This week I have another administrative position that played a significant role in the Edo Period.
This week we have:
gundai (district deputy) 郡代
For a full list of such positions that I have already covered see:
Occupations, Titles & Ranks - Administrative
Monday, February 7, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Durarara!! reviewed
Durarara!!
Released by Aniplex of America
Part 1 avail now, part 2 due March 29,, part 3 due May 31.
Official US website: http://www.durararausa.com/
Episode 1 opens in Ikebukuro Ward in Tokyo, with landmarks shown in a nice series of images to set the location.
In ep 1 you have Ryugamine Mikado who just moved to Ikebukuro to go to high school. As his childhood friend Masaomi shows him the neighborhood, giving advice on places to check out, people to avoid; both individuals and gangs while chattering because he is jazzed to see his old friend again after 4 years. (Note: It was kinda fun to catch the reference to the Ikebukuro West Gate Park series in the dialogue as they chat.)
The animation sequences in episode one are interspersed with screens showing dialogue in a chat room, with voice over, that help set up the next sequence of actions. This is an interesting and plausible use of technology to carry out conversations.
A kidnapping takes place with a girl lured to a location expecting something very different. However a meeting with the kidnappers and their superiors never happens due to interference from an unexpected person in the form of a biker.
A mysterious biker who can really kick ass brutally, a biker on a black bike, dressed in black wearing a yellow helmet with air vents that look like ears, a biker rumored to actually be a bakemono. By the way the biker rides at night with no lights on and is considered an urban legend by many.
In Ep 2 the chat room is replaced with cell phone text messages between two characters. This episode goes over many of the incidents in the first, but from the perspectives of different characters. This is a rather nice filling in of the story that drew me in rather well.
I won't go much more into what happens in the second episode, or even go into the later ones at all. I want to avoid spoilers and frankly I'd have a hard time putting what I see into the words this show deserves, Durarara!! is that good.
The original story is by Narita Ryôgo who also wrote Baccano! and this adaptation, done by the same crew of animators, is as interesting as the adaptation of Baccano!. As was the case with Baccano! the opening animation sequence is a delight of transitions that show us the major characters of the show as it switches from scene to scene, this time to the music of Theatre Brook's song Uragiri no Yûyake (Betrayal of the Sunset).
Aniplex was kind enough to send me a press screener of the first five episodes even after I told them that I would not be able to do the review for a certain magazine as someone else had beat me to it. However the copy was dub only and I'm one of those guys who strongly prefers subs. Luckily Crunchyroll has the episodes subtitled. so I was able to watch them there.
I'm ordering this one, this is a show I definitely want to own.
Released by Aniplex of America
Part 1 avail now, part 2 due March 29,, part 3 due May 31.
Official US website: http://www.durararausa.com/
Episode 1 opens in Ikebukuro Ward in Tokyo, with landmarks shown in a nice series of images to set the location.
In ep 1 you have Ryugamine Mikado who just moved to Ikebukuro to go to high school. As his childhood friend Masaomi shows him the neighborhood, giving advice on places to check out, people to avoid; both individuals and gangs while chattering because he is jazzed to see his old friend again after 4 years. (Note: It was kinda fun to catch the reference to the Ikebukuro West Gate Park series in the dialogue as they chat.)
The animation sequences in episode one are interspersed with screens showing dialogue in a chat room, with voice over, that help set up the next sequence of actions. This is an interesting and plausible use of technology to carry out conversations.
A kidnapping takes place with a girl lured to a location expecting something very different. However a meeting with the kidnappers and their superiors never happens due to interference from an unexpected person in the form of a biker.
A mysterious biker who can really kick ass brutally, a biker on a black bike, dressed in black wearing a yellow helmet with air vents that look like ears, a biker rumored to actually be a bakemono. By the way the biker rides at night with no lights on and is considered an urban legend by many.
In Ep 2 the chat room is replaced with cell phone text messages between two characters. This episode goes over many of the incidents in the first, but from the perspectives of different characters. This is a rather nice filling in of the story that drew me in rather well.
I won't go much more into what happens in the second episode, or even go into the later ones at all. I want to avoid spoilers and frankly I'd have a hard time putting what I see into the words this show deserves, Durarara!! is that good.
The original story is by Narita Ryôgo who also wrote Baccano! and this adaptation, done by the same crew of animators, is as interesting as the adaptation of Baccano!. As was the case with Baccano! the opening animation sequence is a delight of transitions that show us the major characters of the show as it switches from scene to scene, this time to the music of Theatre Brook's song Uragiri no Yûyake (Betrayal of the Sunset).
