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Presentation PA #80Miaow, Miaou, Welcome To The World Of Cats' Anime! Well, we did not plan this on purpose, but, in this issue, we have two anime shows to introduce you to, The Cat's Return and Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat In Space, both of which have funny-animal style cat characters [and there is a big cat in Stratos 4 too!]. The Cat's Return is very conscientious and can be enjoyed by all ages. It is produced by Studio Ghibli and supervised by none other than Hayao Miyazaki, who really loves the original work by author Aoi Hiiragi and chose a new director for the movie. I have read that Studio Ghibli's people are rather upset at the fact that almost all anime shows exported to foreign countries are full of sex and violence. In fact, they fear that the word "Japanimation" has become synonymous with sex and violence! Producer Toshio Suzuki, is angry about this and has made his point of view known many times "It is shameful for Japan to export such material". Now that Studio Ghibli is becoming famous around the world after receiving the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival and the Oscar for Best Animated Feature for Spirited Away, they are really committed to create conscientious anime works for all ages, especially children. By the way, in Japanese folk tales, there is a story called "A Crane's Return", which talks about gratitude. In this case, it is a cat and it takes place in modern Japan. Watching an anime like that warms your heart and you can really step into a world of fantasy and dream. Then, on the very other end of the spectrum, there is another funny-animal style anime, titled Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat In Space, which will blow off your mind! This feature film was chosen as the Best Anime Show at Montreal's Fantasia Film Festival 2003. It even got an encore presentation due the fans' enthusiastic response. And yet, it is such a weird show, full of computer graphics, but with a primitive look reminiscent of 1950-60's Black & White anime shows, such as Tetsuwan Atom (Astro Boy) , a style the creators call "the Retro Look". Is it, for you, such a refreshing experience to see this "Retro" style? Despite the cute look, Tamala is no Hello Kitty and, in fact, its message is extremely grim (as Tamala says "We're hopeless, we have no future"), as it deals with subjects such as drugs, violence, homosexuality, prostitution, even terrorism! Set in 2010 on Cat's Earth, the movie tells the adventures of a one year-old tattooed punk cat named Tamala, who decides to find out about her origin. But there is the shadow of the Catty & Co conglomerate hanging over her head. As I watched the film, I thought that it certainly shows the creators' frustration about today's corporate business culture and consumer society, both of which are permeating our lives and way of thinking. Through cute, but rebellious punk cat Tamala, the movie's creators want to make a point, it seems, saying "Is there any way for us to escape from today's consumerism and its culture?" However, in reality, do you think there is any other way for us to live? As Earth's population goes more and more toward urbanization, how will we adjust to all the urban ills described in this movie? And is it possible to escape them? Aside from those two cat anime films, I would like to say "Happy New Year 2004" to all our readers and wish you good luck and happiness. Personally, the best Christmas present for me was to watch the capture of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein on TV! And I would like to take off my hat to the brave men and women of the United States Military and Allied Forces for doing such a dangerous work in Iraq and Afghanistan. Just like the show Gundam Seed, to which you were introduced to in our previous issue, the war itself has become the major character and event of today. As director Mitsuo Fukuda presented in Gundam Seed, in reality, war cannot be solved or ended easily and we really do not have the ways to erase war forever. All we can do now is to think positively despite the hardship and live our cherished present wisely. So, when you are feeling down a bit, I certainly recommend you The Cat's Return to uplift your spirit! Miyako Matsuda * * *In this issue, Protoculture Addicts, the longest running anime & manga magazine in North America!, is introducing you to fourteen (14!) anime titles! As always, we do our best to offer you the most useful information, all condensed in a small, affordable format! First, you will find spotlights on The Big O II, The Cat Returns, Ghiblies Episode 2, and Yukikaze. We also talk about A Tree Of Palme (seen at the Big Apple Anime Fest last year), Parasite Dolls and Tamala 2010 (both seen last summer at Fantasia). Finally, more anime are presented in our "Anime Stories:" Ashita no Nadja, Looking For The Full Moon, Monkey Typhoon, Nurse Witch Komugi-chan, Tokyo Mew Mew, Raimu-iro Senkitan, and Stratos 4! This issue also provides the usual "Anime World" articles (convention & festival reports: Montreal World Film Festival, Otakon, BAAF, Anime Iowa, Nan Desu Kan, as well as The Modern Japanese Music Database Part 24 on ELT), the reviews of lots of recent anime & manga-related products (66 anime DVDs!, 6 CD sountracks, 23 manga, 5 books, 3 model kits, 13 live-action movies, etc.) and the latest news. Enjoy! As usual, we would like to hear your comments, read your letters and see your fan arts. Send them either to comments@protoculture.qc.ca or P.O. Box 1433, Station B, Montreal, Qc, H3B 3L2 Canada. Next Issue: Aim For The Ace, Full Metal Alchemist, Galaxy Railways, Gunslinger Girl, Kaleidostar, Planetes, Read Or Die TV, She: The Ultimate Weapon (aka Saikano) and more!! Don't miss it! Check the Upcoming Issues section for details! Claude J. Pelletier |