Hades: Project Zeorymer is the perfect name for this ode to bombastic mediocrity. Yet, it still tickled me to watch giant robots blast off with names like Zeorymer of the Heavens or Rose C'est la Vie of the Moon. That last one probably made me loose a few brain cells.
However, there is something about the character designs, the mecha direction, and the unabashed gung ho spirit. Zeorymer does focus on the villains, making them the protagonists of each episode and imbuing them with a spirit that is usually reserved for the heros. This role reversal is reinforced by Zeorymer's overwhelming dominance.
I also see strains of Raxhephon & Eva, but then they may just be tropes of the genre that first drew me into the madness: Giant Robots.
Showing posts with label Random Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Random Thoughts. Show all posts
Friday, October 2, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Defending the Canvas
Different genre and media move different people, this may seem like a truism, but I've been told that one of my friends asked "what is the point of animation?" I believe that the gist of his argument ran: after all, movies show basically everything that animation can, but with real stuff. I was trying to put together a good explanation, when I saw Kseniya's Simonova's performance sand art from a clip on Youtube that she did for Ukraine's Got Talent.
NPR mentioned the Guardian article [1]. Kseniya draws the portrait of a young couple that met on the eve of Ukraine's bloody invasion by Germany during WWII and the subsequent occupation. Ace of Spades mentions that 1/4 of the population had been murdered [2] by the end of the war.
Young Couple at the eve of war
From some of the Youtube comments, I gather that the husband is sent away to war, and she bears his child. The young wife recieves a letter telling her of his death. An old woman mourns a fallen soldier in the war torn city. The young wife still remembers him.
Soldiers go off to war
The Sorrowful Letter
Mourning
Memories of the Fallen Remain
Kseniya's performance is different from animation in several respects. First, this is a live creation of sand art. Also, the images tell a story, but is not the incremental frame animation that we are used to. However, the essence of the sand art is that it starts from a blank tableau and uses opaque sand and stark whiteness to tell her story. Instead of paint, she used sand. Instead of a canvas, she used a tabletop. Yet the picture she paints becomes shear force to the tear stricken audience. Her spare lines are stark against the whiteness. The image is powerful, like a whisper is loud in a hushed room.
In the vast majority of live action, the director's camera captures a reality that is already exists, whether it is the onsite shot, the arranged set, or the actors brought. I recall reading a film philosopher who likened the camera to stealing the audience's eye. The angling & centering of the lens and zoom all are used to focus the stolen eye on key visual elements. By contrast Kseniya and animators craft a world starting from pure nothingness and working their way up from there. And the effects can be quite startling.
[1] Which I found through the Ace of Spades Blog.
[2] WWII & the Soviet years helps to begin explaining the happy-go-lucky attitude of your average Slav.
NPR mentioned the Guardian article [1]. Kseniya draws the portrait of a young couple that met on the eve of Ukraine's bloody invasion by Germany during WWII and the subsequent occupation. Ace of Spades mentions that 1/4 of the population had been murdered [2] by the end of the war.
Young Couple at the eve of warFrom some of the Youtube comments, I gather that the husband is sent away to war, and she bears his child. The young wife recieves a letter telling her of his death. An old woman mourns a fallen soldier in the war torn city. The young wife still remembers him.
Soldiers go off to war 
The Sorrowful Letter
Mourning
Memories of the Fallen RemainKseniya's performance is different from animation in several respects. First, this is a live creation of sand art. Also, the images tell a story, but is not the incremental frame animation that we are used to. However, the essence of the sand art is that it starts from a blank tableau and uses opaque sand and stark whiteness to tell her story. Instead of paint, she used sand. Instead of a canvas, she used a tabletop. Yet the picture she paints becomes shear force to the tear stricken audience. Her spare lines are stark against the whiteness. The image is powerful, like a whisper is loud in a hushed room.
In the vast majority of live action, the director's camera captures a reality that is already exists, whether it is the onsite shot, the arranged set, or the actors brought. I recall reading a film philosopher who likened the camera to stealing the audience's eye. The angling & centering of the lens and zoom all are used to focus the stolen eye on key visual elements. By contrast Kseniya and animators craft a world starting from pure nothingness and working their way up from there. And the effects can be quite startling.
[1] Which I found through the Ace of Spades Blog.
[2] WWII & the Soviet years helps to begin explaining the happy-go-lucky attitude of your average Slav.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Between the Act and the Audience
Last month or so, I wrote about the sweet spot between accessibility and epic-ness. If you swap adventure for epic, then you have a generalized description of narrative fiction. The audience must have enough to grab onto to enter the imaginary world. Without any connection in the characters or, secondarily, the setting or plot, the audience is an uninvited outsider. Any who watches French or Chinese art house film probably feels as alienated from the film as the obscure director did from general society.
