#wanted to watch a ghibli movie in the background while i draw

[ganondoodle]

dont know what part of my brain does it but that awful moment when you want to do something and before everythings been fine and you have been feeling fine but that thing just unexpectedly doesnt work and you dont know why or what to do about it so suddendly you are at the height of your frustration limit within seconds

[doxiedreg]

Ask game: 2, 7, 22? :]

2. what's your favorite thing about your style I absolutely love the way I render things and how colorful and vibrant my art is! And! How I try to make the background a real environment for the character featured in it, even if abstract. I know that's 3 things but I think i deserve a lil confidence boost for myself 7. show us a WIP

god I have so many abandoned art pieces and also just concept sketches to visualise ideas. I'll throw in a few here, this is a question that can be asked multiple times

old thorn sketches im still very fond off, especially that big headshot

attempt number 300 to create a behemoth form for thorn that im satisfied with, i dont know why it's so fucking hard. I am not 100 percent happy with this one either. I just want him to feel unique, massive and heavy with some bull and big cat influence. I also want to include tusks since in mythology the behemoth is often elephant like

Vampire demon lord Thorn AU because i love putting my favorite boy in different constumes. again not satisfied with this design. Also haven't rped it in a while so my muse for it is gone at the moment but maybe it will come back some day. This thorn is so fucking angsty and bitter you have no idea. Has so many huge walls around his heart If you want to see more wips/unfinished graveyard pieces you guys will just have to send ask number 7 again 22. what inspires you? In my childhood, the dragonology books were a huge passion and creative influence for me. Especially the illustrations by douglas carrel. Another book illustrator that i was kinda obsessed with was chriss riddell, just love how detailed their illustrations are Ghibli studio's style I always love. Just watching their movies is such a treat, I always feel so full of inspiration. As for current inspirations? Honestly the artists I follow and the music i listen to. I always draw the best art when my spotify shuffle liked songs playlist has just the right flow and it fuels me! And when I see other artists share info on their characters or glimpses into their oc projects it makes me want to work on my characters!! And when my fav artists upload an art piece with such good shapes and colors and compositions?? Augh it makes me want to draw. Oh an animatics! I love watching animatics! Especially for musicals they are so fucking good and so many talented artists it fills me with joy. just gives me straight up shivers!! Another thing that fuels me is the reactions of you guys and my friends! I want to share my characters and art and use them to engage with people. Get them interested in my world, inspire them, just engage with the community, get talking! So yeah art is very important to me haha. Normally I get really mad when im in a dryspell like this but seeing how i drew 18 art pieces last month im cutting myself some slack haha, i deserve some rest after that, especially since my routine and energy levels are extremely wack right now, i need to recover. Heck that turned out way longer and more passionate than i expected, I hope you didnt mind the ramble! Feel free to send more questions owo

[yoohyeon]

I wanna do a million things at the same time it annoys me so much 😭

[doeyedbambi]

I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAYYYY

.....

Ghibli Academia

now let us discuss this topic below

Ghibli Playlist in the background while you're studying/doing your homework

Having yummy teas to drink while you work

Baking, painting, drawing, daydreaming, and walks on your study breaks

Having beautiful flowers around your work area

Having those taper candles to light up your desk while you're working or while you're reading a cozy book

Watching ghibli movies in your spare time(Howls moving castle 😌)

Cuddling with a cozy blanket in the early mornings watch the sun rise

Wanting to dye your hair silver so Howl can say it looks like starlight....

Ahem..sorry...anyways

Practicing you favorite hobbies (sewing,reading,writing,drawing,painting, dancing, etc. Anything you've ever wanted to learn or try! It doesn't have to be aesthetic!)

Drinking yummy hot cocoa when it's cold and the stars are bright~

Wearing beautiful long dresses(or a nice pair of trousers and blouse or dress shirt...think Howl)

Visiting the farmers market

Visiting local shops to buy your everyday things (maybe shopping from small businesses)

Learning your favorite recipes from the studio ghibli films

Eating lots of tasty and seasonal foods!

Eating foods that make you happy(can you tell that I like food🖤)

Eating 3 meals a day

Go outside and enjoy nature!

[kaolinite91]

Just watched Turning Red!!

Whoaaaaaa !!!! Beware SPOILER!!

1. I love the colors so much!!! It's so vibrant!!! The sky reminds me to sailormoon background (anime)

2. And the character styles is so Anime-ish so it actually reminds me on Ghibli..haha Mei-mei looks like Shizuku from whisper of hearts sometimes

3. Family.. what a difficult term.. especially for asian people. As asian myself, it's indeed true that we tried SO much just to makes our family proud... Sometimes we succeed...and lost our true self. But sometimes, we kept our identity but feels like a disgrace to our family.. :"""(

4. Actually I relate with Mei-mei when she was doodling on her notebook..hahaha tho, honestly..that part where her mom confronted that poor guy on the minimarket, really gave me second-hand embarrassment somehow... hahaha but still what a fantastic scenes!!

5. Hmmm...the movie setting was on 2002. So in 2022 Meimei should be 33 years old, right? Wonder if there will be a continuation

6. I wonder if the size of the red panda is actually based on the emotions that get bottled up.. maybe Ming tried too hard on herself, which makes her Panda form.... gigantic?!

7. This movie and Encanto's theme actually kinda similar which is (more or less) 'accept yourself'.. but for me, I got a very different vibes. Turning Red is more on the comedic spectrum, it telling a friend- family conflict story. The stories climax on attending a boyband concert, fixing the friendship issue just to realized there's a bigger problem inside the family.

While in the Encanto the conflict purely inside a family. (I cried a lot watching Encanto.....). The climax was the death of Casita and the disappearance of magic.

But to be honest, tho both family in this movies are magical.. I can relate more with Mirabel rather than Mei-mei. Why? Maybe because Mirabel didn't posses any magic but she's trying her best for her family.. it helps her to be a relatable character to us the normal people on earth. While Mei-mei, she's a perfect daughter in the beginning of the scene, have good grades, good skills in music and drawing(?), Love Math(?!), Have a very good time management, she also trying her best for her family. But these, makes her 'perfect' like Isabela...hehehe. Maybe if Encanto main character was Isabela, the plot will be similar with Turning red (Abuela will be in Ming position)

8. Tyler...hmm.. this boy.. I got this feeling that he may actually really want to get Mei's attention. He might actually like/have crush on her. But, why I got this idea?? Ugh, I always wonder why we (or I) was indoctrinated during my childhood that if there's a boy who's being jerk to a girl then they may actually like the girl?? Why can't the parents tell their boys to be honest with their own feeling? If they like someone then tell or show them nice things...But then.. I think girls mind is also complicated tho.. during teenage years, I think girls attracted more to.. 'bad boys' or 'mysterious boys'... Aargh, why hormones and feeling?? So confusing!!

9. The red panda is so cute and fluffy!!! Aaaaaaaa CUTEEE!!!!

10. The 2 red panda statues were called Lisa and Bart??? Hahaha the Simpsons reference??

11. All in all it's a very interesting movie! I dunno why there's a lot of hate for this movie (in the twitter)..while I think it delivers a unique experience!!

Well that's that..hahaha

[schibi12]

How about Scooby Doo?

So this is one i want to give a chance in the future since ive never been a big fan of it ever since i was a child i always wanted the paranormal to be real but no the monster was a museum curator with projectors and smoke machines and when I was young I thought of it as really formulaic and repetitive which I know that's sort of the charm of it you know Velma losing her glasses, the catchphrases, giving Scooby snacks to Scooby and Shaggy, the iconic running around through a hallway filled with doors which yeah they are iconic but little ole me wanted real monsters actual paranormal stuff but to be fair I've only seen Scooby-Doo Where Are You? you know the original show from the 60's in Boomerang (do kids even know Boomerang, does Boomerang still exist?!?!)

