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Isao Takahata: Endless Memories


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Chiibi



Joined: 19 Dec 2011
Posts: 4829
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 12:28 pm Reply with quote
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However, Grave of the Fireflies isn't a film that revels in showing the suffering of it's protagonists.


Pfft I completely disagree but everyone's entitled to their opinion.
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Pepperidge



Joined: 13 Sep 2003
Posts: 1106
Location: British Columbia, Canada
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 1:01 pm Reply with quote
CandisWhite wrote:
Sir! The maple-syrup in my blood demands satisfaction: Not only was the Animaze dub of Panda Go Panda treated as the sole one ("the English dub, produced decades later" ) but this then led to a slight on the honour of Canadian legend Walter Massey, who was erased from existence as Daddy (called so in his dub) Panda. THAT's the Papa I've known since I was very young.


Whoa, hold the phone! This is the first I've heard of this dub. Is there more information on it?
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TurnerJ



Joined: 05 Nov 2004
Posts: 482
Location: Highland Park, NJ
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 2:19 pm Reply with quote
It's funny that we're having a column talking about Takahata because recently I went on a little "Takahata marathon" watching his movies on their respective release dates, if only to replicate the feeling of seeing them in the theater for the first time. It's very rare that I do that, but because of my admiration for this man, I couldn't help but do it.

I'd say that of his films, Grave of the Fireflies is his magnum opus. It's not a movie I would watch regularly, as it is impossible for me to view it without bawling my eyes out, even at a grown age. But it IS an emotionally powerful, extremely moving film that never fails to evoke impact.

Only Yesterday is a close second, especially the scenes involving little Taeko. I found that little girl so adorable from the start that I was feeling for her. And I could relate to some of her problems. I was especially sad at the scene where her father refuses to have her join a theater club.

On the other hand, Pom Poko was a film I admired at one point, but today I find very, very off-putting. I don't mean the absurdity of the raccoons using their "pouches" to take out the humans. It's too ridiculously long, and drags more often than not. It's one of my least favorite Ghibli films.

My Neighbors the Yamadas is thankfully better, especially the charming animation style. I loved the characters and their situations. Although it's presented as a series of vignettes rather than a connected story, it's no less charming. I especially dig the bicycle riding scene toward the end.

I have yet to see Princess Kaguya again, though, since that debuted in November, so that's when I'll see it.
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andyos
ANN Associate Editor


Joined: 27 Oct 2008
Posts: 269
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 2:54 pm Reply with quote
uguu wrote:
The Chie the Brat coverage follows the age-old anime critic tradition of vaguely dismissing something old and underrated as 'not engaging' with only microscopic reasoning


Ahem, I said Chie was 'vastly interesting', albeit 'not massively funny or solidly engaging.'

Quote:
Covering the history then ending it in a meaningless dismissal of its merits as a stand-alone work.


Right, you've got my dander up now! I spend, at most, four paragraphs on the anime's history... out of twelve paragraphs discussing the film.

Quote:
Or you know... the countless Japanese anime and manga from the same time (Joe season 2 aired in the 80s) that focuses on the exact same thing, from Ashita no Joe to Notari Matsutaro.


Fair point.

Quote:
The author's only reason for saying the film is unengaging and unfunny...


Please stop taking my words out of context, there's a good chap.

Quote:
it would've been interesting to note Gauche was key-animated by one person.


Agreed, which is why I did indeed note it in my review.
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Hiroki not Takuya



Joined: 17 Apr 2012
Posts: 2657
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 10:50 pm Reply with quote
Chiibi wrote:
Quote:
However, Grave of the Fireflies isn't a film that revels in showing the suffering of it's protagonists.
Pfft I completely disagree but everyone's entitled to their opinion.
If you could elaborate, the comment would have more weight. As is, I think the reviewer's comment can be analyzed based on what is connected to the suffering shown because that illuminates it's purpose. Was misery and despair the whole end result? No, actually the characters find elements of life worth living in the midst and show that perseverance is possible and partially successful. I think there is ample evidence that suffering is shown only incidentally as a result of the rather convincingly crafted real situation the characters find themselves in. Did Seita contribute? Yes, but I'd likely do the same and so would many others so his actions and decisions are believable and aren't for the sole purpose of having misery. That would be reveling. I agree that while Kaguya is the height of visual art, this story is the height of Takahata-sensei's ability to tell a hard-to-tell story visually without degenerating into abnormal pathos or drama. I fully agree with the reviewer, this show is art and should be considered required viewing for anyone who appreciates anime. You might only bring yourself to view it once but I guarantee you will remember it.
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CandisWhite



Joined: 19 Apr 2015
Posts: 282
PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 11:22 pm Reply with quote
Pepperidge wrote:
CandisWhite wrote:
Sir! The maple-syrup in my blood demands satisfaction: Not only was the Animaze dub of Panda Go Panda treated as the sole one ("the English dub, produced decades later" ) but this then led to a slight on the honour of Canadian legend Walter Massey, who was erased from existence as Daddy (called so in his dub) Panda. THAT's the Papa I've known since I was very young.


