anime

[timepiececlock]

Right now I'm in the middle of the funniest, most delightful IY episode I've ever seen: # 68. This is so cute and amusing that I'm shocked by how good it is. A lot of the humor in IY (like most anime) is culturally related and thus escapes me, but this is.... really funny.

It's a lot like the Buffy episode Storyteller, actually. It's A Day In The Life Of Shippou, wherein he gets challenged to a duel by the bloodkin of his Great Enemy, tells off Inuyasha, gets trapped in a net, makes a secret admirer, and participates in a what I can only call a "Crayola tease," amongst other things.

There's one screencap I just have to make.

TECH-Y QUESTION:

A long time ago I cahnged something on my settings that allowed me to press print screen and copy the image inside MediaPlayer, and then post it to an image program. But I forgot how I did that, and when I redid my computer, whatever I did was reset again.

Does anyone know how? Also, do you know how to make that possible for Realplayer?

Comments

[octopedingenue]

I think I am glad that I am missing most of the cultural humor in "Inuyasha"; the funneh that I already do get comes dang well close to killing me and I don't think I could take any more.


[Scene: this morning, in Kawy's room, as she watches Inu-DVDs]

TRANSFORMED!DEMON!SESSHOMARU: *menacing growlroarsnarl*

INUYASHA: "Yeah, yeah, 'roar roar' to you, too."

KAWCROW: *falls out of armchair*

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

which ep is THAT? I have watched almost the whole thing in subbed, so I missed the funny english lines. I don't think I've ever heard that one.

[octopedingenue]

That quote is from ep 9, "Showdown! Inuyasha vs. Sesshomaru", while Inuyasha is preparing to kick his older brother's ass with Tetsuisaiga. *snerk* I've become soooo protective of Inuyasha. It's amusing and scary. I really like Sesshomaru and Koga as characters, but they are inherently the characters who insult Inuyasha and beat him almost to the point of defeat and gloat over his halfbreedness, and every time they do (especially the gloating), I'm like, "YOU ARE MEAN AND EVIL AND NOW YOU DIE!!!!" Heh. I felt the same way towards Spike on "Buffy": I lurved all of the Scoobies (at least til around season 6), but WOE BE IT for them if they were mean to my baaaaby. ;)

So far the only Japanese voice actor I prefer over the English actor for emotional expression and in best suiting the character is the Japanese actor for Kikyo. English!Kikyo sounds about 35 to Inuyasha's moody-16-year-old (in voice and emotional maturity, anyway), which gives their relationship a creepy-Mrs.-Robinson-edge. As if it weren't creepy enough that she wants to EAT HIS SOUL, dude. I like her much better in the manga, in which I don't have to hear her voice. I haven't heard Sesshomaru or Koga in Japanese yet (I'll probably do that sometime tomorrow), but I'm iffy about those English voice actors as well. Koga is a bit too snarly and again sounds MUCH older than his love interest Kagome, and Sesshomaru sounds exactly like a male version of Sandy from "Daria", in pitch, inflection, and the way they draw out and exaggerate certain vowel sounds. Sesshomaru says "COME to me, InuYASHa" in the same way that Sandy says "As PRESident of the FASHion Club". SANDYMARU!

I haven't seen very many episodes yet with the subtitles instead of the dubs, but so far I still prefer the dubs. I know I'm probably missing a lot, but I LOVE what I'm getting, so can I really complain? I think the dubs do a great job of having the dialogue stay in character and flow naturally while remaining on subject AND matching the mouth movements, and I think most of the comedic scenes (especially physical comedy) are near perfect. Here's the example of one of my favorite hilarious scenes, from "Jinenji, Kind Yet Sad", in which Kagome is warning some angry villagers to stay away from Jinenji's farm once she's returned there:

[Subtitled Version from DVD]
KAGOME: So until Inuyasha returns, please don't attack Jinenji. If I should get caught up and hurt, then this Inuyasha will wreak havoc in the village!
INUYASHA: Huh? What?
KAGOME: Why not? You'd better wreak havoc! You have to!
INUYASHA: W-well...I guess I can...

