Favorite Road Anime

[PictureGuy]

What is a road anime? It is an anime about characters who travel along the road. Not useful, huh? OK, it is an anime where the main character(s) are on a journey, and that’s the plot or main plot device. There aren’t too many of these which come to mind, so let me broaden the definition to include any anime where a journey supports the main plot. Better? Let me give you some of my favorites and you can get the idea.

Kino’s Journey is the perfect example of a road anime, but it is not one of my favorites. Actually, I didn’t like it. But if you liked it, let us know why.

So my favorites:

Michiko & Hatchin. A hardened criminal is forced under circumstances to team up with a runaway, abused orphan. They really don’t like each other, so naturally a bond forms as they go in search of a man from both their paths.

Spice and Wolf. Unfortunately, I have only seen season 1, but I liked what I saw. Lawrence is a traveling merchant who teams up with a god known as Holo the Wise Wolf. The wise wolf part seems to be her idea. She is a wolf, but can take the form of a human female – and not always clothed. They travel together and experience one adventure after another.

Inuyasha. Most of you know this one. Kagome falls down a well, finds herself in the Warring States era, whatever that is, and teams up with a female demon hunter, a horny priest, and the half-dog demon Inuyasha. Oh, and that little fox demon Shippo. (The rejected Marx Brother?) Off they go seeking the shards of the Shikon jewell, a journey which quite frankly goes on a bit too long. After episode 70, it admittedly does get redundant.

Monster. Japanese doctor Kenzo Temna gets a tour of Europe like nobody else will have. Traveling all over the central and eastern portions of the continent, Temna gets to see the dark underbelly of Europe as he searches for the psychotic mass murderer Johan, while trying to evade the police.

Tokyo Sinks 2020. I may be stretching it a bit here. A series of earthquakes causes Japan to start sinking into the ocean, so this one family hits the road.

Master Keaton. This is another stretch, but the main character, as a result of his multiple jobs as an archeologist, professor, lecturer, and detective, is constantly on the move throughout the world.

OK. Your turn. What are your favorite road anime series or movies, and tell us about them. Or comment on one of the ones I posted.

[sirius707]

I must say that's quite a pretentious list. but its a pretentious genre anyway.

[PictureGuy]

Michiko and Hatchin hit the road, but they have to take a break sometime:



I got the name backwards in my first post. Opps. Corrected it now.

[PictureGuy]

From Spice and Wolf, after a hard day of traveling, Lawrence and Holo stop off at a Motel 6.



And the room doesn't even have a TV!

[PictureGuy]

Inuyasha is a prime example of a road anime. From early on in the series, the hazards of meeting strangers on the road:

[Clayton_n]

Slayers
Trigun
Galaxy Express
Pokemon
Desert Punk
Requiem From the Darkness
Moby Dick

There are a lot...

[PictureGuy]

^ I have Moby Dick on my Netflix list -- somewhere.

[PictureGuy]

Japan Sinks 2020.

What do you do when your country is sinking into the ocean? You hit the road.

[PictureGuy]

As I said, including Master Keaton is a bit of a stretch. But I include it as a road anime because the main character's various professions do cause him to travel the entire globe. Check out the trailer:

[Clayton_n]

Digimon usually qualifies.


I hate when they want to leave the magical lands of adventure and just go home though...

[Tsundere Magus]

Can't help but think about Appare-Ranman! Road and this anime get on quite well. It is an anime about road races after all, featuring Appare, a young inventor who is amazed about steam racing machines, along with his loyal friend, Kosame, the samurai. I get particular retro vibes out of this one, and this is my recommendation!

[Clayton_n]

Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop count... Outlaw Star too, even if there are no roads in space per se.

[PictureGuy]

[QUOTE=Tsundere Magus;2911400]Can't help but think about Appare-Ranman! Road and this anime get on quite well. It is an anime about road races after all, featuring Appare, a young inventor who is amazed about steam racing machines, along with his loyal friend, Kosame, the samurai. I get particular retro vibes out of this one, and this is my recommendation!

I don't know that one, but it looks like it has some good animation. Though the shot with the whiskey bottle shattering makes me think it is a tragedy.

Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop count... Outlaw Star too, even if there are no roads in space per se.

I never made it through Samurai Champloo. It started off good, but I tired of it.

Cowboy Bebop? Good choice. I agree that can be considered a road anime. Maybe even a buddy anime given the relationship between the characters, especially Spike and Jet.

[Tsundere Magus]

I have been thinking about this topic a bit more. Gonna mention Shoujo Shuumatsu, since it is quite a beautiful (and sad somehow?) journey.

[PictureGuy]

^ What's it about? I guess those two girls are supposed to be soldiers. But other than that?

[Tsundere Magus]

The war is over and these two girls are survivors. I tend to look about it differently, though. War is not the important part, but appreciating small things in life and trying to find joy in small things. It is a story about looking back and observing what is left, even if the world is gray. Visuals are incredible, and so are dialogues between these two. Not to mention the beautiful music behind it...

It reminds me a bit of Made in Abyss, another story that might have its space in this topic as well!

[PictureGuy]

The war is over and these two girls are survivors. I tend to look about it differently, though. War is not the important part, but appreciating small things in life and trying to find joy in small things. It is a story about looking back and observing what is left, even if the world is gray. Visuals are incredible, and so are dialogues between these two. Not to mention the beautiful music behind it...

It reminds me a bit of Made in Abyss, another story that might have its space in this topic as well!

Sounds interesting.