For the past few weeks, I’ve been getting myself into an anime mood. Before this, I never loved or hated anime. There are some great anime movies out there, but not many. A lot of people seem to think that anime is silly, or cheesy, or a bad excuse for actual animation. I agree that not all anime movies are great. In fact, most of them are rather overdramatic and loud, but there are many times where I can safely say that the anime movies I’ve seen are better than most Disney and Pixar movies. I watched many anime movies during the winter break, but there are three that really stand out for me. These films are all incredible, and I believe everyone should watch them. Your Name I’ll start off with a film that most people know, or at least have heard of, which is Your Name. Just like everyone says, this is an incredible film. I’ve had many friends who’ve had their whole perspective on anime changed because of this movie. I can understand what they mean. This is a breathtaking and emotional film. The premise is simple. A boy and girl get their bodies swapped back and forth each day, and they are forced to live and communicate through messaging and calling each other. It sounds simple, but the film actually gets more complicated as the story goes on, and sometimes it becomes extremely difficult to understand. I think the reason so many people love this film, including me, is the characters. The relationship between the boy and the girl is extremely natural and realistic. This is something I tend to notice in all anime movies. Most movies typically focus on an entertaining plot, with action sequences and moments to always keep you on the edge of your seat. Anime movies are more character driven. Nearly all of them I’ve seen focus a lot on the characters, their motivations, and their goals. I’m the kind of person to always prefer characters over world-building. It’s why I loved the Harry Potter books so much. Yes, there’s a lot of world-building in Harry Potter, but it focused a lot on the characters and their development throughout the series. It’s why I’ve never really gotten into the Wheel of Time or Way of Kings series’. They’re good books, but they’ve never really hooked me in. Your Name is a simple story that has so many meanings. There are tons of messages that this film brings to the table, like love and youth. The dialogue is great and never gets boring. It always knows when it’s trying to be funny, and when it’s trying to be serious, and that’s one of the best parts of the film. The constant shifting tone combined with the witty dialogue makes this a very entertaining film. In most comedies, the film doesn’t really work so well when it’s trying to get emotional since the dialogue is still funny and light-hearted. However, this film has great dialogue that sticks to the mood. It never feels out of place. Both the subbed (which is the Japanese version with subtitles) and the dubbed (which is the English voices dubbed into the film) versions are great. While Your Name is fantastic, this is surprisingly my least favorite of the three films I’m going to be talking about. A Silent Voice This film takes the word emotional to a whole new level. It’s simply an amazing film, maybe even a masterpiece. It communicated with me so powerfully. It’s not just another film about how bad bullying is. It’s a film about self-esteem, self-confidence, and redemption, and it’s incredibly well done. The story will literally cut your throat throughout. A young man named Shoya decides to make amends with a deaf girl named Shouko that he bullied years ago. It sounds boring, but it’s surprisingly great. It conveys messages and themes that are very relatable like depression and self-hatred, but never goes too over the top to where it feels fake. The characters are all very memorable, and I never really hated any of them. They all have personality and don’t feel like unnecessary substitutes to the main character. They’re integral to the relationship of Shoya and Shouko, and they constantly develop and change. Part of what I love so much about this movie is the realism. It has zero supernatural or fictional elements, leading you to feel more immersed in the story. I’ve also felt that having the characters head into a magical world, or fighting a group of fictional monsters, lessens the themes of the story. It’s why I didn’t like Your Name as much. It’s a great film, but it has a lot of supernatural elements that we can’t really relate to as well, like body swapping and time travel. The movie is always entertaining throughout its two hour runtime. The dialogue is well written and communicates to not only bullies, but people around the world who are worried or anxious about their lives. It speaks so well to introverts. Shoya learns to love himself as he tries to gain a friendship with Shouko. He always imagines an “X” on everyone since he can’t properly look anyone in the eye, but as the film goes on, he starts to take those “X”s off one by one. A Silent Voice is realistic, emotional and brutal. It left a lot of my friends sobbing and sobbing, and almost left me doing the same. Every scene adds something new to the story that I can’t fully describe it all in one sitting. I loved this movie and I can recommend it to anyone. Be warned though: it tackles lots of depressing themes that can be a little saddening and frightening to some. But if you can deal with that, then you’re in for one of the best films ever made. Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms This is the type of film that I can’t describe in words. It’s so
movie review
Asian Americans: a PBS Documentary Series, Reviewed by Ian, 12
Ian Chen, 12 (San Jose, CA) I just watched Asian Americans, a documentary series by PBS, a few days ago. It took me through the hardships of Chinese railroad workers 150 years ago to strikes led by Filipino grape farmers to the brutal murder of Vincent Chin and to one of the longest student strikes in U.S. history. Over the years, Asian Americans have not been able to get recognition for the deeds that they have done, justice for unfair working conditions, and even basic living conditions, all while working so hard to make America the country it is today. PBS’s documentary highlights some of the biggest trials that Asian Americans have faced as a people. I was startled to see some more obscure events such as the student strike, but not at all when I saw the part about the railroad workers. I had heard about the railroad workers before, and had even entered a drawing contest about the 150th anniversary of the completion of the railroad. However, one thing was universal, no matter if I had some background in the historical event: I had never known the full extent of the hardship, the prejudice, and the injustice involved. The railroad couldn’t have possibly been built without Chinese immigrants sacrificing their lives for every mile of the track laid down through the American wilderness. Still, they got paid less than the Irish workers and were omitted from the ceremony of the connection of the two sides of the railroad. The Chinese workers worked faster and harder than