alexstudyjapanese

[alexstudyjapanese]

I also think Naussicaa of the Valley of the Wind is the best Miyazaki film I've seen so far. It's funny that you mention how you were afraid of No Face, in my blog post I wrote how elements such as No Face could be a little intense for children.

It's also interesting how you describe the spirit world as dangerous, but not hell. A lot of times in media spiritual realms are either depicted as heaven or hell-like, but this one is more reminiscent of our world in that there's all kinds of spirits wandering about.

千と千尋の神隠し

Spirited Away is easily Hayao Miyazaki's most praised and well known work, especially in North America. My cousin is a few years older than me, and was totally obsessed with Studio Ghibli films back when we were kids. She had all of them on VHS and DVD back in 2006 and we watched them in order of release. We started with Castle in the Sky, which utterly enchanted me. Then we watched Naussicaa of the Valley of the Wind, which is still Miyazaki's magnum opus par excellence in my opinion. After that we got to Princess Mononoke, which is second only to Naussicaa in my eyes. Finally, we got to Spirited Away, and I got so scared by No Face that I had to stop watching. Why No Face scared me more than anything I'd seen in the other Ghibli films we'd watched, I have no idea, the mind of a child is an oft inexplicable place. Some fascinating background about the film itself, it had a budget of about 19 million dollars, which is extremely high for anime production. John Lasseter of Pixar and Disney fame is actually close friends with Hayao Miyazaki and personally led the English localization efforts.

Coming back to the film itself, Spirited Away follows Chihiro and her parents as they're moving to a new neighborhood. The family discovers what seems to be some kind of abandoned amusement park, and Chihiro immediately gets nervous. Her father rushes towards a food stand with her mother close behind, and they start stuffing their faces into ramen bowls. Chihiro walks towards a bathhouse and meets a handsome young lad named Haku, who tells her to take her parents and leave immediately. Alas, her parents have already been pigified and they can no longer return.

The rest of the film follows the fish-out-of-water, Allice in Wonderland-type confusion and wonder of being thrust into another, mysterious world that works very differently from our own. Yubaba is able to take away Chihiro's memory by taking her name, specifically by erasing the second kanji in her name, reducing it just to 千, which means "1,000". Chihiro, now "Sen" has to go up top to work at the restaurant portion of the bathhouse. While working up there, a bizarre, silent spirit named No-Face comes in, and lures in another patron with gold coins and swallows him whole. He continues to demand more food and starts dumping loads of gold on the bathhouse workers.

Upon watching this movie again for the first time in a while, it got me thinking about the "Journey to a mysterious world" trope in media and how differently it's handled in this film. The Spirit World is dangerous, but it isn't Hell. There are good spirits, bad spirits, and what-the-hell-even-is-that spirits. Chihiro and her family are just passersby in this world, and though they aren't really treated well this time, who's to say that if they had landed in another part of the spirit world it couldn't have been better overall?

[alexstudyjapanese]

Spirited Away

I first watched Spirited Away a while back, and I didn’t really get it. Yes, the animation was mesmerizing, similar to any other Ghibli films, but the story, in my eyes, didn’t really do much. I was just sort of watching stuff happen that I didn’t really see meaning in. Watching it again from a more analytical perspective, thought, allowed me to understand some messages and themes that were hidden underneath a fantastical plotline. It definitely made me think of the film more positively, as I didn’t enjoy it on my first watch.

The film follows Chihiro as she is transported into a world that is sometimes beautiful, sometimes terrifying, and always causes her to grow. She’s a young child, but throughout the film she learns to care for other people in a more mature way. At the beginning of the movie, her parents are turned to pigs, and she then has to assume the responsibility of finding a way to turn them back. This is the catalyst for her journey, as she must venture towards the bathhouse to do so.

Speaking of her parents being turned to pigs, the event speaks some on the greed of the older generation. Chihiro warns them that they shouldn’t be eating others’ food, but they continue to do so anyway, and as a result Yubaba turns them into pigs, rendering them useless. Perhaps this message speaks to the greed of people in society, and how they leave the problems they created to others, particularly the younger generation.

Still some things felt like they were just in the movie for the sake of being in it. For example, Haku being a dragon. I looked more into it and one explanation actually says he did so to “fulfil his role in the movie”, which is stuff I tend not to like in media. Some other things that aren’t coming to mind right now also felt this way to me.

Apparently, Miyazaki’s inspiration for the film was a friend’s 10-year-old daughter. He saw her and her friends reading manga targeted for young girls, which happened to all be about relationships. He wanted then, to create a story that could inspire the young girls of Japan more than existing stories, and that’s where the basis of this movie came from. I definitely see this inspiration in Chihiro, as she is a strong character that faces her fears and anxieties and sticks to good.

Another thing interesting about this movie is that it could be pretty intense for the demographic its targeted towards. There are some horror elements, such as the no-face character, and the world tends to be anxiety-inducing. There are some horrid looking characters as well.

[alexstudyjapanese]

I like how you draw connections and influences to both films we watched earlier in this class and older Japanese stories. Now that you mention it, the way the characters were labeled and fit their roles did feel somewhat Seven-Samurai-esque. Being an adaptation of the Tale of the Heike is also and interesting connection. With those considerations along with the influence from American Western films, its easy to see why this film is praised for blending Japanese and Western elements.

