The Wind Rises: I'm Glad I Wasn't Holding My Breath

This review is of the dub.  I have not seen the Japanese version of the film nor do I have any extensive knowledge on the historical accuracy or context of certain aspects of the film.
     

      Tonight I went to see Hayao Miyazaki's (supposed) final film, The Wind Rises. Even though he is the legendary director of titles such as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away (the only anime to win an Oscar) I did not go into this movie with the highest of expectations. It is a loose, autobiography about the famous (or infamous) aerospace engineer Jiro Horikoshi, the man who designed the prototype plane that would become the infamous Japanese Zero, the plane responsible for the massacre at Pearl Harbor. The movie tells a condensed story of Jiro's life from his childhood up until he creates the fighter plane that would be revolutionary for the Japanese military. Being a Studio Ghibli film it still has some fanciful moments that come in the form of vivid dreams. I had heard about some of the controversy surrounding the film; some felt that it was very jingoistic due to the fact that the film never addressed what the planes were eventually used for as well as painting its inventor as a hapless collaborator, but that did not phase me in the least. I watched this movie simply as a longtime fan of anime and Studio Ghibli. I really wish I could say this film exceeded my expectations but it did not.

      Typical of a Studio Ghibli production, the animation is stunning. They spare no expense whenever Hayao Miyazaki wants to make a film. Since wind is a central theme to the movie the viewer is treated to shots of planes soaring gracefully through the clouds, whimsical dream sequences full of prototype flying machines, and massive fields of grass rustling frantically in the frequent gales. It is a vibrant and lush landscape, I found myself wanting to dive into it so I could simply lay on the inviting grass and drift into a deep sleep.

     But then the characters start talking... For the most part the English dub is serviceable, it sounds as good as a standard dub for a Ghibli movie. However there were a few characters that were so horribly awkward in their deliveries that I almost burst into laughter (the people behind couldn't contain themselves). Joseph Gordon-Levitt voiced the main character, Jiro Horikoshi. For the most part he did an adequate job, only stumbling during the more subdued moments of the film. He has a fairly mono-toned performance, from what I've heard about the Japanese version though, I believe this to be intentional. In the Japanese dub Jiro is voiced by the famous (or infamous) director of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Hideaki Anno. As far as I know The Wind Rises was the first time he had ever acted, but being best friends with someone like Miyazaki does have its advantages. Both Miyazaki and Anno are notoriously grumpy men, maybe that is why Anno was chosen to voice the character that many theorize is supposed to represent Miyazaki himself. This movie is commonly believed to be one long piece of symbolism for the end of Miyazaki's career as a director. If true, it is a brilliant way to punctuate a legendary body of work. But the fact that this isn't the first time he has “retired” has many, including myself, remaining very skeptical.

     The worst offender by far, when it comes to the issue of awkward deliveries, goes to Werner Herzog as Castrop. His voice, coupled with the extremely creepy look of the character, provided most of the unintentionally hilarious moments of the film. Every time the camera went in for a close-up on his character I could not help but be reminded of everyone's favorite pedophile, Herbert, from Family Guy. Imagine him with a thick, German accent and you'll have a good idea as to what I'm talking about.

      The story had some pretty bad pacing issues. It was way too slow, the fact that there are very few exciting moments only makes things worse. Had I been watching this movie in the comfort of my own home I am certain I would have started dozing off rather early on in the film. On the bright side, this movie is not habit forming like some sleep aids are.

      All-in-all, The Wind Rises is certainly not the worst Ghibli movie (I give that "honor" to Tales from Earthsea) but there isn't much I can find to praise about it. I recommend waiting for it to come out on DVD/BD unless you are a diehard Miyazaki fan or an airplane otaku (someone with a strong passion for planes).

The Dandy Side of an Undead World

    While watching Space Dandy, one of my favorite new anime, I was inspired by the ending of the episode in which the heroes encounter a virus that turns them, and ultimately the entire universe, into zombies.  I know this may sound like a spoiler but it is not.  This show is set up in a fashion similar to that of Futurama and other animated comedies, it has no ongoing plot and everything resets each week.

