Thanks for the memories, Toonami!

 

Afternoons used to be fun for me, when I was a teenager because of an animated action oriented programming block called, Toonami (Toonami came into being in 1997) .Toonami, in my opinion, was a programming block geared towards boys because the majority of the animation that aquired for this block was about superheroes or giant killer mechas that threatened the universe. Toonami did introduce American audiences to one of Japan’s most popular super heroines, Sailor Moon.

Toonami showed mostly anime, like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto, but they also showed animated series about super heroes and teenage heroes like Batman: The Animated Series and The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest, as well. Thanks to Toonami, I was introduced to anime for the first time and believe you and me, my parents blame this block for my worship of anime, as the best form of 2D animation out there. Toonami, in my opinion, was one of Cartoon Network’s best programming blocks because it was creative, had excellent CGI animation, had good interaction with the audience, and a bit of philosophy for everyone to think about.

Sadly, though, Toonami was canceled by Cartoon Network in 2008, about a year after celebrating its tenth aniversary. 

Update: Toonami Lives! On, April 1, 2012, Adult Swim brought back Toonami as an "April Fool's Day" special. Adult Swim later asked if fans wanted it back. After, overwhelming support from fans and a Twitter campaign called "#BringBackToonami", Adult Swim announced that Toonami would return on May 26! :D

Three talking gargoyles and a hunchback

 

I must admit when watching a Disney animated feature film, I sometimes cringe because there are good ones like Aladdin and Mulan and then, there are bad ones like Pocahontas and The Return of Jafar. Every time I think about Pocahontas or The Return of Jafar, I get the willies because these films are bad. Thankfully, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (based off of Victor Hugo’s novel), is not one of those horrible Disney films. It’s not the best Disney film I ever saw, but at least, it has wonderful supporting characters in Hugo, Victor, and Laverne (see picture of the three stone gargoyles below) and one of the best villains that Disney has ever created, in Judge Claude Frollo (voice of Tony Jay). In fact, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is an example of what makes Disney so successful; likeable characters that are either objects or animals and a memorable villain who the audience despises.

Disney’s, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is about a deformed bell ringer named Quasimodo and his love for the beautiful Gypsy, Esmeralda who he must save from the clutches of the sinister, Judge Claude Frollo (see picture below). Joining Quasimodo, in protecting Esmeralda, are Hugo, Victor, Laverne, Phoebus (who also falls in love with Esmeralda), and Djali (Esmerald’s clever goat). While I think the love triangle between Qusimodo, Esmeralda, and Phoebus is interesting and charming, I believe that Quasimodo’s interaction with the three stone gargoyles (Hugo, Victor, and Laverne) and the cruelty of Judge Claude Frollo make the film work, so successfully.

Every time, I watch The Hunchback of Notre Dame, I always chuckle at the antics of the three gargoyles, Hugo, Victor, and Laverne. I think they provided the necessary comic relief needed, in what would otherwise, be a dark story for a Disney film without. Believe me, the original was not so happy. In fact, it was really dark and morose. I especially like the parts where the gargoyles convince Quasimodo to leave the bell tower, instead of staying in the tower and when they convince Quasimodo that he has a chance with Esmeralda, which the gargoyles do through singing ( “A Guy Like You” ), which is typical of Disney films. Without, the gargoyles providing Quasimodo companionship and support through songs and jokes, the film would fall flat like The Black Cauldron did.

The cruelty and ruthlessness of Judge Claude Frollo also adds to the appeal of the film because a good memorable villain’s job is to make the audience despise him and feel sympathetic towards the hero. This is especially true, when Frollo refuses to help Quasimodo out at the “Feast of Fools” after the crowd starts hurling things at him or when he lusts after Esmeralda. When Frollo sings “Hellfire,” it is very chilling and disturbing because it shows how obsess he is, with Esmeralda. The pinnacle of his cruelty comes when he tries to kill Quasimodo for rescuing Esmeralda; Frollo also reveals, at this point, that Quasimodo’s mother did not abandon him, but that he killed her. In the end, we cheer when Frollo fails to kill Quasimodo and meets his maker. 

Overall, Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame, is a good example of what makes a Disneyfilm, so successful. The fact that the film has wonderful supporting characters like the three stone gargoyles (Hugo, Victor, and Laverne) and a memorable evil villain like Judge Claude Frollo, helps make the film a success, instead of a failure like The Black Cauldron was. In the end, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is a really well made Disney film.      

Animated Feature Review: Princess Mononoke

Hayao Miyazaki’s, Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime), is one of those films that truly captures the art and power of good storytelling in animation. When I first saw Princess Mononoke in 1999, I was blown away by the stunning animation and complexity of the story in the film. Princess Mononoke, in a sense, was the first Japanese animated (anime) film, I ever saw that touched me deeply. Other anime films like End of Evangelion (directed by Hideaki Anno) and Ghost in the Shell (directed by Mamoru Oshii), made my head hurt or left me confused. Don’t get me wrong, I like both End of Evangelion andGhost in the Shell, but I think Princess Mononoke is a better film. Today, Princess Mononoke, in my opinion, is one of the best animated films of all time because of the amazing visuals and complexity of the characters in the story.

