from the films that came before it with Bond trying to stop the schemes of the gold loving Auric Goldfinger, a man who leaves a trail of death and destruction wherever he goes. Finger has a daring plan to ensure his wealth with the help of his henchwoman and her team of stunt pilots, along with loyal assistant Odd Job.

Goldfinger begins with Bond infiltrating a facility in a wetsuit with a corny looking fake bird stuck to his head. After planting the bomb he removes the wetsuit to reveal a white tuxedo and casually strolls away as it goes off. This along with extreme sexism sets the mood for most of the film. Over the top is the name of the game with this movie which includes super gadgets, tons of quips, sex and violence, massive battles, a memorable henchman, and Bond at his smuggest. While Goldfinger isn’t as classy as the two films before it, it can’t be denied that it is mostly enjoyable.

Gus: Gus is a holiday tradition in my house at this point. Every “Thanksgiving,” instead of watching the parade or the Rose Bowl I sit down to watch this film. In it a failure of an American Football team finally ends up winning big after hiring Andy Petrovic, a “Yugoslavia,” boy with family troubles, and his pet mule Gus who can kick field goals and somehow is allowed to participate with the humans. I’ve seen this film more than I’ve seen any other piece of visual media!

There isn’t much that needs to be said about this film other than it is a Disney live action film from the 70’s. It is as cheesy and formulaic as it sounds, with the beleaguered owner Mr. Cooper (played by Ed Asner) facing off against the crooked bookie Charles Gwynn and the two bumbling crooks hired to stop Andy and Gus. What follows is a film filled with cheesy music, even cheesier sentimentality, and the cheesiest pratfalls and slapstick ever put to film. Despite all this I am always willing and eager to see it every year!

The Mummy’s Curse:

“The devil’s alive and he’s dancing with the mummy.”- Goobie

The Mummy’s Curse reflects the worst of Universal’s Mummy series. With all the terrible Mummy films that come before it this is no small feat. Somehow the mummy has travelled from Massucheuts all the way down to a bayou in Louisiana since his last outing. Predictably it comes to life again with the help of yet another “Egyptian,” priest who is determined to once again bring the mummy and his reincarnated, amnesiac, and unwilling love interest Ananka together while killing anyone who gets in its way (basically the same plot used in the last three films). After people start going missing, prompting the locals to blame the old mummy myth, Dr. James Halsey is called in to figure things out.

Not only does The Mummy’s Curse feel more dead then Kharis himself (who had already been crushed, stabbed, burnt, and shot multiple times at this point) through a combination of wooden acting and rehash of old plots, but it also adds a layer of additional cheese by setting it in a “Cajun,” swamp town for Kharis to limp around awkwardly in. The addition of local mummy fodder such as Cajun Joe, Goobie, and Tante Berthe and the reused footage from the Ghost of Frankenstein only adds to the humorously inept nature of this film. This movie had no right or reason to exist, but thankfully it has plenty of unintentional laughs and is only an hour long.

Wheels on Meals: Wheels on Meals is full of cheese and I wouldn’t want it any other way! It is a wacky film about Yuen Biao and Jackie Chan playing martial artists running a Food Truck in Spain. The two get caught up in a plot to protect Sylvia, a mysterious pickpocket who is being pursued by an evil count. A bumbling PI played by Samo Hung also gets involved in these exploits.

Wheels on Meals is full of the best type of strange and entertaining combinations of humor and martial arts that Chan and Hung are known for. While some of the cheesy humor is really off the wall especially when involving the mental institution, its frantic and wacky pace is always interesting. While more strange and featuring less fighting than some of Chan and Hung films other team ups such as Project A; it is still well worth a watch for any fans that love the combination of comedy and martial arts.

TMNT We Wish You a Turtle Christmas: This special is probably the worst thing I have watched this year. It involves the Ninja Turtles dancing and singing badly while nominally going to get their father figure Splinter presents, then sadly there is more singing and dancing.

Even if you are the biggest TMNT fan in the world I would not recommend seeing this holiday special. First off, cheap doesn’t even begin to cover the effects. The budget for the special and costumes could have best be described as non-existent. The creepy grins and flapping mouths in the cheap costumes are more than enough reason to stay away from this one.

What made this special so much worse though is what comes out of those flapping jaws. The music for this show is at best annoying, but it was frequently so bad that I would look over to my Papi who was on the couch and he would look over at me, both of us with that knowing look. “Garage,” was his reply as the special concluded.

The Diabolic axe: The Diabolic axe is a rare Santo film not to have his name in the title. It follows Santo as he is confronted by a mysterious masked executioner from his past. This evil axe wielder appears at random times, repeatedly trying to use his evil powers to off Santo. To learn more about this villain Santo enlists the help of his scientist friend who has invented a time viewing machine (complete with the silliest looking light bulb helmet I’ve ever seen) to learn about the axe wielders origins.

If the light bulb time viewing cap is not cheesy enough to earn this film a place on the list, Axe’s other elements more than qualify it. For instance when Santo’s girlfriend is murdered by the teleporting axe fiend Santo hardly sheds a tear, instead seeming more keen on driving around in his sporty car and participating in wrestling matches. Another hilarious element that is revealed in this film is that Santo’s mask was given to him in Colonial Mexico by Abraca, a wizard who is basically Shazam. While I found the tumor art forgery machine in Santo vs. Doctor Death cheesy, this film earns the top spot as the most fun and silly Santo film of the year.

Disappointments

Mad house: You might think that there is no way a film with both Vincent Price and Peter Cushing is terrible, sadly though this film proves otherwise. Madhouse stars Price as a reluctant horror actor dragged out of retirement to continue his starring role as the horror film character Dr.Death. He is soon plagued by old demons though as his colleagues keep ending up mysteriously murdered around him.

The biggest issue with this film is that it could have been easily concluded with Price’s character walking away. Despite bodies piling up and his reluctance to even revisit the role, Price’s character continues to hang around. Another major issue with the film is that the central mystery is incredibly shallow. It is apparent pretty much from the start of the movie that Price’s character is innocent of the murders. Despite all of this and multiple attempts on his life including one by another person dressed up as Dr. Death, he still continues to question his sanity and involvement in the murders surrounding him. The payoff at the end of the film also doesn’t even turn out to make much sense or be much fun. Sadly despite Cushing and Price’s charm this film was a major let down.

The Corpse Vanishes: This film sadly falls very much in line with the later films of Lugiosi. It stars Bella as a scientist who murders brides and steals their corpses in a convoluted scheme to keep his wife alive and youthful. To stop him young reporter Patricia Hunter and a young doctor team up to discover Lugiosi’s evil secrets.

This film can’t even get Lugiosi right. He is given painfully little to do other than squinting and scowling as he looks through secret passages. The rest of the Z grade cast doesn’t do this film any favors either, especially the scientists “crazed,” old servant and her two evil disabled sons. Nothing about this film is remotely scary or particularly interesting. Despite many people claiming that this film is one of Lugiosi’s best later low budget outings it seems scarcely any better than clunkers like Shadow over Chinatown.

Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors: A film with no house and very little horrors Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors is an Amicus horror anthology whose framing story takes place on an English train. In it each person within a compartment is told a fantastical story by fortune teller Dr. Schreck which always ends in their demise.

The problem with this film is that it is wildly uneven. Some of the stories (especially the one starring Christipher Lee and Michael Gough) are much much better than others. While this is true of all anthology films the lows here are especially low. The sentient vine story is too silly in premise and execution to be taken seriously, and the story about Voodoo music is both racist and ridiculous (despite a few good scenes of atmosphere), especially when its smarmy lead is “attacked,” by a Voodoo god. While this isn’t a terrible film it pales in comparison to other Amicus and Hammer anthologies and films.

Frankenstein 1970: Created in 1958 the only reason to watch this film at all is for Boris Karloff. In it he plays Baron Victor von Frankenstein, a disfigured descendent of the first Frankenstein. In order to create a monster of his own and continue his family trade and afford the necessary machinery he is forced to invite a film crew to his castle.

The rest of the cast including the always bandaged monster is forgettable. While it is fun watching Karloff steal the show, I was hoping for a bit more out of the rest of the crew. This caused major problems because I found myself not caring at all about the rest of the film’s characters or story. Scenes that didn’t center Karloff always dragged the film down. While this was an entertaining watch, compared to Karloff’s Universal Frankenstein films it was a major letdown.

Attack of the Witches: Attack of the Witches is another sad example of a bad Santo film. The movie involves Santo’s girlfriend being repeatedly kidnapped by a coven of witches who want to sacrifice her and Santo to Satan (represented by the Bat Demon from The Diabolic axe). The film constantly involves them being kidnapped and taken somewhere, and then Santo breaking free and the witches fleeing.

Despite being made around the same period and using the same sets as Diabolic Axe, Attack of the Witches is far less satisfying. While Axe has plenty of cheese and couldn’t really be called a “good,” movie it is far better made than this one. This film is often sluggish, sexist, and worst of all has a plot that is incredibly repetitive. It repeats the same set of events at least three times (someone gets kidnaped, the witch women try to ritually sacrifice them, Santo breaks it up and the witches escape) despite it not being that thrilling the first time.

The Raven: The Raven is what happens when you try to fill in the famous Poe poem with camp. It features a grieving magician Erasmus Craven (played by Vincent Price) who is visited by a talking raven who turns out to be the humbug magician Dr. Bedlo (played by Peter Lorre). They are both lured to the castle of Dr. Scarabus (played by Borris Karlof) along with their children (one of which is played by a young Jack Nicholson) by the prospect of finding out what happened to Lenore and for revenge. While initially Scarabus seems nice and reasonable, his true evil plot is soon revealed.

Those looking for the melancholy and gravitas of the poem or the gothic horror found in Corman’s other films will end up disappointed. The Raven is a campy comedy that more resembles 1966’s Batman then it does Poe. It is filled with cheesy lines, a silly but fun wizards duel, Lorre drinking and being belligerent, and Lenore being portrayed as a cheating gold-digger. With the exception of Lorre most of the cast is not really in top form or taking the assignment seriously at all. If you go in expecting a film with the style and tone of Masque of the Red Death (like I did) then this film will also be a major disappointment. While not a terrible film it really doesn’t hold up well, especially considering all the great horror icons cast in the film and the quality of Corman’s other Poe films.

Three Giant Men: Three Giant Men comes from the strange tradition of Turkish films nicking as much as possible from Western media while remaining distinctly Turkish. This film somehow entirely misses the entire point though of what they are taking. The film follows Captain America and Santo (not played by the actual El Santo) battling against the murderous off-color “Spider-Man,” who has huge bushy eyebrows and an evil girlfriend. Spider-Man’s plan is to steal valuable art, sell it to brokers, and then buy it back using counterfeit money.

With a premise this daft it is impossible not to have some fun with the story, but the main problem of the film is that it is all over the place. Some scenes involving Spider-Man cackling and appearing again and again are campy fun, while others are boring and drag on and on or involve gruesome violence. Another major problem with the film is how little Captain America and El Santo (of all people) are in costume. Instead of wearing their iconic costumes and masks they are in generic and cheesy 1970’s leisure suits for most of the film. This brings down the fun factor, and makes telling who is who confusing especially with the poor quality of the film stock. While Three Giant Men was at times what I wanted, I wish it were more like an actual Santo film filled with cheesy fun and costumed action.

Despite growing up toward the tail end of the arcade boom, arcades have always enchanted me. They are places of wonder and magic where neon dreams come to life. They are not just locations though, they are community centres where you can make and encourage friendship and rivalry; places where contemplation and action go hand in hand.

At the heart of any arcade is their games. Whether these games were found in dedicated spaces such as family entertainment centres and arcade buildings, or found at the front of a laundry mat or in a corner of a pizza place the experiences players had with these games made a huge impact on American culture, and on me.

While the heyday of arcade games has long since passed they still live on to this day not only in modern game design and re-releases, but also in the hearts and nostalgia of players. This is why I wanted to create a list of some of my personal favourite games and share them with all of you. While covering every great arcade game I have memories and experiences with would be impossible (even within a series as long as this), I hope to cover (in no particular order) some of my personal favourites experiences and journey’s, and share them with you!

