Genre – Film, Anime Drama
Total Runtime – 2 Hours 6 Minutes
Spoilers – Yes
I have no idea where I got this one. I do remember it being in my collection from time immemorial. I would always see it on the shelf thanks to its bold spine title and clear font but never took it out to watch. My reaction was “okay, someday, maybe, I guess.” and when it came up in the list, I was fairly ambivalent. Aside from a few opening flashbacks, the main story is set in the 1860s in England on the verge of a steampunk revolution, though it opens first under Iceland, where Grandpa Steam and Papa Steam are collecting rare mineral water. Then events jump to Russian America where Grandpa Steam and Papa Steam are trying to deal with a catastrophic failure of their machinery. I don’t think Russian Alaska was best situated for their work anyway. But Papa Steam gets a face full of his namesake as things go boom.
Now, before you think these are just my usual sarcastic nicknames, we find out that the family surname literally is Steam as we go find Ray Steam in Manchester, dealing with a catastrophic failure in progress in the engines of a textile mill. I’m sensing a theme here. Unlike the elder Steams, Ray manages to shut down the engine with only some damage, leaving it in a reparable state. Straw capitalist rants at Ray and the other workers about the cost of repairing the engine, and I get annoyed. Why did fictional businessmen never understand the costs of catastrophic failure. A boiler explosion would have A: taken out a good chunk of the mill, B: put the company out of business, and C: killed him personally, since he was in the engine room at the time.
Ray gets sent home, and along the way he bludgeons another child with a pipe. While said child was a bully and the circumstances would be legally justified, I don’t think the incident came off quite the way it was intended. Sure it was only one sharp strike to the noggin, but that was potentially lethal force.
Ray arrives at his family home and demonstrates some of the gadgets he built while getting ready to work on a steam-powered monowheel he’s been building. I got distracted by the counterweight system for opening the blinds. To open the blinds, all he had to do was pull the cord until the counterweight was at the ceiling and let go. Or, you could have just turned the mechanism in the blinds directly and used less effort.
The real plot finally starts as a crate arrives from Grandpa Steam containing the Magic Steam Ball. It’s not called that in-universe, but its pressure rating and quantity of stored material is effectively infinite, which is why I call it magic. A couple of henchmen from the O’Hara foundation arrive looking for the Magic Steam Ball, but the arrival of Grandpa Steam allows Ray to run off and start up his monowheel. A third henchman with a steam tank pursues until the intervention of Doctor Jekyll and Blonde David, who hit the steam tank with a train. Okay, Dr Jekyll is actually a character named Robert Stevenson, but I kept thinking of the author by the same name, and he’s no Long John Silver.
The introductions don’t last long as foundation goons rip the roof off the train with an airship and steal both Ray and the Magic Steam Ball. In the process, the valve on the ball briefly opens, sending a stream of pressurized gas into the brick facades of buildings along the track, smashing the brick. As the ball is being held against Ray’s chest at the time, the force should have crushed his ribcage, but it’s magic, so he’s fine. Ray is taken to meet the bigwigs of the O’Hara foundation, Scarlett and Papa Steam. I eyerolled at Scarlett of the O’Hara foundation, a spoiled teenage girl. Papa Steam has become a steampunk cyborg after the injuries suffered in Alaska. He reveals that the foundation pavilion at the great exhibition is actually a ‘steam castle’ filled with all sorts of technological advances which in and of themselves would be valuable commercial products, which the supposedly greed-riddled foundation is showing no interest in monetizing. Papa Steam starts ranting about science, demonstrating that he’s gone round the bend, but poor Ray can’t connect the points, being too idealistic and idolizing both his father and grandfather to notice.
Ray begins working with the foundation staff to get the castle ready in time for the opening of the great exhibition. That is, until Grandpa Steam escapes from his cell and begins trying to sabotage the castle. From this point on, Grandpa Steam does not put a shirt on for the remainder of the movie.
Grandpa Steam goes on an anti-capitalist rant before revealing to Ray that the foundation members are… Arms Merchants, duh, duh, dun! He goes on a different rant about science, proving that mental illness runs in the family. The foundation plans to demonstrate their weapons to representatives from around the world at the opening of the exhibition, and Grandpa Steam convinces idealistic Ray to try to stop them by stealing the magic steam ball that powers the castle, or rather a third of the power to the castle. Ray steals the Magic Steam Ball in an action sequence and takes it to Dr Jekyll. Here he gets a third rant about science with less crazy intonations but discovers that Dr Jekyll has been making similar steam weapons for the British Empire, albeit less advanced than the foundation’s work.
