litsnobconfessions

[litsnobconfessions]

A Year of Animation Day 194: Over the Moon

Date: July 13, 2025

Day: 194

Content Watched: Over the Moon

Year: 2020

Rating: PG

Run Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

I first encountered Over the Moon via a YouTube video by author Xiran Jay Zhao, but I was later recommended the film by a friend, so this seemed like the perfect time to take a break from Sad Boy Alchemy Hour for... Sad Girl Moon Goddess Hour? Whatever, let's get into it.

As always (except when I forget) let's talk about animation. My favorite animation is (of course), the tale of Chang'e, as animated via Ma Ma's scarf. I love when animated movies use multiple styles of animation, and I think it's one of animation's greatest superpowers. Plus, I was impressed with how much this animation really looked to me like a silk scarf. There was also a shot or two of Fei Fei's city that looks like a genuine painting.

I like the general character designs. Some of them actually look a bit like my Karen students. Obviously, my students are not Chinese, but the Karen people are from nearby Myanmar and, according to my students, may be descended from ancient Mongolians. The point is that it like evidence to me that the animators were not trying to whitewash or give their characters a more generic appearance. They're Chinese, and they're intended to look like it.

I especially enjoyed the moments where Chang'e and Houyi sang in Mandarin because their lips moved differently. This is something that you sometimes learn about when you study languages and accents--different languages require different mouth movements. And when you watch Chang'e closely, you'll see that when speaking Mandarin, her mouth stays more closed and round. When speaking English it's wider and more of a smile shape. I don't think I've ever seen an animated movie do this before, I was really impressed that they focused in on that level of detail.

As for the story, I really liked Fei Fei as a character, especially because she is so clearly her parents' child. I know that the movie is mostly about her grieving her mom, but that first interaction with her parents shows us that her mother loves folklore and her dad loves science. So it feels only natural that their daughter is top of her class in school and decides to build a rocket ship to the moon in order to prove Chang'e is real. It's pretty tight characterization. (I also really like the detail of her wearing her mother's scarf, though I would like to know why she chose to pack the mooncake that she said she never wanted to see again. And how old is that mooncake?)

Where I felt the characterization was weaker was with Chin, who felt more like an animal companion that either Bungee or Gobi. I really wish we'd gotten to see more of him, especially because I think that with more character development, he could have helped underscore the theme of grieving even better. It wouldn't even have to change his character. It would enhance it. For example, it's possible that Chin's mother has been grieving her husband's death, and he's really excited about the prospect of having a sister because he's seen how hard life is for his mom sometimes, and he really believes they'll be stronger as a family. It's also possible that his determination to discover he has super powers is also due to a desire to help his mother and maybe even a feeling of helplessness. Or it could be that his dad told him he had superpowers or that his dad made him fall in love with superheroes the same way Fei Fei's mom made her fall in love with Chang'e. Unfortunately, he gets kind of sidelined in the movie.

I also question Fei Fei's dad's actions a bit here. I know this isn't really what the movie is about, but it doesn't seem good that Chin's mom has talked to him about the possibility of marrying this new guy and Fei Fei is just meeting the woman her dad might marry. As in many cases, this could be a cultural difference, but I kind of feel that if he's already this serious about her, maybe he should have introduced her to his daughter already.

I do think it does a great job at exposition, however. I am not Chinese and have not heard any Chang'e stories. But both the opening scene and the family dinner (which also made me hungry) do a lot of heavy lifting in giving the audience the necessary information about Chang'e, as well as showing that this is a folktale, and therefore there are different versions and the story has nuance. It also shows why the story is important to Fei Fei and how it connects her to her mother. And the dialogue doesn't feel forced to me. It feels like actual family conversation.

The Luminaria world building is pretty fun also, mostly because I enjoyed the biker chick puns (I should have known they were going to betray her, but I didn't. In retrospect, I feel kind of stupid.) But also, are luminarians born from Chang'e's tears? That is really interesting.

The music was not as catchy as K-Pop Demon Hunters, but I do feel like the emotional themes hit me harder. I am not ashamed to say I cried during the scene in the Chamber of Exquisite Sadness. I like how Fei Fei's and Chang'e's stories mirror one another, as well as the fact that Gobi's song foreshadows the need both characters have to move forward, despite their grief. Like with Chin, I think it might have been nice to get a little more of Fei Fei's dad because he's clearly at a different stage in this process than his daughter is. I also like the metaphor for how grief can consume and isolate us. I almost wish I that Bungee and Chin hadn't broken through the barrier at the end because I like how Chang'e and Fei Fei help one another. Because sometimes the best person to help you deal with grief is someone else who is experiencing it.

We might talk more about that tomorrow.

[litsnobconfessions]

A Year of Animation Day 192-193: Fullmetal Alchemist S4E9-13

Date: July 11-12, 2025

Day: 192-193

Content Watched: Fullmetal Alchemist, Season 4, Episodes 9-13

Year: 2003-2004

Rating: TV-PG

Run Time: 120 minutes

In terms of animation, "Death" is my favorite episode in the whole damn series. Everything that happens in the underground city, especially with the spinning and the fish-eye lens is so perfectly done, and beautifully symbolic of Ed's worldview spinning around and turning upside down and getting distorted. In addition, I really like the eye-blink animations as Ed is waking up in our world. And, of course, I have to mention Earth has more muted colors than Amestris. Could this be the effect of an entire world which doesn't believe in the concept of equivalent exchange?

And speaking of animation, I had forgotten that the symbol on Ed's coat (what happened to it, by the way. I also only just noticed he hasn't been wearing it for a hot minute.) and Al's armor and Izumi's chest and Dante's house is part of the circle to seal a homunculus. So... did Dante just have it hanging about in case any of her homunculi got unruly? And then sort of... inadvertently passed it on to Izumi and Ed and Al? I dunno, for how present it is in the show, I'd kind of like a little more direct explanation of it.

I also hate the way Sloth is drawn in the fancy dress with her hair down. Because she looks too much Lust to me, and I literally can't tell them apart unless they're using their powers. But I do like the detail of Ed's transmuted hand being tiny and not very functional. Because he doesn't understand automail as well as Winry does, so he wouldn't be that good at making a hand (but was Gluttony unable to eat it because he transmuted it into some other kind of metal? Or because Winry is that good a mechanic? Because he has acid teeth that ate through Al's armor almost instantly back in season 2. I have so many unanswered questions!!)

