Edo Meets Kyoto

One Paragraph Reviews: Waters (一段落レビュー：ウォーターズ)

2012-01-28T23:10:00.001-07:00

And thus begins a new saga (which sounds much better than a series, really) in which Edo covers any number of films and dramas in the span of one paragraph (or two, I have to give myself some leeway here, lest the whole plan collapse in upon itself before its even begun). Think of it not as exchanging depth for breadth, but rather as an intriguing art form particularly suited to the blogging medium and our modern fast-paced culture, so focused on the here-and-now and all that instant gratuity nonsense.

Oh ho, I hear you cry, art form my hiney. What is this, but a simple ruse by which Edo may exert as little effort as possible in order to produce a wide and theoretically reader-enticing array of what will inevitably turn out to be nothing more than pure and utter drivel best crammed into some lost corner of cyberspace, or, indeed, never written at all, instead of brazenly placed upon this blog in front of the unwitting and entirely unsuspecting eye of the casual reader? Oh ho, a clever ruse sir, but I will not be taken in!

... I hear you cry. You should probably speak with someone about that nasty habit of run-on sentences you appear to be developing. Left unchecked, I hear such conditions can escalate quite rapidly.

In any case, you are, needlessly verbose or no, quite wrong. While this project is being undertaken in an attempt to cover a wider array of media than I have been able to up to the present time, it is also meant to be an exercise in succinct writing. After all, as brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes...

Come to think of it, grandiloquence does sort of get out on a loophole, doesn't it? Provided it isn't tedious, of course, and that's really all dependent on who you ask... or who you don't, in fact, and considering the fact that I, as a rule, don't ever ask anyone when t comes to the contents of this blog, it stands to reason that...

(Yes, yes, Edo, you've taken this joke far enough. Get on with it already.)

(...there's a reason I used one of Polonius's speeches to audition for Hamlet, you know.)

All cheap and over-extended jokes aside, this is, in actuality, a sort of exercise for myself. As many of you may (or may not have) noticed, I am often a bit too... verbose for my own good, and while I can produce works limited by quite short page or word counts, such productions require a great deal of editing on my part. Detailed length has always come easier to me than succinct fact.

Ergo, a challenge. Review things in a paragraph (or two, if I just can't help myself, plus a nice line of conclusion drawing it all together), combating my deeply ingrained tendency towards loquaciousness and yet at the same time covering all the most basic and fundamental points of that which is being discussed. From my perspective, anyway.

Look, it's a personal blog. If you want objective, pick up your geometry text book.

(... I'm not sure, and I pointedly avoided most topics which tend to be assumed objective by the unassuming public such as history and literature textbooks, but are any groundbreaking yet controversial advances being made in the field of radii and hypotenuses...?)

Thus, without further ado, here is today's review. (Except for this rhyme, for which we make time.)

ウォーターズ (Waters)

A movie that is, on the surface, nothing more than a comedy that forays into the life of a ragtag bunch of men (ranging from young to... well, less young) who wind up forced into the hosting business, for one reason or another. Oh, if only. Our leading men are all led to one particular host club, which requires a start-up investment from its employees due to its current state of dilapidation. While all the characters theoretically have their own convoluted back-stories, the only ones the movie really cares about are those of Oguri Shun and his (potential) love interest because, well, they're the pretty ones. Twists in the story (confusing as it may be) are inevitable, and the movie rounds itself off with some casual misogyny involving the unfortunate implications underlying the characterization of women with money and power (because men in those same positions are absolute paragons of virtue).

In Conclusion: Don't bother, unless you really like Oguri Shun and aren't too hip with that whole "satisfying ending" idea.

This is Edo, signing off whilst realizing that she may have to ignore some textbook rules about paragraph construction in order to give this series any chance at success.

(Yes, yes, I know this is rather late... The funny thing is, I had it almost completely written on Monday, and it was just the actual posting that kept slipping my mind... Oh, well. Consider it a rather mildly cautionary tale against procrastination.)

I guess we did it. (勝ったかもな。)

2012-01-21T23:56:00.000-07:00

http://sopastrike.com/numbers/

Let no one say that protest does nothing.

A big "kudos" to Wikipedia and Google especially. When the easy information network goes down, people finally pay attention.

But there's always more to do.

Let's make sure it stays down.

This is Edo, signing off and promising a return to actual content in the coming week. No, really. I mean it.

Then and now. (当時と現在。)

2012-01-01T00:02:00.001-07:00

I thought this would be a particularly apt topic for a New Year's Eve post. (Well, Eve still where I am, anyway. You'll have to bear with me on that one.)

Sometimes I, unbeknownst to the common observer, have mild periods of prolonged philosophical pondering whilst engaging in the everyday humdrum of cleanliness upkeep. (The lengths I go to for alliteration.) Today I found myself thinking of a common problem I've noticed cropping up in my life more and more recently, sometimes with alarming frequency.

It seems to me that I am in a constant state of flux between the utterly uneducated, unevolved, and really simply naive "then" and the supremely sophisticated, adult, remarkably mature "now." Sometimes the "then" will be in the (somewhat) distant past, and sometimes it will be disturbingly nearby... say, in the past year or so. The period of transition is either instantaneous and undetectable or, conversely, so gradual and unassuming that by the time I reach the tipping point, the build-up has been such that I am thoroughly acclimated to my "now"ness once I am able to define myself within its parameters.

My pondering, therefore, leads me to wonder whether this state of flux will eventually lead to a permanent state of "now" where I am thoroughly and completely "grown-up" and developed, or whether I will continue progressing through these stages, each of varying length, until my dotage, constantly looking back and lamenting how very foolish I was in only the past decade.

If, of course, I will reach a "now" at some point that will last me until the end, the question becomes "when" is "now"? It hardly seems fair if that "now" is much beyond, say, the 3/4 mark of my life, as it seems that I won't have much time to spend basking in my understanding and true appreciation of the world. Yet, if the "now" comes to early, say before the half-way point, how can I truly say that I am at my peak? Would such a "now" be worth striving for, if it would only lead to stagnation and developmental decay?

However, if my life (and, extending this bit of rationale, that of everyone else) is meant to be and indeed forced into being in a constant state of flux, how can we truly say that we are the same person from month to month, year to year? For example, I would, if possible, completely disassociate myself from the me at, say, 19, for no other reason than sheer embarrassment at my emotional immaturity, undeveloped thought processes and the resulting actions taken. I would not trust an individual who knew me only at that time period to, say, give a character reference. Even so, being who I was at 19 is somehow integral to who I am now--without experiencing that period of blatant "stupidity," I would not have developed into the person who sits here writing somewhat pointless and yet hopefully thought-provoking blog posts close on the midnight hour.

And when it comes right down to it, there's really nothing that I, as a person, can do about the situation either way, aside from talking to you lot about it. Nevertheless, these are the places that my mind wanders. Just something I think about, of an evening, as it were.

I'm no Descartes over here, people.

Regardless, a Happy New Year and a 良い年を to all my lovely readers. My resolution, as it has been for a few years now, is to not be so easily embarrassed, and to maintain a level of self-confidence such that the passing thoughts of strangers observing my actions no longer preoccupy me.

This is Edo, signing off whilst welcoming everyone into the year of the dragon.

Welcome to America. (アメリカへようこそ。)

2011-12-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

I can't ███████ we've ███████ it to get ████ far. Are you █████ to be an ████████ yet?

████ is Edo, ███████ off ██████████ █████████ and ███████████ ██████ to ███████ ████ ██████.

Fa la la la la.... (ファララララ。。。)

2011-12-12T19:07:00.002-07:00

Ok, so, technically that's nothing more than a shoddy transliteration at best, but come on now. Christmas carols are a distinctly non-Japanese phenomenon, and when you start getting picky over that sort of thing, there's really no helping you at all.

As those of my readers in the Western hemisphere, Japan, Australia... and, oh, any number of other places may have already gathered (despite, perhaps, some serious effort to the contrary), it is Christmas time once again. Yes, a time when the essences of holly and jolly and a good many other things ending in "olly" (thank you Terry Pratchett) are veritably afloat in the breeze, waiting to assault unsuspecting passerby with unbridled feelings of peace and goodwill towards mankind.

Oh, and humbug to all the Christians that insist on claiming this holiday for their own and keeping it away from all of us heathen types--you stole it first, now we're simply assimilating it back. Besides, the Doctor celebrates Christmas (to an extent), and I've yet to see him at church of a Sunday morning.

What I mean to say, in my odd and rambling way, is of course...

Let's make some gingerbread!

Look, I found a recipe, it's delicious, and I feel like sharing. All right? It's Christmas-time. I think I can be forgiven a little deviance from my Japan-theme at Christmas-time.

If not? ... well, a very merry Bah humbug to you too, sir.

(I may be hinting at my favorite Christmas movie here... but that's for next time.)

Gingerbread! (Credit for the original to Epicurious, of course.)

Yes, so I used the website's picture... I ate all mine, back off.

Hardware
1 9x9 Baking Pan
1 Electric Mixer + Large Mixing Bowl (Or not, if you're feeling particularly ripped today.)
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Spatula (Or, if you're like anything like me, two spatulas, because the first one just didn't live up to your expectations.)

Software
2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Allspice
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter, Softened
2/3 cup Molasses (NOT Blackstrap)
2/3 cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
3 tablespoons Finely Grated Peeled Fresh Ginger (Or you can, like I did, use the stuff from a tube. It tastes just dandy, and t's a hell of a lot easier to deal with... though I'm sure Alton Brown wouldn't approve. Let's not tell him, all right?)

2/3 cup Hot Water (Or, um... not. Read on.)

