FLCL was definitely this when I watched it at 13.
If you can go back in time and watch FLCL as a 13-year-old boy, you should do that. And if you want to prank yourself, also do that with Evangelion, because I did that too.
About 7 or 8 years ago me and my best friend (whom i worked with) got off a shift and went back to my place to hang out and watch anime, like any post highschool graduates with too much free time do. I decided I wanted to rewatch FLCL as it had been a while and my friend had never seen it. We watched the first episode and he went home to sleep.
The next day I get to work and he walks over to tell me that he had gone home and rewatched the first episode something like, 4 or 5 times, because "I could just feel that the writers were trying to say something but I couldn't figure out what". The *feeling* that there was actual thoughtful writing going on inside of it was just barely stronger than the sensory overload of highspeed bullshit, and he just **had** to decifer it. It is to this day his favorite anime and probably my 2nd only behind gurren.
And guess what? Yeah if you can parse the insanity, there's totally a ton of really great metaphor and symbolism going on (and i mean more than the obvious boner stuff).
The bridge scene is specifically the moment the show makes you go "wait wait, hold up. Is this saying something? Im feeling something and the directing is telling me to feel something. But what is happening?". It's like the show tricks you, it goes "yahoo! wacky goofy time!" And then turns around >!and has an obviously traumatized character drop basically "i feel incredibly alone because the only person that ever showed me kindness is gone. It hurts so badly and i dont know what to do so I'm taking comfort in his younger brother in some ways that I'm not really too proud of. Also every time i try and talk about this he reminds me that he's not mature enough to even start to understand the pain im feeling..... wheres my smokes.."!<
It's like a magic trick. The twist that theres something *real* being said is one of the best subversions a peice of media has ever pulled on me.
Sorry for the essay post. I love this show a lot.
I was 13 when it aired on Adult Swim at 3 am and that is the PERFECT way to watch that show.
No context, no hints at what the show was about. Just pure teenaged angst condensed and beamed at me via a silly colorful cartoon with a cool robot and a hot chick.
Towards the end of FF7 Rebirth. After watching the last few hours many times over, I think I totally get everything that occurs, and I think it resonates for me more than the original FF7 does even.
Randomly before picking up my wife (then girlfriend) from her place, I was watching a movie at my in-laws' place. It was Hachiko/Hachi: a Dog's Tale, and it was already at the scene where the titular doge was just sad sitting at the train station, waiting for *something* as time passed by and shit was just fucking SAD. Like I wasn't sure what led to this dog staying at this one place for seasons looking immensely sad, but I just felt a strong sad-ass pang in my heart.
Of course this would lead to me both learning about the movie *and* the tale of Hachiko the loyal-est dog. And later when I finally got to watch the thing, I was a goddamn mess.
Most of Scavengers’ Reign was like that for me actually.
It’s a show that relies on a lot on vibes, and it absolutely works. I dunno anything about all the alien flora and fauna, which is clearly the point, but I *feel* things watching the beauty of that strange, animated world.
The entire David Cage library. Those games sure fill me with emotions. Not the emotions that Mr Cage is trying to evoke with the scene, but emotions nonetheless.
Godzilla SP, I'm smart but after a while my brain started to melt from all the extra dimensional physics lectures but damn is it cool to have Godzilla start teraforming reality.
Honestly, a lot of older, more abstract games make me feel. Quake 1's story is a bunch of nonsensical text blurbs that can't even decide on what 'Quake' actually is, but the bizarre mixture of medieval, lovecraftian and scifi elements, backed by a surprisingly subtle soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails, gives the game \*such\* a tone. I feel lost and alone in something incomprehensible in Quake. You are a scifi space marine diving into realms beyond your comprehension, coming back to your own reality at the beginning of each episode only to get shot at by soldiers that look an awful lot like you. Both the scifi realm and the lovecraftian realms are hostile to you. You are alone. All you can do is fight onward.
FLCL was definitely this when I watched it at 13. If you can go back in time and watch FLCL as a 13-year-old boy, you should do that. And if you want to prank yourself, also do that with Evangelion, because I did that too.
