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Columbine (Offline)
Busier Than Shinjuku Station
 
Posts: 1,466
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: United Kingdom
07-07-2009, 11:00 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by mercedesjin View Post
Oh, I'd forgotten about that movie! Yeah, that's definitely one of the most emotionally moving films I've ever seen, American and Japanese.

Other than that and Spirited Away, though, I have to say that I haven't really felt moved by any other Japanese films... unless I'm forgetting something else.
Personally I feel there's something of a gap between how american films try to move their audiences and how Japanese films do so. The western animations seem to be more blunt, "THIS IS SAD- BE UPSET", "THIS IS EPIC, BE IMPRESSED", "FUNNY- LAUGH!" which isn't necessarily a bad thing or ineffective, but does have a slight feeling like you're being spoon-fed an emotion. The asian ones (or at least the ones I feel to be high quality) tend to leave things more open. This seems to be a double edged blade; it can really enrich a viewing, or it can fall slightly off the side and the viewer misses out on a reaction at all, making it all seems a bit flat and boring. But it's the choice I enjoy.

I think in general I lately enjoy more of the asian animations; I like the hand-painting backgrounds more than the super-shiny CG. I like the everyday quirkyness of ghibli's animation- the little details. Chihiro tying up her hair; the little boy in Howl's Moving Castle following the parade and not quite keeping up. It's very real- that's real life observation put into it, and I really think that's lacking in modern Disney. Like, there's more love put into making the film, it's not so much a money-spinner as the creator really just wants to share a story. That and American ones tend to be pretty sugary for my taste with a really clearly cut good-evil dichotomy. I like that in ghibli films the 'villains' aren't always vanquished or overtly reformed, sometimes they're not even always 'villains'. Kiki's had no villain at all, and neither did Totoro.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mercedesjin View Post
I hate most Japanese candy. I guess it's because I'm so used to really sweet tastes, and it seems like most Japanese candy isn't as sweet as American candy.
Yeah, I hear that's common. Maybe we should start a thread about it. lol.
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