TOYSREVIL's Top Ten Favouritest Must-See Anime Movies List (#4-#2)
Thus far we have counted down numbers 10 to 8, and numbers 7 to 5 in earlier posts, and today we take one step closer the reveal of the NUMBER ONE in the TOYSREVIL's Top Ten Favouritest Must-See Anime Movies List! But before that happens tomorrow on Saturday, here's a look at #4-#2 of my fav animes (along with impressions of "guests") and hope that they mean as much to you, as they did and do, me - and thanks everyone for the kind reception to my list thus far! *ENJOY*
Favouritest Must-Watch Anime Movie #4: JIN-ROH: The Wolf Brigade
Directed by Hiroyuki Okiura and produced by Production I.G.
Released in: 1999 / Duration: 102 minutes.
WHY: One of the key animes in my memories past, which veered toward a more "realistic" portrayal in it's manifestation and trend-bucking muted tones, while retailing the feel of anime, at a time when everything was fantastical - this stood out with it's visual banality but strong undercurrent themes, which included personal-bombs, and organized rebellion, set in a fictional parallel world in the 1950s Japan, in which Germany (and not America) conquered Japan. A ballsy move amidst the height of anime implosion during the time of it's release. And who doesn't love a parallel-world story?
[Kerboros Red Spectacles / Protect Gear in 1/6 by Alice Adrenochrome]
Everyone looked less exaggerated (as expected in anime) and moved as slow - one of the hallmark traits by now of the production house, who subsequently released "realistic" based animation including "Sky Crawlers" (which was as slow, but just not as controversial as that time in the past). The slowness of the film got me into a frenzy in the initial viewing, but I now understood and appreciated the speed in which the story developed. This is not just an animated story, this was a story that just happened to be told in animation form.
[Additional images via]
Film-aficionado Wern.u Leong had this to relate to us about watching Jin-Roh: "Watching it at the Singapore International Film Festival again gave us insights into a neo-fascist world which the ending literally blew us away, the allegories with the red riding hood tale coupled with the double cross and the counter double cross and the unexpected ending really made it extremely satisfying because it shows not all tales end with happily ever after, except for people like me who feels that its so apt" ~ you are definitely not alone here, Wern!
ANIME-MOMENT: When members of the Wolf Brigade appeared with parts of the puzzle to the final scene that would blow me away. Quite a tease actually, with everything else happening that led inevitably to the finale. Was it worth the wait? YOU decide! [Read more of the anime on Wiki - and the film has a lot more history going on than you suspect!]
ASIDE: Did you know Mamoru Oshii had wanted to do Jin-Roh? But instead decided to go ahead with another: "Ghost In the Shell".
Hell, the uniform sparked a craze in my collecting habits as well! Although what I could afford was the Dragon Model Kereboros Jin-Roh uniform-set, and not the much lauded Medicom Toy versions (of which there are indeed quite a few- as the lore of Jin-Roh pretty much existed before the anime movie). Heck, I even have a specific-abel for Jin-Roh coverage oon TOYSREVIL! Takara even released a female-suited version of it in "Midori Washio"! (Of which still remains on my "Need-To-Buy-One-Day Toylist).
The above-posted is a JIN-ROH KUBRICK from Medicom Toy (all images via Toy Haven) - for which this was a "Medicom Toy Collector's Club" exclusive. I managed to secure myself a box, but have yet to see it appear in my collection ~ *oh-woes*
Favouritest Must-Watch Anime Movie #3: SPIRITED AWAY
Directed by y Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli
Released in 2001 / Duration: 125 minutes
WHY: I can never get enough of this film. Made me cry, made me punch the air in triumph. Spirituality combined with the innocence of the protagonist (a female, yet again!) without lapsing into traditional ghostly-fare, and the charm of the utterly unknown, against the skies of change of a phantom town across the underneath, always the adventure awaits thru the unknown. Simply delicious.
