Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Slightly weird, but fun!


I came across this short animated movie on YouTube the other day.  I'm not sure I altogether understand it, but I enjoyed it - so I thought you might too.





Peter

7 comments:

  1. Neat. And, you're right, it's a bit odd.

    It looks like they transplanted a Japanese Kitsune into a Chinese setting.

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  2. Fun video. I wonder if the story is based on a particular folktale or a new spin on "walk wide o' the fox spirit" or you'll be sorry.

    Certainly the idea of the mischievous and wily fox spirit assuming the form of a beautiful woman runs throughout East-Asian folklore. To Mandarin speakers it was huli jing (huli = fox, jing = spirit; pretty literal translation, huh?). In modern times Stan Sakai in his wonderful Usagi Yojimbo comic (of anthropmorphic animals set in feudal-age Japan, for those poor souls who have not read his tales of the eponymous rabbit ronin) has an attractive female thief/trickster character named "Kitsune" or fox.

    As a child I occasionally heard my parents making remarks about "huli jing" . I suppose I should emphasize that this was in the same way you or I would talk about leprechauns or el chupacabra, meaning either metaphorcially ("That woman is acting like a huli jing") or tongue firmly in cheek ("I don't know who ate the last muffin, perhaps a fox spirit got it.")

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  3. I admit--I don't get it. But it was fun nonetheless.

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  4. Hey Mike! Always a pleasure to "meet" a fellow Usagi fan.

    If I remember rightly, Usagi's encountered a troublesome fox spirit as well in the course of his travels. I think so, anyway, as I was attributing my recognition of the concept to Stan's work.

    Anyway, I think Rich basically nailed it. Two guys try to catch a Japanese style trickster-fox and then fight each other with typical Chinese style super-kung fu.

    I think that's all there is to get, and all that's needed. There might be some old myth behind this vignette, and again maybe not. Cool and fun, either way.

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  5. Meaning is obvious: Cute makes guys stupid :-)

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  6. Out foxed by a foxy fox, or chasing "tale" can lead to trouble.

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  7. I think Rolf has the right of it!

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