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[Asbel]

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.09/anime.html

Long but interesting article on the directors of Howl, Innocence and Steamboy along with a brief history of anime and it's influences. Here are some quotes.

Otomo intended Steamboy as grade-A fun. But it's not such a stretch to view the clumsy and ultimately fragile behemoth in the sky as the US culture industry and jetpack-propelled young Ray as a personification of Japan.

"I want to be a dog," Oshii said.

Miyazaki and his three brothers had to fend for themselves, a situation he revisited in My Neighbor Totoro (1988), his most autobiographical film.

 

[Meier]

Saw this on the MML earlier -- quite a good read.

 

[SD-Ness]

quite a good read.

Yeah.

I'm excited (for the releases...)

 

[Chrono]

Great article.

I don't like the way Wired makes it seem like an "assault" on American movies or whatever. American culture is all over the world because people like it-- the same thing for Japan. People like videogames and anime. That is it. There's no "struggle" or competition on the international level (as in Japan vs. U.S.) And maybe I'm a bit paranoid but the last paragraphed, especially after earlier making a parallel between steamboy and the giant in the sky to Japan and the U.S., made it seem like this new generation of Japanese artist are out to rebuild the Japanese empire and ready to "take down" the Americans except with no guns this time like their ancestors did (steamboys' father?). Or I could be just reading too much into it...


And holy shit Akira manga took 11 years to finish! Another reason why the movie was just not enough. A 26 episode series is the least it deserved.

 

[distantmantra]

And holy shit Akira manga took 11 years to finish! Another reason why the movie was just not enough. A 26 episode series is the least it deserved.

It took Miyazaki 13 years to complete the Nausicaa manga.

 

[GG-Duo]

JoJo.

and that one about a policeman

 

[bishoptl]

"A few years ago," the director explains, "I had a shock when my cat Nene died. There was a hole in my heart, a hole that could not be filled, even though a new cat, Mina, came along. I started to wonder why. Why can't one cat replace another? And I started to think that the 'I' is not just one person, but the sum of everything you love - your dog, your wife, your child, your computer, your doll. This led me to the conclusion that the self is empty. What is essential is this network of connections."

What a good article. Thanks for the link.

 

[speedpop]

Very good article, as always when it connects the three biggest names in anime productions these days.

I am personally looking forward to Makoto Shinkai's Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho which looks absolutely astounding. Given his part credits on Hoshi no Koe (Voices of a Distance Star) and various shorts I have seen, this will be great. Especially with Tenmon back to help with music composition