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April 21, 2013 1:09 PM Subscribe
How Mercedes Benz sells cars in Japan: anime car chases against legendary food trucks (slyt).
Maybe an advertisement, but removed from it's commercial context (since there's no chance any of us will go to Japan to buy a Benz) that was a fun little film. I especially like the idea of a car that can randomly shuffle any passenger into the driver's seat, license be damned.
posted by Kevin Street at 1:24 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Kevin Street at 1:24 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Could be a fun racing game - sort of like Hogwart's shifting staircases meets Driver (or any other racing sim).
posted by Old'n'Busted at 1:25 PM on April 21, 2013
posted by Old'n'Busted at 1:25 PM on April 21, 2013
Those six minutes featured more character and world building that most movies do in an hour. I can totally see this become a proper anime series.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 1:26 PM on April 21, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by Foci for Analysis at 1:26 PM on April 21, 2013 [6 favorites]
I can totally see this becoming a proper anime series.
This short ad was produced in part by Production I.G. After the six-minute anime short, I.G and Mercedes-Benz are planning to continue the collaboration in December [2012] and beyond.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:38 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
This short ad was produced in part by Production I.G. After the six-minute anime short, I.G and Mercedes-Benz are planning to continue the collaboration in December [2012] and beyond.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:38 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Needs more Ein.
posted by ShutterBun at 1:45 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by ShutterBun at 1:45 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I have to agree. I don't want the car, but some noodles would be great right now.
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:47 PM on April 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:47 PM on April 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
You know that Takumi will be driving the tofu truck and they'll have to travel to the mountains to find it.
posted by TheJoven at 1:51 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by TheJoven at 1:51 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you want a car that can just barely keep up with a food truck in a car chase, get an A-class.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 1:56 PM on April 21, 2013 [13 favorites]
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 1:56 PM on April 21, 2013 [13 favorites]
Bad movie? WTF? Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry was awesome!
"Ain't nothing going to stop us!"
posted by Naberius at 1:59 PM on April 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
"Ain't nothing going to stop us!"
posted by Naberius at 1:59 PM on April 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
"If you want a car that can just barely keep up with a food truck in a car chase, get an A-class."
Was it a Mercedes truck? The dude in the suit seemed pretty impressed with what was under the hood.
posted by Kevin Street at 2:03 PM on April 21, 2013
Was it a Mercedes truck? The dude in the suit seemed pretty impressed with what was under the hood.
posted by Kevin Street at 2:03 PM on April 21, 2013
Just a heads up, this is basically the plot to Akira.*
*Not at all the plot to Akira, but then again I've never really understood Akira, so probably the plot to Akira. I also like saying Akira. Go out and watch Akira. Akira.
posted by Fizz at 2:30 PM on April 21, 2013 [4 favorites]
*Not at all the plot to Akira, but then again I've never really understood Akira, so probably the plot to Akira. I also like saying Akira. Go out and watch Akira. Akira.
posted by Fizz at 2:30 PM on April 21, 2013 [4 favorites]
I would gladly go through that ordeal for some good ramen.
posted by furnace.heart at 2:58 PM on April 21, 2013
posted by furnace.heart at 2:58 PM on April 21, 2013
That was pretty fun. And man did that bowl of noodles look good.
posted by chemoboy at 3:05 PM on April 21, 2013
posted by chemoboy at 3:05 PM on April 21, 2013
Japan is just delightful.
posted by dephlogisticated at 3:09 PM on April 21, 2013
posted by dephlogisticated at 3:09 PM on April 21, 2013
Just a heads up, this is basically the plot to Akira.
Only if they were on motorcycles. And someone yelled "RAAAAAAAAMEEEEENNN!" at the end.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:13 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Only if they were on motorcycles. And someone yelled "RAAAAAAAAMEEEEENNN!" at the end.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:13 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Fantastic! That's multiple light-years better than the utterly dreadful way MB advertises in the US. The US advertising team should seriously be thrown under a Unimog and ground into paste. And, sorry, Jon Hamm, but you suck as a voice talent.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:58 PM on April 21, 2013
posted by Thorzdad at 3:58 PM on April 21, 2013
Amazing. It's like Nawlz × Akira × Chuka Ichiban. I can't resist shifting cities either, despite how horrific the inevitable injuries would be.
posted by lucidium at 4:07 PM on April 21, 2013
posted by lucidium at 4:07 PM on April 21, 2013
This movie offers the reason I never wanted to own or drive a car while living in Tokyo. Not because of the crazy drive through walls and up the sides of buildings and swerving in and out of traffic, but rather because the public transportation system is so efficient.
posted by Metro Gnome at 4:18 PM on April 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Metro Gnome at 4:18 PM on April 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
Here they'd have to say "Professional cartoon driver on a closed, imaginary course. Do not attempt." at the bottom of the screen.
posted by George_Spiggott at 4:20 PM on April 21, 2013
posted by George_Spiggott at 4:20 PM on April 21, 2013
Just click the "cc" icon on the bottom right of the YouTube screen, Canageek. Subtitles are included.
posted by Kevin Street at 4:50 PM on April 21, 2013
posted by Kevin Street at 4:50 PM on April 21, 2013
.....Ok, I want some subtitles.
