Yeah, I read that review ages ago. I'm dubious of Sevakis's claim that the film was intended as a commentary on anime fandom specifically, although really, who knows what goes through Oshii's head. I certainly didn't read the film that way, at any rate.
Yeah, I'm sort of in the same boat on moe. I've talked to a lot of smart people with otherwise good taste who completely go in for shit like K-ON for reasons I'll never understand, and I figure it's just not worth trying to argue with them anymore. Like most dumb things in life, it's ultimately not worth getting worked up about when you can just roll your eyes and ignore it.
Alright, well I'll definitely try Mushi-shi at some point. I don't REQUIRE that stuff I watch have action, but I certainly enjoy it. I can really get into a work that has a rich atmosphere and mood (which is why I like Oshii's films so much, even the unpopular Sky Crawlers), though Mushi-shi doesn't seem as dark and melancholy as Oshii's work.
The funny thing about Miyazaki is, I never much liked him as a kid, and I like him MORE as an adult. When I was little, I just found his movies boring compared to other animated films (same with most early Disney stuff). Now I can appreciate their craftsmanship, aesthetic refinement and narrative subtext, so I can see why they're a big deal. But I still don't particularly ENJOY them. Sometimes I wonder whether Miyazaki doesn't so much make his movies for children, as adults who are nostalgic for childhood (no child I know could be expected to enjoy or appreciate a film as slow and uneventful as "My Neighbor Totoro"). But apparently lots of people who aren't me adored Miyazaki in their childhood, so I guess I might be way off the mark on that one.
I've been wanting to see Ninja Scroll for a long time, what with it being a classic and all. I've been meaning to watch Black Lagoon too, but that looks kind of trashy compared to Ninja Scroll's more operatic, aestheticized action.
I want to see the new Berserk movies, but based on what I've heard about them I'll definitely be going in with lowered expectations. I thought the first anime was an exceptionally good adaptation (based on what I've read of the corresponding portion of the manga), and the new movies definitely sound like a case of greater budget at the expense of lesser creative vision (similar to Rebuild of Evangelion). But hey, I like Berserk enough that I'll check them out all the same.
Hey, thanks! I had forgotten about that thread. Glad you got something out of it, though.
I've kind of softened my stance on moe since then - not that I don't find it generally unappealing, but it doesn't quite infuriate me the way it used to. Nowadays I just roll my eyes. Plus, I've come to think it CAN be done right, but when it is it usually involves writing the female characters as CHARACTERS and not just one-note fetish objects (shows from the 90s seemed to have a better grasp of this). That is to say, a character can be cute, and even slightly sexualized, without being downright skeezy.
A number of people I know with exceptional taste in anime adore Mushi-shi. It's been on my to-watch list for a long time, but I'm a little ambivalent; a subdued, extremely episodic show constructed around dialogue and atmosphere rather than action sounds like it might be pretty boring for me. Well, that and Netflix only has the show dubbed, which for a series so aggressively Japanese is not really the way I want to watch it.
For whatever reason, I've never liked Miyazaki as much as I'm "supposed" to. I admire his extraordinary craftsmanship, of course, but his stories and characters generally leave me cold. Who knows why. I'll have to watch Nausicaa at some point though. Grave of the Fireflies is on my to-watch list as well (after Barefoot Gen).
I'll check out that article and your list. If you want to chat about something, let me know!
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Alright, well I'll definitely try Mushi-shi at some point. I don't REQUIRE that stuff I watch have action, but I certainly enjoy it. I can really get into a work that has a rich atmosphere and mood (which is why I like Oshii's films so much, even the unpopular Sky Crawlers), though Mushi-shi doesn't seem as dark and melancholy as Oshii's work.
The funny thing about Miyazaki is, I never much liked him as a kid, and I like him MORE as an adult. When I was little, I just found his movies boring compared to other animated films (same with most early Disney stuff). Now I can appreciate their craftsmanship, aesthetic refinement and narrative subtext, so I can see why they're a big deal. But I still don't particularly ENJOY them. Sometimes I wonder whether Miyazaki doesn't so much make his movies for children, as adults who are nostalgic for childhood (no child I know could be expected to enjoy or appreciate a film as slow and uneventful as "My Neighbor Totoro"). But apparently lots of people who aren't me adored Miyazaki in their childhood, so I guess I might be way off the mark on that one.
I've been wanting to see Ninja Scroll for a long time, what with it being a classic and all. I've been meaning to watch Black Lagoon too, but that looks kind of trashy compared to Ninja Scroll's more operatic, aestheticized action.
I want to see the new Berserk movies, but based on what I've heard about them I'll definitely be going in with lowered expectations. I thought the first anime was an exceptionally good adaptation (based on what I've read of the corresponding portion of the manga), and the new movies definitely sound like a case of greater budget at the expense of lesser creative vision (similar to Rebuild of Evangelion). But hey, I like Berserk enough that I'll check them out all the same.
I've kind of softened my stance on moe since then - not that I don't find it generally unappealing, but it doesn't quite infuriate me the way it used to. Nowadays I just roll my eyes. Plus, I've come to think it CAN be done right, but when it is it usually involves writing the female characters as CHARACTERS and not just one-note fetish objects (shows from the 90s seemed to have a better grasp of this). That is to say, a character can be cute, and even slightly sexualized, without being downright skeezy.
A number of people I know with exceptional taste in anime adore Mushi-shi. It's been on my to-watch list for a long time, but I'm a little ambivalent; a subdued, extremely episodic show constructed around dialogue and atmosphere rather than action sounds like it might be pretty boring for me. Well, that and Netflix only has the show dubbed, which for a series so aggressively Japanese is not really the way I want to watch it.
For whatever reason, I've never liked Miyazaki as much as I'm "supposed" to. I admire his extraordinary craftsmanship, of course, but his stories and characters generally leave me cold. Who knows why. I'll have to watch Nausicaa at some point though. Grave of the Fireflies is on my to-watch list as well (after Barefoot Gen).
I'll check out that article and your list. If you want to chat about something, let me know!