[Dubbed Version]
KAGOME: I'm going to be over at Jinenji's farm, so don't even think about attacking there, okay? If you hurt me, you'll all have to die, because Inuyasha here will have to avenge me!
INUYASHA: I will!? Since when?!
KAGOME: You'd better avenge me! What am I supposed to do if you don't!?
INUYASHA: Fine, I'll avenge you already.

Of course I have no idea what the original Japanese was, but of these two, the dubbed version fits the scene better: "You'll all have to die!" better suits Kagome's melodramatic hand-waving, and "W-well...I guess I can..." doesn't match Inuyasha's overall facial expressions/body language/attitude of outraged annoyance that settles into irritable resignation.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Sesshomaru sounds exactly like a male version of Sandy from "Daria", in pitch, inflection, and the way they draw out and exaggerate certain vowel sounds.

Aahh... Dub!Sesshomaru... otherwise known as Treize from Gundam Wing... whom I hated. But the voice kind of suits him here, I thought, because he sounds disinterested and snobby and apathetic, which is what Sessh is most of the time.

I can't abide all the "ye"s in Kaede's dubbed voice... makes me scream. I watched the first 10 or so episodes in dubbed, and the only person I liked was Shippou and Kagome. I imagine they got better later on, but I found that a lot of the funny lines seemed to be cut out or made not-funny. I'm glad to hear that they get better at the humor in the later episodes, though. As I recall, the Jinenji was at least in the second season... that's teh giant and soft-hearted farming hanyou, right?

[octopedingenue]

Oh Lord, I forgot about Medieval!Kaede. I agree on the screaming. GYAAAAAAAAH. The thing that annoys me most about that is that whoever's writing her dialogue seems to think that you can make anything into Olde Englishe just be inserting "ye" into every "you", and you CAN'T--"thee" and thou" and even "you" were in use, too, and they were all used in different parts of a sentence and in different ways when addressing other people of varying relationships. Plus archaic English in feudal Japan is just WEIRD, especially when the rest of Kaede's speech is pretty informal.

I agree that Sesshomaru's snotty voice suits him. But it's made it harder for me to warm up to him as a character in his own right than I thought it would be (hey, I dig bad boys!)--half the time I'm usually snickering over him being "Sandymaru", and the other half I'm usually plotting his quick and brutal death because he's taunted Inuyasha a little too cuttingly for my liking. ;)

Personally, I can't imagine a better voice for Inuyasha than English!Inuyasha--Japanese!Inuyasha usually sounds a lot more calm and, er, sane, and to me, Inuyasha's perpetually-slightly-bitchy (English) voice is as much a vital part of him as his perpetually-slightly-annoyed expression.

And heh, I don't know if the humor in the episodes has gotten "better"--I have nothing to compare to, right? But I think they're hilarious. :)

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I want your icon! I've been comparing IY to Spike since day one. Except, Kagome's not a slightly-psycho chosen warrior girl with a death wish and perky fashion sense... and IY makes Spike look mature.

[octopedingenue]

I love my icon.

He's eating a cushion.

...He is SO MY BOYFRIEND.

Feel free to take the icon and run away with it! :D I've been working on it for *weeks*; I couldn't find a proper hair-pulling picture until I watched "Kikyo's Stolen Ashes" today and went "Ahhh-HAAA!"

Inuyasha is SO Spike regressed to the age of fifteen by a spell or something. He's Love's Bitch who's actually a DOG! It is very interesting and amusing finally to stumble across another character who needs therapy and Ritalin even more than Spike does. Wowza. I have this mental image of Spike meeting Inuyasha, hearing his story, and collapsing in helpless laughter while Inuyasha turns bright purple.

And I have another utterly priceless mental image of Inuyasha chaining up Kikyo and Kagome and then offering to stake kill Kikyo to prove his love to Kagome.

...The funniest part is that Kagome might actually take him up on it.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

And I have another utterly priceless mental image of Inuyasha chaining up Kikyo and Kagome and then offering to stake kill Kikyo to prove his love to Kagome.

::snickers:: OMG, that's perfect! You should write a fic scene of that, using most of the BUffy dialogue. And try to be true about it. It'd be unintentionally hilarious!

xover icon!

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

or--- make that scene an icon! A crossover icon, like that one you're using, with IY pics!

