He’s the writer of the Christian fantasy “The Muse” among other books, and he reviews it here. It’s a great series, and I’m glad to see he gave it a chance. I still need to get around to watching what he recommended me, Sword Art Online. I know I’ll love it, because I positively devoured the .hack anime and games. It’s just a matter of time.
If you like fantasy, I recommend his books. His two novels are realistic fantasy about a writer who has to deal with an evil muse bent on draining the energy out of his friends and family. He also has a good short story collection out there as well. It’s hard to describe his style; I keep thinking like Alan Dean Foster when he writes books like Codgerspace or Quozl; fantastic, yet real at the same time.
Now if you’ll excuse me I need to get my Hulu queue set up. Not enough time in the day…
Feb 05, 2013 @ 14:14:41
You guys are almost convincing me to give anime and/or manga a try. I just never got in to either of them as a kid, and, as you say, there really isn’t enough time to be in to everything. But I’m starting to wonder if anime or manga might be worth my time, a little.
Feb 05, 2013 @ 16:28:19
It’s a nice change of pace from what we usually get in U.S./Western animated movies and television. There are some real gems out there, but like any media, there’s also plenty of stuff you definitely want to steer clear of. It’s like touristing in a big city–lots of cool attractions, but it’s easy to wander into a dangerous neighborhood. D.M. has posted an excellent 6-part introduction to anime and manga here that is well worth a read if you’re curious.
There are lots of sources for free/inexpensive anime series viewing online now, including Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, Crackle, Funimation.com, and several others, including a smattering of individual episodes on YouTube. Some sites require a paid subscription or offer it as a means to avoid interruptions by commercial sponsors, but there’s no shortage of free viewing options.
As to my own recommendation for a first look, pretty much anything by Studio Ghibli is a low-threat and very accessible introduction to the form, and their partnership with Disney has produced some high-quality English dubs. Titles like Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky, Porco Rosso, etc. For a multi-episode series in a half-hour television format, I’d recommend Seirei no Morobito: Guardian of the Sacred Spirit, which you can find on Netflix and Hulu, It’s a beautifully-animated fantasy adventure with strong characters that tells a great story about responsibility, love, and courage under pressure.
Feb 05, 2013 @ 18:46:39
Yeah, all of the studio Ghibli works are okay to watch. If you are interested in watching some as a Christian, I’d really recommend finding a review site first, as anime can have a lot of objectionable content, and it may not be apparent from the description on most sites.
If you are starting out, I really recommend the anime based on Key Visual Arts games: Clannad, Kanon, Angel Beats, and Air. Most have a minimum of violence or sex, and all tell some really compelling stories. For SF and Fantasy, depending on your comfort level, Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex are intelligent stories that show how anime can craft stories for adults without being all sex and violence.
Feb 05, 2013 @ 15:42:13
Thanks for the shout-out, D.M. I actually tore through this series in a couple of weeks last year and just got around to reviewing it. Now I want to watch it again.
As for Sword Art Online, the first half, in my opinion, is much stronger than the second half, which unfortunately relegates the female heroine, Asuna, to a “damsel in distress” role and subjects her to two gratuitous molestations by the villain and his minions before she’s finally rescued by the hero, Kirito. I really missed “Lightning Bolt Asuna,” the strong-willed warrior of the first half. There’s also an adoptive-sibliing romance subplot that fortunately doesn’t go anywhere problematical and falls flat as an attempt to create more conflict and dramatic tension. The final episode, however, provides a satisfying resolution and almost makes up for the earlier missteps. Overall, still worth watching, I think.
Feb 05, 2013 @ 18:29:19
I’m watching it now. It’s pretty good, but it hovers between being a good representation of an MMO, and being totally unrealistic if you’ve played them seriously. Subject for another post.
Feb 05, 2013 @ 19:24:05
As an infrequent and casual MMOer, my willing suspension of disbelief wasn’t seriously challenged by the gaming issues, but as a *parent,* the setup for the second half felt like the express train to Crazytown. I’ll wait to explain until you get there.
Ditto on your recommendations to bainespal. Good choices, all.
Feb 06, 2013 @ 14:55:40
Thanks for the recommendations