Forum - View topicHey, Answerman: CHICKS AND EXPLOSIONS!!
|
Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Next Note: this is the discussion thread for this article |
| Author | Message | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
kizzmequik_74
 Posts: 302 Location: QC, Philippines |
|
|||
Well, most movies ARE made for the lowest common denominator audience, which movie producers consider as a mostly dim bunch who watch movies on the basis of the aforementioned trailers, chicks, and explosions. More generally, this is a reason for summer blockbusters with paper-thin plots, but awesome explosions and action sequences. This assumption is a bit unpalatable, though, and not necessarily accurate. The tightrope between making a movie that appeals to both the general moviegoing audience, and the hardcore fan is one that is walked by any theatrical adaptation of a pre-existing franchise, although anime adaptations have a tougher time than, say, comic book films, or movies based of American TV shows. But really, I'd tend to agree that an enjoyable, visually impressive film, with believable performances, and shows respect for the source material is the best we can hope for. At worst, we'll get some horrible CG, bad acting, with long, awkward pieces of exposition. Regardless, a feature-length film really isn't the medium for an exact word-for-word adaptation of an anime: in Japan, whether in live action, or animated, movies based on anime tend to be re-imaginings. Witness the Escaflowne movie, or the Nana and Honey and Clover live action films. But then, wasn't G-Saviour, a Gundam live-action movie, made mostly in North America, and wasn't really a stellar production? Hmm... So, yeah, probably someone like James Cameron or Peter Jackson could possibly make something awesome out of an anime-based project, with something like an astronomical budget. Here's hoping. btw, those chicks WERE cool, hahaha... |
||||
|
||||
|
la_contessa
Posts: 200 Location: Pennsylvania |
|
|||
|
Great column!
I pretty much agree that anime based on manga is usually better if it sticks to the general story from the manga (notable exception: Excel Saga runs out of manga to track, and doesn't lose its appeal. Part of that is that it added some outside elements--Pedro, the Puchuus, etc.--in from the beginning, so the transition wasn't abrupt), but there is such thing as TOO much similarity to the manga. For example, I love the Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle manga, but I stopped watching the anime about 6 episodes in because it was basically the manga panel for panel and it bored me (maybe it diverges later, I wouldn't know). If you're going to do an EXACT copy of the manga, you need to make the added ability for movement count for something. School Rumble does that very well, I might add. |
||||
|
||||
kizoku
 Posts: 47 Location: Ypsilanti, MI |
|
|||
|
The Reason Why, explained!
Movie to book, book to movie, manga to anime, anime to manga, separate story lines or direction grafted into anime. They mostly all suck. Why? Sturgeon's law. 90% of everything is shit. Add in the fact that the only pieces of art that move to another media are the 10% that are good and it gets worse. Everybody compares the new media version against the beloved old media and it just can't compare. A Harry Potter anime series actually sounds like a really good idea. Sorry to sound so amazed. Just never occurred to me. |
||||
|
||||
CCSYueh
 Posts: 2707 Location: San Diego, CA |
|
|||
|
Yeah! Someone else who isn't in the jaded "everything Hollywood sucks" camp. At best, we get some cool movies. At worst, it'll kill the cycle like when we saw Batman & Superman in the 80's ride into the ground pretty much killing the comic book movie market, but it's back with the Marvel titles (after some stumbles like Punisher which, as I recall, didn't catch on. Or did it?) I assume the people wanting tio make anime/manga based movies are either fans of the material or soomeone in the studio trying to branch out since the American comic market hasn't really changed in years(or has it shrunk? I forget where we were before the manga explosion) while manga & even anime(in the respect of being on tv & thus in the eyes of the target audience of a lot of these movies) is on the rise.
