Movies and Life and Stuff

[eredien]

Yesterday spent reading six months' worth of magazines. Happy.

After dinner went out with friends Evelyn and Aaron to get coffee and dessert and talk. Had good conversation, wherein religion, philosophy, foriegn languages, and the benefits or lack thereof of anime and Japanese culture were discussed. Strangely, Evelyn, who is usually up for anything involving TV, seems to fall asleep at the sight of anime, while Aaron seems only to think that perhaps he's been watching the wrong anime and should watch something else. Trying to think of things that might be at the movie store that he'd like.

Although I don't blame Evelyn - Lodoss War is not exactly a sterling example of the genre. And apparently Aaron saw Ghost in the Shell, but hasn't seen anything else. So. Reccommendations, anyone?

After dinner went and rented Waking Life. I have, as some of you know, been wanting to watch this movie for quite a while.
1.) It comes the closest to my dreams, style-wise, I've ever seen. But still not.
2.) It is confusing to watch. Scenery floats around on the screen in the oddest way. Would not reccommend it if you had a headache, for example.
3.) I want to watch it again. (!)
4.) There seemed to me to be some points in the beginning where it lagged, but those parts were okay anyway.
5.) It is the only movie which I have ever seen where I actively wanted to go into the movie, sit down, and speak with the people. All of the people. About what they thought about everything.
7.) It is funny.
8.) It is one of those movies where you cannot be sure, if you watch it late at night and have a long philosophical discussion about art and life and comics after that, that you cannot be sure you have not fallen into.

May I say how much fun it is to be able to turn to a friend and both say, "she needs to read Sandman" at the same time? (Yes, yes, Irina, you can stop bouncing now.) And also, for all of you Transmetropolitan readers, how much fun it is to be able to get the quote, "oww. I guess that's why Spider is a comic book character and I'm not," out of a friend?

I was going to walk to the library but it is now raining. But I have to walk to the highschool anyway to give my sister her sweatshirt, so I guess I might as well walk to the library.

Comments

all hail the cult leader

[weirdquark]

Don't be silly, Irina can never stop bouncing.

hmm.
Slayers, although it's much funnier after you have seen lots of anime.
Petshop of Horrors. not sure if it's a good place to start.
Saiyuki, although since it has been lisenced fansubs will be hard to come by, being illigal to buy them now and all.
Ranma. dubbed or subbed, as it doesn't really matter.
Shinesman. There is only one tape of a longer series. this doesn't matter much because you can see where it's going, especially if you have seen a lot of anime.
Escaflowne is good, except for the end which makes no sense.
Master of Mosquiton is fun.
Lost Universe is also fun especially if you like Slayers and Star Wars. (Lost Universe has nothing at all to do with Star Wars. Nope, nothing. the lightsaber, er psi-blade, has nothing at all to do with ....anyway.
Metropolis.
Haven't seen Astroboy, but the manga is good.

with the exception of Saiyuki, I think these have all been released. I'm not sure about the status of Astroboy.

that's all for now. must go eat lunch and update my page

Anime

[theheretic.livejournal.com]

See:
Akira (very good)
Kodaichi (amusing)
Ranma 1/2 (amusing)
Tenchi Muyo, Tenchi Universe (anything with Tenchi in it is funny)
Adult swim on cartoon network from 11 PM Saturday night to 2 AM sunday morning. It has 6 shows including Yu Yu Hakusho, Cowboy Bebop, Gundam 0083, Outlaw Star, and Tenchi Muyo.
Cowboy Beebop (very very good)
Ninja Scroll (good artwork but somewhat silly plot)

I would strenuously avoid Pet Shop of Horrors, Golgo 13, Record of Lodoss War, and pretty much any Japanese take on european knights. They do a really BAD JOB at it. Its embarassing. Also avoid a really bad show called "Battleship Yamato" or anything Yamato related. Its the ugly racist backlash to the USA nuking them twice and sinking their prized Yamato in something like 2 hours after they built it for a couple years as an invincible harbinger of death. Its incredibly racist and americans are the fiendish enemies with a flag showing two mushroom clouds. The Japanese are very fond of apocalypse and manage to work it into just about every anime they do. Somewhere in there, you'll see a nuke-equivalent explosion.

