- They’re Made of Meat
- Nicole’s top 5 Cyberpunk Animes
In honor of Asia Pacific American Heritage Month, ย I’m going to list my favorite Japanese (or Japanese-influenced) cyberpunk animes.
Nicole’s top 5 Cyberpunk Animes In honor of Asia Pacific American Heritage Month, I’m going to list my favorite Japanese (or Japanese-influenced) cyberpunk animes.
1.ย Ghost in the Shell:ย S.A.C.–ย This is the GOAT (greatest of all time) anime series set in a post-war cyberpunk world. The Major is not just a pretty cybernetic face, she’s smart, brave, and unflinching. What sets GITS apart from others is the relationship between all the members of Section Nine. Those relationships, just like in stories, is the key to hooking viewers and keeping them. Another stellar point to this series is the storytelling and its deep connection to philosophical questions aroundย what it means to be human, our relationship with technology and its impact on us as a people.
2.ย Psycho-Pas–ย Set in a cyberpunk future where an advance AI called Sybil Systemย (I am not joking), measures people’s criminality.ย Elite officers and along with latent criminals, called Enforcers, measures people’s Pyscho-pass to see if it’s cloudy or clear. Once the Psycho-pass reaches a certain level, the individual is arrested, sent to counseling, or if it is very high or super cloudy, they are killed. This series is influenced by Philip K. Dick’sย Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheepย andย Blade Runner.ย
3.ย Akira-One of theย first cyberpunk anime (released in 1988), this film is about post war Japan and a group of punks in a gang,ย Shลtarล Kaneda and hisย childhood friend, Tetsuo Shima. Tetsuoย acquires incredibleย telekineticย abilities after a motorcycle accident, eventually threatening an entire military complex amid chaos and rebellion in the sprawling futuristicย metropolisย of Neo-Tokyo (Wikipedia). This is the first anime film that blew me away with its unflinching look at greed, military tests, friendship, loyalty, and complete collapse of everything the 1980s stood for. It’s so punk and many of the cyberpunk tropes in later anime are derived from here.
4.ย Bubblegum Crisis–ย Let the women do it! Before The Major, this team of women, ride around on bikes (like Shotaro’s group in Akira), but they’re wear exoskeletons. They’re mercenaries. The prime enemy is a megacorporation, Genom, that produces boomers-cybernetic/advanced cyborgs. I loved this series so hard! Seeing women kicking butt and taking names, hits hard. It isn’t all battles. Like all the other entries on this list, the relationships and the storytelling is gorgeous for its time and many of those stories remain good today.
5.ย The Animatrix– The Matrix’s impact on science fiction cannot be overstated; however, it was the collection of stories about everyone else in the world that really deepened my appreciate for the series. The Animatrix is an anthology of nine stories. It provides some back story, but what I loved was the animation and storytelling. It isn’t “anime” per se, but the influence is clearly there. Many of the directors are Japanese. The diversity spoke to me in a vanilla cyberpunk genre back in 2003. Thought-provoking, action packed, it has all the elements Iย loved about The Matrix, but with new characters and an expanded universe.ย
Did you favorite make the list?ย
What’s your favorite Cyberpunk anime? - Ret-con names Nicole Givens Kurtz- Guest of Honor 2024
So, this happened! I’m thrilled to be selected as the Guest of Honor at Ret-con for 2024. This is a big honor! I appreciate the mission of Ret-con and the work they’re already doing for diverse voices in fandom. Their mission aligns with my own of inclusivity, collaboration, and respect.
If you haven’t already, visit Ret-con to register for the convention. I hope to see you there.
- 100-word Horror Review: The Old Ways
My continuing blog series where I review horror movies and keep it 100!
Title: The Old Ways
Director: Christopher Alender
Released: 2019
Streaming Service: Netflix
Origin: Americanย ย ย ย
Rating: 3 out of 5 Skulls
Keepinโ it 100 [word count begins now]:ย A connection to family is important to reinforce our identity and how we view ourselves. We can often see ourselves in others, particularly family. This movie shows the protagonistโs attempt to reconnect to her Mexican heritage for promotion. It also highlights how some first-generation Americans may feel about their familyโs old ways or traditions. As the threat grows, the protagonist must rely on the very people she sought to exploit for her salvation. Scary, twists, and a strange deviation from the central setting, help the film move. I still have questionsโtoo many for the film to be over [99].
- 100-Word Horror Review: Incantation
Title: Incantation
Director: Kevin Ko
Released: 2022
Streaming Service: Netflix
Origin: Taiwan
Rating: 5 skulls
Keepinโ it 100 [word count begins now]:ย Iโm in love with foreign horror films. This found footage film is mixed with flashback and fluid movements between past and present. Like Umma, itโs a story rooted in the relationship between a mother and a daughter, and the momโs determination to do anything for her childโanything. There are some jump scares, some weird horror, and some truly awful human horror, but the big twist in this one I didnโt see coming. This film brought a freshness to found footage movies, which I tend to dislike. Do not get spoiled before you watch this but watch it. [99]
Bestselling Author-Nicole Givens Kurtz
n_kurtz@msn.com
