The wind rises

[i1976]

Miyazaki last movie. He's just announced retirement (I'll confess I've cried ).

I've seen nearly ALL Studio Ghibli's movies, and in a World of "emotional pornography" (in movies, books, stories) I love these oasis of genuine and positive emotions.

THANKS Hayao!! You gave me a lot, and I've learnt a LOT.

[HossC]

Dang it! You've just reminded me that 'Laputa: Castle in the Sky' was on yesterday, and I forgot to watch it . I can't claim to know much about the genre, but I saw this one years ago and wanted to see it again.

[i1976]

I LOVE Studio Ghibli's movies!!! NOt just Miyazaki's movies, but Stidio Ghibli's movies in general (though, obviously, Miyazaki is the one who created the Studio and directed the most part of the movies). Here's my list:

1) Spirited away

2) The Howl's moving castle

3) Only Yesterday

4) My neighbor Totoro

5) From up on poppy hill

6) Whisper of the heart

7) PrincessMononoke

8) Ponyo

9) Arietty

10) Ocean waves

11) The cat returns

12) Tales of earthsea

13) Laputa: Castle in the sky

It's a list of the movies I watched, more or less from my favourite one. Laputa isn't one of my favorite, just a taste.

This love for Studio Ghibli and a certain kind of anime and oriental movies (and books) affect my way to see life, my tastes about books and movies in general, and my writing too.

[HossC]

I don't seem to be having much luck with the TV schedules. I was just flicking channels and found 'Spirited Away' was on, but it was already half over. Knowing the channel it's on, they'll show it again within a week.

I've never really watched much anime, but it did remind me of the early '80s when I used to watch 'Battle of the Planets':

When I looked it up, I found that it actually dates from 1978 (we may have got it a little later in the UK). It was an American adaptation of an earlier (1972) Japanese series (which you're probably familiar with) called Science Ninja Team Gatchaman/科学忍者隊ガッチャマン (that's how Wikipedia spells it ). If you prefer your anime in Japanese with English subtitles, here's an original episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsqB59YOBHA

[i1976]

I love anime from '70 and '80.

Miyazaki, before his career as director of Studio Ghibli's movies, worked for anime as Heidi, Conan and Anne of Green tables (I think these anime are famous in UK and U.S., too).

Anime were my passion when I was a child (and even now)... beside Dukes.

I've always loved Miyazaki works because of his spirit: I think every child (and adult too) should watch his movies.

Someone think of Miyazaki as the "oriental Disney". NOT AT ALL: the spirit and the deep sense of his movies is totally different, the style is TOTALLY different!! I don't like Disney's movies, at all, whereas I LOVE Ghibli's movies: it's a DIFFERENT style, and sense, and spirit.

[i1976]

I love anime from '70 and '80.

Miyazaki, before his career as director of Studio Ghibli's movies, worked for anime as Heidi, Conan and Anne of Green tables (I think these anime are famous in UK and U.S., too).

Anime were my passion when I was a child (and even now)... beside Dukes.

I've always loved Miyazaki works because of his spirit: I think every child (and adult too) should watch his movies.

Someone think of Miyazaki as the "oriental Disney". NOT AT ALL: the spirit and the deep sense of his movies is totally different, the style is TOTALLY different!! I don't like Disney's movies, at all, whereas I LOVE Ghibli's movies: it's a DIFFERENT style, and sense, and spirit.

UH, obviously, when I say I don't like Disney's movies whereas I prefer Ghibli's movies, I don't want to offend Disney's fans. It's just a matter of taste: I prefer and I look for some things over other ones (in movies, books, life, and so on). So I hope nobody took my words as offensive toward Disney. (in this case, sorry... I didn't want to offend Disney's fans).

[HossC]

Miyazaki, before his career as director of Studio Ghibli's movies, worked for anime as Heidi, Conan and Anne of Green tables (I think these anime are famous in UK and U.S., too).

I grew up in the UK, and in the '80s I remember watching a live action version of Heidi that was dubbed from German, and a live action version of Anne of Green Gables from Canada (the one with Megan Follows). I'm not saying we didn't have the others, but I don't remember anime versions.

All this talk of anime reminded me of a scene from 'The Big Bang Theory' where Sheldon points out to Penny that anime and cartoons are not the same:

[i1976]

I grew up watching anime, 'cause they're REALLY popular in Italy, and I can say in France, too.

More anime than cartoon, on italian TV, since '80, so, even now, there's a wide public of people in Italy watching anime (adult people and not only youngsters).

Years ago, italian MTV broadcasted several anime, and I still remember "the anime week", a whole week with previews of new anime (the first episode, some episode aired in japanese with italian subs) and some old anime too (first episodes). Among the new anime, MTV asked people to "vote" (on its site) the anime they'd have liked to watch. Old times.

Actually, one of the main italian channel broadcasts anime on Thursday ("the anime night", two anime every Thursday, from fall to spring, during the late evening), and on Sunday ("the anime morning", two anime every Sunday, from fall to spring, during the morning): modern anime, not old anime. Really NEW anime. And, along the year, around Easter and Christmas, some movies too (not just Miyazaki's movies).