Yet, the story must have enough difference with real life to to be worth the price of admission. Too much similary creates a banal storyline that the audience can see out of their window.
This dichotomy seems like a truism, but number of misses that come to mind makes me think that there's something too this.
Yet, the story must have enough difference with real life to to be worth the price of admission. Too much similary creates a banal storyline that the audience can see out of their window.
This dichotomy seems like a truism, but number of misses that come to mind makes me think that there's something too this.
Friday, August 14, 2009
2nd Stage Lensmen
You know a book is bad ass, when the enemy fleet brings along seven planets, armed with engines and guns, to a space battle. I thought that Gundam was getting raw when one colony got converted to a space cannon, but back in 1953, E. E. Smith had his heroes hurling planets as projectile, and all calculated with slide rulers (though they started using computers in book 5).
In other randomness, Endless Eights has supposedly ended after the eighth iteration.
Also, I saw this comment at Crunchyroll for Kurokami episode 13: Hawkeye_666 said. "And did Ketia just become beastily????? SURVEY SAYS!!!!!! BIG MOTHERFING YES!!!!!!!!!!"
Oh, Mother English, weep as I laugh in joy.
In other randomness, Endless Eights has supposedly ended after the eighth iteration.
Also, I saw this comment at Crunchyroll for Kurokami episode 13: Hawkeye_666 said. "And did Ketia just become beastily????? SURVEY SAYS!!!!!! BIG MOTHERFING YES!!!!!!!!!!"
Oh, Mother English, weep as I laugh in joy.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Ranma the Trouble-maker
After a long, long time, I finally got a season of the Ranma DVDs. They were $25 per season through Right Stuf. The episodes were just as funny as I remember. Just about the time, they introduced Shampoo, the series dropped most of its pretense of continuity and serious and began it's descent into slap-stick harem-dom. It's been a walk down memory lane, and it was as good as ever.
This morning, I wanted to burn a music CD for my commute, when the boxset took a flying front flip and crashed right into my open CD-R drive. I've had that drive for 4 years and haven't had trouble with it. Now it's dead. The caddy won't close. However, the DVD ROM (read only) opens and closes again, though now it won't read anything. Down from 1.5 drives to zero. Sigh. Ranma, what a trouble-maker.
I'm not too upset, though since it was time for an upgrade to a DVD-R drive. Also, I've got Yawara, the series that beat Ranma to its knees when they both first aired in Japan. It's the blood-bout, now across the Pacific!
This morning, I wanted to burn a music CD for my commute, when the boxset took a flying front flip and crashed right into my open CD-R drive. I've had that drive for 4 years and haven't had trouble with it. Now it's dead. The caddy won't close. However, the DVD ROM (read only) opens and closes again, though now it won't read anything. Down from 1.5 drives to zero. Sigh. Ranma, what a trouble-maker.
I'm not too upset, though since it was time for an upgrade to a DVD-R drive. Also, I've got Yawara, the series that beat Ranma to its knees when they both first aired in Japan. It's the blood-bout, now across the Pacific!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Cel Fogey
With the advent of digital, I thought of a term for anime fans who cut their yellowed, Dew stained teeth before the internet became big and 3rd generation VHS cassettes were the order of the day: Cel Fogeys. The fogey-ism starts with "back in my day". And back in those days, anime was drawn on cells.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Quick thoughts
My recent trip to Canada with my bro djtrainwreckx is still churning through my mind. There was a lot to see and much to think about. Then I got back to work. There was a lot less to see and a whole lot to stew about, but nothing all that healthy to linger on. I felt like Gundam Wing 01 going to town on a bunch of Leos from Monday to Wednesday.
Here are two quick secondary thoughts:
1. I finally understand Maya Sakamoto's song Twenty-four from "Hotchpotch". The first time, I didn't focus too hard on this track, because Maya was still muddling from middle Engrish to English. She's good now, but was rougher back then. Not that I can say too much, her English is about 10 to the 7th times better than my Nihon-not-go.
Anyway, the "twenty-four" simply refers to the same midnight in the second line.
I think that "twenty-four" may also refer to turning twenty-four years old in a youth obsessed culture, but a first-order analysis points toward the twenty-fourth hour that caps off a calendar day. Quebec goes by a 24 hour clock, so the pieces fit on the Monday after the trip.
2. After hanging out with a laid-back, awesome Polish woman, that brings up the number of fun Polish woman up to 2 out of three. I may be developing an unenlightened fetish here.
