#exhibition makoto shinkai

[psychewritesbs]

Hi....if you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters from Tokyo Babylon? And why do you love them? And your top 5 favorite moments from the series? Thanks.....

HOLA! Thank you for your patience, I really wanted to give this a lot of thought but Jujutsu Kaisen dropped a massive twist so this took me a lot longer to get back to you. Without further ado...

Favorite TB characters

4. Tokyo

I don’t necessarily have any super insightful reasons for it other than just loving Tokyo. Also, this post does a fantastic job of introducing Sei-chan as a metaphor for Tokyo that I highly recommend you read.

The thing is that Tokyo is just... 

Larger than life? 

Intoxicating?

Exhilarating?

I’m a big city girl, and I’ve been privy to have visited a few of the most iconic and most populous cities in the world... Mexico City, NYC, Lima, Bangkok, Vancouver... but in my eyes, none compare to Tokyo. Ok maybe Mexico City, but that’s because I’m biased af by tacos and my people.

That said, I am a big fan of stories that feature cities as a sort of background character that defines the context of the story and serves as a container for it simultaneously. i.e. Your Name and Weathering with you by Makoto Shinkai. But I like that CLAMP takes it a step deeper by creating Sei as a metaphor for Tokyo as a corrupting force.

Of course, we also can’t ignore that CLAMP linked Tokyo to the ancient city of Babylon, thus implying that Tokyo and its inhabitants have become corrupted by their own ego’s baser humanity. Ironically, the ego is not necessarily “evil” or a “bad thing” in and of itself.

So it’s an interesting dichotomy given Subaru’s exalted spiritual role within the story and how Tokyo is considered a sort of sacred “place” upon which the fate of the world hinges in x/1999 and other non-CLAMP manga.

Not to mention the whole idea around God taking away humanity’s ability to understand each other--it’s almost foreshadowing for how Subaru and Seishiro’s dynamic evolves.

3. Sumeragi Hokuto

This girl.

Hokuto is one of my favorite female characters in manga. At first, you get the impression she’s just Subaru’s appendage because she is his twin--a sort of person who is there to be a foil to Subaru’s more sensitive and quiet nature.

And then, CLAMP brings her to life as an individual in her own right in the most magnificent way possible. Not only does she demonstrate depth, but she’s brave, compassionate... idk, this girl is the whole 9 yards and a bit more. 

I think some of my favorite scenes with her are when she spooks Seishiro. It says a lot about her character to openly and brazenly defy a person such as Seishiro.

I hate to admit I don’t spend a lot of time brain rotting about her so I don’t have a whole lot to say about her other than “I adore her” and that I love her chapter, Smile.

Honestly, what’s not to love about Hokuto?

2. Sakurazuka Seishiro

Ok let’s start with the obvious: He’s a massive idiot and a sinister creep, and I love him all the more for it.

Also, his love language is torture so... it explains a lot.

Basically, Seishiro is a conundrum. When you re-read TB and you know what goes down in x/1999, you kind of have to start to wonder about his sense of self.

Seishiro, as a character, walks a fine line between who he pretends to be and his temperament. Even though he puts on a specific mask in his interactions with the Sumeragi twins, Hokuto always knew he was pretending and even Subaru always expressed his desire to get to know the real Seishiro--thus implying he sensed something was off.

But that’s just it. Personality and behavior ≠ temperament. As humans we are multidimensional beings and those are but three aspects of being.

Also, this is where it gets complicated with him because he can pretend to exhibit certain personality traits or behaviors all day long, but his unchanging temperament is quite another thing. I’ve personally have always felt like it is Sei’s temperament what Subaru latched onto and fell in love with even if Seishiro made it a point to hold back and restrain the whole of his true nature from Subaru.

It’s almost like the Seishiro Subaru fell in love with existed at the intersection between Seishiro the cruel bastard that we know him to be, and Seishiro, the soul.

As for Sei, my best guess is that the same was true for him and that his ego mind/personality could not hold the tension of being inevitably attracted and drawn to Subaru’s temperament. The whole personality dichotomy between them was, in the end, just an excuse for Seishiro to remain in control of a situation over which he had no control.

