Urutengangana's Reviews

An American in Paris - The Musical (2018)

6/10

The background, among other things, is an interesting detail...

17 June 2019

It won't remain unnoticed, despite being the silent accompaniment, as it constantly changes and revolves, with a projector somehow making it seem as if the scene (water, often) is real.

It is something that ends up having an impressive result, sets up quite an atmosphere, along with the lighting... even the abstract sets at the end are simply interesting, although later on they end up making artistic sense.

Even the efficiency with which the stage was modified was compelling to notice... people mostly wheeled them out, but they did it not in a very intrusive manner; lighting (or lack of it) was also in this case used to create shadows or hide some background machinations, and in the end it is as if it is an entirely different theatre.

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Ayakashi (2007–2008)

7/10

Perhaps not as subtle as its samurai counterpart, but it does what its audience would normally want

2 April 2019

When anime is made that targets a certain audience it seems to have a mixed reaction; this, of course, if it does reach its intended audience. Ultimately, though, what is the difference between one within the 'shounen' genre and another? People seem to appreciate longer-running series, it seems, which makes sense considering one develops impressions over so many episodes, but they may also simply like remakes/completely adapted series, of which the latter is also sensible, but this seems 'whole' too, despite its short length.

It is, though, typical of this genre... so, what's the difference, yet again, about, say, FMA and this? There are even superficial similarities, e.g. when it comes to a similar artificial arm, although not when it comes to the background narrative. It is similar in its conflicts... even the overall narrative, if one takes into account proportionally the fewer episodes... but, clearly, people prefer one much more than they do the other, which I don't quite get...

Perhaps, then, it hasn't reached its intended audience? If one watches this straight from its identically named series about samurai and their horror... one might indeed get a different, possibly inferior impression... and they are different, but then I doubt they were ever intended to parallel each other (although, as the samurai one was made just a year before, I assume many thought it was about to copy it, but no, even the colours, besides the narrative, are entirely distinct).

So... what one can only compare it to, if indeed comparisons are needed, is others of this genre... the ayakashi in the samurai version are slightly more subtle, perhaps congruent with their mythology, and while both have an element of romance, it is approached differently... also, while the ayakashi are handled distinctly in this one too (kind of like chess pieces), in both (as Mononoke explicitly distinguished) they impose a malign influence.

But, effectively, this series is more similar to other shounen than a seinen-type that the samurai tales exhibit... it involves this kind of mindset, where, like in a video game, someone at the end needs to be defeated; although, to be sure, what distinguishes this from FMA, HxH, or even KHR, is that in these the villain isn't entirely so, or at least isn't throughout, but that may be due to the length of the series, where time is spent developing all kinds of characters. Perhaps the latter could be the more simplistic, comedically similar to Ayakashi (although in its twelve episodes it had more drama than comedy, with KHR spending the first fifty or so episodes mired mostly in comedy, then changing to drama, although Lambo was comedy throughout). Of these four, I think HxH turned out to have the most subtle villains, with the Chimera Ant arc turning any shounen narrative inside-out.

Was, though, Ayakashi affective? If compared to, say, Mononoke... well, that would be too steep a hill. Graphically astounding, with a mind-bending narrative... but Ayakashi was never intended to be like that, even with its identical number of episodes. Even Mononoke's prequel, the samurais' ayakashi, had a mostly casual story centred around ghosts, and not until the last arc did it 'evolve' into its sequel. So, I suppose, if this Ayakashi had a proper sequel, it might have had potential like all the other shounen consisting of hundreds of episodes.

As it is, though, it fulfils a certain kind of genre, but doesn't go beyond it as HxH does. Is the drama 'powerful', perhaps? It is kind of comparable to Inuyasha, which is also about yokai, practically equivalent to ayakashi mythologically (although in Inuyasha only one side mostly controls them), but again, that had close to two hundred episodes, and throughout it developed the drama well... but sometimes repeated itself, which is what can happen in such a long-winding narrative. Ayakashi doesn't do that, but still, the drama doesn't contain quite as much pathos... Inuyasha had this existential element to it, this idea that death could be around the corner, and even different kinds of such states, but Ayakashi only played with it momentarily, and not quite as effectively. Also, in Inuyasha hair colour meant something, and while in Ayakashi there are all sorts of colours (Inuyasha being more realistic in this aspect), I didn't get how they related to anything. Perhaps different hues of blue indicate forms of relationships, but there were some that didn't fit any sort of pattern, so I wonder whether they were mostly random.

