8th April 2004, 11:31 AM
lazy Wrote:Just for the sake of argument: I think most anime is rediculous. Though I love giant robots and the alien worlds and sometimes the ideas used in the strories are lots of fun, but the stories themselves are always so shallow and overly simple it becomes trite superficial krap. I think it's a language thing, but regardless, it turns me off. You look at Akira for what it is and you begin to realize that the only reason it's gained so much popularity is because it was released in theaters here and started a buzz that is still going. If it never would hit our theaters it would have been 'another' anime.
Yes the Akira anime is not much more than really nice animation, great style, and an extremely convoluted but not very deep plot, however the manga has much more to it. And if you want to see some big robot anime with a lot of depth to it, try to seek out Zeta Gundam or Victory Gundam (and stay the hell away from Gundam Wing). And if you want to see what types of non-action anime there is out there try out Serial Experiments Lain, Grave of the Fireflies like DJ mentioned (if that movies doesn't make you all teary-eyes then you are not human), Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, Millennium Actress (one of my favorites), Perfect Blue (very Hitchcock-like), and Tokyo Godfathers.
I assume you've only seen the more popular anime, but if you watch any of the ones I listed (start off with the last three that I mentioned) I think you'll change your mind about anime. In anime there is every genre that exists in live-action Hollywood, so there are mindless action ones along with more serious, meaningful stories.
Quote:Cowboy Bebop is alot of fun and manages to create a highly stylized story in a series, which is difficult (as a writer) because you'd want to try new things each episode while still preserving the entire scope of the story. But sometimes it would miss its mark and throw a barrage of artistic images at you which are supposed to make you feel or think something, but without good writing all you end up thinking during those moments 'look at the pretty things' and then you wait for the next scene. Not good.
Did you watch all of Bebop? There's nothing really deep about the series but it's the epitome of style and fun. I think they managed the main mythology with the stand-alone episodes just wonderfully. Perhaps you didn't watch it in order?
Quote:Kill Bill will do really well as an anime because it was already designed as one from a directing and writing stance. But I fear the anime will take the over-the-top gore and sexuality of the movie and push it in to the realm of absolute perversion. At that point, it will degrade the movie it was based on.
Uh, have you actually seen Kill Bill yet? It's a very violent movie, and the animated sequence in vol. 1 will give you an idea of what the prequel anime will be like. I don't understand your point.
DJ Wrote:or those two animes OB1 talked about that have nothing to do with "doing battle". I think I'll eventually check those out.
Are you referring to Millennium Actress and Tokyo Godfathers?