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Yes, fahrenheit. I don't speak your strange centigrade language, at least not willingly. Butter up your baking pan, and no cheating by using cooking spray either. I mean it, butter that bad boy like there's no mañana. Try using the wrapper your butter came in--it might have enough residue to get you by. If not, crack open a new stick (unsalted, of course) and go to town.

Combine your dry ingredients in the mixing bowl that is not connected to your electric mixer. Not. Quit being difficult. Your dry ingredients, again, are your flour, your baking soda, your spices (cinnamon and allspice) and salt. I usually just mix 'em up with one of the measuring spoons. Yes, I know the cooking show guys don't, but they also don't do their own dishes. This is one point where I'm going to help you more than Alton Brown will, kiddos, trust me. That man's dishwasher must weep nightly...

Slap the rest of your ingredients minus the water into your electric mixer's bowl, then beat on medium until they're combined. I'd go for a paddle attachment if you have one, as the whisk is going to be difficult (but delicious) to clean off.

Seriously, I told you to use the mixer, don't whine to me now because you didn't want to bother hauling it out on such short notice. That ginger's taking a while to mix in, isn't it? Don't say I didn't warn you, punk. (You'll also notice how quick and easy this step was if you took my advice and used the ginger-in-a-tube method. If you didn't... well... just think of that sore arm as the precursor to rippling biceps. Or Popeye forearms, but hey.)

Reduce the speed on your mixer (or hey, turn it off all together, no rush) and add in your "dry" mix slowly. By this I mean, of course, in batches. You can do the Alton Brown thing and put it all on some sort of easily manipulated platform like a cheapo paper plate for slow and steady loading, or you can improvise in your easily-manipulated-platform-free kitchen and use that cup measure you had out for the flour anyway. In this case, you might want to stop the mixer every time you add in a bit more of the dry stuff, otherwise you run the risk of losing a cup measure to the mixer gods and generally causing a riot in your previously calm and serene kitchen. Not good times. Try and get one dose of dry stuff fairly well blended before adding the next.

Once all of your dry is mixed in and your mixer is chugging along smoothly, things start to get a little... interesting. See, the recipe says to now add the hot water and mix until combined. I... completely forgot this step, and spent the next ten minutes licking the beater clean. Not to mention it turned out excellently anyway.

So, you know, use your own judgement here.

Pour/scoop/spackle the batter into your buttered pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean. If your oven is anything like mine, you will be amazed, amazed, when it's done t 35 minutes on the nose. This recipe is magical. ...or taking out the water did something magical. Ah HA, who's laughing now, oh recipe author?

This should make about nine squares, and that's how I divided mine up, more or less. Delicious warm from the oven (let it cool for about fifteen minutes first) or microwaved for about 30 seconds in the future. My grandma probably toasts it, and that's all well and good... I just like my gingerbread soft is all.

I know it doesn't sound like much, but trust me. This stuff is delicious. It will change your mind about gingerbread, believe you me. I am currently plotting my next adventure into the realm of gingerbread as we speak, and technically I screwed up the recipe.

Try it. Your house will smell like Christmas and your family and friends will have the pleasure of a rare, first-hand encounter with prime baked goods. Everyone wins.

This is Edo, signing off and wondering if you can "plot" cookery.

(For those who like their recipes without my exciting color commentary, the original I used is here.)

Stop Censorship. (検閲やめよう。)

2011-11-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

This is Edo, signing off and hoping she made a bit of a difference.

Men on trains. (電車に乗る男。)

2011-11-13T15:25:00.001-07:00

I really shouldn't start series like I did in that last post, because I know that I'll inevitably get bored with the idea long before its completion.

There's also the fact that this is not, contrary to popular belief, a BUCK-TICK fan blog, and I should try to remember that every now and again for the sake of my adoring audience.

Thus, we return, once again, to that old stand-by...

Movie Review!

... or, well, movie-summary-and-stream-of-consciousness-discussion, but that's about as close as you're ever going to get on this blog, quite frankly.

So what, I hear you cry, is the movie today?

電車男 (でんしゃおとこ, Train Man)

Let me preface this by saying that I really like this movie. I am thus biased, and therefore this will not, by any means, be a fair critique. If you want fancy-pants movie analysis where the thing is picked apart in a cinematic sense by an unbiased judge, you're reading the wrong blog.

If you want someone to briefly summarize and then discuss the possible (and probably idealistic) social ramifications, however, then Google has steered you right at last!

(This blog is not implying in any way shape or form that Google is an inferior search engine--quite the opposite, in fact--but merely trying for a cheap laugh. Please, oh hosting corporation of my blog, forgive me.)

電車男 was a manga, then a television drama, and finally, a movie. While I have not read the manga, I have seen a portion the drama, but my opinion was unfortunately colored by having seen the movie first--it's hard to sit through eleven episodes of something when you've just seen it all condensed into two hours.

Which is not to say that I will not, again, attempt to finish each and every episode. Someday.

BUT, that's not what we're here to discuss.

This movie is cute, makes you feel good, and generally leaves viewers with a positive outlook on life. Being the ~~shallow~~ cheerful type that I am, I tend to prefer movies that don't make me miserable all day, or indeed leave me sobbing uncontrollably through the last twenty minutes (I'm looking at you, Finding Neverland.) This is why I have yet to watch おくりびと (Okuribito, Departures) despite it apparently being an absolutely fantastic movie.

But I digress. Again. Hey, it's what I do.

We begin by meeting our protagonist. He is an otaku in Tokyo who works as some sort of tech support, spends a great deal of time on internet message boards, and crawls Akihabara on a regular basis for anime, manga and video game memorabilia, like you do. Keep that middle bit in mind, it's the entire plot of this movie, kids.

But again, I must digress, because this. Is. Important.

There is currently a rash (yes, a rash) of young people in the US proudly calling themselves "otaku" because of their love for anime and manga and/or what they presume to be the entirety of Japanese pop culture.

Stop. It. Right now.

I don't care what Wikipedia tells you about loan words and all the other nonsense. Being an otaku is not a good thing, nor is it a way of life you should aspire towards. Being an otaku is not the back-bone of Heisei Japan. Being an otaku is CERTAINLY not something that'll score you a ton of points in Heisei Japanese society.

Being an otaku is a bad thing. At least in most social circles. Otaku is thrown around as an insult, as it generally means that the person in question is obsessed to the point of exclusion. Obsessed, and not in the middle-school "oh, I am OBSESSED with the Backstreet Boys!*" obsessed either. Normal, everyday activities are sacrificed for the sake of the obsession. Social relationships suffer. Hygiene tends to suffer, as does proper nutrition. The obsession very nearly takes over their lives. It is not a good thing.

*I refuse to move with the times.

Admittedly, I partially blame questionable tourism promotion tactics for helping this idea along, but Japan is not the land of otaku. Yes, it's where the word and, arguably, one form of the lifestyle originated, but that's like saying that everyone in the US is a redneck due to the existence of a certain population that, frankly, we'd rather hide from the international sphere in the metaphorical national broom closet. You are taking a small, actually quite unpopular population and generalizing it to an entire country. Worse, you're appropriating its terminology without fully understanding the connotations or consequences therein.

Simply liking anime and/or manga does not make you an otaku. It just means that you like anime and/or manga, and that's fine. I cannot emphasize these things enough.

Simply put: 99 times out of 100, you, kid, are not an otaku. If you were, you wouldn't want to brag about it. You're quite possibly a weeaboo, but that's not something to be proud of. Take a Japanese culture class, punk.

...anger issues much, Edo?

Back to the topic at hand.

Now. Our protagonist is seemingly content with his run-of-the-mill otaku life. One day, he goes shopping in Akihabara, like you do, and has a good time of it. Of course, he is embarrassed to be seen as or thought of as an otaku (hint hint, weeaboos) once outside of his safe and contained social sphere (welcome to Akiba, kids), but such is life. He hides his purchases in a backpack, and generally tries to be inconspicuous. He gets some flack on the train from a randomly rude Tokyo couple when his merchandise falls out of his bag (seriously, do these people just hide until the foreigner leaves? Who says stuff like that? Bet it never happens in Osaka, guys), but is generally unscathed and puts on his handy dandy mp3 player for the ride home.

Until... Belligerent Drunken Salary Man (tm) Attacks!

(I never saw this either, though I find it much easier to believe as I have smelled it.)

As being drunk and disorderly in Japan is commonplace and generally excusable because "well, he had been drinking, he couldn't help it" (no, seriously), it is not surprising when a belligerent drunken salary man (now BDSM... ha, ha, what would Freud say) gets on the train. Oh, bother, thinks our hero, an turns up the volume on his music. BDSM hassles a few chatty middle aged ladies for being (of all things) too loud, then basically continues around the train car, looking for a fight. Up with the music, down with the gaze, oh brave hero.

Don't worry, it gets better.

Unfortunately, BDSM makes his way down to this attractive young lady that our hero has been forlornly eyeing since she boarded the train at his stop. She's trying to read her book, but we know that BDSM won't be having any of that, no siree bob.

Before things can get too hairy with the attractive young lady (AYL), our hero stands valiantly, stuttering in defiance at the belligerent and actually quite intimidating BDSM. BDSM, as you may have guessed, is not a fan of such a ballsy attack on his belligerent and drunken actions, and proceeds to get right in our hero's face. This does, however, succeed in saving AYL from his very, very dubious intentions. We proudly cheer our hero on and hope to Buddha he doesn't get his teeth knocked in and his glasses snapped in half.

Luckily, the train pulls up to the next stop before things get horribly ugly, and policemen race on board to apprehend our BDSM, having been phoned earlier by the poor middle aged ladies. The train is saved, and our hero actually is a hero! Huzzah!