What I did notice, that seemed to differ from most other anime, is the characters' expressions, where at some points they appear exaggerated (more so than is expected in this medium), and while they still made sense I thought they might have perhaps landed the series a source of unexpected comedy... since normally two serious characters in the middle of talking down a classic villain do not look at each other and smile (or was that a giggle?) - sort of breaks the mood, but then again difference is what is interesting.

So, in the end, it doesn't break many moulds... but, if one is in this kind of mood, and one doesn't compare it with others due to their similarity in names and not genre, it can be entertaining. Not as deep as any of the aforementioned, but could still be considered amusing (this is, by the way, solely about this series specifically and nothing else made in relation).

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Nasu: Summer in Andalusia (2003)

5/10

Gives an overview of pro cycling; a lot of commentary, some inter-personal issues, but didn't penetrate emotionally to me much in the end.

22 March 2019

While some may select a certain genre for the specific topic and perhaps nothing else, it's usually what is in between that defines the rest. Now, while there is something other than that which the narrative concentrates on mostly, it is actually side characters that get most of that 'in between' narrative, while the protagonists are mainly confined to the sport itself for most of the time, which, as it happens, isn't repeated in the sequel.

As such, I suppose this isn't absolutely great as an 'introduction'... to professional cycling, sure, even those new to it could catch up with some terminology (it's about five words I ended up searching for, which in comparison to baseball isn't much at all, although basketball has terminology more intuitive than 'peloton'; if all one does is ride by oneself then that certainly is an irrelevant definition) - as it happens, also, the sequel has none of this and more characterization, which is why I thought it was an improvement upon this original.

This, though, doesn't mean the animation itself isn't 'strong'... at this point Madhouse had been in the industry for decades already, even though this film is 'old' as of this writing... the barren lands, the Spanish terrain... all lend themselves to a certain atmosphere that, when culturally appropriate music is included, really does feel almost like a tourist advertisement or such... it isn't really that blatant, despite the pseudo-product endorsements which are mostly there for a little comedy, but I'm still not sure if a song literally about the place in the title, which itself is often repeated, comes across as a bit too strong in the negative sense.

The marriage that parallels the race is most of the drama outside of the sport itself, which isn't much, and not quite as deep as the drama in its sequel which does touch upon some heavy topics. I suppose the marriage is there to provide a reason behind the protagonist's choice of career, but beyond that there isn't really much substance behind it (then again, unless it is one's own marriage, others' usually lack substance too, but it's merely a symbolic act at any rate).

I think one could say a certain highlight of the film, despite not saying 'much', is... the cat. Well, an interesting diversion, at the very least. Also, one cultural parallel between both films is the eggplant (where 'Nasu' comes from), which apparently in Spain is pickled, whereas in Japan it's dark and spicy.

In my opinion, though, what this film had too much of that the sequel rectified is with its ratio of sport:drama - the drinking of wine, eggplants, even the marriage were all merely minor, side dramas that were never too 'powerful' to begin with. There was some comedy, but not too 'strong' either... some tinkering with some glasses gadget that reminded me of some Ghibli films, that yet again had some minor comedy and little commentary about the differences between the young and old, but it was kept very much in a corner, kind of like the television they watched the race on, which to the audience isn't just confined to a television-within-a-television.

But, this is merely my opinion, which I think the sequel improved on... it doesn't take away from the solid animation or the culturally accurate (I assume) additions to the narrative... this, though, turns out to be more like the real-life versions which usually have no drama outside of the sport itself, than most anime in such a genre (and the slice-of-life aspect is usually what I'm looking for, which the sequel had satisfactorily).

