Pattern Reocognition @baoh-blog - Tumblr Blog

You're going to regret this

So, I've previously talked about Shinbo's contribution to [B]Yu Yu Hakusho[/B], specifically his key work on episodes such as episode 58. One really noticeable aspect of Shinbo's approach to directing these episodes is that when he takes over in the middle of the fight (as most fights tend to last at least two episodes) he'll often re-create the last moments of the previous episode. One thing this does is highlight to the audience how two different directors can approach literally the same scene but create two completely different sequences, which is fascinating.

One clear example of this is the sequence in the Dark Tournament where Hei finally unveils his perfected secret technique. Suffice to say that, as an audience member, you've been waiting many episodes (and possibly many weeks) to witness this pivotal scene so you should be pretty excited already. Here's how it's handled in episode 57:

Bui taunts Hei and demonstrates his immense battle aura by literally flying above him. The low angle demonstrates Bui's dominance in the frame, not to mention that his power and dominance are also being demonstrated via his ability to fly and project a huge aura (in this show a sign of your fighting strength is the size of your aura).

The tension mounts as Hei reveals that he's about to unleash his true power by removing the bandages on his arm that keep it contained. A simple close up on the bandages indicates their significance.

In a move surely designed to boost tension we cut away to reaction shots of the other characters just so they can explain what's going on. I feel this move is questionable at best for reasons we'll see shortly but it really feels like a classic example of telling the audience what's happening rather than simply showing it. It also interrupts the crucial 'unwrapping' sequence which takes some of the energy out it. Nevertheless we cut back to Hei:

The bandages have come off and we cut a to reaction shot of Bui as he starts to see Hei's true power.

Finally, his power is unveiled and we through a cut showing both characters we can see that Hei has released a sizeable 'aura' of his own. Canted shots suggest that this new power is making Bui very uneasy as it's clear that the power dynamics in the situation have changed. Now the fight can begin.

Now, here's how Shinbo handles the [I]exact[/I] same material in a completely different (and I'd argue more effective) way:

Hey, it's those same shots again, except the art is much nicer! More importantly, the angle on the shot of Bui floating in front of Hei is shot at a far more extreme angle which really enforces the dominance that Bui is demonstrating at that point in the scene.

Hei removing his bandages, Shinbo-style. At first glance this looks totally badass, but it's worth highlighting why. Firstly, Shinbo chooses to hold the shot on Hei and rather than focus on what people in the stadium think of his actions he literally removes them from the shot by fading everything to black except Hei. His actions and movements are the only thing that matter. I don't know enough about colour to explain why the particular colours chosen here work but the extremely limited colour palette creates beautiful imagery that makes Hei look truly threatening. Many of his features are obscured by shadow leading to this feeling of building threat. There's also something of a ritualistic nature to this movement and actions.

Now this is what I call a reaction shot. The focus is just on the top of Bui's face with everything else obscured by shadow. The most important features are his eyes and eyebrows which are accentuated by the shading.

Like any good reveal, we can't rush to final shot. We have to get their slowly, in pieces via shots focusing on a single aspect of this unveiling. It's so important that each and every moment gets it's own totally isolated shot. We focus on nothing else. Nothing in the world exists but these movements. This is because Bui, watching Hei do this, is concentrating extremely hard. As we're about to see when we cut back to him:

Finally, the time is right:

Shinbo's choice to depict Hei only in white and black (with blue eyes) really pays off here as the orange of his fire contrasts so heavily with the rest of the shot. There really is no turning back now, the fight is about to begin.

Just in case that this hasn't made it clear how different these two interpretations are, just check out this direct comparison:

It's pretty night and day.

Master Keaton (from the creator of Monster)

herein I once again try and persuade people that some old show they haven't heard of totally sweet and that they must check it out.

The origin of 'padding' manga adaptations

All this sports anime, and filler, discussion reminds me of a really fascinating section I was reading in Anime A History about arguably the very first sports series Star of the Giants (1968). The problem the creators of this series faced and they way that they 'solved it' was arguably one of the most important creative choices within the history of TV anime.

A brief examination of the anime business model

I must confess, I haven't mustered the energy to sit down and create a proper post on the subject of anime in months. For that, I must apologise because there's been plenty of high quality content worthy of analysis and discussion. Still, this all changed when I started to read about the history of anime and the story I discovered seemed so important to the foundation of the modern anime industry that I felt compelled to write about it. Please bear with me because this post is unfortunately far too long.

[Log Horizon - Complete Series Review]

LOG HORIZON - IT'S LIKE SWORD ART ONLINE, BUT NOT SHIT

Just kidding! Log Horizon doesn't really resemble Sword Art Online at all. This may puzzle those of you who are aware of the premise of Log Horizon - a bunch of people get trapped inside the world of an MMORPG. This in an accurate description but it utterly fails to describe the what makes the show interesting.

[Yu Yu Hakusho] - Early Akiyuki Shinbo

I imagine most people reading this thread are familiar with Shinbo's name, his style and 'his' various shows at SHAFT. In reality, while Shinbo is credited as the director of numerous SHAFT works in reality he doesn't actually do any direction on them, instead they simply replicate his very distinct visual style.

There was a time when Shinbo actually created directed anime personally and his earliest work is extremely distinctive. Even though [B]Yu Yu Hakusho[/B] feels like a rather traditional shounen property his influence and style clearly shines through the material. While the first episode he directed was episode 7, I'd like to focus on his work in episode 16. This is because episode's 16 and 17 are actually part of the same fight sequence so you can easily compare and contrast Shinbo's style with that of another director.

Anime I recommend because they're good.

This is all firehawk12's fault. Don't blame me!

Really. This is a terrible, awful idea, but I've written a list and I'm posting on the internet. I'm so sorry.

As someone of you are no doubt aware http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=107875143&postcount=16777, firehawk12 has committed the great sin of failing to watch both Revolutionary Girl Utena and Cowboy Bebop. His shameful failure to remove these titles from his backlog got me thinking about what anime I'd consider to be "must watch" material.

The Gambling Anime and Manga Appreciation Thread

[INDENT] [U]Introduction[/U] Gambling. An exercise in which people bet their money on games of chance. That doesn't sound like a particularly exciting premise for any story. Yet, within the world of Japanese anime and manga their exists a subset of works that focus entirely upon this activity. These are the works of the "gambling genre". But what exactly is the "gambling genre", and how did it arise?

