Denkyu: Anime Webzine

by Otakuden

A scorched Earth ravaged by nuclear pollution and war. Leftover remnants of civilization eek out their days within domed cities. Hope, fanatical desperation, and rigid authority struggle for dominion over the masses. In the face of mass destruction, despair, and misery, how would humanity as a whole react when suddenly confronted with a glimmer of hope? How would I as an individual react?

Environmental affairs.
Antiwar sentiment.
Pacifism instead of violence.
Hope and reason instead of despair and hate.

Hayao Miyazaki has been a proponent of all the above his whole life and On Your Mark is no exception. A collaborative effort between Miyazaki-san and the Japanese pop duo Chage & Aska, On Your Mark tells an epic tale of hope in the face of destruction and desperation. Within the span of about six and a half minutes, Chage & Aska weave poetic lyrics as Miyazaki-san breathes life into their shared vision.

Chage & Aska are personified as the two heroes in On Your Mark. Average policemen, they find themselves thrust into a bloody and violent raid on a fanatical religious cult’s stronghold. Amidst gunfire and mass suicide, they discover a lone survivor amidst all the silent bodies and stench of death. Lying in a limp, crumpled mass, feathered white wings cover the pale, still body of a young girl. Who is she? Questions are irrelevant to Chage & Aska. All they see is an injured, young girl who is somehow miraculously alive. Unconscious, the only movement is of her chest slowly rising and falling with each shallow breath.

Cradled in gentle arms, Chage & Aska rush the young girl outside and find something for her to drink. Like a suckling babe, she greedily feeds on the offered straw and drink, slowly opening her eyes for the first time much to her rescuers delight. But no sooner does she wake up that strange men in even stranger full-body medical suits take the girl from their arms, thrust her into a body bag on a stretcher, and race off in their airship adorned with “Danger: Radioactive” symbols.

Left to their own troubled thoughts, our young heroes wither the night away, unable to rest or sleep as their conscience keeps drifting back to the beautiful yet frail girl they had rescued earlier that day. As the night grows long, Chage & Aska form a reckless last minute plan to rescue the young girl from the unsavory devices of the organization which had carted her away. A prisoner, she most likely would have suffered for unknown years, all in the name of science, fanaticism, and military design.

Chage & Aska raid the heavily guarded secret facility and with girl in arms, the desperate race to bring her to safety and to freedom begins. Pursued by armed men and armed vehicles, time and time again our heroes struggle to escape, never giving up because hope, freedom, and human goodwill must never be lost. Finally, they pass through the last gate out of the domed city and into the unknown. Lush green fields overflow with wild plants and flowers of infinite variety. Clear blue skies reach beyond the heavens themselves to greet our escapees. A warm breeze rustles her hair and outstretched wings. With a kiss goodbye and an angelic smile of thanks, our young lady soars up into the skies, free at last.

A young girl? An Angel? An arbiter of hope and freedom for a people who have lost their way? When hope is lost and the emotionless daily grind is the only meaning left to life – can one person, one moment of light and freedom open the doors to hope and rebirth once more?

Hayao Miyazaki, with the help of Chage & Aska, asks these very deep, humanistic and soul-searching questions of the viewer. Each of us as a person, as a human being has the ability and responsibility to take care of our home and to each other as equal individuals. Faced with the very embodiment of life and hope, would you as a person be able to let it go, to keep life and hope free for everyone? Or would you want to capture and imprison it so that you could keep it all to yourself?

On Your Mark is not licensed or available domestically, but it has finally gotten a DVD release in Japan for those who have the ability to play import DVDs. Anyone who appreciates a powerful film with a poetically scripted story and matching visuals will enjoy On Your Mark. It always manages to leave me misty-eyed by the end and with a profound sense of my humanity and wonder.

To check out all of Otakuden’s reviews, check out her blog at http://otakudenreviews.livejournal.com/

by Otakuden

In a forgotten era between strife and tranquility lies a small island resort nestled away on a tiny island in the middle of the Adriatic Sea. Within her walls there are no borders, no enemies and heroes, no war and no violence – just the resort’s chanteuse, Gina, and the magic that is Hotel Adriano. Men and women of all walks of life are welcome as long as they leave any agendas at the door. Pirates reminisce about the good old days as bounty hunters and regular citizen folk enjoy a warm meal and fine glass of wine. As the stress of the day melts away, an angelic voice fills your soul with gentle warmth as Gina sings a gentle aria.

