I would like to discuss anime and YouTube in this article. I have recently become a huge anime fan and am discovering new favorites every day. I have also discovered the love of all the amv’s posted on YouTube. An amv is an anime music video; in short people pick a song and scenes from the anime they want to use and use a movie editor to make it in a video. I have started making a few amv’s myself and it is a lot of fun! Back to the topic it has become a habit of mine to search for amv’s when I finish an anime. I have watched plenty that leave you scratching your head wondering why you just watched that. I would like to discuss the favorites of mine that I found and why I enjoy them as a tribute to people that made some excellent videos and deserved to have the word spread about the work they have done as there as some very talented people out there.
I will the use the anime’s I have seen all the way (as there are a lot I’m still in the process of watching) and match them with good amv’s I have found on YouTube. This is all strictly opinion base, but hopefully my readers will enjoy it and agree with me on some of them 🙂 I’d like to start off with the anime Inuyasha.
Inuyasha is among my favorites as it is the first anime I had ever seen and got me into other animes; hence my love for anime stemmed from watching Inuyasha. A lot of people claim Inuyasha is repetitive, but I would have to disagree as it is all building up the story and each of the characters has a role in something. I’m personally hoping they will start reproducing new episodes where they left off as the magna is now finished. As for amv’s there are so many Inuyasha amv’s and I don’t like most of them! Most of them are the same thing over and over or don’t even match the song the person decided to use. The one I picked for my favorite Inuyasha AMV is:
“Inuyasha Hero’s” by basktbalG http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnNj64UlbpA
I picked this as my favorite because instead of focusing on the relationship between Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kikyo (list most amv’s-I myself am guilty of this) this video focuses on the main hero’s. You get to see the difficulties Mirkou and Sango faced as well as see Shippo getting in the action along with Kagome showing she can be useful. It also hints as to what happened between Inuyasha and Kikyo, but the video does not just focus on them. It includes all the main hero’s and the song matches what the artist was trying to portray followed by a very nice ending scene.
Fushigi Yuugi is next on my list. I simply adore this anime with my whole heart! The story captivated me from the beginning and I highly recommend this anime to everyone who likes romance and drama/action (and the magna is even better). This anime involves a high school student getting sucked into an old library book where she finds out she is a priestess. It follows her adventures and there is a love story involved as well. This group faces so many challenges and often leaves you wondering when they will get their happy ending! The winner of AMV’s for Fushigi Yuugi is:
“Fushigi Yuugi-Pretty Girl” by Meredith Cantoni http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAukUph3UFM
This one is very creative with some awesome effects done to it. It doesn’t portray the storyline correctly in some parts-others it does, but it was very creative and unique in the way she made the song fit with the video. I love how she changes the perspectives and shows glimpses of a few challenges that do occur although there are a lot more! Very well done video!
Ruorouni Kenshin is another breath taking anime! It is a must see no matter what genera you enjoy. This is a story of a samurai assassin and how he tries to atone for all of his past sins and takes a vow to never kill again. There are many funny scene’s followed by lots of action and suspense. My personal favorite AMV is:
“Into the Fire-Ruorouni Kenshin AMV” by Dark Krystal, LCY84, nestie, and Olw posted by uncomplicated http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgD1IJ50ZTc
This video will leave you speechless from the moment it begins! I especially enjoy the opening as it is unique and unlike anything I had ever seen. The song they chose fits the part of the story they picked to work with. The video is bases on the ova’s which are much darker and more serious than the anime, but also more realistic. This is about Kenshin’s past and the things he did while he was young which lead to the reasons of why he takes his vow to never kill again and becomes a wander. The people who made this amv are very talented and used many effects that complimented the scenes nicely. Everything flows and is synced perfectly with the song. You will not be disappointed by this amv~it’s a must see!
Ouran High School Club Host what’s not to love about this anime? It will leave you rolling on the floor laughing most episodes and pondering what the twins are up to next. This anime focuses around a girl named Haruhi who gets mistaken as a guy. She has just started school at a very rich school by the help of a scholarship as she could not normally afford this place. She ends up breaking a very expensive vase and to repay her debt joins the host club where her crazy adventures begin! The anime has ended (with a different ending), but the magna continues on and is a recommended read if you enjoyed the anime. This was so hard to pick as there are so many! I decided to go with:
“Back for More – My Ouran Tribute” by DreamCager http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaBuDtl3Bl4
I picked this one because it gives you a good glimpse of all the characters as well as some of the supporting characters instead of focusing on the pairing of who you want Haruhi to end up with. The song reflects how many of the fans feel as well since this story becomes very addicting and it’s hard not to love it!
So, what’s next? Kaze no Stigma is base on light novels. I’ve yet to be able to read the light novels, but I highly enjoyed this anime. From what I understand the story is unfinished due to the author being sick; however the anime does a good job at tying up as much as it can. This anime has a supernatural element to it where certain people can control the earth, fire, air, wind, or water. There a few sub stories, but the main focus is on Kazuma-a wind user-and his personal battles. The best AMV I have found for this one is:
“Kaze no Stigma amv – Rebirth of the Shinigami” by RyuuKagutsuchi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd-PdaIj590
While this video focuses on the last few episodes it is in those episodes that a big part of the story is revealed. You get to see the darker side of Kazuma and what exactly happened to him in his past. The only thing I feel is missing is how Ayano helped Kazuma overcome a part of his past but I can see why that was left out as making the video flow with the song choice.
Fruits Basket is an adorable story! It’s so cute and super funny. The anime changed bits and pieces from the magna and doesn’t even come close to including the whole story; so if you find yourself enjoying this anime go and read the magna…you won’t be disappointed! The story revolves around Tohru Honda and how she comes across the secret of the Soma family. The Soma family has a dark curse which leads them to turn into their chosen zodiac animal when touched by members of the opposite gender. This story is filled with surprises, laughter, romance, and tragedy as well…it has it all! For an AMV I choose:
“Fruits Basket AMV-Soundtrack to Your Life” by MakeAllThingsChibi45 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJPe5tIDkjg This AMV does a well done job at showing how this anime is just about Tohru’s life with the Soma’s and how they are affected by her and the experiences they go to. There are so well done effects and the scenes match up with the lyrics excellently. You will get a chance to see the relationship development, the comedy, and the darker part of the story as well!
Trigun is a must see anime for anyone! The story of Vash the Stampede will leave you craving for more! Vash is such a kind hearted person who will help anyone wherever it is he goes even through people mistake him and are scared of him. There are many funny scenes in the anime and it’s not hard to fall in love with Vash right away. There’s not much more I can say without giving away spoilers so make sure you go watch this one! For the AMV I picked:
AMV – “Trigun – Kidrock – Wanna be a Cowboy” by Samuel L Bronkowitz productions posted by lunamoth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGsKCPHt7G8
You may be wondering why I picked this one as it doesn’t have much to do with the storyline. Well, simply because it’s way too funny and done perfectly not too! I can only imagine all the time the editor had to put in to make everything flow and sync together, but he did an awesome job! You will definitely get to see the fun loving side of Vash by watching this one!
That’s all for this review! There are many more anime’s and AMV’s that I enjoy but this article is getting a tad on the long side so it’s best to leave it with my favorites as of now! As I watch more there will be more favorites to the list; I can already think of some that are worth watching! If you would like to see more of my YouTube favorites, playlist, or AMV’s I made myself feel free to look up my account http://www.youtube.com/user/musiclover505
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and found some of the AMV’s enjoyable as I did!