Whoa, hold the phone! This is the first I've heard of this dub. Is there more information on it?

The Adventures of Panda and Friends. My parents taped it off of Family Channel (Canada) back in the 80's, Feature Presentation fireworks and all; Someone put the timer on the VCR, as there are a couple min. of the next program afterward, so I have every inch of the special. I actually went back and watched it the other day since I could find nothing by searching online. ( Ouch, internet.) The credits are unclear as to which company paid the bills (maybe the producer was independent?) but they are decent; The opening credits the important Japanese staff and the closing, the English. I know it's Canadian, at least as far as creative goes, because there are the voices of Canadian royalty; Kids of my era would've recognized those voices even when they had no clue what their names were.

I'm typing this comment as a placeholder because the tape/VCR is in the basement, where someone is currently asleep, and I will be busy the next few days. I will return with the full staff credits (which won't be that many, really) I would LOVE to know who did this and why it's so elusive.
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Raz_G



Joined: 14 Jan 2006
Posts: 72
Location: Israel
PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 5:04 am Reply with quote
Great project in the memory of a great director. I particularly liked the "Prehistory" article.
I think I posted about this here before, but it's worth repeating: if you want to watch Heidi, there's a Hong Kong DVD edition of the compilation films which includes the Japanese dub and English subtitles - and it's pretty cheap:
https://www.yesasia.com/us/heidi-theatrical-version-boxset-dvd-hong-kong-version/1003950722-0-0-0-en/info.html
Also, if I'm allowed some self promotion... my book about the early works of Miyazaki came out last month, and it includes extensive discussions of his collaborations with Takahata:
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/hayao-miyazaki-9781501335945/
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Shay Guy



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 2291
PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 11:08 am Reply with quote
Huh. Adding Only Yesterday to my mental list of voices-recorded-first anime, alongside Akira, some of Kou Matsuo's works, and ufotable's stuff.
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar


Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 16963
PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 11:28 am Reply with quote
Hiroki not Takuya wrote:
Chiibi wrote:
Quote:
However, Grave of the Fireflies isn't a film that revels in showing the suffering of it's protagonists.
Pfft I completely disagree but everyone's entitled to their opinion.
If you could elaborate, the comment would have more weight.


I agree. As it stands right now chiibi your comment is very close to simple trolling without any sort of elaboration as to WHY you disagree. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but we do expect people here to explain their opinions. Otherwise, beyond coming across as simple trolling, any sort of discussion is not really fostered without some sort of reasoning.
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Shiflan



Joined: 29 Jul 2015
Posts: 418
PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 1:23 pm Reply with quote
Hiroki not Takuya wrote:
No, actually the characters find elements of life worth living in the midst and show that perseverance is possible and partially successful. I think there is ample evidence that suffering is shown only incidentally as a result of the rather convincingly crafted real situation the characters find themselves in. Did Seita contribute? Yes, but I'd likely do the same and so would many others so his actions and decisions are believable and aren't for the sole purpose of having misery.
(Emphasis added by me)

In my personal opinion, the part that I emphasized above is the crowning achievement of Grave of the Fireflies. There are plenty of anime (and movies and manga and books...) which show the tragedies and horrors of war, the impact on civilians, and so on. Many of them do a far better job than Grave, IMHO. But the highlight is showing the simple joys that Seita and Setsuko experience now and then despite the horrid conditions around them.

Frankly, I feel that the "suffering" angle falls a bit flat in Grave, because spoiler[ their deaths (at least at the moment shown in the film) were entirely preventable. Seita had access to money and therefore food, but he chose to access it too late. Had Seita withdrawn money to buy food earlier then he and Satsuko might have lived. That's not commentary about the horrors of war, that's someone making a poor decision and getting himself and his kid sister killed because of it.]

