#秒速5センチメートル | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

traceofaftersound · 2 years ago

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Cose che movimentano l'autunno giapponese

Così come la "caccia alle foglie rosse" (紅葉狩り, momijigari) è il divertissement più atteso della stagione autunnale, uno dei film d'animazione più attesi di questo autunno 2022 era sicuramente Suzume no Tojimari (スズメの戸締り, Suzume's Door-Locking ), l'ultima pellicola di Shinkai Makoto, regista che negli ultimi anni si è fatto un nome in tutto il mondo con successi come Kimi no na wa (君の名は, Your name.) e Tenki no ko (天気の子, Weathering with you). Con Shinkai non è stato amore a prima vista, devo ammettere: l'ho conosciuto inizialmente tramite Byōsoku go senchimētoru (秒速5センチメートル, 5 cm al secondo), un lungometraggio che mi ha annoiato a morte e mi ha fatto anche incazzare perché avevo pure comprato il DVD di tasca mia, ascoltando il parere di chi me lo spacciava per il nuovo Miyazaki (parentesi: in quest'ultimo film Shinkai ha usato una canzone che era già stata utilizzata da Miyazaki in "Kiki's Delivery Service", sarà stato un omaggio ma dentro di me ho pensato "ma come ti permetti?" lol). L'elenco delle ragioni per cui avrei trovato più divertente guardare la vernice che si asciuga al sole sarebbe lungo, ma sostanzialmente: magari ero io a non essere già più nel target, ma che palle 'ste storie di sospirosi adolescenti che non riescono a confessarsi i propri sentimenti e si struggono per cercare di capire cosa pensi l'altro ma non si parlano e fanno i timidini che soffrono in silenzio perché non vogliono disturbare e non succede niente, solo i petali di ciliegio che cadono alla velocità di 5cm/sec (la stessa delle palle degli spettatori) sulle loro giovani esistenze già così infelici, ma poi un topos meno abusato dei fiori di ciliegio non c'era? Non dico che bisognasse per forza essere Sakaguchi Ango e trasformarli in un elemento orrorifico che fa da sfondo a una vicenda sanguinolenta come quella descritta in "Sotto la foresta dei ciliegi in fiore", però mo' neanche a fa' così. Altro punto di demerito: il contrasto tra i fondali iperrealistici superdettagliati e l'approssimativa stilizzazione con cui sono disegnate le figure umane mi faceva cringiare tantissimo, poi per carità, io ero anche in un momento intestinalmente poco felice durante la visione, ma penso di non poter dare a questo tutta la colpa lol

Succede però che qualche anno fa sono intrappolato per dodici ore su un volo intercontinentale e ho finito di guardare tutti i film che mi ispiravano, quand'ecco che nell'elenco vedo Kimi no na wa. In Giappone aveva avuto un successo strepitoso, al punto che la colonna sonora oltre ad aver raggiunto i primi posti tra le canzoni più cantate al karaoke era stata passata persino in tutti i convenience store della nazione, ma avendo bocciato Shinkai me ne ero naturalmente tenuto lontano. Non avendo letteralmente nient'altro da fare per ammazzare il tempo durante la traversata decido di dargli una seconda possibilità e 107 minuti dopo sono in una valle di lacrime. Intanto noto con piacere che lo stile dei disegni per quanto riguarda i personaggi è molto migliorato, ma a parte quello, l'aspetto che davvero mi colpisce è la presenza di diversi richiami allo scintoismo, per esempio il kuchikamizake (口噛み酒), bevanda alcolica prodotta durante le cerimonie scintoiste dalle sacerdotesse che masticavano il riso ammorbidito e ne innescavano la fermentazione grazie agli enzimi presenti nella saliva. La scelta di recuperare un elemento così particolare dello shintō (che, inutile dirlo, non conoscevo prima di questo film) rielaborandolo all'interno di un blockbuster mi intriga molto, forse per la stessa ragione per cui amo le reinterpretazioni del folklore del Tōhoku da parte di Miyazawa Kenji, e sebbene il suo film successivo, Tenki no ko, sia a mio parere più debole (lo riassumerei con una sola frase: Tōkyō diventa Venezia), il processo di creazione di un mito dietro l'espressione hareonna (晴れ女, donna che porta il sereno), non più una semplice ragazza sempre accompagnata dal sole ovunque vada ma una creatura semidivina in grado di arrestare la pioggia al prezzo però della propria vita che va via via accorciandosi, risulta altrettanto interessante. Ma è con Suzume no Tojimari che Shinkai si supera. Il film dovrebbe uscire in Italia a inizio 2023 quindi non ne parlerò troppo nel dettaglio per evitare spoiler, ma la vicenda si dipana dall'incontro tra Suzume, una studentessa di liceo, e Sōta, un misterioso ragazzo con il compito di chiudere le "porte del disastro" da cui fuoriesce una sorta di gigantesco blob chiamato "il lombrico" che se arriva a schiantarsi al suolo provoca terremoti e devastazione. L'opera di Sōta e dei "serratori di porte" come lui non è tuttavia sufficiente da sola a evitare sismi epocali: è necessario ricorrere anche a due "chiavi di volta" (要石, kanameishi) piantate nelle due estremità del lombrico.

