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aois-amaterasu-painting · 18 days ago

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Vif Music interview (October 2016)

For a long time, the GazettE has continued to present the worldview of their album DOGMA. Their DVD and Blu-ray, capturing the culmination of this vision in their tour finale at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, unravels its unique appeal.

Carrying the banner of DOGMA, the GazettE performed 69 live shows over the course of about a year, concluding the DOGMA journey with a grand finale at Makuhari Messe—a moment still fresh in memory. Now, their DVD and Blu-ray, which captures the "LIVE TOUR 15-16 DOGMATIC – FINAL – Shikkoku" held on February 28th at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium as the finale of two long tours, is set for release on November 9th. This video work encapsulates the full intensity of that day, allowing viewers to thoroughly enjoy the band's journey alongside DOGMA. Reflecting on their year through this release, the band also discusses their 15th anniversary, which starts with the return to their early concept of “Dainihon Itan Geisha” (Great Japan Heretical Geisha).

◆ “It felt like every time we thought, “What's worse that could happen?” something worse would happen.” – RUKI

Interviewer: With the free live event held on September 27th at Makuhari Messe, the GazettE STANDING LIVE TOUR 16 ～GRAND FINALE DOGMA-ANOTHER FATE- the year-long DOGMA journey finally concluded. How do you feel now?

RUKI: Honestly, the DOGMA feeling is already gone.

Aoi: It felt like we lost so much along the way. Like, “Huh? That guy’s not here?”

Everyone: (laughs)

Uruha: There’s definitely a sense of relief that it’s over. It was really long. Though we’ve been moving forward without much of a break, so there hasn’t been much time to let it sink in.

Interviewer: Uruha, in a previous interview, you joked saying “I don’t want to play guitar anymore! I just want to go home!” about the tour. How was it in reality?

Uruha: During the world tour (WORLD TOUR16 DOGMATIC TROIS), I genuinely wanted to go home from the very start.

Aoi: We spent about a week in Mexico doing nothing.

REITA: We kept asking ourselves, “Why are we even here?” (laughs)

Uruha: I spent most of the time just sleeping. But not performing was the hardest part.

Aoi: The only thing we did was gather to eat meals. And after a few days, even that stopped because no one wanted to come anymore. (laughs)

Interviewer: That’s quite an unexpected memory (laughs). Looking back over the past year, what stands out the most?

RUKI: There were lots of highlights. For me, the most memorable was shooting the MV for UNDYING. It was freezing.

REITA: For me, it was the UGLY music video. The biggest shock came when we found out on-site that one of our managers had quit.

Everyone: (laughs)

Interviewer: What exactly happened?

REITA: Uruha and I arrived on set around 6 a.m. The manager told us, “Oh, by the way, the other manager quit yesterday.” (laughs) It was a shocker.

Uruha: That kind of thing really lowers your motivation. We were all pumped, like, “Let’s do our best today!”

REITA: We were like, “It's early in the morning, but let’s push through!” But then that happened (laughs).

Uruha: And then it was like, “Why now? Couldn’t this have waited until after the shoot?” (laughs)

Interviewer: So, this ties back to what Aoi said earlier, “Huh? That guy’s not here” (laughs).

RUKI: It felt like every time we thought, “What's worse that could happen?” something worse would happen. (laughs) I also vividly remember worrying about whether DOGMA would even be released as planned.

Kai: Yeah, that’s the first thing that comes to mind for me too.

Aoi: Same here.

Uruha: I remember during discussions about the limited edition design thinking, “How is this even going to work?” (laughs).

RUKI: There was a moment when I seriously thought we might have to delay the release.

Interviewer: Was the situation really that uncertain?

Kai: There was a period when the band’s energy didn’t align with the people around us. If that had continued, DOGMA probably wouldn’t have been released.

Interviewer: Was that around the time of our previous interview with Uruha and Aoi?

Uruha: That's right.

Aoi: Yeah, it was precisely around then (laughs).

Interviewer: I remember you handled the interview with such calmness that it didn’t give even the slightest hint of any of turmoil.

RUKI: Looking back, it’s amazing none of us dropped dead from the stress. (laughs)

◆ “I think ‘UNDYING’ is a song that grows with time and experience.” – Uruha

Interviewer: I thought the highlight of your year will be tour memories, but your answers were unexpected.

RUKI: That’s because the tour itself was fun.

REITA: Yeah, the tour was a relief.

Uruha: Touring is when I get the most rest.

RUKI: That’s so true.

Interviewer: (laughs). By the way, the last time we interviewed you was in December, shortly after the start of the DUE. At that time I heard that the first tour UN was a trial and error tour. Watching the DVD, it was clear that the tour involved a lot of that. At what point did you feel like you had something you were satisfied with?

RUKI: Honestly, we kept tweaking things the whole time. There was never a moment where we thought, “This is the perfect setlist!”

Kai: We faced difficulties not just with the setlist but also with the production. For ‘13TH ANNIVERSARY’ we incorporated a 13-step staircase into the set as a symbolic element. Something we hadn’t done much before, where the set design conveyed a lot of the message. We thought it would be great to carry that concept over into this tour. However, when we actually tried it, the elaborate set ended up causing issues with the lighting, which ultimately backfired and made things more challenging.

Interviewer: When did you realize this?

Kai: Very early on after UN started. We quickly realized, “We’ve made the set way too rigid.” Even so, we worked within those constraints, doing what we could. By the time DUE rolled around, we decided to boldly strip things back. To improve, we constantly watched live footage, discussed what could be changed, and considered how to make those changes a reality.

Interviewer: That process was conveyed well in the documentary DVD included with the limited edition. Not many artists go to such lengths to refine their production.

Kai: It’s a constant process of updates, which is a lot of fun for us. Though it must be exhausting for the staff. (laughs) Still, we’re lucky to have a team that takes our ideas seriously and helps bring them to life.

Interviewer: After all the trial and error of UN and DUE, you finally reached LIVE TOUR 15-16 DOGMATIC FINAL - Shikkoku.

Kai: The setlist for that day was also the result of extensive trial and error. But one thing we knew from the start was that we wanted to showcase "UNDYING".

Interviewer: The flow from "OMINOUS" into "UNDYING" was quite striking.

RUKI: Yeah, it was. That day, after we finished, it felt like... nothingness. I was in a daze. It was the first time we’d performed "UNDYING", so it didn’t feel natural in our bodies yet. And honestly, the song is insanely difficult.

KAI: Usually, after a performance, there’s a sense of accomplishment, but we didn’t quite reach that point. For me, it was more like my memory just completely blanked out. I vividly remember the opening production and "UNDYING," but everything else is like it was wiped from my mind (laughs).

Interviewer: Is that so? I see Uruha nodding deeply next to you.

URUHA: I remember it clearly (laughs). The song was definitely challenging, though. I think "UNDYING" is the kind of track that only truly comes into its own after gaining more experience with it. That day, as I was playing, I kept thinking, "Wow, this is harder than I expected." Especially since the way we record these days and the way we perform live are completely different. That difference really stood out to me.

◆ "The highlight for me was the transition from 'DOGMA' into 'RAGE'" - Aoi

Interviewer: What were your impressions after watching the footage of that day’s live performance?

Aoi: The highlight for me was the transition from "DOGMA" into "RAGE." The way it merged with the visuals was amazing. "DERACINE" was great too.

Interviewer: "DOGMA" gave me goosebumps with its combination of sound, visuals, and lighting. The staging, where you appeared to rise from the abyss, was phenomenal.

Aoi: Actually, KAI was the only one already above ground on his platform from the start of that scene (laughs).

Kai: (wry smile)

Aoi: Wasn’t it because the drum set couldn’t lower all the way down?

Kai: Yeah, we tried to lower it, but no matter what, the tops of the cymbals were still visible from the audience (laughs).

Uruha: That’s distracting, isn’t it? When it’s not fully hidden.

Aoi: Right? Having the cymbals peeking out ruins the illusion. People would think, "Oh, that’s where he’ll be appearing from" (laughs).

Interviewer: Unfortunately, KAI isn’t visible in that scene on the DVD.

Kai: Right, the part where I move into position isn’t shown. While everyone else rises dramatically with the cue, "Ready, go," I quietly sneak into my spot (laughs).

Uruha: At the end of "DOGMA," everyone disappears from view, but KAI stays there (laughs). Your eyes naturally get drawn to him.

Kai: I couldn’t exactly leave the stage either. From a production standpoint, considering everything overall, it was something I had to accept.

Interviewer: Very professional of you. REITA, what’s your personal highlight?

Reita: For me, "DOGMA" itself felt like the opening. Once "DOGMA" ends and transitions into "RAGE," it feels like the real start, with all five members coming together. That moment of transition is key. It starts with RUKI hyping the crowd as lightning flashes behind us. It feels like the five of us are fully united at that moment.

Interviewer: The precise camera work in this live DVD condensed the heat and atmosphere of that day into a high-quality experience.

Reita: Absolutely. We’ve been working with the same director for several live productions, and they did a great job shaping it into something amazing.

Aoi: It’s impressively polished.

Interviewer: This feels like a work meant to be enjoyed on a big screen. By the way, the limited edition this time comes with two DVDs: one of the documentary and one of the live show. Which one would you recommend watching first?

Reita: That’s tough. Normally, I’d say start with the main live footage, but this time, starting with the documentary could be an option too.

Kai: If you want to enjoy it to the fullest, I’d suggest watching the live DVD casually first. Then watch the documentary for the context, and finally go back to the live DVD with more emotional investment (laughs). For those who’ve been following DOGMA from the start, watching the documentary and reflecting on the journey could make the experience even more enjoyable.

Interviewer: Watching in that order might give a whole new perspective. Speaking of surprises, is there a "golden ticket" type of special feature included in this live DVD?

