And of course, to even things out, here's my top ten Happy Anime Titles
1) My Neighbor Totoro
2) FLCL
3) Excel Saga
4) The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
5) Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu
6) Lupin III
7) Ranma 1/2
8) Cromartie High School
9) Keroro Gunsou
10) Azumanga Daioh
Monday, November 13, 2006
Top Ten Sad Anime
Once again following a good idea from Andrew's Cinevistramascope, and listing a top ten, this time for sad Anime titles. Some familiar tiles from my overall top ten of course make an appearence or two here too. Expect a happy list sometime soon. (I hope)
1) Grave of the Fireflies
2) Saikano*
3) Rurouni Kenshin: Reminiscence
4) Neon Genesis Evangelion
5) Zeta Gundam
6) Jin-Roh
7) Trigun
8) X
9) My HiME
10) Mobile Suit Gundam 0080, War in the Pocket
*The Manga of Saikano is even more moving than the anime. It gets high points in my book as the first Manga story I read that brought me to the brink of tears.
1) Grave of the Fireflies
2) Saikano*
3) Rurouni Kenshin: Reminiscence
4) Neon Genesis Evangelion
5) Zeta Gundam
6) Jin-Roh
7) Trigun
8) X
9) My HiME
10) Mobile Suit Gundam 0080, War in the Pocket
*The Manga of Saikano is even more moving than the anime. It gets high points in my book as the first Manga story I read that brought me to the brink of tears.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Believing in the Sign of Zeta...
For those of you who didn't know, over Columbus Day weekend, I took advantage of a large buildup of frequent flyer miles I had amassed with Northwest Airlines via my travels to and from China and Japan in 2005 and went to Chicago. (It's still weird to think of both of those not only in the past tense, but a whole separate year now, Japan especially). The primary purpose of this trip, aside from a weekend away, was to attend the first Anime Focus portion of the Chicago International Film Festival. As a special treat, the event would be the American premiere of the Zeta Gundam movie trilogy. But even more of a treat was who came stateside along with the movies, none other than the creator of Gundam himself, Tomino Yoshiyuki*.
Before each film, Tomino gave a little bit of input about his feelings regarding each film and the project of converting the twenty year old 50 episode television series into a set of three films at large, re-envisioning some parts of the story, updating others, and mixing old and new animation. Following the completion of the third film, Tomino fielded questions from the audience (including one from yours truly) and received a lifetime achievement award by the organizers of the festival.
As for the films, all three are a worthwhile expierence, especially for fans of the original series, the second film, Lovers, holds a particularly fond place in my heart as it which of the three I got to see while in Japan myself. But what of the movies themselves? How do they hold up compared to the Zeta Gundam that so many know? Truth be told, the movies are far from flawless. The difference between old and new footage is one of the most glaring aspect of the film experience that detracts from everything else, often times sticking out like a sore thumb, especially when the newer animation looks incredibly good.
[SPOILER WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH]
As far as the story goes; personally, I am torn. Omitted aspects of the story sometimes are tough to call. While the new animation of Ben Wooder's actions in the final moments of the Sudori, definitely does a great job of making me loathe the man even more, it also adds quicker finality to the story of quite possibly my favorite of the entire Zeta Gundam story, Four Murasame. Omissions of the events like the battle of Kilimanjaro, and Char's speech at Dakar, create an air that makes the audience question how well Tomino is in touch with his original story. Things recover a bit better by the third film Love is the Pulse of the Stars, but the ending throws several curveballs, most glaringly, the alteration that gives Kamille a much happier ending, and makes the foundation for Gundam ZZ, a little shaky. Yet personally, while the films are a mixed bag, they cannot be viewed as completely bad. What is difficult for the minds of fans to wrap around is that the changes made a very different story, but not necessarily a worthless one.
[END SPOILERS]
In short, the movies are worthwhile, just to see the classic, and in the minds of many Gundam fans, best, series revived and given a new perspective on matters. In the end it is ultimately up to the individual fan to take what he or she wants from the films and weigh it accordingly. Tomino himself is an interesting fellow to view, perhaps not realizing the impact he has stateside, but also having difficulty understanding the sometimes very different mindset of American fans. While it made me sigh a little bit to hear foolish questions being asked of someone who is a rarity to talk to; I think nearly all in the Thorne Auditorium that Saturday were entirely grateful. It is wonderful to know that a standing ovation is transcends the barrier of language.