Anche se ci sono dei punti nella trama che non mi sono chiarissimi e avrei bisogno di una seconda visione per capire se fossero buchi di sceneggiatura o semplicemente cose che non ho collegato, la lista dei motivi per cui ho amato questo film batte quella delle ragioni per cui "5 cm al secondo" non mi era piaciuto: dalla presenza di un richiamo ai tragici eventi dell'11 marzo 2011, di cui mi ero marginalmente occupato durante la laurea magistrale, che credo sia importante vengano trattati da un blockbuster di successo nazionale e come è facile prevedere internazionale, agli elementi mutuati da antichi miti e leggende, e sono davvero molti. Qualche esempio: la formula magica che Sōta recita quando chiude una porta è ispirata ai norito (祝詞), solenni preghiere rituali indirizzate alle divinità scintoiste di cui fanno parte alcuni dei documenti scritti più antici pervenutici, e comincia infatti con una delle frasi d'apertura classiche di questi testi (かけまくもかしこき, "se mi è concesso pronunciarlo"); il lombrico che provoca i terremoti è una rielaborazione della credenza popolare secondo la quale a provocare i sismi sarebbe un enorme pesce gatto sotterraneo (prima del periodo Edo era un drago-serpente, come in altri miti asiatici, ma durante quest'epoca si consolida la versione secondo cui sarebbe invece il namazu 鯰, "pesce gatto" appunto); le "chiavi di volta" sono due pietre realmente esistenti, custodite in due santuari dove tengono ferma una la testa e l'altra la coda del namazu.

Nel 1855, Tōkyō viene colpita da un sisma di magnitudine 7 che passerà agli annali come Grande Terremoto Ansei. Pochi giorni dopo la tragedia, si sviluppa un fiorente mercato di stampe ukiyo-e raffiguranti il pesce gatto e denominate appunto "namazu-e" (鯰絵, immagini del pesce gatto), che avrebbero dovuto proteggere chi le acquistava dai terremoti. Quella qui sopra mostra anche la "chiave di volta" (要石, kanameishi) conficcata sulla testa del namazu per tenerlo fermo.

Dopo aver quindi scoperto che mi era sempre mancato un pezzo del mito del pesce gatto (che tra parentesi oggigiorno trovate raffigurato pure nei cartelli stradali a indicare la corsia di emergenza dove parcheggiarvi in caso di terremoto lol) non potevo far altro che correre ai ripari, e ho subito progettato una visita ai due santuari in questione, il Katori Jingū nella prefettura di Chiba e il Kashima Jingū in quella di Ibaraki, che si trovano a circa due ore da Tōkyō (in macchina anche un po' meno, opzione decisamente più economica anche nel caso di un'auto a noleggio rispetto al treno che ha dei costi spropositati). Questi due santuari gemelli, distanti all'incirca una quindicina di chilometri l'uno dall'altro, nonostante non se li calcoli nessuno forse proprio per la posizione periferica in cui si trovano sono in realtà nella top 3 dei santuari più importanti nella gerarchia scintoista. Sono gli unici, infatti, insieme al Santuario di Ise dedicato alla dea del sole Amaterasu, a essere denominati jingū 神宮 e non semplicemente jinja 神社, quindi sono santuari che hanno fatto l'upgrade.

Il santuario di Kashima è dedicato a Takemikazuchi-no-Ōkami, divinità citata anche del Kojiki (古事記, Un racconto di antichi eventi), uno dei testi più antichi tramandatici dove troviamo riportato il mito fondativo del Giappone stesso. In un lungo elenco di genealogie di divinità, leggiamo che la madre di tutti gli dei, Izanami, era morta dopo aver partorito il dio del fuoco che le aveva bruciato la vulva (il marchio Chilly purtroppo verrà fondato solo nel Novecento, fuori tempo massimo per dare sollievo alla dea), e il suo compagno Izanagi, disperato, aveva decapitato il figlio colpevole di avergli ucciso la compagna:

Il sangue spruzzò sopra le rocce intatte, prima dalla punta dell'arma e ne spuntarono i tre esseri che chiamiamo il sacro Ihasaku, il sacro Nesaku e il sacro Ihatsutsunowo, poi dalla lama e ne spuntarono i tre esseri che chiamiamo il sacro Mikahayahi, il sacro Hihayahi, e il sacro Mikazuchinowo il rude, che chiamiamo anche il sacro Takefutsu, o ancora il sacro Toyofutsu.

Oltre a descriverne così i natali, il Kojiki racconta anche di come questa divinità verrà incaricata da Amaterasu di negoziare con la divinità di Izumo affinché quest'ultima ceda il suo regno, "la terra immersa nelle pianure di giunchi", alla stirpe celeste di cui la dea del sole fa parte:

Il sacro Mikazuchi il rude, accompagnato dal sacro Amenotorifune, discese presso una spiaggia di Inasa nelle terre di Izumo, sguainò la spada di dieci spanne, l'elsa la ficcò sulla cresta delle onde, sulla punta della lama si sedette a gambe incrociate. E si rivolse al sacro grande signore Ohokuninushi: "Ecco - disse - cosa hanno ordinato di venirti a chiedere Amaterasu grande sovrana e sacra e il sacro Takagi: "La terra immersa nelle pianure di giunchi dove tu spadroneggi è destinata al regno della nostra stirpe". Che cosa hai in animo di fare?" "Non posso dirlo io - fu la risposta, - sarà mio figlio, il sacro Yahekotoshironushi, a decidere. È andato a pescare con gli uccelli ma non è ancora tornato dal promontorio di Miho". Il sacro Amenotorifune andò a prenderlo e gli si poté così chiedere di venire al dunque. "Quale tremendo onore! Cedo umilmente queste terre alla stirpe dei celesti" [...]

Patrono pure delle arti marziali nel tempo libero, questa divinità viene anche spesso rappresentata in cima al namazu con la spada conficcata sulla testa del mostro.

Takemikazuchi-no-Ōkami dimmi bene che casa mia non è neanche assicurata contro i terremoti, mi sei rimasto giusto tu.

Ovviamente, che ve lo dico a fare, come da tradizione l'edificio principale del complesso era in ristrutturazione, perché giustamente un santuario che si narra risalire al VII-VI secolo a.C. con tutto il tempo che hanno avuto lo dovevano risistemare proprio quando ci andavo io, ma io ero lì per le "chiavi di volta" e quindi il danno emotivo è stato contenuto, nel senso che sono riuscito a tornare fino alla macchina prima di scoppiare a piangere e ce l'ho fatta a non farmi vedere da nessuno.