Here are two quick secondary thoughts:
1. I finally understand Maya Sakamoto's song Twenty-four from "Hotchpotch". The first time, I didn't focus too hard on this track, because Maya was still muddling from middle Engrish to English. She's good now, but was rougher back then. Not that I can say too much, her English is about 10 to the 7th times better than my Nihon-not-go.
Anyway, the "twenty-four" simply refers to the same midnight in the second line.
See what happened to the girl
'Round the midnight
When she lost a crystal shoe
I don't need to spell on me
Or bell to tell me
You'd better go, you'd better say good-bye...
Too bad she gave it all away
When the magic's gone astray, hey hey
I'd never let it be
Whatever may come to me
When it turns to be twenty-four
I think that "twenty-four" may also refer to turning twenty-four years old in a youth obsessed culture, but a first-order analysis points toward the twenty-fourth hour that caps off a calendar day. Quebec goes by a 24 hour clock, so the pieces fit on the Monday after the trip.
2. After hanging out with a laid-back, awesome Polish woman, that brings up the number of fun Polish woman up to 2 out of three. I may be developing an unenlightened fetish here.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Not number 3...
The temperature plunged or so I thought. I am wearing three layers again and fell asleep like a rock after I came home from work. Maybe it's just the interrupted sleep, the fractured dreams, catching up to me. Or maybe I'm feeling sick again.
When I feel sick, I feel the need to do something, the burst of frantic thoughts and hopes, because I can't do much when ridden with fever or cold. There is the sense of feeling trapped, trapped by the inability to accomplish and watching the clock tick away. That is a prison as surely as any closed space. And I am touched by the spurs of fear, but without the energy, there is not much that I can do.
That is what illness does to me.
When I feel sick, I feel the need to do something, the burst of frantic thoughts and hopes, because I can't do much when ridden with fever or cold. There is the sense of feeling trapped, trapped by the inability to accomplish and watching the clock tick away. That is a prison as surely as any closed space. And I am touched by the spurs of fear, but without the energy, there is not much that I can do.
That is what illness does to me.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Paying da billz
I have one active credit card, and I always pay off my balance every month. After all, idle plastic is the Devil's new playground. Every time I open the bill, I try to recall what each charge is. Such as a charge to Right Stuf: Dai Guard and the Monster & Swan mangas. Or Amazon: Remember the Kangi I. Lunch at Van Allen's farm: Pork sandwich, Chicken Salad, chips & iced tea. I remember this, not completely b/c I'm OCD, but because I split the cost & food with a comely coworker.
Even though plastic looks like funny money, it's still a real outlay. If I don't remember the nature of the charge then it either wasn't a good purchase or, worse yet, the spending was more important than the purchase. That sounds strange, but it's the impetus behind impulse buys.
This month was a shock-ah in terms of size (new tires), but I remembered every charge, so I won that game this time around.
Even though plastic looks like funny money, it's still a real outlay. If I don't remember the nature of the charge then it either wasn't a good purchase or, worse yet, the spending was more important than the purchase. That sounds strange, but it's the impetus behind impulse buys.
This month was a shock-ah in terms of size (new tires), but I remembered every charge, so I won that game this time around.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sealed Room
Yesterday, my foot was so swollen that it looked like my foot had two ankles, one right below the other. My bedroom faces east on the 2nd floor of this two story, modestly sized colonial. A small bathroom and a bedroom with a 4 season room finishes the upper story. A stair case coming off of the face of the bathroom leads to the living room downstairs. The front door lies a bit off of the mouth of the stair. The living room opens to a dining room and then to the kitchen. A glass and screen door open to the backyard.
With my swollen foot, I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it back up the stairs if I went to the kitchen for something to eat. The toilet was upstairs. It would be an uncivilized problem if I went downstairs. The pain deadened my appetite, so I didn't feel much like eating anyway, so I stayed upstairs.
I lay with my foot raised on a sleeping bag. I considered the work that I had. I thought about calling work to see if someone could bring by some shop tickets, so I could check them for fabrication. I could toss my key down the window. Once I thought about it again, it would help, because the front and side doors had locks that could only be unlocked from the inside.
So as long as my foot limited me, I was in a sealed space. Now, I could have slid downstairs on my butt in an emergency, but in from a certain perspective, I was in a Sealed Room. I could not get out. No one could get in. The feeling was claustrophobic, especially since Sealed Rooms attract murders, like master detectives generate cases. After all, no one could possibly get involved in so many cases by random happenstance. I postulate that Sealed Rooms are similar.
