Kenji Koiso has his summer vacation all planned out: he and his friend Sakuma have jobs as low-level administrators of OZ, a massive online social network used by a billion people around the world, and they’ll be working hard to make sure its myriad services run smoothly. Until, that is, Natsuki — the most popular […]
On August 24, 2010, the acclaimed anime filmmaker Satoshi Kon died from pancreatic cancer, which he had been diagnosed with only a few months before. Kon, who directed Paprika, Paranoia Agent, and Perfect Blue, was seen by many as one of the great anime filmmakers — one whose stunningly animated films often delved into disturbing […]
Two things are certain about the legacy of Neon Genesis Evangelion. First, the fourteen years or so that have passed since its TV debut have done little, if anything, to diminish the shadow that it casts over the entire anime landscape. Indeed, nearly any anime title that involves giant robots, (young) characters struggling with psychological […]
Steven D. Greydanus (of Decent Films fame) has posted a wonderful overview of Hayao Miyazaki, his films, and their influence on American cinema. Miyazaki’s American proponents hoped Ponyo would be his breakout film stateside, but mainstream success in America continues to elude him. That is a shame, and our loss. Hayao Miyazaki is one of […]
PopMatters explores some of the themes lurking in of my favorite anime series: The animated series Cowboy Bebop is a blend of classic film noir motifs mixed into a futuristic setting that reverses the roles of gender and character. Consisting of a concise 26 episodes and one movie that doesn’t drag out the story, the […]
Studio Ghibli’s next film will be an adaptation of Mary Norton’s The Borrowers. Entitled Karigurashi no Arrietty (lit. The Borrower Arrietty), the film will be the directorial debut of Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who has worked as an animator on previous Ghibli films, including Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Spirited Away. […]
Twitch gives Mamoru Hosoda’s (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) Summer Wars some very high praise: Make no mistake, Summer Wars is gorgeous to look at. The surprise success of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time means that Hosoda had far more resources at his disposal for his second film and seemingly every penny was […]
Run an informal poll asking otaku to list today’s greatest anime director and two names will immediately appear at the top of the list: Hayao Miyazaki and Mamoru Oshii. But what is odd is that they’d be at that position for different reasons: the two directors and their cinematic visions could not be more opposite. […]
It’s an undeniable fact that CGI has changed the face of animation. Whether you’re talking about the style and aesthetic, the production methods, or simply the time and effort involved, the impact of computer animation has been huge. In fact, I daresay that it’s becoming difficult for some folks to think of animation as anything […]