#Japan Society

[lisamarie-vee]

[ogradyfilm]

Recently Viewed: I Am What I Am

I Am What I Am is the exact sort of pleasant surprise that defines Japan Cuts for me. The synopsis on the festival website led me to believe that it would be a somewhat overwrought melodrama; what I got instead was a delightfully unconventional, subversive romcom that omits the “romance” entirely.

The plot revolves around Kasumi Sobata, an asexual thirty-year-old struggling to navigate the pressures of a society that expects women her age to quit their jobs, get married, and have a bunch of kids. Unfortunately, her family practically epitomizes conformity and traditional gender roles. Her heavily pregnant sister, for example, dutifully ignores the warning signs that her husband might be unfaithful. Her grandmother, meanwhile—fresh off her third divorce—insists that a “proper” wife should accept infidelity as an inevitability. Worst of all, her mother—misconstruing her lack of a love life as evidence of depression—frequently sets her up on impromptu “dates” with “eligible bachelors,” hoping to force the issue of wedded bliss through manipulation, subterfuge, and sheer tenacity.

The conflict ventures far beyond the tropes typically associated with the genre. The primary “obstacle” isn’t the protagonist’s reluctance to abandon her own ambitions (though that is a secondary concern); her very identity is at stake. Whenever she admits that she is incapable of experiencing physical attraction, her feelings are immediately dismissed, invalidated, and trivialized. A male friend, for instance, assumes that she is merely making an excuse to “politely” reject his (abrupt, clumsy) flirtatious advances; he subsequently ends their platonic relationship.

The movie’s visual style is simple, yet elegant. Most scenes unfold from a single camera angle, with only minor adjustments to the frame: a pan here, a lateral dolly move there, the occasional slow push-in. This minimalism prioritizes behavior rather than action, allowing the performances (as opposed to the editing) to guide the rhythm of the narrative—and the actors absolutely deliver in that regard! Toko Miura is particularly compelling as our hapless heroine; whereas the character that she portrayed in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car was cold, aloof, and taciturn, Kasumi is sensitive, affable, and effortlessly funny—an impressive display of versatility.

Ultimately, I Am What I Am is a triumph of representation. It explicitly assures ace viewers that they are neither defective nor alone, encouraging them to express themselves freely and unapologetically—after all, no human being (queer or otherwise) should have to justify their existence; everybody deserves basic respect and dignity. The message is unsubtle by design—and that thematic transparency significantly deepens the film’s emotional resonance.

[catandgirlcomic]

Enter the bagpipes.

[x-ref]

"Two longtime painters recently told me how joyful their studio practices had become in their 40s once they took their minds off their ambitions, stopped trying to impress anyone, and just let the paintings paint themselves. I’ve been dabbling with working that way myself, so I was thrilled to find the memorable demonstrations of unburdened artistic spontaneity that are scattered in 'None Whatsoever: Zen Paintings from the Gitter-Yelen Collection' at the Japan Society."

-- Zen Paintings at the Japan Society.

[nerdiertides]

NYC's Japan Society is screening the anime film "The Adolescence of Utena" this week!

(Featured Image Source: © 1997 BE-PAPAS/CHIHO SAITO/SHOGAKUKAN • SHOKAKU • TV TOKYO) Experience the classic and impactful anime film The Adolescence of Utena this week, thanks to the Japan Society! © 1997 BE-PAPAS/CHIHO SAITO/SHOGAKUKAN • SHOKAKU • TV TOKYO via Japan Society The newest entry in the Japan Society’s Monthly Anime screening series. The Adolescence of Utena was released in 1999 as…

[redsnerdden]

Viz Media Hosts Bleach VAs Masakazu Morita and Noriaki Sugiyama for a Special Event in LA and NYC

Viz Media Hosts Bleach Voice Actors Masakazu Morita and Noriaki Sugiyama for a Special Event in LA and NYC #BLEACH #anime #manga #animation #entertainment

Viz Media announced recently that it would be hosting a special bicoastal event in both Los Angeles and New York City. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War voice actors Masakazu Morita (Dragon Ball Super, Bleach, Major) and Noriaki Sugiyama (Naruto, Fate/stay night, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations). This bicoastal event will be taking place first in Los Angeles on October 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00…

[kenpiercemedia]

From The Gram: Seeing "Godzilla Minus One" @ Japan Society

View this post on Instagram A post shared by PiercingMetal (@piercingmetalnyc) Site visitors are encouraged to click the heart on the photo to show that they like it and then please come “Follow” the profile to enjoy all of our other images and adventures. Topical comments are also most welcome.