Blog Post #22: Sukiyaki Western Django by Takashi Miike

Well, that was certainly one of the movies of all time. After scrolling all the way down on the semester syllabus and investigating more into what this film was all about, I was really interested to see what this one had in store for all of us. While it did not disappoint in terms of it being nothing I expected, this film was really goofy and I did not like it. But, I will get more into that in a bit because the summary is more important right now. Takashi Miike’s Sukiyaki Western Django follows two rival gangs, the Heike and Genji clans, who fight for control of a town named "Yuta" where a mysterious treasure is said to be hidden. A lone gunman, known as "The Gunman," (woah what a crazy unique name) arrives in the town and becomes entangled in the conflict. The film blends elements of traditional westerns with Japanese culture, featuring a mix of samurai swords, gunslinging, and eccentric characters. It's a visually striking and action-packed film that pays tribute to both the western and samurai genres while adding Miike's unique flair for violence and dark humor. I thought it was really interesting and creative to almost combine Japanese culture with Western culture because it’s not something I’ve really ever seen done before, so I guess it was a cool movie to see how directors explores the tastes of worldwide audiences and how they combine to make a product for all audiences.

One thing that I thought was really interesting is how this film feels very heavily rooted in samurai films that Kurosawa made back in the 1900s. Each character having their own title felt very reminiscent of films like Yojimbo and Seven Samurai as they label the characters with their own roles. However, it also embodies many the same labeling as other modern Westerns. For example, while it isn’t a Western, Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs became a pioneer for this style of movie in Western cinema (and I thought it was even funnier that Tarantino himself even starred in the movie, what is he doing there). I liked the style that Miike embodied in this form of storytelling because it was interesting to see how each character played their role from a Japanese perspective versus an American one. These Western-esque labels are not present in Japanese film, so it was interesting to see Miike’s interpretation of it. 

Sukiyaki Western Django also draws inspiration from The Tale of the Heike, a classic Japanese epic recounting the rise and fall of the Taira clan during the late 12th century. Both narratives involve a central conflict between rival clans or factions, which was very cool to see adapted into modern media. Also, the film is known for its blending of Japanese and Western cultural elements, much like the fusion of genres seen in the film. Similarly, "The Tale of the Heike" incorporates elements of both Japanese and Chinese culture, reflecting the historical and cultural exchanges of the time. I thought it was interesting how it took a new, modern genre and mixed in some ancient elements in there too.

[alexstudyjapanese]

Sukiyaki Western Django

The opening scene really set the tone for what the rest of this movie would be. Everyone dressed like cowboys, speaking in a prophet-like manner until everything explodes into violence, blood splattering against the vibrant backdrop. Also Quentin Tarantino is the main guy in this scene? I’ve watched Django: Unchained before coming into this movie so I was expecting some sort of connection or influence, but to have Tarantino appear as an actor was hilarious to me.

To be honest, I didn’t quite follow the plot of this film closely. A lone gunman comes into a town with a long-standing conflict. Luckily for me, it wasn’t hard to discern between characters in this conflict, as one gang is dressed in all white, and the other side is splattered in red. This is just one of the many over-the-top choices in this movie that makes it a fun, extravagant watch. A lone gunman pulls up into the town and decides to search for money.

A lot of violence ensues, it’s level ranging from somewhat grounded to absolutely batshit crazy. In any given battle scene, gatling guns may show up, something is bound to explode dramatically, and certain characters are given character introduction cards like they’re in a fighting video game. Blood is bright and abundant, but there’s also more serene shots that are either character-driven or peaceful shots of nature. The final battle scene features a sword vs. gun. In classic don’t bring a sword to a gun fight fashion, the swordsman is shot point blank in the face, but only after slicing a bullet with his blade.

One of my favorite scenes which highlights how strange this film is begins with a quitter moment. A wheelchair-ridden Emperor Palpatine lookalike who describes himself as an “anime otaku” speaks to another character in which he tries to pass on a message. The scene immediately cuts to a building exploding with some cowboys trying to calm the scene, to a woman shouting in the mountains, to one of the characters involved in an earlier conflict being treated for his injuries in the woods. There’s no predicting what will come in the next shot, making this film a ride from start to finish.

The funniest thing about this film was that the cast, other than Quentin Tarantino, is practically completely Japanese actors doing their best to speak English. Even the director, according to the internet, didn’t speak English, so I just wonder how this was done on set. I mean, I couldn’t imagine how difficult yet entertaining it would be to work on a project like this done in Japanese with only a few people who are truly fluent in the language. Overall, this was definitely a film I’m going to remember, but probably not much more than as the over-the-top Japanese Western filmed in English.

[alexstudyjapanese]

I didn't look more into Japan's history surrounding Hansen's disease, so your comment on the campaign against Hansen's disease patients following World War 2 was very insightful. It adds to the extent at which certain groups are isolated in society, and strengthens the message about allowing outsiders a place.

Sweet Bean (2015)

There are a lot of things that really got to me while watching Sweet Bean. It certainly succeeded in drawing out the intended reaction in me. Sweet Bean tells the story of Sentaro, a middle aged man languishing away at a middling Dorayaki shop and held in debt by his past. He comes to befriend Tokue, an elderly woman with seemingly quite a bit of free time and a deep loving passion for red bean paste.