Ruki: No way! (Laughs)

Reita: That’s not the kind of thing we can pull off multiple times!

Interviewer: (laughs) Well, I look forward to the day such an event happens again. Speaking of golden tickets, those who exchanged them for entry cards at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium finale were able to attend the grand finale at Makuhari Messe. Compared to "Shikkoku," the Makuhari show felt warmer and more like being at home.

Ruki: People say that a lot. But to be honest, our local shows in Tokyo during tours or regional live shows often feel that way. It’s not that we’re not tense, but with a final like "Shikkoku," there’s this strong sense of "We have to nail this!" That probably makes the atmosphere different.

Reita: That day felt like everyone, fans included, was saying, “Good job, we did it!” DOGMA was a year-long journey, and while there were tough times, those struggles might not have been apparent to the fans. I hope the documentary DVD gives them a glimpse of that. Even so, having that space where we could all come together and say, “Thank you and well done,” was really special.

Interviewer: Having a standing-only grand finale at such a large venue felt particularly unique.

Reita: We’ve always wanted to create the same level of live experience, whether the audience is seated or standing. But the visuals you get from an orderly seated crowd versus a chaotic standing one are so different. Also, we haven’t done many large-scale standing-only shows before, so it felt refreshing. Honestly, I was worried not many people would come. I even had someone take a picture of the audience before the show started because I was too nervous to check myself (laughs). I couldn’t predict the turnout, but when I saw the crowd, I was relieved (laughs).

Interviewer: It’s surprising to hear such concerns from a band that sold out Yoyogi National Gymnasium for "Shikkoku" so quickly.

Ruki: If anything, I think we worry more than other bands. There’s always this anxiety, like, “Will people even come?”

Reita: Especially since "Shikkoku" was already a final. Saying, “Okay, we’re doing another final!” left us unsure about how many people would actually show up.

Interviewer: That worry was clearly unfounded, seeing how packed the venue was with fans giving it their all.

Kai: That’s the most important thing. I had a great time too. I thought the setlist for Makuhari wouldn’t be too different from Yoyogi, but after giving everything we had at Yoyogi, I wasn’t sure how things would play out. Strangely enough, on the day of the show, I didn’t feel weighed down by overthinking. Looking back, it felt like a performance where I could relax a bit and let the momentum carry me. Maybe it was because we had meticulously prepared up until then, or perhaps it was the liberating feeling of finally reaching the end.

◆ "While the video was playing, I was backstage listening to the fans’ cheers, and it hit me how great that moment was." - REITA

Interviewer: That day, it was announced that there would be a commemorative live performance at the National Yoyogi Gymnasium on March 10th next year, featuring the early concept of “Dai Nippon Itan Geisha” (Great Japan Heretic Geisha). The setlist after the encore felt very natural, leading up to that announcement.

RUKI: That was all part of the plan. The setlist was designed with that in mind—planting hints along the way.

Interviewer: I see. Why did you decide to revisit “Dainippon Itan Geisha” for your 15th anniversary?

RUKI: I had been thinking about what to do. DOGMA had solidified itself in so many ways, and I felt like it would be meaningless to do a generic, all-time-best-type show for an anniversary. So I tried to consider what fans might genuinely want right now. Something unexpected, something that would surprise them.

Interviewer: When the video played, it truly caught me off guard.

RUKI: It went from Western to Japanese (laughs). By the way, that video was made by us.

Interviewer: Did REITA take the lead in creating it again this time?

REITA: No, no, not at all. I worked on the effects and things, but it wasn’t just me.

RUKI: REITA got himself a really impressive monitor. It's the kind you’d find in a music video director’s studio.

Uruha: He’ll probably start doing VR next.

Everyone: (laughs)

Aoi: For the record, I didn’t contribute much. My role was pretty much limited to using accounting software to work out the budget.

Everyone: (laughs) Accounting software!

Uruha: I was cheering everyone on from the sidelines.

Aoi: But didn’t you work on the sound effects? And Kai was always peeking at the screen.

Kai: I left it to REITA. I just threw in the occasional comment or complaint… but in the end, we all chipped in and divided up the work (laughs).

REITA: Yeah, it was a fun group effort.

Interviewer: Did you get any of the infamous “NG” (no good) rejections from master RUKI this time?

REITA: Oh, plenty. For example, I spent about five hours creating a video that ended up being cut down to a split-second insert. That’s just how it goes, though. Even in movies, they spend hours on effects for a single second of footage. When I think about it that way, it’s fine, but in the moment, it can feel a bit disheartening.

Uruha: It’s a bit of a shock when something you worked on gets cut so drastically.

RUKI: No, no, no! You all say stuff like that. It makes me feel awkward about giving feedback after a while.

REITA: Liar!

Interviewer: Were there moments where you thought, “I’ll just hold back on giving this NG”?

RUKI: Nah, I’d just say, “Do this instead.”

Everyone: (laughs)

Interviewer: Hearing about the effort that went into making that video is touching.

REITA: While the video was playing, I was backstage listening to the fans’ cheers, and it hit me how great that moment was. It felt like we were all experiencing it together, it gave me chills.

RUKI: By the way, I said, "This scene will get cheers, so we should extend it a bit."

REITA: Full of yourself, aren't you? (laughs)

RUKI: But we really did agonize over how best to reveal the phrase “Dainippon Itan Geisha.”

REITA: Silence with just the sound of cheers was the only way to go. Without those cheers, the moment wouldn’t have worked.

◆ "We aim to surprise everyone and have a blast ourselves." - KAI

Interviewer: To be honest, I thought you had mentally separated the “Dainippon Itan Geisha” era from the current the GazettE, but that’s not the case, is it?

RUKI: We’re not that adept at compartmentalizing. While it might seem like we’ve separated the two, we can only focus on one thing at a time when we’re doing it. So if we’re going to do it, we’re going all in. I hope everyone is looking forward to what we have planned.

Interviewer: I'm curious to see what kind of stage it will be, just like your first Halloween live show (HERESY LIMITED THE DARK HALLOWEEN NIGHT [SPOOKY BOX]). Have the costumes and makeup been decided?

Uruha: We're getting there.

RUKI: "Getting there," meaning, Halloween’s just around the corner (laughs). By the way, we’re not doing costumes. I mean, wouldn’t it be weird if one of us wanted to dress up as Spider-Man or something (laughs)?

Uruha: Even if he was Doraemon or something.

RUKI: That's right. We’re presenting our take on Halloween, which will not be gag-like at all.

Interviewer: It sounds serious.

RUKI: We’re serious about everything we do.

Aoi: Oh, so that’s what serious RUKI looks like. Aw, RUKI, you were so cute... That’s about all I can reveal for now.

RUKI: Wait, what!? Geez, this is what they always say!

REITA: But he really is cute.

Uruha: Super cute.

RUKI: Am I, though...?

Aoi: Fans will go wild when they see it. Meanwhile, we’re all rushing to finish making our tails.

Everyone: (laughs)

Interviewer: We're all excited to see just how cute RUKI will be, and whether he'll actually wear a tail.

Aoi: The vibe will probably be like the Maebashi days.

REITA: Oh yeah, back in the day, we used to have tiny audiences at our Maebashi shows. Since nobody was watching, we’d go all out with crazy makeup and antics. Aoi once had tribal paint all over his face, and RUKI would sing without moving (laughs). That kind of over-the-top behavior is what we call “going Maebashi.”

RUKI: I even did a “dark version” of Wakaremichi and sang it in this ridiculously low voice.

REITA: He really didn't move an inch (laughs).

Interviewer: I’m now even more excited for your Halloween live in “Maebashi mode”! Lastly, could you leave a message for your fans?

RUKI: First of all, please watch the DVD.

KAI: We’ve finally wrapped up the long journey that was DOGMA, and now we want to carry forward what we’ve gained from it into the next chapter. Up next, we have the Halloween live, KNOTFEST JAPAN 2016, and then, on March 10, we’ll kick off our 15th anniversary year. As always, we aim to surprise everyone and have a blast ourselves.

#the gazette #mi #interview translations #vif music #another fate

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jetspikepub · 1 month ago

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Interview with Shinichiro Watanabe and Yoko Kanno in Songs for the COSMIC SOFA brochure 💿

"Things that have changed/remained the same over the past 25 years"

- Now that it's been 25 years since the anime aired, I thought we could talk about what's changed and remained the same over that time. Ms. Kanno, you've mentioned in the past that you never listen to your own music, right?

Yoko Kanno: That hasn't changed at all. [Laughs] I just listened to the soundtrack when I stopped by the mastering process, and it's been such a long time since I listened to them. Sometimes, I listen briefly to the song to select tracks for a record, but I never listen to the whole song from start to finish.

- So, does that mean listening to the songs today made you reminisce?

Yoko Kanno: It actually did. It made me recall how the musicians were, or where we went to eat during certain recordings. [Laughs] By the way, Nabe-san (Mr. Watanabe), do you ever rewatch your work?

Shinichiro Watanabe: I never do... However, in our case, we have to watch it when checking before new releases, such as a DVD box or remastering for Blu-ray.

Yoko Kanno: What do you check for during those times?

Shinichiro Watanabe: It's usually about the picture quality. So, things like, this scene is too bright, so please make it a bit darker, or fix parts that didn't work out initially.

Yoko Kanno: So, small adjustments, I suppose. In that sense, it's the same for me. I make minor adjustments, similar to when making a remix. I'll share something that probably no one else noticed. [Laughs] I made a slight change to the new version of "Tank!". There was a part where the trumpet never came in, so I fixed that. Nowadays, you can do that easily with technology, and I think Nabe-san's situation is somewhat similar.