[U]Mahjong [/U] It all started with one game : Mahjong. For those unfamiliar with this classic Chinese game of tiles, feel free to read the Wikipedia article because I don't have the faintest clue how it's actually played. The most important thing about this game, at least from the interests of providing an exciting story, is the factors that go into the game. Mahjong involves skill, strategy, and calculation, as well as a certain degree of luck and it is also often played as a game where money is involved, in other words, a gambling game. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/mahjong1.jpg[/IMG] If the game was based solely on luck, then there wouldn't be anything particularly interesting to say about it. But instead, players have to out think their opponents to defeat them. At least, that's how the game is presented within the gambling genre. Because of this psychological component we move beyond the simple idea of a game and we arrive at a battle of minds. This is perhaps the most appealing because it produces tension, in much the same way that bluffing in poker produces excitement. Whole series revolve around characters playing the game of Mahjong and little else. Indeed, their are whole anthologies devoted entirely to various different Mahjong manga. These Mahjong stories served as the base for what later became the "gambling" genre. [U]The "gambling genre"[/U] I have not seen nearly enough of these works to speak with any kind of authority on the matter, but I will briefly outline the defining features of these works, at least with regards to the shows I have seen. [U]The Game[/U] Firstly we need some kind of game. This may be a real game, like mahjong, or a simply a set of rules, like the "games" in the anime/manga series [B]Kaiji.[/B]. Either way, it is essential that some framework exists with grounded rules. Without properly defined rules, any game falls apart and becomes nothing more then a series of activities. We then place our protagonist in a variety of situations, and see how they can use their cunning to exploit the rules in some way. Often our protagonist, or his rivals, will show just how clever they are by bending and even breaking these rules. How far they succeed in these endeavours often demonstrates how powerful the character is meant to be within the story. The gamble itself is also defined and integrated into the rules. Perhaps the story will start with some relatively reasonable wagers, but by the very nature of these stories there is a constant need to up the ante. Perhaps millions of dollars is no longer an exciting wager, so why not try a limb? Or perhaps even your life? [U]The Players[/U] These stories tend to follow one character through a number of events, so it's important that the protagonist is interesting. If they aren't, why would be care abuts their victories or defeats? It's not like there are large overarching plots to keep the audiences attention : these are just people playing some kind of game. Perhaps the game will be played for high stakes, but even then, if you don't care about the characters (love them, or hate them) there's very little to keep a viewer engaged. Antagonists have to be as lively and intriguing as the protagonists themselves, or we wouldn't be cheering for their defeat. Often this means that they have done something bad to the protagonist at some point, so that we feel that their defeats are justified. For this reason they tend to be simple "bad guys", although better shows will work to flesh these figures out. . [U]Psychological Warfare [/U] Finally we come to my favourite aspect of the genre : the mind games. Perhaps these games are inherently ludicrous. Perhaps human beings don't think that fast. Perhaps these people are too clever. But I don't care. Witnessing two characters clash intellectually can be as fascinating as two sportsmen battling physically. I'm not entirely sure why I find this particular concept so appealing, perhaps a battle of intellects appeals to my nerdish side. Or perhaps it's that because deception and manipulation are so fascinating that making whole stories out of them seems only natural. How well a characters can plan, bluff, trick, and lie is directly proportional to their success within these stories. To deceive your opponent is crucial, to manipulate them is best. From a story point of view, the best feature of psychological warfare is that it creates tension. It's all about withholding information, a powerful way to build suspense, especially when characters wager high stakes on the outcomes of these games. It often becomes a game of "who knows what", because knowledge is power. In [B]One Outs[/B], it is the audience who lack the formation and the main character is the figure who knows more then we do. In [B]Kaiji,[/B] the hero really doesn't know what the other guy has got, and neither do the audience. When a character risks it all on a hunch you can't help holding you breath. [U]Being Over The Top[/U] By "over the top" I refer to the tendencies of these works to feature wacky situations, contrived plot devices and ridiculous speeches. Compared to the above three concepts, this feature is far less important. If you lack a game, players, and psychological warfare then you don't really have a story. You can survive without being over the top, but it just isn't as fun.. I derive a good deal of pleasure from the extreme nature of the situations that our heroes find themselves in, whether it's the craziness of the games themselves or the seriousness of what's being gambled (perhaps your soul?). These stories also seem to be about completely insane characters. For all their skill and planning and cunning these "games" they play also tend to involve luck. Yet, because these characters are "manly men" they will throw reason to the wind, dispense with logic and bet it all on the roll of a dice. To accompany such extreme situation, we need powerful dialogue. Hopefully it will include metaphors, similes, visual aides and be largely composed of rhetoric. This language seems highly fitting for the absurd situations that these stories tend to revolve around. [B]Kaiji [/B]certainly delivers on this concept, providing oodles of exaggerated dialogue in every episode. [IMG[http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/drama.jpg[/IMG] Now that I've gone on to discuss some of the common features of these particular works, I thought it would be helpful to introduce and recommend some works from this fine genre. [B][U]Akagi[/U][/B] [U]Introduction[/U] "[I]Tokyo, 1958. A 13-year-old kid, Shigeru Akagi, drives off a cliff in an rigged game of chicken, swims to safety and walks into a Mahjong parlor, where a man with heavy debts is gambling his life with the yakuza. Despite having never played before and given only a few minutes to learn the rules, he then proceeds to crush his opponents and—merely by playing mahjong—turn them into broken shells of their former selves. This is the start of the genius Akagi's legend in the underworld.[/I] " - [URL="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Akagi"]TV Tropes[/URL] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/akagi.jpg[/IMG] [U]Do you understand mahjong[/U]? In many ways, this seems the closet work to those original "Mahjong" manga, especially as the main game being played in this series is mahjong. However, not knowing the rules of this particular games should not discourage you from investigating this series. Indeed, the main character Akagi seems to have little need for rules or logic as he pulls of increasingly insane stunts to defeat his foes. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/6eee75acea2e6ec8c3cebc36c9a45948338.jpg[/IMG] [U]Production and Direction[/U] This series is produced by the venerable studio [B]Madhouse [/B]and it's general production quality is high. The direction, editing, dialogue and so forth create a fantastically particular mood and the tension remains high throughout thanks to the efforts of this particular team who seem to have done an excellent job adapting the Nobuyuki Fukumoto manga of the same name. As enjoyable as this show is, I find it problematic for two fairly major reasons. [U]Problems[/U] Firstly, the focus of the show is based around mahjong. While what I said above is true and you really don't have to have any understanding of the game to watch this show, I still feel like I am missing something. It would be easier to follow if the game that the characters where playing was something I actually knew and understood, something universal. This is an issue that the creator of the manga actually address's in his later work, [B]Kaiji[/B]. Still, while this may just look like a silly game, this show contains plenty of "dramatic language", which is always enjoyable. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/e0b36820565787f5e1b3c71d380b0d24c10.jpg[/IMG] [U]The Hero[/U] Secondly, the main character. I said above that the hero has to be interesting to watch, and Akagi certainly fits the bill. He's cold, calculating, brilliant and ruthless. However, he tends to win. A lot. This is sometimes called "boring invincible hero" syndrome and it certainly afflicts [B]Akagi[/B]. If you feel that the main character can never loose, the tension (which is really the heart of a good gambling show) is lessened. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/vlcsnap-11672.jpg[/IMG] Nevertheless, I recommend checking this show out. If you don't enjoy it for some reason you can still examine the other works that I will be recommending. [B][U]One Outs : Nobody Wins but I![/U][/B] [U]Introduction[/U] [I]Hiromichi Kojima, the star batter of the Lycaons, heads to Okinawa to train and bring himself out of a slump. There, he meets Toua Tokuchi, a 134-kmph/83 mph pitcher and the undisputed king of a gambling form of baseball called "One Out." At Kojima's urging, Tokuchi signs up with the Lycaons. His contract differs form the usual, though, in that he gets 5,000,000 yen for every out he pitches, but loses 50,000,000 yen for every point he gives up. [/I] - [URL="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OneOuts"]ANN via TV Tropes[/URL] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/oneouts.jpg[/IMG] [U]Familiarity and Simplicity[/U] Here we seem to have, at least on the surface, a simpler game then Mahjong. I mean, it's just baseball, right? Even if you aren't too familiar with the sport, the concept of losing one point or gaining one point for the team seems fairly simple. This sense of familiarity may well make One Outs a more approachable show then the aforementioned Akagi (well, apart from the opening animation, which features Tokuchi in a variety of revealing outfits and oddly symbolic poses. This is extremely strange because, as far as I can tell, there isn't a drop of homosexual subtext to this work. It's best to think of it as a strange irregularity). [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/oneOuts1.jpg[/IMG] [I]This isn't indicative of the show, but it sure is weird how the knife got censored out of his mouth in later versions of the opening. Too symbolic for some?