As I saw it Sweet Bean was a film about outsiders. Individuals who for their own respective reasons are marginalized by greater society. For Sentaro this is reflected in his criminal record, while this may not be something that can be observed upon his person it bars him from working in any field that could conduct a background check and in so many other ways limits his mobility and in the case of employment there seems to be what could be inferred as a certain amount of blackmail or exploitation taking place in his need to "repay" his debt.

For Tokue this manifests very directly in her appearance, particularly her hands, which mark her as a former Hansen's disease (leprosy) patient. After doing a very light amount of reading after the film I learned that following the second world war the Japanese government conducted mass campaigns against victims of Hansen's disease, placing them in restrictive government operated homes which for decades barred patients from maintaining consistent access to the outside world and various other human rights violations such as forced sterilization. The discrimination against Hansen's disease patients is ongoing to this day.

Tokue intrudes upon Sentaro's brooding life of chain smoking and pancakes after he puts up a hiring sign. While Sentaro initially resists Tokue's insistence on working together he's ultimately won over by her red bean paste. As they work together Sentaro grows to appreciate the presence of Tokue and the many seemingly silly traits such as her whispering to the beans.

I really loved Tokue as a character. Tokue's relationship with and how she approached the injustices she experienced were something that felt particularly grounded to me in many ways. It called forward memories of many of the older people in my life. Tokue's life doesn't in any way seem characterized by any deeply embedded bitterness, in fact she lives in spite of those who would prefer she remain bound to a state owned leper's island.

It's this unbridled cheer and tenacity that seem to find their way into her bean paste. Red bean paste is a language of connection. One of my favorite scenes was when Tokue responded in astonishment when she learned that Sentaro deeply disliked Dorayaki and making them in general. The passion and love she exercises through the hard work in her red bean paste little by little creates a space for healing. Sentaro and Tokue in the small Dorayaki stall that is their shared place of work are in their time together not merely a former convict or survivor of disease but two individuals who have been consistently denied connection by a society that would prefer they remain unseen.

Sweet Bean very much had the intended effect on me, especially in Tokue's characterization. There were things I felt that in some ways were rather lacking. Throughout Sweet Bean there seems to be larger conversations about discrimination that ultimately remain unengaged. Not to say that these characters should be defined by the very things which are transcended by their friendship, but more often than not it feels as if characters are scenes intend to explore larger topics but never do. Much of the camera work also felt quite generic ,almost reminiscent of Hanabi with it's over the shoulder shots. I enjoyed Sweet Bean but felt that overall in style and discussion it was severely lacking.

[alexstudyjapanese]

Sweet Bean

With this being the first film made in the past decade that we watch in this class, I was excited to get some insight into the present film industry in Japan and modern culture. This film seemed to perform well in film festivals, and I can understand why. It’s a small-scale, simple, heartwarming story about day-to-day work in Japan making food. Some of the shots of the food preparation were super pleasing to look at for me, spending a while to go into great detail about the process.

Tokue, an elderly woman with a lot of cooking experience, join Sentaro in his food stand. A big part of the movie is a kind of redemption arc for Tokue. Sentaro originally doesn’t want to hire her, but she proves that she is needed when she provides a sample of home-made an for him (as opposed to the grocery-bought an he usually used). This is what convinces Sentaro to hire her, and during her time working with him she continuously pushes through struggle.

Tokue, having experienced illness for much of her life, talks a lot about freedom. This reoccurring theme in the film comments on the discrimination and limitations placed on people with disabilities in Japanese society, and through her redemption it says that these people deserve a shot at pursuing their goals like anyone else. I think that this one specific example of how people with leprosy have been isolated speaks on a larger message on social discrimination.

I enjoyed this film, but it was a slow burner for sure. A lot of things happened in the film, but there were also a lot of dragged on moments that were visually pleasing, but not that engaging for me. However, the messages and heartwarming moments were enough to make this a worthwhile watch.

[alexstudyjapanese]

I appreciate your take on how this film is even more relevant now then when it came out. Internet addiction is at an all time high, and the behaviors than lead to isolation and loneliness have only become more common. On top of this, security has become a big concern, with worry that large companies or governments are collecting data on everything we do online. Yeah, the descent into apocalypse was kinda goofy though.

Pulse

Pulse is a thought-provoking J-horror film that could not be more relevant right now. In fact, I might just enjoy it more than Ringu. It showcases the sinister consequences of the internet on alienation and suicide. This almost feels too sinister in a time now where people are more depressed than ever and addicted to their phones. So what happens when the internet is littered with ghostly forces of nature? The film answers that question nicely. It’s nonstop panic and tension that’ll leave you fearing your next FaceTime. We get on FaceTime and trust what’s on the other end which is exactly why the fear and paranoia present here is disturbing. What happens when you can’t trust what’s on the other end? What if it’s collecting information on you so that could it could bring your demise? All the questions are essential and forward thinking for when the film was released. It might even be a film out of its time. After all, back then people weren’t using the internet like we do now. It was a tool for accumulating information in a pinch. Now it’s connected to the devices we own; those devices are engrained in our veins. With this is in mind, I wonder how much worse the film’s apocalypse would’ve been if it was set in the present.