Some people think anime are just for children. AH, they obviously don't know what anime are (there are so MANY kind of anime...)

Here the most important italian site devoted to anime: http://www.animeclick.it/

OK, you don't know italian, but just look at how many news, how many reviews, how many people talking, and you'll have an idea of the huge audience of anime in Italy (though anime fans are still "rare", since the most part of people don't watch anime, but I think less rare than in UK and U.S., where I think cartoon are more popular).

It's incredible you never watched "Heidi" and "Anne of the green tables" (anime aired in Italy even in the last years).

[HossC]

There are some big anime fans in the UK, but not many of them. You'd pretty much have to watch it on DVD (reasonably well supported in shops) or online. I found an article titled Why is anime invisible on British TV? that might give you some reasons. This may explain why I've never seen much anime, but, given your enthusiasm for the genre, I'll try to watch some next time I get the chance.

[HossC]

It looks like "third time lucky" proves to be true. After missing 'Laputa: Castle in the Sky' and 'Spirited Away', quite by chance I found that 'Howl's Moving Castle' was on last night, and I switched on just in time to catch the start. It was rather late, and they showed the original Japanese version with subtitles rather than the English dubbed version, but I still enjoyed it. I did feel that they rushed the ending, and Sofi/Sophie's age changes were initially confusing, but I think think they're the only two negatives I have (and the age changes would probably be easier to understand if I hadn't been tired when I watched it!). I'll keep an eye out for other Studio Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki movies - visually, they're very impressive.

As an aside, some of the mechanical devices eg. the ships returning from war and Howl's castle itself reminded me of Terry Gilliam's animations for Monty Python and his creations for 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'. As I said, I was tired at the time .

[i1976]

Glad you liked "The Howl's moving castle"

I read that article about anime and British TV. Interesting.

See, in Italy too anime fans aren't so many, anime are for a niche of persons, but along the years this niche is widening.

The journalist is right when he says there's a sort of "ignorance" about anime (ignorance = not knowledge), and prejudices too: the refrain "anime are violent, too much sexual-hints" and so on are really common, but false.

There are different kinds of anime: for young children, for teenagers, for adults (I'm not referring to erotic anime, called hentai, but anime with adult themes not involving sex, called seinen: Neon Genesis Evangelion is a seinen, for example, not suitable for children because too much complex but it has nothing to do with sex); there are anime for girls (called shoujo), and anime for boys (called shounen). When you're a fan of anime you distinguish every kind of anime, understanding that the the choice is really broad (I'm a lover of slice-of-anime, for example, seinen slice of life).

Culturally they are different, OK. Where's the problem?

Thanks anime I opened my mind to different things, Learning to appreciate not just animation but also oriental writers (Harukami Murakami is my favorite writer, and Banana Yoshimoto, too), japanese pop (in anime famous groups give thir music to anime, for openings and endings, and thanks anime I "met" Do as Infinity, GREAT group of Japan pop ). And not just anime and music, but movies too: I love corean directors, as Kim Ki Duk, Lee Chan Dog, Wong Kar-Wai, and the japanese Takeshi Kitano. And I "met" Zen.

Maybe 'cause my being driven to the oriental world, I'm starting to reject some thing of the Western Countries, and, I'll admit I feel more comfortable with a movie of Lee Chan Dog ("Poetry" is GREAT) than with a Hollywood's movies (I actually felt the most part of them, exaggerated, forced, too much violent, and sly too, far away my sensitivity).

Just some example of things I love from "East Countries":

Poetry, a GREAT movie of Lee Chan Dog:

I cried. Pure poetry.

Do as Infinity (called also DOA):

It's a passion beyond anime.

Some day or another I want to go visit Japan. And I want to learn japanese.

BUT I'm still GREAT fan of DOH beside DOA, ROFL

[HossC]

Thanks for your description of the different type of anime. There isn't any on tonight, I checked early .

Do as Infinity (called also DOA):

I listened to this track, and it got me thinking that it's rare to hear songs sung in Japanese (even after they invented karaoke ). I took a look through my record collection, and found very little in Japanese. Songs by Fantastic Plastic Machine are nearly all in English, Isao Tomita plays electronic instrumentals, Ryuichi Sakamoto mainly does movie music (and I never got the collaboration album he did with Thomas Dolby, despite being a big Thomas Dolby fan ). I have a track that claims to be YMCA in Japanese, but it's actually Chinese. Funnily enough, I do have a live track by Ben Folds Five that they translated into Japanese for their Japanese tour, but it contains too much English swearing to post here.

What does that leave me with? Well there's the song below which doesn't really have words (I also have the original 1959 version by The Rock*A*Teens, but this one is better).

I love the expression on the drummer's face. The guy who presents the show that this clip was taken from, Jonathan Ross, is a big anime fan.

Another Japanese artist that I couldn't resist posting is Takako Minekawa. You can see the original video

, but I thought you might like the version below because, according to the descrption, the video is made using clips from the classic anime series "Azumanga Daioh".

I know it's in English, but I love it .