Local illustrator Aileen Ye had this to say about Spirited Away: "I love stories within a story and one that is visually surprising with that 'nuance' I like even more. Like Paprika. But unlike Paprika, Spirited Away has that 'childlike' vision about the world that is 'innocent' and 'hopeful' but yet painfully 'accurate'. As they say a child's eyes never lie."
Indeed. Ironically, most films from a child's POV (point-of-view) is written by an adult. And for something as "pure" to permeate into our collective psyche, is something indeed unique, IMHO.
ANIME-MOMENT: When Chihiro realizes she must do what she must, to be able to escape and free her parents. Her descent into tears initially was heartbreaking, as was the feeling of "ganbatte" when she decided to go forth with her task! Such a brave girl! And I felt so proud of her bravery! [Read more about the film on Wiki]
There are loads of Spirited Away toys! Although I wished they were more than PVC figurines, plush and novelty items like keychains. An entire diorama lineup of the spirits would be a swell set to have tho!
Favouritest Must-Watch Anime Movie #2: GHOST IN THE SHELL
Directed by Mamoru Oshii and produced by Production I.G and adapted from the works of Masamune Shirow.
Released in: 1995 / Duration: 82 minutes.
WHY: There is nothing need be said about this opus. Everything else after delving within this particular genre - paled in stark comparison. The advent of human/cyborg-relations changed forever more after this movie was released, as well the notion of cyber-punk reined no longer with anarchy, but with a controlled ghostly blow to the subconscious nestled within a machine - a machine YOU are reading this blog-post from. No matter how high-tech or extreme subsequent characters appeared, they were but vaudevillian parallels of The Major and her team (okay, that might be over-exaggeration here lol).
The sequel "Innocence" was too CG-filled unto banality. Vexille and Appleseed failed to capture the charm of human/cyborg-relations, and we have a celebrated and lauded piece that moves at it's own pace and pulling converts along with each segment and view. They don't make these like they used to anymore. From the breathtaking background visuals, to ear-numbing soundscapes (FYI: the haunting choral song is actually a wedding song featuring "an ancient form of the Japanese language mixed with Bulgarian harmony and traditional Japanese notes"!) - everyone followed suit, regardless who came first.
[Major Motoko in 1/6 RAH by Medicom Toy. This was from GITS: S.A.C. and looked cool]
New York-based Phil Young has this take on GITS: "…have a special place because of the craftmanship, and animation techniques that I feel to this day rival most modern animations (Especially CGI blockbusters, or the lazy rushed feeling I get when I watch other modern takes on Shiro's properties like "Appleseed" the Cel-shaded animation just cant recreate the moods that things that the GIT's movie did - example: the optic cammo fight in the water against the hacker, that to me is still so much more tense and has the kinetic energy of a real fight as opposed to how many million agent smiths they can cram on one screen...) "
And amidst the technical bravado of the film, Shantel Knight sums it up visually: "Ghost in the Shell is a very intriguing cyborg A.I anime with beautiful art."
Do yourselves a favor, go buy or rent this - and be caught up by it. Realize this was released in 1995 alongside Hollywood animated movies like Toy Story, Pocahontas, and even live-action+CG-combo-fest; Casper. No "Anime-Moments" here for you! Go and hunt down the film and enjoy it for yourself! [Read up more about GITS on wiki!]
Out of the toys produced for GITS, it was either the sexy Major Motoko Kusanagi or the Tachikoma mecha (which you can score this one on HLJ). Guess who am I going to feature here? Shown above is Toycom's "Motoko Kusanagi" - of which two versions were released - the camo-suit version (review images from Collection DX) and the other a black-pleather suited version. Both feature an anime-look headsculpt, and unfortunately subpar tailoring, and even worse body (my figures' joints were all loose!). I couldn't keep the camo, and put her in civvies instead :po
/// Check it: Top Ten Favouritest Must-See Anime Movies List #7-#5
/// Check it: Top Ten Favouritest Must-See Anime Movies List #10-#8
Tomorrow we see who's Number One on the " Favouritest Must-See Anime Movies List" - and while it doesn't really stretch the membranes of your anime-loving imagination to guess WHO it actually is, tis not the final destination that counts, but the journey towards it, that you will remember most :)
Favouritest Must-Watch Anime Movie #4: JIN-ROH: The Wolf Brigade
Directed by Hiroyuki Okiura and produced by Production I.G.