That’s why the screens present throughout the film are horrifying. The ghosts move as if they’re splitting time. This makes way to constant horror as their relentlessly hidden pursuit entails that anyone could bite the dust. JPEG-like effects also enhance their mannerisms almost as if the internet is fueling their power. Humans are reduced to data, and data that is being used to actively prey and target them. The sheer thought of it is scarier than any horror film villain. If humanity technological advances can bring our downfall, then the film suggests that humans are playing with God-like powers that aren’t safe for the general public. Unfortunately, the inclusion of technology is so prevalent nowadays that we are almost powerless against it if it chooses to turn against us. The film’s apocalypse was a little too goofy. You really expect to believe they can’t found on a boat while planes are hilariously crashing in the air. Still, the ashy leftovers are terrifying and solidify the terror of the situation. The film leaves us with two people alive, and their fates don’t look so convincing.

[alexstudyjapanese]

I share mostly the same opinion as you on this film. While I it was technically impressive, i.e. the sound design and some shots, I wouldn't say I like it and it did rely on jump scares at times. You make an interesting parallel to media, and I like the idea that the fearful spread of the video tape in this film could represent the media, and how people will be eager to quickly share distressing information.

Nakata - Ringu

I didn't really like this film. On a technical level, I was really impressed from the non-standard approach to horror in this film. The use of silence, long shots, and grotesque imagery were quite effective at inducing an eerie feeling like hearing scary stories at a camp. That being said, it's not like it was wholly innovative. The movie defaulted too much on cheap jump scares, loud sounds, and frankly sudden character shifts that muddied the scare factor. By sudden character shifts, I mean Asakawa's insidious and sudden turn to willingly sacrificing her father to save her son as the end of the film implies. From a thematic perspective I might understand, but I don't feel the rest of the film characterized her that way for the twist to work.

As for the theme, I found it quite hard to analyze this film, but I would say that Ringu is a critique on media's ability to spread and it's influence on people. The film specifically uses VHS tapes, but I think the critique applies to anything that can be spread through word of mouth, like social media in today's world. In RIngu, after the cast see the VHS tapes, they have one week before they die; the twist presented at the end of the film then reveals that the only way to survive is to copy the tape and show it to someone else. It's quite terrifying how the film portrays this too, with Asakawa's realization presented in such an ominous way.

In the scene, Asakawa, confounded by Ryuji's death, is guided to the reason for her survival by Ryuji's ghost which seems to haunt her. Although it is his ghost, he is reflected in the TV, showing how Asakawa is guided not purely by her ex-husband's ghost, but by the tape yet again into spreading the curse. This is similar to Yoichi's reason for watching the tape too, claiming that Tomoko (or Tomoko's ghost) told him to watch it. The tape uses those it kills to trap future victims in the cycle of the curse. So, Asakawa is seemingly possessed by the tape, by media, to spread it's curse to others to save her child. I think this scene, and the film overall, speak to media's power over people and it's role in people's lives. Media, much like the tape, hold sway over people's minds; Asakawa and Yoichi are compelled to do as it says, as are people unable to look away from the tape when watching it. It's curse, or its ability to be viral, compels people to spread it to others.

[alexstudyjapanese]

Ring

Reviews of Ring tout it as horrifying, disturbing, and are generally very positive. However, I didn’t find this movie really all that scary at all. I judge whether a movie is scary based on if I get anxious thinking about it after viewing, and I just didn’t. During the movie, I only got startled by the sound design really, as the few jump scares were accompanied by loud sounds. I think I went into this film with inflated expectations from general opinion, so my enjoyment wasn’t that high.

One thing I did like about this film was the framing, specifically the use of narrow areas. In the opening scene, the girls hear the phone ring and go to check it out. A shot shows one of them walking down a hallway, and we, like the girl, are unable to see around the corner. Limiting us to the view of the characters did a great job of adding to the suspense that anything could be just out of view, ready to reveal itself. It also leads to a claustrophobic effect, most apparent in the well scene. That scene made me really uncomfortable, from the narrow space to the murky water, especially knowing that Sadako’s decomposing body was in there with them. I did also like the soundtrack. It did well subtly shifting the tone of scenes, and was only really apparent if you focused on it specifically.

As for the plot, there is a video tape with rumors that if you watch it, you will die in one week. Reiko investigates this and ends up watching the tape. Following some paranormal occurrences, she recruits the help of her ex-husband Ryuji, who she also shows the tape. I enjoyed the urgency that came from the one week deadline, with each delay or passing day adding significant worry to the characters, Reiko especially (Ryuji didn’t seem to have much concern for himself sometimes). The two eventually find out that Sadako, a girl born with paranormal abilities decades ago, and then killed by her own father, was behind this.

Thinking about it again, the lore, and the way it was introduced such as visions, were both interesting. Maybe because I just wasn’t in the right mood for the viewing, or maybe because I didn’t find it scary, did I think the movie was just alright. The ending explanation that you have to show the tape to another person to live created an interesting premise in that the story will continue cyclically, but it just wasn’t that impactful. Overall, I do see why this movie spawned a number of remakes and is enjoyed by a large fanbase, but it wasn’t for me in the end.

[alexstudyjapanese]

You bring up a very good point with the "fluidity" of this movie when it comes to race and being Japanese. Foreigners in this film are treated as less than native Japanese, and one way the foreigners circumvent this is to market themselves as Japanese. However, in many other ways, this idea is challenged, such as starting a Yentown club. It was very interesting how Yentown came to encapsulate everyone who feels neglected in a way by Japanese society, not just the original foreigners looking to make moeny.

