#they deserve a ghibli remake

[veliseraptor]

Top 5 animated movies?

I see asks like this one for this meme and I'm like "lise what if you just wrote a short and simple response listing movies, then maybe you would actually end up answering all your meme asks" and then my brain goes "nope <3" and I end up with five paragraphs. I'm just not very good at shutting up.

anyway!

1. The Last Unicorn. This is the "no-brainer" one for me because I always feel like this is just...such an important piece of media, and it's one of those things where when I show it to new people I feel very vulnerable about it and kind of go "please understand that in sharing this with you I am showing you my vulnerable underbelly and if you hate it don't tell me." I don't even know that I could articulate why exactly, but it occupies a very particular place in my heart that few other pieces of media can claim to have. I have watched it so many times and here I am going "maybe I should rewatch it today, actually. plug in my external cd drive and pull out the dvd and everything." It's like that.

2. Princess Mononoke. Another one that came to me immediately as I was coming up with this list. I'm pretty sure I watched it a little too young and the opening scene with the boar creature vs. Ashitaka kind of scarred me a little bit but...lord, what a movie. It's beautiful visually and as a story I also love it. I feel like chronologically Spirited Away was my first Studio Ghibli I remember, but this was the one I latched onto. ngl, the fact that there are wolves in it probably helped.

3. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. It started to get a little harder here, but then I remember how I felt when I saw a caption referencing a song from this movie's soundtrack (thanks for the bangers, Bryan Adams! unexpected but I'm grateful) and went "!!!!" like my brain was lighting up like a lightbulb. So yeah, I'm going to say this is an important one. You can take the horses away from the horsegirl but you can't take the horsegirl out of the girl. or something like that. And this was one of my horsegirl movies. I also just now remembered the paint by numbers extras that were on the dvd that I was weirdly obsessed with, so that's cool.

4. Watership Down. Actually this one should've been third and I don't know how I forgot it! I joke that the fact that the animated movies I rewatched most as a kid were this one and The Last Unicorn and that probably explains a lot of things, but honestly it might. This movie has a reputation that's in some ways bigger than it deserves (though the destruction of the warren segment is pretty much as awful as everybody says it is), but it is also just legit a really good story and well-adapted into a movie, in my opinion. I watched the remake and was profoundly disappointed mostly because I felt like the animation style was boring, and one thing this movie definitely had going for it was the style.

5. Atlantis: the Lost Empire. I almost went with The Lion King but then I remembered this movie, and, yeah. What a film. Truly everyone who has talked about the brief period where things were very weird and therefore very interesting at Disney were right. Also Helga probably turned me gay (and specifically gay for female villains), I just didn't notice until later.

Honorable mentions to The Lion King, The Rescuers Down Under, and Mulan. And probably several others I'm forgetting that I'll think of as soon as I hit post.

There are definitely the animated movies I want to see, most notably Song of the Sea, because I suspect I would really like them. I am just terminally bad at watching movies, you know.

shout out to The Secret of the Seal though, which was a movie where I sort of thought one of my sisters and I shared a collective hallucination until finally I managed to track it down with something like "seal macaroni penguin animated movie." not to be confused with the 1992 anime film Tottoi, mind you.

...though considering now that I'm looking again all I can find to prove its existence is a cover, I'm beginning to wonder again. The Rotten Tomatoes page I thought was going to take me to it returns a 404 not found.

IT WAS REAL she screamed as they dragged her away. I SWEAR IT WAS A REAL MOVIE

#conversating #anonymous #top five meme

[the2headedcalf-moved]

whenever you have free time, check these out:

articles/essays

the real tragedy of beth march (i recommend this on every chance i get. it's why i find beth to be the most fascinating character in little women)

remote control (read this because of sufjan stevens. a very good account of the tonya harding scandal)

my grandma the poisoner (the horror i experienced the first time i read this is unparalleled. completely, utterly disturbing)

the empathy exams (you've probably heard of this and, yes, it deserves the hype)

exploring q slur (sigh) desire in hbo's succession (on the homoerotic undertones in succession's both seasons. need i say more?)

celebrity culture is burning (this is from march 2020, after gal gadot posted that atrocious imagine cover)

the age of instagram face (spot-on criticism of instagram beauty culture, fantastic read )

the lawless energy of teen-age girls (this is a new yorker piece on an excellent photography collection depicting teenage girlhood)

youtube channels/videos

liziqi (her videos will undoubtedly make you feel better on an off-day, especially on the cold winter days to come!)

goodnight moon (you will not believe the effort put into these themed asmr videos. check out her babblebrook series for cozy fantasy vibes)

asmr in movies & tv (ignoring the one of harry potter, this playlist offers quite a satisfying experience)

barbie movie clips (you did not know you needed this. it's a playlist of scenes from old barbie movies in extremely high definition)

reading my old diary like it's a work of classic literature (such a fun, light-hearted concept! watch this if you feel heavy and need a lil' something to cheer you up)

the immersive realism of studio ghibli and why miyazaki's films sound pretty (watching video essays on studio ghibli films is the highest form of self-care)

that time disney remade beauty and the beast and why the music in the live-action disney remakes is worse than you thought (disney-bashing is another great form of self-care)

how coraline borrows from ancient forms of storytelling (more specifically, it's a video essay on how coraline utilizes classic horror/ghost story tropes. very fascinating)

is titanic good, actually? (a lengthy video essay on the sweeping, epic tragedy that is titanic. enjoy)

parasite - the power of symbols and parasite's perfect montage (on the magnificent brilliance of bong joon ho's parasite)

misc.

the mytholadies podcast (very easy listening experience and fascinating explorations of your favorite ladies from mythology. they also do themed episodes every month!)

