Cowboy Bebop

Every anime fan has heard of Cowboy Bebop. This critically-acclaimed series is well known for its unique style consisting of elements from film noir, science fiction, and westerns; essentially creating its own genre- something that the show knows and is praised for. It is also known for its storytelling, interesting characters, decent animation, and fantastic, varied soundtrack.

But does the show live up to its hype? In my opinion, it exceeds it. While there are noticeable faults, like the slightly muddy and confusing story and the under-developed villainous Vicious, there are many more things that are good about it than bad.

Like previously mentioned, the show's characters, with the exception of Vicious, are generally well-developed and likable. The main four characters: Spike Speigel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, and radical Edward, are all very different, with clashing personalities, complicated back stories, and their own individual insecurities and faults, as well as their own strengths. I guarantee you will love at least one of them, if not all of them. There are also multiple minor characters that only appear in one or two episodes that are equally complex and compelling, especially Gren from the "Jupiter Jazz" sessions (the episodes are called sessions, like in music).

The show also has amazing animation. Although it aired in the late 90's, earlier than many of the 'greats' in anime, it has equally good, if not better, animation. It still holds up today, and is still hailed as having some of the best animation for an anime. Fun fact- the character Spike was purposely animated to appear cooler and more attractive when he fights.

Similar to the genre, the emotions within the show are very diverse, with episodes that break your heart and make you cry, like both "Jupiter Jazz" episodes and "The Real Folk Blues Part 2" alongside laugh-out-loud funny episodes like "Cowboy Funk" and especially "Mushroom Samba" (my personal favorite episode- what's funnier than a dog getting high on mushrooms?). There are also very action-heavy episodes such as "Heavy Metal Queen" and "Pierrot Le Fou", and noir-type episodes like "Black Dog Serenade". Lastly there are parodies of other movies, notably "Toys in the Attic". There's an episode for everyone. 

My personal favorite part of the anime is the soundtrack, so good that some people cite the soundtrack as a main reason, even only reason, they watch Cowboy Bebop. The soundtracks are so popular they have been sold as vinyls, sets, and CDs. The music is a variety of instrumental and vocal pieces, with not a single dud on any of its many soundtracks. It consists mostly of jazz music- but from every form of jazz under the rainbow. There are immersing and relaxing smooth jazz pieces, like "Space Lion", slow and sassy blues pieces, sometimes featuring a single instrumental, but other times full band, like "Cosmos", "Spokey Dokey", "Digging My Potato", "Farewell Blues", "Cat Blues", and others. The soundtrack also has blaring, in-your-face swing, with tracks like "Bad Dog No Biscuits", "Rush", "Too Good Too Bad", "Gateway", "Mushroom Hunting", and the show's opening, "Tank!" (video above). Some have western influences, like "Felt Tip Pen", "American Money", and "Go Go Cactus Man". Some tracks are so unique they are almost indescribable, like "Pot City", "Cats on Mars", "The Egg and I", "The Real Man", and "Piano Black". The vocal pieces are also very well done, with the ending theme "The Real Folk Blues" (video below), and the songs "Rain", "Words That We Couldn't Say", "Call Me Call Me", "You Make Me Cool", "Green Bird", "Don't Bother None", and "Blue". 

So, the shortened version is Cowboy Bebop is a very diverse show, in terms of characters, emotion, and episodes, and is particularly notable for its animation and soundtrack. It absolutely deserves the undying praise it has, and makes a great starting anime, as well as an all-around good show that can be enjoyed by anyone.

videos used:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw3fN3OPk3A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxUbgEHP2Qg

Adult Swim

One usually thinks of animation as something just for children, but there is an entire set of shows and sometimes movies that are specifically designed for adults, often in the form of animated sitcoms. Most of these air on adult swim, but can air elsewhere. These can be altered for adults in many ways; most notably in their content. They will include sexual content, not just innuendos, excessive violence/gore, and black comedy; all of which are inappropriate for children but that adults tend to like.

