Twilight Princess

Twilight Princess is probably my favourite game in the Legend of Zelda franchise. What I particularly loved about the game is how much darker and morbid it is than the other Zelda games, it creates a really immersive atmosphere and gives the game alot of depth. Not only is the game visually darker than most of the other Zelda games, such as Skyward Sword, which has a bright and more cartoon-like aesthetic, but the story itself is darker and has much scarier enemies. What really makes the game feel so dark is the sense of loneliness and isolation in it, you can visit locations that were in older Zelda games, for example, Lon Lon Ranch which was in Ocarina of time, but in Twilight Princess you find these places completely desecrated whereas before they were so full of life. The evil in Twilight princess can literally be seen, as a dark shadow falls over the land. The colors are darker and more somber, the music isn't quite as bright and upbeat; also the fact that during parts of the game you are playing through a never-ending twilight where people no longer really exist but don't realize there is something wrong really makes the game an atmospheric experience. 

Gudetama the Lazy Egg

Gudetama is a lazy egg with depression created by Sanrio. He has his own short 20 second animated episodes, where he does typical lazy egg things. I love how cute he is and his little bacon blanket. He is usally a fried egg but can also be in many egg forms, such as hardboiled or scrambled. He has quickly become one of Japans most popular mascots, following in Hello Kitty's footsteps. I think he's so loved in Japan because unlike most pop culture icons, he shows less expressed emotions like sadness and laziness. Japan seems to be really good at giving inanimate objects personality and making them internaitonally loved. He shows how we all feel at times, just wanting to retreat back into our shells - which he does literally. I like the Gudetama facebook page and seeing the animated shorts makes my day sometimes.

Me either

I got my own Gudetama flask in Tokyo

Life, Animated

For my research into autism in the Applied Animation module, my group and I decided to watch 'Life Animated.' The film was released in 2016 and produced and directed by Roger Ross Williams. The film tells the story of 23 year old Owen Suskind and his life, particularly how he deals with the challenges of autism through Disney films. I found the film really touching and it opened my eyes more to what living with autism is actually like, and a better grasp of what people who live with it experience. 

Although most of the film was live action, the animated scenes were really beautiful and i think the style suited the story alot. The animated scenes were used mostly to show points of Owens life when he used Disney animated films as a form of escapism, he would frequently be shown in a world of his own creation, The Land of the Lost Sidekicks, where he was shown as a child, with some of his favourite sidekicks, like Baloo the bear from the Jungle Book, and Sebastian the crab from the Little Mermaid. The darker times in Owens life were shown using a sketchier style of animation with very little colour, which contrasted alot with the vivid scenes when he had learned to cope through Disney films.

 I found it really interesting how he used different points in the films in order to relate to and cope with challenges he faced in real life, like leaving his parents home to live alone, or when his girlfriend broke up with him. It gave me a new appreciation for Disney because of how much it helped him to deal with lifes challenges. 

Animal Crossing

Animal Crossing is one of my favourite games of all time. It doesn't have any action or a fast paced story, and provides a completely different experience than other games. The game is so simple; living in a town filled with cute animal neighbours; with simple goals like collecting fish or decorating your house. The sense of immersion and tranquility in the game is what makes it so special, it doesnt have to rely on action scenes or even amazing graphics to be thoroughly enjoyable to play. The adorable style of the graphics in the game make the towns you inhabit so picturesque and eventually you actually start to feel at home there. Another thing I love about Animal Crossing is the soundtrack; its so mesmerizing and tranquil, perfect background noise for the activities in the game. The themed holidays were also a favourite aspect of the game for me; because the game was in real time, you could go to you town and celebrate christmas day, new years, halloween, etc. This level of escapism is what makes the game so special and loved.
 I've owned 3 animal crossing games, Wild World on Nintendo DS, Lets Go to the City on the Wii, and New Leaf on the 3DS. My favourite, and the first one I owned, was Let's go to the City. There was so much exploring to do in the game and because it was my first time playing its got such a nostalgia now for me.

My Life as a Courgette

Because I didn't get to go to Manchester animation Festival last year, I had a lot of catching up to do hearing about all the great animations my friends saw there. 'My Life as a Courgette' was definitely the most talked about, so I decided to watch it online. I didn't really know what to expect at all because I knew nothing about the story, but once I started watching I found myself really enjoying it. The animation looked visually striking because of the characters big, tired looking eyes, which definitely lent itself to the story because it was very poignant. I haven't watched a stop motion i enjoyed alot in a while, so this was really refreshing, especially because the story itself was purely based in real life, not having and fantasy elements, which is interesting for a stop motion. I loved howcharming and emotional the story was and how it was simple but reallymoving.

