Recommend pulp sci-fi anime romance kung fu mashups
May 4, 2022 11:21 AM Subscribe
Just now discovered the Flaming Lips’ Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Last month I saw a local production of Fight Girl Battle World. I am loving the intersection of pulp sci-fi, kung fu, romance, and anime tropes and style. What else will scratch this itch?
It’s easy to find any one of these, or even the overlap between two, but harder to catch all of them at once. Any media is fine.
It’s easy to find any one of these, or even the overlap between two, but harder to catch all of them at once. Any media is fine.
Response by poster: Oh, actually detailed instructions about Evangelion would be welcome. I’ve wanted to watch it but it seems very daunting to even know how to start.
posted by rikschell at 11:52 AM on May 4, 2022
posted by rikschell at 11:52 AM on May 4, 2022
Best answer: Science fiction/YA/romance novel: Iron Widow might fit.
posted by nonane at 11:58 AM on May 4, 2022
posted by nonane at 11:58 AM on May 4, 2022
Best answer: Yeah, Iron Widow fits the bill. I can't really recommend it because I don't know that the book itself lives up to its super-cool premise. But it definitely seems that it would be very close to what you're looking for.
posted by PussKillian at 12:17 PM on May 4, 2022
posted by PussKillian at 12:17 PM on May 4, 2022
Best answer: Have you seen the new film Everything Everywhere All at Once yet? Lots of overlap, though fewer robots!
Less romantic, but very silly and fun are Stephen Chow's movies. Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons is my favorite, but all are nothing if not stylized, stylish, and kung-fu loving.
posted by LeeLanded at 12:35 PM on May 4, 2022 [3 favorites]
Less romantic, but very silly and fun are Stephen Chow's movies. Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons is my favorite, but all are nothing if not stylized, stylish, and kung-fu loving.
posted by LeeLanded at 12:35 PM on May 4, 2022 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Scott Pilgrim vs the World. I've only seen the movie, but it is based on a comic book.
Big Trouble in Little China covers some of those bases.
posted by adamrice at 12:50 PM on May 4, 2022
Big Trouble in Little China covers some of those bases.
posted by adamrice at 12:50 PM on May 4, 2022
Best answer: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, maybe?
Or Monster Hunt?
Seconding Stephen Chow, and in general Chinese Wuxia/fantasy films (sample list here) are going to have the sort of pulpy/kung fu/romance combination that might float your boat. (I'm not super familiar with anime, so I can't say to what extent there's overlap with anime tropes & styles.)
posted by soundguy99 at 3:51 PM on May 4, 2022
Or Monster Hunt?
Seconding Stephen Chow, and in general Chinese Wuxia/fantasy films (sample list here) are going to have the sort of pulpy/kung fu/romance combination that might float your boat. (I'm not super familiar with anime, so I can't say to what extent there's overlap with anime tropes & styles.)
posted by soundguy99 at 3:51 PM on May 4, 2022
Best answer: The Fast and the Furious movies are actually pretty close to this! Especially post-Tokyo Drift. They don’t directly reference anime but share a similar worldview.
posted by TurnKey at 3:58 PM on May 4, 2022
posted by TurnKey at 3:58 PM on May 4, 2022
Best answer: Right this moment, Everything Everywhere All At Once checks several of these boxes and you will love it.
posted by panhopticon at 4:02 PM on May 4, 2022
posted by panhopticon at 4:02 PM on May 4, 2022
Response by poster: Chiming in to say I loved EEAaO and that definitely plays into my desire for more right now. I read the first Scott Pilgrim book and it hits a lot of the right notes, it's just he's such a putz. If I can get the later volumes at the library, I'll check them out. Buckaroo Banzai I haven't seen since I was in middle school, so that might be worth a rewatch. Loving these answers.
posted by rikschell at 4:45 PM on May 4, 2022
posted by rikschell at 4:45 PM on May 4, 2022
Best answer: The Fast and the Furious reminded me of McG's underappreciated and ridiculously expensive Fastlane series, which reminded me of his Charlie's Angels movie. I also forgot how much starpower it packed.
posted by credulous at 7:21 PM on May 4, 2022
posted by credulous at 7:21 PM on May 4, 2022
Best answer: Yasuke, on Netflix, is great. Not much romance, but I'd say it hits at least 3/4
posted by Jacen at 5:27 AM on May 5, 2022
posted by Jacen at 5:27 AM on May 5, 2022
Best answer: And for an offbeat 'maybe close enough?' suggestion, Kipo and the age of Wonderbeasts
posted by Jacen at 5:28 AM on May 5, 2022
posted by Jacen at 5:28 AM on May 5, 2022
Response by poster: Just dropping in to remind myself that Alita: Battle Angel is 100% this.
posted by rikschell at 8:01 AM on May 5, 2022
posted by rikschell at 8:01 AM on May 5, 2022
Best answer: Mobile Fighter G Gundam is like a cross between Gundam, Street Fighter, Dragon Ball Z, Akira, and J-drama. I think it's quite good, if you can tolerate melodrama and cheese.
posted by ambulatorybird at 4:55 PM on May 5, 2022
posted by ambulatorybird at 4:55 PM on May 5, 2022
Best answer: I love this aesthetic as well! Definitely Cowboy Bebop (the anime, not the live action). Not sci fi, but Samurai Champloo from the same creator has some of the same sensibilities.
The recent anime Akuma Drive: The main character "Normal Girl" falls in with a group of criminals take on a job together... except that the whole thing is off the charts crazy and somehow sympathetic after a while.
An older cyberpunk novel is Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Here's the description, because I don't think I can describe it better: In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo’s CosaNostra Pizza, Inc., but in the Metaverse he’s a warrior prince. Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus that’s striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain threatening to bring about infocalypse. Snow Crash is a mind-altering romp through a future America so bizarre, so outrageous…you’ll recognize it immediately.
Pacific Rim I think falls into this category too.
posted by past unusual at 5:19 PM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
The recent anime Akuma Drive: The main character "Normal Girl" falls in with a group of criminals take on a job together... except that the whole thing is off the charts crazy and somehow sympathetic after a while.
An older cyberpunk novel is Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Here's the description, because I don't think I can describe it better: In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo’s CosaNostra Pizza, Inc., but in the Metaverse he’s a warrior prince. Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus that’s striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain threatening to bring about infocalypse. Snow Crash is a mind-altering romp through a future America so bizarre, so outrageous…you’ll recognize it immediately.
Pacific Rim I think falls into this category too.
posted by past unusual at 5:19 PM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I would recommend Evangelion but would have to list so many instructions (not the dub! not on netflix! make sure you see the reworked directors cut episodes 20 onwards! but don't watch the last two episodes at all and watch End Of Evangelion instead! etc!) that you'll be put off immediately.
Actually, Cowboy Bebop (the original anime, definitely not the netflix remake) probably satisfies all of your criteria. Plus it has a very cute corgi, if you happened to miss dogs off your list of things by mistake.
posted by humuhumu at 11:47 AM on May 4, 2022 [1 favorite]