Hail Caesar!

To those of my readers who took a quick glance at the title of this post expecting it to be about the latest oeuvre from the Cohen Brothers; I'm afraid I must disappoint you. Seeing as how I have not yet seen the movie, Hail Caesar, it follows that I can't write about it. My apologies for the deception. That said, the title is appropriate, you see, I recently begun another re-watch of one of my favorite shows: I, Claudius.
For those of you unfamiliar with it, I, Claudius is a British mini-series from the 1970's, created by Jack Pullman and based on the two novels, I, Claudius and Claudius the God by Robert Graves. The novels and the series tells the story of the Roman Emperor Claudius, who because of his stutter and twitching, was dismissed and treated as a fool by most of his family. Something which allowed the sharp-witted Claudius to survive the rules of three emperors: Augustus, Tiberius and Caligula, while most of his relatives ended up murdering each other.
I was introduced to the mini-series as a child in the 90's. when it was shown on re-runs on Television. I was immediately hooked by this show, which was unlike anything I had seen on TV at that point (I'm almost 100% certain that I, Claudius was the first TV-series meant for a mature audience that I ever watched). Years later, I bought the DVD box-set. Needless to say, I, Claudius has had a permanent place among my all-time favorites ever since and I re-watch it regularly.

It should be acknowledged that if a modern viewer decided to watch I, Claudius for the first time, they're likely to find certain elements of the series dated. It should be remembered that this is a low-budget British mini-series made in the 1970's, which means that its going to resemble a play more than anything else and that most of the plot will be conveyed via dialogue. Certainly, there are plenty of modern TV-dramas that are far more impressive on the visual front, with more striking cinematography and convincing special-effects.
However, at the end of the day, none of that truly matters. Why? Because I, Claudius demonstrates that the two things that truly serves to make a show great are acting and writing and this show really shines in these two areas; particularly in the latter, with Derek Jacobi, Sîan Philips, John Hurt and Brian Blessed among others, delivering some of their best work here.

Jacobi's Claudius is a great protagonist, one who is really easy to sympathize with as we see the way that he's treated by pretty much everyone around here. However, the show never makes Claudius just a figure of pity, showing us his cleverness and how good he is at adapting to various situations and reading people. Claudius is certainly no fool, but he's very good at playing the fool in order to survive. Hurt does an excellent job portraying one of history's most infamous tyrants, his Caligula being very entertaining to watch, but also unpredictable and utterly terrifying. The episodes that focuses on his rule are some of the most intense this series has to offer. Brian Blessed's Augustus is as entertainingly hammy as one would come to expect from the actor. However, Blessed also shows that he can be subdued when the situation calls for it. Augustus' death-scene must surely go down as one of the best seen on television.
That said, at the end of the day, my favorite performance in I, Claudius must be that of Philips, whose Livia is the definite example of the evil matriarch type of character. A smart and ruthless woman who gets some of the show's best lines (which is saying a lot), Livia is best described by Tiberius, who sums up his mother with the following words:
"They say a snake bit her once and died."

I, Claudius is, to put it simply, a master-piece. For years now, it has been the benchmark by which I judge not just other mini-series, but other book-to-TV adaptations as well and while I have come across shows in either or both categories that I find to be outstanding, it remains my favorite.
Long live the emperor.

Back in the 90's, I was in a very famous TV-show...

Recently, I finished the third season of Netflix's original animated series Bojack Horseman and so, I decided to write a post about it.
Picture, if you will, the typical western cartoon made for an adult audience. These kinds of cartoons tend to have certain things in common: A main character who is basically a dick to everyone he interacts with. Plenty of vulgar humor, wacky hijinks and, finally, heavy drug- and/or alcohol abuse. For its first few episodes, Bojack Horseman comes across as yet another example of this type of cartoon; it certainly contains all of the ingredients mentioned above. However, if that was the case, I would hardly dedicate an entire post to the show. Fortunately, Bojack Horseman is a show that's far more interesting (and better) than the impression it initially gives.