Shinichiro Watanabe: For mastering nowadays, AI has become incredibly advanced.

Yoko Kanno: Yes, exactly. You can instantly do things like "give it this aesthetic" with just a click.

Shinichiro Watanabe: There are so many presets, and you just switch between them, like "Oh, this one is good," "This one is also good."

Yoko Kanno: Can you do something similar with videography?

Shinichiro Watanabe: It's not that simple for us. However, I think AI technology will continue to progress, so maybe in the future, there might be more possibilities.

- When you check old footage, does it evoke memories?

Shinichiro Watanabe: Of course. Sometimes I think, "That animator ran away at that time," or "I had a tough time here. I'll never forgive that person!" [Laughs]

Yoko Kanno: No positive memories? [Laughs]

Shinichiro Watanabe: It's mostly grudges. [Laughs] Oh, but you often say, "You can compose a song in an instant," right? That it comes to you in its completed form.

Yoko Kanno: Yes.

Shinichiro Watanabe: We sometimes experience that, too. There are times when a scene comes to us as a whole, in an instant. Those moments are so delightful, aren't they?

Yoko Kanno: Which scene was it for you, if you don't mind me asking?

Shinichiro Watanabe: The last scene in the final episode was one. It just came to me as a whole, in an instant. Of course, I have to draw it in the storyboard afterward, but the whole scene just popped into my head in about a second.

Yoko Kanno: Was it while you were working on the final episode?

Shinichiro Watanabe: No, it happened completely out of the blue. Also, in the episode about extraterrestrial life (Episode 11, "Heavy Metal Queen")*, there was a long one shot, and it was the same with that scene. When reading the script, I usually think, "How should I break down this cut?" But with this one cut, I instinctually thought, "Ah, this should be a one-shot." I didn't know why I thought of it being a one-shot, but that was my thought. And I even doubted myself - "Really?" But as I added the voice-overs, I realized, "Ah, it was indeed a one-shot scene."

*Heavy Metal Queen was ep. 7. I don't remember any really long shots in this episode (same for Toys in the Attic ep.) 🤷‍♀️ If you do, tell me in the comments pls.

Yoko Kanno: I remember when it happened to me with the song "BLUE." I was looking at a display shelf at a souvenir shop in Scotland, and there was a stuffed animal, a wolf or something. And in an instant, I thought, "Ah!" I guess the feeling of coming up with something must be pleasant, because I weirdly remember the scenery of that specific moment.

- So, this re-release includes tracks from the live-action version that was streamed on Netflix.

Yoko Kanno: By the way, Nabe-san, have you watched the live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop?

Shinichiro Watanabe: Only the first casino scene.

Yoko Kanno: That's it!? [Laughs]

Shinichiro Watanabe: It was my first time watching a Cowboy Bebop made by someone else, and obviously, it was completely different. It made me realize that even if you explain something, it doesn't mean you can create the same thing. Many of the things we were trying to convey couldn't be put into words, and that's why it had to be understood through a sense of taste. Of course, some people can grasp it immediately, but on the other hand, no matter how much you explain, there are people who just can't comprehend. I suppose it means that we were trying to create something that couldn't be put into words; almost like creating a sensation.

Yoko Kanno: Yes, I agree.

Shinichiro Watanabe: Looking back, female staff members were often able to understand intentions based on their senses. Nobuko Shinomoto* (screenwriter and series composition) understood my intentions immediately, and I think you did, too, Ms. Kanno. While male staff members often criticized my proposals, saying they weren't well written. But later when I looked back at them, everything was written in the proposals. [Laughs] Sure, it included details like "Jazz was born in New York...", which seems unrelated, but it was important to what we wanted to do.

*Keiko Nobumoto's nickname

Yoko Kanno: I see. I do agree that more women tend to understand things based on their senses. The lyrics written by Yuho Iwasato were more bebop-like than what a male writer would write. I wonder what that is; it's like they have a deeper understanding.

Shinichiro Watanabe: In Ms. Shinomoto's scripts, what's essential were the unwritten parts. There were many dashes "---" in her scripts, and depending on how you interpreted those dashes, you either understood, or you didn't.

Yoko Kanno: You never ask what her intentions are for those parts?

Shinichiro Watanabe: No, I've never asked her once.

Yoko Kanno: Really?

Shinichiro Watanabe: Because I understand. Or rather, because I understood, we were able to work together. If I had to ask, "What does this mean?" every time to understand, there's no way we could've worked together.

Yoko Kanno: For example, did Shinomoto ever say anything like, "This look is slightly different" after seeing the final product?

Shinichiro Watanabe: She said it was mostly accurate.

Yoko Kanno: "Mostly," huh? [Laughs]

Shinichiro Watanabe: After all, creating an anime is a collaborative effort. I'm not the one drawing all the pictures, so there are instances where the storyboard matched up to only a certain point. Moreover, Cowboy Bebop has many indistinct expressions that are hard to define. But the animators often drew them too definitely. At times like that, things started to drift from the original intentions.

- So looking back over the past 25 years, perhaps that's the biggest change; in the anime industry nowadays, there's a trend of wanting everything to be decided in the script.

Shinichiro Watanabe: In other words, in the past 25 years, anime production has shifted to be more producer-driven. If it can't be expressed in words, producers won't be satisfied. Cowboy Bebop was something we made freely, sneaking past the producers. But now, it seems we can't do that anymore.

Yoko Kanno: It's the same with music. For example, I went to France for recording because I personally wanted to go there. [Laughs] And when I went, there was an African musician, and so we asked him to play the percussion for "Space Lion." We had the freedom to do so.

Shinichiro Watanabe: Budget management has become more strict as well. Nowadays, it's all about minimizing the budget, but when we made Cowboy Bebop, we just did things without caring about budgets at all. Sometimes, people would say, "It's nice you have a generous budget," but actually, we just used it without asking. [Laughs] It was the same for music, I'm sure; you could ignore the budget and just spend away. In a way, it reflects how great the Japanese economy was at the time.

Yoko Kanno: That is true, in a sense.

Shinichiro Watanabe: Well, we showed results, and that's why we were let off about it after being scolded. If it had been a huge failure, they might not have forgiven us. [Laughs]

Yoko Kanno: In that sense, more people are now creating things from start to finish by themselves. You can draw what comes to mind, write music and create a piece. I think it'd be nice to see more people doing that.

Shinichiro Watanabe: True, there are more people making anime and music alone now. But with that, there can be a limit to how broad it can be. In the end, something created solely by one person has its limitations.

- There doesn't seem to be that feeling of people with different perspectives jamming together. On the other hand, with Cowboy Bebop, there was that sense of jamming.

Yoko Kanno: Certainly. It never felt like Nabe-san was saying, "Do it my way."

- You've mentioned in a past interview that Episode 23 ("Brain Scratch") was originally intended to be more dry and distant, but in the end, it became quite emotional and it ended up being a good thing.

Shinichiro Watanabe: I said that? I don't remember. [Laughs]

- Cosmic Sofa is a record that has a slightly different vibe compared to the previous Cowboy Bebop soundtracks. What was the concept behind the song selection?

Yoko Kanno: When I make a record, I like to create ups and downs with the music so that listeners won't get bored halfway through the record. But then, you know, sometimes they play records when you're eating at a restaurant. And with my CD...

Shinichiro Watanabe: It can suddenly get too loud. [Laughs]

Yoko Kanno: Exactly. Or suddenly Ed starts singing - [Laughs] - and you can't help but burst out laughing. So, I thought it would be nice to make a record that can be played in a bar or somewhere like that - [Laughs] - something you can casually listen to. That's the concept behind it.

(Written By: Shotaro Miya)

#cowboy bebop

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plague-of-insomnia · 2 years ago

Note

what kind of accents do you think the cast has? im a dub main for various reasons (one of my friends had a reading/memory disability so i ended up watching dub w them) so im kinda used to everyones dub accents.

but bards defo got an american accent right? (not in the dub, but im thinking manga terms?)

and ik soma & agni have barely a trace of an accent but does that mean they sound basically british?

and does finny have a german accent? sieglinde? diedrich?

idk food for thought?

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

(Sorry it’s been a rough couple days and I didn’t realize I hadn’t published this yet.)

Hey anon… so I’m a bit confused as to if you’re asking about the Japanese accents in the various anime, the English dub accents (or some other dub), or just my thoughts on what their various accents would be like based on the manga and independent of the anime.

Now I have only watched Kuro in English bc that’s the only thing that was available/that’s available on what I have at the moment (though I’m finally getting the blu rays for BoM and BoA so I’m hoping they’ll have the Japanese to try that out for once), so I can’t make judgements based on that. (And I’m not a good one to ask about Japanese accents anyway, lol.)

I also favor dubs bc of my disability. I love hearing the Japanese but it can be hard for me to follow sometimes, and even english alone without captions I can struggle with (please fix this, CR!!! Grr), so I feel you there.

Also not sure which characters you had in mind with this ask (other than the ones you specifically mentioned). Since kuro has so many, I guess I’ll just focus on a few. I want to make clear I am American and Latine, so I am not an expert on British regional accents by any stretch, or the historical accents of the Victorian period, so I’ll just do my best. Some may be partly inspired by how the characters are written in Japanese, since there’s a bit more… complexity to the Japanese language in regards to things like formality, rudeness, etc, that may not convert into English when translated in writing.

This is a long post so I’ll use a readmore to keep it a bit less chaotic. Below the break I’ve broken down my hypotheses on how some of the major players might talk:

Sebastian

As a high-ranking servant who regularly interacts with the nobility, Sebastian would have a high-class accent, and it is reflected in how his Japanese (and even his English) is written. It is a fairly neutral, polite manner of speaking. I’m sure the Victorians probably had a term for this accent (a high-class servant accent), but if they did, I don’t know it lol.