Papa Steam decides that they will perform their demonstration with two thirds power. The British decide to storm the steam castle, and a small war breaks out with the foundation salesman trying to spin the developments as they happen to his potential customers. Aside from the steam tanks, these include power armor, flying troopers and one-man submarines. One of the flying troopers crashes into the yard of Dr Jekyll’s workshop, where Blonde David provides yet another form of crazy science rant. This movie is just full of mad scientists.
As they start to lose the ground war and receive shelling from the conventional battleships of the Royal Navy, Papa Steam decides to lift off the steam castle, as apparently this building can fly through release of pressure from just two Magic Steam Balls. Mind you this is a skyscraper sized structure made primarily of steel.
Somehow Ray knows that the castle can’t operate on two Magic Steam Balls for too long and will explode, so he modifies the flying machine of the crashed soldier to use his stolen one and tries to fly over to the castle. On the way he gets into a dogfight with one of the henchmen who’d invaded his house at the start. Shelled by the navy and falling apart from its mis-operation, the castle crashes into London, venting freezing cold gasses which ice over the city. I give kudos to the filmmakers for remembering that a high-pressure gas suddenly expanded to atmospheric pressure will cool down.
The castle is going to explode, but they can’t let it do so in the middle of the city, but all of the crew has long abandoned ship. They conclude that they need to reinstall the third Magic Steam Ball to get the castle moving again before it goes boom, but when Ray goes to do so, he gets attacked by henchman number two with advanced construction machinery. Why is this guy still on the castle when everyone except for the Steams and Scarlett abandoned ship long ago, and why is he determined to kill Ray? Well, he ends up crushing himself and Ray installs the device so they can activate amusement park mode.
Seriously, this giant skyscraper machine was supposedly build in three years, originally intended by Grandpa Steam as an amusement park, converted mid-construction to a war weapon, and they left in all the rides along with the giant mecha legs when adding the flight systems, despite the potential weight savings.
They walk the machine out into the estuary, have an escape sequence as it explodes, and fin.
I was annoyed that despite four different rants that came close, none of the characters reached the conclusion that science and the tools it creates are morally neutral and it’s the operator using it which makes it good, bad, ambitious, benevolent, or otherwise. But, it’s an action anime, so you can’t expect them to get to the rational conclusion.
As entertainment, it works. The animation of the machinery is fantastic, better than the character art. Mental illness does run in the Steam family, and it’s evident throughout, despite not being acknowledged by the film.
It’s entertaining enough.
Have we started the First?
Yes. The First rises.
No, we don’t do that. It’s a boring schtick.
You’re a schtick.
I was vaguely aware of the whole steampunk thing, but I don’t really know what got it started. Was it a single (or set of) specific work(s), rather like the way the Hunger Games trilogy seemed to trigger the young adult dystopian fiction genre? If so, I suspect this particular film was NOT the catalyst.
internet says late middle 20th century for the start of the stories, the term coming after the coining of ‘cyberpunk’ in the 80s.
Wild, Wild, West ?
It is before Wild Wild West movie, and a lot of people put it originally from James P. Blaylock’s Lord Kelvins Machine, along with Tim Powers’ The Anubis Gates.
But, before the movie, the TV show had an episode (1976?)were they found an atomic bomb, and I would put that as the origin of the term.
Er, concept, not term.
I meant the series from the 1960s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_Wild_West
This is what I was thinking about, RE WWW:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080132/plotsummary/
Paul Williams as Dr Miguelito Loveless Jr.? He’s not even a Midget!
Well, he’s 5’2″
“…the main story is set in the 1860s in England on the verge of a steampunk revolution…”
Sign me up. From some collection of childhood likes, for some reason or another, steampunk in general is perhaps my favorite. No real clue why, though I’m guessing Sherlock Holmes is involved. For Family Time, sometimes we’d watch an episode of the Grenada series. (Jeremy Brett’s the GOAT.) May have had something to do with it. Just magic Science a bit and have fun.
The backgrounds *do* look very nice. Strong approval, does it have from me.
Then it sounds like you might like this one. All of my negative criticisms are in the review, and those weren’t that bad. The animators deserve cudos for their work.
Ahh Sunrise. I didn’t realize that Sunrise is now Bandai Namco.
It immediately reminded my of Witch Hunter Robin.
I watched that so long ago that I watched the dub, before I started studying Japanese.
I have a hard time keeping track of production companies.
OT – I think my late 1920s early “wrist” watch might be hot…
https://www.glibertarians.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PXL_20250720_214701726.jpg
https://www.glibertarians.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PXL_20250720_214726043.jpg
I was given a radiation detector. I’ve no idea how accurate these consumer devices are, but it certainly does give one a little pause. I’ve worn it and I’ll continue to wear it. However, if this is to be believed a 10 hour day is going to be the same as round trip NY to Tokyo. That’s also directly through the crystal. The movement and case sides provide a good amount of shielding.