The most famous of these shows are South Park, Futurama, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, Robot Chicken, Rick and Morty, and The Simpsons. While these are of varying degrees of inappropriateness, there is no denying that they have become very popular and influential. They have helped to broaden the animation industry and have had a huge effect on popular culture as well, with shows like The Simpsons being one of the longest-running shows and instantly recognizable.

In my opinion, these shows are often stupid- not taking themselves seriously or having jokes, that while I may consider them stupid, are found funny in society. They also often have sub-par animation, with the focus being on the content and not the way it is presented. There can be shows like these that are funny and well-written (most of the shows listed are decent), like Rick and Morty, but even then the good elements take a backseat to the adult content.

Another bad thing is that sometimes kids will watch them way too early. They air on Cartoon Network and are pretty easy to access, so many kids will watch them and have their minds corrupted of content that their parents would find undesirable. Elementary school kids should not be watching Family Guy. 

In terms of broadening the audience, while adult swim cartoons are appealing to adults, they are not of as good quality as some currently airing shows or movies designed for younger audiences, such as Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, and Adventure Time. If adults were to watch some of those shows and keep an open mind, they might find that the characters, animation, writing, and plots are well-done and far more superior, but since they are quote on quote "just for kids" they often take a backseat to adult swim.

YouTuber Recommendations

There are certainly a lot of channels on YouTube, and while they are diverse and random, there is a community of animation-obssesed vloggers (video bloggers) that provide things like theories, reviews, recommendations, facts, and more.

SuperCarlinBrothers

This channel is great for people who like Pixar movies. They have theories and facts related to the Pixar movies, and are always extremely enthusiastic about Pixar in general. Their videos and theories will make you think and want to watch the movies in a way you have never watched before. The one bad thing is that the only animation-related thing they really do is about Pixar, but they do that one thing really well. Also, they have other interesting videos, such as their Google auto-fill videos, which are always hilarious, and they have the best socks ever. 

Click here for a link to the channel

TREY the Explainer

This channel has a lot of theories about dinosaurs and other science-related videos, but there are also a couple really good videos about cartoons, particularly Over the Garden Wall and Gravity Falls. Those videos he has about them are very-well done and interesting, and include things that you might have missed while watching them as well as compelling theories about a mysterious thing within the show. So for those of you that like science and theories, this channel is for you.

Click here for a link to the channel

LewToons

This channel has everything you would ever want about cartoons, including a host that absolutely loves cartoons as well. A lot of the show is countdowns, all focusing on cartoons, but the channel also has videos about theories and facts as well. The best thing about the channel is that you can tell the host is passionate about what they are talking about, so it makes it more fun to listen to him and geek-out with him as well.

Click here for a link to the channel

TheMysteriousMrEnter

This channel has a lot of stuff on My Little Pony but is more well-known- and well-liked, for the two series he has called "Animated Atrocities" and "Admirable Animation", in which he reviews various episodes, and sometimes movies, that he considers to either be amazing or really bad. He points out those cartoons, and either shuns them or praises them appropiately. The thing that makes this channel good is that the episodes/movies that he has in either catergory almost always fit their respective catergory. This channel is great for those who like to take animated movies/cartoons episodes critically.

Click here for a link to the channel

 ChannelFrederator

This channel is very large and has a wide variety of videos that are all pretty good. Their videos about animation include 107 facts videos, cartoon conspiracies, and various other videos. This channel is good because of the interesting ideas they bring up and little facts to watch for that they feature in the 107 facts videos. All in all, this channel is great for people who love to learn random and totally useless facts.

Click here for a link to the channel.

Vailskibum94

This channel is the go-to for the Gravity Falls fandom when they want their various questions answered about the cryptic and puzzling show. The fandom for Gravity Falls loves decoding the show and theorizing about it, so what better than a channel entirely devoted to it? For all Gravity Falls fans out there that like to over-analyze and geek out, this is the perfect channel for you.

Click here for a link to the channel

 

Character Analysis: Wilt

This post will contain spoilers for the episode "Good Wilt Hunting" of Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends.

Wilt is a central character on Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, a cartoon show that aired on Cartoon Network in the early 21st century. He is tall, red, and missing his left arm, yet still extremely apologetic, caring, and helpful. He is easily my favorite character in this show.

