August 28th, 2012
Mushishi
Anime Relations: Mushishi
I finished this last night...finally. Took a long time. As it is episodic, there wasn't much to compel me to see what happens next. I knew what happens next: Ginko finds a situation with Mushi trouble, he fixes it the best he can, with varying degrees of results.
One thing I really liked about it was that most of the characters wore kimonos as opposed to western clothing. I like seeing kimonos.
Some other observations:
the art of the characters was very simplistic. Often if they weren't in foreground they were decpicted without facial features. And they had a tendency to look very similar to one another.
In contrast, the background art was very beautiful. Through the whole series it was pleasant to look at and at times it was absolutely gorgeous. The best art in the series is worth seeing.
Some of the episodes didn't really have much of a plot, they sort of wandered through the story to an ending that seemed arbitrary. But most were not like that.
The opening song is annoying. All I have to say about that.
I gave it a slightly relcutant 8 instead of 7, largely for beauty and imagination. Because most of the stories had interesting, unique mushi to learn about.
One thing I really liked about it was that most of the characters wore kimonos as opposed to western clothing. I like seeing kimonos.
Some other observations:
the art of the characters was very simplistic. Often if they weren't in foreground they were decpicted without facial features. And they had a tendency to look very similar to one another.
In contrast, the background art was very beautiful. Through the whole series it was pleasant to look at and at times it was absolutely gorgeous. The best art in the series is worth seeing.
Some of the episodes didn't really have much of a plot, they sort of wandered through the story to an ending that seemed arbitrary. But most were not like that.
The opening song is annoying. All I have to say about that.
I gave it a slightly relcutant 8 instead of 7, largely for beauty and imagination. Because most of the stories had interesting, unique mushi to learn about.
Posted by m_theory | 08-28-12, 11:43 AM | 0 comments
August 7th, 2012
Slender Man
Anime Relations: Trigun
So I have played the Slender Man game and it trips me out. :0
I don't know what it is, the graphics are low, the idea is simple...but it's freaking creepy.
I think it plays upon a similar fear that Blair Witch plays upon with me, in the dark, in the woods, miles from help...and being followed and watched.
I'm not easily influenced to be creeped out. Horror movies don't do it, maybe it's because they're all slick with major special effects (nowadays) and sometimes convoluted plots. Maybe they're not believable, maybe I'm not familiar enough with the happenings to relate to the characters' fear. Being in the dark in the woods....been there, done that. IRL, it can be scary. So maybe that's what it is about Blair Witch and Slender Man that gets to me.
I can't play it very long. I really *don't* want to turn around and see that guy. Almost dread. And the sound and static really escalate that.
As for anime, am watching Trigun for the 3rd time. I'm watching each episode in English then right again watching it in Japanese (or vice versa). I'm just curious how the translations compare. The English dub is different than the English sub. Both on the same disc, purchased. Sometimes there are jokes in the English not present in the Japanese, and sometimes what is there in Japanese is lost in the English. I normally don't watch English unless I have to, but Vash's voice in English is THE voice of Vash in my mind. It's perfect for him.
I don't know what it is, the graphics are low, the idea is simple...but it's freaking creepy.
I think it plays upon a similar fear that Blair Witch plays upon with me, in the dark, in the woods, miles from help...and being followed and watched.
I'm not easily influenced to be creeped out. Horror movies don't do it, maybe it's because they're all slick with major special effects (nowadays) and sometimes convoluted plots. Maybe they're not believable, maybe I'm not familiar enough with the happenings to relate to the characters' fear. Being in the dark in the woods....been there, done that. IRL, it can be scary. So maybe that's what it is about Blair Witch and Slender Man that gets to me.
I can't play it very long. I really *don't* want to turn around and see that guy. Almost dread. And the sound and static really escalate that.
As for anime, am watching Trigun for the 3rd time. I'm watching each episode in English then right again watching it in Japanese (or vice versa). I'm just curious how the translations compare. The English dub is different than the English sub. Both on the same disc, purchased. Sometimes there are jokes in the English not present in the Japanese, and sometimes what is there in Japanese is lost in the English. I normally don't watch English unless I have to, but Vash's voice in English is THE voice of Vash in my mind. It's perfect for him.
Posted by m_theory | 08-07-12, 8:00 PM | 0 comments
July 24th, 2012
Insomnia
Anime Relations: Tonari no Totoro, Deadman Wonderland
...yeah it's a bitch.
