…should auld acquaintance be forgot…
Ξ January 22nd, 2010 | → 4 Comments | ∇ Randomness, The Anime Annals |
…just to let you know, I haven’t!
I decided to postpone the “writerly post” started below for now, as frankly, I’m not in the mood what with all the intense job-hunting processes wearing me down and making me highly pessimistic/negative/cynical/inflammatory and etc etc etc. I don’t want to share that vibe with you.
Not yet anyway 
When it’s time for The Revolution, then yeah. For now though, I need to decompress. Job hunting in a 17% unemployed locale is pretty awful. Especially with “the age issue” and the “gap-in-employment” issue counting as strikes against me. Anyway, enough of that, before I get started.
So, since this is the one-hundredth post (YAYYY!), this one will be for general Alastor-stuff… sort of a combination maintenance/upkeep/celebratory Post!
This paragraph is to spammers and such persons-of-interest: I’ve been getting what appear to be non-spam comments lately, but since they contain nothing about the Post they’ve been attached to, I’m considering them as spam. Sorry, but if you (the Spammer) are ”just happening to mention” your politically-oriented Blog/Website in my “Monster” Post without actually commenting on Monster, then even despite your flattering compliments for this humble Blog, I’m considering it as spam and deleting it. Nothing personal. Tricksters will not prevail in this place. But maybe I’ll let you if you actually read and comment on the Post at hand. But since “you” are most likely automated I highly doubt that you will. So.
Secondly, to the Silent Majority of lurkers out there, please do feel free to leave your comments, as I value them highly and welcome them from anyone. Well, except spammers; see above. As long as the comments are of some substance even opposing views are accepted, and we thank you ALL for your visits and your comments :-)
Thirdly, I’ve noticed that many Visitors are from foreign lands (yes, even Canada!), and so I’d like to say “Welcome!” in your own native tongues. But I only took Latin in high school, so… please pretend that I have. And do come again!
Fourth… I really would like to have a more diverse assortment of postings put up here, but really, the present state of world-affairs leaves me fuming, and I fear my political views (not to mention religious/spiritual) may be somewhat inciteful. And I’m rather old-school in that you don’t discuss politics or religion at the dinner table! And Alastor’s is nothing if not a casual feast between friends with the sharing of sumptuous goodies and treats. I really don’t feel it necessary to foul the pure waters of Alastor’s Reflection with angry rhetoric, at least not at this stage.
The same applies to the frustrations with my attempts to get Unbound published/agented. The Publishing Industry is really beginning to piss me off, much as the Music Industry already has long ago. So let’s not go there either. For now. I will keep occasionally posting about my (and Lily’s) novel, since that is what we are really here for, and point you to Unbound’s website (insert shameless plug here but oh wait I already did). However, I feel that a literary-type Blog will put most of you to sleep, since (a) nothing is coming from its pursuit of publication, (b) the posts I have done on the subject receive no Comments anyway, and (c) writing about it just stirs up my resentments even more, which is an ugly thing that I should spare you. So I will. For now.
Fifth: I had planned to have my website and Blogs split into two, but those plans are apparently on hold, as my benefactor has become quite busy with real life and hasn’t had the time to recreate the new templates she lost when her computer crashed last year. I’d intended to have the Unbound website redesigned and an associated new Blog dedicated solely to my writing projects and other literary-related Posts (because literature and poetry are topics I like to write about -see aborted Post below this one), and leaving Alastor’s Reflection to deal with the many other topics of Things That I Am Interested In And Hope That You Are Too. So, for the meantime, they’ll all be jumbled together here. Sorry. But diversity is good for you!