I was going to ask you if Gorillaz were anime, but I found an anime forum that concluded they have Japanese/anime influences, but are not anime. Still, remembering which forum we're on, you've got to love people who speed up at "BRIDGE OUT" signs!

[i1976]

Gorillaz is a U.K. band!!!! and the leader is Damon Albarn (yeah, Damon Albarn of the band Blur).

IF you're looking for anime: http://anilinkz.com/5-centimeters-per-second (on animelinkz a lot of anime)

"5 centimeters per second" (called also Byousoku 5 cm"), it's GREAT, and you'll find out that the most part of prejudices about anime are totally WRONG.

And if you want a list of my favorite anime, just ask, I'll select the best ones for you. Right now, "5 centimeters per second" is an anime I usually suggest to people who don't anime, or who know just the prejudices about anime (or just the famous ones... but the famous ones don't mean the best ones).

Here's the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mji5VhFw_c

Someone said the Makoto Shinkai (the diector of this movie) is a sort of successor of Miyazaki, whereas other ones say his successor is Hideaki Anno (the director of Neon Genesis Evangelion), or maybe simple Miyazaki's son, Goro Miyazaki. I think nobody can reach Miyazaki, though I love both Anno and Shinkai (whereas I haven't a clear idea of Goro, just two movies from him, and I didn't like the first one but I did the second one )

[HossC]

Gorillaz is a U.K. band!!!! and the leader is Damon Albarn (yeah, Damon Albarn of the band Blur).

You know very well that I was talking about the animation style used in their videos . I have a couple of Gorillaz albums and a few of Blur's too.

"5 centimeters per second" (called also Byousoku 5 cm"), it's GREAT, and you'll find out that the most part of prejudices about anime are totally WRONG.

I watched the first part of '5 Centimeters per Second', and while I'd concede that it's very well done, I didn't enjoy it as much as 'Howl's Moving Castle'. One reason is the amount of subtitles. There was more dialog, as well as train announcements and translations of writing that appeared on screen. By the time I'd read them, I'd missed what was happening. Maybe I'd get better with practice (or maybe I should start with English dubs before trying them in Japanese). The other reason was the realism. This may sound like a strange criticism, but some inanimate objects (eg. cars, buildings, signs etc.) looked almost photorealistic, and the city setting was also very real. What I liked about the Studio Ghibli movies is that they are pure fantasy, and the settings are very stylized versions of reality. Maybe they are just two different sub-genres of anime.

None-the-less, I appreciate the recommendations .

[i1976]

I watched the first part of '5 Centimeters per Second', and while I'd concede that it's very well done, I didn't enjoy it as much as 'Howl's Moving Castle'. One reason is the amount of subtitles. There was more dialog, as well as train announcements and translations of writing that appeared on screen. By the time I'd read them, I'd missed what was happening. Maybe I'd get better with practice (or maybe I should start with English dubs before trying them in Japanese). The other reason was the realism. This may sound like a strange criticism, but some inanimate objects (eg. cars, buildings, signs etc.) looked almost photorealistic, and the city setting was also very real. What I liked about the Studio Ghibli movies is that they are pure fantasy, and the settings are very stylized versions of reality. Maybe they are just two different sub-genres of anime.

None-the-less, I appreciate the recommendations .

About subtitles... you need to be used to read subtitles, LOL, 'cause I admit at the beginning it isn't easy.

Just a recommendation: english dubbing usually sucks, really, I don't know why but it seems there's no much effort in dubbing anime (maybe 'cause they are thought just something for a niche public), and every time I try to watch an english-dubbed anime, I'd vomit. How ruin a anime with a poor dubbing: if the dubbing is wrong (weird voices, no emotions in the dubbing but just a sort of simple reading lines, and so on), the anime is ruined.

I prefer to watch anime in japanese with subs... or in italian (italian dubbers are really good: since we have to dub pretty everything from foreign Countries, dubbers here are really professional).

Ghibli and Makoto Shinkai's styles are totally different, two different genres, you're right. I LOVE both Ghibli (because of its fantasy and soft colors... sweet drawings) and Shinkai (the realism is fantastic,and I LOVE the sky: LOOK AT THE SKY and at its colors, amazing).

There are different genres of anime, and styles, and character design: as I said, there are a lot of prejudices about anime, thinking of them as just ONE thing. Not at all. I like some anime and I don't like other ones

The last movie of Makoto Shinkai, I watched it some months ago (subbed). It's Makoto Shinkai's style. And I LOVE it.

[i1976]

UH, talking about Gorillaz, I forgot to mention Daft Punk: they made several video usingcharacters from a famous old anime, Interstella 5555. I don't like very much the music (sort of disco music, not my taste), but their videos are awsome.

[HossC]

UH, talking about Gorillaz, I forgot to mention Daft Punk: they made several video usingcharacters from a famous old anime, Interstella 5555. I don't like very much the music (sort of disco music, not my taste), but their videos are awsome.

We'll have to agree to disagree about Daft Punk - I like them. It looks like the anime tie-in was for their 2001 album 'Discovery'.

Here's their appearance in 'Interstella 5555' (picture from Wikipedia):