I’m nearing the end of my PG Zaku refurbishment. Enjoy a few photos of the kit pre-full armament…
Noboru Ishiguro (1938-2012)
Today I’m mourning the loss of one of my favorite anime directors, Noboru Ishiguro. He was one of the directors of Space Battleship Yamato and was the director of Super Dimensional Fortress Macross and Legend of the Galactic Heroes. He even directed an old childhood favorite of mine, Fushigi na Koala Blinky, or Noozles in the U.S., which aired on the Nick Jr. block in the eighties and early nineties. Ishiguro was a massive talent and the world of anime is sure to be somewhat less without him. He was 73.
ANIME TOP TEN (LIST #2) FOLLOW-UP
List #2 took a little more decision-making on my part. I had to evaluate my current list and make a few choice corrections to reflect my current tastes. But there are still plenty of movies or single-part OVAs to praise, so here’s ten more, in short.
#s 11-20: 11. Farewell Space Battleship Yamato – The most memorable Yamato film, and an early attempt at capping the franchise, this movie has action, drama, romance, and plenty of large scale operatics. 12. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind – Miyazaki does what he does best in this adventure film with an environmental message. He transports the viewer to a foreign world, filled with wonder and danger, but without alienating the audience. 13. Lupin III: Episode 0: First Contact – This is probably the quintessential Lupin adventure, the jewel in the crown of Lupin’s grand age of TV specials and embodiment of Lupindom. Not only does it provide the story of how the Lupin gang met, but it’s also an exciting, funny romp through New York City, Lupin style. 14. Final Yamato – The climactic (then) final chapter of the Yamato franchise, Yamato goes again on a large scale mission, it’s last, to save the Earth from a Noahic disaster. Emotions run high, as does melodrama, but all in all a fine conclusion to the Yamato story. 15. Princess Mononoke – Another gorgeous, sprawling, sweeping story about so many things, such as perserverence, mercy, the environment, and coming of age, Miyazaki again hits a home run as he teaches us all the importance of respecting natural forces. 16. Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy – A lot like Castle of Cagliostro, but maybe not quite as beautiful. It does have the advantage of being more Lupin-ish than Cagliostro, with the characters acting a bit more like their usual selves. But also like Cagliostro, it has quite a bit going for it as an adventure movie.17. Patlabor: The Movie –
ANIME TOP TEN (LIST #2) – #1: Royal Space Force: Wings of the Honneamise (1987)
Director(s): Hiroyuki Yamaga
Screenplay: Hiroyuki Yamaga
Music: Ryuichi Sakamoto
"Reach for the stars" is a cliche motivational phrase denoting a desire to go as far as you possibly can to obtain your goals in life. In this movie, you can actually imagine the people who worked on it as desiring just that, not just the characters. It was an ambitious project for the fledgling studio Gainax and it unfortunately didn’t really make too many waves in Japan. But it’s a criminally underrated film that expresses its themes with thoughtfulness and doesn’t try to sugar-coat or talk down to its audience.
Royal Space Force is about a lost generation. Most of its main characters are a disillusioned, cynical bunch who don’t hold a lot of respect for their lots in life. The huge undertaking of a space program is something they don’t fully appreciate at first. In fact, it’s not until towards the end that these characters even come out of the fog of their stagnation and steel their determination to make the project work.
I love the details in the film. The studio clearly poured enormous attention into the film. The backgrounds are lush, the detail of the machines and the expressions of the characters and their movement are all excellent. The explosions are even well-drawn and have seemingly realistic physics to it. If nothing else, the movie is surely a visual feast, taking us into a world much like our own, with some slight, but vital differences.
Of course, one would be amiss if one didn’t mention a certain scene towards the end of the movie. It’s not a pleasant scene. If you’re any kind of decent person, you’ll probably feel disgust towards our "hero", Shiro. It even seems a bit too sudden and probably a bit too far to take the situation. The movie could have skipped that scene entirely and it probably would have been fine. Shiro is still a guy who needs to turn away from his life of decadence and sluggishness. However, in the scene’s defense, it creates a bigger need for Shiro to redeem himself, at the risk of his own life and well being. I also have an alternative view of the scene, if anyone’s interested. Not that it excuses Shiro’s behavior.
Wings of the Honneamise is a triumph of Japanese animation about the triumph of a man looking for a purpose in his life as well as others. It is as inspirational as much as it is well-crafted. It’s a must see.
ANIME TOP TEN (LIST #2) – #3: Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (2001)
Director(s): Shinichiro Watanabe
Screenplay: Keiko Nobumoto
Music: Yoko Kanno
A great companion piece to the television series, this movie captures the flavor of Cowboy Bebop in a one-off that feels like a single episode type story but is on a grander scale that suits a movie. It has high production quality, to begin with. The art and animation are stunning. Everything is very detailed and the flow of animation is stunning, especially during the fight scenes, which are brilliantly coreographed. The music is yet another great accomplishment of Yoko Kanno and The Seatbelts, with each piece reflecting the atmosphere of the setting and situations given. The city (cities?) the movie takes place in are intricately drawn and have an active personality, as though it were a real place. There is a grittiness and activity that helps the city seem so real. The movie adds in slightly more insight into Spike’s personality and I personally couldn’t help sitting at the edge of my seat, rooting for him. Fans of the series shouldn’t miss it.