Released in: 1999 / Duration: 102 minutes.
WHY: One of the key animes in my memories past, which veered toward a more "realistic" portrayal in it's manifestation and trend-bucking muted tones, while retailing the feel of anime, at a time when everything was fantastical - this stood out with it's visual banality but strong undercurrent themes, which included personal-bombs, and organized rebellion, set in a fictional parallel world in the 1950s Japan, in which Germany (and not America) conquered Japan. A ballsy move amidst the height of anime implosion during the time of it's release. And who doesn't love a parallel-world story?
[Kerboros Red Spectacles / Protect Gear in 1/6 by Alice Adrenochrome]
Everyone looked less exaggerated (as expected in anime) and moved as slow - one of the hallmark traits by now of the production house, who subsequently released "realistic" based animation including "Sky Crawlers" (which was as slow, but just not as controversial as that time in the past). The slowness of the film got me into a frenzy in the initial viewing, but I now understood and appreciated the speed in which the story developed. This is not just an animated story, this was a story that just happened to be told in animation form.
[Additional images via]
Film-aficionado Wern.u Leong had this to relate to us about watching Jin-Roh: "Watching it at the Singapore International Film Festival again gave us insights into a neo-fascist world which the ending literally blew us away, the allegories with the red riding hood tale coupled with the double cross and the counter double cross and the unexpected ending really made it extremely satisfying because it shows not all tales end with happily ever after, except for people like me who feels that its so apt" ~ you are definitely not alone here, Wern!
ANIME-MOMENT: When members of the Wolf Brigade appeared with parts of the puzzle to the final scene that would blow me away. Quite a tease actually, with everything else happening that led inevitably to the finale. Was it worth the wait? YOU decide! [Read more of the anime on Wiki - and the film has a lot more history going on than you suspect!]
ASIDE: Did you know Mamoru Oshii had wanted to do Jin-Roh? But instead decided to go ahead with another: "Ghost In the Shell".
Hell, the uniform sparked a craze in my collecting habits as well! Although what I could afford was the Dragon Model Kereboros Jin-Roh uniform-set, and not the much lauded Medicom Toy versions (of which there are indeed quite a few- as the lore of Jin-Roh pretty much existed before the anime movie). Heck, I even have a specific-abel for Jin-Roh coverage oon TOYSREVIL! Takara even released a female-suited version of it in "Midori Washio"! (Of which still remains on my "Need-To-Buy-One-Day Toylist).
The above-posted is a JIN-ROH KUBRICK from Medicom Toy (all images via Toy Haven) - for which this was a "Medicom Toy Collector's Club" exclusive. I managed to secure myself a box, but have yet to see it appear in my collection ~ *oh-woes*
Favouritest Must-Watch Anime Movie #3: SPIRITED AWAY
Directed by y Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli
Released in 2001 / Duration: 125 minutes
WHY: I can never get enough of this film. Made me cry, made me punch the air in triumph. Spirituality combined with the innocence of the protagonist (a female, yet again!) without lapsing into traditional ghostly-fare, and the charm of the utterly unknown, against the skies of change of a phantom town across the underneath, always the adventure awaits thru the unknown. Simply delicious.
Local illustrator Aileen Ye had this to say about Spirited Away: "I love stories within a story and one that is visually surprising with that 'nuance' I like even more. Like Paprika. But unlike Paprika, Spirited Away has that 'childlike' vision about the world that is 'innocent' and 'hopeful' but yet painfully 'accurate'. As they say a child's eyes never lie."
