I feel really ambivalent about this decision. Part of me is thrilled. A live-action Eva movie = more exposure for anime, especially one of the greatest series of all time. YAY!
But...do I really want to see this film? Eva itself was perfect- confusing, satisfying, and mysterious. I thought about the ending and what it meant for weeks. I'm not sure that I want to see ADV's interpretation of Eva- for me, anything else would be so much less than the amazing experience of seeing the series for the first time.
So kudos to ADV Films for taking a chance with this production...hopefully they aim for higher standards than the live-action Utena and LA Blue Girl!:)
...even a documentary on public television! This week, Bill Moyers conducts an exclusive interview with Bill Gates. The show airs at 9pm Fridays in the Twin Cities, but check your local listings.
Hehe, I was hoping somebody would mention this movie. It was an eye-opener, to see geeks being portayed as cool.
One of my favorite scenes:
Kent: You are just a bunch of degenerates.
Chris: We are, but what about that time I found you naked with a bowl of jell-o?
Kent: You did not.
Chris: This is true.
Kent: I was hot and I was hungry, okay?
...for the high-quality animation. Some anime series have interesting-looking characters, but backgrounds that look like they were created with a blob of paint smeared on a cel. All of the Miyazaki films I've seen feature exquisite artwork, from character design to sweeping panoramas to tiny detailing in action sequences that are barely noticed when you see them in Miyazaki's work, but are glaringly absent in anime without all the detail.
...for the chance to experience what it's like to look at the world through a child's eyes. A short plot outline isn't going to express the moments of sheer wonderment and exhilaration that this film inspires. After seeing this movie, I felt young .
...finally, to be able to realize the sad shape American animation and the big industries who market anime are in. Pixar is the lone exception- Disney, Toonami, and all the networks showing Saturday morning cartoons are so constricted by the notion that "Animation is for children" that they will NEVER be able to produce something as original as Spirited Away, or even have the nerve to show many beloved series in their original form. Thank the gods that the Japanese are willing to take chances, because I doubt American studios would have the backbone to produce films like Jin-roh, Spirited Away, or End of Evangelion.
Anyhow, kudos to the Academy members who voted for Spirited Away! The award was well-deserved.
I'm not sure I get this. Sony launched the Trinitron back in 1968, and they've lost the patent for it. But Disney just wrangled an extension on Mickey Mouse's patent that's going to last until the end of time. Disney's patent was issued way before 1968, so what gives?
And I'm a little biased...I have a 5-year-old 17" Trinitron monitor that been a real workhorse, taken a lot of abuse, and has a lot better picture quality and color saturation than many of the more recently-made CRTs.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I was a big Babylon 5 fan when the show first aired and I was thrilled when Sci-Fi started showing the episodes in the afternoon. I was even encouraging my friends to consider tuning in when they pulled the rug out from underneath myself as well, and for what? Four hours of the X-Files?!?! I've totally given up on Sci-Fi- what a disappointment.
Hardcore anime fans share a lot in common with the Linux faithful- both groups are fanatics about subjects which outsiders have a hard time comprehending why anyone would get so deeply involved in the first place.
I hope CN continues to show anime, and not necessarily for the hardcore fan's benefit. There are a lot of people out there who would turn and flee if I showed up with a subbed Utena DVD, but might be willing to watch a dubbed Gundam or DBZ episode on CN. I met one guy at work the other day who told me about going to see anime at his friend's house. He was watching a single episode of a series every time he visited, and was really starting to enjoy it.
The series? Jubei-chan: Secret of the Lovely Eyepatch!
Even though most of my hardcore friends would turn up their noses at the mention of this anime, I was glad that my co-worker was watching anime in any form. If his friend is any true anime fan, he'll keep hunting and searching until he finds the series that will really pique my co-worker's interest and reel him in for good- be it Eva, Escaflowne, Ebichu...whatever!
I think CN's Adult Swim is having a definite impact on viewers, but it's probably too soon to tell. Who knows how many people they're reaching with those awful dubbed episodes of Tenchi and Yu Yu Hakusho?
I would concur with the parent poster. I'm an AIESEC member at my alma mater, and I'm trying to get an IT internship in Asia. The case managers are very enthusiastic and will do everything in their power to hook you up with something suitable. AIESEC also enters your tech skills and personal information into their database- that way, while you're looking at internships, companies will be checking you out as well.
It's not cheap- once you find that internship, you have to pay approximately $500 to process the paperwork, buy a round-trip ticket, plus fund your own health insurance, etc. And the pay varies, depending on your destination country. But I would still encourage anyone to get involved with AIESEC; I've been really impressed with what I've seen of their organization so far.
