What are you Watching?

[yusaku]

Lly that is right, u stand corrected. Now I am watching the anime "Your Lie in April." It is a romantic comedy between a female violinist and a pianist. It is on Netflix.

[Char Aznable]

Finally got around to watching Patlabor: The Movie. I'm surprised it's taken me so long to sit down and watch this one. The movie left me a bit conflicted, though. I love the late-'80s animation style, the character/robot designs are fantastic, and the backgrounds are insanely detailed and impressive. The music score was great too.

However, I genuinely don't know how I feel about the story. The plot and "mystery" felt extremely simple--yet overblown in a needlessly complicated manner. After finishing the film, it was one that I'm very eager to watch again in the near future and see how I feel after a second viewing. I have a feeling I'll enjoy it more the next time around, when I know more of what to expect.

Either way, the DVD collector's edition is a must have. It comes with the movie, a bonus "making of" disc, a storyboard book, and a "notes" book that is worth the price alone, featuring artwork and written interviews from the director, writer, etc...

[SteveH]

Finally got around to watching Patlabor: The Movie. I'm surprised it's taken me so long to sit down and watch this one. The movie left me a bit conflicted, though. I love the late-'80s animation style, the character/robot designs are fantastic, and the backgrounds are insanely detailed and impressive. The music score was great too.

However, I genuinely don't know how I feel about the story. The plot and "mystery" felt extremely simple--yet overblown in a needlessly complicated manner. After finishing the film, it was one that I'm very eager to watch again in the near future and see how I feel after a second viewing. I have a feeling I'll enjoy it more the next time around, when I know more of what to expect.

Either way, the DVD collector's edition is a must have. It comes with the movie, a bonus "making of" disc, a storyboard book, and a "notes" book that is worth the price alone, featuring artwork and written interviews from the director, writer, etc...

Very worthwhile. Best $9 I ever spent. I assume you refer to the amusingly fumbled Bandai/Honneamise via Image Ent. release.

I think the thing is, the story has a different resonance, a deeper 'fear' than we here in the U.S. can ever understand, as there is historical precedence in play.

[Char Aznable]

Very worthwhile. Best $9 I ever spent. I assume you refer to the amusingly fumbled Bandai/Honneamise via Image Ent. release.

I believe it's the same edition. I paid around $10 as well (can't go wrong with Amazon!). I have to check, but I think they also did a similar "limited" release for Patlabor 2.

I'm looking forward to watching the sequel. I've also been checking out the TV series and hope to get into the OVAs after.

[SteveH]

Very worthwhile. Best $9 I ever spent. I assume you refer to the amusingly fumbled Bandai/Honneamise via Image Ent. release.

I believe it's the same edition. I paid around $10 as well (can't go wrong with Amazon!). I have to check, but I think they also did a similar "limited" release for Patlabor 2.

I'm looking forward to watching the sequel. I've also been checking out the TV series and hope to get into the OVAs after.

Yes there is a 'limited' Patlabor 2 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FI ... detailpage

I think even at about $20 USD that's a decent price for what it is. I also picked up the collector's version of the third Patlabor movie just out of a sense of completeness.

I dither on getting the series and OAVs because I foolishly feel they're overpriced. I may lose out eventually.

[Char Aznable]

Yes there is a 'limited' Patlabor 2 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FI ... detailpage

Thanks for the link, it pushed me to place the order for it last night. I ended up getting it for around $18. I'm a sucker for any release that includes some form of behind-the-scenes books and/or storyboards.

[gaijinpunch]

I'm looking forward to watching the sequel. I've also been checking out the TV series and hope to get into the OVAs after.

I remember the sequel as being the better of the 2. Never saw the 3rd. In fact, I saw the sequel in the theater at a special showing before leaving Japan. Was quite the experience.

[Animusubi]

I saw "Only Yesterday" in theaters. I actually emailed a local mom&pop theater that shows indie films to see about getting it. Since the only place it was showing here was like 2-3 hours away, and too much for me to spend to go see it. They had the subbed and dubbed versions playing, I watched it subbed.

I really love the slice of life Ghibli films more than the fantasy ones, so I was super excited to see this. But in the end, it was okay. I loved the comedic parts of the movie, but it was very slow and sometimes boring. Overall I didn't really leave feeling all that satisfied. I still liked it okay, just didn't love it. I should watch some of Takahata's other directed films. I saw Princess Kaguya too recently, and it was also just okay. Whereas "When Marnie was There" really hit a homerun for me.

[llj]

Only Yesterday usually comes off pretty lightweight on first viewings. But I find it a moving, heartbreaking film on subsequent viewings. The thing is, on repeat viewings you really start to see how *lost* adult Taeko really is. And anyone who's ever felt that they've probably taken the wrong life path can relate to Taeko, so it's something that speaks louder as you get older.

Another thing is that her memories aren't just random. Look closely and you see a lot of them are vignettes of her repeatedly getting shot down by family and friends for expressing a different opinion, actually thinking for herself, or just being different. That completely colors the film in a different way than just looking at them as "a bunch of random memories".

When I first saw Only Yesterday, I was 19 and I thought it was only okay. I mean, I had my whole life ahead of me, so I had no regrets. I couldn't relate to Taeko other than her childhood memories (which I understand are what most audiences respond best to). But as I got older, experienced a few failures of my own, finished college, and changed my mind several times about what I wanted to do with my life, I started to see what Only Yesterday was REALLY about on subsequent viewings. It went from middle of the pack Ghibli to top 5 Ghibli. It may even be my favorite Ghibli now. Very few films get better as I get older, become deeper as I re-watch them.

[usamimi]

Toooootally agree with llj. When I saw it when it was young I only thought it was OK. Now that I'm older, I can relate & understand it so much better. It's a great film, one of my faves by Takahata.