For those unaware:
Radium Girls
I know all about that thanks to commie idiot Tom Morello
Three radium girls go round the outside, round the outside
Uh huh!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCBN7lyLT4w&list=RDHCBN7lyLT4w&start_radio=1
The color does say it’s a radium dial to me
Oh, and Radium dials aren’t going to hurt you unless you ingest them.
The radiation produced doesn’t reach dangerous levels, even if you wear it every day for the next century. If I recall, the back of the case is also good at stopping it, what happens to the detected levels if you flip the watch over and measure from the back (skin) side?
Similar to the side around 2.5 μSv/hr
Okay, maybe don’t wear it for more than 500 hours per year.
I’m Not sure how much of that detected 2.5 would actually be absorbed. That 500 hours comment was meant to be funny.
1,000 μSv per year general public.
I Googled radiation professionals get to multiply that by 20x.
No panic. When I went to the office in a suit 5 days a week I likely wore that watch 12 hours every 2 or 2.5 weeks.
Now I wear it once a year because I’m casual and only 3 days a week in office.
Romance of Radium
I have an Illinios if not just like that, really close. Dated 1924.
I also have a Hamilton H3 with radium hands, dated ’81.
I believe the H3 illumination is completely non radioactive.
Realizing tritium is H3, but I thought they just called it that.
https://ibb.co/vv6YK01n
Mine is a little more lozenge shaped.
👍🏻
I’m not a watch groupie but that is a gorgeous watch. It’s very Deco and I love Deco shit.
The numbers are too big and fuck up the spacing/symmetry.
Thanks. I collected mostly Hamilton, but I have a few Illinois.
All made in the U.S.
Well, Hamilton bought Illinois, so they got that going for them. Which is nice.
You’re deranged.
Also the 2’s look like Zeds and the three looks like some greek letter, it’s like the Volvo of watch lettering.
You may be surprised to find that the mantles used for camping lanterns are radioactive as well.
I’d forgotten that, but did learn that at one point.
Guy studies insurgencies across many cultures.
Guy comes to conclusion that his own country is displaying all the early warning signs
Guy comes on camera and explains what is happening while appearing extraordinarily uncomfortable doing so.
Are We Headed for Civil War? – David Betz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h49O0AGxx0
90 minutes? I’ve got too much of a backlog – cliffs notes, who does he think is going to do what?
I am 41 minutes it. It is excellent.
Three key points of what causes civil war.
The formerly dominate cultures fears losing control and being downgraded.
Extreme factionalism results in tribe members believing whatever the tribe beliefs instead of having independent thoughts.
Loss in faith that anything can be solved through the normal political process.
The open question is whether western countries are past the tipping point to civil war.
British people talking about Britain, but it applies to all of western culture.
My wife won’t be happy moving to Japan…
I’m already surprised they aren’t knee deep in sectarian slaughter with treasonous MPs turning up unexpectedly dead.
Britain does seem quite a bit further along the path to inevitability than we are in the US. Yay?
“past the tipping point to civil war.”
Let’s see what happens in the 2026 elections before making a prediction here.
I just finished my best game of Nethack, as Bob the Barbarian. Level 9; 21,000 points; turned into a statue by a chickatrice.
Aside from the steam tanks, these include power armor, flying troopers and one-man submarines.
Steampunk power armor?
Absolutely. The scene where it was introduced was suitabily cenematic (pun intended.)
About to enter the fight
Not as elaborate as I thought it would be.
The designs in the film were more towards “look like it would work” rather than “more clockwork for the sake of gubbins”
Looks like you’re getting some weather in Cincinnati and N. Ky.
Keep your heads down.
Damnit. I am in the middle of replacing half my porch, and my wife finds more dry rot on the other side.
Damnit.
If it turns up on the side you started with as you finish the second…
With this house, that is exactly how it feels.
I found 30 feet of handrail on the front deck that needs replacing, then I found the entire rear deck railing is shot.
Yay?
If you Firsted more, your wive wouldn’t be so dry.
Wife even.
If he firsted more he wouldn’t have a wife, he’d be a sad, lonely, (probably fat and ugly) anti-semite.
So…he’d be you?
Bros presence can actually make women’s tubes tie themselves.
Don’t be jealous, Bro.
I’m not sad or lonely, and I am ambivalent about the Joos.
Well, I am Joooo-ish, with wife, happily firsting away.
I remember this film.