all three hadestown albums on spotify: concept album, original cast recording (live), original broadway cast recording (if the myth of orpheus and eurydice lives on your mind rent free, you need to listen to these. my personal favorite is the original cast recording, but all are fantastic)

the husband stitch (the chilling short story by carmen maria machado from the collection 'her body and other parties'. this is a favorite of mine)

the lottery (on the off-chance you haven't read this unsettling masterpiece, do it now)

artist searches childhood bully on facebook, doesn't expect to find this (this comic changed my perspective on everything)

subscribe (another comic i keep thinking about, this one's a critique of youtuber self-care culture)

this post (directs to one of the best writing resources i have ever come across)

#long post

[aeroplaneblues]

✨My top 10 anime of 2020 bc im bored: 

10. Fugou Keiji: it was fun!! i didn’t expect much of it since it started just at a particular difficult time, but overall it was enjoyable

09. My next life as a Villainess: this is one of those where the plot is explained on the tittle, but surprisingly very heart warming and wholesome?? And the characters are likeable, also probably my first harem anime i think.

08 Tower of God: i think this one has a very interesting story, tho i know its a webtoon adaptation therefore by law the source material is better? Haven’t read it but the anime intrigued me and it reminded me of hxh

07 Deca-dence: how is this here since i hated it after the “twist” natsume, best girl! Its not the best but i enjoyed it enough to make art so :D

06 Great Pretender: the first half? the art? the concepts? FREDDIE MERCURY? yeah its really good, sad it was on netflix jail for the longest time and that i think the second half kiiiiiiinda felt apart a little, imo.

05 Kakushigoto: this is both hilarious and so heartbreaking, it made me laugh and cry. The art is just so unique and the characters are all loveable!

 04 Toilet Bound Hanako-kun: A R T, the color palettes might be what i enjoy the most, but i love the story and the characters are so amazing! But the manga is beyond gorgeous and deserves more attention! I want s2!

 03 Keep your Hands off eizouken!: this hits different as an artist but also as one that wants to be a concept artists. ALSO also a ghibli fan. This is a new feel good anime

 02 Dorohedoro: SO INTERESTING, plus is gore-ish but tolerable ALL the characters are the best. It really doesn’t feel like one is the evil the other the hero, more like PEOPLE so its not as simplistic. Also i can’t wait for s2 which i hope we get risu (so yeah i read the manga too)

 01 Jujutsu Kaisen: idk whats up with this year me loving gore-ish anime but it just feels RIGHT lol maybe i miss hannibal. I think if this manga lasts more than kny did it can be my new top fave anime next to bnha, tbh i think its already there! I love the main 3, even if its “similar” to other shounen its self aware and the mangaka isn’t hiding that😂 It really filled that hole kny left and im looking forward to more of it!!

These are released on 2020 but ofc i liked recurring old anime or the remakes/sequels! I’m looking forward to new anime next year and tbh more jjk

#anne txt #top 10 anime #anime 2020 #2020

[howdoyousayghibli]

The Tale of Princess Kaguya: Adorable, Beautiful, and Sad

The concept of “fairy tales, but for adults” has had something of a heyday this millennium. We’ve seen ostensibly-for-kids-but-winking-at-adults comedies like Shrek and gritty reboots like Maleficent, and you could even say that Disney’s live-action remakes are an attempt to give the cartoon-averse adult an excuse to revisit an old fairy tale. 

Very few films, however, actually keep the spirit of a fairy tale while also making a mature movie for mature audiences. More explicitly than most media, fairy tales teach us lessons. A fairy tale “for adults” doesn’t need crass humor or political machinations — it needs a lesson that fits its audience. 

The only film I can think of that fits this description is The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. (If, like me, you’ve never heard the name spoken out loud, it’s KAH-goo-ya, not ka-GOO-ya.) Of course, complex and uncommon messages are Studio Ghibli’s bread and butter, so it should come as no surprise that they succeeded in making a true fairy tale for adults. It’s based on “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” one of Japan’s oldest known stories, and it preserves the structure and logic of a fairy tale while taking it to new emotional heights.

Released in 2013, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya was the last film directed by the late Isao Takahata. As far as I can tell, it essentially sticks to the bones of its source material, but breathes an impressive amount of life and character into the story. 

That story concerns a couple who live in the countryside, making a humble living cutting bamboo. One day, the husband finds a magical baby girl who grows (supernaturally) quickly into a young child. She (Kaguya, although that name doesn’t come up for some time) loves the countryside, and her parents love her and take good care of her — but eventually her father decides that this heaven-sent child deserves better and relocates the family to the capitol, where Kaguya chafes under the constraints of high society.

The story seems to be following a typical fairy-tale path, but takes a pretty incredible swerve near the end, which I was surprised to learn was pulled directly from the original story. More about that in the Spoiler Zone! But here I’ll say that, like that other animation studio that adapts fairy tales into major motion pictures, Studio Ghibli does an excellent job here of taking the high-level storytelling of a fairy tale and filling in the blank spaces with charming and beautiful details.

Visually, the film is a clear successor to Takahata’s prior film, My Neighbors the Yamadas — only instead of mimicking the feel of newspaper comics, Princess Kaguya is rendered like a watercolor painting, to mesmerizing effect. Similarly to both The Yamadas and Pom Poko, Takahata varies the level of detail on screen to suit the moment. Blissful moments under falling cherry blossoms are rendered in beautiful detail, whereas a breathtaking frantic escape has details stripped away until it’s nearly abstract. The film is a sight to behold, innovative and beautiful.

