Non-US animation guidance!

[oyceter]

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?

Comments

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

Well, I know that Sensasian (http://sensasian.com/) has Coffe Prince and Dal Ja's Spring (http://sensasian.com/catalog.php/movies/1-6/act-more/i-C-D/) among others. But you'd probably be better off asking meganbmoore.

[oyceter]

I will check! I think Taiwan's might be put out by a different company, so I can't tell re: subtitles (the packaging part explaining was blocked, woes). But since it looks like Malaysia's has English subs, the Taiwan one may stick them in anyhow -- my general guess is that Taiwan DVDs have English subs if they're available and they don't have to pay a translator to do it, and not if not.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Ayakashi is three story arcs of Japanese horror - the third disc contains the genesis of the gorgeous recent anime Mononoke. (ETA: I haven't seen it yet, but I love Mononoke and I have the third disc on order. I've read too many Japanese fairy tales in recent months to want to see the others, but I've heard good things about them.)

Presumably you've seen or heard of The Triplets of Belleville, which is a French animated film. Excellent.

Millennium Actress - OMG EXCELLENT. When I rented it, I'd returned it without watching, and the guy I rented it from, on hearing that I hadn't watched it, said "I will re-rent this to you for NO CHARGE because YOU NEED TO SEE THIS MOVIE." He was right.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

For the love of kitty bellies, stay away from the first two arcs of Ayakashi! *shudder* I was told that and was all (quietly) "pfft! I'm completist. I wanna see the whole thing." My poor brain. It's still mad at me over that one.

[oyceter]

Oh dear... is it too scary or just bad? I cannot handle scary very well, so may avoid.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

No. It was horribly boring and misogynistic. *grumble*

[oyceter]

Will definitely avoid then, thanks!

[oyceter]

Yay, thanks for the pimp on your LJ! I think I will avoid Ayakashi because of the horror and because it's available on Netflix.

Have seen Triplets and enjoyed it, though possibly not enough to own on DVD. Plus, available in the US.

And given your rec and mystickeeper's for Millennium Actress, I am putting it in my Netflix queue! And may not buy it here, as it seems to be available for a very reasonable price in the US. Mostly I'm trying to scout out movies that I won't be able to get my hands on in the US and/or stuff that's insanely cheaper here.

[estara.livejournal.com]

Kethylia doesn't like Origin at all, I think the gist was too much beautiful animation not enough substance
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/origin-spirits-of-the-past/dvd

In the way of Korean animation I could recommend Oseam and My Beautiful Girl, Mari (which won the 2002 Annecy Animation Award, I believe)
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=4495
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/buried-treasure/2007-07-12

Nils and the Wild Geese is a classic children animation from a children's book by a Swedish Author, I believe. It's the same animation style as Heidi, Sinbad, Marco, etc.

Pettson and Findus are based on more children's books from Sweden, a small cat has adventures with his owner in their house in the countryside. He's a very cheeky cat.

Le Roi et L'Oiseau is an animated French Fairy Tale and one of the more famous French animations. I really liked it, but it has a European style animation.

Alosha (Alyosha) ought to be a Russian fairy tale, I believe... haven't seen it.

By the way, the Kirikou animations also won some awards and they're made by Africans from a country which used to be colonised by France, I believe.

Carlson on the Roof is based on another book by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Carlson is sort of a boy spirit who can do anything and he makes friends with a normal human boy. He has a hat which makes him fly.

Little Longnose is der Kleine Muck which is a German fairy tale from the time of the Romantics, so it's 19th century, and seems to have been developed by the Russians. There's a site link on your catalogue
http://karliknos.spb.ru/eng/mult
I remember it not being very popular in Germany.

Nussknacker und Mausekönig, Nutcracker and Mouseking is a German production I've never heard of or seen in the cinema, hmmm.

From what I can see, this is mainly animation from various European countries (mostly France and Scandinavia) with some odds and ends thrown in.

[oyceter]

I LOVE the first Kirikou and have been dying to see the second. I think the director himself is actually white, though he spent time in Africa and made sure to use African artists, musicians and actors in the first Kirikou, which makes me very happy.

Thanks for the notes! It looks like Origin and My Beautiful Girl Mari are available in the US, so I'll probably Netflix them first, but I'll keep an eye out for Oseam and Le Roi et L'Oiseau for sure!

[m-nivalis.livejournal.com]

(saw this via friendsfriendsfriends)

I haven't seen the Pettson & Findus series (http://www.sfinternational.se/Docs/NewReleases/Movie.aspx?id=dee31041-53e8-4125-8ae4-4964ffbcaa08), but the illustrated childrens' books are adorable.

[oyceter]

Awesome, thanks for the info!

[mystickeeper.livejournal.com]

Whee, spot-checking!

Paranoia Agent is a 13-ep series by Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika). It starts off better than it ends, but it serves mostly as a social commentary on modern-day Japan. The OP is fun.

I myself haven't seen the movie Nitaboh, but I've been told that it's really good.

The movie Origin: Spirit of the Past was really pretty, but also kind of a "....Really? Really?" in terms of unappealing storytelling (predictable and WTF at the same time).

Millennium Actress - AWESOME MOVIE. Do it!

[oyceter]

Ooo, looks like Nitaboh isn't out on Amazon! I will keep an eye out for it. I think I'll Netflix the rest, since they seem to be available here, and am considering just buying Millennium Actress in the US, as Amazon lists it as $10! Am trying not to get too much stuff for luggage in case Customs thinks I am importing pirated stuff (it is so not!) and fines me billions of dollars. Also, must leave room for books!

[cafecomics.livejournal.com]

Studio Ghibli released Le Roi et l'oiseau in Japan. Here is the link to the japanese trailer for the DVD (http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/outotori/trailer_dvd/).

[oyceter]

Cool, thanks!