A final kudos goes to the Chicago International Film Festival for putting on a well organized event, for making an enjoyable expierence. I hope they continue their anime focus event and find ways to continue to make the event successful. I most certainly will be keeping my eyes peeled for what they plan on for next year.
Until next time, Sieg Zeon!
*I am in the habit of using the Japanese way of saying names, with the family name first followed by the given name.
Before each film, Tomino gave a little bit of input about his feelings regarding each film and the project of converting the twenty year old 50 episode television series into a set of three films at large, re-envisioning some parts of the story, updating others, and mixing old and new animation. Following the completion of the third film, Tomino fielded questions from the audience (including one from yours truly) and received a lifetime achievement award by the organizers of the festival.
As for the films, all three are a worthwhile expierence, especially for fans of the original series, the second film, Lovers, holds a particularly fond place in my heart as it which of the three I got to see while in Japan myself. But what of the movies themselves? How do they hold up compared to the Zeta Gundam that so many know? Truth be told, the movies are far from flawless. The difference between old and new footage is one of the most glaring aspect of the film experience that detracts from everything else, often times sticking out like a sore thumb, especially when the newer animation looks incredibly good.
[SPOILER WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH]
As far as the story goes; personally, I am torn. Omitted aspects of the story sometimes are tough to call. While the new animation of Ben Wooder's actions in the final moments of the Sudori, definitely does a great job of making me loathe the man even more, it also adds quicker finality to the story of quite possibly my favorite of the entire Zeta Gundam story, Four Murasame. Omissions of the events like the battle of Kilimanjaro, and Char's speech at Dakar, create an air that makes the audience question how well Tomino is in touch with his original story. Things recover a bit better by the third film Love is the Pulse of the Stars, but the ending throws several curveballs, most glaringly, the alteration that gives Kamille a much happier ending, and makes the foundation for Gundam ZZ, a little shaky. Yet personally, while the films are a mixed bag, they cannot be viewed as completely bad. What is difficult for the minds of fans to wrap around is that the changes made a very different story, but not necessarily a worthless one.
[END SPOILERS]
In short, the movies are worthwhile, just to see the classic, and in the minds of many Gundam fans, best, series revived and given a new perspective on matters. In the end it is ultimately up to the individual fan to take what he or she wants from the films and weigh it accordingly. Tomino himself is an interesting fellow to view, perhaps not realizing the impact he has stateside, but also having difficulty understanding the sometimes very different mindset of American fans. While it made me sigh a little bit to hear foolish questions being asked of someone who is a rarity to talk to; I think nearly all in the Thorne Auditorium that Saturday were entirely grateful. It is wonderful to know that a standing ovation is transcends the barrier of language.
A final kudos goes to the Chicago International Film Festival for putting on a well organized event, for making an enjoyable expierence. I hope they continue their anime focus event and find ways to continue to make the event successful. I most certainly will be keeping my eyes peeled for what they plan on for next year.
Until next time, Sieg Zeon!
*I am in the habit of using the Japanese way of saying names, with the family name first followed by the given name.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Akira
So this has been past due for awhile now, but I figured it was time to start working on my thoughts on some oh my thoughts on something from Japan. Continuing on the trend of the dominating theme of this blog, I'd like to talk a little bit about a small film many of you might know as Akira. Otomo's manga adapted into an anime feature length film is breathtaking in every sense of the word. From a score that is anything but predictible for cinema, to breathtaking scenery, and high passed action, mystery, and drama. However, what bothers me about Akira is the fact that it seems too many people know this film as a film that really helped anime become popular among America/Western audiences, but so few of the audience memebers seem to grasp on to anything that makes them understand why this film is amazing. All that is known is that it is far from their norm and has a large following, but that is it. (Ghost in the Shell seems to share a similar fate). I will not feign that even I truly get everything that makes Akira the film that it is, but it definitely warrants multiple viewings, to catch what one doesn't catch the first time.