Thematically, it’s closer to Only Yesterday than The Yamadas. There are plenty of moments of joy — Kaguya is an extremely adorable baby, and there’s some satisfying folk-tale turnaround moments — but overall, the story tends more towards melancholy. Our characters learn their lessons, but it’s too little and too late, leaving the audience with a solemn reminder to appreciate what they have here and now. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya wants you to realize that happiness is not found in the absence of strife, but in accepting and overcoming it. 

That may seem like a rough message, but then, this is a fairy tale for adults.

Up Next: It’s the last Ghibli movie! (As of 1/23/2020, anyway.) When Marnie Was There marks the return of Hiromasa Yonebayashi, director of the splendid Secret World of Arrietty. Let’s see if he can stick the landing on his sophomore project!

Stray Notes:

The most baby baby

This little :3 mouth girl rules

Kaguya’s flight from the mansion is breathtaking

Glad that the nobles weren’t total jerks

The fairy-tale turnabout of “get those treasures for me then” was immensely satisfying

The editing on the flying scene is kind of wonky

:3 girl with her friggin blade, A+

Is that … Buddha???

Does Buddha live on the moon???

Both dream(?) sequences are odd, they’re not really presented as dreams but the events therein don’t seem to have happened? Ambiguous, but in a frustrating way instead of a thought-provoking one 

SPOILER ZONE

Okay, so, with like 30 minutes of movie left, Kaguya remembers that she’s actually from the moon. Specifically, from a city of moon dwellers, who are now on their way to take her back, because she unwittingly used her moon powers to thwart a persistent suitor. The moon people arrive on a flying cloud, led by what looked to me like a representation of Buddha, which raised a lot of questions on my end about whether Buddha lives on the moon. Anyway, the moon people easily bypass the army protecting Kaguya, and put a cloak on her that makes her forget her entire earth life. It’s heartbreaking, and that’s where the movie ends. 

Like I said — the message for me was to appreciate what you have; Kaguya essentially laments that she was so focused on the things she didn’t like about city life that she made herself miserable during the short time she had here. It’s a complicated message — are we not supposed to stand up for ourselves and better our situations? — but that’s intentional. 

#studio ghibli #ghibli #isao takahata #tale of the princess kaguya #princess kaguya

[isabeladraws]

Your last asks have made me curious, and I wanted to ask you... What are your main fandoms? Like, in terms of tv shows and books, if you are into them.

guys follow me on @rosyumie​ you’ll get to know everything i’m interested in atm! 

i’m not very active in fandoms i’d say, i watch things and sometimes make threads on twitter on my thoughts and that’s that haha more under the cut! it’s a long list

shows i love: 

reply 1988 - i will die for this show. please watch this. it’s absolutely amazing. everytime i watch this i come out of it with new perspectives on life and family and always cry. i love it so much. must rewatch every year 

parks and recreation - i’m on my 893929394th rewatch of this show. absolute fave

the crown - i love royals. i love claire foy. i love this show 

the marvelous mrs maisel

this is us 

how to get away with murder 

big little lies

titans - omg i miss DICK GRAYSON

outlander

the good place

killing eve

skam france / a bit of the italian remake / a bif of the wtfock remake

game of thrones

goblin 

brooklyn 99

the umbrella academy

élite

the witcher - i need to rewatch this I LOVE this show

his dark materials

sense8

queer eye

i’m not the biggest movie/book fan anymore, especially movies. i much prefer to watch a tv show and get to know characters through a long period of time than have a 2 hour movie and then it’s done. 

but, books i love:

the night circus - favorite book of all time, i need to reread it.

harry potter

shadow and bone - i started this and then never picked up the second book but i really want to! 

the hunger games series

i have read more but i don’t love them now as an adult like i did when i was a teenager. 

movies i love: 

from up on poppy hill - yes i’m a basic bitch this is my favorite ghibli movie. don’t @ me 

tangled

ratatouille

get out - i watched this movie and it has never left my mind since. 

knives out

the shape of water

the hunger games series

the dark knight rises

emma - recent watch, i loved it!

rise of the guardians

the cardcaptor sakura movies - this is very random but i love sakura so much, she’s my absolute favorite ever my baby girl. i loved these movies as a child

harry potter HOWEVER. i feel like i get mad watching them now because it misses so many details and moments between characters that it just pisses me off. also? what HAPPENED in that writing room to make ginny like that? appalling. no offense to bonnie but my girl deserved much better

you know... i’m a k- 🤢 kpop 🤢 fan so i watch a lot of k-shows

my faves are:

NEW JOURNEY TO THE WEST - I LOVE THIS SHOOW SO MUCH EVERYONE PLEASE WATCH IT’S SO FUNNY!!!! i get on another level with this show. it feeds my soul. my crops thrive, my skin glows. it’s amazing. go watch it i am begging. thank me later! 

heart signal - oh my god if you like those trashy romance shows this is for you. filmed super high quality, most likely very scripted but i eat it up! season 3 just started and i’m living! 

love catcher - similar to heart signal but you choose to be in the game for either money or love. the contestants need to figure out if the person they like is either money or love because in the end, if a money pairs up with a love, the money person gets 50,000$. 

handsome tigers - i believe this just recently ended. i loved it so much! i didn’t expect to like watching basketball but it was so much fun. 

knowing bros - i don’t watch this often at all anymore but, if there’s a guest i enjoy, i’ll usually watch it. 

