Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Alright, I can report that, after grouping TV episodes and short films, I have a whopping 20 entries and I didn't even come close to finishing the checklist. I'm still editing my list, but that's for formatting's sake rather than because I forgot to add anything to it.

I really planned to do more with this year's challenge, including getting to a few Disney Blu-rays we have but it just didn't come together. On the plus side, the vast majority of what I watched were first time viewings. I particularly enjoyed Ponyo, How to Train Your Dragon and Tangled, and I have to say I really did not expect to like Ponyo nearly as much as I did. I'm still not big on the anthropomorphism that permeates Japanese storytelling, nor do I really get into that kind of fantasy, but there was a particular charm that I liked and the mother ("Lisa" in the English-dubbed version I streamed) was a very recognizable and accessible character.

I was mixed on Fritz the Cat; the social commentary portions engaged my interest, but the gratuitous sex just intrusive in the same way that frequent action scenes bother me. Both seem to fear I'll lose interest if something flashy doesn't happen every few minutes and I find that insulting. Also, I was terribly disappointed by Rock-a-Doodle. What was the point of making a musical if you were just going to talk over and abruptly end all the songs?

Still, the most egregious was Brother Bear, where that damned Phil Collins song played over the most poignant moment in the whole movie. Now that we've seen the leaked clips from the forthcoming Star Wars Blu-rays, I now have a go-to reference point for how much that audio intrusion ruined what should have been the most important moment in the movie.

Anyway, here are my End-of-Challenge Awards:

• Most Adorable Character: Toothless, How to Train Your Dragon
• Best Fight: Laira vs. her father, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights
• Most "OMG, I Can't Believe They Animated That!" Moment: Mogo in action, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights
• Sweetest/Most Endearing Character: TIE: Ponyo, Ponyo/Rapunzel, Tangled
• Best Villain: Corporate lack of vision, The Pixar Story
• Best Line of Dialog: "Wow. Batman playing 'good cop'?"
  - Static, Justice League Unlimited "The Once and Future Thing, Part II: Time, Warped"
• TV Show I Wish Had Been on the Air When I Was Young: Transformers: Prime
• Worst Use of Music in a Movie Ever, Animated or Other: Phil Collins ruining the confession in Brother Bear
• Worst Use of an Hour of My Time, Ever: Eclectic Shorts

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I'm counting each of my entries as one. I watched a couple of boxed sets, notably Woody and Josie, but I'm still counting each as one entry. I just wanted an excuse to watch some animation. Plus, I'm too lazy to calculate it. :)
Thanks for the good time. I watched a number of these at night, outside projected on the side of the garage.

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

1) The Japanese are perverts. That's one thing I enjoy about them. I mean, any culture that would allow girls to sell their used panties in a vending machine is alright by me. 2) Given that Japanese women are generally not big-breasted, that obsession makes sense.

Color me jealous! That sounds like a great way to wrap up summer!

Also, I clicked "Submit" before I meant to earlier. Thanks to Mister Peepers for running a nice challenge, and also to those of you who kept the discussion going.

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I had a bunch of projects to complete for this challenge and I did complete four of them:

1) Watch the entire Phoenix (Hi no Tori, 2004) 13-part TV series. And read the manga stories the series was based on.

2) Compare the subtitled, uncut Japanese version of the 1997 movie DOG OF FLANDERS with the cut English dub to see what was cut. And watch the five episodes I had of the original 1975 TV series the movie was based on. (I have since acquired eight more episodes.) Next: read the original novel!

3) Compare the Japanese anime feature, ANJU TO ZUSHIOMARU (1961), no subtitles, with the cut English dub version known as THE LITTLEST WARRIOR.

4) Watch all the ASHITA NO JOE (TOMORROW'S JOE) material I had: eight eps. from the 79-ep. TV series (1970); a long movie compilation (1980, 152 min.); and a movie compilation of the second TV series (1981). The original was groundbreaking for its mix of boxing drama and gritty social reality in postwar Japan. It's still quite powerful, even without subtitles--and none of this material had subs.

I did these all during two weeks of vacation. And I had several other similar projects to complete. Those will have to wait. I really set unrealistic goals for myself when I should be patting myself on the back for what I did accomplish.

In addition to "Phoenix," I watched five other anime series or movies in conjunction with reading the manga (comic book versions):

BAREFOOT GEN (1983) and BAREFOOT GEN 2 (1986)
D.N.ANGEL (2004)
GANTZ (2004)
GENSHIKEN (2004)
METROPOLIS (2001)

I have more eps. of D.N.ANGEL, GANTZ and GENSHIKEN to watch, and more volumes of their manga to read.

But there were dozens of other series I have in both anime and manga that I wanted to read, watch and compare. For instance, "Nana" is one of the best manga I've ever read, but I've only got 13 volumes and haven't read them all and the series is way longer than that (I don't know how long). And I've got 47 eps. of the anime series, yet have only watched eight (none this month). That's one of the more challenging projects I want to undertake.