But while we're on the matter of unanswered questions, let's talk about this underground city. I mean, we already heard about some other city that got devastated, as well as a previous group of Ishvalans? And now there's also a city under Central? How many philosophers stones did Dante and Hohenheim make, exactly?! I mean, Dante obviously doesn't care about anyone else (to the extent that she ironically calls people selfish for acting in anyone's interest other than her own) but Hohenheim at least seems... repentant? about the whole thing? So when did that happen? But far more importantly, when Liore got transmuted into a philosophers stone, everything disappeared--the people, the buildings, everything. Why then, is there an underground city? Why, if it was turned into a philosophers stone, did the buildings not disappear like they did in Liore? Mostly, I'm going to chalk all these wacky discrepancies up to 03 making up their own ending due to catching up with the manga before it was done (as if it were the OG Game of Thrones), so I expect Brotherhood to have a lot fewer plot holes.

Also... Archer as Robocop? I'll admit, I read someone else's review of this plot detail, which has definitely colored by feelings. And I don't remember exactly how I felt when he first turned up as a cyborg, but it does feel a little too sci-fi for the setting. And maybe that sounds crazy, considering alchemy and automail, but this feels bigger than automail. Thus far, we've seen automail specifically as limbs. Archer has a firearm in his mouth. I just don't feel like that's explained by the rules of the world so far.

You know what I didn't see coming in a good way, though? Mustang and Hawkeye. I never thought of them as a couple until the closing credits, with them like... shopping and shit and not in uniform. And then it clicked. And cute as Winry and Sciezka are, I think I ship this one even harder.

It was nice to see the Tringham brothers again, even if Russell is up to his usual nonsense. I love that Ed identifies him as "the imposter" and he insists that he has a name. Well, Russell, people would be more likely to call you by your name if you actually used it. But I'm glad they didn't get executed.

Speaking of which, Bradley is truly vicious isn't he? I mean, calling for the execution of Russell and Fletcher without even checking the situation out any further and then trying to murder his own son. I think that may have been even rougher than Nina somehow. I guess because I understand that Tucker on some level did love his daughter, even though he put his alchemic research and position before her (and boy is it creepy to see what a mess he's turned into--still trying to bring her back!!) But Bradley seems to have a wife and kid just for the sake of covering up the fact that he has no emotions whatsoever. I mean, Envy's hatred for his father and Dante's desire to live forever are at least human emotions I can lock into. Bradley is genuinely empty inside.

Which makes me feel like I need to reiterate one last time that I kind of wish the show had delved more into what a soul is and how one knows is one does or does not have one. I love Lust's dying moments, reflecting on the fact that she sought death and how this is part of what it means to be a human. Perhaps this is equivalent exchange? You must die, but in return, you get all those deep human feelings that make life worth living in the first place. Of course, we see that Wrath and Gluttony had those kind of feelings already, for Lust and Sloth respectively, which again posits me to ask if a homunculus can grow a soul. I feel like the only reason Sloth didn't was because she fought it so hard.

And since I'm on the subject of Sloth, I have the bring up her battle with Ed not because of how well plotted the bit with Wrath taking her remains into his body was (though it was well plotted), or just how much of a gut punch it was that Sloth told Ed and Al she had to kill them so she wouldn't learn to love them (though it was a gut punch), but for the music. That choir? Is that a childrens choir? I dunno, but regardless, this piece of music has played over a couple of scenes, and every time it does, it hits especially hard. This was no exception. (Also, the Beethoven when we first show up on Earth was a nice touch as well. The team behind this show didn't stop at animators.) 

Okay, let's talk about something else now... like Ed dying! I don't think I mentioned this here, but I told my husband Ed and Al couldn't die until the second to last episode.

Husband: you mean the last episode?

Me: No, they could pull a Duchess of Malfi (she dies in Act IV, if you don't know the reference)

I just want to say that I'm very very proud of myself for calling this one. Especially because I basically called nothing else. Hughes didn't come back in some terrible way. I mean, I guess Envy wore his face for a moment, but they didn't like raise his body from the dead or trap his soul in something, which I fully expected. And Al got his body back! I suppose Ed only got his limbs back temporarily, but this is a much happier ending than I expected, even if they're on opposite sides of the gate.

Which brings me, of course, to the ending, and the conflict between Ed and Hohenheim about equivalent exchange and cynicism. I've already said that I feel like the idea of the show is that equivalent exchange is not true, aka life isn't fair. Ed mentions it when he talks about how he and Ed lost their mother and got nothing out of it. Dante has her whole speech about it, and villain or no, a lot of the things she says? Like about people studying harder than Ed for the alchemy exam, but not passing? Or infants dying? Hella true. But I also agree with Ed, that maybe it's better to be childish than cynical. Maybe it's worth believing in equivalent exchange, even if it isn't real. This whole soliloquy reminded me of Death's speech at the end of Hogfather about justice and mercy. You need to believe in things that aren't true, he says, or how else can they become. i.e. equivalent exchange exists because people believe it does.

Which brings me to what is probably my favorite part of the whole damn show: the extended version of Al's voiceover that we've been hearing for the 3+ seasons. Because this is the point folks. And I feel like the show beautifully drives you there, and hammers it home with this. I have nothing left to add, so I'll let Alphonse Elric speak for himself:

The world isn't perfect, and the law is incomplete. Equivalent exchange doesn't encompass everything that goes on here, but I still choose to believe in its principle. That all things do come at a price. That there's an ebb and a flow--a cycle--that the pain we went through did have a reward and that anyone who is determined and perseveres will get something of value in return, even if it's not what they expected.

[litsnobconfessions]

A Year of Animation June Overview

Hours of animation watched: 26

Number of TV shows/miniseries completed: 1

Number of movies/short films completed: 2

Yeah, this looks like the saddest month yet. I was hoping to catch up over the summer, but somehow, my summer was even busier than the school year!! So here are my sad charts:

You'd think that with so little going so, the top five would be hard. But only if you haven't seen Craig of the Creek, which really did get better and better, right up to its second-to-last episode.

Suzume

Craig of the Creek, Season 6, Episode 9, "The Little Warrior"

Craig of the Creek, Season 6, Episode 4, "Whose Dimension is it Anyway?"

Craig of the Creek, Season 6, Episode 8, "Heart of the Forest Finale"

Fullmetal Alchemist, Episode 37 (Season 3, Episode 12)

I also have to give an honorable mention to Fullmetal Alchemist, Episodes 11-12 (Season 1, Episodes 11-12), "The Other Brothers Elric" Parts 1-2. It's hard to find recommend individual episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist, seeing as it's so serialized. And while I think I like "The Other Brothers Elric" more, showing someone the Mustang & crew interludes would be an easier in, if they're just getting a taste of it.

