Cin-Emma Extra: The anime popularity explosion
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Anime has exploded in the popularity over the last couple of decades. What was once considered a niche is now widely popular and not just for kids. There are a lot of great anime shows and films out there that anyone of any age can appreciate and enjoy. And KOIN 6 resident movie buff Emma Jerome has got you covered with her picks of the week.
New in theaters right now, the highly anticipated and latest masterpiece by Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (of the Oscar-winning Spirited Away), The Boy and the Heron. It follows a boy named Mahito during the Pacific War who, after moving towns following the death of his mother, discovers an abandoned tower and enters a fantastical world with a talking grey heron.
According to a studio producer, this film is the most expensive ever produced in Japan and it shows. It is hand-drawn, thoughtful, and a beautiful work by Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
The English dub cast features Robert Pattinson, Gemma Chan, Christian Bale, Mark Hamill, and Florence Pugh, among other big names.
Shifting over to streaming and turning anime on its head, we have a Netflix mega-hit, One Piece.
The series follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as they explore the dangerous oceans, lands, and beyond in search of the “One Piece”, a fabled treasure that will make their captain, Monkey D. Luffy, “King of the Pirates.”
The series is a live-action adaptation of the manga of the same name by Eiichiro Oda, who served as a major creative consultant on the show. KOIN 6 AM Extra’s executive producer Adam also says it’s one of the best shows he’s seen this year.
Another Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki creation, we have Kiki’s Delivery Service, which centers on a 13-year-old trainee witch Kiki after she leaves home with her talking cat Jiji. She has to live solo for a year to find her purpose and winds up in the port city of Koriko, where she starts her own delivery service.
Then we have the series, My Hero Academia. Set in a world where about 80% of the human population has gained superpowers called “Quirks.” Quirks vary widely and can be inherited. Among the quirk-enhanced individuals, a few of them earn the title of heroes, who cooperate with authorities in rescue operations and apprehending criminals who abuse their quirks, commonly known as villains. The story follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy who was born without a quirk but still dreams of becoming a superhero himself.
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