Ryan McNeil
As you may or may not recall, I’m trying to widen my cinematic horizons a bit and finally tackle the film genre of anime. There’s no real reason for me to be so ignorant to it, it just never really felt like “my thing”. But the time has come to see what I’m missing, and thanks to a few faithful friends a watchlist has been compiled to get me started.
I’ve watched a few of the selections, so I thought now would be as good a time as any to recap how things have been going so far.
I’m not sure if SPIRITED AWAY was supposed to be the starting point or not, but that’s what happened. I do know that it’s the film I’ve long been ashamed to admit I haven’t seen, and the one I hear spoken of in the highest regard. So whether or not it was what my mentors had in mind, it was my portal of choice.
With that in mind, let me offer this: If ever anyone comes to you and asks “I’m curious about anime. Where should I begin?”, the answer is most definitely SPIRITED AWAY. The whimsy of this movie was extraordinary, and felt like a trip down the rabbit hole. Actually, at the risk of betraying my former avatar, it was even better than the classic trip down the rabbit hole since it featured a clear narrative thread (as opposed to Alice which is more a series of wacky vignettes). It’s a delicate balance really that shouldn’t be under-sold, as often times stories like this can just turn into “weird for the sake of weird”.
The character design and really the whole world was a really delightful way for me to begin this experiment, and before too long had me saying “So this is what they love about it!”
I’d love to sit here and tell you that SPIRITED AWAY was the beginning of a journey that never had me second-guessing…but I’d be lying. The follow-up selection (which was admittedly much further down the list) was MILLENNIUM ACTRESS. Perhaps beginning with SPIRITED AWAY set the bar too high for starters, but I wasn’t as deeply immersed in my second helping as I was that first night. That’s not to say that I think it’s bad, or that I didn’t like it. What I mean to say is that I didn’t connect with it in quite the same way.
I could have watched a bad copy of it or something, but something in the look of the film felt a little flat to me. The artwork didn’t have the same sort of snap, and the faces lacked the expression that had drawn me into the other film so deeply. It might just be the difference in style between what Kon wanted for this story and what Miyazaki wanted for his. If that’s the case I’ll chalk it up to a rough programme transition. That said, the story was pretty darned cool and I loved the way the narrative cut back and forth from the conversation to Fujiwara’s memories. That echoed the biggest draw from the first film, which was the way it would draw me in with the unexpected.
While I loved the way the director and DP weren’t just listening to the stories, they were actual witnesses (and sometimes participants), when it ended I was left a little unsure of what I’d got myself into.
Any hesitancy I had towards the experiment was immediately dispelled with my next selection, Satoshi Kon’s 2006 gem PAPRIKA.
The cool thing about this one was that it was the first of the series I watched through 5.1 audio…and Sweet Moses did it ever give it a boost! Effects were coming at me every which way, with the complete mix sounding like a Pink Floyd record! It’s rare that I go all AV nerd on what I watch at home, but the difference that it made makes me happy that I waited until I had he proper set-up to throw this one on.
Of course, the film returns to the fantastical elements that spoke to me in SPIRITED AWAY, and sharpens them with some really heady espionage. Over the last year-and-a-half, I’d been increasingly curious about this film since it seemed to be the title many people brought up when discussing INCEPTION. Now, I understand why. The way it wrapped its fantastical elements around the structure of going in-and-out of dreams was a joy to watch, and allowed things to feel a bit more truthful (as opposed to the Lewis Carroll-esque qualities of SPIRITED AWAY).
Thinking about the three films together, I think that PAPRIKA might be my favorite one so far! But we still have a long way to go. I’m hoping to discuss the next round this time next month if I can catch up with TEKKONKINKREET,
5 CENTIMETRES PER SECOND, and GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES. I especially want to get them all in before March, as something rather fortunate will be coming down the road then!
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…
I’m not in the big PAPRIKA fan club, mainly because I think it goes a step too far into it’s own rabbit hole late on in the film, regardless of how beautiful it’s imagery is (which is where I gave INCEPTION props at the time since I saw both those films in the same year I believe)…
SPIRITED AWAY is one of my fav Miyazaki films (go watch PRINCESS MONONOKE, NAUSICAA & MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO to be thoroughly impressed though) with just cause. It’s one of his which blends a lot of his philosphies along with whimsical storytelling and great adventure elements that ALICE IN WONDERLAND only wishes it did.
I’ve actually never hear of MILLENIUM ACTRESS. May catch up with it soon.
TEKKONKINREET isn’t my fav but has a lot of positives to it (including great visual style) & GRAVE OF FIREFLIES is one of those films guaranteed to make you tear up. 5 CENTIMETERS PER SECOND I have yet to see.
Nice to see you filling in the anime blanks for yourself. A genre I spent a lot of my High School years with and still enjoy to revisit from time to time.
I was a little bit wary about SPIRITED AWAY since it was the one that everybody loves so much – I was worried that my expectations on it were too high. Instead, of course, I loved it and can totally understand why everyone gravitates towards it so much.
