Hayao Miyazaki Compares iPad Use To Masturbation

[Tsuyoshi-kun]

I'm not surprised to hear Miyazaki say this. After all, this is the guy who stopped using anime voice actors / actresses in his movies because he said they no-talent hacks. (Because hiring people from local television shows is so much better.)

[Yami CJMErl]

My question is: if he hates the iPad so much, what about the many, MANY incarnations of the DS? I mean, he must be having SOME sort of input on Ni no Kuni...right?

[G.Silver]

I think the rest of Studio Ghibli is keeping it a secret from him.

Or, consider that it comes with a freakin' tome of magic spells! That way there's something physical and tangible to keep the player occasionally pulling away from the screen and do "research," sort of in reality. I bet that's more attractive to Miyazaki conceptually. (It reminds me of my own carefree childhood looking up things while playing Carmen Sandiego.)

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Curse you, Lady Agatha Wayland!

[Samface]

I think the rest of Studio Ghibli is keeping it a secret from him.

I'm getting this mental image of him wandering around corridors in the Ghibli offices, bemused as to why doors keep slamming shut every time he approaches them.

Personally, I only tend to take stuff to entertain me on the train if the trip's over an hour or so (which isn't often). I like watching the scenery - in Britain, anyway, looking out of a train window gives you a weird angle on towns and cities that you wouldn't normally get.

[Ritz]

I'm totally with GG on this one. The moment you eschew the view from a moving vehicle to immerse yourself in some trendy capitalist trinket is the moment you've lost your humanity. I'm exempt from this, of course- I brought my PSP with me when I went out to see Toy Story 3 about a week ago, marking the first time I've ever used a handheld console outside of my home. The trip to the nearest theater is neither smooth nor seamless (spans a bus and two trains), so I wasn't expecting to get much out of Lumines II that day, but that trip was the one time I was able to clear Class A. I mean, I obviously set it down for the two or so hours the movie ran for, and I was still able to get through the game despite the constant disconnects. So that was interesting, I guess.

That same night, I decided to watch Totoro and Nausicaa in one go. Former was shitty and I don't see why everyone's so crazy about it, latter was magical.

[G.Silver]

The moment you eschew the view from a moving vehicle to immerse yourself in some trendy capitalist trinket is the moment you've lost your humanity.

You've obviously never been ferried between two divorced parents who live over 300 miles apart every holiday.

By the way, the scenery looks like this:

[Ritz]

I've never seen desert shrubs in real life. I'd be captivated!

[Crazy Penguin]

That same night, I decided to watch Totoro and Nausicaa in one go. Former was shitty and I don't see why everyone's so crazy about it, latter was magical.

I'm going to assume that you're just being contrary, everybody loves Totoro. Have you read the comic book version of Nausicaä? It's vastly superior to the film on every level.

[Ritz]

Is it the film they love, or the character? Because I can sympathize with the latter. Totoro is a wonderful character. The problem there is that he got about 10 minutes worth of screentime and the rest of the film was about children only a fraction as appealing acting retarded, doing boring things and being concerned about their parents. Wasn't my cup of tea!

Now, are you saying that Nausicaa wasn't that great a film, or is the comic just really really good? My interest has been piqued either way.

[Crazy Penguin]

Is it the film they love, or the character? Because I can sympathize with the latter. Totoro is a wonderful character. The problem there is that he got about 10 minutes worth of screentime and the rest of the film was about children only a fraction as appealing acting retarded, doing boring things and being concerned about their parents. Wasn't my cup of tea!

The whole film is a childhood nostalgia piece. I guess it's all dependant upon how much of your youth was spent running around fields and climbing trees!

Now, are you saying that Nausicaa wasn't that great a film, or is the comic just really really good? My interest has been piqued either way.

The film is good, dated and out of place soundtrack aside. But after reading the comic you'll have trouble going back to the film.

[Crowbar]

Completely agree with Ritz on both Totoro and Nausicaa. The latter is my second least favourite Ghibli movie after Howl's Moving Castle, though there's a big gap there. It's decent on its own, but the comics completely outclass it.

