Non-US animation guidance!

Help! I was looking around a DVD store here to scope out what dramas are out on DVD (contemplating buying Dal Ja's Spring if I can figure out if there are English subtitles), and I discovered a company that seems to put out a lot of non-US, non-standard-anime animated films on DVD. I snatched up Kirikou and the Sorceress and Kirikou and the Wild Beasts like that, given how cheap the former was comparatively ($15 vs. $30) and how the latter isn't available in the US. I am definitely going back to get this, as it has Ocelot's Azur and Asmar, which is also not available in the US, and the non-Asterix ones look interesting as well. (Or will I like Asterix too?)

But they have a whole catalogue of stuff I've never heard of! I randomly spot-checked, and most don't seem to be available in the US. So before I get carried away, if anyone's willing to go through lists and pick out the English titles, let me know if you've seen any of them?

I'm particularly wondering about Escape from Carthage, which looks like the first Tunisian animated film; Gin-iro no kami no Agito; Little Longnose, despite the 1990s Disney-esque animation; and Tristan and Isolde, also despite the 1990s Disney-esque animation.

Anyone? Bueller?

Wiscon 32: Shoujo Bodies

This was a spontaneous panel attended by coffeeandink (Mely), akycha, heavenscalyx (HC), mystickeeper (MK), takumashii (T), fourthage (Nienna), and Alaya Dawn Johnson (ADJ). Names I'll be referring to them by in parentheses.

I don't remember the description that I wrote up for the panel suggestions, but here's the one I posted to the Wiscon community:

Most bodies in shoujo manga are thin and wispy, with an emphasis on androgyny. Many of the men tend to lack muscle definition (think Yuu Watase), while the women are much less curvy than their shounen manga counterparts. What does this mean to us? What other body types are there in shoujo manga? We will hopefully talk about gender-bending, cross-dressing, body image, and the fashion industry. Suggested series to discuss: After School Nightmare, Paradise Kiss, Walkin' Butterfly, Angel Sanctuary, Fruits Basket, W Juliet, Rose of Versailles, and Princess Knight.

I also took no notes, so all this is based purely off of my very faulty memory. Also, I am writing it up grouped by topic, as opposed to following the flow of the conversation, as a) I don't remember the flow and b) I think it will make for an easier-to-read post.

I freaked out a little at having to lead the discussion, but after an awkward beginning for me, people seemed to jump in on their own fairly quickly. Yay participation! I will blame my completely not remembering how the discussion started on nerves. I mentioned that we were mostly going to focus on shoujo manga and manhwa, with some possible delving into shounen manga representations of female bodies, but more as a comparison than an exploration of shounen manga.

( Gender-bending and cross-dressing )

( Constructs of femininity and masculinity )

( Biology and constructions of gender )

( Devaluing the female POV )

( Historical gender constructs )

( More that I am too lazy to categorize )

Thoughts

Overall, this was one of my favorite panels from Wiscon, probably because a) I suggested it, b) the spontaneous programming meant mostly people who knew about shoujo manga came, and c) I felt I finally got to go as in depth as I wanted to in a panel. The last bit is largely influenced by the second bit; thought not everyone was familiar with every series discussed, it seemed like most people had read a fair amount of shoujo manga and manga overall, and that most people were fairly familiar with Japan, so there was very little 101 to do. I loved being able to talk about so many works and to connect them all, and am only sad that we couldn't keep going for the entire night.