Okay, so I've been a little busy and I haven't been playing much. But I just got a new graphics card, so IT'S TIME TO PLAY!!

Remember how I said my low-end graphics card ran older games smoothly? Well, it ran AC fine enough, but I got abysmal frame rates on Arkham Asylum and my system kept getting bluescreens after a motherboard replacement. So I upgraded to a factory overclocked Nvidia GeForce GTX560. This thing is awesome. It's not going to run Battlefield 3 at max, but it's enough to get some impressive visuals on a dual monitor setup.

All I've done so far is run around doing side missions in AC, but that's what I like about that game- finding all the hidden goodies and running away from people shouting "GET THE ASSASSIN!"

:D

Yes, I'm rather behind the curve when it comes to playing the latest video games, but thanks to a certain "sale" I've decided to give Assassin's Creed a try. (I'll admit, part of the reason why is because one of my favorite deviant artists floods my watchlist with AC work, and wow, she makes the guys look pretty good. :anime:)

Let me start off with what I'm playing it on- the Aperture Science AK2501 or "The Time Waster". It's a custom built computer, so I chose that silly name for it. A and K stand for the colors of the machine, and Aperture Science because of the Portal sticker I put on the case. The processor is a fairly powerful AMD Phenom II X6 1055T, with 8 gb ram. The graphics card is more low end, being only a AMD Radeon HD 6570 (by comparison, the best AMD computers on the market right now run 7500+) but for a five year old game, it runs pretty smoothly.

I'm only a few hours into the game, but it's pretty entertaining. I love the Crusade setting- too many games focus on the 20th century. The mechanics are easy to learn (once I ditched the keyboard for a 360 controller), and I just love sneaking up on people.

There are plenty of funny parts, too. Running around the town while hearing "what is that guy doing?" or "what is the meaning of this" from the bystanders is hilarious. It was even better when I missed a leap of faith and landed on a guy. :D

Princess Mononoke, AKA the violent one:



This one's okay. You understand it a little better if you know about early Japanese history. Ashitaka's people really existed, though they didn't have any magical qualities or curses. The dub has a good cast, except that I think San sounds flatter than ran-over cardboard.

Story wise, the plot keeps your attention, though the ending is a little disappointing. Honestly, this isn't one I rewatch too often. I like historical fantasy, but you can only take so much before it gets stale. What I do like about it is the music. Ghibli music always impresses (well, excluding Arrietty; I didn't like that one bit) and there's no shortage here. The vocal piece at the middle is great, and it's one of the few Ghibli songs that got an English translation.

I'm not dead, I swear. Next movie, Whisper of the Heart:



Whisper of the Heart, contrary to Disney's marketing, is a straight up school life anime about Shizuku Tsukushima, a girl who wants nothing more than to read fairy tales. School entrance exams are coming up, but she doesn't care. More reading, less studying.

One day she notices that a "Seiji Amasawa" has been checking out all the same books as her (in Japan, the old "tosho kaado" library cards had the borrowers' names on them). So she starts to wonder what he is like. In the mean time, she meets this rude guy who makes fun of her song "Concrete Roads", an alternate take on the song "Country Roads" that she has been translating (in a funny scene after meeting him, she walks home yelling "iyana yatsu" or "stupid jerk" depending on the language you watch). Guess what the rude guy's name is...

The only fantasy in the film comes from the story Shizuku is motivated to write around the middle. If you pick up the DVD and look at the back, you'd think the whole movie was fantasy. Nope. It's realistic.

That being said, the movie is great. There's some unnecessary tension added (the whole plot about Shizuku struggling in school is not in the manga), but overall it's a good adaptation of the book. The sub plot about Shizuku and Seiji's siblings is cut, but there are subtle hints. If you've read the book, look for them. ;)

Whisper of the Heart is in my top three, along with Only Yesterday and Ocean Waves. Coincidence that they're all realistic? Yes, since I'm sure you know how much I love a good fantasy. I'm thinking it's because they all have a solid love story (with a happy ending). Spirited Away and Mononoke have great love stories, but look at their endings. Chihiro has to leave without looking back. San and Ashitaka go their separate ways. Howl's Moving Castle has the kind of ending I like, but the pacing is a little poor if you ask me (in that one's book, it was better).

Yes, it's time for everyone's favorite animated movie that focuses on "pouches".



If you're not familiar with Japanese folklore, let me tell you a little about the tanuki. Tanuki are "raccoon dogs", fuzzy little animals that resemble raccoons but are actually the size of a dog or a small bear. In folklore, they could transform and played tricks on travelers. Think Mario 3 and the statue power. The folklore also made mention of certain "attributes" of the tanuki, which in the dub gets translated into "pouch". If you don't know what I'm getting at, just leave it. You don't want caught looking this up. :p

The movie is rather cute for a serious environmental piece. The tanuki are mad that their homes are being destroyed for land development (land in Japan is valuable) and they try to get back at the humans and stop things. The movie is a little different from the other Ghibli films, since it's all about the animals. Humans are relegated to side characters at best.

