WOW. The Place Promised....need reccomendations

[crosbie394]

I watched The Place Promised in Our Early Days yesterday, and was completely overwhelmed by how beautiful the film was, both visually and also in terms of the story.

Can anyone offer up any suggestions of titles that one might enjoy if they have watched this feature film?

[Captain Impulse]

Perhaps the most obvious recommendation is "Voices of a Distant Star", also by Makoto Shinkai...but you've seen that already, right?

[crosbie394]

Yeah; should've mentioned that.

[perigee]

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masaki86 said:
I watched The Place Promised in Our Early Days yesterday, and was completely overwhelmed by how beautiful the film was, both visually and also in terms of the story.

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I agree. It's unusual that a film of such beauty and depth slipped by without much notice or mention. I'd like to see a full discussion sometime in GA.

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Can anyone offer up any suggestions of titles that one might enjoy if they have watched this feature film?

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The story isn't as well developed as PPiOED, but I found the artwork and animation for Munto quite striking. I'm looking forward to the release of Munto 2 on April 4th. Both movies were produced by a small, independent animation studio.

[DanielJr]

Are you looking for similar presentation or similar story telling? I can't vouch in for the presentation as Place Promised is certainly quite the unique work. But as far as story telling goes, you should check out Studio Ghibli's Whisper of the Heart.

[crosbie394]

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DanielJr said:
Are you looking for similar presentation or similar story telling? I can't vouch in for the presentation as Place Promised is certainly quite the unique work. But as far as story telling goes, you should check out Studio Ghibli's Whisper of the Heart.

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I was looking for a bit of both aspects.

Whisper of the heart is something I've been interested in for a while now; may pick it up!

[nakimushi]

I didn't see it listed in your collection, but have you seen Satoshi Kon's Millenium Actress yet?

The animation is great and the story is beautifully poignant. Reviews (http://www.animecritic.com/_metareview/viewtitle.php?aid=908)

Another great film by Satoshi Kon but much more on the lighter comedic side is Tokyo Godfathers - the background scenes are just as detailed as Place Promised. Reviews (http://www.animecritic.com/_metareview/viewtitle.php?aid=1005)

As far as series go, I would recommend Haibane Renmei if you haven't already seen it. It is also a beautifully animated poignant story. Reviews (http://www.animecritic.com/_metareview/viewtitle.php?aid=971)

[Hunter Sopko]

I'll second some recommendations.

Millenium Actress is a must. MUST. One of the best animated films of all time. See it.

I'll also second Munto. The art is amazing and the story is enjoyable. The trailer for Munto 2 looks awesome too.

FLCL is also a very good watch. It's art style and music are astounding and it's enjoyable both at face value and it's hidden depth.

[DanielJr]

FLCL?? Are you out of your mind? How is that in any way, shape or form similar or commendable to Place Promised?

[Captain Impulse]

I'll second Millenium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers and Haibane-Renmei. You really can't go wrong with any of those titles.

I think RahXephon could fit as a recommendation, as it is far more than a simple mecha story. There are powerful romantic moments and an engaging and well thought-out story behind it all.

I'd also highly recommend Memories, particularly for the first short story, Magnetic Rose.

[Hunter Sopko]

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DanielJr said:
FLCL?? Are you out of your mind? How is that in any way, shape or form similar or commendable to Place Promised?

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Place Promised goes way out of it's way to try to have depth. It tries to capture the feel of a Miyazaki film in a VERY heavyhanded fashion. And actually works, since Miyazaki himself is very heavyhanded. It was a very good film and accomplished what it set out to do.

The reason I compare it is because he's looking for a show with a good amount of depth. FLCL has that. Plus, the animation style in terms of coloration and the extreme amount of care put into every shot of the show. Look at the shot where Canti is standing by the river and tell me the water effects aren't very similar to those used in Place Promised (Of course, the animation direction is very different).

They are very different shows, but I think it's a possible fit. Depends on what his take of FLCL is.

[Nani]

One of my favorite movies of all time. Truly spectactular.

If you're looking for anime with similarly beautiful with layered visual poetry you must try RahXephon because it has the same understated emotion and depth as The Place Promised. It may be another giant robot show, but the characters have a depth and psychology to them that's rare in anime.

Kino's Journey also has a unique mood and visual style. Though not the visual sonnet of the other two anime it has the same literary style as them. It reminds me of reading a series of excellent short stories out of a literary magazine. It's a thought-provoking series that delves into the mores of society.

Ghost in the Shell: The Movie is also very good. Not nearly as beautiful as The Place Promised or even RahXephon, but it has entrancing visuals that draw you into the story. It, too, is filled with visual metaphors. It analyzes what it is to be human when the line between humanity and machines becomes blurred.

Hope you enjoy them. /images/graemlins/happy.gif

[XenoCrisis0153]

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masaki86 said:
I watched The Place Promised in Our Early Days yesterday, and was completely overwhelmed by how beautiful the film was, both visually and also in terms of the story.

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Air is incredibly gorgeous and it has an incredibly gripping storyline, but it's not available in NA, nor do I think it will be for quite some time.

A totally different story and genre, but equally visually-appealing is Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex Seasons 1 and 2.

[Nani]

I agree with DanielJr.

FLCL is nothing like Place Promised, and Shinkai does not attempt to follow Miyazaki in style or story. The fact that you try to draw a parallel to them is baffling.

Shinkai does visual metaphors, uses scene composition to tell the story just as much as actions and words. Miyazaki deals in fantastic visuals the evoke childlike wonder and predominantly young heroines growing up. Miyazaki doesn't use visual metaphors. It's not a criticism of Miyazaki, but their styles are not alike at all. Their stories are not alike either. Voices of a Distant Star and The Place Promised both center around romantic love and longing. Neither of which is a centerpiece in any of Miyazaki's works as far as I know of.

And, I'm sorry to say, a scene near a river with water effects is in a lot of anime. That's only a very shallow surface similarity between FLCL and Place Promised. You're reaching for something that's not there.

[Darkseid]

If you can find a VHS copy or R2 version, check out Wings of Honneamise. Very good drama and visual style. Either this or Millennium Actress would be my pick for best anime film ever, depending when you catch me. Whisper of the Heart and Only Yesterday would also be good to watch for this state of mind, echoing several posts here.