I can tell the changes in the animation, but it doesn't improve a thing about Akira, and needn't be. I upvote because of Akira, not 60fps (as pointless as the CGI added Star Wars Ep IV-VI... and I'm being charitable). Akira is something that every generation needs to be aware of and watch.

Also, if you have access to it, read the comics (manga). While I wouldn't say it's more entertaining than the movie, it's far more intriguing. Same deal with many of the Studio Ghibli adaptations (like Valley of the Wind). Go for the comics, you'll get more of an emotional rollercoaster ride than the visually amazing, but plot-weakened film versions.

Your video, Studio Ghibli Film Collection Coming To Netflix, has made it into the Top 15 New Videos listing. Congratulations on your achievement. For your contribution you have been awarded 1 Power Point.

I'd have thought the words "Country Roads" have a Japanese translation, after all, they have country areas, and they have roads. Unless the song (here and the Studio Ghibli direct version) stick to the English for some effect at that point.

Not actually a translation of the original, these lyrics are originally from the Studio Ghibli movie Whisper of the Heart.

From wikipedia: "The songs were actually translated by producer Toshio Suzuki's daughter Mamiko with Hayao Miyazaki writing supplemental lyrics. "

Most of this is CG, with sketched textures on the models, as well as a sketch post-process filter in some cases. Definitely not drawn by hand, just in case the contributor was under that impression.

Oddly enough, they co-opted some existing animation too, as I noticed a few frames from existing animations (1:47 - studio ghibli's Ponyo). I guess musical artists have finally broken through to the visual side of "sampling"?

They don't seem to be random, the enemies are visible in the field. This looks amazing.>> ^direpickle:

"Oh, how neat look--ARGH RANDOM ENCOUNTERS"

I am buying a PS3 the day this comes out here in the US. Studio Ghibli !

Get that cat a tailored suit, a top hat, and a cane and he's a dead ringer for the distinguished Baron Humbert von Gikkingen from Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, Animation, Japan' to 'Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, Animation, Japan, Sungha Jung' - edited by EndAll

>> ^spoco2:
This doesn't get a WTF from me in the sense of 'Holy cow, are they really doing that?'
This gets a WTF from me in the sense of 'Really, people older than about 12 years old find this sort of stuff entertaining?'
Really, Anime fricken leaves me so cold. People wax on and on and on and on about how it's so damn superior to western animation, but really, so much of it is lazy (a LOT has an awful lot of static image in the frame with barely a mouth moving), outlets for the repression of the Japanese culture. The amount of violence and sexual abuse that is in these things is truly horrible. I found the violence funny when I was a kid, but after that, it just bores the pants off me.


How do you know this anime was made for people above the age of 12? Studio Ghibli films are usually for kids, I thought.

As for the rest of your post, I certainly spend more time enjoying animation that's "Made in Japan" than animation that's "Made in America", but I don't see why I should care either way. I'm an American. If I draw a shitty cartoon in my basement, am I automatically an example of shitty American animation? At what point is my failure my own and not my country's? Factor in multi-national corporations/ownership and the whole issue becomes even more muddled. Dreamworks and Pixar, to my knowledge, are the sole two animation companies in "The West" that are admired, and Dreamworks is owned by an Indian company based in Mumbai. Elsewhere, multiple anime titles have been and are being produced by Japanese studios specifically to appeal to "Western" audiences (read: white middle class youth), or at the very least significantly factor in their interests.

Anyway, the giant budget 3D animated movies cost dozens of millions of dollars to produce, and only offer up perhaps 90 minutes of entertainment after years of production time (The Incredibles cost $92 million, Wall-E: a whopping $180 million). Because of the massive budgets these movies require, the scripts of these films rarely take any risks. Everything's rated G and has a story that is very "lowest common denominator" in my eyes. I'm getting far too old to enjoy these films beyond their technical merits, since their target audience is primarily below the age of 14.

Meanwhile, partially due to smaller budget requirements in anime production, I can choose all sorts of anime that tries to cater to a slightly older crowd. Very little anime attempts to appeal to anyone above the age of 30, but even in the "age 13-18" type shows, there's interesting themes to chew on. One of my fav animes, Gundam, is basically Star Trek with robots. Its creators have described the show as a humanist show, and the shows take on imperialism, racism, and war really line up with what I saw in the humanist Star Trek shows (I loved TNG/DS9). Since Star Trek has been dead for a while, it's nice to have a place to go to (btw: the upcoming movie will abandon much of what the shows were about in favor of violence and sex). Most Gundam shows are about a teenage boy who hops into a war robot, gets traumatized by war, manipulated by corrupt politicians into fighting questionable wars, and deals with issues of imperialism. Not the most intellectually challenging stuff in the world, I know, but it sure beats what I've seen in stuff like 24 or Heroes and a lot of other dramas on the major networks. And those are aimed at considerably older demographics. I think the much smaller budget requirements of anime helps studios create things for niche demographics (such as sci-fi loving humanists) and that's good for me. Are they technically superior to something like Wall-E? Not by a long shot. But a 1,000 minute Gundam series didn't cost $180 million every 90 minutes either, and yet still left me more entertained.

It's from the film Kiki's Kiki's Delivery Service. You can get that on DVD.
As to the Concert itself, it was a Studio GHIBLI concert. August 2008. I am not sure if the concert footage is on dvd outside of Japan, I think you may be able to get the concert on dvd from Amazon JP.

>> ^gunjam:
Does anyone know where this is taken from, and if I can buy it on DVD?

Kind of a late reply... but anyway, no, it's not a Studio Ghibli production. It was done by Madhouse. =)

In reply to this comment by randomize:
Is this by Studio Ghibli?

Is this by Studio Ghibli?

Tags for this video have been changed from 'Joe Hisaishi, Concert, Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, Waltz' to 'Joe Hisaishi, Concert, Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, Waltz, Japan, Japanese' - edited by JAPR

I am not a fan of

a) your face
b) you two cock fags.
go look on you tube for the soot-imp scene from spirited away, studio ghibli doesn't exactly like to have their vids out and about.