The Walking Dead game

Telltale games make a few different brilliant games that all have the same comic book style graphics and distinctive feel. The walking dead game, which I played a few years ago, has remained one of my favourite games of all time. I love how you have to make decisions in the game that could potentially result in some dire consequences for the characters,it makes the game feel so intense and as if you are actually part of the story and in danger. The game is also extremely emotional in the way that it can so easily take some of your favourite characters away from you, and alot of the times it can be your fault. I love zombie apocalypse stories in general, and I played this game before watching the AMC tv show, which has a completely different story line and set of characters, and in my opinion the story is much weaker than the game. I got bored of the show after season 2, but the game is something i always go back to. I also love the comic book style of the game, it works so well as the walking dead is based off a series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, which I have read a few of.

The Lego Movie

I wasnt too enthusiastic about seeing this movie, but I gave it a chance and actually found i really liked it. I wasnt expecting to like the humour but i actually found it really funny, bringing all the characters together from different pop culture worked really well together and the link between the story in lego and 'real life' was really interesting at the end. I think the references throughout the film really made it stand out as more than a childrens film.

The Pink Panther

The Pink panther was my favourite cartoon as a child; I remember renting the same video again and again. I loved the mystery of it and the way it looked, with simple block colours, and how clever the pink panther was and how he found solutions to his problems that took advantage of the animation aspect, like painting a door on the wall and walking through it.  I still watch some of the short episodes on youtube nostalgically; I realise why i liked it so much as a child now. I think the lack of narration with just the simple music in the background also adds to the individuality of the show.

Bee and puppycat

Bee and puppycat is a short animated series on youtube. I discovered this series a few years ago and I loved it. I love the art style in particular with the pastel colours and how cute it all is. I would love to one day be able to animate stuff like this, the simple story really appeals to me and I love how surreal it can be sometimes. The humour also really appeals to me in the series. The detail in the backgrounds is also a reason i love the look of the show so much.

Coraline

I rewatched Coraline for about the 50th time on the plane to Japan last month. I love this film because I am a big fan of spooky things and I think its such a good example of this and how animation doesn't just have to be really childish and light hearted themes. There's no other animation like it that creates such a suspenseful and creepy atmosphere and that has such an interesting storyline. I also love that the film is stop motion, I think it really backs up the stories ominous story line because it can look so creepy, especially the way the characters move and I think the film would have lost alot of its charm if they had done it in 2D or 3D. I am a fan of Neil Gaiman's books because of the amount of imagination and creativity that goes into his stories and this depiction of this story suited it perfectly. I think its a perfect example of how both adults and children can enjoy animation. I love stories with hidden mysteries and different dimensions so Coraline is really one of my favourites. I also think the moral in the story is great, and I love how they presented Coralines desires when she gets to her 'perfect' dimension but how things slowly start to take a darker turn.

Tokyo- Day 3

On our third day in Tokyo we got to visit the Studio Ghibli museum. I am a big fan of Ghibli, and was really excited to see what the museum would be like inside. When we got there, it certainly didnt let us down. The museum was so magical, it was almost like you were in a Ghibli film. It was bright and colourful and had such a charm to it, with little arched doorways and spiral stair cases, every bit of interior design had been elaborately thought out and it made the experience so magical. Although photographs werent allowed, i managed to get a few sneaky ones.

A Sneaky photo of one of the windows in the bathroom

A photo i found online of the zoetrope

My favourite room in the studio ghibli museum, that i WISH I could have taken photos in, was one were they tried to replicate a ghibli animators work space. The room was covered in sketches, concept art and designs for various Ghibli titles, and it was so inspiring and beautiful to look at. I could have stayed in that room for hours. There was also a big open plan room that had an amazing zoetrope device that spun mega fast so that the figurines spinning looked like they were moving. We must havee sat and watched this for about half an hour, it was so enchanting to look at. Another favourite room of mine was one that had a life size version of the catbus, covered in fluff and it was SO squishy. 

After we left the Studio Ghibli museum, we made our way on the metro to Harajuku. This was one of the places i was most excited about visiting, and it didnt disappoint. It was filled with cute fashion and food and had such a buzzing atmosphere. We did most of our shopping here, and also got a glimpse into what its like to be a japanese teenager, seeing a Jpop boy band perform in a shoppig centre to their adoring fans. It was so different to anything we have here it was quite a culture shock. 

I think I would have needed at least a fortnight in Japan to truely do all the things i wanted to do, but in the three days we were there we managed to do so much stuff it felt like longer than it was. I definitely want to visit Japan again, its probably my favourite place ive ever been to. Who knows, maybe one day I could have the chance to live there. 

Tokyo 2017- Day 2

On day two of our trip to Tokyo, we visited the Tokyo Metropolitan government building, which was right beside our hotel, and gave an amazing view over all of Tokyo. It was such a clear day you could see all the way to Mount Fuji. I was totally amazed at how massive Tokyo actually was, coming from a tiny town in Ireland. After this we visited the park that was joined to the building, and sat on some blobs. Then we visited a little flea market thing, and bought many cheap and cute plushies.