This character was obviously designed to make him a sympathetic character, and it is very well done in that regard. His back story is purposely sad and depressing- making us feel bad for him when he loses that basketball game. We see him reach the very lowest; running away from his creator Jordan Michaels (obviously Michael Jordan) after being injured- the same injuries that will later cost him the use of his left eye and most of his left am. It is due to this depressing back story that he is secretive and aversive when it comes to talking about his creator- he believes he let him down, and that make him such a good subject for hurt/comfort fanfiction.

Yet this bad back story doesn't interfere with his personality, and he faces each day with a smile on his face and a kind, open heart. It is this infectious, lovable personality, coupled with his trauma and the fact that he is adorkable that make Wilt my favorite character. I mean, he was going to get revenge but just got sidetracked doing good deeds for others, showing that he is super selfless and helpful, even when it does no good to him.

Even more amazing is his sacrifice for Jordan, he creator. When Jordan was about to be crushed by Foul Larry, a gargantuan, basketball themed imaginary friend, he jumped into action and pushed Jordan out of the way, resulting in his arm being crushed and his eye destroyed- causing the aforementioned physical ailments.

Compared to the rest of the characters, Wilt is the most complex and likable. Bloo can be too much of a jerk, Eduardo is not the most complex character, Coco is impossible to understand, Cheese is just plain annoying, and Mac is a bit too generic of a character. Meanwhile, Wilt is sane, helpful, and athletic (he was created to teach, and is ridiculously good at, basketball). Plus, he is one of the only cartoon (not anime or movie) characters I can think of who is missing a limb- which just makes him more compelling. All in all, he is a kind soul.

Also, I ship him with Frankie so hard! (They are so cute together!)

videos:
http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/fhif/images/d/d7/Wilt.png/revision/latest?cb=20140616022015

Tear-jerking Moments

This will contain spoilers for the movies/shows being discussed, since most of these will be character deaths.

There are some people who claim that popular culture isn't sad because it isn't real, and there are even more people who claim that to be more true of animation. I don't believe that to be the case. Instead, I find that movies and t.v. shows (curiously not books) tend to make me cry more than anything else, and that is especially true of animation. Animated t.v. shows, and especially movies, have always been, in my opinion, the saddest creations in popular culture. Thus, I give you the saddest, most depressing, and most heartbreaking scenes of all cinema.

Anime

Anime, or Japanese animation, comes in many genres and styles, and while some of these feature kick-butt action or adorable romance, nearly all have at least one depressing scene. These usually involve a character death or sad premise.

Both Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are sad (especially the former), due to their premises of moral sin, death, and body dismemberment. While the shows as a whole are sad, there is one scene that is the same in both version; and possibly the saddest scene in all of anime. Fans of FMA know what I am talking about- the death of the beloved character Maes Hughes. What makes his death so heart-wrenching is how likable and relatable the character was, as well as his undying devotion to his beloved wife Gracia and their little girl Elicia. His death was sudden and changed the direction of the story, as well as the motivation for Roy Mustang, one of the central characters and best friend of Hughes. To see Mustang shed a tear, and utter "It's a terrible day for rain" just shows how much he cared for him and the effect he had on others. Equally sad is his daughter's naïve reaction, and the genuine tears shed by Armstrong, who is usually over dramatic. To see them cry like they did just breaks my heart.

Cartoons

It's hard to find sad moments in western animated shows, since they are very hesitant to kill a character. But, there are multiple other smaller scenes that are tug at your heartstrings. One of the shows that does this the most is Steven Universe. Within this show, there are many sad moments due to the characters and their confessions to each other. It does a really good job portraying their characters as humane and vulnerable, and that applies to just about every character. The character where this is especially true is Pearl. Pearl, who was basically Rose's bodyguard, is very insecure about her death and Steven's creation- although it is clear she loves Steven. This leads to complicated emotions and touching scenes between her and Steven.

The nature of the relationship between Steven and Rose is equally bittersweet. Rose, a benevolent and loving Crystal Gem, gave her life to create Steven. As a result, they have never met, and Steven only knows of her through other's descriptions and memories. That is, until he finds a video tape that Rose made recording how she fell in love with Greg (Steven's father) and the two had a child. It is a touching scene- it is Steven basically "meeting" his mom. The scene is personal, and it helps illustrate the innocence of Steven and the message of the show; love.