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Nasu: A Migratory Bird with Suitcase (2007)

6/10

Even more sympathetic than its predecessor

22 March 2019

Most anime, or even media generally that belong to this genre, have this dilemma... what ratio should be allocated to the technicalities, the sport itself, just drama, or even comedy when it desires to go in that direction?

While it does have a smattering of comedy, in certain reactions to situations, I think it has more drama than anything. It touches on some heavy topics too, throughout... something which in Andalusia they didn't do, but it is counteracted by some comedy, particularly in the race itself, which is a welcome addition to the minimum requirement for such a genre, something its predecessor suffered from. Both, though, are under an hour long, and as such there isn't quite much time to get acquainted with the characters and their situations.

I did, though, appreciate how they animated not just beautiful views of the cities and green open spaces, but characters' interactions so fluidly that, in some instances, it reminded me of how Ghibli does its art. The 'trembling' due to someone's 'aura' e.g. is similar to how Chihiro reacts at one point in Spirited Away; not saying this has the same calibre of animation, narrative, or variety as in that film, just that some instances are reminiscent, despite being a Madhouse production.

I liked, mostly, how the narrative ended up about existentialism in multiple places, as opposed to its predecessor which had much more sport in the ratio, this one added some interesting drama at certain points. Not at all as much as, say, SE Lain had, but if 'shounen' wasn't its genre I'd say it had about the same level of 'culture' and introspection as the Chimera Ant Arc from HxH... if shounen battles were replaced with cycling races, of course... and kept much more realistic.

That is, in fact, another factor about both of these... sometimes, perhaps, a bit too realistic, but often that is a positive... with regards to the animation itself, the characters and background landscapes are as realistic as possible, and also feature the appropriate culture in context of the place it's set in... except, in this one mostly, I didn't notice much in terms of Japanese music, since that is where it's set, and still reminded me of Spain, its previous location. It did, though, have shrines and Kannon to reflect the Buddhist aspect... from this angle it reminded me of Inuyasha, particularly as there was also an old man cleaning his shrine (who looked like the bar owner from the previous movie, but it wasn't made clear if he relocated or something).

Ultimately, though, despite all these factors, some of which make it a definite improvement over the one in Andalusia, there isn't any single one which 'shines' through... kind of like Kuroko's comedy wasn't as 'powerful' as Slam Dunk's, and the ratio perhaps not as well adjusted... in Nasu: Suitcase No Wataridori I was satisfied with how this ratio was settled on. The first part, especially, resonated quite well... it was, by itself, powerful... but the second part, apart from some comedic bits (which by themselves weren't as 'strong', in my opinion, the drama is also lessened somewhat), wasn't anything extraordinary. Still, an enjoyable 'ride' nonetheless.

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Lament of the Lamb (2003 Video)

7/10

A sensitive vampire story, told not aggressively like Kurozuka, or sociologically like Shiki, but inter-personally and psychologically.

18 March 2019

I'm going to compare three separate narratives I've recently watched that I enjoyed almost equally, but for different reasons. A couple are from Madhouse, which I think is interesting because they're quite a contrast, separated by five years. Even animation-wise, they are distinct and yet, still, use this technique involving colour - for different reasons, though, it seems. Shiki is by Daume, but since I haven't yet seen anything else by them I can't compare anything more, except for these three as distinct narratives from the same genre and topic.

But, this is mainly about Hitsuji no uta, although I think comparisons would be worth it since the symbolisms and ramifications of all three have different consequences.

The 'lamb' in the title, I assume, refers to the docile nature of the protagonists, this time. Whereas in both Kurozuka and Shiki (and most other media I presume, stereotypically), vampires are usually striving to survive, not unlike any other living creature, and although they are 'undead', as opposed to 'zombies' with which I assume they share this fictional 'status', vampires are usually conscious and thoughtful, as they are in all of these three titles.

