Just to make this clear: I don't put any studio above all else as some kind of monopoly. I may have a hard time, listening to any mega fan of the Disney/Pixar empire complaining about anyone who might prefer another outside of their sphere. Let people enjoy Dreamworks or Blue Skies more than Disney if they like it more. For example, I don't yell at anyone at my cousin who saw YOI according to her MyAnimeList at a 6 while she enjoyed Code Geass more. We share a distaste for Frozen; she hates it from the start and while I don't hate the movie, I am just annoyed of how much attention it gets and how glorified from an otherwise average Disney Princess film. I put Code Geass and Death Note on the same level while she prefers CG over DN.
While I don't think Pixar will hit their stride again just like they did before, I still expect good quality regardless. From what I hear, Dreamworks is on another Dork Age while Disney and Pixar are once again King of the Animation. Anime movies popular here or foreign animated movies don't seem to have the same glamor as Disney/Pixar. Not even Your Name.
On a writing level, it is a well-written story. It felt organic including the cliches. Something like a ridiculous ban on music felt organic because the character writing felt real.
There is foreshadowing in the details. For example, Ernesto expressed surprise when Miguel called himself his great-great-grandfather. In the first few minutes, we learn the story where we know the bastard musician left his family with hugs and kisses goodbye. It's been hit over our head just how much it pained future generations. So definitely not Ernesto as the forefather of the Rivera family.
Little details should stick out like alarm bells. Small but enough. I love little details such as these. It shows effort and time.
It's not perfect because there are details that can confuse the heck of people. Like had people cross over to the Land of the Dead before and permanently died there?
My sense of humor tends to be surreal and dark. I gravitate to dark comedy and absurdist. I love the McElroy Brothers for a reason. I enjoy slapstick and improvised comedy (the well-written ones or the ones that are good on the fly). The humor in this movie is pretty well-done. The delivery of these VAs is great.
I am admittedly confused about the remembering part and why Hector was being forgotten. His story is being passed down through generations, just not his picture not put up somewhere on a makeshift ofrenda. His name was never spoken although I think some people in the family know it or might not know it at all because they don't bother to know beyond the bastard musician who left the family for fame and fortune. By all means and purposes, his picture was just not put on an ofrenda. The movie made a point in having an identifier at a station for any pictures; we saw just how desperate Hector wanted to go to the other side to see Coco even if it was just a moment before he dies for good. Seriously that was all he ever wanted when he should have shuffled off the mortal coil decades ago. Speaking of ofrendas, shouldn't everyone have them, even the forgotten? I'm pretty sure that everyone has ofrendas from what I know of. The movie made it a point that the Land of Dead runs on memories, memories that can be distorted by emotion; stories have to be passed on in order for those living in the Land of Dead to continue with the afterlife. Coco was the only one who remembered Hector in life and was willing to pass on knowledge of her life with him in spite of her dementia. While the pain of the abandonment hurt the Rivera family to the point, some might know his name and refuse to say it, only saying he's the bastard musician who left family for fame.
I listened to the Latin American Spanish version of the songs and they were sung noticeably softer. Even from the most bombastic numbers are sang softer than those in the original, including Ernesto's version of Remember Me.
At least, this movie actually used the writing potential, unlike Frozen. Considering Frozen is still popping up (I saw a gift bag with Elsa and Anna on it and the new short; given the reaction to the short...people aren't liking it), Coco was a family story - a platonic love story. The song Remember Me was a fucking parental love song! Frozen is not unique and I will make sure that its place is not in the pantheon of good Disney movies. On the tier of average Disney films certainly but never ever one of the classics. Nobody is placing Coco on some pedestal just for having family as a central theme. Thank god for that. You don't see my point my love for My Love from Another Star as some kind of new K-drama. I like W Two Worlds too because the main showrunner and writer Song Jae-jung have unique and crazy ideas that just happened to involve romance where her first half is awesome but her second half just falls. Not down the drain, just lessens the impact and just moved on. W is the best part of this: up until the romance became central when it used to be called the B plot at best, the A plot usually revolves around the potential of the setting such as the suspense and no-rules in W. I was more invested in the first half of W than I was the second; when the suspense is still there in the second half, the romance became front-and-center when that should have just been the icing on the cake.
Also, I don't subscribe to the Pixar Theory. I like crossovers all the same and like headcanons. I don't even think the creators of Pixar think much of it. I always thought the references are nothing more than just easter eggs. CLAMP canon-welded their works with alternate dimensions; if there is something that definitely referenced the original, you would know. xxxHolic had the Star Staff for god's sake.
Coco has the better writing. Not to say Book of Life is horribly written. Both are still pretty great with their soundtracks and the heavy Hispanic heritage in both of them. We should be grateful to at least have some good representation at least with a good show of culture. Just in terms of writing, Coco is better. I don't even hate Book of Life; I personally went to see it myself (for a school report and when I say that I will only watch animation with the occasional breaks, I do mean it because I did not watch dare to watch any of the Disney/Pixar films) but nothing else. I like Book of Life for its simplicity. It tells a simple story inspired by the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in a Mexican setting. Honestly, my wish for Book of Life was to have a lot more Hispanic influence.
Goddamnit Funi, please release the Punk Hazard arc soon. I really want to see you tackle Dressrosa, Zou, and Whole Cake Island. The manga is heading towards the Wano arc in a few more yards. The anime is right now at the Tea Party so get your asses into gear.
I want to see the Zosan banter and fights....and teamwork. Because I love the trust factor so much. Just look at post-Thriller Bark when the pair kept the secrecy without a single word exchanged. They just knew. Yes, there is a reason why I love this ship a lot. I know Oda knew his fans missed the Zosan banter/fights, given his art of the two together in some fashion playing around.
I love Lukadrien and Lukanette so much. Luka is a far more interesting character than Nath. I don't hate Nath. If you ship Nathnette, good for you! Ship whatever the fuck you want. Don't care about policing ships when it is something you like.
I really want to see more of Luka in the future.
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