In a perfect world, it would have been up for Best Foreign Film in 2002.
TOTORO might have to wait until after the whole syllabus. If I were to take everyone’s suggestions, this would turn from a blogathon into a lifestyle choice.
Mr. McNeil, you’ve outdone yourself. This is an amazing piece. Spirited Away really is as awesome as you say. I think with Millenium Actress, the style is simply more flat. Just the way it is. But I also think that film is a bit more nuanced and adult that the other two films you discussed. I’m not a huge fan of Paprika. I love the ideas, and it’s incredibly well animated, but I have always found it more obtuse than necessary. Either way, I’m excited about this series considering how good your writing about it is. 5 Centimeters Per Second is a really interesting film with some stunning visuals. Can’t wait to read what you have to say about it.
Crazy what I can come up with when I’m sleep deprived and congested, ain’t it? Glad you liked it sir, as I was afraid I was short-changing all three selections.
“Nuanced” might indeed be a better word for it. When I say flat, I refer to its visuals which are subtler in compared to the splashy palate the other two films used.
Hopefully I will in fact get to 5CM before the end of February. Thanks for reading good sir!
I’m kind of envious that you get to experience all these films for the first time. You’ve got a number of my very favorite films of all time lined up, Spirited Away being one of them.
For Kon, I did actually find Millennium Actress to be my favorite and was a bit cool on Paprika, probably for similar reason to Corey, I was a bit too confused to really get into the story.
Welcome to The Matinee Bondo!
I know what you’re talking about. I’ve come to know a lot of younger bloggers over the last year or two, and seen posts where they get to watch some of my favorite classics for the first time. I get jealous about the amounts of joy they are about to drown in.
After reading all these comments about not quite “getting” PAPRIKA, I realize that I didn’t quite get all of it either. But, in an experience befitting something I wrote just two days ago, I’m alright with not quite understanding everything.
It’s like season one of The Wire…
Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!
Really glad you dug PAPRIKA since it’s one of my favorites too, well everything Satoshi Kon did is spectacular in my eyes. And SPIRITED AWAY is impossible not to love, I think. I hope you like the next three films! If anything I think GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES will be up your alley.
I thought you’d be proud. Thinking back though, I wish I’d included your little notes as to why these titles were chosen.
I might have spoiled myself early with PAPRIKA, because along with it being so damned stunning, I cannot get over the sound of it! I’ve had my stereo hooked up since the day after Christmas and watched one or two dozen movies through it. For the most part, I was a little less than impressed and thinking I’d hooked it up incorrectly.
Then I watched PAPRIKA. Turns out I’d totally hooked it up correctly!
Looking forward to what else y’all have in store for me.
Like you, even I am not a big fan of Anime. But, almost all Ghibli movies I have seen are a great experience. I was really taken into Spirited Away – especially with the concept and even the execution. I might check out Paprika now. And only movie that outdid Spirited Away for me was Grave of the Fireflies. I am sure we are setting your expectations high but Grave is almost certain to satisfy them.
And It might just be coincidence but I have seen quite few write ups on Animation films lately. Good to see lot of love for Ghibli movies.
Yeah, people are setting my GRAVE expectations a smidge high, but I suppose that’s comeuppance for everyone I’ve overhyped on CITIZEN KANE and THE GODFATHER.
I’m quite happy that this first round has gone so well as my previous endeavours into anime (STEAMBOY and FROM UP ON POPPY HILL) left me somewhat cold.
Thanks for this… I’ve been working at doing more art lately – taking a lot of inspiration from films – mostly because it’s familiar and I can grab the case work from it. Just now thinking about PRINCESS MONONOKE and SPIRITED AWAY makes me flash to several amazing scenes that get my fingers itching for a charcoal stick and a blank piece of paper… Not sure why I didn’t think of Anime before – thanks!
You’re most welcome old buddy.
Those are fine films to get started in Anime. Studio Ghibli films in general are a good gateway. If your going to watch 5 cm per second, you should really watch Voices of a Distant Star first. It was Makoto Shinkai’s first film and at 28 minutes it’s well worth your time. I haven’t seen Millennium Actress yet and I love anime, so I’m not sure why it was on your list.
I can’t say for sure why VOICES wasn’t on the list and MILLENNIUM was, for that I’d have to point you three comments up to Alex as much of this watchlist was her design.
It was meant to be an “Anime 101” syllabus, so perhaps that’s a clue. I do know that when I posted the original list of ten or so, that the comments it drew ended up naming another ten or twelve that people thought I should add too.
The catch is that anime fans can be very passionate, and sometimes their suggestions are either not for “beginners”…or dare I suggest, not very good films. I’m still very suceptible to being scared off the genre, so I believe that baby steps are key here.
I can totally see the problem there. While some people say you should watch Akira right away, I’d probably save that for last. For those who love it they really love it, while others hate it.
