Japanese Anime Films

Anime is a term for cartoons originating from Japan. A different word is used so it wouldn't be confused with Western animated shows. Unlike in the West, where cartoons are mainly made for children, Japanese anime can target any age group; furthermore, some shows are intended for adults only.

Anime is a visual medium that gives a lot of freedom for artists to express themselves. Some animes may be heavily stylized, while others take more realistic approaches. They are also known to mix CG effects with traditional hand-drawn animation successfully.

Now that we've established that anime can be a medium for any kind of story - not only shows for kids - let's talk about anime movies. Much like Western producers of animated movies, such as Toy Story or Finding Nemo, Japan has its own anime film industry. However, even though Japanese animation is becoming more popular overseas, not many people are familiar with the more impressive anime works. It's mostly commercialized and overhyped shows like Digimon or Naruto that are the most popular.

So if you've got your first impression of anime through low-quality dubbed kid shows you saw on TV, that's not enough of a reason to decide that all anime is bad. You should watch some of the best anime movies instead - such as "Spirited Away" by the Japanese anime genius Hayao Miyazaki. This animated movie has won an Oscar, and is also the first (and so far, also the only) non-English animated work to win an Academy award.

Movies by Hayao Miyazaki (such as Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, and so on) are always a good bet when looking for great anime films to watch. There also are other classics like Grave of the Fireflies, Ghost in the Shell or Akira. Most of these movies are translated and dubbed so you will have no trouble acquiring the DVDs and enjoying the fantastic journey.

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The Meiji Era is Over

The Meiji Era of Japan occurred countless years ago. That era is long gone, and now most of us live in a democratic society. A world that talks about free will. During the Meiji Era, the popularity of swords went down. I feel that it has never recovered. Today, there are sword smiths and weapon shops that ship their artfully crafted swords worldwide. Isn't it time to bring back the sword?
In the cold war, the world was split into two: The East and the West. Now, its the pro-swords and the anti-swords. Today, there are people still sparring with swords, through legal and registered organisations. Real swords, although they are blunt. And, on the other side, there are people who say "Swords? In this age? Have you watch too much dramas and animes? Are you crazy?"
Some people link "swords" to "blood". This is clearly not the case in our world. Our world is governed by legal systems. People on our side respect swords, and see it as arts and sports. It is the dream of some of us to expand this sports, this love for swords, to the rest of the world, and gain as much supporters as possible. People who would say," Swords? That sounds awesome. Go ahead with it."
The love for swords take maturity and passion. Don't let people put you down when they say things like "that's ridiculous/funny/impossible" or "please wake up, the last samurais are gone." Yes, samurais have gone,but sword-owners are still very much alive and slashing. Maturity as in, you recognise the sword as a weapon, and respect it. You know that the sword today is not meant to injure, be it humans or animals or plants or trees.
I want to start a revolution. A revolution in this new century, possible in a democratic world. Where people will start seeing the sword as what it should be, and take up sword martial arts. I want to see the popularity of swords skyrocket, to even surpass that of the pre-Meiji times.
Sounds crazy? Remember, as history has taught us, people who are deemed "crazy" ended up changing the world, with nothing less than a will of steel. After all, "reality" is "what is", and "future" is "what can be."
If you share my thoughts, hold on to your dreams, and start to change what you don't like, through education and a flaming passion.

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Avatar - The Legend of Aang

Avatar: The Last Airbender (a.k.a Avatar the Legend of Aang) is a digitally animated cartoon that aired for almost three years (i.e., 2005 to 2008) on the Nickelodeon channel. The show itself was originally written and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Brian Konietzko. The show takes place in an Asian setting, with a character named "Aang" serving as the hero. Aang and all of the friends whom he meets on his journey must find the "firelord", defeat him, and bring the battle against the Fire Nation to a halt.
Astoundingly, on average, more than five million people tuned in to watch the show each time it aired- it was not only popular with young viewers, but aged critics, parents, young adults, and older teenagers, too. Having been nominated for a variety of awards, Nickelodeon has recently opted to have the creators produce more seasons, and because the show has garnished so much popularity, they are asking for movies to be made based on the show, also. Toys, such as video games, magazines, collectible figures and models, cards, and blocks have emerged from the story's huge success. Thus, the incredible power of this epic tale is influencing the lives of many individuals worldwide, not just young teenagers, and it is paramount to recognize that the Avatar series has been going strongly for over four years.
With such a wide reverence of this series, a small synopsis of the story is important. As briefly discussed above, Aang, a twelve-year old, learns that he is the new "avatar", which he cannot readily accept. Upon hearing that he is the new avatar, Aang runs away on his pet bison (i.e., Appa), and, unfortunately, he gets trapped inside of an iceberg. While he is detained inside of the iceberg, the Fire Lord (i.e., the leader of the Fire Nations) causes havoc on the rest of the world, and he wants to make sure that the newest Avatar (i.e., Aang) does not ruin his chances of ruling the world. Eventually, though, Aang and Appa are broken out of the iceberg about one-hundred years later, and the two bond with other people. They begin a journey and stop all attempts of the Fire Nation trying to contaminate the planet (e.g., ships trying to take over the North Pole). Aang then becomes a master "waterboarder", is injured badly by a Fire Nation commander (i.e., Azula), and is thought to be dead. Aang, however, does not die, and he and his comrades manage to destroy the Fire Lord and get a new Fire Lord established that promises to bring peace and harmony to the world. Avatar The Legend of Aang is a great show for people of all ages.

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