It was a strange feeling when usual entrances and exits, which I usually used without a second, looked like impenetrably barriers. Stranger still that my world would be limited to three rooms, when I usually could hop into my car and range for a dozens of miles. That my sky would be 8 foot nine inches high. While my foot fevered my body and the pain made itself feel permanent, my mind painted a picture of a home become a prison.
What a strange waking dream it was.
With my swollen foot, I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it back up the stairs if I went to the kitchen for something to eat. The toilet was upstairs. It would be an uncivilized problem if I went downstairs. The pain deadened my appetite, so I didn't feel much like eating anyway, so I stayed upstairs.
I lay with my foot raised on a sleeping bag. I considered the work that I had. I thought about calling work to see if someone could bring by some shop tickets, so I could check them for fabrication. I could toss my key down the window. Once I thought about it again, it would help, because the front and side doors had locks that could only be unlocked from the inside.
So as long as my foot limited me, I was in a sealed space. Now, I could have slid downstairs on my butt in an emergency, but in from a certain perspective, I was in a Sealed Room. I could not get out. No one could get in. The feeling was claustrophobic, especially since Sealed Rooms attract murders, like master detectives generate cases. After all, no one could possibly get involved in so many cases by random happenstance. I postulate that Sealed Rooms are similar.
It was a strange feeling when usual entrances and exits, which I usually used without a second, looked like impenetrably barriers. Stranger still that my world would be limited to three rooms, when I usually could hop into my car and range for a dozens of miles. That my sky would be 8 foot nine inches high. While my foot fevered my body and the pain made itself feel permanent, my mind painted a picture of a home become a prison.
What a strange waking dream it was.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Through Time & Space: Back off Hollywood!
I used to have a neutral opinion of remakes, but enough is enough. Though there is some laughter for this overblown tribute to Goku, the sentiment is heartfelt. The black clad French fan laments "Plus jamais simple! Plus jamais simple!, which I would render as "it's never simple anymore!" This afront is accompanied by Zac Efron in Full Metal Panic! and the darkening of G.I. Joe.
Fans Lament the passing of Goku.
At some point, the remakes included an element of flattery. The remake had the potential to add to the original legend and re-energize the fanbase. The trend is clearly away from taking risks or creation to sacking the intent and energy of the originals. I think that it's time to take a stand against this wave. The trouble is that there are still spots of quality in the flood of crap and where to make the stand, but a stand must be made.
Full disclosure: I have not seen Dragonball: Evolution, but have been warned against it. I also plan to watch the Evangelion: Reboot series.
Fans Lament the passing of Goku.At some point, the remakes included an element of flattery. The remake had the potential to add to the original legend and re-energize the fanbase. The trend is clearly away from taking risks or creation to sacking the intent and energy of the originals. I think that it's time to take a stand against this wave. The trouble is that there are still spots of quality in the flood of crap and where to make the stand, but a stand must be made.
Full disclosure: I have not seen Dragonball: Evolution, but have been warned against it. I also plan to watch the Evangelion: Reboot series.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Three days to a new HD
On the first day, I installed the hard drive and the OS.
On the second day came the drivers, the browser, and much fumbling.
On the third day were the security software and the peripheries. And upon the third night, the geek looked upon the shining monitor and said eff-it.
It was a lot of extra work, since I haven't opened the case in a while or reformatted. But now this machine has 450+ GB of usable disk space on top of a 320 GB external HD. Real estate prices have fallen in this cyber-hood.
Now that I'm back, I have to find something to say.
On the second day came the drivers, the browser, and much fumbling.
On the third day were the security software and the peripheries. And upon the third night, the geek looked upon the shining monitor and said eff-it.
It was a lot of extra work, since I haven't opened the case in a while or reformatted. But now this machine has 450+ GB of usable disk space on top of a 320 GB external HD. Real estate prices have fallen in this cyber-hood.
Now that I'm back, I have to find something to say.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Fandom Generations: My Take
My bro causeiambetta told me about the travesty that is the Stony Brook Anime Club. Reputedly, they played Wii all of the time, which is a bit unusual. Most otaku pride themselves in being at least a bit ridiculoun, which entails at least a PSIII, Xbox 360, or a vintage system. Mentions of this group, evidently, elicited snickers from the elite geeks at the SF Forum.
As I've probably mentioned before, I was throughly spoilt by the Animation Society at my college. We thought of anime as something precious. We hoped that it would come to these shores and would stay. I tried to corrupt -er- show anime to my friends, and thought there was an obligation to spread the underground gospel so that it wouldn't disapper.
The thought of an anime society that spends it time playing guitar hero, if the allegations are true, is a bit depressing. Also, they are unoriginal in light of the manga & anime Genshiken, which is about an anime club that is caught between other fandom societies and becomes the odd one out.