[/I] Also, while this show involves a lot of baseball, it isn't really a "sports show". Even if you are put off by the "sports" premise, I still recommend checking out this series. [U]The Hero[/U] Tokuchi serves as your standard, Akagi-type protagonist. He is intelligent, ruthless, cunning and brilliant. Like Akagi, he is calm and composed, not a character who lets any of their emotions appear on the surface : because that would be a weakness. He also possess a skill outside of simply gambling (although we are informed that he is proficient in all forms of gambling), he's a pitcher. However, his ability to strike-out batters has more to do with his ability to psychologically destroy his opponents then any particular type of pitch he makes. In other words, he's a badass. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/god.jpg[/IMG] [U]Teamwork is key[/U] However, unlike Akagi, Tokuchi can't just rely on his own brilliance. He is part of a team and so he needs everyone on his team to be performing at their best. This dynamic helps to this work apart from similar shows in the genre. He also gets to deliver fantastic, over the top speeches, which is necessary skill for any main character within this genre. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/w8xp3b.jpg [/IMG] [U]Problems[/U] While this series is very good, and certainly worth a look if you find yourself enamoured with this particular genre, it's not without it's flaws. The pacing, for one. At times, the length of matches feel reasonable, on other occasions they seem to drag. This is especially problematic if the audience has already worked out what Tokuchi is going to do before he does it. As soon as the audience acquires that information the tension drops, which isn't a good thing for stories built entirely upon suspense. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/TokuchiTouaBestProtagonist.jpg[/IMG] It can occasionally get a little hard to follow as well, but generally isn't a problem. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/15258996jpeg_preview_large.jpg[/IMG] [U] Too Awesome? [/U] Tokuchi is, unfortunately, another 'boring invincible hero'. How far this affects your enjoyment of the show is entirely down to you. For many viewers the enjoyment of these works is not whether the main character will win, but how. This is much the same as in [B]Akagi[/B], where the audience is always waiting for Akagi to pull off some baffling move to defeat his opponent. [U] Conclusion [/U] Like [B]Akagi[/B], this is another show that feel happy to recommend to others, even if it isn't my personal favourite. The author of the manga that this work is also the man behind [B]Liar Game[/B] a manga series I have yet to explore. Hopefully someone in this thread can outline that work as I lack the expertise. [B][U]Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji – The Suffering Pariah – The Ultimate Survivor[/U][/B] [U]Introduction[/U] [I]After graduating from high school in 1996 in Japan, Itō Kaiji moves to Tokyo to get a job, but he fails to find steady employment because of his eccentric disposition and because the country is mired in its first recession since World War II. Depressed, he festers in his apartment, biding the time with cheap pranks, gambles, liquor and cigarettes. Kaiji is always thinking about money and his perpetual poverty frequently brings him to tears. Kaiji's unrelenting misery continues for two years until he is paid an unexpected visit from a man named Endō, who wants to collect an outstanding debt owed to him in Kaiji's name. Endō gives Kaiji two options - either spend ten years to repay this outstanding debt, or board the gambling ship Espoir ("hope" in French) for one night to clear the debt. Using a con, Endō pressures Kaiji into accepting the deal, believing he will never come back from the voyage.[/I] - [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiji_%28manga%29"]Wikiepedia[/URL] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/Kaijiscreenshot3_thumb33.jpg[/IMG] [U]My unbridled love for Kaiji[/U] Rather then attempting to maintain any sense that I'm providing a neutral introduction to these works, I'm just going to have to come right out and say it : I love [B]Kaiji[/B]. It's easily my favourite of the shows that I will be discussing in this thread and certainly the show I'd recompensed that people watch if they could only pick one. Nevertheless, I will try to avoid singing it's praises too loudly. [U]More of the same?[/U] So, it's a gambling anime, produced by [B]Madhouse[/B], based off a manga written by the Nobuyuki Fukumoto and with Masato Hagiwara voicing the main character. So, what's different about this particular work? Well, as it turns out, quite a bit. Lets think back to a couple of the main components of a "gambling story" that I listed above : the game and the players. What's so fascinating about this particular work is how it approached these two concepts. [U]Simple Games[/U] For a start, the game. Unlike [B]Akagi[/B] or [B]One Outs[/B], the show doesn't revolve any real game. Instead, the stories revolve around a number of simple games made up by the author. This proves useful for a number of reasons. Because these games are made up, no prior knowledge of the game is assumed and so everything is explained to the audience so we aren't lost. Also, these games tend to be fairly simple, little more then a set of rules. Once they've been explained you might go "is that it? How can something so basic lead to any interesting situations?". Luckily, the true genius of [B]Kaiji[B] is that even though the games themselves are intuitive on the surface, their actually a whole host of complicated factors that tend to be revealed as the story progresses. This helps to keep things interesting. Their simplicity also allows the audience to follow the logic of the characters with ease, something which isn't really possible in [B]Akagi[/B]. [U]Impossible Stakes[/U] The twist comes from the stakes which are being put on the line over these very simple games I won't spoil anything by going into detail on the nature of the games or the nature of what is being bet, but it's always something crazy like "well, if you don't land the rock on that leaf, you're going to spend the rest of life as a slave in a mine". You get the picture. This, of course, leads to some truly glorious and over the top narration, and it's better in [B]Kaiji[B] then in any other work. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/kaijibridge.jpg[/IMG] [U]The Hero[/U] Another key factor that differentiates [B]Kaiji[/B] from the rest of the pack is the protagonist : Kaiji himself. While he may look awesome in his jacket, have a head shaped like a banana and be a gambling genius, this is where the similarities between him and a character like Akagi end. Namely, Kaiji can actually loose. And he will. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/f2b29c8283acaf84270daf2aa41b6c7a1a4.jpg[/IMG] Watching Kaiji build himself up, gather his strength, concoct his plans and attempt to execute his strategy and actually loose is the real appeal of the show (although he wins as well). We, as an audience, can feel much closer to Kaiji because he actually seems like a human being, very different to the gambling gods Tokuchi and Akagi. Watching Kaiji enjoy his victory is all the more powerful because we have also watched him weep with despair. Because his victory is not a forgone conclusion tension remains high throughout this work, and actually manages to increase as we near the end of the show. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/Kaiji.jpg[/IMG] In conclusion, if you want to go watch one show, make sure it's Kaiji. If you really enjoy that, then definitely go and check out the other works mentioned because you will probably enjoy them as well. [B][U]JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3 : Episode 10[/U][/B] While I have now discussed the works which feature gambling as their primary theme, I still feel the urge to recommend some works which provide something similar. In this vein, I want to talk about JoJo's bizarre adventure, an anime I hope most people have seen (if you haven't, you really should). I won't go into the details of the plot here, save to say that it's kind of an action show where people fight with super powers. It's all mostly irrelevant for the episode I'm going to be bringing up. In episode 10 our gang of heroes are looking for a particular location. One man offers to tell them, if they'll indulge him in a minor spot of gambling. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/jojo1.jpg[/IMG] As you may imagine, this situation soon goes awry and the characters are now gambling for some very high stakes, but on completely inane things (which way will a cat walk). It may sound strange in concept, but as with many of these tales the execution is what makes the story so compelling. Suffice to say the characters playing their games are doing their best to exploit the rules (which happens in pretty much all gambling stories, but is strangely never punished) while also engaging in psychological warfare with the antagonist. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/jojo2.jpg[/IMG] A gambling story with a supernatural twist, well worth watching (like the entire show!). [B][U]DeathNote[/U][/B] I'm sure many of you are familiar with this work, although you may be confused as to why I would bring it up. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/deathnote.jpg[/IMG] Upon closer inspection, however, DeathNote can be viewed as falling into (my) definition of a gambling story. We have a game (the rules of the DeathNote and it's affiliated owners), we have players (two equally interesting protagonists) and we have high stakes (for Light, it's capture and imprisonment. For L, it's death) and we also have plenty of melodrama. Like any good gambling story this whole work is about characters interacting and exploiting a set of rules as well as engaging in psychological warfare with each other. For these reasons it's as gripping and intriguing as any other work in the field, although the core "mechanics" of the games are placed within the framework of a far more complicated plot then the other works mentioned. Like any of these stories discussed, how far you enjoy what's going on will rest on your own acceptance of the twister logic employed by the various characters to further their ends. [U]Conclusion[/U] In conclusion, the gambling genre contains many fascinating works and I hope those unfamiliar with these shows will take the time to investigate one of them. And for those who have seen the shows above, do you enjoy them? Are there perhaps other works, in anime or manga, that you'd recommend to fans of the "gambling genre?" [U]References[/U] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahjong[/url] : Mahjong and the like [url]http://www.awopodcast.com/2009/09/anime-world-order-show-82b-chow-yun-fat.html[/url] : Listen to this episode of AWO if you wish to hear a lengthier review of "One Outs" [url]http://www.awopodcast.com/2008/07/anime-world-order-show-70-unassailable.html[/url] : Listen to this episode of AWO if you wish to hear a lengtheri review of Kaiji [url]http://gargarstegosaurus.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/the-manly-tears-of-kaiji/[/url] : The Manly Tears of Kaiji [/INDENT]

