Anime Culture: Never Run Out of Steam!

List creator: hamano Created on: September 16, 2003 - 7:47 AM PDT Description: SteamPunk. What if modern technology still relied on 19th Century steam power? Anime creators took this idea from books like The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling and ran with it. Boilers have never been hotter!

show images/hide images

	movie title	related list	average rating	MPAA rating	watch	rent	buy
	Sakura Wars (1997)			Not Rated
Sakura Wars (click to display the entire series) is set in an alternate history Taisho Era (Japan's Victorian Age). Popular RPG game franchise includes OVA's, a movie and a TV series.
	Castle in the Sky (1986)			Not Rated
Anything with giant battle blimps owes a lot to Master of the World (1961). Jules Verne and H.G. Wells are the prophets of the SteamPunk genre.
	Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water Vol. 1 - The Adventure Begins (1990)			Not Rated
A Gainax TV series and movie. If there's anything cooler than a battle blimp, it's the Nautilus, recently spotted parting the waves on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
	Vision of Escaflowne Vol. 1: Dragons & Destiny (2000)			Not Rated
Steamtech meets fantasy in the great Escaflowne TV series and movie franchise. Fabulous music by Yoko Kanno!
	Sherlock Hound: Case File 1 (1984)
A children's TV series from Studio Ghibli, the characters of Sherlock Hound are Victorian DOGS!
	Trigun Vol. 1: The $$60,000,000,000 Man (1999)
The popular TV series Trigun has some great post-apocalyptic steamtech, like the giant Sand Steamer that carries people and goods from town to town.
	The Big O Vol. 1 (2001)			Not Rated
While this post-apocalyptic "lost technology" show is not strictly steam powered, Big O sports some great steamtechy designs. Just look at Big O's pneumatic hammer arms!
	Read or Die (2003)			Not Rated
A world where the Royal British Library is the foremost Special Forces/Intelligence Agency in the world. The bad guys clone inventors from the 19th Century for some of the greatest SteamMecha ever.
	Heat Guy J Vol. 1: Super Android (2002)			Not Rated
dh22 says "After kicking bad guy butt, Heat Guy J likes to let off a little steam, literally. The first episodes don't go into his construction, but he appears to be somewhat steam powered."
	Last Exile Vol. 1: First Move (2003)			Not Rated
They never really show what powers the giant airships and wingless vanships, but the retro designs are unmistakably steampunk. There's even a difference engine on the flagship! Complete Series.
	20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Disc 1 of 2) (1954)
Visually, this film and Master of the World (1961), both based on Jules Verne books, probably had the greatest influence on SteamMecha designers.
	Brazil (Criterion Collection) (1985)
A MUST SEE live action film for fans of SteamPunk.
	Time After Time (1979)
Even though H.G. Wells' The Time Machine has been made and remade many times, this is still my favorite H.G. Wells movie.
	Steel Angel Kurumi Vol. 1: Angel on My Shoulder (2002)
Kurumi is powered by something called an "Angel Heart" rather than steam, but the Steel Angel series DOES take place in alternate Taisho Era Japan.
	Rurouni Kenshin Vol. 5: Renegade Samurai (1997)			Not Rated
No scary SteamMecha robots, but Kenshin and the gang take their first ever ride on a steam train. Episode 22 is not part of any story arc, but it's still one of my favorites.
	Spirited Away (2001)
Kids, it's time for your bath! A multi-armed monster guy and his army of soot-ball slaves keep the boiler stoked in this wonderful film about a giant bath house for gods and spirits. The train looks electric, though. Oscar winner from Studio Ghibli.