Animate Your Weekend
Dear Reader,
Isn’t it strange how so many people can’t wrap their heads around the idea of anime and animation films as being made for grown-ups? Much like fantasy, animated films are still thought of as childish and frivolous by many and are they ever missing out! “Don’t you want something real?” is the usual (and judgemental) question that fans of animation get asked. My answer is: Sometimes, yes; at other times, not at all. More importantly, it’s not as though only people in blood and flesh qualify as “real”. The best thing about anime and animated films in general — aside from the gorgeous art, of course — is the freedom they encourage, imagining everything from new worlds to alternative histories and magical creatures. Here are a few that have become firm favourites.
Ooku: The Inner Chambers
An alternative, and fantastical account of 17th and 18th century Japanese history, this show, based on Fumi Yoshinaga’s manga series, imagines what happens when the country is ravaged by a plague that targets young men. Deeply researched and full of sophisticated worldbuilding, the show has a fascinating examination of power and victimhood as well as some unusual love stories.
Laika Studios’ Instagram
The adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline adaptation might not have won the Oscar (Pixar’s Up (2009) won that year), but Laika’s stop-motion animation developed a cult-like following since the release of the film. Who can forget the sewed-in buttons in Coraline’s other mother’s eyes? *Shudder* Laika’s Instagram is also replete with some stunning behind-the-scenes videos of how they constructed the sets for the film. Coraline took years to finish, and the BTS clips show you why.
Pop Quiz! Do you recognise these six films? (In case you were wondering, each one is recco from different members of the FC team.) If you know the titles, let us know in the comments or in an email. And tell us your favourite anime or animated films too.
Suzume
Director Makoto Shinkai often gets compared to Hayao Miyazaki, but there’s no confusing these two masters. Shinkai’s galaxy-brained films, with their stunning night-skies and flamingo-pink rays, are not just swoon-inducingly beautiful, but also have stories that are secretly rooted in reality despite their fantastical elements. In Suzume, multiple earthquakes threaten to erupt in different cities, reminiscent of the catastrophe in Eastern Japan in 2011, because of a mysterious “worm” that has been awakened. Magical doors, a talking cat, grief, camaraderie, love and heartbreak all come together in this spectacular film. The haunting sequences of Japan’s abandoned places in the film are not a spectacle though. They are a poignant portrait of a country that is still grieving the losses it’s weathered.
The Avatar: The Last Airbender
In my (correct) opinion, the television series Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the greatest shows ever made. Set in a world where some have the ability to manipulate earth, fire, air and water, the show focuses on how the fire nation colonises the others. (The movie, based on the series, and directed by Manoj Night Shyamalan, shall not be discussed here.) A Netflix live-action is set to arrive in February 2024, but for now allow me to point you towards both the animated series and the comics that follow the events of season 3, and provide necessary context to what happens in the 70 years since the next Avatar, Korra, takes over from Aang in the Avatar cycle. They’re brilliant. Consider yourselves aggressively nudged. ~ Shruti J.
This Week At the Movies
Missed the film reviews? Fear not, we've got them all lined up, just for your reading pleasure.
On streaming platforms, these were the major new releases:
Loki S2 (we’re doing weekly breakdowns of the episodes as they drop. #GeekyAndProud)
Only Mothers in the Building?
The final episode of Only Murders in the Building dropped this week and my dreams of being crowned the 'Best Final Twist Guesser' crumbled like a poorly constructed alibi. Instead of delicious Tobert, who was literally relegated to being furniture in a scene (he’s ‘disguised’ as a coat rack), the guilty parties were a mother-son duo. In case you haven’t finished the show, I won’t go into more details, but let me just say that this season has some serious mommy issues.
Martin Short, Selena Gomez and Steve Martin in Only Murders in the Building.
Also, even if it does mean patting myself on my own back, my fan theory is more fun than what actually happens in the show.
Let's pivot, dear reader, to the brighter facets of this season of Only Murders in the Building. Bonkers as it might be, Death Rattle Dazzle the musical was both inspired and inspiring. The American theatre magazine Playbill went so far as to carry the unpublished review that effectively led to Ben Gelroy’s murder and there are two words to describe critic Maxine Spear’s (played by Norma Dumezweni) writing: Pointed, and hilarious.
The best parts of this season were Meryl Streep (can Loretta pretty-please become a series regular now that we know there’s going to be another season?) and the soundtrack. In addition to Siddhartha Khosla’s delightful musical score, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Sara Bareilles, Michael R. Jackson, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman came together to write the music for Death Rattle Dazzle. No wonder the songs were such bangers. I can’t wait to belt 'Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?' at the office karaoke party, just saying. ~ Kaira H
Instagram Pick: Team Chudail
In his reel responding to the prompt “Tell me what you love most about your culture,” beloved Instagram creator @tahalikesyou silently holds up his iPad. On it plays a crudely animated video in which a bald witch with green skin barges (flies?) into a couple’s house to steal their burgers. Pay your respects to Ganji Chudail (the bald witch). Apparently originating from a YouTube channel called Majedar Kahani, the series follows the adventures of said bald witch as she terrorised people in her village. In addition to the stilted, low-budget animation, the clips from these videos are made even more unhinged by the fast-paced narration, which describes the most absurd scenarios in a perfect monotone.
The GCCU (Ganji Chudail Cinematic Universe, obvs) has a rich cast of characters, from humans like Birju and Seema (who are constantly at odds with Chudail) to supernatural creatures like Jalpari and Naagin. Each clip has a different storyline with Chudail at the centre of the action. One day, she sets fire to her neighbour’s long hair (jealous much, Ganji Chudail?), and the other, she tries to drown Naagin’s young son in a well.
Despite her chaotic evil antics, the internet is sympathetic to Chudail. According to lore, she used to have beautiful long hair that was cruelly cut off by the envious villagers as she slept. She woke up to discover she’s bald, died from the shock and then transformed into a vengeful witch, bent on revenge. How’s that for a hair-raising tale? On social media, Ganji Chudail’s decision to pick herself up and be unapologetically herself has earned her quite a fan following. We confess, we’re more than a little enchanted by her. ~ Sharanya Kumar
That’s all from us this week. We’ll be back, same time, same place with next week’s newsletter and don’t forget to tell your friends to subscribe — this isn’t Fight Club and rules about secrecy don’t apply, so feel free to tell everyone you know.