    Having all life in the universe transformed into undead flesh eaters sounds tragic but they painted it in a light I have never seen before, one of positivity.  Sure, everyone was a decaying pile of flesh stumbling about, but they could still carry on some semblance of their lives before their undeath.  Instead of words they communicated with moans and grunts, they remained cognizant of their actions, and they squash their cravings for raw meat by eating large amounts of yogurt thanks to the enzymes it contained.

    On a much grander scale, since everyone was a zombie there was no death, no sickness, no more world hunger, no war, no torture, no money problems, and no racism.  All life had been converted to undeath thus uniting the universe under the same genus.  For the first time in my life I found myself kind of wanting to be a zombie.  It was a festering utopia, morbidly beautiful.

Here is a link to the episode I talked about, check it out for yourself!
http://www.hulu.com/watch/591450#i0,p1,d0

What I've been doing lately...

     Hello!  I'm still alive!  I haven't posted in a while for a couple of reasons, the main one being that the new semester has started so I will be busy with school work for the next several months.  A lot of which will consist of written assignments so I'm not going to be very interested in doing extracurricular writing.  But if the mood strikes I will post something.  The other reason being that I am trying to get my YouTube channel going again.  I'm taking video production classes in an effort to make it the best it can be.  Most of what I would typically write will be filmed and posted to YouTube.  When I post things in the future I will link to them on here.  In the meantime, feel free to check out what I have so far and subscribe if you feel so inclined.  I'll talk at ya again soon!

Otaku HQ
https://www.youtube.com/Jinruiai/

Blood Lad: Shonen Action Done Right

 Video review available on my YouTube channel.

     Blood Lad is the story of a vampire named Staz.  He is an otaku that is obsessed with the human world, specifically Japan.  Everything he knows about Japan he learned from watching anime, reading manga, and playing video games.  One of his dreams is to meet a person from Japan.  Lucky for Staz (unlucky for her), Fuyumi Yanagi somehow manages to accidentally cross over from the human world to the demon world.  Staz rescues her from the gang of demons that are on the verge of eating her, he takes her back to his home and immediately starts grilling her about Japan.  He gets called away briefly and when he returns he is shocked to find out that she has been eaten by a carnivorous plant in his absence.  She becomes a ghost since she died in the demon world and Staz vows to resurrect her physical body and return her to normal.

      What makes this show special is that it manages to take a lot of the elements that make fighting anime fun and exciting and condense them into ten solid, well-paced episodes.  There is plenty of fanservice but it's not as excessive as similar shows.  The characters are developed well for being such a brief series and the action scenes are short but intense.  Brains Base (Penguindrum, Baccano!) provides the animation, everything is consistent from start to finish and the world they created is filled with many vibrant colors.  If Blood Lad  is on the TV you can't help but be drawn to it, it is very eye-catching.  The music is well crafted also, it fits the mood of the show and gets your heart pumping when super powered demons are trading blows with one another.  If you're a fan of shows like Dragon Ball Z, Hunter X Hunter, YuYu Hakusho, etc. then you definitely owe it to yourself to giver Blood Lad a shot.  My only complaint is that another season has yet to be announced.

The manga is available from Yen Press in physical and digital formats.  Viz Media licensed the anime which is currently streaming on Hulu.  A date for the home video release has not been announced as of this writing.

Sunday Without God: A Memorable Premise with Forgettable Execution

     Decided to watch Sunday Without God this weekend. Two words came to mind near the end of the show, squandered potential. The show has a captivating premise; God has abandoned the world he/she/it created, in doing so the remaining humans are no longer capable of dying or reproducing. God's last act of mercy was to bestow upon the earth beings known as Gravekeepers, they are the only things that can lay the undead to rest.

      Interesting premise right? Unfortunately the show never goes as deep into this concept as I would have liked it too. Another minor issue for me is the heavy moe character designs. Given the premise of the show, the fact that most of the characters look so cute and happy really takes me out of the story. I was fascinated by the world created in the first half of the series then disheartened when the second half devolved into a weird-crap-of-the-week format.

