Final post of the day. Stay tuned in the next days for the final forty.
45. Sailor Moon
The most famous magical girl series of all time. It still holds up well, mostly thanks to a redub and reboot. The moon has never looked so bright.
44. Arakawa Under The Bridge
Let it be said that the most interesting people can come from anywhere, even under a bridge in a make shift shanty town that makes FLCL look tame in it's surreal.
43. Ancient Magus Bride
This has all the dramas you could associate with such an intriguing series based on British Folklore but it's real selling point is it's incredible accuracy with it's portrayal of Britain. As a Brit myself that really makes a difference.
42. Moldiver
A geeky way of making superman, mixed in a universe that idolizes the 20th Century. It's rare to see a short series showcase so much in it's limited run but by the end of it you feel satisfied.
41. Summer Wars
The only other movie on this list. An online world is at risk and it's up to Kenji along with Natsuki and her extended large family to stop this threat before it becomes a global catastrophe. Very heartwarming, emotional and a warning of what might happen if we go too digital.
Next up on Digital Week, an Anime Film that set a new standard for the Genre, this is Summer Wars.
OZ is a super advanced online system that controls every notable function that can be computerized on Earth, everything from basic communication and gaming right down to the serious business and government systems. In the meantime a maths genius named Kenji is drafted by his school friend Natsuki to pose as her fiancee for her Great Grandmother's 90th Birthday along with meeting the large extended family Natsuki belongs to.
During his visit Kenji is tricked into cracking the security code for the OZ mainframe which unleashes a rogue AI named Love Machine onto the network wreaking havoc on the system and disrupting a number of world services which gets worst by the minute.
It's up to Kenji and Natsuki's family to save the world using online battles of Martial Arts and Hanafuda in the truest Samurai Spirit that so follows the family.
Summer Wars is one of the best anime films you'll ever see, a unique blend of family bonding along with some of the best animation and action seen in a long time; you can tell that the same director worked on Digimon as you can see alot of the scenery of OZ was lifted and improved from the Digimon Movie.
The threat from the Love Machine AI is convincing and paints a haunting picture of what might happen if the world continues to put everything online, Skynet has nothing on this guy.
Also when watching King Kazma fight or seeing Natsuki take on Love Machine in Hanafuda, you see this film put to shame a lot of popular mainstream anime including many Shonen titles and most notably Yu-Gi-Oh.
My only complaint is that the dub is a bit lacking and is way more effective in Japanese.
Final Verdict: I've been an anime fan for close to 20 years now; from the earliest memories of wondering what Dragonball Ice Cream was on my holidays in Spain, why a Giant Panda in my Gameboy game is throwing Kettles and Buckets at me, the sheer happiness of seeing Sonic the Hedgehog on film leading to the Trailer of my first proper anime watching of Dirty Pair Flash to writing this review for Summer Wars and having just come back from an anime convention a few days ago, I now find myself in a position of witnessing an Anime Film that personifies the art form so perfectly that it irritates me that it didn't at least get nominated for an Oscar the year it was released. Summer Wars is an emotional roller coaster that offers the truest meanings of family, grouped with the limitless potential of human imagination to the surreal scenarios that no live action show could copy, the Holy Trinity of a Great Anime.
Summer Wars is great and all of you should watch it.
A Falcon Punch occurs many times throughout anime in which a single punch shows to have enough impact to not only hurt but be exaggerated to the point of earth shattering proportions so to honor that here are the top 10 Falcon Punches.
Rules this time: No multiple punches.
Disqualified: Domon Kashu's Burning & Shining Fingers aren't technically punches.
Honorable Mention: Captain Falcon himself from the F-Zero Anime for making this possible.
Dishonorable Mention: Ash Ketchum's fail punch on Mewtwo.
Now to begin.
YUKIMURA!!!!
10. Bunshichi Tawara from Tenjo Tenge & Seiji Sawamura from Midori Days
Both tied for 10th for doing exactly the same thing, destroying a freaking car. Seiji's punch goes so far it hits the driver whereas Bunshichi's punch launches the car as if it's on a spring.
9. King Kazma from Summer Wars
The awesome bunny avatar from the Summer Wars film gets an epic one on the antagonist Love Machine sending him flying through the firewalls.
8. Naruto from Naruto
I wonder how many people remember Naruto's first epic moment when he goes insane and delivers the biggest knockout punch to Haku. Tsunade & Sakura have their best punches but Naruto's is the first memorable moment of one of anime's biggest shows.
7. Shizuo from Durarara
The ever bad tempered Shizuo has always had exaggerated strength but one of his early punches not only sent a guy flying but his clothes fly off as well.
6. Goku from All Dragonball Series
Goku's Dragon Fist attack redefines the term Shoryuken by summoning a freaking dragon but in his early days he found fame with the Dragon Fist move by defeating King Piccolo with it. By the final series it still looks awesome.
5. Takeda Shingen from Sengoku Basara
Takeda's favorite way for showing his love, his fist of manly love between Tiger & Cub. Okay I can't fight it. YUKIMURA!!!! YOUR LORDSHIP!!!!
4. Natsu from Fairy Tail
An early one used on Jellal Fernandes during the Tower of Heaven arc. The impact almost destroys the tower in the process. A key moment in the series as this is the first appearance of Dragonforce.
3. Takamura from Hajime no Ippo
Boxing anime Hajime no Ippo really goes to town with it's fights by having punches so powerful it disturbs the air space around it, but Takamura's finisher on Brian Hawk is amazing for one reason.
It started with one of the biggest "Oh Crap" moments in anime history.
2. Luffy from One Piece
If you want a single punch to carry the weight of the world then Luffy's strike on the Tenryubito certainly shows that, animated beautifully and gave us the turning point of One Piece as a series.
1. Simon from Gurren Lagann
But if you want a Dynamic Entry for your punch then Simon's your man. In an up scaled version of the same punch Simon received from Kamina even quoting "Lets see you grit those teeth!" Simon takes the more epic approach by flying out of his mecha and laying one in the face of Rossiu.