What separates Hitsuji no uta from the others, though, is that it is almost an 'experiment' about going against nature. Unlike the other titles and most others, the couple of protagonists, or one could say, their entire family, struggle to not give in to their urges. Whereas in Kurozuka history is combined with fiction to create a hyper-aggressive narrative against all odds and times, where they strive to survive no matter what, in Shiki there are a few timid vampires, but the majority do not fight their nature. In the former, a sci-fi sort of atmosphere dominates, where Madhouse skilfully uses grays and black-and-whites to convey an alternate reality where the source of vampirism seems to take over, in Hitsuji no uta the changing of colours indicate something slightly different and subtler. On one hand, they do use it to portray the past as much media already does, but it differs in that it uses a similar, but slightly differing scheme to paint a picture of an internal struggle, or even to simply convey hopelessness (with buildings, like with Brutalist architecture, I think it's meant to convey a sense of permanence perhaps, as opposed to the temporal counterparts that creatures alive represent).

All three use colours for their own reasons, though, as I suppose most animation does, except that in this case, as all three can be categorized as 'horror', the colour is used specifically to either intensify such 'pictures' that the animators presumably wanted to convey, or lower the tone, that carry with them feelings of one sort or another. In Kurozuka e.g. red must be the predominant colour, although that might seem obvious in a vampire's narrative, since it's the colour of blood, but that series wants its watchers to know that it's designed to be aggressive, which doesn't necessarily preclude a certain artistic possibility, with its inclusion of traditional Japanese motifs and Kabuki, which further references prior media about the same sort of history, and yet from an entirely different perspective (Kurosawa).

In Hitsuji no uta, though, colours are subdued, very much like the characters themselves and the themes contained within the narrative, not unlike Boogiepop Phantom, which isn't about vampires and yet contains almost identical themes (with the exception of a narrative derived from the 'dementia' genre). This sort of technique in anime in general has a pattern, wherein the more fantastical a narrative, the more colourful. It is, as such, similar with Shiki in the opposite direction of Hitsuji no uta. Whereas with the latter it is mostly two siblings that feature prominently and the narrative revolves about (and due to dark themes, the animation is also dark), in Shiki there aren't really any central characters that feature in every single episode. It is, essentially, about an entire village of both humans and vampires, and as such an ensemble drama that involves a variety of personalities that not only reflect in their wildly differing hair colour, but hair styles, and, ultimately, their intrinsic motives. Both series are about the same topic, and both could be said to be sociological and the implications thereof, but they are approached from distinct angles. Hitsuji no uta is more inter-personal, more confined to a few individuals. Society has an effect on the narrative, similar to the complications that arise in Shiki, but whereas the latter is more about society's moral ambiguities, in Hitsuji no uta society is in the background, and yet still affects the protagonists.

It could be said that, generally, with this genre and topic, it serves to reflect an already existent undercurrent in human societies. Whereas vampires are fictional, and yet historically, as with witches and werewolves, moral panics existed in which people somehow convinced themselves and others that they truly are real, whether intentionally used as an excuse to justify the crushing of opponents, or simply a genuine delusion borne out of times when even biology was little known, ended up destroying non-supernatural lives. Ultimately, it is a psychological manifestation that combines imagination with possibility, and despite these kind of series being entirely fictitious themselves, they could almost be a documentary on the many facets of a psyche.

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The Lost Village (2016)

7/10

People's scoring system is funny...

10 March 2019

Warning: Spoilers

So, I'm writing this without reading a single comment made by anyone else or any reviews so far (might update it later to sort of 'reply' to statements that I think might need to be 'replied' to in the actual review, but for now...) - I do this since I realize that due to a variety of factors including, perhaps, bad moods, people's comments can truly ruin enjoyment for others (for some reason discovered this in sports anime, wonder if that reason has anything to do with a certain hormone...) - but, inevitably, I did notice the score, which I now resolve to somehow block for all other series, at least until I finish them; reading comments and reviews could still be useful, but only after IMO so as to not mar one's raw perception of a series. So, let's begin...

