Remember Captain Pr0nin? No? Well anyway, my brother has been busy of recent sending me links to a whole raft of really extraordinary science fiction-themed Russian animation from the ‘80s and ‘90s, that I think need to be shared.
Many of these seem to be loosely based on stories by Ray Bradbury – perhaps part of a series taken from his work? They are quite varied in style, suggesting the work of numerous animators/directors rather than a single mastermind, but all seem united by an overriding aesthetic of desperate, post-industrial pessimism.
The images and techniques used has a very late ‘70s/early ‘80s feel to them I think – it puts me in mind of the kind of stuff used by prog rock bands and the like in the late ‘70s, when they realised the jig was up and started making marginally punk-informed statements against Orwellian oppression and so forth (think Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” in particular), and also of sombre ‘80s stuff like Raymond Briggs’ “When The Wind Blows”.
I realise I may not have exactly sold these to you in the preceding paragraphs, but needless to say, they are full of strange and beautiful sounds and images and are well worth your time. Thanks again to Paul for turning me on to them, and I hope you enjoy.
We’ll start off with one that’s a fairly straightforward SF story, with English sub-titles even, and get more abstract and tripped out from thereon in.
As a bonus, here is something Paul describes as being “the beginning of an episode of a more mainstream sci fi show”. All I can say is, you know your country is suffering from serious “chaotic crumbling of monolithic super-state” type angst when shit like this is considered “more mainstream” in relation to anything. Basically it’s a sorta faux-anime deal, featuring: a man piloting a giant penis, many tentacles, shoggoth beasts, much facial hair and a moustachioed man’s head grafted onto an octopus. Ugly, desperate H.R. Giger type vibes all round. The theme tune is awesome and reminds me of the music from Transformers cartoons.Yikes.
Showing posts with label Anime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anime. Show all posts
Friday, 11 February 2011
Friday, 26 June 2009
30 SILLY ANIME NAMES
(or, a quest to briefly understand Japanese animated television before I waste too much time), Part # 4
(or, a quest to briefly understand Japanese animated television before I waste too much time), Part # 4
Apologies for the delay in continuing this series; I was without a home internet connection for a while whilst moving house, and was unable to watch the videos. But my thanks to Paul for allowing us to pick up where we left off and continue our tour through the confounding heart of contemporary Japanese culture. So head back here to refresh your memory if needed, and otherwise, on we go!
16. All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku
Opening:
PAUL’S COMMENT: The 'all-purpose-cultural' bit is (so the internet tells me) a poor translation of a Japanese word used to mean 'the commercial superiority (new and improved nature) of post WWII products in Japan'. It is a comedy about a powerful cyborg with the brain of a cat - hence this strange allusion to white-goods.
BEN’S COMMENT: This was definitely my favourite title from the original list. I pictured it as an anime equivalent of ‘Front Row’, wherein All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku would attend film premieres, interview theatre directors and discuss the shortlist for the booker prize… in-between fighting giant cyborg worms, or something. The opening sequence fails to reveal much about the show’s actual content, so I’ll keep on pretending it is like that, if that’s ok.
17. 'Otome Wa Boku Ni Koishiteru' (The Maidens are Falling in Love with Elder Sister)
Episode 1, part 1, english sub.
PAUL’S COMMENT: Strange. Very strange. One of the few in this list that I have watched at any length. As I've mentioned, it is an example of a show that is quite like others, quite generic, however this one has a strange pedigree. It arose from an explicit 'dating sim' computer game that was found to be popular for the story, rather than the graphic content and, hence, was cleaned-up, re-released and eventually turned into this anime series. (While not common, the change from producing explicit material to family-friendly material does happen in Anime and Manga - however, not usually does such a product change its nature, so much as a creator improves their status). It is about a boy who, abiding by the wishes of his late mother's will, goes under-cover as a girl in order to attend an all-girl school. Now, if this was done in the West, you'd never hear the last of this lad being a lad - that would be the locus of hilarity. However, strangely in OWBNK, the boy becomes indistinguishable from the girls by the second episode, or thereabouts. It is also insidiously Christian: whereas # 8 will never let you forget the religious credentials, OWBNK seems to reek of Christianity while almost never mentioning it. It is a strange program.