Sixth: Since, due to the daily and draining dealing with critical survival/quality-of-life issues, many of my most-enjoyed subjects and hobbies (such as music, movies, and reading, to name but a few) have necessarily been placed on hiatus. Bummer, since I like to write about them too. But as I do need some form of entertainment to “take the edge off” the knife-blade of Life, I’ve settled on anime, which blends all of the above into so many beautifully-colored little presents, which I would like to share with you, and expose to those Visitors who might not otherwise know of its pleasures. It provides stories, but not those that need to be read, visuals in place of movies for which I haven’t the time to watch, and music in the way of scores with which I was culturally unfamiliar but welcome with enthusiasm, since my life has become so distractingly oppressive that I can’t even enjoy the music I’ve loved since a child. The resulting intrigue and fascination with the Japanese culture and its related anime/manga subculture really has been a refreshing godsend 
Seventh: Since I’m active in quite a few anime forums, boards, IRC channels, and websites, I’m enjoying having Alastor’s becoming “anime-centric” for the time being, and welcome the many friends I’ve made in those places to pass through and check out the offerings here. It might be true that for the anime elitist these paltry writings may seem of the elementary sort, but there are better, more savvy, and saturated anime forums out there (a few of which are reachable through my Blogroll) for those who’ve graduated from “the basics.” My purpose here is to awaken an interest in anime in The Westerner, and one must proceed carefully and gradually so as not to overwhelm them with Higurashi no Naku Koro ni before they’ve even seen Azumanga Daioh! Baby steps 
So, I owe a large debt of thanks to those brilliant Japanese illustrators, animators, composers and creators who have provided me with such a delightful way to escape into magical, sensational, evocative, and wonderful animated storytelling, and I would love to expose Westerners to it in the pages of this Blog, and hope to promote the medium through these posts, videos, and recommended purchases; I pray that my small efforts here will help generate sales to assist in keeping the hobby alive. Also: welcome to those Visitors from Japan who’ve dropped in lately; I’ve noticed your numbers are increasing! :-D
Enough for now; more for later 
Oh. And if you’re bored, you can read the first chapter of Unbound here! If you’re really good (and ask nicely!) soon I’ll add Chapter 1.2
on January 24th, 2010 at 5:52 am
Congrats for your 100th post! Thanks for writing down your thoughts on the various topics covered here, it’s always interesting to hear your opinion. And 17% locale unemployment rate? That’s quite something, I wish you good luck for job hunting… and for getting your novel published, I guess it’s not easy without the right connections.
So you’ve watched The Cat Returns and Whisper of the Heart… Ghibli anime have exactly this “magical, sensational, evocative, and wonderful animated storytelling” you mentioned above, simply animated filmmaking at its best. Both movies are great in their own way, though I liked Whisper of the Heart much more. It’s a movie that speaks to everyone, a beautiful tale about finding your own path in life. Sadly, its director (Yoshifumi Kondo) died more than ten years ago, he is certainly one of the best Japanese animators of all time, even Miyazaki himself respected him greatly. However, his legacy as artist will live on forever, particularly his outstanding work as animation director on movies like Grave of the Fireflies or Only Yesterday. In any case, Ghibli anime are an essential viewing for every serious anime fan, not to forget the pre-Ghibli anime by (mostly) the same people (e.g. World Masterpiece Theater). It’s a pity that so many anime fans disregard the works that are the foundation of today’s anime (or in other words: anime history), even if some older anime do things so much better than most recent stuff. You’ve probably heard of the 70’s TV anime Anne of Green Gables (at least the books are very famous) that is frequently cited by many active anime director/animators as their main influence and favourite anime of all times. I intend to watch it sometime soon even if I’ve heard lots of warnings from trustworthy and experienced anime fans, because once you finish this series, you become incredibly sad since you know that you will never ever see anything that good again… Takahata, Miyazaki and Kondo were all involved in this project so it shouldn’t come as a surprise. So if you need a diversion from current anime, this is probably the best place to start
Speaking of good filmmaking, have you ever watched Akira Kurosawa’s “Ikiru”? I rewatched it yesterday and I’m still baffled, yeah, it’s that awesome
on January 24th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Hi Max,
You’re right… Ghibli anime are essentially the Disney animated features of Japan. At least old-style Disneyana; I haven’t seen ANY of their later movies. Their old-school material was best, and is sort of fitting, as anime was originally inspired by “Steamboat Willie”! And Ghibli is probably the best material to use for that “gateway anime” to expose our friends and family to
I did enjoy “Whisper of the Heart”, as it appeals to those elements that I find most attractive in anime: feeling, heart, and relatability. “The Cat Returns” was more juvenile-oriented but fun in its own way. I mean, it has CATS!