Ciel

Most nobles like him would be educated in a public school like Weston, like his father was, and those schools taught a standard accent that often varied slightly from school to school. So everyone who went to Weston would have a similar manner of speech. Ciel has been “home schooled” his entire life, aside from a short time at Weston for the investigation, so his accent might have been slightly different than his father’s. Nevertheless, especially under Sebastian’s tutelage, he would have learned how to speak properly (if he didn’t already). Still, unless Sebastian intentionally had him learn the Weston/public school accent, anyone who speaks to him would know he did not go to school, but was taught by tutors/governesses instead.

Bard

Yes, Bard is American despite his dub accent. We don’t know where he’s from exactly, but we can assume it was probably somewhere west of the Mississippi (that’s about 1/3 of the way west if you’re looking at the US map, going east to West, if you’re not familiar with our Geography).

I say that bc the river was the first real demarcation of the frontier. It’s likely he was living somewhere like Texas or Oklahoma. Ofc where he’s from would affect his accent, but I imagine it as a kind of cross between a more neutral southern midwestern accent (“no accent”) and a subtle Texas or OK one. Which that’s hard to explain unless you really know regional US accents, bc most of Texas doesn’t sound like most people think it does. The accents really change depending on what part of the state you’re in, since it’s such a big place. But basically not too heavy an accent but a bit lazy, definitely coarse and brutish since he was a soldier and a farmer. Lots of slang and not big on politeness. (Which he definitely is in Japanese.)

Mey Rin

She’s interesting because she’s one of the few characters who has a couple different ways of speaking. She has her “maid” voice and her “assassin” voice. The first one stutters a lot and uses imperfect grammar, as reflected in the English translation when she repeats things, like “I’m not one to talk badly about my betters, I am.” The second does not have this quirk. Not sure if the first is meant as an affectation as part of her idea of what a maid is, or if she just has such a divide he her personality/personas that she speaks differently when she’s wielding a gun. Since that wasn’t really mentioned in her subarc, I doubt we’ll get an explanation. We do know she was likely a child of immigrants from China, but not whether she was born there or in England before she was orphaned. But it is unlikely she has any hint of a Chinese accent since she was orphaned so young. She definitely has more of a working class accent, especially when compared to someone like Sebastian.

Finny

I had momentarily forgotten that Finny didn’t speak English when he first came to the manor. It’s likely that he would have had some kind of German accent, but I expect that Sebastian would have drilled it out of him, considering how strict he was with Sieglinde and Wolf, and Ciel didn’t blink an eye.

Finny’s accent in English never struck me as particularly high class, either in the manga or anime, but in one of the recent chapters, Theo makes a point to compliment his “upper-class accent.” It does seem highly probable that Sebastian played a hand in how he speaks, since he probably was the one who taught him English.

However, the fact that it came up in this sub arc could indicate his way of speaking is significant, somehow tying into what’s going on with Undertaker and the orphanage. Either way, his accent is apparently closer to Ciel than Mey.

Snake

Snake is tricky, because he almost never speaks as himself (I’m still not 100% sure what pronoun he would use for himself in Japanese, and even he doesn’t seem sure lol). He speaks via his snakes, and they all have different ways of speaking (which I think the dub does a decent job of, personally). So I can’t really say, but for the most part I would probably say his accent(s) would be closer to working-class, but he might have gotten some lessons on speaking from Sebastian, since, as a footman, he would have been expected to speak at a higher-class level than other, below-stairs servants would.

Undertaker

Like Mey, UT has two manners of speaking. He has his “humble old undertaker” accent, which is Cockney-esque (I don’t wanna do a disservice by saying it IS that), definitely a lower class accent. Then he has his “revealed” voice, or how he speaks after he reveals himself on the Campania. I have not read this arc in Japanese so I cannot base this judgement on how this shift is portrayed by Yana, only based on the translation. But it definitely seems to be a higher-class accent than the other one. It’s likely that it’s his “real” accent, while the other is part of his cover persona. However, we don’t know anything about him or his background from when he was alive, or even how old he is. For all we know, that accent could be an affectation too.

Agni & Soma

I know their dub accents annoy a lot of people, since Yana specifically mentions how they don’t have an Indian accent. I expect both of them would speak with a British accent, probably something close to how Ciel speaks, most likely, since Soma would have been educated by tutors and Agni probably was as well, since he came from a very high-caste family. I would expect that if their dub accents has been closer to Yana’s intent, they would sound more like Hakim in the dub of the anime Emma. That’s how I imagine them, anyway.

Sieglinde & Wolfram

I expect both would have German accents when they speak English, especially Wolf. Sieglinde might do a better job of working to improve and lose it, but I don’t think Wolf would, partly because of his animosity toward Sebastian. I like to imagine he sounds like Hans in the English dub of the anime Emma, and I really hope we eventually get the Green Witch Arc animated and dubbed so we can get a hot German English accent 🥺.

Diedrich

Dee, on the other hand, I think would not have a German accent in English, especially not in the present. I think he probably was educated in English before he went to Weston, likely by a private tutor, probably someone British, and then when he went there would have acclimated to the public school assent there. So probably he would sound like Vincent did, but I expect he’d throw in some German every now and then, especially when he gets irritated, lol.

Lau

Lau is originally from China, and his accent (as far as I know?) has never been remarked upon in the manga. We also know nothing about his background except that he rose quickly and at a young age to be head of Quin-Bang. I would assume that he speaks English very well, and the only hint at his origin that I’m aware of in the Japanese is the kanji (character) for the pronoun “I” he uses, though he doesn’t pronounce it as it’s normally done in Japanese nor does he with a Chinese pronunciation. I would take this to mean he probably has little if any hint of a Chinese accent when he speaks English, and since he keeps company with nobles and was able to pass as a doctor, he likely speaks in a high-class accent.

I hope that satisfied, anon. This was a fun and different ask. I apologize I didn’t publish it sooner.

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torahoes · 8 months ago

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(IDOLiSH7) Torao Mido - An Idol's Daily Life Rabbit Chat: Part 2 - High-difficulty level florist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Tsumugi Takanashi: Good work today. Thank you for letting us join you for the variety show recording today!

Tsumugi Takanashi: The group gesture game was really exciting, wasn't it…!

Torao Mido: Your group's teamwork was truly remarkable. Yotsuba guessing Nikaido's sloth was a little too impressive!

Tsumugi Takanashi: They often play the gesture game during breaks, so they seem to be good at it! Especially with 'sloth’, which is apparently Yamato-san’s specialty…!

Torao Mido: So that's what it was. To me, he just looked like a person who had fallen over.

Tsumugi Takanashi: ŹOOĻ seemed to have a hard time with "florist", right?

Torao Mido: That's completely on Touma. When the topic is "florist", would you normally go with picking flowers as your gesture?

Tsumugi Takanashi: I- It was quite difficult, I'm sure > <

Tsumugi Takanashi: But it was wonderful to see everyone trying their best to guess and answer things like "acorn picking" or "a harvesting farmer" correctly!

Torao Mido: We wasted too much time. If we had moved on quickly, we could have gotten a better score. Haruka was frustrated about it as well.

Torao Mido: I'll make sure to train Touma for the next time.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Yes! I'm looking forward to the next time everyone plays the gesture game together.

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Tsumugi Takanashi: Thank you for letting me visit the green room after the recording! Everyone was really lively, weren't they?

Torao Mido: Yeah, I mean, when you have 11 guys gathered together...

Torao Mido: Our manager even joked that the green room suddenly felt like a boys' school during recess.

Tsumugi Takanashi:

1) You were talking with Riku-san, weren’t you?

Torao Mido: He brought back bonito flakes as a souvenir, saying it was a local specialty of the filming location. I mentioned that I might like it when we were working together as 'TEA take' and Nanase remembered that.

2) You were talking with Nagi-san, weren’t you?

Torao Mido: Rokuya had given me a Blu-ray box set of Kokona before, so he was asking me about my progress. When I said I hadn’t watched it yet, he was really excited about scheduling a viewing party.

3) Did Utsugi-san say anything else?

Torao Mido: It seems he didn't really get to hang out and have fun with friends much back in his school days, so apparently just watching us is fun for him. It would be nice if he joined the conversations more instead of just watching from the sidelines, though.

Torao Mido: You were also talking to Haruka and the others, weren't you?

Tsumugi Takanashi: I heard that a new latte art cafe opened near their school, so we were discussing that! It seems that him, Iori-san, and Tamaki-san made a few detours there together on their way back...!

Tsumugi Takanashi: They said animal-themed latte art was popular, and I was shown some photos. There was a fluffy, soft cat perched on the cup, and it was incredibly cute...!

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Torao Mido: He sent that in the ŹOOĻ group chat too. It's the one where three-dimensional bears, dogs, and whatnot are made from foam, right?

Torao Mido: So that's what's popular, huh.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Yes, I'd love to try visiting the cafe as well! Even though it feels like a shame to drink something so cute > <

Torao Mido: By that, are you pleading me to take you there?

Tsumugi Takanashi: What!? No, not at all!

Tsumugi Takanashi: I've been told the location of the cafe, so I'm sure I can go there alone without any issues.

Torao Mido: I didn't mean to suggest that I would just be escorting you there, though.

Torao Mido: As always, you're an intriguing woman.

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Torao Mido: By the way, I heard that Touma is planning to visit the IDOLiSH7 dorm sometime soon.

Torao Mido: I was invited too, but it might be difficult for me to make it due to work.

Tsumugi Takanashi: I see > < I heard that he made plans to drink with Sougo-san at the dorm while he was there to borrow his CD!

Tsumugi Takanashi: I'm also planning to drop by with some refreshments, so if you can make it, please come!

