#anime movie

[slutpoppers]

Botamon meets Kari

[cantcatchmeee]

Neo Tokyo, Akira (1988)

[jburunet]

Big fan!

[sailorrjupiterr]

Porco rosso - studio ghibli.

[bunneis]

ONLY YESTERDAY (1991) Directed by Isao Takahata

[acidtookmysoul]

Perfect Blue (1997)

[mycrystalearth]

[alpaca-clouds]

Understanding Princess Mononoke

People on twitter have asked me to write this up, after speaking just a bit about it on the bird plattform.

So, recently I rewatched Princess Mononoke and talked about it with a friend, who is Japanese with a degree in Japanese history. And I think some of it was rather interesting.

Some of you might already know this. But others might not. So just endulge me for a moment.

Let me start with Ashitaka. The movie does mention that he is Emishi - but many people are not aware, what this means.

See, Japan had quite a lot of indigenous cultures (I will talk more about those tomorrow). Most might know the Ainu, as they are still around today. Fewer might know about the Ryukyuan people of Okinawa, who are also still around. But there are several indigenous people, who have once lived in Japan, but whose culture hence had become instinct. The Emishi are one of them. They lived in Northern Honshu and their culture disappeared around the 10th century.

The movie, of course, takes place in the late 14th century, which is why the monk notes, that he knows what Ashitaka is, but will keep it secret. The idea is that Ashtakas little village had stayed secret to avoid being destroyed. As such Ashitaka has a different relation to the nature and the nature spirits than the other characters of the movie, who are to engrossed in the mainly Buddhist culture.

Another thing that has to be addressed is Iron Town and Lady Eboshi's people. According to the official Japanese material to the movie, Lady Eboshi once was a prostitute herself, who happened to get power by getting taken to China. Which is why she is in possession of the Chinese gun technology. She then decided to use that to allow herself power - but not entirely out of selfish reasons. Because she, of course, takes in untouchables. Japan, to this day, has an untouchable caste. Which are people who work certain "dirty" jobs or sicknesses. Most of the women in Iron Town are prostitutes who Eboshi had bought free from their brothels. And she wants to have a town where those people can live good lives.

Because of this she has to hope for the support of the Emperor, as the Samurai lords in the surrounding areas do not want her there.

Which brings me to the finale and killing the god. Here is a thing that you have to understand of Japanese history. The original indigenous people of Japan believed in nature spirits, that at times were actually gods. Especially mountain gods. As Buddhism spread (again, something I will talk about more tomorrow) the upper class went out to kill the gods.

Old Japanese history will talk about people killing gods in the same way, as we talk about St. Patrick and the snakes of Ireland. As if it has really happened.

And that is something that Eboshi tries to do. It is killing the old god, but more than that: killing the old culture.

One of the central conflicts the movie shows is, that the nature spirits are loosing their self-awareness. That they revert to normal animals. Because the indigenous culture that revered the nature spirits is fading away.

Which then is, why Ashitaka, who comes from one of those indigenous cultures, is the main character of the movie. Because he still has this connection to the nature spirit, that the other people have lost.

Yes, the movie is very solarpunk in hindsight. But it also understands what it means to loose connection to nature.

And I find that really beautiful.

[pfpanimes]

⌕ ponyo - studio ghibli.

like or reblog if you save/use.

[shinjisfoldingchair]

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

[junior-stargazer-goke91]

Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

Director: Satoshi Kon

Cinematographer: Katsutoshi Sugai

[extraterrestrialtechno]

The Running Man (走る男) directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri; short from anime sci-fi anthology ‘Neo Tokyo’ (1987).

[beyondthegate]

Our animation choice for today was Paprika! The movie is all about the absurdity of dreams and the blurred overlap between reality and dreams. The animation plays with the same ideas by showing all kinds of transitions and effects as characters move between them.

[pinkalmondcake]

Guys, please watch this movie, or read the novels or the first movie - MAYBE ALL!! 😭😭💖💖

Meet the inspiration for most anime today and the one that inspired Castlevania- Vampire Hunter D!!

It really is underrated and deserves more love! Bloodlust is literally my favourite movie and I cannot express how much I cried and giggled like a school girl all over again😫✨

The novel and movies really captured my heart😓😓

I haven't read the manga which is adapted from the novels yet, but I want to-

Please give this anime a try! Y'all won't be disappointed for real! 🥰🥰💖

[keykomori]

“I’m not just a pretty face, you know. I can control men with just a glance.”

[bunneis]

TOKYO GODFATHERS | 東京ゴッドファーザーズ dir. Satoshi Kon