However, this is one, perhaps slightly more interesting, unit in a popular genre over which cultural confusion reigns supreme. The genre (I'll call it 'girl-love', though the Japanese can call it 'Yuri') founds this show, and many others, including some others in this list. In Japan (as I understand it) girls can watch a genre of cartoon called 'Shojo', which involves girls taking the lead in plots of romance and action, which end in personal growth and empowerment - they are 'sensitive' but not always girly. Young girls also (and please forgive me if I'm wrong about this), are generally allowed to have 'crushes' on, and even romances with, other girls, based on admiration of their power and femininity. Whilst not common, it is understood to be something that can happen in childhood, like imaginary friends, and is referred to as a Class S Relationship.
If you are following this, you can see how shows about all-girl's schools where all the girls have romances with each other might be seen in outside Japan as 'a bit strange', but fairly comprehensible within Japan. Hence the 'girl-love' genre, combines S relationships with empowerment and growth (sometimes with the interruption of a cross-dressing boy in their ranks, who often loses masculinity surprisingly quickly to blur the issue). What makes things even more confusing than this is that this 'girl-love' genre is often deliberately mixed-up with the more unsavoury 'school girl lesbians' take on it, where things tend to go further than kissing and blushing, and where the sexual elements are used to draw in viewers (see discussion on 'fan service', under # 18, below), rather than any sort of real story. For those not from Japan, it is difficult to tell the two apart.
BEN’S COMMENT: “Looking pretty isn’t just a temporary thing”, says the theme tune, ominously. More psychedelic, massive-eyed school-girl insanity. Why on earth was it this mother’s dying wish that her son cross-dress in order to attend an all-girl school..? Was she some kind of radical gender equality activist, or did she just want to fuck with everybody’s head? Enquiring minds want to know.
18. Penguin Musume Heart
Episode 1, Part 1, English Sub:
PAUL’S COMMENT: Notable because it aired entirely online, so I'm informed by the internet. Perhaps this would be a good point to introduce the term 'fan service' (as this is basically 'knowing' parody of other animes, with fan-service provided). The term refers to using girls without their cloths, and other sexual (or more dubious) lures to 'service the fans' and increase ratings. Fans, however, are quite wise to this strategy and, hence, 'knowing' little cartoons like this. However, there are some cartoons that border on pornography through addition of fan service. (There are some cartoons that ARE pornography, but that's a different essay and not one for me to write: too many Demons involved, so I'm told).
BEN’S COMMENT: More school girls. Sexy ones this time, it seems. I have absolutely no idea what’s going on at any point in this clip, but I confess it’s highly enjoyable. I like the animation, it’s funny. About two thirds of the way through there’s some kind of truly insane credit sequence featuring another bubblegum punk-pop song that has to be seen to be believed. I was all ready to complain about the complete lack of penguins until that point, but OH, you just wait…
19. 'Ai To Yuuki No Pig Girl Tonde Buurin' (Pig Girl of Love and Courage)
PAUL’S COMMENT: Almost no trace on Youtube. A parody of 'magical girl' series, especially Sailor Moon.
BEN’S COMMENT: You’ve got to love a culture in which “magical girl series” is an established genre rather than a unique entity. This is…. well, it’s a pig-girl of love and courage alright. Looks like slightly older anime that most of the ones we’ve been looking at today? If this were live-action, the camera-man would deserve a restraining order for the number of gratuitous anatomical close-ups he crams into 30 seconds.
20. Hayate the Combat Butler
Episode 4, part 1, English sub. (ep. 1 is missing)
PAUL’S COMMENT: Seems to be a comedy.
BEN’S COMMENT: “Hayate the Combat Butler”? Fantastic! Unfortunately, Hayate seems to be one of those drippy, floppy-haired anime dreamboat types rather than a wisecracking robot Jeeves dispensing kung-fu justice, but still. So, in short order: a sweet little health warning telling kids not to sit too close to the TV and to get some exercise, a whole lot of tedious fourth wall breaking self-referential humour, a foul-mouthed albino tiger, some teenage angst. “This is the super combat battle story of a boy who fights, risking his life for a girl”, it promises, but fails to deliver. We do get some great English subtitles to the theme song though; “Let’s run and kick up dirt, like the whimsical wind!” Quite.
