The Effect of Ghibli Trend

I am drowning in the sea of studio Ghibli style photographs over last few days. Yes, drowning and gasping for breath. Few years before, I remember attempting to give a cartoon or anime twist to the photographs using the procreate app in iOS. It was artistically enriching, of course. Also challenging and time consuming. And that was the fun part. I have come across many such artists who specialize in such artworks in social media. It used to come with practice and patience. Now, it is available in a few clicks.

We humans are distinct from other animals because of our ability to think. When thinking is not needed and the brain is asked to stay calm, there is not going to be any calm. Creativity and curiosity keep the brain working. Not calm.

Let the Ghibli trend inspire us and not distract us. Let us imagine to find out what else we could do with our brains. 

I am typing and this, I know. But I also know that AI could write about my feelings about the studio style Ghibli artwork in few seconds. And I am sure it will reflect 90% of my thoughts. Ok, let me experiment with it a give it a try.

Prompt to Chat GPT

I am a budding artist worried that the studio ghibli style is challenging the brain's inherent ability to be curious and creative. I want to write a 250 words blog on this. Help me

Response from Chat GPT

While inspiration is crucial to artistic growth, imitation can sometimes limit our creative problem-solving. The Ghibli standard, in its elegance, risks becoming a creative comfort zone—one that artists may struggle to step outside of. When everything is so beautifully and meticulously designed, does it leave room for raw, unrefined, and unconventional expressions of art?

Yet, perhaps the solution isn’t to reject influence but to reinterpret it. Ghibli’s strength lies not just in its visuals but in its ability to evoke wonder. If we channel that sense of awe into our own unique artistic language, we can move beyond admiration into true creation.

Ultimately, the challenge is not Ghibli itself, but our response to it. Will we merely echo its beauty, or will we let it inspire us to push the boundaries of our own artistic voice?

L2: Empuraan- Movie Review

Empuraan, written by Murali Gopi and directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, is the second installment in the "Lucifer" trilogy. It opens with a flashback to Zayed Masood’s childhood, but then transitions into scenes that depict intense violence against women, children, the elderly, and men—essentially, against humanity. This violence is reminiscent of the events in Gujarat in 2002, and it sets the stage for the rest of the story. The movie is, in essence, a testosterone overload. We see an abundance of violence, action, action set pieces, and slow-motion sequences, all crammed into a nearly three-hour runtime.

While "Lucifer" focused on emotion and explored the characters' psyches and motivations, "Empuraan" prioritizes action. For instance, Tovino’s character, Jathin Ramdas, who was a surprise in "Lucifer," is also a surprise here, but in a different way. We are left wondering why he is the way he is. We don't get an answer. Is it because "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," as one of the quotes shown during the end cards suggests? The movie also employs a lot of symbolism with the letter "L" until it becomes exhausting and a non-linear narrative that is meaningless and only adds to the complexity. There's a lot happening on screen, often in slow motion. I didn't mind the slow-motion and pauses in Lucifer, but here, they feel deliberately inserted.

It seems like the filmmakers are trying too hard to align "Empuraan" with "Lucifer." Stephen Nedumbally is portrayed as a savior, tasked with saving the world and his family. He’s constantly in action mode. Indrajith Sukumaran, who reprises his role as Govardhan, essentially does the same thing he did in "Lucifer," with the addition of a Louis Vuitton shawl. The movie's locations are visually stunning, especially on the IMAX screen, highlighting its grandeur. The film attempts to convey that global events influence local situations, but this message was more effective in "Lucifer." While the story and intentions are good, the screenplay could have been improved. Rearranging some scenes, such as placing the iinitial scenes before the interval, and the interval scene at the beginning, could have maintained a better sense of surprise and pacing. Deepak Dev’s music, particularly the background score that accompanies Mohanlal’s appearances, creates impactful "fan moments." Manju Warrier’s character arc, transitioning from subtle person to a leader, is a highlight. However, overall, the movie feels overloaded with violence and action, lacking emotional depth. 

The U/A certificate rating is questionable, given the presence of young children in the audience, who were exposed to uncomfortable violence scenes.

Ultimately, "Empuraan" feels like a testosterone overload. The third installment might be better or make this one seem better. But as a standalone movie, this one falls short due to its lack of emotion. 

Any movie that fails to resonate emotionally is a failure. Everything else is secondary.

Overshare

To be heard 

She wrote endlessly-

Someone read?

No one read

Loneliness rebuked

She withdrew

No sharing

No over sharing 

Loneliness

Abandon 

Until Loneliness 

Embraces me

Time Passes...

Oh... My age?

I have stopped counting 

Where are you?

Indecisiveness

 The indecisive 

Sat and watched -

The world blurring like a high speed train.

They had no courage to buy the tickets and hop into one.

They had no magic left within to count the bogies.

They let their very existence fade -

Like the train.

Except that they were not like trains.

They had no destinations in mind.

They did not even have any planned stops and had no timelines to keep.

Some said they floated like clouds.

But clouds hover in the sky for a reason.

They even break and let the rain drench the soil - 

Sometimes soul too.

The indecisive cannot be broken. 

Because a shattered piece cannot be broken again.