Framed x Kaboom Anime

Anime has a long history of dealing with Japan’s war legacy. Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies (1988) is almost required viewing on this subject, as is Mori Masaki’s Barefoot Gen (1983). While both deal with the aftermath of the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, Giovanni’s Island (2014) addresses the occupation of Japan by Soviet forces after the end of the war. Two young brothers, Junpei and Kanta, grow up on the island of Shikotan, in the far northeast of Japan. When the island is invaded by the Soviet Red Army at the end of the war, the boys have to deal with outsiders for the first time, as well as coping with losing the war. When Junpei befriends the Russian commander's daughter Tanya, a new allegiance comes into being. While rooted in real-world conflict, Giovanni’s Island also often alludes to Kenji Miyazawa's classic fantasy novel Night on the Galactic Railroad (1934), as fantasy and reality mix in the boys’ minds. A spirited plea for crosscultural appreciation in times of war, Giovanni’s Island is as relevant now as it was ten years ago. 

While the boom period for anime starts from the 1990s, there are many gems to unearth from before that period. One is Galaxy Express 999, the debut feature film of Rintaro, one of the cofounders of studio Madhouse. Based on the manga of the same name, written and illustrated by Leiji Matsumoto, Galaxy Express 999 is a space opera like no other. Set in a distant future in which immortality can be achieved by transferring one’s mind into a machine-body, young Tetsuro dreams of reaching the end of the intergalactic Galaxy Express 999 line, where one of these bodies can supposedly be obtained for free. In doing so, Tetsuro hopes defeat Count Mecha, a trophy hunter responsible for his mother’s death. A wild romp across the solar system, Galaxy Express 999 was visually inspired by Star Wars and steampunk, but the result is a unique blend of anime and 1970s scifi. With a great soundtrack by Nozomu Aoki, Galaxy Express 999 is a classic that needs to be seen on the big screen.