No, I've literally no idea why it's rated so low (and this, remember, even lower than that gore personified 'Corpse Party' (literally in the title), sure, not 7, but not as low as this either, and that hasn't 1/10 of the narrative), let's get this out in the open... then again, no idea why Another, its popular comparison, is rated so high either...

So, I was wondering throughout, maybe the twitchy characters annoyed some people? (Other series have them, personalities are best diversified.) The bus driver 'tsking' perhaps?! (Hey, it did annoy one character from the anime)... the songs? But I thought it was cute-creepy at best, and the latter at least is the point of the 'horror' genre (also, the combination can be done excellently as shown in Paranoia Agent).

It's not like I think this is the best series ever, or even the best horror (apparently Parasyte impressed me quite a bit years ago, I think for reasons similar to Shiki, but kind of forgotten now, and more recently the latter was a marvel of moral subtlety), I'm not sure I ever felt compelled to review anything I gave a 7 to, but I can't fathom (until I read and reply to others anyway, but for now it's raw perception evaluation time)... why, I wonder yet again? Oh, a more likely candidate perhaps, since people tend to be finicky when it comes to CGI even in other series... so maybe they didn't like the bus? Well, no, perhaps more likely the designs of the 'monsters'...

But... it was entirely the point. And here's where it might get into spoiler territory, so don't read this paragraph perhaps if you haven't finished... it was entirely appropriate that the 'monsters' (the ' is relevant considering their ethereal status) were designed like hellish aberrations... they were, almost literally, nightmares from people's minds. What do you see when you have a nightmare? Or any dream at all... amalgamations of whatever... right? And so it was in this anime. Why, how is it irrelevant that the prof's Nanaki had papers overflowing above it? (Haven't read any comment saying this so far but lately I try to imagine what's highly 'upvoted' among comments based on previous ones I read, and hey, if people highly upvote something on Kuroko's 'expressing' a desire for a 100% win rate (due to, of all things in context, misogyny), people agreeing that "papers have nothing to do with researchers!" would probably still make sense in their minds.) It's entirely the point! Colleagues made fun of his research and so externalized his own fear... now, sure, that one specifically wasn't designed to be aesthetically as perhaps 'unpleasant' as the others, but it only appeared for a few seconds, and barely moved its limbs, whereas Hayato's granny had quite a chase (and a horrid past to reflect the monstrous outer manifestation)... you also saw how the protagonist at first had an ugly, deformed penguin that had half its face as if blown off... but at the end it became more the size of the original toy, and then some fuzzball reflecting the person's feelings towards the female protagonist... it's the point, and not bad CGI at all. If they all looked cute from the beginning would this series have a higher rating?

But... it did also, admittedly, not explore its full potential, but that is natural when one has this number of episodes. What it did explore, though, primarily sociology and psychology, I thought it did well... it was almost as sociologically 'advanced' as Shiki (with the amount of characters and their group's dynamics)... their fast back-and-forth exchanges were quite entertaining, the first episode particularly highlighting their personalities. With regards to psychology, for someone with an active interest in the subject, I thought it animated various concepts well, and while other series also address such topics often while not even mentioning the overall area of study, in this case it made sense to be explicit due to the narrative. Also, why would anyone dislike a song about hippopotamii?!

Well, ultimately, art is subjective, and scores come after the series is completed, so in the future people can still watch it... ideally by not knowing any average indexes, but at least I haven't personally read reviews for a long time before ending something, since there is no point in someone else describing it for someone who hasn't watched it (even my review is clearly more suited to those who completed it, but apart from one paragraph I'm trying to argue, still, that this series is more than worth watching even for someone undecided) and if all they go on is a number then, I guess, this anime is never seen by those except for people who do not care for mere numbers, words, or even hide everything until the end.

Ultimately... I've certainly enjoyed this way, far more than the 'other' series it's compared to mostly... and 'Mayo' not only has better escapist fantasies, but they make sense too as opposed to 'uh, just happens'... but, oh, it might have been too complex perhaps for the 'average' viewer? Not absolutely perfect even narratively, once again, but certainly better than some Final Destination clone...

