Welcome to this week’s edition of Worth Reading! I’m still tinkering with the format, and this week I’m experimenting with adding a bit more editorial comment to the links. I’ve also changed the series title, but I’m thinking it may be a bit ponderous. Anyhow, this stuff is worth reading, and after you’re done so drop me a comment with your thought on the new format.
And don’t forget to comment on the links you visit. Comments and discussion are the lifeblood of our community. (This is directed at me too… I’m terrible at commenting.)
- kViN at the Sakuga Blog posts an interesting collection of artists books (self published books by anime creators) purchased at Comiket 92.
- At the Anime Corps, Tsuyuki tackles some of the myths and misperceptions of he public at large with regards to anime and the anime fandom community. He makes a number of well-reasoned arguments and points that I’ll keep in mind next time the topic comes up around me. I don’t have this problem with my friends though, we’re all weird. (In high school I was considered the normal(!) one of our group.)
- Studio Ghibli’s movies were a gateway for many of us I suspect, but they’re rarely touched upon by current anime critics or by current season bloggers. Are they considered sacred? Is it that it’s all been done before? Whatever the reason, I don’t think we should shy away from doing so. You don’t need to worry about saying something new or original. Just do your best to express your thoughts and opinions. All that serves as long-winded introduction to Chris’ piece at Peach’s Almanac – Kiki’s Delivery Service: Kiki’s Insatiable Drive, a well done look at some of the themes and motifs in this wonderful movie.
- Also on the topic of Ghibli and Miyazaki, Jonathan at Schoolgirl Milky Crisis posts a thoughtful essay on Ghibli’s current recruiting drive to assemble a new team of animators for Miyazaki’s next film. (With all the recent attention to how little animators get paid – this one is truly worth reading.)
- At Jon Spencer Reviews, Jon posts a fun essay comparing and contrasting three of my favorite anime – Barakamon, Usagi Drop, and Sweetness and Lightning. He also talks about the unique things in each anime that made them appealing to him.
- In the past few weeks, there’s been a great deal of smoke and heat generated over the Netflix adaptation of Death Note. Karandi at 100 Word Anime weighs in with a thoughtful piece on the challenges that adaptations face and the role preconceived notions of anime fandom play in their reception.(Disclaimer – I have not seen the movie, nor do I intend to. For that matter, I haven’t seen the original or read the manga. The premise does not appeal to me.)
Side note: Does anyone know how to get WordPress/html to insert blank lines inside bulleted lists? ‘p’ tags don’t work and br / doesn’t either, and I want breaks inside some entries such as the one above. I hate it when I can’t do simple graphical layout stuff with HTML. You can tell it was designed by computer people with no experience at graphic or layout design. (Not that I’m any expert, but I did learn the basics aeons ago.)
No jump this week as there is no ‘below the fold’ material. Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to comment!
Apprentice Mages Lounge. 