Giant Robo : The Day Earth Stood Still

[INDENT] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/giantrobo4.jpg[/IMG] [U]Introduction[/U] It clear that the anime community seemed to quite like 2007's [B]Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann[/B]. Actually, let me fix that so that's it's more accurate. You folks loved it so passionately, so vocally and so consistently that I'm sure it drove everyone else completely bonkers. But such is the way of the internet.. But hang on, there's been a ton of so called [B]Super Robot[/B] (see Glossary, below) shows in the past, and if you're a fan of [B]TTGL[/B] I'd imagine quite a few of these shows would be right up your street, or collective streets. Plenty of them have been awesome and I believe they are due some attention. So here I am, making a modest suggestion : why not trying watching a little program from the 90's called [B]Giant Robo : The Day the Earth Stood Still?[/B]

[U]Confessions..[/U] While I bring up the comparison in the title of this thread it should be noted that two shows are actually fairly different in theme, look, story and so forth. Yet at their heart, these are both excellent [B]Super Robot[/B] shows. (I'm sure purists will slightly vexed by my comparison between the two works, but as many current anime fans have only seen [B]TTGL[/B] I felt it would be instructive to lead with the most well-known work of the day.) Hell, I think is [B]GR[/B] one of the finest shows ever made and you should give it a shot even if you didn't enjoy[B]TTGL[/B], after all they are two very different works. For example, there's no fanservice present here, and things never quite reach the same level of absurdity. But as I'm getting ahead of myself let me explain why this show is worth your time. As usual I won't include any spoilers in my summary, but please feel free to discuss the work below (with spoiler tags on, of course!). [U]Origins[/U] [B]GR[/B] itself based on a 1967 manga by Mitsutery Yokoyama ([B]Gigantor[/B]) and was also adapted into a live-action TV show known in the U.S. as [B]Johnny Sakko and His Flying Robot[/B] [U]Giant Robo - The Day The Earth Stood Still[/U] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/giantrobo3.jpg[/IMG] [B]Giant Robo : The Day The Earth Stood Still [/B]is a seven-part OVA released from 1992 to 1998 and directed by the well known [B]Super Robot[/B] director Yasuhiro Imagawa. Here's a brief summary : [QUOTE=The Anime Encyclopaedia]The Shizuma drive, a clean energy source that has revolutionized world energy and eliminated pollution has a fatal flaw. The evil Professor [B]Franken Von Vogler[/B] and his associates, would-be world dictators Big Fire, plan to exploit this flaw to wreck havoc across the world. The Experts of Justice set out to stop Big Fire's evil scheme. Their members include martial artists, scientific geniuses, secret agents and a young boy called Daisaku. Only he can control Giant Robo, a 90-foot-tall war machine designed for Big Fire but now devoted to fighting crime.[/QUOTE] Just to get one thing out of they way first : despite appearances this show is not just made for kids, or stunted man-children. This show actually has far more in common visually with Golden Age superheroes, complete with clearly defined heroes and villains, Art Deco designs, classical music and battles on an a grand scale. [U]Story and Characters[/U] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/grj.jpg[/IMG] I won't be going into much more detail then that, as this [B]OVA[/B] is only seven episodes long (although these are actually twice the length of standard anime episodes). Suffice to say, the events portrayed manage to rise above the rather kitsch and clichéd elements that bog down so many of shows of this type, which sometimes end up as being overly-simplistic. This story goes to certain places, and contains particular scenes, that are not generally found in 'kids shows'. It may appear visually 'retro' but the storytelling is modern, consistent and excellently paced. None of this would matter, of course, without a good cast of characters. On that front, the show is packed to the rafters. This is largely the result of huge amount of [B]cross-over characters[/B], pulled from various sources. Interestingly, whilst many of these characters are unabashedly based off of familiar tropes : the scientist, the strong man, the cool headed boss, the diabolic villain - they still manage to strike the right note within the overall tone of the show. It's not always bad being a trope, after all. [U]When titans clash[/U] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/gre.jpg[/IMG] At the same time, the show also managed to deliver on it's action front. There's a certain type of action, prevalent in shows such as [B]Gundam[/B] or [B]Macross[/B], where robots move as flexibly as a human being, fly around with ease and engage in battles that are as graceful and nimble as any ballet. Then there's shows like [B]GR[/B], where robots move as if they were actually 90ft tall and weighed a thousand tonnes. They are slow, ponderous, and deliberate. But none of this stops them having excellent battles. The creators of [B]GR[/B] really understand this variety of battle well and it shows in the direction and cinematography. [I]A common technique involves not revealing the full of size or shape of the robot, instead we get a sense of it's massive scale through comparison with buildings.[/I] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/battlerobo2.jpg[/IMG] [I]The use of low-angle shots, combined with powerful shadows make Giant Robo a menacing figure.[/I] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/battlerrobo3.jpg[/IMG] [I]Observing battles from this distance allows us to witness the events clearly, while also making the battle seem more 'epic' as we see the robots tower over the buildings.[/I] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/battlerobo1.jpg[/IMG] But it's not only large and ridiculous looking robots that duke it out. The creators were aware that something more energetic would sit as a good counterpoint to the plodding of the robots. To this end it seems that every hero and every villain has their own unique superpower. Therefore battles between them will often revolve around a high-speed clash powers, as opposed to a robot slugging match. Thankfully, the show never stops to explain how any of this is possible, it just runs with it. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/grh.jpg[/IMG] It's a real testament to the shows quality that the whole thing work without descending into a completely incomprehensible mess. A large part of what holds all these diverse pieces together is the impressive visual design and excellent musical direction. [U]Design[/U] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/grk.jpg[/IMG] It's almost pointless to talk [B]GR[/B]'s visual design when I can just post pretty pictures, but I'll do both anyway. Unfortunately I've never taken any art classes on the history of art, so what my thoughts on the subject will be rather amateurish. Impressively, the shows retro look inspired a whole selection of other shows : [QUOTE=The Anime Encyclopaedia][B]GR[/B] was the first of the 1990s "retro" boom, a number of anime made in a deliberately old-fashioned style that recalls the imagery of the Golden Age of sci-fi...it's style was copied in other shows including [B]Super Atragon[/B], [B]Kishin Corps[/B], [B]Sakura Wars[/B] and [B]Ambassador Magma[/B].[/QUOTE] Here's a choice selection : [I]The Shadowy Organization, Big Fire[/I] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/grb.jpg[/IMG] [I]One of Big Fire's hideouts. It couldn't look any less subtle[/I] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/grc.jpg[/IMG] [I]The creation of the Shizuma Drive, as shown by flashback[/I] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/grg.jpg[/IMG] [I]Even the small stuff, like car radio's, look awesome[/I] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/grd.jpg[/IMG] Suffice to say, [B]GR[/B] looks stunning. The aesthetic choices blend design elements from a number of decades including : the 20's, 30's and 50's, all combined with the futuristic technology made possible by the Shizuma drive. Once again, credit must go to the art director Yusuke Takeda. He managed to pulled off the difficult taking all these divergent styles and not simply placing them side-by-side, but actually blending them into one coherent world. Think Fallout, but with a lot more colour. [U]Animation[/U] The animation is equally fantastic, thanks to the work of numerous skilled animators (see the [URL="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=669"]ANN page[/URL]) these episodes almost look 'movie quality' in a number of places. This is all thanks to this show being an [B]OVA [/B]with a considerable budget. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/grf.jpg[/IMG] [U]The Music[/U] [B]GR[/B]'s musical score is equally impressive. It was composed by Masamichi Amano (Battle Royale, Urotsukidoji) and performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. Here's a brief sample of the aural treats this work has to offer [URL="GR-Main Theme"]GR-Main Theme[/URL] [I]The music used in this particular sequence is especially haunting[/I] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/gra.jpg[/IMG] A great score score is (generally) important for any work of visual media, but it is especially effective in a work such as [B]GR[/B]. The sweeping Wagneresque elements of the score match with the melodramatic and exaggerated action present on screen, but even the more light-hearted tunes are fitting. [U]Conclusion[/U] I know [B]Giant Robo[/B] is awesome, and hopefully this thread will have persuaded you to at least check out the first episode. I'll finish by taking the words of someone whose views on the subject mirror my own [QUOTE]In the wrong hands this would be leaden and tormented, but Giant Robo does something very right with this material: The more we learn about the pasts of everyone involved, the more their motives are given context and weight. Instead of looking at good guys and bad guys, we’re looking at people with complicated and sometimes deeply conflicted reasons for being what they are... All anime should be this thrilling, this ambitious, and this satisfying.[/QUOTE] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [U]Related Works[/U] If for whatever reason you find that you enjoy this kind of madness, there are plenty of other works worth investigating in the [B]Super Robot[/B] field. I am far, far from an expert in this strange world, but I'll throw out a few brief recommendations. The same director who brought you [B]Giant Robo[/B] also created [B]G Gundam'[/B](1994) and, more recently, [B]Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z Hen[/B] (2009). However, be aware that both these works are far longer then [B]GR[/B]. [B]Shin Mazinger[/B] is the same length as [B]Gurren Laggan[/B] (26 episodes) and [B]G Gundam[/B] clocks in at a far longer 49 episodes. A sizeable chunk of these [B]Super Robot[/B] shows are based off [B]Go Nagai[/B] properties, as he laid the ground work for this genre in 1972 with his famous [B]Mazinger Z[/B]. On the plus side, if you like one of his works you'll probably enjoy the rest. I heartily recommend [B]Gunbuster[/B] as well, but I presume the majority of anime fans have already experienced this classic [B]Gainax OVA[/B] . For those short on time, it has the added benefit of only being six episodes long. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [U]Glossary of Terms[/U] [B][U]Anime[/U][/B] : That thing where pictures magically move around. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]Bashtarle[/U][/B] : We...we don't go there any more... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]Cross-over characters[/U][/B] : The act of taking characters from a number of separate and distinct works, and placing them all together in one particular titles. In the case of [B]GR[/B], Imagawa discovered he couldn't use the original manga characters, so he borrowed characters from a number works by Yokoyama, the author of the original manga. These included [B]Godmars[/B], [B]Babel II[/B] and even [B]Little Witch Sally[/B]. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]Fanservice[/U][/B] : A name given to a scene or event inserted into a work solely for the purpose of pleasing fans, even if it doesn't make any kind of thematic sense. In the medium of anime this often refers to sexual fanservice via provocatively dressed characters, shower scenes, upskirt camera angles and so forth. However, you can also please the fans in numerous other ways, such as bringing back old characters, extravagant fight scenes, playing a 'classic' musical theme from the shows past, etc. There isn't any of the classic 'titillating' fanservice in GR, although it is present in three part Gin-Rei specials. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]Franken Von Vogler[/U][/B] : The name you should bestow upon your first born son. No, really. He'll thank you when he grows up to be a real man. [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/giantrobo26.jpg[/IMG] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]Gainax[/U][/B] : An animation studio which has produced such well known works as [B]Gunbuster, Evangelion, FLCL[/B] and [B]Gurren Lagann[/B]. They also happen to be well known purveyors of [B]Fanservice[/B]. See Wikipedia's article [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gainax"]here[/URL] and my own earlier [URL="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=20851455#post20851455"]thread[/URL] for further details. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]GAR[/U][/B] : "To feel GAR for someone is to be is such awe of another guy’s manliness that one agrees to follow and be protected by that dude. It is an acknowledgement of someone else’s obvious superiority in manliness." This isn't the kind of definition I'd use, but then, I couldn't find any others. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]Giant Robo[/U][/B] (the Robot) : A 90ft tall robot with a terrifyingly blank face, reminiscent of an Egyptian statue. His growl sounds like a cross between a lion and a V8 engine. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]Go Nagai[/U][/B] : is the creator of such works as [B]Mazinger Z, Cutie Honey, Devilman[/B] and many others. Wikipedia will tell you that Go Nagai is "is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica" but I feel it's more succinct to describe him as "one crazy bastard" as a variety of his works are fairly deranged. In the best possible way. Suffice to say, his first manga "influenced Japanese society radically, effecting both social mores and what was considered appropriate for manga." It also pissed off the PTA. Score. See articles here [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_Nagai"]Go Nagai[/URL]. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]GR[/U][/B] : An abbreviation of Giant Robo : The Day the Earth Stood Still, simply to save me writing it out a thousand times. Or even twice, that's a damn long title. Confusingly, this series is technically the middle part of a trilogy of shows, except that the first and last parts haven't been made yet. Sadly, they probably won't ever be made because they cost too much and make too little back. Not to be confused with 'GR:Giant Robo' a re-imaging of the original manga, produced for television in 2007. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]Jerk 2.0[/U][/B] : Someone who might not enjoy this show. But they should give the first episode a spin anyway! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]Manly tears[/U][/B] : [B]Super Robot[/B] shows, despite appearing to be simple wish fulfilment fantasies for eight year-old boys, are often surprisingly sentimental. For whatever reason, it's alright to cry when watching something that's 'manly' (as opposed to some kind of 'feminine' romance work) and so tears spilled when watching this variety of work are 'manly tears'. See article here, beware minor spoilers [URL=":http://ghostlightning.wordpress.com/2010/07/03/manlytears/"]Manly Tears[/URL] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]OVA[/U][/B] : Stands for Original Video Animation. It refers to any work which is created to be sold directly to the home video market, and not for broadcast television. As they often have a large budget (and aren't constrained to a tight television schedule) these works often feature high quality animation, lengthy running times and scenes that could never be shown uncensored on broadcast television. See articles here : [URL="OVA -TVTropes"]http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OriginalVideoAnimation?from=Main.OVA[/URL] and [URL="here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_video_animation"]OVA-Wikipedia[/URL]. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]Pathos[/U][/B] : When a work directly appeals to the audiences emotions. In [B]Super Robot[/B] shows this often involves passionate and 'manly' speeches. The director of [B]GR certainly[/B] wants you to cry some [B]manly tears[/B]. Synonymous with [B]hot-blooded passion[/B] and related to the concept of [B]GAR[/B]. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]Super Robot[/U][/B] : [QUOTE]"Super Robot" is a term used in manga and anime to describe a giant robot or mecha, with an arsenal of fantastic super-powered weapons, extreme resistance to damage unless the plot calls for it, sometimes transformable or combined from two or more robots and/or vehicles usually piloted by young, daring heroes, and often shrouded by mystical or legendary origins. This is distinct from a "Real Robot", which is a mecha portrayed as a relatively common item, used by military organizations in the same manner as tanks or aircraft.[/QUOTE] via Wikipedia. Although frankly, there's plenty of room for discussion about what counts as what, especially when certain shows mess up everyone's tidy definitions (I'm looking at you, Anno). See articles here : [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Robot"]Super Robot[/URL] and here [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Robot"]Real Robot[/URL] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]TTGL[/U][/B] : An abbreviation of [B]Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann[/B], so save me writing it out four times. If you haven't heard of this show you must have been living in a drill-proofed cave. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]Urotsukidoji[/U][/B] : The first in a number of horror/erotica [B]OVA[/B]'s that would be compiled into 'Legend of the Overfiend' for release outside of Japan. Yes, that one, with the tentacles. Innovation! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [U]Bibliography[/U] McCarthy Helen (2006) [I]The Anime Encyclopaedia[/I] (Stone Bride Press, USA) [url]www.animenewsnetwork.com[/url] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org[/url] [url]http://www.genjipress.com/2006/02/giant-robo.html[/url] [url]http://ghostlightning.wordpress.com/[/url] [url]http://tvtropes.org[/url] [U]Where to buy[/U] [URL="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FFL2ZW?ie=UTF8&tag=aniworord-20"]Amazon Economy Pack[/URL] [IMG]http://i835.photobucket.com/albums/zz278/Jexhius/grbottom.jpg[/IMG] [/INDENT]