16. All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku
Opening:
PAUL’S COMMENT: The 'all-purpose-cultural' bit is (so the internet tells me) a poor translation of a Japanese word used to mean 'the commercial superiority (new and improved nature) of post WWII products in Japan'. It is a comedy about a powerful cyborg with the brain of a cat - hence this strange allusion to white-goods.
BEN’S COMMENT: This was definitely my favourite title from the original list. I pictured it as an anime equivalent of ‘Front Row’, wherein All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku would attend film premieres, interview theatre directors and discuss the shortlist for the booker prize… in-between fighting giant cyborg worms, or something. The opening sequence fails to reveal much about the show’s actual content, so I’ll keep on pretending it is like that, if that’s ok.
17. 'Otome Wa Boku Ni Koishiteru' (The Maidens are Falling in Love with Elder Sister)
Episode 1, part 1, english sub.
PAUL’S COMMENT: Strange. Very strange. One of the few in this list that I have watched at any length. As I've mentioned, it is an example of a show that is quite like others, quite generic, however this one has a strange pedigree. It arose from an explicit 'dating sim' computer game that was found to be popular for the story, rather than the graphic content and, hence, was cleaned-up, re-released and eventually turned into this anime series. (While not common, the change from producing explicit material to family-friendly material does happen in Anime and Manga - however, not usually does such a product change its nature, so much as a creator improves their status). It is about a boy who, abiding by the wishes of his late mother's will, goes under-cover as a girl in order to attend an all-girl school. Now, if this was done in the West, you'd never hear the last of this lad being a lad - that would be the locus of hilarity. However, strangely in OWBNK, the boy becomes indistinguishable from the girls by the second episode, or thereabouts. It is also insidiously Christian: whereas # 8 will never let you forget the religious credentials, OWBNK seems to reek of Christianity while almost never mentioning it. It is a strange program.
However, this is one, perhaps slightly more interesting, unit in a popular genre over which cultural confusion reigns supreme. The genre (I'll call it 'girl-love', though the Japanese can call it 'Yuri') founds this show, and many others, including some others in this list. In Japan (as I understand it) girls can watch a genre of cartoon called 'Shojo', which involves girls taking the lead in plots of romance and action, which end in personal growth and empowerment - they are 'sensitive' but not always girly. Young girls also (and please forgive me if I'm wrong about this), are generally allowed to have 'crushes' on, and even romances with, other girls, based on admiration of their power and femininity. Whilst not common, it is understood to be something that can happen in childhood, like imaginary friends, and is referred to as a Class S Relationship.
If you are following this, you can see how shows about all-girl's schools where all the girls have romances with each other might be seen in outside Japan as 'a bit strange', but fairly comprehensible within Japan. Hence the 'girl-love' genre, combines S relationships with empowerment and growth (sometimes with the interruption of a cross-dressing boy in their ranks, who often loses masculinity surprisingly quickly to blur the issue). What makes things even more confusing than this is that this 'girl-love' genre is often deliberately mixed-up with the more unsavoury 'school girl lesbians' take on it, where things tend to go further than kissing and blushing, and where the sexual elements are used to draw in viewers (see discussion on 'fan service', under # 18, below), rather than any sort of real story. For those not from Japan, it is difficult to tell the two apart.
BEN’S COMMENT: “Looking pretty isn’t just a temporary thing”, says the theme tune, ominously. More psychedelic, massive-eyed school-girl insanity. Why on earth was it this mother’s dying wish that her son cross-dress in order to attend an all-girl school..? Was she some kind of radical gender equality activist, or did she just want to fuck with everybody’s head? Enquiring minds want to know.
18. Penguin Musume Heart
Episode 1, Part 1, English Sub:
PAUL’S COMMENT: Notable because it aired entirely online, so I'm informed by the internet. Perhaps this would be a good point to introduce the term 'fan service' (as this is basically 'knowing' parody of other animes, with fan-service provided). The term refers to using girls without their cloths, and other sexual (or more dubious) lures to 'service the fans' and increase ratings. Fans, however, are quite wise to this strategy and, hence, 'knowing' little cartoons like this. However, there are some cartoons that border on pornography through addition of fan service. (There are some cartoons that ARE pornography, but that's a different essay and not one for me to write: too many Demons involved, so I'm told).