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Kagome really cracks me up, though. A lot of the time anime lead girls will be super clumsy or "eat too much" or something, which I don't find particularly that hilarious. But Kagome's dry wit and way of dealing things reminds me more of how *I'd* behave in her situation-- so I tend to enjoy her humorous situations a lot more.

[octopedingenue]

I love Kagome SO MUCH, it's surprised me. She reminds me a great deal of season 1 Buffy, if Buffy had been a lot more cheerful about her Destiny. Kagome is cheerful, smart, kind, and just fabulously dry-witted. And NORMAL and believable and neither a fluff-brained ditz nor Xena; when she's in a bad situation, she keeps her head and takes control when she can. And she does not take any of Inuyasha's grumpy melodramatic Billowy Hair King of Pain crap, bless her heart. The only problem I have with her at all is that sometimes she is TOO nice, specifically in relation to Kikyo. Grrr. Aaargh. (Did I mention I do not like Kikyo very much? I do not like Kikyo very much. ;) I think her history is very beautifully ironic and tragic, and I enjoy her character in an abstract story-based sense and in relation to Inuyasha's characterization--but I TWITCH every time she comes onscreen.) I want to take her face in my hands and tell her, "Kagome, you are an incredibly nice person and I love you for that, and I understand that you're conflicted about Kikyo because Inuyasha is conflicted about Kikyo and you're conflicted about Inuyasha. But there is a point up to which you're supposed to be nice to your pseudoboyfriend's ex, and then there are lines that once they are crossed, you no longer need to be worrying about politeness--and one of those lines is when that ex tries to EAT YOUR SOUL. Or when she tries to EAT ANYONE'S SOUL, really. After that you OFFICIALLY HAVE PERMISSION to be BITCHY. Trust me on this one."

I was also amused (and peculiarly grateful) that while Buffy perceived Spike in his Evil Soulless Thing box well past the point of ridiculousness, Kagome was defending Koga to Inuyasha as "not so bad" only the day/episode after she'd discovered that Koga had ordered his wolves to EAT AN ENTIRE VILLAGE. *snerk* I like Koga a lot (except when he's being mean to my baaaaby and must, y'know, DIE NOW), so I'm happy to let it slide. ^_~ (And to wish Buffy had been a little bit more Kagome-esque!)

IY madness!

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

And NORMAL and believable and neither a fluff-brained ditz nor Xena; when she's in a bad situation, she keeps her head and takes control when she can.

That's exactly why I love her. Because she seems as realistic as anyone could be in that situation. Much the way the teens in early Buffy had realistic reactions (varying from person to person, but always believable) to their dangerous lives.

I also have confusion over her kindess to Kouga. I'm tempted to say that she's pacifying him to keep the peace and keep the potential ally... but Kagome's not that cold or that strategic. I think she's just willing to believe the most of people, even when she shouldn't. Also I think she feels sorry for him.

I was wondering if Kouga has a wolf-form, like Sesshoumaru has a dog-form, and many other demons do. Because half his tribe is either wolves or human-shaped... I'm inclined to believe that like Sessh he can be either, but typically stays in human form. though there's no canon to think that he can take wolf-shape. It just makes sense to me, since he's a full demon.

Or when she tries to EAT ANYONE'S SOUL, really. After that you OFFICIALLY HAVE PERMISSION to be BITCHY. Trust me on this one."

Oh, you are preaching to the choir. Did you see my anti-Kikyo rant here? That's how I feel too. There's sympathy for your rival, but there need be no sympathy for soul-eating golems. Put a government chip in her that renders her harmless, then it will be okay if you want to feel for her. And really... the bitch has half your soul! She's leeching off your existence! Put up a damn fight for what's yours, girl!

I also had some thoughts about Kikyo here

I was watching #70-something, and an old enemy of Kikyo's comes back. I don't want to tell you too much about it, but they once again emphasize that Kagome is Kikyo's *reincarnation*, not her not!evil-twin-sister, which she sometimes seems to be. I know that Kagome desperately wnats IY to see her as different than Kikyo (and he does), but I think it would be even more interesting if Kagome eventually had to face the fact that she's *not* that different... that everything Kikyo *was* and everything Kagome *is* comes from the same source. Instead of her proving that she's in control of her life--- imagine the angst of her realizing that she's NOT. She wants so badly not to be like Kikyo... it would be great if she realized that she couldn't just pretend and ignore the truth... that she is Kikyo.