Patlabor : Where piloting giant robots is just a day job

The Patlabor franchise is fairly well respected among a certain generation of anime fan, but outside of that group most people will probably never have heard of it. Which is a shame because the majority of the works are excellent, and most certainly worthy of your attention.

Introduction At the close of the 20th century, a rise in global sea levels forces a massive building program in Japan, causing the creation of new "labor" construction robots. In a series that effortlessly incorporates human drama and comedy with hard science fiction, the police set up a Pat[rol] Labor division to deal with the new crime that the new technology brings. (The Anime Encyclopaedia, 2006, Helen McCarthy) The Patlabor Franchise The Patlabor franchise is divided into two similar, but decidedly distinct, continuities. The first branch includes the original seven part OVA series, followed by the two movies. The second branch includes the TV series followed by the second OVA. The first continuity becomes decidedly more 'classic Oshii' as it progresses through the movies, while the second branch stays more consistently light-hearted in tone. While there are two continuities it's not the case that you will wish to experience one, and not the other. While similar themes are explored within the Patlabor franchise it's not like one half is a repeat of the other. The OVA is an enjoyable light-hearted real-robot show. The movies are technological thrillers. The TV series does a great job of exploring some of the characters in more depth, with the majority of cast given their own personal episodes at some point or another. It also has a great number of excellent, stand-alone episodes. You can't really go wrong with any of these products. Why it's worth checking out While the [B]Patlabor[/B] concept revolves around people piloting giant robots it would be wrong to assume that the works neatly fit into any genre. The robots are a far-cry from powerful Gundam's, largely being basic and slow machines designed to carry out a specific task, much like a forklift. In other words, they are not glamorous. The real stars are actually the realistic and well thought out characters that inhabit the Patlabor universe, and the stories that are told around them. It would be no exaggeration to say that the characters in Patlabor are among some of my favourites in anime. While at first glance everyone these characters may to be simple archetypes : the overly-energetic female, the crazed gun nut etc. a lot of work goes into giving these characters understandable drives and motivations which helps to raise them out from crowd of 'two-dimensional' characters that populate many shows. Various parts of the franchise excel in various areas and so each Patlabor product is worth watching on it's own merits. The First OVA Director : Mamoru Oshii, Naoyuki Yoshinaga. Studio: Studio Deen. Episodes : 7

The start of it all. A brief, seven episode affair that introduces you to the world and characters. It also carries with it a distinctly light-hearted feel, very unlike the Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, Angels Egg) that you may be familiar with. Interestingly for a 'mecha' show it's surprisingly lacking in combat, instead opting to explore the characters in a number of comic situations that range mad scientists to ghosts. As it's super-short I have no problem recommending all of it. Each episode is enjoyable and interesting in it's own way. It's very important viewing if you wish to check out the Patlabor movies as well. (Cool stuff like this only really happens in the OP) Now many shows manage to so convincingly construct a whole world in just a handful of episodes, but Patlabor gives you a real sense of being...(500 Essential Anime Movies, 2008, Helen McCarthy) Patlabor : The Movie Director : Mamoru Oshii, Studio : Production I.G Without giving too much away, this movie is set after the events of the first OVA and it details how the [B]Patlabor [/B]team investigate a sudden raise of robot rampages within Tokyo. The tone here is fairly different from that of the OVA, moving towards 'classic Oshii', it is largely a thriller concerned with the dangers of mankind dependency on technology. Watching the movie without experiencing the original OVA may well be a confusing affair as it spends precious very little time introducing you to the characters, and it assumes you're already familiar with the franchise. Like it's sequel, this remains one of the best anime movies every made, treating it's viewers as capable adults who are able to keep up with the revelations of the plot, and who won't fall asleep because they haven't seen anything explode for five minutes. Patlabor 2 : The Movie Director : Mamoru Oshii, Studio : Production I.G Much of what was excellent about the previous film applies to it's sequel. The things most worthy of note is that the focus is brought onto the characters even more distinctly then before, with robot action tacking a distinct back seat. Even with a Oshii-esque speech (if you've seen other Oshii works you will either enjoy it or you won't. Personally I'm fine with it) present, this is an amazing film, perhaps even better then the first. Certainly it's plot is even more devious and complex, creating a palpable sense of paranoia and suspicion. Once again it shouldn't really be viewed without knowledge of the Patlabor universe and characters, especially as much of the film's enjoyment can be derived from how the plot intersects with certain key characters. Also like the first movie one is expected to keep up with a fair amount of 'political intrigue'. If that isn't your thing, then you may not enjoy this movie, however, it's still worth giving a shot. If that doesn't resonate with your tastes you may be better served by the OVA's and TV series which are far breezier. Patlabor : The TV Series + Second OVA(Or P-Series) Director : Naoyuki Yoshinaga, Studio : Sunrise, Episodes 47 and Second OVA Director : Mamoru Oshii, Stuudio : Studio Deen, Episodes 16 This is where one can find the largest amount of Patlabor goodness, in a form far closer in tone to that of the original OVA's then the later movies. While there is a background storyline of sorts that develops over the course of the show most of the series is focused on one off episodes. If you are already a fan of the characters doing the kind of things they do, it would be quite natural for you to spend your time with this show. You don't need to have seen the original OVA either, as it doesn't assume you've met the characters beforehand. I would still recommend checking out the first OVA anyway, but it isn't essential. As Mark on http://www.colonydrop.com/index.php?blog=1Colony Drop has said, the real strength of the Patlabor TV series is it's characters. The show won't hit you over the head with it, but over time the characters progress and develop. If you aren't paying attention you may miss it, but that's kind of the point. It's beautifully understated and feels genuinely organic, making it one of my favourite things about the whole show. As if that wasn't good enough, the shows cast of characters is actually brimming with competent, non-sexualised females. Many of them are as good as, if not better, then their male counterparts. That a show two decades old achieves this feat, where many modern shows completely fail, is a testament to just how excellent and well-written the show is. There are many brilliant, stand out episodes as well. For example "Red Labor Landing" contains a hilarious spoof of cold war espionage. "You Win" involves the captain of Division 2 taking his out so that they can drink together, and hopefully relieve some of the tension that has been building between team-mates. Obviously, hilarity ensues. Other episodes chose to skewer different targets to produce humour. "The Whale That Sang a Song" satires a whole host of groups - from environmentalists, the public to the media in their dealings with the case of one whale in the wrong place. Another stand-out episode involves various two elderly Yakuza who try to settle their rivalry using Labors - and hilarity ensures. You get the picture. I don't want to spoil too much of the show. The over-arching plot has a more serious tone then rest of the series and is interesting in it's own right. It also manages to contain a number of fairly cool fight-scenes - so everyone wins. Patlabor : TV Series may not be perfect (a few episodes are too goofy for me) it's still one of my favourite anime television shows, for all the reasons mentioned above. And of course, the most important reason to watch Patlabor In closing There is little objectionable content in any of the Patlabor works, so I believe most of products would be suitable for people of any age or taste. As I have tried to emphasise above, while Patlabor contains people piloting giant robots it is far more interested in the characters themselves. This is where much of the appeal lies in this revered franchise. Furthermore, outside of the more serious movies, the tone is generally light, further widening it's appeal. Overall the best reason to recommend any of the Patlabor works is simply that they entertaining and well-put together works. Hopefully what you have read here will at least motivate you to check out some of the superb works in the Patlabor franchise. [Further Reading http://www.colonydrop.com/index.php/2008/09/13/fall-1989-tv-cartoons-patlabor-on-televi?blog=1Fall 1989 TV Cartoon on TV - Patlabor (Part 1) http://www.colonydrop.com/index.php/2008/12/04/fall-1989-tv-cartoons-patlabor-on-tv-par?blog=1 Fall 1989 TV Cartoon on TV - Patlabor (Part 2)[/URL] http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=347831 Retro Anime Thread For other retro anime goodness.

