Anime simply would not be what it is today
If not for a handful of genre-defining works Cory in the house was one such series and indeed
I think we're all feeling both excited for and wary of the recently announced sequel Cory in the big house
But perhaps even greater credit is owed to studio DreamWorks and director Hayao
Miyazaki's stunning magnum opus Shreku The Highest Fairy Tale
That Does Not Exist or simply Shrek as it's known in the West where it was the first anime film to ever win an Academy Award
You heard me right Not every great anime was butchered on its way overseas
Not even in the bad old days Shreku was one of the few that got the recognition it deserved and with a top-notch
Star studded dub that many would argue
Outshines the original Japanese it doubtless created an entire generation of new Western otaku single-handedly
But that's far from its only contribution to the mediums history indeed the rise of CGI in anime a trend that every otaku
Unequivocally loves is a direct result of the pioneering work done for this film
It's no coincidence that the revolutionary Kirby Right Back At Ya premiered just six months after Shreku's. release
Which is exactly enough time to put an entire anime through pre-production and start making episodes
Given its important place in the history of anime both in Japan and abroad it's no surprise that you guys have been clamoring for
Years to see me cover Shreku
And until now honestly
I've been reluctant because what's left to say about this classic anime that hasn't already been said at the same time this channels
Chronicle of the greatest anime openings in history
Simply wouldn't be complete without Shreku
And so today is the day that I finally give this
Incredible film its due Shreku opens with our titular hero reading a fairy tale about a cursed princess locked in a tall tower
Guarded by a fearsome dragon and awaiting a kiss-u from her one true Daisuke
particularly astute viewers might notice the subtle connections between this story and the
Backstory of Fiona-chan indeed this narration very subtly foreshadows future events of the film
Shreku rips a page out of the book to wipe his buttocks
Which isn't just a sign of derision for the fairy tale readers of the light novel
Will know this is a common habit for our environmentally conscious hero
who refuses to burden the planet by using something so wasteful as toilet paper Miyazaki a staunch
environmentalist himself said that he wanted to adapt the film to show Japanese children how to
properly respect nature he intended for this opening to serve double duty as a credit sequence and an
Instructional video for the film's audience highlighting the ins and outs of Shreku's
Eco-friendly lifestyle those environmental themes are encapsulated in one of the most iconic downright
Majestic shots in all of anime Shreku's outhouse standing tall against the woody swamp
He calls home a symbol of how our Oni hero lives in perfect harmony with nature
And as we all know what follows from this image is an equally iconic and majestic character introduction
(All-Star Plays)
Shrek is a hikikomori a nobody by choice but this line foreshadows what he is destined to become
Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me a hero to the people of Far Far Away
That's not the only bit of foreshadowing happening here. It might look like an animation error when the page stuck to Shreku's
foot briefly clips through his boot but it is, in fact, a hint at the plot twist revealed in volume 38 that he's been a ghost all along
Of course it was then revealed in volume 42 that that whole arc had been a dream and that Shreku is actually the
Reincarnation of a Japanese teenager who was hit by a truck reincarnated as a Japanese salaryman and then hit by a truck again
But such are the risks that come with adapting an ongoing work
We cut to a shot of Shreku's swampy home built into a hill under an old tree stump somewhat
miraculously without disturbing any of the surrounding wilderness fun fact
Shreku was created before computers were capable of simulating wind physics
So each blade of grass on that Hut had to be hand animated by one of the 500
Starving North Koreans. Miyazaki keeps locked in his basement
Our hero looks upon his sustainable carbon-neutral living quarters and flashes a satisfied smile before walking off to start his day
Scooping up a bucket of mud for his shower he reveals the film's title card beneath the muck this
Revolutionary shot marks the first example of diegetic credit
Integration in anime history a tradition that has been proudly carried on by such classic anime as welcome to the NHK Tokyo Godfather's
Deadpool and most recently this winter season with Doga Kobo's pedophile and friends not to be confused with their fall
2018 hit pedophile variety hour the influence of this one-shot cannot be overstated
But what most modern imitators fail to copy from this technique is the way that Shreku imbues
Every credit with additional meaning through how its presented
when the name of Shreku's own voice actor appears out of the mud
He spits out for instance the mud splatter on the rock around it
Is identical to the blood splatter left behind when Shreku is executed by
Rumpelstiltskin in the light novels parallel world rebellion part
A scene that was heavily and controversially censored in the film adaptation
Miyazaki has since gone on record that letting his son Goro direct the film is the single greatest regret of his career
It's good that he made one movie said the veteran animator after seeing his sons film with that
He should stop but I digress to get back to the credits
The name of Donkey's voice actor is revealed behind a cracked mirror
Symbolizing his status as Shrek's equal and opposite foil and eventually as light novel readers know too well
His faded eternal rival fans still clamor for the day that the vaunted donkey retrieval ark will at last be
Animated in the glory that it rightly deserves the dead fish that pops up to introduce Fiona-Chan's voice actor is
A metaphor for her and Shreku's style of lovemaking