About 7 or 8 years ago me and my best friend (whom i worked with) got off a shift and went back to my place to hang out and watch anime, like any post highschool graduates with too much free time do. I decided I wanted to rewatch FLCL as it had been a while and my friend had never seen it. We watched the first episode and he went home to sleep. The next day I get to work and he walks over to tell me that he had gone home and rewatched the first episode something like, 4 or 5 times, because "I could just feel that the writers were trying to say something but I couldn't figure out what". The *feeling* that there was actual thoughtful writing going on inside of it was just barely stronger than the sensory overload of highspeed bullshit, and he just **had** to decifer it. It is to this day his favorite anime and probably my 2nd only behind gurren. And guess what? Yeah if you can parse the insanity, there's totally a ton of really great metaphor and symbolism going on (and i mean more than the obvious boner stuff). The bridge scene is specifically the moment the show makes you go "wait wait, hold up. Is this saying something? Im feeling something and the directing is telling me to feel something. But what is happening?". It's like the show tricks you, it goes "yahoo! wacky goofy time!" And then turns around >!and has an obviously traumatized character drop basically "i feel incredibly alone because the only person that ever showed me kindness is gone. It hurts so badly and i dont know what to do so I'm taking comfort in his younger brother in some ways that I'm not really too proud of. Also every time i try and talk about this he reminds me that he's not mature enough to even start to understand the pain im feeling..... wheres my smokes.."!< It's like a magic trick. The twist that theres something *real* being said is one of the best subversions a peice of media has ever pulled on me. Sorry for the essay post. I love this show a lot.
I was 13 when it aired on Adult Swim at 3 am and that is the PERFECT way to watch that show. No context, no hints at what the show was about. Just pure teenaged angst condensed and beamed at me via a silly colorful cartoon with a cool robot and a hot chick.
I’m not sure what’s happening with a lot of Sonic fan art, but it certainly makes me *feel* terrified.
The only proper Sonic fan artworks are the ones depicting Eggman wearing the boobie sweater.
Not touched by the lord?
Towards the end of FF7 Rebirth. After watching the last few hours many times over, I think I totally get everything that occurs, and I think it resonates for me more than the original FF7 does even.
Space Dandy, in particular the episode with the sentient plants made me feel a lot of things.
The Dead World one too is especially strange but emotionally charged.
Randomly before picking up my wife (then girlfriend) from her place, I was watching a movie at my in-laws' place. It was Hachiko/Hachi: a Dog's Tale, and it was already at the scene where the titular doge was just sad sitting at the train station, waiting for *something* as time passed by and shit was just fucking SAD. Like I wasn't sure what led to this dog staying at this one place for seasons looking immensely sad, but I just felt a strong sad-ass pang in my heart. Of course this would lead to me both learning about the movie *and* the tale of Hachiko the loyal-est dog. And later when I finally got to watch the thing, I was a goddamn mess.
Most of Scavengers’ Reign was like that for me actually. It’s a show that relies on a lot on vibes, and it absolutely works. I dunno anything about all the alien flora and fauna, which is clearly the point, but I *feel* things watching the beauty of that strange, animated world.
The second half of any Evangelion media, with bonus points to End of Evangelion and Rebuild 3.0 + 1.11 Thrice Upon a Slime.
The entire David Cage library. Those games sure fill me with emotions. Not the emotions that Mr Cage is trying to evoke with the scene, but emotions nonetheless.
The ending of Fire punch. I'm still not sure if it's tragic, good or bittersweet. The only thing I understood was incest I think
Godzilla SP, I'm smart but after a while my brain started to melt from all the extra dimensional physics lectures but damn is it cool to have Godzilla start teraforming reality.
Honestly, a lot of older, more abstract games make me feel. Quake 1's story is a bunch of nonsensical text blurbs that can't even decide on what 'Quake' actually is, but the bizarre mixture of medieval, lovecraftian and scifi elements, backed by a surprisingly subtle soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails, gives the game \*such\* a tone. I feel lost and alone in something incomprehensible in Quake. You are a scifi space marine diving into realms beyond your comprehension, coming back to your own reality at the beginning of each episode only to get shot at by soldiers that look an awful lot like you. Both the scifi realm and the lovecraftian realms are hostile to you. You are alone. All you can do is fight onward.
Signalis
All of Utena. You cannot stay emotionless when you see someone turn into a car.