Bojack Horseman takes place in a world that's pretty much our own, with the exception that a sizable part of the population consists of anthropomorphic animals. Its here that we meet the horseman himself; Bojack. Back in the 90's, Bojack was the star of the super-popular sitcom Horsin' Around (basically Full House, with a talking horse), but he hasn't done anything of note since the show ended and now spends his days either throwing parties or attempting to drown himself in drugs and alcohol. That is, until his agent tells him that he needs to finish the memoirs he promised to write years ago, in order to help revive his career. Tired of waiting, the publishing company has issued Bojack a ghost-writer, Diane Nguyen. As Bojack opens up more and more to Diane, it slowly dawns on him what life he has led and what kind of person he has been, or rather still is.

One of the things that sets Bojack Horseman apart from other shows of its type is how heavily serialized it is. Sure, shows like Archer and, especially, The Venture Bros featured continuity and on-going story-arcs, before Bojack existed.  However, those shows still started out being mostly episodic with plenty of self-contained episodes (it is, for example, completely possible for someone who has never seen Archer. to watch, say, the blimp episode from season 1 without any prior familiarity with the characters). This is not the case here; from the very beginning, its crucial that you watch the episodes in order. The lack of a status quo also serves to make Bojack Horseman the most realistic series of its type that I've seen (yes, despite the talking animals). Unlike, say, Homer Simpson, Bojack and the other characters inhabit a world in which their actions and choices have actual consequences (as Bojack's former friend and mentor Herb tells him in one of the show's most memorable moments: "You're going to live with the shitty thing you did, for the rest of your life).

Speaking of characters, while the show features quite a large cast, I'm going to limit myself to presenting only the five members of the main group. Aside from the aforementioned Bojack and Diane, we also have the former's agent and on-again-off-again girlfriend, Princess Carolyn. Todd, a slacker who showed up to one of Bojack's parties and never left and finally, Mr. Peanutbutter; a rival actor whom Bojack resents, mostly due to the fact that Mr. Peanutbutter is much happier and more well-adjusted than he himself is.
All of these characters play off each other really well and their voice actors (Will Arnett, Aaron Paul, etc) does a fine job portraying them. As the show has gone on, new sides of their personalities are revealed with even the characters which at first seem relegated to being just wacky comic-relief, turning out to be more well-rounded than they initially seem.

Seeing as how he's the star of the show, it should come as little surprise that Bojack gets fleshed out the most of all the characters. As Bojack Horseman progresses, Bojack goes from being merely another comedic asshole to, in my opinion, one of the most genuinely tragic characters in western animation. He's not tragic in the same way that the Ice-King from Adventure Time (to name one example) is though. No, Bojack's tragedy stems from the fact that he, from time to time, genuinely tries to become a better person, but his many personal flaws, hangups and neuroses, always seem to trip him up, leading him to fall back into his old habits.

The weakest part of Bojack Horseman, in my opinion, are the visuals. I don't find the art of the show unappealing to look at (if I did, I would've quit watching long ago), but I can't say that it's ever impressed me either, especially when compared to that of several other cartoons. I think its safe to say that in this case, the visuals play second fiddle to the writing. Thankfully, the writing is up to the task.
Bojack Horseman is a show that takes a while before it hits its stride. The early episodes of season one doesn't really do much to help the show stand out from others of its kind and if someone watched the show and decided to bail on it based on those episodes? Well, I can't really say I blame them for it.
That said, if you preserve, you'll find a show that's well worth watching. Bojack Horseman ranks as one of the best animated cartoons for adults to come out in recent years and is a close runner-up for the title of my favorite cartoon starring an anthropomorphic equine.

Top 25 Animated Shows

Seeing as how I do love to make lists and also love a good animated series, I thought I'd smash two birds with one stone and present to you, dear reader, what I consider to be my top 25 animated shows, both old favorites and more recent discoveries. "Why, 25?" You ask. Well, it seemed like a good number. that's really the only explanation I can offer. Before we begin though, there are a few things I'd like to point out:

First of all, this list is based purely on personal opinion. The shows that you'll find on this list are all shows that appeal strongly to my own tastes and sensibilities when it comes to writing, characterization, visual design and all that other jazz.

