As expected, the movie had no substance, or I just missed it. But the computer graphics were pretty good. A big step up from the TV show. The duel scenes almost make a mockery of the TV show, which I believe used to have more of an emphasis on the mechanics of the duels. The duels in the movie are so fast, you can't even keep up. It is a product of the action movie period we live in. Not that it really mattered, cause again, no substance.
But none of that matters because I wasn't there for the movie, but the experience. I am very glad that Gabrielle and Amy convinced me to join them. Because this was a hell of an experience, by far the most Japanese thing I've done so far.
We went to buy tickets first earlier in the day. Being a Wednesday, ladies got discounted tickets for "Ladie's Service Day" whatever that means (do they have to service something or is the theater doing them a service?). I got a less discounted price as a student and had to show my student ID. Curiously, the women did not have to show ID to prove gender.
I had a large popcorn, which was like an American medium. It comes in the usual bucket, but then they put the bucket in a plastic tray so you can hold the tray which has a spot for popcorn and a drink. And then at the end of the movie, there are people to collect your tray and trash. It is very clean and efficient.
Back in May, I attended the Cannes Film Festival. And we all said that movie theaters were ruined for us now because we were spoiled by Cannes. At Cannes, you have audiences who enjoy and respect movies. They laugh when they're supposed to and clap at the right place and cry when appropriate. It is the reason watching movies in a group is different than watching a movie alone. Well, this experience was totally the opposite.
First, the audience for these anime movies at "Road Show" screenings cosplay. That means they dress up in costume and they're really good costumes too. They spend some real money on these. And it's not just one or two people. I'd say half the audience is in costume. And they all have glow sticks. Now, I don't know where they got these glow sticks, but they all knew exactly what to do without instructions. They have different color settings, and somehow they all know that the different colors correspond to different characters. I don't think the sticks are specifically made for this purpose, but they have all the necessary colors and everyone has them. And they hold them up and shake them to the beat of the background music to cheer for the characters...Not just their favorite characters, but all of them. Turning back in my seat, I would see a whole sea of glow sticks beating an imaginary drum in unison. It is hilarious. They get so into it. They being the audience, which was predominantly female, probably in their twenties.
Before the movie even started, they were screaming at the top of their lungs at the trailers. And they are so loud. This would not be acceptable in an American theater, but this was like an interactive movie experience. Sometimes one person would call and then everyone would respond. And they all know exactly what to say at the right time. Clearly these people are coming back for second and third viewings. They would yell "kawaii" when there was a cute kid on screen or "ohayou" when someone on screen woke up or simply yell the name of the character on screen like a fan girl. It was like being at a Justin Beiber concert but the screaming was totally unexpected. Most of the time I had no idea what they were saying, but it was always hilarious. They are so into it.
I don't think I'll ever have a movie experience like that again. But it was unforgettable.
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