Swallowtail Butterfly (1996)

I really don't know. I might have some ideas. But whether or not any of them are up to scrutiny is a whole other matter. Shunji Iwai's Swallowtail Butterfly is a coming of age story, sometimes it's a Hong Kong gangster movie, and there are other times where I frankly don't know what it was exactly that I watched. Something I can say for certain is that if I had to pin any particular theme that was consistent throughout Swallowtail Butterfly it was fluidity.

Swallowtail Butterfly throughout most of its narrative follows Ageha, a young girl residing in a non-descript immigrant shanty town occupied prominently by Chinese settlers at the edge of non-descript urban Japan. This general non-descript quality is a common element in Swallowtail Butterfly. After being orphaned Ageha is left in the care of Glico, a Chinese prostitute as she and their many friends find ways to survive in Yentown.

Yentown roughly encompasses the boundaries of urban Japan and is a space where immigrants from all over the world have come to stake their claim, collect enough yen, and to return home. Aside from the non-descriptness of place Swallowtail Butterfly also does quite a bit to play with the non-descriptness of race and identity.

After a series of absurd adventures that involves desecrating a grave in a potter's field, searching the contents of a human stomach, and using a Frank Sinatra cassette to run a counterfeiting scam Ageha, Glico, and their friends open the YenTown Club. It's during this time that Glico gains the attention of record company executives for her singing talent.

During an interview with a fairly prominent record label the executives present are discussing the marketability of Glico as Chinese and decide that it would be too difficult and instead ask her if she would become Japanese. This is where the fluidity of Swallowtail Butterfly and what it has to say about race and especially about being Japanese is the most identifiable. Glico's popularity is predicated on her ability to present herself as Japanese. Not only is being Japanese something which can be marketed and commodified but also something which is not so strictly defined by essentialized ideas of homogeneity.

There are certainly other times in the film where these grander ideals surrounding homogeneity are challenged such as with the band consisting of Japanese born individuals of non-Japanese descent who's cultural upbringing and only language seems to be almost exclusively. Are these individuals not Japanese?

This really was not a film for me. I didn't necessarily find it bad. The counterfeiting scheme in general was one of my favorite plot points of Swallowtail Butterfly, unfortunately from there things branched off into places that just weren't very interesting to me. One of my favorite aspects of the film though was the setting of "Yentown", and it's "city at the edge of the world" quality and the ways in which each character had seemingly drifted into there and the stories they brought with them and their struggles. It, and especially the underworld crime portion, reminded me quite a bit of Roanapur, a fictional South East Asian island that acts as setting for the manga Black Lagoon.

[alexstudyjapanese]

Swallowtail Butterfly

This movie was a ride from start to finish, impossible to predict the direction it was going to take next. Swallowtail Butterfly, directed by Shunji Iwai, follows plotlines of prostitution, counterfeiting money, starting a business, becoming an idol, gang violence, and even more I can’t think of right now. The core of the story, however, was the building of a community of Yentown’s immigrants, and the development of them as individuals who can make a life for themselves.

The characters speak a mix of English, Japanese, and Chinese. I was confused at times why they were speaking English, but I realized that even though it sounded like they weren’t proficient based on their pronunciations, they were probably supposed to be native speakers or at least comfortable with the language. Also, when I wasn’t locked in sometimes, I got confused as to why the characters weren’t understanding each other until I realized they were speaking different languages. Nonetheless, the language diversity made for an interesting display of culture clash. One character, the Japanese-born to American parents, made an interesting note of how language affects the way people are treated. Because he looks like a foreigner, people assume him to speak English and maybe not Japanese, which leads to some feelings of exclusion.

Through the resilience displayed by characters such as Ageha, Iwai shows a certain admiration for immigrants in Japan. Similar to the movie GO, immigrants aren’t necessarily treated well by natives, and tend to face more obstacles than natives. However, through both unlawful and wholesome (sometimes) means, the characters advance through society and find success. It starts with counterfeiting cash, but once the initial investment is obtained, Fei Hong wants to start an honest business and community for Yentown, as well as push Glico towards becoming an icon.

I was a little confused about the purpose of Glico’s brother in the film. His gang did add a lot of action to the movie, such as the hilarious scene of them being obliterated by a bazooka. It also could have been to show a different approach for immigrants to gain wealth. Although his people did many bad things, certain scenes showed him to have a good heart. I wish he could have met Glico, but the ending we got was, in a weird way, satisfying. All that he committed all this violence for was just handed to him by Ageha.

As one of the final scenes of the movie, Ageha and the other Yentowns burn the immense amount of cash they obtained. This represented their denial of Japanese society; they moved to Japan in the first place with the intention of growing their wealth. It was a culmination of all the grief and desperation experienced by immigrants in Japan.

[alexstudyjapanese]

I also found Nishi's calm demeanor and ability to suddenly burst into violence captivating. I like how you looked into his trauma and guilt stemming from the botched police operation. Certainly his guilt for that event, along with his wife's illness, were the causes behind his erratic behavior. Although he hasn't lost sight of what he cares about, as you mentioned, he's likely justified, or become completely indifferent to, the violence he takes part in.