FIRST *thrusts hips* IN *thrusts hips seductively*YOUR *thrusts hips vigorously* FACE *Firsts in your face*
*rolls over and sleeps*
“Cab fare is on the dresser.”
Everyone I First on gets a free swag bag like Derek Jeter used to do. But yes. Then they are asked firmly and promptly to leave.
Bro does the Time Warp again…..
So I’ve finally caught Covid. It blows donkey balls, but I maintain shutting the world down along with the forced everything regime can eat a bag of dicks.
Or covid caught you.
IN SOVIET RUSSIA, COVID CATCHES YOU!
Hit it with the Sputnik!!
Why are you testing?
When I visit my Ladyfriend we watch tv sometime. The commercials for drugs for afflictions no one has is sickening and hilarious, Pharma is a bad algorithm
You may experience heart arrhythmia, skin lesions, fatty liver, insomnia, or sudden death.
I already do, may as well have fun anyway
It is amazing how many people have TARDIS Disconesia (sp??).
Yeah… someone explained this a few months ago as the fact that they push ads which solve problems that the drug companies have found stuff that may or may not solve.
And push and push….
So many docs simply prescribe rather than be a doctor.
I am less pissed at doctors than Big Pharma.
I have had a *lot* of recent exposure to docs and most of them actually do have my best interest in mind.
Oh fuck you, Rhy. Now anytime I see tardive dyskinesia I’m going to think TARDIS disconnectia or some shit.
It’s stuck in my brain.
When this hits 100 comments, UCS can thank me for starting all of this with an epic First. The sort of First they sing songs about for generations.
12 short.
He *can*, but why *should* he?
Interesting geology paper was just presented (only 6 pages) about a possible link between a temporary dam in the Grand Canyon that may have been caused by a violent earthquake caused when the Barringer impact happened nearby.
https://earthsky.org/earth/grand-canyon-landslide-and-lake-due-to-meteor-crater-impact/?mc_cid=8605f81c75&mc_eid=d4d5aee3e6
There is a difference between science and “science” and this is one demonstration.
Cool.
Yes, this is actual science. I didn’t know about the cave or the driftwood before today. Thank you for interesting new information.
The David Betz link is interesting but not in the way I thought it would be. I am thinking about the speed of communication. If I am communicating with someone how much pertinent information am I giving in a given time period? Facts per minute. How long does it take me to go from premise to conclusion? Is there an optimal rate? If I go to slow will the other person’s brain wander off to distraction? At what speed do our brains operate and how is that related? How is all of this different from person to person? I wonder how to optimize being ‘interesting’. It no doubt is all connected to the speed at which brain cells interact with each other.
I am wondering this because Mr. Betz has mastered the art of communicating about an interesting subject so slowly that my brain keeps wandering off.
Spit it out dude.
Good mornin’, y’all! Onward to thine daily commutes.
One would think both Red/Blue’s ravenous grasp for redistricting would raise flags. (‘They’re BOTH trying to fuck us!’)
Having said that, the US does need a new census to check it out. Why not just do this shit every 10 years? Ah. Efficient government work at its finest.
“Democrats consider redrawing some congressional maps as they brace for a ‘knock out’ midterm election”
Which maps will they be able to redraw to gain that many seats?
Happy Monday to all!
☺️☀️🧇
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM7-PYtXtJM
🎶🎶
Good morning, Sean, Ted’S., and EfE! (And maybe Suthen??)
Morning, GT
Good morning, U. How are you today?
I had a bout of insomnia last night, and ended up logging in to work and fixing things.
Admittedly, the thing I fixes was a mistake I made Friday, but I fixed it.
Well, now you don’t have to worry about it, and presumably, no one will be the wiser that you made the mistake in the first place! 😁
The problem was, the written procedures already included the step I missed.
The Procedures I wrote.
Oh, and I learned about it because somebody asked “why is this not working?” So it’s not exactly a secret.
Oops!
Euphemisms
https://6abc.com/post/trenton-new-jersey-issues-curfew-response-club-city-hall-gatherings/17187374/
Why not shut it all down? Pussies.
Waiting to hear from Gov. Murphy (D – Goldman Sachs) on this.
suh’ fam
whats goody
Good morning, homey! If you’re local at the moment, beware of the sinkhole on Riverside!
Yeah I am. My project here this week cancelled on us, so Im trying to decide when Im making my commute up to the office.
Mornin’, reprobates!
Good morning, ‘patzie!
Good Morning to each and every one of all y’all!
And a glorious day it is!
60 days ’til Honey Harvest. Make your plans now. If you are driving take a couple extra days and make the trip to the North Shore of Lake Superior. Fall and bright colors and fewer tourists will be in order.