Of the ones I’ve seen, Shibasaki Kou characters are a bit too stern, pouty or standoffish for me, but she is just so much fun in this dance scene from La Maison De Himiko. Odagiri Joe is pretty entertaining here too.
Category: artistic experiences
Just Watched: Closed Note
While it’s somewhat predictable if you’ve watched a bunch of Japanese (or even Korean) films and dramas, Closed Note with Erika Sawajiri, Yuko Takeuchi and Yusuke Iseya is an idyllic portrayal of the warmth and ideals of youth and human nature. The film does a good job of gradually, almost leisurely developing and revealing relationships between characters, through the present and past, through conversation and writing. Another reminder of how our thoughts and feelings can, in a way, transcend time and space.
As usual, I don’t want to give anything away. If you heartwarming/wrenching, sentimental Japanese films, give this a shot (preferably without watching the trailer below).
Yuko Takeuchi plays once again the kind of character she’s good at endearingly rendering.
In-Flight Delight: Yellow Elephant
During a recent flight, one of the film options was Yellow Elephant with Aoi Miyazaki and Mukai Osamu. A fan of films that take their time with quotidian yet unique plots, I quickly became absorbed in this low-key film. The idyllic beginning with quietly quirky couple Tsuma (who can apparently hear animals and plants talking) and Muko (a novelist) living in the countryside gradually transforms into a tale of how the past pulls at the characters and how they rescue each other, even when they don’t realize it.
The choice of actors in this film is excellent. Most of the characters I’ve seen Aoi Miyazaki play (starting with ちょっと待って、神様 and Eureka) are rendered believable and relatable by her acting.
I love how flights to Japan can be like mini film festivals.
Still At It: the latest from Symphony of Science
Nicely done.
Can’t Wait: Evangelion 3.33
Looks like the wait is almost over. Evangelion 3.33: You Can (Not) Redo is out on DVD in late April. Going to have to bag that. With 2.22 having so many interesting developments, I’m sure it’ll be enthralling to see where the story goes from there, now that Kaoru is on the scene. So far, Shinji’s existential screaming in the TV series has been much stronger. I’m hoping 3.33 changes that.
boku wa… (I am…) from MITikari on Vimeo.
The Wait Is Over: Alfa’s Latest Album Is Out
I’ve longed for this ever since I got hooked on tracks from Second Skin and Growth. Alfa Garcia has done it again with World Go Blue.
Fabulous listening to these heartfelt, poetic lyrics with familiar themes accompanied by vibrant instrumentals… and now a more mellow maturity? My current faves from this album:
- Missed Opportunity
- War!
- Unwritten Rule
BTW, I’ve long thought “Don’t Write Your Goodbyes” from Second Skin fits pretty well with 500 Days of Summer.
Untitled, Unfinished from MITikari on Vimeo.
Currently Reading: Schroder by Amity Gaige
I looked at her, trying not to look as sad as I felt. “I love you, you know.”
In need of a new novel for quiet evenings, I decided to give Schroder a read after listening to this NPR interview with the author. So far it is engrossingly excellent. The language has a unique fluidity to it and aptly captures the giddiness parents and children can sometimes can sometimes have around each other, that exuberant manifestation of the love that bonds them. There is also a keen tenderness that pervades the narration; at the book’s outset, the narrator and consequently you know where things have ended up, and as things unfold on the journey the narrator and his daughter undertake, there is a sense of precariousness.
Currently Eating: The Enzo by Clover
The moment I chewed on my first mouthful of the Enzo sandwich by Clover, my palate was exhilarated. An unexpected shot of gustatory joy on a very cold evening. The unlikely amalgamation of fried eggplant, cheese, pepper relish? and fries (yes, fries in the sandwich) was for me a real winner. And the next day, I was back for more. With the Enzo, I don’t miss their last awesome sandwich, the cauliflower, at all—well, maybe just a little if I really think about how fantastic that one was with the Sriracha sauce.
I love how Clover continues to delightfully surprise me with their new culinary creations combining fresh, nutritious ingredients. I’ve been eating at Clover locations for several years now and look forward to continuing to do so.
Their whoopie pies, by the way: amazing.
Currently Jogging With: Race You by Elizabeth and the Catapult
After hearing it in the Google ad Healthy Habits (video below), I can’t stop listening to and jogging with Race You by Elizabeth and the Catapult (admittedly, I ran the Shazam app on the ad to find out what that perky BGM was). Love the energy of this song and the nostalgia for childhood it evokes.
I’ve racked up a play count of over 90 in the two weeks since I bought song.
Diabolically Simple, Fiendishly Unforgiving: Super Hexagon
I’ve spent a sizable chunk of time over the past few days fatiguing my neurons with the iPad/iPhone game Super Hexagon. After finding it in the Impossible Games section of the iTunes Store with a high rating, I decided to spend the $2.99 and go go for it. Impossible indeed. For the first several attempts, I didn’t last more than 3 seconds; the little triangle I was trying struggling to keep from colliding into the lines closing in, that small shape near the center of the screen quickly crashed into the converging stripes as I dizzily fumbled with the controls. Since then, I’ve managed to make it through about 30 seconds of the game.
I love how the game’s concept is so simple, yet the gameplay is unrelentingly challenging. That along with the high-energy, retro-video-game soundtrack keep me coming back for more—and pleasantly getting a little more each time. I didn’t think I’d be able to make it to 30 seconds so soon. Just hope that progress keeps up.
The video below shows what successful gameplay looks like. I can’t believe someone can do that. Then again, it’s pretty amazing what we can train our brains to do.
A Contemplative Compilation 