Youtube has English captions, click the CC button.
posted by NMcCoy at 4:51 PM on April 21, 2013
Youtube has English captions, click the CC button.
posted by NMcCoy at 4:51 PM on April 21, 2013
Big deal. I‘ve driven like this to make it to Tim Horton‘s before they stopped serving breakfast. :-P
Actually, this was very entertaining. Can‘t wait for the tofu truck sequel!
posted by Jughead at 5:39 PM on April 21, 2013
Actually, this was very entertaining. Can‘t wait for the tofu truck sequel!
posted by Jughead at 5:39 PM on April 21, 2013
Only if they were on motorcycles. And someone yelled "RAAAAAAAAMEEEEENNN!" at the end.
And KAAANEEEEDAAAA! I think there's always been a lot of Akira backlash because of the original film's English translation--it's really, really bad. Very clunky dialogue. I read how they rushed through the translation and dubbing for the U.S. release and it really shows.
Back around 2002 or 2003 was a re-release, complete with a new English translation (dubbed audio, subtitles) and I think even a little story editing. It works so much better. Really, if you haven't seen Akira since 2003 or so then you haven't seen the revised edition, I highly recommend it. It's like a different movie. And I would imagine by now there's a BluRay...going to check on that now.
posted by zardoz at 7:01 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
And KAAANEEEEDAAAA! I think there's always been a lot of Akira backlash because of the original film's English translation--it's really, really bad. Very clunky dialogue. I read how they rushed through the translation and dubbing for the U.S. release and it really shows.
Back around 2002 or 2003 was a re-release, complete with a new English translation (dubbed audio, subtitles) and I think even a little story editing. It works so much better. Really, if you haven't seen Akira since 2003 or so then you haven't seen the revised edition, I highly recommend it. It's like a different movie. And I would imagine by now there's a BluRay...going to check on that now.
posted by zardoz at 7:01 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
This pretty much nails why I hate almost all anime nowadays. Chock full of moronic tropes, flashy animation with zero actual substance, idiotic premise, and a product that is itself a shallow, unconcealed advertisement.
I wish Lain, GitS, Akira, Nekojiru, and all the stuff like that were the rule, not the exception. Not that I don't guiltily enjoy me some stupidasfuck DBZ, but anime is one of those many things during my childhood that, like Japan itself, became far less fantastic and magical the more I learned about it.
That's life, I guess.
posted by GoingToShopping at 12:37 AM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I wish Lain, GitS, Akira, Nekojiru, and all the stuff like that were the rule, not the exception. Not that I don't guiltily enjoy me some stupidasfuck DBZ, but anime is one of those many things during my childhood that, like Japan itself, became far less fantastic and magical the more I learned about it.
That's life, I guess.
posted by GoingToShopping at 12:37 AM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
And I would imagine by now there's a BluRay...going to check on that now.
There is, and it's amazing.
posted by GoingToShopping at 12:38 AM on April 22, 2013
There is, and it's amazing.
posted by GoingToShopping at 12:38 AM on April 22, 2013
The business model of this ramen truck seems fatally flawed.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:27 AM on April 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:27 AM on April 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
Just a heads up, this is basically the plot to Akira.
Akira (well, Otomo Katsuhiro) did cms for Cup Noodle.
posted by emmling at 7:48 AM on April 22, 2013
Akira (well, Otomo Katsuhiro) did cms for Cup Noodle.
posted by emmling at 7:48 AM on April 22, 2013
Metafilter: Far Less Fantastic and Magical the More I Learned About It.
But chill out GoingtoShopping, remember Sturgeon's Law.
posted by Therapeutic Amputations at 10:23 AM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
But chill out GoingtoShopping, remember Sturgeon's Law.
posted by Therapeutic Amputations at 10:23 AM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
When you're trying to sell a car from the company that invented really big chrome stars, three thousand dollar tune-ups, and diesels that require expensive pee to operate in the country that invented reliable transportation, you pretty much have to do something dramatic.
posted by sonascope at 12:45 PM on April 22, 2013
posted by sonascope at 12:45 PM on April 22, 2013
GoingToShopping, part of the problem may be that the shows you mention are 15-20 years old. A tremendous amount of new material has been produced in Japan since then, and the state of the art has moved on.
Mefi has repeatedly blown my mind, with its recommendations for new anime. This thread in particular has a ton of suggestions for new(er) series. Not quite "ripped from last Wednesday's broadcast stream in Japan," but shows that are more representative of the last ten years or so.
posted by Kevin Street at 12:47 PM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Mefi has repeatedly blown my mind, with its recommendations for new anime. This thread in particular has a ton of suggestions for new(er) series. Not quite "ripped from last Wednesday's broadcast stream in Japan," but shows that are more representative of the last ten years or so.
posted by Kevin Street at 12:47 PM on April 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
One fairly recent anime series that I like to point others to is Mawaru Penguindrum. It's one of those animes that shies away from the "childish" tropes and sticks with adult themes and plots. Also, imo, it's one of those animes much like Mind Game that benefits from some supplementary reading from one of the several wikis that exist for the series. I've seen several review sites call it "challenging" and I'd say that's a fair cop. It certainly entailed a fair amount of noggin-scratching for most of my peers and I.
posted by Purposeful Grimace at 2:40 AM on April 23, 2013
posted by Purposeful Grimace at 2:40 AM on April 23, 2013
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Mmm...
posted by BinaryApe at 1:22 PM on April 21, 2013 [11 favorites]