In assenza dell'edificio principale, favorirò una foto del rōmon (楼門, portale della torre), che comunque è considerato uno dei tre più grandi del Giappone ed è patrimonio culturale nazionale importante quindi buttalo via.

Grande ritorno del Nekomata sia perché ho finalmente trovato un sito con il filtro Polaroid dopo che quello che avevo usato per anni mi ha abbandonato, sia perché nel film di Shinkai le "chiavi di volta" si manifestano con le sembianze di gatti, un segno che non ho potuto ignorare lol

MA VENIAMO DUNQUE A QUESTA BENEDETTA KANAMEISHI, a questa pietra custodita nel cuore della foresta del santuario di Kashima e che dovrebbe tenere ferma la coda del pesce gatto, a questo... questo...

...grande, immenso... SASSO!

Nonostante la leggenda voglia che il daimyō (大名, signore feudale) Tokugawa Mitsukuni, anche noto come Mito Kōmon, avesse provato a scavare per sette giorni e sette notti nella terra cercando di dissotterrare la pietra senza però trovarne la fine, occorre dire che essendo pure concava non è che spicchi proprio tantissimo nella pur suggestiva cornice del boschetto in cui si trova.

La lochescion da Principessa Mononoke devo dire diesci, per quanto riguarda la scelta del vedo-non-vedo per la pietra all'interno del recinto non saprei, spero che almeno serva a tenere ben saldo il terreno.

大地震にびくともせぬや松の花 Impassibili restano al grande sisma i fiori di pino

Cose che mi ero dimenticato di sapere (lol): ogni divinità scintoista (神 kami) ha in sé due aspetti, un'anima violenta (荒御魂 aramitama), quella a cui tra l'altro si esprimono le proprie preghiere in quanto lato attivo del kami, e un'anima tranquilla (和御魂 nigimitama), stato di pacificazione a cui il kami arriva grazie alla venerazione dei fedeli. In foto, l'Okunomiya del Kashima Jingū, in cui è venerata l'aramitama di Takemikazuchi-no-Ōkami.

Fedele al suo nome di "santuario dell'isola dei cervi", animali che in Giappone sono considerati emissari e cavalcatura delle divinità, il bosco del santuario contiene anche un recinto dove si trova una trentina di cervi, così come pare anticamente fossero allevati anche all'interno del santuario di Kasuga a Nara, evidentemente prima che sfondassero le recinzioni e cominciassero ad aggirarsi liberi per la città lol Quest'ultimo santuario ha in effetti un forte legame con il Kashima Jingū: nell'anno della costruzione del Kasuga Taisha, fu inviato da Kashima un cervo bianco affinché trasportasse sulla groppa una parte del nume tutelare del santuario di Ibaraki e lo donasse al nuovo complesso scintoista. Tutto molto bello, tutto molto poetico, sennonché poi vai a vedere il recinto e ci sono due cervi maschi che si pisciano in bocca mentre un terzo guarda. Emissari delle divinità mi dicevano, sì?

Un giorno rinascerò cervo a primavera... mah speriamo di no dai.

Spostandosi di una quindicina di chilometri, appena oltrepassato il confine tra la prefettura di Ibaraki e quella di Chiba troviamo il santuario di Katori, dedicato a Futsunushi-no-Ōmikami. Se il patrono del Kashima Jingū viene citato nel Kojiki, quello del Katori Jingū è nominato nel Nihon-shoki (日本書紀, Annali del Giappone), opera di poco più tarda (720 invece che 712) scritta in cinese classico per presentare la storia del Giappone agli altri Paesi dell'Asia (quindi purtroppo non esiste ad oggi una traduzione in italiano che vi possa citare come ho fatto col Kojiki, vi dispiace eh? lo so, riesco a vedervi affranti da qui). Secondo il Nihon-shoki, ad aver negoziato con la divinità di Izumo affinché cedesse il suo regno ad Amaterasu furono i due dei Takemikazuchi-no-Ōkami e Futsunushi-no-Ōmikami, ma fu quest'ultimo a essere scelto dai celesti, mentre Takemikazuchi gli si accodò all'ultimo minuto per dimostrare di non essere da meno. Anche questo santuario sarebbe antichissimo, risalente addirittura al VII secolo a.C., e nel suo boschetto è custodita la "chiave di volta" convessa che tiene ferma la testa del namazu.

Devo dire che il fatto che questo santuario NON fosse in ristrutturazione me lo ha fatto apprezzare di più del Kashima Jingū, ma non ho problemi ad ammettere il mio bias lol

L'edificio principale (拝殿 haiden, sala delle preghiere) è laccato di nero, cosa relativamente rara per l'architettura scintoista e che dà all'edificio un aspetto estremamente elegante facendo risaltare ancora di più i dettagli in oro.

Colours of autumn @ Katori Shrine 🍂

Io che cerco di imitare la #ragazzaautunno - dov'è la mia bevanda al radicchio pedocio?

La "chiave di volta" convessa che tiene ferma la testa del namazu. Lei non era neanche in una lochescion da dieci, messa un po' a caso in mezzo alla foresta con la palizzata intorno, però sicuramente fa già più scena della sua gemella concava.

Katori Jingū: un santuario che vi verrà voglia di visitare ancora ⚓️

Ma adesso basta con tutta questa cultura e veniamo alla vera domanda: ma sto pesce gatto, si mangia? Lo avevo visto cucinare in una puntata di Masterchef (lol, i miei riferimenti, che vergogna) ma non sapevo se in Giappone fosse consuetudine dato che normalmente non lo si vede nei menù, quand'ecco che proprio all'uscita dal Kashima Jingū ci imbattiamo in un ristorante specializzato in pesce gatto. Il mio entusiasmo per questo pesce che non avevo mai mangiato prima era alle stelle e mi sono lasciato convincere dal full-course che prevedeva una versione cruda, una versione cotta e una fritta, e dopo averlo provato in tre salse diverse credo di poterlo dire: non sa proprio di niente lol. È un po' come il pesce palla, il temutissimo fugu che viene considerato una pietanza di lusso anche per il fatto che se cucinato da chef inesperti che non eliminano la ghiandola che produce il veleno rischiate pure di rimetterci le penne, senza però averne l'aura di fastosità lol.