After making their report to the police, both middle aged ladies promptly ask for our hero's contact information, as they want to send him thank-you gifts. (Though I have never seen the custom applied in quite this situation, this would be a very reasonable action in Japan--gift-giving is quite commonplace, whether visiting a person's house for the first time or coming back from vacation. Gifts to the hero of the train? Sounds good.) As he awkwardly stumbles through writing down the information (and who doesn't love an awkward protagonist?) he is shocked and amazed when AYL also asks for his information. In movie-land, we all know: something good is going to happen here.

The story then follows our protagonist's misadventures as he attempts to woo the attractive young lady from the train after he obtains her contact information from the label on the thank-you gift she sends via post. What makes it a good movie, however, is the fact that he bases his approach and actions almost entirely upon the advice of the people on the internet message board he created upon having the confrontation with the belligerent Drunken Salary Man.

(Just so you know, I'm not being that horrible a blogger here by repeatedly not using the hero's name--it's actually pointedly not made a big deal of in the movie, and he is mostly referred to as "電車男." AYL herself is referred to as Hermes after she gives our hero the gift of some fine Hermes-brand crockery, which our hero amusingly has no clue about before his internet friends tell him.)

The interactions online are, of course, in my opinion, the best part of the film, and what make it truly remarkable. We are introduced to a whole slice of society that finds refuge in social interaction online, all for their own reasons and all with their own (in some cases, quite considerable) baggage. We have a broken-hearted and possibly abused nurse, a hikkikomori (or shut-in, a young person who refuses to leave his room even to attend school or even interact with his family...which is a disturbingly common problem in Japan at present), three societal rejects who spend their time in internet cafes, a business man, and a housewife. This is, I admit, where the drama is stronger, as it is able to showcase a much larger variety of "internet people" (being a longer medium, time-wise), but the selection in the movie is still pretty damn good.

While the movie does tend to gloss over some societal problems by having their solutions come a bit too quickly (again, I can be a little forgiving due to time constraints and the general saccharine nature of this sort of movie), it does an excellent job of illustrating a number of reasons why people would find themselves retreating into someone else's life, and through an online message board at that. The movie touches on depression, loveless marriages, (possibly) the recent trend of poor young people basically living in internet cafes (the things you learn in depressing higher level Japanese courses, I tell ya), and of course the shut-in problem, and that's just all I can think of off the top of my head. It humanizes people and problems that tend to be marginalized or even ignored by the larger society, and thus brings the real people in these situations into positions where maybe, just maybe they feel comfortable confiding in someone, anyone, about their situation and what they can possibly do to adjust towards a better life.

... you know, sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't have gone into anthropology after all.

...but then I remember the forms you have to fill out to support these kinds of hypotheses with interviews, and how often my personal philosophy tends more towards the misanthropic...

....and I snap out of it again.

Anyway.

I recommend this movie for just about everyone, especially those who want to know a bit more about the underbelly of Japanese society yet stay out of the realm of crime. It's also good for those who mistakenly believe that Japan is populated entirely by anime and manga nuts--while it shows that side of the culture, it also demonstrates just how on the fringe it is to be that deeply focused on... well, anything, really, but that's another post.

Also good for those of you interested in Japanese-language internet speak/common typos and abbreviations--I thought that those little bits of detail were incredibly interesting, linguistic geek that I am. That, of course, is also the reason why I sometimes need to turn on the subtitles--quick-fire chat-room style speak/text is a bit difficult to keep up with. All in the name of a good challenge!

And hey, this one's actually on Netflix, so you really have no excuse.

...I know that by now that some of you must be insisting that I prefer the movie to the drama because in the movie, our hero is actually quite attractive once he cleans himself up a bit whereas in the drama... not so much. Well sir, I say to you...

You have a point. But still, the fact that I saw the movie first is still probably the biggest reason--I'm usually the most heavily influenced by the medium I first come into contact with.

Watch the movie, kids; it's good, amusing, touching, and surprisingly socially conscious.

This is Edo, signing off with the strangest urge to attack the drama once again... and the realization that she should probably be a bit nicer. But then again, there was that whole disclaimer about misanthropy, so...

How about a little democracy? (民主主義ためしてみない？)

2011-11-09T22:16:00.001-07:00

I promise that, eventually, I will stop making posts about BUCK-TICK. Exclusively, that is. Asking me to stop entirely would be like asking Haruo Shirane to give up pre and early modern Japanese literature.

... it's not going to happen.

Ahem.

Anyway, in celebration of ditching their old label (or being ditched, and making the best of it... take what news and interpretation you will), BUCK-TICK is releasing a compilation set--two albums, one for 87-99, and the other for 00-10. Considering they've been putting out music since at a rate of roughly one album per year (... ok, give or take), they have a lot of material to choose from.

HOWEVER. Being the trend-setting, hip and groovy band that they are, they've decided that they are not fit to decide on the final line up.

No, they leave that...

To us, the dear, beloved ~~slathering~~ fans.

Oh, democracy.

http://buck-tick.com/25th/special/ranking.html

Go, vote, be merry. One song per album per 24-hour period, mind you, but the sentiment holds.

I do feel like somebody's been abusing the vote, though... rigging IP addresses, hiring friends, hacking websites... I'm not sure, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm going to have to work hard to get some of my choices on the list.

... What better way than to recruit a blog audience?

... Ok, you're right, it would help if I had a blog audience. Every little bit helps.

So, unless you have some choices of your own (which I would by no means try to talk you out of... unless you're one of those people voting for both versions of ICONOCLASM... I mean, come on, the TABOO version is clearly superior, and, quite frankly, all the ICONOCLASM we need on one compilation album), why not click a few in my corner? I'll even link every title to the song itself, so you can judge for yourself! What a responsible campaign manager I am.

To vote, click on the big button with 投票ページへ (To the Voting Page) written on it, then click the 楽曲をみる (View the Songs) button below the album you want to vote on. Select your song, click 投票する (Vote), then enter your nickname, gender (男性 is guy, 女性 is girl), age (SHOULD be self explanatory) and prefecture. I use 京都府 (Kyoto), of course, but feel free to choose wherever you prefer. Then just click 送信する (Transmit) and you're done! Be sure to click the bottom button (ランキングページへ戻る, Return to the Ranking Page) if you want to vote for another song.

... and I just realized what a massively long undertaking this will be, and thus have deigned to split this post up, following BUCK-TICK's example. But, uh, maybe into more than two sections. Because... wow.

Anyway, starting from the beginning...

SEXUAL XXXX!, 1987 (The Hair Spring!)

You know, since they're using the 1990 version of HURRY UP MODE.

I'm all for either HYPER LOVE or DO THE "I LOVE YOU." Both have good versions on NOT GREATEST HITS, true, but none of them seem to be making the list so far... so.... yea. SISSY BOY is a close third, and ILLUSION squeezes in at fourth.

Next!

SEVENTH HEAVEN, 1988 (Ego, Atsushi, ego.)

I'm going either CAPSULE TEARS -PLASTIC SYNDROME III- or Oriental Love Story on this one. "But Edo!" I hear you cry, "what about VICTIMS OF LOVE?" Yes, well. I adore the song, but not this version. Number one is the live version from RAZZLE DAZZLE, number two is the NOT GREATEST HITS version, and this one is only third by default. I'd rather encourage their progress, thank you.

Continuing on.

TABOO, 1989 (It's definitely an 80's album.)

ICONOCLASM. Full stop. Is there any other choice, really? I admit, it's difficult to see if you haven't been involved in a live performance, but... just trust me on this one.
(And yes, I know, SEX FOR YOU does make me giggle... but... ICONOCLASM. Come on.)

Moving right along.

悪の華 (Evil Blossom), 1990 (The accordion is not actually integral to the plot.)

Originally, I was all for LOVE ME... but, well, NATIONAL MEDIA BOYS is a classic, albeit heavily hyped. I do prefer the live version of LOVE ME from the memento mori tour... but then again this version is superior to the NOT GREATEST HITS version... urgh, decisions.
Well, NATIONAL MEDIA BOYS is already at the top for this half of the compilation, so it doesn't really need our support.

I think one more ought to do it for this post...

HURRY UP MODE (1990 MIX), 1990 (...meh.)

I... have no strong feelings about any song on this album. Probably my least favorite of all their stuff, honestly. What can you do.

... I can't end on that note.

狂った太陽 (Mad Sun), 1991 (B-T's first dabblings in cyberpunk. Also: The Woman Phase continues strong!)

Aaah, there we go. That's some good stuff. Now, since we can't vote for MAD (for good reason, I suppose, given all the hype and air time it gets... but still), I'm all for 太陽ニ殺サレタ (Killed by the Sun). Don't ask me about the gratuitous katakana, I couldn't tell you.

And that's all for today's edition of Gratuitous BUCK-TICK Promotion with Edo, be sure to tune in next time when we discuss passion, betrayal and hopelessness!

This is Edo, signing off with more votes to cast.

Just a little somethin'. (ちっちゃいもんだけなんや。)

2011-10-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I'm a horrible blogger. My only excuse is grad school apps, and really, that's not a great excuse when you think about it. I am, after all, half-way done as of about twenty minutes ago.

(Hooray!)

I will try for some regularity after I'm done with all this hooplah, I promise--I have one or two ideas swimming around in my head, and I'm sure I'll get the gumption to write them up eventually. If only you lot shared my passion for academic studies incorporating gender and Japanese popular culture, then I could share with you the brilliant dissertation topic I came up with last night...

BUT. Since I'm not sure how many seedy academics troll the interwebs in search of brilliant dissertation ideas, I won't. I'm keeping this baby all to myself until at least two professors have seen it.

... I wonder if paranoia is common among those involved in research. Probably.

Anyway.

