Changed it to top 5 things because that's how I roll. Don't forget to put on your Nostaligia Goggles before reading the list!
1. Dragonball Z
My first real animu. I would watch it on Toonami when I got home from school; it was the absolute highlight of my day. I still remember flipping my shit when Goku went Super Saiyan to defeat Frieza. DBZ will always be one of my favroite anime, ever, and I maintain that the Saiyan to Frieza sagas make for some of the best anime episodes of all time.
2. Harry Potter
My first real book series. I got hooked on Harry Potter in 4th grade, when my mom recommended I read the books; I listened to the first one on tape and quickly went through the next three, and from then on I was an absolute Potter fan. Waiting for the books to come out every summer and basically growing up with Harry was one of the biggest parts of my childhood. When the last book came out, I actually had to stop reading it part way through because I was crying; knowing that such an integral part of my life was about to end was too emotional. Kids today with their ipods and their Twilights don't know what it was like to grow up during Pottermania.
3. Watchmen
BABIES FIRST COMIC. But seriously, my first real adult comic, one with plot and feeling and symbolism and so, so much that it remains, to this day, one of my favorite pieces of literature, ever. Oh, and I totally cried when Rorschach died.And Ozymandias remains one of the best villains of all time. "I did it 35 minutes ago," indeed.
4. Ranma 1/2
My first real mango! I loved the martial arts and the comedy (still do), and Shampoo was my first waifu. I re-read the series recently, and it still holds up well; funny, engaging, and it has heart. Definitely one of my favorite manga of all time.
5. Pokemon Red
My first real video game. My brother got Blue, I got Red, and for both of us, there was no turning back. We played our Gameboy Colors non-stop; even in the back of the car at night, we would wait for Mom to drive past a lightpole for a glimpse of the screen. Bulbasaur, man, you were a great starter, and a true bro. And Gary, fuck you, you were the biggest dick of a rival ever. I will never rage as hard as I did when I was trying to find a Pokemon Center, one Pokemon left with barely any health, and Gary rolls on up and challenges me to a battle.
Good times.
For me, DBZ is interchangeable with whatever aired on Toonami, back in the day.
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter? Yeah, nostalgic for that too.
Even as a little shithead, I still steamrolled everything in Red. Even Gary. Super overleveled Charizard, you were my bro.
I remember spending all my time playing Pokemon Red. Charizard was awesome.
ReplyDeletePokemon Red was the best.
ReplyDeleteI remember when watching DBZ was cool, and watching anime was cool because watching DBZ was cool. Now it's all "Uh so you still watch those Chinese cartoons?" which is not cool.
ReplyDeleteDBZ was the the best. My first real mango.
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter and Pokémon, fuck yeah. I had Yellow, which wasn't as cool as Red and Blue.
I remember watching the Japanese episodes of DBZ and knowing what happened ahead of time. Everyone saw me as some kind of cool kid back then, but I didn't particularly want attention, I just wanted to shut the kids up who were talking about the Japanese version having sex and stuff.
ReplyDelete