Studio Gainax's (Eva, FLCL, TTGL) Other Classics

Evangelion, FLCL and Gurren Lagann. Few shows are as well known within the anime community as these three, perhaps because certain fans seem determined to proselytize these works until the end of time. For good or for ill, these are some of the shows people are told to watch when they express interest in watching anime. There are, however, other works from the same studio which are equally deserving of people's attention. Perhaps, in the case of their first movie, even more deserving. Hence, I have made this with the intention of selling these older works to people who perhaps have not heard of them.

Daicon IV is a very short animated piece, that has more in common with a music video then anything else. It was made to make a name for the people who worked on it, with the hope of securing commercial backers. It was successful in this regard, and the people who created it went on to form Studio Gainax. To this day, it may contain more copyright infringements per second then any other work! I only include it in this list not because it is a masterpiece of film making that will change your perception of the world, but because it's fun. Youtube Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj5HDqipQYw&feature=related"]Daicon IV[ Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise (1987) Shiro Lhadtt is a drop-out, a wannabe pilot who wasn't good enough to get into the navy air corps. Instead, he joints the only organisation that will have him, a ragtag group of misfits called the Royal Space Force. Underfunded, under motivated and under extreme pressure, they race to get a man into space, but nobody believes it's possible...(The Anime Encyclopaedia, 2006, Helen McCarthy) It doesn't sound particularly spellbinding in summary, yet it is the execution that is masterful. The non-formulaic characters, the complex but believable alternate world, the almost obsessive production values - every aspect of this film impressive. The crazy work that the designers and animators put in can't be emphasised enough. I think on the DVD commentary they mention that they were crazy to try and put to much stuff in. It all pays off though, and the movie looks stunning. Here's some pretty pictures to illustrate my point! At it's heart, the movie is about the limitless ambition humanity, the new heights it will climb to, the new thinks it will event, it's desire to ascend into space, and beyond. This works for me, because I'm already in love with space and hard sci-fi stuff, but I have no doubt that this movie can resonate beyond that small audience. There is something enduring and triumphant about this movie that extends outside the realm of a simple science-based movie. Rather then focusing exclusively on the race to space the movie also remembers that at the centre of good stories are interesting, believable people who face challenges of many different kinds. "Gainax...is made up of true science-fiction fans. Space is their religion, they fervently believe that it's humankind's destiny to leave the cradle of Earth ans spread out among the stars."(The Anime Encyclopaedia, 2006, Helen McCarthy) It may be the most critically acclaimed of Gainax's works, but it underperformed commercially. I guess that's what you get for trying to make an interesting, nuanced movie without enough and things blowing up. Fortunately Gainax were going on to produce something that was just that. Gunbuster (1988) On the opposite end of the spectrum is a work that (hopefully) needs no introduction is the late 80's sci-fi classic. Hideaki Anno's (Evangelion) directorial début features everything that would appeal to an audience - girls in unlikely costumes, giant robots and space battles and so forth. Of all the shows on this list, this is the work that I expect most people will have already seen. Released first as an OVA, and then later as a movie this work may at times feel a bit strange to modern audiences (the opening episode is a spoof of a popular tennis show) the show still holds up reasonably well today. While I would recommend this show to fans of sci-fi action, what I enjoy most about the show actually derives from one of the main features that drives the plot. As this is a spoiler, I won't elaborate. Suffice to say the show isn't just robots beating stuff up, it also has a (sentimental) heart as well. "I realize all of these things are pretty silly, but by the end of Gunbuster, I am a broken man and I just don’t care. I guess I’m a big softie at heart: indeed, Gunbuster might only work on softies." (Dave,"http://www.colonydrop.com/index.php/2009/06/10/area-88-gunbuster?blog=1",Colony Drop) Nadia : The Secret of Blue Water (1990-1) Set in 1889 and extremely loosely based on Jules Verne's' 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water tells the story of Nadia, a girl who's trying to find out about her past, Jean, a boy who wants to build a flying machine, and the Blue Water, a mysterious gem of Nadia's with strange powers. Their world is home to two shadowy groups in conflict: Neo-Atlantis, who want to rule the world, and the crew of the submarine Nautilus, who have sworn to oppose Neo-Atlantis.(http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater,TV Tropes) Perhaps this show is the hardest sell to a new audience. Problems that may arise after a few episodes are : 1 : It looks like a kids show. 2 : Nadia can be a bit...annoying? 3 : Jean isn't that interesting either. 4 : The Island Episodes (Episodes 23 - 34, made by a separate director and bearing literal resemblance to the quality of the rest of the show. An unparalleled disaster which no one should feel compelled to watch, for any reason. Indeed skipping them is for the best.) 5 : It looks like a kids show. Most of these claims can be dismissed, and I still endorse this show as strongly as any other here. When I started watching I found the opening few episodes to be un-engaging and I didn't really "get it". However, after a few episodes the main plot started to get rolling and I became engrossed. While it was aimed at a younger audience, Gainax doesn't seem to understand what that means and so the show is still full of powerful, dark moments, some of which may be surprising for any audience. Moreover, it's a masterfully constructed and very enjoyable adventure story, in the same spirit as Future Boy Conan or Castle in the Sky. "The combination of Vernean adventure, Dickensian richness of characterisation, nods and winks to more contemporary classics, and steampunk technology was irresistible, propelling the series to success."(The Anime Encyclopaedia, 2006, Helen McCarthy)

Eden - It's an endless world of loss

Spoilers Within "Eden - It's an Endless World" is a soul-crushing work. The opening prologue raises this flag right from the start - two characters are discussed through a flashback, and buy the end of the flashback both of the characters have done something completely appalling and have both paid the price. There are no "good guys", there's no hint that any character will be spared from the cull, no-one will be wearing "plot armour" to help deflect bullets.