This surely as a sign of the times. I tend to split the times into five periods:
Group 4 also saw the emergence of the fangirl, which evolved into the seacow of the 5th Gen fujoshi. And they are the ones that squeal at the Cons.
This is the group that the current guys jamming to Guitar Hero belong to. However, they are also the future of fandom and will there be a 6th group?
[1] He had an anime character named after him and had Noriko from Gunbuster call his name. Lucky bastard. Reeeeaaally lucky bastard.
[2] I'm talking magnetic tape: VHS or Beta. For those who don't know, these degraded with each copy.
[3] No forgiveness!
As I've probably mentioned before, I was throughly spoilt by the Animation Society at my college. We thought of anime as something precious. We hoped that it would come to these shores and would stay. I tried to corrupt -er- show anime to my friends, and thought there was an obligation to spread the underground gospel so that it wouldn't disapper.
The thought of an anime society that spends it time playing guitar hero, if the allegations are true, is a bit depressing. Also, they are unoriginal in light of the manga & anime Genshiken, which is about an anime club that is caught between other fandom societies and becomes the odd one out.
This surely as a sign of the times. I tend to split the times into five periods:
- A legendary group that was into anime before there were really commercial releases. They got the ball rolling for the rest of us. Think Toren Smith [1].
- The group that were high schoolers or adults when Starblazers or Gundam were released. The majority of their viewing were probably multi-generation raws [2] with scripts or fansubs.
- These were my friends and I who got hooked on Robotech, Voltron, or Mysterious Cities of Gold as kids. There were a few translation companies. Fansubs were prevalent. The Sci-fi channel used to have a weekend block. The term Japanimation didn't sound wierd back then.
- The Toonami transition phase who had Sailor Moon, DBZ, or Pokemon. Gundam Wing fanboyz 'n girlz and the Big O were the tail end. An editted version of Tenchi hit the airwaves, too. This was when anime went on widespread TV and got recognized as such. At this point, I was crossing my fingers hoping that anime was here to stay, despite the travesty that was Fox-caflowne. [3]
- Narutards & up.
Group 4 also saw the emergence of the fangirl, which evolved into the seacow of the 5th Gen fujoshi. And they are the ones that squeal at the Cons.
This is the group that the current guys jamming to Guitar Hero belong to. However, they are also the future of fandom and will there be a 6th group?
[1] He had an anime character named after him and had Noriko from Gunbuster call his name. Lucky bastard. Reeeeaaally lucky bastard.
[2] I'm talking magnetic tape: VHS or Beta. For those who don't know, these degraded with each copy.
[3] No forgiveness!
Come what may...
Another shi-ite-ty day at work. But come what may, the second movie of the Evangelion remake has been scheduled 06-27-09, and I'm going to watch it. The Eva movie 1.11 will be out in the U.S., soon.
My soul has been lifted by a super-shaman.
My soul has been lifted by a super-shaman.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Local Flavor
Upstate vocabulary for today:
CSX Lottery = a lawsuit filed by someone who has been hit by a train, specifically a CSX train. Example: He won the CSX Lottery.
CSX Lottery = a lawsuit filed by someone who has been hit by a train, specifically a CSX train. Example: He won the CSX Lottery.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
'Mail Hate
I was talking with my friend, when he pointed out that I don't read my email thoroughly anymore. Then it hit me that I've come to dislike email and sometime hate it. I'm sure that this aversion comes from work, where I get bombarded with many requests and many annoying requests.
It's the ultimate tool for delegation and it's the lowest energy level for low energy people. I could rant and rave about it, but I won't. Fortunately, I'm now conscious of the aversion and can now challenge my apathy.
It's the ultimate tool for delegation and it's the lowest energy level for low energy people. I could rant and rave about it, but I won't. Fortunately, I'm now conscious of the aversion and can now challenge my apathy.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
From the Sunni Triangle to the Canvas Ring
There are many other better sites devoted to the politics, so I stay away from them in this blog. However, this post is more about entertainment than politics, though it is inspired by Muntadahar al-Zeidi. He was the Iraqi reporter who tossed his shoes at President Bush during a press conference. There have been many conclusions drawn by the politicos and partisans. After some thought, I've concluded that the shoe throwing means that Iraq could benefit from the introduction of pro-wrestling in the next few years.
I recognize that Iraq could use a stable infrastructure, public order, employment, and good jobs before devoting any thoughts to semi-nude men pouncing on each other in scripted violence. However, the world does not proceed in an orderly fashion, and people are always looking for some enjoyment out of life, no matter how hard it is. I take that as a sign of resilience of the human spirit. And one does not need to take the place of the other. A few enthusiastic luchadores should not hold up rebuilding the sewage system, there are plenty of youths looking for jobs.