Animated Movies

There are so many sad animated movies, we'd be here all day if I listed them all. Instead, I will sort this into Disney/Pixar and movies not made by Disney/Pixar. 

Movies not made by Disney or Pixar

The saddest movies in this category would have to be Grave of the Fireflies, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Iron Giant, and The Land Before Time. Grave of the Fireflies was a movie about WWII that was just depressing the entire time. The Iron Giant and The Land Before Time have shocking and sad deaths that have really defined their respective movies, but besides for those deaths (The Giant's sacrifice and the death of Littlefoot's mother) the rest of the movies are fairly light-hearted. This is bias speaking, but of those movies, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is the saddest. 

This might just be my complete obsession with the franchise, but I bawled like a baby when I saw How to Train Your Dragon 2. There is one scene (sort of two) that clearly stands out as being the saddest, and that would be the death of Stoick the Vast- Chief of Berk, wife of Valka, and father of Hiccup. What makes this death so unbearably sad is the circumstances under which Stoick died. We had spent the entirety of the first movie and t.v. show watching Stoick change his heart about dragons, and go from actively killing them to trusting and befriending them. To then watch this trust unravel as he is killed by none other than Toothless is really shocking. Toothless, who was being brainwashed by the alpha, actually at first attempts to kill Hiccup, his best friend. Stoick then saves Hiccup's life by taking a bullet for him and sacrificing himself to save him. What's worse, it was when we had just seen the long-lost family reunite. The movie itself really helps make this scene even worse by showing Toothless as unknowing of the sorrow he had caused, and Hiccup push him away. We then get the Viking ship burial, set to an absolutely gorgeous piece of music, "Stoick's Ship", as Hiccup fires the arrow and burns the ship. It is heartfelt and shows that this death is permanent. 

Disney/Pixar Movies

 These two companies just may be the kings of tear-your-heart-out-unbearably-sad movie moments.

Disney

1. The Lion King- Mufasa's Death. This scene is so recognizable and known for its profound impact on moviegoers, and is still considered to be one of, if not the saddest death in all of Disney. What really makes it sad is Simba's desperate plea for help and not even the chance to say goodbye.
2. Dumbo- "Baby Mine". While it's true his mom doesn't die, this scene is heartbreaking due to the fact that they are being separated- especially when you consider she was protecting Dumbo and Dumbo is so young.
3. Big Hero 6- Too many scenes to count! This newer movie has at least three separate moments that will get the waterworks started- Tadashi's death, the videos Tadashi made when prototyping Baymax, and Baymax's Iron Giant-esque sacrifice at the end of the movie. The reason these scenes are so sad is because Tadashi and Hiro are parent less, so when Tadashi dies, Hiro essentially has no immediate family left. This extends into his research, which is why Hiro is so upset when Baymax dies- Baymax was a little part of Tadashi he still had. This same reason is why the video scene is so emotional- much like the video of Steven's mother, it shows the relationship in a different fashion.
4. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is another really sad movie that is sad due to the premise of the movie. This is especially true during "God Help the Outcasts"- a scene that is sad due to its beautiful message about helping those less fortunate than you. 