After numerous, bleak and horrific chapters one would assume that I might be dulled to this kind of tragedy. Yet, there is one character in particular, whose death I couldn't accept. I had already witnessed numerous others, seemingly important characters, get bumped off and while their deaths were often cruel and sometimes pointless, I could accept them from a story perspective. Then I arrive at the killing of Helena, and I run into a few mental roadblocks. I can't say if I'm deploying them because I really liked the character, or simply because it was handled somewhat haphazardly, but either way it got me thinking and it got me picky. Eden contains a huge cast of characters, the vast majority of which I have a hard time relating too. I imagine this is the same for most people - between rampant idealouges, anti-heroes (who push the anti part to breaking points), villains, complete psychopaths, baby killers, monsters, robots, terrorists, people without morals, people without emotions there isn't many characters the audience can relate to. Even the hero is a fairly messed up character. Either the author is making a point about the world, or he can't write normal relationships between people, or he's really cynical, or maybe even all three. Still, there existed one character that seemed to be a good, if still flawed, person whom the audience could rely on - Helena. It's not like Helena was your standard character - after all her past involves her voluntarily becoming a prostitute as a way to make cash quick. Nevertheless she contains many sympathetic qualities, she doesn't immediately get killed after we meet her, she helps people it, the main character has an interest in her etc. So we assume that maybe she's 'safe' - which in Eden means that she was only gang raped while one of her eyes and ears was removed. Still, at least her attack led to the hero going on a crazy spree of bloody revenge which seemed to be righteously justified. Heck, she even gets it on with the hero. So at this point, after being present in a pretty huge amount of the story, having played a large influence on the main character, having already suffered greatly she would at least be handled with some reverence by the writer. This, sadly, wasn't to be the case. While she does spend quite a bit of time in a relationship with the main character we are all aware this is a fairly cynical/realist work so we suspect that it wont last forever. What we don't expect, is that there will be a sudden time skip of three years out of nowhere, after which we are bluntly informed that a few months ago Helen has broken up with the main character and then a couple of pages later she is gunned down with little justification. This is quite problematic for a number of reasons - 1. Helen is awesome, why are you killing her? 2. Her relationship with the main character seems to mean a lot to him and we've spent quite a lot of time observing it. Why then, do we skip over their break up? From a character perspective, this seems pretty improtant. If character wasn't improtant, then why spend a huge amount of time on it earlier? It seems very inconsistent. 3. Lets suppose they do break up - it was probably inevitable - then why does she have to killed in a shooting soon afterwards? Couldn't she just be present in the story any more? 4. After her killing, we don't really get much reaction from the hero. Sure, he looks at her photo once, visits her grave, carries out revenge, and sleeps with some women. But it's hardly ever touched on, page-count wise. We never really see the character mourning, suffering heavily from the loss, etc. When a major character might die in LOGH at least their death would be given a weight proportional to the importance the character had to those who knew them. It doesn't seem the same weight is being applied in this case. In other words, from a narrative and drama standpoint, it seems to come out of nowhere and then it's forgotten just as quickly. As a whole, it feels sloppy.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes

"There are few wars between good and evil; most are between one good and another good." —Yang Wen-li A while ago I set upon myself the task of watching a variety of 'classic' anime programs, and one show that sounded extremely intriguing was Legend of the Galactic Heroes or LOGH. That I settled on LOGH is most likely due to my proclivity for space opera and anime, and my fairly high tolerance for shows other people considered to be 'boring.' (LOGH's nickname has also been Boring Gay Germans In Space) At first I was put off to see that the series was 110 episodes long, but I decided after reading a few articles (especially this one [URL="http://www.colonydrop.com/index.php/2009/06/04/area-88-legend-of-the-galactic-heroes?blog=1"]http://www.colonydrop.com/index.php/2009/06/04/area-88-legend-of-the-galactic-heroes?blog=1[/URL]) that I [I]needed[/I] to see this show. A brief plot outline from TV Tropes: [I]The meat of the story is this: sometime in the 35th century, humanity has spread out amongst the stars and has split off into two great superpowers which are now sadly engaged in a decades-long knock-down, drag-out war with each other. Fighting in the forces of the Galactic Empire (whose government is based on 19th century Prussia,) is an ambitious young noble named Reinhard von Muesel, more famously known by his later title, Reinhard von Lohengramm. Fighting in the opposing Free Planets Alliance (a government which resembles a crumbling, bloated 20th Century democracy,) is Yang Wen-Li, an easygoing historian who reluctantly joined the military because he was broke. Together, these two men (both tactical geniuses) are destined to commit great deeds, eventually becoming the series' titular Galactic Heroes.[/I] Suffice to say that 110 episodes later I was thoroughly amazed at what a huge, sprawling, and (a clichéd, yet here approiate term) epic story I had watched. The characters and world building and complexity of storylines was on a level I had not experienced in other anime or TV shows in general. This reflects that LOGH was based on a series of novels, as opposed to a show written on the fly, and this makes a huge amount of difference to how well-written the show is. One of the most impressive aspects about LOGH is that it got made at all. I mean, surely there can't be a large market for a show this long and complicated with little 'action'. I guess we can just thank the magic that was the Japanese economy in the 80's. I strongly recommend this show to anyone with an interest in complex political storylines, space opera, war or even history. Although as highly as I can recommend this program I must equally state that this show is not for everyone, quite the opposite in fact. Those who are in need of much excitement in their shows. It is perhaps one of the slowest shows I have seen, and extremely dry. This isn't to say that nothing is going on (story-wise), it's just often a lot of talking. For that small percentage of the world who enjoys that kind of thing, they will no doubt be very satisfied with this show. Everyone else will stop watching when someone goes into a discussion of fleet-movements and what formations are most effective. Those who stick it out through such events will however be rewarded with one of the most intriguing and impressive stories told in anime. You'll probably already know if you are the kind of person who would enjoy this show just from watching it, yet I still recommend it to those with the patience to sit down through a huge, excellent show. (This is nothing, apparently there are like 660 named characters!) I haven't even seen the movies, or the other 52 'gaiden' episodes so I still have an absurd amount of LOGH to watch. I'm aware that others on GAF have seen this show, as it was mentioned in the Gritty Anime thread and the Classic Anime thread. Anyone else watched it and have any opinions?

Mushi-Shi

Normally my favourite kinds of shows are those that have a large, interconnected storyline and a cast of well-developed characters. If a show just has a bunch of stand-alone episodes the show isn't usually as good, because when you are witting a show like that each episode has to have it's own satisfying story-arc within a mere 21 minutes. That's usually fairly hard to do. Mushi-Shi, like a certain other show (Master Keaton) manages to execute this excellently. Mushi-shi essentially stars 'Ginko', a Mushi-shi in 19th century Japan (which is cut off from the rest of the world, for some reason not relevant to the series). A Mushi-shi is a strange cross between a scientist and a doctor. Their job involves understanding and researching strange creatures known as Mushi. Mushi are fairly hard to describe as they come in such a weird variety of shapes and sizes and have such different effects on the world. Only a few people, such as Ginko can see the Mushi and they are the ones sometimes tasked with dealing with the effects of Mushi on normal humans. These effects run whatever range the show desires - it may make people blind, drive them crazy, kill them or whatever. Ginko spends most of the episode trying to work out what Mushi is causing the problem and how he can remove the Mushi. That's not what you'd call an exciting premise and the show certainly doesn't rush anywhere. Indeed it's one of the most relaxing shows I've watched perhaps through a combination of soothing music and gorgeous landscapes. As I mentioned above the real strength of the show is not the premise, but the execution. Technically things like character designs may be fairly bland and character animation average but all the real effort seems to have gone into background art which tends to look stunning. This is certainly important as it helps give the show a unique feel. Furthermore director Hiroshi Nagahama does a great job at pacing and suspense, each scene feels well timed, each story has an arc with a group of characters. Each episode is worth watching because they all have great storytelling. Importantly while the Mushi are the premise of the show the story really isn't about them, its about people and their lives, old fashioned drama tends to the basis for most of these episodes. So yeah, I see this show mentioned in some GAF threads but I didn't see a general thread for it. What do other people feel about this show? The only question I feel that needs answering is : why does Ginko always stroll around in a jacket that looks like it's from the 21st century?

Rose motifs, women with swords and revolutionizing gender roles - Rose of Versaillesand Revolutionary Girl Utena