BEN’S COMMENT: More school girls. Sexy ones this time, it seems. I have absolutely no idea what’s going on at any point in this clip, but I confess it’s highly enjoyable. I like the animation, it’s funny. About two thirds of the way through there’s some kind of truly insane credit sequence featuring another bubblegum punk-pop song that has to be seen to be believed. I was all ready to complain about the complete lack of penguins until that point, but OH, you just wait…
19. 'Ai To Yuuki No Pig Girl Tonde Buurin' (Pig Girl of Love and Courage)
PAUL’S COMMENT: Almost no trace on Youtube. A parody of 'magical girl' series, especially Sailor Moon.
BEN’S COMMENT: You’ve got to love a culture in which “magical girl series” is an established genre rather than a unique entity. This is…. well, it’s a pig-girl of love and courage alright. Looks like slightly older anime that most of the ones we’ve been looking at today? If this were live-action, the camera-man would deserve a restraining order for the number of gratuitous anatomical close-ups he crams into 30 seconds.
20. Hayate the Combat Butler
Episode 4, part 1, English sub. (ep. 1 is missing)
PAUL’S COMMENT: Seems to be a comedy.
BEN’S COMMENT: “Hayate the Combat Butler”? Fantastic! Unfortunately, Hayate seems to be one of those drippy, floppy-haired anime dreamboat types rather than a wisecracking robot Jeeves dispensing kung-fu justice, but still. So, in short order: a sweet little health warning telling kids not to sit too close to the TV and to get some exercise, a whole lot of tedious fourth wall breaking self-referential humour, a foul-mouthed albino tiger, some teenage angst. “This is the super combat battle story of a boy who fights, risking his life for a girl”, it promises, but fails to deliver. We do get some great English subtitles to the theme song though; “Let’s run and kick up dirt, like the whimsical wind!” Quite.
Monday, 13 April 2009
30 SILLY ANIME NAMES
(or, a quest to briefly understand Japanese animated television before I waste too much time), Part # 3
(or, a quest to briefly understand Japanese animated television before I waste too much time), Part # 3
11. Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure
Episode 1, part 1, English Sub.
PAUL'S COMMENT: Same old, same old. Nothing to say about this. A Mecha show with an 'unwanted Harem' (i.e. the protagonist is surrounded by girls and is embarrassed by the fact, whilst the girls, for the most part, exhibit more extrovert behaviour).
BEN’S COMMENT: You should give this one another go Paul, I think you’re selling it short – it seems pretty well made, smart and interesting to me! It seems to tell the tale of this kid who spends his whole time fantasising about giant robot battles, and writing stories about them, a hobby that obsesses him to the extent that he not only has no friends and blushes and runs away whenever a girl talks to him, but he regularly has crazy, involuntary visions of his giant robots. I can relate! So it seems that he gets mixed up with this mad professor dude, ala Back to The Future, who sends him into a parallel world where his family & home don’t exist, and where his robot knowledge is coveted by a bunch of fascistic military types, the scientist guy is head of something called the Earth Defence Force, and the girl who tried to make friends with him in his homeworld is an evil, emotionless solider who helps capture him, or something. Quite reminiscent in tone to one of Philip K. Dick’s early novels actually, and the first anime we’ve looked at so far that I’d actually quite like to watch in full, if only I had the time…
12. Samurai Pizza Cats
Samurai Pizza Cats - The Case of the Bogus Billionaire
PAUL'S COMMENT: The American team didn't get a transcript of this one in time to do the English dub and had to write their own based on what the action seems to depict. Hence, the dialogue and commentary run in the style of Danger Mouse (after all, The Magic Roundabout was 'translated' from the French in much the same way). The result is not as good as all that: (1) it is not hard to work out what is going on without a script, leaving little room for invention and (2) Americans wrote it, so it is not funny in the way it is intended to be. A curiosity.
BEN’S COMMENT: Imagine being the poor guy the American producers hired to write/sing a new English language theme tune for this damn thing! The results sound like the work of an utter lunatic, so I guess they must have found their man.
13. Strawberry Panic
Episode 1, part 1, English sub.
PAUL’S COMMENT: I honestly can't tell the difference between this one and # 17 - honest. Hence... see # 17 for comments.
BEN’S COMMENT: Hmm…. more uneventful catholic schoolgirl shenanigans. Less jolly hockeysticks, more hyperreal, dreamlike, chaste gothic romance. Certainly LOOKS a hell of a lot better than the last one of these we looked at too. In my weaker moments, I can almost see myself getting really into this sort of thing, and waking up sprawled across the living room floor a week later, wondering what happened.
14. UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie
Season 1, Episode 1, Part 1, English Sub.
PAUL’S COMMENT: A set of characters in an unreal setting. It vaguely resembles a 'magical girl' series (e.g. Card Captor Sakura, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha). However, nothing terribly out-of-the-ordinary seems to happen beneath appearances, at a glance - quite unlike the name in that respect.
BEN’S COMMENT: Nothing out of the ordinary…?? This show opens with some wonderfully realised scenes inside a vast spaceport of some kind, with all kinds of aliens wondering through customs etc., before switching the action to the travails of this wistful looking young guy whose day job involves managing this sort of communal public bath wherein a whole host of cute girls with cat ears seem to gain an inordinate amount of pleasure from lounging around in the nude chatting to blobby alien types. Our protagonist seems to be assisted in his bath-related labours by a whole crew of oddballs, most notably a strange, hyperactive little girl who is indeed dressed as some Japanese equivalent of a valkyrie, and who seems to live in the swimming baths and just kinda gets in everyone’s way. Cut to some school girls standing on a bridge, watching our hero pass by beneath. They seem pretty enamoured with him, but swiftly change their minds when they notice he’s walking hand in hand with the weird valkyrie girl and conclude that he must be a paedophile. Wistful guy and valkyrie girl watch a rocket taking off, and he explains to her that, yes, the rocket is full of people going into space. She gets incredibly excited at this prospect and experiences some kind of dream vision, or something. Cut back to the swimming baths, and more naked cat girls. They seem to be emerging from this robotic contraption that looks a lot like a transformer. They seem to be finding it very enjoyable. That’s what happens in the first EIGHT MINUTES. It’s beautiful, and dreamlike, and makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Those responsible for producing popular entertainment in the west should watch and learn. The theme tune is totally awesome Shonen Knife-style bubblegum punk too. Nothing out of the ordinary..?!?
15. Zombie Loan
Episode 1, Part 1, English subs.
PAUL’S COMMENT: Boring. No, the hero doesn't go to the bank and say 'I'd like to arrange a loan for 1000 zombies'. The explanation is too dull to be worth repeating.
BEN’S COMMENT: This is a kind of gothic horror/action anime that largely seems to focus on these two tall, skinny dudes going about the place looking cool, and doing slo mo action sequences with magic swords and guns and suchlike. More unhappy catholic schoolgirls too. Fair enough. Another awesome theme tune though. (Yes non-Stereo Sanctity readers, I think just about anything with a loud guitar and somebody shouting is ‘awesome’; get used to it.)
Thursday, 19 March 2009
30 SILLY ANIME NAMES
(or, a quest to briefly understand Japanese animated television before I waste too much time), Part # 2
(or, a quest to briefly understand Japanese animated television before I waste too much time), Part # 2
6. I! My! Me! Strawberry Eggs
Episode 1, part 1, English sub.
COMMENT: Begins with a ruthless old lady collecting rent with a gun. However, from promising beginnings, we find a show about a teacher who pretends to be a woman so he can teach sport at a girl’s school (or something to that effect). I'll say more about this sort of thing under # 17.
BEN’S COMMENT: I think here we meet some profound cultural disjuncture, because all my instincts tell me this should be really funny and entertaining, yet somehow… it really isn’t. Portrayal of the school girls seems kinda sleazy, although I feel I’m probably going to have to get used to that as we go through all thirty shows on this list. They are depicted as having different levels of ‘immunity’ to the lures of boys, which are built up almost like a forcefield.
7. Goldfish Warning
Opening, English sub.
COMMENT: the first 5 seconds - a television picture of a fish on a spire is obscured by a band (with instruments) of cows, one of their number holding aloft a similar fish, flying by on a clock-face. Again, another old-fashioned anime to confuse and confuse once more. The subs. of the opening theme suggest that the 'warning' part of the title is related to weather forecasting.
BEN’S COMMENT: "A high pressure of bowknot... is approaching your heart"? Um….. right. Ok. Next.
8. The Virgin Mary Is Watching You
Episode 1, part 1, English sub.
