new Studio Ghibli movie announced

[Bico]

An adaptation of Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea series, apparantly.
Odd choice, I suppose, but the preview image available on their website looks nice.

Link: http://www.ghibli.jp/" target="_blank">Here be..?

[BrianO]

I wasn't too fussed on the first book (which is one of the few books I've never been able to finish) but the Hallmark TV film they showed earlier this year wasn't too bad. (considering it was made by Hallmark)

[Art]

Actually, considering the themes of Nausica? and Princess Monoke that makes perfect sense. Ghibli films always have a strong them of connections with nature, and an almost tauist philosophy rather than black and white morality that is a much better match for LeGuins work than the Sci-Fi channel or (gulp) Disney would be.

[The Adventurer]

Didn't they JUST make a Live Action made for TV mini series on Earthsea?

[Floyd-the-k]

I'd describe the philosophy of Ghibli's movies as the nice kind of Shinto*; respect for nature and rituals about it. This is not to contradict Art -  I know bugger all about Taoist philosophy.


*the nasty kind of Shinto is the nationalistic "Japan is the centre of the universe" brand popular during WWII and flirted with by the PM today

[Mudcrab]

"Didn't they JUST make a Live Action made for TV mini series on Earthsea?"

They did indeed, but it was pretty awful, apart from one funny bit with the dragon. Was on Sci-Fi last year I think.

A film may do it justice, you never know. I'd prefer to see Magician (R.E. Feist) made into a film myself, or of course Elric (M. Moorcock), which hasn't even reached development hell yet.

[Art]

I'm not any kind of Taoism expert, but If is recall correctly its all about relativism and balance, which doesn't really contradict the shinto thing. IIRC LeGuin has a string interest in Taoist philosophy.

[Mudcrab]

Hmm, Moorcock's stuff could fall into that category too really, being about Chaos/Order and "The Balance", rather than the Good/Evil thing. I know you're a Moorcock fan yourself Art, so would you agree with that?

It would also mean I wasn't straying from the topic too much :o)

He also has a strong interest in all philosophy, taoist probably being one of them to derive that kind of concept in his multi/universe.

[Art]

Hmm... Moorcock is more acidhead hippy stuff, and there would have been a lot of "eastern" stuff floating about, quite a lot of it dreamed up locally by pot heads. Also you're dangerously close to suggetsing that the alignment system in D&D is based on some mystical eastern philosophy... :-)

[Mudcrab]

"Moorcock is more acidhead hippy stuff"

He he, you're spot on there, I believe he lived along the road from Mr Hendrix so... :o)

Incidentally, if it's not too OT, tell you what, I'll start a new thread...

[Quirkafleeg]

>Also you're dangerously close to suggetsing that the alignment system in D&D is based on some mystical eastern philosophy... :-)

But it is!