Paprika and Tekkon Kinkreet

[Havok83]

Anyone ever see Paprika or Tekkon Kinkreet? I see good prices for those up at Amazon and thinking of getting them. Never seen either one but both look like good films and I saw some good reviews. Any opinions? How are they on BR?

[cruzzer cruz]

I went to see Paprika in the theater and walked out within the first 15 minutes. I'm a fan of anime, but it just wasn't clicking with me.

Though it could've just been my mood that day. I was thinking about picking it up to give it another chance.

[Kairav]

I think Tekkon Kinkreet is amazing. The PQ is top notch. I think if you like or are interested in anime, then I would certainly suggest this movie.

[u_nick]

I bought both Blu-ray's when they came out, and liked both a lot.

Very surreal and bizarre, both of them. Definitely something you have to keep an open mind while watching.

I thought the PQ on both were pretty top notch as well.

[Layd Dly]

I havent seen Paprika, although ive been contemplating picking it up since i did really enjoy Tekkonkinkreet It is definatley one of my top Blu-Ray Movies, the quality is top notch and pure Demo Material.

[fronn]

I own Tekkonkinkreet, but haven't seen Paprika yet.

I generally don't like anime (outside of Miyazaki), but I rather enjoyed Tekkonkinkreet. It had a good style and outside of a couple things, it felt a lot more down to earth than most anime (at it's heart at least) -- it was mostly about two friends sticking with each other and needing each other to survive.

If it's in your blind buy range, go for it.

I've yet to see Paprika (but I really want to), so I can't say either way on that one.

[Havok83]

Thanks for the opinions everyone. I havent watched alot of Japanese anime, but I want to. I think Im going to just go ahead and get these.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by cruzzer cruz

I went to see Paprika in the theater and walked out within the first 15 minutes. I'm a fan of anime, but it just wasn't clicking with me.

The complaint of the Anime Fan:
What IS it with Sony and Weird Impenetrable Japanese Theatrical "Art" Anime?
Yes, we know the Japanese want weird artsy stuff in their theaters they "can't get on their own TV's for free", but why do we who can't have to suffer for it??

(And before we get "Metropolis" and "Steamboy" on Blu to boot, when are A) mastering prices going to come down and B) some of the real anime companies going to get over their current industry slump and follow Funimation's "Dragon Ball Z" lead?)

[seto]

Originally Posted by EricJ

The complaint of the Anime Fan:
What IS it with Sony and Weird Impenetrable Japanese Theatrical "Art" Anime?
Yes, we know the Japanese want weird artsy stuff in their theaters they "can't get on their own TV's for free", but why do we who can't have to suffer for it??

(And before we get "Metropolis" and "Steamboy" on Blu to boot, when are A) mastering prices going to come down and B) some of the real anime companies going to get over their current industry slump and follow Funimation's "Dragon Ball Z" lead?)

Is it so bad that we expand presentations in animation beyond simple beat-em-up stories? Is it so insufferable? I would like to think that anime is more dimensional and expansive beyond the Gundam, Dragon Ball Z, and Tenchi Muyo.

[Cordre69]

Hey, I like Tenchi Muyo!
But yeah, I loved both Paprika and Tekkon Kinkreet. TK was so amazing to see on Blu on a large 1080p TV. It was like you could reach through the imaginary barrier to that world! Paprika (and everything by Satoshi Kon) is great if you like things to crawl inside your brain and stay there. Similar tastes, Key: The Metal Idol, Serial Experiments: Lain, Boogiepop Phantom, and (to an extent) Texnolyze (SP).

[mikenike]

I rented Paprika on DVD and the strange intro just made the movie seem boring. I don't know, maybe I'll give it another shot.

As for Tekkon Kinkreet, I could never find it either on Blu or DVD. I've been wanting to see this one for a while now.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by seto

Is it so bad that we expand presentations in animation beyond simple beat-em-up stories? Is it so insufferable?

Yes:
For the most part, they're insufferable, funeral-somber, hysterically overwrought, almost arrogantly lacking in any coherent logic or abstract interpretation, and move at the pace of an arthritic snail on acid.

Which would not be so bad if, like "Angel's Egg", "Ghost in the Shell 2", or most Mamoru Oshii movies after "Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer", we could simply ignore them or just not import them in the first place.
If it were not that US movie critics like Roger Ebert, with no knowledge that TV anime even exists, leap out and proclaim it "visionary" and "groundbreaking", innocently try to convince a few half million more naive and gullible Americans that All Anime Looks Like Paprika, and succeed in driving even more potential would-be new fans screaming out of the room.
(...And THAT'S why Theatrical Art-Anime's are evil!)

On our anime-fan group, we can usually spot a victim of "Recommend-itis", who was forced into a watching of either "the Ebert List" of Metropolis and Paprika by being told that that was "what this new Anime thing looked like", or had some overenthusiastic fan subject him to Neon Genesis Evangelion as his first exposure...The warning signs are unmistakable.
The joke we usually tell is "Quick, we've got an emergency case!--Nurse, administer 100cc's of Azumanga Daioh, stat!"

And let's not even start on Satoshi Kon. Let's just not.

I would like to think that anime is more dimensional and expansive beyond the Gundam, Dragon Ball Z, and Tenchi Muyo.

Then YOU watch it. I'll watch Tenchi. (Because Ryoko's a babe.)
And nag ADV about when we're finally going to get those Sgt. Keroro DVD's they promised us.

[Cplhicks]

Wow the Paprika hate amazes me. Can't people like action movies and thought provokiing "oscar" type movies at the same time? I love a good cheesy flick like "Commando" or some Arnold movie, but I also like something to screw with my head like Memento or something. Tenchi is kinda like an Arnold flick-- light and entertaining. Paprika is kinda like Memento-- you have to work for it, but it's quite interesting. Personally, I love all of Satoshi Kon's movies, as well as his TV series. They don't always make 100% sense, but they don't have to.

The only thing I don't like in anime theatrical stuff is when they take a straight, light entertainment, action show and try to inject some weird thought provoking stuff that doesn't make sense-- like the weird scene with the Native American type in the Cowboy Bebop movie. Bebop is fun and action-- not really a lot of weird impenetrable thought provoking stuff. I have friends who kind of like anime who always ask why movie versions inject the confusing stuff to what was an easily understood series. But those same people can appreciate Kon's film or Oshii's because they are not connected to the light entertainment type of stuff.

[Existentialist]

Originally Posted by Havok83

Anyone ever see Paprika or Tekkon Kinkreet? I see good prices for those up at Amazon and thinking of getting them. Never seen either one but both look like good films and I saw some good reviews. Any opinions? How are they on BR?

I have both of them. Tekkonkinkreet is awesome. Paprika isn't to bad either and it is definitely pretty weird in some parts. If you like smart anime as opposed to beat-em up anime, you'll probably like them both.

[Rashoodeus]

Have both and they're both terrible. I'm an anime nut, but anime movies always seem way too artsy and obtuse in their storytelling *shrug*

EDIT: They both look gorgeous though, but that is the least of my concerns.

[jd213]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I much prefer anime series to most anime films. I haven't seen all of Satoshi Kon's films beside Paprika, just Perfect Blue and I thought it was too weird. I really liked Paprika though. But I have to be in a certain mood to watch it.

I could listen to the soundtrack all day though, especially the ending theme. Susumu Hirasawa (also did the music for Berserk) is awesome.

[Rashoodeus]

Even though I didn't like it I'd still keep it for my collection