1. Timber: Timber is a well-designed game with a great art style reminiscent of Tapper (another great game). It is a hidden gem well worth playing, especially when playing it with others. In Timber you play as a lumberjack who races around a lumber yard trying to chop down the most trees in order to meet a quota that your weird boss has set. The constant and frantic scrambling to out chop your opponent and the timer in order to earn hilarious forms of praise from the boss is a ton of silly fun. Me and my girlfriend love playing this game together every time we see it, and always have a great time!

2. Pirate Ship Higemaru: Pirate Ship Higemaru is my all-time favourite Capcom game beating out many other amazing classics such as Street Fighter and Final Fight. Its simple concept of throwing barrels at pirates and collecting bonus goodies is an experience that I feel can’t be beat. Higemaru definitely falls into what I call the Zen of arcade games, where a game is easy to pick up and learn, difficult to master, and infinitely repayable despite its simplicity. While I know that most people don’t love this game as much as I do; it is a game that always keeps me coming back for more.

3. Sunset Riders: Sunset Riders is a rip-roaring good time! To get the bad out of the way first, this game has the usual insensitivities you would expect from a Japanese company making a Spaghetti Western style game. Its use of indigenous stereotypes is beyond cringe worthy, and the game also features no prominent women. Despite these issues though, Sunset Riders is still an unforgettable adventure. In it up to four players can shoot up outlaws and fight to restore justice. Sunset Riders embodies some of the best features of early Komani games: excellent level designs, over the top bosses, and an incredible Morricone like soundtrack. Despite all its problems Sunset Riders remains a must play game that is even more fun when shared.

4. Space Harrier: While I have yet to play this game in an actual arcade (which is a dream of mine), emulating it has still provided me with more than enough proof that Space Harrier is an excellent game that needed to be on my list. A strange and almost psychedelic experience, Space Harrier has you play as a guy running and flying through colourful worlds armed with a big cannon. This cannon is used to fight off all sorts of strange and creative enemies flying at you such as long dragons, one eyed mammoths, and Easter Island like stone heads. Also included in the game is racing music, memorable sound effects, and fast scrolling action emphasising depth. Even if you can’t find the incredible original arcade machine for Space Harrier, I still recommend finding a way to emulate or play it.

5. Outrun: Another incredible Sega Super Scaler game Outrun is one of the best examples of its genre. Outrun involves guiding a man and woman in a sports car through various beautiful terrains. Unlike most car games Outrun isn’t about racing with other vehicles, but rather about racing the clock and trying to travel as much of the map as possible. It is all about the freedom and thrill of driving, and includes an amazing soundtrack by Hiroshi Kawaguchi (a legend in the gaming field) that compliments this aesthetic. Even if you can’t find an Outrun arcade machine it is well worth finding and playing this game anyway you can.

6. Pac-Man: An all-time classic, Pac-Man is a game well worth the praise and hype it gets. Probably my favourite arcade game of all time Pac-Man is another masterpiece that also falls into the category of Zen-like. Pac-Man is a simple game where you try to eat all the dots in a maze while avoiding the game’s four ghosts. The only way you can fight back against these ghosts is by consuming one of the four power pellets which allows you to eat each of them once during a limited period of time. This is a game that I always play when I see it in arcades, as well as frequently at home on my Switch, PS2, and PC. Despite having played it countless times every new game feel’s thrilling, fresh, and like a special experience.

7. Ms. Pac-Man: It is impossible to talk about Pac-Man without also talking about its incredible sequel Ms. Pac-Man. Ms. Pac-Man increases the variety of mazes, and the speed of the game while still keeping the same tight core gameplay that made Pac-Man so much fun. While I don’t enjoy it quite as much as the original; it is still a game that I enjoy and play endlessly. Ms. Pac-Man has the incredible appeal and great gameplay that many of the other Pac-man sequels sadly lack (though many are still fun), and like Pac-Man is among my favourite games of all time.

8. Burger Time: Burger Time is a strange, but memorable game. In it you play as chef Peter Pepper who is trying to make gigantic hamburgers by stepping on them. Sadly, the other food products aren’t too pleased by your bid to end world hunger, and chase after you trying to stop your burger making ways. Burger Time is not only memorable for having one of the strangest plots of any arcade game (which is saying a lot), but also having great chase gameplay that keeps you on your toes. It’s always a treat to play Burger Time even for a vegetarian like me.

9. Dig dug: Secretly one of the most violent games of all time, Dig Dug is a strange but entertaining classic. In it you play a homicidal digger with a powerful bicycle pump whose objective is to “pop,” or crush goggle wearing sentient oranges and fire breathing lizards. Despite playing a monster, Dig Dug is a lot of fun and has a very original concept. I also love how its music is connected to your movement, and becomes frantic as the last creature tries to escape the wrath of your pump. This game is also my friend Lilac’s personal favourite, and a game she has fond memories of playing growing up. Only in the classic era of arcades could such a strange and wonderful game be created!

10. Tapper: Whether handing out root beer or actual beer Tapper is a great game. In it you play a barkeep whose mission in life is to throw drinks across a counter Western movie style to a nearly endless stream of angry cowboys, sports stars, and aliens without breaking a glass or being subjected to the thirsty mob’s wrath. This unusual form of gameplay is well complemented by the arcade cabinet which has a drink spout like form of controls. I have had a lot of fun with Tapper, and find its silly game play charming.

Best Video game:

Haunted House: It probably comes as no surprise to everyone at this point that I love the Atari 2600. A sadly overlooked console, the 2600 might currently be the best retro console to collect for. Getting games and hardware for this machine is dirt cheap, and the 2600 offers a plethora of great titles to choose from and enjoy. Of all the games I’ve played for it, the game that stands out the most for me this year is Haunted House.

Haunted House combines the pick up and play elements of many games on the system with creative gameplay emphasising exploration. Its premise of exploring a haunted house, searching for a Urn, and then finding an exit may not sound like much especially on such a low powered system, but it is a game that is far greater than the sum of its parts. One thing that stands out about this game is the sense of mystery it provides. The fact that you are exploring a house while in the dark with enemies and locked doors makes for a spooky game, without resorting to the modern cliches of violence and trying to outright terrify the player. Haunted House also offers incredible replay value taking full advantage of the VCS’s many console switches and allowing for a randomised experience that is different each time long before roguelikes became popular. These factors make Haunted House a joy to play for all ages that has me coming back again and again for more fun.

Runners up:

Gradius: Gradius is bone crushingly hard for me. While many seasoned Shmup fans might find Graduis mild in comparison to the more modern bullet hells, I didn’t grow up playing Shmups and have spatial disorder making them a struggle for me. So why do I keep coming back for more pain? Despite the difficulty I have with it I also love this game. It is not only a great introduction to the Shmup genre, but also a staple of it for a reason.

Gradius is a tough, but fair game. It is difficult enough to feel thrilling while also not being too overwhelming for a beginner like me to learn from. While I haven’t gotten far I continue to practise and improve, and just as importantly never get bored or frustrated thanks to great game design. I love that there are all sorts of obstacles to contend with, including the famous Easter Island statues that spit out death at you. The gameplay is also great because it rewards learning to dodge thru barrages, and managing the screen so that the enemies don’t overwhelm you. The game’s classic and memorable tunes are also noteworthy, help drive the experience, and bring intensity that makes me want to keep trying again despite repeatedly dying.

Graduis has solid gameplay, memorable music, and a fair amount of difficulty that keeps me coming back even though I constantly lose. While I still have a long way to go I really look forward to playing the rest of the series, and learning more about Shmups from this classic game.

Pong: You might think that the first major arcade game hit would no longer be appealing. Especially in this age of blockbuster video games and computers with massive processing power you might think Pong feels primitive and lacking. You would be wrong though. Pong remains one of the most entertaining games I have played. Similar to games like Tetris, Pong is a game that takes many forms and variations, but remains a solid experience thanks to its two player competitive action.

Despite basically being a game of virtual table tennis, Pong consoles take so many different forms and have a ton of fun variations. One thing that is extremely fascinating about Pong is how many consoles and console designs there were for it. Pong consoles of all shapes and sizes popped up during the first wave of commercial video game systems with a wide variety of controllers and minor graphical differences to them. My girlfriend has got me into collecting these often gorgeous and fascinating antiques which are often surprisingly cheap despite their ages and interesting designs.

When it comes down to it though, what is most important about Pong is the gameplay. While it is simple enough that almost anyone can learn and play it, what makes Pong even more exciting is that it is designed to be played with others! Playing Pong is a game of virtual ping-pong that comes down to purely skill and fun, while being far more accessible then actual table tennis. I’ve spent countless hours this year battling my girlfriend, making it one of the few primarily multiplayer games that I have played a lot of. I’m sure that next won’t be much different, and I look forward to testing out my two new pong consoles with her and marvelling at how fun and built to last they are.

Great games such as Warlords and Arkanoid/Breakout all owe their existence to this game, but Pong stands on its own as a great experience to share with others and explore.

Mega Man 2: This year saw me beating every Mega Man game from the original series. While there were some other great stand outs I still have to give the nod to Mega Man 2. Mega Man 2 is an incredible game that highlights the best the series has to offer. While fairly easy in comparison to other games in the series it is a blast to play, and isn’t a cakewalk. Mega Man 2 features a lot of creativity, tough but fair gameplay, and includes some of the best robot masters and stage designs of the series. Whether it is blasting through the forests of Woodman, weaving through the fast moving lasers of Quickman’s stage, braving disappearing platforms over lava, or battling a robotic dragon while jumping platform to platform Mega Man 2 is sure to provide a creative and thrilling experience.

One element that absolutely has to be mentioned about this game is its soundtrack. Mega Man 2 has some of the best music in any game. Even among the other bangers of the Mega Man series the music offered in two feels special. Every track just feels, “right,” and is perfect for the stage it is designed for and the situations it represents. While not a perfect game Mega Man 2 does avoid many of the pitfalls that some other games in the series have (such as being overly difficult), and is my favourite Mega Man game.

Movies of the year:

Island of Lost Souls: The Island of Lost Souls is one of the most criminally overlooked horror films of all time. An adaptation of the famous novel the Island of Dr. Moreau, Island of Lost Souls does an outstanding job adapting the story into a film and also adding additional lurid elements. The film stars Edward Parker, a man who ends up trapped on an island where the mysterious Dr. Moreau and his assistant are doing cruel experiments. Morceau hopes to eventually turn animals into humans through gruesome surgeries, and by giving them a strict moral code. While at first reluctant to share his work and wanting Parker off his Island, Moreau eventually takes an interest in seeing Parker get together with Lota, a panther-woman who he considers his greatest experiment.

While many in the cast are lesser known, everyone in the film is great. Particularly great though is Charles Lauton as Dr. Moreau. Lauton’s Moreau is an obsessive and sinister man who is only concerned with his studies. Despite his cruelty Morceau considers himself an advancer of science. He comports himself with a creepy sense of sophistication, despite totally lacking a sense of caring or morality.

Although this is a post-Haye’s code film Island of Lost Souls surprisingly doesn’t skimp on the sexual content and violence. Island of Lost Souls is a film that in many ways is far more extreme for its time then most other films, even those before censorship. If anything the film increases to what would have been considered objectionable content. It adds in subplot about Moreau attempting to test human animal sexual relations, and a lurid ending scene dripping with gruesome implied violence. I’m glad I got a chance to see this excellent overlooked film with my father, who has appreciated (and put up with) many movies with me!

The Old Dark House: Another criminally underrated film is The Old Dark House. While James Whale’s other universal films such as Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible man are lauded for their combination of horror and comedy, for some reason The Old Dark House is far less well known despite having similar themes. This movie is as strange as it is great, highlighting many of Whale’s trademarks including relatable characters, effective horror camp, and many unusual and creative concepts.

The Old Dark House stars a couple and their cynical world weary friend who are forced by a storm to take refuge in a strange old mansion with even stranger inhabitants. They are soon joined by another two guests, and forced to deal with the increasing danger and madness of the house’s bizarre occupants. With nowhere to go they have to make it through the rainy night together and survive.