For me, what caught my eye the most recent time I sat down and watched the film was Otomo's motiff of close calls. The near misses in the lives of Kaneda and Tetsuo, among other characters, are countless. Survival in Neo-Tokyo seems to be taken for granted despite clear evidence of death visible all around. Those we see tempt the reaper time and again. Kaneda and Tetsuo start off on the same path of survival, but ultimately end up splitting different ways, with Kaneda learning the value of his own life and seeking to protect it more, and Tetsuo finding an imagined invincibility that is ultimately his undoing. Yet despite these things, and constant reminders of how fragile life is, counteracting these events are reminders of despite the grim displays of insignifigance, there are reminders all around of how much impact one life can have.
"It has already begun..."
For me, what caught my eye the most recent time I sat down and watched the film was Otomo's motiff of close calls. The near misses in the lives of Kaneda and Tetsuo, among other characters, are countless. Survival in Neo-Tokyo seems to be taken for granted despite clear evidence of death visible all around. Those we see tempt the reaper time and again. Kaneda and Tetsuo start off on the same path of survival, but ultimately end up splitting different ways, with Kaneda learning the value of his own life and seeking to protect it more, and Tetsuo finding an imagined invincibility that is ultimately his undoing. Yet despite these things, and constant reminders of how fragile life is, counteracting these events are reminders of despite the grim displays of insignifigance, there are reminders all around of how much impact one life can have.
"It has already begun..."
Monday, August 21, 2006
The Beginning
Over the summer, I tossed around the idea of creating an "Anime Musings" sort of blog, primarily to discuss some of the different anime titles I've watched. This will be a place for me to jot down thoughts on not just anime, but manga, and Japanese pop culture in general. To get the ball rolling, I'm going to re-post my current top-ten Anime list.
As with any top ten list of this kind, this is clearly objective, and based solely on what I've seen. Feel free to comment with your own lists or about any of the choices. Once again, I must give a nod to Andrew's Cinevistaramascope for inspiring me to do my own writing on the media I enjoy so much.
-Top Ten Anime-(As factored through emotional, visual, auditory and expierences as well as story weight)
1) FLCL
In short, FLCL is a feast for the eyes, ears and imagination. While moving along, the audience is brought into something that might as well be a non-stop music video, with its powerful soundtrack. It is the perfect vision of adolesence. It doesn't take the route of an overzealous nostalgia for those days, or that of "It was the worst part of my life", purely writing it off. It finds away to create the right feeling of empathy for those who know what it is to go through this all-too-bizarre time of growing up. Naota's lackluster assesment of the world around him, his quest for an adult to look up to, and search for understanding love, encapsulate all-too well the level of twisted outlook that comes out at this time in life. (Favorite episode: Full Swing)
2)Grave of The Fireflies
Visually well drawn with a story that rips your heart out and stomps on it, and leaves you stunned. The best anecdote I can think of is when this was shown in the MCLA Anime Club. Normally as we finish a viewing, there's lots of talking immedeatly following the start of the credits. Not so in the case of Fireflies. The credits began rolling and all that could be heard aside from the score, was me walking across the room to get the lights. It will take me a long time to forget the sight I saw as I panned the room after turning on the lights, a sea of faces that all said one word; "Wow".
3)Neon Genesis Evangelion*
I'm sure more than a few of you are surprised that Eva isn't the top of my list. Indeed, it was a tough call to let two others oust Eva out of number one. While it is my favorite series hands down, there were a few minor factors that kept it from holding the top. To put it frankly, Evangelion is loaded. Anno created something amazing when he created Eva. Every time I re-watch it, I find myself enthralled and telling myself "This is an awesome work of art." I cannot say enough good things about it. If Eva commits any crimes, it's that it takes a bit of work to wrap around everything. Yet even now 10 years since its creation, the story still holds an amazing weight. It has become the new standard, and broken ground in countless areas. It has endured, and I'm sure will continue to hold the high place it rightfully deserves among the legends and standards of what makes an amazing piece of anime.