Second of all, this is by no means a definitive list. No list really can be, because its impossible for one person to have watched every animated show out there. I'd also like to point out that these are not all the animated shows I love, but they will do for now.


Now then, let's get started, shall we? Number 25 is....


25. Scooby Doo: Mystery Inc.

I'm just going to repeat what I've said about this show before: Mystery Inc is Scooby Doo for those of us who like our cartoons to have an on-going plot and character development. The early episodes dragged a bit, but once the show's main villain got introduced it turned into a great cartoon that constantly raised the stakes, until it culminated in an actual apocalypse. It also managed to be genuinely creepy at times, which is not something one often expects from a franchise whose rogue's gallery tend to consist of people in Halloween costumes.

24. Over the Garden Wall

This show isn't even a year old and yet when I finished the last episode, I knew I had another show to add to my list of favorites Over the Garden Wall is a fairy-tale strongly influenced by the works of the Fleischer Brothers. Its whimsical and fun one second, only to turn dark and sinister the next. It features great voice-acting, courtesy of Christopher Lloyd and Elijah Wood, among others and some truly catchy songs. I also like the fact that its a mini-series, animated mini-series tend to be rare in western animation. Hopefully, Over the Garden Wall will pave the way for more brilliant animated mini-series of the same ilk.

23. The Spectacular Spider-Man

The best superhero-cartoon since Batman: TAS. Greg Weisman and co, gave us truly excellent versions of Peter Parker, his friends, family and rogues'-gallery. Not much to say about Spectacular, except that it was brilliant. To bad it got cancelled after two seasons and we got Ultimate Spider-Man instead.

22. Ashita no Joe

The oldest show on this list, Ashita no Joe (or Tomorrow's Joe, if you prefer) is a legendary anime and for good reasons; following Yabuki Joe's career in the boxing-ring as well as his personal growth as person is fascinating. Add to the fact that the anime was directed by Osamu Dezaki, one of my favorite anime-directors and you have a series that can only be described as a K.O.

21. Mushi-Shi

My favorite purely episodic anime (even Bebop had sort of an on-going storyline with the whole Spike-Julia-Vicious thing, even if it was only relevant in a few episodes). No other series on this list does atmosphere and mood as well as Mushi-Shi and its easy to get sucked into the world of the Mushi and the people they influence. Can't think of much else to write about Mushi-Shi, its really one of those shows that's best experienced first-hand.

20. Paranoia Agent

The body of work left behind by the late Satoshi Kon may have been small, but its quality can not be disputed. My personal favorite of Kon's work is Paranoia Agent, his only series. At its core, Paranoia Agent is basically a morality-tale about taking responsibility for one's actions, but its also a great mystery in the vein of David Lynch, filled with memorably weird imagery and characters. Never has cute little plush-dogs been so creepy.

19. Ping Pong the Animation

I've become quite a fan of Masaaki Yuasa's work lately, so it's only natural that a few anime directed by him will appear on this list, Ping Pong the Animation being the first. Out of all Yuasa's shows, Ping Pong is easily the one that's most grounded in real-life; there are no time-loops or other fantastic concepts to be found here. That's not to say that Ping Pong is boring though, far from it! The various ping-pong matches are both well-animated and full of intensity as well as great vehicles for exploring the characters and their motivations. I haven't seen all that many sports-themed anime, but out of the ones I have seen, this is my favorite.

18. Legend of the Galactic Heroes

Wow, this show really moved down. It wasn't that long ago that Legend of the Galactic Heroes would have been in the top 5 on a list like this, maybe even number one. So, why its relatively low placement this time around? Well, chalk it up to the fact that the shows that appear below is much fresher in my mind, not to mention the fact that I don't know when or if I'll ever get around to re-watch it (its a really long show that takes awhile to get going). That said, Legend will always have a place among my favorites, for being one of the best space-opera's I've seen in any medium. Its a huge, sprawling epic with a cast that numbers in the hundreds and I'm glad that I watched it at least once, you should too.

