NationStates Jolt Archive

=/ I've seen Spirited Away, and I recently watched My Neighbor Totoro.

I wouldn't even be posting a rant, if I didn't come across yet another review that gave it a perfect score.

What do people find appealing about this tripe? Can someone tell me?

The review site, OtakuBooty says:

What's truly unique about My Neighbor Totoro is the plot structure, or rather its near lack of a traditional climax/resolution type of thing. It's a movie where situations unfold on their own without a need for evil, or bad guys, or danger.

:confused: What the hell? Thats what makes it "unique"? Why would such an inane, fluffy, and anti-climatic flick consistently get perfect scores?

Now I'm just wondering, do any of you Generalites like this tripe? What do you find appealing? Does it bug you also?

Totoro isn't my favorite, but I love some of his other ones. Like the fighter plane pilot who was a pig.

You fail at watching and apprciating anime.

You fail at watching and apprciating anime.
I loathe anime yet enjoyed Spirited Away.

You fail at watching and apprciating anime.

I appreciate plot over art, thanks.

Edit: Come to think of it, these movies look a lot like Disney movies, only.. you know, without a climax.

Miyazaki's movies are both good and myrth.

Miyazaki's movies are both good and myrth.

Heh, that's what I voted.

I appreciate plot over art, thanks.

Edit: Come to think of it, these movies look a lot like Disney movies, only.. you know, without a climax.

*shrug* At least a lack of a plot is something...yanno, different? I wanna take all the proper nouns out of Disney movies and see if I can tell the difference.

I really like Nausicaä and Laputa as well. Don't most of his movies have plots, actually?

I appreciate plot over art, thanks.

Edit: Come to think of it, these movies look a lot like Disney movies, only.. you know, without a climax.
They have both plot and climax, they just don't feel the need to hit you over the head with the damn things every 5 minutes like newer Disney films do.

Tonari no Totoro is a slice of life. I live in a small farming town in rual Japan and Miyazaki managed to get life here down pat. I know Japanese children love Totoro because of Totoro, but Japanese adults love the movie because it reminds them of a more innocent time before they became cogs in Japan Inc.

My friends who are stoners have all sorts of fun with Totoro. The rest of us find it boring beyond any measure of the word ('Oh but it's cuuuuuuuttee!!' say the crazy fangirls). I have yet to see any of his other stuff (but I'm seeing whatever his latest one is tommorrow, joy :rolleyes: ). Then again, I'm into progressive anime and anime with real plots, so I probably wouldn't enjoy it anyway.

Totro is not a freaking action film why are you expecting it to be?

I really like Nausicaä and Laputa as well. Don't most of his movies have plots, actually?

:confused: Don't know, actually. After Spirited Away and Totoro I don't have a lot of motivation to go and get them.


They have both plot and climax, they just don't feel the need to hit you over the head with the damn things every 5 minutes like newer Disney films do.

...? Exactly what is the plot? If there was one.. it wasn't very interesting.

For god's sake, if I wanted to see Rural farming life, I'd take a tour or something.

The arts good, the creatures are bizzare, the soundtracks good, but the plot and length are just inanely drawn out and pointless.

Miyazaki made awesome movies. All of them were quite good I found. I like the art style and the plots. It's nice to watch something and know that it's not completely filled to the boot with mind-numbing fluff or the other extreme.

:confused: Don't know, actually. After Spirited Away and Totoro I don't have a lot of motivation to go and get them.


Both of them are more action type films from the eighties. Some of his early films before he switched it up with totoro. Some cool stuff. Sci-fi ish, I guess.

I've seen 4 of Miyazaki's films Naussica, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. I loved them all and they all had good stories, I can't see what you find wrong with them.

Now stand over there while I biorifle you :gundge:

Laputa rocks!

Both of them are more action type films from the eighties. Some of his early films before he switched it up with totoro. Some cool stuff. Sci-fi ish, I guess.

See that I could get into. I loved Akira, Blue Gender, and Ghost in the Shell, but Totoro especially just left me wondering why I bothered.

There was no point to it. It was just "She found him and he believed her and now we have to find her, and this thing can turn into a uber-creepy bus like thing." For around an 1.5 hours.

I'm not looking to get floored or anything, but it didn't even manage to keep my attention.

...? Exactly what is the plot? If there was one.. it wasn't very interesting.

For god's sake, if I wanted to see Rural farming life, I'd take a tour or something.