Oh beh, speriamo almeno che mangiare il pesce che provoca i terremoti porti fortuna, o quantomeno che non porti rogna lol

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sorairokakera · 1 year ago

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Anime Movies Rewatch Selection

Even though I still have quite a lot to watch, there are times when I feel like I want to rewatch. Especially when my memories about it starting to blur more and I want to feel that feeling again. Here I tried to make a list of some anime movies I would like to rewatch~

Yoru wa Mijikashi Arukeyo Otome 夜は短し歩けよ乙女 (2017) and Inu-Ou 犬王 (2021) / Masaaki Yuasa

I often get attracted with something surreal. Masaaki Yuasa's movies are like an hour and a half ride into someone's mind that makes me bemused and mesmerized. Yoru wa Mijikashi Arukeyo Otome is eccentric and since I enjoy Youjouhan Shinwa Taikei quite much, it's great to see them again~ Storywise, perhaps they skipped some (or a lot?) parts of the book (I haven't read it yet), it might be not a whole experience but still fun to watch! Inu-Ou is interesting, cool performances! Though I may need some time before I rewatch because the ending is heart-wrenching, it's not that surprising considering that era often has tragic stories, but still, there is a lingering feeling that I need to be prepare for. Mind Game (2004) also interesting (weird) movie that I may considering to rewatch. The visual of Masaaki Yuasa's movies are interesting. Maybe, when I just don't feel like thinking of anything, I will find myself rewatching them.

Paprika パプリカ (2006) and Tokyo Godfathers 東京ゴッドファーザーズ (2003) / Satoshi Kon

Satoshi Kon's movies are must-watch! Though his movies that I will rewatch are Paprika and Tokyo Godfathers, Perfect Blue (1997) and Sennen Joyuu (2001) are very good too. His storytelling, the surrealism. Even though I probably will not get a happy fluffy feeling after rewatch, his movies somehow stuck on my mind that I can't help myself from thinking about them when I want to watch something fascinating.

Kimi no Na wa 君の名は。(2016) and Byousoku 5 Centimeter 秒速5センチメートル (2007) / Makoto Shinkai

Other than the recent one (Suzume), I have watched most of Makoto Shinkai's works and my top favorites that I want to rewatch are Kimi no Na wa and Byousoku 5cm. The first movie that makes me interested to watch Shinkai's upcoming movies is Byousoku 5cm. It's slow at first half or perhaps 2/3 of the movie? I was a bit sleepy in the middle but still want to continue, and that last part, it got me awake. 'One More Time, One More Chance' started playing and I couldn't get off my eyes from screen even for a second. Mixed emotion, all came at high speed. Those lingering feelings. We can stay in contact no matter how far we are now, but that period of time, the distance, and that point when they passed each other. Life. Then, there's Kimi no Na wa~! I have rewatched it pretty soon after first watch, maybe because it gave a good feeling at that time. It's delightful and beautiful, a phenomenon of love story that transcend time and space. I like what Taki wrote in Mitsuha's hand when they're about to be separated.

Bakemono no Ko バケモノの子 (2015) and Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo 時をかける少女 (2006) / Mamoru Hosoda

Mamoru Hosoda's movies can be enjoyable or quite boring for me but I often interested in watching his movies. My top favorites that I want to rewatch are Bakemono no Ko and Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo. I also may considering Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki (2012) when I am in the mood for something emotional and family. I remember watching Bakemono no Ko was fun, though my memory of its story already blurred. I also remember that Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo is nice and bittersweet. Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo probably the first time travel anime I watched. Since it's been a long time, I want to rewatch them someday.

Heisei Tanuki Gassen Ponpoko 平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ (1994, Isao Takahata), Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi 千と千尋の神隠し (2001, Hayao Miyazaki), Mononoke Hime もののけ姫 (1997, Hayao Miyazaki), Mimi wo Sumaseba 耳をすませば (1995, Yoshifumi Kondo) / Studio Ghibli

I have watched most of Studio Ghibli's movies~! My top favorites are Pom Poko, Spirited Away, Mononoke Hime and Whisper of The Heart. I might rewatch other Ghibli movies for their wonderful background art. Heisei Tanuki Gassen Ponpoko is adorable and entertaining but also has a heartfelt message. Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi is the first Ghibli movie I watched, it's enchanting. I also like Kaonashi when it become a good spirit, it's adorable. Mononoke Hime is captivating and I like forest, Kodama~! I am attracted with stories of humankind co-existing with nature. Mimi wo Sumaseba is lovely and I like their nostalgic vibe. Other than these four, I may considering to rewatch Omoide Poro Poro (1991) too, someday.

Hope I have time to rewatch all I want, in between my to-watch and to-read long list 👁👄👁

#favorite anime movie #anime movie rewatch

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bungeegum28 · 2 months ago

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𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐞 5 Centimeters per second • 秒速5センチメートル (2007) 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 CoMix Wave Inc. 𝐝𝐢𝐫. Makoto Shinkai 𝐜𝐡𝐫. 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐫 Takayo Nishimura

𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦: 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘴

#5 centimeters per second #anime scenes #makoto shinkai #秒速5センチメートル #bg5centimeterspersecond

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fishylife · 2 years ago

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Fishy’s top movies watched in 2022

I do love making these posts every year. It's a lot of fun!

Once again, this post is not to rank movies based on how objectively good they are, but rather, ranking them based on how much of an impact they had on me personally. They will also be ranked in tiers rather than a numbered post (i.e. not in any particular order).

Here are the links to my movie posts in previous years: (2020) (2021) I also regularly do write ups on every movie I watch over at my (Dreamwidth).

Let's begin!

My favourite movies of the year

These were the movies that had the biggest impacts on me. I have a lot of thoughts about them.