That why I really like the live-action movies (from the early 2000's because I know that they did more but they where for tv) not only do they have some real monsters to some extent but they are actually a great adaptation of a cartoon because they are so comedic and campy, that it feels like an actual cartoon in real life

To be fair I haven't seen a lot of the movies or other tv shows maybe there is some media where they actually deal with some real paranormal and the horror gets intense I have heard the Mystery Incorporated is really good and they do deal with real monsters and that it has some actual lore and great interactions between the gang.

And I do wanna watch the crossover they had with Courage the Cowardly Dog it looks like a lot of fun and intense.

But I really do like the concept of a group of teens and their dog in a van going around and solving mysteries and I'm thinking this is gonna be my marathon of this year, every year since 2020 I do a marathon of some studio or franchise 2020 was Ghibli, 2021 was Muppets this year it might be Scooby-Doo and I actually started watching Scooby Doo Where are You? As some background noise while I draw or do some chores and I've been enjoying it if I'm honest.

If you got any movie or series to recommend I'll watch it.

Thanks for the ask!

P.s. I saw some videos of the Hex Girls and I get it now I get the hype.

[comicaurora]

Hiya Red! I love your art; it's so bouncy and simple and fun to look at while still having the details and structure to look really cool. I've been drawing more lately and I was curious if you've ever had any style envy. I'm pleased with what my style looks like and it's still trying to settle, but sometimes I look through other people's art and think "man, I wish I could do that." I try to approach it as things to learn from by seeing what aspects I like, but I struggle to work through it alot.

I’ve definitely experienced that! Moreso when I was younger and a lot worse at art - I’d see people’s style and try to emulate it, failing because I didn’t have the base level of technical skill to produce the effect I wanted. That frustration drove a lot of my artistic development. It’s lessened as I became more comfortable with my own style - to an extent. The last time I experienced style envy, I was watching Howl’s Moving Castle and it was a bad scene. The characters were fine, well within my comfort zone, but the backgrounds physically hurt me. I’ve specialized in lineart and crisp cell-shading - proper painting has evaded me, and painted backgrounds with that degree of complexity were on a whole other level. I look at the cell-shading tricks I’ve developed to make halfway decent foliage in my comic backgrounds, I look at what Studio Ghibli does for every single shot, and I weep internally that I’ll never have the attention span to do what they do.

Fucking hell. Unnecessary, that’s what that is. That shot is less than ten seconds long.

I think ultimately style envy comes from the feeling of “I couldn’t do that”, and that feeling lessens the more art you do. Regardless of your personal style of choice, there’s a base technical skillset in all visual art that boils down to “how effectively can you put what you’re envisioning down on the page”. Even if someone’s art style is very different from your own, you can still look at it and see how they did it. Seeing art from this analytical perspective sidesteps the envy and goes straight into practicality - what are they doing, what can I learn from this, how could I make this work for how I work? Why couldn’t I do that? What do I need to learn to become capable of doing that?

Right now most of my personal style envy flareups come from visual complexity. Ghibli movies make incredibly complex, vibrant background shots that are then never reused, and I look at that and think “I couldn’t do that” - not because I couldn’t physically paint it (although I couldn’t, I can’t paint for beans) but because I literally couldn’t force my brain to make such a detailed image with so little payoff. The ADHD brain gremlins would complain nonstop. I can draw complex character poses all the livelong day, but static environments are like kryptonite. When I see something that does them really well, I get that envy pang because no matter how technically skilled I become, I won’t be able to do anything like that. (Or will I? As I get faster, complex art seems to bore me less, so maybe I’ll become more comfortable with ludicrously complex environments - or maybe I’ll figure out more shortcuts to produce the illusion of complexity with minimal work)

Style envy is a legitimately useful impulse if you can identify what, specifically, is provoking it. Is it the crispness of the lineart? You might need to build up some muscle memory so your own lines become smoother and more confident. Is it the vibrant colors? You might wanna play around with highlights and shading to get a feel for that kind of visual flair. Intricate shading? Might need to familiarize yourself with how light interacts with 3D objects. The thing that pings the envy is usually the thing your brain wants to get better at - it’s just a matter of figuring out what that is.

[365days365movies]

March 7, 2021: Wolfwalkers (Review)

Well, it’s not a 98%. Close enough, though...

Because this film is...fantastic. It’s amazing! Come on, it’s such a good movie, what else were you expecting? This one was a corker, it was just a good time. And I’m definitely watching this one again, I promise you that.

But here’s the real question: is it my favorite Cartoon Saloon film? Well...

Yeah, sorry, Song of the Sea still takes that role for me. And to be honest, The Breadwinner gives it a run for its money, too. Definitely better than The Secret of Kells, although...not that much better. I’ll elaborate, I promise. But this is still a great movie! ALL of Cartoon Saloon’s films are great movies, come on!

But, since it’s not a straight-up 100%, I’ll break it down, as well as my very unimportant issues with it. So, let’s get into it. Check out Part One and Part Two of the Recap for more, if you’d like!

Review

Cast and Acting: 10/10

Yeah, if this movie has one thing over the Ghibli films, it’s the voice acting. And yeah, I realize that I’m judging this English-language film vs. the dubbed Ghibli films, and that’s unfair. But even without the Ghibli films factored in...this movie’s got some fantastic voice acting. I can say quite honestly that there isn’t a weak performance in the bunch. Worst ones are probably the two farmers, and they’re completely fine. Climbing on up, we’ve first got Tommy Tiernan (as Sean, and he’s pretty great) and Simon McBurney (as Oliver Cromwell, and he does a fantastic job). Then, Sean Bean and Maria Doyle Kennedy as the concerned parents, and hot damn, they’re great. Kennedy barely gets time to shine, but is great when she does. And Bean? Holy shit, Sean Bean is fucking AMAZING in here!

But no...no, they’re all outright bad compared to the stars of the film, and some of the best young voice actors I’ve ever heard. Don’t know what it is about Cartoon Saloon, but they always get great kids for their films, and Honor Kneafsey and Eva Whittaker might be their best! These two are powerhouses of the film, and their voices inhabited those characters perfectly. I mean it when I say that these two were perfect. Bravo!

Plot and Writing: 8/10

Here’s where the film is a touch weaker than the other Cartoon Saloon films for me, because while this was a good story by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, with great writing by Will Collins, it wasn’t their most impactful for me. It’s also, to be honest, quite predictable. Which, no, isn’t a bad thing for a kids’ movie, but it was noticeable. Here’s the thing: Song of the Sea wasn’t super predictable. I was touched and surprised by the ending, and it’s still my favorite of the Saloon films. The Breadwinner...oof, yeah, I had no idea how that one would end. And Kells wasn’t as unpredictable, but it also had some major surprises in store that kept me on my toes. But Wolfwalkers? Didn’t feel it. Knew that Moll would be OK at the end, and that was the main crux of the tension of the story. Now, that said...there were still definitely things that surprised me, like Bill getting bitten, and the two retaining their status as Wolfwalkers in the end. That did surprise me, and it definitely isn’t like the story was bad, even a little bit. Just was basically what I expected.

...Except for Cromwell dying. WHAT THE FUCK. The Cartoon Saloon universe has a REALLY interesting alternate history, I tell you what! Goddamn, I hope they do one that takes place in the USA with some of our folklore and mythology. Like...OOH, I GOT ONE. Paul Bunyan story! Do something with Bunyan and the Ox. Or OOH, EVEN BETTER, Pecos Bill! Actually, maybe not Pecos Bill. John Henry? Eeeeeh, that might be complicated. I dunno, but there’s something there, Cartoon Saloon! There is something there.