As has been said multiple times in the fandom, the fact that Sei-chan even made the bet to begin with, is proof that he had already lost it.

Dammit Seishiro why can’t you just be normal ffs?!

That said, I love Seishiro both out of compassion for the tragedy of his character, AND as a clinical study on someone who is a total nutcase. 

Honestly, that’s one of the things I love the most about him? He’s SUCH A CREEP and just can’t be normal about Subaru.

1. Sumeragi Subaru

My favorite is, of course, Subaru.

I was talking with a fellow Pisces I recently met about a few Pisces characters, and in their own words: "I understand exactly how his fucked up little head works”.

So... I love Subaru because of who he is as a character and also because "I understand exactly how his fucked up little head works”.

Subaru is ethereal. Not of this world but in it. He’s soft and gentle and kind. But he’s also a bit of a liar and self-loathing and lacks boundaries.

Basically, Subaru is a masterclass in maladaptive empathy and compassion. This is not to mention that Subaru carries the burden of “the chosen one” and feels at odds both with his role and with his place in the world because of the exalted spiritual powers that he was born with. 

One of the things I really appreciate about him as a character is the symbolism that defines him as a character. That is his zodiac sign, Pisces, the last sign of the zodiac which is often associated with Christ Consciousness in esoteric interpretations of the sign’s symbolism.

So to me, Subaru is someone who unconsciously absorbs “negativity” and transmutes it into “light”. But in the end, there’s only so much Subaru’s human ego can handle, especially after Seishiro enters into the picture and does #the thing.

Now, apparently Christ Consciousness is also about unification and wholeness. Given Sei and Subaru represent the yin and yang, and bringing back the Babylon metaphor where God punishes the citizens in Babylon by taking away their ability to communicate... well... they’re totally written in the stars.

Anyways. So the thing about Subaru’s self-loathing is that it defines a lot of his actions and the way he thinks.

The last time I read TB from start to finish I didn’t create psychological distance between him and me, and as a result I spent the whole day lamenting the utter meaninglessness of life and existence. It’s not a pretty place to be so I kind of stay away from TB and keep a safe distance from “Subaru states of mind”.

Favorite TB Moments

In no particular order...

1. Tokyo Tower

One of the other things I feel influenced Subaru’s interest in Seishiro was that Seishiro “understood” him. Again, I may not be Subaru but I know how his fucked up little head works--perpetually misunderstood is my middle name. So to meet someone who (deeply) understands is like finding an oasis in the Sahara.

In this chapter we see them both disagree and meet in the middle about fundamental values. I am not sure if Subaru was already a nihilist at this point in his life, but he’s certainly starting to ask questions to give meaning to the experiences he has. 

The problem is that he trusts Seishiro bahaha. Oh God... Seishiro the nihilist giving life advice. The way I see it is... Subaru wouldn’t have become a nihilist if the inkling wasn’t already there.

Not sure if Seishiro influenced this or just fanned the embers of nihilism that were already burning inside of Subaru. After all, Subaru’s mental health was already not the best due to his work as an onmioji.

2. Don’t underestimate Subaru

Subaru is someone who on first impression is gentle and soft and quiet, not the most masculine traits or temperament if you think about it. In addition, if your lifestyle revolves around Western or individualistic values, then these traits are typically also perceived as weakness.

The reason I love to see Subaru demonstrate the opposite of his usual state of being is because it demonstrates that softness and kindness and strength can coexist.

In other words, he might not look it, but he can and will kick ass when needed. 

What I love the most about scenes of Subaru exerting power over others is that he’s still super kind and gentle about it. 

3. Seishiro’s reveal

I read somewhere in this hellsite about someone pointing out that the genre that defines Tokyo Babylon as a literary work follows the exact formula that TB follows. But alas, I have no idea how to find said post.

Suffice it to say that this is one of the most impactful moments in the story despite being told Sei is a sinister creep pretty much right from the get go.

The twist isn’t that Seishiro is a sinister creep, but rather the bet that Sei made with Subaru, and that’s what ultimately cuts deepest.

I have to say that from a writing perspective, this writing device is pretty cool because you’re basically distracting an audience with what you want them to focus on, and then you reveal the truth about that distraction and how that changes the story.