The father in My Neighbor Totoro looks like Waldo. We got in some good Where's Waldo jokes while watching. Especially when he didn't show up on the bus like he was supposed to.
Deadman Wonderland is not very good. Interesting concept, but I don't give a frog's fat ass about any of the characters. Possibly because I'm watching the English dub. Not by choice, but because it's on Adult Swim. They finally got some new anime and I'm going to support that by watching the channel. Maybe they'll get something better next time. The main character Ganta is so frigging whiny I actively wish awful things upon him. I wonder if he is like that in Japanese.
I downloaded the Slender Man game earlier. Need to get it off my key onto my laptop. I'll only play it at night though. Mwahahahahaha. I like creepy games. Silent Hill was one of my favorites, it was kind of disturbing. Blair Witch is the only horror movie that ever gave me the creeps, Slender Man reminds me of it. Lots of people thought Blair Witch was lame, and I can see why. But I can't deny it freaked me out a little.
It's almost dawn now. I can hear birds. Insomnia makes me hate birds.
(no, not really, birds are cool)
(but they can seem really loud at 5:30 am when your pillow is right under a window on the direct other side of which is a bush full of birds)
[0,0]
l)__)
-"-"-
The father in My Neighbor Totoro looks like Waldo. We got in some good Where's Waldo jokes while watching. Especially when he didn't show up on the bus like he was supposed to.
Deadman Wonderland is not very good. Interesting concept, but I don't give a frog's fat ass about any of the characters. Possibly because I'm watching the English dub. Not by choice, but because it's on Adult Swim. They finally got some new anime and I'm going to support that by watching the channel. Maybe they'll get something better next time. The main character Ganta is so frigging whiny I actively wish awful things upon him. I wonder if he is like that in Japanese.
I downloaded the Slender Man game earlier. Need to get it off my key onto my laptop. I'll only play it at night though. Mwahahahahaha. I like creepy games. Silent Hill was one of my favorites, it was kind of disturbing. Blair Witch is the only horror movie that ever gave me the creeps, Slender Man reminds me of it. Lots of people thought Blair Witch was lame, and I can see why. But I can't deny it freaked me out a little.
It's almost dawn now. I can hear birds. Insomnia makes me hate birds.
(no, not really, birds are cool)
(but they can seem really loud at 5:30 am when your pillow is right under a window on the direct other side of which is a bush full of birds)
[0,0]
l)__)
-"-"-
Posted by m_theory | 07-24-12, 3:34 AM | 0 comments
July 16th, 2012
Now
Anime Relations: Tonari no Totoro, Ergo Proxy
I didn't have time to watch anything over the weeked.
So...I'm still barely into Ergo Proxy, hopefully get some viewing in on that tonight. I'm guessing that Vincent Law is one of the Proxies? I don't know how else to explain the necklace in Re-L's apartment. And the fact that the...Speciman Proxy (guess I'll call it that) showed up at the mall to attack Vincent sort of makes it seem that way, as if the Speciman Proxy wanted to continue their interrupted battle.
I'm watching the Shinsen torrent, there is no other torrent needed. ;) Great TL notes at end of each episode, loving that.
The kids and I watched My Neighbor Totoro not long ago too. Completely fell in love with that one. I've seen a few Miyazaki, and this one is by far my favorite. It gets childhood exactly right. And so imaginative and magical. We all enjoyed it. I want to live in that exact house in that exact setting in that exact anime. That house was perfect. I would love to be able to open up my whole house like that, to the trees and wildlife around it.
edit: omg I never remember to title these things....
So...I'm still barely into Ergo Proxy, hopefully get some viewing in on that tonight. I'm guessing that Vincent Law is one of the Proxies? I don't know how else to explain the necklace in Re-L's apartment. And the fact that the...Speciman Proxy (guess I'll call it that) showed up at the mall to attack Vincent sort of makes it seem that way, as if the Speciman Proxy wanted to continue their interrupted battle.
I'm watching the Shinsen torrent, there is no other torrent needed. ;) Great TL notes at end of each episode, loving that.