But, why wrestling? I cite this brilliant post from Captain Japan's Sake-Drenched Postcards. The cultural gist was that the occupied and rebuilding Japanese used American heels (1) in their matches to bolster their pride. Though it was scripted, the sight of Japanese beating Americans was still a visual symbol to hold on to.
Recall that David Carradine was chosen for the original "Kung Fu" series, because he was half-Asian. While the creators of the series showed respect for the power of Asian mysticism and martial arts, they changed their original choice of lead actors, because they feared offending their largely white audience by showing an Asian hero beating on white villains. The symbolism was significant for Japanese wrestling fans and American viewers.
Similarly, al-Zeidi's use of his shoes was symbolic, as opposed an actual violent attack by using a knife, gun, bomb, or simply a heavier object. His action appealed to a sizeable number of Iraqis that cheered his symbolic defiance. Pro-wrestling has always adressed the events of the day with such, physical acts. Along with the heel Destroyer, mentioned in the Sake-Drenched Postcards, former wrestling hero - turned wrestling villain - Seargant Slaughter kissed what was claimed to be the boot of Saddam Hussein to the jeers and boos of the American crowd during the Gulf War in the early '90s. Anyone who remembers wrestling during the Cold War probably remembers the regular heel Nikolai Volkoff (2). The use of patriotic storylines indicates that these played well with the crowds and had an impact.
The visceral melodrama of pro-wrestling appeals to young men, who are the most likely to act out anger and frustration violently. These actors could fight it out with American and British heels and, hopefully, Iranian ones eventually. The staged battles would be a (non-lethal) catharsis for a nation defeated in war as it was for the bombed-out Japanese(3). A charismatic tag team Shia-Sunni duo would be more reinforcement that Iraqis are Iraqis before sect. These high flying actors would be one of many groups of creators helping the people endure the long night. Stories, movies, music, sports are the signs returning normalcy; so why not pro-wrestlers? After all, everyday life takes all kinds.
Notes
(1) in wrestling, the heel is the bad guy that usually looses at the end.
(2) and those who don't should know that his role was parodied in Avatar during the boulder episode.
(3) I realize that the circumstances of the wars were very different. The Japanese were apart of the aggressors in WWII. However, the Iraqis derived pride from fighting Iran to a standstill. After the Arabs lost several wars to a badly outnumbered Israel, the Iraqis considered the outcome of that Persian gulf war to be an achievement. Then they got walloped twice since the 90s.
(3 cont'd) Here's a thought experiment, would America have been impacted by the Vietnam war in the same way if America had successfully established a sustainable South Vietnam? What would have happened if America won strategically AND militarily. Then again, I wouldn't be here to write this post, invoking a destructive time paradox.
I recognize that Iraq could use a stable infrastructure, public order, employment, and good jobs before devoting any thoughts to semi-nude men pouncing on each other in scripted violence. However, the world does not proceed in an orderly fashion, and people are always looking for some enjoyment out of life, no matter how hard it is. I take that as a sign of resilience of the human spirit. And one does not need to take the place of the other. A few enthusiastic luchadores should not hold up rebuilding the sewage system, there are plenty of youths looking for jobs.
But, why wrestling? I cite this brilliant post from Captain Japan's Sake-Drenched Postcards. The cultural gist was that the occupied and rebuilding Japanese used American heels (1) in their matches to bolster their pride. Though it was scripted, the sight of Japanese beating Americans was still a visual symbol to hold on to.
Recall that David Carradine was chosen for the original "Kung Fu" series, because he was half-Asian. While the creators of the series showed respect for the power of Asian mysticism and martial arts, they changed their original choice of lead actors, because they feared offending their largely white audience by showing an Asian hero beating on white villains. The symbolism was significant for Japanese wrestling fans and American viewers.
Similarly, al-Zeidi's use of his shoes was symbolic, as opposed an actual violent attack by using a knife, gun, bomb, or simply a heavier object. His action appealed to a sizeable number of Iraqis that cheered his symbolic defiance. Pro-wrestling has always adressed the events of the day with such, physical acts. Along with the heel Destroyer, mentioned in the Sake-Drenched Postcards, former wrestling hero - turned wrestling villain - Seargant Slaughter kissed what was claimed to be the boot of Saddam Hussein to the jeers and boos of the American crowd during the Gulf War in the early '90s. Anyone who remembers wrestling during the Cold War probably remembers the regular heel Nikolai Volkoff (2). The use of patriotic storylines indicates that these played well with the crowds and had an impact.
