"Cartoons must be for kids"

[yendi]

From the latest SFBC Altiverse newsletter, containing a profile of Neil:

A father of three, Gaiman has also authored several works for children, including the script for the Japanese film Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke), released by Miramax in 1999.

Um, yeah. A movie for children. Because the limbs that get chopped off, the people who get killed, the mature and complex plotting, etc, are all aimed squarely at kids, right?

Comments

[deus-x.livejournal.com]

Yes, because it teaches important lessons, like: "Don't play with the disembodied heads of wolf goddesses, kids! They'll eat half your body off before you can say Gee-Whiz!"

Oh, for Pete's sake

[yduras.livejournal.com]

You know, the movie theater I saw Mononoke Hime at had a big sign explaining that this was not a movie for children. At the bottom, in big letters -- "THIS IS NOT POKEMON".

[blueingenue.livejournal.com]

I started watching it once while I was babysitting Maddie. She liked watching it, probably because of the leaping mountain sheep steed. When we got to first nasty instance of melting giant boar flesh down to the skeleton, I thought it might give her nightmares, so I covered her eyes. She batted my hands away so she could see. I turned it off shortly thereafter, just in case.

[blueingenue.livejournal.com]

And another thing, if you want to get niggly about it, Gaiman didn't write the script, he adapted it for the English dub.

[melvh.livejournal.com]

Well, of course. After all, it IS a cartoon, no?

[maida-mac.livejournal.com]

Well, it's a film for some children. It's my sons' (6 & 9) favorite movie. :P

[yendi]

It's a lesson every child should have before they turn five.

Re: Oh, for Pete's sake

[yendi]

Heh. Although it would be fun to watch Pikachu in that Mononoke setting. It'd be like an anime version of Bambi vs. Godzilla.

[yendi]

At her age, I could see it still being okay, although she's probably approaching the edge of it now. Soon, she'll comprehend too much to ignore the really nasty stuff, but not enough to contextualize it.

[yendi]

True, but any time someone like Neil or Sarah Dyer or Toren Smith (on mangas) is involved in a translation, the author's own approach usually does show through. I don't mind them giving him credit, at least.

[yendi]

Of course. :-) I just wonder what Neil (who has railed against the whole "comics are for kids" mentality) thinks of the article.

[yendi]

Considering how frightened she got at times during Spirited Away, I think we'll hold off on Mononoke for a bit. ;-)

[maida-mac.livejournal.com]

Probably a good choice. :) I'm still honestly surprised it didn't bother the boys, but they really do adore it. And they saw SA three times in the theater. :)