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Level E (2011)

8/10

A comedic sci-fi that tries tackling a diverse range of topics

10 February 2019

The way this series approaches the topic of the possibility of aliens is interesting, and also unique insofar as not much else done about this subject is usually comedic.

It has episodes made up of arcs that range from three, two, or just individual narratives that are resolved within twenty minutes. The latter do not usually have characters that re-appear in later episodes, and even one of the couple episodes arc do not re-occur, but this is mostly satisfactory because the narrative is usually dealt with, and even if a 'deus ex machina' device seems to be used, it is at least seemingly logical, being devised by the mostly comedic prince 'Baka' (Japanese for 'stupid', not because he actually is; it is a nickname other characters usually use due to his annoyance, so it is a cathartic sort of utterance, as opposed to descriptive).

It is a referential anime, both to a 'tokusatsu' series - with a twist, and comedy still central - and video games, particularly RPGs, wherein anime transitions into and from. It is also referenced itself in other series of a similar nature, Gintama in particular, as it also deals with aliens but mostly focuses on its human protagonists' hijinks.

Still, even with these relations this series is mostly composed of stand-alone stories that are worth watching in their own right. The comedy also doesn't require prior viewing of other series to enjoy, as it's mostly about the prince and how obnoxious he can be that even his alien colleagues dream of, at the very least, getting away from him. This is all in done in good nature, though, as except for one or two episodes most characters aren't vicious, or at least only are conceptually.

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RDG: Red Data Girl (2013– )

8/10

A Shinto tale that might need researching

31 August 2015

It seems most people seem to have a problem comprehending this anime... admittedly this may be due to there being a discrepancy between the novels/manga and the anime (manga ended in 2014, anime in 2013, although the novel came out in 2012)... and, I suspect, it contains more than the anime reveals. Still, every individual episode on its own seemed to make sense, especially if one makes sense of the abstruse language characters often use.

It is a Shinto tale, so some researching could be useful at times (there are quite a lot of references, although not knowing the legends behind them doesn't necessarily preclude enjoyment of the anime) - it's really multi-faceted, though... even if it mythologically makes little sense, one can simply view it as a coming-of-age tale, as ultimately that is how it turns out... it is by no means conventional, and while some viewers might focus too much on the relationships of the characters to the exclusion of the surrounding narrative, in this instance their interactions are a crucial part of the storyline, as there was, throughout the series, a certain political struggle within the school... that was rushed, but the twelve episodes did in the end surely develop the main character.

The ideas presented, though, I think are the interesting aspect of the story here... one might be confused by them, but from an imaginative point-of-view, and with what limited explanations there are in the twelve episodes (and there are, even if viewers drop the anime after becoming very confused indeed) - concepts from having different ('spiritual') 'phases', to dancing to specifically access the subconscious, as only once suggested by a character, to summoning a spirit (unconsciously) due to loneliness - all understandable ideas (but, as this isn't a documentary they don't go on very long about them, which is why a curt or oblique explanation may be frustratingly confusing).

Ultimately, I don't think it was at all not done well... only twelve episodes, another season certainly useful, but the twelve existent episodes felt to me like they could be self-contained, although more of it would be nice...

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Horizon (I) (1964– )

8/10

Varies by subject

19 July 2015

Horizon is a prism... it is mostly scientific, retaining much of its earliest episodes in its latter ones (although not quite the details, especially when it concerns physics).

Its episodes concerning astronomy, in particular, are usually awe-inspiring, and although Horizon attempts to add in musical details that add to the whole picture (thus sensationalizing it, effectively) it does mostly succeed in conveying both the artistic aspect of what science could achieve and the actual details themselves, although when tackling topics that are more philosophical, like infinity, sensationalism may take over with not as many details.

Horizon also tries to explain sociological issues that verge on the scientific, like the placebo effect and autism; with the former it does succeed (in my opinion) in conveying both the hard science and psychology behind it, despite involving some random people... whereas, with autism, it fails scientifically, and seems to involve random people for no apparent reason.