As for the size of one's manga collection vs the size of an anime collection, it's pretty obvious, isn't it? Avoiding the whole downloaders killing the anime market debate pretty much 6 dvds=a series or season while we're talking double, quadruple & more for manga. Excel-6 dvds/over 16 manga. When I started TokyoPop's version GetBackers, the manga topped out at 23 volumes, but I saw a volume numbered in the 40's when I was at Mitsuwa the other day. I've dropped series, yeah, but if it's good as GetBackers, Saint Seiya (28 volumes, isn't it?), DB/Z(42?), etc, I'm not dropping it & thus I wind up with a larger number of manga. I can take the manga anywhere. I looked at one scan (InuYasha) ages ago, but the translation was so incoherant, I really couldn't see how people could read the things & gave up swiftly (within a month?). I don't like reading my manga online. It doesn't look the same really. |
||||
|
||||
Xenofan 29A
 Posts: 378 |
|
|||
I'm not in that camp, but I have been known to be overly cynical concerning that upcoming Eva LA project. I just don't think I'll like it. As I said to my friend, "A good live action Eva movie could be made, but it won't." The best comic book movie of the past few years was Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins. He's one of the best directors working in Hollywood now, and he made something that both pleased fans (for the most part, although not being one myself, I'd have a hard time judging) as well as mainstream audiences. If someone like Nolan were to do an anime adaptation, it could be great. And Zac, this is your most hilarious column yet! Great job. |
||||
|
||||
Berserkfury819
 Posts: 229 Location: Detroit Mi. Spider-Man is dead. R.I.P. |
|
|||
|
Daryl Surat is my new hero.
Personally I'm really looking forward to James Cameron's Battle Angel Movie. Zac, once again you prove that you kick ass. |
||||
|
||||
Richard J.
 Posts: 3367 Location: Sic Semper Tyrannis. |
|
|||
Since I forgot to say it before, Happy 300th Column Answerman! You rock! You roll! You occasionally irritate me but mostly you are gold! Now, what are planning for #400? (Fanservice and funnerals?) There was a very interesting mix of responses about moe. One thing I've noticed time and again with this whole thing is the ingrained notion that it's creepy because men are the target audience. Virtually every negative comment has to do with how creepy/pervy it is for men to be the target audience. So it occured to me, if these shows were aimed at women, young girls, anyone but men, would anyone even be talking about the horrors of moe? And isn't this whole thing starting to look a little bit like a witch hunt? What we can't even have a young girl in a series now without people starting to complain that it's another moe/loli pedo bait series? Do I have to prove my sexual desires are directed toward older women? Fine, I'll do it. I'd totally have sex with Jessica Alba. If she were wearing a school girl uniform. Preferably Catholic. With twin tails. And she says gao while in bed. 
|
||||
|
||||
eyesopen0791
 Posts: 108 Location: A Sleepy Town in California |
|
|||
|
Wow, awesome column this week, really high energy! and congrats on making to the 300th one! And that’s good of you to pay attention to what some posters said about your last column, although I think you were already planning on something more exciting anyway.
Yeah, anime being turned into movies can be scary for fans, but with the right people behind the project, there’s really reasons to hope. How could anyone seriously complain about the Wachowskis, James Cameron, and Tobey Maguire? These are big name creative artists who have a track record of mostly respecting the material and who mostly have the studios in their pocket to give them the creative freedom to do so. Sweet, I loved The Fifth Element! Very colorful and fun, if incoherent and silly on its plot. It’s going to need a better character to play the Bruce Willis one – someone, well, younger…and more muscular…and better looking. That man could not pull off the color orange. I kept thinking walking pumpkin. Manga, I’m starting to read now so that I can compare to watching the anime later. I like the feel of the book in my hands. Staring at the computer screen, I will always forget to look away sometimes and so my eyes are going to be tired and dried up if I read e-books, although I don’t mind them really. I’m surprised that directors and producers do a bad job when they move away from the manga source. Don’t they have a good scriptwriter to write up a good story while everyone’s waiting for the manga to produce the rest of the episodes? Maybe they should come up with a story arc of their own rather than filler episodes which a lot of people seem to hate. Love the explosion and Shamus pics! Can look at that all day long! Oh, for those people who said welcome to me when I mentioned I’m a new fan to anime, thanks. ::Waves back at y’all wildly:: |
||||
|
||||
|
HeeroTX
Posts: 2046 Location: Austin, TX |
|
|||
Too much of ANYTHING is usually bad. Remember when anime was nothing but porn & pokemon? Or remember when anime was nothing but giant robots? (I'm sure Daryl loved that era) Or harem shows? Or any other specific things? As before, "this too shall pass". I have nothing against 'moe' but complaining about it because it's gonna make ALL anime 'moe' is stupid. Eventually people will want something else and eventually someone will make something special and it'll sell and then all the people/companies will fall all over themselves trying to imitate it and we'll be on to the next thing. Heck, with 'moe' going strong in Japan, look how much effort American companies are throwing to try to reach that long ignored "girls" demographic and put WAY too much emphasis on Yaoi over here. If THAT niche genre can get so much attention here, then I'd hardly call 'moe' so ubiquitous. And if you like non-moe, then buy it. "Flag" is a recent OVA that is more mature. GitS has had numerous things recently. Shounen JUMP ALWAYS has various shows. I'd try to come up with more, but admittedly I've been following manga more than anime lately. 
