Phoenix - Recommendations

• TV (13 eps)
• 2003

In another world, there exist many countries, each with different cultures, customs, and traditions. From technological marvels to folk legends, each location yields a vast wealth of insight of its people: their hopes and their dreams, their failures and fears. Kino is a traveler whose goal is to visit as many new places as possible, learning about others' ways of life, but also making sure to stay clear of their affairs. Together with the talking motorrad Hermes, Kino sets out to explore the beautiful world and meet its inhabitants, wherever they may be.

• OVA (1 ep x 57 min)
• 1987

In the year 2058, mankind is about to take its first leap into the distant reaches of space. Using the resources at the tail end of a comet, massive spaceships will be sent to the corners of the universe in an attempt to colonize other worlds, but due to the length of time it will take to arrive at even the closest solar system, the comets must be destroyed in-flight, resulting in super-fast speeds that will kill any life onboard; only frozen sperm and eggs, and machines will survive the journey. Carrying the unborn children of the Robinsons, the first of these ships must now set forth to Ozma; and with its precious cargo is coupled the hopes and fears of all humanity.

• TV (26 eps)
• 2005 - 2006

It isn't unusual for a person to feel that the world around them is strange and has unexpected secrets lying just beyond their sight. However, for most people this is just an occasional sensation that greets them upon awakening or chases them into sleep. For the mushi researcher Ginko, it isn't a feeling at all; it is a knowledge which guides his travels and motivates his life. Found in the cracks between what is conceivable and what is not, are the varied life forms collectively known as mushi. They surround us and affect us, but their intensely different nature makes them unrecognizable to most. Ginko brings these life forms into perspective for the lives of those most affected and most in need of an explanation.

• Movie (1 ep x 128 min)
• 1979

Tetsuro was orphaned at a young age when his mother was killed by Count Mecha. He dreams of one day earning, or stealing enough money to board the Galaxy Express 999 - the intergalactic train that would take him to the robot planet, where he could cast away his humanity in his quest for vengeance against Count Mecha. Tetsuro soon finds a shortcut towards his desires when he meets the enchanting Maetel while running from the police. Tetsuro finds himself drawn towards this woman that eerily resembles his mother, especially when she offers to take him on the Galaxy Express 999 with her. So begins Tetsuro's intergalactic journey to fulfill his wishes, whatever those wishes may be in the end.

• TV (13 eps)
• 2003

Legend says that if the flesh of a mermaid is consumed, the body becomes immortal. However, with the small chance of immortality comes a high chance of being poisoned, morphing and mutating into a monster beyond comprehension. Yuta is a wanderer: one of the few who has eaten the flesh and survived, and lived to tell about it -- for 500 years. By chance, Yuta meets a young woman named Mana who also shares the same fate, and together, they wander the land, searching for a mermaid who can free them from their immortal lives.

• TV (11 eps)
• 2006

The dark and brooding Ayakashi is composed of three horror stories: the narration of a young woman named Oiwa who was abandoned and betrayed by the one she truly loved, leading her to curse all who stood in her way; a story of two star-crossed lovers – a human and a forgotten god – and their struggle to have a future together; and the tale of an evil and malicious demon who is haunting and murdering a family for unknown purposes. Though different in animation style and tone, each story shares a similar theme: the darkness of the human heart.

• TV (12 eps)
• 2008

Welcome to a world in which memories can be transferred from body to body; old painful memories can be removed and replaced with new ones, and the poor sell their bodies to the rich to survive. Waking up one day, Kaiba finds himself in a strange place with no memories of his past and a mysterious hole in his chest; the only clue as to his identity is a locket with a picture of a girl hanging from his neck. Armed with this token, Kaiba must now travel across the galaxy to discover who he is and what the girl in the locket means to him; however, his journey will bring him into contact with many people whose lives have been tragically affected by the manipulation of memories. All too soon it becomes clear that something is very wrong with this world…

• TV (26 eps)
• 2009

Princess Rinda and her brother Remus are the foretold Twin Pearls of Parros – one will be a shining prophet and the other a great ruler. However, when their homeland is lost to the invading Mongaul army and their parents slain during the siege, Rinda and Remus are transported into Rood Forest, a dangerous hideout for ghouls. Lost and vulnerable, the two barely escape death thanks to the help of a powerful man with the head of a leopard called Guin who cannot remember who is or how he became that way. Together they journey across the land, evading monsters, fighting the power-hungry Mongaul army, and gathering trusted companions such as Istavan Spellsword and Suni of the monkey-like Sem – all in the hope of fulfilling their destinies and finally bringing peace to Parros.

• OVA (3 eps x 38 min)
• 1995

This set of 3 fantastic stories will take you from the haunting delusions of a space explorer, to a bio-chemical threat with the power to wipe out all of Tokyo, and finally to a day in the life of a young boy who lives in a world ruled by cannons. These stores will capture you with their intriguing storylines and awe inspiring artwork.

• Movie (1 ep x 111 min)
• 2011

The time is several millennia ago; the place is India. Droughts and famine plague the country, and its people are forced into a strict caste system that rewards only the elite cream of the crop. Across the land animals and Brahmin alike rejoice, for the blessed child with a birthright to become a god is about to be born. His name is Siddhartha Gautama, later to be known as the Buddha. Meanwhile, in another kingdom, Chapra, a boy born into a life of slavery, is determined to break free of his caste and earn a position of power. As both Chapra and Siddhartha grow and mature, learning about the harshness of India's caste system, the choices they make lead them closer together.