One figure stands out amidst all the other patrons, a mix of first-time visitors and life-long regulars. Quiet and unassuming as possible, he seeks solitude and respite from the muffled festivities on the main floor. He would be just another patron if it wasn’t for the minor detail of bearing the face of a pig. Neither man nor beast, but a former WWI military pilot and childhood friend of Gina, Marcot Pagot has been indefinitely cursed to live out his life bearing the countenance of his convictions. As Gina and Marcot dine together in comfortable seclusion, they silently mourn lost loved ones and the fate which has befallen Marcot.

No longer a man or the soldier he once was, Marcot goes by the name Porco Rosso. Literally “Crimson Pig”, Porco Rosso is so named for his bright crimson red plane that he flies as Porco the pig. His plane is a one-of-a-kind work of genius craftsmanship and point of personal pride. At one time a patriot and pilot of the Italian government’s aerial forces during WWI, Porco grew disillusioned with the purpose of war and who he was fighting for. When the Italian government changed hands, power-lust and fascism became the new law of the land, In the face of such disgusting changes, Porco did the only thing he felt he could do – abandon his government and his people, embracing instead the life of a pig so that he could live free.

When not chasing after various bounties, Porco relaxes at his island hide-out, visiting Gina at Hotel Adriano for a quiet meal or to reminisce bittersweet memories. One particular bounty lands Porco in a difficult position. His precious plane wrecked Porco returns to Piccolo Company for repairs and various improvements. Under the skill and genius of Fio, Piccolo’s relative and heir apparent, Porco and his plane get another shot at life in the skies and on the seas. Wanting only to take his restored plane home to escape once more from sight and society, fate has other plans. An arrogant American pilot Curtis challenges Porco to a dogfight with Fio’s hand in marriage as the prize, stirring long-buried feelings of humanity within Porco’s heart.

Is the love of a young, spunky, beautiful plane designer enough to finally break Porco’s curse? Or will Gina, who waits patiently for Porco in her private garden, be the one who frees Porco and captures his love?

Both a melancholic love story and bitter critique socialist corruption and rampant fascism, Porco Rosso truly captures a begotten era of Italy and of life and love. Miyazaki’s absolute love for planes and all things aerial soars to new heights. Each aerial specification, gear, gauge, and design is intricately detailed with loving perfection. Each moment in flight, breath-taking maneuvers executed, targets made, and downed planes are solemnly reproduced with reverence and respect. Not only does Miyazaki want to share his love for planes and flight, but also his respect for the people and times they occupy.

To watch Porco Rosso is to inevitably fall madly in love with Italy and the untainted aquamarine waters which hold her in a warm embrace. Deep skies of azure depths stretch across the horizon and melt into the crystal clear waters. Deserted islands with virgin beaches dot its watery expanse, infinite and wise. Italy may not look now as it did then, but there is no doubt that during Porco Rosso’s time Italy was just as Miyazaki envisioned it.

Porco Rosso is one of my favorite Miyazaki movies and Studio Ghibli productions. The characters are full of depth, life, and a delicate humanity reminiscent of that particular era in history. As Porco struggles to hold onto his freedom, his humanity, and to find a purpose to caring about life again, I too recall personal battles for freedom and purpose. All the while, Gina waits patiently for an uncertain love while tending to Hotel Adriano and her valued guests. Porco, Gina, and company are like the warm winds of the Adriatic – gentle and soothing spirits of reflection and relaxation. Thankfully, Porco Rosso is available on DVD via Buena Vista and a must-have for both the casual and lifelong otaku.

Fino alla prossima volta, at Hotel Adriano.

To check out all of Otakuden’s reviews, check out her blog at http://otakudenreviews.livejournal.com/

by Otakuden

Life as you know it consists of your bedroom, a large gathering room where you and other children play, and the adults who raised you. There is no outside world, just the institution with its hospital white walls, sterile atmosphere, and impersonal staff who tend to your basic needs. Years pass, friendships are made and lost, as you and the other children living there grow into teenagers. Protected by the staff members who work in the institution, your home, you trust them as one would trust family.