Directing and Cinematography: 10/10

I mean...it’s Cartoon Saloon. It’s amazing. Tomm Moore is great again, joined this time by writing partner Ross Stewart. Looks like Nora Twomey is working on another film called My Father’s Dragon, and I am READY for that shit. But yeah, I mean...come on. It’s funny, because this movie’s production and release were heavily affected by COVID-19, and it doesn’t show. There is a single criticism that I can give to it, but it doesn’t belong in this section. Because the directing and cinematography are typically amazing. Goddamn beautiful. As for the one potential flaw...

Production and Art Design: 9/10

Understand: this is a nitpick. Bu if I had to pick on anything here, it’s simply the animation cells showing the sketches lying underneath. Now, Disney ended up doing this with an era of films in the 1960s and ‘70s (The Many Adventures of Winne-the-Pooh, Robin Hood, The Jungle Book, the Aristocats all did this), but it’s still a little distracting here. And that’s it. Character design is goddamn amazing, and actually made me want to start drawing a bit. The artistry of the backgrounds and set-pieces is stellar, and the stylized designs of Cartoon Saloon somehow never get old to me! It’s just...amazing. Like I said: the underlying sketch thing really is a nitpick, and I don’t even mind it, personally. It’s honestly good to see the work behind a 2-D animated movie, you know? So, yeah, just the one point.

Music and Editing: 10/10

Bruno Coulais and Kila knock this music out of the park all-around, and I have nothing negative to say about it. I’m not sure which track is going in my playlist, but one of them is. Maybe “Running with the Wolves”, and I’m only a little ashamed to admit that. OK, what about the editing by Richie Cody, Darren Holmes, and Darragh Byrne? I mean...yeah, it’s amazing, WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? Animated films rarely have poor visual editing (unless they’re REALLY bad), and the sound editing usually takes the hit. However, no such problem here. Again, sound editing is fantastic in this movie, from voice mixing to sound effects to overall balance. It’s all pretty goddamn great. No complaints here.

Yeah, 94%. I mean, of course, right?

Sure, it’s not Ghibli-levels of profound, but it is fantastic all the same. Who cares about profundity, anyway? It’s just a good goddamn movie! And like I said in the beginning, I’ll be watching this again very soon. Beautiful.

But I think it’s time to start wrapping up the animated portion of this month with something closer to home. Now, I’d love to do Disney, and I was actually going to see Raya and the Last Dragon in theaters this week (yeah, really, not kidding), but other stuff got in the way. And I’ve seen all Disney films other than that. So, what’s another fully American studio who’s produced a movie that I somehow haven’t seen? And, that movie has to be fantasy? Well...

March 7, 2021: Onward (2020)

[jojiship]

Studio Ghibli Films: Thoughts & Rankings

I have been binging Studio Ghibli (and other anime films) since May. I saw a lot of people in Youtube rank them and I decided to do it as well. While I don’t have a camera to record myself, I decided to post my ranking of its films. First of all, I want to say that this is quite a subjective ranking and it’s personal. These are my opinions and of course, everyone can have opinions of their own. Second of all, I think all of these films have their good sides, but there are ones that I enjoyed and there are ones I didn’t enjoy. Either way, I recommend people to watch all of these films. You won’t regret watching most of them.

This post ranks the films from the 5th to 1st. Obviously, there will be spoilers ahead, so you’ve been warned.

5. Princess Mononoke (1997) – I would watch the animation of the nature in this film for hours in loop. It’s so wonderful, beautiful and breathtaking. Whether it’s animating the lake, the forest or even just the trees, I was in awe of it. It truly makes you appreciate it and again, Studio Ghibli shows you how much they love nature themselves. Now, let’s talk about the film. The film was amazing. The best word for it is amazing. The plot was so different and yet so captivating. There wasn’t a moment in this film where I was bored and where I felt it dragged along. Seeing this battle between humans and nature was what I had to see. When I was a kid, I didn’t appreciate this film as much, but now, it’s definitely one of my favourite films and in my top five of Studio Ghibli films. All the characters were incredibly well written, especially Ashitaka, San and Lady Eboshi. I love how there was no villain in this film. Yes, Lady Eboshi and her people were ruining the forest, but they were also trying to live their lives and grow as a community. I loved how everyone played a part in the village, the men, the woman and even the disables, had roles. You don’t see this in many films and I like that Princess Mononoke showed us that. The boars and the wolves were interesting to see as well. The bond that San had with her family and how she hated humans because of how she was raised. The ending was great. I liked that Ashitaka decided to stay and help with Irontown rather than go with San like some people expected him to. The only thing that truly bothered me was the face of the Forest Spirit. It haunted me for days which prove how much it creeped me out. If someone told me that the face of the Forest Spirit was their sleep paralysis demon, I would believe them in the spot.

4. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) - The first Studio Ghibli film that I’ve seen is My Neighbor Totoro. It’s the kind of film that reminds me of my childhood and it’s the one that gives me a nostalgic feeling. I love it so much that it’s definitely the film of Studio Ghibli that I’ve seen the most. It has this charm that should be more prevalent in other animated films, especially films for kids. Every scene is truly like magic. Whether it’s the umbrella scene at the bus stop, or the scene where the tree grows, or even the scene with the cat bus and the girls. Satsuki and Mei are enjoyable, vibrant and interesting characters. The bond between them reminds me a lot of my bond with my older sister. You can definitely say that I was a lot like Mei as a little kid (Yes, I did get lost one time and made my whole family, especially my sister lose their mind). Again, this film embraces the beauty of being a child. It shows the curiosity, the innocence, the energy and the imagination that most kids possess at that age. Totoro is such an interesting character design and it’s no surprise that it’s the logo of Studio Ghibli. My Neighbor Totoro speaks to my inner child and reminds me of the good old days. It’s a film that I’ll recommend to everyone, but especially young kids. Also, it’s the Studio Ghibli film that makes me smile through the whole of it. If I’m feeling sad or if I’m not in a good mood, I watch My Neighbor Totoro and it never fails to make me feel better.

3. Spirited Away (2001) – Objectively, I think Spirited Away is the best film that Studio Ghibli has ever produced. Personally, it’s the third, but that doesn’t mean it’s worse than the second and first. It’s a matter of preference that I have. Again, I watched this film as a kid and I did enjoy it a lot. I always called it one of the best animated films. I rewatched it in May after years of not watching it and I loved it just as much as I did when I was a kid if not more. Miyazaki created an unforgettable film with an astounding plot, amazing characters and an exciting world building. Chihiro is your typical kid. She can be whiny and scared just as every kid is her age. The growth that she goes through the film was amazing. Watching her work hard and her progress was such a good watch. You could see her struggle with cleaning at first, but soon enough, she got the hang of it. Also, as much as I love the film, I couldn’t help but think that her parents were a bit dumb. Like my parents wouldn’t have done any of the things her parents did. My dad wouldn’t have sped like that in such a dangerous road and they definitely would have turned around after coming close to the temple. Either way, I’m glad that they screwed up though because it gave me this film. The other characters like Haku, Yubaba, Zeniba, Lin and many others were brilliant. Out of all this, I enjoyed Haku the most. The way he helped Chihiro was so nice and their whole bond was fascinating to see on screen. The guests in the bathhouse were designed so well and were just so good. I don’t have any words to describe the scenes with No Face or the spirit of the polluted river because they are out of this world. No wonder this film won an Oscar for best animated film. The details, the story, the animation, the characters, the soundtrack and the world building all deserve an Oscar of their own. 

2. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) - I don’t think I’ve ever cried with any film, book or series as much as I cried with this. Even when it ended and I had turned my TV off, I was crying. It’s one of the saddest films I’ve ever watched and truly, the saddest film Studio Ghibli has ever made. It touched my heart immediately when it started and it ended up ripping it at the end. I knew that it wasn’t going to have a happy ending, the beginning tells you that it’s going to end quite sadly. Yet I was taken back by the scenes, especially the last scenes. The story of Seita and Setsuko is a story that many kids have experienced in war. In most war films, we are shown battles, we are shown armies, soldiers etc., but not in this film. In this film, we saw the personal history of siblings trying to survive war and bombings. Seeing Setsuko hallucinating was heartbreaking and it was in that moment when I started to cry. When Seita said that she never woke up after that, I couldn’t control myself. Funeral scenes have been hard for me to watch lately, but not a single funeral scene has broken my heart like the one in this film. The scene where Home Sweet Home played in the background left me speechless and I still don’t know how to explain how I feel with that scene. Grave of the Fireflies is a film that is all too real and it made my whole body hurt at the end. Although it's ranked second in my list, it’s the one who I’ll probably rewatch the least out of all Studio Ghibli. Takahata is truly an incredible director and this film proves that better than any other film of his.

1. Whisper of the Heart (1995) – Talented. Inspiring. Brilliant. Relatable. Amazing. Show-stopping. Spectacular. Never the same. Totally unique. Whisper of the Heart is undoubtedly the best Studio Ghibli film I’ve watched. I enjoyed everything about it to the last details. I didn’t even stop the film to get water even though I was thirsty as hell. That’s how much I loved the film. I never related to characters as much as I related to Shizuku and Seiji. I write and I used to play the violin when I was younger. While I stopped, I still enjoy every story that has something to do with violins. Shizuku was such a normal character that spoke so much to me and to everyone I recommended this film to. Many of us have been in her position where we didn’t know what we’re going to do in the future. While Shizuku had many interests, you could see that she was stuck. I liked that she was inspired by Seiji to see if she could be good at something and she learned that she did have some sort of talent for writing. But just like Seiji’s grandfather, Shiro said about polishing her talent. I think many people, especially people who paint, draw, sing, compose, write and build, should listen to his words. They shouldn’t expect perfection at their first try and that they should give it time and hard work for their skills to become amazing. When I first started to write, I needed to hear Shiro’s words. This film is such a beautiful coming of age story that I think everyone should see no matter the age. Now, let’s go to the romance of the film. Hands down, Shizuku and Seiji are the best romance in Studio Ghibli films. While I love Howl and Sophie and Jiro and Naoko, it’s Shizuku and Seiji that won my heart. They had such a good romantic journey. Their scenes were just astoundingly beautiful, especially the one in the end. When I saw him by the tree, I started to giggle and I always screamed. It was just incredible to watch. Every interaction they had made me love them more. I repeat, the best Studio Ghibli couple. When I finished the film, I wanted to find a guy like Seiji. Too bad we were in lockdown and I was unable to find him. The use of Country Roads was amazing. I always loved the song and now, it’s one of my favourite. What upsets me about this film is the death of its director. If Kondo hadn’t tragically passed away in 1998, I think he would have given us other amazing films like Whisper of the Heart. I can say that this movie whispered in my heart and I’ll never forget it.

[cafedanslanuit]

Hello! I hope you’re having a great day! I was wondering if you could do a matchup for me please! The fandoms I’d like are Obey Me and Mystic Messenger! I’m straight, she her. I am either very shy or very extroverted, it depends on how I’m feeling! I’m mostly shy when we meet for the first time but later I get more and more confident the more I know the person! I am very stubborn, and a bit hot headed (1/?) ~🥳

I love debating with people! I’m also either the very chaotic friend or the mom friend, it depends lol. I love reading! It’s one thing I’ve loved to so since I was a child, and I’m really into philosophy! I love listening to classical music. I also really like writing or drawing stuff (I’m not good tho pft.) One thing I don’t like is people that are fake, or that look down in a very mean way to others. If someone insults me I’ll stay quiet but you know I’m planing to murder you lmao (2/?) ~🥳

Sometimes I can be a bit sad, and have some panic attacks but now they don’t happen as often. Also, if anyone were to ever offend someone I hold dear it’s over for them because I won’t stand for it. I love playing with kids! I have little cousins that are 3-5 years old and I love spending time with them, I think it’s adorable! I’m a relationship I will be pretty shy at some points, but I will make sure to shower my partner with love. I will spoil them rotten, and be super loyal! (3/?) ~🥳

I also expect my partner to be really loyal too! I can be a bit jealous but not the super possessive type, I just want to know that the person I’m with actually wants to be with me because I’d honestly get nervous that they will leave me. My perfect date would be an amusement park, or a picnic. Maybe a picnic in an amusement park who know 👀 I want my first date to be filled with fun activities, and that me and my partner are able to joke a lot, but that we’re also able to have deep convos. ~🥳

Another date could probably be binge watching Disney movies or studio ghibli. I would also love to talk about books with my partner, probably them reading to me! I feel like that’d be the cutest thing ever >////< But anyway I think that’s all! Thank you for doing my match up and I’m sorry if it was too long 😅 I hope you have a nice evening! ~🥳

Definitely not too long! It gives great info~ Let's start with Obey Me, I match you with Satan

The first thing that ignited his curiosity on you was, of course, the books. You would often go to his room and ask for more recommendations, but ended up staying chatting with him.

He loves learning all that he can about you. So deep conversations while he plays an old record of classical music has turned into his favourite way to spend his afternoons. 

Please have conversations about philosophy with him. He’ll prepare some tea, put on some background music and have at it. You’re the kind of couple that talks and talks until suddenly they see out of the window and realize the sun is rising once more.

So yes, you take naps together too.

He’s learnt to cut down on his smile when he actually wants to murder someone. He tends to get worried about scaring you, but knowing you will choose him and love him even when he’s angry is definitely something that warms his heart.

Satan may tend to present himself as cool™, but he’s a blushing mess whenever you throw him a compliment. No matter how long you’ve been together, it always catches him off guard.

Movie nights are also another thing he definitely enjoys. He prefers the one from Studio Ghibli and likes to make theories with you after the movie ends. Since you’re both hot-headed, this may lead to another long debate, but that’s really common for you both.

He may not be big on PDA, but he always makes sure you know he’s there. From stolen glances to small smirks, or the way he will casually touch your arm or leg while he speaks, he likes to make sure everyone (especially Lucifer) know you are with him.

For Mysme, I match you with the one and only Jihyun Kim!

Listen, I know. He’s very different from Satan but listen to me.

There is not a thing in the entire world he loves more than listening to you talk. He will fight any ounce of sleep that possesses his body if you want to talk at 3 am.

He’s just in love with the idea of discovering the wonders of your mind. He keeps asking more and more questions about your principles, what do you believe in, what motivates you, which dreams do you have for the future, everything.

Picnic dates are you to-go dates. You have a favourite park and a basket you bought especially for the occasion. But that one time he offered to take you and your little cousins to the amusement park was definitely a God Tier date. You spent all the afternoon trying the different games and he even tried his best to win some plushies for your cousins. He’s his favourite now and they always ask about him when they see you.

Disney movie dates are something else he really adores. Watching an old childhood film gives him a sense of warmth and comfort that can only be matched with the one he feels when he’s with you.

He used to have a very self-sacrificing image of love, so it was up to you and your amazing debating skills to show him it was actually better to… not sacrifice at all. I know, it should be a given, but he needed a little help at first.

Don’t worry about loyalty because this man will. die. for. you. He’s grown so he will not put himself in danger again, but you’re the only thing in his eyes.

[im-illegal]

soft asks to get to know people!!Do-em-all?

I KNEW I KEPT THIS ASK IN MY INBOX FOR A REASON I KNEW ID FIND THE ASK GAME AGAIN ONE DAY HERE YOU ARE FINALLY I DID NOT FORGET

1. what song makes you feel better?

currently,,, Old Black Train by The Blasting Company

2. what’s your feel-good movie?

just give me some studio-ghibli

3. what’s your favorite candle scent?

lemon :]

4. what flower would you like to be given?