First Reformed (2017)

I always love stories with Christian themes lol. This movie followed a reverend as he counselled an environmental extremist, and slowly started to question his own beliefs as well. I thought this movie's insights on both religion (and crises of faith) and extremism were really interesting. It took some thinking before I made sense of it but I thought this movie was really well thought out in how it connected the dots between the characters and the main themes of the movie. Highly recommend if you like drama films and films about religion.

Network (1976)

Awesome movie about a TV network. At the beginning of the movie, a TV anchorman found out that he was going to be let go due to low ratings, and he told the audience that he was going to kill himself on live TV, which naturally drove ratings up.

The movie covered several story lines on the relationships between TV, TV executives, people who appeared on TV, and people who watched TV, and it really dug into what drew the attention of the masses, which tended to be extreme stuff like death and outrage, but also sympathetic programs that made viewers feel seen and acknowledged.

The gif I chose is from one of my favourite scenes in the movie, of which an executive was explaining "corporate cosmology," a pseudoreligion that worshipped corporations.

A black comedy through and through, definitely recommend for those who are interested in people's relationships with media.

Shadow (影) (2018)

Zhang Yimou's new movies tend to be hit-or-miss for me, but this one was a hit. It reminded me of early 2000s Zhang Yimou style in its visual aesthetic. To be honest I teared up at one point in this movie because I found the visuals so moving (at a part that's not even sad, how embarrassing lol). So that's one of the reasons why this movie made it high on my list. I had a hard time choosing one gif for this movie because it looked so fantastic from beginning to end.

The story was an adaptation of a story from the Three Kingdoms period, specifically the battle at Jingzhou. All of the names of the characters were changed, likely because the story wasn't historically accurate. The major difference of this movie (revealed towards the beginning) was that one of the major generals was in fact in hiding and the man who posed as him was his body double (his shadow). The acting for this movie was great. I think what also set this movie apart from some of Zhang Yimou's more classic works was that the style of acting was generally livelier.

This movie was on the simple side of Zhang Yimou's high production value movies, but something about it just spoke to me personally. I recommend this for people who love pretty looking movies.

5 Centimeters per Second (秒速5センチメートル) (2007)

I don't normally love romance movies, but I thought the messages this movie communicated about romantic love were so thoughtful and nuanced. This movie was split into three parts, each covering a different part of the main character's life, and exploring his love and the love directed at him. In particular, it explored themes of growing with or without love, how love stays with one and how to deal with it when a love that cannot be attained stays with you. A relatively simple story, as there were only a few characters but I think exploring them at different ages was a great way to get the message across. I'd recommend this for people who like mature romances.

Honourable mentions

I liked these movies a lot, and they did also make me think, but they just didn't make the top of my list.

The Vanishing (Sporloos) (1988)

This movie covered two timelines. The past story line was about a couple, where a girlfriend disappeared. The present story line was about the boyfriend finally getting answers.

Why I rated this movie highly was that a little while after watching this movie (like 24 hours later), I started to feel a sense of dread and fear. And I think it was because the psychological aspect of the movie took some time to sink in, but once it did, it just made me feel kind of sick.

Definitely check this out if you like psychological movies.

Hero (英雄) (2002)

This movie was about a nameless hero on a mission to kill the king, Ying Zheng, who was the first Emperor to unite the Warring States of China. The movie was portrayed in a Rashomon style, where the nameless hero and the king each told stories about how the hero came to have an audience with the king, each version with different variations.

Before I'd watched this movie, I was a bit skeptical about this movie being a wuxia movie, because I knew there was a political story line to it. Having watched this movie though, I felt it melded the wuxia and political genres well, finding a middle ground and commenting on how wuxia and political/patriotism themes compared and contrasted against each other.

This wasn't a strictly action movie so it wasn't non-stop all the time, but I do think that Jet Li's fighting looks awesome. Like with Shadow, I'd recommend this movie for people who love great looking movies, but also for people who are interested in Chinese culture, as I thought the discussions between the hero and the king were thoughtful.

The Favourite (2018)

This movie was about two ladies vying to be Queen Anne's favourite (basically her favoured lover). One lady, Sarah, was Queen Anne's childhood friend. She loved Queen Anne, in a way that was not only romantic, but she was also comfortable enough with Queen Anne to not always be flattering her. Abigail was the new girl in the castle, who wanted to flatter and seduce her way up into a better life.

This story line reminded me of harem Cdramas. It's all about how you flatter the main authority, which in this case was Queen Anne. But this movie had a different take, because though Queen Anne was the main authority here, her power was not absolute and she also went through a character journey, which was not something I often saw with such characters in Cdramas. I especially found the aftermath of the conflicts and the ending really interesting.

Yorgos Lanthimos has a very distinct and strange direction style, and it persisted in this movie. I can see why it may be offputting to certain people. For example, one of things that are very distinct about his direction style is that his actors always have very cold line delivery, almost with little emotion. But I've come to appreciate it. Maybe it's because the delivery is so cold that we really focus on what's being said.

Check this out if you like Yorgos Lanthimos, or if you want to "ease" into his work, because this movie is probably one of the "less weird" of his lol.

Border (Gräns) (2018)

A very peculiar movie. I read other people's comments on this movie, and even among people who liked this movie, many found it a bit too "weird" at times. But I thought it was weird enough to express a message. As a spoiler, this movie is considered fantasy.

Our main character was a woman who worked as a border services guard. She had an unusual appearance and a very good sense of smell, going so far as to be able to smell emotions like fear or worry. But she really had trouble fitting in. One day, she met a man who had a similar appearance to her, and was also similarly odd in behaviour. Through him, she learned more about herself. I won't go too much into this to avoid further spoilers.

This movie explored themes of humanity, what moral values make a person human, and humans' relationship with people who are different.

In terms of what I think turned people away, this movie leaned into the nitty gritty of fantasy, as in the actual biological particulars, so that was why some people were weirded out. Personally I didn't find it so weird, and I thought it really helped flesh the world out.