I’d say it’s a good attempt at a plot twist. And that’s actually one of the things I love about it is how the reveal is timed to Subaru’s own awakening to his sense of self and identity... just in time to have it shred to pieces by Seishiro’s little bet that he had already lost.

Nanase (CLAMP’s writer) is a sadist and I love her all the more for it.

Also the way Seishiro is depicted as a high schooler is total creepster on steroids...

4. Hospital scene

Do I like this scene for the out of context innuendo? Yes.

Do I love that Seishiro’s facade is starting to fall away and he can’t keep his hands off his prey? Yes.

AND this scene is also so loaded. I like to think that seeing Subaru cry was a shock to Seishiro’s ego so large that he had to create distance between them to establish control.

Like... he just couldn’t wait to get Subaru out of that hospital room or otherwise he might strangle him to death because his love language is torture.

Again, he lost the bet the moment he came up with the idea. Almost like he was trying to convince himself that what he experienced wasn’t the absence of “I can’t love” the whole time.

5. Sumeragi twins

The love and affection they have for each other is so beautiful...

I think it’s easier to see how much Subaru needs Hokuto. But Hokuto needed Subaru just as much.

And that’s that! 

TA-DA! Thanks for your patience once again anon and for inviting me to brainrot about Tokyo Babylon <3.

[starfriday]

SHINKAI FESTIVAL: AN ANIME EXTRAVAGANZA FEATURING THE MASTERPIECES OF MAKOTO SHINKAI

19th May, Mumbai: After hosting the Anime maestro Makoto Shinkai in India last month, PVRINOX Pictures is honouring him & the realm of our anime enthusiasts, with the Shinkai Festival on May 19th. The highly anticipated Shinkai Festival is a fitting tribute to the legendary, multi-award winning visionary animator and director Makoto Shinkai. The event will showcase five of his captivating masterpieces, taking our Otakus on intriguing journeys through enchanting worlds.

The following acclaimed films will feature in the Shinkai Festival:

Your Name: An unforgettable story of connection and fate unfolds in the captivating anime "Your Name" by two strangers named Mitsuha and Taki who mysteriously switch bodies and set out to find each other across time and space, woven together by romance, fantasy, and stunning animation.

Weathering With You: The captivating anime "Weathering With You" explores themes of love, sacrifice, and the tenacity of the human spirit while delving into the enchanted tie between Hodaka and Hina, where she appears to be able to manipulate the weather, in a world of magical connections.

Children Who Chase Lost Voices: A coming of age, captivating tale with adolescent love and a young heroine who is drawn into a secret realm by a mysterious melody emanating from a crystal radio left as a keepsake by her absent father.

5 Centimeters Per Second: We trace the journey of a young guy named Takaki through his life in three interconnected segments as harsh winters, cold technology, and finally adult responsibilities and commitments converge to test the delicate petals of love.

Suzume: The visually striking animated drama "Suzume" centres on a 17-year-old high school girl who joins an enigmatic young man on a fantastical journey. What occurs next forms the core of the thrilling journey after they are tasked with closing and sealing inter-dimensional gateways that may wipe out the entire planet.

India has seen an astounding rise in anime's popularity and adoration. With its distinctive storytelling methods and visually stunning creativity, this Japanese animation style has won over Indian audiences of all ages. PVRINOX Pictures is at the forefront of celebrating this scintillating genre.

Commenting on the much anticipated Shinkai Festival, Kamal Gianchandani, CEO - PVRINOX Pictures said, “India's evolving relationship with Anime showcases the power of cross-cultural exchange, as it continues to captivate and inspire a new generation of viewers in the country. We are thrilled to showcase and pay homage to one of the most brilliant Anime directors and his treasured films. We look forward to celebrating this beloved genre and cater to the ever-enthused moviegoers with unforgettable moments on the big screen.”.”

Mark your calendars and stay tuned to enter the enchanting world of Makoto Shinkai and the magic of Anime at the Shinkai Festival, this May.

About PVRINOX PICTURES

PVRINOX PICTURES is the motion picture arm of PVRINOX Limited, the largest film exhibition company in India with 1683 screens across 360 properties in 115 cities (India and Sri Lanka).