youn’s kitchen 2 - if you like more a chill out, long episodes type of show, this is amazing for that. it’s so relaxing, so fun to watch. it’s about an old korean actress that opens a restaurant in spain with other 3 actors. they serve korean food. it’s very wholesome. i just rewatched it recently, i absolutely love it. the first season i can’t seem to find subbed so :(

kang’s kitchen - it’s made by the same producer that does youn’s kitchen and it brings the cast of new journey to the west to open a pop-up restaurant. opposite of relaxing but it’s so funny. if you need a laugh give this a go cause it’s hillarious! there’s 3 seasons now of this cast, so the order i’d recommend is njttw 1, 2, 3, 4, kangs kitchen 1, njttw 5, 6, 7, kang’s kitchen 2/3 

favorite k-dramas: 

strong woman do bong soon

w: two worlds

reply 1988 (obviously)

goblin

age of youth 1 & 2 - please watch this oh my god. it’s about a group of girls and their lives and it talks about so many “taboo-ish” subjects in korea that you really don’t see in other dramas. so well done. 

hotel del luna

i have watched many many more but these are the ones at the top of my head. the ones that i actually rewatch and still love.

#anonymous #aq #faq

[pentragons]

oh that last set you made is beautiful :') what are your favorite films (ghibli or other) that make you feel good to be alive or that make you happy after a really bad day? i saw your set right after being sad and it really made me smile thank you for that

Anon, thank you so much for your message, hoping to make someone smile is why I post my edits!! I hope you are feeling better and that you know how valued, how loved, how amazing and how cherished you are! You deserve all the happiness in the world and I know that there is so much good waiting for you!! YOU ARE WONDERFUL! (人〃◡ฺ ω◡)❤ฺ If you feel sad, you are always more than welcome to message me or reach out!

And thank you for your interesting question!!

My favs are:

Obviously anything by Studio Ghibli - it is why I have this blog!! I truly believe these movies are magic and happiness in the shape of a film.

But:

Kiki’s Delivery Service & Whisper of the Heart: For when you are feeling lost and are struggling with whatever it is that life is putting in your way.

Howl’s Moving Castle: When you need something light and heartwarming to take you far away from whatever is causing you trouble.

Spirited Away: When I want nostalgia to kick my ass so hard that I feel 10 again, not having a care in the world, trying to figure out which wrong turn my parents have to take so I can go to the spirit world and meet Haku.

My Neighbor Totoro: If you have any small siblings/young relatives/kids you work with, watch this film with them. I swear it’s a magical experience when they see Totoro for the first time!

As for other films, not Ghibli related:

About Time: This is the first film I’d recommend to anyone asking me what film I connect with making me happy. I love this movie so much and I think not enough people are talking about it!! I watched this during one of the loneliest times of my life and by the end of the movie I was sitting on the floor, crying happy tears and thinking: I am feeling lonely but there are so many wonderful people in my life. I called them all and told them how much I love them. I remember that very vividly and have watched the movie a hundred times since always feeling that same happy feeling :’) I believe it’s on Netflix, so you could easily give it a try!! I promise it’ll make you happy!! It is one of the best films ever (+ has a genius soundtrack!)! 

Mamma Mia: This one’s a little less… deep but my god, do I love this movie. Nothing get’s me in a good mood faster than a bunch of awesome actors randomly starting to sing ABBA on a beautiful Greek island (✧◡✧)

Avatar: The Last Airbender: I know it’s not a movie but I love this series so much!! It is near and dear to my heart and I don’t think there is even a tiny chance of staying sad while watching Aang and the Gaang save the world in their perfectly unperfect ways :)

The Lord of the Rings: This is very personal and I am not sure I’d really recommend the trilogy to people in general for when they feel sad. But to me, these are my favourite films in the world and they have saved me in my darkest times. Frodo and Sam have given me so much strength and I always saw their journey to Mordor as a reminder that I can overcome my depression and make it to the end of my journey, even if it sometimes takes everything I have.  

10 Things I hate about you: I’ve watched this the night before so many exams and something about it always makes me so happy and relaxed that I forget to freak out about possibly failing. 10/10 would recommend!!!（ˉ▿ˉ）

The Intouchables: I know for the US/UK there’s a remake of this film that came out this year but the original from France is incredible and I’d recommend it to everyone!

Other things I’d also recommend: Anne with an E (Netflix series), Bohemian Rhapsody (who could possibly resist singing along to Queen songs?!) Disney movies and on the off chance that you are German/speak German: Doctor’s Diary, my favourite series on earth!

#be save; be well anon!! you are beyond amazing!! #i hope this is ... helpful?? i got a bit too excited #replies #~you are wonderful~

[miragerules]

The 10 Best Films of 2017 so far, and the 10 Films to look forward to in the second half of the year

Well it is now July 6th, and we are now a little past the half way mark of 2017, so I will delve into what are the 10 Best Films of 2017 so far starting with number 10.

10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: What is it with Marvel and their villains and climaxes of their films?  Sure there are exceptions like Winter Soldier, Age of Ultron and Civil War, but in general Marvel has a real villain problem as well as finishing off their films in a fully satisfying way.  That being said Guardians of the Galaxy is perhaps the most light hearted and funnest of the Marvel films thanks to director James Gunn, the score, and the chemistry/acting of the cast.

3.75/5 Stars 

9. The Wall: The Wall is a short, but a pretty gritty and intense Iraq war film directed by Doug Liman.

4/5 Stars

8. Ghost in the Shell:  I will always give credit to the likes of Akira and Ghost in the Shell for helping to make Anime popular in America making it easier to for Anime series and films to be release here, but I as never that impressed with Ghost In the Shell outside of its stunning animation.