[thegeekiary]

Anime NYC and Japan Society announced today the launch of the first ever American Manga Awards, which will celebrate the outstanding achievements of professionals in the world of manga – those who have made significant contributions to manga’s popularity, both in North America and Japan.

READ MORE: First Ever American Manga Awards to be Held in NYC This Summer

[ljaesch]

Anime NYC and Japan Society Announce the American Manga Awards

Anime NYC and Japan Society have announced the launch of the first-ever American Manga Awards, set to take place on August 22, 2024 at the historic Japan Society in New York City on the eve of the Anime NYC 2024 convention, expected to draw 100,000 attendees. This first-ever American Manga Awards will celebrate the outstanding achievements of professionals in the world of Japanese comics, who…

[fearsmagazine]

LUMBERJACK THE MONSTER North American Premiere and Reception Mon., May 6 at 8:00 PM at Japan Society NYC.

Japan Society then celebrates iconoclastic Japanese director Takashi Miike with the North American Premiere of Lumberjack the Monster on May 6. Opening in Japanese theaters just this past December, Lumberjack the Monster delivers the director’s trademark horror and humor in a cat-and-mouse chase between a serial killer and a psychopathic lawyer hot on his trail. Lumberjack the Monster is presented together with the upcoming Tribeca Festival’s Escape from Tribeca program in honor of the film’s forthcoming Netflix release.

Japanese horror and cult icon Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins) returns to the big screen with an adaptation of Mayusuke Kurai’s thrilling novel. This cat-and-mouse chase between a serial killer and a lawyer hot on his trail is filled with gruesome murders, missing brains, and disturbing secrets. The most disturbing? The lawyer is a psychopath. Yes, Takashi Miike’s newest nightmare is the brutal showdown between a serial killer and a psychopath lawyer. It’s a bloody good time. This premiere screening is presented together with the Tribeca Festival’s Escape from Tribeca. The Tribeca Festival returns June 5-16, and its Escape from Tribeca program puts a spotlight on underground, cult, and genre cinema. This event is hosted in honor of Lumberjack the Monster’s upcoming Netflix release on June 1.

Purchase Tickets' - HERE

[nerdsworld]

🐲Anime NYC 2024🐉

I will be attending this year just for one day, I went for the first inaugural in 2017 and 2018.

Back than only half of the Javitz Center was utilized,carpet was removed which made it even worst for walking and standing around.

It also had more of a "flea market" type vibe than a "convention" but since it was their very first Anime NYC after parting ways with ReedPOP (NYCC)many years ago,expectations on my part was low.

But,when they announced that the FULL use of Javitz Center would be available for 2024, moving the date to the end of summer and starting the convention earlier.

This seemed like a good enough excuse to return to Anime NYC and see how much it has grown,and now with the help of Japan Society this should make the experience better this year.

Friday

01.19.2024

L.George

[graphicpolicy]

Anime NYC and Japan Society Announce Official Partnership

Anime NYC and Japan Society Announce Official Partnership #AnimeNYC #JapanSociety

Anime NYC and Japan Society have announced a significant partnership, underscoring a dynamic relationship between Japan’s popular and traditional arts, and fostering an ongoing collaboration with the goal of enriching the cultural fabric of the vibrant communities they both serve. Since its founding in 2017, Anime NYC has rapidly become a major force in anime, manga, and Japan’s popular arts…

[ogradyfilm]

Recently Viewed: The Box Man

[The following review contains MINOR SPOILERS; YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.]