17. Bakemonogatari

The latest addition to my favorites, Bakemonogatari is probably the most verbose show on this list (the only competitor is another show from the same creator). Your average episode of Bakemonogatari consists mostly of characters talking and talking and talking some more and frankly, its easy to see how that could turn some people off. That's a shame though, since Bakemonogatari some really memorable characters and is pretty great to look at as well. I also enjoy the matter-of-fact way the show deals with all the supernatural stuff. Put simply, Bakemonogatari is just a great work of magic realism and I'm looking forward to eventually tackling the rest of the Monogatari series as well.

16. My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

Much as I love dark, dramatic works, there's something to be said for a show that's just plain fun and Friendship is Magic, the latest installment in the otherwise largely unremarkable My Little Pony franchise is definitely such a show: It has good action, is genuinely funny and features a group of engaging and likable protagonists. Its one of those cartoons that I can watch, confident that it will bring a smile to my face. In short, its a great show and one that's definitely worthy of being among my favorites.

15. Adventure Time

Count me in the category of people who prefer the later seasons of Adventure Time to the early ones. Not that the early seasons were bad or anything, far from it, but I do feel that the show went from decent entertainment to truly great once the writers started fleshing out the world of Oo and its various inhabitants. The Ice-King is arguably the best example of this, as the show took what had started out as a pretty standard, inept kid's show villain and turned him into one of the most tragic characters in animation. Seriously, I don't think I'll ever be able to look at the Cheers theme in the same way again.

14. Avatar: The Last Air-Bender

The best thing to come out of Nickelodeon by a wide mile, in my opinion. To be honest, this is another show that I have trouble writing much about, mostly because I'm going to assume that if you are reading this, than you have most likely seen it already. In case I'm wrong and you haven't, I suggest you rectify this immediately. Avatar: The Last Air-Bender features excellent world-building and characterization and is easily one of the best epic fantasy-series ever made, animated or live-action.

13. Steven Universe

I didn't put Steven Universe on my list of best animated shows 2009-2014, for the simple fact that at the time I felt that I needed to see more of the show before I formed a somewhat qualified opinion on it. Having now caught up with all the episodes available, I can easily say that this is among the best cartoons I've seen: Steven himself is one of the more likable kid-protagonists I've seen, the Crystal Gems are all pretty cool and the family-dynamic between them is really well-handled. Like Adventure Time, the show starts out fairly simple yet entertaining and eventually goes into deeper territory as more is revealed about the nature of the Gems and their back-story. Plus, I've got to appreciate a kid's show that contains references to Revolutionary Girl Utena.

12. Gravity Falls

The first Disney cartoon on this list (I bet you can guess the second one). Unlike some of the other shows here, which took awhile before they really clicked with me, Gravity Falls had me hooked from the start. Its one of the best paranormal mysteries/conspiracy shows I can think of and out of all the shows on this list, is probably the one that I'm most excited to see what will happens next in.

11. Batman: TAS

Still the gold-standard for superhero-cartoons in my opinion. Batman: TAS planted the seed for the entire DC Animated Universe and raised the bar for action-oriented animated shows to new heights. To this day, this show features my favorite depictions of Batman, The Joker and Gotham City in any medium. Its also a relatively rare example of a cartoon from my childhood that I actually like even more today.

10. Cowboy Bebop

Cowboy Bebop is just plain cool. A lot of 90's anime can appear dated when watched today, but Bebop has a certain time-less quality to it. It has a great characters, an outstanding soundtrack by Yoko Kanno and just oozes style. Even if you're not an anime fan I definitely recommend giving Cowboy Bebop a try, you won't regret it.

