The 'I luv Gainax' thread!
- Thread starter Shito
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Why don't you just use the All About Anime thread? There's been plenty of Gainax discussed over there anyway.
slerch666
updyke,
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Gainax. They make good Anime.
I'm with Kristian. If you wanted to discuss any of their stuff, why not stop in the All About Anime thread?
Otaku no Video was a fun release. Makes fun of Otaku everywhere.
My current favorire Gainax show is Mahoromatic. Sure the back characters have been done before, but I love the main characters.
Oh wait, that's not an original Gainax story, does it still count? Kare Kano wasn't an original story either.
I believe we've had at least 4 other threads since I started posting here to discuss Evangelion. I'm tired of discussing Evangelion, and most people's discussion on Eva, rather than being deep and meaningful is 'gee cleetus, that thar Anime is dam gud! I like dem dar giant robot thangies bluwin shit up!' Yes, I am generalizing it, but most people don't view Eva to get the deeper meanings, they view Eva because everyone tells them it's good. It is good, and I guess just watching for the insubstantial stuff is fine, but there is just so much more to it.
ADV just solicited the US release of Petite Princess Yuushi. I posted that in the all about anime thread as well.
I'm with Kristian. If you wanted to discuss any of their stuff, why not stop in the All About Anime thread?
Otaku no Video was a fun release. Makes fun of Otaku everywhere.
My current favorire Gainax show is Mahoromatic. Sure the back characters have been done before, but I love the main characters.
Oh wait, that's not an original Gainax story, does it still count? Kare Kano wasn't an original story either.
I believe we've had at least 4 other threads since I started posting here to discuss Evangelion. I'm tired of discussing Evangelion, and most people's discussion on Eva, rather than being deep and meaningful is 'gee cleetus, that thar Anime is dam gud! I like dem dar giant robot thangies bluwin shit up!' Yes, I am generalizing it, but most people don't view Eva to get the deeper meanings, they view Eva because everyone tells them it's good. It is good, and I guess just watching for the insubstantial stuff is fine, but there is just so much more to it.
ADV just solicited the US release of Petite Princess Yuushi. I posted that in the all about anime thread as well.
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That's why they made End.
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Slerch, I know your thread, but I was just try to create just one FOCUSED on Gainax.
I've been working on Gainax work for my job, and that mainly includes Gunbuster, Eva, Karekano, FLCL, Abenobashi.
But of course I pretty much know all the rest.
I see your points towards 'the usual Evangelion discussion'. Honestly speaking, it appeart to me the most of the public, especially the western public, is greatly missing the real point of the show. This is possibly due to the fact the wester public is like too muc influenced in its reading by the religiuos contents of the series. But as a state of fact, Anno used the religoius background mostly for sense of coolness and no more, that background sounding like exotic to the Japanese viewer.
Mahoromatic... heh! When I talked with Yamaga, he said Mahoro is he's fav. Well, I guess you both have a point.
As for me? Well, I pretty much love every single Gainax bit.
They're ALWAYS dealing with the VERY SAME point: 'the pain of growing up, becoming an adult by slipping into the adult and productive world, eventually detaching from the childness tendernesses'.
You may call that the 'Otaku's Dilemma' as well.
After all, Gainax is just made of otakus turned pro, you know.
I've been working on Gainax work for my job, and that mainly includes Gunbuster, Eva, Karekano, FLCL, Abenobashi.
But of course I pretty much know all the rest.
I see your points towards 'the usual Evangelion discussion'. Honestly speaking, it appeart to me the most of the public, especially the western public, is greatly missing the real point of the show. This is possibly due to the fact the wester public is like too muc influenced in its reading by the religiuos contents of the series. But as a state of fact, Anno used the religoius background mostly for sense of coolness and no more, that background sounding like exotic to the Japanese viewer.
Mahoromatic... heh! When I talked with Yamaga, he said Mahoro is he's fav. Well, I guess you both have a point.
As for me? Well, I pretty much love every single Gainax bit.
They're ALWAYS dealing with the VERY SAME point: 'the pain of growing up, becoming an adult by slipping into the adult and productive world, eventually detaching from the childness tendernesses'.
You may call that the 'Otaku's Dilemma' as well.
After all, Gainax is just made of otakus turned pro, you know.
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JHendrix said:
Teh LOL.
I bet all my collection you didn't get a single bit of the real meaning of FLCL, which was way way waaaaaay darker than Eva's.
The whole point of FLCL it's about the dualism (ideosyncrasis?) of those keywords: otona/kodomo [adult/child] -> karai/amai [sweet/harsh] and maybe sugoi/atarimai [extraordinary/usual] too, which is a simpler reading.
See the show for finding the following themes:
- Reality vs. evasion of reality
- Responsibility vs. irresponsibility
- Possible relationships vs. impossible relationships
Growing up.
Well, those are just hint anyway... I think it would be totally impossible for me to get into any further FLCL explanation IN ENGLISH!
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Well, let's give it a try at lest... 
FLCL is truly an unique work, with an unique style and appeal.
I really like the deep yet simple-pletending psycological characterization
of Naota, Mamimi, Ninamori on top.
I think Mamimi describes the way modern Japanese gals [kogyaru] can be in a very
effective way.
Thinking of Naouta and Mamimi, I really see a fil rouge linking Eva,
Love&Pop, and FLCL.
Emptyness, discommunication, shutting away from the reality.
These are very aspects of the modern juvenile depression disease.
I also liked the character of Kamon, as a 'portrayed of an Otaku', very much
Otaku no Video like.
It seems the focusing of the relationship between parents and children is
one of Anno main interests along with all Gainax.
You know, Noriko, Jean, Nadia, Shinji, Asuka... it's all about fatyhers and
sons in Anno storytelling.
My first impression was that FLCL is quite different from other Gainax (Anno) works
except for possibly Love & Pop due to the "emptyness, discommunication,
shutting away from the reality" themes that you mention. I would also add
"denial" and "transferrence" to this list, particularly for Mamimi.
However, in terms of parents (grownups) vs. children, in contrast to Nadia, Gunbuster and Eva which make this intereaction a central theme, FLCL almost seems to downplay it to the point of trying to make it *apparently* non-existent.
For example, instead of worrying and being troubled about heir parents, Naota and his female classmate instead pretend that it does not affect them, and indeed without the the Oedipal references in episode 4 it is almost easy to forget that Kamon and Naota are even parent-child at all.
The main grownup-child theme in FLCL seems to be the children's perception that grownups are irresponsible and sources of nuisance/bother.
This makes FLCL maybe more 'modern' than all Gainax works before Eva at least, which I found more 'dramatic' from the point of view of this content.
Till Eva, we had characters doomed with their parents ghosts.
Following the path Eva -> Love&Pop > KareKano, Gainax managed to fully merge this deep theme into a more realistic and less SF-dramatic scenarios.
Thus I regard FLCL as some kind of fusion of all the above.
And again, we see the total apparent meanigless of those children->adult relationships is of course balanced by Naota's (secret) wanting to be with Haruka, and Haruka repeatedly inviting him and then saying that he is "still a child" -- an interaction that I think is not given enough attention by most people. (Anything in FLCL that is repeated twice or more -- even in seemingly unrelated
places -- deserves closer scrutiny.)
It almost seems as a way for children to reject the way of growing-up proposed and symbolized by current adults, and struggling to find their own way to get adults.
Then again, back to Anno's and the whole Gainax themes, we have the famous topic of the developement and real power of human science, from the young enthusiastic point of wiew of GunBuster, to the someway romantic approach in Nadia, to the more mature and doubtful ideas in Evangelion.
And then, depression.
This is Anno very mind, but I also assume all that as a basis for FLCL
raison d'etre.
FLCL is a Gainax work even more than a Tsurumaki's work.
I can see Sadamoto's mind, Anno's mind in that.
Not only as for the homages and citations issue.
FLCL is truly an unique work, with an unique style and appeal.
I really like the deep yet simple-pletending psycological characterization
of Naota, Mamimi, Ninamori on top.
I think Mamimi describes the way modern Japanese gals [kogyaru] can be in a very
effective way.
Thinking of Naouta and Mamimi, I really see a fil rouge linking Eva,
Love&Pop, and FLCL.
Emptyness, discommunication, shutting away from the reality.
These are very aspects of the modern juvenile depression disease.
I also liked the character of Kamon, as a 'portrayed of an Otaku', very much
Otaku no Video like.
It seems the focusing of the relationship between parents and children is
one of Anno main interests along with all Gainax.
You know, Noriko, Jean, Nadia, Shinji, Asuka... it's all about fatyhers and
sons in Anno storytelling.
My first impression was that FLCL is quite different from other Gainax (Anno) works
except for possibly Love & Pop due to the "emptyness, discommunication,
shutting away from the reality" themes that you mention. I would also add
"denial" and "transferrence" to this list, particularly for Mamimi.
However, in terms of parents (grownups) vs. children, in contrast to Nadia, Gunbuster and Eva which make this intereaction a central theme, FLCL almost seems to downplay it to the point of trying to make it *apparently* non-existent.
For example, instead of worrying and being troubled about heir parents, Naota and his female classmate instead pretend that it does not affect them, and indeed without the the Oedipal references in episode 4 it is almost easy to forget that Kamon and Naota are even parent-child at all.
The main grownup-child theme in FLCL seems to be the children's perception that grownups are irresponsible and sources of nuisance/bother.
This makes FLCL maybe more 'modern' than all Gainax works before Eva at least, which I found more 'dramatic' from the point of view of this content.
Till Eva, we had characters doomed with their parents ghosts.
Following the path Eva -> Love&Pop > KareKano, Gainax managed to fully merge this deep theme into a more realistic and less SF-dramatic scenarios.
Thus I regard FLCL as some kind of fusion of all the above.
And again, we see the total apparent meanigless of those children->adult relationships is of course balanced by Naota's (secret) wanting to be with Haruka, and Haruka repeatedly inviting him and then saying that he is "still a child" -- an interaction that I think is not given enough attention by most people. (Anything in FLCL that is repeated twice or more -- even in seemingly unrelated
places -- deserves closer scrutiny.)
It almost seems as a way for children to reject the way of growing-up proposed and symbolized by current adults, and struggling to find their own way to get adults.
Then again, back to Anno's and the whole Gainax themes, we have the famous topic of the developement and real power of human science, from the young enthusiastic point of wiew of GunBuster, to the someway romantic approach in Nadia, to the more mature and doubtful ideas in Evangelion.
And then, depression.
This is Anno very mind, but I also assume all that as a basis for FLCL
raison d'etre.
FLCL is a Gainax work even more than a Tsurumaki's work.
I can see Sadamoto's mind, Anno's mind in that.
Not only as for the homages and citations issue.
slerch666
updyke,
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Abenobashi was a fun series. It took an approach Gainax used in Mahoromatic. You had a series that was a bit silly, only vaguely serious and then right towards the end you are presented with the full seriousness of the situation, and it hits you like a ton of bricks.
On the final R1 Abenobashi disc, watch the outtakes. You can watch the Anime in any format you want (dub/sub), but watch the English outtakes. They say some of the funniest shit I've ever heard in outtakes before.
Thing about Mahoromatic was you had the spectre of something 'bad' throughout the series, given the 'death counter.'
I'm actually curious to see how the Mahoro Manga ended, since it was still running when Gainax put their ending to it.
On the final R1 Abenobashi disc, watch the outtakes. You can watch the Anime in any format you want (dub/sub), but watch the English outtakes. They say some of the funniest shit I've ever heard in outtakes before.
Thing about Mahoromatic was you had the spectre of something 'bad' throughout the series, given the 'death counter.'
I'm actually curious to see how the Mahoro Manga ended, since it was still running when Gainax put their ending to it.
PleaseKillMeNow
Aerobics Instructor,
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Who cares if you missed the deeper meanings (this is regarding anything)?
If you liked it, you liked it.
If you liked it, you liked it.
For some reason I never understood FLCL. It actually happens alot to me when I watch like an episode of something and I'm like "meh... meaningless shit"
And then I actually WATCH it and decide it's the best anime ever.
I need to go back and watch FLCL .. that's for sure.
And then I actually WATCH it and decide it's the best anime ever.
I need to go back and watch FLCL .. that's for sure.
NeoTheranthrope
Basara's Blade Keeper
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Shito said:
Vol. 1 of the Manga just came out last week. It's pedo-tastic, Arumi-chan get's molested at least once every chapter. I'm suprised it's even legal in the States. Arcademan would be all over it.
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Tom Wopat said:
x2
Once Upon a Time in The West is fantastic as pure entertainment, and if you take the time to look there's plenty more going on (it's been called the first Postmodern film). I wouldn't fault anyone for enjoying it either way.
slerch666
updyke,
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I don't have much time right now, so I'll reply to it ASAP.Shito said:@Slerch: I would like to know your opinions about my FLCL article
I skimmed through it and have a couple comments, but FLCL is something I only watched twice, and as such a lot of it was lost on me, I fully admit it. The animation was Gainax's first fully 'digital' work though, I believe.
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slerch666 said:I don't have much time right now, so I'll reply to it ASAP.
Correct as for FLCL being the first digital animation from Gainax.
They also first used their famous real-like use of the ideal camera (like having just a subject focused on screen, with closer and more distant subject being out-of-focus, or losing the whole focus with too-fast-movement of the camera) in that one.
Also great sperimentalism on the music, with the extent use of The Pillows (pre-existing) vocals.
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Oh, btw... anyone else noticed Benimaru is inspired to Smith Toren of Gunbuster fame?
Ok, we know it's also mixed up with JeanPierre Ponareff from JoJo, but...
please, look at Beni's move names.
SUPER INAZUMA KICK
BENIMARU KOREDA [collider]
do you think that can be 'just a bloody coincidence?
Ok, we know it's also mixed up with JeanPierre Ponareff from JoJo, but...
please, look at Beni's move names.
SUPER INAZUMA KICK
BENIMARU KOREDA [collider]
do you think that can be 'just a bloody coincidence?