I have never liked the original Ghost in the Shell as much as the other anime films that I was introduced to in the 80’s through the mid 90’s with the likes of Vampire Hunter D, Ninja Scroll, Patlabor The Movie and Robot Carnival among others, so I had no I high expectations with the remake except to get a good film that would hopefully do well box office wise, so studios will take more chances on live action anime films like in pre-production Robotech and the always talked about Cowboy Bebop film.

I think those reasons might have helped me enjoy Rupert Sanders Ghost in the Shell, and I really liked the film. I haven’t seen the original in probably over a decade, but from what I remember the film stays pretty close to the original with the biggest change coming to the Major’s backstory, which I loved.

I won’t get into what I believe are very overblown and unwarranted criticisms of whitewashing when it comes to Scarlett Johansson’s casting, and instead say Johansson was wonderful as The Major who effortlessly brings The Major to life.

The action and visuals/effects were really good. My criticism of the film is the lack of real character development outside The Major and maybe Batou. There were certain Section 9 characters I would have like to seen more of. Another criticism is that although I liked the story, themes and ideas in the film, the film doesn’t dive too deep, and instead spent more time on the visuals and action. I contribute both criticisms to the films short run time at only about an 1 hour and 45 minutes that includes both the opening and ending credits. I wish Sanders and the writers could have spend another ten minutes on the story and supporting characters, but that isn’t a huge criticism for me as it didn’t stop me from really enjoying Ghost in the Shell as much if not more than I did the original film.

I really hoped Ghost in the Shell would do well at the box office, and we could get more films, because Johansson deserves her own franchise. Scarlett certainly has proven to me with her role Black Widow along with starring in Lucy and now with Ghost in the Shell that she can solo lead a action film/franchise.  Unfortunately that most likely is not going to happen.  Ghost in the Shell broke even and made some money, but I doubt Paramount is going to green light a sequel.

4.25/5 Stars

7. The Exception: A great World War II drama/thriller film about the exiled German Emperor Wilhelm II played magnificently by Christopher Plummer and co-starring Jai Courtney, and Lily James.

4.5/5 Stars

6. The Red Turtle: All your should need to know about The Red Turtle to see the film is to watch the above trailer and know that it was made by Studio Ghibli the same company that made Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, and Kiki’s Delivery Service.  The Red Turtle is my third favorite Studio Ghibli film behind Grave of the Fireflies and Princess Mononoke.

4.5/5 Stars

5. John Wick Chapter 2: John Wick is the best action franchise since the first three Bourne films (I try to forget about two mediocre and bad sequels), and Keanu Reeves has found the role he was perfect for and meant for.

4.75/5

4. Logan: Logan might be classified as in the superhero genre, but to be Logan is a modern western with a small dose of sci-fi/fantasy elements.  Perhaps that is one of the reason Logan separates itsself from the rest of the X-Men films and the Marvel films along with its story, themes and tone help to make like Deadpool a breath of fresh air in the superhero genre.  Then there are Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart.  Logan is Jackman’s last film playing Logan whom he’s played since 2000’s X-Men, and Logan is most likely Patrick Stewart’s last film playing Charles Xavior who he’s also played since the first X-Men film.  Both actors give their best performances as Logan and Xavior as perhaps the last two X-Men alive in a world where mutants are all but extinct and being hunted down.  Logan truly is one of the best superhero/comic book films to go along with the likes of Watchmen, V for Vendetta, The Dark Knight, and Wonder Woman.

4.75/5

3. Wonder Woman: Personally I don’t understand all the criticism of Man of Steel and Batman Vs. Superman, but whether you agree with the criticism of the first two films of the DC Extended Universe and the really bad Suicide Squad the DC Extended Universe needed a win more critic wise than box office wise, and WB/DC got both with the excellent Wonder Woman.

4.75/5 Stars

2. Baby Driver: Baby Driver is a masterpiece of film making and a prime example as film as art.  I have never been as much as a fan of Edgar Wright as critics and my friends have, but what Wright has film with Baby Driver is magnificent.  Baby Driver is a high octane action, drama, musical that combines the cult classic Streets of Fire with the classic Heat.  The level of detail Wright, cinematographer, and stunt coordinators went through to match every song to each scene perfectly is astonishing and wonderful experience in the theater.  The acting by Jamie Fox, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Eiza González, and even the relative new comer Ansel Elgort whom I had never seen before did an excellent job in the film.  Baby Driver is a film to be seen over and over again to fully appreciate the how great film Baby Driver is.

5/5 Stars

1.The Lost City of Z: It was hard for me to chose between Baby Driver and The Lost City of Z, but if there is one film that is better than Baby Driver than it is the Lost City of Z.  I am a sucker for historical films and especially ones about topics I know nothing or very little about.  Before seeing the trailer for The Lost City of Z I had never heard of Percy Fawcett (Played exceptionally well by Charlie Hunnam) the famous explorer and his disappearance in the Amazon.  The film is based on the non-fiction book of the same name and by David Grann which goes into Fawcett’s life and his disappearance as well as investigating the so called Lost city of Z.  The book is really good, and while Grann’s novel has garnered high praise, Grann has faced some criticism in his view of Fawcett and his exploits as an explorer.

Let us move onto the film itself directed by James Gray.  Gray’s The Lost City of Z has an old school Hollywood of the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s with the detailed story telling, themes, score, and cinematography.  As I said above Charlie Hunnam was fantastic as Fawcett bringing to life Fawcett’s love for adventure and his blinding obsession in finding his city of Zed.  Charlie Huunam is supported by Robert Pattinsion who in recent years has finally come into his own since leaving the bad Twilight franchise high praised performances in Cosmopolis and The Rover, and continues here in The Lost City of Z as Henry Costin, Fawcett’s right hand man and good friend.  Like Baby Driver the Lost Citye of Z is a film that should not be missed and seen more than once.

