Howl's Moving Castle - Page 8

Not Afraid · 03-31-2006, 01:41 PM

I watch animated films as much for the visual art as I do for the story. I like to see the dubbed version at least the first time soI can concentrate on the beautiful art of Ghibli rather than on reading subtitles. On a second viewing, I like to watch the subtitled.

For non-animated films, I only watch subtitled versions. But, I usually have to see the greatly visuals films a couple of times to fully appreciate the film as a whole.

innerSpaceman · 03-31-2006, 02:25 PM

Heheh, I find it amusing that I am oooh-ahhed at the wonderment of character clues in the names of Ghibli creations ... and yet I moan in horror when I find such simplistic claptrap in Harry Potter or Star Wars.

I think it's not simply my cultural reverance for Nipponese, but rather the obviously crafty way it's done in the fine example quoted above from Lani's review of Spirited Away vs. the hammer-headed, retarded-child way it's done by the likes of J.K. Rowling and George Lucas.

* - my praise is for the Thousand Fathoms example only. The other two are just as lametard as the Brit and American style of revelatory names.

Alex · 03-31-2006, 03:05 PM

I also think it is different in Japanese where the underlying meaning of a name is readily apparent to any literate person.

In English, "Alexander" means "defending men" only because there are scholars of dead languages to tell me so. Whereas in Japanese, Lani is reminded that "Akiko" (her first name) means "autumn child" every time she sees it written. Descriptive names are standard in Japanese whereas in the U.S. they are more a sign of hippie parents (we'd think nothing of it if you had a name that meant rainbow in 4th century Gaelic but actually naming a kid Rainbow is something different) and as with astrology finding meaning in things in Western culture I think the Japanese folklore assumption that your name has power to shape who you become is much stronger.

I wonder if a Japanese person find it lame when reading a translatin of Gibson and says "can you believe he named the main character Hiro Protagonist?"

innerSpaceman · 04-03-2006, 12:15 PM

Hooray. I received the book from Amazon today, and I can't wait to find out whether Howl is really an effeminate, adolescent Nipponese boy or a husky-voiced, sexified American mangod.

(Oh, and I screened the film for zapppop over the weekend and he seemed to like it.)

Nephythys · 04-07-2006, 12:53 PM

*skipping over the the library web site to put Howl on my request list*

Dying of curiousity as to why that part was embarrassing?

Oh- got Spirited Away from Netflix....LOVED it!

Next on the list- Nausica.

innerSpaceman · 04-07-2006, 06:05 PM

Well, the whole concept was embarassing ...

Spoiler:

I thought the war stuff invented by Ghibli was GAY, but the novel's unfortunate twist was downright QUEER.

Nephythys · 04-07-2006, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Well, the whole concept was embarassing ...

Spoiler:

I thought the war stuff invented by Ghibli was GAY, but the novel's unfortunate twist was downright QUEER.

I see what you mean- that does detract from the wonder of it all. I'll still read it though.

I love the worlds these movies take me to- they are amazing.

innerSpaceman · 04-07-2006, 06:55 PM

I love the movie so much more after having read the book that - even though I've had my Netflix copy out for like 10 days now - I'm gonna go ahead and buy it.

Eliza Hodgkins 1812 · 04-10-2006, 05:49 PM

Man, I liked the movie. Read the book and I much prefer the novel. Saw the movie again, and it could barely keep my interest, the animation and the characters of Howl and Sophie aside. The contemporary element in the novel was abrupt, but it certainly didn't bother me as much as it did you, and I still prefer it.

Watched Whispers of the Heart for the first time. Now THAT is a Ghibli movie that recieves my full support. The story, animation, characters, little asides...it was just a perfect movie in every way. I fell madly in love with it.

The second time I watched Howl, I found myself wanting to fast forward some parts. Ah, well. To each her own.

innerSpaceman · 04-10-2006, 07:35 PM

Well, they changed so much that ... had they desired, they would not have hesitated an instant to change the story's locale to Japan. As they did not ... I will watch it in the proper King's English.

