Author Topic: Animation Marathon - Suggestions  (Read 26501 times)

Porkchop Express

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Anime Suggestions
« Reply #20 on: July 14, 2006, 12:56:51 AM »
I think this is a great Marathon idea.

There are alot of great titles out there, but I would choose these five for a list. in no particular order

Graveyard of fireflies
Akira - definitely
Tokyo Godfathers
Ninja Scroll
BLOOD

I agree that Miyazaki should really have his own marathon cause he has so many great films under his belt.

altgodkub

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Animation Marathon - Suggestions
« Reply #21 on: July 14, 2006, 08:53:04 AM »
I'm not a huge fan of anime, but, out of the few dozen I've seen, there were two that I loved with every fiber of my existence -- My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies.

StandAloneMatt

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Animation Marathon - Suggestions
« Reply #22 on: July 14, 2006, 10:37:32 AM »
An interesting bit of trivia - Grave of the FIreflies and My Neighbor Totoro were originally released as a doulbe feature (source IMDB) - This was an interesting pairing - being the one film that has made me cry, and the other makes me smile the most.

Now the Japanese who got that double feature got the best cinematic bargain in history.  Two classic films (ebert has reviews of both on his great movies).

Jake The Greek

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Animation Marathon - Suggestions
« Reply #23 on: July 14, 2006, 01:17:44 PM »
Outside of those choices already listed, my suggestion would be Vampire Hunter D. The original still stands out to me as one of the best anime movies ever made. This may not be the favorite choice, but i think it is at least worth considering.
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darkcharger

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RE: Anime Marathon suggestions
« Reply #24 on: July 14, 2006, 01:28:10 PM »
Lots of really great suggestions already.


Urusei Yatsura Movie 2: Beautiful Dreamer - Besides being very funny, the visual direction of this film is ingenious.

Akira - I agree with others that while seriously flawed, it is such a landmark piece that it has to be seen in a marathon such as this one.

My Neighbor Totoro - A Miyazaki masterpiece that could possible melt even Sam's cold cold heart. ;-)

Ninja Scroll - A testorone juiced film filled with lots of action and sexuality. Blood: The Last Vampire would be a suitable replacement as well but really  is more a short (45 min) film.

Perfect Blue - An entertaining psychological thriller where a former pop idol begins to question her own sanity.

Spirited Away - A great film that I felt would be a great companion after watching My Neighbor Totoro to compare an early work vs. a later piece.


Also, I have to whole-heartedly agree with other posters here that you simply can't go wrong with other Miyazaki works as well. Besides the ones I have already listed: Nausicaa/Pon Poko/Kiki's Delivery Service/Castle In The Sky would be on the top of my list.

The most difficult thing about suggesting films for this marathon is that anime covers such a wide spectrum of film genres, that it would be impossible to compartmentalize them all in a 6 week marathon

Quettaser

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Animation Marathon - Suggestions
« Reply #25 on: July 14, 2006, 03:03:53 PM »
Color me excited about this marathon. I think it's a great opportunity for people to discover movies they would have never looked twice at, simply because they're anime.

Akira (1988) - A milestone in the history of animation. No marathon would be complete without it. Akira's echoes can be felt in nearly every anime that follows it.

Memories (1995) - Three short films collected together, each with a different visual style and tone. It really illustrates the breadth of this genre.

Ghost in the Shell (1995) - One of the first anime films to appeal to the unfamiliar fan, and helped bring anime to the US. It's plot can be convoluted, but it (and it's sequel Ghost in the Shell II: Innocence) raises intelligent questions about identity and what it means to be human. It was also one of the first films to successfully blend computer and cel animation.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001) - Based on the series of the same name, Cowboy Bebop is simply a beautiful movie to watch. The opening credits alone are a testament to the talent of the artists who worked on this film. It's a lively movie that captures what makes the series great including the sci-fi noir tone and a soundtrack to fall in love with. It's lighter than a lot of the other movies listed, kind of Japan's version of a big summer blockbuster (if only our own summer blockbusters were this good).

Metropolis (2001) - Adapted from the 1949 manga (Japan's version of a comic book) it is also an expanded and reimagined take on the Fritz Lang film of the same name. It explores the relationship between robots and their human masters as well as themes of class and politics. It's rich in visual detail, and while the story can be confusing, the ending is powerful and heartbreaking.

