Character Disconnect: The Mileage Of Vicarious Entertainment

When Jar-Jar spoke, and waddled across screens in 1999, I suppose this is where my toes were dipped into the mire that was a sharp public dislike for a character. In fact it was so bad, that by one week into the wide release of Star Wars Episode One, the long-eared minstrel show had become the most hated creation the franchise had ever witnessed - even in print.

So what happened? Was it the presentation? The performance? The writing?

All of the above? 

If there is any phenomenon that has haunted me time and again via the internet, it's the often sharp break some online commenters/tweeters have with characters that do not gather favor in certain works. And while characters like the one mentioned have an almost universal stain upon them, there are times when expectations run against what is a film's central conceit, creating an instant pushback from some viewers unwilling to follow along. Subjectivity aside, this is something that has long fascinated me as a fellow viewer. As one almost willing to follow any intriguing premise, it at times feels a little telling when others cannot see themselves capable of climbing aboard. Again, this is more a fascination with the phenomenon, as there have been many instances where even peers find themselves unable to enjoy similar things due to a main character that rubs them the wrong way. Whether it be a deep unwillingness on someone's part to meet a character halfway, or a simple inability to relate, this is something that often works like a line drawn in the proverbial sand for some.

And while one cannot blame another for what is something that ostensibly begins and ends with a viewer's willingness to buy into a film's choice of character angle and requisite worldview, curiosity does admittedly come creeping in from time to time. Like when a protagonist is not quite so romantic in their stand against adversity, or when it comes off at the beginning like some perceived weaker, less than flattering quantity. Some viewers find themselves less invested in characters who seem to be at a point in their evolution that feels as within some no longer, or perhaps never possible point of tangibility. Or perhaps, the very idea of a character that is less than ideal can be seen as an unquestionable deal-breaker.

Merely an observation that has long eluded. And something that I have been recently considering when looking back at films I perhaps never gave a fair shake in the past.And perhaps that is just it; some characters are not unlike choosing between titles that will or will not speak to us at any given time. Even when certain films offer up stylistic choices that are unusual, or designed to entice a certain audience, characters are an essential part of the package. So when a prospective viewer catches wind of what type of story, and therefore cast are on the roster, one can surmise (often quickly) whether or not a solid choice will be made. Some characters who grace a certain story's cast may not speak to all audiences, just as much as every thematic aim may not be for all. But sometimes it does boggle the mind when crowds walk away from characters who's flaws often reflect certain attitudes that either seem counter, or alien to some.

Because unlike what many textbooks often postulate, a great many viewers often find themselves drawn to stories in the hopes of inhabiting the lives of those less than familiar. And while it is indeed important for there to be some conduit between viewer and character, it in in a less than obvious psychological need that we view stories in hopes of a vicarious connection. To be transported into not only external, but inner worlds of those not quite so safe in lifestyles and situations. It is the core of what makes realms of genre so enticing to so many. So when film writers opt to place a character perhaps as bent and feeble as say, a very ordinary person, there are often many who find themselves ready to abandon the contract before pen is ever taken to ink. If the disconnect were guaranteed every time personal ethics or morality were an issue, shows like The Sopranos or Breaking Bad might never have seen the success they did.

Connections run the gamut from fair to rough, from sweet to vicious.

In the end, it's all about how far a viewer is willing to travel with whatever journey each work has to offer. (Hell, reality television relies on this to be the case!)

And therein lies the hope of every title that comes out onto the ether. That perhaps in time, a work that may not speak immediately to one today may more successfully do so later. Believe me, even I put off (IE- did not appreciate) films with certain thematic/character choices as a young one. Sometimes, maturity is all one needs to reconsider certain pieces of art regardless the arch of its brow.

State Of The Kaijyu: A Settling Of Debris

Yes. It has been quiet on these pages. But this is not for lack of good reason. With some grand transitions coming together in the real, columns and reviews are only being put on the periphery for the time being. With school, and work changes ahead, there is even a feeling like the words being shared here and in various other locations might find themselves another home in time. A place where electricity, and the intertubes cannot reach. Analog space taking up residence in someone's book bag, or landfill. That's right. The Kaijyu is considering print.

So when considering ideas for book(s), I've been looking back at previous posts and writeups and centering on what binds much of this together and realizing that much of it has to do with intent, and the delivery. There is also a need from my words to consider how we watch stuff and contextualize it in the real world- even when the stories themselves seem so far removed from them. Despite all the fantastical weirdness that tends to come up around here, it has always been in the name of finding some particle of human truth to it, and perhaps this is where my focus will lie.

On the watching front, it has been mostly sampling movies as well as the latest anime, and while nothing is entrancing me the way Flowers Of Evil did, there are some decent offerings that give me mild hope. I'm even willing to admit here to having great respect and admiration for Kyoto Animation for finally producing Free!, which is equal opportunity sex positivity at its best. Been so long since we have seen something this overt, and unabashedly fun for the guy-oggling set.

