Howl, Tantrum, and the Half-Noisy Crowd

Let's start with what's foremost in my mind: Howl's Moving Castle. I finally saw it, since it showed up at the local theater last weekend as "summer filler." Summer filler, my ass! This is one of the two best movies I've seen this year (the other one also featured Christian Bale as the title character). It had everything--Magic, Machines, and Miyazaki.

Sadly, the movie will only be local to me for a week, which ends two days from now. It came out the same week as Batman Begins in "wide release," but it hasn't been targeted locally to me because "there's no market for it." That wouldn't be the case if Disney actually used the effort that it's spending on all it's 3-D animation flops; everywhere would become a Miyazaki market at the very least, if not open to more anime. And Disney would look like the innovative company once again. But that makes too much sense. Let's market some crap instead!

I mentioned the Tantrum again because I'm starting to get a handle on how the character works aside from any baggage that comes with it. Now I just have to figure out the motivations of Lilith, being the Tantrum's boss and all.

For my final topic, I like to go to bookstores, but I've been avoiding them since Saturday, due to the release of the latest Harry Potter book. (Warning: Harry Potter ranting is imminent.) It's wonderful that kids are reading more than they used to. Growing up, I was in a small minority of males who were always reading, or were about to be reading. Reading is life on my Mom's side of the family. My grandmother, Marge Edwards, got all her kids started reading, who got all their kids started reading. People need to read more often.

That being said, I think Harry Potter.... My problems with the books have nothing to do with the books, and everything to do with the fans. Ever since seeing the movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Shut the Hell Up, the sequel to Harry Potter and the Philospher's Noisemaker, and prequel to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Incessant Chatter, I've felt like Harry Potter fans need to learn how to shut up. I appreciate fandom and discussion of things that are beloved. I do it all the time. But there seems to be this hive mentality when Harry Potter fans get together and start talking about it. There seems to be a mentality of "literally everyone loves this story and is fully addicted to it, so we don't have to worry about anyone around not knowing every line by heart."

From what I can tell, these books are a pseudo-modern retelling of The Lord of the Rings, based around children. 1. I don't relate to children 99.9% of the time; I never have, even when I was one. 2. If I want to read The Lord of the Rings, well, why would I read a blantant knockoff? 3. Hype isn't good for anyone--stick with the facts of why it's good. 4. I'll never like Harry Potter.

I said it. And almost everyone I know of that's ever looked at this web log just thought, in some part of their brain, "Sacrelige!" I'll never like Harry Potter, for something that would only be of minor interest to me, so many people (read: a full movie theater minus one person), have ruined any chance of me being able to just enjoy the story for what it is.

I'll just take my deplorable, sadistic anime and let everybody else have their devil-worshipping prose. And if you can't tell I'm joking about that last bit, then I feel for us all.