WTF: Show Discussion Thread – 2/17/2012

I’m not a parent, just someone who was raised by a couple of those.

I hesitate to say that technology is to blame, because technology has always been around, like it or not.  Whether the tech level is iPhones and laptops, or TVs and telephones… tech’s been there for long enough.

I think it’s just pure laziness to try and replace tech with good parenting and the result might be some kind of disconnect.  Of course, in the case of true psychological distress, you need a professional to diagnose and treat… and if someone is honestly contemplating ending their life, then they should seek treatment right away.

I totally agree.  It seems like they’re trying to angle the Hollywood actor approach that they used for their original films (ie: Tangled) with the Ghibli releases.  And I feel like sometimes the cast completely misses the point.  As much as they may try, there’s a big disconnect between the two casts in maybe going a little over the top.  With the Arietty promo stuff I watched, the two leads lacked the subtle tones in dialog I’m used to from Ghibli.

I actually skipped Howl’s in English, but I’ve always thought that Spirited Away has been the best Disney treatment so far.  I’ll have to go back and try Howl’s dubbed and see if there’s a new apex.

I love Pumpkin Scissors.  Never heard of it until the past couple of months, and I like it because it is a unique setting for anime.  Military AFTER a war, and the corruption within, which is rarely covered.  That and I have an unhealthy obsession with Corporal Oland and only wish I knew more of his backstory.

Mine has to be Special A. I’ve watched it through at least 5 times, and it’s one of the most cookie cutter School Life anime out there. However, nothing beats the comedic antics of the cast, the random storyline based upon being able to afford ANYTHING, and I hate to admit it, but the romance is good too.

Regarding the Disney’s treatment. Kiki’s Delivery Service was actually the first Japanese Show/Movie I watched. That being so, my memory on it is positive. However, I haven’t watched it in a few years. Is there the Japanese version to watch? i think Laputa: Castle in the Sky is good. I can remember a few scenes were landscape shots. I would agree Spirited Away is good too. I do base my thoughts of Kiki on content though. Let it be known though, I do say subs over dubs.(main reason I might not be watching the new Ghibli film Sunday).

Yeah, I feel the same way about the new Ghibli film. I’m hesitant to watch it because it is in English dubbed. At times, as in Kiki’s delivery service, perhaps they add in unnecessary dialogue. That’s just one example. I think more relevant is when they try to take out the meaning the original meaning out of the film when it is translated into English. 

Well I’ve got a few guilty pleasure anime’s… One of probably my biggest ones is perhaps Highschool of the Dead. It’s not because of the T&A, Astounding I know.

Zombies right there, most people will argue zombies aren’t a good reason at all I’ll contest that. Zombies being one of the greatest fears of mankind because it’s nigh invulnerable killing machines with no goal or desires beyond hunting the still beating hearts of humans and tearing them out to nosh on them. Zombies are like sharks in a way being a perfect killing machine; shamble, eat, reproduce, repeat until they completely decay or brain destruction. Primordial fears right there.

Semi-dynamic characters if cliched. The lonely guy pining for a girl he can’t have, the raging bitch, the cold hearted philosophical psycho bitch, the ditzy airhead, the cute kid with a fuzzy mascot. Then you have the gun crazed fat kid who’s a direct homage to the creator of Hellsing which is always worth a couple chuckles given the background of both creators of HotD and Hellsing, but instead of just throw away little lines of why the characters are such a way they do try to explain it in the anime’s short run. Takagi has an inferiority complex to live up to her parents who love her as their duty but don’t seem to show more then necessary. Takashi well.. ok brooding loner guy who’s got a Tenchi Complex developing, we can ignore him. But it’s the shining moments of like Kohta going from friendly genial fat guy with an obsession to a crazed maniac killer scoring head shots like no bodies business. Shizune swapping from ditzy airhead to the responsible “adult” and actual nurse, and her dark streak while trying to cope with how screwed up the world has become. It can be argued when mankind falls apart, humans find who they REALLY are and what they will really do, the fact they retain their humanity even slightly when everyone they know is or could be dead and eating people it’s simply astounding.
So while somewhat typical they do attempt to break away and make them a touch more unqiue and interesting.

Then there’s the setting, we’ve seen cities over run by zombies. Shopping Malls, Islands, Markets, Bars, but not to often unless your play Resident Evil or Silent Hill do you see a school. That right there while a typical “anime” thing being “Oh it takes place in a highschool, well bollocks to that” but that’s a standard fair their for anime can’t escape it. But they don’t remain attached or stationed at the school, they move onwards. The slaughter school, The zombified streets of Tokunosu, The Takagi Mansion and it’s ‘inpenetrable’ walls, and then BACK to the streets of Tokunosu. It actually becomes a survival horror anime because they find what they can, and work with it and they don’t have the skills to do so! Keep having to move and survive to avoid being overrun, a messed up world where simply no place is safe.
Though I still question how there are so many unsecured guns in Japan, ignoring the whole locker of guns thing..

And even the Dubbed version has some golden moments, the Sarah Palin Joke had me cackling so hard I fell off out of my chair, onto the floor and rolled down my stairs.

So the combined elements come together for Highschool of the Dead and really do make it a guilty pleasure for me.

i’d like to repeal the “unbeatable in hilarility” and instead put in “full of hilarity”.

I’m sure there’s a special kind of hell for me cause of this, muahahaha.

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