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owlectomyI am still without internet access (and waiting to do something about that until I do something about canceling my previous internet access which I'm still paying for, and my car insurance...)
The Japan society had a four-night showing of prewar Japanese animation, so my sister and I went to see that on Saturday night. The shorts showed a lot of American influence - lots of slapstick, Tom & Jerry-ish stuff. They incorporated some elements of Japanese folklore and culture, but nothing I could describe as the beginnings of an anime style. Much of the animation was crude (which is what you'd expect from that time period) but also funny and charming.
It was followed by Lovebirds, described as a samurai musical. I expected more bloodshed; it's more like a romantic comedy with a guy who happens to be a samurai, only one fight scene, and a lot (a LOT!) of singing. It's one of those rare movies that you think you're enjoying for the kitsch value until you suddenly realize that they're actually really good! Meaghan was surprised by how western the music sounded, while I thought it sounded really Japanese. It sounded a little like enka, actually, not that I know anything about enka.
I wandered around the east village for a while and found a place that rented J-drama DVDs; nothing you couldn't get off Bittorrent, but (a) I never get around to watching things I get off Bittorrent; (b) I don't have internet access anyway. So I saw 2 episodes of The 4 Sister Detectives, just because it's about four sisters (like my family). The mother's dead, the father's on a business trip, Yuriko (17, and the youngest) is studying when suddenly - their house catches on fire and burns to the ground. It's arson. Yuriko discovers that her father's suspected of the arson - and of a murder - and she's determined to clear his name. Also, Yuriko and her three sisters go to live with their wacky aunt and her photography-geek boyfriend.
I could only follow about half the story (do we need to work on our listening comprehension? YES) but it was pretty enjoyable.
The Japan society had a four-night showing of prewar Japanese animation, so my sister and I went to see that on Saturday night. The shorts showed a lot of American influence - lots of slapstick, Tom & Jerry-ish stuff. They incorporated some elements of Japanese folklore and culture, but nothing I could describe as the beginnings of an anime style. Much of the animation was crude (which is what you'd expect from that time period) but also funny and charming.
It was followed by Lovebirds, described as a samurai musical. I expected more bloodshed; it's more like a romantic comedy with a guy who happens to be a samurai, only one fight scene, and a lot (a LOT!) of singing. It's one of those rare movies that you think you're enjoying for the kitsch value until you suddenly realize that they're actually really good! Meaghan was surprised by how western the music sounded, while I thought it sounded really Japanese. It sounded a little like enka, actually, not that I know anything about enka.
I wandered around the east village for a while and found a place that rented J-drama DVDs; nothing you couldn't get off Bittorrent, but (a) I never get around to watching things I get off Bittorrent; (b) I don't have internet access anyway. So I saw 2 episodes of The 4 Sister Detectives, just because it's about four sisters (like my family). The mother's dead, the father's on a business trip, Yuriko (17, and the youngest) is studying when suddenly - their house catches on fire and burns to the ground. It's arson. Yuriko discovers that her father's suspected of the arson - and of a murder - and she's determined to clear his name. Also, Yuriko and her three sisters go to live with their wacky aunt and her photography-geek boyfriend.
I could only follow about half the story (do we need to work on our listening comprehension? YES) but it was pretty enjoyable.