Topic: dfmorgan's Studio Ghibli Marathon

[Antares]

Jon vs. Antares...this I gotta see!

 

Sorry Kathy, nothing's going to come of this one.

[snowcat]

Really? As I said before, I think Grave is one of the finest war films (sort of) ever made and I found it devastating. More so than if they'd used live action and actors, I feel.

It is a very good film, I'm only stating my dislike for anime. I just can't get into it as a storytelling medium, that's all.

In some cases I agree, most of the anime fans I know will watch any anime no matter what it is, I have a small anime collection alot of it I watch and look at the clock like you Antares, I have more problems with anime films then tv shows though.

[Antares]

Really? As I said before, I think Grave is one of the finest war films (sort of) ever made and I found it devastating. More so than if they'd used live action and actors, I feel.

It is a very good film, I'm only stating my dislike for anime. I just can't get into it as a storytelling medium, that's all.

In some cases I agree, most of the anime fans I know will watch any anime no matter what it is, I have a small anime collection alot of it I watch and look at the clock like you Antares, I have more problems with anime films then tv shows though.

Well, now I don't feel so bad, thanks Emma.

[dfmorgan]

Really? As I said before, I think Grave is one of the finest war films (sort of) ever made and I found it devastating. More so than if they'd used live action and actors, I feel.

It is a very good film, I'm only stating my dislike for anime. I just can't get into it as a storytelling medium, that's all.

In some cases I agree, most of the anime fans I know will watch any anime no matter what it is, I have a small anime collection alot of it I watch and look at the clock like you Antares, I have more problems with anime films then tv shows though.

I must admit that, as Emma says above, I think that I probably will watch anything anime. That's not to say I will enjoy everything because it is anime and it's just the same with other films and TV shows I will watch them and enjoy/not enjoy as the case may be. In fact I can only think of one film I absolutely dislike and that is the Blair Witch Project. I saw that in the cinema after reading so much hype and at the end wondered what was so scarey and what had everyone seen in it. Wait Until Dark, Alien and others all made me jump at their relevant shock points but BWP didn't. I even tried again when it was shown on TV but still absolutely nothing.

Antares I'm interested in what you find wrong with anime as a storytelling medium. Is it because animation is mainly viewed as being for children?

Dave

[snowcat]

Hmm, Well...My problem with series is, stuff like Dragon Ball Z has about 200 eps.... and they are all the same, One Piece, Bleach,  Naruto all have that problem, boring I often don't think anime makers know when to quit.

as for films, I find sometimes they are so short the story is effected. I also find the opposite sometimes a story is really elongated and gets gets stupid.

[Tom]

Hmm, Well...My problem with series is, stuff like Dragon Ball Z has about 200 eps.... and they are all the same, One Piece, Bleach,  Naruto all have that problem, boring I often don't think anime makers know when to quit.

You are just quoting about every anime, which is known in the western world to most people. Sadly these animes are all they know and make up their picture about animes. I got into watching animes a few years ago, but I have never watched those series.

Funny, that you think that anime makers do not know when to quit. As a matter of fact most anime series are only about 13 to 24 episodes long. Usually they only make one season of a series. Maybe a second a few years later if it is really popular. The on-going series like the above are the exception, not the rule.

[snowcat]

I have watched series that I have enjoyed, Wolfs Rain, Outlaw Star, Tenchi Muyo... One Piece is not very well known in the UK it was a massive flop... about 30 episodes were shown.

I think you make the point I was trying to make Tom, these are the most well known in the western world, which greatly effects peoples opinions of it.

but if im honest, there were episodes of Wolfs Rain that I got bored watching, I still have not watched Tenchi Muyo Ryo-ohki. Ive been trying to work out what I don't enjoy about anime sometimes but I just cant do it... I have no idea what I don't enjoy about it.

[Antares]

Antares I'm interested in what you find wrong with anime as a storytelling medium. Is it because animation is mainly viewed as being for children?

It's hard to put into words. I just find the animation jerky and blocking at times. It also comes across, to me, as a cheesy, cheap way to do animation. That's just my view of it.

One question though, and I always wonder this when I watch one, why do Japanese animators in anime, always make the characters look non-Japanese?

[Najemikon]

You mean the big eyes? The Japanese consider the eyes are the "window to the soul", so the good guys have big, emotional eyes and the villains very thin.

Anime does err on the cheap side in some versions; I particularly remember Guyver! But Ghibli? Can't see a wasted frame.

[Antares]

I guess that's it. I don't know.

[snowcat]

...Jon :p I liked Guyver!

...I have all 12 eps on 12 different VHS ¬_¬ what idiot decided it should be one episode per VHS?

[Najemikon]

I used to have them, but I was offended by them taking up an entire shelf!

I'm guessing that as I'm a bit older than you, you didn't buy them at release? It was a foolish attempt to make a "video magazine". One episode per month.

Obviously it would work great on DVD now.

[dfmorgan]

Antares I'm interested in what you find wrong with anime as a storytelling medium. Is it because animation is mainly viewed as being for children?

It's hard to put into words. I just find the animation jerky and blocking at times. It also comes across, to me, as a cheesy, cheap way to do animation. That's just my view of it.

  Thanks, was just wondering as an ex-colleague refused to believe that anime or animation could ever be more than cartoons for children and wouldn't look at videos I wanted to lend him to show that they could be more. He even claimed that Disney's films were purely for children and as an adult weren't worth looking at. Another colleague, who had borrowed Totoro, Porco Rosso, Honneamise and Akira, also tried to persuade him otherwise but he wouldn't budge from his viewpoint. At least you, unlike him, have viewed some and therefore in a postion to make your judgements.

One question though, and I always wonder this when I watch one, why do Japanese animators in anime, always make the characters look non-Japanese?

You mean the big eyes? The Japanese consider the eyes are the "window to the soul", so the good guys have big, emotional eyes and the villains very thin.

This is also my understanding.

Dave

[dfmorgan]

Hmm, Well...My problem with series is, stuff like Dragon Ball Z has about 200 eps.... and they are all the same, One Piece, Bleach,  Naruto all have that problem, boring I often don't think anime makers know when to quit.

You are just quoting about every anime, which is known in the western world to most people. Sadly these animes are all they know and make up their picture about animes. I got into watching animes a few years ago, but I have never watched those series.

Funny, that you think that anime makers do not know when to quit. As a matter of fact most anime series are only about 13 to 24 episodes long. Usually they only make one season of a series. Maybe a second a few years later if it is really popular. The on-going series like the above are the exception, not the rule.

Emma, as Tom says most are shorter than the examples you have quoted. Complete series I have enjoyed are Escaflowne, Evangelion, Gasaraki all around the 24/26 episode mark and around the 13 episode mark Serial Experiments Lain, El-Hazard, Blue Submarine No. 6.

Dave

[Jimmy]

Thanks, was just wondering as an ex-colleague refused to believe that anime or animation could ever be more than cartoons for children and wouldn't look at videos I wanted to lend him to show that they could be more.

Is he serious? Make him watch Dark Love or The Bible Black series or Virgin Touch to see if he thinks always that cartoons equal children stuff