Anyone feel like over the past several years, Japan has entered the “turn every single manga into a live-action movie regardless of how old that manga is” boom? This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It also isn’t necessarily a good thing. Japanese manga turned movies have a mixed chance at success. Let’s take a look at some of my past favorites, present successes, and future … Continue reading →
Japan has no shortage of “awkward guy meets girl, falls in love, and his life changes” stories. The J-drama I had recently recommended, 逃げるは恥だが役に立つ, was exactly just this type of story. Blindly In Love follows the same path. It even has the same actor Hoshino Gen. It might even be in the same fictional universe… I mean look at the pictures. 箱入り息子の恋 逃げるは恥だが役に立つ First thing: If you’ve … Continue reading →
Manzai is the pinnacle of Japanese understanding. It’s fast. It’s full of nonstop slang. It often has overwhelming Osaka dialect. It’s non-visual. And it’s full of puns, word-plays and cultural references. Add all of this together and it’s not exactly easy for Japanese learners. But once you get there… it’s great. I love manzai, so hearing a movie titled Manzai Gang (漫才ギャング) has at least half … Continue reading →
Illness and death are major themes that appear in many Japanese movies. Stories revolve around the main character having a fatal illness, being told of his short remaining time left to live, and him deciding how he is going to spend the final days of his life. There is self discovery. There is searching for the meaning of life and death. And there are tears. … Continue reading →
Comedy is a funny thing. Beyond things like mathematics, music, or indoor plumbing, I think what truly separates man from the other animals is our capacity for laughter. Humor is a concept that transcends language and location. It can be enjoyed by anyone of any status, to the exlusion of no one. I think a good comedy is one of the few things on the … Continue reading →
4. クワイエットルームにようこそ (Welcome To The Quiet Room) Japanese Level: ☆☆ Divorced freelance writer Sakura wakes up one day to find herself in a completely white room, with her arms and legs completely tied up, unable to move and completely disoriented. She has found herself in a closed psychiatric ward known as “The Quiet Room.” In this ward there are some patients with really bad problems. … Continue reading →
Lost in translation was a Hollywood movie in 2003, following Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson’s strange and philosophical journey in Japan. It was somewhat popular at the time, but due to its slow pace and lack of any real action, it was the type of movie you either loved or hated. When I first saw it (before I started studying Japanese), I wasn’t really impressed. Now … Continue reading →
2013: Zombies are it. With record breaking shows like The Walking Dead, constant new movies and remakes, spinoff events like survival camps, zombie runs, and zombie cosplay events, zombies are reaching the peak of popularity. Simply put: It’s good to be a zombie. Unless you are in Japan. Zombies are not a big deal. Maybe a minor deal. They fall on the bottom rungs of … Continue reading →