9. Katanagatari

Katanagatari is another show from the creator of Bakemonogatari and it shares the latter's verbosity and appealing visual-design. However, the differences between the two are, I feel, greater than the similarities. Whereas Bakemonogatari takes place in the present, Katanagatari is set in the distant past and while Bakemonogatari featured several story-arcs, this one keeps it focus on a single plot throughout its run. And what a story it is, I had a great time following Shishika and Togame on their quest to collect the twelve deviant swords and it was always interesting to see what sort of opponent they'd come up against next, as was the growth they underwent during the course of the show's twelve episodes. Special mention goes to the final episode which is one of the most emotionally gripping I've seen in recent memory.

(On a sidenote: I'd like to do a shout-out to Bobduh of Wrong Every Time, whose excellent essay on Katanagatari convinced me to give a show a try. Bob, in case you're reading this; thank you).

8. Kaiba

The second Masaaki Yuasa anime on this list. The first half of Kaiba calls to mind the classic children's book The Little Prince, with the main character travelling to various planets and encountering their inhabitants. Although, it should be pointed out that Kaiba features a lot more violence and sexually active characters than Saint-Exupéry's opus. Taking place in the distant future, in which memories can be bought and sold, Kaiba is a great science-fiction story and one of the best short anime I've seen.

7. The Rose of Versailles

As great as Ashita no Joe is, The Rose of Versailles in my opinion, is Osamu Dezaki's master-piece. Its often melodramatic as all get out, but the melodrama actually works, since its very easy to imagine the french aristocrats acting in that way. The show also does a good job at highlighting the differences between the petty schemes of the nobility and the much more important concerns of the french people at the time. Plus, The Rose of Versailles features one of the most charismatic, badass and awe-inspiring protagonists I've seen in Oscar Francois de Jareyes. As Axel von Fersen says to her at one point in the show: "Oscar, you are manlier than a man." Truer words were seldom spoken.

6. The Venture Bros.

Ah, my favorite animated comedy-series. The Venture Bros started out as a parody of boy-adventurers in general and Johnny Quest in particular, but has since evolved into something much more than that; featuring character-development and story-lines that the things it started out parodying could only dream of, while still being genuinely funny. Make no mistake, The Venture Bros main theme may be failure, but the show itself is definitely not a failure at all.

5. Gargoyles

Not only my favorite Disney animated show, but my favorite non-anime cartoon as well (from here on out, its all Japanese stuff, folks). Among the shows to come out from the House of Mouse, Gargoyles is quite unique, Greg Weisman created a universe filled with everything from gangsters to cyborgs to magicians and blended them all together. Add some great characters, including some of the most interesting and well-developed villains ever seen in a cartoon, more Shakespeare-references than you can throw a skull at and you have an absolutely amazing series that belongs on any best animated shows list.

4. Gankutsuo: The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas is, of course, one of the all-time greatest revenge stories and this anime is hands down my favorite adaptation of it. Despite taking place in the distant future and featuring both giant robots and demonic possession, Gankutsuo manages to capture the spirit of the original novel better than any other version I can think of. The Count himself is charismatic, manipulative and completely merciless in his quest for revenge, as he should be and while I didn't care much for his character, I do think the decision to make Albert the protagonist instead of Edmond was an interesting one, since it adds an aura of mystery and terror to the story: Just who is this guy who worms his way into the lives of these families? What is his deal? In some ways, Gankutsuo actually improves on Dumas' work. For example, I never found Franz d'Epinay all that interesting in the original novel, but here he soon became one of my favorite characters. In short, Gankutsuo is easily one of my favorite adaptations of a literary classic in any medium.

3. Tatami Galaxy

It was a hard decision to choose between this and Kaiba, but for now I'd say that Tatami Galaxy is my favorite anime-series from Yuasa. The main character of Tatami Galaxy lives through several different time-lines and in each one he tries to have the perfect college-experience ("the rose-colored campus life") as he calls it. Naturally, he never achieves this goal, at first it seems like the blame for this should be laid entirely on Ozu, the protagonist's impish friend, but it gradually becomes clear that things are not quite so simple. Tatami Galaxy is fantastic; its funny with hilarious rapid-style narration from the main character and it takes full advantage of its alternative time-line gimmick to show different aspects of its cast and of course, like everything else Yuasa has done, it looks great.