Indeed. Ironically, most films from a child's POV (point-of-view) is written by an adult. And for something as "pure" to permeate into our collective psyche, is something indeed unique, IMHO.
ANIME-MOMENT: When Chihiro realizes she must do what she must, to be able to escape and free her parents. Her descent into tears initially was heartbreaking, as was the feeling of "ganbatte" when she decided to go forth with her task! Such a brave girl! And I felt so proud of her bravery! [Read more about the film on Wiki]
There are loads of Spirited Away toys! Although I wished they were more than PVC figurines, plush and novelty items like keychains. An entire diorama lineup of the spirits would be a swell set to have tho!
Favouritest Must-Watch Anime Movie #2: GHOST IN THE SHELL
Directed by Mamoru Oshii and produced by Production I.G and adapted from the works of Masamune Shirow.
Released in: 1995 / Duration: 82 minutes.
WHY: There is nothing need be said about this opus. Everything else after delving within this particular genre - paled in stark comparison. The advent of human/cyborg-relations changed forever more after this movie was released, as well the notion of cyber-punk reined no longer with anarchy, but with a controlled ghostly blow to the subconscious nestled within a machine - a machine YOU are reading this blog-post from. No matter how high-tech or extreme subsequent characters appeared, they were but vaudevillian parallels of The Major and her team (okay, that might be over-exaggeration here lol).
The sequel "Innocence" was too CG-filled unto banality. Vexille and Appleseed failed to capture the charm of human/cyborg-relations, and we have a celebrated and lauded piece that moves at it's own pace and pulling converts along with each segment and view. They don't make these like they used to anymore. From the breathtaking background visuals, to ear-numbing soundscapes (FYI: the haunting choral song is actually a wedding song featuring "an ancient form of the Japanese language mixed with Bulgarian harmony and traditional Japanese notes"!) - everyone followed suit, regardless who came first.
[Major Motoko in 1/6 RAH by Medicom Toy. This was from GITS: S.A.C. and looked cool]
New York-based Phil Young has this take on GITS: "…have a special place because of the craftmanship, and animation techniques that I feel to this day rival most modern animations (Especially CGI blockbusters, or the lazy rushed feeling I get when I watch other modern takes on Shiro's properties like "Appleseed" the Cel-shaded animation just cant recreate the moods that things that the GIT's movie did - example: the optic cammo fight in the water against the hacker, that to me is still so much more tense and has the kinetic energy of a real fight as opposed to how many million agent smiths they can cram on one screen...) "
And amidst the technical bravado of the film, Shantel Knight sums it up visually: "Ghost in the Shell is a very intriguing cyborg A.I anime with beautiful art."
Do yourselves a favor, go buy or rent this - and be caught up by it. Realize this was released in 1995 alongside Hollywood animated movies like Toy Story, Pocahontas, and even live-action+CG-combo-fest; Casper. No "Anime-Moments" here for you! Go and hunt down the film and enjoy it for yourself! [Read up more about GITS on wiki!]
Out of the toys produced for GITS, it was either the sexy Major Motoko Kusanagi or the Tachikoma mecha (which you can score this one on HLJ). Guess who am I going to feature here? Shown above is Toycom's "Motoko Kusanagi" - of which two versions were released - the camo-suit version (review images from Collection DX) and the other a black-pleather suited version. Both feature an anime-look headsculpt, and unfortunately subpar tailoring, and even worse body (my figures' joints were all loose!). I couldn't keep the camo, and put her in civvies instead :po
/// Check it: Top Ten Favouritest Must-See Anime Movies List #7-#5
/// Check it: Top Ten Favouritest Must-See Anime Movies List #10-#8
Tomorrow we see who's Number One on the " Favouritest Must-See Anime Movies List" - and while it doesn't really stretch the membranes of your anime-loving imagination to guess WHO it actually is, tis not the final destination that counts, but the journey towards it, that you will remember most :)
