Re: Creators and Sakura Quest... the former to see what they do with this concept... looks like they are gonna add 2-3 more characters before the real plot gets going, which seems to be centered around this kid, as the main female uniformed whatever girl says at end of last episode as if speaking to her friend back in their verse/world. From an esoteric standpoint of all things being thought forms themselves, I'm curious to see where this production team is going with this concept... so far it is still setting up the stage.
Sakura Quest is rather normal SoL territory, but I find it interesting to see what they do with this concept of rejuvenation of the community.... as stated in the anime, all try, and they almost all fail in reestablishing their old mojo/gimmick/tourist attractions.... again, the concept is dealing with the reality of the situation so many communities face in Japan, especially villages that really have no jobs because the system of centralized power sucks in everything and everyone into its center, it's how all empires operate... not that creativity can't work in this or any case, but it does have to deal with the situation as is... Tokyo will continue that sucking of energy until it falls... as they all do... look at Washington DC/NYC/LA here in the States... yes, Chicago, Miami etc have their points, but its that East Coast 'Corridor' that is sucking in everything... even though, from the sound of it, it isn't as bad as Tokyo in Japan.. as we have some separation in different city centers operating different 'departments' of the empire... this is a reason the War Dept/DOD separated so many bases/facilities in different Congressional districts to secure funding... in the name of 'jobs'.. the usual excuse...
Just interesting to see this anime dealing with a real SoL situation in the country.... in an anime friendly manner of course, but still, reality isn't often dealt with. The solution, as presented so far, is usually the same when any entrepreneur is trying to do their thing in the marketplace.. they have to find a niche... either some product or service that others haven't thought of yet, or isn't cost effective for others due to resources etc. So far this anime seems headed to the more creative direction with the wood carvings, art work etc.. could lead to a more Bohemian art district affect, especially if the small city (as it appears, right?) isn't too far from Tokyo... which is my impression so far.
So, Alice, Re:, and Sakura are the three I'm watching... I may go back to check on the Titan thing later, but once they found them in the walls
on top of their ignoring that key to the basement... I had to put it on hold... they are 'milking it'... to keep the story going... reminds me of the latest Underworld film I just saw on video the other day... the next chapter, but like the last one, it doesn't really move things along much. Can't blame them really, since it's a rather commercial vehicle anyway... so no surprise, as only the real creative stuff sticks out, and it isn't often the most popular, as that is a real exception, which is why dramas don't do as well, and why Matrix films put all that action scenes in them...
Other than these three, there is one I started from last season that was oddly interesting, but each ep is so short I just wished they'd package them all into one episode: Nobunga no Shinobi... 6 minutes each I think... haven't started S2 yet, I went back and watched S1... interesting how they utilize history... I wonder how accurate it is? Hollywood is known for 'whitewashing' most American history... it isn't just Disney doing it, Hollywood has been doing it since the beginning...
With this anime, ALice to Zouroku... is ep5 out? I'll have to check.... but I like the way the production team are utilizing the various tropes/genres... mixing them into a nice SoL format... and there are actual adult types in this one... even a few in Re:... a few in Sakura as well.... perhaps that is something that appeals to me, not just because I'm not a kid, but it adds a sense of reality.... I find that fantasies work best if their worldview is one we can relate to... no matter how crazy they get, as long as the essence remains in place... of life as we know it.. otherwise, it's like learning a completely different language... hard... takes a lot of time and adjustment, something animes don't have, nor most people... reminds me of that Ring series of books... great films, at least the main 3, which were severely compacted, but the books I tried reading once and the writer was a linguist and setup elf languages etc for the various races.. 'realistic', but it's way too much, unless you like that sort of thing.
On a side note, just watched Song of the Sea, by the creator of The Book of Kells... an Irish anime film, rather good, like the use of that Scarborough Fair song in another anime this season, the use of the folk music really sets a mood...Celtic in these works... along the lines of Riverdance and Celtic Woman sound/feels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6wVijh2n9g
at least