Tokyo is big

Later in the day,we visited Tokyo Disneyland. Once more, Ally came to our rescue to navigate our way through the metro, and a few stops later we were there. We only had a few hours in the park, but it was long enough to go on a few rides. I was reminded of how creepy 'Its a Small World' was and also got to go on Space Mountain for the first time, whcih I loved. The atmosphere at Disneyland is always so amazing, and you go there with nothing to do but have fun, so it really does feel like the happiest place on earth. I don't think my happiness level will ever rise above the level it was that day again.

Tokyo 2017- Day 1

A photo of me with my beloved vending machines

Visiting Japan has always been a dream of mine since my weeaboo stage, where i would literally submerge myself in japanese culture and try to read and watch everything i could get my hands on to learn more about the country. Obviously when I heard there was going to be a trip to Japan, I swore it would be my christmas present for the next 5 years if my parents would let me go. I could hardly believe I was actually going until we landed at Narita airport, nearly 24 hours after we first set off from Leeds. The thing that I was really excited about first (sadly), were the vending machines. They were amazing. They had cold AND hot drinks. I want to move to Japan just for the vending machines. I already loved Japan and I'd only seen the airport.

The Golden Gai 

After we got to the hotel, we roamed around Shinjuku for a bit. At this point I think I was in a dream like state due to lack of sleep. Evertyhing was so...Japanese...and cute. We visited the Golden Gai, a series of tiny little streets filled with bars that could fit only about 7 people in total, and decided to come back here later for a 'sesh.'
Later in the evening, after a much needed shower, 4 of us had booked a slot at a hedgehog cafe in Roppongi, which involved navigating the (terrifying) metro. Fortunately we had Ally on our side, who is from London and therefore good with train stuff. Once we got to the hedgehod cafe and I had been given my hedgehog, I wasnt really sure what to do.Then my hedgehog bit me and I wished I'd gone to the bunny cafe upstairs instead. I'll never trust a hedgehog again.

The Bokey Bits

We returned to Shinjuku after my traumatising hedgehog experience, and decided it was time for the sesh to begin. We found a bar that didn't require a cover charge to sit in, because we are cheap, and had a few sake, talking to our new friend and bar tender, Abe- Chan. He let us draw ourselves and sign his wall, and then recommended us a few clubs  we could go to in Shinjuku. The rest of the night was....interesting....we made a few new Japanese friends, and Australian friends....and then got a wee bit lost on the way home. But it was still probably the best night out of my life, and we got to bed eventually, where I passed out immediately.

Moana

I wasn't too excited about Moana being released, especially because i was just expecting another fad like Frozen, which I wasn't a fan of at all. When I actually got around to watching it, I was pleasantly surprised. My favourite aspect of the film was definitely the visuals, particularly the backgrounds. After watching the Making of Moana on youtube and seeing how much work went into the tiny details like clay modelling the mountains in the backgrounds and then scanning them and colouring them. One of the most beautiful visuals in the film has to be the water, and as it was such an intrinsic part of the story the animation team at Disney came up with a new water solver technology called APIC, combining naturalistic effects with performance in which data sets were allocated more efficiently. They dubbed the toolset Splash. You can really see how much better Moana looks than Frozen, Tangled etc. 



Another thing I loved about Moana was the musical side of the film. Disney always seems to manage to produce great songs regardless of the story. One of the things that annoyed me in the film was that Moana has the exact same personality as every other Disney princess; I can barely differentiate between her, Rapunzel, and Anna from frozen. This is more of a 'Disney flaw rather than the story but I would like to see a heroine with a bit of a variation in personality.

Inside Out

I finally got around to watching Inside Out last night. I was actually really pleasantly surprised by this movie because I thought it was going to be alot more childish than it actually was. I loved how creative the story was, especially all the different parts of the mind and how Pixar chose to represent it, like how there was a literal train of thought, or an imagination land, and how each memory was either stored or forgotten. The film also made a great use of humour while at the same time being quite poignant, for example the Sadness character and the way she was used as a metaphor to explain that in order to find Joy there needs to be some sadness. The movie was obviously really carefully thought out as to how the different emotions affected the main character, Riley, as she went through a difficult time in her life, and I loved the two different perspectives in the film, jumping between the real world and Riley's mind, so you can see exactly how different things in life affected her emotionally. I also loved how they showed that everyone has the same emotions and how they humanised the emotions....by giving them emotions....and that not every one is perfect. For example, Riley got angry, scared and disgusted, all the most negative emotions, alot in the film, and you could see her act on these emotions in a way that was much more human than a lot of other characters in Disney films; Disney princesses are rarely presented with any human flaws and generally always have the same 'perfect' and lovable characters.