Anime

[Coco]

An earlier film from Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Paranoia Agent) — the character design is a lot more... Studio Ghibli-ish? I like it though. The entire film is an homage to Japanese cinema, and it helps if you're pretty familiar with film history in Japan to get the references, but it's not necessary to enjoy. Heartwarming!

[ibanezmonster]

I never really thought of checking out his other stuff, because I didn't think there was much. There isn't really much, since he died so young.

As a writer:

World Apartment Horror (1991)
Memories (Magnetic Rose) (1995)
Millennium Actress (2001)
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
Paranoia Agent (2004)
Paprika (2006)
Dreaming Machine (TBA)

The first one was a manga that they made a movie out of, Memories I've read about and can't get a grasp of what it might be like, and Tokyo Godfathers sounds like it's in the same vein of Millennium Actress. Dreaming Machine seems interesting, and will be a posthumous release- hopefully within a year or two.

[Coco]

He also directed Perfect Blue, which is supposed to be really good as well.

[ibanezmonster]

He also directed Perfect Blue, which is supposed to be really good as well.

Ah, yeah, almost forgot about that one. At least there's still something of his in his experimental style which I haven't watched yet. 

[ibanezmonster]

Redline
Couldn't even finish this, with 20 minutes left. I thought I was going to die of boredom.

I've also watched the first few episodes of Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, but have 60+ to go. Although I've committed to watching one anime at a time, I'll just have to see when it comes to "long" series that can't be watched within 2 days (~30+ episodes).

[TheGSMoeller]

I've seen Perfect Blue (1997), Millennium Actress (2001) and Paprika (2006) from Satoshi Kon and found all three to be fantastic. I've been impressed with how Kon has successfully touched on several different genres with his Anime-films.

Curious what anyone's thoughts are on The Sky Crawlers by Mamoru Oshii.

[ibanezmonster]

I've seen Perfect Blue (1997), Millennium Actress (2001) and Paprika (2006) from Satoshi Kon and found all three to be fantastic. I've been impressed with how Kon has successfully touched on several different genres with his Anime-films.

If you liked Paprika, you definitely have to try Paranoia Agent.

Curious what anyone's thoughts are on The Sky Crawlers by Mamoru Oshii.

Never heard of that one.

http://myanimelist.net/anime/3089/The_Sky_Crawlers

However, after reading about it, I'm intrigued. 

[TheGSMoeller]

If you liked Paprika, you definitely have to try Paranoia Agent.

Never heard of that one.

http://myanimelist.net/anime/3089/The_Sky_Crawlers

However, after reading about it, I'm intrigued. 

I really liked Sky Crawlers, a nice minimalist approach to its plot. I've really enjoyed what Mamoru Oshii films I've seen.

And it looks like there are different volumes to Paranoia Agent, is that right? Was it a series?

[ibanezmonster]

I really liked Sky Crawlers, a nice minimalist approach to its plot. I've really enjoyed what Mamoru Oshii films I've seen.

And it looks like there are different volumes to Paranoia Agent, is that right? Was it a series?

Ah, I see he directed Ghost in the Shell, as well. I don't know any of his other stuff, though.

Paranoia Agent:
http://myanimelist.net/anime/323/Paranoia_Agent

13 episodes: ~4 1/2 hours
You can find it online, either dubbed or subbed, as well. If I had to sum it up quickly: the show has a rare distinction as being able to blow your mind with its trippiness while simultaneously hooking you in and not letting go.   

[TheGSMoeller]

Ah, I see he directed Ghost in the Shell, as well. I don't know any of his other stuff, though.

Paranoia Agent:
http://myanimelist.net/anime/323/Paranoia_Agent

13 episodes: ~4 1/2 hours
You can find it online, either dubbed or subbed, as well. If I had to sum it up quickly: the show has a rare distinction as being able to blow your mind with its trippiness while simultaneously hooking you in and not letting go.   

Got me interested. Thanks, Greg, for the recommendation.
And great name, by the way. 

[ibanezmonster]

Perfect Blue
Well, it's a decent movie, but doesn't make me feel to good afterwards. 

And great name, by the way. 

Yes, you, too. 

[eyeresist]

Memories I've read about and can't get a grasp of what it might be like, and Tokyo Godfathers sounds like it's in the same vein of Millennium Actress. Dreaming Machine seems interesting, and will be a posthumous release- hopefully within a year or two.

