Mono no aware

I found myself staring dumbly at a blank screen for quite some time before being able to type a single word about this film. My feelings mirrored the closing phrase of Takami’s Battle Royale, “…but of course they’re part of you now.” I followed the characters through thick and thin; I felt stunned, drained and somewhat overwhelmed. Rewatching the series in its entirety didn’t lead me to believe this instalment is flawless but I was able to view it as the final(?) component part of the greater whole.

Not many of the scenes were brightly-lit enough to give decent screencaps

I believe it’s unfair to judge the Kara no Kyoukai adaptations against the other Type Moon productions when its source material pre-dates them all, but the fact remains that in terms of storytelling, presentation and character dynamics it’s a classic in the making. I’m not using that term lightly either: I’m choosing my words carefully here, even though I’m using so bloody many.

There’s been a lot said about Bakemonogatari just lately, which makes me worry about whether I have anything new and valuable to say. I’d been relatively quiet about it for other reasons too: one being how the middle section of the show left me with mixed feelings. Another is that, as I mentioned in my comment to Gaguri’s excellent recent post, the overall experience of dialogue and visuals combined is so overwhelming that I’ll need a rewatch to appreciate it fully.

Where’s a Reaction Guys-style celebration when you need one?

The problems with the middle episodes were minor ones: mostly the general absence of Hitagi, plus the ‘higher class of fanservice’ (as I clumsily called it) starting to feel a bit exploitative. Fortunately episode #12 made up for whatever I’d felt unsure about earlier on with the only remaining concern being that of the final three episodes. As in, how could anything follow on from this without feeling like a let-down? It was as fitting as it was surprising – I wouldn’t have minded too much if the series ended there and then.

This will get a second season, right? Right? As much as I praise various anime titles for being outstanding within that ‘anime’ context, it’s a rare thing indeed to experience one that transcends the genre convention – simply put, it’s great storytelling, full stop. No question. The long waits between releases, the short episode running times and the ONA distribution all worked to build up my anticipation for each instalment and leave me wanting more every time but the fact remains that it’s not only good anime; it’s just good.

For every question answered in this episode (which is, I might add, a full ten minutes or so longer than the previous five) I reckon it posed another. But whatever. The way it effortlessly sways the viewer’s emotions every which way then leaves a bittersweet aftertaste is something to be treasured, really. I can’t stress how rewarding a rewatch is though, because there are little details that are important yet all too easy to miss; I’d love to see this in full HD. The Crunchyroll DtO option isn’t bad in itself: all good entertainment is worth paying for, after all.

In my first post on FLCL I stuck to a general impression-style approach because, quite honestly, there’s too much to say about it in one go. Given the fact that it’s easy for the colourful and frenetic nature of the series to obscure the really clever things it does, I felt the need to concentrate on the characterisation. So here it is: the second half of my assessment of why FLCL is pure win, even now.

In most cases the point that stories are always about the characters is fundamental and obvious: remove that and all you’re left with is a cool-looking music video or experiment in artistic techniques at best, and a meaningless mess at worst. There’s more to FLCL than just the superficial coolness so the usual rules apply: when the after-effects of the explosions and WTF moments subside this series stays with you. Important things happen to those involved and, are meaningful because you care about what happens. The crazy stuff really just serves to emphasise why certain things are significant, albeit conveying the said significance of the feelings and events in an innovative and memorable way.

A long time ago I saw a single-page scan of what looked like a one-off doujin Death Note parody where a kid made it his mission to masturbate daily in a girls’ toilet at school. His triumphant “Just as planned!” was amusing enough but I assumed it was a throwaway piece of toilet humour so after forgetting what blog I saw the pic on I thought nothing more of it. That was until the community word-of-mouth thing featuring Ghostlightning, David and Samshiel among others jogged my memory. The doujin in question was Onani Master Kurosawa and it proved to be more than just dirty jokes and a parody or two. A hell of a lot more.

Click for the full size version

Make no mistake: this is a story with strong language and shows events and behaviour that are liable to offend some. It has some wonderful bits of humour though, including neat jabs at not only Death Note but Haruhi Suzumiya and Code Geass, but what makes this something I’d recommend so strongly is the fact that the superficial lulz accompany something more memorable and moving. If you excuse the pun, I never saw it coming.