PVRINOX PICTURES is the largest distributor of Independent foreign language films in India and a prolific distributor of Indian films as well. Over 500+ Hollywood, 200+ Hindi and 100+ regional films across genres have been released under its banner since 2002.

For further information

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[fryv01]

Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume Anime Film Goes on Tour With Japan-Wide Exhibition

http://dlvr.it/SjwZxd

[happylaw]

Exhibition of Makoto Shinkai - from "Hoshi no koe" to "Your Name." - official catalog (part 2)

[ab-en-chan]

📣Fukuoka Event Info📣

Tracing anime director, Makoto Shinkai's work over the last 15 years, a special exhibition featuring original paintings, writing, theme songs, and images, is running at the Kitakyushu Manga Museum until 24th September✨

▶ http://asianbeat.com/en/feature/culture_watch/273.html

[bluefumi]

Exhibition of Shinkai Makoto at NACT

国立新美術館の新海誠展へ 落ち葉の道が、とても気持ちよかったです。 雨の日に雪野先生と再会できて嬉しかった。

ではでは、素敵な週末を☆ Have a happy weekend ! . (11/18/2017)

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: How the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami Influenced Anime Over the Past Decade

Image via Netflix

  In a single moment, everything changed; after one great shake of the earth, the world was never the same again. Today marks the 10th anniversary of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, also known as 3.11 in Japan. At a magnitude of 9.0, it was the biggest earthquake to ever hit the island. The earthquake, and the subsequent tsunami that followed, also killed an estimated 15,899, injured 6,157, and was the most expensive natural disaster in history. The meltdown of the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant followed — rendering parts of Japan uninhabitable to this day — with many still unable to go back to their home even ten years on.

  The shaking was felt all the way in Tokyo and beyond, leaving physical scars on the world’s biggest metropolitan area. This was nothing compared to the devastation seen in the prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima, and Iwate. For those who lived through the event, whether that be in Tohoku or Tokyo, the feelings of that day have left psychological scars that have influenced their daily lives. 

  Image via Netflix

  Aftershocks from the seismic event can still be felt even today: a magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit the region a little under a month ago, raising fears that another big quake could shake Japan at any time in the near future. 

  For creators living in Japan, these overwhelming emotions have manifested in their works. Creators such as Hayao Miyazaki, Masaaki Yuasa, Hideaki Anno, and Makoto Shinkai have internalized the events that transpired in their backyard and used 3.11 to help spread awareness, unravel some of the hanging threads, or even try and bring hope and happiness to fans. 

  Hayao Miyazaki looking at the debris leftover from 3.11 in an NHK documentary 

Image via NHK

  Hayao Miyazaki isn’t one to mince words and always just gets on with the job. A few weeks after 3.11, the Studio Ghibli director introduced his son’s latest work at the time, From Up on Poppy Hill. While Miyazaki tried to keep the press focused on the film, inevitably the topic of the tragedy from two weeks ago arose. Responding to why he felt it was okay to hold a press conference after the earthquake, Miyazaki spoke about his local bakery, explaining that “the old man at the bakery where I always buy dumplings and sweets has continued to make bread. That's why I think we should keep making movies.”

  At the time, Miyazaki dismissed the thought that 3.11 would affect how he made his next work. But in a 2013 interview with Jiji upon the release of his then “final work” The Wind Rises, the director said the film “has not been affected by the earthquake or the nuclear accident. [The idea] was there from the beginning. I think that the times have caught up with us and overtaken us.” The Wind Rises contains a very realistic – almost chilling – interpretation of the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake.

  The earthquake scene from The Wind Rises

  For Japan Sinks 2020, Masaaki Yuasa used some of his own experiences to highlight how characters would be feeling in the moment. In multiple scenes, the main characters are left worrying about what is going on without a clear line of communication – in fact, sometimes getting misinformation from sources not fully aware of the situation. 

  Yuasa himself explained in an interview in AnimeAnime that he felt like he didn’t know what was the “correct information” when he felt the quake in Tokyo in 2011. As he looked for information online, he heard rumors that Tokyo was in imminent danger. He was scared. Reflecting, Yuasa knew in his “heart” that he wasn’t as scared as those in the Tohoku region, but was “horrified” by what he saw on the news. Yuasa used a lot of those emotions he felt at the time to aid in telling the Japan Sinks 2020 story.