Millennium Actress (2001) - Because it can't all be futuristic dystopias and robots. This movie uses the art of animation to it's fullest, the variety of artistic styles enhancing the narrative. The movie is a journey through Japanese history, with the actress and her memories as our guide. Poignant and subtle, this is a movie made for cinecrack addicts, no matter what their opinions of anime.

The marathon should also include at least one Hayao Miyazaki film, of which there are many. Each film has a different strength and appeal and every anime fan has their personal favorite. There are the ecological epic fables (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke), the quiet childhood fantasies (My Neighbor Tortoro, Kiki's Delivery Service) and the ones in between (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky, Porco Rosso). I would agree that Miyazaki deserves his own marathon, but all of the films display Miyazaki's great imagination and world-building skills, so no matter what film you choose, you will be able to see why he is such a grand figure in the animation world.

(Other great anime films include: Grave of the Fireflies, Perfect Blue and Ninja Scroll)

On the Sub or Dub? front, while a few of these films have great English-language tracks, the majority of anime does not. It would best to watch all of the films in their original Japanese with English subtitles.

pixxiestar

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Animation Marathon - Suggestions
« Reply #26 on: July 15, 2006, 12:35:28 PM »
I am so glad you are going to be doing an anime marathon!!!! I have been a fan of this genre since I saw Akria my freshman year of high school. Since you both are not familiar with this genre I have compiled a list of must see Anime films that I hope you will consider for your marathon.

Here they are in no particular order:
1. Princess Mononoke (beautiful story & beautiful animation a great humanitarian movie!)
2. Kite (the movie based on the anime series) Great Action Anime!
3. Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust (be sure to see Bloodlust from 2001 & not Vampire Hunter D from 1985 the animation is much better in Bloodlust & the story is superb!)
4. Millennium Actress
5. Mezzo Forte (the movie based on the anime series)
6. Ghost in the Shell (1 & 2)
7. Akira (a must see classic)
8. Ninja Scroll
9. Cowboy Bebop The Movie
10. Blood The Last Vampire

I know your marathons typically don't consist of more than 6 movies but I had to list my top 10. I hope you will consider the movies from this list because they truly are must-sees of this genre.

Thanks & keep up the good work!
Damey

mweston

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Animation Marathon - Suggestions
« Reply #27 on: July 15, 2006, 05:30:59 PM »
I think the decision is already made, and I think it's the right one. An animation marathon (covering the whole world) is too broad, and a Miyazaki marathon is too narrow. Anime is just right.

I have only seen four anime films, all of which have been mentioned (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Tokyo Godfathers, and Cowboy Bebop: The Movie). Of those, Spirited Away was definitely my favorite. It was completely magical, in a right brain way that I rarely experience, and it was my number one film for that year. Totoro was probably second, and my wife (who grew up in Japan but is not Japanese) really loved it since it got so many details of life in Japan right. The other two were worth seeing but not marathon-worthy, in my opinion.

As a mostly non-anime fan, I look forward to the marathon to get some suggestions on what other non-fans like. From the other posts it's clears there's tons of choices.

P.S. I actually voted for Bollywood, since that's another area I think I might like if I knew where to start.
- Mike "One's a Party, One's a Crowd" Weston

Andr4s

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Animation Marathon - Suggestions
« Reply #28 on: July 16, 2006, 10:38:01 AM »
First off, I strongly recommend Cowboy Bebop, both the series and the movie. Of course seeing the series would be better, as it's much more deep. It has great music and characters and story, and such an immersive atmosphere, with episodes in almost every genre (like western, noir, comedy, drama, horror, etc). There is only one season with 26 episodes. I have not seen the last episode yet, but I hear it's very powerful and can make grown men cry.

Also, any of Miyazaki's movies would be good on the list. I've seen Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Porco Rosso. They are all amazing.

The other one I've seen is Ghost in the Shell. You can see that something like The Matrix was influenced by anime like this. This is a great futuristic film with awesome action, and it tries to answer some big questions like what it means to be human.

I've also heard good things about Grave of the Fireflies, how it's the saddest and most touching anime ever. I should check it out.

darkblueme

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Grave of the Fireflies
« Reply #29 on: July 16, 2006, 05:42:30 PM »
I am so glad others have suggested this Anime movie. It is great! I'm not a huge fan of Anime, just a casual watcher. It would be great to hear your take on Grave of the Fireflies.

The Anime version of Metropolis (also previously mentioned) is another great flick.

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