What Is Anime? (And What Isn’t?)

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The NuttBladder Massacre – January 2010

art by nanamura - http://gelbooru.com/index.php?page=post&s=list&tags=nanamura

Omo has always wanted to do a list like this, and so have I. I think both of us have taken our frustrations out on the What Are You Watching/Reading This Month threads on Megatokyo for long enough. If he sticks to this monthly, I’m sure I’ll manage to follow. As for what this is a list of, it’s a nuttbladder-breaker list. There’s really no way of explaining that if you don’t understand, though Omo kind of tried. This is for January 2010.

Avatar – James Cameron Channels Shoji Kawamori and Every Awesome World Ever

I’ve read some reviews by people who said that Avatar, while visually amazing, was a less-than-great film for having a cliche plot. My message to those people is a kind and well-mannered ‘fuck you.’ Avatar was an amazing film – and precisely because it didn’t have any kind of unique or intelligent plot. It was all about the experience – the single most incredible cinematic experience I’ve ever had (in 3D IMAX no less!) Avatar didn’t need to be great in the way that your Slumdog Millionaire is great or your Quentin Tarantino film is great. Instead, it is great in the way that The Lord of the Rings trilogy is great, or, and more importantly as we escape film, the The Legend of Zelda is great or that one of my favorite JRPGs is great – it’s because of sheer immersion.