[litsnobconfessions]

A Year of Animation Day 191: Breaking the Rules

Date: July 10, 2025

Day: 191

Content Watched: The Floaters

Year: 2025

Rating: PG-13

Run Time: 101 minutes

Okay, I know I started this journey by saying that I wasn't going to watch any live-action films for a year. And I made "exceptions" for things like The Pagemaster and The Lego Movie for April Fools, but a couple of weeks ago, I broke the rules. I saw a full-length live-action movie. And I have to tell you about it.

The movie is called The Floaters. It's an indie film directed by Rachael Israel which had its world premiere at the Bentonville Film Festival. Well, it's not everyday you get to see a world premiere of a movie but an hour away from your house, and what's more, it's about Jewish summer camp, so if I going to break the rules, this was it. And I'm so glad I did.

Now, I've heard a lot of people say that this is a teen summer camp movie unlike any they've seen before. I haven't seen a lot of teen summer camp movies, so I can't speak to that. I come at it from the general "coming of age" category, which is one of my favorite genres, and I will tell you that it fits into a pretty well-known trope on that end. That is, it's a movie about an adult who fails at whatever adult thing they're doing and ends up coaching a team of misfits. I have seen so many movies like this I can't even really remember them all, and they tend to run together. The difference is... The Floaters works.

And here's why I think it works: This isn't just any summer camp movie. It's a Jewish summer camp movie, including details like a rabbi who is trying to make Torah study more relevant to teenagers and the importance of separating meat and dairy in the camp kitchen. These are plot relevant details that are seamlessly introduced but remind you that this isn't any summer camp. This is Camp Daveed. Likewise, the characters aren't just any random campers and camp counselors. They aren't even just random Jewish campers and counselors. Because they represent a broad range of Jews. And each character has a level of specificity that makes them feel like their own person.

I recently watched a video about why Disney's Elio flopped, and the speaker speculated that one of the reasons it didn't do well in its early screenings was that it was too niche. Because the original movie was supposed to be more of an LGBT story and therefore the audience couldn't relate, so they tried to rework it... well if that's what happened, they reworked it in the wrong direction. Because niche is what makes a good movie.

Consider Netflix's Feel the Beat, which follows the same premise as The Floaters, but it just kind of a generic dancer who fails an audition and then ends up coaching a girls' dance troupe. This is all I remember of the movie. I had to look up the title just to talk about it. Because with the exception of a girl who is deaf, there wasn't anything unique about the story or the girls or the team. It could have had dance scrubbed out and replaced with volleyball or roller skating or soccer, and it would have been the same movie.

The Floaters is not like this. Any summer camp movie can have a teenage protagonist getting bullied. But only The Floaters uses the laws of kashrut to take down said bullies. Any summer camp movie can have a group of misfit teens putting on a play, but only The Floaters is going to show them putting on a potentially inappropriate retelling of Sodom and Gomorrah. 

A lot of the reason it works has to do with the cast and crew. Almost everyone (maybe everyone, but I don't want to assume) who worked on the film was Jewish, and many have their own stories of going to summer camp. It was even shot at an actual Jewish summer camp. But there's this beautiful thing that happens when people inside a community are able to write stories about that community, especially if they're allowed to take risks and make assumptions that the audience will get things. You get something that is just full of authenticity. And you don't even have to be inside that community to feel it.

Consider Coco (which I personally think is Pixar's best film). It has a lot of the same characteristics of Pixar movies that people don't find appealing--it's about a quirky kid who doesn't fit in with his family and he's trying to break free from them, etc. etc. etc. But it works. Because the number of Latinos on the cast and crew brought it a level of authenticity. And you don't have to have been punished with la chancla or know that Hector's nickname chorizo is a sex joke to feel it. The movie practically radiates it. That's how I feel about The Floaters. It felt so much more real than those other stories with similar plotlines. It doesn't pull its punches. For better or for worse, it stands proudly without trying to dumb things down or reel itself in to appeal to a mass audience.... which, in the end, is exactly the point of the movie.

Right now, it's still working the festival circuit, but I encourage you to check out the film's website, and maybe give it a follow. And if you find yourself an hour (or two) away from a showing, I recommend grabbing some tickets. It's worth the drive. At least, it was for me.

[litsnobconfessions]

A Year of Animation Day 188-190: Frierun S1E1-6

Date: July 7-9, 2025

Day: 188-190

Content Watched: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Season 1, Episodes 1-6

Year: 2023

Rating: TV-14

Run Time: 150 minutes

Yes, I know, I try to finish an entire season of something before I take a break, but my sister-in-law recommended this one, and my husband and I have watched six episodes. I don't know when we'll get the next few episodes watched, but I just don't have the time for the next few episodes of FMA at the moment. FYI, I didn't take any notes on this one (sometimes I just have to chill out and watch some TV with my hubby), so I'm going entirely off memory. (Also, I'm sorry, I wrote all this and realized I've been spelling her name wrong the entire time. But I'm too damn tired to fix it right now.) Let's get into it.

To begin with, let's talk about the animation... actually, I don't have much to say about the animation other than it's very pretty. My husband compared it to The Secret of Kells, particularly the end credits, which have an illuminated manuscript sort of vibe. But this is what happens when I watch TV for the sake of watching TV. I don't look for all the animation details. I mostly appreciate the story.

So let's talk about the story, which is getting lauded for being unique. And I have to say, I love the premise. I love that it begins with the defeat of the demon king, and I love the idea of Frierun re-tracing the steps the group took many years ago (and what's more, doing so with people who "belonged" in ways to her former companions. I love the shifts between present day and flashback, which actually reminds me of "All is One, One is All," in Fullmetal Alchemist. Except that Frierun is way more chill. 

Frierun feels like the definition of cozy fantasy. Even the use of montages (and the types of montages) add to this. Almost every episode seems to have some sort of musical montage. But instead of some epic music over a battle or training, it's usually soft, whimsical music playing over people talking or walking or something. It's montages of just... ordinary life. Come to think of it, in this way, Frierun seems to be made for me, considering Circle of Magic is my favorite book series. I love slice of life fantasy. So I love that it's becoming a bigger thing.