James Whale’s direction transforms this haunted house narrative into a bizarrely comedic one. Though it has the expected horror elements, I think The Old Dark House could best be described as a parody of a haunted house film. Odd lines like, “Have potato,” “They were all godless here. They used to bring their women here – brazen, lolling creatures in silks and satins. They filled the house with laughter and sin, laughter and sin. And if I ever went down among them, my own father and brothers – they would tell me to go away and pray, and I prayed – and left them with their lustful red and white women,” and “No beds! They can’t have beds!” are iconically strange and memorable.

Among the actors Ernest Thesiger and Eva Moore do an incredible job as the comically eccentric and constantly quarrelling brother and sister of the house, while Charles Laughton and Lilian Bond also do a great job of portraying surprisingly complex and sympathetic characters. Ironically one of the lesser actors (though still excellent) is Boris Karloff who is stuck with the role of a mute drunk brute of a butler. Special mention should also go out to Brember Wills whose portrayal of Saul is effectively unhinged and unpredictable.

The Old Dark House ranks among the best of Whale’s pictures, and is a delightfully eccentric treat for anyone who enjoys his other pictures and his off kilter style.

Death on the Nile (David Suchet): My favourite adaptations of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot novels would have to be the ones that star David Suchet as Poirot. Not only do these interpretations stick closest to the stately feel and methodical pace of the original stories, but Suchet does an excellent job giving dimension to Poirot’s character. Of all the adaptations of Poirot with Suchet I have seen thus far I think Death on the Nile may be my favourite.

Not only is Death on the Nile my favourite of the Poirot novels, but I also feel that the ITV version does an excellent job of capturing the story on a low budget. This adaptation of the story avoids the excesses of the Branagh version, while still embodying the liveliness and large scale setting of the novel. It is really impressive to me not only how much filming actually took place on a real steam ship in Egypt, but how the adaptation streamlines the novel while using the visual language of cinematography to enhance it. This film is clearly concerned less with the portraying of bombastic spectacle, and more with making sure that it adapts the story as well as it can within a short amount of time. As a result it opts for a mostly non-celebrity cast, instead using a number of great British character actors to cover many of its major roles. Suchet is also especially great as Poirot in this movie, and gives Poirot a sadness and depth that is especially tangible.

This adaptation has been my favourite so far of a Hercule Poirot story. While nothing can beat reading the novel, this movie does come remarkably close.

The Body Snatcher: Many horror movies of 1940’s were designed as works stressing commercial appeal, rather than creating complex and creative filmmaking. As a result many of the films of the 40’s (especially those from Universal) often either failed to tread new ground, and/or lacked the class, budget, and gravitas of earlier efforts. A major exception to this rule though were the films produced by Val Lewton. Unlike Universal’s films of the time that valued monsters and spectacle, Lewtons films were more classy affairs based in psychology and the playing off the viewer’s imagination. These elements are all strongly highlighted within The Body Snatcher.

This movie is based upon a story written by Robert Louis Stevenson about 19th century anatomists and resurrectionists who dug up corpses and provided them to doctors for study. Because of its unusual subject matter The Body Snatcher is unlike many other films of the era. The movie centres around Dr. Wolfe MacFarlane, an anatomist running a school in Edinburgh who is repeatedly tormented by the resurrectionist and cab driver John Grey. Grey enjoys black-mailing the doctor and having him at his beck and call, but also provides him with corpses to study and helps protect the doctor’s secrets. Caught in between the two are a young mother and her disabled child who want MacFarlane’s help, Meg Cameron the doctor’s house keeper with a secret, and MacFarlane’s new star pupil the conflicted Donald Fettes.

To get the bad out of the way first; this film wastes Bella Lugosi. Instead of getting top billing or a major part, Lugosi is forced to play a hapless janitor. It is a small and thankless role that doesn’t take advantage of the actor’s immense talents and screen presence. All the other actors in the film are excellent, but it is Henry Daniell and Boris Karloff that steal the show. Daniell does an excellent job showing the complexity of the doctor he plays who struggles between his desire to learn and train others to help people, and his dubious connection with Grey, personal ego and shame, and his poor bedside manner. Karloff’s Grey is probably the best part of the film. His sneering face often belies his nasty, oppressive, and opportunistic nature. He delights in tormenting and insulting MacFarlane, and repeatedly upping the ante of his cruelty.

The Body Snatcher is the first film involving Lewton that I have seen, and illustrates his immense skill at crafting horror based on strongly written characters, and a less is more approach.

Adaption: Strange doesn’t even begin to describe this picture. Adaptation is unlike any other movie I have ever seen. It features one of my favourite actors Nicholas Cage playing the contrasting brothers Charlie Kauffman and Donald Kauffman (Donald being a fictitious character created for this film). Charlie is chronically neurotic, sexually frustrated, and is constantly concerned about his latest project, a treatment for the film version of the novel The Orchid Thief. The problem with the book though as he puts it is, “… it (the novel) has no story. There’s no story.” His brother on the other hand is confident and sincere, and decides on a whim to also become a screen-writer much to Charlie’s disgust. What follows is a strange meta-narrative where the two brother’s get involved in the very type of story that Charlie is actively trying to avoid as their spying on the novel’s author Susan Orlean’s (played excellently by Meryl Streep) gets them embroiled in her secret relationship with John Laroche, the eccentric subject of Orlean’s book.

It’s hard to put into words just how excellent the acting, script, and story for this film is. Despite its unusual concepts that in lesser hands could have fallen apart, it is somehow able to balance all of its various complexities and elements into a cohesive story. I also couldn’t think of a better cast for this type of film than who was chosen. Cage is mind-blowingly great in his double role, particularly when depicting Charlie’s self loathing which feels suitably heightened, but also very much real. It’s also remarkable how this film creates an effective meta-narrative and how well it parodies Hollywood film writing, bad tendencies, and cliches, and Kaufman himself.

Adaptation is a film that is best viewed, rather than talked about as it fits together so many unusual, original, and incredible elements together. It is absolutely worth a watch, especially for fans of filmmaking and looking for something original.

The Devil Rides Out: I have watched and enjoyed a lot of Christopher Lee’s films. Lee made a career out of playing sinister larger than life villains such as Dracula, Sauramon, Kharis the mummy, and Lord Summer Isle. The Devil Rides Out though is a rare case where Lee gets to play the hero of the story.

The Devil Rides Out is about the struggle between the powers of good represented by occultist Nicholas Duc de Richleau and his friend Rex Van Ryn, against a Satanic cult led by the powerful Mocata. Each side is fighting over the lives and souls of Richealu’s friend’s son Simon and another initiate Tanith. Richleau and his allies must endure the intense powers of evil in order to stop the wicked Mocata, and protect the two initiates from being drawn into the clutches of evil.

What makes this film so effective is the constant struggles that the heroes have to face. Throughout the film Richealu’s and his allies are forced to fight and defend themselves against the overwhelming forces of Satan. Mocata and his cult are shown to be formidable and dogged foes who will stop at nothing to claim the lives and souls of their initiates. Mocata (played by Charles Gray) himself is especially threatening with his use of all sorts of spells and hypnosis in order to get what he wants. Despite playing against type Lee is also great. His character’s smart, commanding, moral, and has a strict personality that fits well with Lee’s commanding presence and allows him to convincingly stand against the immense evil that Mocata represents.

The Devil Rides Out is not only memorable for the acting though, it features great effects and music. Despite its low budget Terrence Fisher managed to add in some impressive special effects to the film. Especially impressive is the depiction of the angel of death which manages to be both scary and have gravitas. Another element that stands out for this film is its score. Its composer James Bernard, who is well known for some of the best British and Hammer movie scores of all time (including Dracula, The Curse of Frankenstein, and The Hound of the Baskervilles). He does an excellent job bringing out the danger and mysticism within the film while also elevating its serious tone further.

The Devil Rides Out is a film that draws upon some of the best elements of British horror, bringing them together with some original ideas. The result is a classy and original work that ranks among Terrence Fisher, James Bernard, and Christopher Lee’s best work.

Cheesiest movies of the year:

Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey: Blood and Honey was probably the worst new film I saw this year, but despite its terrible quality I cannot say I didn’t have fun watching it. For months me and my girlfriend would joke about this film, and seeing it together didn’t disappoint (probably because I had no expectations to begin with). In a way this film was actually a good film as we both enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We often love repeating phrases from the film such as, “You left,” and “Not your lucky day mate,” to each other and had a great time despite the film’s dismal quality.

Blood and Honey was the result of the original Disney copyright expiring, and a love of the cheesy slashers of the 70’s and 80’s. It has a group of teens on holiday being stalked and killed by a vengeful Pooh bear and Piglet. Is it a badly acted and stupid film? Yes! Was it a blast to see and so bad it was good? Absolutely!

The Apple Dumpling gang series: The 1970’s Disney Live Action films were some of the worst films of their kind. Films like the Shaggy Dog, The Million Dollar Duck, and the Dexter Riley Trilogy were all common during this period and they all have in common that they have aged very poorly. Perhaps the worst offenders of this period though are the films the Apple Dumpling Gang and the Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, both terrible movies for different reasons.

The first Apple Dumpling gang film is a snoozefest. It’s a contrived and cliche film about a man who is tricked into taking care of children who end up striking it rich and forming a family with them. It has all the usual lukewarm sentimental and comedy beats you can expect from this era. Sadly it also has Tim Conway and Don Knotts who play two bunging wannabe crooks who mug a lot. The whole affair is dull and predictable to the point where I could tell you exactly what was going to happen next every time even on the first viewing.

The sequel starring Knott’s and Conway is just as bad if not worse then the first film. Instead of cliche sentimentality this movie opts for the two going place to place obnoxiously mugging with a thin subplot about military corruption. In the Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again things just seem to happen. The film’s lack of a plot also isn’t helped by the lack of actually funny humour, a kiss of death for any comedy film.

These two films are so bad that I now use them as a measurement for bad films. Even most-bad films aren’t as bad as these two are. While they may not be the worst films Disney has to offer, they are the worst Disney movies I have ever sat through.

Fun in Balloonland: Fun in Balloonland is without a doubt the worst film I have seen this year. Worse than (Santo and the) Fist of Death, worse than either Apple Dumpling Gang film, worse than Abbott and Costello go to Mars, worse than Between Worlds, worse than The Magical Christmas Tree and worse than Laserblast. This in fact may be the worst film I have ever seen, maybe even beating out Santa Claus meets the Ice Cream Bunny and Beast of Yucca Flats.

Fun In Balloonland is a terrible amateur home film that somehow was commercially released. The first part of the film has a confused and bored looking kid trying to interact with lousy voice overs coming from balloons, while an out of tune piano plays. Things only get worse when the kid is joined by other kids who are forced to awkwardly sing and dance. The second part of the “movie,” involves some of the most awkward commentary ever put to film. A woman gives stilted narration to a frequently out of focus balloon parade footage. Then the film ends with one of the worst songs put to film. DREADFUL beyond belief!

Laserblast: Laserblast is what happens when you have an idea for a special effect, but no idea how to place that idea into a competent movie. While the film has some fun (though often cheesy) special effects it’s plot is rambling and incoherent. The film stars Kim Milford, as the angsty teenager Billy Duncan (though he was 27 at the time) who finds a laser gun (that looks like a slightly painted poster tube with a CD player on top) and a pendant left in the desert by aliens. This weapon then begins to corrupt Billy, turning him into a crazed monster who blasts everything in sight, and grows a metal disc within his chest. Meanwhile the aliens, discovering their mistake. come back to stop Billy and retrieve their gun.

The only part of this movie that was any good were the effects. In particular the stop motion alien effects by Randall William Cook and David W. Allen stand out above the rest of the film’s quality. The acting in this film could best be described as embarrassingly poor especially in the scenes featuring romance and during the insufferable teen pool party. It is the slip shot writing though that really makes this film hilariously bad. The film tries to highlight Billy’s unhappy and unfocused life with cringe worthy depictions of gluttonous sheriffs, his girlfriend’s angry and dementia ridden grandfather, an absentee mother, and two local bullies, but none of this really plays much into the aliens or laser gun possession plot.

Watching some of the stop motion clips and its many explosions is far more rewarding than having to sit through the entirety of this film. Laserblast is a tedious film that goes nowhere and often doesn’t make a lot of sense.

