Top 10 Manga and Anime

While I was composing my previous post about manga, I found this bit of news reporting the Top 10 manga and anime as voted by Japanese fans. Here are the lists, and my own comments:

The top ten manga:

1. Slam Dunk: read it, was surprised is more popular than Dragon Ball.
2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: very suprised it is this high. I didn't know it was that popular. Very glad about it, since it is one of my favorites.
3. Dragon Ball: I thought it'd be at #1.
4. Fullmetal Alchemist: heard of the anime, never read the manga.
5. Doraemon: huh? Is this more than a kids favorite anime? Is the manga also that popular?
6. Phoenix: never read it, but glad that Tezuka is still popular.
7. Black Jack: another Tezuka manga. Good.
8. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: the great Miyazaki manga masterpiece. Another one of my favorite.
9. Mushishi: never heard of it!!
10. Death Note: only recently heard of it, next on my to read list.

To summarize: I've read 4 of them, I've heard of 5 of them, no idea about 1 of them. Not too bad, I thought I'd be way behind.

The top 10 anime:

1. Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV): my favorite anime ever!!
2. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (movie): Miyazaki's first movie.
3. Laputa - Castle in the Sky (movie): another early Miyazaki movie.
4. Mobile Suit Gundam (TV): watched as a kid, have no recollection of the story.
5. Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (movie): watched it, very good movie again by Miyazaki, but first series was much better.
6. Mushishi (TV): as with manga, no idea what this is.
7. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (TV): heard of it, but had no idea was that popular.
8. My Neighbor Totoro (Movie): a great kids movie, by Miyazaki.
9. Full Metal Alchemist (TV): next on my to watch list.
10. Ghost in the Shell (Movie): great movie, much more coherent or understandable than the manga.

Summary: I've watched 6 of them, saw few episodes of 3 of them, no idea about 1 of them. I did even better on anime, even though I am not a huge anime fan. The reason is that it is easier to get hold of anime (especially movies) than some of the manga.

I am surprised that Cowboy Bebop didn't make the top 10. That was probably my second favorite series (after Evangelion). Even though Miyazaki made 4 appearances, my favorite movie of his is not here: Mononoke Hime. Other missing entries in my opinion: Grave of the Firefly (an incredibly touching story about a boy and his little sister, lost in the middle of way), FLCL (a great little OVA by the same studio as Evangelion). Also where is Akira? I guess it made more an impact outside Japan.

Ok, that was fun. I do miss reading manga, and I want to resume watching more anime.