Birth: On Yoshinori Kanada & the Kanada School | KYOTO VIDEO
Added 2023-02-27 01:08:20 +0000 UTCYoshinori Kanada was one of the first Japanese animators to develop a trademark style that continues to influence animators to this day. But he only one anime that could truly be considered a "Kanada anime." That being the much-hyped cult classic 1984's Birth.
Comments
Made me rethink some of my opinions of this outlier early piece, didn't change much. The energy in the early parts helps make up for weak to non-existent connective tissue. But it goes on so LONG, and the end takes forever and comes completely out of left field. Dragon's Heaven is almost as messy, but it is at least short (especially if you skip the model beauty shot). Crusher Joe is longer, BUT that's mostly because it's a 5 act story that's really 3 consecutive act twos. Within that issue, it moves fast and is mostly understandable (and Yaz has his own interesting flourishes).. If I just want to see robots fight in a canyon, I can watch Pop Chaser, which is much shorter, and has more plot (really!). Birth is technically an anime movie (and shares the common issue of needing to blow up the planet to justify the expense), while also having the common OVA problem of major structure and plotting problems. Like was said of Wagner's music, it has great moments and bad quarter hours. The Gainax/Trigger crew that went down this path also have a fondness for Tex Avery which shows in Abenobashi and the Little Witch TV series. The issue with Birth is that it's all chase and sakuga to no discernible purpose (it makes me appreciate A-Ko (the movie) a LOT more). I once showed this to a larval Otaku early in their "apprenticeship". Their reply on returning it? "Well that's 90 minutes of my life I'll never get back.."
Andrew Dederer
2023-02-27 15:15:41 +0000 UTC