Pixar

1. Inside Out- THE ENTIRE MOVIE. This whole movie was just an emotional roller coaster that I counted crying four different times for. The biggest ones come at the end of the movie; when Joy is viewing the memory orbs, Bing Bong's death, and when Riley returns after running away. These scenes are so sad because they show the boundaries of the human personalities and what it is like when your entire world comes crashing down. It also reminds us how fragile we and are childhoods are; teaching us that they will inevitably end.  
2. Up- Ah, the infamous opening scene. This scene is known for being just utterly heartbreaking and tear-jerking. The reason why would be is that we rarely ever see old age in animation, so when it is explored like it is in "Married Life", especially when you consider Carl and Ellie never got to live out their childhood dream, you get a memorable, sad scene, Not to be overlooked, the rest of the movie has merit in terms of making you cry as well; in the scenes "Stuff We Did" and "The Ellie Badge"- really any scene in the movie that involves Ellie. In my opinion, "Stuff We Did" is the saddest, since we get to see more of their life through Ellie's lens, which adds a layer of emotion to the already emotional core.
3. Monsters, Inc.- This movie, while nobody dies, is still famous for its ending, in which Sulley must say goodbye to Boo, and we see the relationship end. It is particularly bad when Boo opens back up the door only to find her closet, and learns that goodbyes will be forever.
4. Toy Story 3 is mostly famous for its sad ending, when Andy gives his toys to Bonnie, but I believe that an earlier scene is sadder- the trash incinerator scene. There is no dialogue needed- the music and the toys' expressions say it all: that they know their time has come, and there is no way out. So, in an action that always makes me cry, they join hands and accept their fate together.   

Some of the other sad scenes include:
Toy Story 2- "When She Loved Me"
Finding Nemo- "Nemo Egg"
WALL-E- "Fixing WALL-E"
Brave- "We've Both Changed"    

videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwXg6eYf66w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7vnVAghBs8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS9bQNS6Q8k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7OgeB00ubo&list=PL8Y14NIvJGJM4LPIsoyoHTEC9DnU_aIQw&index=12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcIdajJJZQU&index=17&list=PL8Y14NIvJGJM4LPIsoyoHTEC9DnU_aIQw

      

Cartoon Physics

Anybody who has seen a cartoon knows that they tend to break the laws of physics quite a bit. They tend to follow the same pattern of what impossibilities they use, as such, a system has been devised according to these tendencies, which has been dubbed 'cartoon physics'. 

The overlying difference between normal physics and cartoon physics is that cartoon physics are subjective and preferential- they change depending on the circumstances or the person creating the cartoon, meanwhile, normal physics are objective and referential- they can't be changed from thing to thing. 

Cartoon physics are applied as an artistic license, and are most commonly used for comedic effect. There are some aspects that are extremely common and absolutely hilarious, and that is what I will be discussing. 

One of the most frequently-seen properties of cartoon physics is that a character can only be affected by gravity after they notice they should be subject to it. In other words, a character can only fall after they see that the ground isn't under their feet. This is seen a lot in chase scenes, especially with the "bad guy", and is always played for slapstick purposes. The champion of this law, as well as a few others, are Wille E. Coyote and Roadrunner, whose creator even has a set of these "laws" that the animation has to follow. This famous duo is well-known for their antics involving Coyote's consistent failed attempts to catch Roadrunner. These misdoings almost always involve Coyote running off a cliff after Roadrunner, being suspended in air, then falling after he realizes it. This cliche also applies in the sense that a character is able to move midair and grab a much higher ledge. This application was seen in Disney's Peter Pan, when Hook realizes he is midair then moves upward while midair to hook onto the ledge. 

Another common law of cartoons is that a street will be totally void of traffic until they step out onto it. This is similar to something that affects, or won't work, for only one character; every other character can use it or is unaffected. This will often be in the form of a running gag. These include the fat man from Lilo and Stich who just can't seem to eat his mint-chip ice cream and George from Monsters, Inc., the orange, fuzzy one-horned monster who always comes into contact with human artifacts.

There are also common tendencies in anime that are different from western animation. The most common, and one of the main defining features of the art form, include over-the-top facial expressions and a different, cuter form of character design all together, known as chibi, whenever it is trying to be funny. The characters will become grossly simplified and adorable, and their faces will include certain mood-specific qualities, such as a single tear of sweat for nervousness, sharp teeth for anger/insanity, and a nosebleed for guys who find a girl attractive or occasionally when they are shocked. (If you want an example of this, just watch Soul Eater, that anime goes particularly over-the-top and at some point or another captures all of the expressions anime is known for).

A common tendency that is seen in western and eastern animation, as well as in live-action, is the fact that the "bad guys" will have the absolute worse aim. This has been affectionately named "The Stormtrooper Effect", due to the Stormtroopers in the Star Wars franchise being completely incompetent and unable to accurately hit anything, meanwhile the "good guys", even if they have never fired a gun before, will be able to hit everything perfectly. 

