4 Anime Shows that are 5 Star Worthy

Ceres: The Celestial Maiden

Unlike all the other ones I mentioned before, Ceres is truly 100% Shojo. The story of Ceres begins a 1000 or so years ago. She is a tennyo, or a celestial maiden. She married into the Mikage family after the head of the Mikage family stole her celestial robes. Without them she was caught in the cycle of rebirth of the Mikage family. Every so often, one of her descendants is born with a body that can host her spirit. In order to tell for certain the Mikage family hold a special ritual where they show off the mummified hand of the Celestial Maiden. Should Ceres manifest that person is killed instantly by all the members of the family. The reason for this murder is because Ceres has sworn a vendetta against the Mikage family for having wronged her and stolen from her, her celestial robes.




It seems that some of the Mikage family members would have been willing to give her the robes. But alas only the first Mikage knows where the Celestial robes are hidden. This is where the main characters, the twins Aya and Aki Mikage come into the picture. During the ritual Ceres manifest inside Aya, while Aki become the founding father Mikagi. Thus, the ancient fued between Ceres and Mikagi is played all over again. Mikagi tries time and time again to poses once more Ceres. Naturally, Aya refuses the advances of her poses brother. However, since Aki has the same blood as Ceres, Mikagi can manifest similar Ceres like powers. Thus, both spirits are in equal footing with each other except that Aya refuses to go on the offensive against her twin Aki. 

From then on, the entire graphic novel revolves around the celestial robes. Not all Mikages desire to be rid of Ceres and her stupid celestial robes. Others like Kagami Mikage, director of the Celestial Project, wish to use the power of the celestial robe to create a race of super powerful celectail beings. The problem is that those that manifest the C Genome will eventually die young if they are not supplied with their own unique celestial robe. thus, instead of pursuing Aya, he wishes to draw her closer and have her mate with her twin in order to recreate the ancient Mikage celestial maiden line.

Another thing that is unique about Aki is that he one of the few males to manifest the C Genome. The other males that resonated with the C Genome swiftly died. It seems that the  C Genome is mostly compatible with females. Another person, that possible has a hidden C Genome is Toya. He was picked up by the organization and given fake memories and the mission to capture Aya. However, he falls in love with Aya and soon knocks her up. As a result a new assassin is sent after Toya. Toward the end, all the surviving celestial maidens are assembled in order to produce a colony of super powerful celestial beings.

Most of the anime show revolves around Aya trying to escape the grasp of her Mikage family. During her journey she encounters and befriends other decedents from other celestial maidens. Their powers differ from Aya. Still, they are all bounded by the same tragic past. Like Ceres, these earthbound celestial maidens suffered an early death. Aya quickly learns that if she must find the celestial robes not only to save herself but the life of her unborn child.

Tokyo Babylon

Tokyo Babylon is the handy work of Clamp. The story revolves around the twins Subaru ,like the car) and Hokuto Sumeragi. This is the first part of a two part series that focuses on the onmyoji career of Subaru. Anyhow, Subaru works day and night to exorcise demons, kill renegade omnyoji, waking up the comatose and help lost sounds come to rest. He is considered the most powerful onmyoji. His family has been in this business for hundreds of years. He wears gloves constantly to hide the marks in his hands. These are the marks of an assassin that one day will come to claim his life. He certainly does not know this since it was his grandma that forced him to wear the gloves.  

In the real world, Subaru spends most of his time with his sister or with veterinarian (why a vet is beyond me) he is dating. The sister encourages a lot this relationship because she worries that Subaru is too altruistic. She wants him to think more of himself for once. Her concern is understandable considering the dangerous business he is in. From time to time he is saved ,unknowingly by his boyfriend the veterinarian. Seishiro, for some odd reason keeps his powers hidden from Subaru. This mysterious reason is later discovered close to the end of the graphic novel.

Over all, the graphic novel is pretty decent and easy to read. The sub stories in the form of exorcisms are pretty humoring and fascinating. this graphic novel is always plagued with a feeling of doom and gloom. this doomish feelings comes in the form of the ever approaching assassin. The date of reckoning is always drawing closer and closer. It was the hope of Subaru's grandma that he would become powerful enough to face this treat. Thus, unknowingly Subaru is on a dangerous path that might lead to his end.

 

Apollo's Song

ah, my friends, I am truly nostalgic about old graphic novels. Whenever I start getting this old people emotion it makes me wanna write about Ozamu Tezuka and his work. Something about this mangaka artist feels both old and new in many ways...