The dub is just as good as the subtitle track, so take your pick. I recommend the dub, because unlike all the other Disney dubs, this is done by pros of the VA industry. Clancy Brown, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, and Kevin Michael Richardson lead the cast, with a side of Cave Johnson and Bender himself as a sneaky fox character.

Pom Poko is a movie that you might not understand, but it's a good one none the less. Just make sure you tell the kids that tanuki have "pouches" like kangaroo and you'll be fine. :D

Sorry I'm behind, work and all. Today is Ghibli's less popular, made for TV movie from the early nineties:



The idea behind the made for TV movie was that Miyazaki and Takahata weren't going to be making movies forever, and that the younger staff at Ghibli needed a chance to shine. So Ghibli hoped for a cheaper movie directed by the up and coming staff. Unfortunately, Ocean Waves went over budget and wasn't received very well, causing both hopes to be dashed.

But don't let that discourage you- a made for TV movie by Ghibli is better than some of the theatrical animation in the US. The plot is pretty simple- Taku and his friend Yutaka meet a girl, Rikako, from the city. She is different from all the other girls, and draws attention fairly quickly. Thing is, the plot is told in the frame of reminiscence like Only Yesterday. Taku is on his way to a high school reunion, and he starts thinking about Rikako after catching a glimpse of her at the station.

The plot is straight slice of life. No fantasy, no daydreaming flashbacks, just a girl, a guy, and his friend. I know this film wouldn't fit in with Disney's deal, so it's probably not going to get a DVD release in the states. It is part of the GKIDS deal, so there is hope of seeing it, but you have to import it if you want a disc.

Porco, everyone's favorite sea plane pilot:



Porco Rosso is Miyazaki's aerial masterpiece. He loves Italian planes and aviation, so naturally he'd make a movie about them. The gift shop in the Ghibli museum is even named after Porco's rival gang. :p

The plot is simple, pilot Porco is hired to save some girls, and in doing so catches the attention of an American hot-shot pilot named Curtis. Naturally he's challenged to a duel. After getting his plane broken, he heads to Italy to have it repaired, and challenges the American again. Along the way we see glimpses into his own life- he's now a pig because he blames himself for surviving the war when so many others have not, despite the fact that his friend Gina disagrees.

It's so hard to describe the plot efficiently, so you should just see the movie. The dub is one of the better Disney ones, as Michael Keaton is an excellent Porco and plays well against Cary Elwes as Curtis. The cast isn't weighed down with celebs either, like the more recent dubs. Susan Egan as Gina has a very nice song near the start of the film, and while her voice is rather distinct (this role and her role in Spirited Away are exactly the same tone as Megara from Hercules) she plays the part well.

Yay, it's time for one of my favorite Ghibli movies, and my favorite Takahata film.



Only Yesterday is the story of Taeko, a 27 year old office woman who takes a holiday in the country, and along the way recounts certain events from her elementary school days. Some events include her first trip to an onsen (Japanese hot spring), her first crush, and various family memories.

More Plot Detail:

A reoccurring theme throughout the movie is Taeko's life situation- she is and unmarried woman approaching her thirties, in a dull office job. An early telephone conversation reveals her mother is annoyed that she is not married yet, though it does not bother Taeko. Taeko spends her vacation with her sister's in-laws, picking safflower to make dyes. She is greeted at the train station by Toshio, a cousin of a cousin of the sister's husband. Over the film, Taeko tells Toshio about the different memories she is having and how life in the country is so much different than life in Tokyo.

Only Yesterday is not seen in the states very often. It was shown on TCM as part of the Month of Miyazaki (despite being a Takahata piece), and it will be part of the GKIDS showing. But other than that, you're going to have to be like me and get an import DVD to watch it.

The reasons for this are not really known; it's part of the Ghibli/Disney deal, but Disney won't dub it or even put out a sub version. My guess would be that it's a josei anime, meaning it's targeted at older women instead of the younger, more fantasy minded crowd. There is slight nudity in the onsen scene, but you don't see anything more than you see in My Neighbor Totoro. The kicker is probably the section of the film that talks about menstruation. The boys find out about the "assembly" that all the girls attend, and then start teasing them. It's nothing gross, but kids in America don't really discuss these things until they are older (Japan doesn't have as big a stigma about it as we do).

The story is straight slice-of-life, and it probably will bore those who go into it expecting more. The closest Ghibli films to this style are Ocean Waves and My Neighbors The Yamadas, but more on those in future installments.

The ending song for this movie is an excellent cover of Bette Midler's "The Rose", and it fits the movie perfectly. The animation is also top-notch, as it strays from the traditional "animate first, voice later" approach that Japan usually takes. The scenes with young Taeko are traditionally animated, but the adult scenes had their dialogue recorded first in order to look more realistic. I highly recommend this film to everyone.

Kiki was one of the first Ghibli movies I'd ever seen, so let's sum it up.