The main reason these tendencies occur is that they are found to be funny and have sort of become a key feature of either western or eastern animation. It is part of the fun of watching a cartoon- since those things can't happen in real life.   

videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB8pCopxGXo

pictures:
http://www.geek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/roadrunner-590x330.jpg

Disney Princesses and Feminism

Every little girl loves princesses, and none are more famous than those from Disney. What little girl hasn't heard of Cinderella? While society may dismiss Disney princess movies as childish and not-serious, I believe that there are some underlying themes regarding feminism that should be addressed.

There are currently eleven members of the official Disney princess lineup, including Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, and Merida. For this post, I will also be including Anna and Elsa of Disney's Frozen. 

In the very beginning, during the times of "classic" Disney, the Disney princesses included Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora. This is where I have the most issue regarding femininity. In their respective movies, especially Snow White and Aurora, these princesses are portrayed as motherly and fragile; almost waiting for the prince to save them. Instead of taking initiative, Snow White and Aurora are unconscious and completely depend on the men to save them. This shows young girls that they need a man to save them- that they are unable to save themselves. Cinderella improves this by actually having her take the action and be developed as a character; but she is still shown as the 'ideal' woman- a housewife. 

Moving on to the Disney Renaissance, we have Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Mulan. This is where we see Disney try to fix what was clearly wrong with the previous films; they actually flesh out these characters and turn them into the heroines of their respective movies- becoming more empowering as the films advance in time (they are listed in order of the release of their movies), eventually leading to Mulan, who may be one of the most empowered young women of all pop culture.

Mulan was special in that she was the first Disney princess to challenge the gender roles and break that stereotype. She dresses as a man, fights for the men she cares about (her father, but later Shang), and perseveres to accomplish anything, even if the odds are stacked against her. She continues the 'saving the man' idea that Pocahontas started (props for Pocahontas) and all-in-all shows society what a women can do.

The most recent Disney princesses, using Pocahontas and Mulan as examples, are excellent role models; a huge step up from their classic predecessors. Rapunzel from Tangled is brimming with personality and energy- in a way that makes her a lot like young girls. She is also creative and outgoing, both excellent traits to possess, and she won't let Mother Gothel control her- taking action against her and standing up for Flynn and herself. She even gets the benefit of saving the man.

Tiana, the protagonist of "The Princess and the Frog", is possibly the best role model of all of the Disney princesses. She, unlike the other princesses, believes that the only way to accomplish your dreams is through hard work and perseverance. Her dreams of opening a flourishing restaurant are only realized after she works hard for them. She even criticizes Naveen for not working, and inspires him to do so. She shows that through hard work, even the poorest of the poor can achieve their dreams.  

Merida is about the most stubborn character I have ever seen in a movie. She won't let people tell her what to do, or how to act, or who to marry. One might say her life motto is 'I'm an independent women who don't need no man'. In fact, she is one of the only Disney princesses who aren't married. Instead, she lives life as she sees fit and marches to the beat of her own drum. She is a great influence on young girls, teaching them to be strong and independent.

Lastly, Anna and Elsa of Frozen are also good characters. Anna is very similar to Rapunzel, but gets props for punching Hans in the face when he was a jerk. Elsa, on the other hand, is very unique and realistic in her portrayal of insecurity. Everyone has their fears, their insecurities, their battles- but it is those that overcome them that are truly strong. Elsa shows this in Frozen. Also, she has no plot involving a romantic relationship with a man, and she even prevents Anna from marrying too early. While Frozen may not directly be testing cultural limits like Pocahontas, Mulan, or Brave did, it did portray women in a position of strength and independence, and that is what little girls need to see.

The reason why the movies are like this most likely stems from the time at which they were released. Women in history were almost always inferior to men, and as the years go on, that has changed, even in the smaller year differences, like the hundred-year time frame these Disney movies are situated in. As society changed, the movies changed, so as women became more independent and empowered, Disney princesses did the same.

videos used:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHR9wOv3hJ4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWXWwA3XoQo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EIFWjLYNWA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moSFlvxnbgk