Blog Post #17: Hana-bi by Takeshi Kitano

When I saw that we were going to be watching this film this semester, I got really excited because this was a movie I had on my watchlist for about a year now. Its new and refreshing style of directing caught my eye, and let’s just say that it didn’t disappoint. I found it to be a solid watch from start to finish, and I found myself being able to analyze it quite well and look more into the mental state of the characters. The film itself follows Nishi, a police officer who quits his job to care for his terminally ill wife. Nishi is also dealing with the aftermath of a botched police operation that left his partner paralyzed and another colleague dead. The film explores themes of love, loss, redemption, and the consequences of violence. Throughout the film, there were juxtapositions that caught me off guard quite a bit: Nishi would carry on with his daily life and suddenly, there’s an outburst in violence. I thought his quiet demeanor to be very captivating, because the less he talked, the more I found out that we didn’t know too much about Nishi. It made him appear very mysterious and prompted me to want to know more about him and try to dig more into his character. 

In this blog post (partly because of what I wrote above), I wanted to talk more about Nishi and his character and what he represents because I found that to be the most interesting part of the film. Being a deeply complex character, it was interesting to see how his decisions connected back to himself and who he was as a person. Firstly, his decision to quit the police force to care for his terminally ill wife, Miyuki, demonstrates his devotion and sense of responsibility. There were bigger things in his life than his job, so he chose to abandon that part of himself and pursue something more. However, I think a lot of these decisions show how Nishi grapples with inner conflict stemming from past traumas, particularly the guilt he carries over the botched police operation that resulted in the injury of his partner and the death of a colleague. This guilt haunts him and drives much of his actions throughout the film and provides a reason for all the irrational instances of violence that we become so familiar with. But, what I found to be surprising is through analyzing his actions, you can see how Nishi maintains a very strong sense of duty and sacrifice. He goes to great lengths to fulfill his obligations, whether it's taking care of his wife or seeking revenge for his fallen comrades. While I could analyze his psyche and try to understand him more, Nishi still feels distant and mysterious; he’s one of those characters where you think you know a lot about him, but in reality, you know nothing at all. Great movie!

[alexstudyjapanese]

I also think the movie did well showing what Koreans have to deal with in Japan. I wasn't aware of the history until watching this movie, so I definitely appreciated the film for that aspect as well. I have to agree with you on this movie being more about identity than a love story, and that the love story really just supplemented or was a medium for expressing Sugihara's and Sakurai's struggle with identity.

Vibrating at frequencies not even seen by shrimp!! We are finally in the 00s !!! My era for Japanese media!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sad to say I haven't come across this movie before but my girl from Battle Royale is in here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LFG!!!!!!

Seeing that this movie was about a Japan-born Korean (half-Japanese, half-Korean? I can't tell which) not gonna lie, scared me a bit. Japan's history when it comes to Korea is really gross and awful and when they portray Koreans in their media it's like. Almost never good. This is better than most but its portrayal is still a bit...

I think it does well showing a lot of what Koreans have to deal with being in Japan, at least. Which a lot of people probably think is over-dramatized and I can imagine a lot of the Japanese population didn't like that light being shown on them but also like.... some of y'all...... were not great!!!! But also it felt like they leaned a little too hard into some of the ~Korean men aggression~ stereotypes, just a smidge. Also, the bit with the kid speaking in Japanese and saying the Korean wasn't right. Just.... eh. Did my sweet boy Jeong-Il dirty asf, too.

I love the use of flashbacks only at certain points to introduce characters or explain things, but also not everything is immediately explained. It allows you to fully immerse yourself within the story Sugihara is trying to tell you.

Identity is a huge factor of this film. Throughout you deal with Sugihara's struggle himself for how he fits into both Japanese society as a whole as well as Japanese youth society--but he's also growing up at a time of a lot of quick innovation and change. He consumes a lot of revolutionary media--likely because he's got so much turmoil and anger inside from the constant abuse of his father. His father, too, struggles with his identity and even outright denies it. Even our leading lady hides her first name (because it's "too Japanese" ????)

His father is extremely angry and abusive, likely entirely because of the past trauma he has from North Korea, and he does physically abuse his son. That's not to be argued. But the motives behind why he does, in a sense, are pure. Just twisted and warped. He knows that Japanese society rejects them and he gives him the tools necessary to defend himself in a world that wont defend him--we see this proven on the train station when the only person who stands up to the Korean girl is Jeong-Il (and while he lays there dying, no one helps).

It's obviously another retelling of Romeo and Juliet because he's Korean and she's Japanese, blah blah blah. They also constantly reference the rose by any other name line so it really beats you over the head with that. This also immediately ties right back into sense of identity because it's literally about names--and both Sugihara and Sakurai hide theirs.

I really think this is less about the actual love story between Sugihara and Sakurai, because he fits as an unreliable narrator in a sense. I think its more about him coming to terms to who he is as a person, but its projected in a sense into this love of a girl. This is reinforced when he meets up with Sakurai again and makes sure to demand she say what he is. and has his tangent about who he is. ("I'm a question mark" personally resonates with me). I actually prefer that aspect of this movie, because the romance trope (to me) is overplayed.

If you like the fights that Sugihara got in, might I recommend Weak Hero Class.

[alexstudyjapanese]

Hana-bi

It was pretty hard to catch onto the purpose or direction of this film for a good portion of its viewing. The movie has very little dialogue and jumps between different story themes and events freely. It felt like a movie that wanted you to think a lot, and to be honest, I wasn’t so hyped to do so watching this directly after GO. I’m sure there was a lot of symbolism and some nuanced plot events that I didn’t catch, but I’m instead going to focus on the feeling Hana-bi gave.