I saw some trans flag colored orchids once I think those'd be pog

5. who do you feel most you around?

uhhh Here or around a friend i haven't seen around in a while

6. say three nice things about yourself (three physical and three non-physical).

1) I actually really like my long hair

2) I got fuckin eyebrows for days

3) i have. thigh pillows

1) I'm nice or I'd like to think I am

2) I'm good at some things

3) I like the fact that I like hot cocoa

7. what color brings you peace?

a pastel yellow or the colour my blog is rn

8. tag someone (or multiple people) who make you feel good. 

too lazy

9. what calms you down?

hm,, uh,, sometimes playing minecraft, sometimes drawing, watching streams has been pretty calming, and a select set of music and specific podcast episodes

10. what’s something you’re excited for?

honestly I am very exited for ranboo seeing dream in the prison atm

11. what’s your ideal date?

stars n lookin at em probably

12. how are you?

sick and not as in cool

13. what’s your comfort food?

hm,, carbs,, sopapillas w honey n powdered sugar

14. favorite feel-good show?

haikyuu!! maybe,, or adventure time

15. for every emoji you get, tag someone and describe them in one word.

am confusion

16. compliment the person who sent you this number.

you're very lovely and a very good friend

17. fairy lights or LED lights?

uhh LED only if they have very low colour settings otherwise fairy lights because I can't handle a lot of light and they're pretty dim and look nice

18. do you still love stuffed animals?

yes I have a very nice stuffed fox and cat in a noodle cup

19. most important thing in your life?

uhh fuck if i know either my tumblr minecraft im djsjjs idk

20. what do you want most in the world right now?

not to be sick? or at least have a vauge idea of what temperature my body is at I am surving off of being buried under a blanket on one side while my other side has a fan pointed at it

21. if you could tell your past self one thing, what would it be?

know your own strength you'll feel guilty about it later if you don't

22. what would you say to your future self?

does that fic end any good?

23. favorite piece of clothing?

collage sweater that my grandma sent and I kinda took it smells like her house which is comforting

24. what’s something you do to de-stress?

Sleep or listen to the same playlist I made for when im stressed

25. what’s the best personal gift someone could give you (playlist, homemade card, etc.)

uh. hm. idk. uham. a playlist maybe would be. cool. rocks though. or a good stick yeah yeahhhh a stick a good stick

26. what movie would you want to live in?

uhahh howl movin castle

27. which character would you want to be?

calcifer :]

28. hugs or hand-holding?

hugs

29. morning, afternoon or night?

my brain sure wants to say night because I keep falling asleep at 3-4am because thats what is set as my auto-sleep schedule

30. what reminds you of home (doesn’t have to mean house… just things that remind you of the feeling of home)?

warm but a fans still running in the background. petting a dog while half asleep. someone petting /my/ hair while half asleep. shitty mattresses.

[pffbts]

[08:58 AM] from you: “gguk―what if you were my best friend?”

[09:01 AM] from gguk: “i thought we were already best friends.”

 what a concept.

i mean just the minimum thought of gguk being your best friend is enough tantalizing.

he would be such a dork all the time, i swear you will never get tired of him. it`s completely impossible to be mentally tired from gguk.

i personally think to have him as your best friend comes with a lot of good stuff and we`re going to talk about each and everything here in detail so put on your seat belts, we`re in for a complete rollercoaster ride, bubs!gguk is actually a very warm person, though he can be teaseful sometimes, it`s alright―he only does it because he loves you.

so let`s come to the first question―why him? why not others?

i get it, right? maybe because of how he grew up with all his hyungs and elder members of the company. he was literally the youngest one in the company and he spent all his teenage days under the influence of all the different characters when he should have been only looking at his parents and elder brother.

some of his character is not original, i guess―like watching animes, reading comics. he was initially a gamer boy but somehow that took a turn in him reverting to the visual aesthetics from the influence of his hyungs.i feel like being with gguk means he would be 24/7 available for an upright discussion about the anime you both were planning to watch.

he`s the type to binge-watch a whole one season in one day and then text you at four a.m in the morning crying like a melodramatic person because there`s no season 2 and the first one ends with a cliffhanger (a sad one, on top of that.)

nonetheless, you`ll end up talking to him on the phone until the birth of new sun rays comes through your room`s window.

he`ll be the perfect asmr guy, whenever you`ll have a bad day and want some comforting, he`ll be just one call away from giving you the perfect whispering asmr treatment.

all you`ve to do is pick up your phone and call.

maybe after four or five rings he`ll pick up and in a sleepy voice ask if you`re okay or not. when you`ll say, no, he`ll immediately sit up on his bed and ask if you need anything. when you said you just wanted to hear someone speak, he said that you called the right guy because he missed you a lot too.

he`ll end up speaking in the lowest register possible for you to calm down from the bad day`s influence. his voice will be slow and whisper-like and when he giggles in-between, you would end up smiling lazily already entering into the sleep zone. you knew you sounded drunk when you that you`re thankful for his existence and he would return it with a constant chant of your name which will make you end up laughing quietly.

with gguk, you will always end up at the quietest place possible.

he`ll find the most aesthetic places for both of you and when you walk along with him, he`ll always end up bring in an extra bucket hat for you.

you, though, don`t love being on camera but accompany him whenever he vlogs. when you asked one time why he always ends up making you his vlog partner, he simply said, he loves to hear your voice and adding them to his video ends up making it more special.

with gguk, you`ll have no problem in choosing between what foods you both will eat because you both know what each other like anyway and it`s countless. 

it`s a complete feast if you guys ever go out. he always tells you to become chubbier because then he would make you his side pillow. you would end up eating a lot without knowing and hit him every time he hugs you from behind and tells you that you`re his favourite pillow.

being with him as his best friend means, it`ll come with lots and lots of songs all the time. he will always ask you what you are listening to that day and next day when you meet him, he`s already singing to the tune while making a double egg omelette while you swing your legs against his kitchen counter.

and it doesn`t even surprise you anymore because this is how you both respond to each other. you`ll end up buying him the gaming set he was talking about last night, or bring him the newest food in the market he was ogling about and he`ll end up singing you the songs you love, making your favourite homemade foods,  buying the dresses he liked while window shopping.

weekends probably end up re-watching ghibli films and slumping against each other and draw circles on each other`s palm. also, oh, another thing, the whole time your or his whoever`s place is occupied by you both is going to have the background music of all the favourite soundtracks from your playlist.

he`s the kind of person who`ll apologize a lot even for the slightest mistake he does. he will say sorry whenever he missed your call during work and you would always end up telling him that it`s okay.

in overall, gguk won`t hesitate to tell you what he feels for you. i mean, no matter how extremely sappy it sounds, he`ll feel no hesitancy in his bones and end up making you remember all the embarrassing details about how you both became best friends.

he`ll be cocky sometimes and when a guy tries to hit at you, he`ll end up taking you by your waist and giving you a loving look. you will end up asking him that does he want you to throw up. 

also that, yes, just keep in mind, it`s a no boyfriends/girlfriend life for you if jeon jeongguk exist in your life. you`ll find yourself in the cosiness of your partner`s warm and the moment your eyes flicker to the corridor, or the door of your bedroom, you`ll see a bunny pushing his head out and watching you with the saddest eyes in the solar system.

he, himself never got any girlfriend, i mean that`s not completely the truth. there`s been countless girls and boys loving him from afar but he got his hands full all the time scrolling through the countless number of anime, making songs in his lil purple light studio and of course, he has you. 

his explanation: “i don`t need a girlfriend because i`ve a gurrrrlfriend.”

he can go from the most chaotic to the calmest person in the universe and that`s the reason you can be with him no matter what situation you both face. he`ll get impatient at some time but he`ll always find a way to do anything to calm down the situation.

he`s an attention seeker so he loves it when anyone, especially you, gives him all your attention.

he unconsciously no matter what time of the day it is, will end up cuddling you in his sleep. it doesn`t matter what posture you`re in, he`ll find a way to make himself comfortable around you. for example: you`ll be sitting on your couch, your legs stretched out, ankles resting on the table in front of you, watching a re-run of a show and jeongguk will end up smashing his face into your stomach, wrapping his arms around your waist sleeping like a cub.

so, all in all, it`s a gift from life to have him in your life in the flesh as your best friend. he`s the kind of person we don`t have these days, joining your dots when they need to be, always making sure to return your missed calls, texting whenever you`re nervous about any presentation, cooking homemade food whenever you`re on your period. making sure you always have enough sanitary pads/tampons and he doesn`t hesitate to tell you what`s on his mind. it`s like, whenever you come back home, you know there`s someone waiting for you from the other line or waiting at your regular couch with the tip of his finger on top of the play switch because, why you ask―it`s the whole movie with you or nothing else. 