Has been admittedly rough to summon up the energy to watch anything remotely dense as time is sparse. And after Pacific Rim succeeded for me on a multitude of personal levels, it has been tricky to think of anything to counter such a thing but some of my favorite anime and fantasy films. It's especially so when one has to come to terms with the fact that this just doesn't happen that often. There are only so few milestones out there, and the thought that the only thing one can do to sustain a certain vibe is to go back rather than explore further can be a little disappointing. This is where the spirit of the obscure find can be the ultimate expedition worth embarking on. But alas, the Mom & Pop video store is all but an ancient memory now, and sites like Netflix can only do so much. So what to do?

I'm sure solutions are forthcoming to those willing to look. And I'm certain there are so many cool, weird, telling titles out there that can fuel an extended chapter or two. But for now, it's largely about going back into the well, along with some more personal thoughts on animated/filmed media, and what it is about it that makes it so impactful for so many of us. I just know that in my case, it is less these days about escape, and more a means of figuring out what it is that we most want at any given time, no matter how perverse, or bizarre.

So while life and work is happening, the monster mind is still blazing away with the blowtorch. And will find the time to post and research for the larger projects. It's all falling action these days, and I'm excited to see how all of this is navigated from hilltop to bottom.

Like V.Zero promised several years ago, this is all an "eternal work in progress", so thanks for sticking it out with me.

Overdrive is almost here.

State Of The Kaijyu: Springtime For Monsters!

Firstly,

Mending from almost two weeks worth of airbound illness, and more than eager to be back in the cockpit. There are many more worlds of weird, and fun to explore, so keep those backpacks filled with essentials, things are continuing on all fronts..

Second,

Beginning to see my way through some major life trajectory changes, and as a result, posts will likely remain this sporadic for the time being. But don't let this be a hint of an oncoming closing of gates. In fact, much of what is in the real life planning has everything to do with the writeups shared here, and elsewhere. It only felt right to pull up a few stakes in the name of taking the best advantage. Living in a new location has been enlightening beyond words, and in that regard, it feels more than time to do more in the living department. Knowing how this will impact future writings, this decision seems all the more invigorating.

After all, a great deal of what makes the Kaijyu especially fun for me, is the bridging between strange visual culture intermingled with the social world at large. And it wasn't in any way a planned theme that eventually became something of a backbone here. It like so many things formed in the doing. And now that I feel like I have some focal point to work with on these pages, it feels quite appropo to study outwardly in tandem with various weekly screenings/events/editorials, podcasts, etc. Blogging is essentially a means to keep the abilities fresh, and to hopefully expand them. There is a great need for immediacy with these pages, and there are times when it simply won't do to force out a writeup simply for the sake of itself. Believe it, or not, there are weeks when many films/shows are viewed and are never reported on. Often this is the case simply because the subjects themselves exhibit very little to muse or expound about. - Which makes one wonder if many creators find themselves in a similar predicament; unable to find the inspiration necessary to provoke ideas, tortured by an almost pathological need for work to be done. And while it is true that even the most lackluster work is capable of eliciting some laugh, accidental profundity, or even wholesale rage, it is a very particular series of patters that one must find in order to pack a post with a fitting response.

Here's to a future of strange discovery! It's bound to be an illuminating voyage.

Spoiled By No-Choice?

A few hours ago, running across twitter was another hashtag under the name #inthe90s in which a fellow tweeter remarked about the questionable quality of japanese animation that had been available in the VHS era. While there is some truth to me mined from such a statement, it was also clearly geared towards many (myself included) who have often gleamed highly about those days of brick and mortar stores & the lamented thrill of the hunt. But there is also something to be said about where we are currently, and how that may distort much of what folks like myself are attempting to convey. While it may on the surface seem to be another case of one generation bemoaning the existence of the other (while it often devolves into this), it also stands to reason that the current landscape, as well as many who have grown within it, are lacking in the context of what it means, not to only have required a little additional legwork in order to find hidden treasure, but that the lack of instant access to a world of media beyond the localized few was the proverbial sequence of hurdle necessary to tackle before even finding anything worth reporting about loudly.


Which perhaps leads this into one of the core reasons behind I'm sure not only my infinitesimal crumb on the internet, but of many fellow bloggers covering cult films and/or anime; the ability to share thoughts regarding the lesser known, the unusual, or even just articulating on the current and ever changing landscape of popular culture. And with bandwidth speeds now at a wilder clip than ever before, as well as the inevitable complete cross-generation of visual media & marketing, we are now within the most accessible era of entertainment choice to date, with providers popping up, vanishing, and at times intermingling, one might also easily quip like old curmudgeony folks about how the current crop are so spoiled. And while to a degree, this couldn't be more true, there is also the creeping inevitability that in a realm so inundated with choice, much like wandering an olde tyme video store, after all is considered, there rarely is ever as much quality within quantity. A truism, sure, but a truism that at times must be kept in mind.

So when one gets down to it, despite these amazing advances, it can still be said that a need for articulate discussion regarding works such as these is as great as it ever was. Even if there was less stuff being brought over here from places like Japan, what was often brought here were the thoroughbreds of a medium, followed by the expected carrion. And while many more of the lesser titles were never snatched up by US licensors, we are now in a time where streaming services can serve as a virtual dumping ground. It isn't that a medium became "better" or worse (though that can definitely be debated), but rather that we are now privy to the whole instead of the proud sum.