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Shelf Life - Children Who Chase Lost Voices


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Parsifal24





PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 11:04 am Reply with quote
I watched Children Who Chase Lost Voices back when Crunchyroll had that "Makoto Shinkai film festival" a while back I didn't hate it but I had more fun making snarky Mystery Science Theater 3000 comments while I watched it than the actual experience of watching it haveing watched all of Shinkai's work. I feel that the criticism that he makes the same film over and over again has some weight to it.

Admittedly he does an excellent job with the limited emotional palette he chooses to paint from I just don't find it all that engaging Your Name could be good but I haven't seen it so I can't say yea or nay on it
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pajmo9



Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 630
PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 11:34 am Reply with quote
I stopped watching Makoto Shinkai films after 5 Centimeters Per Second because I found them to be soulless. His characters always felt like empty shells to me. I will admit that he's presented some interesting ideas in his films though and I am somewhat interested in Your Name. I might have to check it out.
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Zin5ki



Joined: 06 Jan 2008
Posts: 6680
Location: London, UK
PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 2:05 pm Reply with quote
Children Who Chase Lost Voices stands out as the biggest anime-related disappointment I have seen in many years. Knowing that it was Shinaki's attempt at a fantasy film, my expectations were moderated accordingly. Or so I thought: from the moment of Shun's abrupt and soulless fight with the beast on the bridge, I realised to my dismay that my moderate enthusiasm was still excessive. This was neither the sort of film that captivates me at all, nor an example of what earned Shinkai his previous acclaim.

In slight accordance with what Paul has written, the characters are simply not up to the task of embodying anything of thematic resonance. Asuna lacks the heart that the film's notion of longingness required to buoy it, whereas the pitiful Mr. Morisaki is too maligned to suitably fill the role of a supporting protagonist. Indeed, what modest poignancy the climax could have achieved was subdued by his astringent selfishness, a complication Shinkai lacked the tools to suitably condemn within his narrative.

More importantly, and in spite of the great manner of oddities we see in Agartha, at no point does the adventure escape the plodding monotony that falls into place once such a world is revealed. The tenderness that endeared me to the director's other works simply failed to manifest here, something for which the novel designs and familiar audiovisual perfection could never compensate. Such a land was home to little but bare plot; a series of events that engender no sentiments of note. Had some of the lulling intimacy that Shinkai's previous triumphs share been present here, I could perhaps have seen beyond such particular hiccups as the incongruous attack helicopters, SWAT teams and spoiler[the surprise cameo by Hitler and Napoleon], but with every character being so disengaged from the ones they supposedly love—something that never arose during his earlier films' handling of distant relationships—the viewing experience becomes too stale to notice much beyond its more evident lapses. The emphasis on world-building and exploration that this genre demands is too orthogonal to the director's talents for delicacy and passion over intricacy and character growth.

I love the works of Makoto Shinkai. Dearly I do. Perhaps it is for this reason that my disdain for this unfortunate miscue is so pronounced. It only gladdens me that The Garden of Words was a relieving return to form for him, something that bodes well for Your Name's upcoming international release.
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meiam



Joined: 23 Jun 2013
Posts: 3442
PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 2:08 pm Reply with quote
pajmo9 wrote:
I stopped watching Makoto Shinkai films after 5 Centimeters Per Second because I found them to be soulless. His characters always felt like empty shells to me. I will admit that he's presented some interesting ideas in his films though and I am somewhat interested in Your Name. I might have to check it out.


I think his character being souless is part of the point. What I like the most about his character is that they felt very real, even in his most fantastical setting. They don't feel like magical being who exist for the specific purpose set forward by the movie, the movie just cover a small part of there life (albeit an important one).
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endallchaos



Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 213
Location: Sin City
PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 2:23 pm Reply with quote
pajmo9 wrote:
I stopped watching Makoto Shinkai films after 5 Centimeters Per Second because I found them to be soulless. His characters always felt like empty shells to me. I will admit that he's presented some interesting ideas in his films though and I am somewhat interested in Your Name. I might have to check it out.


Too me, they have a lot of soul. Garden of Words is my favorite, because I feel like they have strong and complex emotions. I could also, sort of relate to the female MC. I found 'Your Name' to be pretty good. Better than 5 Centimeters Per Second, but worse than 'Garden of Words'.
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Jayhosh



Joined: 24 May 2013
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Location: Millmont, Pennsylvania
PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 2:29 pm Reply with quote
Wasn't too big on this one, but I loved Garden of Words and I can't wait to see Your Name. Been hearing a lot of positive things.
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jtron



Joined: 03 May 2012
Posts: 183
Location: Chicago
PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 3:57 pm Reply with quote
Looking forward to a write-up on the recently released BEELZEBUB DVD set.