Check this movie out if you're interested in more "realistic" fantasy.

Confessions (告白) (2010)

This movie was about a middle school teacher taking revenge on two of her students for killing her daughter. As a middle school teacher, she was aware of the leniencies afforded to kids that weren't afforded to adults, so that's why she needed to go around the law.

To be honest I bumped up the score on this movie because I really liked the novel it was based on and the movie followed the novel quite closely.

The novel was called Confessions, as it was made up of a handful of very long monologues by various characters in the story. Because of the inherent differences between novels and movies as media, this aspect of the story could not be communicated. As well, some aspects of the movie production were a bit dated (older music, dramatic direction). So for those reasons, I'd still highly recommend the book, but this movie was still a solid thriller.

Capernaum (كفرناحوم‎) (2018)

This movie started with a boy in court, telling the judge of his intention to sue his parents for giving birth to him. The movie then went back in time to show the suffering that the boy experienced in his life, much of it coming from child poverty and child abuse. There were parts of the movie that were very bleak and showed how kids really are subject to the fates of the adults around them.

This was a very bleak movie. It had some moments that were very striking and will stay with me for a long time. I will spoil that the movie did have a somewhat hopeful ending. Though I felt that the ending didn't exactly fit this movie, perhaps this ending would be more preferable for people who would hate the bleak parts of the movie.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend this movie because it was so bleak, but I did think the stories and relationships between the children in this movie were touching, which really contrasted against the society around them that didn't do enough to protect children.

Movies that were still good

I thought these movies were good, and I can see these movies speaking to people, though they weren't my personal top movies.

Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫) (1997)

This movie has been on my to-watch list for a while. It was one of the more serious Studio Ghibli films. The story was about a prince going across the land to find the Deer God who could lift the curse he'd encountered while battling a demon boar. During his journey, he met a girl who was raised by a Wolf God (who would be the eponymous princess).

I've noticed that Studio Ghibli films tend to have environmentalist themes, and this movie was definitely one of them. Through this story, the movie explored the relationships between human industrialization and nature. I also appreciated that this movie's take on human industrialization was nuanced, showing how industry was harmful to the forest, but also gave a life to disadvantaged people (such as women or those who were disabled).

Blue Velvet (1986)

This movie followed a main character as he attempted to uncover the truth behind a human ear he found. He got deeper and deeper into the story and so many things were left unexplained but he kept going.

This movie was extremely freaky and to this day I am still a bit afraid of it. It isn't horror in the traditional sense but there was so much unexplained weirdness in this movie that I started feeling dread or horror whenever I thought about this movie.

I thought it was interesting to explore this story through our main character, who is also not normal. Watch this movie if you're ready for weirdness, but it can get really intense at times. For me it was scary because I didn't know where the limits were. I didn't know that something insane wasn't going to happen because all the characters in this movie were capable of doing something totally unhinged.

The only other movie I'd seen from David Lynch was Mulholland Drive, and I definitely saw the similarities, with the story being a bit dreamlike and ambiguous, with some freaky moments (that hobo in Mulholland Drive still freaks me out to this day).

A Passage to India (1984)

This movie was about a lady visiting her fiance in India, which at the time was a British colony. I'd say that this movie was about how her trip to India and the people she met there changed her.

Though I thought this movie had some interesting points, the fact that it's a bit dated is why I'm a little hesitant to recommend it too strongly. The 1924 book that this movie was based on was said to have Orientalist takes, and I think some of them bled over into the movie. Alec Guinness portraying an Indian professor, a guru-like character was definitely a huge yikes!!!

There were some interactions between characters which I thought were a bit cringe and definitely Orientalist, but there were also some interactions where the ethnic tensions and class differences were very much the point, and I did find those interesting. So this is why I'm a little…mixed on this movie. Advance at your own risk.

Only Yesterday (おもひでぽろぽろ) (1991)

This was a light but still mature movie, about a woman working in the city but whose heart belonged to the country. I did think that there were some aspects of the story that were a bit dated and represented social norms at the time. But I thought that the main character's past and memories being explored was really interesting and really cute at times too. I can see why this movie was as popular as it was at the time. It was a mature romance, and by romance I mean both romantic love, but also a sense of yearning and wishing for a certain lifestyle.

Arrietty (借りぐらしのアリエッティ) (2010)

Another Studio Ghibli film that I felt had very strong environmentalist themes. This movie was about a boy who moved to the countryside for his health. At the house he moved to, he found that there was a family of little tiny people who lived there too. The boy wanted to strike up a friendship with the family, but there were repercussions to the family being discovered by humans.

I thought this movie was pretty unambiguous in expressing that we may admire nature, but it's not meant to be tampered with by us. And I think this film attempted to show us this still with a hopeful tone, expressing that this is how to ensure survival of both.

Train to Busan (부산행) (2016)

Very highly touted thriller movie, and I can see why it was so popular. This movie was about a businessman who was taking his daughter to Busan for the day. While on the train, there was a zombie outbreak, and the movie covered the cast of characters trying to survive.

I think this movie was popular because it was a good mix of different kinds of story lines. You had the pure action/survival story line, in which all of our characters used various methods to fend off the zombies and to protect themselves and their loved ones. There was also a drama story line surrounding each of the characters. Each of them had their own story, and in their dying hours, we saw how each of them dealt with their impending death, what they found worthy of dying for, what they would miss, who they loved, etc.

Closing Remarks

Towards the end of the year, around November, I started thinking that I wouldn't have many movies to include in this year's list. But I think what's happening is that I'm starting to look at pockets of film (by genre, by director, etc.) that can be a hit or miss for me.

Have you seen any of these movies? Are there any movies that sound interesting to you? Let me know :3 I love talking about movies!

