But, 10 years ago, I discovered Japanese animation. I, in fact, discovered that a lot of the things I was already a fan of, like Super Mario and Zelda, are also of Japanese origin, and from there I went to learn more and more about the phenomenon of Japanese media and more things in general.

I started out watching anime like this…

Excel Saga

…and this…

Tenchi Universe

…and also this.

Gravitation

Of course, things like Tenchi, Dragon Ball, and Rurouni Kenshin became a regular part of the routine. (Didn’t they for everyone? Totally gateway anime.)

After years, I began pursuing anime like this…

Mononoke

…and this…

Gankutsuou: the Count of Monte Cristo

…and also this…

One Stormy Night

…sometimes to the chagrin of some of my friends. I always had strange tastes. But, as with anything, as long as it’s good or entertaining, I will look, watch, read, and listen.

I’m a fan of Japanese animation because it manages to be so distinctive while being varied, like a pool of all possible styles and genres. Even some of the most common and low-budget series manage to be very well-animated and expressive in their own way. Of course, it could also be that I never “grew out of” cartoons like some people expect you to. Must be the artist in me. I’m an animation geek in general.

If you haven’t seen it, here’s an amazing animated short done by a team of what I believe was 5 people:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s to another decade of creative animated media from all over the world!