This Summer-It's War..

The instant the last frames came to a dim on 2006's Toki Wo Kakeru Shoujo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time), my mind was thoroughly fixed on what Mamoru Hosoda could possibly do next. His already smooth, expressive style had adorned films like the Digimon movie, and now this film had been the one to blow the doors open, leaving a very tangible taste that this guy may very well be the next Miyazaki. Tokikake's blend of beautiful animation, lush backgrounds, and mutidimensional characters signaled a subtle, but potent emergence of fresh, singular talent.

So when I heard last year that he was going to pull off a more fun film to be released this year, I went all a goo. And sure enough the first trailer's here! Get a first dig at SUMMER WARS!

Kaz Is Back

It can be argued that Kazuya Kiriya's filmmaking style is not unlike that of a certain Zack Snyder; eyeballs deep in green screen and visual artifice. But there was indeed something in his live-action CASSHERN that affected me far more than even Snyder's take on WATCHMEN,and that was likely a sense of not only adventure in what the films set out to do, but a sense deeper, and far more emotionally grey than Hollywood tends to offer. It takes the best of anime-like exaggeration of action, and combines it with a surprisingly visceral emotional gut punch. And despite the mas negativity surrounding Kiriya's last project, I still found plenty to enjoy from repeat viewings. And so when it was announced that he would next take on Goemon, I instantly set to keep close tabs, and now..here we are.

At a huge budget, and an even more impressive cast including Eguchi Yoske, Hirosue Ryoko, Terajima Susumu and others, this looks to be this year's answer to 20th Century Boys..




ほんとうすげえ。

いっさしぶりい！

Ah yes..Finally, and after much toil, the files resume. There's been so much activity over the last few months that it's hard to begin listing many events that led to such a long moratorium. So stay tuned, so much studying to share, as well as so much cool stuff!

In Search Of...

うわばきスリッパ、Also known as Indoor School Shoes...It's been a tough bunch of sifting, but there's only so much time before convention time!



- Also in search of solace for the victims in that horrible incident in Akihabara this weekend. May that guy never get a shred of his wishes.

Aspirin ga tottai!

Yes! No sooner that a decent weekend comes about, that we at class finally get a crack at expressing things we'd like to do! Seriously, this is something that had been on my lesson wish list for some time. The prime difference in these sentences seems to be the modifications within the verb. So for instance I say I'd like to eat something [食べます」＋ たい turns it into something you'd like to do.

for instance if i expressed a desire for cake..

ケッキをたべたいです。

Adding more depth to this would be that わ will become が . So por ejemple:

ケッキがたべたいです。

LOL...So when my pally and I started to play with potential statements, sensei creeped up behind us and gave us some pointers..and here are the results!


にっぽんじんともだちがつくりたいですよ。

にっぽんじんかのじょがつくりたいですよ。

Ok...Well..it'd be pretty cool anyway. ^ ^

The tale of a boss posessed by his designer wig?

Fans of recent Asian Cinema take note, it's very rare that Japan actually produces action films. They may have a killer Miike film, or Kaijyu, or even genre adventure from time to time, but Japan isn't really known for hard-bitten action these days. Not since the halcyon days of Kinji Fukasaku anyway. But if this latest vehicle for Tatsuya Fujiwara(Battle Royale,Death Note,etc) is any indication, we're hopefully in for a teeth-shattering good time with Chameleon.

It sports a tale in which a group of swindling toughs led by Fujiwara, are witnesses to a kidnapping, only to fall in further to where (ulp) it becomes PERSONAL! LOL



Looks cool. But is it me, or is Fujiwara trying to sport an Oh-Daesu knockoff wig here? なにこれ。

おす！

Breathing in the reality that you, yourself, are going to take on another language, this alone can be considered a decent challenge. But when it comes to taking on Nihongo with a specifically focused lens, creates a behavior not unlike obsession. And as such it probably requires it, especially when you reach my age.::laughs:: I'm sure that if I had tried my hand at picking up the japanese language as a teen ,it would probably been a little easier. Regardless, the language requires a great deal more time and concentration than others, as it is so filled with intonation necessities, as well as three entirely unique text systems. This element alone has been the one thing that has require the most of my attention. And as such, it never fails that something else gets missed...

No problem..This is where managing your away-from-class time. And despite the fact that my penmanship has never been remotely stellarific, this helps create even new capabilities,and understandings. There is an entirely new set of dimensions that come from taking in an almost new volume of context into a wholly new piece of greay matter.

I think my firsts sensei expressed this best by calling Nihongo education "creating an entirely new section of the brain, like growing a new muscle that was never there before."

Now I myself have my own set of reasons as to why I put myself through this. So this is where I ask those young and old to remind themselves as to why. I love the culture,and have always had a love for the sounds and feelings emitted by listening to it express itself. A lot of my reasons are uniquely packed within these feelings as well as the more surface reason.

I can't clearly explain all my reasons on a blog, let alone any kind of text-based scroll, but the riddles are always nudging me forward. Now here's to seeing it through and finding out where it leads.