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Posts tagged “win”
Kara no Kyoukai #5: Mujun Rasen (paradox spiral)
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.
Mushishi episode 26: the sound of footsteps on the grass
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.
Mono: Hymn to the Immortal Wind
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.
Final thoughts on Xam’d: Lost Memories
Whatever I say about Xam’d: Lost Memories in this post I must stress that I loved watching it each week. Every sunday morning, after taking a leisurely shower and brewing a pot of coffee I’d sit down to catch the latest episode, just as I used to with Macross Frontier (what I’ll replace it with I’m not sure but Code Geass is the most likely candidate in the coming weeks). It was a series that dished out its fair share of surprises but even so it didn’t quite match all of my loftiest expectations; but then my expections were really high to begin with so that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Coburn recently suggested that the series is probably best appreciated when either marathoned or watched in bigger chunks, and I feel inclined to agree. This isn’t a monster- or case-of-the-week series: it’s a journey in a physical, spiritual and emotional sense that I think I’d appreciate more if I rewatched it that way. The background details were the only significant disappointment for me really: I felt there was a lot that was hinted at but not followed up, which leaves me thirsty for more. Were there dead ends left unexplained or would a rewatch answer what I saw as missed opportunities?