The beginning of the movie sets the scene of sorrow that the rest of it follows. Nishi lost his young daughter recently, and is trying to grasp to just a few more moments of happiness with his terminally ill wife that he will soon lose too. On top of this, his detective colleagues are involved in a violent scene where one dies and another, Horibe, is crippled for life. Horibe’s family leaves him, as they can never see him the same way. Nishi feels immense guilt for this, as he would have normally been there too, but he was instead spending time with his wife.

Nishi is a strange character. Someone mentioned Heisenberg (Walter White from breaking bad) during the viewing and I think this is a fair comparison. Instead of losing his life, he’s losing the life of both of his family members. He seemingly loses a significant portion of his moral compass and fear of death, instead valuing the remaining time he can spend with his wife; similar to how Walter wants to provide for his family after his death. He goes as far as to rob a bank to repay his debts, and coldly kills the Yakuza members who continue to pester him. A character said earlier in the film that Nishi is scary when he explodes. He explodes quite often after that, terrifyingly killing with complete calm, and lashing out in violence at unexpected or sudden moments.

Horibe counters Nishi’s character in that he takes up the serene hobby of painting. In his mind, his situation is worse than Nishi’s, as his family willingly left him. Painting is the way in which he kills time, and he develops his skills strongly throughout the movie. Starting with painting arbitrary objects as flowers, he develops his repertoire to a range of beautiful pieces with varying messages.

What this movie does right, in my eyes, is balance sorrowful, humorous, violent, and beautiful tones well, accompanied by a soundtrack that expresses all these feelings simultaneously. Violent outbreaks are spliced by Horibe’s painting, and then by a beautiful moment of Nishi and his wife sharing laughter. More than a movie to me, it seemed like a meditation on the uncertainty of life, and how beauty can be found in between it all. Although I didn’t really find anything in the plot of this movie, I was able to enjoy it for what it was.

[alexstudyjapanese]

GO

GO follows the story of Sugihara, a Zanichi (Japanese-born Korean) as he struggles with society’s treatment of Zanichi while falling in love with a Japanese girl, Sakurai. I thought this movie was very well made, and covered an interesting topic of tension in Japanese society that I was previously unaware of.

Sugihara’s father, from the beginning, shows a great interest in travel. He mentions that he wants to change nationality, and at one point indirectly suggests that Sugihara himself look to do the same. Throughout the movie, I came to understand through the treatment of the Zanichi why the father might want to leave the country. stated directly in the end, with Sugihara realizing that his father visited all these places and considered changing nationalities to “take (Sugihara’s) shakles off”.

After WWII and the end of Japanese colonial rule in Korea, it was decided that Koreans living in Japan were to be treated as foreigners. There were millions at the time as a result of immigration during colonial rule. GO took the task of showing the way these Zanichi felt like outcasts in Japanese society, as well as the tension and conflicts with Japanese people. Jong-il is killed as a result of this conflict. Sugihara says, before meeting Sakurai, he never got so close to a Japanese person. This shows earlier in the movie, as he was somewhat uncomfortable in the setting of a Japanese dinner when meeting Sakurai’s parents.

In fact, Sugihara is uncomfortable with revealing his nationality to Sakurai throughout their relationship. He finally does so after they first have sex, trying to make it out to be no big deal, but she doesn’t feel the same way. Korean and Chinese blood is dirty, says her father. Sugihara is understandably hurt, but I can’t blame Sakurai in reacting in fear the way she did, given society and her father’s opinions that she has learned from the time she was young, as well as the fact that Sugihara revealed this information at such as vulnerable time.

Luckily Sakurai changes her perspective and we get a happy end to their love story. We don’t have to worry about what her father will think, cause the movie ended! One thing I want to note in this scene is how Sugihara asked “What am I”, Sakurai responded with “Zanichi”, and he was angered. Zanichi means “foreign citizen staying in Japan”, and carried a connotation that these Koreans would one day leave the country.

Before ending I wanted to note the direction in the movie, which I feel added to the experience. There was nonlinear storytelling, with some scenes being left and returned to when we have more context. Still frames on action shots made Sugihara seem “cool”. Pan cuts were used in the same space to signify a change in time in the same place. Adding to the interesting story was engaging and technically sound direction. Good movie.

[alexstudyjapanese]

I really liked your dive into the business lunch scene, specifically the role that food plays in class and industrialism. The senior businessmen are embarrassed about their junior appearing more competent in a manner that isn't even really related to business to the point where they turn humorously red.

Btw the chicken sandwiches look like they turned out great. Thanks for dropping the link to the recipe, I might have to try these out sometime myself.

Tampopo (1985)

You have a particular memory that is deeply attached to a specific food. We all do. For better or worse it brings us back there. Our relationship with food is numerous. Food is: culture, class, indulgence, erotic, danger, comfort, memory. Juzo Itami's Tampopo is a film about food. Not particularly a reflection on food but rather the ways in which individuals are reflected by the food they eat.