The arts good, the creatures are bizzare, the soundtracks good, but the plot and length are just inanely drawn out and pointless.
Two children move with their father to a small town in rual Japan (and a very, very old house) while their mother recovers from an illness in a hospital. The house abuts a sacred hill. Back in the day, Japanese felt that these primal forests were somehow sacred, the domain of the kami and not to be trespassed in.

The two children are still young enough to believe in Japan's myths and fairytales, seeing the kami and spirits told to them by their elders (while the elders think that they are now just stories).

Totoro is a forest kami, he guards the primal forest, makes it grow, and makes the wind roar.

It's a tale about going back to your roots as it were, returning to the beliefs that underpin the nation of Japan and the stories told by the Japanese people.

It's no different from, say, Oz or Hobbition.

I've noticed a number of things in this thread that I cannot let slide.

First, anime is a general term that covers any animated series from Japan, or occasionally Korea and other East Asian countries with similar cultures. Therefore, it is impossible to say you "hate" anime. Maybe the seires you have been exposed to weren't your type of show. I, for one, love most anime I see, but I can't stand shows like Dragon Ball Z.

Second, Miyazaki has directed a number of films that are action, but his main genre is fantasy. He creates worlds that exist only in imagination and animation, and for that more than anything else should he be praised. However, if it's action you seek, I recommend Princess Mononoke. The title may not imply action to most people, but let me assure you: people get decapitated by arrows and one of the main events is a huge war.

Last, most films or series, be they anime or otherwise, have a plot. However, there are always exceptions. My Neighbor Totoro is not one of them. If the plot doesn't suit you, it doesn't suit you. Big deal.

Both of them are more action type films from the eighties. Some of his early films before he switched it up with totoro. Some cool stuff. Sci-fi ish, I guess.
Miyazaki likes to play. Mononoke Hime is very different from Totoro (and really NOT a child's film). Tales from Earthsea looks like it will be very interesting as well.

I love his take on Lupin as well.

Like the fighter plane pilot who was a pig.
Toro Rosso

My favorite one so far is Spirited Away, although Howl's Moving Castle was excellent as well

Miyazaki makes awesome movies. All of them have excellent drawings and sound. The plots are all excellent, and the plots are interesting, and most do have clear ones. All his movies have pacifisim or nature-related themes, which are interwined with the plot. Althoguh the story tellign might be slow in places, it is a nice change from most current movies wich seem a race to stuff us with as much stuff as possible. Also, if the plot is slow, it makes you apreciate the art.

What do people find appealing about this tripe? Can someone tell me?

See, we like them because we have this thing called "taste."

Second, Miyazaki has directed a number of films that are action, but his main genre is fantasy. He creates worlds that exist only in imagination and animation, and for that more than anything else should he be praised. However, if it's action you seek, I recommend Princess Mononoke. The title may not imply action to most people, but let me assure you: people get decapitated by arrows and one of the main events is a huge war.


Miyazaki did Princess Mononoke? Well damn. Learn something new every day. That wasn't a bad movie at all.

See that I could get into. I loved Akira, Blue Gender, and Ghost in the Shell, but Totoro especially just left me wondering why I bothered.

There was no point to it. It was just "She found him and he believed her and now we have to find her, and this thing can turn into a uber-creepy bus like thing." For around an 1.5 hours.

I'm not looking to get floored or anything, but it didn't even manage to keep my attention.
Go watch Mononoke Hime and Nausucaa Valley of the Wind.

Enjoy.

Miyazaki did Princess Mononoke? Well damn. Learn something new every day. That wasn't a bad movie at all.
Miayzaki has done a lot of things. *lol* Which makes stores that sell charagoods rather crowded.

See, we like them because we have this thing called "taste."

Apparently, "patience" as well.

Go watch Mononoke Hime and Nausucaa Valley of the Wind.

Enjoy.

*goes to look them up.*

I love his take on Lupin as well.

He has a take on Lupin? Another movie I should see but probably won't.

Apparently, "patience" as well.

Yes, in its newfangled form called "attention span."

Apparently, "patience" as well.
It is nto needed as much as you think, if you think the plot is going slowly, try to pick up on the themes or look at the artwork

He has a take on Lupin? Another movie I should see but probably won't.
He's the one who DID Lupin! He had control over one of the seasons and produced two movies.

Actually, his seasons were the ones that really brought Lupin to the fore in Japan.

Huh.
Even I didn't know that, and I'm somewhat of an otaku, by American standards...

He's the one who DID Lupin! He had control over one of the seasons and produced two movies.