  Image via Netflix

  But it wasn’t just anime creators who were affected by 3.11. The 8th part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga series, JoJolion, debuted only a few months after the quake in 2011. Set in a town called Morioh (similar to the town in Diamond is Unbreakable), the location is based on manga creator Hirohiko Araki’s hometown of Sendai. The manga was being conceptualized when the earthquake occurred and Araki felt that he “couldn't avoid” touching on the subject in the series, he said in an Asashi Shimbun interview in 2014.

  Araki’s family home, which had been around for 14 generations, was also swept away in the tsunami. He added that was shocked at the loss of his childhood home and felt that he should draw manga to bring entertainment to readers and fans.

  Araki wasn’t the only manga creator to touch on the events of 3.11 in their long-running series. Tetsu Kariya’s long-running series Oshinbo touched on some controversial aspects of the aftermath of the tragedy, with one of the characters in the series suffering from a nosebleed after being in the town of Futaba – a town that is still not open to the public.

  This caused an outcry with government officials on the national and prefectural level, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saying that “the government will make the best effort to take action against baseless rumors” in reference to the manga. These protests saw the collected volume version of the arc change some of the wording slightly as to “clarify the intention of what was said," and that "some of the characters' lines have been altered.” The series has been on hiatus after the arc ended two chapters later in May 2014.

  Image via Netflix

  The Japanese government was also at the forefront of Hideaki Anno’s 2016 film Shin Godzilla, with many reviewers noting the similarities between the government in the film and what had occurred in the aftermath of 3.11. As Godzilla walks the neighborhoods of Kanagawa, waters rise, boats come ashore, and people are fleeing en-masse, meanwhile, the government is claiming that everything will be okay.

  This sharp social satire of the events may be skin deep as the film goes on, but exposes the fact that Japan has a recent event that is very real and emotive to reference. Shin Godzilla Producer Akihiro Yamauchi explained in a 2016 Nippon.com interview that 3.11 “changed Japan more than anything else in the past 12 years.” He went on to say that the film had the option of “escaping into fantasy...but Anno-san and I talked it over and we both agreed that an approach like that would be meaningless.” 

  Image via Netflix

  Makoto Shinkai’s 2016 movie Your Name, was directly influenced by the 2011 earthquake and the change in the psyche of the Japanese people. Taki, the male protagonist, at one moment in the movie says “You will never know when Tokyo could become like this,” vocalizing the fear that festers away in many people living in Japan. 

  Genki Kawamura, a producer on both Your Name and Weathering with You, explained at a discussion at the Aoyama Shachu think tank in 2019 that “Your Name is aware of the Great East Japan earthquake.” Shinkai later explained in a 2017 interview with Huffington Post Japan that the disaster aspect of Your Name is only the underlying layer of the film, and the film had to end the way it did for it to feel complete to both him and the audience.

  In a 2018 Makoto Shinkai Exhibition in Sendai, the first prototype sketch drawn of Your Name by Shinkai was shown to the public. It depicted the area of Yuriage in Natori City, Miyagi prefecture, which was completely wiped out in the tsunami. The population of the area only had 30 minutes to evacuate before waters overtook the town. There weren’t many survivors.

  Image via Asahi Shimbun

  Shinkai visited the area of Yuriage in July 2011 and drew the sketch shortly after, which later became the springboard for what then became Your Name. He said solemnly in a TBS program “This could have been my town.” 

  Shinkai explained in the Huffington Post interview that 3.11 changed the way people in Japan thought about the world. "Before they’d think that “somehow...Japanese society will continue as it is," he said. "But since 2011, I think that idea has collapsed. The town does not remain a town forever.” 

  Because of this, Shinkai decided to focus on the little things that made up life: A late train, cutting up food, texting. Shinkai thought it was “necessary to draw meaning from the monotony of daily life.” Nowadays these beautifully crafted moments from Shinkai’s works are shared online as some sort of social media anime ASMR. 

