Uniqueness and Creativity in Anime

[Johan Liebert]

So after finishing Mononoke (it has no relation to the amazing anime movie, Princess Mononoke), I pondered about creativity and uniqueness in anime. When it came to art and animation, I immediately thought of Mononoke. When it came to plot, I thought of Monster, Paranoia Agent, Serial Experiments Lain, and Fullmetal Alchemist. When it came to characters, I also thought of Monster. When it came to a unique world and story, overall, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex arguably impressed me the most. So in this topic, I'd like to discuss the meaning of uniqueness and creativity in the anime world, and also what we consider to be the "most" unique anime series out there, and the importance of such characteristics and the importance of avoiding the many anime cliches.