Today I will speak of Apollo's song. Yes, it is another Ozamu Tezuka production. Do not worry it has hardly any resemblance to MW. The main character Shogo Chikaishi hates anything that is Shojo. Whenever he sees anyone or another having a shojo moments he either strikes them or kills them. The killing thing only applies to animals, however he was taken to an insane asylum out of fear that he might target a larger audience. His hatred for shojo and shojo love themes is rooted in the problems he had with his mother. Ever since he was small his mother always saw him as a burden.  Whenever she would go have a shojo moments with one of her buddies she would shoo him away. One day he saw his mother in the act and she beat him up with a broomsticks. Ever since then he hated Shojo moments because it reminded him of the love he never received from his mother.

In time this loathing turned to hate and even anger. He did not hate humans and animals per say. However, whenever he saw them get warm and fussy he would slay them. After his first shock as the hospital during the 5 seconds he was temporarily dead, he was taken to trail by Athena. She forced him to face his hatred of Shojo and shojo moments. As punishment he was forced to relive eternally shojo moments. Before he could consummate his love him and his lover would perish.

In this graphic novel, we see 3 shojo Stories overlaying the giant Shojo story of Shogo. It is or my opinion that Ozamu Tezuka made his name Shogo in order to bear close resemblance to Shojo. like his name, he can never get quite close to the shojo love he seeks. He his forever doom do to his own disdain for shojo moments. overall, this graphic novel has a cyclical feel about it.  Tezuka does to to show his reader that without men and woman have been uniting since the beginning of time to help the species survive. When this fragile balance is twisted and distorted true love cannot exist.

Throughout his experiences Shogo comes to realize the errors of his old ways. He even comes the realization that his mother actually did love him. She was just too stubborn to show it properly. This and many other overlaying themes makes this graphic novel worth reading. In his own simple style, Tezuka shares with his readers the purest deepest secrets of love and shojo. This is his wonderful master piece.

Another thing that I find interesting is the tittle. The tittle Apollo's song goes well with the myth offered by Tezuka's graphic novel manifestation. Apollo had fallen in love with a nymph. like any other idiot instead of approaching cautiously, he jumped her like a lunatic and started kissing her and asking her to marry him. Like it was to be expected she fled from him. The moment that he caught up with her she turned into a laurel tree. She did this to escape from Apollo whom she believed was a random pervert. In the end, Apollo's own impatience proved to be his undoing. Though his love for her could never manifest he wore from then on a laurel crown to remind himself never to be preemptive in both love and life.

like Apollo, Shogo's immaturity and pragmatism led him on a path of self destruction and sadism. When love was at his arm reach instead of embracing it he crushed it. It was this behavior that earned him the wrath of Athena. Still... it makes me wonder why Athena and not Venus?

 

MW

MW is a Shojo graphic novel published by the one and only ozamu tezuka. Despite its innocent appearance within lies untold horror. these however are presented in an inoffensive fashion for all those that are not catholic. The story revolves around the forbidden romance between a catholic priest and a banker named Yuki. In the old days, both had met in an island (during the Hippie era). The chumps of the father wanted to steal an odd gas that was held in the Island of Okinawa. However, there was a leak and all who where in the islands killed in a most brutal fashion. Yuki and the hippie Garai survived because they were mating inside a cave. When both kids went outside they saw the horror and the carnage. By the time they had gone outside the smoke had blown away.

This broke both children. while Garai inspired by the carnage went on the path of good. He sought to amend his evil ways and eventually became a priest. Yuki however, was affected somewhat by the gas. So he grew up being sick and angry at what he saw. These interminable nightmares eventually warped his mind. Due to his irregular behavior his family abandoned and disowned Yuki. Now he lives as a banker by day and a kidnapper by night. The graphic novel begins with Yuki's latest victim. The father had brought the ransom money to him. The problem is that he was the banker that had marked all the bills. He was able to separate them.

 

He later showed the father is strangled son. He told him that he was planning to change his modus operatum. Now he was into murdering. It is for this reason, he later shot and drooped the oldman's body in the river. While running away from the authorities he took refuge in the temple of father Garai. It is an ancient catholic tradition, that all those who seek refuge in the church will fin their doors open to them. while the other priest kept the authorities out, Yuki was at the confession of Father Garai telling him of his latest exploits. He told him how he had strangled the child to death and other deviance.

Though shocked Father Garia could not abandon him. He was his eternal black sheep. As a priest he felt it was his duty to bring him to the light. As his lover he could not betray him. Needless to say, Yuki was able to escape in the habits of a nun. These and other occurrences makes this spicy graphic novel worth reading. I bet this was not what you expected when you read shojo or tezuka. It is also an odd live action movie, I have yet to watch it. If it is any good I might recommended.