Forum - View topicKawa no Hikari [TV Special].
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ryanvamp
Posts: 424 |
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While browsing through the forum I found a thread called "Unexpected masterpieces". I agreed with several shows people mentioned, like Paprika, Nauusica and so on...but those movies are fortunately well-known.
I thought about making a thread about the one I'm going to mention, but honestly, I lacked confidence in attracting people's attention with this movie for several reasons, the main three being: 1. It's a pretty obscure nhk special of 2009. 2. It's, on the surface, aimed at kids. 3. My native language isn't english and I'm not sure I can convey with precise terms the feelings & thoughts I had regarding this work without sounding awkward. BUT I am going to try in this thread cause well, the only thing that's costing me is time...and I think somehow I owe it to the movie itself. This last weekend I had the opportunity to watch the tv movie Kawa no Hikari. In a nutshell, the story is about rats that live near a river and must find a new home cause the current one is threatened by a construction site.... ...if ANYONE is still reading this after that synopsis and is able to deal with watching a show about talking animals in a serious mood, it's a WONDERFUL story. I mean, almost EVERY minute in this movie is relevant to some kind of reflection upon life: what it's like to yearn for something, how "home" is not a physical place but something that is part of you and no matter how good you feel in another place, you can never forget thatt; how you should rarely judge a book by its cover (interestingly enough, it is done both ways: there are people that may seem the same as you on the outside but you cannot put your trust in them); the fact that when you're a parent you're willing to do any stunt or sacrifice to assure your chirldren's well-being, how being different or weak is not a bad thing if you have the right people around you; how we should not feel so afraid of death but more willing to actually live; how you should not quit from pursuing your goals, etc etc. It even has some very poetic lines regarding the title (the light of the river); I think a lot of it (the story) works as a metaphor or analogy of many ideas, and even when most of it is pretty simple, or precisely because it doesn't try to feel complex, it works and makes you care as long as you do not have a heart made of stone or require highly realistic stories. With this one, I did some research and it turns out the original author teaches in an University in Tokyo and has a degrre in French Literature. IMO I think it shows in the screenplay. I should clarify that I'm an adult and can be quite skeptical or even cynical regarding some movies; I didn't enjoy some of Miyazaki's works (probably because in a couple of cases he tries too hard to hamfist his love for nature into his stories) and I'm not precisely a huge fan of Disney or fables with morals. Having said that, I dunno why this beautiful yet apparently simple story did it for me while others didn't. Maybe it was because I felt a connection with Glenn's (a character) personality ( that notion of "knowing that there is more to life than what you're doing but you weren't born with the right mindset to achieve it"), maybe because sometimes I need a story about nice human values and I want a break from all the sci-fi, seinen, shonen or whatever...maybe it's because I like animals...I can't pinpoint just one reason. But if I can make at least ONE person to give it a try (while knowing that indeed it's aimed at all ages and it doesn't feature big action sequences, moe or gore) and LIKE IT (or GASP, even making a thread about it or recommend it to someone), I would honestly feel happy. In the end, I guess I decided to make such a long post about Kawa no Hikari because I feel that if I don't, no one will. I don't have kids yet...but if I did, this is one of those movies I would want to see with them (specially to make up for the fact of forcing them to see the gundam movie trilogym, the rebuild of eva movies or many more). I don't want to make it sound like it's the best thing I've ever seen, but I do prefer to overrate it than not mentioning it at all. Thanks in advance to anyone that manages to read through all of my rambling. |
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Mister V
 Posts: 1000 |
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A lot of native English speakers could learn from you, that's for sure. Thanks, it caught my attention.
And I do not think people would be put off by the premise. It sounds Ghibli-esque at first glance at least, and there have been similar themes in Western cartoons. I'll try to check it out. |
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4750G
 Posts: 546 |
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Well that caught my attention. I think it's a good movie (is it a movie?) at the very least, because if affected you so much that you just had to make a post about it. My brother told me once, he didn't feel as much impact as he used to with movies because everything seemed to be a rehash of another. But for you to find something moving in a film, the movie must be very good. Or different. I agree with you when it comes to needing a break with all the action you often see in today's anime. Action is always a good foundation (for me at least, I love action scenes) but as they say, too much of anything is bad. This movie might be a refreshing change after watching all those fight scene, war scenes, mecha scenes. And I think I can use the uplifting mood, I've been watching way too many tragic stories these past few weeks.
So in conclusion, I liked your post. And I know you're not a Disney fan but if ever you feel like it, try watching American Tail, if you haven't. The movie is about (what a coincidence) rats who move to the US after cats destroyed their village. However, the son gets separated from the family before they arrive in America. The family believes they lost their son, but the son somehow manages to reach the States, and thus begins his journey to be reunited with his family. |
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ryanvamp
Posts: 424 |
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Thank you very much for your answers. Yeah, I think it is kinda ghibli-esque, that's why I mentioned Miyazaki. The sad truth is that if it was a movie made by that studio it would have probably received attention and praise, but that's only my assumption.
I am aware that a lot of stuff this special covers were treated in many western cartoons from the past (currently I think that distinction of telling good stories with actual content goes primarily to Pixar in the west), but like you guys noted, I think Kawa no Hikari just combined things in a manner that really stroke a chord within me. And yes, I did watch American Tail when I was a kid; it was a good movie. I guess the theme and the plot summary IS quite similar indeed, but that one, if I remember correctly, functioned in a more classic way and was, if I might say so, much more "spectacular", straightforward and antropomorphic regarding its characters. Regarding Kawa no Hikari, I think it's more subtle in its themes and laid back. Anyway, thanks again, I appreciated your feedback. |
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