A while ago, a Sony executive said that he believed that one of the reasons why the Playstation became so popular was when people modded their Playstations, they could play pirated games, thus dicovering more game titles than they would be otherwise.
Sometimes piracy is a good thing. Anime studios look the other way when their work is fansubbed worldwide, and series like Rurouni Kenshin were lisenced in the US partially because of their immense popularity with hardcore fans. When will companies realize that the more chances people have to sample their wares, the more likely their sales will increase?
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But...do I really want to see this film? Eva itself was perfect- confusing, satisfying, and mysterious. I thought about the ending and what it meant for weeks. I'm not sure that I want to see ADV's interpretation of Eva- for me, anything else would be so much less than the amazing experience of seeing the series for the first time.
So kudos to ADV Films for taking a chance with this production...hopefully they aim for higher standards than the live-action Utena and LA Blue Girl! :)
One of my favorite scenes:
Kent: You are just a bunch of degenerates.
Chris: We are, but what about that time I found you naked with a bowl of jell-o?
Kent: You did not.
Chris: This is true.
Kent: I was hot and I was hungry, okay?
Forgot to add that the Simpsons and South Park are two of the best American cartoons on TV today.
...for the chance to experience what it's like to look at the world through a child's eyes. A short plot outline isn't going to express the moments of sheer wonderment and exhilaration that this film inspires. After seeing this movie, I felt young .
...finally, to be able to realize the sad shape American animation and the big industries who market anime are in. Pixar is the lone exception- Disney, Toonami, and all the networks showing Saturday morning cartoons are so constricted by the notion that "Animation is for children" that they will NEVER be able to produce something as original as Spirited Away, or even have the nerve to show many beloved series in their original form. Thank the gods that the Japanese are willing to take chances, because I doubt American studios would have the backbone to produce films like Jin-roh, Spirited Away, or End of Evangelion.
Anyhow, kudos to the Academy members who voted for Spirited Away! The award was well-deserved.
And I'm a little biased...I have a 5-year-old 17" Trinitron monitor that been a real workhorse, taken a lot of abuse, and has a lot better picture quality and color saturation than many of the more recently-made CRTs.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I was a big Babylon 5 fan when the show first aired and I was thrilled when Sci-Fi started showing the episodes in the afternoon. I was even encouraging my friends to consider tuning in when they pulled the rug out from underneath myself as well, and for what? Four hours of the X-Files?!?! I've totally given up on Sci-Fi- what a disappointment.
I hope CN continues to show anime, and not necessarily for the hardcore fan's benefit. There are a lot of people out there who would turn and flee if I showed up with a subbed Utena DVD, but might be willing to watch a dubbed Gundam or DBZ episode on CN. I met one guy at work the other day who told me about going to see anime at his friend's house. He was watching a single episode of a series every time he visited, and was really starting to enjoy it.
The series? Jubei-chan: Secret of the Lovely Eyepatch!
Even though most of my hardcore friends would turn up their noses at the mention of this anime, I was glad that my co-worker was watching anime in any form. If his friend is any true anime fan, he'll keep hunting and searching until he finds the series that will really pique my co-worker's interest and reel him in for good- be it Eva, Escaflowne, Ebichu...whatever!
I think CN's Adult Swim is having a definite impact on viewers, but it's probably too soon to tell. Who knows how many people they're reaching with those awful dubbed episodes of Tenchi and Yu Yu Hakusho?
I can think of two:
The Full Monty. Production cost: $3.5 million. Earnings: $243 million.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Production cost: $5 million. Earnings: $159 million and counting.
It's not cheap- once you find that internship, you have to pay approximately $500 to process the paperwork, buy a round-trip ticket, plus fund your own health insurance, etc. And the pay varies, depending on your destination country. But I would still encourage anyone to get involved with AIESEC; I've been really impressed with what I've seen of their organization so far.
If they wanted some shock footage, why didn't they use clips from State of Emergency instead?!
A while ago, a Sony executive said that he believed that one of the reasons why the Playstation became so popular was when people modded their Playstations, they could play pirated games, thus dicovering more game titles than they would be otherwise. Sometimes piracy is a good thing. Anime studios look the other way when their work is fansubbed worldwide, and series like Rurouni Kenshin were lisenced in the US partially because of their immense popularity with hardcore fans. When will companies realize that the more chances people have to sample their wares, the more likely their sales will increase?