COMMENT: 'Watching you' is meant in the sense of 'watching over you', alas: merely lost in translation. Added to Youtube in English since last I surveyed. It is a romance in a Catholic Girls School. See # 17 for further comments. In fact, seems, on the face of it, like a very serious, Catholic, version of # 17.
BEN’S COMMENT: the way the girls are drawn in this one is strange and kinda ugly – odd, misproportioned faces, and all that softly shaded hair blowing in the wind. It’s sorta aesthetically disagreeable. The seeming HYPER-INNOCENCE of this stuff is also curious, not to mention the Hyper-Boringness. Is this an anime with some kind of sinister Christian chastity agenda, or are they just trying to cop the signifiers of old-fashioned, ‘respectable’ Western culture (tedium, Christian iconography, classical music) to try to assert their artistic seriousness? Perhaps shows like this serve as a deliberate rebellion against the OTT sexualised carnage of much other manga/anime? Who knows…
9. Ebichu the Housekeeping Hamster
Episode 2 (English sub.) - Episode 1 (in English) seems to have been censored by Youtube community.
COMMENTS: Japanese 'South Park' with a hamster. However, while this is the best description, it does not capture the concept. There is a sense of despair in this cartoon. Some might call me a lightweight for saying this. Whereas South Park is quite a blanket treatment to the notion of the comedy of taboo, Ebichu is much more of a dagger: it is directed and without mercy... then again, it is just an 'exceptionally naughty' hamster. Must be my religious vein...
BEN’S COMMENT: I gather this is supposed to be… funny? Actually, this gives me a similar sense of despair and confusion to much contemporary British/American ‘comedy’. I dunno * sigh *.
10. Panda Z: the Robonimation
Episode 1, English sub.
COMMENT: Cartoon with Panda Mechas (giant robots). Not much talking. 'Heavy Metal' soundtrack plays all-the-way-through. Silly. Not much fun.
BEN’S COMMENT: Now, you see, when I wanted to do some posts investigating crazy Japanese pop culture, THIS was the kinda thing I had in mind, not that grim, misanthropic hamster sex comedy shit! Does this have any kind of story, or is it just nifty retro-toy visuals and absurdly awesome novelty hair metal songs? Why so I even feel the need to ask?
Thursday, 12 March 2009
30 SILLY ANIME NAMES
(or, a quest to briefly understand Japanese animated television before I waste too much time)
(or, a quest to briefly understand Japanese animated television before I waste too much time)
BEN’S INTRODUCTION:
Japanese Anime is an odd business to say the least. Most of us who grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s will have at least some knowledge of the movies and series that have attained a higher profile in the West following the success of ‘Akira’ and subsequent stand-alone blockbusters, not to mention the concerted efforts that were made a few years back to get English speaking teenage boys hooked on good-natured nonsense of the ‘Gunsmith Cats’, ‘Dominion: Tank Police’ variety and the widespread distribution of, and renewal of interest in, the genuinely wonderful films of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
But, for the most part, the mind-bogglingly vast range of animated TV series and episodic movies that form a huge part of the entertainment-diet of Japan remain the concern of only a small, hardcore fanbase in the West, a fanbase which, needless to say, includes neither myself nor anyone I know, hence my general ignorance of the subject.
A few months ago however, my brother Paul emailed me a list he had compiled of the thirty anime series with the most ludicrous or unlikely translated titles, and stated his intention to track down and watch extracts from each of them in turn.
Now the raving linguistic insanity that inevitably seems to result when Japanese titles are translated directly into English is nothing new – even the quickest overview of Japanese exploitation cinema for instance will instantly have the curious reader marvelling at the existence of ‘The Sperm Hunts At Night’, ‘Go Go Second Time Virgin!’ and ‘Emperor Tomato Ketchup’ – but nonetheless, Paul’s list blew my mind.
Sure, it featured a few better known series such as ‘Cowboy Bebop’. But what of ‘Boogie-Pop Phantom’? ‘All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku’? ‘Hayate The Combat Butler’? – clearly this is an avenue of world culture that demands further investigation!
Thus I have arranged with Paul to present the results of his marathon survey on this very weblog, for your entertainment and education, in six parts beginning below.
Needless to say, all text in these posts is his, unless otherwise stated.
