Forum - View topicBarefoot Gen - what am I missing?
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angel_lover
 Posts: 645 Location: UK |
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I can see that Barefoot Gen is generally rated very highly, but I've just finished watching it and I thought it was awful. It's often mentioned in the same breath as Grave of the Fireflies, but I can't see any real comparison. The storyline was just a set piece of cliches strung together, as a result of which the mood kept switching from mawkish to macabre. What's more, despite having several artists on the production who later went on to work for Studio Ghibli, I found the artwork just plain ugly. Maybe they were trying for an expressionistic effect, especially in the scenes showing the effects of the nuclear bomb. I have another problem with those scenes as well though, which is the way spoiler[lots of people's eyes come out of their sockets]. I've looked through everything I can find about the effects of nuclear explosions and I can't find any reference to this happening.
Anyway, what am I missing? Could anyone who thought it was really good try and explain to me why? |
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GATSU
Posts: 15475 |
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Protip: There's a manga.
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ANN_Bamboo
ANN Contributor
 Posts: 3904 Location: CO |
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^^;; Well, there's only so many ways you can have a story about WWII so I wouldn't call them cliches. Especially if you're doing a historical manga. You HAVE to stick to what happened, because once you deviate from history, it becomes pure fiction. Besides, the manga was made back in the early 70s. It's hard to be full of cliches when it's one of the earliest WWII manga ever made-- not that there's that many to begin with. In any case, I myself wasn't too taken with Barefoot Gen. Of all the WWII movies I've seen (not made during WWII like Momotaro), Grave of the Fireflies and Who's Left Behind? are, IMO, in a different world than Barefoot Gen. I think most people just mention it because it has historical significance, the manga was very well received, and like I said, it's one of the few WWII anime movies that was made. Also, because the author tried so hard to stick to historical events and real-life atrocities, people are saddened by its portrayal of violence. I think a lot is left to be desired about how the movie was made, including art and music, but for history, tragic events speak for themselves. |
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Shinotaku14
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 233 Location: Greenville or Rock Hill, SC |
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Of course, there's great comedy to be had in Barefoot gen as well. Who wouldn't laugh at spoiler[the japanese relief soldier bleeding from his ass because of nuclear Fallout?] or spoiler[Gen loosing his hair for the same reason?] I mean, come one people, that's comedy gold right there. ^_~;
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Tenchi
 Posts: 4512 Location: Ottawa... now I'm an ex-Anglo Montrealer. |
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Oh, I'm another member of the "did not care for Barefoot Gen club". I found the animation style much too "cartoonish" to the point that the nuclear attack scene was just unintentionally hilarious.
Of course, I'm also a member of the "unmoved by Grave of the Fireflies club", so take what I say about World War II anime in general with a grain of salt. |
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Angel Of Death
 Posts: 176 Location: Harper Woods, MI |
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No. That's just yucky. |
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angel_lover
Posts: 645 Location: UK |
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Speaking as one who once nearly died of blood loss in erm similar circumstances (I'm a colitis sufferer) I would have to agree... |
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Shinotaku14
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 233 Location: Greenville or Rock Hill, SC |
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Sarcasm people. Sarcasm. all the same, I'm sorry if I offended y'all.
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angel_lover
Posts: 645 Location: UK |
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It's ok. Anyway, I think that finding humour in even the most desperate and extreme circumstances is one of the things that helps people to come through and survive. |
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