Tatsumi: Not all comics (or movies) are for children. The Post-War Life & Loves of A Manga God
Tatsumi is an animated gekiga film of sorts, inspired by and based on Yoshihiro Tatsumi’s life. In order to create the film, director Eric Khoo had his animators reproduce specific scenes from Tatsumi’s autobiographical work, A Drifting Life. Viewers are treated to an intimate view of Yoshihiro Tatsumi’s life as a struggling artist, his failed relationships with members of the opposite sex, and an inside look into his journey to becoming one of the greatest manga-ka in Japan.
The Tears of a Cat: Hello Kitty’s Guide to Japan, English and Japanese/ ハローティの英語で紹介する
There’s something incredibly moving about a single tear dribbling from the tiny eyes of Hello Kitty; her lack of a mouth even makes it all the more poignant
“She is the most handsome man you’ll ever see…” A Review Of Takarazuka Revue
The Takarazuka Revue:『清く、正しく、美しく』 “We shall perform with Purity, Sincerity and Beauty”– Japan’s modern Kabuki or just women in drag?–The actresses of Takarazuka are recruited according to esthetic and physical criteria, such as their beauty, their height (taller than average for otokoyaku, 男役, (male performers), their voice and the shape of their face (square face, if possible, for the otokoyaku). Just by naming these criteria, we can see that clichés for male roles are established from the start.
Book Review: Introduction to Zen/Two Takes On The Same Book
英語対訳で読む禅入門, or Introduction to Zen with Accompanying English Translation, was written by Priest Souen Ozeki and translated by a one Elizabeth Mills (whom I suspect may be using a pen name, as the translation is not native). As stated in the preface, the book was intended for both English speakers interested in the religion and [...]
Mitsuko Delivers: random acts of kindness and some laughs
by Amy Seaman Just from reading a brief one-sentence summary about Yuya Ishii’s newest film, Mitsuko Delivers, it’s clear that this isn’t just another PARCO-sponsored, corny Japanese love story with a generic plot made tolerable only by the famous names attached to it. (That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with watching idols and [...]