And then, betrayal.

Ignorant of the institution’s real purpose, the children’s role as nothing more than cattle to be farmed for their organs is brutally revealed to one young girl who had been raised by the institution for as long as she could remember. Within seconds, her quiet, peaceful life was shattered because some powerful multi-millionaire’s daughter needed new eyes. Instantly, she was reduced from human being to objectified organ donor. With her eyes stolen and any usefulness over, only death awaits our tragic victim as an unknown armed force attacks the institution. In physical pain, emotionally shocked and shattered, she awaits her fate in listless resignation. Bursting into her life, a shadowed figure scoops the young girl into his arms and fights their way to freedom.

Blind and incapacitated, our young lady is brought to the mysterious Black Jack, a doctor of almost magical abilities. He restores her sight with new set of eyes capable of x-ray vision, giving our young lady a new chance at life. Black Jack informs Ray, our tragic heroine, that her life is now hers to live and her new ability hers to use as she sees fit. While not an original character created by Yoshitomi Akihito, mangaka of the manga Ray, Black Jack is an original creation of Osamu Tezuka, the grandfather of manga. A mercenary doctor who operates on seemingly anybody and everybody, Ray feels greatly indebted to Black Jack.

After being rescued from the institution, Ray was raised by Dr. Kasugawa, a surgeon and Ray’s adoptive mother. A kind lady, wise and caring, Ray admires Dr. Kasugawa as she was a major influence along Ray’s path to becoming a surgeon. Ray is supported on all sides by Dr. Kasugawa, the eccentric surgeon and hospital director Sawa and his staff, and Shinoyama, a genius at manufacturing artificial organs. Shinoyama works closely with Ray on multiple occasions and harbors a not-so-secret crush on Ray. Unfortunately for Shinoyama, Ray doesn’t take notice, and if she does, her memories of Koichi interfere. While she was at the institution, there was a young boy there, Koichi, whom Ray fell in love with. Their relationship was mutual, a quiet tragedy which would be revealed many years later.

Much of the first half of Ray the Animation is spent getting to know our main protagonist and heroine, Ray. Despite having gone through such a hellacious tragedy, Ray grows into a beautiful intelligent young lady and a very skilled surgeon. Using her special ability to control her x-ray vision, Ray performs seemingly impossible medical feats, saving lives that had been written off as lost. Each case ranges from average to the bizarre; a plot similar to Black Jack, but Ray operates for personal reasons and not profit or gain. Ray cannot see someone in pain, hurt, or dying and not want to help. Her personal creed as a doctor and her morals won’t allow it.

Throughout all her operations and her daily life, Ray has never forgotten nor forgiven the institution for what it did to her and her friends, nor the “H-Ring” man who stole her eyes. While Ray never saw the powerful billionaire who bought her eyes, she did see his hand which had a large ring on it with the letter “H”. Thus, he is known only to her as the H-Ring man. Together with Director Sawa and his staff, who are revealed as being part of the team that raided and burnt down the institution years ago, Ray searches for lost friends and the “H-Ring” man. It was Director Sawa himself who saved Ray so many years ago, losing an eye and a leg in the process. A rather intimidating figure of a man, Sawa is actually a gentle giant, and cares deeply for Ray as he would for his own daughter. It was Director Sawa and Dr. Kasugawa who raised Ray after her rescue.

Through a devastating sequence of events, Ray learns the truth of her origins, her original purpose and why H-Ring is so obsessed with her. She also finds Koichi and is finally able to put an end to everything. Supporting her throughout her ordeal is Director Sawa, Dr Kasugawa, Shinoyama, and hidden in the shadows, Black Jack. The shocking truth acts as a release, breaking the chains which had bound Ray to her past. Truly free now, Ray continues her chosen path, continuing to use her gift, her special eyes and surgical talent to help people and save lives.