Films I have not seen yet, but want to: Beauty and the Beast, The Lego Batman Movie, Get Out, Life, Colossal, Alien: Covenant, and Megan Leavey.

The 10 Most Anticipated Films for the Second Half of 2017

1. Blade Runner 2049 2. Dunkirk 3. Star Wars: The Last Jedi 4. Wind River 5. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets 6. The Snowman  7. Justice League  8. Goodbye Christopher Robin 9. American Assassin 10. Greatest Showman

#2017 Films #Movies #Films #The Lost City of Z #Baby Driver #Wonder Woman #Gal Gadot #Logan #John Wick: Chapter 2 #The Red Turtle #The Exception #Ghost in the Shell #The Wall #Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 #Marvel Comics #DC Comics #Marvel Cinematic Universe #DC Cinematic Universe #Scarlett Johansson #Hugh Jackman #Patrick Stewart #Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets #Justice League #Dunkirk #Star Wars: The Last Jedi #Blade Runner 2049 #Robert Pattinsion #Lily James #DC Entertainment #Marvel Studios

[dreadwhoop]

Gravity Rush - Released in 2012 for the PSVita and late 2015/early 2016 for the PS4. Published by Sony Computer Entertainment but developed by SCE Japan Studio's Project Siren, this is their 4th project after the Siren trilogy. Gravity Rush managed to get a sequel in 2017 and, much like my last review on NieR, I find Gravity Rush to be in a similar situation as it deserves better too.

I refer to this as an "anti-platformer" because you're so encouraged to jump to your doom it would be unplayable otherwise. It's not as mind-melting as a certain Escher painting can be - structures are definitively set - yet to navigate up walls and ceilings with this boundless flight has not captured the experience of dominating the landscape since swinging around in PS2's Spider-Man 2.

Kohei Tanaka's composition of the soundtrack, especially 'Resistance and Extermination', and parts of Hekseville such as the 'Pleasure Quarter' of Pleajeune, are outstanding renditions ranging in all directions from the jazzy feel of Skullgirls or the triumphant eclecticism of classic RPG battles with a finer tune to grand orchestral performances. Yoshiaki Yamaguchi's art blends elements of Studio Ghibli, cel-shade, and Eurocentric painterly fashion into a beautiful and fully realised city. Places feel alive, perhaps a tad too so because you're constantly lifting people up with your powers and thrusting them into space (which to be fair is funny when there's no repercussions for doing so other than hearing civilians squeal). Kat herself is instantly recognisable and to see the process of her conception from 5 attempts to nail her design shows they cared deeply about this fact. It's a highly encouraged design choice - something Keiichiro Toyama can be proud of as said designer for the game.

There's very little to critique given it has also a polished story by Naoko Sato and Keiichiro Toyama. I've heard a certain journalist call it "nonsensical" at the 2nd half and frankly is wrong - tonal shifts does not betwixt quality. I never felt dulled or dragged by the exploration or stressed to see how determined the game wanted me to be in uncovering more of the content - side-missions and hidden locations always rewarded me with greater depth to the world and things I could not do earlier were managed by progressing far enough to enhance my abilities. If anything should be marked as a flaw it's the realisation Kat's 'giving the benefit of the doubt' attitude leans sometimes a little on the 'dense' side. It's very stereotypical 'superhero logic' at times - do the right thing and help others even if the reader can clearly tell it's a ploy though this same attitude allows her to be the superhero we can't because it allows her to traverse so many stylish pocket worlds. One even got me reminded of Kula World and this is never a bad thing.

What a weird time to be writing this post.

I could never of imagined 4 years ago just how much the gaming industry was going to change - the flat-footing of Gamergate, the rise of Undertale, and successful VR leading to more immersion (can you imagine if Gravity Rush put VR functions in? BLREUGH!). Oh and NieR got a sequel. NieR. Remakes of FFVII, Shenmue 3, honestly if 2015 announced Half-Life 3 and Beyond Good & Evil 2 one might as well assume anything was possible. In 2017 alone, these past few months, we've seen plenty of games worthy of making a shortlist for GotY contenders and we've not even reached the international release of Persona 5. Sometimes there just isn't enough gaps between time to say when penning this would be right yet it must be done now.

Thing is one of the hardest parts of making games now is consumers taking a risk on new IPs when so much quality is established. Gravity Rush is one example of accomplishing an original goal whilst never alienating gamers fondly attached to the conventions of what makes a great game. Metrics are never precise though Famitsu's 38/40 would be fair. I put this 11th in 2012 in my Top 20 and honestly it’s more to do with the PSVita’s tragic lifecycle than any true detriment to the game’s overall presentation. If you passed on this game because you couldn’t play it before and now you can you should.

I’d give this game a fair chance. Thanks for reading!

#Gravity Rush #GravityRushforDAZE #Givethisgameachance #KatishernameDustyisherpartner #RSSLiamwouldapprove #Iranoutofrandomtagideas

[canvaswolfdoll]

Canvas and Video Games

Have I talked about my Video Game history? Feels like I have, but I also can’t remember doing so. I’m also running low on possible essay topics, and haven’t finished off any media that I can review[1] recently enough to do that instead…

So, hey, you nerds, let’s talk about Video Games!

Because that’s obviously been a massive influence on my life, what with… my entire brand, really. Egads, am I a nerd, sitting here with a New 3DS in a charging cradle in front of me, trying to work out how to do better quality streams and deciding to write an essay about Video Games.

It all started with my brother, old Foxface himself. As the family lore goes, my parents once didn’t want video games in the house, what with��� the social stigma, I guess? It was different times, alright?