I also feel like Frierun is autistic-coded. It's clear that her companions were important to her, even when she was traveling with them. But she didn't show it in the way neurotypicals do. They have clearly marked her. For example, Eisen's the reason she tracks down a spell to make grapes sour. And she doesn't love the sunset because it's beautiful, she loves it because Fern does. The best example of this might actually be the episode where she takes Fern out for her birthday. We see her agonizing over what piece of jewelry to buy--more than she has agonized over anything else she's bought--and it turns out to be for Fern. And it's revealed that she agonized because she didn't know what Fern would like. 

Unrelated to that, she also seems to be a casual pervert, seeing as she was rather keen on obtaining an acid that only burns through clothing and two full episodes are dedicated to her obtaining a warrior to help her fight a dragon so she can obtain a grimoire that has a spell to see through clothing. I kind of love her.

But my favorite character is Stark, who has a bit of an Edward Elric vibe to him, aside from the fact that Ed knows he's a prodigy and Stark thinks he's pretending (I say thinks because Frierun reveals that the dragon has, indeed, been scared of him this whole time, as was Eisen.) But his cocky teenage boy quality amuses me (hey, Peter Pan is my favorite book, I've got a type when it comes to characters.)

I do think the structure is weird in places. Namely, sometimes the episodes end abruptly. Like the first episode, which ends with something like, "do you like magic?" "Uh... I guess so." Or the first Stark episode, which ends with, something like, "you've been training." Other episodes feel like they're two stories in one. And in general, they don't have the kind of episode arcs I'm used to, almost as if, instead of writing separate episodes, the creators wrote the whole story and then broke it up into... 28 equal pieces (wait, there are 28 episodes? For some reason I thought there were like... 10.) I believe it's a Japanese studio? So again, I think this could be the case of not following a traditional Western three-act-structure, and instead using something like kishotenketsu. To be fair, from everything I know of this story structure, it lends itself very well to this type of a story. That doesn't change the fact that I had to get accustomed to it before I started taking to the show.

The only thing I would say I dislike about the show is the post-credits episode preview because I kind of hate all the overlapping dialogue. I'm getting accustomed to that as well, I suppose, but it was incredibly jarring at first, and I definitely wouldn't say it's something I enjoy. Tolerate, more like. I find it particularly odd that it's attached to such a calm and cozy show. Like... everything else is quiet and soft and relaxing, and the episode preview comes on, and I feel like people are screaming at me. But I'll probably continue to watch it... eventually.

[litsnobconfessions]

A Year of Animation Day 186-187: Fullmetal Alchemist S4E5-8

Date: July 5-6, 2025

Day: 186-187

Content Watched: Fullmetal Alchemist, Season 4, Episodes 5-8

Year: 2003-2004

Rating: TV-PG

Run Time: 96 minutes

I have to open by noting that the change in the intro apparently happens in the Japanese one episode earlier than in the English. In "The Stray Dog," the subtitles read about them having found the philosophers stone, but the dub still has Al's usual intro. In the following episode, Ed is reading the new intro, and it aligns much better with the subs.

I do feel like there are some places where the alchemy gets wobbly. I was kind of surprised that Ed could transmute his arm into different types of metal, but I suppose that's the whole whole point of lead into gold. But inflating Mustang's men like balloons? Not sure how that works, especially considering he said earlier about Wrath that when you transmute human body parts, internal systems get in the way. Wouldn't this fall under that?

Of course, this isn't the only discrepancy. Because Ed reveals that part of his anger at his father is that he never wrote to them. But I could have sworn that back in "Mother," he suggested they write to addresses from whence had come letters from their father. Were they letters to their father from various places? Maybe. But I think the writing may be starting to slip.

Though one thing that didn't slip is Lyra, aka Dante. Looking back on it, I feel like I should have seen that reveal coming from a mile away. She was weirdly competent, and she's the one who talked to Greed while Dante was dead in the corner. I feel pretty stupid about that. But I'm also glad it's not just some weird, stupid coincidence that she just keeps turning up.

Except that Dante does essentially pull an as-you-know when she exposits the story of how she and Hohenheim created the philosophers stone 400 years ago. Seriously, Dante. Why are you telling him these things? He already knows. He was there. I've seen worse, but I still feel like they could have done this better.

I would also love to know more about this symbol that keeps showing up in the show. I mean, it's on Ed's jacket, it's on Al's shoulder, Izumi has it tattooed on her, and now Dante has it hanging in her house? Okay, she inherited it. But from who? How? What does it mean?! Is it supposed to be a some kind of Christian symbol? Since Christianity is apparently so dead they have a new dating system? So what year is it supposed to be, if not the turn of the century?

At last, we get the second reveal of Mustang having kept a secret from Ed and Al. And I kind of hate that the show makes his hiding Hughes' death out to be this good thing. Oh, he didn't want you seeking revenge and he's trying to be a good man, like Hughes. Maybe this is why Hughes appeared to Ed after he died--he knew Mustang wouldn't tell him. I have to agree with Ed here. I don't think "protecting people" is a good reason to keep secrets from them, and I think he has every right to be mad at Mustang. And when Mustang saw how he reacted the last time he found out about information, maybe he should have taken that as a hint that Ed would react with volatility about being misled again.

Finally, I enjoy the boys' polar opposite reactions to their father showing up. It's no surprise Ed punches Hohenheim in the face. But it's pretty funny that this is immediately followed up with Al's excitement over the prospect at meeting his dad.

Super busy right now, so I'm not sure if I'll break up the last five episodes or not. Only time will tell.

[litsnobconfessions]

do you think bluey and bingo's sibling relationship is better than soren and kludd's relationship?

I feel like that goes without saying. I mean, Bingo and Bluey have never fought to the death (well, at least not literally--they may have pretend fought to the death.) I mean yes, in "Mini-Bluey" there is an argument over who is the favorite (similar to the conflict between Soren and Kludd), but in the end, the sisters team up together against their parents as Bingo proves to Bluey that both of them are equally valuable in their parents' eyes.

Of course, we've also talked about Soren and Kludd's parents before and how, when we're talking meta, they're maybe just not fleshed out, but how that also means that in-world, they're kind of bad parents? I mean, they named their kid Kludd. And in many ways they seem to favor Soren. Do we even learn their names?

In contrast, consider Bandit and Chili, who are so fleshed out. They have friends and hobbies and jobs. We know about their own parents and siblings, about their lives growing up, about how they met. We know Chili had a miscarriage. There is just so much information provided here, which makes them feel like real people. And people like that don't give their kids obvious bad-guy names or forget to mourn them because the movie needs a happy ending.