(Plus I think things like "Moetan" will always be kinda niche because companies can make more money making shows like Negima or Futago Hime which have 'moe' appeal but ALSO appeal to a core audience that likes it for the action or the harem or the magical girl-ness or whatever. So for a show like Futago Hime an 8-yr old girl can pretend she's the main character(s) and a 35-yr old guy can cuddle the plushes or wave around the same toys as the 8-yr old. Sure, that's kinda creepy, but it's been going since before Sailor Moon and hitting ancillary markets is just "extra". Remember, for anime the US was (and to a smaller extent, still is) an ancillary market. Hmm... that's kinda confusing, point being 'moe' has as much chance of "taking over" as Yaoi or hentai or sentai or any other genre, which is to say none, but it will always have a place as long as people buy it. Seriously, as long as they don't actually molest children (or do anything else illegal) is the moe fan really any worse than the girls drawing Goku & Vegeta ****ing? Or, if you want to be more "child porn"y, are they any worse than the girls imagining Roy Mustang giving it to Ed or Al Elric? Or Kakashi doing Naruto? Or any of the other weird and disturbing images that go with that fandom?) |
||||
|
||||
|
Bushwack
Posts: 38 |
|
|||
|
There is a really good reason that Fifth Element has an "anime feel". France has a comic/graphic novel tradition second only to Japan's. Luc Besson selected Moebius, a.k.a. Jean Giraud (Heavy Metal) and Jean-Claude Mezieres(Valerian) to do the pre-production design work.
|
||||
|
||||
|
russianreversal
Posts: 2 |
|
|||
|
Chicks and explosions and getter beams, oh my...........
|
||||
|
||||
|
Strephon
Posts: 177 |
|
|||
|
I'd point to "Angelic Layer" as one example of a series that improved in the transition from manga to anime. The manga doesn't seem to have been a major project for CLAMP; it's only five volumes, it ties in to a short-lived trend of the day (the fighting robot series that was a brief change of pace from fighting monster series), and it takes some shortcuts with the art (in comic moments, characters' bodies are reduced to crude outlines; this happens more often than it really ought to). The anime drops the art shortcuts, adds some competitions to the story (so the main characters' rise to the top isn't quite as abrupt) and dramatically improves the underlying reasons for the actions of one important character. (The anime version was overseen by one of the members of CLAMP, for the record; having the original creator(s) involved in an adaptation doesn't always help, but it didn't seem to hurt anything here.)
|
||||
|
||||
Cephus
 Posts: 139 Location: Redlands, CA |
|
|||
|
My take on moe is that when it's just cute girls, it's fine, I have no problem with it, but as soon as they start to blatantly sexualize them, it turns into a pedophile's wet dream and that shouldn't be permitted.
One of the best recent examples I can think of, even though it's ultimately a spoof, is Doujin Work. Sora is cute, she's fine, she's innocent, until she starts rubbing all over Justice and you can tell just what he's thinking. It only gets away with it because it's a spoof of the whole doujinshi/manga genre. Come on people, are you really so pathetic that you have to watch seeming kiddy porn? |
||||
|
||||
PantsGoblin
 SubscriberEncyclopedia Editor  Posts: 2969 Location: L.A. |
|
|||
Ugh. l leave for a few weeks and come back to hear this. You know, I haven't even seen you taking into consideration what the other side is saying on this issue. Please get your head out of your ass for a bit before spouting your ignorance. |
||||
|
||||
ichiro3923
 Posts: 167 Location: hiding in your closet watching you |
|
|||
|
Today's Answerman column was great. I'm glad that my previous snarky post in a particular previous thread didn't affect your ability to make this article action-packed.
Manga --> Anime: When going from manga to anime, I usually don't prefer when content in the manga may have to be altered due to censorship or that the anime was aimed for the general audience. One DVD where I thought that the anime was better than the manga was Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal. The story told in the manga pales in comparison to the way it was directed in the OVA, with imagery not seen in the manga as well as their musical score. Coincidentally, this is one example that made me prefer anime instead of manga. Flake: I actually liked Yu-Gi Oh. The Finals in the World Champion Arc had some sick 10 combo dueling card moves |
||||
|
||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group