[rubykgrant]

If you love high-fantasy, or are just kinda getting into it, and are looking for something to watch while you have extra time, I’d suggest the animated Ranking-Bass trio of the Hobbit (1977) as well as the sequel the Return of the King (1980), the Last Unicorn (1982), and the Flight of Dragons (1982).

I feel like the most well known is the Last unicorn, and a decent number of people are aware of the the Hobbit (but not so much the Return of the King), while the Flight of Dragons is somewhat forgotten. These animated Rankin-Bass movies were actually my first introduction to the Hobbit and anything Tolkein related, and I saw them a long time before I could even read (family friends had the VHS tape, and I’d watch it whenever my parents took me there to visit, starting when I was about 2 years old). This caused something kinda funny when I was in elementary school; I was taking a reading comprehension test, and we were allowed to go as far as we could with the test packet, which took me to high school level books. Because I’d seen the Hobbit (and other shows like Wishbone or Jim Henson’s the Storyteller), I could answer questions about the story, and my teachers thought I must have cheated somehow.

About these movies; the Hobbit/Return of the King are obviously based on the books by JRR Tolkein. Rankin-Bass had already done many animated and sto-motion movies (pretty much all the Christmas classics are them), and they wanted to get into stories with more depth in different styles, so they started making high-fantasy movies. For the Hobbit, the art style was partially inspired by the art of Arthur Rackham, who did the concept art for them. The scenery and backgrounds very beautiful with many details in the tree roots and rocks, creating lush watercolor world. Animation for it was done by Topcraft, which later became Studio Ghibli (the same studio and crew also worked on Return of the King). Many of the poems Tolkeing wrote in the book were used and made into songs, sometimes the characters singing/speaking the lines, but there was also mood-music and singing done by Glenn  Yarbrough (including an original song just for the Hobbit). The voice cast for both movies included many talented people, but some that might be known for their other work; Hans Conreid plays Thorin (who was also Captain Hook in Disney’s Peter Pan), and Casey Kasem as Merry (who was the original Shaggy from Scooby-Doo). Both of these movies include very important scenes from the source material, and they really do them justice (Smaug’s boastful introduction, Thorin’s good-bye, Eowyn taking her stand, ect). Another animated movie, the Lord of the Rings (1978), combines The Fellowship/Two Towers, and was directed by Ralph Bakshi. It has completely different animation, and unique mood for itself, but is still rightfully impressive and worth watching as well (the live-action Lord of the Rings films were heavily influenced by Bakshi’s work)

The Last Unicorn is based on the book by Peter S Beagle, and he also worked on the screenplay for the film. Topcrfaft again worked on the animation, and while it is visually similar to the Hobbit in certain areas, it has an entirely different style and feeling, the backgrounds/scenery resembling classic tapestries. There is an especially lovely way hair and eyes are depicted in the Last Unicorn, something we can see in various anime shows/movies; the eyes are deep with shine-sparkles, and the hair flowls either elegantly or wildly. There is again a very amazing cast for this film, each person doing an amazing job. A few people that are known in other animated roles; Jeff Bridges plays Prince Lir (who has been in more recent animated movies like Surf’s Up as Zeke), and Angela Lansbury voicing Mommy Fortuna (who was Mrs Potts in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast). Like many books-turned-movies, certain things were cut for time, but what remains are still very important parts of the story. The movie also has a beautiful collection of original songs, performed by the group America. The over-all vibe of the the Last Unicorn is a combination of bright beauty, dark themes with sad undertones, and little bits of combedy scattered through it all

The Flight of Dragons is interesting, because it actually combines two different books into one animated movie; the Flight of Dragons by Pter Dickenson was where the author explored various myths and legends about dragons, and worked out how it related to real life. In some cases, what existing things people might have mistaken for dragons, but also if it was possible for dragons to have truly existed. Another book, the Dragon and the George by Gordon R Dickson (part of the Dragon Knight series), told the fictional story of a modern day man who works as an assistant to a history professor going on a strange journey to rescue his fiance. He winds up in another world where fantasy creatures are real, and dragons refer to all humans as “George”. While in this world, the man winds up inhabiting the body of a dragon, and a quest involving a knight/a magician/evil dragons/and much more. For the animated film, elements from both stories were used, creating a new one about “Peter Dickenson” being the modern day man who winds up in the body of dragon, which he is very excited about since he can learn more about his favorite subject this way. Yet again, the voice cast was incredible, and two that are known in other media; John Ritter as Peter Dickenson (who was also in Three’s Company and the Problem Child), and James Earl Jones as the evil wizard Ommadon (known for lending his voice to Mufasa in Disney’s the Lion King and Darth Vader from Star Wars). The film follows a similar plot to the Dragon and the George, but still includes the science the works out how dragons coult hypothetically existed, explaining the fire-breath and the flight. Themes in the movie also include science VS magic, how modern ideas often seem to harm forms of fantasy, the dangers of both forms when humans take no consideration with what they create, but ultimately it is using science as a force for good that saves the magical realm. Illustrations for the book Flight of Dragons were done by Wayne Anderson, who created very stylized drawings that was also heavily detailed, many of the dragons have pebbled scales/large eyes/and powerful claws. This art was used as the inspiration for animated dragons, bringing the illustrations to life

OK, enough from me; if you can track these down and feel like it, enjoy some fantasy films~

[rxin3akamallory]

So I bought the Blu-ray for My Neighbor Totoro recently because it was the first Studio Ghibli film I’ve seen and I really enjoy it :3

So I decided why not do a crossover with my mascot OCs Maggie as Satsuki and Bluebell as Mei.

I’m not a fan of how I did the background but it did take a while :,3

There are a few characters I wanna add too like Marlin and Coral as Satsuki and Mei’s parents.

But yeg this drawing is based on a shot in the end of the film when the two girls take the cat bus to the hospital to visit their mom.

If you haven’t already or if you want to watch it again like me, I would DEFINITELY recommend you check it out. There is obviously the Japanese dub, the FOX dub and the Disney dub with Dakota and Elle Fanning. Tbh I prefer the Disney English dub cause Satsuki and Mei actually sound like children unlike the FOX dub. But ya watch whatever version you’d like :3

It’s free to watch on Kissanime so I shall give y’all the links :3

The sub (Japanese dub): https://kissanime.nz/Anime/My-Neighbor-Totoro.54125/

The FOX dub: (turns out it’s not on kissanime idk where to find it ;-;)

The Disney dub: https://kissanime.nz/Anime/My-Neighbor-Totoro-Dub.59731/Movie?id=62015

[sundayswiththeilluminati]

I have a bunch of thoughts about the War of the Spark novel but I JUST DISCOVERED THERE ARE JAPANESE ANIME VERSIONS OF ALL THE PLANESWALKERS IN THIS SET AND I NEED TO RATE THEM ALL LET’S GO

First off, all images are from here, and credit to their respective artists (listed on the card). In color order, we have:

Karn, the Great Creator: Looks pretty much the same. Like the warping effect of the scenery around him though, and he looks really mad. Minus points for forgetting he wears pants now, but the English artist forgot too so I can’t ding them too hard. 6/10.