Tampopo predominantly tells the story of a down on her luck ramen shop owner of the same name struggling to maintain herself and her son after the passing of her husband. One day her unwanted suitor and his accompanying unwanted gang of lackeys are making themselves a nuisance whereupon our rugged but kind hero, Goro, rides in on his truck and then casts the goons out from her shop. This is the story that makes up most of Tampopo. It is not however the only story Tampopo tells. Throughout the film various small segments are interspersed throughout which expand on and explore Japan and it's food culture. This is among my favorite segments.

The Business Lunch

This segment follows a group of Japanese business men sitting down to a formal lunch together at an upscale French restaurant consisting of what appears to be a mixed group of high level executives, senior employees, and a junior employee at least half of their age which seems to be their whipping boy. As the waiter hands them their menus the executive and senior employees are taken aback, there is not a single word of Japanese on the entire page, not even a letter of katakana. Visible panic makes its way across their faces with one of them even falling victim to a twitch, only the junior employee seems to calmly but intently working his way through the menu. The oldest of the executives when first asked for his order claims he isn't very hungry and defers to another senior employee who orders the sole meuniere, consommé, and a Heineken (lightly grilled fish, broth, and beer). All the men after him place the same order, that is until the waiter arrives at the youngest employee. As he carefully reads the menu the most junior employee asks questions about every dish he intends to order and himself displays extensive and intimate knowledge of French cuisine and even the contemporary Parisian restaurant scene until finally deciding on the quenelles, escargot pastry, apple and walnut salad, all paired with Corton Charlemagne (a white wine). Each and every one of his superiors is left completely red in the face with embarrassment.

This scene puts on display and makes jest at so many of the common tropes of Japanese business. All business in this context is governed by appearance. European and by extension French cuisine serves as not something that these men necessarily want but feel inclined towards in order to maintain themselves as well informed and sophisticated. The silliest aspect of this is that the senior employee who sets down the order for the table and seems to have his order already memorized defaults on familiarity and orders a rough approximation of what one might presume he eats in his own time fairly frequently which is lightly grilled fish, a broth rich soup, and beer. The youngest employee at the table eschews the standard by placing on display his full skills as a gourmand as he orders, much to the chagrin of his senior who is so keenly aware of the embarrassment felt by himself and all the others at the table that he kicks his subordinate as he's ordering which in no ways deters him at all.

Food in this scene is remarked upon in the language of class and industrialism. French cuisine is not something that genuinely interests a majority of the business men present in this scene but rather functions as emblematic of a particular relationship between food and worldliness which they feel is a reflection of the makeup of their professional competence. I would like to try the quenelles.

I don't feel it's difficult to tell that this is one of my favorite films. I love Tampopo. There's so much I could say about nearly every part of this film and I didn't even discuss my favorite segment which was the Peking Duck Reverse Hustle. The only scenes which I skip over are the one in which the soft shell turtle is prepared and the pleasure of the shrimp. I love food. I love cooking. Throughout most of the break I've been struggling with a flu and have had little time to do much of what I hoped to. The day I decided to watch Tampopo with my roommate I was so set on cooking l I couldn't help myself. I decided on fried chicken sandwiches. I used a fairly simple recipe but made some general modifications according to my own tastes. In place of flour I used a mix of potato and corn starch because of how crispy my tonkatsu was with a similar mix and I added hot sauce to the dredge in order to add some kick. I didn't use enough oil so my chicken stuck quite a bit to the bottom and some pieces retained a few burnt marks and the oil darkened rather quickly. It was still quite good.

[alexstudyjapanese]

Tampopo

Tampopo was unforgivingly unfocused, and still managed to give us maybe the best insight into modern Japanese culture, food culture specifically, out of any of the movies up until this point. The movie never takes itself too seriously, which adds to its charm and humor. I ended up really liking this movie for the film it is, as well as some insights into Japan it provided.

Goro and Gun ride into town like cowboys in a Western, where they meet Tampopo and go on a quest to create the perfect ramen. The plot points are all super dramatized, which for me made it feel like an anime at times. Tampopo becomes a disciple and goes through a training arc with rigid drilling, they study the other shop’s techniques using both moral and forbidden methods, they search for wisdom in a sensei, friend to foe. It’s a journey with triumphs and defeats and by the end the group felt like a cast of Seven Samurai or some shounen anime.

At times, the movie just decides to follow random characters and their strange experiences. I think this was done as a sort of cut from the main storyline, where our main group can develop and time passes. These switches are completely unexpected, and perhaps no better example than the first one. In the midst of a Tampopo training scene, a group of businessmen walk by the camera. The camera then just, decides to follow those men? And then we’re with them for the next few minutes. Tampopo translates in English to dandelion, and the camera / attention in this film acts like a dandelion, just floating around from story to story.

Throughout the movie we see people eat and cook food in great detail. In fact, that’s what this movie is all about at its core: how to cook food, how to enjoy food, and the various customs surrounding food culture. In this sense, I feel like I received great insight into Japanese food culture, at least about ramen in particular. I learned some cooking methods, the way the shops are run, and how people tend to eat. The movie added a heightened level of tension to the food itself which was the source of much of the comedy in the movie. Everything about this movie surrounded food in this dramatized manner, especially the scenes following the randoms. Even sex scenes were, quite strangely, centered around food.

Overall, this movie was definitely worth the watch for the enjoyment and insight. It was also really interesting that it was directed by Juzo Itami. Even though he was just playing a character in Family Game, I feel like I knew him a little more personally than directors previously.