This is a pretty cute movie, and it's the perfect film for anime beginners. The dub is pretty good (Phil Hartman is great as Jiji), the story is solid, and there's little Japanese culture to comprehend. I remember watching on the local Fox/ABC station. One of the first souvenirs I bought in Japan was a stuffed Jiji. :anime:

I wish they would play this on television, more, to be honest. Japanese or not, it's a good kids movie.

Yay for the most recognized Ghibli film and the saddest anime known to man!





Why am I doing both of these at the same time? Because in Japan, they were a double feature, believe it or not.

I don't need to say much about Totoro, if you like anime chances are you've seen it. But Grave of the Fireflies is without a doubt the saddest movie I've ever seen. The only thing "happy" about the ending is that the movie is over. It's about the firebombing of Kobe during WW2, so there isn't much to hope for.

The worst part is

Spoiler:

when the little girl is so hungry and exhausted that she eats rocks thinking they're candy.

Many manly tears are shed at this point.

Next is Ghibli's first true production:



This is the first movie released by Ghibli proper- while Nausicaa was done by the same staff, the studio hadn't formed yet. Laputa (known as Castle in the Sky in the US) is about Sheeta, a girl who has to escape from the evil people who hold her captive. While doing so, she falls out of a blimp and is caught by Pazu, a little boy who dreams of seeing the titular Laputa.

That's a big oversimplification of the plot. The movie has a couple big scenes, and the ending is spectacular. There are also some awesome pirates. The dub for this movie is pretty good, though Sheeta has the unfortunate voice of Rogue from the X Men movies. I think she sounds flat a lot of the times.

There is a lifesize statue of the robot from this movie on top of the Ghibli museum in Japan. I got a picture of it when I was there, and it's pretty impressive.

Number two is Miyazaki's epic masterpiece, Nausicaa:



This is the one that was massacred as "Warriors of the Wind". If that's the version you're familiar with, please watch the original. This is about an adventurous girl Nausicaa, who has to deal with a foreign army that drops a massive weapon-creature on her town. The world they live in is all but toxic to humans, and she learns why over the course of the film.

It's not my favorite, but it's still a good environmental film. The dub has some excellent voices, including Patrick Stewart, Uma Thurman, and Alison Lohman. It's a nice action flick, and I really like the ending. I've never read the manga, but it's likely equally good.

This is a new blog series I'm going to be doing, featuring mini-reviews of each of the Ghibli films (including pre-studio Miyazaki).

#1: Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro



I don't have a copy of Panda! Go, Panda!, so I'll start here. The Castle of Cagliostro is Hayao Miyazaki's directorial debut. It's a movie about Lupin III, a renowned thief. He and his pal Jigen start by robbing a big casino. Things don't work out for them, as their whole haul is funny money. This motivates them to pull a heist on the source of the counterfeit cash, Castle Cagliostro. Hijinks ensue.

This is the only Lupin work I'm familiar with, though I've read that it's quite different from the usual Lupin. Lupin is fairly tame in his actions, and it's a good all ages movie.

I actually really like the dub for this one. It's not a Disney product, but a Manga Entertainment one instead. The dub shares the same principal cast as Fushigi Yugi, and everyone does a nice job. Some grumble about the language but hey, people swear and deal with it. It's not as bad as the internet makes it seem.

First of all, I want to say a word about the music. Twilight Princess grabbed me fairly quickly with its score. When I saw the first SS trailer, I thought this game would do the same. I'm just not feeling it yet. Don't get me wrong, SS has some beautiful pieces so far, but they just don't hook me yet.

Now on to the gameplay. I was told this game was going to be hard. Well, so far I've found it pretty easy. For both Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, I died a few times into my first dungeon. So far in SS, I'm two dungeons in and haven't died yet. You could blame it on the fact that you start with 6 hearts, but enemies take full hearts at a time whereas past only took a fraction.

The sword use takes some getting used to. When I first played, I had to flail around because it wasn't matching my movements. Now that I've got it doing what I want, it's not so bad. You have to watch it, since the game takes even the slightest twist of the remote as an action.

There are a lot of different remote movements, and some are fun. Throwing an item takes an overhand flick, while rolling a bomb, pot, etc. gets an underhand one. Practice on Wii Bowling if you have trouble, it's the same concept (including twisting).

I'm also getting vibes of a JRPG when I play this. For starters, anywhere saving is gone. You have to use save points. Don't worry, they're plentiful, just not everywhere. There's also the ability to swap items and equipment instead of carrying everything with you (think Fat Chocobo).

Facial expressions are a big improvement over Twilight Princess. Link now has more than just "normal, angry, curious, and sad". I also love some of the noises Link makes. Fall into lava and Link will go "HA CHAH CHACHT". I laughed when I first heard it.

Today is November tenth. In ten days, Skyward Sword comes out. That release coincides with a week long break from school.

This is me right now:



This is me if I catch anyone spoiling it:



It's always the nice ones that hurt the most, so keep that in mind. ;)