Carlos Alexandre and Erin F., our two anime experts-in-residence, offer their takes on the best (and worst) anime of 2007.

Best Anime of 2007: Carlos’ Picks

MUSHI-SHI, Vols. 1-3 (FUNimation)
Breaking the mold of season-long/series-long continual plot lines, each episode of Mushi-Shi is a story in and of itself, having very little to do with other episodes other than sharing a common supporting character and theme. And each is meticulously crafted and highly entertaining.

What makes Mushi-Shi great is the clever way in which it casts a fantastical veil over very real and very believable familial strife. Every episode deals with family, whether blood or adopted, loving or spiteful. The creatures called mushi that fascinate and haunt the world of Mushi-Shi are representative of the fear of the unknown that families face, and how it can prompt great love or great sadness. You never know whether or not there’s a happy ending in store for any particular episode.

Mushi-Shi stands tall above the rest of the pickings this year, with vibrant visuals and sound, enticing storytelling, and expert voice work. The first four volumes of Mushi-Shi are out now, with the rest due in 2008.

Click here to read Carlos’ review of volume one; click here to read his review of volumes two and three.

DEATH NOTE, Vols. 1-2 (Viz)
I’ll be reviewing the first two volumes of Death Note soon, but even only four episodes in, it shows great promise, enough to warrant mention in a best of 2007 article. The idea of giving a thoughtful, intellectual youth a means to kill anybody he knows while remaining anonymous could have easily been mishandled, but wasn’t; Light, the show’s protagonist who obtains this power, is convincingly megalomaniacal, yet his actions and mindset are believable. That the scripting is ridiculously well-written and the English voice work very high quality only adds to the allure.

Best Anime of 2007: Erin’s Picks

GREAT TV BOX SERIES
Genshiken (Media Blasters, $39.95): Genshiken is amazing! This set is much cheaper than how I bought it… Genshiken is the story of a college anime club, and it works as a useful introduction to doujinshi and the world of Japanese fandom.

Kodocha, Vols. 1-6 (FUNimation, $79.98): Kodocha is hilarious, sweet, hyper, and suitable for kids 12 and up. The first six volumes are the best! Kodocha is a frenetic comedy about a child actor settling the war of the sexes at school and cheering up her depressed would-be boyfriend.

Haré+Guu (FUNimation, $99.98): You could be the hero of your anime club by screening Hare+Guu. Guaranteed! It’s just your typical jungle comedy story about a girl with a hyperdimensional stomach…

Paradise Kiss (Geneon, $59.98): I loved the ParaKiss anime more than the manga, with it’s angsty high-school senior year fashionistas and punks… Yukari is commandeered by some freaks at the local fashion trade school to model a dress in their school show.

Fighting Spirit (Geneon, $79.98): This is a great show, even if you don’t like boxing, or sports. It’s much more affordable nowadays… Ippo is a nice guy helping out with his family fishing business before he decided to turn into a pro boxer.

SUITABLE FOR MOST AUDIENCES
Princess Tutu (ADV, $49.98): Princess Tutu is a hard sell based on the title, but it’s a word-of-mouth hit. Trust me, you’ll want to see this. It might be a little too dark in the end for very young children. Ahiru is a ducked turned human who is trying to restore a prince’s heart. Will the creepy narrator pulling the strings ruin her story?

Kamichu! Complete Collection (Geneon, $79.98): Kamichu has nothing objectionable in it – it’s just good, sweet, and well animated. Previously it was too expensive to collect, but now you can watch it with your younger cousins. Junior high student Yurie suddenly discovers that she’s a Shinto goddess. She can see the tiny animistic gods in everyday life, and she gets involved in everyday adventures with her new powers.

BEST FILMS
The Wings of Honneamise (Bandai Visual USA, $79.99): ANN cleverly quipped in their gift guide: “The only thing larger than my beard is my laserdisc collection!” But seriously, everyone needs to see/own this movie.

Paprika (Columbia Pictures, $26.96): I love Satoshi Kon and Paprika is my new favorite film of his. (Click here for Erin’s review.)

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society (Manga Entertainment, $24.98): Solid State Society was solid entertainment, even if you haven’t seen all of the TV series, it’s still great.

Tekkon Kinkreet (Sony Pictures, $26.95): I reviewed this for issue two of Otaku USA, before I’d read the manga. Now that I’ve read the manga, I respect the movie a lot more. It’s fun, and Studio 4C is really starting to be awesome. Soon you’ll have to own all their movies…

To read more of Erin’s anime picks, click here.

Worst Anime of 2007: Carlos’ Pick

THE THIRD: THE GIRL WITH THE BLUE EYE, Vol. 1 (Right Stuf)
I honestly wish I could’ve picked Gackt: The Greatest Filmograpy for the honor of being named 2007’s worst, but, sadly, it isn’t anime. Honestly, I struggled to think of an anime I saw in 2007 that was bad enough to be named the year’s worst, but I couldn’t. See, most of the time, when I watch anime on my own, I avoid particularly cringe-worthy series; once I see the telltale signs of a dud, I stop watching. And the ones I’ve had to review that were released this year have not been so bad as to name worst of the year (not even the Naruto ones, imagine that!)

And then I remembered the first volume of The Third: The Girl With the Blue Eye. It’s the story of a little girl samurai who looks very much like Street Fighter character Sakura Kasugano, and her adventures in an alternate future with giant insects. Or something like that. Think of the manga Junk Force, but somehow even more contrived and less entertaining. Definitely the worst of 2007. Though, to be fair, it’s entirely possible that future volumes improved.

Worst Anime of 2007: Erin’s Pick

NARUTO THE MOVIE: NINJA CLASH IN THE LAND OF SNOW (Viz)
Amazingly disappointing, you can just skip this non-continuity story that works hard to artificially force Naruto and his friends into a movie totally unrelated to Konoha. I really love Naruto, but this movie stinks.