BUCK-TICK is currently doing some pretty snazzy things, including a new single, a new album, and, yes, that's right, a whole new label. Now all you indie kids can listen to some decent music without feeling guilty about selling out to the man! (Also, wash your hair. Geez.) You can head on over to their website to check it out, or, as always, The Blog-Tick Phenomenon.

Personally, I think you should head over to their official site for a second even if you can't read Japanese, just to experience Atsushi in his shiny cape. It is shiny. On top of his vaguely vampiric hair-style and what appears to be a blue, crushed velvet suit... well. You have to see it now, don't you? Also, Imai has some lovely dandy-esque hair at the moment that I am enjoying thoroughly.

Look, just go, all right? I can't save the image and post it here for you, otherwise you know I would. Go. Go now. It'll take you five seconds. Come on.

How about some mood music for incentive?

I'll even keep it to songs that my dear old grandmother might enjoy.

ミウ(Miu) is definitely underrated. Melodic, haunting, and just all around beautiful.

The video, however... it makes no sense. It does have the haunting bit down, and I admit that anything which focuses on Atsushi's face for such extended periods does certainly qualify for "beautiful"... but still. I love it anyway, sense be damned. Cowboys, body parts, and a reprise of the asylum theme from BRAN-NEW LOVER with some sort of mummy get-up? I'm sure there's some deep, deep imagery going on here, but I'm equally sure that anyone who tried to explain it to me would sound completely off their nut.

Also, Imai is terrifying. Terrifying. He is a genius, yes, and I adore him and all the strange sounds he makes, but good god. Toll's a little scary too. It helps that the last time I heard him interviewed, he sounded like such a stereotypical old Japanese man that I couldn't help but laugh. Imai still sounds like Imai.

... speaking of BRAN-NEW LOVER...

Yes, yes, I know I posted this before, but it's one of my favorite songs, and the video is basically a crazy cyberpunk romp, and that is just awesome.

Also, Atsushi writing in a straight jacket. You don't have to be a slobbering fangirl to appreciate that.

.... the less said about the tentacles, however, the better.

And speaking of underrated songs...

I love 蜉蝣ーかげろうー (Kagerou, Mayfly) as much as the next guy, but I really think it's the single's second track that stands out. You want beautiful and melodic, here's your number right here.

It's an interesting bug theme that they went with... 蜉蝣 meaning mayfly or dragonfly and 空蝉 (Utsusemi) being, loosely, a discarded cicada shell. Of course, Utsusemi is also a character from The Tale of Genji, not to mention a metaphor for this world (as opposed to different Buddhist planes, usually) or a person living in it... And, ok, so, technically, 蜉蝣 can mean ephemerality, which I buy and therefore gives us a Buddhist theme, but my sources insist that reading it as "kagerou" removes that meaning, making it... well, honestly, I suppose that doesn't mean anything when we're talking about V-kei lyrics, if Dir en grey has taught me anything, but I do prefer to be neat, and... oh, forget it.

Really, 空蝉 is just a snazzy kinda song.

Admittedly, I don't belt out the lyrics when it comes on in the car like I do with 蜉蝣, but still.

And... uh... speaking of things you... belt out in various locations... (bear with me here)

Ah, this was the first tour I ever attended. How young and naive I was... and yet excited and appreciative as hell. Especially about the pimp hat and cane (not pictured here, unfortunately).

Admittedly, this is off of the DVD (which I own, but was not at the filming of), so I didn't actually get to see Atsushi's evil-twin-pirate goatee in person... He did fall off a speaker, though, which was on the one hand very concerning and on the other, hilarious (after, of course, he joked about it, slapped his "bad" leg and showed no ill effects.) Never step on triangular speakers, kids.

Regardless. This is, in my humble opinion (hah), the best arrangement for this song. The original and the NOT GREATEST HITS versions can't even compare in terms of energy and the ability to cheer you the hell up.

Also, the Imai-kick (tm) and Imai-dance (tm) routine is a great workout. Try it, just for the duration of this song, and only when he does it. You'll be panting, I promise. And you wondered how he stays in such good shape.

He does that the whole time. Every show.

... ok, not the whole time, but still, enough so that it's goddamn impressive.

I kinda think he cut the hair so it wouldn't weigh him down anymore.

... BUCK-TICK is awesome.

This is Edo, signing off with a very pointed look at every one of you who did not, after all that, click the link. Come on.

A Musical Review! (音楽の批評記事や！)

2011-10-13T13:31:00.001-07:00

Not a Revue, because I'm sure that's just not what you're here for. Anyway.

Oftentimes, when thinking of what to write in this blog of mine, I become fearful that I have run out of topics--what else, I moan, can possibly be written? And, of course, after about five minutes of this kind of thinking, a blog post is almost fully formed in my head, ready to go.

Unfortunately, this usually happens when I'm in bed and the computer's off for the night, so I'm forced to cling to my ideas until the morning hours, hoping that something, anything, stays in my brain long enough to get down on the interwebs.

As my brain right before sleep is not in prime memory-making mode... well. We'll see how that goes.

Anyway.

To the delight of some, and to the ambivalence of many (I'm sure), I'm going to return to my musical phase today!

...although really I don't think I've ever done song commentary, and have mainly stuck with general band description plus songs as a necessary by-product thereof, but generally subservient to the greater plot of band informant...

But whatever.

Today, thanks to this post taking a long time coming, I have two singles to talk about:

DEATHGAZE's SILENCE/THE END (because when you can't choose the title, why not compromise?) and Dir en grey's DIFFERENT SENSE.

... I'll never understand why recent V-kei/J-Rock bands feel the need to ignore standard capitalization rules. I mean, it could be that they're shouting everything... oh, ok. Well. That makes sense, forget I asked.

Anyway.

DEATHGAZE - SILENCE/THE END

Yes, that is the album cover. Not entirely black, there are some spots of white and grey in there if you look... maybe it's supposed to be deep space?

Really, though, when bands start doing this for covers, I have to wonder if it really is so much artistic as it is damn lazy on the part of their graphics guy... Although, in the case of Dir en grey's THE MARROW OF A BONE, it was actually a mistake, particularly in the American release, for some reason. What looked to be a black cover with only the title standing out should have, in fact, been a monochrome (... is it monochrome when it's all in shades of black, really?) picture that was actually quite detailed. I think there was a deal where Americans could send back their copy to get the proper cover. Pretty sure I stuck with the mistake cover, but would have to actually dig out my copy to confirm.

... ANYWAY. (These are really just self-cues to get my hiney back in gear at this point, pay no heed.)

As you may (or may not, if you're a brandy-new reader... hello, brandy-new reader!) know, I am a fan of DEATHGAZE. Seen them live twice, have most if not all of their stuff. They're great. Put on a good show, and produce consistently good music. Ai has a great voice, and he doesn't growl or scream too much--which, really, is extra nice, as he has one of the most distinctive voices I've ever heard. In a good way. In a good, deep, make-you-all-tingly way.

I'll stop.

Track 1- SILENCE

Like I said, they weren't very creative in naming this single. Guess what the next track's called.

Now, I like some hard rock. No one can say otherwise. I especially like hard rock with a melodic interlude, or, even better, a melodic chorus. While sometimes I admit that I do like to headband and scream with rage, most of the time, I'm just not in that sort of mood.

Er, right now anyway. No telling what tomorrow brings to my emotional state.

Regardless, I think loving BUCK-TICK has seriously affected my love for the harder stuff. Oh, well.

And anyway, Ai has too nice a voice to waste on nothing but screaming. Luckily, he didn't disappoint. He's a good kid.

(Yes, I promise. Press play, and get through the first... oh, thirty-nine seconds. It gets less angry. Not that there's anything wrong with angry, mind you. They're almost a metal band, depending on your definitions, so give them a break.)

These guys are just a very well put together band. Lately, the world of Visual Kei has produced naught but knock-offs and really awful music (I'm looking at you, GAZETTE.) When someone like this pops up? You can't help but do a little dance of joy.

lynch. is pretty good too, but DEATHGAZE is definitely my favorite new-age (in my terms, having started putting out music oh, say 2003 or later) V-kei band. (And don't bug me that DEATHGAZE might not fit into that classification--I'm not counting when Ai wasn't the vocalist, because honestly, I don't know if they would have worked as well without his voice. And hey man, the website says 2003, so back off. It also seems to suggest that Ai's gone blonde again... oh, well. Whatever floats his boat. Naoki is still adorable and tiny, so at least there's some consistency. Honestly, I could break the man in half... Woman at the goods booth tried to suggest that, hey, Naoki wears an M, so that should be ok for you, right? I gave her a look and said "Yea, no, L please." Maybe I should take it as a compliment, or that she really needed new glasses.)

Track 2- THE END

You guessed it. Hey, at least they let you know what you're getting in to.

Ah, they certainly never disappoint with percussion. Naoki may be tiny, but he's damn good.

This one is a bit angrier, despite a non-screaming start and some nice melodic bits, so I would recommend that those with tender sensibilities stick with the first track. That, in general, is a pretty good rule with these sorts of singles, unless you know for a fact that the first track is really hard. In that case, by all means, exert every effort to find a song on the single you prefer. No judgement here.

You know, it's interesting that I'm reviewing both DEATHGAZE and Dir en grey in this post. I mean, of course, it's because I like the both of them, but I've heard more than one person say that DEATHGAZE is a nothing more than a re-hash of Dir. And, while I disagree with this, I can see that they were very clearly influence by Dir, and that is ok. Dir is a very good band, despite my feelings towards their recent fashion sense--they are solid musicians, with some of the best performances out there. Kyo, like Ai, has an amazing voice that can switch between angry scream-o and beautiful melody in a heartbeat. You can definitely say that they are similar sounds, which may be why I like them both.