30 SILLY ANIME NAMES
(or, a quest to briefly understand Japanese animated television before I waste too much time), Part # 1
(or, a quest to briefly understand Japanese animated television before I waste too much time), Part # 1
Close to six months ago, I found I had time on my hands and went on a mini 'anime crusade'. That is, I systematically drew, from a LIST, the animes with the silliest names, and watched, or attempted to watch, them on YouTube. I found material from almost all of them and watched my fill of a surprising number of them. Afterwards, I wrote a short report, which I was asked to reproduce here. I find myself, currently, with a little time and, thus, thought I'd re-write my report with fresh links and fresh material that I have learned of since writing the original. My thanks to the work of the tropers at TVtropes (above link) for their sum knowledge.
In writing this list, I have excluded the better manga/anime canon items: like Akira, Studio Ghimli films, such as Whispering Heart, Princess Mononoke and the Gainax TV series Neon Genesis: Evangelion (as well as the films). I suggest you turn to these first; this is an exercise in ad-hoc sampling and not a means to finding the best of the medium.
What follows is the list of anime titles. I chose 30 because that was the number of silly names I found to the nearest ten. Surprisingly, some material on ALL THIRTY of these shows can be found on YouTube, though not all are in any way completely represented. If you have witnessed some anime, a few of these titles may not be new to you. Rest assured, they were all new to me.
Before we begin, a few disclaimers. Do not be thrown by the funny names: most of these shows are not as funny as the names suggest and will merely waste your time. There will be comments, as well as some asides about generalities. Some do not deserve comment. Neither comments nor asides are meant to be comprehensive, but are merely points of interest.
1. Boogiepop Phantom
Episode 1, parts 1, English Dub:
COMMENTS: Interesting - but a bit of an obvious replica of the so-called "Mind Screw" anime (e.g. Neon Genesis - Evangelion) but without the same sense of authorial 'high-weirdness'. Likely it’s just the bad acting leading me to say that. It’s a pity it’s only available (for free) with the English dub. Anime is often better with original sound. Still, suggestions of better things.
Quote: (close up on girls eyes as she thinks, dead-pan) "He was probably killed... by Boogiepop."
BEN’S COMMENT: This seems a lot more dull and angst-ridden than something called ‘Boogie-Pop Phantom’ has any right to be.
2. Cowboy Bebop
Episode 1, parts 1, English Sub.:
COMMENTS: Original. Best of the bunch. A simple plot that can be told well through the limited medium of the cartoon. Excellent music. Episode 20 (I think; the one in the amusement park) is an insane gem. It seems to squeeze-in aspects of every genre, especially Westerns, Detective Noir and Science Fiction without really breeding a new genre, as some of its fans will claim. Hence, you can't really put your finger on a template used to construct Cowboy Bebop, but, at the same time, it provides no guidelines for its replication (so to speak).
BEN’S COMMENT: I watched this a few years ago. Ok, it is indeed pretty good, but, foolish westerner that I am, I’m still infuriated by the lack of either cowboys or bebop.
3. Coyote Ragtime Show
Episode 1 Trailor (English dub) & Strange clip (Japanese):
COMMENT: None, really. Doesn't seem terribly earth-shattering. Then again, hard to tell with so few clips that aren't in Spanish. The second link leads to the interesting sight of the '12 sisters' (robots, apparently) raiding what seems to be the prison of the first clip. They are dressed in costumes that, I am informed, are examples of GOTH LOLI: short for 'Innocent Gothic Lolita', which is a 'goth' version of dolls clothing.
BEN’S COMMENT: This is just about the greatest thing I’ve seen in my life. All hail Coyote Ragtime Show!
4. Doctor Slump
"the Super Driver" - part 1. English Sub.:
COMMENT: When I did my original survey, there wasn't much on this. However, I infer from YouTube posts, that there is a new version in the pipeline. This is an older Japanese cartoon (as a cartoon, one for kids: you remember those). One thing I've noticed about Japanese cartoons is that the older they are, the more incomprehensible (with some exceptions, qua Bobobo, #30 below). This is an example.
BEN’S COMMENT: Wow, this is insane and wonderful! Like a psychedelic Japanese Hanna Barbara show! Makes about as much sense as ‘Stop The Pigeon’, but it’s a thousand times more visually imaginative – I love it.
5. Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor
Episode 1, part 1/1, English sub.
COMMENT: Anime these days can look very impressive, and usually borrows pop music from the Japanese charts. Fafner seems to be an example of this. It wasn't on Youtube when I searched previously. A giant robot caper in the manner of Evangelion, though, in the 1st episode, without the strangeness. Bland, at first glance.