ANIME TOP TEN (LIST #2) – #4: Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Director(s): Isao Takahata
Screenplay: Isao Takahata
Music: Masahiko Satoh, Michio Mamiya
Original Novel: Akiyuki Nosaka
Grave of the Fireflies isn’t just a fantastic anime film. It’s not even just one of my favorites. It actually seems to be something important, something one can’t possibly ignore or miss out on. It’s a vital, mandatory watch, not just for anime fans, not just for animation fans, and not just for movie buffs. It’s a must see for everybody. The gravity of the film reaches across borders, that’s how well-crafted and emotionally realized the film is. It’s a harsh, heartbreaking movie about two children, an older brother and a younger sister, who suffer loss after loss during a difficult time in history. They suffer most of all from the older brother’s pride, mind you, but this is no love note to war either. Whatever your stance on in history for what was done at that time, it’s easy to reconcile with the pain of innocents caught in the middle of a horrible situation. In fact, the author of the original novel it’s based on suffers from survivor’s guilt, a fact which helps to further color this important movie. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, you owe it to yourself to do so.
ANIME TOP TEN (LIST #2) – #5 Mobile Suit Gundam Movie Trilogy (I – 1981, II – 1981, III – 1982)
Director(s): Yoshiyuki Tomino, Ryoji Fujiwara, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko Screenplay: Kenichi Matsuzaki Music: Hiroshi Matsuyama, Takeo Watanabe As I said about the TV series, the now classic Mobile Suit Gundam wasn’t very popular at first. But due to its popularity in repeats, it garnered enough attention to warrent a film series adaptation. The TV series is a classic, but most of what it does, the movies do better. Some of the more garish toy advertisement elements were replaced with better looking alternatives and the story and themes are streamlined, without some of the clunkiness of the show. The new animation, most present in the third movie, is good enough to impress, but is also flawlessly in tune with the old animation. The new footage was headed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, so perhaps more credit can be given to him than for Tomino for the films.
Peter Weyland, TED 2023
Gunpla Posers 2012
In conjunction with r/Gundam and r/Gunpla we’re pleased to announce our first ever Gunpla competition, Gunpla Posers!
For our first (hopefully not last) Gunpla competition we wanted to do something a bit different than a lot of the other ones out there. Gunpla Posers is not looking for the best paint job, the best photo, or the best custom work. Instead we’re looking for the best pose.
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This contest isn’t about pushing the limits of modeling and design but having fun and getting the most out of your gunpla. The kit you submit with doesn’t have to be fully detailed, covered in custom paint, or stand upon a photo realistic representation of Jaburo. It just needs to stand in a way that stands out. Yes, I know my wording needs some work. Judging will be based on how the kit and it’s stance comes across. There are four categories you can enter, each with a bit of unique judging criteria. The intent is to make this contest fun and easy to enter for all ages and skill sets. So dust off your models and start snapping. Besure to read all the rules and entry guidelines listed below. Prizes!Besides a bit of bragging rights we will be giving out a few gifts. Winners will receive a copy of the upcoming re-release of Yoshiyuki Tomino’s Mobile Suit Gundam: Awakening, Escalation, Confrontation. These three books, mostly written after the conclusion of the original series, provide a different take on the start of the the Gundam franchise. As with all Tomino works it remains hotly debated to this day.
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Entry Categories
There are three categories into which you could submit a photo…
- Dynamic Pose – Is your kit charging fearlessly through the Gates of Hell? Is it cowering before a superior enemy? Is it gloating over a fresh kill? This is the all encompassing category that looks to answer the simple question; who can craft the best pose. Judging for this category will be based on the dynamics of a single kit in your entry.
- Comedic Pose – This category is for the goofball in all of us. Come up with something that’ll make us chuckle. What makes things a bit tricky is that the concept still needs to be expressed in a single shot. In other words, no panel comics. Judging for this category will be based on the overall hilarity of your entry.
- Accurate Pose – Perhaps the most challenging category of the three, can you duplicate a pose from the series or manga? Not only does one need to show creativity but accuracy in matching their kit to a specific scene. In addition it’s preferred that you include a snapshot of the pose you’re duplicating. Judging for this category will be based on how much your entry matches up with a scene.
- Group Pose – Gundam pile?! Judging will be based on the over all creativity regarding how your kits are posed together.
While photo quality won’t be a deciding factor in picking a winner it’s much appreciated and clarity can definitely have a favorable impact. Check out our photography tips to help get the most out of your shots.