  In the end, Shinkai’s main driving factor for the film was to make the audience “happy.” And it struck a chord with a wide audience, as the film would later go on to become the third highest-grossing anime film of all time worldwide.

  Image via Netflix

  As we look back at how one event changed the world view of many, it’s good to know that despite the hardships faced in the unexpected, the desire to create and bring smiles to audiences perseveres. Many creators have used 3.11 as a chance to reflect, and it's only to be seen how the long tail of 3.11 continues to impact creators and their works.   

  The Tohoku region is still feeling the effects of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, with families torn apart and homes unable to be returned to. Japan NPO Center has a website set up with ways to donate to local charities and not-for-profit organizations within the Tohoku region that has been set up to serve affected communities.

    Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram. 

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features.

By: Daryl Harding

[yukarisensei]

Summer Anime 2019

Minna-san, hisashiburi (Everyone, long time no see)! Genki desu ka (Are you well)? I’m so so so sorry that my anime watch list for this season is so late. I’ve been so busy over June with studying for tests and the beginning of July with AX stuff. BUT there was a huge reason why this post is so late! Okay, story-time...I originally finished writing this post last week. It was a super long post explaining what I have been up to, what I’m watching, what I plan on watching, etc. I was super excited for everyone to read it, but just when I hit the POST button...my screen turned into this:

After a short email exchange with Tumblr, I got everything situated with my account. However, there was a casualty...my post was GONE. It was as if I never wrote it in the first place. T^T I felt so defeated, but I really wanted to get this post up so here I am, almost a month into July, writing my belated summer anime watch list. 

Since Tumblr dinged me on my first attempt at this post, from now on I’ll be providing MAL links for all of the shows I’m checking out for this season. Of course you guys can check them out as well. In fact, please do so!

As for the anime department, I think I’ve been doing well. Granted, Fruits Basket was the only show I was able to keep up with in the spring season, but lately I’ve been revisiting old favorites like Ore Monogatari!, Recovery of an MMO Junkie, Wotakoi, etc. I’ve even checked out and got heavily invested into shows from previous seasons I wasn’t even following at the time: Dororo and Kimetsu no Yaiba. Either way, I’ve been enjoying my fill of anime and I’m so excited to share what I’m watching for the SUMMER ANIME SEASON!!!

Here are the shows that I am watching/planning on watching:

- Starmyu 3

https://myanimelist.net/anime/36536/Starmyu_3rd_Season

YEESSSS MY GAY MUSICAL BABIES ARE BACK! I was so happy and excited when I heard there was going to be a 3rd season for this series. I’ve already watched the first 3 episodes on Crunchyroll and I’m so happy I can get my weekly dose of musical ikemen once again! XD I think this is going to be the last season so I’m excited to see how it all ends. 

- Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 2

https://myanimelist.net/anime/38993/Karakai_Jouzu_no_Takagi-san_2

OH MY GOD I was so happy when I saw the notification on MAL. I knew Takagi-san was going to get a second season but I had no idea that it was going to release this soon! I loved the first season and enjoyed the adorable interactions between these two. If you haven’t seen the first season yet, I recommend giving this a watch, especially if you love Yuki Kaji!

- Ensemble Stars!

https://myanimelist.net/anime/32212/Ensemble_Stars

If you didn’t know, I am male idol anime trash (Uta Pri, IDOLISH7). When I read the premise and saw the cast list I put this on my watch list. Then, I saw the PV for the first time on a jumbo screen in the Exhibit Hall at this year’s AX. I knew right then and there that this show was up my ally. I’m looking forward to starting this!

- Given

https://myanimelist.net/anime/39533/Given

OOOOOOOHHHHH MYYYYYYY GAAAAAAWWWWWD!!! YES!!! I was waiting for this to be animated for so long! @perfectlynorm had me read this awhile ago and I LOVED IT! I watched the first 2 episodes on Crunchyroll and I was not disappointed! I really recommend this show...especially for fellow Fujoshis/Fudanshis. hehehehehehe

- Uchi no Ko no Tame naraba, Ore wa Moshikashitara Maou mo Taoseru kamo Shirenai (If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord)

https://myanimelist.net/anime/39324/Uchi_no_Ko_no_Tame_naraba_Ore_wa_Moshikashitara_Maou_mo_Taoseru_kamo_Shirenai

AHHHHH~! Okay, I originally put this on my watch list on a whim. But I literally DIED of cuteness when I watched the first 3 episodes!!! This show gives me intense Gakuen Babysitter vibes so I really recommend those who loved that show to give this a try. WARNING: gaining cavities from all of the sweet moments in this show are UNAVOIDABLE!