Actually, his seasons were the ones that really brought Lupin to the fore in Japan.

Oh...Then I probably saw it already. Which movies did he produce, do you know?

Yes, in its newfangled form called "attention span."
No, it's just taste. Miyazaki's movies are just pure perfection. I should know, I've got the ADD as bad as anyone want to go ride bikes?

Huh.
Even I didn't know that, and I'm somewhat of an otaku, by American standards...
Here you go:

http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/lupin/

Oh...Then I probably saw it already. Which movies did he produce, do you know?
TV series I, TV series II, and The Castle of Cagliostro movie.

I liked Nausicaa, Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle. :)

=/ I've seen Spirited Away, and I recently watched My Neighbor Totoro.

I wouldn't even be posting a rant, if I didn't come across yet another review that gave it a perfect score.

What do people find appealing about this tripe? Can someone tell me?

The review site, OtakuBooty says:



:confused: What the hell? Thats what makes it "unique"? Why would such an inane, fluffy, and anti-climatic flick consistently get perfect scores?

Now I'm just wondering, do any of you Generalites like this tripe? What do you find appealing? Does it bug you also?one thing I find I like about Myazaki's films (in fact, most Anime) is that there really isn't any Good Guy/Bad Guy story, only different sides. The artwork is stunning and the flow of the story smooth.

never watched anime except spirited away. i liked that but not enough to inspire me to watch more anime. not that interested in films to be honest.

Toro Rosso

My favorite one so far is Spirited Away, although Howl's Moving Castle was excellent as well

Miyazaki makes awesome movies. All of them have excellent drawings and sound. The plots are all excellent, and the plots are interesting, and most do have clear ones. All his movies have pacifisim or nature-related themes, which are interwined with the plot. Althoguh the story tellign might be slow in places, it is a nice change from most current movies wich seem a race to stuff us with as much stuff as possible. Also, if the plot is slow, it makes you apreciate the art.
Porco Rosso.
and as the American Voice Actress who portrayed Gina would say...
It's a Japanese story set in Italy, but it's now in English and my first scene is singing in French. :D

Return of the Cat is another short action baised one.

Whispers of the Heart introduces the Baron in RotC.

Laputa: The Castle in the Sky for those who like Nausicaa and the Valley of the Winds

Kiki's Delivery Service is a nice family film

On Your Mark is a great Music Video.

Howls Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away also left me breathless.

Only Yesterday is one to avoid if you're looking for any type of action... tho what that family did to that poor pinapple can be considered violent...

Ocean Waves or I can Hear the Sea as I knew it. is another love story similar in vein to Only Yesterday.

I still have to see the rest of their stuff.

Miyazaki's films are so good because they are emotionally honest. Kids act like kids, fantastic things leave people in awe, and there isn't always a conventional way things are "supposed" to happen. A lot of them involve common folk being caught up in something they could never begin to understand. I've picked up very little new anime in the last little while because it's all amounting to fan slop. I know people who hate Miyazaki because it's not "REAL anime". Miyazaki should be proud of that distinction, because apparantly "real anime" is below-par animation and predictable plot with occasional fanservice and gushy eyes.

Miyazaki did Princess Mononoke? Well damn. Learn something new every day. That wasn't a bad movie at all.

Also under his belt is Castle of Cagliostro, part of the snazzy Lupin the Third franchise.

However, if it's action you seek, I recommend Princess Mononoke. The title may not imply action to most people, but let me assure you: people get decapitated by arrows and one of the main events is a huge war.
A guy’s head fucking explodes!:D

I loathe anime yet enjoyed Spirited Away.
No-face ....
*gasp*
*gasp*
*gasp*
(reaches out slowly)
:eek:

Tonari no Totoro was my like... favourite childhood movie ;_;! And I really, really like Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi. Mononokehime is also really good, even if I can't understand why the voice of the wolf is a man when it's supposed to be San's mother. Another favourite from childhood was Majo no takkyuubin and I still love, love, love it.

In short, I think Miyazaki-sensei is freakin' awesome ;____;!!!

(Oh yeah, and another awesome Ghibli film is Hotaru no haka, but Miyazaki-sensei wasn't involved in it.)

i absolutley worship Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle.

My Neighbor Totoro was my favorite movie when i was little.

Spirited Away was also fantastic.

i don't mean to sound rude, but someone who can't see and appreciate the amount of work and imagination that Miyazaki puts into his films needs to crawl up somewhere and die.

he is amazing.