03-31-2006, 01:41 PM	#1
Not Afraid HI! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 17,108	I watch animated films as much for the visual art as I do for the story. I like to see the dubbed version at least the first time soI can concentrate on the beautiful art of Ghibli rather than on reading subtitles. On a second viewing, I like to watch the subtitled. For non-animated films, I only watch subtitled versions. But, I usually have to see the greatly visuals films a couple of times to fully appreciate the film as a whole.
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03-31-2006, 02:25 PM	#2
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Heheh, I find it amusing that I am oooh-ahhed at the wonderment of character clues in the names of Ghibli creations ... and yet I moan in horror when I find such simplistic claptrap in Harry Potter or Star Wars. I think it's not simply my cultural reverance for Nipponese, but rather the obviously crafty way it's done in the fine example quoted above from Lani's review of Spirited Away vs. the hammer-headed, retarded-child way it's done by the likes of J.K. Rowling and George Lucas. * - my praise is for the Thousand Fathoms example only. The other two are just as lametard as the Brit and American style of revelatory names. Last edited by innerSpaceman : 03-31-2006 at 02:38 PM.
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03-31-2006, 03:05 PM	#3
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	I also think it is different in Japanese where the underlying meaning of a name is readily apparent to any literate person. In English, "Alexander" means "defending men" only because there are scholars of dead languages to tell me so. Whereas in Japanese, Lani is reminded that "Akiko" (her first name) means "autumn child" every time she sees it written. Descriptive names are standard in Japanese whereas in the U.S. they are more a sign of hippie parents (we'd think nothing of it if you had a name that meant rainbow in 4th century Gaelic but actually naming a kid Rainbow is something different) and as with astrology finding meaning in things in Western culture I think the Japanese folklore assumption that your name has power to shape who you become is much stronger. I wonder if a Japanese person find it lame when reading a translatin of Gibson and says "can you believe he named the main character Hiro Protagonist?"
	Submit to Quotes

04-03-2006, 12:15 PM	#4
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Hooray. I received the book from Amazon today, and I can't wait to find out whether Howl is really an effeminate, adolescent Nipponese boy or a husky-voiced, sexified American mangod. (Oh, and I screened the film for zapppop over the weekend and he seemed to like it.)
	Submit to Quotes

04-07-2006, 12:53 PM	#5
Nephythys Yeah, that's about it- Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In a state of constant crap to get done Posts: 2,688	skipping over the the library web site to put Howl on my request list Dying of curiousity as to why that part was embarrassing? Oh- got Spirited Away from Netflix....LOVED it! Next on the list- Nausica.
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04-07-2006, 06:05 PM	#6
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Well, the whole concept was embarassing ... Spoiler: As if it weren't bad enough that Howl turns out to be a 20th Century Welshman, we have the indignity of Sophie being sickened by the mysterious conveyance ride in an automobile, and gaping at the wizardry of the magic boxes that kids play video games on. Gak. It totally took me out of the story to even know that our world existed within the fairy tale fabric of the novel's events, much less have our heroine bedazzled by our tech gizmos and our titular hero be a mere human from our own mundane world. Bah. I thought the war stuff invented by Ghibli was GAY, but the novel's unfortunate twist was downright QUEER.
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04-07-2006, 06:55 PM	#8
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	I love the movie so much more after having read the book that - even though I've had my Netflix copy out for like 10 days now - I'm gonna go ahead and buy it.
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04-10-2006, 05:49 PM	#9
Eliza Hodgkins 1812 Sputnik Sweetheart Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Long Beach Posts: 2,685	Man, I liked the movie. Read the book and I much prefer the novel. Saw the movie again, and it could barely keep my interest, the animation and the characters of Howl and Sophie aside. The contemporary element in the novel was abrupt, but it certainly didn't bother me as much as it did you, and I still prefer it. Watched Whispers of the Heart for the first time. Now THAT is a Ghibli movie that recieves my full support. The story, animation, characters, little asides...it was just a perfect movie in every way. I fell madly in love with it. The second time I watched Howl, I found myself wanting to fast forward some parts. Ah, well. To each her own.
	Submit to Quotes

04-10-2006, 07:35 PM	#10
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Well, they changed so much that ... had they desired, they would not have hesitated an instant to change the story's locale to Japan. As they did not ... I will watch it in the proper King's English.
	Submit to Quotes