It was a good idea. A very fine ramen lunch indeed.

I am drawn to the art style of Letter to Momo and the animation looks solid. I look forward to seeing this one.

I just finished reading the Game of Thrones series (actually the books are called "A song of ice and fire" and they were brilliant. Right now I am reading The Foundation series by Isaac Asimov. The Foundation series is pretty heavy on dialog and many the characters are similar, but the concept of a Galactic Empire and its collapse is amazing.

Today i will eat Ramen for lunch. 今日はラメンの日です！！！

HL: Got to talk to my wife on Skype. That is pretty much my everyday HL.

Also watched Porco Rosso with two beers and some cheese.

Just thinkin' of Azumanga Daioh

I haven't watched Azumanga Daioh in a long time, and it is one of my favorite shows and manga of all time. I was just thinking of when Osaka was playing her flute in music class and she was terrible at it, then the scene cuts to her playing the flute in the same awful manner, but in English class!! Haha, and Miss Yukari yells, "Osaka shut the hell up!" Hahaha!

As a teenage boy my favorite girl was Sakaki (for obvious reasons), but I have come to enjoy the comedy trio which is the knuckleheads (Osaka, Tomo, and Kagura) as well as Miss Yukari (who is pretty much me in woman form, and I'm not a teacher... yet).

What's your guys' favorite Azumanga moment and gal (or guy if you like Kimura, I think he's funny as hell)?

True. I love a good thunder storm, especially if I got any Lovecraft or Poe to read.

Person below me loves pasta.

Well I am glad everyone seems to go against it. Especially since I run into Totoro lots these days... worried I was seeing death!! I still think you can pull symbolism from works of art that the artist didn't intend to, but I also think there is plenty of facts that just straight up prove the god of death thing wrong (thanks to you folks and your input and links to info).

Husky- glad you got over the tuberculosis alright.

True! My plans are to go to summer school...

The person below me likes to debate things.

quote:

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Originally posted by O-Jay88

That article mentions the first poster, with Mei wearing Satsuki's clothes. At the start of production of the film there was only one protagonist, and this was the time that poster was made. But this was later changed to two. So that point is irrelevant.

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quote:

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Originally posted by leonbloy

quote:

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SOme of the very interesting points that were brought up during dinner is that by the end of the movie both Satsuki and Mei have no shadows.

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False

http://ghibli-gifs.tumblr.com/post/28163...y-maggiethunder

quote:

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[the sandal] TO me they looked the same even though Satuski says it isn't Mei's.

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They are different.

http://www.studioghibliforum.com/viewtop...?p=16569#p16569

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Totoro God of Death???

This is kind of crazy. I was at dinner with my fiancee and a group of Japanese people. Some how Totoro was brought up and a very scary thing was brought into perspective: that Totoro is actually a God of death and that Mei and Satsuki are dead!!!

So when I got home I checked the web.

Turns out Ghibili offically stated that the Shinigami rumors are fales and that is not the meaning to the movie.

But still one has to think... I felt this person brought up some very interesting points about the movie.

http://my.opera.com/sukekomashi-gaijin/blog/tonari-no-totoro

Be warned that site has a kind of disturbing Totoro fan art.

Anyway, even if it isn't true I feel like my innocent Totoro movie has been corrupted and I will never be able to look at it the same.

SOme of the very interesting points that were brought up during dinner is that by the end of the movie both Satsuki and Mei have no shadows. Also one of the destination names on the cat bus is grave road.

THe last time I watched the movie I tried to pay particular attention to Mei's sandel and the one found in the pond. TO me they looked the same even though Satuski says it isn't Mei's. I could be wrong, I am not 100% sure, but I thought they looked the same. ALso When Mei is lost she is sitting by Buddist statues that apparently were the protectors of dead children or spirits who died as children.

Another very scary connection is about murders that took place in Saitama prefecture back in 1963 where a young girl was kidnapped for randsom and then murdered. Her sister who found the body was put into such a state of shock that she told the officials she saw a giant raccoon and a cat monster. She then later committed suicide.

So Ghibli says that Totoro is not in fact a god of death, but just the idea makes it so I cannot see the movie in the same light. They might just be saying it isn't true just because Totoro is so populare now and they don't want to freak anyone out.

It makes a lot of sense to me... unfortunatly and I just feel like now something is lost, but in its wake something new and very interesting as risen. I still love the movie very much, but from now on I will constantly be looking for that grim shadow.

UPDATE:
One thing I forgot to mention that was disscussed during dinner is that at the end the mother thinks she saw Satsuki and Mei in the tree, and since she is close to death this is understandable.

Also someone mentioned that there is a messsage about a broken family. How the absence of the mother and even though the father is perfect, since the family isn't together the children die.

This was mentioned in relation to the parents in Spirited Away when the parents are glutenous pigs and even in Nausicaa where the mother died off screen but is present in that errie flashback dream Nausicaa has when she is trying to save the baby ohm. One could also maybe relate it to San being raised by wolves... I don't know.

Anyway, check out the link... it is pretty presuasive.

YET ANOTHER UPDATE:

Don't worry, if you are like me and love the fun laid back cute story of Totoro, than there is some good news. The more I look into it, the more it feels like the God of Death thing is not ture. Especially considering there is a SEQUEL!!!! Yes there actually is!

http://www.animetion.co.uk/Reviews/anime/kittenbus(ric).htm

This is kind of strange since Miyazaki himself reportedly said that the gilrs never again encounter Totoro after the end of the film... well Mei does at least! You can only see it at the Ghibli Museum, another reason for me to be excited to study in Japan next fall.