4)Akira
The post-apocolyptic never looked so amazing. Otomo's film, which is only a fraction of the manga it is based off of, stuns audiences with visuals that draw us in, making us feel like we're beneath the tower skyscrapers of Neo-Tokyo, and entices imagination to new levels. Kaneda and Tetsuo's story of trying to find a way to understand the world around them is further accented by elements that when all brought together create the barbaric shout that proves, animation can be more than just children's entertainment, it can be film. Maintaining full 24 frames per second in the film is just one of the ways that Otomo made something that furthers this truth. This year at Anime Boston, I had the privlage to be a member of the audience in the main video screening room when they tested the sound setup. Akira's opening motorcycle chase was the film of choice, and with its sound effects and score that mixes technological with primal chants and old instruments, my breath was taken away. Once I have the ability to buy myself a true home theatre with an adequete sound system, you can bet Akira will be my film of choice to test things out.
5) Ghost in The Shell
The first of two fims directed by Oshii Mamoru on this list. While perhaps suffering an American fate similar to Akira, where so many people have seen it and know its good, but don't know why other than "Well it was very successful in Japan...", Ghost in the Shell is something profound. Oshii knew exactly what to do with Shirow Masamune's story, and captured the themes perfectly. Kawai Kenji's score adds an element of mystery. Above all it is the story that lays a foundation for the rest of the work.
6)Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
Oshii film no.2 on the list. Another amazing mystery film too. Mizoguchi Hajime's score is one part that draws me to this film, but beyond that, twists and turns keep the audience guessing and intrigued. It's a film that stands so well on its own. Oshii switches between reality and surreal so well,the switches sneak up, and come out with flawless timing. It's nothing short of a tour de force.
7)Zeta Gundam**
While not the original series, Zeta takes what was done right in Mobile Suit Gundam, and rolls with it. Taking characters from the previous seriers, and inserting them, but not using them in favor of the new ones. The story shows all too well that time may heal alln wounds, but all too often it is forgotten how much time is needed. Kamille fits so many roles, the reluctant hero, the rebellious/confused youth, and even the deeply caring friend or lover. His choices and actions are very believable and feel very genuine. The audience can understand his anger toward Jerid, his sudden love for Four that cause him to think with a less than sturdy head, his wrath upon those who have hurt the people he's become so attached to. It is little wonder that by the end of the series Kamille is just mentally worn out. Tomino's story has some interesting weight. While 12 people are killed within the last 5 episodes of the series, the deaths (as well as the others earlier in the series) do not feel meaningless, we are genuinely brought to care about the characters. Whether or we like them or hate them, we have a sincere interest in what happens to them. (Favorite Episode: Forever Four)
8)Cowboy Bebop
I still feel somewhat ashamed for not grasping just how awesome Cowboy Bebop is the first time I saw it. It wasn't until my second time through that I truly caught how well so many elements came together to make this show an incredible piece. Weaving back and forth so well between episodic pieces and an overall story, Bebop holds true as an anime that knows its roots, but at the same time builds itself into something all brand new. The music Kanno and The Seat Belts made for the series keep up with the show's title and episode title, making some amazing moments. Even still, there are some equally incredible moments that lack any music. Possibly the greatest moment would be a mixture of the unaccomanpanied, almost awkwardly quiet that quickly switches to a part where a soundtrack is the driving energy for the scene. The second half of the final episode, where we get some amazing moments of quiet conversation between Spike and Jet and Spike and Faye just grab us and don't let go, to the rapid switch to Spike's finale with "See You Space Cowboy" drawing us further in to an emoitionally packed climax. (Favorite Episode: The Real Folk Blues Part II)
9)The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Tacking another title on to the list of series that I've completed, earlier this summer I finished the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. If there was worry that the well is starting to run dry for really groundbreaking stuff in anime, Haruhi proves that fear to be unfounded. Visually, the series is amazing, it's obvious that Kyoto Animation did quite a great deal of work. Its 14 episodes are chronoligcally scattered, (the 1st to air falls in 11th place, the 14th episode to air is the 6th in terms of when it happens in the overall story), which while taking a bit to get adjusted to, forms something much bigger by the time we reach the finale. Yet what pushes Haruhi into an even higher tier, is that while it is confusing on purpose; it's not frustrating to follow. To phrase it better, it's confusing for the sake of making the story interesting, whereas other titles (including some of my own personal favorites) sometimes come off as being confusing simply for the sake of confounding an audience. (Anyone who tells you they understood The End of Evangelion after their first time seeing it is a liar.)
