T5W#213-Top 5 Fantasy Anime You’ll Like if You Like The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

 

It’s been a couple weeks since it dropped on Netflix and if you haven’t had a chance to check out The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance…what the hell is wrong with you, stop reading, go watch it then come back and read this article.  For those of us who grew up watching the original 80’s movie, this show is a dream come true and contains some amazing visual storytelling that’s both modern but respectful to the style of the movie on which its based.  In short, it’s a fantasy tale with puppets and its freaking awesome.  If you have finished it and are clamoring for Season Two (and also waiting for it to be officially announced), the world of Anime can help with that.  After all, the story of Jen and Kira, last of the Gelflyings, and their struggle against the Skesies, no doubt has had some influence on a couple of fantasy Anime titles over the years. And if not, there are still plenty of good adventure Anime that can curb your need for more Dark Crystal magic.  So, for todays Top 5 Wednesday, we’re taking a look at my picks for Top 5 Fantasy Anime You’ll Like if You Liked The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.  Other worlds, other times, all in their own Age of Wonder.

#5-Inuyasha 

How about following up a quest to heal a giant purple crystal with a quest to find the scattered pieces of a much, much smaller purple jewel?  Inuyasha is still a classic beloved by many thanks to an amazing cast of well developed characters, nail bitting action and the ever loveable romance between Inuyasha and Kagome.  This one is a bit on the long side (so much so it took a pretty long hiatus before returning with Inuyasha: The Final Act) and has several side stories that might make the series seem without end.  The more you get into it though, the more you see that Inuyasha is very much about the journey more than the destination.  Grab your enormous swords and gather your crew and get ready for an adventure. you’ll never forget.

 #4-Record of Lodoss War 

The quintessential Fantasy Anime, Record of Lodoss War practically wrote the book on the genre.  Knights, beautiful maidens, dark sorcerers, armies clashing, FREAKING DRAGONS!!! This Anime has it all when it comes to a classic Dungeons and Dragons style epic.  Lodoss is a complete and thriving world with many different species all coming together for the ultimate battle between good and evil.  It may cut some corners in its animation (using a lot of single still pictures with a lot of screaming and battle effects) but the original OVA still holds up considerably well as a tightly paced adventure that never lets up until the very end.  There’s also the sequel series-Chronicles of the Heroic Knight…but we’ll get to that in a couple of months.

#3-The Slayers 

Want your Dark Crystal a little less dark and serious?  Welcome to The Slayers.  You might recognize this title and its cast as ive been covering the entire TV Series run since the beginning of the year (Slayers Next in January and Slayers Try in May).  Slayers might have its serious moments but the sweeping sense of adventure and humor are always at the forefront.  Lina Inverse’s overreactions to just about anything, the deep lore each new season brings, the colorful cast of unforgettable characters, even during it’s not so great episodes, a trip with Lina Inverse and The Slayers is always worth taking.  I’ll be wrapping up the Year of the Slayers this December with back to back reviews of Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution R.

 #2-The Vision of Escaflowne 

Imagine if Gelflyngs and Skesies faced each other in suits of armor that resembled giant robots.  Now hope that happens in Season Two but until then, you have Escaflowne. From the mind of Macross creator Shoji Kawamori, Escaflowne sees a cute high school girl spirited to another world where she finds herself in a struggle against an evil empire aided by two handsome men and their giant mecha.  Still standing the test of time today, Escaflowne takes everything that made Macross work (the music, the Mecha action, the love triangle) and adapts it well to a Fantasy setting.  It also boasts one of the most epic OSTs in Anime history courtesy of Anime OST Queen Yoko Kanno.  If you want your Escaflowne (needlessly) darker, there’s also the Escaflowne movie: A Girl in Gaea.  Most would say skip that but for me that film is a guilty pleasure for a number of reasons (see the review here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/escaflowne-movie-girl-in-gaea.html)

#1-Spirited Away 

If the Jim Henson company, aka the studio that worked on both The Dark Crystal and Age of Resistance, got the greenlight to do a live action version of this Anime…I would be alright with that.  Spirited Away is Hayao Miyazaki’s creative genius enjoying the best vacation in a world only he could create.  Ghosts, demons, sprites, the occasional human, you name it and it can come through Ubaba’s Bathhouse for the most entertaining stay of their lives.  Chihiro might not have the heart of Jen or Kira at the beginning of the tale.  But through her trials and experiences, she becomes more confident in herself and worthy of the friendships she makes, all aiding in helping her to stand up to the sinister but entertaining Ubaba.  There’s a reason this film is the only Anime to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature but there are plenty who would say Spirited Away is worth of the Academy Award for (as Ricky Bobby said of Highlander) The Best Movie Ever Made.