      The series concludes with the possibility of a second season, though one has not yet been announced. Should a season two be made I will give the show another shot. The highs and lows of Sunday Without God average out to it being a mediocre title at best. The concept had to potential to make this a show that could have been debated for years to come. Sadly, it was not executed well enough to make that a reality.

Check it out on Crunchyroll and judge for yourself!

Ninja Scroll: My Otaku Origin Story

This is my final essay project for my East Asian Cultures class.  I know, I'm being lazy and posting something old instead of writing something new, bad Tristan!!  Fret not!  I will have a completely new post soon!  This month marks my 20th anniversary of being an otaku so I felt it was appropriate to share this story with all of you.  I decided to re-watch and talk about Ninja Scroll since, up to this point, I had never done so publicly.  As the title implies, this is the anime that started it all for me.  My life was forever changed...

    Nearly two decades ago my older friend approached me with a question, “Wanna watch a cartoon with blood, guts, and nudity?”  How could I refuse?!  He rented Ninja Scroll from our local Blockbuster Video and my passion for anime was ignited.  I was captivated by what seemed to be a beautifully violent painting brought to life.  If one were to take a brief survey of what comes to mind when someone hears the name Japan, you would likely get one of two responses: sushi or ninja.  And this movie has all the ninjas a person could ask for.

    Watching this movie again after several years I found myself just as entertained by it as I was all those years ago.  After a brief opening scene in which the main protagonist Jubei dispatches some would-be assassins, I am treated to one of my favorite bloodbaths of all time.  A ninja squad is jumping from tree-to-tree and suddenly come under attack by a group of demon-ninja.  An enormous bladed weapon flies through the air, separating heads from shoulders and torsos from legs.  Body parts and blood rained down on the ground below.  I remember when I first saw this at the age of twelve, I didn’t blink.  I was shocked and amazed.  I never imagined a cartoon could look this pretty yet be so insanely brutal.  Nowadays it really does not faze me.  I just sit back and enjoy the carnage.

    In the next scene we see that one of the demons has captured the lone female ninja that was traveling with the squad he had just eradicated.  He quickly proceeds to rip her clothes off and sexually assault her.  This was the first animated nudity I ever saw.  As a kid I was excited and fearful.  Excited because I was witnessing naked breasts, yet fearful of the consequences I might face if my parents were to find out what I was watching.  These days the nudity holds my attention just as much as it did when I was a child, minus the paranoia.  I still laugh a bit at this scene because the stone demon is so large that when he kisses the ninja he engulfs large portions of her body.  At one point he seems as if he is going to swallow an entire breast.  It’s a ridiculous scene.

    The movie never actually states outright whether the demon-ninja are truly demons or just humans with extraordinary powers.  Whatever the case may be, they are referred to as the “Demons of Kimon”.  I don’t know if the creator/director was inspired by yokai when he thought these villains up, but I feel that would be a safe assumption.  The main goal of the evil ninja is to amass enough wealth and power so they can shore up their ranks and overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate and replace it with those loyal to Toyotomi.

    Later in the film Jubei happens upon a Buddhist temple where he finds a nun praying alone in the candle light.  After a brief conversation she begins convulsing violently and then hundreds of snakes erupt from her body.  Jubei comes under attack by another demon-ninja, a snake woman.  Things seem hopeless until Kagero, the female ninja from earlier in the film, sneaks up on the demon and puts a knife to her throat.  What ensues is one of the most memorable and disgusting scenes I have seen.  A poisonous snake slithers out of her vagina and bites Kagero on the thigh.  It still turns my stomach just as much today as it did eighteen years ago.  The idea of something like that actually happening horrifies me.

    Something else that both amuses and irks me is the completely unrealistic and savage beatings that Jubei receives.  No human could survive what he goes through, yet somehow he perseveres.  He gets punched in the face and stomach multiple times by the stone demon but is nowhere near as injured as he should be.  In the following scenes he is perfectly fine, as if nothing ever happened.  I know realism was not the intent of this movie, but a little more would have been beneficial.  I find myself losing interest in a character when they are practically perfect and impervious to injury.