Thankfully, that does not detract from the small joys and the humanity the film conveys.
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vonPeterhof



Joined: 10 Nov 2014
Posts: 729
PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 2:05 pm Reply with quote
Shiflan wrote:
Frankly, I feel that the "suffering" angle falls a bit flat in Grave, because spoiler[ their deaths (at least at the moment shown in the film) were entirely preventable. Seita had access to money and therefore food, but he chose to access it too late. Had Seita withdrawn money to buy food earlier then he and Satsuko might have lived. That's not commentary about the horrors of war, that's someone making a poor decision and getting himself and his kid sister killed because of it.]
Seita's poor decisions leading to tragedy is kind of the point of the movie though, one that tends to fly over the heads of foreign audiences and critics expecting an "anti-war movie" (it's about as much of an anti-war movie as Gone with the Wind is an "anti-Reconstruction" one). Not that "war is bad" and "simple joys are possible in horrid conditions" are bad takeaways from the film (from what I've heard, the latter theme was a bit more prominent in the original novel), but when it's viewed as a product of its place and time, characterized by both unprecedented prosperity and an epidemic of youth delinquency (it's not a coincidence that Akira was released in the same year), Takahata's insistence that he never intended an anti-war message becomes less confusing.
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Shiflan



Joined: 29 Jul 2015
Posts: 418
PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 2:28 pm Reply with quote
vonPeterhof wrote:
Seita's poor decisions leading to tragedy is kind of the point of the movie though, one that tends to fly over the heads of foreign audiences and critics expecting an "anti-war movie" (it's about as much of an anti-war movie as Gone with the Wind is an "anti-Reconstruction" one).


Agreed. I didn't mean to imply that it is or should be an "Anti war" movie; I simply addressed that because it seems to be what most people discuss in the context of Grave. The review you linked is excellent indeed, and it illustrates what I suspect many foreigners (myself included) missed about the movie simply because we lack sufficient cultural context.

That said, I think the movie is more about all the characters present, even the seemingly insignificant ones in the background who are never named, more than it is about Seita's decisions specifically. For example, spoiler[Seita's sale of his mother's kimonos has obvious cultural connotations attached to it....but it's also not an unreasonable or unexpected decision for a young man who is facing the reality of starvation.] While a significant scene, it is also a forced one. There are countless other actions (as well as lack of actions) made by others which are just as meaningful, if not moreso because they are free choices instead.
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Chris Hoffman



Joined: 07 Aug 2018
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 9:01 pm Reply with quote
I think Miyazaki steals takahatas spot light, I have the japanese movie pamphlet for this and the first page is on page interview with miyazaki (and his name in huge boldface) . there is barely a mention of takahata in the book
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Chiibi



Joined: 19 Dec 2011
Posts: 4829
PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 11:13 pm Reply with quote
Psycho 101 wrote:
Hiroki not Takuya wrote:
Chiibi wrote:
Quote:
However, Grave of the Fireflies isn't a film that revels in showing the suffering of it's protagonists.
Pfft I completely disagree but everyone's entitled to their opinion.
If you could elaborate, the comment would have more weight.


I agree. As it stands right now chiibi your comment is very close to simple trolling without any sort of elaboration as to WHY you disagree. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but we do expect people here to explain their opinions. Otherwise, beyond coming across as simple trolling, any sort of discussion is not really fostered without some sort of reasoning.


Fine.....
I don't know if either of you have watched the web series Anime Abandon but Bennet the Sage explains it way better than I can when it comes to GotF.

I think the film is very manipulative, ugly, and unpleasant to sit through. I don't see why "every fan of anime is required to watch this amazing masterpiece". It doesn't really do anything that I can't get from other anime films and TV series. And I definitely wouldn't recommend it to everyone I know; especially those who dislike spoiler[tragedy porn/ watching children die.] I would in fact, tell them to avoid it.

I am a BIG crier when it comes to media but when I watched this years ago....I didn't really feel much, let alone shed tears. Much of that stems from this movie not really letting us get to know the characters. I cannot cry for someone I have no attachment to.

And I agree with Shiflan; Seita was just being foolish. So the message of the movie is "If you make foolish decisions in harsh conditions, spoiler[you will die]?" Um, no sh**, Sherlock. Do we really need a two-hour film to illustrate this point?
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Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter
Exempt from Grammar Rules


Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 4630
Location: Gainesville, FL
PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2018 8:24 am Reply with quote
I've come to agree that Seita was being foolish, but I understand that while staying with his aunt would have kept him alive, he would have lost a lot of himself. Pride in himself, pride in his parents. He could have stayed but it would have meant a life of Cinderella level sorrow for both of them. It's hard choice and I see as much fault in his aunt, content to remove an inconvenience at the cost of what she should have known was their ruin.

But it is manipulative. It's an isolated sequence of watching children die without comment. I assume the short story goes into Seita's reasoning, goes into his mind a bit, and to me that would be an improvement.

I might come short of calling it "tragedy-porn" though. Such a description connotes a lack of a point. There is a point to watching the suffering, in watching their deaths. It's a point of "you can't look away- you shouldn't look away. This happened." The point is to force empathy more than reveling in sadness.

If someone would do this same sort of story featuring on the pointless deaths of child refugees of Syria right now, there would be a point to that, it wouldn't just be a sob story.
...but I'd still realize my emotions are being manipulated and wouldn't watch such a movie again.
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