<33

Tonari no Totoro was my like... favourite childhood movie ;_;! And I really, really like Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi. Mononokehime is also really good, even if I can't understand why the voice of the wolf is a man when it's supposed to be San's mother. Another favourite from childhood was Majo no takkyuubin and I still love, love, love it.

In short, I think Miyazaki-sensei is freakin' awesome ;____;!!!

(Oh yeah, and another awesome Ghibli film is Hotaru no haka, but Miyazaki-sensei wasn't involved in it.)because Moro was a Forrest God. thus a they probably felt a Booming Voice was needed.

first chance I get, I'm visiting their studio in Japan...:D

i absolutley worship Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle.

My Neighbor Totoro was my favorite movie when i was little.

Spirited Away was also fantastic.

i don't mean to sound rude, but someone who can't see and appreciate the amount of work and imagination that Miyazaki puts into his films needs to crawl up somewhere and die.

he is amazing.

<33much better than the recent stuff Disney is putting out.

much better than the recent stuff Disney is putting out.very much so.

and i like Disney and all...

but isn't it kind of insulting to Miyazaki to be comparing him to Walt Disney?

i mean seriously...

that's like comparing Donald Duck to Howl.

or Minnie Mouse to Princess Mononoke.

or Mufasa to Totoro.

it just doesn't work like that...

<33

considering how popular Disney's stuff was in Japan, that is an honor.

Tezuka was called the Japanese Walt Disney and HE was Honored to be called that.

I picked Myrth.

Miyazaki's movies are so-so to good. The art is incredible; the plot is meh to good. I recall really liking Mononoke Hime, but that could have been because it had more action than his other ones.

Bottom line, there are definitely better animes.

much better than the recent stuff Disney is putting out.

Isn't it Disney that IS 'putting them out', now? In the US, at least?

I'm a huge Miyazaki fan... I'm slowly buying a full collection for my little girl (also a huge Miyazaki fan) - she has Mononoke, Kiki and Spirited Away, so far - but she has already seen Castle, Totoro and Porco Rosso - we just can't find them around here for a reasonable price.

Isn't it Disney that IS 'putting them out', now? In the US, at least?

I'm a huge Miyazaki fan... I'm slowly buying a full collection for my little girl (also a huge Miyazaki fan) - she has Mononoke, Kiki and Spirited Away, so far - but she has already seen Castle, Totoro and Porco Rosso - we just can't find them around here for a reasonable price.
well, I ment the stuff Disney is making itself.

There's also Whispers of the Heart and The Return of the Cat.

I am a huge Miyazaki fan. I am NOT an anime fan.

I appreciate film art in all it's forms, and am very picky about what I watch. My Neighbor Totoro is a Gem. As is Princess Mononoke. His Graphic Novel Nausicaa (I refuse to say Manga. I speak english) is one of the most intense things I've ever read. I have two favorite pieces of literature: Watership Down and Nausicaa.

Unfortunately, the average anime fan is too stupid to have an intelligent conversation on the themes of the book.

Lupin the Third, which I hold him responsible for. The original comics were too dark. Well, not too dark. I like dark. Too humorless. He changed that when he made the show. While later incarnations may have been too lighthearted, he had a good grasp of where the character should be.

Again, the average anime fan is too stupid to have a conversation about this.


Miyazaki is a genuis, but he's made a few bad films. For example, Castle in the Sky. Spirited Away was not the best either. And I hate what Disney is doing with his movies.

In Nausicaa, the term "God Warrior" was changed to "Giant Warrior" and "Sea of Corruption" to the "Jungle". Why does this matter? The idea that the God Warrior was created as an artificial God to judge the world is lost. So is the idea that the Sea of Corruption exists to swallow the corrupt world to bring forth the pure world.

Meanwhile, the celebrity voices on the Disney Dub of Totoro do not fit. As a Troma fan, I must say the Troma Release (well, Troma and Fox. Troma handled, fox Distributed) is far superior and Disney is destroying all the hard work that went into bringing this film to America.

His only good movie was Nausicaa.
I think 95% of anime is terrible anyways. There are a few stand-out shows like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun, but most of it is crap. Just like American TV...

His only good movie was Nausicaa.
I think 95% of anime is terrible anyways. There are a few stand-out shows like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun, but most of it is crap. Just like American TV...


Exactly. Of course, I'd say more like 80% of anime and all others shows suck. However, I will defend Miyazaki and state that Nausicaa did not work as a movie.

I am a huge Miyazaki fan. I am NOT an anime fan.