That idea has it's romantic appeal too... Inuyasha falls in love with the same woman twice... he thinks he loves Kagome because she's different... but the truth is that he just loves her, whoever she is... and his heart doesn't see the difference between Kikyo and Kagome. Put her in a different world and time with different values... and all IY has to do is come in contact with her and he starts to fall in love with her again. Because he's destined to love this person in all her incarnations.

But... I'm just sappy that way.

[ciardhapagan.livejournal.com]

>
A lot of the humor in IY (like most anime) is culturally related and thus escapes me
>

I hear this a lot from nonsouthern US anime fans, but very rarely from southern US anime fans like myself. Curious.

But I think there's a lot of similarities between Japanese cultural humor and southern humor. I'd say a 90% of the time I immediately get the humor. I'd chalk it up to my signifigant knowledge of Japanese literature- basically if it's been translated into English and predates the WWII period I've probably read it. The thing is though, most the humor is references to post WWII culture, and other than the great love of punning which goes back over a thousand years in Japanese literature there's little of the type humor you see in anime. Also other southern friends of mine that have not read the greats Japanese literature or know much about the culture all say they have no problem getting the humor. We all kind of go "huh?" when we hear other US anime fans say they don't get it because of the cultural references.

Interestingly enough back when I was in college I had several friends that were Japanese exchange students and they commented on how the southern US seemed the most like Japan (culturally) of any place in the US, so apparently it goes both ways. And not just the humor, but other cultural things too. (heh we even tend to take our shoes off as soon as we get home. ;) I had a couple of them visit the house and told them "please feel free to take off your shoes", as I took off mine.

For southerners I think it's the comfort angle, plus it's also a marker of how close you are to someone, if you keep your shoes on during your visit you aren't that close, things stay formal. If they take their shoes off, and invite you to take off yours it's a signal that they want a closer friendship with you- they feel comfortable with you. If you feel comfortable enough to just automatically take off your shoes shortly after you've arrived then you are close to them already. (typically this only happens with family or boyfriend/girlfriend)

shoes... and humor

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I usually find that I understand the humor fairly well-- about 90% of the time for myself as well. But I probably shouldn't have used the word "get" ... more accurate would be to say that sometimes it has little appeal to me. Slapstick is something that is often used in anime, and I tire of that quickly. Character-driven humor moments amuse me more, as does situational humor, which there is a lot of in anime. What I call "nosebleed" humor, or humor based around nudity or embarrassment doesn't really make me laugh at all, but if in that situation a character says something really funny, then I'll laugh at that. But I think the fact that slapstik and nosebleed humor occur so often in anime versus how I see it in typical American shows... that says a cultural thing to me, if only anime-culture. Either way, doesn't really amuse me the way a funny piece of dialogue might (not to say the sexual humor in anime doesn't amuse me, because it does, but I've never found the fan-service thing of stumbling in on someone bathing and getting a nosebleed/sweatdrop to be knock-out hilarious.)

So... "get" was the wrong word... I understand, it's just not what typically appeals to me as humor, so I often don't laugh at it. I was just saying that this episode with Shippou had me in giggles-- and it was almost entirely character-based humor... also playing on the conventions of the typical anime "big fight showdown face-off" where lots of posturing is done. There were some jewel bits of maturity amongst the humor too, so I came away liking this episode quite a bit.

I had a couple of them visit the house and told them "please feel free to take off your shoes", as I took off mine.

All the times someone has ever asked me to take my shoes off, it's always been asking not offering, and generally because they want to keep their carpets nice or whatever. It always kind of seemed a bit snobbish to me, and actually made me feel a bit less welcome. Like I'm being hald responsible for the care of their carpets-- I get the urge to say "If you don't want them to be walked on, then pull the damn things up and hide them away in a safe or something." But I think if I were offered in the phrasing you used above, I probably would feel more welcomed, because I prefer not to wear shoes when I'm relaxed. It's the difference between being a request or an offer, I guess.