The visceral melodrama of pro-wrestling appeals to young men, who are the most likely to act out anger and frustration violently. These actors could fight it out with American and British heels and, hopefully, Iranian ones eventually. The staged battles would be a (non-lethal) catharsis for a nation defeated in war as it was for the bombed-out Japanese(3). A charismatic tag team Shia-Sunni duo would be more reinforcement that Iraqis are Iraqis before sect. These high flying actors would be one of many groups of creators helping the people endure the long night. Stories, movies, music, sports are the signs returning normalcy; so why not pro-wrestlers? After all, everyday life takes all kinds.
Notes
(1) in wrestling, the heel is the bad guy that usually looses at the end.
(2) and those who don't should know that his role was parodied in Avatar during the boulder episode.
(3) I realize that the circumstances of the wars were very different. The Japanese were apart of the aggressors in WWII. However, the Iraqis derived pride from fighting Iran to a standstill. After the Arabs lost several wars to a badly outnumbered Israel, the Iraqis considered the outcome of that Persian gulf war to be an achievement. Then they got walloped twice since the 90s.
(3 cont'd) Here's a thought experiment, would America have been impacted by the Vietnam war in the same way if America had successfully established a sustainable South Vietnam? What would have happened if America won strategically AND militarily. Then again, I wouldn't be here to write this post, invoking a destructive time paradox.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Apples to Apples
The trend in anime has been to transfer stories from lite novels, manga, and video games to TV. There are usually three versions: original, manga, and TV series. While the characters and plot remain similar, the different interpretations lend themselves readily to comparison and contrast. There is also a secondary effect when the director takes the fan's exposure to the original story into account.
George Morikawa's Hajime no Ippo, the epic boxing story, cleaves closely with the original. On the plus side, Tomokazu Seiki, who played Van Fanel, lends his scrappy voice to the light-footed prodigy Miyata Ichiro. Another plus is the spirited Engrish opening by Shocking Lemon. Otherwise, every punch, weave, and ring of the bell is almost straight from the manga. This is mediocre adaptation.
On the otherhand Shakugan no Shana the TV series takes a more considered second look at its source material. As usual, this is heavy on the spoilers. The first episode takes a diced up look at Sakai Yuji's final day of innocence, before he is exposed to the Crimson World. The first major divergence is the role of Hirai Yukari.
In the original lite novel, she had already been devoured and was a Torch. The script writer includes her in Yuji's first day, fleshing out Yukari as a normal girl with normal teenage energy and love life. This heightens the horror when she is devoured by Friagne's servants and then fades away. The writers go for a triple, since it also shows Yuji's strong sense of humanity when he tries to help the Torch and cements his disbelief at the situation. Shana's coldness is similarly cemented.
Also, the second Crimson Denizen and Flame Haze show up while Friagne and Shana are still playing cat and mouse. In exchange, Friagne is nerfed, and Yuji is less proactive in the destruction of Friagne. Since Friagne is the first of several opponents, this makes sense and lets the writers keep Alastor's true form (the Deus ex machina at the end of the first series) hidden.
While this keeps the story moving, I liked the original where the heroes go on the offensive. However, since his role in finding the Corpse Collector follows soon afterwards, this is not a big omission, and it is still in the original novel.
Another nice touch is the initial antipathy between Yuji & his buddy Ike and Satou & Tanaka. This adds some subtley to the story and natuarally keeps Shana's team separate from Margery Daw's. All in all, these additions, makes the first two DVDs interesting even to fans of the first two Shana novels.
George Morikawa's Hajime no Ippo, the epic boxing story, cleaves closely with the original. On the plus side, Tomokazu Seiki, who played Van Fanel, lends his scrappy voice to the light-footed prodigy Miyata Ichiro. Another plus is the spirited Engrish opening by Shocking Lemon. Otherwise, every punch, weave, and ring of the bell is almost straight from the manga. This is mediocre adaptation.
On the otherhand Shakugan no Shana the TV series takes a more considered second look at its source material. As usual, this is heavy on the spoilers. The first episode takes a diced up look at Sakai Yuji's final day of innocence, before he is exposed to the Crimson World. The first major divergence is the role of Hirai Yukari.
In the original lite novel, she had already been devoured and was a Torch. The script writer includes her in Yuji's first day, fleshing out Yukari as a normal girl with normal teenage energy and love life. This heightens the horror when she is devoured by Friagne's servants and then fades away. The writers go for a triple, since it also shows Yuji's strong sense of humanity when he tries to help the Torch and cements his disbelief at the situation. Shana's coldness is similarly cemented.