[litsnobconfessions]

A Year of Animation Day 184-185: Fullmetal Alchemist S4E1-4

Date: July 3-4, 2025

Day: 184-185

Content Watched: Fullmetal Alchemist, Season 4, Episodes 1-4

Year: 2003-2004

Rating: TV-PG

Run Time: 96 minutes

From what I understand, anime doesn't work in "seasons" the way US shows do, which is why I gave the caveat at the beginning that this is based on the divisions I was given. But the new credit sequences here actually don't start until "His Name is Unknown." Not a problem with the opening credits, but boy was a happy to see the end of pinup Winry. I actually think these closing credits are my favorite so far because something about them feels like the art style is different. I think it's really just the black border with the words in fancy script, though. I'm particularly interested in the part of the opening credits where Ed is jumping through a waterfall? Because the art here looks similar to other things I've seen that are a mix of hand-drawn and CG, and I wonder if this part is CGed, but it's such a specific scene (in the credits, no less) that's there not an easy way to answer that question.

The story and the shots we get of the special ops mission in Ishval are horrific, but not entirely surprising. I don't know what Bradley's up to, but sew chaos so you have an excuse to decimate entire populations? That's an old story. And with it comes Scar's backstory (because of course Kimblee blew up his face) and his arm makes a lot more sense now. I like that his brother tells him the arm is strong and will protect him, since it was apparently designed for his brother to help turn himself into a philosophers stone. It also makes Scar and his brother one more foil for Ed and Al.

As a follow-up, we have the violence committed in Liore, and specifically that committed against Rose. The way the camera lingers on her baby toward the end of "Holy Mother" makes me suspect I should be gearing up for another Nina or something similar.

And speaking of Tucker, I realized I don't think I've talked about just how creepy his appearance is. Like... he looks like he's laying upside down atop a bear? But obviously his body is also like... merged with this creature. It just give me the heebie-jeebies every time I see him, but I'm sure that was the point. And while I'm here, I should also mention, I thought it was kind of funny that Scar's brother was whispering in one of the flashbacks where he was working on alchemy because Tucker also whispers all the time. I think it's supposed to make them creepier, but I just keep thinking that they lost their vocal chords to the gate, the way Ed lost his arm and leg. lol.

This is also where Ed finds out about Liore, as well as the fact that Mustang was hiding it from him. And that went so well that Ed ran off and decided to work with Archer. What a shocker. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. It's never a good idea to hide something from someone to protect them (again, it's one of the things I love in The Dragon Prince--that when people apologize for keeping secrets, they don't offer this excuse of needing to protect people. They admit they just couldn't bring themselves to say it, even though they should have.) Ed still doesn't know that Hughes is dead, so only time will tell what disaster befalls when that one's let out of the bag.

Lyra has shown up. Yet again. And she's weirdly... calm this time? Like... the other two times she was squealy and screamy like a teenager? And now she's suddenly like... competent at shit? Like, what the hell? Also, if this show doesn't explain this coincidence of her apparently being everywhere (and I have a bad feeling it's not going to), I will throw it across the room.

And Wrath is Pride. What a surprise. I'll admit, I didn't know for sure he was a homunculus, but I realize what was going to happen just before the eye reveal. What is more surprising, though, is that he's apparently not the Big Bad? Like... there's someone he's answering to? Even though he is the leader of a whole damn country? And Pride?! (I dunno, for some reason Pride always seems to be the leader of the sins.)

Finally, I have to mention that Hughes in playing poker with Mustang's crew in the closing credits. (I also have to mention this because I'm waiting for some terrible thing to happen when the homunculi do shit with his body or his soul or something. I fully expect this show to just. Keep. Twisting. That. Knife.

Well, I'm going to go cry some more. I'll see you tomorrow, I suppose.

[litsnobconfessions]

A Year of Animation Day 182-183: Craig Before the Creek

Date: July 1-2, 2025

Day: 182-183

Content Watched: Craig Before the Creek

Year: 2003

Rating: PG

Run Time: 1 hour 28 minutes

I have to be honest. When this started, I didn't feel I would like it as much as the show. It didn't feel as... grounded... which I know is a really weird thing to say considering how the show isn't that grounded to being with... but a pirate ship? A literal pirate ship? Even for Craig of the Creek, I had to wonder if this was a bit much. Spoilers, it wasn't.

Let's start with the animation. The lighting in the trees is especially beautiful here, and I'd even hazard to say the creek looks prettier in this movie than it does in the show. Like... I really want to go there. But maybe it was just getting one last taste of it. I'm discovering that different animators and animation studios have different strengths. I already talked about how Disney's strength is perfectly timing animation to music. Well, Craig of the Creek's strength is facial expressions. Jessica's face practically looks like it's melting off after she loses small uncle. As do Craig's and Kelsey's faces when they are about to walk the plank into the stick pond. And JP's face changes every time he puts on a grown up voice. Not to mention things like beautiful!Craig and tall!Craig in the Wishmaker. And how they made everyone look younger--even Duane and Nicole! They've been doing this throughout the whole show as well, but this is where I really noticed that those facial characteristics are really one of the outstanding things here, and the creek wouldn't be the Creek without them.

But there's also just a lot of great attention to detail, as I went into about Kelsey's menorah back in season 4. Some of my favorite details here Bernard's braces and the baby Ten Speeds animal helmets. (I just love Cannonball's cat helmet! It's so co cute! Also Handlebarb is pulling Todd around in a wagon! It's so cute!) I also love how, when Craig is hiding in the moving boxes, one of them has that Amazon arrow on it (or whatever the Creekiverse version is), but since the box is upside down, it looks like the whole stack of boxes is frowning at Nicole. Again, they didn't have to take the extra time out to do this. But they did. For me and everyone else who noticed it.

I also love that this is where Craig gets his iconic look (as well as the reference to JP's wardrobe lol.) In addition, I noticed that Kelsey's cape is whole here, and it's tattered at the end of season 6. I don't remember if it gets torn in the show, or if it's just drawn more tattered at some point to show ordinary wear and tear, but if it's not torn in the show, this would have been a good place to put that in. I also love that we get to see the origins of Craig's staff, though again, I don't remember if we see how the top piece gets added in the show, and if we don't, this could have been a good place for it.