The Magical Christmas Tree: Every Christmas I try to watch a terrible holiday film. Because of this I have been exposed to such “gems,” as Santa Claus Meets the Ice Cream Bunny, Santa Claus (a film where Santa comes down from the clouds to battle the forces of Satan with the help of Merlin and a Norse god), and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Well all of these films are terrible, The Magical Christmas Tree probably ranks among the bottom of the list.

The Magical Christmas Tree is the story of a boy who is knocked out after helping an old woman (who is actually played by a young woman in a terrible costume). For most of the film he dreams that he receives a magical ring that brings to life a talking christmas tree that grants him three wishes. He uses these wishes selfishly, but in the end does the right thing only to be left with nothing. Then he wakes up and finds out it was all a dream.

The Magical Christmas Tree has all the amateurish trademarks I have come to expect from these types of cheaply made movies. One major clue for this is how it desperately attempts to drag itself out to feature length. Lots of the movie involves the camera man and the actors dragging through pointlessly drawn out scenes that add nothing to the film and that are a snooze fests. Some examples of this include random sequences of a kid walking in a quarry with the camera focusing on his shoes, kids talking about their lunches on a bench, and a man with a pie chasing a woman down the world’s longest street but never getting significantly closer or farther away. When things are actually happening though such as, “comedy routines,” or “moral lessons,” they aren’t much more coherent or enjoyable. Another mark of this film’s incompetence comes in the cast who for the most part never acted in anything before or after this film. Even the director only worked on this film before calling it a day which kind of says it all.

This film is in good company with the other cheesy holiday films I have seen, and is only possibly topped in terribleness by Santa meets the Ice Cream Bunny. When the best parts of the film (other than when it ended) featured a confused big man who couldn’t decide whether or not to kidnap the selfish lead boy and then threatens the audience, and a turtle who lives within a nightstand you know you’re in trouble.

Biggest movie disappointments:

Santo and The Fist of Death: Even among Santo films this one is BAD! Fist of Death features Santo in one of his final roles. The film has him heading through the Florida everglades (a Jungle stand in) to help a tribe of karate “experts,” who worship a C-3P0 head defeat a scantily clad evil sorceress leader (who is played by Grace Renat, who also plays the equally undressed leader of the good guys) and her evil minions.

This has got to be the worst Santo film I have ever seen, and I’ve seen a great deal of them (many of which are also terrible). Nothing in the film works, least of all Santo who was less than two years from passing away. It is really sad to see just how frail he is in this film compared to his earlier pictures. Instead of impressing the audience with his physical skills Santo is instead helped along and extremely protected by his co-stars. The result is that the fights are incredibly dull and lifeless, which isn’t helped by Santo’s wooden acting.

To try to compensate for this issue the film tries to appeal to the karate craze and with the sex-appeal of Renat. Neither of these things though can disguise how poor this film is. The karate fighting is an especially bad imitation of a bad Hollywood imitation of a martial arts film, and only adds even more racism to the surrounding terribleness of everything. This is a film so bad that it eclipses all other Santo films I have seen (which is no easy feat), and is one I would not recommend subjecting yourself to even for camp value.

Between Worlds: Based on the description I read online I thought that this film was going to be a cheesy good time; boy was I wrong! Instead of a fun romp through cheesy plot points, Between Worlds is a depressing and uncomfortable slog of a film that even Cage cannot save.

Between Worlds stars Nicolas Cage as Joe Majors, a down on his luck trucker. He soon runs into Julie, a desperate single mother who wants Joe to choke her so that she can have a near death experience to help her comatose daughter Billie. Having tragically lost his own family Joe reluctantly agrees to help, and eventually starts to form a bond with Julie. While Billie does recover she begins to act strangely and develops her own unusual interest in Joe.

Even setting aside my disappointment about the film not meeting my expectations this isn’t a good film. While I love Cage and think he elevates the film I don’t think that his presence is enough to save it from all its issues. One major issue with the film is with its depiction of sexuality. While sexual content and relationships with major age gaps in the right hands can be handled interestingly, in this film it just comes off as uncomfortable and voyeuristic. Another issue with the film is that its characters are just not likeable or good enough to make up for this lack of likeability. The result is that it is hard to invest in any of them or overlook the many cliches found within the plot and the film’s poor production values.

Between Worlds is a mess that isn’t even fun enough to fall into the so bad it is good category nor smart enough to warrant its unpleasantness.

Abbott and Costello go to Mars: Abbott and Costello can be very funny. During their prime their comedy was filled with fast banter, energised slapstick and routines, and lots of great word play. If all you ever saw of them though was Abbott and Costello go to Mars you would wonder what the big deal was.

Abbott and Costello go to Mars ironically doesn’t even have the couple ever reach Mars. Instead they end up accidentally launching an experimental rocket that first lands in New Orleans during Mardi Gra, and then on Venus where they find an advanced race of women. During their adventure they also end up running into a pair of crooks that feel like cheap counterparts to the blundering couple.

This film just isn’t fun. Unlike other films starring the duo this film substitutes energy and wit for repeated cheap gags that almost never land. There’s nothing worse than a comedy that just isn’t funny, especially when that humour comes off as dated and offensive. Especially cringe-inducing is the part of the film where Abbott, Costello, and the two crooks end up on Venus alongside a society of scantily clad women. The jokes first about the women first being sexually deprived and making Costello their king, and then rejecting the men after they discover other more masculine men are on earth is misogynistic and painful to watch.

Watching this film and reading up on it, it appears that the duo were almost as bored making Abbott and Costello go to Mars as I was watching it. Just watch an earlier effort of theirs such as Buck Privates or Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein instead.

Murders in the Rue Morgue: Unlike other films in this list I actually didn’t dislike Murders in the Rue Morgue. The sets for the film are lovely, the cinematography by Karl Freund is incredible, and Lugosi steals the show as a driven sideshow presenter who wants to prove human’s relationship with ape’s. The problem is that the rest of the elements of the film could and should have been much better.

Murder in the Rue Morgue stars Pierre Dupin, a young medical student and amateur detective. Dupin takes his fiance Camille L’Espanaye and friends to a carnival where they meet Dr. Mirakle, a scientist and showman who wants to find a mate for his ape Erik. When Erik and the doctor take a liking to Camille they seek her out. While trying to kidnap Camille, Mirakle secretly tests and murders many other women who all fail to survive transfusions of Erik’s ape blood. Meanwhile Dupin is on the case and is trying to find out why so many dead young women have been washing up on the shore.

The plot for this film is a mess. It is unclear what Lugoisi’s character is actually trying to accomplish and equally as baffling what happens to him in the finale. Even worse though is the script and acting outside of Lugosi. Dupin is supposed to be one of the first major larger than life literary detectives, but here he goes between obsessive and analytical to a fault to love struck, dense, and passionately heroic as though the writers didn’t know what to do with him. The side characters especially, Dupin’s Fatty Arbuckle like housemate provide awkward dialogue that isn’t funny and adds to the film’s tonal issues. Far too frequently scenes fluctuate between dreadful comedy routines, and to brutalised corpses or the sinister presence of Lugiosi.

It’s a real shame how uneven this film is. If the movie had a better story that complemented the atmospheric expressionist shots and scenery, and a stronger cast and script that could match or at least support Lugosi’s acting this film could have been a real classic. As it stands it isn’t a terrible film, especially for Universal fans, but it also fails to live up to its potential and to come anywhere close to the studios best films.

Transylvania 6-5000: This film was largely the result of legal complications with the Yugoslavian government. Forced to reinvest in the country the Dow Chemical Company decided to support this film and have most of the movie shot within Yugoslavia in order to make back its money. Sadly this infamous story is the most interesting aspect of the film.

The film “star’s,” Jack Harrison and Gil Turner, a couple of bumbling reporters sent to Transylvania to research a Frankenstein story. Gil is convinced that something suspicious is going on and that many town officials are in on it, while a reluctant Jack just wants to woo Elizabeth Ellison, another tourist visiting the country with her daughter.

Transylvania 6-5000 is a horror comedy that is neither spooky nor funny. The characters are all grating and unlikable, especially the horndog reporter Jack played by Jeff Goldblum and an obnoxious butler played by future seinfeld actor Michael Richards. What is worse though then the weak plot and characters is that the film isn’t funny at all. Despite an all star cast the humour in this film just doesn’t work, and falls painfully flat.

Those hoping that the elements borrowed and parodied from the Universal Monster canon would fare any better than the humour though would also be disappointed. The monsters and their designs are at best stock, and don’t inspire fear, interest, or laughter. What they did inspire in me though was a deep apathy and bitter disappointment. Time and time again horror comedy films have shown that making good classic monster movie pastiches is absolutely possible. Somehow though, despite a plethora of talent the most horrifying aspect of this film is that it features Jeffery Jones.

I’m afraid I totally agree with the review for this film by Leonard Maltin, “Pennsylvania 6-5000…Stinks.” What should have been a fun and entertaining romp instead feels exactly like the ill advised chemical company investment project it is.

Welcome to the first of what I hope will be many end of the year lists. Unlike most content creators who mainly highlight new material that came out this year I instead want to focus on what impacted me the most in 2023. While this end of year celebration will still start with a list of the best new manga and movies of the year, I will also be giving an overall look at what grabbed my attention the most during the year.

Please keep in mind this list is super subjective and based upon what I have personally experienced. This means that many favourites of others probably will be left out due to my personal tastes or due to me not having experienced them yet. I hope that you enjoy this fun year’s review for me.

Best new manga release:

Runners up:

Kaoru Mori scribbles 1 and 2: While I couldn’t with good conscience include this title as manga of the year due to it being a translation of Mori’s sketchbooks I do want to highlight how good and impactful this book is. Kaoru Mori is one of the best living manga artists of all time, a claim that is reinforced by these fantastic books. Her art covers all sorts of themes, but retains her own feel and exquisite design. One thing that stands out about her art style is the detail in which she works. Mori not only has clearly studied a variety of historical costuming, but also cares deeply about her characters and improving as an artist.

Another thing that stands out about this work is Mori’s own commentary. Through her comments we get a clear sense of who she is as a person and what her interests are, and how much she loves fashion and costuming. While this title doesn’t contain a narrative (at least in the traditional sense) it stands head and shoulders over many books released this year.

Nichijou: Nichijou is back! Its return was very much a happy surprise; especially during a year where good new manga was hard to find and so many great titles I was looking forward to were delayed. Though I also loved the creators’ other major series, City, I am so grateful for more new Nichijou volumes!

It’s hard to explain exactly what Nichijou is about. Although its title translates to, “Everyday Life,” this title couldn’t be further from the truth. Nichijou follows the experiences of a high school and town filled with strange characters and odd things happening. This manga includes slapstick comedy and all sorts of weird features including a robot embarrassed by her robotic features, a genius but childish kid professor, a boy with butler who rides a goat, a teacher determined to capture and prove that one of her student’s is a robot, a deer wrestling principle, and a bunch of strange high schoolers doing over the top things.

Trying to explain Nichijou is in effect like trying to explain the concept of absurdity. As a reader you can always count on something strange, unexpected, and amusing to happen. Because of this it is hard to explain why Nichijou is so funny without just summarising its stories. If you love random or slapstick comedy though this is a series you need to read.

While not entirely new, Nichijou is a great series I’m really glad has returned. I look forward to reading more of it and busting a gut again in June when its next volume comes out!

Akane-banashi: Akane-banashi was a pleasant surprise. While simple it provides a lot of what I love in manga, it has lots of passion, a great story, and information about interesting and unusual subject matter.

This series is all about a traditional form of Japanese storytelling. After her father is cruelly rejected at an exam to become a professional Rakugo storyteller by an arrogant master, his daughter Akane dedicates herself to becoming one in her father’s place. She practises tirelessly with her father’s former teacher, a master Rakugo storyteller named Shiguma and his three other students in hopes of growing her skills and getting revenge for her father. Through their guidance she learns what it takes to be a professional and share her skills on stage in a variety of settings.