#thinking out loud #thoughts #movies

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elen-000 · 3 months ago

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The Distance of Cherry Blossoms

5 Centimeters per Second (Japanese: 秒速5センチメートル, Hepburn: Byōsoku Go Senchimētoru) is a 2007 Japanese animated romantic drama film written and directed by Makoto Shinkai. It premiered on March 3, 2007, and has since become known for its heartfelt narrative and beautiful animation.

Awards & Adaptations 🏆

The film won Best Animated Feature Film at the 2007 Asia Pacific Screen Awards. It also inspired a novel adaptation in November 2007 and a manga version illustrated by Seike Yukiko in 2010.

Plot Summary 📜

Set in Japan from the early 1990s to 2008, 5 Centimeters per Second is divided into three segments, each exploring different stages in the life of Takaki Tōno and his relationships.

Episode 1: Cherry Blossom In 1991, Takaki Tōno befriends Akari Shinohara at their elementary school in Tokyo. Despite their close bond and shared interests, Akari moves away in 1994. Takaki decides to visit her one last time before his family relocates. Despite a lost letter and a snowstorm delaying him, they share a significant moment, but both realize they are drifting apart.

Episode 2: Cosmonaut By 1999, Takaki is in high school on Tanegashima. Kanae Sumida, a classmate, has harbored feelings for him since middle school but struggles to confess. Takaki, preoccupied with memories of Akari, fails to notice Kanae’s affections. Kanae eventually accepts that Takaki’s heart is set elsewhere and decides to keep her feelings to herself.

Episode 3: 5 Centimeters per Second In 2008, Takaki is a Tokyo programmer, unable to move on from Akari, who is about to marry someone else. Takaki’s emotional struggle leads him to quit his job. Meanwhile, Akari finds an old letter she wrote to Takaki years earlier. Both recall their last meeting and the promise to watch cherry blossoms together. They briefly reconnect at a train crossing, only for the train to separate them once more.

Characters 👤

Takaki Tōno (Voiced by: Kenji Mizuhashi / David Matranga / Johnny Yong Bosch) The film’s protagonist, Takaki, frequently moves due to his parents’ jobs. He and Akari become close friends, but their paths diverge after she moves away.

Akari Shinohara (Voiced by: Yoshimi Kondō / Ayaka Onoue / Hilary Haag / Erika Weinstein / Tara Platt) Takaki’s best friend and early love interest. She moves to Tochigi after elementary school, and their communication dwindles over time.

Kanae Sumida (Voiced by: Satomi Hanamura / Serena Varghese / Kira Buckland) A high school classmate who loves Takaki but struggles to express her feelings. She eventually accepts that Takaki is seeking something beyond her reach.

Production Notes 🎨

Makoto Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters per Second marks a departure from his previous fantasy and sci-fi works, focusing instead on realistic portrayals of love and separation. The title refers to the speed at which cherry blossom petals fall, symbolizing the slow drift of relationships and the passage of time.

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itocaci · 8 months ago

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季節の変化を感じる服 - amachi. "Fluctuation Line One Piece" / "Fluctuation Line SS Shirt"

こんばんは。

・

今日、家の近くの桜の木を眺めてみると、僅かだが桜が咲いていた。

本格的な桜の開花が間近に迫る頃。

そんな桜の開花の時期になると、毎年見たくなる映画がある。

映画「君の名は」でお馴染み、新海誠監督の作品「秒速5センチメートル」だ。

・

新海誠作品の中で、僕が最も好きな作品が「秒速5センチメートル」になる。

公開されたのが2007年ということで、振り返ると僕が大学生の頃だ。

・

そしてそんな「秒速5センチメートル」が、なんと3/29からリバイバル上映をしてくれるそうだ。

桜前線の北上に合わせて上映をするそうで、九州から南関東までは3/29から公開。北関東から北海道は4/12から公開するそうだ。

「桜前線上映」なんて粋なことをしてくれる。

・

せっかくなので、今年は家で見るのではなく、映画館に足を運んで見ようかなぁと思っている。

(当時見た感想と今見る感想は結構違うんだけど、それはそれで面白い。)

さて、本題に。

本日は素敵なテキスタイルを使った"amachi."のアイテムを紹介させてもらおうと思う。

無意味に見える冒頭のお話も、実は多少なりリンクをしたりしているかも。

なので、ちょっと長いけど、最後までご覧いただけると嬉しく思う。

amachi. : Fluctuation Line One Piece (Green × Blue) ¥63,800 (tax in)

amachi. : Fluctuation Line One Piece (Brown × Pink) ¥63,800 (tax in)

amachi. : Fluctuation Line SS Shirt (Green × Blue) ¥59,400

amachi. : Fluctuation Line SS Shirt (Brown × Pink) ¥59,400

”Phenology”をシーズンテーマに据えた中でのアイテムとなる。

以下ブランドより発表されたテキストになる。

-----------------------------------------

Collection 014 / SS2024 “Phenology”

ツバメの飛来、桜の開花、河の凍結など

すべての生態学的現象は季節の移ろいとともに始まり、終わる

動物、植物、自然現象、それぞれががもつ周期性

常に変化しながら、様々な組み合わせとして現れる ”風景”

そのリズムや移り変わりそのものをテーマにしたコレクションを創ってみたい

そう考えていた頃、“季節学” と呼ばれる学問が存在することを知った

膨大なフィールドワークをもとに

動植物と自然環境の相互関係や連鎖を観測し研究する分野である

対象は自然界に留まらず、人々が夏服・冬服を纏う初日/末日を観測するなど

人間社会への観察をも含んだ

まさに ”万物が気候に応じて変化するありさま” をとらえる学問であった

一年を二つのシーズンに分け、およそ半年間のワードローブを

一つのコレクションとして発表する周期の中で

私たちなりに、季節と向き合い、思考する

これまで当然のように繰り返してきたことに改めて向き合う “季節学”