Torao Mido: Ah. Drinking with one of the Osakas? I'll make sure to warn Touma not to make any blunders.

End of Part 2.

#idolish7 translation #zool #idolish7 #i7 #ainana #id7 #rabbitchat #rabbit chat #torao mido #mido torao #i7 translation #midou torao #torao midou

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aetherspoon · 4 months ago

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Hi total stranger here sorry to jump into your inbox but I saw you mentioned a drive that allowed you to bypass the truly awful 4K uhd settings that I've literally only just heard about?

Oooo, my first ask!

So, I'll post the short version here and the long version under a cut.

The short version is simple - I have a USB UHD (4k) BluRay drive from LG. At the time I bought it, it had firmware that could be upgraded to some unofficial firmware that can avoid that garbage. That drive isn't recommended anymore, which is why I'm not bothering to give you the model number, but if you look at this site:

It will give you the list of drives that ARE recommended for this type of thing. You can even buy some pre-flashed drives from people if you don't want to mess with that.

My drive has worked fine for me, but admittedly I've only used a few UHD discs on it (and a whole lot of normal blu-rays and DVDs).

Now, the longer version is under the cut, including one of my patented totally normal (blatant sarcasm tag here) analogies that still somehow work.

-----

I'm going to use an analogy here, because that's how I explain tech.

Let's pretend your Blu-Ray (regardless of whether it is UHD/4k or not - see my notes at the end for a fun fact) is a VIP performing at your exclusive club called Blu-Ray Drive. You'd think that, because you own the club, you can watch the VIP perform, right?

Wrong.

You see, the club has a bouncer by the name of AACS. Every VIP insists on one of their bouncers being at the club, deciding who to let in and what they get to do. The bouncer doesn't actually work for you, they work for the VIP, and no VIP will come to your club if you don't have one of their bouncers.

Also, just for more paranoia, every VIP will have its own list of who and what to allow, along with where they're allowed to stand. Each time you have a new VIP come to your club, they give their own list; if the bouncer sees the list is newer, they throw away all of the old lists and only keep the newest one. On top of that, AACS is a nationalist asshole that decided to only allow people from their own country in, because the VIPs want to charge people differently based on their nationality.

The VIPs even require some fancier clubs to have a courier continually delivering them new lists (this is where that UHD/4k Internet connection thing comes from).

All of the stuff you want is inside of that club, but the bouncer won't let you in because you're not on the list (and might not even from the right country). And you can't just sack the bouncer because then no VIP will play at your club.

You heard of another problem at a similar club (Club DVD), where their more local VIPs required them to hire a bouncer named CSS. However, CSS wasn't paid very well, was near sighted, and never bothered to update the list; all of your friends just called themselves "Maria Wang" and CSS let them in. Your VIPs know about that though, so they insist on the updating list thing and giving their bouncers eye exams. So what do you do?

Simple. You call a buddy and they kool-aid man through the back wall of your club shouting OH YEAH!, of course.

This is a completely logical analogy, I know. I should really commission an artist to draw this.

This buddy is called LibreDrive. Your VIPs still have their bouncer - anyone who doesn't know about the secret entrance still goes through the bouncer. The people who do know - including you and your friends - just go through the secret entrance instead. The VIP company is none the wiser.

-----

Now that my completely logical analogy is over, what does this actually mean tech-wise?

The way DVDs work is by using an encryption technology called CSS. However, in late 1999, someone figured out how to break the encryption, mostly because they did a really lazy job in making it to begin with. This is DeCSS. There were huge lawsuits, poetry made using source code, a whole lot of weird things. Today, we don't even need DeCSS; the encryption on DVDs are so bad that a modern computer can brute force decrypt it in seconds.

Fundamentally, both DVDs and blu-rays work the same way. There is a portion of the disc (DVD or blu-rays) that no drive is allowed to directly read. This contains the encryption information for the rest of the data on the disc. That encryption information is used by the player as to what is and isn't allowed to read the disc and what parts they ARE allowed to read. This is also where region locking comes in, where it checks what region your drive is set to and allows/denies discs to play based on that region; this is called CSS. If you are old enough to remember the bad old days of WinDVD and PowerDVD, those applications had encryption keys allowed by the DVD drive to play back the video content on the drive.

Anyone remember those cheap knock-off "region free" DVD players that used to be really common in the 2000s? They just ignored CSS entirely; the drives themselves can still read all of the data on the disc, it was just CSS telling the drive what it could or couldn't read.

Anyway, the movie studios, seeing their "beautiful creation" get ripped apart like that, wanted to make sure that it didn't happen the same way with their next technology.

Where blu-ray differs from DVDs is how it isn't using CSS at all, but something called AACS instead. It makes this list into a continually updating list; every time your drive (whether it is in a computer or a standalone player!) sees a new disc, it checks that hidden encryption information for a list of what is and isn't allowed to access the drive. If the list on the disc is of a newer version than what the drive currently has in its firmware, the disc will actually flash the firmware of your blu-ray drive with the new allow/deny list. Then it checks again - does the firmware match what the disc has? If so, it continues. If not, it refuses to play no matter what. From there, the rest of the process is basically the same, checking any player for a list of keys allowed to play it. If it sees a key not allowed (say, your ripping software), it says no and stops everything from reading it.

Unlike DVDs with CSS, these keys are actually pretty darn secure... and even if they weren't, studios would just release an updated allow/deny list and suddenly your computer can't rip discs anymore because the latest version of Frozen came out.

UHD (4k) blu-ray players take this one step further and just continually update that allow/deny list across the Internet rather than waiting for new discs to update that allow/deny list. This is why a standalone UHD blu-ray player needs WiFi, by the way. It isn't used for anything else.

So... how to avoid it? You could use a leaked key and basically hope that it isn't updated. This is how most blu-ray ripping software works, which is also why they need continual updating while movie studios play cat and mouse. And with UHD content, that's a really tiny window of time that you can do unauthorized things with the drive.

Remember our surprise tool - the drive itself still has to be able to read everything, it is just AACS stopping us. If we can somehow just get a drive to not care about AACS, we'd have access to everything we care about.

LibreDrive is a custom firmware that basically lets all of the above still happen, but any program aware of LibreDrive can just use it to access the full disc. It acts as an intermediary between the physical drive itself and software on your computer, similar to AACS itself. Like the analogy said, you're kool-aid manning a security hole into the drive's encryption. AACS is still happy because it can still update its firmware allow/deny list, you just bypass AACS entirely. Every byte of data on the blu-ray is accessible to whatever programs know about this security hole, which includes programs like MakeMKV and anything using the open source (and illegalish - see below) LibDriveIo library. Fun fact, you can just copy that library in to VLC and it'll use it.

Unfortunately, you can't just flash LibreDrive onto any drive. Basically, someone needs to be able to read the existing firmware on a drive in order to know what to modify to open up that security hole. This means you need specific drives on specific versions of firmware to flash LibreDrive.

The industry, however, caught on to this. They started requiring drive manufacturers to encrypt their firmware, so some newer revisions of drives that used to work now don't - this is the case with my drive.

And that's... the rest of the story.

Now, my notes:

You know how I said UHD/4k and regular blu-rays work the same? Yeah, it isn't just that they work the same - sometimes they're actually the exact same drive. Some regular blu-ray drives can actually read UHD discs, they're just not allowed to by AACS because "fuck you that's why". LibreDrive can work around that, too.

Illegalish? Well, circumventing copy protection isn't allowed under the US's Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), outside of specific scenarios. And the US's copyright laws tend to get copied over to a lot of other countries as a result of the trade deals they make with each other, hence "illegalish". You make your own moral call, my morality says that personal use to rip your own media should have always been legal and I should be able to play a Brazilian version of the Phantom Menace if I want to.

Some additional source reading material: https://forum.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18856 for "What is LibreDrive", which explains the same thing I did but without my fun analogy and using more technical terms. It also includes the full list of drive firmware that works with LibreDrive.

#I guess I should have an ask tag?#ask aetherspoon #DRM #DRM Bullshit #technology #blu ray

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episodicnostalgia · 8 days ago

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Episodic Nostalgia: 2025

Well, here we are! Only time will tell what new-and-exciting atrocities/human rights violations we have to look forward to as the new year unveils itself to us, but in the mean time I’ll be carrying on here with more reviews of my favourite state sanctioned propagand- I mean, tv shows from my childhood. Last year I completed the first seasons of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation,’ and ‘Spider-man: The Animated Series’ respectively, before deciding to take a break from both shows, just to keep things fresh around here. As for what’s next, I’ll be following a similar format, alternating between two different series (one live action, and one animated), namely:

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: When I first started this blog, my approach was much less structured, casually jumping back and forth between Star Trek series, with DS9 initially being one of the primary focusses. I reviewed eight episodes before committing to TNG and Spider-man, so it makes sense to pick up where I left off. With ten episodes remaining, I figure I might as well complete the first season while I decide what to do next. Besides, I love that show, so it’s not exactly a hard sell for me.

Batman: The Animated Series: While it wasn't the strongest episode, 'Christmas With the Joker' was a lot of fun to review, and I’ve been meaning to revisit this series ever since I got the Blu Ray boxed set a few years ago. Although, unlike Spider-man, I may take a slightly more lax approach in the order I review them. The Beauty of this series is how effectively each entry stands on its own (with the exception of a few two-parters), so I may skip or jump ahead to certain episodes as I see fit.