Akane-banashi’s focus on storytelling helps bring to life the traditional art of Rakugoka, a Japanese storytelling tradition that involves a presenter playing all the roles of a story with minimal props. Not only is the subject very interesting, but Akane-banashi does a good job teaching about the process of becoming involved in Rakugoka and feelings that come with performing it. Akane learns fast that she has a lot to learn despite her inherent skill, and is pushed by her peers and fellow storytellers to grow and improve. It is also really interesting to read a shonen title that is so outside the norm and features a female lead. So many popular shonen manga series follow a formula, it is exciting to read a series that breaks this mould and takes a different approach.

The art in Akane-banashi also does a great job of conveying stories being told and visualising them without distracting from the telling and performance aspect. Its representation of the tellers embodying their characters brings a liveliness to the performance, and helps visually embody an oral art. Its character designs are also great, ranging from very traditional shonen designs, to unusual characters that stand out. All these features allow the art to visualise and substitute oral emphasis of the story which is impressive.

Akane-banashi is a pleasant surprise of a title that presents an interesting subject and backs that subject up with good art and storytelling. I couldn’t put down this series and can’t wait to read more of it next year!

Best new movie:

The Boy and the Heron: The Boy and the Heron is Miyazaki’s latest film, and one of his best. A combination of all sorts of things, my mind was blown when I stepped out of my IMAX screening of this brilliant movie.

The Boy in the Heron follows Mahito, a boy living during World War II. After his mother tragically passes away he and his father move to a large estate in the country owned by his mother’s younger sister Natsuko. Natsuko has married Mahito’s father and is expecting a child, something the Mahito is largely unsure about how to respond to. Things become strange though when a grey heron seems to beckon Mahito to an odd abandoned tower where his eccentric grand uncle disappeared mysteriously years ago.

As the film is new I don’t want to spoil or say too much about it, but what I can say is that besides lacking flying machines it may be the most “Miyazaki,” Miyazaki film I have seen. The story clearly carries his themes, style, and fluid tonal shifts that remind you strongly of his other works. I’m not sure if this is my favourite of his films, but without a doubt it stands out as the best film I have seen this year and somehow manages to top even the latest animated Spiderman film (which was my favourite movie of the year before seeing this film). Even the dub (an element that can be hit and miss with Ghibli films) was excellent with its cast being almost unrecognisable, especially Robert Pattison who plays the trouble-making Heron. I feel that this film should not only win best animated picture of the year, but also deserves to be nominated for best picture of the year.

Runners up:

Across the Spider-verse: Across the Spider-verse may just be the greatest superhero movie of all time. It somehow manages to equal or even surpass its previous outing. Across the Spider-verse has its teenage heroes Miles and Gwen faced with great personal adversity, and take on a multiverse filled with trouble and other spider people.

This film’s use of multiverse works so much better than so many other superhero films this year, because at its core is such a personal narrative. Spider-verse, despite its scope, is grounded in a story of family and fighting against personal loss. Unlike most superhero films this year, Spider-verse feels like it has real stakes that mean something, gives the heroes a personalised purpose, and makes the antagonist’s losses and feelings understandable. It also doesn’t hurt that the film looks amazing, is filled with comic book in-jokes, and continues to balance the seriousness and silliness effectively in a way that other films like Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor failed to do. A great film only topped by The Boy and the Heron, Spider-verse is a must see.

Asteroid City: Asteroid City is yet more evidence of the quirky genius of Wes Anderson. While I don’t believe in Auteur theory (films are expensive multi-faceted undertakings involving a variety of people) if there ever was a modern director who you might make me rethink my stance it would be Wes Anderson. You know a Wes Anderson film when you see it, and Asteroid City very much highlights many of his trademark elements.

Anderson is famous for his use of colour pallets, something this film also strongly emphasises. Asteroid City is very deliberate about its colour scheme employing bright blues and whites, and muted tan colours which give the film a distinctive and controlled sense of style. These colours pop out and also add to the unusualness and artificiality that he is going for.

While similar to many of Anderson’s other works, Asteroid City stands out as a unique experience unlike any other film that came out this year. It is a film that demands the attention of its viewers, but also rewards them for their interest. Asteroid City is a strange and wonderful film well worth seeing, especially if you like the other films of Wes Anderson.

The Old Way: Why is it that this film has been so ignored and maligned? The Old Way places Cage in an old fashioned revenge drama playing a former outlaw who is driven out of retirement when his wife is killed. In lesser hands this type of film could be cliche, but it is saved by two things, Cage’s performance and the inclusion of Ryan Kiera Armstrong who plays Cage’s character’s daughter.

The film’s handling of the pair’s struggles and mental illness sets it apart from the typical Western. Cage’s character Colton Briggs and his situation is portrayed primarily as tragic and flawed, not as badass or heroic. Cage does a great job portraying mental illness as something that is complex. Brigg’s toughness is shown as something that separates him from the world, not something to seek out or idolise. It is Brigg’s past cruelty that drives the antagonist Jimmy to be traumatised and to grow up to misguidedly trying to emulate Brigg’s violence. He and his gang then murder Brigg’s wife not only as revenge, but also as a way of getting him to come out of retirement so that they can kill him. While Brigg’s is driven by a focused purpose of revenge making him a deadly force to be reckoned with, is primarily portrayed as a tragic world weary figure that had a hand in his own suffering and created a cycle of violence that was the result of his previous callousness.

A Haunting in Venice: I will be honest and say that a lot of Kenneth Branagh’s films have been hit or miss for me. I adore many of his Shakespearean adaptations, but am not a big fan of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (which is a terrible name for this film), Thor, Cinderella, and Artemis Fowl. My experience with most of his Poirot Trilogy has also been hit or miss. I usually prefer the more straightforward and stately adaptations of David Suchet to Branagh’s more loose films. Many of Branagh’s previous adaptations of Poirot seemed awkwardly trapped between the slow and stylized tone of the Christie content, and the more bombastic style he is known for.

Thankfully this film dispenses with most of the pretexts of doing a faithful adaptation, instead opting for creating mostly original concepts. While it bears very little resemblance to the novel it is based upon (the Hallowe’en Party) this turns out to be a good thing. Branagh transforms the slow paced mystery of the book into an exciting old dark house style story where it becomes unclear if the things occurring align with a traditional murder narrative or are the result of supernatural forces. Setting the movie mostly within an old Italian villa and making major changes to the story that take advantage of the medium of film really helped it build tension effectively. These changes also made the mystery far more exciting, and allowed all the celebrity actors to give interesting performances that stood out. I ended up liking this film far more than I was expecting, and consider it one of the best mysteries of the year.

Godzilla Minus One: Godzilla Minus One delivers the goods. While I really enjoyed watching Shin-Godzilla this year, it really can’t compare to the quality of Godzilla Minus One. Minus One seems to get everything right, and is a fitting tribute that blows other recent outings of Godzilla out of the water.

The film stars Kōichi Shikishima, a kamikaze pilot who fakes engine trouble and abandons his duty of suicide near the ending of World War II, only to have the small island base he landed on be attacked brutally by Godzilla. When tasked with shooting the monster he freezes up with fear and is unable to shoot it allowing Godzilla to slaughter all but one of his comrades before disappearing into the night. As the war comes to a close Koichi is left with trauma and guilt, and returns home to find Tokyo in ruins and his parents dead. He ends up taking in Noriko, a woman who lost her family, and Akiko, the baby she rescued. Eventually they form a makeshift family together and start to re-build. Godzilla does not stay dormant for long though and it seems like no government is prepared or willing to help stop the monster from rampaging.

Godzilla Minus One has finally broken the curse that has plagued many Godzilla films since its inception. In most Godizlla films I just want to get to more monster action and/or cannot take the human elements seriously. This is not the case for Godzilla Minus One. Minus One has a complex plot where its lead is driven by a mixture of guilt over his past, and a genuine desire to do good. He tries his best, but you see him struggle in an authentic and at times messy way with all the trauma he is carrying. You want to see him succeed and really care about his fate, and the fate of his friends and family.

Godzilla Minus One also doesn’t skimp on Godzilla. Though Godzilla does appear a lot less then in some other Godzilla films every appearance of Godzilla carries a weight to it and brings terror. Godzilla in this film is a force to be reckoned with, a true monster bent on destroying cities, lives, and Koichi life. Godzilla is portrayed as a seemingly unstoppable force leaving death and destruction in their wake. Even at sea Godzilla is a menace ripping apart huge battleships like they were nothing, and being unphased by human attacks. Ultimately it becomes up to human ingenuity to fight Godzilla as the government is powerless and too corrupt to do anything despite Godzilla ravaging Tokyo, the United States is unwilling to do anything about Godzilla, and conventional force proves useless.

While the ending of Minus One doesn’t quite stick the landing for me, I still think that Godzilla Minus One is one of the best Godzilla films I have ever seen in years. It gets the human elements right, while also making Godzilla even more terrifying than in Shin Godzilla.

Science Fiction has had a major impact on manga since before World War 2. It wasn’t until the post war period, however, that Science Fiction became an important genre of manga. Starting with a trilogy of Science Fiction works by Osamu Tezuka, Science Fiction comics really began to take off with the creation of the Japanese Science Fiction Magazine S-F in 1960. This magazine and the creation of fan zines such as Uchūjin helped to fuel the Science Fiction works within Japan, and to make it a major genre within manga and anime. Science Fiction exploded in the 1970’s thanks to works such as Japan Sinks and Star Wars that made it a mainstay in popular culture. While in the late 80’s Science Fiction as a genre had a sharp decline within Japanese media, it would reappear once again as a popular theme in manga from the 2000’s and 2010’s.

Science Fiction manga has taken a number of forms but is often known for its use of major themes including: cyberpunk (stories involving technology), mecha (works involving giant robots), Tokusatsu (action stories with Japanese TV and movie based themes), Space Opera (action titles involving space and battles), Diesel punk and Steam punk (stories incorporating alternate advancements in technology), and Isekai (the traveling to other dimensions and worlds) works. What is similar throughout all Japanese Science Fiction manga however is a deep sense of creativity and a desire to tell engaging stories. Science Fiction manga continues to stand out as some of the most interesting works the Science Fiction genre has to offer.

1. Nausicaä: Nausicaä is one of the most important works of Science Fiction manga. Its setting establishes a world where a combination of giant destructive, “God Warriors,” devastating pollution, and constant conflict has nearly caused the extinction of all humans, with all remaining civilizations living within a dangerous post-apocalyptic world. The story of Nausicaä begins within the small and peaceful Valley of the Wind which is ruled by an old and ailing king, and his daughter Nausicaä a young woman who is attuned with nature and the giant insects who now roam the land. Things soon change though when the kingdom is invaded by Princess Kushana, a leader of the large Torumekian Empire, and Nausicaä and the Valley soon become tied up in the war, politics, conflicts, and schemes of other warring Kingdoms.

Nausicaä is groundbreaking not only because of its commentary on human nature and preserving the environment, but also because it does so in such a complex way while not muddling its message. It is a series that reflects Miyazaki’s own views at the time, including his disdain for dualistic world views and human’s wastefulness combining both these themes into an engaging world. Miyazaki’s art is likewise up to the task of creating this unique world, and also is great at defining the story’s distinct characters. Nausicaä is a gorgeous, smart, and revolutionary work that all Science Fiction fans should read.

2. Metropolis: Once again it would be impossible to talk about important and groundbreaking manga without including a work by Osamu Tezuka. Tezuka’s Science Fiction Trilogy had a huge impact on Science Fiction manga and helped to influence many future Science Fiction titles. Perhaps his best known of this trio (at least in the United States) is Metropolis. Metropolis focuses on Michi, a super powered synthetic human created using artificial sunspots. These spots are created by the super criminal Duke Red who wants to use the child for his own evil plans. After their creator Dr. Laughton is murdered Michi ends up being protected from the Duke and his henchmen by two of Tezuka’s favorite characters Ken’ichi’ and his uncle Shunsaku Ban.

3. Pluto: Pluto is another example of just how influential Osamu Tezuka was on manga creators. Pluto is an adaption of the Astro-Boy story, “The Greatest Robot on Earth,” a story about mysteriously robot murder, who is killing advanced robots and has even started killing humans, despite such an event only ever happening once before. What sets this adaption apart is that it focuses on a European police inspector robot Gesicht, rather than Astro-Boy and is presented as more of a murder mysterious than action story.