Ugin, the Ineffable: All of Ugin’s cards kinda look like this, but there’s not much else you can do with him. Like the more aggressive action pose than his English art. 6/10 did not need the crotch shot though.

Gideon Blackblade: The English art is actually way more anime than this one. This Gideon just looks bored. 3/10.

Teyo, the Shieldmage: Now this is what I’m talking about. Clearly an anime take on the same model as the photorealistic English art, but jazzed up with a super-cool action pose as befits someone in the middle of a massive war. 10/10.

The Wanderer: The Wanderer already had a super-anime look and this art brings it home. Love the slash extending over the text box. Looks like the scene that comes right before the English art, like this is the freeze-frame ninja slash and the English one is the walking away while your enemy slowly falls down dead. 9/10.

Jace, Wielder of Mysteries: IT’S JOJO’S JACE. JOJACE. Jace never gets to have cool action poses and this one is long overdue. He is definitely about to wield a mystery into an Eternal’s face. 10/10 go get ‘em Jace.

Kasmina, Enigmatic Mentor: Hard to pin down the exact difference, but I like this art way less than the English version. I had to double-check to make sure it was the same character; it’s so generic and has none of the same vibe. Then again the English version was done by Villeneuve so maybe it’s not a fair competition. 2/10.

Narset, Parter of Veils: This is a beautiful portrait of Narset back when she was 12. Anime has a major problem drawing any woman between the age of 18 and 65 and Narset is just the first victim in this list. Everything else looks amazing; it’s especially a shame here because Narset has that flowing kung-fu silks look that’s right in the anime wheelhouse. 5/10 what could have been.

Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage: He MAD. Almost too mad. Davriel looks so much bigger and scarier in this art that I had to make sure it wasn’t Ob Nixilis. Super-cool final boss style but maybe too super-cool for someone who’s actually a skinny Innistrad shut-in. Kinda generic pose too. 6/10.

Liliana, Dreadhorde General: They brought in Yoshitaka Amano for the mythic, huh? I know I dinged Narset for looking 12 and this Lili looks even younger (if possible) but Amano does have this weird abstracted style and the rest of her looks real spooky. She looks more like a yokai than a person - like this is something you’d get killed by at the finale of a really spooky Japanese horror game. Normally that’d be a good look for Lili but this is the one set where she’s supposed to be at least a little human, so 8/10.

Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted: Big mad demon lad. Not a lot you can do with Ob Nixilis, really. 5/10 did their best with generic material.

Chandra, Fire Artisan: Chandra in the English art always looks like she’s about to throw a fireball, but never does. Now she finally gets to. It’s a generic anime action pose but not one we’ve gotten with Chandra so I’m for it, and she doesn’t look toooooo twelve. Maybe 15. Good colors. 9/10 nice Kirby hand.

Jaya, Venerated Firemage: Was worried about this one because anime doesn’t handle older women well in art, but it’s not too bad. Clearly different from Chandra’s art, which is always gonna be a problem when they’re in the same set. Like her neat twirly staff trick. Something is weird about her face though. Like it was painted on after the rest of it. IDK. 6/10.

Sarkhan, the Masterless: This is the only time I’ve actually been intimidated by Sarkhan. 9/10 doesn’t have a dragon in the art.

Tibalt, Rakish Instigator: Similar to the above, this is the only time I’ve been interested in Tibalt as a character. A way better rendition of the epithet “Rakish Instigator.” Absolutely your friend’s Problematic Fave from an anime they describe as “Hellsing but with more magical girls.” 10/10 would make an excellent Bloodborne NPC.

Arlinn, Voice of the Pack: Same as Narset, this is great art of Arlinn like thirty years ago. Love the dynamic pose (though I can’t figure out what her hand is doing with that hammer), but real Arlinn is a battle-scarred Sigourney Weaver and there aren’t even any wolves. 4/10 needs more wolves.

Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter: This one is kinda cheating since Jiang was developed specifically for the Chinese market and is basically an anime character already, but still. Look how pumped he is. Look at Mowu. Look how good of a boy he is. If this were the English art people would be getting mad that he doesn’t look Chinese but that’s a whole stew of identity issues I’m not getting anywhere near. 8/10 adorable good boyes.

Nissa, Who Shakes The World: I’m not...No. I’m not going anywhere near this. Gross. 0/10 keep it on your deviantart page.

Vivien, Champion of the Wilds: What did I just say about Nissa? What did I just say. The action lines swooping out of the art across the frame & text box are cool and that’s the only reason it gets a point. 1/10.

Ajani, the Greathearted: He is a big pretty kitty but honestly this art is kind of a letdown. Given anime’s love of cat-people, this is the place where I’d expect the fanservice, but it’s just basically a model-sheet pose of Ajani. Looks like a bad alter of Brimaz, King of Oreskos. Honestly I’d have expected the English version of this card to be the Japanese one, and vice versa. 3/10 he still a big fluffy kitty.

Domri, Anarch of Bolas: This is RAD. If Domri had to bow out (spoilers) this is the kind of card art to do it on. Beautiful colors, furious pose, avoids the “young boy or butch lesbian” look that most of his other art falls into (that’s not a joke; I’ve fielded multiple questions about his gender from confused new players). Any feral teenager would be thrilled to look this badass. Gruul SMASH. 10/10.

Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God: Is this another artist like Amano who has a kinda stylized look? Because otherwise this is just...bad. Not at all befitting of a dragon-god. You’d think with all of Ravnica before him he’d be able to do better. 2/10.

Ral, Storm Conduit: Honestly can’t decide how I feel about this art. The detail is amazing and the lightning is killer but there’s just something weird about Ral. Maybe he’s not smirking enough. Maybe his legs are too big. I want to like this more than I do, but I don’t. 7/10.

Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord: I’m so mad about this art because it makes Sorin look way cooler than he has any right to. The sword, the coat, the swirling ribbons of blood. But anime’s always had a way with vampires, so Sorin is the undeserving beneficiary of a skilled Jojo’s upgrade. 8/10 it was ME ALL ALONG yeah you know the joke.

Tamiyo, Collector of Tales: Tamtam’s another character whose East Asian origin makes her very well-suited to the anime look. In fact I’d say her white skin and complicated ears/headdress look turns out better in an anime style than a photorealistic one. Her skeptical look and halo of floating scrolls are just the icing on the cake. 9/10 dinged a point because the happy Ravnica skyline behind her is a weird choice and ill-suited to the mood.

Teferi, Time Raveler: Anime seems to do a lot better with middle-aged men than middle-aged women. A perfectly serviceable, if bland, Teferi. 5/10.

Angrath, Captain of Chaos: He EXTREMELY MAD. Angrath’s signature red-hot chains are perfect for a swirling anime post and the artist took good advantage of them. If anything he’s almost too bestial, though - Angrath is actually a loving family man and blacksmith who’s so furious because he was trapped on Ixalan for decades away from his home and loved ones. 7/10 somehow too mad.

Ashiok, Dream Render: Now that’s how you draw an inscrutable dream-creature who wields your deepest nighmares. 10/10 love the way they seem to be looking the player in the eye, as if they’re about to conjure your specific personal fears.

Dovin, Hand of Control: Perfectly serviceable Dovin art but I don’t like the thopters and that is unforgiveable. 0/10 because fuck this guy, seriously, and 0/10 on the English art for also having bad thopters while we’re at it.

Huatli, the Sun’s Heart: Huatli also suffering a little de-aging here but I’ll let it slide because she absolutely looks like the main character of a cult 90s anime and I would watch the hell out of it. Major Nausicaa vibe here, but with dinosaurs. Sign me up. 9/10 bad riding posture though.