Ray the Animation features amazing medical mysteries, detailed, gritty, and out-of-this world surgical procedures amidst top-notch animation. At the heart of Ray the Animation though is Ray herself. The horrible journey she has had to endure through life and the path she has chosen for herself despite said tragedies. It takes great inner strength to continuously turn tragedy into hope and resolve. With the help of close friends and family, Ray uses that innate inner strength to build her a new life.

As sentient, intelligent human beings, just what value and worth do we put on people and life? Are we nothing more than just organs waiting to be farmed out or donated to someone else after we die? Is someone else’s life more important than mine? Who deserves to live and who deserves to die? Should it matter whether the patient is a saint, or a vicious cold-blooded serial killer? If you only have one chance at life, how will you choose to live it?

Life and mortality. Morals and justice. Forgiveness and redemption.

Ray the Animation puts these issues at the forefront as our heroine Ray searches for her own answers. Strong yet vulnerable at the same time, Ray is the lost, hurt child in all of us: fighting to live, to find meaning and purpose in life, and to find who we were and who we are going to be. As Ray searches for her answers, so too does the viewer. Unfortunately, Ray the Animation is unlicensed. At thirteen episodes long, it is an enjoyable anime, and one I could easily watch in one sitting. Once Ray grabs a hold of you, she doesn’t let go. The manga is currently available translated, but it is my hope that someday soon Ray the Animation will get the US DVD release she deserves.

To check out all of Otakuden’s reviews, check out her blog at http://otakudenreviews.livejournal.com/

by Otakuden

What do you get when you combine one of the greatest anime directors and an English techno dance band? A funkadelic sci-fi romp through adventure and romance in vivid colors and classic anime style.

Leiji Matsumoto has been writing manga and directing anime since the early 70s, bringing into existence such timeless classics as Galaxy Express 999, Captain Harlock, Space Battleship Yamato, Queen Millenia, and Queen Emeraldas. To this day, Matsumoto-san is still very active in the anime industry, writing and producing new anime, all occurring within a fictional world known as the Leijiverse. Over the decades, Matsumoto-san has singe-handedly created a living, breathing anime universe that is uniquely his own. Space Opera; were there to be a king of this genre, Matsumoto-san would definitely be sitting in the throne.

Daft Punk is a French techno dance funk band who got their start in the late 80s. Back when dance and techno was in its fledgling stages, Daft Punk was tearing up the dance floors and club scene, pioneering new ground in this emerging musical frontier. Daft Punk’s search for their own unique sound culminated in the mid 90s with their debut album Homework, and they haven’t slowed down since. Closet otaku and life-long fans of Matsumoto-san, in 2003 Daft Punk approached Matsumoto-san with a completed script and their desire to create an animated musical movie centered on their album, Discovery. Matsumoto-san agreed and joined the creative team of Shinji Shimizu, Kazuhisa Takenouchi, and Tamiyuki Sugiyama as the visual supervisor.

Between the fall of 2000 and the spring of 2003, a modern classic was born: Interstella 5555 – The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem

Interstella begins with the slow, building beat of One More Time, the opening song on the album Discovery and the opening song for our nonstop musical thrill ride through Interstella, an epic space opera. On a colorful planet amidst distant stars, citizens dance free and enjoy life to the funky beats and musical styling of the stars of the Crescendolls, a blue-skinned four member band which includes Octave, Baryl, Arpegus, and Stella. In true Matsumoto-san style, Stella is strikingly waifish and feminine, yet vibrant and strong-willed. She plays the bass guitar and is the heart of the Crescendolls. Matsumoto-san has always been a proponent of what I would consider a well-rounded, strong female lead who is both vulnerable and indomitable. Her fellow band members fill the roles of quietly stoic, fun-loving rascal, and noble leader.

Unfortunately for the Crescendolls, Earl de Darkwood, an evil megalomaniac has set his eyes on their underground popularity with selfish designs of profit and power. As the album plays nonstop, so too do the unraveling events of Interstella. Kidnapped mid-concert by masked, armored humanoids sent by Darkwood, the future seems bleak for the Crescendolls as they are ferreted away in Darkwood’s ship. A distress signal is sent to our hero, Shep, aboard his spaceship which just happens to be in the shape of a huge electric guitar. A fellow otaku of the band and harboring a boyish crush on the beauteous Stella, Shep dons his battle gear and steers his ship for the kidnapped Crescendolls final destination: Earth.