Adapting Tezuka in Japan is like adapting a classic writer within the United States. Thankfully Urasawa not only manages to meet the high expectations placed on him, but also adapts the story into something all his own and brilliant. Like Tezuka Urasawa explores the relationship between robots and humans, but does so in much more gritty way while focusing on conversations about discrimination and the fight for the rights of robots against prejudice. Urasawa also uses his own art style which is significantly different from Tezuka’s, allowing his version to further stand out as original and gritty. Urasawa was told that his idea for Pluto was, “too good to let anybody else do,” and after reading this incredible adaption I would absolutely agree with this statement.

4. Aria: When most people think of Science Fiction they tend to think of either stories exploring the human condition through the discovery of new places and peoples, the advancement and ethics of technology, and/or of action movies, TV shows and serials focusing on space. Aria is far removed from most of these themes though. Instead it focuses on the daily lives of gondolier pilots and trainees in Neon Venice, a terraformed city on Mars. Aria is quiet story that involves Akari, a young woman from Earth who is learning to gondolier through the beautiful mostly water city she works in.

Aria stands out because its Science Fiction elements are primarily used as a means to create beautiful and relaxing settings. Instead of focusing on conflict or trying to grapple with the unknown, Aria focuses on the passion of water pilots for their jobs, her silly sentient cat boss, and the beautiful city they work in. The series creator Kozue Amano stated that her goal for the series was, “to have readers find happiness in small things and to not focus on their failures.” Aria reflects this with its relaxed pace and positive out-look. Amano also found that writing Aria helped her focus on the small and beautiful elements of life, and that she wanted Aria to reflect these personal experiences she had. All these factors help Aria stand out as very different from other Science Fiction manga titles, and also as rewarding to read.

5. Akira: Akira can best be described as a masterpiece and epic. Its long and complex cyberpunk story develops and changes through its six volumes. Akira focuses on a group of teenagers living in post-apocalyptic Tokyo. This gang of youth including the group’s leader Kaneda and his friend Tetsuo soon become involved in a battle between the military, the government, and rebels opposing corruption. Things ended up at a breaking point though when Tetsuo is taken in by the military and discovers that he has powerful psychic powers which eventually wreaks havoc on the city.

Akira explores many themes in its narrative including the collapse of society, corruption, the damage caused by unchecked power, and children’s reaction to these issues. It also presents a cyberpunk world featuring a city on its last legs dealing with multiple crises. At the centre of these issues is a teen boy’s anger and struggle to deal with a power far beyond his or anyone else’s control. Akira’s art could likewise be seen as an important piece of this work’s genius, creating a crumbling futuristic atmosphere filled with complex characters. Character designs in Akira are distinct despite their realism, and have the ability to emote and in some cases even warp physical boundaries in order to reflect their mental state. While I have tried my best to briefly cover this series, it’s well worth checking out Akira to understand brilliance better.

6. Planetes: Not all Science Fiction needs to explore the far future, space adventures, and/or space civilizations. Some Science Fiction titles such as Space Brothers and this entry (Planetes) focus more on the scientific aspects of Science Fiction. Planetes follows Ai, a new comer to the eccentric space trash and debris removal unit. She quickly finds that despite this unit being seen as lowly and of less worthy of funding that it actually provides an essential service for other space divisions, and helps to prevent the damage and danger caused by the many objects clogging up space.

While a story based on Space garbage collectors might not be the first thing that comes to mind when talking about Science Fiction manga, Planetes has a compelling story which is complimented by its great art. Planetes is even more compelling, however, because it features a bunch of eccentric misfits and their relationships with one another. Planetes is just as much about characters’ interactions with each other as it is the missions and spends a lot of time on the quirks of each character, especially the series two lead Ai and Hachimaki. The excellent characters, compelling stories, well-crafted art, and an unusual yet realistic story all help to make Planetes stand out from other Science Fiction titles.

7. Space Captain Harlock: One of the leaders of the Science Fiction boom of the 80’s was creator Leji Matsumoto. Highly influenced both by World War II as well as American popular films and movies, Matsumoto moved to Tokyo and eventually found major success with his work in the Science Fiction Space Opera genre. Matsumoto’s most famous works during this period included Space Battle Ship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999, and Space Captain Harlock, his most successful of these works. Starring the brave and larger than life Captain Harlock and his crew of noble outlaws, Space Captain Harlock is about their fight to protect the earth against the invading Mazone aliens.

Despite being an outlaw Harlock is portrayed as a man seeking freedom, who is also deeply moral and willing to stand up for what is right even if it brands him as a criminal. Despite the earth’s government falling into corruption and apathy Harlock continues to protect it despite the danger it puts him in. Captain Harlock is a thrilling adventure series blending the swash buckling of pirate stories with space battles and alien menaces. Matsumoto’s art allows all of this series to feel exciting and breathtaking, and uses a caricatured style to bring Harlock and his eccentric crew to life. Matsumoto also brings in his experience and interest in planes and ships by incorporating this background into his spaceship designs and artwork. Space Captain Harlock is a fun over the top series with powerful messages at its core about the importance of freedom and moral responsibility.

8. They Were Eleven: Not all Science Fiction manga is aimed at a male audience. Many of the most important and influential Science Fiction comics were written by women, including influential Shojo writer Moto Hagio. Comics such Towards Terra, Aria, and They Were 11 have all had a huge impact on the writing of Science Fiction comics. They Were Eleven involves a group of ten different space cadets who are assigned to an old space ship as a final test for their program. Things don’t go as planned though as an eleventh member appears on the ship, and no one can figure out which member is an imposter. Things then go bad to worse when the ship faces some unexpected disasters.

They Were Elven is a series that focuses on the relationships between crew members, and the paranoia caused by the addition of an extra person. Each of the crew comes from a different places, has differing cultural backgrounds and personalities, and some members even have differing bodies and gender identities. Because each of these characters are so different and have a distinct personality it becomes easy to invest in their struggles, and to feel for them even when they make poor choices. In addition to the great story and characters Hagio’s art style is incredible. Her uses of distinct design allows for a full range of emotions allowing characters to be serious and dramatic looking, or more goofy and caricatured. Even though They Were Elven has not yet been reprinted (as of the writing of this piece) it should be available March of 2023, and is an essential Science Fiction title that I could not ignore.

9. Ghost in the Shell: Perhaps the most famous Science Fiction manga creator in the United States during the early 1990’s was Masamune Shirow. Shirow’s Science Fiction works helped to launch a major collaboration between Dark Horse and Studio Proteus, making them into one of the first major U.S. manga companies. The most famous of Shirow’s many works was Apple Seed, and Ghost in the Shell. Ghost in the Shell follows the adventures of Major Motoko Kusanagi, the head of the counter-cyber terrorist organization Public Security Section 9. In this first volume Kusanagi as well as others in her division are sent to deal with a cyber-criminal known as the Puppet Master who has been hacking into people’s cybernetic brains.

Those who are familiar with the Ghost in the Shell film might be shocked at just how different it is from the manga. The Ghost in the Shell manga is much less philosophical, and much more based in action and irreverent humour. It also has the Major flirting more, being more open about her sexuality, and being more far lighter hearted then in the film. One element that remains the same in both versions of Ghost in the Shell though is an intense attention to detail, especially within the artwork. Shirow is famous for his incredibly detailed pages that can be so intricate that they are almost overwhelming to look at. Despite some of this manga’s changes from the movie it is still a visually mesmerising experience, a huge influence on the American manga market, and helped to establish many of the interesting story elements that made the Ghost in the Shell movie such a huge hit.

10. Girls’ Last Tour: A recent, but worthy Science Fiction tale Girls’ Last Tour is delightfully quirky. It stars Chii-chan and Yuu, two girls who are exploring a mostly abandoned world ravaged by war. Despite both girls having very different personalities, they both must work together and develop close bonds as they explore a world that has been torn apart.

Girls’ Last Tour chronicles the lead’s journeys as they try to survive and explore what’s left of the world. This series differs from many post-apocalyptic stories because it involves the two leads going about their daily lives. Rarely does the series present conflict or violence, instead focusing on the lead’s need for survival within a mostly wrecked world. Despite being children, Chii-chan and Yuu need each other’s help and support to survive their journey through the eerie emptiness of the world around them. An excellent new Science Fiction title, Girl’s Last Tour has a feel all its own balancing its bleak atmosphere with the brightness of the two leads.

After lots of editing I’m incredibly excited to finally be able to release this list! This is no means a definitive best of list, but I wanted to create a list that reflected series I personally love and that have affected me. A lot of the series on this list come with stories and wonderful memories that make them very special to me. I hope that you enjoy reading about my experiences with these series and that you discover some new and exciting shows to watch through it.

1. Cowboy Bebop: Cowboy Bebop changed my life in so many ways. The first time I saw this show was during middle school at a friend’s house. I ended up seeing this show on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, and instantly fell in love with it. This was also my first experience watching Adult Swim, before it became super popular, and way before Toonami became a part of Adult Swim and streaming anime online was common. Cowboy Bebop was still a relatively new program at that time, and Adult Swim had a special marathon showing the entire show in one night. I was memorized by less than half way through the first episode, and I stayed up until around 3AM marathoning all of it. I had and have yet to see a show with so many amazing features and that set so many major standards for the US anime industry. Cowboy Bebop’s animation is mind blowing, the plots of each episode vary greatly in tone and yet are often masterpieces despite being radically different, the characters are cool and detailed with each character having their own interesting story arcs developed throughout the show, and the music is also radically varied yet mind-blowingly amazing.
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   This anime series is also a masterpiece because it is largely responsible for setting the standard for what a series and an English dub could be. All the voice cast was top notch, fit with their characters seamlessly, and helped push for a higher standard of translation and voice acting. Another element of this show that had a major impact on me was how it introduced me to many important and life changing topics such as how complex and important gender identity can be, and the complexity within various relationships. To this day I don’t think I’ve seen another show that has had the same impact on me as Cowboy Bebop. This series a must-see series, and a rare instance where the English dub is a must watch.

2. Gankutsuou: the Count of Monte Cristo: Gankutsuou is an anime series that draws inspiration from one of my favourite books. At the beginning of undergraduate degree I was loaned a copy of Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo and ended up falling in love with Dumas’s ornate tale of revenge and loss. The Count of Monte Cristo is epic filled with drama, excitement, and a tale of love and hate, and it amazed me with how the drama in the story seemed to contrast my personality and how I felt my life was at the time. Gankutsuou manages to stir up those same feelings found in the novel, while adding its own twists to the tale and making the story its own. By changing the focus of the story from the Count to the naive son of one of the men that the Count seeks revenge against I felt a real sense of how mysterious, painfully driven, and larger than life the Count appears. Somehow the addition of a science fiction theme, the odd animation style that overlays fabrics, the new characters, and change of focus really does work in this series, and doesn’t detract from the originals themes, but instead is done carefully in a way that enhances them while setting the series apart from a mere retelling. This series is one of the best retellings of a classic work that I have ever seen, and whenever I watch it I am left by the end of the episode amazed and always eager for more.

3. Wolf Rain: Wolf Rain is the sort of anime that people usually either love or hate, personally I love it. Other than the director many of the staff for Wolf Rain had just come from working on Cowboy Bebop. It was clear that they wanted to create an even more mind-blowing style of animation and it shows in Wolf’s Rain. Wolf Rain looks amazing and stands up still as one of the most beautiful looking series of all time. Also returning from Cowboy Bebop was composer Yahko Kanno who provided an appropriately different, but just as breathtaking mostly symphonic orchestral score. This series once again had an incredible voice cast and script with many amazing dub voice actors continuing to uphold a high standard (including the amazing Steve Blum). These technical elements were combined with an interesting and complex show mixing folk tales with science fiction into a journey of discovery. While I know that this series is not for everyone, I would recommend that everyone at least give it a try, because those who enjoy this show (like me) usually love it, and even those that don’t like it will at least appreciate the technical elements that went into Wolf’s Rain.