    Upon viewing Ninja Scroll for the purpose of this assignment, I came to notice something I had never caught before.  The main heroes and villains have more in common with samurai than with ninja.  Ninja are known for being stealthy assassins.  That could not be further from the truth for most of the protagonists and antagonists in Ninja Scroll.  None of the main characters wear anything that is commonly associated with ninja and most of the battles are fought out in the open instead of under the cover of shadows.  It really made me question the logic behind the title.  Whenever I think about ninjas, this movie never comes to mind.

    Despite the issues I have with this movie, it is still a classic in my eyes.  I get very nostalgic when I watch it.  This movie is my otaku origin story.  It also appeals to my morbid curiosity.  I am always interested in seeing how creative a movie can be in slaughtering its cast members.  The more inventive, the more I enjoy it.  Ninja Scroll is like a beautifully animated train wreck.  No matter how disturbing it is, you find yourself unable to look away.

DVD cover.

How to Spot Illegal Anime and Manga Websites

     I decided to write this up in light of recent events.  It seems that almost every person I have chatted with recently has been unaware that they were utilizing illegal anime sites in one way or another.  I don’t blame them for not being aware, it’s a common issue nowadays.  It doesn’t help that if a person Googles “anime streaming” (or something similar) that the first several results are illegal sites.  So I decided to make this handy guide to help my fellow anime/manga lovers out! I hope you find it useful.

Manga Websites

     These are actually the easiest to spot.  If more than the first chapter, or on very rare occasions the first volume, are free then it is an illegal website.  There should be prices on almost every one of the titles listed.  For further confirmation check out the very bottom of the homepage.  Look for either a link labeled "Legal" or  the "copyright" info that may be listed in very small text.  If it is something that talks about the site not hosting any of the files themselves and/or stating that they cannot be held liable for any illicit activities then that raises a massive red flag.  Example (Illegal Site): None of the video content of this website is hosted on our servers or on servers of our staff, family members or otherwise related in any way whatsoever.

     If it was a legal site they would not have to post anything like that since they would have a legal license to host the products.  Example (Legal Site): All materials on this Site, including, but not limited to characters, images, illustrations, audio clips, video clips, and compilations are protected by copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights which are owned and controlled by FUNimation Productions, Ltd. and its affiliates (collectively, "FUNimation") or by other parties that have licensed their material to FUNimation. Materials on FUNimation.com and related sites are solely for your personal, non-commercial use.

     This is just part of their copyright info, it was followed by a list of every single title they have a license for (200+).

Anime Websites

    Checking out the copyright stuff works for anime streaming sites as well.  No legal site offers free downloads of episodes.  Licensing a title is very expensive, especially if a dub is produced for the show, so the companies need to get every dollar they possibly can in order to (hopefully) make a profit.

Indications the streaming site is illegal:

• Episodes are broken into two or more parts.  This is most common with movies.
• Additional credits added to the opening and/or ending of a show that promotes the fansub group that subtitled it.
• Fancy subtitle font.
• No commercials.  Aside from Hulu, the only way to legally stream commercial free anime is through subscribing to a legal site.

    I hope that helps!  If I think of anything to add later I will update this document.  I think I covered all the basics pretty well though.  Spread the word!  Support the industry so they can continue to supply us with the entertainment we love!

Sword Art Online: Real Love in a Virtual World

Sword Art Online's main characters Kirito (left) and Asuna (right).

     Sword Art Online tells the story of MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) addict Kirito.  The latest and greatest game in the genre is also the series namesake.  The story is set in the not-too-distant future when virtual reality has become commonplace as a gaming medium.  Things are going well at first but Kirito soon discovers that there is no option for logging out of the game.  Shortly after this realization all the players are transported to the towns square where the game's creator appears above the confused crowd in the form of a cloaked figure.  He informs everyone that they are now trapped in the game until someone is able to clear it.  To make matters worse, if you die in the game, you die in real life.

*Minor spoilers ahead*

     I have enjoyed this series from the beginning, sure the plot isn't terribly original but being a longtime MMORPG player myself I was able to relate to the emotional state of the players.  The stress of fighting a challenging dungeon boss and the exhilarating feeling of victory are just a couple reasons why I am consistently drawn to this genre of video game.  But the thing I connected most strongly with were the friendships that were formed and the love that developed between Kirito and Asuna.