To follow up on that last paragraph, I’ve also been considering switching between different animated series more frequently. I expect I’ll stick with Batman for the duration of the DS9 reviews, but I could foresee a point where my Saturday morning cartoon selection becomes more sporadic. Additionally, I’m toying with the idea of more-regularly deviating away from strict episode reviews, similar to some of the “reading break” posts I did last year, but I have nothing concrete planned in that arena for the time being. That being said, If anyone ever finds themselves interested in my opinions over anything even loosely connected to the theme of this blog, feel free to reach out, or ask a question. Obviously, I reserve the right to disregard any suggestions/questions I find disrespectful, or irrelevant, but this kind of stuff is always more fun when other people are engaged.

Anyways, the next review drops on Friday where I’ll be picking up with the somewhat-infamous Deep Space Nine episode, “Move Along Home.” See you then!

#star trek deep space nine #batman the animated series #new year 2025 #general update #ds9 season 1 #star trek ds9 #star trek #batman tas #retro tv #dc animation #batman #new year #episodic nostalgia

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amplesalty · 1 month ago

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Christmas 2024 - Day 2 - Violent Night (2022)

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

...two snifters of brandy!

Much like Red One is getting a lot of attention this year (though apparently not so much at the box office), I recall there being a lot of talk around Violent Night a couple of years ago and, whilst I didn't see it at the time, it was one I tucked away in the back of my mind to cover on here. I probably had it earmarked to watch last year actually but, you know, old twofer over here had to skip out early. With the name and move poster I was initially worried this might be a horror movie that I'd have to put off until next year but this falls into the action genre with some comedy mixed in. Director Tommy Wirkola is someone I have stashed on the horror list in the shape of 2009's Dead Snow but looking at his other work, 'Spermageddon' might have just earned a place on my watchlist as well from the name alone. Violent Night opens with a disgruntled mall Santa taking a quick break on Christmas Eve to knock back a few brewskis and rant to a fellow patron about 'those damn kids' who don't even believe in the spirit of Christmas anymore, they're just take, take, take and only want Santa so he can deliver them some video games. As Alfred once taught us, there's a lot of bad isms floating around this world but one of the worst is commercialism. Erm, actually, I'm pretty sure racism is worse but maybe that's just me. The bar tender thinks she's going to have a job on her hands when he goes to leave but ends up taking a door that leads to the roof. When she goes to find him, she finds the roof empty but up in the sky…could it be?!

It is!

The majesty is lost a little when he promptly throws up seconds later, his chunks landing squarely on her head.

Meanwhile, seperated couple Jason, Linda and their daughter Trudy are visiting Jason's family home for the holiday's and it proves to be an icy affair despite being surrounded by such oppulence. As part of the wealthy Lightstone family, Jason's sister is vying to be the center of attention in their mother's eyes in the hope of being selected as the next in line to run the family business and inherit the power and wealth that comes with that title.

Santa just so happens to be passing back and makes his way down one of the many fireplaces in this grand mansion but, much like John McClane in Die Hard, Santa is in the wrong place at the wrong time as a band of mercanaries siege control of the house, killing the hired help and taking the Lighstone family hostage. At least Santa is still wearing shoes when all this goes down. For this is just one in a long line of 'It's like Die Hard but…' movies that brought us such classics as Die Hard but on a boat (Under Siege), Die Hard but on a train (Under Siege 2: Dark Territory) and Die Hard but in a football stadium (Final Score). This time we have Die Hard but it's a Christmas movie. No, wait, Die Hard but Santa is John McClane.

There's all sorts of little nods to the film along the way, such as Santa's use of a walkie talkie, a character named Al and Santa's 'Naughty or Nice list' serving as a checklist of sort of the baddies that are still alive. Sort of like that list that McClane makes as he's piecing together all of Hans' associates. I'm pretty sure the film even gets name dropped at one point when Santa pulls out 'Die Hard on blu-ray' whilst searching in his magic sack for a weapon.

There's also an extended homage to Home Alone which grated on me a little at first as it felt like a bit of a tonal shift and a bit too on the nose of a reference but they manage to save it by making use of their more adult rating to push the boat out a little on the violence. There's even a kill which Kevin couldn't even manage in 2 when he was lobbing bricks off rooftops, tricking people into dunking their flaming heads into flammable liquids and electrocuting people. Quite frankly, I'm ready to declare this as a new alternate Christmas classic alongside the likes of Die Hard, Home Alone or Lethal Weapon. The thing just oozes charm, the action is great, lots of funny moments, it had me invested in the characters and even got a bit schmoltzy at times which I'm not opposed to in a Christmas movie. That little deaf Dutch girl in Miracle on 34th Street gets me every time…

Santa is a total badass here but is also shown to be mortal and susceptable to injury. The suggestion seems to be that because he's grown so weary of the job, he's lost a little bit of that Christmas magic that is presumably kept him alive all these years. It adds a lot of weight to each fight that he gets involved in and feels like it has an element of that 'war of attrition' thing that McClane goes through where he's really fucked up by the end of the movie. The fights really lean into the thematic elements as well with nearby ornaments and decorations being used as makeshift weapons. Garotting someone with fairy lights, anyone? There's always a Christmas song to soundtrack the occasion too, including a Bryan Adams song I wasn't aware was a thing. Adds an interesting layer of juxtoposition as you've got this cheerful music accompanying brutal violence.

Luigi Mario himself, John Lguizamo, has a great turn as the main villain who starts off playing up to the occasions with all sorts of Christmas referneces, he's essentially doing schtick whilst his guys murder a whole bunch of dudes. But we also learn of Christmas essentially being responsible for his super villain esque origin story. At least he has something of a moustache here unlike Luigi, even if it's just stubble. Seriously, how did they fuck that up? You gave Bob Hoskins a moustache!

I feel like their showdown at the end could have had a better one liner to go out on. I was getting vibes of that 'Call an ambulance' meme: "The last Christmas…" "But not for me!" I totally called that ending as well, Pokemon The First Movie ass motherfuckers. If you haven't seen this one yet, absolutely go watch it. I can easily see this earning a place in people's holiday rotation for years to come alongside the classics. Sure it's a little derivative but I think the fact you're throwing Santa into this situation just adds a ton of novelty value and it's just tons of fun from beginning to end.

#Christmas 2024 #Violent Night

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nelson-riddle-me-this · 5 months ago

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COLUMBO THOUGHTS:

s1e2 "Death Lends A Hand"

Okay so kinda big deal bc I'd skipped this episode in my dedicated series watch I started last year! Not on purpose, but the way I was watching e1 & 2 of season 1 were lumped into one big video file and so I forgot it existed. So really delightful to return to early Columbo and with an episode that was new to me!!

SPOILERS BELOW (for this episode and the other 2 Culp appearances)

As far as performances from series favorite Robert Culp this might be my fave of his! Like he's always exceptionally good at being mean and stern and being annoyed with Columbo, but something about the intensity of this feels different.

With how methodical and premeditated Culp's other two murders are, this one being a 'crime of passion'/manslaughter surprised me. Also THE SLOW-MO GLASS BREAKING AND HER FALLING!!! Like it's visually so cool. And very novel. The overlay shot where we see what Culp does after killing her, but as two different reflections in his glasses on an unmoving face - is very cool. It goes on a bit long, but it's very cool and I expect would be especially novel for audiences in 1971.

The score is by 4-time early Columbo composer Gil Mellé. It's got the spooky quasi-aleatoric spacey murder music thing, and a definite jazz flavor. Both me and the jazzer friend I watched it with were a bit thrown by the sudden capital juh-Jazz that starts when Culp gets into his car after killing this poor woman. Not that *J*azz is inappropriate for that moment, but something about that specific cue undermined the shock and weight of the sequence before. Maybe that's what they wanted, but I doubt it. I hear the blu-ray set that's out has versions of these episodes without music. It'd be a fun project to rescore some of these and fix some of those things that bother me.

Loved the detail of Culp knowing the name of one of his P.I.'s kids - just the sort of detail that helps a story feel 'lived-in'. I was shocked by Columbo playing up the astrology and palm-reading stuff LOL. The show depicts that sort of thing from time to time, but I don't remember Columbo himself hyping it outside of this. Of course it's part of the act to lower their guard, to make them think he's a fool, and as an excuse to get what he's really after (in this case examining the killer's hand and ring).

Ray Milland is fun to see, though part of me thinks he's not quite right in the role. He's not especially sympathetic somehow, which is maybe why they brought him back as a killer in "The Greenhouse Jungle". Some really great comic moments - Columbo complimenting Culp as being a 'man of purpose and intent' and immediately walking into a _closet_ is HILARIOUS. Lots of fun moments too with him snuffing out the golf instructor our victim had an affair with. I also thought it was hilarious that the golf instructor kinda lamely admits that he's not even really good at golf, pulling in women is the only thing he's decent at. Which like wouldn't be so bad if we felt he was a thoroughly charming person. But like it reads less as 'local rich women can't get enough of this studly golf instructor' and 'well I'm not really interested in the golf anyway, and at least he's not my husband - so I guess it's exciting enough. I can tell my bookclub friends I slept with my golf instructor and then I'll be cool.'...

The 'gotchya' is effective and satisfying. The mechanics of it are a bit paint-by-numbers. But this was so early in the run, it probably wouldn't have seemed so if I'd watched it in order. Still, the 'trick the killer into searching for evidence and catch them in the act of that' is worn. But also there's only so many ways for this all to play out!

Good episode, good early Columbo. Also shoutout to the victim cuz how she confronts Culp at his beach house is SOOO SATISFYING!!

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thefloatingstone · 2 years ago

Note

Do you think anime today are made with too many safety nets? Like gone are the days where something experimental or risky (risky in terms of something not seen before)

Yes but I think it's also a ratio thing.

In the entirety of the 80s, 256 were released. In 2022 ALONE 106 anime were released. There is a VAST amount more anime released today, and as a result, a good majority of it is extremely "safe" from a business point of view.