One thing I notice in Ghibli’s works: they are ALWAYS in motion; there are rarely any slow-paced or wasteful moments, and expertly-directed. The worlds are always alive and full of movement, and always a delight to watch even if the subject matter isn’t of one’s type. It’s good to experiment with other genres anyway
Funny you should mention “Grave of the Fireflies”; I’m planning on watching it tonight, along with “My Neighbor Totoro” if I can last long enough (and not so depressed after “Grave” that I don’t kill myself LOL). I agree that all too many of the newer anime fans seem to neglect the classics; I’m always very happy to discover them, and appreciate your mention of “Anne of Green Gables”, as I’d heard good things about it, and have the novel. So, I’ll add it to my List!
I haven’t heard of “Ikiru” but based on your description will look forward to it! Anything Kurosawa is involved with is well worth watching
And I do enjoy the anime considered “baffling”… have you ever watched “Angel’s Egg” :-O
And thanks for the congrats on Post #100! Hopefully I can improve my pacing and attract ever-more Visitors who enjoy all the things I like to share, and who hopefully will find my novel (and other writings to come) to be of interest
And, as always, thank you for your Comment
on January 25th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Yeah, Ghibli anime are extremely well animated and directed, there’s so much going on on the screen that you can’t take your eyes off of it, they really embody the power of imagination and animation. And the music is usually great as well, particularly Princess Mononoke’s OST is a big favorite of mine; the movie itself is probably my favorite Ghibli movie (though Nausicaa is nearly as good). Only Yesterday and Grave of the Fireflies are also damn good. So now that you have watched the latter: how did you like it? I guess Americans see it from a different angle…
You won’t be disappointed by Ikiru, I promise
Since Angel’s Egg is a movie directed by Mamoru Oshii I intend to watch it sometime (knowing that he’s a more than competent director). I can imagine that Angel’s Egg is somewhat “baffling”, Oshii’s other works class also among the most intellectually challenging anime I know.
on January 25th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
I thought Grave of the Fireflies was a masterpiece
I wavered a bit between a 9 and a 10 due to the sheer torment of the characters without any seeming point to it; but that WAS the point: War Is Hell. That very last scene is what really bumped it up over the top…
I didn’t want to see it from an “American angle” but I guess it couldn’t be helped. It should be mentioned that there was no commentary on “evil America” and the scenes depicted were just those malevolent and malicious consequences of Life During Wartime.
The one thing that almost spoiled my deliberate detachment from national biases was that the version I saw was dubbed in English, which really kind of diluted it for me, and removed some of the empathy for the Japanese victims which I’d have otherwise felt watching it subtitled and in original voices. I wanted to completely feel it from their point of view. I’m going to be buying the official release to add to my library anyway, so I’ll watch it again the right way.
The focus was rather on the people than the warring factions which is where the blame should really lie, and where responsibility ultimately rests. Heartbreaking movie, and a bloody effective one.
I wasn’t in the mood for Totoro afterwards; in fact I had a dream about being invited to sit with Japanese mourners gathered around a soon-to-be funeral pyre. As in the movie there wasn’t expressed hatred, just a shared melancholy and sadness ;__;
Justified or not, righteous or not, the effect of the War upon the lives of countless innocent Japanese civilians was a travesty and abomination. One hopes that not only America but the entire World was taught a lesson from those awful days… we ALL get dragged into wars.
The trouble is that we forget all too soon.
I also bought the Barefoot Gen collected volume of stories but packed it away before reading it when I moved. I’m tempted to see if I can find the movie before attempting to dig it out of one of a random number of buried boxes. I strongly believe that all Americans (especially the chest-beaters) would benefit from having a face-to-face unflinching confrontation with the consequences of that devastation as depicted in both titles; not to stroke some sort of guilt-complex (which is unrealistic and unhealthy) but just to see the simple Truth: War… is Hell.
As for Angel’s Egg… “somewhat” baffling is an understatement! Basically just two characters, and mostly silent ones at that, most everything is left to the Viewer to make sense of. Good luck with that