The DVD cover image for US distribution, as posted on Wikipedia
Do you enjoy anime? Are some of your favorite movies Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind or Princess Mononoke? Then you will enjoy watching Origin: Spirits of the Past. And you can watch it completely free of charge, right here.
Well, you can’t actually watch it right here on PubWages, because YouTube has disabled embedding, but you can click through and watch it on YouTube, and it’s completely free. It certainly beats going out to the movies, renting a DVD or paying for Netflix.
The animation is gorgeous. The plot is familiar: man against nature, with nature personified. And the personalities and conflicts all seem very familiar, if you have already see Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa.
Origin: Spirits of the Past was first released in Japan as Gin-iro no kami no Agito or 銀色の髪のアギト, which means “Agito the Silver-haired god.” It is directed by Keiichi Sugiyama. It is based on a story by Umanosuke Iida, but the screenplay was written by the team effort of Nana Shiina and Naoko Kakimoto. This movie came out in 2006.
In this movie, the apocalypse is brought about by genetic engineering practiced on trees, in order to allow them to live in arid, non-terrestrial environments such as our moon. But the trees cast down their seeds and spread to earth, a little bit like “thread” in a different imaginary universe, thereby setting the scene for the dramatic confrontation between humans and unnatural nature.
The film features a nice soundtrack by Taku Iwasaki, and that soundtrack can be purchased separately as a CD. After you watch the movie, if you really like it, you can buy a copy for yourself or a friend.
I think YouTube is a wonderful tool because it allows us to see programs and shows we never could when we were limited only what we saw on a few local stations. It opens up possibilities, and kids who enjoy drawing anime might even be inspired with future careers by watching this movie online.
Thanks, Sweetbearies. It really is nice to be able to stay home and watch completely free of charge a feature length film that as far as I know has not even aired on TV. The quality of the animation is wonderful. And as you say, there is no telling what artistic efforts being exposed to this may inspire in the young.