any other people, yet they did not receive the appreciation that they deserved. In those times, Asian Americans had never been accepted, and in some ways, we still aren’t. During World War II, Japanese American people were arrested and sent to internment camps simply because they were Japanese and Japan was one of the enemy countries. Families were split apart, children grew up feeling insecure in the camps, and they were deprived of the justices that made America renowned throughout the world. Many of them tried to prove their loyalty to America by joining the army. Many of them died. Except this wasn’t a question of loyalty: it was a question of race. Even though many Japanese Americans joined the army, their families were still detained in camps and had their freedoms taken away. Many of them joined the 442nd Infantry Regiment, a segregated regiment with only Japanese Americans. They eventually became one of the most decorated regiments, finally celebrated for their courage and heroism. I once thought that Roosevelt was flawless, a perfect representative of our country, but now I know that everybody has their own limitations when the documentary talked about him signing the Japanese concentration camp order. Everyone wants to know their own history. During the Cold War, many colleges did not teach minority history in their classes. The students started protesting, requesting Asian American courses. Mexican Americans joined in, and soon, most of the campus was alive with hope for a way to embrace and spread their own cultures. The police and the school did not agree. They responded with brutality, waving their batons while arresting strikers for no reason. The strikers still worked despite the fact that they could be put in jail, killed, or seriously injured. Finally, they succeeded after many months of carrying on the fight. Their legacy still lives on today. Because of them, people all over America now embrace their ethnicity and culture. Back then, Asians couldn’t do anything, whether it was buying houses, going to school with other races, or getting white collar jobs. Even acting in Hollywood was considered an impossibility, though a handful made it. At first, Asian actors could only act out the villains, making Americans even more biased. But in the flow of time, more and more people had the chance to act as the heroes of society. This inspired many people to stand up for what is right. For example, Bruce Lee was a very accomplished actor who made other Asians want to be movie stars. Now, the situation is becoming much better. Asian Americans are not being bullied so much, and some are even being celebrated for their successes. Asian Americans have stood up for themselves from the very beginning, when they first came to America. Now, the hard work of our ancestors has finally paid off after all these years. History has taught us many lessons. One of them is to never underestimate a race. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it a lot of unjustified criticism because of the fact that it came from China, especially from the 45th president, Donald Trump. Trump liked calling it the Wuhan Virus and the Kung Flu, acting as if it were China’s fault. Because of this, many of us are being scapegoated. I think this documentary series is doing an excellent job of reinforcing the past in our minds, so that history may not repeat itself by having Asian Americans being looked down upon again.
2001: A Space Odyssey, Reviewed by Abhi, 12
Let me set a couple of things straight. First off, if you are looking for an exciting sci-fi movie that keeps you really engaged every second, this is not for you. If you’re looking for movies with simple yet effective plots, this is not for you. 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most brilliant yet confusing movies I’ve ever seen in my life. But no matter what age you are, I highly recommend watching this movie. 2001’s story is about the evolution of mankind. Men discover a black monolith, which lead to the first sign of new alien intelligence. The signal leads to Jupiter, so five men head to Jupiter along with their robot HAL to figure out what’s there. But certain strange things happen along the way. This film is notable for many reasons, but the most important reason will probably be the brilliant special effects. This film, although it may not seem like it, was made in 1968, before man even landed on the moon! This film gave the concept of A.I, space travel, alien intelligence. All the good children’s books, like The Giver, The City of Ember, and Ender’s Game exist because of this movie. Even my own book, Three Days Till EOC, was inspired by this movie. This film is strange. It can never be fully explained or understood. There are many long scenes with nobody talking and just seeing the vast wonders of space. The ending, even five decades after this film came out, is still something nobody has understood. Even though it’s rated G, 2001 is one of the most cryptic and most engaging movies, told with almost zero dialogue, which I thought could never be achieved. It constantly keeps you excited, but not like other films or books. See, most books and movies have really exciting action scenes with characters jumping off buildings, or characters running for their lives and a monster taking over the town (The Alex Rider series, Godzilla and Alien are all great examples). But 2001 is engaging, without any of those elements. No exciting music, no dialogue, no sounds, no exposition and background to explain what’s happening. It’s a strange movie you have to really think about to understand. This film is directed by Stanley Kubrick, and he has directed really awesome films, but all of them require some thinking to understand. He always has ridiculous ideas and puts them on film (check out his other classic, Dr. Strangelove). Most of his movies are great, but this one is easily his best. HAL is a robot, but he is a creepy and weird character, as we see him slowly malfunction into madness. The opening called “The Dawn of Man” perfectly resembles human society in an interesting way, showing apes fighting, working together and acting curious when a very strange object leaps before their eyes. Unlike movies told with lots of exposition through a character or opening title sequence (e.g., Star Wars), 2001 tells the story through hidden details and little, cryptic hints. During a really easy-to-miss scene, a bone is turned into a weapon, which cuts later in just a brief second, into a spaceship. These cuts look perfect, brilliant and amazing. 2001 is strange and criminally underrated. When I hear most people think of “sci-fi movies ahead of their time,” they say Star Wars or Alien, but they forget about the most important movie of them all. Without 2001, we wouldn’t have Star Wars, Ender’s Game, Ready Player One, blah blah blah I can go on and on! It’s a very self-aware film about mankind, society, and predicted the future far ahead of its time. 2001 is a thrill ride I recommend everyone in the Stone Soup community to watch at least once, because it is the true definition of a great sci-fi film.