Also, I would just like to say: nyoron~
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nobahn
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 4:37 pm Reply with quote
I adored Children Who Chase Lost Voices the first time I saw it; but a rewatch did seem to take the sheen off of the movie.
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Emerje



Joined: 10 Aug 2002
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Location: Maine
PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 6:57 pm Reply with quote
This is the one Shinkai movie that I really didn't like out of all his works and the only one I have yet to buy. I first saw it at the Otakon premiere, going in really excited and coming out really confused over how Shinkai could make something so poorly conceived. I remember that before this movie everyone was calling him the next Miyazaki, but then he made a Ghibli-style movie and you didn't hear that so much anymore. He does great character dramas, especially when he slips some light sci-fi elements into small town settings, but sweeping fantasy journeys are a little too far out of his realm.

I still should buy a copy of this some day just to fill in the gap...

Emerje
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koinosuke



Joined: 24 Sep 2005
Posts: 271
Location: Fukushima, Japan
PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 6:58 pm Reply with quote
In agreement with everyone's points about the soullessness of this movie - I too found it plodding and a major disappointment. The other point against this film for me is that while Children is an obvious attempt to create a Ghibli-esque film, it goes far beyond being just that - I found that the movie aped the Ghibli style to such a degree that it almost smacked on plagiarism. Even many of the camera angles and the blocking seemed to have been ripped directly from various Ghibli films. Despite the copycat nature of the film it managed to lack any of the soul or character that Ghibli films are so well-loved for, and I firmly believe that even the much-maligned Tales from Earthsea is a much better movie than this because it at least has some real emotion and soul (and more memorable sequences).

That aside, I'm very happy to say that Your Name was one of the best anime movies I've seen in years. Makoto Shinkai is much better when sticking to the real, modern world, even with his trademark magical realism.
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Animegomaniac



Joined: 16 Feb 2012
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:04 am Reply with quote
Makoto Shinkai, the more I see of his work, the less I... I don't know... Children who Chase Lost Voices... did I see this movie... I did... I tried... narrative hard to... but I find it's... too long we all must... not give up...

Quote:
Ultimately, how much you get out of this movie will depend on whether or not you're okay with it being a little unfocused.


No, really? Wait, I mean no, I'm not. I didn't like 5cm per Second but it at least got to its point of having no point in half the time. I was dying by the midpoint, fast forwarding at the 3/4 mark.

Is it shelfworthy? Absolutely... my advice is keep it on the shelf and out of the BD/DVD player.

Quote:
The writing may not be perfect, but it's hard to get too mad at a movie that looks and sounds as nice as this one.


Yes, this is Shinkai's crutch that props up his entire work and it's one I don't accept; Story then storyboards then film, story is not something that comes after the storyboard in a close second place.

Maybe your name is the Shinkai film that breaks the story< art block but I'm never one to get my hopes up.
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phia_one



Joined: 15 Jan 2012
Posts: 1654
Location: Pennsylvania
PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 2:39 pm Reply with quote
Children Who Chase Lost Voices is the only Shinkai film I've seen so far. Like others, I was disappointed and even bored. It's a shame because the summary made it sound like it would be interesting.
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nobahn
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 2:49 pm Reply with quote

I most definitely recommend that that you watch Voices of a Distant Star (30 minutes) and She and Her Cat (5 minutes).
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endallchaos



Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 213
Location: Sin City
PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 2:53 pm Reply with quote
phia_one wrote:
Children Who Chase Lost Voices is the only Shinkai film I've seen so far. Like others, I was disappointed and even bored. It's a shame because the summary made it sound like it would be interesting.


You watched his worse film. lol Smile
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phia_one



Joined: 15 Jan 2012
Posts: 1654
Location: Pennsylvania
PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 3:18 pm Reply with quote
nobahn wrote:

I most definitely recommend that that you watch Voices of a Distant Star (30 minutes) and She and Her Cat (5 minutes).


Those are definitely on my list, I'm just a little slow going through my list.

endallchaos wrote:
You watched his worst film. lol Smile


I'd take that a step further and say that it was one of the worst animated films I've watched in general.
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