Obviously, one of the best parts of this was seeing the baby versions of everybody, and obviously Kelsey is my favorite, though it was very weird to see her extorting snacks from Craig. I'm also kind of glad that she seems to have given up her somewhat... disturbing eating habits. I love that she's already self-narrating, I love that she's a second grader who fights on a twelfth grade level and reads on a ninth grade level (once again, making her more like me) and that she thinks books are easier to read than people (which, come to think of it, reminds me of Wildernessa.) And I especially love the story of how she got Mortimer, though this does beg the question... in the show she says she's had like... 37 Mortimers? What happened to the first 36? Parakeets aren't that short lived. Just how destructive is this child?! (Answer: very--it's why they have an electric menorah.)

I knew baby JP was going to be on a ship of some variety, considering he gets his ship captain persona on several times in the show. So once they mentioned the torturer, I just knew it had to be him, and I wasn't disappointed. I feel so bad for him that the other pirates told him he was a torturer because he was torturous to be around. And I'm glad he was able to get some amazing friends out of the deal (and steer a ship.) Kelsey, JP, and Craig were literally made for each other (no, really. They were.)

I also love watching Nicole trying to make the decision of whether or not to let Craig stay the night at the home of a kid whose parents she doesn't know. I honestly don't know what I would do in that situation, and I'm glad everything worked out for the better.

I really like the message of the movie, of course. And while I was expecting Serena's story to be about moving, I didn't even think of Hannah going through the same trouble, so I especially loved how it ended with Craig writing her a letter. I also was a little worried during that shot of JP and Kelsey running to Craig's side, straight past Selena, as she watches her ship literally fall apart. I think it was the saddest shot in the film because it showed just how isolated Serena was. But in the end, it seems like things were okay. Like "Whose Dimension is it Anyway?" and "The Little Warrior," I think this is another great episode to show to kids who are going through the experiences contained therein. Like... I know that Inside Out covers in its way (I think it's supposed to be more generally about growing up than specifically moving), but in the long run, I prefer Craig Before the Creek, especially with that ending line, "Sometimes what you want could seem so far away. But if you take a look around, it might be closer than you think." I think this movie is going to have me thinking on that for a while.

Also, I suppose I should send it to my mother, since she's currently moving...

So long Creek, once again. Tomorrow, we return to Amestris.

[litsnobconfessions]

A Year of Animation Day 180-181: Fullmetal Alchemist S3E9-13

Date: June 29-30, 2025

Day: 180-181

Content Watched: Fullmetal Alchemist, Season 3, Episodes 9-13

Year: 2003-2004

Rating: TV-PG

Run Time: 120 minutes

Well, my favorite episode here is definitely the interlude about Mustang and his men. I like this little bit of fluff, and I enjoy episodes that take a different format, so naturally, this was a fun way to break things up. My favorite of the stories was "The Mystery of Warehouse Thirteen." I saw the end coming, but it was set up in a way that felt like a satisfying reveal, as opposed to being annoyingly predictable.

It's especially nice to have a comedy break after the episode where Ed kills Greed. I guess in his mind, it's not really the first time he's killed someone, but it is the first time someone's died by his hand directly. And to make matters worse, he didn't think Greed would die. The break down he has hear feels very real, especially considering his age. I mean, everything he's been through would do some serious psychic damage to an adult, but a sixteen year old? With all those brain parts still developing? Ouch. This--and even more so, the way it's still affecting him in later episodes--is closer to what I would expect Soren to have experienced in Legend of the Guardians. But Fullmetal Alchemist seems to target older kids than Legend of the Guardians, and I guess that's the price you pay for writing for kids, who might not be emotionally prepared for a scene like this (though, to be fair, the Guardians of Ga'Hoole books get much darker than the movie.)

The detail of homunculi being vulnerable to the bones of those whose form they take reminds me of the sycophants in Obert Skye's Leven Thumps books, which can only be killed by the bones of their own kind (whoops, I guess that secrets out.)

Lust's experience, with her flashbacks, and developing feelings for people reminds me of other shows like Buffy where soulless characters get souls. Remember I asked what makes the homunculi soulless, exactly? Well, I think Lust is growing a soul. As a side note, I think that was the creepiest episode in the whole show, just because of the fossilization disease. I kind of want to know more about it and how Envy created it. How does one go about creating a disease, after all? I also want to know more about the guy who tried to stop it. Aside from the Ishvalans, he's the only overtly religious person we've seen so far. And unlike the Ishvalans, he does alchemy, but it's part prayer. It looks almost like an exorcism. I want to know more about how he learned it and how this kind of alchemy developed.

Of course, I think I see what happened in Ishval. They did alchemy once, but someone did something so powerful it destroyed a whole town or something. Basically, a long time ago, their form of alchemy got so destructive that they decided it couldn't actually be what their god wanted from them, and turned away from it. Thus, modern Ishvalans live as they do.

Finally, I did not see the Scieszka/Winry thing happening! But they're cute together. Curious to see how their relationship develops, particularly considering the year of the show.

Tomorrow, we time-travel back to the creek.

[litsnobconfessions]

what did lyze mean he told soren what he did was right?

I'm assuming you mean when told Soren he was right for killing Metal Beak. I think this was him trying to comfort Soren, would would have been (reasonably) in shock from killing another owl. And Lyze was trying to tell him that he had been right to defend others, even if that action had led to a death. So I suppose they handled the impact of killing someone in this moment, though the ending still feels a little too clean to me.

But I think on some level, maybe I like messy endings? I've already predicted that Fullmetal Alchemist will have a messy ending, but that doesn't really distress me.

[litsnobconfessions]

A Year of Animation Day 178-179: Fullmetal Alchemist S3E5-8

Date: June 27-28, 2025

Day: 178-179

Content Watched: Fullmetal Alchemist, Season 3, Episodes 5-8

Year: 2003-2004

Rating: TV-PG

Run Time: 96 minutes

Well, I guess I was slightly off about Wrath--he wasn't initially a bad guy. He just became one when Envy fed him some philosopher's stones. Didn't Lust say something about needing one to become human? So... if a homunculus eats enough human souls, they get one?

Of course, I think all this begs the question of what a soul is. What determines that Lust, for example, is soulless? How would she be different if she was human (other than the whole piercing fingers business?)

Wrath is also apparently Izumi's kid, back after she attempted human transmutation. And apparently that's what homunculi are--the remnants of the people tried to bring back via human transmutation. That certainly explains Bradley's secretary. But what was this mention of "a new Lust." I mean... why are they named after the seven sins? And how do they get their names? Can only seven of them exist at a time? Do they actually have souls and they inhabit these bodies, and when one... dies (although they seem pretty immortal), they return the next time a body is created? I hope all this gets answered.