For last year's challenge (the first I participated in), I really tried to complete the checklist and see as wide a range of animation as possible. This year was more focused on accomplishing some of the goals I set for myself. And between the TV on DVD challenge in January, the Make-Your-Own Challenge in May and this one, I watched about 300 anime episodes so far this year. And that's only scratching the surface. I've got numerous box sets yet to go through plus tons of individual volumes meant as samplers before deciding whether to continue with a series or not. Plus a lot of old VHS fan-subs that I want to watch to get off the shelves in order to move in some of the new DVDs. I did watch a few for this challenge but not as many as I wanted.

I must say, though, that I thoroughly enjoyed watching 24 eps. of "Pokemon Black and White," the newest Pokemon series, which I've been taping off of Cartoon Network. While the above-mentioned comparison projects were the most artistically satisfying of the month, the Pokemon episodes were the most entertaining. The best new discovery was "K-on!" a 2009 series about high school girls forming a band, a charming slice-of-life comedy-drama that represents the kinds of stories about young people that Japanese animators can do so well. I've never seen "Glee," so I don't know how well American live-action series about high school life compare.

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Unfortunately, I did not even crack open any of the backlog of anime sets that I was planning on watching. Instead, it seems that I stuck to an All-American lineup. I did finish watching the Warner Bros. Academy Award Animation Collection which has been gathering dust since I bought it from Big Lots years ago. (Most pleasant surprise: Realizing just how literary some episodes of Tom & Jerry are.) I also finally finished up Danger Mouse: The Complete Series.

I think the best film that I watched was Disney's Bambi. I've also been watching the recreated story sessions feature on the DVD release, and it is fascinating. The amount of detail paid to character, plot, and setting is mind boggling. I wish that all filmmakers would be that invested in story and presentation. (By the end of the Shrek franchise, they had completely forgotten about effective character introductions and basic pacing. And the charm of the first film was completely lost due to bad storytelling.)

All in all, it was a fun time! Thanks for hosting!

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I ended my challenge with Summer Wars, a weird but interesting anime from the creators (or director, whatever) of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, which I also liked, and All-Star Superman. I took advantage of the A-S Superman (acronym didn't look good) combo by watching part of the digital copy on the bus then the rest on Blu-ray. Unfortunately my devices didn't sync together :) but other than the distracting voice of James Denton (Christina Hendricks didn't distract me for some reason, even though I watch both Desperate Housewives and Mad Men), there's not much I didn't like about this film.

All in all, it was a successful challenge. I didn't watch a ton but beat last year's total (5.5) handily. I was on vacation for part of it but I watched some stuff on Netflix streaming, which had a lot of choices for this challenge. I picked off four DCU movies and sampled FF World's Greatest Heroes and Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes plus some other first-time watches.

Thanks to Mister Peepers and all participants.

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I pretty much gave up on completing my list, but during the month here's some of what I watched: Rocko's Modern Life: Season One; The Angry Beavers: Seasons One & Two; Hey Arnold! Season One; Batman: The Animated Series; Batman Beyond; and more! I just got to the point where I wasn't really feeling like keeping track, formatting, a list, etc. But it was fun to watch all of the shows and movies I did.

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

http://i55.tinypic.com/x23ogm.jpg

My list is complete. I wish I could have made the century mark for viewings but I just did not have the time... I did complete the checklist so I'm happy about that.

I watched some favorites from last year's challenge but I managed to add some new viewings like my Studio Ghibli non-Miyazaki DVDs. It was fun revisiting Clerks Animated -- it was a shame that it got canceled since it showed potential with the latter episodes. I threw in some old VHS tapes for variety too.

Another fun challenge. Thanks to Mister Peepers et al! :D

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

ABC prime time wasn't a very good place for it but I enjoyed it.

I started out working on the checklist and then went on an American Dad marathon halfway through the challenge. I worked on my unwatched stuff, so that was a plus.

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I have the CD & Video of this. Wish they'd put it on DVD.

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I didn't watch as much as I wanted, but made a fair dent in the unwatched/unopened animation DVD stack. Overall, I'm fairly pleased with what I watched. The worst part is I had most of the checklist mapped out but just didn't make time to get to all those titles. I watched titles pretty much on impulse.

Thanks for running the challenge, Mister Peepers.

And a special *thanks* to Full Moon and Hamilton Books for providing prizes!

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Well, when all is said and done, I completed 55 entries this year, as opposed to 57 in last year’s animation challenge. Last year I watched animation from eight different countries, but this year only from Japan (49 entries) and the U.S. (only six). Last year, I watched equal amounts from Japan and the U.S., in addition to one or two items each from the six other countries.

I watched a lot of cartoon shorts last year, for a total of 247 individual pieces. This year I watched 164 pieces, mostly TV episodes. My tally last year included 28 movies. This year, my tally included only 16 movies.

