Tekkon Kinkreet
Fantastically animated with a sandbox world type of feel. Two brothers, Kuro and Shiro, fight to keep control of the streets of Takaramachi from groups of warring gangs. Some amazingly well animated fight scenes.
Sword of the Stranger
Follows Kotaro, a young boy who is hunted by a group of swordsmen from Ming Dynasty China for mysterious reasons. Among the group is a fearsome Western fighter named Luo-Lang, whose only desire is to find a worthy opponent. Due to circumstances, Kotaro and his dog meet Nanashi, a nameless ronin who is haunted by memories of his past which have led him to avoid drawing his sword ever again. Again really well animated fight sequences
Mind Game
Absolutely brilliant. Truly unique in its animation, story, and execution. Best viewed while high as a kite, but view it regardless.
Colorful
Upon reaching the train station to death, a dejected soul is informed that he is ‘lucky’ and will have another chance at life. He is placed in the body of a 14-year-old boy named Makoto Kobayashi, who has just committed suicide. Watched over by a neutral spirit named Purapura, the soul must figure out what his greatest sin and mistake in his former life was before his time limit in Makoto’s body runs out.
A Letter to Momo
Momo Miyaura is a shy and imaginative 11-year-old girl who is suffering because of her father’s recent death and the resultant extreme changes in her life. From the big city of Tokyo, Momo’s family moves to her mother’s childhood home, a remote island named Shio where she stumbles upon another world of beings.
Wings of Honneamise
In an alternative Earth, a young astronaut participates in a controversial fledgling space program. Well animated and wonderfully fleshed out world.
Memories
Memories is made up of three separate science-fiction stories. In the first, “Magnetic Rose,” four space travelers are drawn into an abandoned spaceship that contains a world created by one woman’s memories. In “Stink Bomb,” a young lab assistant accidentally transforms himself into a human biological weapon set on a direct course for Tôkyô. The final episode, “Cannon Fodder,” depicts a day in the life of a city whose entire purpose is the firing of cannons at an unseen enemy.
The Rebuilds of Evangelion
4 part film remake of the Evangelion TV series, of which 3 parts have been released. Covers the same basic story arch but is notable for its stunning animation. Parts 1 and 2 are exceptional, while part 3 seems to have suffered from a weaker storyline.
Last Minute Addition: Metropolis
Filled with the stylings of art deco, 20’s swing styled jazz, and references to sumerian mythology, Metropolis is a wonderful experience in any genre. Taking place in Metropolis, a multi layered city reminiscent of a hybrid cross between “Blade Runner” Los Angeles and a level out of “Sonic 2” where robots serve man as a segregated lower working class. Keichi and his uncle are thrust into a world of mystery as they stumble upon a newly developed robot girl Tima, who just might be the link between two worlds
Honorable Mention: Origins Spirits of the Past
Takes place on a future Earth where genetically engineered plants have taken control of vast portions of the biosphere. Two friends, Agito and Cain, live in the tiny and relatively primitive Human zone. After the stumble upon a relic from the past deep within the woods, they are caught up in a conflict between radical human factions and sapient plant life. I thought it started very well and established a very interesting world but petered out toward the end
