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| JAPANIME
02 : Day 4
Last, but definitely not least on my Japanime festival hit
list comes WXIII Patlabor, the film that I perhaps
knew least about but I think expected the most out of.
Expectations tend to sit badly with me at the best of times,
with a whole host of applied negative connotations that I
fight desperately to ignore. As a result, I tend to like,
at least in this instance, what it is about the film that
I wasn't prepared for and somehow this helps me forget
what it was I really expected in the first place. I have a
suspicion I wasn't the only one to have been facing such issues.
The crowd for the final film of the Brisbane instalment of
Japanime 02 was capacity, and looked a hell of a lot like
it was mostly there for the mecha.
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If that was the case, or if in fact that was the only interesting
thing that any of the Patlabor films have ever had
going for them (and I was somehow mistaken about their other
qualities), then there might have been a few disappointed
faces as the lights came up.
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But of course, the mecha has only ever been part of Patlabor's
charm, and in this particular case was perhaps featured a
little lower on the list than in the past. Controversial of
me to say perhaps but I found this a rather pleasant surprise.
With a film like Patlabor it's almost impossible to
consider it independently from its predecessors, kind of like
the difficulty in avoiding comparisons between siblings. Yet
WXIII had enough going for it to make it a worthwhile
part of the family, and to enable it to stand on its own as
a film in its own right. Its narrative and visual quality
positively comparative to Patlabor and Patlabor
2, it was original and fresh in its details while still
managing to maintain that attractive element of character
driven mystery that made the other two films so easy to watch.
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All in all, it wasn't a bad way to end the festival. With
the amazing range (and number) of films on offer anyone (and
everyone) who attended Japanime 02 here in Brisbane
should have at least had the opportunity to hopefully expose
themselves to something truly new, fresh and interesting direct
from the source, as well as get their fix of favourites.
The turn out also hopefully bodes well for the continuing
health of the festival, and with the stabilisation of a much
neglected market not only up here in the Sunshine State but
in this country in general. Kudos to the people at the Dendy
for all their hard work in securing the program, doing their
utmost best despite the odd hiccup to bring us what we love
best, bring us together and giving us hope for the future.
Here's to Japanime 04. Don't know about you, but I'm saving
up for that season pass and a week off from work already...
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| Deni Stoner signing off (for now!).
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Don't be fooled though - Japanime 02 isn't through with
anyone yet! Stay tuned as reports start coming in from the
Sydney and Melbourne instalments of this awesome anime festival!
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H E R O I C * C I N E M A
http://www.heroic-cinema.com
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