Also, the second Crimson Denizen and Flame Haze show up while Friagne and Shana are still playing cat and mouse. In exchange, Friagne is nerfed, and Yuji is less proactive in the destruction of Friagne. Since Friagne is the first of several opponents, this makes sense and lets the writers keep Alastor's true form (the Deus ex machina at the end of the first series) hidden.
While this keeps the story moving, I liked the original where the heroes go on the offensive. However, since his role in finding the Corpse Collector follows soon afterwards, this is not a big omission, and it is still in the original novel.
Another nice touch is the initial antipathy between Yuji & his buddy Ike and Satou & Tanaka. This adds some subtley to the story and natuarally keeps Shana's team separate from Margery Daw's. All in all, these additions, makes the first two DVDs interesting even to fans of the first two Shana novels.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Watersheds and Tropes
I've touched on this before, but I wanted to flesh out my thoughts on tropes. Somewhere between "Lord of the Rings" and "Dungeons and Dragons", sylvan elves and deep-dwelling dwarves became common, even an old hat. It wasn't just Dragonlance or "Crystal Shard", Dennis McKiernan's "Iron Tower" trilogy featured halflings in the form of warrows. The other example was the change from the monstrous vampire of Bram Stoker to the Anne Rice/Camilla sauve immortal. These trends are not accidental, nor are they entirely acts of cynical plagarism.
E.B. White said it best when he wrote "Let [the writer] start sniffing the air, or glancing at the Trend Machine, and he is good as dead, although he may make a nice living. Any reader of R.A. Salvatore or fan of Drizzt Do'Urden can readily feel the heart felt sentiments in his early novel. Imitation has been called a form of flattery, but that statement misses the joy that sends the newborn fan to the library or bookstore fiending for more.
Out of the thousands of fans, a handful may combust and try to become creators themselves: writers, artists, film makers, game makers, etc. The first inspirational work was actually a vector with direction and the impulse that sent the fan moving. The vector may be dominant or it may be nearly lost amidst a plethora of different influences, but it is there and all of the influences are still there. Inspiration does not happen in a vacuum.
The analogy that I propose for these tropes is a watershed. A river cuts its own path through erosion. As rain falls, it gathers and reinforces the river. Tolkien's pen let flow the first stream. As other authors, tributaries, linked up with Middle Earth's conception, swelling the stream into a fullbore river.
The same idea applies to yaoi. These girls found the BL images to be beautiful. The few who decided to become mangaka had these moving images in mind when they first put pencil to paper. When they reached out for other fans, they connected with those that had similar inspirations. And when they reached the stage where they began publishing, their art reinforced the current of shounen-ai work, then a new generation opened their works and a few of them picked up their pens.
The rushing river reinforces itself as it down cut into the bedrock, but even mighty rivers meander and die, but that is an article for another time.
E.B. White said it best when he wrote "Let [the writer] start sniffing the air, or glancing at the Trend Machine, and he is good as dead, although he may make a nice living. Any reader of R.A. Salvatore or fan of Drizzt Do'Urden can readily feel the heart felt sentiments in his early novel. Imitation has been called a form of flattery, but that statement misses the joy that sends the newborn fan to the library or bookstore fiending for more.
Out of the thousands of fans, a handful may combust and try to become creators themselves: writers, artists, film makers, game makers, etc. The first inspirational work was actually a vector with direction and the impulse that sent the fan moving. The vector may be dominant or it may be nearly lost amidst a plethora of different influences, but it is there and all of the influences are still there. Inspiration does not happen in a vacuum.
The analogy that I propose for these tropes is a watershed. A river cuts its own path through erosion. As rain falls, it gathers and reinforces the river. Tolkien's pen let flow the first stream. As other authors, tributaries, linked up with Middle Earth's conception, swelling the stream into a fullbore river.
The same idea applies to yaoi. These girls found the BL images to be beautiful. The few who decided to become mangaka had these moving images in mind when they first put pencil to paper. When they reached out for other fans, they connected with those that had similar inspirations. And when they reached the stage where they began publishing, their art reinforced the current of shounen-ai work, then a new generation opened their works and a few of them picked up their pens.
The rushing river reinforces itself as it down cut into the bedrock, but even mighty rivers meander and die, but that is an article for another time.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Current Reading
I am reading about Russia, Japan, and Albany, NY:
"Russia under the Old Regime 2nd Ed." by Richard Pipes
"Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa
"Legs" by William Kennedy
"Russia under the Old Regime 2nd Ed." by Richard Pipes
"Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa
"Legs" by William Kennedy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)