4. Sailor Moon (original): Sailor Moon has had a huge impact on me not only as an anime fan, but as a person. When I was young before transitioning, Sailor Moon played a huge part in the self-discovery and affirmation of my gender. Despite being teased by my family about it, I would often watch the DIC dub of Sailor Moon usually in secret on Toonami when I could. I would day dream about having the female body I needed, being a part of the Sailor Moon world, and going on adventures while wearing beautiful outfits.
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   Sailor Moon also provided a story and world I could relate to. While some people feel that Sailor Moon has too much monster of the week material, I personally found the format great for getting to know the cast. Often the most important element of the show for me was getting a chance to know each of the characters, to the point where I felt like I knew how they would react in many situations. The Sailor Moon series balanced the action and the cosmic, with the mundane and everyday life well, keeping both interesting, fun, and exciting. It also maintained its feel and elements, while adding exciting and at the time cutting edge elements such as LGBTQIA characters. On top of that the series has an excellent and stylized hand drawn look and a musical score that always gets me pumped. Even without the nostalgia glasses and with the personalized impact this show has had on me, I still think that I would declare it one of the best Magical Girl shows of all time.

5. Ranma ½: For a lot of older anime fans like me Ranma ½ was a very generationally significant show. Early in US anime fandom Ranma ½ was one of the most popular shows of its time and was a show everyone was talking about and watching. I grew up during the tail end of Ranma’s immense popularity and really got into Ranma during Viz’s second printing of the manga. I was quickly hooked and made Ranma ½ the first manga I consistently collected, despite having only a small allowance in High School. Its comedy, action, world, and concepts all drew me in, and it also became another part of my day dreams and a place of escape from difficulty of the world as a teenage transgender woman.
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   While I don’t think that the anime is nearly as good as the manga, the anime series has also had a huge impact on me. Despite not being as good as the manga, the anime series was something that I spend a lot of time watching. Ranma was one of the first anime series that I actively purchased, before DVD’s or streaming anime existed. I vividly recall purchasing a fan translated copy of the 2^nd Ranma movie at a local used book store near my grandparent’s house and watching it with my brother. That experience has always stuck with me as one of the most important and enjoyable experiences I have had with an anime. After that I would sometimes find VHS copies of Ranma at Goodwill which I would purchase and watch religiously. While the world has changed a great deal from when I was first buying and watching the Ranma ½ anime, it still has a unique charm to it with a memorable and unusual soundtrack, and an interesting hand drawn style that reminds me a lot of Sailor Moon and early cell animation. It also remains important to me as a series. I continue to love watching the Ranma anime series, OVA’s, and movies to this day. Ranma ½ for me is the sort of show that I don’t view so much on an empirical level, but rather as an important part of my life and an important experience for me as an anime fan.

6. Haibane Renmei: Despite my first complete viewing of this series being less than five years ago, this show already holds a special place in my heart. Haibane Renmei is like no other anime series I have seen. Despite being a fantasy series based around coming to another world, Haibane Renmei couldn’t feel more different from most series of these kinds. Haibane Renmei explores an over arcing plot about personal salvation and saving others emotionally, but it is also often slow moving and typically focuses on everyday life for the characters. Haibane Renmei has a lot more in common with shows like Mushishi and Kino’s Journey then it does other coming to a fantasy world based shows that proceeded it like Sword Art Online and Log Horizon, which drew more strongly from shows such as .Dot Hack Sign. I appreciate Haibane Renmei’s slow emotional feel and can relate to many of the internal struggles and questions the show poses about life and death. This show helped me get through my first breakup and a bout of major depression during my busiest period of graduate school. This show also helped me find a way forward through these struggles. For those looking for a series that is smart, relaxing, emotional, and takes its time crafting a detailed and thoughtful story Haibane Renmei is the perfect series to view.

7. Spice and Wolf: Horo is one of my favourite anime characters of all time. From her design as a red wolf young woman, who is cute while also remaining wild and free; to her personality, which combines extreme wit with a sense of animal like danger, but also a helpful warmth Horo is a character that appeals to me greatly. In many ways she reminds me of the sort of person I want to be or at least be friends with. That isn’t to say that Horo is the only element that I love about Spice and Wolf, the merchant Lawrence’s often laid back, cynical, and deal making personality nicely contrast Horo’s personality and helps develop an odd relationship between them. The plot about changing times, religious shifts, and medieval economies are all fascinating as well, and are highlighted well with the series style and memorable score. This is a great anime for those who love Kemonomimi like me or those who want an unusual anime about economies and changing traditions.

8. Space Captain Harlock: I’m hard pressed to think a character more badass and iconic than Captain Harlock. Though Leji Matsumoto’s works have largely been forgotten or seen as relics in the US, it’s hard for me not to admire the work and story that went into this classic series. Its passionate music and striking scenes are burnt into my mind. Captain Harlock is a series that I personally think holds up as one of the most important Space Opera epics of all time despite its age. Harlock is a character who is larger than life and represents the importance for standing up for what you believe in and being free to be yourself. He and his crew of misfits sail the stars as pirates fighting for what is right, rather than what is easy. These messages I think are largely timeless and have held up for me in a profound way, which makes it one of my personal favourite shows.

9. Wandering Son: Finding an anime series that seriously talks about being transgender is nearly impossible. Often transgender characters are at most side characters or comedy reliefs, and their lives aren’t explored fully. As a transgender person I often feel sad that transgender people are often underrepresented or to be treated like a punch line within media. Wandering Son’s treatment of transgender people, however is very different. Staring two transgender kids growing up, this show beautifully explores what it is like to be transgender and young within Japan. Wandering Son takes itself seriously, exploring the perspective of how transgender kids deal with a strictly gendered society. Wandering Son is very emotional in this exploration, and doesn’t stray from talking about the confusion, fear, awkwardness, and sadness as well as the happiness and personal triumphs of its cast. I found myself as a transgender woman sucked into this narrative and the shows gorgeous animation style.
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   Seeing a realistic and positive transgender story that presents transgender kids and people’s narratives was so important for me. It felt as though this show was created to give transgender people a voice, and to try to express the complex feelings of being transgender. It’s very hard to explain to others what it personally is like surrounded by a world that often doesn’t see or witness the feelings, challenges, and needs of transgender people, especially transgender children. While no one representation could even cover the transgender experience in its entirety and although this show focuses specifically on the experience of transgender children in Japan, I do feel that it has a universal quality to it that talks directly and frankly about the transgender experience. I think that this show does an excellent of job of trying to represent what it is like to be transgender and can speak not only to me on a personal level, but also to those who aren’t transgender and seeking to understand some of the transgender experience.
10. Paranoia Agent: Paranoia Agent is a show that I was sadly wrong about when I was younger. When the show first premiered on Adult Swim the advertisements seemed to suggest it was a gritty crime drama about a boy with baseball bat and roller blades who went around whacking people. In some sense I couldn’t have been more wrong about this show. Paranoia Agent like many Satoshi Kon works I would later see is about mental illness, where the story is far deeper and more complex than how it appears on the outside. It wasn’t until years later that I saw this show on anime streamer’s channel and lamented my previous misjudgement. It was so much better than I initially had anticipated based on the ads and was like no other series I had ever seen. Paranoia Agent was the show that pushed me to read and watch ever other Satoshi Kon work I could get my hands on because of its complex plot blending the real and surreal, and the deep characterization of its cast.

11. Bubblegum Crisis: While I was picking up Ranma VHS’s at Goodwill I also stumbled upon this 80’s gem of a series. Bubblegum Crisis is a science fiction anime classic that drew from so many different and interesting sources, combining them into a thrilling world. It included dystopian science fiction, 1980’s culture, terminators, mech suits, and a powerful female superhero team taking on a powerful and evil corporation. This series set the stage for so many series to follow it, and presented a new urban science fiction style.
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    I was most impressed by how interesting and powerful the lead women were in Bubblegum Crisis. During the time I was first watching this show, the United States rarely had any empowering female role models, and I hadn’t seen anything as empowering and rocking like Bubblegum Crisis. Girls and women on TV were at best typically relegated to helping male leads or as tokens. Women in U.S. cartoons at the time didn’t usually kick ass or have prominence in the same way they do today. It still sticks with me just how cool and empowered the characters in Bubblegum Crisis were. This series is worth watching if for nothing more than its historical significance and rocking soundtrack, but I feel it is much more than just a historically important show and should be checked out by all superhero, action, and science fiction fans as well.

12. Ghost Sweeper Mikami: Ghost Sweeper Mikami proves that not all anime shows must be deep, entirely original, or artistically unusual to be a lot of fun and memorable. Despite being the latest show on this list that I have watched, Ghost Sweeper Mikami earns its place here due to how much fun I had watching it. Mikami clearly draws a lot from Ranma ½’s style of slapstick and action, mixing it with an interesting exorcism-based plot. It didn’t take long before I was drawn into the series wacky humour and characters such as the money hungry Ghost hunting expert Reiko Mikami, her pervert and cowardly assistant Tadao Yokoshima, and the underpaid naïve ghost assistant Okinu.
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    What really made this show stand out for me was just how well it executes its jokes. Ghost Sweeper Mikami’s constant references, wacky scenarios and comedic timing reminded me a lot of why I loved Ranma ½. On top of this the show has an amazing opening, a wonderful stylized hand-drawn animation (I’m a huge lover of the hand-drawn style), and interesting characters designs. Despite an interest theme of ghost busting, the primary draw of this series for me is how entertaining it is, and how well it adopts and adapts familiar comedic traditions and material. I have been having a blast watching this series, and feel it is one of the best hidden gems I have stumbled upon and one well worth checking out.

13. Revolutionary Girl Utena: Revolutionary Girl Utena is a show that very weird and very good. Utena stands out because of its imagination, drawing from many unusual themes such as Yuri, Surrealism, comedy, tournament action, apocalypse, drama, and a show with psychological elements. Trying to explain Utena in terms of these genres though is very difficult. For those who haven’t seen this series the best way of describing it would be that it stars a female prince, who is sent to participate in sword fighting contests in an upside-down castle to win the hand of the Rose Bride. Utena ends up quickly “winning” the Rose Bride Anthy Himemiya and tries throughout the season to help Anthy break free of her demure personality and to protect her against other duelling students, including the school’s student council.
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    There is no show quite like Revolutionary Girl Utena, which also stands out due to its unique elements of animation style, score, opening, and plot. I think it’s once again this uniqueness that draws me to so much to this series and makes it one of my favourites. One episode in Utena could be deadly serious, while the next could be about boxing with Kangaroo or body swapping curry. I always get a sense with this show that it’s never clear what will happen next, but that whatever does happen will make sense within the series context. I applaud Revolutionary Girl Utena for taking chances, doing so many original things, and doing those things in a way that worked and enhanced the show. Those looking for something different and interesting will not disappointed if they watch this series.
14. Princess Jellyfish: Princess Jellyfish is another show that makes my top 16, because it can effectively blend multiple elements. The story of a Jellyfish loving nerd, working together with other super nerds and a cross-dressing fashionista in order to save their apartment building from redevelopment, this anime blends weird yet relatable comedy and drama together spectacularly. I can’t get enough of this series both in sub and the surprisingly great English dub. Of all the series I have watched this is probably the one I am most hoping gets another season. Every moment of this series was great from seeing the opening of this series which has the most movie references I have even seen in an anime opening, to the final episode that left me wanting more. It is a shame this series has been largely forgotten by others, because it does so many things right and leaves such a great impression.
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    I first got to see this show when someone shared this series in anime club, and I was immediate captivated. This show was so good that it ended up becoming something as a club that we would watch each week, and I was fortunate enough to get to see it start to finish. While I have seen and learned about many amazing shows in anime club such as Madoka Magica, Space Captain Harlock, Space Dandy, and Hajime No Ippo this show stands out as one of the best shows I was introduced to. I enjoyed this show so much that I waited with bated breath when this show was licensed and immediately bought a copy of the series at Comic Con after it was released. Surprisingly seeing the series again on my own with the English dub did not diminish my experience with the show. The dub was solid and enhanced my feelings about seeing the show again, which is something that rarely happens.