Memories is a "portmanteau" film, i.e. a collection of short films. I thought Magnetic Rose was ultimately the weakest part. Like most compilation movies of this kind, it was ultimately unsatisfying.

Tokyo Godfathers is nothing like Millennium Actress! It's a straightforward romp compared to his other films, with a variety of characters running around Tokyo on various quests that turn out to be linked, and with a comedic, lighthearted attitude. Definitely worth seeing.

[ibanezmonster]

Millennium Actress

I liked the parallel perspectives the movie used to tell the story.

[ibanezmonster]

I never got around to watching the 3 Kino's Journey specials. So I did this morning- in just ~70 minutes, knocking off 3 entries on the MAL list.

Kino no Tabi: Nanika wo Suru Tame ni - Life Goes On shows Kino when she was young, preparing to start her journey.
Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World - Byouki no Kuni: For You- travels to an advanced city with some sort of sickness.
Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World - Tou no Kuni- travels to a city where everyone has been building a tower for 230 years, and they forgot why they were even building it in the first place. It collapses from being too tall, and everyone rejoices.

I didn't find these episodes as intriguing as the ones in the series.

[TheGSMoeller]

I'm really behind in recent Anime, but I remember some of the ones from the past I really enjoyed. Lain was a series I was mesmerized by, such a mysterious but innocent tale.

[ibanezmonster]

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood


This is basically a shonen anime which incorporates the epic quality of that type without the bloat (being several hundreds of episodes, with many fillers). This is 64 episodes which focuses on the story, every single episode.

Absolutely fantastic. The plot itself is very interesting, the characters are interesting, and it is simply satisfying. The one main annoyance I had of it, though, was that as it neared the end, 2 qualities of shonen were brought out that I don't like (even though they weren't present earlier in the show): cheesiness and long battles which become boring after a while.

What I liked were the villains and the Gate of Truth. The villains were named after the seven deadly sins, but they were all part of the same being (the Homunculus). The Gate of Truth was some wall in another dimension were they look through when performing the taboo of human transmutation (trying to bring the dead back to life through alchemy).


(Renfield actually recommended me this one a long time ago...)


Next, I'll watch the specials and the "4-Koma Theater," which isn't much longer than an hour, so most likely I won't comment on those, unless they happen to be surprisingly remarkable.

I'm really behind in recent Anime, but I remember some of the ones from the past I really enjoyed. Lain was a series I was mesmerized by, such a mysterious but innocent tale.

Corey (Coco) was watching this... I wonder if he finished yet?

[ibanezmonster]

Sword of the Stranger
A very dreary, bleak, samurai action movie.

[ibanezmonster]

Baka and Test- Season 1


[13 episodes]
(watching the subs from Funimation's youtube channel)

Okay, I feel like this show is making me stupider, but since it's funny, I don't mind. 
It's a somewhat standard school anime comedy with an emphasis on outrageous and running jokes, and practically no plot. 
For me, I just like watching it because it takes my mind out of this ugly world and puts it somewhere much better.



next up:
-Le Portrait de Petite Cossette
-Baka and Test- Season 2, Specials and OVAs

[DavidW]

Lain is my favorite anime.  How did you like Perfect Blue Greg?  I've heard that Black Swan was a homage to that anime with not only a similar story but scenes that were almost the same.  If you've seen both, do you agree?

[ibanezmonster]

I haven't watched Black Swan, but I was actually considering watching it. Maybe I'll give it a shot soon. 
Perfect Blue was a good one, but watching it was like swallowing a brick. The tone of the whole movie was so relentlessly dark and troubled, yet contained relatively little violence and still had that effect.

That's funny to hear that, because another one of Satoshi Kon's films, Paprika, essentially has the same ideas as Inception did, but came out earlier (this is probably coincidence- I don't think Chris Nolan copied it). I've watched both and liked both, though out of the two, I liked Paprika a little bit better.

Have you watched Paranoia Agent? If you like Lain, this is the show to watch next. Me and Corey were talking about that a few pages back on this thread. This was the only anime series Satoshi Kon directed, and it was just 13 episodes. But, wow- one of the greatest anime I've watched, for sure. This show will do things to your mind like you never imagined. It's like Lain- the trippiness is all there- but not as cerebral, and more like a traditional show. Combine experimentalism and a traditional drama seamlessly and that's the result. It'll twist your mind and twist your heart at the same time.