Nevertheless, the could be a whole scheme for Ghibli to be covering up Totoro's dark secret. I mean you could imagin the sells drop on Totoro merchandise if it turned out the gray flully animal was actually a death god.

But I am holding out that it is just a happy-go-lucky slice of life child's imagination story. I don't want to be creeped out about Totoro, I just don't.

HERE WE GO WTIH ANOTHER UPDATE:

If you click on the first link I posted way back up there somewhere, and read some of the responses you will find that the internet community is not as gross as you would have thought. There are a lot of very insightful posts on there and some that even bring light to the Totoro as a Death God idea, making it seem not so bad. Almost as if Totoro is pretecting their spirits as they make their way to heaven. And to make a death god a cute fuzzy Totoro would be a clever and fresh touch.

I am still not completely sold on the idea. But even if Miyazaki himself never meant for such a meaning it just goes to show you that works of art came be inturprited in many ways.

As far as the murder case where the older sister said she saw a giant raccoon and cat monster, I think it is safe to say that that statement was made up to better fit the Totoro is a death god urban legend. Still... makes for a creepy story.

Really you can probably take Totoro in a lot of ways. I don't buy into the God of Death idea, but it is plausable. ANd I do think the argument is legit, and even that interpritation can be beautiful.

Post last edited by Rossdude on 05.26.2011, 11:43 PM.

@hopexx5: sorry dude! Didn't mean to leave yo out of the conversation. As for why I learn, I do enjoy learning (especially if the teacher is awesome and enthusiastic), but also I have to. By serving in the military I was granted the G.I. Bill, which is free tuition and monthly stipens. So basically it is my job for the next two years that I have left. Alos I am motivated to have an education mainly because of my fiancee and our future family plans. I think it is better to have that education if I need to fall back on it to support my family.

@fenkashi: Yeah night clubs are nasty!! Sounds like you had a good time celebrating the finals!!

@foreignfilmfreak: University isn't so bad. It is actually more the hype of the finals rather than the finals themselves that are stressful. Finals roll around and think "OH no! Got to study!" and I work at it all stressed and then the final comes and I say, "What? THis is it?"

On a side note, grades were released today and I did a whole lot better than I thought I would! Drinking some Scottish ale to celebrate!

@Kemi: No, i didn't make it. It was at my University's international culture festival. And we are fun to hang out with! Come on down sometime! Thanks for the comment!

@Animenewbie: Oh yes.... Danny Choo. His armor is a lot more better than mine I am afraid. I can hardly walk in mine let alone dance like that! Not that I could dance like that in the first place! Thanks for the comment!

@Sattletank and arren: Glad you guys liked them!

I was a little hesitant to post these pics, but I feel Ghibli Tavern is a pretty nice community.

Post last edited by Rossdude on 05.03.2011, 02:07 PM.

I guess I just keep running into Totoro.



I'm the middle man.



Playing that guitar game.

That is all.

quote:

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Originally posted by arren18
From this article: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_r...d_chants_of_usa

quote:

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This is bin Laden’s lamentable victory: He has changed America’s psyche from one that saw violence as a regrettable-if-sometimes-necessary act into one that finds orgasmic euphoria in news of bloodshed. In other words, he’s helped drag us down into his sick nihilism by making us like too many other bellicose societies in history -- the ones that aggressively cheer on killing, as long as it is the Bad Guy that is being killed.

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Post last edited by Rossdude on 05.02.2011, 09:07 PM.

I am very split on the Osama news. He was a terrible man who killed thousands of my fellow countrymen and I am a believer that if you are attacked you just don't sit there and let that person get away with it. Also, having been a US Marine I am very proud of my country and my military. He had to die, no question about that. I mean when killing is your thing, that is what you do, you can't be surprised when you get killed.

But I will admit I am hesitant to join in the crowd in their cheering. The pictures of my people celebrating in the streets (though it makes me happy to see my flag flung with such enthusiasm) are not unlike a mob of Muslim extremists celebrating a successful terrorist attack.

What makes this different from Hitler's death (yes, I know he killed himself, but if he didn't I am sure he would have been killed by the allies) is that it meant the end of the war. Osama's death does not mean the end to terrorist or war in the middle east. The fight is far from over.

Again, though it is a victory for my country, and you can't blame me for rooting for my country. I love America. I love being American and to hell with our enemies.

Still to celebrate a death like this (though it is justice) is some what strange to me. I don't think people usually celebrate when a murderer is given the death penalty-- it is just something that has to be done. And it is border-line fanatical to be raving in the streets over this.

Tonight though I do drink to the men who took him down, somberly, in my own apartment, and to all the men and women of my country who have lost loved ones in these uncertain times.

I do hope in the long run my country wins. Again, can't you blame me for rooting for my home team? We did not start this fight, but I hope we finish it.

This is the only thing I have said about the matter. I think it reflects well on my day of thinking about it. It is sad that it was brought to this. But it is necessary.

I am not trying to argue with anyone. Arguing is useless. These are just my thoughts.

Post last edited by Rossdude on 05.02.2011, 08:15 PM.

Read Robert E. Howard short stories

quote:

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Originally posted by Kemi
But...to stay on topic; when my exams were done, last year, I celebrated with my family and boyfriend I had back then, drinking champagne and watching some movies indeed. I'm not such a party person either and also quite shy. I like to enjoy myself alone with a nice dvd and some wine

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I just ended up having beers with my fiancee. Which was great! Now summer is around the corner, but alas I have to take summer classes in order to get paid by the G.I. Bill. And I have to work during the short week break in between semesters. Ah! But life is good!! Good luck to all who haves finals on the horizon.