What I mean to say is that, in this song, and a few others, you can definitely hear the Dir influence. If you listen to SORROW, you can't help but hear it--honestly, even I was a little dubious about how much they were listening to THE FINAL while writing that one. Nevertheless, I like both songs, and still think it's ok for a band to pay homage to and learn from one of the greatest in the genre.

So there, those of you who hate DEATHGAZE. You can just back right off and take your heads out from your behinds, thank you very much.

Next.

Dir en grey- DIFFERENT SENSE

I don't care what they say their capitalization scheme is now, I grew up with 'Dir en grey', so I'm keeping 'Dir en grey'. And you guys with your shaved heads and feathery coats and your recent lack of melodic tunes can bite me.

(It's sad when your first love falls out of favor.)

Track 1- DIFFERENT SENSE

Now, as I mentioned, I prefer melodic tunes that use the vocalist's talents for beauty to songs that are just... growly. Sometimes, Dir caters to my preferences. The recent single LOTUS was, after all, quite nice. 激しさとこの胸の中で、絡み付いた灼熱の闇 (Hageshisa to kono mune no naka de, karamitsuita shakunetsu no yami) (... yea, way to make most of the chorus your title, guys) was more towards the screaming and growling end of the spectrum, but it still had a very nice echorus that demonstrated what Kyo can do with his voice.

While I was waiting for another beautiful, heart-wrenching song, like GLASS SKIN from UROBOROS (it was on of the singles, following a more angry one, so I think I was right in hoping, really), what I got was... kind of an angrier, growlier 激しさ.

Sigh.

Yes, darling, we all know that you can make some truly spectacular noises, particularly considering what a very small body you have to work with (hey, it's impressive, the man is 5'3".) But can't you impress us with your range, instead? You can go ridiculously high and beautiful considering your deep speaking voice. Let's hear that--it's far more impressive, especially considering that, hey: EVERYONE'S growling now!

Seriously. It's everywhere. You're no longer cutting edge with this stuff. Admittedly, you may be the best at it, but come on. If you're going for wild and crazy, in the present genre? Might want to go back and try for that haunting beauty angle again. Trust me, it works.

I mean, you do it a little here, and I really dig it. Particularly when you layer your singing (I've always loved that trick), juxtaposing the pained screams with the deep, melancholy singing. I love that. I also love the interludes of acoustic guitar and just the singing. Really. You have a beautiful voice.

... I just wish it was more than, oh, twenty percent of the song. Sigh. I plead in vain.

Track 2- 罪と規制 (つみときせい, Tsumi to Kisei, Crime and Regulation)

That's my translation, so back off.

I've gotta say, when I first saw this track name, I thought it would be some sort of remake of their very, very old song (off of GAUZE, which was, I believe, their first full-length, non-indies album) 罪と罰 (Tsumi to batsu, Crime and Punishment). As their style has changed quite a bit since then (as happens with most good artists), I thought it would work well, especially considering their recent theme of remakes, what with HYDRA-666- on the DOZING GREEN single, a really super growly version of 残 (Zan) (also from GAUZE) and that really cool shot-in-one-take version of 蝕紅 (しょくべに？しょくこう？しょっこう？No idea. Possibly means "Crimson Meal," and is from VULGAR) on 激しさ, and the super-beautiful, better-than-the-original version of undecided on the GLASS SKIN single. I mean, hey. Remakes are cool, especially with Dir, as they always go all out in making it truly distinct from the original. Kind of like going back and editing an old paper--it was good, but damnit, now that you see it five years later, there's so much you want to fix. Or, you know, just change.

Anyway. Thought it was going to be a remake of 罪と罰. Particularly fitting, as the original was pretty damn repetitive and, in hindsight, a little boring, even compared to other songs from the same album (lookin' at you, アクロの丘 [Akuro no oka, Hill of the Bad Road] and MASK. Even 予感 [Yokan, Premonition]. I love 予感.)

And... honestly? For the first two minutes, it's hard to be sure whether it is or not. It's pretty goddamn growly.

And then, ah ha. There you are, my old friend.

Ok, so the original wasn't their best song. At the same time, I'm not sure how much of an improvement it is to GROWL the whole damn thing, dude.

I'll let you judge for yourself.

Honestly? I don't blame you if you don't hear it. I listened to this song a lot as a young, impressionable teen, so I'm going to hear it a lot quicker than most. And remember, it took even me the first two minutes to figure it out.

This is a loose, loose remake, people. I'll stick with the ones mentioned above to get my old-turned-new fix, thanks.

Track 3- RED SOIL [Live]

... I don't know, I have mixed thoughts about using live tracks to fill out your Single. I mean, sometimes they're really good--BUCK-TICK is always fun live. Even Dir is very good live--unless, of course, the three shows I saw were all flukes. Plus the DVDs. But hey.

The problem is... this isn't really a great live track. I mean, I do always like the audience bits--it helps you relive when you were there (in some cases) or just get a better feel as to what it's like actually being at a live show. AGITATED SCREAMS OF MAGGOTS from DOZING GREEN is pretty good on that front, especially if you remember the appropriate hand motions. Not to mention it has that nice, haunting intro that the album version just... doesn't.

But, yea. Nothing really makes this live version stand out from the song off of UROBOROS, aside from some minimal audience shouting. Not a bad choice, per se, but they could have made a better one, I feel. LOTUS had two remakes; 激しさ had two remakes (one of which was that kick-ass 蝕紅, like I said). Thus, with one remake and a live recording? I somehow feel cheated.

Admittedly, this version was apparently recorded in Osaka, which is always good. It's nice when a lot of the band is from Kansai--they understand, man. Not to mention that, hey, it might have been recorded at the show I was at. Probably not, considering the time frame (a 2011 single pulling from a show at the end of December 2008? I guess it's possible...), but there's always that possibility! And that's a good thing.

Well, that's it for today's musical review time with Edo. I hope you learned something today. Admittedly, there's not a huge chance of that, looking back at more sporadic and highly subjective reviewing style... Oh, well. Be sure to pick up your coat on the way out.

Oh, and... don't ask about the little pictures on the music players. They're quite random and have nothing at all to do with the music. Sorry about that.

This is Edo, signing off with the sneaking suspicion that she'll never get a job with Rolling Stone.

PS- Oh... why not. Here's the kick-ass 蝕紅, too. Remember, it was shot in one take, which means this was all done without layering. Not to mention all in one go, without piecing the bits and pieces that worked out best together. That's kick ass, not to mention a sign of true talent.

(The best part is from 3:08 to 3:32. You don't even know, man. Just wait, you'll see.)

See, I do still love them.

A Serious Interlude: On Leaving Japan. (真剣な合間: 日本から帰国について。)

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Every now and again, perhaps after seeing a facebook post from a friend living overseas or when remembering a particularly good cup of milk tea, I find that my chest tightens a little over the loss of a life in Japan.

And then I begin to wonder--did I make the right choice, giving up my visa and returning to the land of my birth, especially when I, like so many of my friends, have a difficult time remembering anything but the positive from my ultimately temporary Japanese lifestyle?

Worse still, I return to wondering: am I a coward for boarding that plane at KIX (albeit with a distinct feeling of melancholy, and perhaps even a few tears blurring my vision--this time not for a boyfriend, but for a beloved country, culture, and best friend that I was leaving behind for an indeterminate period of time) instead of sticking it out, as have so many of my friends with (apparently) nothing but happy results?

Though it is sometimes difficult to come to terms with, especially when I am feeling nostalgic and Japan-sick, the answers to these questions, for me at least, are yes and no, respectively. Mentally, I have come to grips with the fact that Japan, at least long term Japan, is not for me.

I'm actually quite a sensitive person (in the easily offended way, not the touchy-feely way; I mean, come on, blech), despite my common declarations to the contrary and insistence otherwise, and I take social isolation quite hard when it's forced upon me. Self-induced isolation is another story entirely, as it often is with those of us who fall into the "introverted loner" box so commonly prescribed for us. Being apart from people at your own choosing is one thing--you are in control, and can decide when and where you will end your isolation and refill your social interaction quota. Humans are, after all, social animals, no matter what those novels about lone wolf types say. Sure, those on the fringe with no need for outside human contact exist--hermits are a reality, after all--but they're certainly not in the majority. It would make for very crowded forests, after all.

What I mean to say in my long, drawn-out and rambling way is that, unlike many friends and acquaintances who have better capacities than I for not taking things too personally, I find it difficult, after long periods of time, to not get angry or upset when greeted by the common reactions to a foreigner and general xenophobic attitude which Japan still finds it necessary to cling. People staring as though I'm some sort of giant, hairy beast (which, I suppose, from certain points of view, I am) at every turn gets old; refusal to trust in my linguistic and cultural knowledge because I am so clearly foreign grates on my psyche. Failure to be recognized as a fellow human being capable of, say, a nice dinner or night on the town due to my failure to conform to local beauty standards (again, the giant hairy beast thing comes into play) eats away at my self-confidence until, eventually, I believe that everyone else has the right of it and I am some sort of repulsive sub-human creature that is best avoided.

Now, like I said, a lot of people learn (or know intuitively, I suppose) how not to take things so personally. A lot of people can laugh things off, and I respect them for it as it belies a deep and profound sense of inner security that I, unfortunately, still lack outside of my intellectual pursuits (and even there, sometimes, I falter.) A lot of people, therefore, live in Japan long-term, even indefinitely--they don't get my severe pangs of homesickness and self-loathing brought on by life as a foreigner in Japan. Even if they do, they are short-lived and manageable.