I appreciate film art in all it's forms, and am very picky about what I watch. My Neighbor Totoro is a Gem. As is Princess Mononoke. His Graphic Novel Nausicaa (I refuse to say Manga. I speak english) is one of the most intense things I've ever read. I have two favorite pieces of literature: Watership Down and Nausicaa.

Unfortunately, the average anime fan is too stupid to have an intelligent conversation on the themes of the book.

Lupin the Third, which I hold him responsible for. The original comics were too dark. Well, not too dark. I like dark. Too humorless. He changed that when he made the show. While later incarnations may have been too lighthearted, he had a good grasp of where the character should be.

Again, the average anime fan is too stupid to have a conversation about this.


Miyazaki is a genuis, but he's made a few bad films. For example, Castle in the Sky. Spirited Away was not the best either. And I hate what Disney is doing with his movies.

In Nausicaa, the term "God Warrior" was changed to "Giant Warrior" and "Sea of Corruption" to the "Jungle". Why does this matter? The idea that the God Warrior was created as an artificial God to judge the world is lost. So is the idea that the Sea of Corruption exists to swallow the corrupt world to bring forth the pure world.

Meanwhile, the celebrity voices on the Disney Dub of Totoro do not fit. As a Troma fan, I must say the Troma Release (well, Troma and Fox. Troma handled, fox Distributed) is far superior and Disney is destroying all the hard work that went into bringing this film to America.


I refuse to say Manga. I speak english

...You randomly decide not to say a foreign word? Why not be consistent and cut out half the English language?

I've only actually seen Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away, but I enjoyed both. Miyazaki's apparently limitless imagination and beautiful artwork make for compelling and innovative film. I absolutely loved Spirited Away, and although Howl's Moving Castle failed to match it for me (the dialogue seemed to have lost something in translation, and it ran out of steam towards the end, although those could have been because of the book), I still enjoyed it.

I loathe anime yet enjoyed Spirited Away.

I loathed Spirited Away, yet I enjoy anime. Go figure :p

My perfect anime is Ghost in the shell. ITs the standart in my head for any anime, the animation, the speed of motion, scenario, sounds, music ...everything. One closest to its style and seriousness is Blood The Last Vampire.
And I just remembered Spriggan! omg, I live in Istanbul and Japans has seen it through my eyes (its past state though its now too crowded)

Princess Mononoke is really good, Spirit Away too. Castle in the Sky is pretty good too, but not as good as the others. The same mostly applies to Nausicaa as well. Porco Rosso as its good bits, but the anticlimactic ending kinda ruined it for me. I actually read the book of Howl's Moving Castle, and it was good, but it turned the movie into a "book movie" for me, as I had to keep comparing it to the book instead of enjoying it for its own merits. While I would recommend watching it if you haven't already, you need to accept that it isn't really that much like the book. I watched Totoro a while ago, it's pretty good, but it's A KID'S MOVIE. DON'T WATCH IT if you can't accept that. It isn't supposed to be an action movie or a thriller or whatever.

See, we like them because we have this thing called "taste."
I wouldn't call it taste, per se. More the ability to watch something for more than a few minutes without there needing to be fake, contrived, simplistic and overwrought pathos, loud explosions and bikined women to keep us watching.
Oh, and a plot so basic it could be written on the back of a postage stamp in crayon.

My favourite manga by far is 'Memories', esp "Magnetic Rose" episdoe, which I view as a worthy homage to 'Solaris' (The awesome Russian film, not the shite Clooney vehicle).

I do like some of his films. Actually most of his films I like, except Spirited Away. After watching that I wanted those moments of my life back.

I had such high hopes with the no-face guy but no I got some story about a little girl who falls in love with...damn I can' even figure out what that guy is was he like a River or something. Gah I don't know it made no damn sense!

(I refuse to say Manga. I speak english)

I wonder if you also refuse to use the words samurai, shogun, kamikaze, sushi... etc.

Or are you just trying to assert some kind of anti-otaku credential?