冬枯れから春へ向かう時期、ツバメや花々が見せるある瞬間の色の組み合わせのような

心に残る情景に感性をゆだねて表現したシーズンとなった

----------------------------------------

"amachi."のコレクションを通じて知った「季節学」。

季節の移ろいと生物の活動周期を研究する学問になるそうだ。

・

僕らも服を季節の移ろいに合わせて変えるように、私たちの生活に非常に密着した学問であり、気がつけば身体に浸透しているような。

そんな学問でもある。

・

今朝のニュースで、「春バテ」という、あまり聞き馴染みのない単語を知った。

今年は特に「春バテ」をする人が多いそうだ。

理由としては、春になっても肌寒い日が多いことが原因だということだ。

冬が寒いのは当たり前だと身体が覚えているのだが、いつまでも寒いことで、私たちの身体の周期もズレてしまい、自律神経の調整が効かなくなっているのだろう。

・

朝ご飯を食べながら、ボーッとした頭で、これも「季節学」の分野なのだろうか。

なんてことを考えてしまった。

そんな"Phenology"のリサーチを通じて生まれたコレクションのアイテム。

特に個人的にはテキスタイルに心を奪われたアイテムとなる。

細かいので、着画ではなかなかと伝わりにくいのだけど、近くで見るとステッチワークのような柄がとても素敵だ。

・

"amachi."の服に可愛いという表現が適しているのか分からないのだけど、僕としてはなんとも愛おしくて、可愛らしいテキスタイルだと感じた。

・

"Green × Brown"カラーは、冬から春にかけて、深く暗い緑に覆われた森に霧が立ち込めるイメージから生まれている。言わば針葉樹の森だ。だから、刺繍のような柄の部分に用いられている糸には、青みのかかった糸が用いられている。

一方、"Brown × Pink"カラーは、枯れ木に満ちた初春をイメージしている。葉が落ち、枯れ枝のみが残った色の失われた世界。そんな森に梅の花が咲き始めた様子になるそうだ。なのでこちらは広葉樹の森だ。そのため、刺繍のような柄の部分に用いられている糸には、ピンクの糸が用いられている。

・

山に近いエリアで育った僕には、とても懐かしい風景でもある。

まあ、正直、梅の花までは思い出せない。

でも冬の間、茶色だった山に、あちらこちらで桜が咲き始めて、それが徐々に深い緑へと変わっていく。そんな山が色を取り戻す風景を思い出してしまった。

・

さて、この不思議な柄はもちろん「織」でできている。

どうやったらこんな生地ができるのだろうか。

素敵なテキスタイルに出会うとすぐにそんなことを考えてしまう。

もはや反射と言っても良い。

話を聞くと、実はこの生地に使われているテクニックは事故から生まれたというお話だ。

また、僕の心をくすぐるようなお話ではないか。

・

生地加工の段階で糸が収縮し、ジグザグの刺繍のような柄になってしまったということだ。（専門的な話ですみません。）

なので、狙ったというよりは、生地トラブルだ。

でも、工場に行くとそういった話を聞く機会は多いのだ。

面白い生地を作るような工場に行けば、色んなことに挑戦しているので、なおさらそういった話を伺う機会が多い。

・

さて、今回この2着に共通してオススメしたいポイントは、この素敵な生地の柄合わせになる。

ワンピースは縦、横、斜めに生地を切り替えながら。

シャツはフロントと背面、それぞれピッタリと柄が来るように。

生地の使い方もデザインの一つとして、このアイテムのアクセントに一役買っているのだ。

ちょっと分かりにくいけど、背中の斜めの柄合わせが効いて、非常に構築的な見た目が素敵だ。

・

ちょうどたまたま、先週非常にハイクオリティな縫製工場へお邪魔する機会があった。

柄合わせの作業を見せてもらったのだけど、この工場では、生地がズレ無いようするため、こうやってレザーポイントを使って垂直にしっかりと生地を合わせるようにしているということだった。

（amachi.の依頼している工場ではないと思うし、依頼している工場にはその工場のやり方があるので、あくまでも参考として。）

それくらい工場も神経を使う工程になるのだ。

・

でもそれだからこそ出せる美しさはあって、この"amachi."のシャツは、そんな織物や縫製の工場の方の工夫や細部へのこだわりも欠かせないのだ。

シャツは、肩線のない独特なパターンを用いている。

そのため、スッと身体に沿って落ちるため非常にすっきりとした印象だ。

ワンピースはちょうど肩線のあたりくらいに、燕の巣を彷彿させるような異素材の切り替えがアクセントになっている。

こちら、素材は和紙になる。

もちろん、水で洗っても問題ない。

また、ちゃんとポケットも付いている。

ポケット付き。

嬉しい方も多いでのはないだろうか。

先ほど生地だけ見ると可愛いなんてお話をさせてもらったけど、ワンピースやシャツといった服に仕上がると、やっぱり上品で美しい。

店に到着して以来、何度見ても唸ってしまうようなアイテムだ。

正直、半袖シャツは僕も狙っている。

・

生地、パターン、縫製、デザイン（まあ生地もパターンも縫製もデザインの一部なんだけど）の全てがパーフェクトに揃ったアイテムになるのだ。

・

もし良かったらぜひ一度ご覧いただけると嬉しく思う。

・

なお、ワンピースの"Brown × Pink"は、現在"online shop"でもご覧いただける。

その他の色やアイテムに関しては、SNSもしくはメールにてお問合せください。

・

さて、冒頭で桜が咲くと見たくなる映画「秒速5センチメートル」の桜前線上映のお話をしたけど、僕という個人単体で見ると、桜が咲くと「秒速5センチメートル」を見たいっていうのも、ある意味では季節学に近いものなのかもしれない。

そんなことを思った。

・

季節の移ろいの中で姿を変える森。

そんな森の移ろいをイメージして生まれたテキスタイル。

素敵なテキスタイルを贅沢に、そして繊細に用いたアイテムを纏って、皆さんも季節の移ろいを装いで楽しんでもらえると嬉しく思う。

・

それでは次回もお楽しみに。

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