Thursday, January 9, 2014

MELI DOES...MOVIES & ANIME & TV



I thought I'd start off Meli does with a collection of every single thing I'm a fangirl over. This is going to be the inaugural fandom roundup. Hopefully we'll revisit this list around this time next year.

I'll try to keep this brief - I'll add *these* around ones I'm pretty sure are avaliable on netflix. The others, I know you'll find them. The Internet is a BIIIG place. 

-------------------
MOVIES, ANIME & T.V.

*GLEE*

Ok. I know a lot of people hate on glee, and honestly, I think they're just butts. Like really, who can't enjoy a group of diverse teenagers singing to discover themselves? Really? Then again, I might be biased, because participating in musicals was one of the highlights of my time in high school, and I absolutely adore singing.

But really. All the singing is great. There's humour, there's heartbreak, and there's song and dance. I don't see a problem anywhere here.

*SUPERNATURAL*

Despite there being quite a few problems with the show, I can't help but love Supernatural. Sam and Dean are far too great of characters – with Castiel taking the cake. It's engaging, it's dark, it's funny. And surprising twists on folklore, pop culture, and biblical stories really, really draw you in.

Plus, the fandom is hilarious. All of the cast are well known to be really engaged with their fandom, attending conventions, posting internet content, and essentially being absolute goofs (or in Misha Collins case [Castiel] a terrifyingly awesome human being). It's well worth getting in to.


*COMMUNITY*

I don't get why community isn't as big as it should be. The trials and tribulations of a rag-tag group of people going to community college, it's funny, it's fresh, it's really smart. The dungeons and dragons episode is pure gold. Brita is...far too much like me, in far too many ways. Strangely, I'm not as big of a fan of Abed as most people are.

Ten thumbs up for a show that stands out among the absolute garbage of primetime comedies nowadays. Give it a watch, if you're not in to it already (wikipedia says it has a 'cult-like' following. JOIN US!)

MEAN GIRLS

This was, like a lot of us around here, the defining movie of my teenage years. I can quote almost the entire thing. I fought with my fellow females over which of the plastics I was (I always got Gretchen, because of my hair...). Many a late nights were spent giggling over this movie.

If i have a child, I will force them to watch it with me. If I'm babysitting a preteen, I will make them watch it with me. If you're one of the few who hasn't seen this movie, I WILL WATCH IT WITH YOU. For real. I preach the gospel of Mean Girls, and I am willing to help any soul in need. 





*AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER* & 
THE LEGEND OF KORRA

These shows. When I was younger I saw them floating around the TV, but I only got in to them a couple of years back. And boy, am I glad I did. If you haven't heard of Avatar the Last Airbender (no, it's not the James Cameron movie, nor is it the disaster that was the live-action movie. It's waaaay better).

The writers took elements from all forms of eastern religions and ideas, artforms and cultures and created a beautiful world that's absolutely captivating and beautiful. The world itself is inhabited by people, various hilariously cute animals (SKYBISONS!!!!!) as well as benders; people who can control a specific element (fire, water, earth or air). The first series explores the life of the last airbender, a young boy named Aang, who also happens to be the avatar – the one person in the world who has the potential to control all four elements. Together he and his friends must save the world from the corrupt fire nation while he masters each of the elements.

The legend of Korra is the next reincarnation of the series. Literally. Korra is the avatar who follows Aang's legacy, and despite the plot being a bit more convoluded, it stars a fiery young girl as a heroine, and has some really, really great characters in the mix. It focuses more on the spiritual side of bending, as Korra has mastered all the elements save for airbending – the exact opposite of Aang. Korra is more mature, grittier, but very emotionally deep and entertaining. Book three is coming out next year...sometime. Nobody's sure when, as of yet.

The fandom for these shows is ENOURMOUS. And it's absolutely great. Watch them both and we can go crazy together. 



ADVENTURE TIME

Ok. So I'm going to be a hipster here, and say that I actually watched the demo for this thing like...6 years ago, when it first came out. Before Finn was Finn, and he was Penn instead. Let me tell you, I couldn't have imagined the amazing show that it turned in to.

This has got to be my top favourite TV show right now. If you took Sailor Moon and crossed it with Spongebob Squarepants and a philosophy major on an acid trip, you'd get Adventure Time. And believe me, it's as great as it sounds. Just watch it for yourself and see what you're missing.

Along with pretty much everyone in the world, I ADORE Lumpy Space Princess. I made a Christmas ornament of her. I am in the process of ordering leggings of her. I can do a bang on impression of her. She is the embodyiment of my spirit.

But don't get me wrong. There's also some other really, really great characters and things kicking around, too. Princess bubblegum and Marceline's quasi-relationships. The episode where everyone is genderbent. Anti-heroes. Finn's absolutely perfect fighting words.

The show is...MATHEMATICAL.


*FULL METAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD*

Everyone needs to watch this anime. Yes, the one that has Brotherhood after it, not the original (although you could watch the original – but it's a bit more...convoluded and confusing, in my opinion).

Brotherhood is based off of the manga. And it's got a lot to say. The story of two brothers in a militant country where Alchemical magic is common, Full Metal Alchemist is so many things at once. Part comedy. Part allegory for the horrors of war and the human condition. Part thrilling mystery. It's satisfying, deeply, deeply disturbing, engaging and full of awesome, strong, brilliant characters.

Watch it all in as high quality as you can. It makes a difference. And then go read the manga. Or read the manga first (although I watched the anime first, and I wasn't confused at all). And then sit for a while and contemplate everything that you just took in. No anime has matched up to Full Metal Alchemist yet. I'm still looking.

Yes. It's that good.



ALL THE THINGS BY HAYAO MIYAZAKI

WATCH EVERYTHING THIS MAN HAS MADE. REALLY. YOU HAVE TO.

Yes, I could say I like Studio Ghibli, but honestly, I've only watched Hayao Miyazaki's movies. (Grave of the fireflies is a terrifyingly heart-rending catastrophe I don't want to touch with a 10 foot pole – I don't do sad things).

Miyazaki has this certain flair that hearkens back to my childhood. Extremely well. I grew up watching My Neighbor Totoro over and over and over and over. And my family's taken to getting me the other movies as DvDs for my birthdays. I want to go to Japan because of his movies (he has a museum made after him that is apparently pure magic).

Kiki's Delivery service, The Secret World of Arrietty, Spirited Away and Whisper of the Heart are my all-time favourites. But all his other movies are brilliant, too. Give them all a watch. You

No comments:

Post a Comment