(Favorite episode: undecided)
10)Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
My first though upon seeing this film was "Wow, Princess Mononoke seems like a bit of a cop-out now". While Miyazaki makes some amazing pieces of work, nothing I've seen seems to compare to Nausicaä. No one character is without flaw, or beyond some degree of redemption. I can only dream of what this film would be like on the big screen, the amazing shots such as the stampedes of Ohms are breathtaking enough on a small screen. The film has aged well visually, and its story is virtually timeless.
*includes The End of Evangelion
**TV series
Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): Turn A Gundam,My Neighbor Totoro, Rurouni Kenshin: Memories, and Mobile Suit Gundam
As with any top ten list of this kind, this is clearly objective, and based solely on what I've seen. Feel free to comment with your own lists or about any of the choices. Once again, I must give a nod to Andrew's Cinevistaramascope for inspiring me to do my own writing on the media I enjoy so much.
-Top Ten Anime-(As factored through emotional, visual, auditory and expierences as well as story weight)
1) FLCL
In short, FLCL is a feast for the eyes, ears and imagination. While moving along, the audience is brought into something that might as well be a non-stop music video, with its powerful soundtrack. It is the perfect vision of adolesence. It doesn't take the route of an overzealous nostalgia for those days, or that of "It was the worst part of my life", purely writing it off. It finds away to create the right feeling of empathy for those who know what it is to go through this all-too-bizarre time of growing up. Naota's lackluster assesment of the world around him, his quest for an adult to look up to, and search for understanding love, encapsulate all-too well the level of twisted outlook that comes out at this time in life. (Favorite episode: Full Swing)
2)Grave of The Fireflies
Visually well drawn with a story that rips your heart out and stomps on it, and leaves you stunned. The best anecdote I can think of is when this was shown in the MCLA Anime Club. Normally as we finish a viewing, there's lots of talking immedeatly following the start of the credits. Not so in the case of Fireflies. The credits began rolling and all that could be heard aside from the score, was me walking across the room to get the lights. It will take me a long time to forget the sight I saw as I panned the room after turning on the lights, a sea of faces that all said one word; "Wow".
3)Neon Genesis Evangelion*
I'm sure more than a few of you are surprised that Eva isn't the top of my list. Indeed, it was a tough call to let two others oust Eva out of number one. While it is my favorite series hands down, there were a few minor factors that kept it from holding the top. To put it frankly, Evangelion is loaded. Anno created something amazing when he created Eva. Every time I re-watch it, I find myself enthralled and telling myself "This is an awesome work of art." I cannot say enough good things about it. If Eva commits any crimes, it's that it takes a bit of work to wrap around everything. Yet even now 10 years since its creation, the story still holds an amazing weight. It has become the new standard, and broken ground in countless areas. It has endured, and I'm sure will continue to hold the high place it rightfully deserves among the legends and standards of what makes an amazing piece of anime.
4)Akira
The post-apocolyptic never looked so amazing. Otomo's film, which is only a fraction of the manga it is based off of, stuns audiences with visuals that draw us in, making us feel like we're beneath the tower skyscrapers of Neo-Tokyo, and entices imagination to new levels. Kaneda and Tetsuo's story of trying to find a way to understand the world around them is further accented by elements that when all brought together create the barbaric shout that proves, animation can be more than just children's entertainment, it can be film. Maintaining full 24 frames per second in the film is just one of the ways that Otomo made something that furthers this truth. This year at Anime Boston, I had the privlage to be a member of the audience in the main video screening room when they tested the sound setup. Akira's opening motorcycle chase was the film of choice, and with its sound effects and score that mixes technological with primal chants and old instruments, my breath was taken away. Once I have the ability to buy myself a true home theatre with an adequete sound system, you can bet Akira will be my film of choice to test things out.