Which was explored in lengthy detail in bonus chapter sixty-nine point five of the original Shrek web novel
Unfortunately due to malicious corporate censorship not a single artful moving passage of that literary
Masterwork made it into the final cut of the film but in protest
Miyazaki still managed to sneak some sly nods to it like this one into theaters under the noses of the plebeian censors
And rumor has it that a nearly finished adaptation of the chapter still exists in his personal hentai collection
The maggots that form the name of Lord Farquad's voice actor
Obviously allude to the light novel arc where he returns from the dead to claim Fiona as his ghost bride
Which was eventually adapted into the critically acclaimed short film Shrek 4D at Universal Studios, Florida from these credits
We jumped to a shot of Shreku painting a self-portrait
Beside a tranquil swamp lake this might seem like a cheap fake out gag
But what's remarkable is that it's actually fully justified by the narrative of the opening
Shreku has to paint by the lake because he broke his mirror just moments ago
And it's the only other place in the swamp where he can see his reflection
it's that kind of attention to detail and
Continuity that makes this film a classic the red paint that comes off on Shrek whose lips as he kisses the sign
Resembles the makeup of a kabuki actor
This may be a reference to stage performances of the classic Japanese folk tale of the Red Oni and Green Oni
Which was the inspiration for the original books series author Reki Kawahara
Said he'd always wondered what happened to the Green Oni after he left and also what it would look like to see him fuck
Those two questions served as the springboard that launched this entire epic franchise
Shreku plants the newly painted sign outside his home revealing to us his tragic and tortured self-perception
He puts on a happy front day today and claims to enjoy his solitude but deep down
He sees himself as a lonely monster and hides a way to avoid
hurting others the angry slightly sad face on this sign
is his true self and the lettering holds double meaning to trespassers it says BEWARE OGRE
But to Shreku himself it is a solemn reminder to beware ogre
From here we match cut to a wanted poster depicting all of Shreku's anger and none of his soft melancholy
From behind it emerges a crowd of angry villagers who hunched down in the dirt to plot an assault on his peaceful home
Again we see a mean ugly caricature of our hero that contrasts with his tortured soulful self depiction
A powerful statement from Miyazaki about racism and the nature and pervasiveness of reality distorting propaganda
A montage of the villagers picking up their weapons is interrupted by Shreku picking up a decidedly
Non-threatening spoon to eat his dinner these repeated match cuts highlight the stark difference between the violent bloodthirsty villagers
And our pacifistic heroes tranquil lifestyle ok there's been some confusion about that among anime only Shreku fans over the years
The books go to great lengths to clarify that Shreku only eats organically grown Fairtrade human eyeballs
And that his dinner was not sourced from any of those villagers friends
We returned to a shot of the angry mob approaching the woods and see once again the ubiquity of vicious anti oni
Propaganda in this world cutting back to Shreku's home
We see him lighting his fireplace with a fiery belch an allusion to the fire-breathing powers
That he had in the first few chapters of the original web novel this peaceful homey fire
Is once again contrasted with the torches wielded by the mob who charge
Recklessly into the swamp as Shreku sits back to relax and enjoy his evening the humans wanton disregard for their surroundings
Exemplified by their careless trampling of Shreku's sign is representative of their destructive attitude toward nature as a whole
Miyazaki can be a bit heavy-handed with those environmental messages
But you can't say he doesn't get the point across the noise of the sign snapping alerts Shrek to the intruders presence
Which he reacts to with his trademark look a wholly unique
Cockeyed facial expression that has never once been replicated in anime or any other medium
Especially not movie posters seeing the villagers framed as small and insignificant
Against the backdrop of his swamp like pests that he must deal with
Shreku goes out taking the back street and as they approach his hut uses his mastery of Genjutsu
To approach them silently from behind this shot mirrors the image of the scarecrow
Looming behind them that we saw just moments ago showing how their
Expectations of this encounter with the Oni are totally at odds with the reality of their situation as the music dies down we transition seamlessly
Into the opening moments of the film proper leaving the audience acquainted with Shreku's character and eager to see what he'll do next
This blending between credit sequence and narrative action has been cited by now Kalamata as a direct inspiration for how she
Handled the opening to a silent voice and that's just one of countless other anime films bits borrowed from the cinematic conventions
Shreku established but this is the part where I run away because while I'm tempted to keep going with my
Analysis of the film if I don't stop where the OP ends. I really could talk your ears off about this wonderful cinematic
masterpiece all day every last frame of Shreku
Contains layer upon layer of hidden meaning like a parfait and what I've covered so far really only scratches the surface
Let me know in the comments below
What other classic anime openings you'd like to see me cover and while you're down there
I sure would appreciate it If you'd like the video
If you liked it subscribe if you want to see more and leave your contact info
If you're a lawyer or one of those people who cleans up dead bodies for a living asking for a friend
I'm Jeff through professional shitbags signing out from the vacation in Mexico that I've been on for the last 48 hours if anyone asks