As far as anime demographics goes there is certainly a heavy leaning towards shounen works, or simply towards male audiences in general. Well, at least in what I have watched which is heavily influenced by such unpredictable devices as top-anime lists. Also I never felt particularly inclined to tackle shows that looked overly 'girly'. Recently I felt that it was best to tackle my shoujo deficiency and watched what people had described as vital shows to watch. Rose of Versailles and Revolutionary Girl Utena. While some people mentioned that these shows have some similarities, or that Utena 'blatantly plagiarized' Rose, these are really very different works. However they are also both excellent and demand your attention, for completely separate reasons. Rose of Versailles The Rose of Versaillesfocuses on Oscar François de Jarjayes, a girl raised as a man to become her father's successor as leader of the Palace Guards. The backdrop to the story is set in pre-revolutionary France witch a focus on the trials and tribulations present both for the members of the French Court and the common people. Also important to the story are her conflicting desires to live life as both a militant and a regular woman as well as her relationships with Marie Antoinette, Count Axel von Fersen, and servant and best friend André Grandier. So a period piece with a concern for the role of women? This is certainly a unique premise, while one of the strengths of animation is that you can set it anywhere, yet when you see a period piece produced it usually focuses on Japan's past, not some other countries. More impressive is the fact that the show both fulfils on it's concern for gender-roles and for telling a great story about a certain period in history - it doesn't compromise one for the other. While these are important themes the show focuses on drama first - believable characters involved in an interesting story. As Oscar was raised as a boy we get to explore issues of gender and identity in plausible ways that avoid being heavy handed, Oscar doesn't whine about her life, she may have concerns but she of her character she might get angry with things instead. Furthermore Oscar is also a well-defined characters so that she is understandable as a women and as a strong military figure. ] The show also excels in the traditional (yet sometimes sadly overlooked) arts of storytelling. The show is also not dull. It doesn't descend into just simply talking because the political intrigue inside the Court is interesting and we grow attached to various characters. Furthermore there is always room for some a sweet action scene with Oscar battling some dude so that's always enjoyable. A sizeable part of the shows success also stems from the strength of its production. As an anime produced in 1979 this show has a unique look, in part because of the 70's animation which is bold and colourful, and also because of the exciting direction both from Nagahama (1st half of the show) and Dezaki (2nd half of the show). The animation itself is excellent, full of detail and lively expression. There's always room for weird camera angles and crazy 70's style as well. Sometimes things won't happen in a super-realistic way but they will look damn cool. The pacing is good as well, both within episodes which are stand-alone and also in the development of longer story-arcs. Whenever things threatened to get boring something would happen to keep everything feeling fresh. The show begins strong and ends strong with everything in between keeping my attention. An excellent show that I would recommend to anyone. Revolutionary Girl Utena Utena Tenjou is a tomboyish teenage girl who was so impressed by a kind prince in her childhood that she decided to become a prince herself (expressed in her manner of dress and personality). She attends Ohtori Academy, where she meets a student named Anthy Himemiya, a girl who is in an abusive relationship with another student. Utena fights to protect Anthy and is pulled into a series of sword duels with the members of the Student Council. Anthy is referred to as the "Rose Bride" and is given to the winner of each duel. As Anthy is thought to be the key to a coming revolution, the current champion is constantly challenged for the right to possess the Rose Bride. For a show that also also features girls with swords, inexplicable roses and a discussion of gender-roles one would expect this show to have quite a few similarities Rose yet the shows have pretty much nothing in common. Glancing at Wikipedia reveals Utena's genre's to be psychological and surrealism, which should give you a big hint that what you're actually in for is a fair amount of 'mind-screw'. Which is to say: watch out, some weird stuff is going to happen at some point. While the show may wear the clothes of a magical-girl series (or so I'm informed, I've never seen one) this is nothing but a sweet deception for what the shows actually about -...well actually I wouldn't want to hazard a guess and lay down exactly what I think the show is about because 1) That would be too spoilery and 2) I may well be very wrong. Suffice to say that there isn't a super long narrative backdrop, such as pre-revolutionary France, and instead we tend to get singular episodes rotations around certain characters. The motivations and machinations of whom is driving forward central plot points, such as the Rose Bride, is generally obscured. Things will be answered eventually but not always to everyone satisfaction as the show wants you to put some effort into figuring out it's more deep themes. As things may at times get extremely odd this means I can't say this show is for 'everyone' I wouldn't recommend anyone avoids the show because of it's weirdness. It's hardly [B]Texhnolyze[/B], when you watch an episode the focus will tend to be on the characters involved, not some over-arcing theme of oddness. As there's a fairly large cast of characters and we spend a lot of time with them it's great that the majority of them aren't simplistic. The show will go out of it's way to show that these characters have different sides and what is revealed will often be in direct defiance of expectations. For me at least the heart of the show was the characters and their interactions with each other. Which is strange because my focus is usually on straight story. Importantly the show is also pleasant to watch. While the show clearly had a limited budget (as seen in the number of repeated animations) it's never so much that I'm bothered because the show is rarely boring to look at. The architecture is especially stunning, which adds to the general oddness of the show. Not to mention that the show makes heavy use of silhouette and other visually arresting devices to keep one's eyes pleased. I don't often mention music but this show has such crazy, unique music that I need to mention it : the music is awesome. While Rose seemingly has questions about the role of women in society Utena[has more interest (seemingly) in the role of women in stories themselves (although a crafty reader can point out that as stories reflect our culture they also reflect our ideas about certain groups within that culture). Not just women, but men's role as well. What' the deal with Princes? Why should they be the only active characters while Princesses are so passive? I don't want to make the show sound like it's part of an English literature class because such concerns are only underlying themes of the work, which as I said above has an outward concern for characters. Still I can't stress enough that while the show works with some traditional elements of story it is also a symbolic and often confusing show which isn't for everyone yet rewards those who wish to delve deeper into the work and attempt to solve it's mysteries. Whatever you say Touga. I recommend that people check out both of these excellent works. (See, I totally avoided mentioning lesbian undertones. Hurrah!)

The Hurt Locker - Experts ruin everything

I recently watched the 2008 war-drama The Hurt Locker, and boy did I like it. For a movie that opens with a quote that literally tells you what the theme of the story will be it does mostly avoid hitting you over the head with its message. It would be fair to say that in general I am put off when a story either a) contains lots and lots of poorly handled exposition and b) when a story has a message to tell and decides that the best way to get this message across is to repeatedly bring it up so that we have no chance of avoiding it. Yet the The Hurt Locker (whatever that means) does have a message, one that is spelt out clearly - war is a drug. The film explores this notion in a number of ways - the tension of battle, the pleasure in completing a mission successfully and, logically, the difficulties of withdrawal. This is all fairly fascinating, although I have no idea how true any of it actually is. Yet even if it inaccurate, the concept is intriguing enough to serve as the driving force behind an excellent movie. However for some there is no way to experience this level of engagement with the movie - these people are experts and they know the movie is wrong. Unlike a movie about, say, piloting X-wings and blowing up Death Stars, there are a large amount of people who have had direct experience with the current war in Iraq. This extra knowledge which the rest of us lack will negatively affect their enjoyment of any media which is set in/attempts to deal with the Iraq war. Certainly that is a problem for them but how much should other, independent viewers, be bothered by their complaints? The Hurt Locker has certainly received many complains that it is unrealistic and that what it depicts bares little resemblance to what is actually going on. Surely though this is just a problem for them, we shouldn't be bothered by their views because we are just watching a movie. The movie is trying to tell a story and how closely the movie gets to the 'real-world' should have no bearing at all on the quality of the movie. However, I also understand the complaints of those who have problems with the movies portrayal of bomb refusal operations. I feel this pain on nearly every occasion that someone deems to talk about 'computers' or 'the internet' in their films. Yet do I have a right to be as annoyed as I get when I see someone suggest that they are "hacking the Internet?" The first thought of any film critic will presumably be - yes, you have every right to be annoyed. No one can review anything objectively and you take your bias when you watch a movie - just like every other patron in the movie theatre. Fine, I'm allowed my bias. Yet this doesn't explain how harsh I can be to a film that offends me with it's poor level of research into my own personal area of expertiese. Presumably, one could argue, that if the item being discussed was not an essential part of the film's message then I could ignore it. The Hurt Locker may be set in a war but that doesnt mean it is essential that it is accuarte - it never argued that it was a realistic depiciton of modern combat. Similarily Die Hard 4 was never pitched as a story that would explore the sweeping changed to the modern world brought on by the internet - instead it is an action movie. If 'The Wire' was completely full of nonesense and didn't actually depict anything close to the real world then we would have reason to complain - because it clearly aims to be a social commentary on modern america. Luckily for them they most definetely did the research. All in all it's fair to be annoyed by something that you know is nonesense. Yet unless the movie is trying to claim that this is the solid truth then your offence does not warrant a serious objection to the film itself.

I am the one and only - Discovering yourself on the Moon

The following blog post will go onto to discuss the 2009 sci-fi movie Moon. Therefore I will be discussing the plot in details, if you have yet to see Moon go do that right now. It's not your fault that you haven't seen it yet, there wasn't much advertising. Anyway, you'll enjoy it. On my second viewing of Moon I found myself once again enjoying the performance of Sam Rockwell, playing the character Sam Bell, who is trying to come to terms with various revelations about his life. Yet on my second viewing I enjoyed the movie for different reasons. Watching it in the theatre I was focused on the broad movements of the film - the art design, the barren landscape of the moon, the details of the plot and where it may lead. I was consumed for the first twenty minutes with trying to decipher what the film would be about. If you are aware of various sci-fi movie tropes the film plays heavily on your assumptions. Sam experiences a variety of hallucinations - perhaps the film will be like Solaris, with an external alien intelligence interfering with Sam's life. Then again, why are the recordings with Sam's wife edited? Perhaps this is an insane job from the soon-to-be-crazy Gerty, a computer whose screws are too loose? Yet it soon turns out to be about none of these things. It's going to be about clones. That isn't generally a good sign - Attack of the Clones? How about the action movie 6th Day? Or the strange work Total Recall? Yet this is where the film reveals itself to be a masterpiece. It does what, in my opinion, great science fiction does. It takes the setting of science fiction and uses it to explore the human condition. Why is Sam 2, for instance, such a dick to Sam 1 when he realises they are both clones? On my first time round I just assumed that it was shock, and he had pretty good reason to be shocked. It wasn't until the second time through that I noticed some key dialogue "This is why she wasn't happy with me - I could flip off the handle pretty bad" (This is a rough version of his line) which Sam says to Gerty as he remembers why his wife temporarily parted from him. Yet Sam 1 is different. He's been up alone for three years. He's mellowed. He enjoys tending plants and building sculptures. Then when Sam 2 is awakened we see how Sam was when he first went into space - he was youthful, prone to argument, sometimes violent and a fairly angry man. Thus we see a conflict between the same person - just between how he has changed over the years. Really, this is a fascinating use of the 'clone story' to explore something that is more then a tired cliche. This not to deny that the film is also making a fairly explicit point about cloning and corporations and the like - that they are somewhat bad, in this circumstance at least, and it also raises questions about the exploitation of workers for utilitarian concerns. Yet there is something deeply intriguing about the character study the movie undertakes, and credit has to go to the script writers Nathan Park and Duncan Jones as well as Sam Rockwell for pulling off such a fine performance.

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