Anime Was (Not) A Mistake

Episode 18: The Secret World of Arrietty

On this episode of Anime Was (Not) A Mistake we are off on a monumental adventure, in a miniature scale. Have you ever wondered where your stray sugar cubes and tissues go to? Have they been stolen in the dead of night? Well, worry no longer! Your tiny possessions haven’t been taken, but “borrowed” by an intrepid group of tiny people. In The Secret World of Arrietty we learn that it doesn’t matter how small you are, as long as you have the courage and determination to succeed, things will always measure up! Join us as we discuss the form and function of tiny furniture, the perks of being a Borrower, Hara’s “plan”, old eccentric dollhouse builders, and that darn cat ... they really ought to put a bell on that thing!

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Episode 17: Ponyo

We are off to a cliff on the side of the sea on this episode of Anime Was (Not) A Mistake. Breathe in that fresh sea air and prepare for an adventure spanning all ages. The little fish Ponyo, has fallen in love with the human boy Sōsuke, and will stop at nothing to satisfy her love.  Even though the childhood simplicity is evident in every shallow or tide-pool of this Ghibli film, we cant help but ask the hard hitting questions? Is the world order still unbalanced? What will happen to the old folks at the retirement home, after their Cocoonesque “New Beginning” fades away?  Is there enough ham in the world in order to satiate Ponyo’s unending hunger for Ham! You have no time to ponder such questions, as there is a school of gargantuan Umibozu cascading towards us! Enjoy the episode…(Glub…Glub…Glub)

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Episode 16: Tales From Earthsea

Are you ready to take a journey into a world where magic is real? A world where dragons soar through the air? A world where a new adventure is waiting around every bend? Well, you’re not going to be getting any of that here, because this is Anime Was (Not) a Mistake's episode about Goro Miyazaki’s Tales From Earthsea. In our biggest, dragon-sized, episode to date, Dan and Jonathan discuss what might be the only anime movie so far in the Ghibli canon that might be a ...mistake? Ursula K. Le Guin's novel is adapted by the son of THE Anime Maestro and the stakes have never been higher! If you like undeveloped characters, a lack of cohesion, and a magnificent anime movie that could have been then stay tuned. Gather your courage and hold tight to your true name....you may need to believe in magic to make it through this one. #WhatDidGoroDo?

Remember to Rate, Review, and Subscribe on Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, and more. If you don't you can expect us to send a doppleganger after you with a copy of Tales From Earthsea.

Episode 15: Howl's Moving Castle

On tonight’s episode of Anime Was (Not) A Mistake we offer a Ghibli film, perfectly fitted, like a newly made hat, for Valentine’s Day. Join us as we creak and groan with old age or a moving amalgamation of scrap metal in Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). Sophie is a young girl looking for her place in a world on the brink of war. After casually slighting the (petty and voluptuous) Witch of the Waste she is bewitched to live as an old woman and journey on a quest to break the curse. On her journey she runs into a sentient scarecrow, a strange dog, a Billy Crystal fire demon, and the seductively brooding wizard Howl. They say that he is after the hearts of beautiful  women…but, I’m pretty sure he’s just a diva who throws a tantrum when he dyes his hair the wrong color. So, pull up “A CHAIR?!?!? IT’S MINE!” to prepare and catch a falling star, after all, a heart is a heavy burden.

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Episode 14: The Cat Returns

This episode of Anime Was (Not) A Mistake is truly “Ameowzing.” Tonight, we experience the “Fancy Feastastical” Tail that is Hiroyuki Morita’s The Cat Returns (2002). Join young Haru on her “Furmidable” journey to The Cat Kingdom. She’ll need more than nine lives as she finds herself engaged to a prince, slowly growing whiskers, and developing a growing fondness for catnip. There’s no one to help Haru in her “cat-tastrope” but a few familiar faces.  The Baron and Muta are back and they aren’t afraid to put their paws to wall and support a friend in need. Remember to pack your fish crackers, fund your local high school ping-pong teams, and most importantly believe in yourself…. follow your hearts and it will all be “purr-fect.”  

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Episode 13: Spirited Away

Put on your bathrobes on and remember to tip your resident Radish Spirit. Anime Was (Not) A Mistake is back with one of the most critically acclaimed Ghibli films of all time, 2001’s Spirited Away. During this film we discuss Japanese culture, thematic implements, and ponder just how tasty the food of the spirit world actually is. Join us as we lumber forward like a daunting stink spirit, fly on the back of a river dragon, and polish the floors in order to please our customers. Be you boiler man or bathhouse proprietress, this is a legendary animated film, one that deserves your hardest work and utmost attention. Join heroine Chihiro on her journey to save her parents, discover herself, and resist the buffet, tempting and succulent. Don’t forget who you are! It’s the only way you will make it home!

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Episode 12: My Neighbors the Yamadas

“Now I have children of my own. They ask their mother, what will I be? Will I be handsome? Will I be rich? I tell them tenderly…Que será, será!” Seasons Greetings and Happy New Year from us at Anime Was (Not) A Mistake. May your lives in the New Year be bright, full of anime, and may you be at the center of your very own family vignette to be blessed with screen time. Life goes on, even on our podcast and how fortunate for us that we are viewing Isao Takahata’s 1999 charming classic My Neighbors the Yamadas. Listen in as we discuss family drama, take time to stop and smell the roses, and even hop on a motorcycle to chase down some street toughs…Kamen Rider style. You’ll definitely come away with a further appreciation for family, friends, and maybe even…Goro? *Doot Doot*

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Episode 11: Princess Mononoke

“To see with eyes, unclouded by hate.” Tonight, on Anime Was (Not) A Mistake, we travel through a world of man made iron and natural beauty. 1997’s Princess Mononoke pits humans vs. gods in an epic battle to balance the world. Join us, on our humble podcast, as we discuss what might be Studio Ghibli’s most prolific work. Miyazaki wanted to deliver a tale of beasts and wild frontiers and delivered, in all regards, a motion picture deserving of its spot in anime and film history. So, join us as we dance with boars and wolves, toil in the burning heat of Iron Town, and party with the kodama in the Nightwalker’s wake…as we journey to find if Anime was a mistake.

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Episode 10: Whisper of the Heart

“Country Roads, Take me Home to the Place I Belong…” On this episode of Anime Was (Not) A Mistake we chase a cat into an antique shop, only to find some real-life lessons, and poignant views on following/working hard on your own dreams. Yoshifumi Kondo’s 1995 directorial debut Whisper of the Heart bows the violin strings of our soul. The film tells the story of young Shizuku Tsukishima in her attempts to survive middle school, traverse blossoming relationships, and look inside herself to find the drive to begin a worthwhile writing career. If you have ever doubted your own magnificent abilities, or been inspired by a mysterious cat statue, than this film might seem like a familiar, favorite novel…an old friend re encountered.  So clean off your study area, get some chill anime beats, and work hard, all the best things take time.  

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Episode 09: Pom Poko

“Mr. Raccoon, Mr. Raccoon, won’t you come out to play?” Anime Was (Not) A Mistake s back again, with the one Ghibli film hailed as the perfect family picture…if your family happens to be a bunch of raccoons. Pom Poko scurries up this time on our humble little podcast to entertain as well as teach. If you ever had an interest in Japanese folklore, military history, and charm all viewed through the lens of a furry little mammal, with black circled eyes and tiny little hands, this film is the perfect match for you. Prepare yourself for epic bloody battles, touching lessons on friendship, the power of nature, and more whimsey than you can shake a scrot…uh we mean a “raccoon pouch” at. Our story begins year 30 of the Pom Poko Era…

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