BEN’S COMMENT: Hmm… this one isn’t doing much for me. Seems like an over-earnest rip off of ‘Independence Day’ or something?
In writing this list, I have excluded the better manga/anime canon items: like Akira, Studio Ghimli films, such as Whispering Heart, Princess Mononoke and the Gainax TV series Neon Genesis: Evangelion (as well as the films). I suggest you turn to these first; this is an exercise in ad-hoc sampling and not a means to finding the best of the medium.
What follows is the list of anime titles. I chose 30 because that was the number of silly names I found to the nearest ten. Surprisingly, some material on ALL THIRTY of these shows can be found on YouTube, though not all are in any way completely represented. If you have witnessed some anime, a few of these titles may not be new to you. Rest assured, they were all new to me.
Before we begin, a few disclaimers. Do not be thrown by the funny names: most of these shows are not as funny as the names suggest and will merely waste your time. There will be comments, as well as some asides about generalities. Some do not deserve comment. Neither comments nor asides are meant to be comprehensive, but are merely points of interest.
1. Boogiepop Phantom
Episode 1, parts 1, English Dub:
COMMENTS: Interesting - but a bit of an obvious replica of the so-called "Mind Screw" anime (e.g. Neon Genesis - Evangelion) but without the same sense of authorial 'high-weirdness'. Likely it’s just the bad acting leading me to say that. It’s a pity it’s only available (for free) with the English dub. Anime is often better with original sound. Still, suggestions of better things.
Quote: (close up on girls eyes as she thinks, dead-pan) "He was probably killed... by Boogiepop."
BEN’S COMMENT: This seems a lot more dull and angst-ridden than something called ‘Boogie-Pop Phantom’ has any right to be.
2. Cowboy Bebop
Episode 1, parts 1, English Sub.:
COMMENTS: Original. Best of the bunch. A simple plot that can be told well through the limited medium of the cartoon. Excellent music. Episode 20 (I think; the one in the amusement park) is an insane gem. It seems to squeeze-in aspects of every genre, especially Westerns, Detective Noir and Science Fiction without really breeding a new genre, as some of its fans will claim. Hence, you can't really put your finger on a template used to construct Cowboy Bebop, but, at the same time, it provides no guidelines for its replication (so to speak).
BEN’S COMMENT: I watched this a few years ago. Ok, it is indeed pretty good, but, foolish westerner that I am, I’m still infuriated by the lack of either cowboys or bebop.
3. Coyote Ragtime Show
Episode 1 Trailor (English dub) & Strange clip (Japanese):
COMMENT: None, really. Doesn't seem terribly earth-shattering. Then again, hard to tell with so few clips that aren't in Spanish. The second link leads to the interesting sight of the '12 sisters' (robots, apparently) raiding what seems to be the prison of the first clip. They are dressed in costumes that, I am informed, are examples of GOTH LOLI: short for 'Innocent Gothic Lolita', which is a 'goth' version of dolls clothing.
BEN’S COMMENT: This is just about the greatest thing I’ve seen in my life. All hail Coyote Ragtime Show!
4. Doctor Slump
"the Super Driver" - part 1. English Sub.:
COMMENT: When I did my original survey, there wasn't much on this. However, I infer from YouTube posts, that there is a new version in the pipeline. This is an older Japanese cartoon (as a cartoon, one for kids: you remember those). One thing I've noticed about Japanese cartoons is that the older they are, the more incomprehensible (with some exceptions, qua Bobobo, #30 below). This is an example.
BEN’S COMMENT: Wow, this is insane and wonderful! Like a psychedelic Japanese Hanna Barbara show! Makes about as much sense as ‘Stop The Pigeon’, but it’s a thousand times more visually imaginative – I love it.
5. Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor
Episode 1, part 1/1, English sub.
COMMENT: Anime these days can look very impressive, and usually borrows pop music from the Japanese charts. Fafner seems to be an example of this. It wasn't on Youtube when I searched previously. A giant robot caper in the manner of Evangelion, though, in the 1st episode, without the strangeness. Bland, at first glance.
BEN’S COMMENT: Hmm… this one isn’t doing much for me. Seems like an over-earnest rip off of ‘Independence Day’ or something?
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