[Delphine]

The moment you eschew the view from a moving vehicle to immerse yourself in some trendy capitalist trinket is the moment you've lost your humanity.

Books are capitalist trinkets now?

[Segaholic2]

Damn those trendy capitalist trinkets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Delphine]

CAPITALIST TRINKET

[Crowbar]

Good lord, that's actually a real book .

[Dr. BUGMAN]

You didn't know they gave doctorates in masturbation?

[Kogen]

Ritz is one of those crazy tea party librarians who wants you to share books. Do not heed his word.

[Delphine]

Good lord, that's actually a real book .

oh lordy not the c-word!!!!

[Green Gibbon!]

What's the deal with Nausicaa, anyway? I know the movie was made (long) before the comic was finished, but I also remember reading that the comic itself was started only to promote the movie. Everyone seems to agree that the comic is better. I've read the comic through (twice), but I never saw the movie just because everyone had told me that it wasn't as good. But it's the only one of Miyazaki's films under the Ghibli banner I haven't seen (though I don't think Ghibli existed at the time it was made) and it's about to come out here on blu-ray, so I've been thinking about picking it up.

So what's the problem with it, exactly? Other than it isn't as good as the comic and, unless I'm mistaken, it was Miyazaki's first (original) movie?


Note that I will immediately disregard the opinion of anyone who doesn't like Totoro.

[Senbei]

The movie only covers the first volume and a half or so of the comics, since that was all the story that had been written at the time. Of course, the movie had to have some sort of ending, so Miyazaki threw together some ideas from later on in the story. As a new viewer, the ending seems like a patch job, but, as a fan of the comics, seeing the plot and characters' development being stunted so badly is just disappointing.

It's still an enjoyable movie, but not nearly so much as Ghibli's later works, and there's little reason to watch it if you've already enjoyed the comics. It has historical importance and Ghibli's charming (if dated) animation, and not much else.

Of course, if we're talking about the original American release, that's a whole 'nother bucket of fish.

[Ritz]

image
CAPITALIST TRINKET

I can't see it! It's this, right? Did you actually read this? Is your love for your genitalia really the source of your power?

Also, this is the second time I've heard someone badmouth Howl's Moving Castle. What's wrong with it? It looks pretty good to me, and it requires a sort of inverse talent to take a concept that interesting and wind up with a product as blasé as Totoro.

[Radrappy]

Also, this is the second time I've heard someone badmouth Howl's Moving Castle. What's wrong with it? It looks pretty good to me, and it requires a sort of inverse talent to take a concept that interesting and wind up with a product as blasé as Totoro.

The ending was rushed and made no sense. Still, it's better than the trainwreck that is Ponyo. Simply put, both movies are terribly unsatisfying.

[Crowbar]

...and it's about to come out here on blu-ray, so I've been thinking about picking it up.

Out already, don't you mean? I swear I'm pretty sure I've been hearing of rips already flying about the usual channels.

Anyway, Senbei basically summed it up perfectly.

Also, this is the second time I've heard someone badmouth Howl's Moving Castle. What's wrong with it? It looks pretty good to me, and it requires a sort of inverse talent to take a concept that interesting and wind up with a product as blasé as Totoro.

The problem I had with Howl was that none of the characters had motivations that made sense to me and nothing seemed to happen for any reason. The entire story just felt arbitrary.
It's been ages since I saw it though so I can't really cite many details (though I do remember in particular "Why did Sophie go out to the country when she got turned into an old woman?") I'm not really going to argue it too much though, because to be honest I just can't fathom the mind of somebody who likes Howl but not Totoro.

I actually liked Ponyo, but only after I realised that it's actually a movie for kids and not a movie for kids and everybody else (this realisation came about 10-15 minutes in, I think). Not my favourite but enjoyable.

[Radrappy]

"Why did Sophie go out to the country when she got turned into an old woman?"

Wasn't she just looking for the witch of the waste?

I actually liked Ponyo, but only after I realised that it's actually a movie for kids and not a movie for kids and everybody else (this realisation came about 10-15 minutes in, I think). Not my favourite but enjoyable.

Just because it's for kids doesn't mean it can't be a good film too. Totoro had no problem with this.