15. Princess Tutu: Princess Tutu is a show that I watched after several anime reviewers recommended it, and I can safely say that it deserved the hype it was given. Princess Tutu is one of the best children’s anime and magical girl series I have ever seen with great animation, unique characters, and a fantastic classically themed score. I was also quickly drawn into its uses of fairy tales, dance, and classical music to tell a beautiful and complex story, while also drawing from magical girl shows. Princess Tutu is especially exciting because it doesn’t talk down to its viewers. Despite being aimed at children, Princess Tutu has complex themes, emotions and many twists that would feel at home in a great more adult aimed anime like Revolutionary Girl Utena, while retaining a classical magical girl feel. While many other magical girl shows are based on a formula, Princess Tutu did something incredibly original by including its stylized music, dance, and story book elements directly into the story. Princess Tutu is the perfect example for me of a show that lives up to the hype and blends its themes directly into the story.

16. Urusei Yatsura: Originally, I was planning on making sure that this list of my favourite picks was limited to fifteen shows. I wanted to tell stories and talk about the impact that only the most important anime had on to me. At first, I had thought that I had established the list and I didn’t have this pick on it or the honourable mentions. When I saw more of this show with my girlfriend Hana though, I was reminded why this is one of my favourite series and adaptions of all time. After watching this series, I knew it had to be on the main list somewhere but wasn’t sure what I would drop too keep it to fifteen. I realized that although I felt this series needed to be on the list, I also couldn’t bear to move any of the other shows to the honourable mentions or remove any show from my fifteen. In the end I ended up finally caving in and adding this series to the list as number sixteen, which is something I do not regret.
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    Urusei Yatsura is a comedy where it feels like anything can and will happen, and that the show makers took great care to capture the manga’s series feel. Though the animation has not dated as well as Ranma, I feel that empirically this show does a better job of capturing the originals off the wall slapstick humour and wacky characterization. This show is mainly on the list because it is so incredibly wacky and funny. Takahashi clearly had a lot of fun writing the show’s many odd setups and plots, and this adaption captures that joy perfectly. Urusei Yatsura is a show that I often get lost in, where I’m always wanting to see more of and lose track of everything else. As a fan of all things Takahashi and growing up reading her comics the manga for this series was one that I always wish I could have read more of. I’m super excited that the manga is being reprinted so I can finally read it and I hope that this release will help to get the anime’s license rescued by Discotek or Viz.

Honorable mentions

17. Magical Emi: As many of my readers and friends know I love obscure magical girl shows, especially from the 1980’s. Magical Girl shows in the 80’s were often aimed at young girls, and often featured more emotional content and less violent conflict than the magical girl most people are now generally use to today. Of all the shows of this genre from the 1980’s so far my favourite has been Magical Emi. Magical Emi is a cute show with an interesting premise. It stars the girl Mai who gets the power to transform into the teenage stage magician Magical Emi so that she can help her grandparents magic act. Like many 1980’s anime series this show is very simple and focuses largely on Mai working to promote her grandparent’s magical act when it becomes noticed by a TV producer, while also working out her feelings for her teenage love interest Shou Yuuki. The series is so powerful because it is so simple, fun, and sweet, but stands out because of its focus on stage magic which presents a wonderful twist on the 80’s magical girl genre, while also exemplifying it.(Blank)
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    Magical Emi captures the essence of magic, heart, and wonder found in 80’s magical girl shows effectively, making it one of my personal favourites of the era. Despite this show being my favourite of the 80’s, I tend to love the wonder and awe that many other Magical Girl shows of the time also represent. Shows of this period bring me back to the joy I felt as a child watching and exploring exciting fantasy worlds filled with love and the magical. While I appreciate the diversity, creativity, and action that later Magical Girl shows have, many shows recently have taken more violent, cynical, and sexualized content, and dark routes. There is definitely a place and was a need for these twists, and diversity of content and themes, but I still feel an attachment for 1980’s style of show that tends to be simpler and more focused on more positive emotions.
18. CLAMP Anime series: I thought long and hard about which of the many series created by the all women creator group CLAMP would be on this list. I was finding it hard though to pick just one out of the many amazing series I have seen. Each series by this team has something unique to offer, and a good reason why it might have belonged individually on this list. Magical Knight Rayearth has a beautiful design, an amazing blending of concepts, a surprising plot twist, amazing music and a cute Chibi aesthetic; while XXXHolic has wonderful characters, a dream like aesthetic, and does a great job of contrasting animation between characters to define them; Angelic Layer was a great adaption with lots of heart and an amazing blend of Shonen tournament and Shoujo drama themes; while Chobbit’s features an unusual story and a conversation on the human relationship with technology; Card Captor Sakura is an amazing Magical Girl show with two amazing series, a more gentle and emotional aesthetic, and an interesting take on relationship dynamics; while Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles featured amazing dimension hopping stories and mind bending twists. All these shows and more have been very important to me, so much so that I found it impossible to choose just one. Rather than filling up and expanding my honourable mentions list or having to make the difficult decision of choosing only a limited few CLAMP work’s, I instead decided that it would be best to put all the CLAMP series I have seen into this one spot. CLAMP as a group has had such huge impact on me and the anime industry, which is why I wanted to highlight all their outstanding works in this entry.
19. The Laughing Salesman: The Laughing Salesman makes it on this honourable mention list alone for its title character’s frightening appearance. Moguro Fukuzo’s unnerving huge smile, and gleefully sadist eyes and laugh helps to make him one of the scariest figures of all time. What is even more frightening and effective about his two series though is how the salesman antagonizes his victims. The Laughing Salesman takes pleasure in destroying people by getting them to destroy themselves. He often gives people exactly what they want or think they want, knowing that they will either be consumed with their passion and/or that they will disobey his conditions and suffer for it. He then departs each episode with a disturbing grin on his face and his terrifying signature laugh. This is one of the strangest and most disturbing horror anime series of all time relying on physiological horror within rather than with graphic violence or nightmarish imagery.
    
20. Mononoke: Mononoke is series that immediately stands out for its artistic nature. Not only does its animation stand out with a style similar to a surreal woodblock painting, it also presents a unique for the way it focuses on traditional styles of Japanese storytelling. Mononoke is like Japanese traditional ghost or Yokai stories blended with mystery. Each story is slow and thought out, designed to take advantage of an otherworldly tension. As a fan of Japanese folk tales and artistic anime, this series immediately caught my attention when I first viewed it and drew me into its unusual aesthetic, making it one of my favourites. After first seeing this show in my college anime club I sought out and purchased this series when it was first released at Comic con, and happily marathoned it. This series is one of the best anime series for fans with an acquired taste and is hidden gem series there are and is well worth trying out.

21. Monster and Master Keaton: Naoki Urasawa is a genius and nowhere is this more apparent than with two the anime adaptions of his series Monster and Master Keaton. Both did his amazing stories justice, directly adapting them brilliantly to an anime setting. Whether bringing to life the nail-biting story of the doctor who accidently saved a human monster or the down to earth story of an amazing multitalented man, both series capture the complex characters and design used by Urasawa in his comics. What is most incredible about these adaptions though is how they handle the story. Somehow, they both capture the pacing and plot of the original manga, but do not come off as inferior copies or as ill paced. It’s incredible how well these two series handle Urasawa’s incredible work, breathing life into them while showing great respect.
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    These series were too good not include on this list for this reason. I grew up reading Urasawa and consider him one of my all-time favourite manga creators. I remember when the book store chain Border’s was going out of business buying all of his manga series Pluto, and then not being able to put it down till it was finished. I always admired how he made the dramatic feel real. Nothing in his writing even when it fantastical feels forced in, and even the best and worst characters in his stories often feel very human. These anime series capture that humanness, recreating his manga and adapting their tone carefully. It’s clear that a lot of work went into capturing the original’s vision, and that work really pays off in the Master Keaton and Monster anime series.
22. Land of the Lustrous: Generally, digitally animated anime not only doesn’t interest me, but feels pointless and ugly. In most cases I find the cg style is needlessly distracting, something that could be done better in traditional animation, and something that interferes with the story. None of these things, however are the case with Land of the Lustrous. This series feels like it strongly belongs in the digital style which fleshes out its world and character designs, without hurting the plot or being distracting. Not only is Land of the Lustrous the best digitally animated series I have seen, but it is also quickly becoming one of my personal favourite anime series. The only reason this series wasn’t included on the main list is that I have yet to finish it, and it is still such a new show for me.
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    I not only admire Land of the Lustrous for its physical aspects though, I also love its story. Like many wonderful anime series like Gankutsuou, this show’s science fiction story continues to grow and develop, and always ends on a suspenseful cliff hanger. Land of the Lustrous also is interesting in that its characters lack a defined gender, and although they are humanoid they have unique properties depending on how they evolved. This series is probably the closest one on this list at the moment to making the main list
23. Case Closed: It would be impossible to talk about some of my favourite anime series without talking about one of longest running and best mystery shows Case Closed (Detective Conan). While I have had more experience with the Conan manga series and prefer it over the anime series, I still very much admire the anime’s adaptions. I love mysteries and am a huge fan of classic mysteries novels such as the Maltese Falcon, Sherlock Holmes, The Fiend with Twenty Faces, and the Long Goodbye (to name just a few). This series pays great tribute to these classic books and holds up with the best of them. Often despite having very short format, Case Closed managed to get me gripped by the mystery unfolding and trying to solve the crime along with the show’s lead Conan. The mysteries are well written and often offer just the right amount of challenge to keep me guessing, but also are not so obscure that they make me feel cheated by the conclusion. Case Closed is so much fun to watch and is something that I could pretty much watch forever, with constant new episodes, movies, and manga stories continuing to be released despite the series starting back in 1994.
    
24. Sherlock Hound: Miyasaki’s anime adaption of Sherlock Holmes holds a special place in my heart. I first got to see this series as a kid, where I would rent Sherlock Hound VHS tapes from my local video store in Storrs, CT. I was the perfect age for this humanoid dog version of Sherlock Holmes, and I loved the classic light mystery and action feel. What immediately stuck out at the time as unusual about this show was the fantastic English dub. Not only did the dub far exceed the typical dubbing quality of the time, but it also used English voice actors with realistic traditional English accents. Sherlock Hound was also great because it was filled with creativity, drawing from its source material and adapting it for a Japanese children’s action show with the help of famed director Hayao Miyazaki. This show remains one I have a lot of fond memories of, and that I still to love to watch.
    
25. Mister Ajikko: Food Wars owes a lot to Mister Ajikko, a cooking show from the 1980’s that originated many of the cooking contest tropes. Personally, as much I love Food Wars, I prefer this show to it. Mister Ajikko’s over the top competitions and characters, mixed with interesting cooking information is something that I don’t even think Food Wars tops. What I really love about this show is how its lead Ajikko is directed so much towards a dream. Despite his skill and his desire to continue his father’s restaurant and legacy he continues to be dragged into competitions where he helps people in his neighbourhood, learns, and grows.
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    I feel that Mister Ajikko has a slight edge on Food Wars for several reasons. First, because the lead character is younger and more localized than in Food Wars, we get a chance to learn and become invested in his family and have them be an important direct part of the story. As the viewer I want Ajikko to succeed, because he tries to help others around him while continuing to follow his father’s dream. It also it doesn’t hurt that the eventual villain of the show becomes an evil cooking group run by Dracula (he has both the castle and cape) and that his young rival is basically a younger version of Ryoga from Ranma 1/2. Another reason I love this show is because it was one I watched along with my girlfriend Hanna. We got to share the joy and excitement of this series together. It was always so much fun talking about the various characters and contests, while watching the show at the same time as she was. While I know that cooking contest shows are an acquired taste, this is show that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys Food Wars and other similar cooking competition shows.
26. Maison Ikkoku: I don’t think it is a surprise by now that I love the works of Rumiko Takahashi. While there are many adaptations of her works, those adaptations can be very hit or miss. Maison Ikkoku is without a doubt one of the hits. This show does a great job capturing romance and drama, along with Takahashi’s zany slapstick provided by the lead’s obnoxious neighbours. Unlike series such as Ranma or Urusei Yatsura, a large part of Maison Ikkoku is serious romance and drama. Blending these with slapstick is a challenge, thankfully this adaption is up to the task. While this is another series that I have read more of the manga than I have seen of the anime adaption, I don’t feel the anime lags in any apparent way when compared with the manga. Both do an excellent job of telling a story that is both heart-warming and funny. Watching this series always makes me smile, and I’m glad I get to share my love of it with others.