Obviously, anyone whos into anime is far more likely to get something out of the two hours of “Tekkonkinkreet” than someone like me, who always feels completely out of place whenever i force myself through this hell that is animation, anime, cartoons, call it whatever you like. The point is that there are no actors, no tangible settings, no physical reality for the camera to capture. Whether a film is great or not depends almost entirely on the director, who is also responsible for the script or the story and, pay attention, that’s what should be judged above everything else. Why is it that in the world of anime people only seem to care about the animation or how “pretty” it looks? Yes, I despise anime. I can’t stand it. And despite that, I approached this film genuinely hoping it would win me over.
Of course, I take for granted that the artwork, the visual flair, and the striking imagery are up to standard. That’s the bare minimum. There’s no casting process to get right, no actors to direct, no scenes to shoot 20 times until they work. A guy like me, a simple and straightforward viewer, watches “Tekkonkinkreet” and comes away feeling exactly the same. If I had skipped it entirely, I’d feel exactly the same because it gives me nothing, leaves no impression whatsoever. What i see is two kids jumping around in a fantasy playground that seem they can fly, some half baked yakuza theatrics, an attempt at violence (so brutally mediocre), and little else.
The relationship between our two protagonists boils down to the oldest cliché in the book: yin and yang. One obviously possesses the screws the other is missing. What dazzling originality. What staggering depth. Absolutely mind blowing. So profound. Are we witnessing the second coming of Christ? Socrates reborn? Is this cinema 2.0? Anyway, then things turn surreal because fuck it why not. The world of dreams unfolds, some sort of “aliens” are introduced (because fuck it why not) and seem like they wandered in from an entirely different screenplay, and whatever fragile little narrative thread that managed to stay afloat goes straight down the drain
Credits roll and I’m left exactly where I started. It contributes nothing, reveals nothing, and explores nothing. Fuck this movie. Seriously, this is a call to action to all those anime fans, turn your brain on for half a second at least.
Obviously, anyone whos into anime is far more likely to get something out of the two hours of “Tekkonkinkreet” than someone like me, who always feels completely out of place whenever i force myself through this hell that is animation, anime, cartoons, call it whatever you like. The point is that there are no actors, no tangible settings, no physical reality for the camera to capture. Whether a film is great or not depends almost entirely on the director, who is also responsible for the script or the story and, pay attention, that’s what should be judged above everything else. Why is it that in the world of anime people only seem to care about the animation or how “pretty” it looks? Yes, I despise anime. I can’t stand it. And despite that, I approached this film genuinely hoping it would win me over.
Of course, I take for granted that the artwork, the visual flair, and the striking imagery are up to standard. That’s the bare minimum. There’s no casting process to get right, no actors to direct, no scenes to shoot 20 times until they work. A guy like me, a simple and straightforward viewer, watches “Tekkonkinkreet” and comes away feeling exactly the same. If I had skipped it entirely, I’d feel exactly the same because it gives me nothing, leaves no impression whatsoever. What i see is two kids jumping around in a fantasy playground that seem they can fly, some half baked yakuza theatrics, an attempt at violence (so brutally mediocre), and little else.
The relationship between our two protagonists boils down to the oldest cliché in the book: yin and yang. One obviously possesses the screws the other is missing. What dazzling originality. What staggering depth. Absolutely mind blowing. So profound. Are we witnessing the second coming of Christ? Socrates reborn? Is this cinema 2.0? Anyway, then things turn surreal because fuck it why not. The world of dreams unfolds, some sort of “aliens” are introduced (because fuck it why not) and seem like they wandered in from an entirely different screenplay, and whatever fragile little narrative thread that managed to stay afloat goes straight down the drain
Credits roll and I’m left exactly where I started. It contributes nothing, reveals nothing, and explores nothing. Fuck this movie. Seriously, this is a call to action to all those anime fans, turn your brain on for half a second at least.