Also, it seems that part of the reason Izumi has taught the boys not to do human transmutation is because she personally knows why it's a terrible idea. Does this also mean that the reason she's adamant about them not being state alchemists is that she also knows from personal experience why that's a bad idea? (Hmm... I wonder what her nickname would have been...)

I do think it's clear that the gate is one of those things that reflects your desires or something like that. I mean, Ed said he saw the truth in it, and at the time, he was still desperate to figure out human transmutation and bring his mother back. Izumi describes it as looking like hell, but this was after she'd seen the monstrosity her alchemy created and she wanted to send it back to whatever... hell it can come from.

I'll admit I didn't expect Al to get so violent at the end of "Sin." He's such a sweet kid that it was kind of jarring. But it also didn't feel out of character. Like I said before, Al's been protecting Ed for most of his life. I also really like characters like this--the sweet, kind person who can be very scary when they want to be. Maybe it's because I've been told a couple of times that I'm like this. I also really like the moment when he says he agrees to think for himself about going with strangers, and immediately decides that he doesn't want to go with strangers.

One of the details I really like in these episodes is that Kimblee does alchemy by putting his hands together. He still has a transmutation circle, of course--two, in fact, on his hands. But I think it's an interesting detail that he activates them by clapping his hands the way Ed does. I'm so used to Ed doing it that I almost missed it when Kimblee did.

As for Yoki and his death, I was kind of confused. It wasn't clear to me that Lust was using her finger piercing to kill him, and I it looked kind of like Gluttony was doing weird magic by saying, "pew, pew." My husband had to clarify for me. Of course, maybe this just wasn't considered that important, since I didn't remember who Yoki was anyway.

I think my favorite part of this might be when Edward and Izumi get into the argument about equivalent exchange. I think this is what this show has been leading up to--there is no such thing as equivalent exchange. Life is inherently unfair. Izumi's child died as a newborn. Ed and Al lost their mother as children. And the only way to "ignore" equivalent exchange requires hundreds of human souls.finally, I have to mention the flex-off between Armstrong and Izumi's husband, which reminded me of the shirt ripping contest in Castle in the Sky.

[litsnobconfessions]

A Year of Animation Day 176-177: Fullmetal Alchemist S3E1-4

Date: June 25-26, 2025

Day: 176-177

Content Watched: Fullmetal Alchemist, Season 3, Episodes 1-4

Year: 2003-2004

Rating: TV-PG

Run Time: 96 minutes

We have new credits! I still don't remember that we get new credits each season, so it's a really fun surprise. I like these opening credits even more than the previous ones because I think it's funny that Ed is sleeping through most of them. I particularly enjoy the Sleepy Boy Alchemist atop his little brother (as if Al's giving him a piggyback ride). In contrast, definitely my least favorite closing credits. Aside from not needing the fanservicey bit, they look like credits for a completely different show. They look the credits for a show about a girl who goes on adventures with her dog and has a bit of a Hilda vibe (except for the pin-up poses). And to be fair, I would totally watch that show. It's just not the one I am watching. I do have one problem with the opening credits, though. The kid who Ed and Al meet on the island is hanging out with Envy, so even before he's been introduced as a character, I suspect he's a homunculus, and even if he's not, he's bad news. Ed doesn't trust him either, which makes me think that he, too, has seen the new credit sequence.

And we finally get to meet Ed and Al's teacher! I love that she is the totally OP character, though her ability to transmute without a circle feels like a retcon. I mean, up until now, it's seemed like Ed is the only one in the world with this ability and they were totally baffled when he first did it. But suddenly, we've remembered that oh yeah, our teacher from years ago, that is probably the person we respect more than anyone in the world... she could do it too, couldn't she? Must have totally slipped our minds, how weird. This absolutely could have been mentioned off-hand a couple of times (something like, "how can you transmute without a circle?!" "Well, it's more common than you'd think.") Instead, this just feels like it comes out of nowhere (though obviously, she tried human transmutation if she can.)

My favorite episode of these four is "One is All, All is One" (it's very hard not to type "one for all...") I like how the story goes back and forth between the present and the past, and it's full of really solid transitions between the two. I don't think they did anything to change the animation style for the flashbacks, but the transistions are so smooth, that nothing's needed. While I thought the man in the mask was going to be Izumi's husband, I agree with Ed--almost causing them to starve to death wasn't such a great idea. Then again, he might not have figured it out if he wasn't about to die... Either way, I would lose my job if I pulled something like that. Also, back in season 1, during those seven backstory episodes, there were shots of them on the island with Izumi silhouetted over them. That was good foreshadowing. Why couldn't they have foreshadowed that she doesn't need a transmutation circle?

Izumi is a very interesting character. She's obviously had trouble with pregnancy (perhaps who she tried to transmute?) and she definitely struggles with emotions. I mean, she beats the shit out of Ed and Al and then hugs them. Lady needs a therapist. But her losing a kid might be why she's taken to Ed and Al the way she has... and for that matter other kids. Because even though she's not teaching them alchemy, we see multiple other kids call her "teacher." I really like what she says about not using alchemy to fix all your problems. Also, the bit with the cat was a nice bit of thematic writing. I wish I knew who Mason was though. Before Winry asked about kids, I assumed he was her son. I guess he just works in the butcher shop? And sleeps there?

My least favorite episode is "Her Reason." As much fun as it is to see Winry in her element, the Paninya storyline just didn't do much for me. Like... I "get" why she steals Ed's watch, but I still don't get it. I guess the set-up isn't satisfying. I think she's just not a very fleshed out character. I mean, Dominick tells the other dude that he won't outfit him with an automail gun because he'll never need it. So why does Paninya apparently need rockets in her knees? Mostly I found myself thinking about the ethics of equipping a young child with automail, considering how painful it is (and kids need prosthetics replaced a lot--they're growing!) Then again, I guess Ed did this, so maybe she asked for it, like he did.

I do, however, feel like this episode made it apparent to me how weird it is that people treat Al like he's normal. I mean, they all think he's wearing a suit of armor, but a lot of people are just like, "hey man, how's it going?" If I walked down the street in my little town and there was a dude in full out armor and there was not a ren faire? I would be asking questions. Maybe the Japanese are just more polite.