Princess Mononoke is about a prince named Ashitaka (see picture below) who journeys to the west to find a cure for a curse he receives, while fighting a rampaging boar god called Nago. When examining Nago’s remains, the village spiritual elder, discovers an iron bullet in the remains and tells Ashitaka to head west to make inquiries into the origins of the bullet. After cutting his hair (this is a sign that he is dead to his village) and saying goodbye to his younger sister, Ashitaka leaves with his pet red elk calledYakul. Along the way, Ashitaka runs into a monk named Jigo, who informs him that the god of the forest (referred to as, the Forest Spirit or Shishigami) in the western mountains could probably cure him of his curse.

Meanwhile, in a town called Iron Town, the citizens of the town are in a conflict between the spirits and gods, living in the surrounding forest. The reason the spirits and gods are upset with the citizens of Iron Town is because they are cutting down trees and clearing land for smelting iron to make guns and bullets. The chief antagonist against the citizens of Iron Town is the wolf goddess, Moro and her children, including the human girl, San (referred to as, Princess Mononoke). While an entourage of townspeople from Iron Town are carrying rice back to the town, Moro, San (see picture below), and Moro’s two sons attack them. The citizens, under Lady Eboshi (the leader of Iron Town) fight back, but they lose a few down the side of the mountain, and Moro ends up wounded from an iron bullet.

The next day, Ashitaka discovers a pair of survivors from the attack in the river and he pulls them out; he also spots San, treating Moro’s wounds. Ashitaka tries to talk to San, but she and Moro depart without speaking a word. Learning from the survivors that they come from Iron Town, Ashitaka takes them through the forest, encountering spirits called kodamas along the way. Ashitaka is treated hospitably by the citizens of Iron Town and Lady Eboshi gives Ashitaka a tour of the smelting factories, which are operated by former prostitutes and lepers. Later that night, San makes a raid on Iron Town to kill Lady Eboshi; she engages in a battle with Lady Eboshi but both women are knock out by Ashitaka. Ashitaka decides to take San out of the town, but the citizens try to stop him; they are unsuccessful.

Ashitaka, who is suffering from wounds and the curse’s power, collapses on the ground. San awakens at this point and demands to know why Ashitaka saved her; his answer angers and confuses her. San decides to take Ashitaka to the Forest Spirit to heal his wounds, which he does, but the curse still remains. While San is taking care of Ashitaka, a number of boar gods led by Okkoto arrive on the scene and are outraged that San has brought him here, but Okkoto spares Ashitaka’s life, provided Ashitaka never comes upon his presence agan. Curious, as to why the boars are gathering in such large numbers, Okkoto reveals that he and his brethren are going to attack the people of Iron Town.

While, San is caring fcr Ashitaka, Lady Eboshi prepares for the boars and is also approached by Jigo, to aide him in retrieving the head of the Forest Spirit for the emperor; it is believed that the head  of the Forest Spirit brings immortality to those who possess it. The boars launch their attack, but a great deal of them are killed by exploding traps set up by Lady Eboshi and her men. Okkoto is wounded by an iron bullet and starts to transform into a rampaging demon like Nago was. San, who went to aide the boars, gets caught in Okotto’s snought trying to prevent his rampage. Moro attacks Okkoto to get her daughter back and the Forest Spirit enters the scence and takes Moro’s and Okotto’s life away, but leaves San alone. Ashitaka, soon arrives with the help of one 0f Moro’s children, and aides in cleaning demon tentacles off of San.

Lady Eboshi, during this time, waits for her chance to shoot the Forest Spirit’s head off and give to Jigo. Her chance comes when the Forest Spirit starts to transform into the Nightwalker (see picture below); the Forest Spirit by day looks like a strange deer-like creature, but at night he becomes the Nightwalker. Lady Eboshi shoots the Forest Spirit’s head off and gives it to Jigo, but the Nightwalker’s (Forest Spirit’s) body turns into a ooze of death and destruction. Ashitaka and San vow to get it back and pursue Jigo and his men. The citizens of Iron Town evacuate the town because the headless body of the Nightwalker is heading their way destroying everything in its path. Ashitaka and San confront Jigo and get the head back; they give it to the headless body of the Nightwalker and it falls into the lake. As the body falls, the surrounding area begins to see new signs of life and Ashitaka’s curse is lifted. Realizing her mistakes, Lady Eboshi promises to make a new and improve, Iron Town. Both Ashitaka and San love each other, but San still harbors anger and resentment towards the citizens of Iron Town. Ashitaka decides to help with the reconstruction and whenever, he has free time, he promises to visit San in the forest.  A kodama is seen at the end of the film, which symbolizes that the forest will become healthy again.

Overall, Princess Mononoke, is not your typical love story nor does it have any real clear-cut villain, though you can make the argument that Lady Eboshi or Jigo is a villain. Ashitaka’s and San’s love for each other is a little more realistic and complicated, which in my opinion makes the film more appealing, than a Disney love story because in real life, love is complicated and rarely does it end with everybody happy and satisfied. The same principle can be applied to the idea of a main villain in films. In Princess Mononoke, Lady Eboshi could be considered an antagonist, but she is portrayed, as a compassionate person to her citizens. An example of this occurs, when Ashitaka finds out that Lady Eboshi provides care and work to lepers and former prostitutes. Jigo fits a better profile because of his greed, but he does help Ashitaka out, towards the beginning of the film, by providing some food to him. Princess Mononoke takes a more realistic approach to people’s motives and behaviors than Disney films because not all people’s motives and behaviors are black and white; instead, they are generally grey and unclear. In the end, Princess Mononoke, is a wonderful film and I recommend it to those who love animated films because of the amazing visuals and complexity of the characters in the story.