I always find the “How did you get into anime?” discussions fascinating. Way before my first proper anime experience I watched an obscure animated feature film that gave me great memories. I mentally filed it under Something I’ll Never See Again and almost fooled myself into thinking I’d forgotten about it, so it was quite something when I spotted a familiar-looking image on the front of a DVD case over a decade later and bought the thing on the spot. The DVD in question was Miyazaki’s Laputa: Castle in the Sky, which I later bought again on Japanese import because that was the edition that contained the older English language dub I remembered so held the real nostalgia value.

I wonder if the quoted value of 5cm per second for sakura petals is altitude-dependent

While I normally blog from the point of view of the cynical 27-year-old I am today the reason why my opinion of it is the way it is stems from experiencing it through a child’s eyes; it is after all a kids’ adventure story so that tack makes more sense to me. I’ve done a very simplified run-down of my favourite bits from my original viewing, with numbered annotations to include the benefits of hindsight. It’s an unusual approach for me, so I hope it works here.

Another post inspired by a group viewing of an entire series, but this time prompted by a challenge to write about the one show I never actually thought I’d ever be able to write about. The series’ very nature had me lost for words for years: how the hell can I possibly put my thoughts on FLCL into one article? I can get around part of the challenge by leaving the character study segments for a second half, but even so…

My thoughts exactly

The problem with FLCL is that it’s heavily reliant on the reaction of the viewer for its impact: when I try to rationalise the events and themes I worry that the essence of what it’s trying to say will be lost. My love for it can perhaps be explained by the fact that I marathoned all six episodes every time because quite honestly I don’t think you can appreciate it any other way: instead of getting bogged down in the details you have to throw yourself into the thick of it with a very, very open mind to appreciate its twisted genius. Even better still, take some friends and a few cold ‘uns for the ride.

Of the five Kara no Kyoukai instalments on the fansub circuit the most recent, Mujun Rasen (a.k.a. Paradox Spiral), has been the one that fans have made the biggest fuss over. It’s certainly the longest: clocking in at a full two hours it uses this time to weave a convoluted and disorientating story that keeps the viewer on their toes from the first moment to the last. No wonder really that so many cite it as their favourite so far – it’s the most confusing and shocking but it’s a headfuck in the best possible kind of way.

Be honest now. would YOU live there?!

The editing and scene compositions, in addition to the tense atmospherics and poetic dialogue that have already made the series memorable for me, are particularly outstanding. I don’t want to over-emphasise a certain point I made a while back but even next to the previous four this one comes across as particularly cinematic and sophisticated. It takes longer to set out its intentions and see them through, throws out more intertwining story threads and also has a brazen desire to play mind games with the viewer on a scale that Satoshi Kon would be proud of.

Now this is what I call going full-circle. Back when I first started anime blogging Mushishi was the one series that really cemented my burning desire to write. The self-contained nature of each instalment suited my episodic approach at the time but above all else every outing, without exception, was crammed with insight and meaning that begged to be talked about at length. Just before the final subbed episode was released though, the C&D orders went out and I put my following of the show on-hold until the DVDs were released. Over two years later I can finally finish what I started.

The Sound of Footsteps on the Grass isn’t the best episode in terms of emotional impact: there were several earlier occasions when the gravity of the events portrayed moved me to tears and left me speechless at how profound they were…not to mention of course episode #21, which wins in terms of unsettling creepiness with those mushi kids. In many ways this is ‘just’ another episode but it does offer some of those rare insights into Ginko’s early life, which is a neat bonus for those of us who have followed the series so far. Besides, any Mushishi episode delivers more than most anime anyway.

I know it’s a bit pre-emptive nominating a contender for Album Of 2009 when we’re only three months into the year but in recent days I’ve become so entranced by Mono’s latest effort Hymn to the Immortal Wind I’m pretty confident that we may already have a winner. It’s their fifth studio effort but apart from the EP compilation Gone this is the first time I’ve had chance to properly check them out…and I absolutely love what I’ve found.

The band’s sound is in the vein of Mogwai or God is an Astronaut in that the songs are almost all instrumentals with keyboards and occasional samples woven in between layered guitar lines. Although there are several bands, including the two mentioned above, who fall into the category of atmospheric post-rock or shoegaze this is one of the finest examples I’ve had the pleasure to hear so far: a tender yet emotionally-charged gem of an album that balances experimental guitar noise with staggering orchestral beauty. If it isn’t the best thing we’ll hear in the next twelve months I’ll enjoy being proved wrong.