The Box Man is based on a Kobo Abe novel that is—according to my admittedly limited research, at least—widely considered to be impossible to adapt. Although I am unable to properly judge the accuracy of that assertion (having not read the source material—yet), evidence in the film certainly supports it. The narrative is rough and ragged around the edges, so sprawling that it frequently threatens to unravel. As you might expect from a medium that requires concrete imagery, metaphor is often smothered by literalism. The tone and style are likewise wildly inconsistent—pulpy and avant-garde in equal measure; the iconography surrounding the eponymous hermit, for example, borrows much of its visual language from—of all genres—superhero cinema and anime.

The fact that director Gakuryu Ishii manages to wrangle the unwieldy story into something resembling coherence is nothing short of miraculous. A talented cast certainly helps matters: Masatoshi Nagase lends pathos and gravitas to even the most absurd scenes, while Tadanobu Asano (fresh off his acclaimed performance in FX’s Shogun) embraces the inherent slapstick comedy of the premise without hesitation or reservation. The poignant themes, too, anchor the chaotic plot; the recurring motif of false identities—a man who forsakes any semblance of “self” and instead lives as a nameless vagabond, a “doctor” that practices medicine without a license, a femme fatale whose allegiances and motivations remain infuriatingly ambiguous—is particularly compelling. The titular box emerges as a powerful symbol; clad in his cardboard armor, our protagonist exists on the fringes of a decaying society—anonymous, invisible, ignored by his so-called “civilized” fellow humans, trapped in their personal prisons of materialism and consumerism. But it’s the metafictional twist near the movie’s conclusion that truly elevates the whole package. I won’t spoil the ending here; suffice it to say that the audience is implicated as the ultimate voyeur, observing an artificial world through a narrow frame—judging the characters’ actions despite our fundamental lack of agency.

Featuring spectacularly choreographed fights, exquisitely overwrought melodrama, and inscrutably convoluted philosophy, The Box Man is the quintessential festival experience: impenetrably dense, difficult to classify or codify, a little pretentious, captivatingly beautiful, and absolutely unforgettable.

[bixels]

Now that Ghibli's new movie is coming out soon, I've been thinking about anime films and wanna talk about my favorite animated movie ever, Tokyo Godfathers.

TG is a 2003 tragicomedy by Satoshi Kon, following three unhoused people––an alcoholic, a runaway girl, an a trans woman––who find a baby in a dumpster and set off across Tokyo to reunite her with her parents.

If you like the sound of that, go watch it because the rest of this post is spoilers and I have FEELINGS about this movie.

URGHH, the fact that only two moments of true kindness, generosity, and care given to the three protagonists without any expectation of reciprocity are given by a Latin-American immigrant couple and a drag club full of queens and trans women. The fact that, despite her loud and dramatic personality, Hana is the glue that holds the team together and the heart of the whole movie. The fact that this movie pulls no punches at showing the violence and inhumanity committed by "civilized Japanese society" against the unhoused. The fact that Miyuki craves to be loved by her parents and ends up seeing Hana as her true mother. The fact that Miyuki starts off accidentally using transphobic language against Hana, but slowly begins calling her "Miss Hana" out of respect. The fact that, according to Kon, Hana's role in the story is as a mythological trickster god and "disturb the morality and order of society, but also play a role in revitalizing culture." The fact that Hana so desperately wants to be part of a true family, yet is willing to sacrifice her found family so they can be with their own, and is rewarded for her good deeds in the end by becoming a godmother. The fact that, throughout the movie, wind and light have been used to signify the presence of god's hand/influence (this movie's about nondenominational faith––faith in yourself, faith in others, faith in a higher power. Lots of religious are referenced, such as Buddhism/Hinduism, Christianity, and Shintoism), and in the climax of the film, as Hana jumps off a building to save a baby that isn't hers, a gust of wind and a shower of light save her from death. The fact that god saves a trans woman's life because she proved herself a mother, and that shit makes me CRY.

[lemonerix]

hetadoodles :P

[nerdiertides]

Anime NYC and Japan Society announces official partnership!

(Featured Image Source: ©Anime NYC) This summer, Anime NYC 2024 is set to bring all kinds of anime fun to the heart of New York City, and the super-charged convention is teaming up with the Japan Society as the event’s non-profit partner! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Japan Society (@japansociety) Held at NYC’s Jacob Javits, Anime NYC Powered by Crunchyroll is a convention…