I am not aiming to garner sympathy here, though I understand that it may seem that way. To the contrary, I am hoping to demonstrate my own empathy, to anyone in a position similar to mine. As wide as the internet is, I cannot help but feel that there are a number of you out there who, like me, find themselves rapidly leaving the "honeymoon phase" with Japan, despite having sworn to live there forever. I also know that, like me, some of you probably are having doubts, and wondering what it means about you, personally, that you are suddenly having such an intellectual and emotional reversal about something so major in your life.

What it means is that you've grown. This does not mean that growth necessarily leads homeward--for many it is exactly the opposite, and even in our case, returning to one's native soil is not equivalent to running home, despite what some people may tell you. It means that you have, in the general human way, absorbed a number of experiences and, surprise surprise, changed your mind based on those experiences and what they mean to you personally. Some people grow towards Japan, some people grow away. Some people grow towards Azerbaijan, I'm sure, and all of that is perfectly acceptable. None of these paths are inherently better than any other--you are not failing for returning to your home country, nor indeed are your friends or colleagues necessarily succeeding by staying in Japan. Both you and they are doing what feels right at that particular time, and what's "right" differs from time to time, person to person, situation to situation. Think about it: would you want what you thought was "right" at, say, sixteen? I certainly wouldn't--I was pretty stupid back then. But then again, I was pretty stupid at eighteen, nineteen, twenty... Honestly? Sometimes, I think one of the best things to do is to aim everyday to be a little less stupid than you were the day before. But that's a post for another day, when you're not already sick of my cheap philosophizing on some other subject.

If you feel that leaving Japan is right for you, don't worry about what others think (though I suppose that rather invalidates this entire post.) Don't worry about not meeting expectations, or not measuring up--anyone who cares about you will support you no matter where you live, and they'll want to see you happy above all else. Ignore anyone who gives you a hard time, or questions your reasons for leaving (outside of a constructive discussion which you may have instigated to help sort out your thoughts, of course). Unfortunately, the world is full of insecure people who feel the need to belittle those around them, using any and all ammunition they find. The people who scoff at or mock your decision, or indeed you for making it, are not worth your time.

My hope is that this post helps at least one person--that at least one person can avoid the internal turmoil that I suffered (and occasionally still do) regarding my decision to leave Japan, knowing that someone, somewhere, supports and backs their own decision wholeheartedly. I suppose it may seem like we must be few and far between, but I can't help but feel there must be one person out there going through what I did.

I feel like those of us foreigners who live in Japan for any significant length of time share some sort of understanding--tenuous as it may be in some cases--and have, to an extent, developed our own very specialized subculture. With that subculture, of course, comes pressures. Outside expectations weigh down upon us from all sides, and a lot of us constantly troll the internet for personal advice regarding our difficult situations, and then support for decisions that may go against the cultural norm. The subculture itself is divided, encompassing those who understand, those who are ambivalent, and those who absolutely oppose our decisions, no matter what they may be. In some ways it is a cutthroat subculture, like so many are, and often not the kindest to be a part of.

So, know that someone supports you, no matter what you decide in regards to your Japan-life. Whether your decide to stay or leave, pursue a job as an English teacher, translator or hostess, know that someone thinks that you need to do what makes you happy.

As a final note, I want to point out that I still love Japan. I don't regret any of my time there, as a student or otherwise--not a day of it. While I may have gone through some, for me, rough times, and tangled with bouts of depression, I've also had some of the greatest times of my life in Japan, and I will always remember them. I also know that, had I not returned to Japan after graduation, and instead remained in the US from the get-go, I would have always been discontent, wondering whether or not I had made the right choice. Furthermore, Japan and I are not finished--not by a long shot. I am planning on pursuing my PhD in Japanese literature, and spending a number of years research and perhaps teaching in Japan on my path to becoming a professor.

What I mean to say is, just because you're leaving Japan now, it doesn't mean that you can never go back. It doesn't mean that your career won't in fact stick you right back on that plane in a number of years, and possibly even on a funded ticket to boot. If you love Japan, don't worry too much about leaving now. They won't be able to keep you away, and you'll feel much better about it in general once some of the anger/hurt/depression/whatever has melted away.

So, here's to you, kid--whether you're staying or going, as long as it makes you happy? You're making the right choice. As a number of very intelligent people have said to me: nothing is permanent, and you can change your mind later. Be happy, and don't worry so much.

This is Edo, signing off, still a little wistful but ultimately happier and better off for it.

Drink your goddamn tea! (お茶を飲み干しなさい！)

2011-09-25T23:27:00.000-07:00

(Like you've never referenced Final Fantasy VII in your blog.)

I'm certain that many of you, like me, have found the great United States sorely lacking in the tea department upon returning from Japan. No, I don't mean that diabetes-inducing fruit-flavored rubbish you find in most restaurants these days, nor do I mean the kind that you're supposed to serve with cream and sugar with a tray of biscuits (thanks, England)... I mean tea.

Er... ok, maybe not that tea.

... well now you're just being silly.

Ah, there we go.

Of course I'm referring to that tea that we all began to take for granted, picking it up from any vending machine, convenience store or supermarket we happened to be passing by on the way home. After a time, we could no longer recall a life without every form of tea imaginable at our beck and call, at any hour of the day or night... a savior on a hot afternoon suffered with no air conditioning, or some handy hydration after a long night of dancing and carousing.

Yea, that tea.

But then, horror of horrors, when you return to America and peruse your local grocery store for a thirst-quenching beverage, you find that you had forgotten one of the most inconvenient cultural differences in existence!

A lack of tea appreciation.

Alas, any tea you find on convenience store shelves in this country is doomed to be over-sweet, over-brewed, over-flavored, or just plain nasty.

That's right, I said it.

In a country where gourmet culture is governed by a nation-wide sweet tooth, unsweetened teas have little to offer.

Yes, yes, I know it's a stereotype, but I'm going by what sells, people. And really, it's not a horrible thing--after all, we, as a species, have been conditioned to like sweet things. Our bodies simply haven't caught up with our modern age, where calories need not be hoarded for the harsh climes of the winter and pounced upon at every opportunity... So in reality, a sweet tooth is the human condition, not the American one, and you should remember that every time someone insists that Japanese people don't like sweet things. Sure, their pastries may contain far less traditional sweetening than do those in the good ol' US of A, but what they fail to remember is that wagashi, or traditional Japanese sweets, are practically loaded with sugar and sweetness, and those nibbles they serve during tea ceremonies are nothing more than sugar held together with water and propriety and...

.... ahem.

However. The market's reluctance to embrace Japanese tea need not hinder your thirst quenching! Fear not, for I, your humble servant, have done some back-breaking (and tongue-shriveling) research in order to find the best substitutes for that Japanese tea you know and love.

Now, this is all provided that (a) you don't live near an Asian supermarket with a sizable Japanese section and (b) you prefer not shelling out exorbitant amounts of money. If neither of these apply to you, well... um. Stay for the witty commentary?

For all you green tea lovers, we have お～い　お茶, or Oi Ocha, if you prefer. A brand sold in Japan that I have found at my local gourmet supermarket, you can apparently also buy this one online. Admittedly, if you're going to resort to using the interwebs for your tea fix, you probably don't meet that (b) criteria up there... I can guarantee you, though, that Amazon won't provide nearly as many humorous anecdotes as I do. In general. Probably.

Anyway. I, personally, am not the biggest fan of plain old green tea, and prefer 玄米茶 (genmaicha) if I'm going to go the green route.

Unfortunately, I have yet to find this stuff state-side. Er, outside the Japanese supermarkets. Quit poking holes in my post!

If you're desperate for some tea but not so much the caffeine, barley tea is probably more up your alley.

I can vouch that this brand is tasty, though I have tried a number of other cold-brew varieties available in the US and found them to be at the same level. You have to make this stuff yourself, but that's usually what you do with barley tea anyway. Or it's what you should do. Come on, don't be lazy! It winds up being cheaper in the long run anyway, and good for the environment to boot!

(Won't my grandmother be proud.)

Finally, we get to the kicker. As you may or may not know, I have a great love in my heart for oolong tea. Despite numerous varieties available here in the states, for a long time I was saddened by dull flavors and bitter aftertastes.

Until now.

(cue heavenly chorus)

Oh, UCC. You make some delicious, delicious tea, and I can afford you in high doses.

Initially, I discovered this brand being served at my favorite local Japanese restaurant. Delicious, but of course, ridiculously overpriced and miles away. Alas. What's a girl to do. When I discovered it at my (much more) local Asian supermarket, however...

... where did that heavenly chorus get to?

Anyway, this is by far the best oolong tea I have found in the US that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Now, this may depend on where you're buying it, but if they're charging you more than 99 cents a can? They're ripping you off.

But hey, capitalism and all. Woot.

And then, of course, there's... 爽健美茶 (soukenbicha).

Do I get a third heavenly chorus? Anyone?

Now available in black flavor.

This stuff is the universe's gift to tea. I kid you not.

Yes, it's absurdly expensive in the US. Yes, it's ridiculously hard to find.
And yes, if you make the effort to get your hands on a bottle I'll eat my hat if it isn't the most delicious damn tea you've ever laid taste buds on.

Oh... soukenbicha.

(It's only fitting that I didn't know what it was called at first and kept referring to it as the beauty-health tea.... You know, because 健 means health and 美 means beauty and... oh, whatever.)

And thus concludes this brief foray into the world of imported Japanese teas. Abrupt? Of course. I never was very good at conclusions.

This is Edo, signing off while gloating over the six-pack of UCC in her fridge.

Monsoon and Typhoon, We're Not So Different After All (モンスーンと台風、やっぱりそんなに違ってないな。)

2011-09-09T23:08:00.000-07:00

... Well, I mean, really, I guess we are. Typhoons, after all, have a tendency to ravage an entire country, whereas the particular monsoon I'm speaking of (Arizonan Monsoon is a legitimate title!) is an entire season that is slightly more localized to oh, say, the United States southwest.