5) Ghost in The Shell
The first of two fims directed by Oshii Mamoru on this list. While perhaps suffering an American fate similar to Akira, where so many people have seen it and know its good, but don't know why other than "Well it was very successful in Japan...", Ghost in the Shell is something profound. Oshii knew exactly what to do with Shirow Masamune's story, and captured the themes perfectly. Kawai Kenji's score adds an element of mystery. Above all it is the story that lays a foundation for the rest of the work.
6)Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
Oshii film no.2 on the list. Another amazing mystery film too. Mizoguchi Hajime's score is one part that draws me to this film, but beyond that, twists and turns keep the audience guessing and intrigued. It's a film that stands so well on its own. Oshii switches between reality and surreal so well,the switches sneak up, and come out with flawless timing. It's nothing short of a tour de force.
7)Zeta Gundam**
While not the original series, Zeta takes what was done right in Mobile Suit Gundam, and rolls with it. Taking characters from the previous seriers, and inserting them, but not using them in favor of the new ones. The story shows all too well that time may heal alln wounds, but all too often it is forgotten how much time is needed. Kamille fits so many roles, the reluctant hero, the rebellious/confused youth, and even the deeply caring friend or lover. His choices and actions are very believable and feel very genuine. The audience can understand his anger toward Jerid, his sudden love for Four that cause him to think with a less than sturdy head, his wrath upon those who have hurt the people he's become so attached to. It is little wonder that by the end of the series Kamille is just mentally worn out. Tomino's story has some interesting weight. While 12 people are killed within the last 5 episodes of the series, the deaths (as well as the others earlier in the series) do not feel meaningless, we are genuinely brought to care about the characters. Whether or we like them or hate them, we have a sincere interest in what happens to them. (Favorite Episode: Forever Four)
8)Cowboy Bebop
I still feel somewhat ashamed for not grasping just how awesome Cowboy Bebop is the first time I saw it. It wasn't until my second time through that I truly caught how well so many elements came together to make this show an incredible piece. Weaving back and forth so well between episodic pieces and an overall story, Bebop holds true as an anime that knows its roots, but at the same time builds itself into something all brand new. The music Kanno and The Seat Belts made for the series keep up with the show's title and episode title, making some amazing moments. Even still, there are some equally incredible moments that lack any music. Possibly the greatest moment would be a mixture of the unaccomanpanied, almost awkwardly quiet that quickly switches to a part where a soundtrack is the driving energy for the scene. The second half of the final episode, where we get some amazing moments of quiet conversation between Spike and Jet and Spike and Faye just grab us and don't let go, to the rapid switch to Spike's finale with "See You Space Cowboy" drawing us further in to an emoitionally packed climax. (Favorite Episode: The Real Folk Blues Part II)
9)The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Tacking another title on to the list of series that I've completed, earlier this summer I finished the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. If there was worry that the well is starting to run dry for really groundbreaking stuff in anime, Haruhi proves that fear to be unfounded. Visually, the series is amazing, it's obvious that Kyoto Animation did quite a great deal of work. Its 14 episodes are chronoligcally scattered, (the 1st to air falls in 11th place, the 14th episode to air is the 6th in terms of when it happens in the overall story), which while taking a bit to get adjusted to, forms something much bigger by the time we reach the finale. Yet what pushes Haruhi into an even higher tier, is that while it is confusing on purpose; it's not frustrating to follow. To phrase it better, it's confusing for the sake of making the story interesting, whereas other titles (including some of my own personal favorites) sometimes come off as being confusing simply for the sake of confounding an audience. (Anyone who tells you they understood The End of Evangelion after their first time seeing it is a liar.)
(Favorite episode: undecided)
10)Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
My first though upon seeing this film was "Wow, Princess Mononoke seems like a bit of a cop-out now". While Miyazaki makes some amazing pieces of work, nothing I've seen seems to compare to Nausicaä. No one character is without flaw, or beyond some degree of redemption. I can only dream of what this film would be like on the big screen, the amazing shots such as the stampedes of Ohms are breathtaking enough on a small screen. The film has aged well visually, and its story is virtually timeless.
*includes The End of Evangelion
**TV series
Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): Turn A Gundam,My Neighbor Totoro, Rurouni Kenshin: Memories, and Mobile Suit Gundam
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