I have to say that even though I completed some important goals this year, I miss the thrill of plunging into my collection and digging out any and all obscure items and exploring those on impulse the way I did last year. And the way I did in the TV on DVD and B-movie challenges this year. It’s more exciting when you veer off the highway and go through back roads.

Even though I've started on the Criterion Challenge, I'm still on an anime/manga kick. I just finished reading the three-volume manga, "To Terra," by Keiko Takemiya, the first science fiction manga by a female artist. Now I have to watch the anime TV series based on it and and an earlier 1980 movie based on it. If only Criterion had put them out. I do have AKIRA for the Criterion Challenge, however.

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I finished the challenge with Kiki's Delivery Service, one of the few Miyazaki's I hadn't seen yet and it was a wonderful way to wrap things up. It left me wanting more.

I only managed 39 entries this year compared to 71 last year (how did I do that?) but I did watch three complete anime sets (of 13, 24, and 26 episodes), got through half of Justice League Season 2, and a whole bunch of shorts.

My favorite this year has to be Kiki's Delivery Service. It has gorgeous animation, a sweet but not too sweet story, and is just totally compelling. Runner up is Green Lantern: Emerald Knights.

Most memorable is Barefoot Gen and Barefoot Gen 2. The first movie is just terrifying and while the second doesn't have that impact, it has several scenes that still stick in my memory.

Most pleasant surprise was Darkwing Duck. I picked up the first two sets as blind buys at Costco a while back for $8.99 each. I pretty much had ignored the Disney afternoon cartoons when they were being broadcast so this was a total surprise. It has just a little bit of a Freakazoid vibe without so many overt pop culture references. I thinks its the episode titles and villains that gave me that feeling. Lots of fun.

And finally most disappointing was the anime series Speed Grapher. I remembered some good reviews when it first came out and the first half or so was very strong but the last half seemed to lose momentum and finally became a bit tedious.

Thanks to Mister Peepers for running a great challenge, to those generous companies providing prizes, and most of all to all the participants. I really enjoyed checking out all your lists and seeing just how much great animation is out there. I'm looking forward to next year!

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I have the DVD of SUMMER WARS, but didn't get to it for this challenge. I did see it on the big screen when it premiered at the New York International Children's Film Festival on Feb. 28, 2010. It was the night of a blizzard and the sold-out event ran right on schedule. The director, Mamoru Hosoda (also known for Digimon), was there and he was alarmed at the number of very small children in the audience for a film in Japanese with subtitles. He asked if his interpreter could provide a running translation during the film and the fest director swiftly vetoed that idea, saying, "It's okay. These kids will be fine." And they were. The kids, many of them quite young, lined up to ask Hosoda questions afterwards--and the questions were quite good. He was clearly impressed. One child asked why one character has so many nosebleeds and the audience roared. The director answered, "Because he's so excited," and the audience roared again.

(For those not familiar with anime lore, nosebleeds are a shorthand for sexual arousal. I don't remember the context for the nosebleeds in SUMMER WARS, but it wasn't anything that would have provoked parental outrage. I.e., it would have gotten past the censors.)

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

To be more precise, nosebleeds are one of those old beliefs the Japanese have/had.

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I'm going to post the final scores/winners Sunday instead of today. So if you haven't numbered your list yet(hint, hint), you have the rest of the week to do it.

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Thanks, I just tweaked my numbering to give myself 0.25 more credit :)

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I neglected to update my list for a week or so, and before I got to it (sometime between the earthquake and the hurricane), the hard drive on my computer decided it was time to give up the ghost, so I lost my list. If I remember any of the stuff I watched during that week and a half, I'll add it to my list. Otherwise, I'm done.

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

thanks, since I was on vacation for the last three days without a computer

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

oh I give up, I knew this would come up and bite me in the ass, but I don't have the gumption or time in tallying or researching online the missing running times for all the shorts I watched during the challenge - I should have kept a better record on this - oh well, whatever... I had a blast.

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

I was in Book Off the other night and picked up the DVD of "Superman: The Last Son of Krypton" for $7, about what I would have paid on Amazon. I had seen the middle episode of it for this challenge, which was one of several random episodes of different cartoon shows taped off Toon Disney five years ago. I liked what I saw very much, so I'm happy to have the whole thing now. Just hope I don't wind up waiting till next August to watch it. -rolleyes-

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Since I've started participating in the challenges I find myself doing the same thing with many genres. I have several titles I purchased for the Historical Challenge that will almost assuredly be unopened come next June. I have horror titles I didn't get to last October that are sitting waiting for this October. :shrug:

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Well, you can break it out in January for TV on DVD* Challenge, Episode #2 in January!

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread
 

Just got back into town a couple hours ago, so I'll have stuff up later in the week.

Re: 2nd Annual August Animation Challenge - Discussion Thread