However I think the biggest culprit for this is simply one of money. 1980s Japan was going through an INSANE economic boom. On top of this, the "Straight to VHS" market hit the scene in 1983, which enabled anime to be able to show things which were technically illegal for Japanese broadcasting. Because straight to video anime were not technically broadcasted. This is why OVA from this time period tend to be as hyper-violent and sexual as they are. It was the first time anime actually had the medium in which it could show those things and this new freedom had many anime studios go to an extreme just to explore these new possibilities.

These days, anime animators are paid less than what's considered the legal minimum wage in Japan. But because anime is such a huge profit for Japan, the Japanese government overlooks the breaking of worker's rights. Animators in japan have not had a wage increase since the late 90s, and many of the artists who work on animation make about $400 to $500 a month. While also being expected to live in Tokyo (one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in) and essentially work 24/7 to make deadline. It's reaching a point where, because the people funding anime do NOT want to spend more money but their animators are actively dying from being overworked, have started outsourcing the animation part of anime to overseas studios like the Philippines because they don't have to pay as much. Or their NEW fun little tactic which is to hire amatuer animators off twitter from young kids who REALLY want to work in anime as their dream who are easier to exploit and misuse because they are young, inexperienced, passionate and naive. WATCH OUT FOR THIS. It's becoming more common.

Most larger anime shows also know their main money won't come from broadcast or even blu-ray sales (although Blu-ray sales are EXTREMELY important as far as an anime's success goes) the REAL money comes from merchandise sales or a push of sales in gacha games that are tied to the anime in question. Basically the way Pokemon works at this point. Where the games only exist to justify the existence of merchandise.

So the producers of anime want shows that they know will translate well into merchandise sales. The big merchandise target which these companies like tend to be men aged 18 - 25 who don't yet have families of their own. Because they tend to have a lot more disposable income. However, as things have changed and shows like Sailor Moon have proven, women are also willing to spend large amounts of money on merch. But due to the social structure of Japan, statistically women are less likely to spend the same amount of money because society pressures them more to work towards starting families and focusing their money on building households. (something Japan itself puts extreme pressure on especially with their declining birthrate but even before this just through their traditional family values).

This is why if you compare the amount of shoujo and Josei anime that come out per year versus the amount of Shounen and Seinen anime, it's not even CLOSE in numbers. And what shows MIGHT appeal to women just as men tend to still have cute girls in them to push figurine sales.

It's created an extremely hostile environment where artists simply do not have the means to actually be creative because they are being bled dry for no money.

BUT, because of the sheer number of anime that release per year, it IS more likely to have hidden gems come out made by people who genuinely have a great passion for what they make. It's just that before these would be the anime that outshines everybody else, but because there is just SO MUCH shovelware anime, it can be a little harder to see in the crowd of 5000 isekai and gacha anime.

The industry is not in a great place right now in terms of a creative environment. But it doesn't mean quality isn't there. It's just the quality anime won't be the "biggest" anime of the season or the most talked about or the one you see the most merch for.

Except for Mob Psycho 100. MP100 is GENUINELY one of the best anime to come out in the last 10 years. It uses experimental mixed media in its animation, the animation itself is top tier, and its story and characters are extremely unique for the anime medium.

ALSO! there is an anime coming out for one of my favourite current running manga "Kaiju No. 8". Monster Number 8 is part of a new breed of manga that's part of a branch of Shounen Jump called "Jump+". Shounen Jump has for DECADES demanded its manga writers provide a chapter PER WEEK for publishing. Similarly to anime, this bleeds manga artists dry and leaves them often with debilitating health conditions due to overwork (I have a manga by Satoshi Kon where he talks about getting Jaundice while making the comic due to overwork).

Jump+ on the otherhand works differently. The manga do NOT update per week but have larger gaps between updates with short breaks sometimes by the artists.

AND GUESS WHAT???

IT MEANS THE QUALITY OF THE MANGA HAVE GONE UP!

WHAT A SHOCK!

Anyway apparently Kaiju No. 8 is getting an anime adaptation and I am extremely excited.

(He's upset because he pissed through his nipples on the street)

Seriously tho. Kaiju No. 8 is about a 30 something year old dude who works as "monster clean up" which is basically the guys who have to mop up the guts of whatever Kaiju the heroes blew up that week.

until he accidentally becomes exposed to something which gives him the ability to shapeshift into a monster. He reapplies to the Kaiju-fighting division being one year under the cut-off age, an entrance exam he has failed multiple times in the past, but gets in this time (but barely iirc. It's been a while since I read the beginning. (of course if the defense division ever sees him in his monster form they will kill him which is probably not the smartest career move but I mean WHAT ELSE IS HE SUPPOSED TO DO?)

AND THEN THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP HAPPENS.

Where his hero buddies who find out he is also a kaiju have to help him BOTH fight the monsters attacking the city while ALSO keeping his powers a secret from the OTHER officers in the division. Specifically his best friend who then pushes himself to be BETTER at the defense thing specifically so his friend (who's named Kafka by the way because of course) won't transform to protect him and potentially get himself killed by the defense division.

It's so good. Please... I am weak for power of friendship stories....

Everybody protects each other and care about each other so much...

I just hope the anime can get something good out, because already from the sneak peaks we've seen, the quality seems to be the same level of mid most major anime have these days. But hey. At least it's not CG.

#C-Puff answers #long post

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adamwatchesmovies · 1 year ago

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Colossal (2016)

Colossal deals with several subjects that, in a straightforward story, would be off-putting. By sneaking them into a science-fiction kaiju film, it gives you a lot to think about when you least expect it.

Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is a mess. After her boyfriend breaks up with her, she returns to her hometown and reconnects with her childhood friend-turned bartender Oscar (Jason Sudeikis). She struggles even harder than before to reign in her alcoholism just as a giant bipedal kaiju appears in Seoul, South Korea.

As you might guess from the poster, this is a movie about a woman who discovers she’s able to control a giant monster halfway across the world like it’s a motion-capture suit. It’s an unusual premise. You’re immediately intrigued. The monster only appears when she walks through a specific playground a little after 8:00 am. Why would a grown woman be in that one spot? Because she’s been up all night drinking and hanging out with a bunch of losers. If Gloria were a person whose life was tidier, it would be a non-issue. Unfortunately, the colossal beast is a problem specifically because Gloria is an alcoholic whose life has been defined by one bad decision after another.

From there, you could go in several directions. Colossal chooses to start talking about toxic masculinity, marital abuse, and the way cataclysms/tragedies in faraway countries can feel like they’re not even real. I bet you didn’t see that coming.

As Gloria comes to grips with the fact that she accidentally killed hundreds of people and demolished a good chunk of a city - albeit accidentally - she finally decides to sober up and get her act together. Unfortunately, Oscar takes issue with her change in attitude. She never explicitly said that she wanted a new boyfriend but Tim (Dan Stevens) kind of broke up with her and that left her where? Living all alone, in an empty house with no job. The way Oscar sees it, he came to her rescue and now, she owes him.

The smart thing about Colossal is that Oscar doesn't show his true colours immediately. He’s genuinely helpful when they first reconnect. Gloria’s a mess. She needs a wake-up call, a job and support. Oscar provides some of those but ultimately, wants her to stay weak. As long as she is, she will continuously need his "help”. When he figures out the connection between the playground at 8:05 a.m. and South Korea, the people there become the children imprisoned in an abusive marriage. If Gloria doesn’t do exactly what he tells her to, who knows what Oscar might do to them. Would he be willing to do what he does if those people spoke English or lived in North America? probably, but some of the early-movie goofy antics wouldn’t have happened, that’s for sure. What started off as something absurd "over there" now hits home.

Colossal is a mashup of genres whose mix says more than it could have if it were conventional. Most giant monster movies bring up environmental issues or remind us of how small we are; they don’t zoom in on a single person and ask you to re-examine their character based on how "helpful" they are. This means it doesn’t contain the giant monster tropes you would expect but that’s a good thing. The people who should see this movie wouldn’t have walked into it if what it was really about was advertised on the poster and for the rest, it’s a terrific surprise that’s subtle and smart. The ending is particularly clever and satisfying, though it does overexplain things a little bit too much. That’s the only flaw in the film.

Colossal is expertly acted, with Hathaway delivering a particularly strong performance and Sudeikis playing a creep so well it might make you suspicious of his future characters. It's smartly written, deep, thrilling, and unexpectedly fun considering the issues it tackles. (On Blu-ray, June 10, 2021)

#colossal #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews #Nacho Vigalondo #Anne Hathaway #Jason Sudeikis #Dan Stevens #Austin Stowell #Tim Blake Nelson #2016 movies #2016 films

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ajstudio · 9 months ago

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Abridgecard finds Cocaine Bear.

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Alucard is getting the hang of the changes in society after rematerializing back into existence. While paying a visit to the Goodwill store Abridged Alucard finds a unique little gem.

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Abridgecard: Why are we here? There's a Michael's on the other side of this place.

Persephone: They are closed due to inventory. While it breaks my heart that one of my favorite stores is closed I would be passing up an opportunity to repurpose some old goodwill rags into some real gems. There's nothing better than getting some good fabric for a steal!

Abridgecard: What about Hobby Lobby? Don't they sell fabrics? Or did they stop while I was gone?

Persephone: Oh, no. They still sell fabrics. I'm just checking here first before I go there since I know I'll be there longer.

Abridgecard: Ah!

Persephone: My cousin's art teacher found this expensive blouse for $5. I found some workout pants from Glein Clein for $6 a pair when they'd be worth $50 if I bought them online. And when I am not looking for clothes to wear I find clothes made of good material I can use to make purses, shirts, and pants. I even made my prom dress out of clothes from the Goodwill store in my area.