The kids and I watched My Neighbor Totoro not long ago too. Completely fell in love with that one. I've seen a few Miyazaki, and this one is by far my favorite. It gets childhood exactly right. And so imaginative and magical. We all enjoyed it. I want to live in that exact house in that exact setting in that exact anime. That house was perfect. I would love to be able to open up my whole house like that, to the trees and wildlife around it.
edit: omg I never remember to title these things....
Posted by m_theory | 07-16-12, 1:48 PM | 0 comments
July 15th, 2012
And then...
Anime Relations: Fullmetal Alchemist, Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman
So after I watched BotP many many years went by before I watched another anime. I had *zero* interest in it. I spend the years after BotP fangrrling shows like Battlestar Galactica (the original series). My sister and I played that one too. We sat in rocking chairs and used the joysticks from the Atari and pretended we were in Vipers too.
Oh yeah, we had an Atari. I was killer on Space Invaders and could pretty much play Asteroids indefinitely. Before that we had a Commodore. I played Pong, and my sis and I can still do the Radar Rat Race...music. Forever implanted in my brain.
Anyway, I didn't watch anime for yonks and then my interest got turned that way through Fullmetal Alchemist on Adult Swim. It was awesome and I loved the humor of it, the characters, and the in-depth story development.
So that started me on the road. It took awhile to figure out the specific subgenres that appealed to me. I do like a good WTF mind-fuck series. I don't care much for anime that relies on "pervert" jokes and have no interest in decidedly ecchi anime. I want a good deep story. And if I have to guess, theorize, and wonder wtf is going on along the way, all the better. Exactly why I loved LOST so much.
But not all anime have that essence and plenty are good without it. I try not to watch similar subgenres back to back, variety is good.
Oh yeah, we had an Atari. I was killer on Space Invaders and could pretty much play Asteroids indefinitely. Before that we had a Commodore. I played Pong, and my sis and I can still do the Radar Rat Race...music. Forever implanted in my brain.
Anyway, I didn't watch anime for yonks and then my interest got turned that way through Fullmetal Alchemist on Adult Swim. It was awesome and I loved the humor of it, the characters, and the in-depth story development.
So that started me on the road. It took awhile to figure out the specific subgenres that appealed to me. I do like a good WTF mind-fuck series. I don't care much for anime that relies on "pervert" jokes and have no interest in decidedly ecchi anime. I want a good deep story. And if I have to guess, theorize, and wonder wtf is going on along the way, all the better. Exactly why I loved LOST so much.
But not all anime have that essence and plenty are good without it. I try not to watch similar subgenres back to back, variety is good.
Posted by m_theory | 07-15-12, 11:01 AM | 0 comments
July 3rd, 2012
First Anime
Anime Relations: Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman
The first anime I watched was Battle of the Planets...waaay back in the 80s. The show was the video of the Japanese Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman (Science Ninja Team Gatchaman). Well sorta, Sandy Frank Entertainment took the show and butchered it for US audiences. At the time, there was a pretty strong anti-violence campaign going on so most of the anime's violent scenes were removed. And from what I've read, the Japanese wasn't even translated for the audio, they just made up a new script to go along with the shows. A new character was created just because this was post-Star Wars and a robot character was wanted. So Battle of the Planets was miles away from Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman.
Later, Sandy Frank Entertainment went back, removed the robot character, included the violent scenes and released the show as G-Force. It was closer to Gatchaman than BotP was, but from what I understand the English dub was horribad.
At the time I was watching it, I didn't know it was an anime. I didn't know what an anime was. I just knew it was awesome. My sister and I played it in the backyard, I was always Keyop. I could do a pretty good imitation of him at the time, mimic his sound effects. And I always like the weird characters...
Now I'm considering going back and watching BotP and/or Gatchaman. I don't think I could marathon the entire 85-105 episode series, but I could do it in small doses.
Later, Sandy Frank Entertainment went back, removed the robot character, included the violent scenes and released the show as G-Force. It was closer to Gatchaman than BotP was, but from what I understand the English dub was horribad.
At the time I was watching it, I didn't know it was an anime. I didn't know what an anime was. I just knew it was awesome. My sister and I played it in the backyard, I was always Keyop. I could do a pretty good imitation of him at the time, mimic his sound effects. And I always like the weird characters...
Now I'm considering going back and watching BotP and/or Gatchaman. I don't think I could marathon the entire 85-105 episode series, but I could do it in small doses.
Posted by m_theory | 07-03-12, 9:40 AM | 0 comments