I will always read this meme in the voice of George Carlin narrating Thomas the Tank Engine, and then immediately post this exact reply with a link to this video: https://youtu.be/2a_gW1KvuFk?si=hR834siCZlYvOei1

Yeah I’m a big music nerd and the soundtrack definitely contributes to it being my favorite :D

“popular media that is actually bad” typically involves a formula that panders or a franchise that has hit a critical mass where people start wanting to be part of the “in group”. I don’t feel like Makoto Shinkai’s films fit that type of pattern. That’s all I was trying to say (poorly)

Wait you actually thought Boy and the Heron had a plot?

My wife literally has multiple limbs covered in Miyazaki tattoos and even she walked out of that movie going “WTF was that mess?”

We’ll just have to agree to disagree here. Clearly we have different opinions of what makes for a good story

Castle in the sky is definitely one of his better ones. Wasn’t trying to talk shit either. I know people love them and with good reason. I just don’t think they’re all that. Except Howl’s. That movie rocks.

HARD disagree. You don’t have to enjoy it, everyone is free to like what they like, but all three films are critically acclaimed and adored by fans worldwide for a reason. And no, not all popular media is good media, but these are not popular enough to fall into that category.

Miyazaki’s movies are more in the “visually stunning but mid” status IMO. Like, Howl’s was great, everything else is meh to me. But I also know that many people love them - including my wife - so I respect that they are good movies.

I was so salty when they gave the Emmy for Best Animated Film to Boy and the Heron instead of Suzume. Absolute travesty and so clearly only because of Miyazaki’s name and art style.

Suzume is honestly my favorite of the three and one of my favorite films of all time. I adore how well all of the fantasy and imagery connects with real human experiences. It comes so close to providing perfectly clear, direct metaphor without actually arriving at it and to me that is the most beautiful type of storytelling: where you can see characters, themes, etc and feel deeply how they connect to your own life but never with a concrete “this thing specifically represents that thing”. You can get really close with Suzume, but it never quite coalesces, leaving you with a powerful story, intense emotions, and a sense of wonder that sticks around long after viewing.

Not at all! Your Name, Weathering With You, and Suzume are all extremely thoughtful, heartfelt stories with moving characters and deep messages. They are some of the best anime has to offer and I highly recommend them

The closest thing is in Your Name, a movie about two teenagers who body-swap over long distance. They are different genders and so there is a scene in which the movie explores the awkwardness of the situation. It’s handled tastefully and accurately for what you would expect from a couple of teenagers. (It’s important to note that in Japanese culture the sexuality of teenagers is something that is not stigmatized the way it is in Western culture, and contextually appropriate explanations of that subject are not considered overtly lewd). They do become romantically interested in each other so you can imagine it’s not exactly simple, but I never felt it crossed the line into perverted. You can see a series of screenshots that include a few frames from this scene here: https://screenmusings.org/movie/blu-ray/Your-Name/

That’s why I posted it multiple times (3 to be precise, not exactly spam IMO, in response to misleading comments). These are genuinely masterful works of art and I hate to see them tainted by slander.

Have you seen Suzume yet? It’s truly wonderful.

Koichiro Ito was the producer, NOT the director who is famous for creating those movies. He collaborated with the studio, he did not write or direct the films. Please do not destroy and undermine these beautiful works of art over a single credited contributor who did not create the films.

Further, he was only arrested in February of 2024 so the studio hasn’t even had an opportunity to turn down future collaboration with him.

Koichiro Ito was the producer, NOT the director who is famous for creating those movies

Your mental gymnastics are astounding. Done with you. Waste of my time 👋

white savior trope

I and other white allies literally stood in front of police with crowd control weapons when my black friends yelled ‘white shield’ during the BLM protests in Seattle but tell me more 🤣 I’m nobody’s savior but I do know how to use my privilege for the benefit of others

This would hold water if they didn’t go out of their way to say it was race-motivated abuse.

So the options are “don’t reference the racism at all” or “name the victim”? Fuck outta here with that shit.

No, this is how you properly show solidarity.

An attack against a single cast member is an attack against the entire company.

They are saying “it doesn’t matter who they attacked. Racism against our cast member is racism against us all because we are a family that stands with a single purpose, speaks with a single voice.”

And if it only redirects 1% of the aggression away from the intended target and towards the white cast members instead, then it is worth it.

That’s how you be a good ally