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GeekNights 080430 - Vision of Escaflowne
Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss the wonderful Vision of Escaflowne. In the news, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is picked back up. Also, Scott experiences some Shiro-tasm with Orion.
Scott's Thing - Freakangels
Rym's Thing - ReDeath
Scott's Thing - Freakangels
Rym's Thing - ReDeath
Comments
Edit: This show involves transforming sunglasses to become a weapon. Thats an auto win. Why hasn't it been reviewed yet? (and if it has what show was it because I missed it)
Any stats to back that up, guys? Just wondering...I've heard that AWO is the #1 from a few people. On iTunes, Anime Pulse is #1 in popularity (search for anime, sort by popularity, it'll be #1).
Just wondering if you guys were just saying that facetiously or if you were being serious.
Also I exploded when I read and talked about the Gurren Lagann re-license. They won that Parsec award in 07 for best anime podcast. Sorry Geeknights, I love this show, but I think AWO should of gotten that. ^_^
Also, Escaflowne is the supreme awesome, but it didn't make me cry. Then again I don't remember if I did.
Dilandau. Remember how he was explained. WTF! That made my brain hurt and I flipped off the TV. I hated and loved that.
I love the story so much but I never really like the character designs. I got used to them but I will never love them.
Daryl Surat's awesome, though.
Plus, when I listen to AWO, I often feel as if I'm sitting in at a panel at an anime con. It's just that informative to me. I doubt it's like that for anyone, but it's hard to look past AWO's vast anime knowledge.
I am happy to see it again, even on YouTube. I was going to ask my local con to get a showing of some of their stuff, but when I checked out Studio Sokodei's site they were saying they weren't letting new folks show anything.
When I saw the character designs for the movie, I thought to myself that they should have made those designs for the show! However, I wonder if it would have been any different. Probably not, but damn Van, movie style, was pretty hot.
I basically watched it as Rym and Scott told you not to. I watched each VHS tape on a daily basis. It was hell getting to the end of each tape at night. My parents would here me scream, "NOOOOO!!" and would come into my room wondering what the hell was going on. This was 10 years ago. I can't believe it's been that long already. -_-
This is probably my favorite anime of all time. If anything, it's one of the first series I finished that made me realize how fucking awesome anime is. The other anime I was watching during that time was Slayers or Ranma 1/2. So this was probably the first show that had serious depth. It made a pretty huge impact on me and my love for anime.
Yes for Yokko Kanno! I'm pretty sure I own all of the Escaflowne soundtracks and they are all superb. Some of the pieces that Yoko Kanno creates for the characters are very well done. I think they help enhance the emotions of what that character is feeling or going through. Some examples are "Cradle Song" for Allen Schezar or "Shadow of Doubt" for Folken.
I'll stop the fangirlgasms there. However, I will say, if you haven't watched this series and like that fantasy/mech/war/drama/romance stuff, you should definitely buy or watch this series.
While This is Otakudom hardly got the ball rolling with fan parodies... perhaps it did. There were plenty of fan parodies before it, and it was partially created as a "thank you" to those that came before (Voltron: Hell Bent for Leather, Ranma 1/3, etc.). In fact, many of the jokes are parodies of and references to lines and jokes from previous fan parodies. So while it wasn't anything "new" in that respect, there was plenty that set it apart and brought in new blood back then in 2001. First off, it was organized by someone (Scott Melzer) who was an accomplished AMV editor for many years (with a film studies background), and so the technical ability was far and above anything that had come before (mixed audio, digital lip-syncing, transitions, etc.). At the same time, Studio Sodokei was coming into full-form with stuff that you've already mentioned (ReDeath, Nescaflowne, Fanboy Bebop, etc.). It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that these two groups re-formed fan parodies into their current perception.
You also mentioned stuff like those kinds of jokes being moved over to AMVs, and things like AMV Hell. You couldn't be more right. In fact, we've had a bit of a problem (well, not really a "problem"; more like an interesting question) specifically at AnimeNEXT with what to DO with those types of AMVs that come in. They're not traditional "music videos", but they're short and really can't be considered full-length "fan parodies". Our decision was that we would introduce the opening trailers (which we personally made and requested from friends) before the contest for a couple years, and then as we watched this art form come into fruition as "accepted", we started up the flat-out "TRAILER/PARODY" category, separate from the traditional "COMEDY" category. Going even further, one of the ideas for S.T.E.A.M. (which flips "channels" every so often) was an MTV-style channel with bad AMV ideas that got in, got out, and moved on. The idea for this was years before AMV Hell, but because it took so long to finish the thing, AMV Hell came and went with sequels, and it left the idea not-so-novel... just another example of the parody-style of AMV making moving right on out from actually being parodies, right over into what people think AMVs exclusively are, almost.
With regards to the parody distribution, as has been mentioned, Studio Sokodei just doesn't distribute their stuff. The old line I heard was that they wanted their stuff to be viewed exclusively in large crowds at conventions. I can understand this sentiment, since mob-mentality comes in and everything's funnier in these large groups; you have fonder memories. You did note that Otakudom was one of the first more-widely distributed fan parodies; this is definitely true for the current idea of fan parodies. We did VHS and VCD at cons for years. The final DVDs (with extras, subtitle tracks, etc.) for both Otakudom and S.T.E.A.M. were recently completed, and I'd be more than happy to send them along to Ryn & Scott if you're interested. It looks like a torrent for S.T.E.A.M. was recently set up, but I know nothing about it, it appears to only be the first disc (it's a two-disc set), and hardly anyone's seeding it.
I've got a special place in my memory/heart for Otakudom, and while I acknowledge that many parts of it are "lame" and not really funny, overall it's incredibly impressive and is one of those things I love in spite of any negative aspects. In fact, even though I was much more heavily involved with S.T.E.A.M., I think I prefer Otakudom.
Escaflowne. One of those shows where back in college one of those magical viewing sessions just kind of happened where people that didn't know each other somehow all ended up in one room watching VHS copies and sharing the experience. Got the DVDs as they were coming out, fell in love, and love to this day. Haven't watched in a few years, though :P.
I've been reading it since it started (and I was anxiously waiting for it to start fo r a couple months before that). It's not bad so far, but not a lot has happened yet. A lot of introducing characters, and a few novel ideas, which Ellis is always good for. The art is actually pretty disappointing, though. The promo art looked great, and I know Paul Duffield can do some good stuff, but I think he's rushed on this. His figure drawing is pretty weak in a lot of places. He does do gorgeous colors, though.
I was thinking about mentioning it, but it's an abomination. :P
It reminds me of when Fox did that for Card Captor Sakura, but called it Card Captors and started on a later episodes in the series as the series premiere.
I tried watching Escaflowne dubbed on DVD. I just couldn't continue.
Yeah, actually that was the first time I watched Escaflowne and loved it then until it was canceled. Alas, I was a young ignorant noobie fan then and listening to the dub 8 years later MADE ME WANT TO KILL THE TV! XP
Also Fistful of Dollars was basically Akira Kurosawa's film, Yojimbo, made into a western. Fistful of Dollars is still one of the greatest films ever made though.