I forget if I explained this to you but I actually meant to recommend VOICES OF A DISTANT STAR (which is a PHENOMENAL short film) but I confused the titles and said 5 CENTIMETERS PER SECOND instead. They’re both awesome, as Makoto Shinkai is one of the most talented animators working today, but Max is right that VOICES would be good to watch first if you can!
Good to know folks. I’ll try to track down VOICES somehow before I move on to the next unit in the series.
One of my favourite memories from TIFF was seeing Spirited Away with a Hayao Miyazaki Q & A session afterward. I am not going to lie, I had a “geek out” moment.
I was extremely disappointed with Millennium Actress. There were parts to the story that were intriguing but on the whole I found myself looking at my watch praying the film would end. I probably went in with my expectations too high.
I still need to see Paprika. I have been procrastinating on it for a few years now. Based on your review, I will have to give it a look soon.
One of my greatest TIFF regrets is not seeing SPIRITED AWAY the year that it played. Of course, back then I was still easing my way into foreign films in general!
“Spirited Away” and “Paprika” are an excellent starting point. Both great films but coming from very different places on the anime map.
I had the good luck to see “Paprika” in the theater when it was new and was blown away by the experience. It’s a very _dense_ film; sight, sound, and intellectual substance. I’ve seen it a couple more times since and still wouldn’t claim to have “gotten it” completely. But it never sinks under its own weight (or pretensions if you prefer, although I don’t) because it’s also playful and humorous. Kon’s love of cinema- wonderfully expressed through the detective’s dreaming in the idiom of classic Hollywood films- is infectious and the story is propelled forward by the energy and verve of the filmmaking. Even if I someday find a loose thread that causes the whole fabric to unravel I’ll still love it.
Oddly enough, even despite my hesitancy for anime, I had PAPRIKA on my to-see list for a long time. Thus, when Alex, Helms, and Alison put together this watchlist for me, I was quite happy to see that title on it.
I can’t claim to have “got it” entirely, but was so delighted by what I was watching that what I didn’t get I just shrugged off. I figure I’ll understand that stuff better upon rewatch, or if I do some reading.
I know I was one of the folks who threw Millennium Actress out there for debate when we were concocting this list so my apologies for the lack of adoration. As you move through anime you’ll find a lot of different styles – a even more mimicry styles – which might come as a bit of a shock to the system once you travel back to the ’80s features like Grave and Akira as they are from a very different anime era.
However yay for Paprika and Spirited Away love. Hope we haven’t set the bar too high for you so that all the rest feel somehow lacking.
To be clear, I didn’t dislike MILLENNIUM ACTRESS, it’s just my least favorite of the three so far. I still prefer it immensely to POPPY HILL and STEAMBOY, but of everything y’all have me watching, I’m guessing that something isn’t going to land.
I’m thinking that watching order will be key to this whole thing, which was one of the reasons we agreed to keep AKIRA at the end.
Anime is probably my last big blind spot. I’ve always kinda been on the fence about it because I generally only like funny cartoons (arbitrary reason, I know). Reading this piece reminded me that I should really tackle these films.
Well, if you want to dig in to the genre, I can tell you that coming from a similar place it seems as though the list I’m working off has been culled quite well, so as to focus on the titles that transcend…and not just the titles that dyed in the wool anime fans adore.
I watch anime too often and when I should’ve been watching some my Criterions, I was watching a series about women’s baseball. It’s really an exciting medium where directors aren’t afraid of storylines or violence coming out in animation. There’s rarely anything that compares to Japanese Animation here in America.
That being said…while it is one my favorites…you should start with Spirited Away too. Why not start with one of the best. I remember I started with Ghost in the Shell and I was like WTF?! for a long time.
I think I mentioned it in my post, and if I didn’t I’ll say it here and now – to anyone looking to get into anime, SPIRITED AWAY might be *the* greatest starting point I could suggest.
I was never a huge fan of Spirited Away, which always felt like it was wandering around with nowhere to go. I think Miyazaki did much stronger work before with Nausicaa, Totorro and Princess Mononoke.
As for the rest of your anime quest, good luck! The list you have is pretty good, but definitely a ‘best of the best’ list rather than one that’s representative of the medium.
You have to remember that this list was compiled as an introductory guide into the medium for me. I’m sure there are great things that aren’t listed here, but if I’m dropped into the deep end, there’s every chance I could drown.
Case in point – I believe that one of the very best movies Kubrick ever made was 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. However, if someone told me “I want to get into Kubrick – how should I go about it?” I put that one dead last and get them to build up to it. Push me too-hard-too-fast and I’m prone to resist and swear off anime altogether!
All that in mind, are there any films you think are “Anime 101” for me to keep in mind after these?
Ahaha well, beginning with Spirited Away set the bar really, really high. It’s one of the best animation ever made IMO. Glad you liked it Ryan!
Hopefully it’s not all downhill from here.