Blambo

Honestly the dominant pattern here seems to be that people like the first Miyazaki film they see and the second or third ones get kind of old, and that makes sense to me in terms of the target audience, the amount of time in between films, and their roles as eye candy and visual expression first and foremost. The thing I enjoyed about Howl's Moving Castle is the small scale fantasy that seems to be present in folklore and goofy TV shows, ie a young woman turning into an old lady or a house that has a seamless transporting door. The rest of the movie is kinda weird and overreaching to me.

Pretty excited for this un

Whoa what's that about Totoro?

I think miyazakis thesis on that is that in posterity, art can survive the death of its context, whether that's a good thing or a bad thing isn't really treated in the film. The Mitsubishi Zero is actually a really interesting piece of engineering divorced from its being used to further a brutal war effort, but you really have to try hard to tear yourself away from its history and connotations to view it as one would view the pyramids. And I guess my attitude toward art is different from yours. I feel like you can divorce it from its use and context if you approach it from a certain mindset, and that one perspective or context doesn't define a work universally. That said "divorcing" a work from its context also isn't universal, it's just that a specific, subjective viewing of the work can be like that. It's important to consider art from every angle you can. Also I don't think that Miyazaki argues in the film that human suffering for the purpose of great works is preferable, but he sort of lightly brushes off the issue. I had read somewhere that Jiro was actually a nationalist, so I wonder how much that factors into his representation.

Ah the feeling is very vague I guess, and now that I think about it it's the same feeling I get for a lot of media aimed at children. I think it's coming from fantasy for fantasy's sake, or having a fantastical setting or elements eclipse the need for a coherent artistic goal. The Cat Returns is a big offender I think. It just strikes me as the story of Spirited Away tacked onto a cat world shtick. Not to say that Spirited Away had a bad plot, it's just that the nuances in its representation and art really fit the story's themes and texture in a way that feels like it has more value beyond its story. Howl's Moving Castle feels similar. Also yeah I think I like where it deviated from and transcended traditional children's media as well. The moral ambiguity and female presence is amazing. It feels like they impart a lesson of empathy/considering perspective without being explicit about it, and I wouldn't be surprised if this had a greater effect on me as a kid than now. And as Tegan says, #NotAllGhibli. I think I'm expecting the same out of every film from that studio based on the one I like the most at the moment, which is Only Yesterday. I saw it once when I was younger after seeing Porco Rosso and thought it was boring, and now I saw it again and think that Porco Rosso is shallow and flashy. But that's just me. But anyway. Miyazaki's last effort, The Wind Rises, is pretty baller and definitely in my top three or so of his films. It does kind of sweep the moral quandaries of war under the rug though, which is pretty out of character.

I live to send a secret Thumb down someone's chimney! PM'd!

I'm trying to figure out why I like ghibli films so much. In general their stories are really badly plotted and paced, basically the same characters and plots appear in each movie (young protagonist goes on a coming of age journey with a cute animal/cast of eccentric yet empathetic characters, usually including an gentle parent, boistrous townspeople, an enthusiastic younger character to look after) and sometimes the entire premise is weird and bogus, usually serving to give a shade of a reason for the occasionally interesting designs. Save for the films by Takahata (Only Yesterday is the most non ghibli film in the ghibliverse and is amazing), the only thing that's left for me is the mystery, world building, and art/animation. Also I guess the thing I most like about them is their attention to mundane detail and focus on little moments of character, even in the most sweeping fantastical pieces. What do you guys think of this kinda stuff?

What's not to love? Ninja squirrel: I'll checkem out

Oh God, it looks amazing. After I finish this bridge nonsense I'll check it out.

I reread gatsby and

I broke up with a girlfriend on Christmas and my brain won't shut up about it. Jingle bells.

Do you Wok the Wok?

It's definitely something that you need to take breaks in between chapters to appreciate properly/retain your sanity. It's a coming of age story with amazing attention to detail, in art, continuity, and writing of a specific time in a person's life to the point that I'm sure I've had thoughts prior to reading it that are verbatim written in the narration. Though I'm pretty young so its philosophical themes are probably way more affecting to me than someone who's already gone through their 20s.

I just completed oyasumi punpun. Did anyone here read it? Overall it feels like a reaction to shonen/shojo directed media and forms, and its amazing.

Regardless of lack of art history knowledge, they're viewing feminist criticism with the same lens they view regressive historical cultural forces. With hitman absolution standing in as the Sistine chapel and Anita sarkeesian standing in for Biagio de Cesena

Did they ever give an actual application of "gathering useful genes"? I really would've been more cool with an Asari walking around with an insane Krogan physique or Hanar mind powers. Instead I guess they settled on "sexy human lady" as their genetic makeup of choice.

Day 124 Still looking for the specific sound bite of Chris doing a wacky voice saying "I guesss". Slowly running out of food, send help.

I refuse to watch that on grounds of vignetting is stupid.

Those were good episodes, around the 100 mark. Wish I could go back and listen to them anew. Ever wish you could rewind time?

I am reading oyasumi punpun. I hate god. Edit: this is killing me.

That's just like, your opinion, man.

Fitting.