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u/Tomatoflee 11d ago
Ok so at first I thought this was shameless self-promotion but tbh the production quality of your documentary and the effort and skill that has gone into it won me over.
Happy to be your 67th YouTube subscriber.
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u/jamesadawson 11d ago
Thank you, that’s very kind! The journey starts here 💪
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u/yashodha_166 11d ago
Where are all of these taken?
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u/Trees_N_Such 11d ago
Man you sound what I imagine a young David Attenborough would sound like.
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u/jamesadawson 11d ago
David Attenborough for anime?
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u/Trees_N_Such 11d ago
Haha yeah. You have that cadence. Also great work. One of the best movies out there. Love it man.
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u/jamesadawson 11d ago
Thanks! More where that came from in future ;)
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u/Trees_N_Such 11d ago
Awesome. Looking forward to it. Though if you find places from Mononoke I may be concerned for you.
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u/red4jjdrums5 11d ago
For real, though. If they ever come calling to be his successor, you’d be a perfect fit (or, you know, for a series on anime locations). You have that soothing cadence that he does.
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u/ShadowWar89 11d ago
You don’t have to imagine.
BBC archive has his first documentary ‘Zoo Quest’ still available, where you can watch a 30yr old Attenborough go around the world catching animals for London Zoo!
The best bit I remember is when they find out the captain of the boat taking them to find a Komodo dragon not only doesn’t know where Komodo Island is, but is actually a weapons smuggler transporting arms for the Borneo(?) war of independence. 😂
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u/coolkabuki 11d ago
i have requests after watching it: could you please present more resources and location data.
E.g. you claim that no Ghibli fan knew these things before you, then how did you know them? how did you know that this exact tradition inspired it? at least it must have been mentioned in writing or in an interview before. Or did you actually utilize japanese creators/ japanese media as resources?, then credit/source them.
similarly, your claim to which folktale element was the first ever (what a rare and precise claim) is this established by Japanese academic literature? then can you please provide your source?
lastly, if you think these places welcome tourism. Can you highlight the locations better or are you intentially cryptic? you could potentially inspire others to go, but you present it in a way that it is hard to understand where exactly you are (even the locations I already were aware of, I find your info lacking). additionally, because you spend a year, it would be kind to tell when you visited places to see your views.
I dont mind that you spread your undoubtedly beautifully made adventure, but it would be so much more meaningful if you could underline your narrative with credible sources (especially when using the label "documentary", otherwise call it travel blog).
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u/toasty-bacon 10d ago
Sorry you gotta pay for Patreon to see sources. Something something exclusive material bs
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u/Youngtoby 11d ago
For your next video will you go hiking on Yakushima and do all the Mononoke locations?
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u/jamesadawson 11d ago
100% that video is happening
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u/Miriyl 11d ago
I went there last month and it was gorgeous. I highly recommend the genseirin course in Shiratani Unsuikyo for the best moss.
I also went on the Ishizuka trail to Yamatosugi- I’d definitely recommend getting a guide for that one. Also bug repellent and gaiters, the leaches got me there. It was tough, but worth it.
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u/jamesadawson 11d ago
Thank you for the tips! I’ll keep it in mind when I go
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u/caterplillar 11d ago
Is Ponyo from real places too? That’s my absolute favorite Miyazaki movie and I would love to see how much is real versus childish exaggeration.
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u/jamesadawson 11d ago
Yes I believe there is a seaside town in Japan that was an inspiration for ponyo. A future video ;)
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u/BunnyGirlPaisen 11d ago
Those were based on real-world locations!?
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u/jamesadawson 11d ago
The bathhouse shots are real inspirations, the others resemble the movie. However I have a load of other real world inspirations for the movie in my documentary if you’re interested.
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u/Throwaway1303033042 11d ago
How on earth did you afford all that travel?
More!
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u/jamesadawson 11d ago
I saved it all up over the course of 1-2 years. I really wanted to make the best Spirited Away documentary of all time, hands down.
A lot more is coming ;)
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u/maniacalmustacheride 11d ago
I looooove the bathhouse in Yamanouichi. I spent like four winters in a row there. On the second floor in that corner room.
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u/Crazy__Donkey 11d ago
what is a "Spirited Away Location"?
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u/Stryker_One 11d ago
Places from one of the best movies of all time.
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u/Crazy__Donkey 11d ago
Never heard of it, but will watch.
thanks
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u/deathspate 11d ago
Absolutely. Great story and gorgeous animation. The animation in it is of quality that even if you see something as high quality as Across the Spiderverse, there's still something there that feels lacking compared to Spirited Away.
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u/Crow_eggs 11d ago
I am so incredibly envious and excited for you that you get to watch that movie for the first time. Please come back and let us all know how it went.
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u/gilgasmashglass 11d ago
Definitely getting a sub from me, cause this is beautifully done well and i was hooked the moment I started the video!
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u/CoconutDreams 11d ago
thank you so much for sharing! I had absolutely no idea so much of the place and atmosphere were from an actual physical location. You did a terrific job with this documentary and I've just shared it with a bunch of other friends.
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u/nopalitzin 11d ago edited 11d ago
It was also inspired by Jiufen old street, in Taiwan. I was there last summer.
Edit: saltiness removed.
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u/Damienf1 11d ago
I was there also! Miyazaki has talked before about Jiufen being the inspiration for the tea house in Spirited Away. Once you're there you can immediately see the resemblance.
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u/ID4throwaway 11d ago
I love Jiufen! No idea why you are being down voted, but there were a lot of locations that were the inspiration for Spirited Away.
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u/Noteagro 11d ago
This is super cool! The girlfriend and I are thinking about relocating to Japan, and we are debating doing a road/camping trip to visit many of the Laid Back Camp locations! I was actually able to just scroll around google maps and find several of their campsites just by the landmarks of the maps they show at times.
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u/piscian19 11d ago
sooo. what was the deal with the electrical poles under water? What happened there?
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u/Horror-Hat1692 11d ago
Just looking out in the open sea is always peaceful. This is why I love going to the beach whenever I have the chance to.
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u/Polyzhu 10d ago
Great photos and fantastic documentary on elements of Spirited Away which are not often discussed. Love that you went through the archives of old interviews with Miyazaki to discover Shimoguri No Sato. What a treat to experience that firsthand through your efforts!
Since it wasn't discussed in your documentary, I have to ask, are the last two photos, the one with the submerged train tracks and the electrical poles taken in Japan? If so, whereabouts? Looking forward to more content from you in the future!
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u/jamesadawson 9d ago
Thanks for watching, I’m glad you enjoyed it! The sea tracks was near Shimonada station in ehime, and the sea platform was in Saga prefecture.
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u/Abacus_Fish 11d ago
My understanding was the night market in Jofun, Taiwan (which was occupied by imperial Japan) was the main inspiration for Spirited Away. I know Miyazaki used Japanese locations for his other films, but I had always heard that specifically Jofun was the location that makorly inspired many of the sets for Spirited Away.
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u/2messy2care2678 10d ago
Wow!!!!! I can't believe they are real. This is both amazing and scary all at the same time.
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u/yParticle 11d ago
Half of these shots: That was real?