Point is, my brother’s speech teacher was all ‘Hey, you know what may help with speech? Video Games! Get him video games.’

And so my parents did, despite any reasonable connection or evidence in the above argument.[2]

So they bought him the Sega Genesis, the only non-Nintendo console we’ve ever owned. He played Sonic the Hedgehog! Also… no. It was mostly just Sonic.

Obviously young Canvas was also interested in the wonder of interactive media, and the running rodent, so I’d watch him play, and occasionally step in as Tails or try to play it myself. And I was terrible at it.

Eventually, the Nintendo 64 was released and added to our fleet of hardware, and we never looked back! Ha ha!

That’s the console that we really cut our teeth on, with it’s many beloved games, from Mario 64, Star Fox 64, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (first Zelda game I was ever aware of), and so on and so forth. We ended up with most of the major releases.[3] Also Mischief Makers for some reason.

It was also the height of Video Rental stores, though I never got to choose games to rent. Vulpin stuck with Space Station Silicon Valley which… might deserve an HD Remake, to be honest. Such a bizarre premise people would eat up, nowadays.

The Game Boy Color arrived, carrying Pokemon and various shovelware, plus a few Zelda Games. Tried my best with them, but for the longest time I never actually completed a video game, or got that far, though I did finish Johto in Gold, which is something.

Gamecube came out, the Dreamcast died, and I began to become aware of the surrounding culture as my capabilities to use the internet matured. We also continued a trend of our person game libraries for the generation growing larger than the last. Lots of GameCube games.

Animal Crossing was a Christmas gift early in the cycle, and it was the first video game all of the kids in the family played, to various extents. Elder Sister was her usual perfectionist self, paid off her house, then pretty much stopped playing video games forever afterwards. Little Sister still plays the occasional game (mostly Paper Mario), but largely it’s just Foxface and I who are deep into the gaming scene.

But, like so many things, tracking each and every experience would be a rather sisyphean task, so I should try and refocus here.

Video Games have always been a presence in my life, and thus had its effects on my creative self, from imaginary friends to the little stories I’d crafted pacing the backyard. They were my chief insight into narratives and various genres, design (whether costume or set or mechanical). Nintendo Power helped educate me on the concept of news and industry, as well as the community that could grow from a hobby.

In fact, Pokemon was the main driving force behind the event I joke is the time I’ve ever made friends myself,[4] being approached while reading a book related to the franchise during second grade. It was nice.

Learning about the internet and GameFAQs hinted towards the wider world and culture, and eventually I came upon 8-Bit Theater, which fired up my love of comics in a big way. Comics and stories made from and about elements of video games? That’s so cool!

Then Nintendo Acres happened.

The diminishing use of quality sprite work in video games makes me sad, by the way. There’s just something about the GBA/DS era graphics that invokes joy in my heart, by now even Pokemon has left sprite work behind for models, and even kitschy independent games tend for the super minimalistic version of 8-bit and… whatever one would refer to Atari graphics. Had I artistic talent, I would slather my media in 16-bit evocative of Friends of Mineral Town or The World Ends with You.

In fact, I think that’s one of my main hurdles getting invested in Stardew Valley[5] and Undertale. They just look ugly, even by the standards of kitschy 8-bit style. Frisk is malformed, and all the Stardew characters are in the wrong perspective for the rest of the world. Sprite work can be so beautiful, and yet no one puts in the effort anymore.

Look, sprites aren’t the only aesthetic I love, just so we’re clear. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, I just prefer bright, cheery worlds. Tale of Symphonia is one of my favorite games, if not my absolute number one.[6] There’s just something very nice about a fantasy world that looks lush and vibrant, where you’d be happy to live just for the scenery. The Tales series and Rune Factory also made me very positive about oddly intricate characters in fantasy. I’ve never liked the dirt covered fantasy of… let’s say Skyrim. Fantasy should be about escapism, grand adventure in grand landscapes, not the crushing reality of medieval times.

More Ghibli, less brown is what I want in general.

I may be an oddball for the elements I look for in video games. I like RPGs (obviously) but there’s very few members of the genre I actually enjoy. I flat-out can’t stand western Video Game RPGs.

What I usually look for in games is both a compelling narrative and interesting mechanics, with allowance for the ‘Classics’ and trendsetters.[7] This is something I find lacking in Western-Style RPGs, with their focus on customizing and granular stat advancement. Sure, I understand someone’s desire to try and put a popular character in an Elder Scrolls, or place some curious limitation on themselves while crawling around Fallout’s wastelands.

But because the game needs to allow the player to make whoever they want, it severely cripples the writer’s ability to write the “main” character into the plot, lest they step on the agency of the player. So, from my perspective, we end up in one of two situations: the PC is a non-entity in the plot, with the narrative happening around and to them instead of with them. Or, we get a Mass Effect situation, where they treat it like Choose Your Own Adventure, and you end up shooting a dude when you thought you were just going to arrest him.[8] That’s why I much prefer being handed a protagonist with a history and personality.

Now, those familiar with my tabletop philosophies, and namely my disdain for randomized Character Gen because it takes away player agency might be tilting their head at this inconsistency.

Well, it’s a scale thing. I realize Video Games have a limitation, and thus it’s unreasonable to expect it to cater to you completely. Tabletop, however, allows endless narrative possibilities, because it’s being created in the moment. So, with Video Games, I’m more willing to just let the story take me along as an observer, like a TV Show.

Which is to say, I don’t really project on the Player Character, and am I happy with that. It’s a division between game and story that may seem odd, but it’s what I look for: every piece having a narrative purpose, especially the loser who’s carrying us on our back.

