When we open our eyes and dream we open our eyes

[sovay]

I have just returned from seeing Paprika (2006) at the Kendall Square Cinema with gaudior and eredien and other cool people I don't see often enough; they invited me on the theory that I would be interested by virtue of subject matter and they were right. This was the first film-length anime I have ever seen and I loved it. At different points in its plot, it reminded me of Patricia McKillip's Fool's Run, Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, and Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, but mostly it seems to have been reminiscent of itself; it is about dreams and movies and some of the most eerily catchy music I have ever heard. I am not sure that I should attempt to provide anything like a plot summary, but I would suggest you not miss it. I may try to see it again myself.

Planted in the future, we live two lives
All to reveal a secret we can't hide . . .
—Sam Phillips, "How To Dream"

Comments

[yukihada.livejournal.com]

I do wish that were playing nearer to my city. I love Satoshi Kon's films (Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers.) This trailer looks fabulous.

I'm glad you mentioned it b/c I had not heard of this film before and now must look forward to its wider release or DVD.

[sovay]

I love Satoshi Kon's films (Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers.)

I would like to see more of his work. What are the ones you've seen like? (If that's an answerable question . . .)

[yukihada.livejournal.com]

Tokyo Godfathers is a fairly straightforward film as far as linear narrative goes. The basic premise of this comedy is that three homeless people find an abandoned child at Christmas time -- an alcoholic middle-aged man, a transvestite and a young slightly belligerent young woman. They all sort of take the dys out of dysfunction and create a little family for awhile. Heartwarming, funny, dark at moments.

Millenium Actress involves a reporter going to interview an aged actress who has been in a variety of pictures from childhood. As he speaks with her, her life unravels in a very non-linear fashion as a love story that is intertwined with the characters she played and a faceless man. The films that coincide, twist and turn into her life events are staples of Asian cinema -- a war film, outer space, Heian era, and even warring ninja clan movies.

Perfect Blue I have not seen but is perhaps the more popular of the three.


Paprika looks like it is the most experimental of all the movies.

I hope that helps.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

Sounds interesting. It'll probably never show up near here, but maybe I'll get a chance to rent the DVD or something.

This was the first film-length anime I have ever seen

So, you've never seen Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away? That needs to be remedied. ;-)

[sovay]

So, you've never seen Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away? That needs to be remedied.

I missed out on Miyazaki completely. I suspect gaudior and rushthatspeaks will at some point sit me kindly down and make me watch at least Spirited Away.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

I missed out on Miyazaki completely. I suspect gaudior and rushthatspeaks will at some point sit me kindly down and make me watch at least Spirited Away.

I certainly hope they do. ;-)

Spirited Away is probably my favourite Miyazaki movie, although I do like Princess Mononoke quite a lot. I'm told Porco Rosso is excellent, but I've not yet seen it.

[tinkbell.livejournal.com]

I'm going to try to see that.
By the way, I just ordered a book of yours, just from reading your livejournal.

[sovay]

By the way, I just ordered a book of yours, just from reading your livejournal.

Thank you. I hope you enjoy it!

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

Aw, I wish Paprika were playing around here. Were they showing it dubbed in English or was it the original Japanese? It seems even the Indie theatres often opt for the English dub when it comes to anime, and it drives me nuts.

This was the first film-length anime I have ever seen and I loved it.

The only Satashi Kon movie I've seen, Perfect Blue, is excellent and I can highly recommend it. As ap_aelfwine says, Hayao Miyazaki's movies are very good. Porco Rosso's my favourite (thus the icon), and I think you'd really dig it. It's about a man who's turned into a pig, and I think the way it's handled might just fall into the sort of human/beast transmutation you seem to like.

Let's see--it's hard to think what else to recommend. Grave of the Fireflies is very good. I actually think even the original Ghost in the Shell is overrated. Akira's great for atmosphere and spectacular animation. You already have my television series recommendations . . .

[sovay]

Were they showing it dubbed in English or was it the original Japanese? It seems even the Indie theatres often opt for the English dub when it comes to anime, and it drives me nuts.

No, it was subtitled. Kendall Square is very good about that sort of thing.

It's about a man who's turned into a pig, and I think the way it's handled might just fall into the sort of human/beast transmutation you seem to like.

It's on the list!

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

No, it was subtitled.

That's good to hear. So far, the only English dub I've liked is Neil Gaiman's adaptation for Princess Mononoke. And the key there was good actors and good writing.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

So far, the only English dub I've liked is Neil Gaiman's adaptation for Princess Mononoke. And the key there was good actors and good writing.

Word.

What did you think of the dub for Spirited Away? I thought it was okay--the film charmed me slightly more than Princess Mononoke, and the dub was good enough to not get in the way of that.

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

What did you think of the dub for Spirited Away?

I really didn't like it, I'm afraid. I went over my reasons in detail here (http://setsuled.livejournal.com/2004/07/18/). I'd add to my old post that I felt Yubaba was particularly badly dubbed because her mouth was more intricately animated than the mouths of anime characters usually are.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

I really didn't like it, I'm afraid.

No need for fear. I was rather suspecting that if I'd seen it subbed I'd find the dub more wanting than I did seeing it once and only dubbed. ;-)

Thanks for the link. I'd been hoping to see someone with more background than I have review it.

My initial impression was that I adored the concept and the characters, and that this was despite the quality of the dub. So, it's about as I suspected.

[sovay]

So far, the only English dub I've liked is Neil Gaiman's adaptation for Princess Mononoke.

I have never seen a film where I preferred the dubbing to the subtitles; I try to avoid dubbed films as much as possible. Voices are so much a part of the character, I don't even understand the phenomenon.

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

Voices are so much a part of the character, I don't even understand the phenomenon.

I'm definitely with you on that one. And most of the time, it's a matter of truly lousy actors replacing good ones. Watch some of the anime on Adult Swim and you'll see what I mean. A lot of them use the same Canadian production studio and they tend to have four or five actors doing everyone's voice--actors who aren't even good at changing their voice. A lot of them tend to do it by giving some characters no variance of emotion. But going to the Japanese version, you can hear a remarkable amount of nuance put into the performances. I feel like I've talked to you about this before, but voice actors are highly respected in Japan (see the Wikipedia entry on "Seiyu" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiyu)).

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

I have never seen a film where I preferred the dubbing to the subtitles; I try to avoid dubbed films as much as possible. Voices are so much a part of the character, I don't even understand the phenomenon.

Word. Even if I don't understand the language, I'd rather be able to hear what's being said as it is.

I remember one movie about the wars in the former Yugoslavia, and the sound of an actor playing an officer of the UN peacekeepers with a thick Oxbridge accent on his SerboCroatian. It seemed important, and I don't know how it could have been rendered in a dub.

Then again, I couldn't take the French translation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, cos it seemed so very bland. Hagrid was just a dumb guy who spoke in simple sentences--maybe turning him into a peasant out of one of Guy de Maupassant's short stories would've been a mistake, but I'm not sure it would've been any worse.