In a hidden facility, the Crescendolls are brain wiped of their vibrant personality and identity and turned into mindless automatons. No originality. No creative freedom. No passion or inspiration. No sense of genius or style. No heart or soul. Originally nameless to the viewers, the band was given their name Crescendolls by Earl de Darkwood which eventually becomes their accepted identity. It may be the only redeeming contribution they receive from their time on Earth.

With their minds reprogrammed, appearances disguised with a human skin-tone spray, and a new hip look, the Crescendolls make their Earth debut and are an instant hit. While Darkwood would like to credit their success and achievements all to him, it is really the Crescendolls original passion and creativity which lends them their success and lovability, whether it be on Earth or the far reaches of space. Darkwood is, after all, stealing their music, their talents, and their image to rake in the millions of dollars of profit he can make from the band, gaining the coveted Gold Record. And when their use is over, he plans nothing more than to store his Gold Record and their musical essence in some heartless machine and then dispose of the leftovers.

Shep, who crash landed on Earth in his pursuit of the kidnapper’s spaceship, witnesses the Crescendolls concert on TV. Recognizing their disguised form, he plans their rescue. Without a human disguise, Shep covers himself to hide his blue skin and alien features from the dangerous inhabitants of Earth. As our musical space opera continues, Shep plans a desperate rescue during one of their concerts which quickly falls apart in the face of Darkwood’s armed guards and the Crescendoll’s disoriented confusion. After all, they have no memory of who they really are, so Shep is just as alien and a dangerous threat to them and their audience. Valiantly, Shep is able to release Darkwood’s mind-control over all the band members except Stella. Freed from Darkwood’s clutches, Shep and the other three band members eventually rescue Stella, but not before misfortune strikes and tragedy claims her first victim.

Octave, Baryl, Arpages, and Stella head for Earl de Darkwood’s lair, an ominous castle nestled high upon a craggy cliff. Inside, they learn of the Earl’s devious plan. Every one of his Gold Record bands have kidnapped, brain wiped aliens. After he receives the 5,555th Gold Record award and places it and the representative band member into his evil machine, Darkwood would be granted absolute rule over the Universe. Appalled and enraged, the Crescendolls foil his plans, sending the Darkwood to his deserved doom. With their identities restored and their disguise abandoned, the Crescendolls return home. Arriving safely, they hold their first concert in honor of their fallen hero as their performance is broadcast on digital sets throughout the Universe.

Peace, Love, and Musical Freedom is restored. For the Crescendolls and the viewing audience, there is once again goodwill and happiness in the universe. Interstella 5555 is one of the best collaborations between two creative forces, and another timeless addition to the Leijiverse. While watching Interstella, I can’t help but wonder where the original story ends and the cynical criticism of commercialized music begins. Ultimately, I believe it to be Daft Punk’s love for original music and Matsumoto-san’s love for impassioned story-telling which gives credit to both social points.

Social studies aside, anytime is always Daft Punk and Matsumoto-san time, and Interstella 5555 will always be a modern space opera of retro funkadelic pleasure to watch, hum, and think along to.

To check out all of Otakuden’s reviews, check out her blog at http://otakudenreviews.livejournal.com/

by Otakuden

Ten minutes can change your life.
Ten minutes changed mine.

Purely by chance I happened to download an unknown anime packet by an as-then unknown anime company named Studio 4*C. I had no idea what to expect. Something mediocre. Hopefully interesting. Maybe even original. Instead, what I discovered was the shortest mind-blowing artistically epic anime of my long otaku life. Within ten minutes, I was taken to a lost era of human strife and turmoil as one lonely girl tries in naive child-like desperation to save her village from a bloody massacre. Her savior? A tall, dark, mystical man of unholy rumors and mysterious origin fettered away in a forgotten castle as ageless as he – The Black Swordsman.

“What you saw at the castle on that windy night…and what you saw at the bridge last night…how I smiled…never utter a word to anyone…if you dare to speak…I will find you wherever you are…and I will kill you…I will rip you apart…crush your bones and eat your flesh…I will drink your blood…I will devour you.”

Kigeki, or Comedy in English, starts with these whispered words echoing across the screen as the sound of old audio static crackles in the background throughout Kigeki. As the story of a lone five year old Irish girl and how she saved her village from the evil English soldiers begins, the time and place is nonchalantly established as Ireland during the middle of a brutal battle for Irish independence from England. Much like the crackling audio static, Kigeki plays like an old video reel with a soft candlelight palate, lines snaking across the film in vintage cinema style. So lavish and lushly detailed is each minute of Kigeki, I soon forgot I was watching an anime and instead found myself instead transported back in time as an anonymous witness.

The story of our young heroine and the Black Swordsman is fictional, but the moment of history they meet in is very real, lending a dark, tangible realism to Kigeki. Born in a time when books and the written word were power, where reading and sophistry went hand-in-hand, the Black Swordsman shuns modern society, clinging to the books he so loves. What is in the power of the written word? Looking through the history of humanity and civilization, reading and writing and education were once the ultimate level of enlightenment and thus power. At times symbols of peace, at other times protest and even sensuality, books could be likened to gods unto which we surrender ourselves. And thus we find The Black Swordsman, a powerful, mysterious, mythical being as forgotten as the ancient era of books, rendering his services unto those who need him for one simple price: the perfect Book.

Knowing this, our young heroine secretly raids her parent’s library as if guided by some inner instinct for the perfect book that she knows with absolute certainty he will enjoy. As she relives the events of fifteen years past, our young heroine races through the Black Forest. Book tightly gripped in her tiny arms, she collapses from exhaustion at the edge of the forest, his castle in sight. She awakens in a room, fireplace crackling and candlelight fighting to win against the pitch of night. Desperate, she pleads for the Black Swordsman to save her family, save her village, and kill the vile English soldiers. Her trembling hands present her payment, and with quiet noble delicacy he takes the book from her hands.

Hours pass.

As all children do, the young girl amuses herself as he is absorbed wholly in the book, knowing of no one or anything that surrounds her. Books are power, and words are not to be spoken. She never leaves his presence, hopping and scampering about, tossing a pebble at his head, or leaning forward to stare at his face – all without the Black Swordsman being fazed for a second. His world is the world of the book. As night falls and the moon rises to fill the sky in her revealing light, a slight smile cracks his lips, and the girl shouts for joy. She has done it! Her village will be saved! The Black Swordsman picks up the little girl, and says in an emotionless voice, “I accept.”

Playing throughout Kigeki and perfectly paced with the unfolding of our story are two fantastic pieces of classical music by Franz Peter Schubert: Ave Maria and Erlkonig. Hard piano strikes and ominous chords rattle as armored men with eyes glowing red in the black of night mounted on beastial horses pound over a cliff. The English. As they approach the small, worn cobblestone bridge that separates their bloody path and our young heroine’s village, a lone figure stands tall in silent defiance. The Black Swordsman. With a draw of his sword, he leaps into the oncoming mass of 200 English soldiers in a blaze of blinding moonlight and viscous reds. As the opera continues in the background, one of the most brutal, bloody slaughtering of men ensues.

Minutes pass.

As dawn breaks over the bridge, the Black Swordsman stands alone amidst a pile of empty armor and stained cobblestones. Blood mars the soft beauty of his mouth and face. Speaking only a solemn warning to our elated heroine, he leaves for his hideaway in the Black Forest to once again be alone with his books. Fifteen years later, our heroine, now a young lady, stands on the hillside of her free Ireland and stares at the Black Forest, wondering if he is still there reading his books and smiling in the silent moonlight.

Kigeki is an amazing anime, and accomplishes in ten minutes what some two hour long movies and twenty-six episode or longer anime series fail to do – deliver a taught, epic, spell-binding, intricately complex and clean story that immediately whisks you away on its journey. Truly one of Studio 4*C best works and a must see for anyone who appreciates cinema and has ten minutes to spare. It may be hard for Kigeki to get licensed unless an anime company is willing to take the chance with a large collection of Studio 4*C short works, but it is an investment that is well worth it. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the magic of Kigeki.

To check out all of Otakuden’s reviews, check out her blog at http://otakudenreviews.livejournal.com/