Generally, as long as Horizon concentrates on the science it succeeds, but when it ends up speculating on anecdotes it doesn't so well (even with the earlier episodes, individual scientists were interviewed but they didn't necessarily talk about themselves).

Science should be at the centre of any documentaries that attempt to tackle such questions (autism clearly involves neurotransmitters e.g. and yet none were mentioned). Anecdotes should be used only in rare, specific cases like Henry Molaison's.

Overall, though, Horizon does seem to present science well...

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Wolf's Rain (2003–2004)

10/10

Mythology blended with mysticism

22 June 2015

Warning: Spoilers

It does do everything it intended (*spoilers* throughout - this is more of an analysis of the aftermath)... it uses grey colours, but it's about a dystopia... it's about bleakness... there's ice caps all over, it's the end of the world. It's a kill-or-be-killed world... if there were any cheerful characters it would seem odd (this makes it more poignant, I think). I'd say that makes it an appropriate vehicle for both the visuals and characterizations.

For anyone who thinks Kiba's expressions are bland, or binary... what would one expect, if he was the sole survivor of his clan? The only white wolf... should he be cheery? All he could do is obsess about the flower, as that was his idea of peace. Tsume also knew the realities of Freeze City... he spouted some angry lines, but it was the most heartfelt apology to Toboe in the end. He was genuine and poetical when he felt like it... Hige was a traitor, so he had to deflect attention from that through some humour... and Toboe was practically the heart of the group... not very useful practically, but when he nursed the hunter back to life, that was touching, I thought... Quent, besides his coming to terms with wolves and that wonderful moment when he realized who Blue the human was, also served as the 'dirty human', in Darcia's mind (and sure, Darcia was mad, but he was bent on accessing this pinnacle of evolution, so much that he receded to being a wolf... he had just lost his beloved that he hoped to revive, his sole reason for going to Paradise... such irony). Also, the anime's ending is depressing, but that is a moot point, because the story necessitated it, otherwise the 'seed' of the new world couldn't have been planted... creation through destruction.

For those who think Cheza had barely any role, or was solely submissive... she was the mythical maiden of flowery beauty, or some such... she was advanced technology, but she still served a pivotal role in the series. She was dragged around only because each Noble thought they could open Paradise to themselves... it might be surreal, but I felt like I could follow the mythical undercurrent well... it wasn't even as oblique as Evangelion, I thought.

The characters' motivation were based on instincts... that's supposedly what most canines use... and sure enough, it doesn't make much logical sense to chase a technological flower, but that's how they were 'programmed' (perhaps not in the same sense as Cheza).

Then there are the scientist and her detective ex who still dearly loves her... it was such an ascent of hope, that led to such a sharp decline... the ending seemed merely preordained (a reference to its mystical side, which allows the watcher to understand that it's a classical end-of-the-world scenario... which the Indians understood as well... and, though that intermission may have seemed random, it may be based on real-life mythology which centres around nature).

Every episode had a mixture of myth, mysticism, conflicts, political intrigue, artistic expression, along with other themes... I've noticed how much effort the creators put into it... not to mention Yoko Kanno's beautifully matching music.

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Mushi-Shi: Next Passage (2014–2015)

10/10

Ethereal beyond imagination, a simple metaphor of change, or simply being...

14 June 2015

The meaning of life may be within the medley of artistic expressions in a mushi... it is both about that which isn't and that which lives... art and nothingness... Zoku Shou has some themes that are possibly even more transcendental than the previous season... love, loneliness, existence... the music, the colour, all complement to create a canvas of beauty...

Someone recently thought it might be too slow... but, the deliberate pace is wholly intended... if it was any faster it would not create the same atmosphere, a similar mental state, the wholeness that it results in... do note that the pace is set within the music too.

Essentially, it is narrative... it is the art of storytelling... the wonder of a legend, but combined with all else - and darkness - it creates this state which it intended to convey.

Then there is pathos too... contained within a constant mystery of these creatures, mushi, some would think hallucinations... their interaction with what could be, what is possible within a certain logic.