     The feelings that they develop for one another reminded me of a few of the online romances I have had in the past.  The first MMORPG that I ever got addicted to was Final Fantasy XI.  I was pretty heavily addicted to the game for two of the three years that I played it.  It was not uncommon for me to stay inside for days on end traveling throughout the world of Vana'diel with my friends.  I became so close with some of them that I would do whatever I could in order to spend time with them, including calling in sick to work on multiple occasions.  The fact that I hated my job with a passion was all the incentive I required.  I eventually became deeply infatuated with a couple of the girls that were in my guild.  We communicated both inside of the game and out.  I developed feelings for them, thus making the world of the game all the more enticing since that was the only way I could be with them.  I was sucked in completely, Vana'diel became my second home.

     This is the situation, albeit a more extreme version, that Kirito and Asuna find themselves in.  They both played the game in order to escape their realities and after two years of being stuck in there they decide they may as well make the best of a shitty situation.  They take a break from their guild, get married, and settle down in a small home.  Eventually they even foster a child they come across and start a family.  In an emotional scene at the mid point of the series the couple is distraught over the fact that they may never meet in real life.  They would prefer to stay in the game if it meant they could be together.  Some may wonder how someone could fall in love with a person they only know as a character in a video game.  When you spend as much time as I did on a game like that things can become blurred.  You may not be together physically but the bonds you have transcend the virtual world.

     As addictive as games can be in their current form Sword Art Online got me thinking about how much worse they could be.  Should virtual reality technology ever reach the level that we see in the show I fear that we would witness much more extreme cases of gaming addiction.  The more immersed you can become in a game the more real that world will be to the player.  They may develop relationships with not only other players but potentially some of the NPCs (Non-Player Characters).  Those would be the most dangerous of all since they only exist in the game, a player may be hesitant to log out because they are unable to be with that NPC anywhere else.  Thankfully I do not see this being a concern for the foreseeable future.  Virtual reality devices have a troubled history in the entertainment world, with the exception of some amusement park rides, and remain expensive and often unwieldy.  This potential problem is something to think about should the technology ever reach the levels of Sword Art Online.

     A lot of online gamers get unfairly labeled as being anti-social when in fact they are some of the most social gamers around.  Sure, many do tend to be socially awkward in real-life situations but when they immerse themselves in a game they are able to come out of their shells by taking on a new persona.  I don't consider myself to be socially awkward in the real world but I will admit that I tend to come across as very effeminate via casual internet conversation.  I use emoticons regularly and sprinkle my conversations rather liberally with internet slang.  The fact that I play female characters all the time probably does not help the situation much either.  Why do I play female characters?  If I'm going to be staring at an ass for hours on end I would prefer it be the ass of a woman.  Powerful women are sexy!

     My current "drug of choice" is Star Wars: The Old Republic.  I have been playing it since the closed beta and I am still having a lot of fun playing it.  Since my experience with Final Fantasy XI I have learned to control my addiction.  I only play when I have free time which is not often during the school year.  I still enjoy making friends from all over the world via the games I play but I don't let it run my life anymore.

     If you're interested in checking out the show it can be found here: http://www.crunchyroll.com/sword-art-online

About Anipiphany

     Hello!  I'm Tristan and this is my very first blog!  I have been an otaku (a fan of Japanese anime) for almost 20 years now.  Anime and Japanese pop-culture is my passion.

     So, what the hell is this blog about?  Anipiphany is a blog about things that suddenly pop into my head while watching anime (Japanese animation).  The idea came to me recently when the anime Sword Art Online stirred up some emotions in me.  I started having a conversation in my head and decided that I really should be writing these thoughts down.  The name of the blog, Anipiphany (anime + epiphany) came to mind shortly thereafter.  I really liked the sound of it so here we are!

     I hope to write at least one entry per month but only time will tell whether I stick to that goal or not.  I put the "pro" in procrastination and my anime viewing is fairly sporadic, especially when college is in session.  All I can promise is that I will try to stick to the schedule I set.

     I hope my blog will open up some civil discussion on various topics.  I hope you enjoy reading what I have to offer.