I mean, I guess you could say that there is a definite typhoon season, and I'm sure that there are any number of typhoons who terrorize Okinawa, never to give the four main islands of Japan a second glance... and Hokkaido, based on my personal experience, is generally lacking in any sort of major typhoon experience, on the whole...

"Typhoon, you say? What on earth is that? By the by, splendid weather we're having, isn't it old boy? Pip pip. Now, what say you open up your country so I'm not forced to blow you to pieces, gentlemen?"

... ok, I am actually quite certain that Commodore Perry did not, in fact, speak with an posh, stuffy English accent*, seeing as he was, in fact, American, but hey. A girl can dream, can't she?

Besides, tell me that this man does not strike you with anything other than an air of general stuffy aloofness:

"Harumph, I say to you sir! Harumph!" - Possibly Commodore Perry

... But I digress.

Anyway, for those of you who didn't take advantage of the useful link I posted above, Wikipedia tells us the following:

The North American monsoon, variously known as the Southwest United States monsoon, the Mexican monsoon, or the Arizona monsoon, is experienced as a pronounced increase in rainfall from an extremely dry June to a rainy July over large areas of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. These summer rains typically last until mid-September when a drier regime is reestablished over the region. Geographically, the NA monsoon precipitation region is centered over the Sierra Madre Occidental in the Mexican states of Sinaloa, Durango, Sonora and Chihuahua.

Whereas a typhoon is

... a mature tropical cyclone that develops in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean between 180° and 100°E. This region is referred to as the northwest Pacific basin.

... and it also says there is no specific season. Ah ha. Ok, so, um. Maybe we're different.

But hey! Although I was originally inspired by the rather nice monsoon storm we had this evening, what struck me later was the strange phonological similarity between the two words. Oh come now, monsoon, typhoon?

... ok. You're right, I know. This is completely groundless based on the fact that "typhoon" is actually taifuu (台風), and how we managed to tack a random "n" onto the end is absolutely boggling, really... but then these things do go both ways, after all. Look at cabbage (キャベツ, kyabetsu), for crying out loud.

But I digress again.

Etymologically speaking, "monsoon" probably developed from either Portuguese, after (maybe) developing from an Arabic word meaning "season." In comparison, taifuu combines the character for "wind" (風, kaze or fuu) and... uh... the... Um. The character for a pedestal? The... counter... for... machines and vehicles?

... Ok. I'm sure that there's a reason, not to mention some fascinating etymology behind this one, but... well... It's late and suddenly I've stopped caring all that much.

REGARDLESS, both Japan and America have some potentially very damaging summer(-ish, in the case of Japan) storms to be dealt with. Ok, I guess Japan may have the shorter end of the stick, what with massively destructive winds and all... but then we have microbursts, and that whole flash-flood problem endemic to a desert environment... and I mean, everyone has to deal with power outages... But Japan does have ocean issues to deal with, and....

...

SCREW IT LET'S JUST LOOK AT PICTURES.

Oooo.

Aaah.

Predictions!

Doppler! (Of what's going on right now, no less!)

... WAIT.

I figured out something that only we have.

Haboobs!

We even got on national news with one this year.

... definitely fun trying to explain that one to friends who didn't grow up here, though.

"Do you ever get those big walls of dust in the summer here in California?"
"You mean dust storms?"
"No... Well, yea, dust storms, but..."
"...?"
"You know, walls of dust! They just swallow the city, kind of thing?"
"... what are you talking about?"
"... you know..."
"I do?"
"... haboobs..."
"..."

It's always fun trying to convince them that you're not making the word up... especially when you accidentally used the diminutive form "haboobie" without thinking. That'll go over well.

And with that final digression, this is Edo, signing off having learned her lesson once and for all about letting the weather inspire blog posts.

*Although that might explain how taifuu got butchered into typhoon. I admit that this is probably unfair, and that I've been somewhat jaded by watching contestants on a certain British quiz show repeatedly butcher Japanese while doing very well with the likes of, say, German. Oh, well.

The End of The World (But I feel fine!) (この世の限り［けど大丈夫さ！］)

2011-09-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, while the title may be a sort of tangential reference to an R.E.M. song, that's not exactly the angle I'm going for.

Bear with me.

Do you ever get a song in your head whose company you actually enjoy? A song that plays over and over at the back of your brain... a song that you sing at the top of your lungs in the shower, and play (on repeat) with your music device of choice at every opportunity for days and days at a time with nary an end in sight?

I have one of those songs. In my head, that is.

Songs, after all, are powerful things. According to Neil Gaiman (who we should really trust on these matters), "the right song can turn an emperor into a laughingstock, can bring down dynasties."

Admittedly, this song doesn't really do much other than make me happy.

But really, that's enough.

The title is この世の限り (Kono yo no kagiri, The End of The World), hence the title of the blog post. Ah, there is a method to my madness. Strange title for such a happy song, but hey. Juxtaposition is the very spice of life!

...Yea. Anyway, it's the song that plays over the end credits of Sakuran (trailer here, since I'm nice that way... and don't want to bother with a movie review at this particular time and place despite the fact that I love both this movie and its star 土屋アンナ [Tsuchiya Anna])... and I haven't decided yet whether it's fitting on a truly deep and profound level, or it was just the one song on the album that didn't match the mood of any scene within the movie and thus got relegated to credit duty.

Because, after all, the soundtrack is 椎名林檎 (Shiina Ringo)'s album, 平成風俗 (Heisei Fuuzoku, Heisei Customs), and thus I can't help but feel that there might have been some leeway when it came to the credits.

The album is, however, undoubtedly very fitting elsewhere.

Regardless.

This song. I love it. The end.

(Also, I really like the way the video was done. It's simplistic, cute, and imaginative.)

This is Edo, wondering if making blog posts will turn out to be the long sought-after cure to song-in-your-head-itis. (German has a word for this, why don't we? I can't believe that "earworm" is really the best we can do.)

There are no words. (言葉がない。)

2011-08-28T00:11:00.000-07:00

For the sheer AMAZINGness that is... that is...

THIS PHOTOGRAPH.

Yes, that is YOSHIKI and Stan Lee. Together.

WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN.

Sometimes, the world, she is amazing.

This is Edo, still attempting to put a lid on her fangirlish delight.

PS- Look at that man's face. He is a 45-year-old rock star. Yoshiki is magic.

A lizard's tale. (トカゲの物語。)

2011-08-12T16:00:00.003-07:00

So, I had a visitor the other morning.

Not, of course, in the human sense. Visitations of the human variety don't often rank up with what I consider to be blog-worthy material.

(Admittedly, however... Me, personally, receiving any sort of personal visit at this juncture might be so completely unexpected and out of the ordinary as to merit some mention... Um.)

It was a lizard. From the desert.

A colorful one at that.

There he is. Hey, little dude.

Places to go, concrete to cover.

Now, I'm sure you're aware that a lizard in the desert is not, usually, a note-worthy occurrence.

A lizard on the porch? Maybe.

A lizard on my window sill scrabbling for entry? Yea, we have news here people.

Yo.

... so I may be blowing it a little out of proportion, excitement-wise, but hey. Wild animals are cool.

Yea, you're a regular ninja with that camera, man.

Dude's a budding interpretive dancer.

Anyway. As he came, lingered, then inexplicably left all in the space of a Monday morning, I have yet to discover what, exactly, he was doing. Lizards aren't very good with that whole courtesy note thing.

Hi,

Nice window you got here. Just thought I'd drop by, look around. Maybe chill in the shade for a bit.

You should probably change out that toothbrush, you know.

Sorry to disturb.

-The Lizard

Not so much. Writing must be a real bitch without thumbs, after all.

Toodles.

Thus, left, as I am, bereft of any sort of explanation for this reptile's strange behavior, I am forced (yes, forced) to come up with some hypotheses.

And hey, who am I supposed to share them with?

....The Dalai Lama isn't returning my calls, so second choice it is.

Theory 1

The lizard was hot, and the shade of the porch combined with (maybe?) some residual air-conditioning coolness creeping out the windows made my sill the idyllic little reptile getaway for a mid-morning break.

Boring? Utterly. Plausible? Sadly. Reality has a distressing lack of imagination, sometimes.

... it also has a certain negative connotation when it comes to energy efficient window moorings. Hm.

Theory 2

The lizard was the designated explorer of his people, sent out to investigate the strange, flat shiny thing wedged into what, for all lizard intents and purposes, is no more than a large, funny-shaped rock that large pink things go in and out of regularly.

He was to examine, take notes, and report back immediately should this turn out to be of more interest or use than "oh, yea, that shiny thing."

More interesting? Yes. Plausible? I don't know, I am not at all familiar with lizard infrastructure. You tell me, mister fancy-pants herpetologist.

Theory 3

This lizard was, in fact, the Harbinger of Doom and Prophet of Despair.

This was, after all, the morning of the day when I received my "Congratulations on being an alternate!" letter from MEXT. Maybe he was trying to warn me. Or, conversely, had mistimed his arrival to revel in my personal Doom and Despair. Sucks to be him, then.

I'm... not going to touch this one. I don't like the idea of my fate being handled behind beady black eyes and decorative head-crests.

Theory 4

The lizard was not, in fact, a lizard at all, but was a beautiful man who had been cruelly transformed into a small reptile against his will by an evil force bent on stealing his power and wealth! While I was busy taking picture and marveling at nature, I was in fact dooming a man to live a cold-blooded life forevermore and missing out on the beginning of my very own personal 少女 (shoujo, girl) manga adventure!

...

NOOO DON PABLO!*

(It's a 少女 manga, after all, so he's delightfully, if inexplicably and unreasonably, European. No, no, don't ask why, that just ruins it.)