Aniplex was kind enough to send me a press screener of the first five episodes even after I told them that I would not be able to do the review for a certain magazine as someone else had beat me to it. However the copy was dub only and I'm one of those guys who strongly prefers subs. Luckily Crunchyroll has the episodes subtitled. so I was able to watch them there.
I'm ordering this one, this is a show I definitely want to own.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Low pressure selling
This week I have an entry I have wanted to add for some time.
karisuma tenin (charisma clerk) カリスマ店員
However it took years for a print source to describe the phenomenon. I tend to be pretty strict when it comes to relying on web sources. Finally when the book Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential by Brian Ashcraft and Ueda Shoko came out I had my source.
Charisma clerks are a highly interseting subject that just escaped the attention of the English language media.
In fact before the book came out the only reliable source I found was the "Petit Celebrities" tutorial on the MEKAS website. If you are interested in Japanese fashion in any way check out MEKAS, The site is no longer active (since March 2009) due to the economy but it is still up and has some of the best information you will find on Japanese fashion in English.
Fashion scholar W. David Marx handled much of the work on the site and the quality is top notch. He continues to write for several periodicals and maintains a blog, Néojaponisme, that has truly interesting stuff you probably won't find anywhere else. He also occasionally writes for CNNGo.
karisuma tenin (charisma clerk) カリスマ店員
However it took years for a print source to describe the phenomenon. I tend to be pretty strict when it comes to relying on web sources. Finally when the book Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential by Brian Ashcraft and Ueda Shoko came out I had my source.
Charisma clerks are a highly interseting subject that just escaped the attention of the English language media.
In fact before the book came out the only reliable source I found was the "Petit Celebrities" tutorial on the MEKAS website. If you are interested in Japanese fashion in any way check out MEKAS, The site is no longer active (since March 2009) due to the economy but it is still up and has some of the best information you will find on Japanese fashion in English.
Fashion scholar W. David Marx handled much of the work on the site and the quality is top notch. He continues to write for several periodicals and maintains a blog, Néojaponisme, that has truly interesting stuff you probably won't find anywhere else. He also occasionally writes for CNNGo.
Monday, January 24, 2011
More Kannon
I finally found a title with the 11 headed Kannon in it. A statue is clearly visible in the sequence in the ruined temple in Sword of the Stranger. If you have not seen Sword of the Stranger I highly recommend it as one of the best recent titles available.
This weeks entry is:
Jūichimen Kannon Bosatsu (Eleven Faced Kannon) 十一面観音菩薩
This weeks entry is:
Jūichimen Kannon Bosatsu (Eleven Faced Kannon) 十一面観音菩薩
Monday, January 17, 2011
Fishy no Eggy
This week I have a couple of food entries.
karasumi (botargo) 鱲子 or 唐墨
kazunoko (herring roe) 数の子 or 鯑
Working on this one made me want to go out and get some to have with some sake or beer.
karasumi (botargo) 鱲子 or 唐墨
kazunoko (herring roe) 数の子 or 鯑
Working on this one made me want to go out and get some to have with some sake or beer.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Video Ai
This week I add two entries to the Anime Companion Supplement in the entertainment category, with an adult entertainment slant.
This week we have:
AV (Adult Video)
Iijima Ai 飯島 愛
This week we have:
AV (Adult Video)
Iijima Ai 飯島 愛
Monday, January 3, 2011
Confucian studies
This week I have an entry for the supplement for an institution that played a major role in education in Japanese history.
If you have ever visited Tokyo and crossed the bridge on the Kandagawa that leads from Jimbōchō to Kanda Myojin you may have noticed a series of traditional buildings to the east of the bridge on the north bank of the river.
This is commonly referred to as Yushima Seidō, more properly it was called the Shōheikō 昌平黌.
I hope to visit the buildings on my next trip to Tokyo, the last time I was in the area it was early evening and they were closed for the day. I have heard that on Sundays you can have greater access to parts of the grounds normally not open to the public.
If you have ever visited Tokyo and crossed the bridge on the Kandagawa that leads from Jimbōchō to Kanda Myojin you may have noticed a series of traditional buildings to the east of the bridge on the north bank of the river.
This is commonly referred to as Yushima Seidō, more properly it was called the Shōheikō 昌平黌.
I hope to visit the buildings on my next trip to Tokyo, the last time I was in the area it was early evening and they were closed for the day. I have heard that on Sundays you can have greater access to parts of the grounds normally not open to the public.
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