Finally, I feel it necessary to point out that Breda's Armstrong costume includes the sparkles. Armstrong really sparkles. In world.

[litsnobconfessions]

A Year of Animation Day 174-175: Suzume

Date: June 23-24, 2025

Day: 174-175

Content Watched: Suzume

Year: 2022

Rating: PG

Run Time: 2 hours 2 minutes

I watched Your Name. I watched Weathering with You. Only one movie can come next: Suzume. Let's get into it.

Okay, but can we start by talking about how ridiculous this plot is? Our title character, Suzume, helps a stranger to close a magic door before an earthquake causing worm comes out of it and wreaks havoc on her town. The stranger's injured in the process, so she takes him home to bandage his arm, and while they're there, a talking cat shows up and turns the man into a child's chair. And that's only the first ten minutes of the movie.

Please know, I'm not saying this as a criticism. If anything, I love when a piece of literature sounds this ridiculous when you try to explain it aloud. Consider Phineas and Ferb--two kids invent things like roller coasters and airplanes in their backyard while their sister tries to get them in trouble for it. Meanwhile, their pet platypus tries to save the world from an evil scientist. Also, every episode has a musical number. And yet it works. So does Suzume.

Animation-wise, it's immediately recognizable as a Shinkai film because it has his type of lighting. there are plenty of other well-lit films (Nimona, HTTYD 3, The Book of Kells), Shinkai lighting is unique--a fingerprint of sorts. Even the covers of his films are instantly recognizable for their lighting. Suzume also includes beautiful Shinkai time lapses and rain reminiscent of Weathering With You. Another part of Shinakai's signature are his interesting angles. For example, in Your Name, we had lots of shots of feet and doors sliding open and closed. Suzume also has shots of feet and doors and motorbike tires. And, as my husband pointed out to me, keys in locks. Yes, part of the plotline is about locking doors, but we also see things like bike locks and apartment doors. It makes we want to go back and re-watch Weathering With You to see what the motif was in that film.

We also have to take a moment to talk about the title sequence. I mean, going from the intensity of Suzume and Souta trying to close the door, the worm getting defeated and turning into rain, and cutting to an incredibly minimalist title with that ethereal music? This does not feel like a Shinkai fingerprint (it's very different from Your Name and I believe also Weathering With You), but my immediate thought was that's how you open a movie. It may have literally taken my breath away. Seriously, if you're not sure about this movie, take the time to watch through the title screen. I feel like that might be the make or break point for it.

My favorite part of this movie is probably all of the interactions that Souta has with Rumi's kids while he is a chair (yeah, just writing that makes me feel like I'm talking about a fanfiction lol). I especially love watching them in the background while the camera is focused on Rumi and Suzume in the car. Oh, and the fact that every time Souta... falls asleep? He topples over.

But this movie also has my favorite scene of parsing out what someone meant when they were angry. Specifically, Tamaki says in anger that Suzume is the reason she hasn't been able to start a relationship with anyone. Later, as the aunt and niece reconcile, she admits that sometimes she does have those feelings. But she also loves Suzume and does not actually regret taking her in. I think this is perfect way to describe that anger. There are few situations in life that we feel good about all the time. And what we say in anger are thoughts and feelings we experience. But those thoughts and feelings are only part of our emotional experience, which we understand in its entirety when we're sane. (I also think sometimes of the fairies in Peter Pan, which are so small they can only experience one emotion at a time. This is how we are when we're angry.)

On that note, I was confused as to why Sadaijin apparently caused Tamaki to become angry in this way, like he gives off anger vibes. But aside from this moment, there wasn't anything particularly antagonistic about him. I suppose I also felt like Daijin's character was a little confusing (why did he have to turn Souta into a chair, again?) but this might even out on re-watches. There may also be some things getting lost in translation here, which may or may not also be why it feels weird for Suzume, who is a "junior" to be falling in love with a "grad student." But I don't know how cultural differences play into social norms of dating or the meaning of these words.

I really liked this movie, and even talking about it is growing on me. I think I might even like it more than Your Name (and that's been like... my new favorite movie of the year.) I love how much of the movie was about forming connections. To lock the doors, Suzume and Souta had to make connections to the people who once lived in these now deserted places. But Suzume also makes connections to Chika, Rumi, and other people she meets as she travels. It goes along really well with the story of grief because grief can make us self-isolate, even though it's the time when we need people the most. So I feel like being with all these people may have helped Suzume process her grief for her mother.

Finally, I didn't know when I first watched the film that Suzume's diary references March 11, which was the date of a disastrous earthquake in Japan. Again, this is something that will likely have a bigger impact on a Japanese audience. I took  a moment to read about the event afterward, and even those few minutes made the movie feel more poignant. It reminded me of the experience my own family had going through Hurricane Katrina. We were lucky--no one died--but not all of our neighbors were. It made me wonder what a movie like this centered on that disaster would look like, and how it might strike me. 

I don't really feel like I can follow these thoughts with anything meaningful, so I'll stop here now. See you tomorrow.

[litsnobconfessions]

if soren defeated metal beak without killing him, would it be better?

Define better.

I mean, I wouldn't be complaining that the story never goes to the psychology of what killing Metal Beak does to Soren, that's for certain.

Plotwise, I think the outcome of the movie would be about the same, seeing as it ends with the hint of Kludd taking up the mantle--either way we still have a Metal Beak flying around out there.

Thematically, I kind of feel like it would be darker, ironically enough. Because all the owls would know that Metal Beak was still out there (and depending on the circumstances of his survival, it's possible he'd have done more damage). So it wouldn't feel as triumphant when all the owls are back together at the tree. It might have even affected Soren in a different way, such as leading him to seek revenge. Of course, an ending like that might have also left room for Soren's parents to mourn Kludd.

If you mean would I have liked it better, that's hard to say, seeing as there are lots of ways it could have played out. (And let's not forget this isn't the only option. Someone else could have killed Metal Beak to rescue Soren, for example.)

[litsnobconfessions]

what made the guardians of ga'hoole decide the band should be guardians even though they are not done with their training at the end of the movie?

A couple of possible reasons. It could be that the Guardians decided that Soren and the gang had lived up to the name of being Guardians, and they wanted to honor them for this. It's also possible that this is a way for them to recognize that it's time for them to pass on the mantle to the next generation. My memory of the books has them as guardians even while they're in training anyway, though I could be totally off base with that. I guess what it boils down to is that it's not necessarily an official title, so much as a label for a role one plays. Like hero.