2010-09-07
Video - Mei and the Kittenbus - A Youtube Reconstrucion
Now this is something special. It is a reconstruction, made entirely from existing print media in the public sphere, of Studio Ghibli's short film Mei and the Kittenbus. As this film was intended solely for the Ghibli Museum in Japan, it has never been shown to the outside world, outside one or two special occasions.
This reconstruction uses photos, postcards, and calendars to reconstruct the story. It's a very novel idea, and for those of us who are unable to travel across the ocean to Japan, it's the next best thing. Personally, I would enjoy the opportunity to see the Ghibli Museum shorts in person - I'm completely sympathetic to Hayao Miyazaki's desire to shield children from the iron grip of consumer capitalism - but this is the next best thing.
Let us know what you think. I'm curious to hear your impressions.
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5 comments:
Thank you.
Even the stills seem to convey how intricate and beautifully fluid the animation must be.
I liked the first comment, it reminds me that even the stoic rigidity of scientific thought can be somehow softened into wonder by a childlike spirit of irreverence.
WOW! it was SO wonderful to be able to see that! Thanks for sharing!
It doesn't compare to actually seeing it, but you don't need me to tell you that.
I lucked out when I went to Japan. Had I gone to the Ghibli Museum at the beginning of the my trip rather than the end, or if I had gone a week earlier or a week later I would have missed seeing Mei and the Kittenbus.
With Totoro being my favorite Ghibli film, seeing this was pretty epic. It's not any better animated than the feature, nor is it able to develop anything like a meaningful theme in 15 minutes. But it was still pretty awesome and I cherish having seen it.
Now if only I could see Imaginary Flying Machines!
This was utterly brilliant! I had the opportunity to see the film at the Ghibli Museum this summer and now I'm really surprised how well this reconstruction succeeds in conveying the plot and tone of the short.
I feel totally ambivalent towards Ghibli's release politics with these shorts. On the one hand it's a beautiful idea to make this something really special and exclusive to see at the museum. On the other hand so many Ghibli and film fans around the world deserve to see these shorts!
What a great video! It really makes me glad when I see people using the internet so darned creatively.
Thanks for sharing this. I found your blog today and am having a ridiculous amount of fun reading through some of the posts (love the 30+ observations on ponyo and the "totoro isnt the god of death" post )
-L.C.
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