Abridgecard: *reacts to some of the items at the store as he makes his way to the section with the VHS, DVDs, Blu-rays, and videogame *Can-can girl teapot, Pig Cleaning Lady Cookie Jar, The Muppets plush dolls, Pacman arcade game, pictures, Sophia (Golden Girls) Bust Bank, a hippo Bhuda statue doing yoga, grinning mugs, and a duck wearing a pope hat*

Abridgecard: Oh, Vampire Knight. Of course, they would be in a Goodwill store because no one wants to keep those books any more than their Twilight novels. OH, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT! It's Twilight! Let's see. We have one. Two. Three copies of Twilight. Four Eclipses. Two Breaking Dawns. And one New Moon. Any me novels? Hey, it's the untitled goose game for the Switch. *Turns around to find a Pacman arcade game* Oh, that's so cool- Aw, it's not working!

Old Lady: The Pacman Game? I wanted it for my laundry mat to entertain my customers but the people that work here say it's not working.

Abridgecard: Wait! Wait! Wait a minute! Why donate it if it's not working?

Old Lady: Decoration, maybe? Someone might want it for their man cave. Or gamer cave. I don't know what gamers call their gaming room these days.

Abridgecard: Huh? What's this? *looks at the case and reads the title* Cocaine Bear? *snickers* Are you fucking real!? Is it about a bear doing drugs? *reads the back* 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Oh, fuck! This shit sounds hilarious! Oh, shit! I left my wallet at home! *spots Persephone at the checkout counter*

Goodwill Employee: Would you like to make a donation to St. Jude's Children's Hospital?

Persephone: Yes, please.

Goodwill Employee: Oh, you have three DVDs. Is there another one you'd like? It's buy three get one free.

Abridgecard: *slaps the DVD on the counter* I will have this one!

Persephone: 🤭😂😂🤭 (He timed that perfectly.)

Abridgecard: Please do this for me. I left my wallet at home.

Persephone: What did you pick? *looks at the cover* Oh, my goodness!

Abridgecard: *bends over to whisper in her ear* We are watching this tonight.

Persephone: Did you check to see if the disc is *opens the case* Oh! The disc is inside case.

Abridgecard: Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?

Persephone: Sometimes people will donate the case without double-checking if the disc is inside. I learned this the hard way with a Celine Dion album that was missing the CD.

Goodwill Employer: That happens a lot here.

Persephone: Or the case might have the wrong item inside. I bought a copy of a game my friend lost only to find out last minute the case contained a completely different disc inside.

Abridgecard: What was the game?

Persephone: I wanted to get Warriors Orochi for the PS2 for my cousin. But the case contained a Dora game for the Wii.

Abridgecard and Goodwill Employer: Ooooooo!

Goodwill Employer: It wasn't even for the right console!

Abridgecard: You know what. I think some kid might swapped the game out of the case with his sister's and taken off with it.

Goodwill Employer: Oh, that's probably what happened.

Abridgecard: Also, why don't you just double-check the cases before putting them on the shelves?

Goodwill Employer: I don't know, but I guess I could make a habit of it starting now. I'll check once someone takes over my shift.

Abridgecard : Hey, here's an idea. Why don't you just take all the mismatched games and movies, hand them out on April Fools Day, and tell everyone there're mystery boxes?

Persephone: Or you could just sell the cases themselves and sell the games and DVDs separately? But what you could put them in if they don't have a case?

Old Lady: Would you hurry it up? I've been waiting here for fifteen minutes already!

Persephone: Oh, I'm sorry! I'll be done right this instant. *hands over Cocaine Bear to the Goodwill Man* I'll be taking this.

Abridgecard: I also want this. *sets down the pope duck*

Persephone: Oh, it's cute! Did you name him yet? *hands the duck to the cashier and then realizes Alucard could've just warped back home to get his wallet*

As Alucard and Persephone leave the checkout counter, Alucard notices an old woman handing the cashier a DVD called The Diary of an Angry Black Woman with an old black African woman on the cover.

Abridgecard: The Diary of an Angry Black Woman? I wonder who passed off the old lady.

Persephone: Oh, did you see another movie you wanted to watch?

Abridgecard: Nah! Just looking at the stuff the old laundry mat lady bought.

Persephone: You know, I've seen that movie, the sequels, and the plays.

Abridgecard: Really?

Persephone: Oh, yes. My friends and I used to watch them. The first two movies were a big part of our teenage years. They were hilarious, but the scriptwriter Tyler Perry, who also plays Madea the old black woman on the cover, isn't afraid to tackle the touchy issues that an older generation would just try to swipe under the rug.

Abridgecard: Oh!

Persephone: To best describe Madea in a way you would understand, Alucard, if I had to pick a spirit animal for you Madea would be the perfect choice.

Abridgecard: Oh, now I need to see this movie! *pulls out Cocaine Bear* Right after we watch this!

Persephone: Well, the good thing is I already own most of the DVDs. My favorites are Boo 1 & 2, the Christmas Specials, and Madea Goes to Jail.

Abridgecard: Well, I guess it was bound to happen.

Persephone: I just want to give you a heads-up about the Madea movies. Despite what the trailers and covers may imply, the movies also focus on a family member of Madea's or someone she'll meet later on and the challenges they face. Madea can be a bit of a troublemaker and probably should have been locked up a long time ago. But just like a good family elder, she offers guidance when they need it. She's kinda like you.

Abridgecard: Are you saying I should be in jail?

Persephone: I wasn't trying to imply that. But realistically, the inmates wouldn't be safe with you. You would probably be put in solitary confinement.

Abridgecard: That's not nice.

Persephone: I'd come visit you.

Abridgecard: But would you break me out?

Persephone: No.

Abridgecard: Ow!

Persephone: But I could afford it I'd bail you out and I'd visit you until I could.

Abridgecard: And with that, you're forgiven.

Persephone and Alucard spent two hours indulging in their leisure activities. Persephone spent her time examining fabrics and restocking her art supplies, while Alucard followed her around with two garden gnomes. They then had a double movie night where they watched Cocaine Bear and Madea Goes to Jail. While watching the movies, Alucard was reminded of his past experiences of hijacking lifting cranes while performing his crazy antics.

#hellsing #alucard #persephone #Vlad Alucard #Abridgecard #Aridged Vlad Alucard #Persephone Anastasia Phoenix #Mercy Eleanor Zuckerman #Cocaine Bear #Hellsing Ultimate Abridged #Madea Simmons #Mabel Simmons #Tyler Perry

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sleepymarmot · 1 year ago

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Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

Wanted to watch this on Christmas, but I was too busy with an entirely different story about a baby abandoned and found on Christmas Eve and improbable coincidences. Then I decided to make it my first new film of the new year: it had been on my watchlist for more than a decade, so finally checking it off would be an auspicious start for 2024. I didn’t realize the movie’s events started on Christmas but ended on New Year, so turns out, I didn’t miss the time window after all.

It feels like this film should be a hit on Tumblr. Found family of marginalized misfits? I’m surprised it’s not a staple of the winter holiday season over here.

Especially since it has some things in common with a Tumblr (and my own) favorite, Disco Elysium. Self-hating alcoholic who missed his chance to become a family man; his queer companion, with some amount of romantic tension between them; a kid who’d rather spend time on the street than with dad at home; a mystery that has to be solved as soon as possible; an odyssey through the eclectic and neglected spaces of a city that seems to be a character in itself; finding hope in the middle of hardship and beauty among rubble and garbage. Even the style seems similar.

The environments might be my favorite thing about the film; beautiful, stylish, detailed and realistic yet harmonically coexisting with the more cartoonish characters. (This short article on Substack has some interesting info about it; I plan to watch the Blu-ray documentary feature that served as one of the sources, but not right now.)

I spent all of my brain power on processing the language and didn’t have much left to properly appreciate the story, so I don’t have anything original to say here. I was slightly bored at the beginning, and started to get into the film more when the protagonists encountered the yakuza and the impossible coincidences started piling up. I imagine the story would have been quite bleak if it stayed realistic.

Maybe I was too tired, but the plot stopped making sense at the end. So who abandoned the baby? Sachiko? Why would she kidnap the baby to raise it as her own, then abandon it, then try to run away with it again?

Interesting that all three characters are homeless by choice; all of them have people to come back to. They aren’t exiled from their families, they have exiled themselves. Their misery is caused not only by society’s failure to care for its vulnerable members, but also by their own guilt, shame, and fear. They cannot bring themselves to face their past, until fate forces them to do so. Their Christmas miracle is to reunite with the people who still love them and want them back in their lives. I think that in a story made by a left-leaning writer today, the protagonists would declare that the found family is the only real family they need, and would be far more resentful of characters like the doctor who told Gin to fix his life himself. This film seems uninterested in society as a net of systems and institutions that traps people in rigid roles, and more interested in it as a collection of diverse individuals who stumble upon each other’s paths, usually without understanding but also usually without malice. The film’s approach to social justice is to humanize the downtrodden, instead of condemning the system that left them in that condition. Perhaps it’s just an earlier stage of the same artistic process? Anyway, in the middle of the current “eat the rich” fad (which, to me, seems pretty hypocritical coming from directors and producers who are rich themselves), it’s nice to watch a story that doesn’t waste screen time on toothless satire and instead spends it on character development for the protagonists.

This is the second time within the last couple of years that I watched the work of a previously favorite anime director after an enormously long break. Your Name made me question my respect for Shinkai; Tokyo Godfathers, on the other hand, did not disappoint me in Kon — only made me mourn him all over again. I’m pretty sure I first made a note of this film with the intent to watch it back when he was still alive. Strange how a life-affirming story whose optimism relies on realism-defying eucatastrophes, in the end, reminded me how fucking unfair the real world is.

#tokyo godfathers #liveblogs and reviews #blah blah blah

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