2. Princess Tutu

Well, this is unexpected. Some of you may recall that the last time I mentioned Princess Tutu, I said that I gave up on the show because I found it to repetitive. When I wrote those words, it had been a few years since I had watched it and having recently read some really glowing remarks on it from some people on the internet whose opinion I've come to respect (such as Jed A. Blue), I decided to give it another try.
I'm glad I did, because god-damn did this show turn out to be absolutely amazing after awhile. Do not let the title or the fact that the main character is an adorable talking duck fool you into thinking that this is going to be something light-hearted and cute. There's definitely humor in Princess Tutu, but there's plenty of dark and intense moments, especially near the end. Plot-wise, the main theme of Princess Tutu is one of fate and whether its pre-ordained or can be changed in some way: The characters are all trapped inside a story, some of them are aware of this, but most remain blissfully ignorant of their circumstances. The problem is that the author of the story is dead-set on ending the story on a tragic note and its this ending that the main character, Ahiru (=duck) and her friends are determined to change.
Among the show's many virtues, one must mention its first-rate characterization. In the beginning, several of the characters may come of as simplistic but they grow and become more complex as the story proceeds. A good example of this is the character of Fakir, who in the early episodes comes of as a cold-hearted jerk (there's a touch of the possessive abusive boy-friend about him in his interactions with Mytho), but of course, we learn that there's more to him than that.

To be honest, I consider Princess Tutu and the show that occupies the number one slot on this list, to be pretty near equal, which one is my favorite largely depends on what mood I'm in at the time.In short, Princess Tutu is a master-piece; it has pretty everything I want in a work of fiction.

I know what you're thinking (or at least I'll pretend to): "That's a lot of great cartoons, which one could possibly occupy the top-spot? Well, my friends, I shan't keep you in suspense any longer. Here's my number one animated show:

If it can not break out of its shell, the chick will die without ever being born.

We are the chick.

The World is our shell.

Smash the World's shell.

For the revolution of the World!

1. Revolutionary Girl Utena

No other animated show on this list. Indeed, no other animated show I've seen is as dense with symbolism and as open to interpretation as Revolutionary Girl Utena (although Mawaru Penguindrum, from the same creator comes close). It also tackles a lot of important and universal themes, such as; sexuality, gender-roles and growing up and does so with aplomb. Of course, that's all well and good, but what about what truly matters, story and characters? Thankfully, Utena excels at these things as well. The story of Revolutionary Girl Utena has pretty much everything; there's romance and drama, tragedy and humor (the latter provided chiefly by Nanami, one of the great comedic characters of Japanese animation). There are sword-fights, as exciting as any I've seen, as well as conspiracies and intrigue galore. It also sports the best soundtrack I've heard to an animated series. Yes, better even than the one to Cowboy Bebop.

Above all though, Revolutionary Girl Utena features a cast of characters as rich as any I've seen in a work of fiction. Chief among them is Anthy Himemiya, one of the most baffling and ambiguous characters I've encountered, but Utena herself, the tough-as-nails Juri, the diabolical Akio and the rest certainly deserves a mention as well.

Make no mistake, I treasure each and every show on this list. When I choose Revolutionary Girl Utena as my number one, its not only because of its undeniable qualities, but also because it manages to appeal to my own tastes and sensibilities in pretty much every single way. There's not much else I can say about it, except that I'm proud to name it my favorite animated show.

*****

Well, that's it ladies and gents. I'd like to thank all the people who worked on these marvelous shows that have provided me with so many hours of entertainment. I'd also like to thank you, dear reader, for sticking with me to the end. Hopefully, I've made you interested in watching some of these shows, if you haven't already and if that should be the case? Well, why not watch them again? They're certainly worth it.

Oh, and please feel free to tell me how wrong my choices were in the comment section. Or, you could provide your own list, perhaps there's something on there that I'm not familiar with?