Hes a manga, manga, manga maniac
He loves them all the ladies in the paperback
Some pretty girls are dancing on the cover
In white and black
Cause hes a manga, manga maniac

Some boys like to flirt with every pretty girl they see
Some boys want to touch a beauty in their fantasies
Some boys come home drunk in the middle of the night
Some boys like their cigarettes and some boys really love to fight

Hes a manga, manga, manga maniac
He loves them all the ladies in the paperback
Some pretty girls are dancing on the cover
And in his dreams he wants to be their lover
Manga, manga, manga maniac
The way he acts is giving me a heart attack
Wants me to look like the hooker in the comicbook
In white and black
Cause hes a manga, manga maniac

But I like something that is really fun
I want to be alone, when my baby is gone
Unpack all my stuff, well I cant get enough
With the manga in my hand I jump into my wonderland

Some boys do it once and some boys do it twice a day
Some boys are making love in their very special way
Some boys love to kiss every single little spot
Some boys like it cool and some boys want it really hot
(Manga Maniac by Sex Appeal)

I wonder if you also refuse to use the words samurai, shogun, kamikaze, sushi... etc.

Or are you just trying to assert some kind of anti-otaku credential?

*husten* (http://www.krysstal.com/borrow.html)

Like I said, why not cut out half the english language if he wants to be consistent.

http://www.krysstal.com/borrow_arabic.html

Hes a manga, manga, manga maniac
He loves them all the ladies in the paperback
Some pretty girls are dancing on the cover
In white and black
Cause hes a manga, manga maniac

Some boys like to flirt with every pretty girl they see
Some boys want to touch a beauty in their fantasies
Some boys come home drunk in the middle of the night
Some boys like their cigarettes and some boys really love to fight

Hes a manga, manga, manga maniac
He loves them all the ladies in the paperback
Some pretty girls are dancing on the cover
And in his dreams he wants to be their lover
Manga, manga, manga maniac
The way he acts is giving me a heart attack
Wants me to look like the hooker in the comicbook
In white and black
Cause hes a manga, manga maniac

But I like something that is really fun
I want to be alone, when my baby is gone
Unpack all my stuff, well I cant get enough
With the manga in my hand I jump into my wonderland

Some boys do it once and some boys do it twice a day
Some boys are making love in their very special way
Some boys love to kiss every single little spot
Some boys like it cool and some boys want it really hot
(Manga Maniac by Sex Appeal)
wow thats good :D

=/ I've seen Spirited Away, and I recently watched My Neighbor Totoro.

I wouldn't even be posting a rant, if I didn't come across yet another review that gave it a perfect score.

What do people find appealing about this tripe? Can someone tell me?

The review site, OtakuBooty says:



:confused: What the hell? Thats what makes it "unique"? Why would such an inane, fluffy, and anti-climatic flick consistently get perfect scores?

Now I'm just wondering, do any of you Generalites like this tripe? What do you find appealing? Does it bug you also?


Well, considering I'm probably the biggest Totoro freak here*, I'd have to say I enjoy Miyazaki's works quite a bit.

*My bones on this claim:
I lost track of how many times I have seen the film - 20+ easily - but I've only once seen it in English (the Fox/Troma release - I didn't even know Disney had done a release). I have 2 2006 Totoro calendars, 3 stuffed toy Totoros, and a Totoro alarm clock. I have worn a prize winning Totoro Halloween costume. I wear each of my 2 Totoro neckties to work at least once a week. ('Twas 3 until I wore one out.) And one of my signature karaoke songs is the end credits theme. (My other "signature" song is "Anarchy in the UK" - put that in your pipe and smoke it. I promise a good time will be had...)

Tonari no Totoro was my like... favourite childhood movie ;_;!

My Neighbor Totoro was my favorite movie when i was little.

:eek: Wait a minute! With a 1993 English relesae... I'm not THAT old. (Am I???? :()

I wonder if you also refuse to use the words samurai, shogun, kamikaze, sushi... etc.

Or are you just trying to assert some kind of anti-otaku credential?

Does Samurai Translate directly into Warrior, or is it speaking of a type of Warrior? Does the term Shogun have no historical significance?

The term Manga simply means comic. There is nothing that sets Japanese comics from American comics.

Are you going to tell me that I should say Anime and not Cartoons next?

*husten* (http://www.krysstal.com/borrow.html)

Like I said, why not cut out half the english language if he wants to be consistent.

http://www.krysstal.com/borrow_arabic.html

If you think about it - ALL of our language is SOMEONE else's, originally. It didn't just 'pop into being'. :)

Well, considering I'm probably the biggest Totoro freak here*, I'd have to say I enjoy Miyazaki's works quite a bit.