Kaya, Bane of the Dead: Kaya with the straight-up Ghibli treatment here. There’s nothing technically wrong here but it’s totally the wrong mood and pose for her. I’d watch that Ghibli movie though. 4/10.

Kiora, Behemoth-Beckoner: A pretty literal interpretation of the epithet but who cares, it’s badass and way more tasteful than I feared we might get for the one planeswalker who could plausibly be drawn with tentacles. Love the attention paid to the water and the details of it splashing off her fins. 8/10 is that a walrus? but like with tusks on the bottom jaw? upside down walrus?

Nahiri, Storm of Stone: Repeat after me: NAHIRI IS LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD. SHE DOES NOT LOOK LIKE SHE’S FOURTEEN. She looks in her twenties at the youngest. Reminds me of Mara Sov from Destiny, who is also thousands of years old, looks in her twenties, and gets drawn like she’s 12. Even apart from the de-aging this is just awkward art. The pose is bizarre, the background is weirdly photorealistic, and Nahiri has no expression. 3/10 at least it isn’t a boobs & butt pose.

Saheeli, Sublime Artificer: I...do not know what is going on here with Saheeli’s face. Or her body proportions, really. I guess it’s supposed to be foreshortened but her gormless expression and the weird Lisa Frank colors make me think of a Disney Channel cartoon about planeswalkers. The beautiful detail on the flowing metal is nice but the rest is just strange. 4/10 nice metal dragon though.

Samut. Tyrant-Smasher: I really like this art but it makes me think a lot of people are going to make jokes about Samut “looking like a man” or “barely being a woman,” especially since her name isn’t very clearly gendered, and that just makes me sad. The art itself is nice and totally on-model for her, though her shoulders are kind of weirdly broad and it’s a shame they didn’t take advantage of the anime style to do some cool speed lines like her haste-powers need. 8/10 good righteous avenger look.

Vraska, Swarm’s Eminence: Oh maaaaaan, I want to complain about the cartoonishly-young look and the weirdly-realistic background that makes her look composited in, but the artist really nailed that regal pose and took full advantage of her swirling snake-hair. This is definitely a Vraska both large and in charge. 7/10 you still get dinged for de-aging and also is she sitting or standing, it’s hard to tell.

[awkwardanime]

Why I love Hayao Miyazaki

One huge aspect of the film and TV industry I adore is the fact that no style is definitive in the current climate, nor should it be. Animation is where this statement holds truest I feel, as millions of creators sit at their desks and worktops trying their hardest to produce something truly unique. Not only through a compelling story, but aesthetically too.

“I’m not a storyteller, I’m a man who draws pictures (laughs). However, I do believe in the power of story. I believe that stories have an important role to play in the formation of human beings, that they can stimulate, amaze and inspire their listeners.” - Hayao Miyazaki, 2002 interview

Hayao Miyazaki as an Animator famously is known for his extraordinary creatures and stunning backgrounds, however every single one of his movies include very plain looking people. He has stated numerous times that he prefers to make his main characters appear “simple”, as this betters the connection between the audience and the story that he’s trying to tell. Miyazaki’s best trait, in my opinion, is his ability to create a truly affectionate atmosphere. What I mean by that is that when I watch any one of his works, I never feel like anything is out of place - even though he does everything to make it seem like it should be. Making me connect to a fantastical creature to the point of familiarity, is one of my favourite aspects about Anime and Hayao Miyazaki does this oh so well. If I were to define Hayao Miyazaki’s style in one sentence, it would be: Surrounding ordinary with extraordinary.

“I can only create animation in 2D. There is no other choice for me. I don’t even know how to use a Smartphone”

Solely using hand-drawn animation in most of his works, Hayao Miyazaki I can say has a definitive style that he sticks to and abides by. He creates a connection between the audience and character by putting us in this unique world, constantly reminding us that even though no one is special to start off with, it is the curiosity and determination that allows us to plant our feet wherever we want to. The world renowned Director does rely on his one style and abides by it, with recurring elements in each of his films which help define Miyazaki’s particular storytelling techniques.

“It was through observing the daughter of a friend that I realised there were no films out there for her, no films that directly spoke to her. Certainly, girls like her see films that contain characters their age, but they can’t identify with them, because they are imaginary characters that don’t resemble them at all”

The 50 year veteran of Japanese Animation has recurring themes and factors in each of his films. Most of his main characters are female, which has given the younger generation hope for their future while bringing much critical acclaim. The way Miyazaki handles female leads in his films is great, by not following the stereotypical “fearful and dainty turned into strong and beautiful”. Instead, from my point of view, the man treats his main characters as simply that, main characters. He has stated many times that he prefers to use females as it falls in the unknown category for him, but what I see each and every time is someone who appreciates what it is like to be a young child - no matter if you are a boy or a girl, as a child we all are filled with fear, curiosity and longing to fit in.

“Many of my movies have strong female leads – brave, self-sufficient girls that don’t think twice about fighting for what they believe in with all their heart. They’ll need a friend, or a supporter, but never a savior. Any woman is just as capable of being a hero as any man.”

I actually cite this as one of the reasons his two most popular works involve females as lead characters - My Neighbour Totoro (1988) and Spirited Away (2001). It’s not about putting females as leads just to create a buzz in the film industry, but more importantly to write compelling characters for the audience to digest and be intrigued by. Breaking away from the uninteresting tropes of usual “chick flicks” Hayao Miyazaki tries to shape his female characters how he envisions the life of a 10 year old girl to be, producing something truly special for girls of all ages to relate to and enjoy.

“Anime may depict fictional worlds, but I nonetheless believe that at its core it must have a certain realism. Even if the world depicted is a lie, the trick is to make it seem as real as possible”

The hardest task of any storyteller is to effectively world build. Putting all your time and effort into a reality that we don’t live in is hard to implement effectively, but this was always a strength of the storyteller. Miyazaki’s worlds are a mash of real life problems that feel very familiar to what we deal with in the real world, but taken to a whole new level with the inclusion of ambiguous fantastical creatures and elements. All Ghibli films, not just Miyazaki’s, somehow always manage to hit that perfect balance of reality and fantasy, as all animators intend to bring their ideas to life. After all, that is what it means to animate. To bring to life.

“The animator must fabricate a world that seems so real, viewers will think the world depicted might possibly exist”

Why I adore this one man’s particular world building, is quite simple to be honest: Hayao Miyazaki is an amazing liar. Yes, I do say that as a compliment. I believe that to create a world that is intended to immerse your audience into vulnerability, you must first be able to lie to the world around you. This animator does this brilliantly, ensuring that every second tries to entice its viewer. By including realism in every aspect, we are able to not only connect to the world, but develop.

Take the “soot sprites” in Totoro, we see Mei trapping one in her hands and scurrying across the rooms in this vast new home. The way she is animated, her minute movements, from her eyes widening to jumping and running around, every frame is done with accuracy to create a sense of illusive reality. From walking, to portraying excitement, nothing is left out to entice the audience into the film, and into this world. You leave yourself vulnerable and allow yourself to drift into this fantasy which has suddenly become more real than it should have ever been. That is how I feel when watching Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki’s works. Lying to himself about what is real to create such worlds is what I find truly interesting about world building and how this one man who rarely watches movies, can create such ideas.

The above is just the tip of the iceberg as to why I love the work, motives and values of the well respected Mr. Hayao Miyazaki. With his “final” project coming up in the next year, endless praise and love will come from around the world for everything he has given us, and he deserves every single bit of it. Never change, Mr. Miyazaki, thank you for introducing me to a different side of animation and storytelling that I didn’t even think was possible.

“Don’t follow the instructions of just one person. Strive to find your own path”

Check out my piece on the late Isao Takahata here