Finally!

[furtech]

Tonight I finally got to watch "Spirited Away." I missed it in the theaters and there just didn't feel like a "right" time to watch this film. I love Miyazaki for his original storytelling and visual design, so I didn't want to just watch it casually. Tonight, my last in Seattle for some months, felt right and Steve owned a copy of the DVD.

I loved it.

I know it was talked and reviewed to death when it came out, so I won't re-cross tired ground. But this may be my favorite Miyazaki film. While not nearly as epic as Nausica or Laputa, it takes a deft hand to paint a subtle canvass. This film had subtlety and humor and *heart*. Even as I marveled at the strange denizens, I felt comfortable in this created world.

And of course I loved Haku's draconish character. Tough to make a costume of, but another dragon puppet would be neat! Or just a giant stuffy I can hang from the entry ceiling. He's terrific!

Comments

[razor-wulff.livejournal.com]

I LOVE THE MOVIE!!! Heck I own it and everyone I show it to falls in complete love with it.

Lots of people like Master Haku, and the animation is wonderful!

Good idea for the puppet/stuffy! I'd like to see pics if you do either one!

[okojosan.livejournal.com]

I loved Spirited Away too! Nausicaa will always be my favorite, but Spirited Away is probably my second-favorite.

I bought the Art of book (in Japanese) before I saw the movie, and while I was looking through it I was thinking, "Man, this looks sooo weird, I'm not sure I'm going to like this movie." But I loved it! Miyazaki is the man.

I can't wait to see what he does with Howl's Moving Castle!

[diadexxus.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I loved this movie too! I gotta get the DVD...

Talking about Dragon puppets, I assume you saw:
http://www.livejournal.com/community/fursuit/45282.html#cutid1

Neato stuff!

-Jen

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Wow-- that's *outstanding*! Is the dragon a bunraku puppet or a costume (I think from the posts it's a puppet with the handler in the black dragon, but...wow!)

[diadexxus.livejournal.com]

(grin) I take it from your reaction you hadn't seen that. Go post and tell THEM that you like it :) I dunno if they read your LJ.

If you like, Come join us to the Fursuit community and show your mad skillz :) Lots of good stuff gets posted there.

-J

Meh.

[starbiter.livejournal.com]

I loved the movie, but have issues with the Haku-wyrm design. I realize it's an Eastern and not a Western dragon... still.. looked too canine for my taste. Perhaps that's why you like it so much? :D

Re: Meh.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

I liked how the dragons seemed to be more neotenous when they were young characters: big eyes, more feral. The older river-dragon-spirit was less feral, far more powerful.

But as far as the design itself, yup! Loved the wolf-dragon look. I also like the mane of hair that Eastern dragons have: very dramatic! And Eastern Dragons tend to be made up of a "mixed-grill" of animal parts.

Re: Meh.

[starbiter.livejournal.com]

Were there other dragons in SA than Haku? I missed 'em! There's a LOT to see in that flick. I liked the daikon guy. :D

I learned a new word today! "neotenous". But wouldn't neotenousity (?) and juvenility kind of uh, not be neotenous? Unless I'm misunderstanding the word's meaning..... you'd have to be an adult to have neotenous characteristics.... well... for one of the meanings, anyway. OK, I've now spent too much time thinking about this word... :D

Word of the Day!

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Neotenous in the artistic sense often refers to characteristics that make a character look young/infantile. Big heads, big eyes, small body-- that sort of thing. Most cartoon characters have neotenous characteristics...and anime characters take this to a whole 'nuther level! It's usually done to make the character more likeable on a visual level, at a first look. There have been studies that show adults can react with almost maternal affection to things that have the same visual traits as babies (the nice things anyway). A doberman puppy is cute; an adult doberman can be a lot more scary to most people.

And wrt the other dragon: the "stink-spirit" that gets washed was an ancient, powerful river dragon. The river had gotten so polluted that he didn't look draconian until Sen washed him and pulled all that trash out of his body.

Re: Word of the Day!

[starbiter.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the explanation. :D

I remember the stink-spirit/river spirit. Yet when it went dracoform, didn't it have a humanoid face?

I keep telling myself, "Everyone knows what a dragon looks like..... " ;)

Speaking of words... you meant "draconic" not "draconian." :D (Although I think the latter should mean the former!)

Re: Word of the Day!

[furtech.livejournal.com]

The skull-like face of the ancient river dragon has its roots in either Japanese folklore or Noh theater...I'm not sure what it is...but it also could have been Miyazaki giving it his unique design (to signify ancientness).

I haven't checked yet, but I'm wondering if "No-face" is a pun...for "Noh-face" (or if the latter is actually the name...)

Yeah-- what you said about draconic...

As far as what a dragon looks like, one of my favorite books from childhood was about all the different sea serpents...and the preface that sea serpents come in "All sizes and colors!" It was a fun book!

Re: Word of the Day!

[starbiter.livejournal.com]

The skull-like face of the ancient river dragon has its roots in either Japanese folklore or Noh theater...I'm not sure what it is...but it also could have been Miyazaki giving it his unique design (to signify ancientness).

Yep - I just remember it looking like an old man. :D

I haven't checked yet, but I'm wondering if "No-face" is a pun...for "Noh-face" (or if the latter is actually the name...)

It is, in fact. The pun. I can't remember where I read it, but it is. :)

[crocuta.livejournal.com]

I know that's why I liked the dragon so much, very Eastern, very wolven!

I completely understand not watching a certain movie until it's the 'right' time. I've still not seen Mononoke...I'm waiting for the proper time.

A Haku plush or puppet would be awesome to see O.O

I got to see Spirited Away at the SF film fest. They had some person from Studio Ghibli and the head of Pixar (forgot his name) answering questions. It was really neat to hear their spin on the whole Ghibli/Pixar alliance or..as they made it seem Ghibli/Pixar VS Disney battle..and when Disney was mentioned half the crowd booed. It was also the only other time I've seen a crowd applaud the studio log. It was fun :>

[furtech.livejournal.com]

"They had some person from Studio Ghibli and the head of Pixar"

Are you sure the Ghibli person wasn't Miyazaki himself? He did make a few appearances at certain premiers...and the Pixar person was probably John Lasseter...possibly the closest America comes to having a living equal to Miyazaki ("Luxo, Jr.", "Toy Story"). I'm a big Lasseter fan: I even got to meet him way back when he was just creating tool-icons for Pixar! Nice guy!

[brokkentwolf.livejournal.com]

Hm. My own take on it was that it was very well drawn and scripted, but I could not follow the script - or make sense of it. Maybe you can clarify what the movie was trying to tell.
I couldn't get the jist of the story it was trying to tell.

So far, my favorite Miyazaki movie still remains "Princess Mononoke" - and not necessarily because of the wolves, but because of the marbling of the characters - neither entirely good, nor evil - with Ashitaka caught in the middle.