Movie was excellent, BTW. That was part of what made me ultimately decide to go to Chicago for the post-baccalaureate program at the SAIC. That wasn't my vibe either—my vibe is pretty tough to match, TBH—but I'm glad I ended up in Chicago. Smartest decision ever.
...I decided. This town sucks. The people here suck. Nobody likes what I like. No one I met in college, literally no one, was vibing with me on any level. I was not, in fact, gonna give it a chance post-graduation. I'm fuckin' OUT of here.
It was like a 45-minute, hour-long train ride to the theater, and when I told them what Princess Mononoke WAS, they all made who-farted faces at me. "You're gonna ride the train for a hour to see a CARTOON?" Direct quote. I ended up going alone. Theater was also empty. While I sat there...
Ha, it's not a GOOD memory per se, but anime also helped me decide what I was doing post-college. This is back when Disney was experimenting with Ghibli movies; Princess Mononoke was playing in ONE theater in the outskirts of Atlanta, and I excitedly asked some other students to go with me. (cont.)
I've hired ppl who literally specialize in Japanese/American contracts to write contracts up. I've tried multiple publishers multiple times. I've talked to experienced translators and licensees for advice. it's been over a decade of trying, like WHAT GIVES.
And I'm not trying to license One Piece over here. I'm going after titles that make sense for Iron Circus, weird shit from small presses that will otherwise exist nowhere but bootleg, hobbyist scanslation sites. But still can't get an email answered. An email IN JAPANESE, mind you.
Mild gripe, but a gripe nonetheless: FUCK, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get the time of day from 98% of Japanese publishers. I feel like a teen trying to get their first job. "Have you published manga before?" "No, but-" "We prefer experienced pubs." "How can I get experience if no one gives us a chance?"
Hey there, Saw-A-Touchstone-Japanese-Film-At-An-Impressionable-Age-And-Was-Thus-Altered-Forever buddy
Told this one before, but: when I was Definitely Too Young, my slightly-older cousin (15? 16?) asked "You like cartoons, right?" and slipped a bootleg, no-sub no-dub VHS of AKIRA into his bedroom TV, and left me to watch it. I didn't understand a word of it, and it changed the course of my life.