I’ve always found the concept of being able to buy an entire anime series (or any series for that matter) in a single boxset to be very appealing. Therefore, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some fantastic anime series that you can get in one boxset. However, I should first remind you that I live in Ireland. Therefore, the anime boxsets that I typically collect are Region 2/B. I will try to take American releases into account but I thought it was important to clarify beforehand.
Having said all that, my first boxset is ironically an American release that works on my region 2 player. The 1978 Space Pirate Captain Harlock series is one of my favourite anime and Discotek made the brilliant decision to release the whole series in one boxset, all 42 episodes. Set in the year 2977, the series follows Captain Harlock, a space pirate who rejects Earth’s government but is still determined to defend the planet when an alien species known as the Mazone begin infiltrating Earth. Directed by the legendary Rintaro, Space Pirate Captain Harlock has an outstanding visual style which leads to some beautiful and trippy visuals, some of the best I’ve ever seen in an anime. Additionally, the story is surprisingly moving with some truly emotional episodes. If you can get your hands on it, I have no hesitation in recommending the Space Pirate Captain Harlock boxset.
Beyond that, one of the best anime boxsets that I ever picked up was Puella Magi Madoka Magica. I remember hearing about Puella back in college but it wasn’t until Manga Entertainment, now Funimation UK, released the series that I ended up watching it. Having heard unbelievably good things about it, I was fully expecting to be disappointed. Instead, the show ended up becoming my favourite anime of all time! The series’ reinterpretation of the magical girl genre was absolutely brilliant, the characters were likeable, the music was incredible and the show featured some of the best and trippiest visuals I’ve ever seen in an anime. Now the important thing to note is that, while the show is quite affordable in the UK and Ireland, the series is VERY expensive to pick up in America due to being distributed by Aniplex USA. While definitely recommended as well as meeting the criteria for being in a single boxset, I’d still see if you could find a more affordable DVD/Blu-ray before resorting to Aniplex USA’s release.
Another fantastic anime series that you can get in one boxset would be Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo. As the name implies, it’s an adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo but is set in the far future, introducing sci-fi elements such as aliens, other worlds and advanced technology. Regardless of your thoughts on this aspect of the adaptation, the series beautifully adapts the events of the novel, bringing with it a wide host of characters that are deep, complex and contribute to the story in stunning ways. The visuals of the series are also incredibly beautiful with only the occasional CGI tarnishing it. Gankutsuou is one of the best anime series that I’ve watched in the past few years and deserves to be picked up, admired and enjoyed.
Welcome to the NHK can be quite the divisive series. I’ve shown it to some people who refuse to watch it past episode 3 but I truly believe that it’s a series that any fan of Japanese popular culture must watch. The show not only tackles the issue of the hikikomori phenomenon but a wide variety of other topics such as addiction, social anxiety, suicide pacts and many others. The show’s visuals are a little rough, varying from pleasant to surprisingly poor, and the topics are not easy to handle but I still consider Welcome to the NHK to be brilliant and a must watch.
Finally, I’d like to bring up Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne. The first thing I must emphasise is that the show is not for the squeamish. The level of violence and sexual content will undoubtedly upset many people and if you can’t handle this type of content then I would urge you to avoid this series. However, for those of you who can handle this type of content, you will find a smart, intelligent series where we follow immortals over the course of about sixty years as they carry out their investigations. The plot, setting and characters are inspired and the animation is clean and crisp.
Let me know your thoughts on some fantastic anime series you can get in one boxset, which ones of these you’ve seen, did you like them or dislike them, what other fantastic anime can you get in one boxset and any additional information you might have on the topic.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs!