Monday 17 March 2014

How Should I Feel? (vol. 2) - Hotarubi no Mori e

Many think the romance genre has grown a bit stale over time, even with the idea of forbidden love. Hotarubi no Mori e is definitely quite a refreshing look at the genre right now. It is about a girl who falls in a sort forbidden love situation with a pseudo-spirit who she cannot touch and what happens. Visually and musically it is good but really the story and the relationship between the main characters is the main focus and stand out part of the movie. Anyway again it presents conflicting emotions about how we should feel. 

Movie Poster

First I suppose I should give a bit of a plot summary. So a young girl, Hotaru, meets an older teenage boy wearing a mask, Gin, when she is lost in a forest during her summer vacation at her uncle's house. 
The boy is in fact a spirit dwelling in the forest and mustn't be touched by a human, for it would result in him disappearing for all eternity. They spend the summer days with each other playing and relaxing, as well as showing curiousity about each other. When the girl must return home, she promises to visit him again next summer. The spirit waits for her she keeps her promise. This continues for the next few years, during which time she grows up and her age slowly gets closer to the age of the boy (who because he is a spirit doesn't age or ages very slowly). As these summers go on they grow closer together to the point where they think about each other constantly throughout the remaining seasons. And then, one summer, Gin invites Hotaru to a spirit festival as a date. As they are leaving and they grow closer still, Gin catches a child from tripping and thus touches a human. Then, in the few seconds that it takes Gin to vanish, Hotaru is able to finally embrace the one she loves. Then he is gone, leaving only his mask, and she is left to return home and to a normal life.

Gin disappearing after touching the boy. http://www.deviantart.com/art/firefly-319894218

So on the face of it this would seem like a very sad film. The two main characters share a very real and very close bond. Furthermore it is not a bond based on the physical aspects of love, it is a truly platonic bond between two souls that love each other more and more over time. To lose such a love surely makes a sad film. Yet there is more than this because the want thing they both want, to touch each other, to feel that the other truly exists, they cannot possibly do. This is made clear throughout the film with Horatu trying to hug Gin and then quizzically yet cautiously taking off his mask. However as this realisation of their predicament sets in (after numerous reminders from Gin and other spirits) Hotaru makes Gin promise her, in tears, (after she has fallen from a tree) not to touch her. Their closeness is emphasised by how throughout most of the film they are the only ones around each other in the forest. Physically, they are so close to each other yet are restricted. The only time they do touch is for a brief second. When Gin is gones Hotaru says how her chest hurts afterwards, mourning her lover. It is a very bittersweet moment. On one hand she did get to embrace Gin after years of thinking about him but on the other she can never do the same again. More than that she cannot talk to him again. Also Hotaru was sort of forced into hugging Gin as he would disappear anyway, it was not really her choice to do so. Lastly, I suppose there could never really be a happy ending without some Deus Ex Machima (that would have broken the story for me) due to the way the aging issue was working and their inability to touch. Because of this I suppose ultimately it is a tragic love tale.

A true love that grew over years was lost. Surely a tragedy? http://okashira2.deviantart.com/art/Hotarubi-209758362

However, I never truly got the impression that this film was intended to make the audience feel sad about the end result of the film. It felt like an appropriate conclusion to their love. The hug, which was them living in the moment, resolved everything. Also there is much humour made, for example during their date. The happiness they share is focussed on, not the sadness that they cannot touch. In fact much hunour is centred on the fact they cannot touch as Hotaru often forgets. Comedy is not hugely present in tragedies. Furthermore, at the end of the film, neither Gin nor Hotaru were really sad in what was happening. The spirits who were Gin's friends and family thanked Horatu for doing what she had done, giving Gin what he had wanted. The characters were not sad and I had the feeling neither should the audience. They love was never truly going to be able to happen, even if Hotaru moved to her uncle's town and found a job there. She would always be living a sort of double life. Both Gin and Hotaru knew it would never work so the hug was a fitting and climatic end to their Benjamin Button-like relationship. 

Everyone was at peace with what happened almost immediately. http://rells.deviantart.com/art/Hotarubi-No-Mori-He-288519708

Ultimately, I see it in the light that Hotaru gave Gin what he wanted and everyone was happy. In the end she took him out of what was essentially a cursed existence. He was a human that could not truly love, but she gave him true love. Also we do not get a sense of the sadness that might befall Hotaru, we get the feeling she is at peace with what happened. But again it is up to personal interpretation. So what did you feel?

The embrace was definitely the climax of the film. Was it worthwhile? http://wall.alphacoders.com/big.php?i=310825

Links for the anime:


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Monday 10 March 2014

It's not so Black and White - Tekkon Kinkreet (2006)

Tekkon Kinkreet is definitely an interesting movie. It is both visually unusual in the character designs and visually beautiful with the backgrounds and dream/hallucination sequences. It has a decent plot, not too twisty, centred around two orphans (Black and White) and their struggle in fighting the Yakuza that have moved in on "their town", Treasure Town. It also follows one of the Yakuza but his story is somewhat subsidiary to that of Black and White. It is the relationship that these two orphans have and how it is tested that is the true conflict of the film, even after quite a lead up to it being a show down between them and the assassins the Yakuza named Snake has sent after them.

 
The two orphans are set up as polar opposites of each other. To start with their names are Black and White. Black is the older, serious, unsympathetic, and bascially the darker one of the two. White on the other hand is playful, nice, empathetic, and the more likeable of the two. The two are definitely shown as opposite with the contrast in the visuals of their dream sequences even before the main conflict, with White's being bright and colourful, whereas Black's are dark with deep bellowing sounds. White and Black are even told how the are different by the old man they hang around, their street "Grandfather", who talks to Black as if he is an adult but White as if he is a toddler. Despite being opposites they obviously compliment and need each other. Obviously they fight together and seemingly work together with White distracting people, or rather fitting in, whilst Black pickpockets them. However, throughout the beginning it seems White is more dependent on Black. Black is the one that comes up with the fight plans. Black is the one that goes out at night for money. Black is seemingly protecting White from the harsh reality of the world outside his dreamland. 


The two are bascially shown as Yin and Yang, opposites that depend on each other. The symbol is placed on the back of Black's sweater (at the end) to constantly remind the view of this type of relationship. This Chinese symbol is used in numerous animes and pieces of media generally but I feel as though its use in Tekkon Kinkreet was really nice to see as it was used as the main plot twist it seems. I mean the fact that they are not twins (or even biological brothers) and how this allows for the abandonment of White by Black in the film is even an interesting plot development. But what is of real interest is how it is not until Black is with his inner conflict do we truly realise how White was really protecting Black. We get ideas of it in the film but we at the beginning we are made to believe Black is looking after White, protecting him from the reality outside his dream like world. White is described as remarkable by the old man because he is uncorrupted by Treasure Town and then Black says how he will continue to protect him. However, later on the old man tells Black how White is stronger than he assumes and he is weaker than he thinks. The old man even says that White is the one looking after Black. White also shows he is aware of his role in this when he says to Sawada how he has all the screws Black's heart needs. White also prays for Black. He is Black's spiritual guardian. 


Furthermore, Black only calms from his frenzy of killing when he dresses up a doll and fools himself into thinking it is White. When this doll is killed and White is "killed" for a second time Black truly loses it again becoming the Minotaur (I dont think the Minotaur is seperate from Black but an inner personality as it is set up this way by the other kids and by the fact they weld the same weapon). Ths relationship  true when the inner conflict within Black is really a struggle between White and the Minotaur. In fact when Black initially abandons White after the hospital it could be seen as because (not that Black thinks White is necessarily dead) but that during White's sleep the Minotaur within Black was released. This is apparent when Black and the old man are talking about White and although Black cries about White's condition and weakness, he (the Minotaur part of him) also smiles knowing it now has the strength to be set free. It is thus shown and revealed how truly yin-yang this relationship is. 


Imagery (with things like two cats and the numerous crows vs a lone white dove) are strong in this movie. So this conflict within Black is all the more interesting when thought about inconjuction with the symbolism of flames that is present in the move. The first conversation of the movie presents the idea that people are like flames on a matchstick. Beautiful and caring from a distance but after too long they will show you their true colours and hurt or even kill you. This is of course played out (and then rejected) with the inner conflict of Black, who starts off quite nice to some degree, mainly towards White, but then takes a shift for the worse destroying all in his path. White, in killing the first assassin, also seems to body this idea. When pouring gasoline all over the first assassin he seemingly shows no concern for Black's safety. It is interesting that a flame is again shown to depict how cruel someone (White in this case) can be under their kind exterior. 

Shiro with a flame. This is the black spot in his usually white half of the yin-yang thing. http://jakewyatt.deviantart.com/art/tekkonkinkreet-fanart-198254087

Anyway, I felt the end of the film was the truly rewarding bit as it really showed the twist in the yin-yang relationship and let it sink in fully. At the end of the film White and Black are at peace, on the beach (where they dreamed of being). White makes one last message from Earth to whoever (the audience I am guessing this time) However, now this childlike rambling about keeping the earth at peace, along with his other ones retroactively, are cleverly transformed. They are shown not only to portray the naiveity and innocent playfulness of White himself but also show his awareness of how he is keeping the monster, the minotaur I guess, locked up within Black. It is this change, not necessarily in the relationship itself between the two orphans, but how we view the relationship that is truly great to realise.  love subtle endings like this. Like with Shutter Island where Leonardo Dicaprio's character knows he will get a lobotomy and is happy to do so. These subtle hints are great and although not necessary mind blowing, are very rewarding. It really makes you wonder how uncorrupted White really is. Or how out of tune with the world is he really. 

Another great fanart about the yin-yang relationship. http://pandora-inthesky.deviantart.com/art/TEKKON-KINKREET-35K-Kiriban-90687041

Interestingly, in an interview (see link below), the director said he kept the name Tekkon Kinkreet for western audiences because the name Black and White (by which the manga is known) seemed to imply only contrast and this wasn't what the movie was about. The name however seemed to imply a mess, an intermingling perhaps. In other the relationship between the orphans isn't as black and white as it first appears, it is much more complex, truly a yin-yang relationship. It is this relationship that drives this film, makes the main conflict, and truly makes it an interesting watch because we don't realise how complex their relationship is until the very end.

Links:



 
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Monday 3 March 2014

A Tale of Two Orphans - Comparing Oseam and Grave of the Fireflies

Recently I have been trying to find Korean animation and in my search I stumbled upon Oseam. It is a movie about two orphans and their struggles. It is very close to one of my favourite animes of all time, Grave of the Fireflies, another movie about the struggle of two orphans. The two share many similiarities but I feel despite this the two give off a much different feeling and due to this different messages for their respective audiences. So if you haven't wacthed either I suggest you do. Don't be put off by Oseam's relative crude animation when compared to Grave of the Fireflies, it is well worth a watch for the story alone, it is definitely a tearjerker as they say. 

Oseam poster with Gilson and his friend. 

Anyway it is probably necessary to say talk about broad the similiarities before we go into the differences. First obviously the two main characters are a pair or orphans, one older, one younger. The older one feels a duty to emotionally protect the younger. In this each pair of orphans tries to seek nothing more than survival and happiness. Also both films end in death, particularly death due to starvation/malnutrion. In other words the skeletons of plot and characterisation are the same or at least very similiar. Also both films use the same sort of techniques to get you to pity the children. We are made to compare them to other children, happier children. The reason of course they are happier is due to the love and protection their parents, mainly their mothers give them. Basically there is more than enough that is similiar to justify a comparison between these two rather emotional animated movies. However, let's get onto the differences for these are far more interesting.


The first difference is the mood presented at the end of the film. Although both end with the death of the younger sibling as well as the discovery and mourning by the older sibling, each has a different feeling. The emotions created in Grave of the Fireflies is one of sadness. This is because throughout the film the siblings lose more and more. At the start they have everything but continue to lose more and more (house, mother and then their already absent father) as the film goes on. On the other hand the siblings of Oseam are already at their lowest points. They have already lost their parents (even if we do discover their mother is actually dead half way through the film to evoke sympathy), their home and Gami has already lost her sight. As the film goes on they gain things, friends/family in the monks and a home in the temple. They have gained some stability and the ability to survive even if they do struggle for happiness at times. However, Gami does usually seem happy with her new home (when not being bullied), even is Gilson is bored and dissatisfied. Seita and Setsuko on the other hand go from their own home, to the abode of their nasty aunty (even though she takes them in she gives them the short straw especially in relation to food), and finally to living on their own. Seita is even pushed so far as to lose his morals and steal. Seita constantly asks for help but is all too often refused. When Gilson asks for help he will receive it, such as with the boiled potatoes (even if he is then bullied he did receive help in the first place). They are not really scolded no matter how much trouble Gilson causes. In other words we feel sad for both sets of siblings but as the film goes on more goes right for Oseam's orphans but it is nothing but downhill for the orphans of Grave of the Fireflies.  

Gilson with his new parental figure. 

This difference of mood is furthered by how the led up to the death is presented. Setsuko's death is a long drawn out process. She is straved, malnutrished and ill for quite some time. She physically changes: the colour goes from her cheeks and from her eyes. She is obviously in pain. She saddingly tries eating rocks and marbles due to ther hunger. She does not even get to enjoy a last meal. In constrast, Gilson's stravation is not long and drawn out. There is only one brief show that he will soon be out of rice to eat. Also the cold winter he is stranded in does not really seem to affect him. In other words the pain in which he would have died in is not emphasised. In fact when he dies he seems to be at peace and realise he is happy with his place in life and his new family (as we can see with the snowman family he has made). Likewise his interactions with the picture of the Goddess of Mercy could imply his pain but the ending turns this into his inner tranquility. It also results in Gami's sight returning, as if Gilson's death is a sort of sacrefice so that his sister can be happy. So again Oseam's mood is generally sad but has definitely more to be happy for than there is in Grave of the Fireflies. As a side note there is little to no humour in Grave of the Fireflies, whereas there is some in Oseam, especially in relation to Gilson and his pet dog.
 
Setsuko and Seita were basically forced to live alone. http://skyfurrow.deviantart.com/art/Fireflies-423638228

So why, why is there such a difference of mood? Well Grave of the Fireflies is set quite obviously during the end of the Second World War. The father is part of the Japanese navy. Seita's and Setsuko's house is lost due to an American bombing. They are forced into stealing because of the regulised ration in place due to the war. Their aunty often scolds them (unjustifiably) for being lazy and worthless in such a time of need. The war is firmly in the background of the film and this is why the film is so negative and sad. It aims to show that war is bad and has many. It doesnot focus on the horrors seen in the trenches but the voiceless victims. The civilian children who do not truly understand what is happening and who have no choice in their circumstances. These are the ones who are really hurt in war and although Grave of the Fireflies is to the extreme, it still shows the victims of war beyond the casualities on the frontline. The fact nothing goes right for Seita and Setsuko shows how selfish and ingenerous people are in war. Now there is some controversy that this comes from a country that realistically lost a war after trying to invade another neutral country (the US) but I don't really want to get into the historical hypocises that could be brought up as the film maker (TERERFE) was not the one deciding to go to war, he is his own man. And so he sharing his antiwar sentiments through this masterpiece of a film.  

The true victims of war are supposedly the children who only have themselves to depend upon. http://orinknight.deviantart.com/art/Grave-of-the-Fireflies-146550966

Oseam, as a movie, on the other hand has no real message for the audience I think, and thus the ending can be happy. In fact I would say it cannot be sad because the story behind Oseam seems to be a fairly traditional one about the transformation and restoration of a Buddhist temple. Interestingly there is a1990 film, live action this time, on the same story. So the story Oseam is based on would promote Buddhism and spirituality. I don't think the director really wants more people to become seriously religious after seeing his movie but the story it is based on would want this. Anyway the traditional tale of Oseam (and so the movie too) definitely shows the value of inner tranquility in a way that makes Gilson's death somewhat acceptable in the scheme of things. Because it is a story of why a temple was made being rebuilt, of course it will have this sort of peaceful, serene and miraclous ending. Why would they build or reconstruct a temple on a cursed ground? Surely if a boy died there and it was not some sort of miraclous and peaceful passing it would not be justifiable to place such a holy and spiritual building in this place. Thus the feeling at the end of the film is what Buddhism is about and so the origin story of a Buddhist temple would have these values.  

At the Buddhist temple.

So there we have it. I hope that it sort of made sense. Again I would urge you to watch both these post haste. Links below:
Grave of the Fireflies:
http://myanimelist.net/anime/578/Hotaru_no_Haka
http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=332
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=152

Oseam:
http://myanimelist.net/anime/2141/Oseam
http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=1053
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=4495
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