It is mostly tragic, but within it what could be glimpsed as an alluring beauty... it is nature as it changes, as it moves.

The only narrative left now, Mushishi Zoku Shou: Suzu no Shizuku, I yearn for...

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Natsume's Book of Friends (2008–2017)

10/10

Yin & yang

25 May 2015

I've started Mushishi right after finishing Natsume yûjinchô due to all the similarities and I notice that the latter is shoujo, the former seinen... they're distinct, yet parallel... while Natsume seeks out to grow and develop himself its 'masculine' counterpart seems to just serve as a caretaker, already wise...

Natsume is about feelings, essentially... he explores what might be, what was, what couldn't be... every episode can end in tragedy, but thanks to a Deus ex machina in the form of a chubby cat... who is really this most ferocious wolf, things are reconciled. Not realistic, but at least Natsume himself is indeed vulnerable, especially when alone... and loneliness seems to be a predominant subject in the series.

At times it can be sweet, others almost transcendental... visceral essentially, but also attempts to think things through; Natsume doesn't often act irrationally, although he seems to be perpetually optimistic.

This series, along with the aforementioned, may truly be the yin and yang of yōkai anime... and while the depths of the psyche can be perceived in both, Mushishi is generally darker... Natsume, being calmer, is not necessarily naïvely optimistic like, say, Aria can be... and generally has an episodic direction, and while there isn't much that is over-arching, there is ample time where all the ayakashi just decide to hang out...

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Human Universe (2014)

7/10

Just one problem...

19 November 2014

So, overall it's artistically done and contains a modicum of information about the subjects, but combined with the imagery and music it does convey what it intended, except... well, with regards to the title... how is it a human universe? First we attribute the universe to 'god' and now to 'humans'? I mean, this isn't just reserved for the title, of course...

It's appropriately named that as the focus is on humanity, and particularly its achievements in science, but how could a species be so purely aspirational? The ironic thing is that if an alien species did end up watching Human Universe... well, they'd think every human must have surely been a scientist... Brian does actually mention some political problems in the world, but only very fleetingly. That, of course, is irrelevant in documentaries about science (except when it comes to lack of NASA funding etc... which is one disheartening thing he seemed to conveniently not discuss), but the thing is that his focus was very much about the potential of humanity... and with half of the world currently in conflict, thousands of daily murders, most governments essentially corrupt... I don't suppose if those were discussed for five hours humanity would seem so inspiring anymore.

This, of course, is ultimately due to his optimism... and while science in isolation is a source of almost infinite inspiration, I really don't think most people are scientists, or the world would focus on at least funding it (one would assume)...

Also, one thing I personally didn't like is a scene with a rodeo in it... while it was to illustrate precision and differences in variables etc. I really don't think that what is plainly animal abuse is at all inspirational in people. Then again, there could have been many other examples that could have been used that might have been slightly more relevant too... not that I don't think that most of his other scientific examples were great... the depressurized chamber was spectacular as it allowed the feathers and ball go at the same speed, without even slightly moving...

Ultimately, though, why focus so much on how absolutely unique humans are? Science itself is inspirational, and focusing on it (not on pride) could actually reduce nationalism, which is arguably (along with religion), the cause of all conflicts.

The only conflict should be of protons in a collider... if only.

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A House in Bayswater (1960)

7/10

A quite artistic, if mundane account of several lives.

6 November 2012

This is a relatively short film (Ken Russell's first), but it is just the right length for the audience to get to know the inhabitants of the house that is seen being destroyed both at the beginning and end.

The housekeeper introduces everyone in her own idiosyncratic way, and soon after (at least as soon as they wake up) the tenants recount their livelihoods - as brief as it may be we are still able to relate to their eclectic individualities, and thereafter we are bound to end up with a feeling of sad resignation as the house is pulled down, and along with it the characters soon disappearing.

It is about lives that may, and have existed - the little intricacies, and introspection that so often is lost to history. How people, both at the beginning and end of their lives, see the world through a little corner somewhere in London.

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