Ongoing:

- Fruits Basket

https://myanimelist.net/anime/38680/Fruits_Basket_2019

What can I say, I am LOVING this show and I’m excited to see the rest of the manga animated. I’ve mentioned this before but this series is very dear to me and while I love the original 2001 anime series, everything that TMS and Takaya-sensei have done with the re-adaption is nothing short from perfection. I’m just so happy that his series is getting the anime adaption it deserves. 

- Kimetsu no Yaiba

https://myanimelist.net/anime/38000/Kimetsu_no_Yaiba

After watching (and loving) Dororo and seeing a whole bunch of fan art and cosplays for this show at AX, my interest in this show increased. Once I checked out the show on MAL and watched the PV, I knew that I had to give this show a try. I’ve already watched the first 2 episodes and I am loving it so far! The animation is gorgeous and the story is so interesting! I’m excited to watch the rest and bug my other anime friends to watch this! XD

Movies: 

- Tenki no Ko

https://myanimelist.net/anime/38826/Tenki_no_Ko?q=tenki%20n

Makoto Shinkai (aka director of the amazing and beautiful Your Name) is back with another film. I just watched the PV and so far I’m liking what I’m seeing. The animation is gorgeous and the band Radwimps is back for the music. I hope I can watch this either online or in theaters! 

Yosh! All done! Again, I’m really sorry for posting this list so late. I promise the next one will be posted on time. This summer has been so crazy. There’s been major ups and downs in the real world and in my personal life. I was so heartbroken to hear about what happened to KyoAni and its staff. I hope they will take the time to recover from this horrible tragedy. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this insanely long post. I’m really excited to check out all of these shows this season. Please let me know what you guys are watching! Is there something I missed? Thanks for reading! Matane (See you later)!

[the50-person]

undefined

Kamiki Ryunosuke's promo vid for Shinkai Makoto's Your Name South Korea exhibition

[psychewritesbs]

So one theme I keep seeing in the psych of romantic love is that there is always an element of chasing the Beloved that is repeated.

Exhibit A: Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name that comes to mind with Taki wishing he could have told Mitsuha that “wherever you may end up in this world, I will be searching for you.”

But what is it compels us to search for an absent Beloved that we should want to chase?

For this, Jungian Analyst, John Haule's quote stayed with me: “the goal of love appears to be nothing less than a loss of ego.”

And I feel like Taki and Mitsuha capture the dilemma of loss of ego for the sake of the Beloved really well.

Your Name has it’s flaws--starting with the fact that if you’ve seen it as many times as I have, you start to see the plot holes are like 100 miles deep.

But Your Name, just like love, is not logical, it belongs to the irrational world of the heart where even comets can bring soulmates together in complete ego death.

When both Taki and Mitsuha fail to give an offering when they exit the underworld, their memory of each other is taken from them. 

Now, this is where it gets mental gymnastics because memory is nothing but the story the ego tells itself to define its sense of self in the space time continuum. 

But Mitsuha and Taki’s bond is of the soul, not the mind. So even if they lost the mind’s memory of each other, their hearts still yearned for each other.

It was this yearning that compelled them to chase in search of the Other.

Which is how we have Taki and Mitsuha both express that they don’t know why they cry.

Their heart yearns, but their mind does not have memory of why.

And that’s exactly what I love about Your Name--Taki and Mitsuha recognized each other’s soul and each other’s yearning.

So when they both cry in the end, their tears are tears of joy at having reunited after so much unnameable yearning.

It’s their hearts recognizing each other after all this time and even after forgetting each other’s name.

Also I have to admit that I love that Shinkai finally gave us an otp that might actually work out considering how his other movies end in unresolved and unrequited love.

Seriously, Taki and Mitsuha are my poster children for “soulmate bonds are real”.