Re: Anime

[eredien]

Pet Shop of Horrors isn't a "Japenese take on European knights." It happens to be one of my favorite anime. I think it lovely, but not a thing to show said friend at this time, although he might appreciate it more later when he is in a better mood.

And I think that Cowboy Beebop would be bad at this point for the same reason - and also because I've sworn off of that series for the time being, until I can deal with EVA and Trigun after I finish those.

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

I'm not even going to say anything to whoever it was who commented just above me, except that you so have not been paying attention to Japanese culture. I'm going to leave it there. I do not rant at people I don't know.

Fushigi Yuugi was my first series. This is a BAD idea. Revolutionary Girl Utena was my second series. This is a pretty good idea, as if you watch Utena carefully it will teach you the Japanese visual vocabulary. Also, the second story arc will be out professionally real soon now, after having been in limbo for years, so this is a good time to get into the series. Movie-wise, try Miyazaki. Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, and Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro are all readily available (and even have decent dubs); between those one gets a pretty good overview of much of the point of animation. Akira really is a classic, but I confess I haven't seen it. Ghost in the Shell is really amazing. Also, due to their recent releases, both the new Vampire Hunter D and Metropolis are pretty easy to find (although I have to see those as well, dammit). If you're looking for fun happy sexy fluff there's Ranma, and there's also Maho Tsukai Tai (Magic User's Club). Maho Tsukai Tai develops surprising nuance and character depth while continuing to be sweet, warm-hearted entertainment. However, for gods' sake avoid the dub. I recommend avoiding Cartoon Network, too, especially regarding Bebop. Edited beyond the ken of mortals... .
Have fun,
Lila

[weirdquark]

The new Vampire Hunter D movie as you have probably heard from one source or another, should be watched on mute with the soundtrack playing in the background. The people have no brains. some of them do not even have a little bit of brains.
It is very pretty. Very very pretty. We own it, so next time you visit we will inflict it upon you. probably with sound...sigh.

[eredien]

Right now, it seems as if Outlaw Star would be best, or something like it...Aaron saw Ghost in the Shell and seemed to think it pretty but I don't know what else - the coversation moved on at that point. I shall have to ask him later. Of course, I don't have Outlaw Star, but that's another matter entirey. And one more easily remedied than that of not having other anime.

I don't own any of the rest of it, Except Petshop, which as stated above I am not going to show either Evelyn or Aaron or me right now.

I would LOVE to show Saiyuki to both of them (in fact, brought it up during the conversation) but, as you said, Lila - hard to get tapes of now. And the last two tapes subbed are godawful, wouldn't inflict them on my dog. I could barely understand what was going on, and I knew.

It's an interesting dilemma with Evelyn, as she does not seem to have the "art response" that most people have...for some reason sheer art usually just doesn't affect her. In other words, the "watch it for the pretty pictures" effect just doesn't happen. She needs stuff with words, preferably written.

Pet Shop of Horrors?

[theheretic.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you and I have very different tastes. Record of Lodoss War is the bad Euro knights anime. Its pretty awful, yet people say its good. I don't know what they're smoking. If you like disturbing anime like that Pet Shop one, then you'd probably dig Ninja Scroll, Wolf Brigade, Princess Mononoke, and a few others out there.

Re: Pet Shop of Horrors?

[eredien]

I have never heard of Ninja Scroll or Wolf Brigade, but I did indeed enjoy Princess Mononoke. I think we must just have different definitions of "disturbing." For instance, although there are disturbing scenes in Mononoke, would I call it a "disturbing" movie? (It's Miyazaki...please.) No, I wouldn't. I might call Petshop of Horrors disturbing, as a whole, but then again I found it fascinating and interesting and uplifting as well, especially the last episode. I can get through disturbing if there is something more to it.