*My bones on this claim:
I lost track of how many times I have seen the film - 20+ easily - but I've only once seen it in English (the Fox/Troma release - I didn't even know Disney had done a release). I have 2 2006 Totoro calendars, 3 stuffed toy Totoros, and a Totoro alarm clock. I have worn a prize winning Totoro Halloween costume. I wear each of my 2 Totoro neckties to work at least once a week. ('Twas 3 until I wore one out.) And one of my signature karaoke songs is the end credits theme. (My other "signature" song is "Anarchy in the UK" - put that in your pipe and smoke it. I promise a good time will be had...)
ahh... but do you have the Totoro Tissue box cover, backpack, and Nekobasu stuffed toy? :D

Does Samurai Translate directly into Warrior, or is it speaking of a type of Warrior? Does the term Shogun have no historical significance?

The term Manga simply means comic. There is nothing that sets Japanese comics from American comics.

Are you going to tell me that I should say Anime and not Cartoons next?

No... samurai would be closer to 'guard' - with a prefix, and shogun has it's etymological origins in the 'first, military' I believe - (the 'root' of Seii Taishogun - the 'general' who overcomes the barbarians).

'Manga' would actually mean something along the lines of 'random sketch', based on the historical name of a book published in the early 1800's.

As to "There is nothing that sets Japanese comics from American comics"... this is half-right, since 'manga' refers mainly to the STYLE... and there are SOME 'american' comics that are made 'in the Japanese style'.

ahh... but do you have the Totoro Tissue box cover, backpack, and Nekobasu stuffed toy? :D

Yes, no, and yes. (And even better - I have access to at least 3 local Studio Ghibli outlets.)

Yes, no, and yes. (And even better - I have access to at least 3 local Studio Ghibli outlets.):p

I bow to your Totoro...ness

No... samurai would be closer to 'guard' - with a prefix, and shogun has it's etymological origins in the 'first, military' I believe - (the 'root' of Seii Taishogun - the 'general' who overcomes the barbarians).

The point is the words bear a certain significance that the word Manga does not.

'Manga' would actually mean something along the lines of 'random sketch', based on the historical name of a book published in the early 1800's.

As to "There is nothing that sets Japanese comics from American comics"... this is half-right, since 'manga' refers mainly to the STYLE... and there are SOME 'american' comics that are made 'in the Japanese style'.

Also, consider the fact that alot of the artwork that lead to what is modernly accepted as "Japanese" style was based on other comic/animation styles anyway.

Now, I'm not saying that different art styles are meaningless, and that all art is the same. I merely stating that the styles are not unique to a simple "geographic location."

Different cultures will always influence eachother. However, I do not accept semantic definitions.

:p

I bow to your Totoro...ness

My kids classes have been known to call me Totoro-san - with good reason....

I'm not sure if thats a :eek:, :cool:, :D, or :(...

It could be worse - my pal Ross is a Doraemon, and I know a "kitty-chan".

My kids classes have been known to call me Totoro-san - with good reason....


Good reason? Do you make plants grow to enormous heights and ride in a bus shaped like a kitten?

Otherwise, I couldn't think of a good reason.

My kids classes have been known to call me Totoro-san - with good reason....

I'm not sure if thats a :eek:, :cool:, :D, or :(...

It could be worse - my pal Ross is a Doraemon, and I know a "kitty-chan".
I have a friend who could be the perfect, Drawing-come-to-life, Genma from Ranma 1/2 and his sister is the splitting image of Nabiki.

and depending on your class age... take it as a :cool:

My all-time favourite classics:

Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind (1984)
Laputa: The Castle in the Sky (1986)
My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

The point is the words bear a certain significance that the word Manga does not.


Incorrect... you assumed the word 'manga' means nothing different to 'comic', and you were fairly wrong.

Just because you were ignorant of the nuance, does not mean it does not exist.


Also, consider the fact that alot of the artwork that lead to what is modernly accepted as "Japanese" style was based on other comic/animation styles anyway.

Now, I'm not saying that different art styles are meaningless, and that all art is the same. I merely stating that the styles are not unique to a simple "geographic location."

Different cultures will always influence eachother. However, I do not accept semantic definitions.

Manga is very heavily influenced by early Disney animation - that is not being disputed. However, it has gone far beyond that - and has it's only 'symbolism' peculiar to it - the blue stripey cheeks, the stars in eyes, or large water droplet on the head, the 'chan' form - all are peculiar to the manga style, and (some of) the anime style based on it.

It is nothing to do with geography, and everything to do with culture.

I'm going to back down for this argument. My specialty is Film art and American history. While I still stand by what I said, I do realize that my knowledge is in fact limited.

I'm going to back down for this argument. My specialty is Film art and American history. While I still stand by what I said, I do realize that my knowledge is in fact limited.