[domoinjapan]

Shinkai Makoto art exhibition no pictures allowed except for those two i took

[doctor48md]

National Art Centre/Exhibition of Makoto Shinkai Nogizaka, Tokyo

[happylaw]

Exhibition of Makoto Shinkai - from "Hoshi no koe" to "Your Name." - official catalog (part 1)

[aubergineinjapan]

8月27日(日) - Day 5

yesterday we went to 静岡県 Shizuoka prefecture, to the lovely city of 三島 Mishima. we came to see 新海誠 Shinkai Makoto’s exhibit (Kimi no na wa’s director) it was really interesting. we were surprised by how the city actually was so we went around and stopped to get some really delicious sushi 💕 we the went to the local shrine and once again to pur surprise.. they were a lot of deers! they were so cuuute. after going around the shrine and meeting some really nice locals (the people here were so nice and helpful!) we took the bus the 三島スカイウォーク Mishima Skywalk - a pound 400 meters long in the mountains from were you’re supposed to see the Mt. Fuji but sadly for us it was too cloudy and we couldn’t see it at all.

anyway, if you ever found yourself in Shizuoka or just want to visit a cute city not too touristy (at all actually) i highly recommend Mishima! Although it is pretty far from Tokyo and you might get lost if you don’t speak Japanese at all haha - but yeah it’s a lovely city and its people are really welcoming! 🍀

[dremorablog]

Media Reflection

Earlier this year I watched the anime Your Name for the first time. I was captivated by its ultrarealistic depiction of Tokyo, which increased my excitement about visiting the city. Directed by Makoto Shinkai, Your Name is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed anime films and the highest grossing Japanese film in all of history. As most of the movie takes place in contemporary Tokyo, many of the scenes it depicts can be visited in real life. Seeing the locations featured in Your Name has become of popular activity among fans of the movie, and there exists a myriad of guides detailing pilgrimages people can take through these sites. I referenced one such guide during my travels in Tokyo. Due to limited time, I was unable to see all of the places it mentioned, but I checked off enough to be satisfied. Many of them were otherwise innocuous places, such as a bridge or traffic sign, their only real significance being that the happened to make an appearance in the background of one of the film’s shots. Although the value of taking such a mundane sightseeing tour might seem dubious to some, I feel that the normalcy of these sights speaks to the film’s dedication to portraying Tokyo as accurately as possible.

Not all the Your Name locations were like this, however. Some, such as the National Art Museum, are popular tourist attractions independent of their connection to the film. In the film, the male protagonist Taki goes on a date at the museum café. I was able to see the tables where they ate, which looked almost exactly like they do in the film, down to the rectangular plates and even water glasses. Out of all the places I visited, the café’s depiction was probably the most realistic. There was also an exhibit downstairs where the characters went after their meal, but there was an entry fee and as I was short on time, I had to pass it up.

The most iconic Tokyo location in Your Name and one that owes its significance expressly to the film is the Suga Shrine staircase. This is where the climax of the movie takes place, where Taki and Mitsuha meet and rekindle their lost connection. The staircase was an interesting choice for this moment, as there is nothing special about it in real life. Yotsuya is a quiet residential area, and the staircase is quite literally just a set of stairs leading up to Suga Shrine, tucked away between houses in a tiny alleyway. It was so nondescript, I thought google maps had taken me to the wrong place. Since its cinematic debut, however, the unassuming set of stairs has skyrocketed to celebrity status. The guide I read mentioned that, when the writer visited the stairs, there was a confused local who didn’t understand why there was a crowd of people taking pictures of the stairs and not the shrine itself. There was a trio of Americans when I went there, posing and snapping photos in front of the steps. They were definitely Your Name pilgrims since I overheard them talking about going to Shinanomachi Station, another location from the film. There are two different depictions of Shuga Stairs in Your Name: a promotional poster and the actual scene from the movie. The latter is much more realistic, as in the poster the height of the steps in much higher and the cityscape below much more expansive. The scene from the film, on the other hand, is quite similar to the real-life location.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Your Name pilgrimage. It was really cool being able to see places from a film in real life, and serves as a testament to the amazing achievements of Japanese animation

The promotional poster

The scene from the film

Shuga staircase in real life