So, narratively, I prefer the style of JRPGs (also, I like Anime and it’s tropes, so…). Yet, I have never really gotten engrossed in any Final Fantasy Game, because list combat is very dull. I mean, grindy, set the auto-attack against opponent style of Western RPGs[10] aren’t much better, but at least it’s got a hint of visual interest.

What am I left with? For a while, Tales of Symphonia, but now I’ve got Rune Factory, with it’s rather simple combat, but still mostly fun (helped along by other elements), and especially Fire Emblem, which what I wish battlemat D&D combat could be: quick, clever, strategic.

Though I’ve only played the 3DS installments thus far, due to lack of accessibility to the early games, which I couldn’t be bothered to try when they were released. Did try the first GBA game to be ported over, but that ended up having the worst, most micromanaging tutorial I’ve ever seen, and thus I am incapable of completing the first level.

I know how to play video games, Fire Emblem. I am aware of the base concept of pressing A. Yeesh. You’re worse than modern Harvest Moon games!

I’ve also never gotten invested in military FPSs, as a mixture of finding the gameplay boring, difficulty mastering it, and mockery whenever I was roped into playing one with friends.[11] In general, I don’t like being in first person view, as I find it limiting to controls, and responding to things that get behind me is annoying, because I flail trying to find the source of damage, then die.

Though, with time, my avoidance has decreased. Portal has a first person camera, but in a mixture of a more puzzle focused game and excellent integration of tutorial into gameplay,[12] it takes an agitating limited camera and makes it very workable, while also teaching the player how to interact with a game in first person.

I also played a little Team Fortress 2, and now Overwatch. The difference with those two over, say, Modern Duty or whatever, is the tone. The two games are competitive, yes, but also light hearted and goofy. Death is cheap and non punishing, the addition of powers make character choice widely different and fun, and, when I do get a little frustrated, it’s very easy for me to take a breath say ‘It’s only a game’ and let it go. Which is important when playing video games, sometimes.

Because that’s what games should always be: entertainment. It’s why I don’t try and force myself through games I’m not enjoying or lose interest in (though obviously I do try and come back and finish the plot) and why I very rarely strive for 100% completion. Because I want to enjoy myself, not engage in tedious work.

It’s also why I don’t care about ESports. Because I don’t care about sports. People doing something very well doesn’t really appeal to me. High-level chess players aren’t interesting to watch or study, seeing two teams of muscled people charge one another isn’t fun, and fight scenes with the usual punching and kicking is dull.

Because, what I look for in most cases is novelty.

Seeing a master craftsman make a thing once can be interesting, just to see the process. See a master craftsman make the same thing a 100 times is uninteresting, because nothing new is happening. When it comes to sports and games, it’s more interesting to see novices play, because they mess up in interesting ways, spot and solve problems, and you get to sit back and go ‘Now, I would’ve done this.’

So, yeah, not a big fan of Counterstrike and League of Legends news, even besides the toxic communities.

Public perception of video games turned rather quick in my lifetime. It used to be such a niche hobby, enjoyed by nerds and children and so such. Yet… well times change, don’t they? Obviously children grew up and brought games along with them, but the hobby has expanded to become mainstream, a console being as necessary as a television, where those without are viewed as bizarre, despite it not being a physical need.[13] We all remember the children who noted their family doesn’t have a TV (or keep it in the closet), and I wonder if XBoxes have gained the same traction.[14]

If only tabletop games could get the same treatment.

Though I still wouldn’t be able to find a group, but still…

Now that I’m an employed adult, I have even more control over the games I play. Which means a Wii U and a custom built PC.

That I built myself, because I also enjoyed Lego as a child.

Between the two, I tend to have a wide enough net to catch the games that interest me. Sure, there’s still some PlayStation exclusives I’d love to try (Journey, Team ICO’s works, plenty of Tales games…)[15] but some of those games are slowly drifting over to Steam, and I already have a backlog, so I can wait it out.

That’s my stumbled musings about video games… Oh! I stream them! Over here! Watch me! I love to entertain and amuse!

Also maybe consider supporting me through patreon? Then I can put more resources into being amusing!

And share any thoughts you have. I’ll listen. Until then…

Kataal kataal.

[1] Did finish rereading Yotsuba&! but there’s nothing to say about besides “Read it!” [2] Certainly didn’t help me. [3] Though not Harvest Moon 64. One day, I will slay that whale. One day… [4] The rest are inherited after old friends leave. [5] Someone on Reddit commented its port to the Switch may help scratch the itch left by Rune Factory. They are, of course, dreadfully wrong. [6] I still dislike do rankings. [7] IE, I’m not a big fan of hallway-bound FPS games, but have played through the Half-Life series. Mostly for the connection to Portal. [8] I know it was in the ‘Renegade’ position, but I thought it’d be played as ‘I’ll risk losing the Shadow Broker to book this small fish’ sort of thing. I’m not very clever, okay?[9] [9] I actually never progressed much further than that. Perhaps it’ll be on CanvasPlays someday. [10] I don’t care if you have a list of subversions of this style, by the way. I really don’t. [11] I once annoyed a former friend for not knowing there’s an aim button. I didn’t know this, because I don’t play FPSs. [12] There’s a very nice Extra Credits about this somewhere. [13] Though as a cultural need… [14] Nintendo Consoles, of course and unfortunately, being considered the off-brand. [15] the PS3 port of Tides of Destiny. Yes, it’s a disgrace of a Rune Factory game, and it was also on the wii but… well, sometimes I’m an insane collector![16] [16] I don’t even need a PS3. I can get it used for, like, five bucks from GameStop…

#canvasrambles #video games