No harm, no foul. :)

Princess Mononoke is really good, Spirit Away too. Castle in the Sky is pretty good too, but not as good as the others. The same mostly applies to Nausicaa as well. Porco Rosso as its good bits, but the anticlimactic ending kinda ruined it for me. I actually read the book of Howl's Moving Castle, and it was good, but it turned the movie into a "book movie" for me, as I had to keep comparing it to the book instead of enjoying it for its own merits. While I would recommend watching it if you haven't already, you need to accept that it isn't really that much like the book. I watched Totoro a while ago, it's pretty good, but it's A KID'S MOVIE. DON'T WATCH IT if you can't accept that. It isn't supposed to be an action movie or a thriller or whatever.
If it makes you feel any better Howl's Moving Castle is a retelling of Baba Yaga tales which it is pretty significantly different than.

I only enjoyed Spirited Away...I also saw Castle in the Sky and Nausica, but for some reason they kinda bored me

Good reason? Do you make plants grow to enormous heights and ride in a bus shaped like a kitten?

Otherwise, I couldn't think of a good reason.

It's more a similarity of apperance. (And why kitten instead of cat for nekobasu - is that something from the Disney release? I've always just called it "cat bus".)

It's more a similarity of apperance. (And why kitten instead of cat for nekobasu - is that something from the Disney release? I've always just called it "cat bus".)

I've always called it "Cheshire Cat Bus", because I think it resembles a certain creature from Alice in Wonderland - and, if ANYONE was going to put a subtle homage to 'Alice' in anime, Miyazaki would. :)

:eek: Wait a minute! With a 1993 English relesae... I'm not THAT old. (Am I???? :()no, you're not that old. i'm only 13. :p

Do you like anime or don't you?

If you don't like anime, or have any appreciation for Japanese culture then you may have some difficulty getting into Miyazaki.

I love anime (the whole broad spectrum, not just the stereotypical shit) and I very much like Japanese culture. I've been to Japan, my wife is Japanese so don't call me a poser. I think that Miyazaki films are excellent, artistically deep films.

If you don't like them, that's fine. Nobody is forcing you to. However, you really need to have a basic appreciation of Japanese culture to get into them, IMHO. Not really even that, you just need to appreciate a seriously written movie.

Maybe you are just into bubblegum anime, or "sterotypical" anime, that's fine. But don't go calling something crap if you honestly don't know what you're talking about.

I don't know people watch anime at all!

I've seen Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. Both are excellent films, especially the latter. I found the beginning of Spirited Away a bit slow and not at all atention getting, but fotunately I had friends with me and nothing else to do at the time. *g*

I haven't been able to find too many anime or anime-style films in the libraries here though, it's a little unfortuante because I don't really know much about the genre. I'm suspecting there's more to it than Gundam Wing, the couple movies I've seen, and endless TV reruns of Inuyasha - although I like the anime I've seen - anything specific I should try to find?

I've seen Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. Both are excellent films, especially the latter. I found the beginning of Spirited Away a bit slow and not at all atention getting, but fotunately I had friends with me and nothing else to do at the time. *g*

I haven't been able to find too many anime or anime-style films in the libraries here though, it's a little unfortuante because I don't really know much about the genre. I'm suspecting there's more to it than Gundam Wing, the couple movies I've seen, and endless TV reruns of Inuyasha - although I like the anime I've seen - anything specific I should try to find?
it depends on what genre you like
Comedies
Romance
action
sci-fi
fantasy..

I suggest you watch fullmetal alchemist, naruto or any gundam series a good site to go to and watch these is www.keiichianimeforever.com

I think I've seen all of his movies in Japanese, I grew up watching them. My favorites are Kaze no tani no Naushika, Totoro and Kurenai no Buta. Not sure of their English names. I also loved Laputa and Mononokehime.

The last one is princess mononoke and it is one of my favorites

I think I've seen all of his movies in Japanese, I grew up watching them. My favorites are Kaze no tani no Naushika, Totoro and Kurenai no Buta. Not sure of their English names. I also loved Laputa and Mononokehime.
Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind, My Neighbor Totoro, Porco Rosso, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and the afore mentioned Princess Mononoke.

And I'm in the running for the ultimate Totoro-fan boy myself. ;)

I suggest you watch fullmetal alchemist, naruto or any gundam series a good site to go to and watch these is www.keiichianimeforever.com

I would counter by saying those are some of the ones you're better off avoiding.