Who knew that my camera would be such a horrible sealer of fates. The Luddites may have a point.

*This is actually Jang Keun-Suk, or チャン・グンソク (Chan Gunsok, kinda) as I first knew him (Japanese does strange things to Korean names. Or maybe English does. My Korean pronunciation is absolute rubbish, someone want to help me out? Here's the Hangul: 장근석) He was appearing on the cover of everything in late April of this year in Japan, and I credit him with being the prettiest man alive. I mean seriously. Look at him. Good lord.

In the end, we will likely never know why, exactly, a random lizard decided to crawl onto my porch, camp out for a bit, and peep into my bathroom.

But without rampant and at times unnecessary imagination, where would ~~my blog posts~~ humanity be?

This is Edo, signing off wondering how many herpetologists actually read her blog and are currently tearing out their hair in frustration at her willful ignorance.

Math and language don't mix. (数学は言語には似合わない。)

2011-08-10T10:25:00.004-07:00

I mean really.

Or maybe it's math and East Asian studies. Anyone out there an East Asia/Mathematics double major? I'm just looking to be shown the light over here.

Because, well...

I was in higher level calculus in high school. The highest mathematics course offered by my high school, in point of fact, and I did very well in that class--without any unreasonable effort on my part, I might add. Sure, there was homework, which admittedly was something of a first for me outside of essays and summer projects, but that was more a product of the teaching style (which was not bad by any means, simply intense) than my lack of comprehension (which could be remedied by asking questions in class, ten times out of ten.)

Why am I saying this?

Because the quantitative reasoning section of the GRE (or the practice thereof, at any rate) is kicking my sad behind.

My only consolation is that I am, in the opinion of at least a few people, slightly more attractive than this man despite my confusion.

My understanding of geometry and algebra have devolved to be about roughly on par with my understanding of modern Swahili.

... or maybe not. I think I did pick up a few words of Swahili thanks to any number of examples in introductory linguistics.

Regardless.

I cannot help but think that I was not really being all that clever when I maneuvered around my college math requirement by taking a computer science course.

... admittedly, it was a very interesting course which I enjoyed despite having a lab on Friday afternoons. That's saying something, that is. I doubt I would have felt the same about any traditional mathematics course, and no mistake.

And then again, perhaps in my knowledge-cramming sessions for my two history courses, my brain felt rushed and decided that it was easier to simply purge this (seemingly) useless information in favor of these newly vital facts than to bother with rooting around in storage and making more space the sensible way.

Thus, I now have extensive knowledge of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi's (possible) syphilis, the Battle of Sekigahara, China's troubled history of attempting to conquer Korea every time it had enough people to do so, the Rig Veda and so on... all that the cost of trigonometry, angles, and what the hell I'm supposed to do with π.

... and what do I do? I write to you lot about it when I could be attempting to cram more numbery things into my head.

But really. I'm applying to East Asian Languages and Literatures programs. If I am required to be ridiculously talented in the mathematics department for admission, well... Let's just say I'll have a few words to say about the state of higher education in the modern world.

Ahem.

And come on, how many math geeks know a thing about the Three Kingdoms of Korea? Huh?

This is Edo, signing off trying to justify her own ignorance with righteous anger.

Rest in peace.

2011-07-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

As stated over at the Blog-Tick Phenomenon, this is a dark summer for music.

I apologize for having nothing amusing to say on this particular occasion, but sometimes even I can't be snarky.

You may remember that I posted about Kagrra, an amazingly innovative band with a truly unique sound and appearance. They are definitely among my favorites.

I am greatly saddened by vocalist Ishii's death, which I feel horrible for only having learned about today. The cause remains unknown, but that's not important right now. What's important is that the world has lost a truly brilliant man whose absence in the music community is a great, great loss.

Cayce at the Blog-Tick Phenomenon provides a much better post about this than I do, and for that I apologize to everyone reading this.

Again, I fear I am the last with the news, but X-Japan's Taiji has also passed away. Those who are fans of X-Japan and/or hide know that X-Japan has had its share of tragedy in the past--it seems brutally unfair of the universe to inflict more upon them now. In this case, I'll let Yoshiki's statement take over, because I really cannot do anything like this justice. (It's in English.)

More locally, Amy Winehouse has also passed away. I was not familiar with her work nor her personal life, but there appears to be a truly disgusting and pervasive nonchalance expressed in regards to her death. There is no excuse for this.

I am not a religious, or even a spiritual person, but as always, I think the dead deserve our reverence, even if only for a moment. All three of these musicians contributed to their respective fields in ways we will not soon forget.

Always take the time to remember those who have passed on. They deserve that much, at the very least.

I apologize once again for sounding so trite and rehashed, but unfortunately, I am not well-equipped to deal with this sort of tragedy in written form.

This is Edo, signing off.

Ah, that's it. (あっ、それだ。)

2011-07-24T21:32:00.002-07:00

Well, I've come to realize why it is so difficult for me to produce regular content as compared to, say, Joe Schmoe personal blogger elsewhere on the internet.

(I do not actually know if there is a Joe Schmoe blog out there somewhere, but if someone does find it, feel free to link in the comments. Because I am nothing if not willing to waste time on the internet.)

The problem is, these people post about their lives. Their average, daily lives. Because people are interested, and still read despite the fact that they aren't, say, doing intensive reporting on this bad or that TV show.

And I say, why can't I do that? Why can't I serenade you with tales of my thrilling sedentary life, spent job-searching and attempting to discover just what the hell I'm going to do with myself?

Probably because I haven't ingratiated myself yet for you lot to care. That's why.

So alas, I'm in a pickle. I've become rather sick of posting about random Japanese cultural topics, because I'm sure that at least fifty percent of my audience (at present) is related to me by blood and would read my blog if I suddenly developed an interest in writing full-length editorials about yak-herding in Mongolia and just how one should best decorate a yurt to make full use of available natural light.... and therefore I'm not even catering to the masses when I spend hours writing up nice, detailed posts about my favorite bands/TV shows/crossdressers/ridiculous puns that make no sense when you think about them, really.

Thus begins the reign of the supremely inconsequential, yet, perhaps, slightly amusing to you, my very, very specialized readers.

I really don't know why you're even here.

So. Today's thought.

I think that Ai (from DEATHGAZE) has an absolutely stunning voice. Deep voices in general tend to make my toes curl, as it were, but his is something else.

I mean really.

And now I present evidence:

Muzicons.com

The regular version of this song is pretty good too, but the piano is just... prettier.

A music critic, I am not.

I'm not sure why I think the rain cloud correlates, but I have a limited selection to choose from. Give me a break here.

Muzicons.com

You wouldn't think a song titled "The Stench of Death" would sounds so nice, would you?

I admit that's probably a slightly loaded translation, but I like the irony of it.

Especially since at least fifty percent of you can't understand the lyrics. Thus, beautiful mood dissonance. For those of you can can understand... oh, just play along, please.

Muzicons.com

And no, don't know what that means. If I had to understand what a song's saying to like it... well. Let's just say that I'd have to hate everything Imai's ever written.

... and what the heck. It's my blog.

I really like this video.

For the faint of heart, again, this is not for you. Stick with the three songs above, and for the love of your poor eardrums, don't click play.

I still think that Ai looks nicer with black hair, though.

And you really don't get the full experience until you see how ridiculously flamboyant he is on stage. Not to mention overheated--man wore long sleeves at both lives I attended, both of which had me sweating in the audience without the help of burning stage lights and nearly so many layers. But then, I guess that's what makes you a true V-kei band, eh?

This is Edo, signing off saying "nyer nyer, it's my blog, I can do what I want."

Edo's Crash Course in the English Language: Lesson One

2011-07-13T23:32:00.001-07:00

WARNING: POSSIBLY FUTILE AND DEFINITELY AGGRAVATING LINGUISTIC RANT AHEAD.

So it's a bit of a divergence, shall we say, from my regular fare. Nary a reference to Japan, land or culture, in sight. (Yes, I thought of the pun, considered it, and ultimately discarded it. You get no points for spotting it second.) But according to my blog's description, located conveniently to your right at this very moment, this blog is, in fact, dedicated to all of my (subjective terminology) interesting thoughts.

Quite frankly, you people should take what you can get. Look at that update schedule. Yeesh.

Anyway, on to the main event.

It may be quite obvious to you, my devoted readers, that the English language suffers abuse on a daily basis. Yes, some liberal-minded linguists argue in favor of evolution, speaking favorably of the constant flow and change of a living language and, quite frankly, being a bit too loosey-goosey for my tastes.

Thus, I have decided to begin a series (which I assuredly shall wish to append and embellish during the entirety of my English-speaking life, despite a lack of ambition or will to do so in actuality) detailing some... points of contention. Lessons, if you will, for those less... precise than I.

Feel free to bandy these about, refer agrammatical friends to this post, or simply roll your eyes and move on to the next entry. (Of course, should you be inclined to do something not in this list, please do not let my limited time frame and lack of effort limit your creativity.)

Lesson 1. "Literally" vs. "Figuratively"

I'm quite sure that this was brought to my attention via a third party, but unfortunately I have no idea what or who said third party actually was. Such are the failings of the human mind, alas. However, despite the lack of originality in this original complaint, my feelings are not diminished in the slightest.

It seems that our good friend, "literally," is being abused.

You see, we speakers of the English language often use metaphor, simile, and hyperbole to pepper our speech and make conversation more interesting for all parties involved. English speakers are not alone in this habit, but let's keep the subject here in my native language for the sake of simplicity, and because I have no idea if this problem has ventured outside of the Anglocentric world.

Now, when we use these aforementioned forms of speech, we are, by definition, not speaking literally.

Example: The frustration caused by my constituents' apparent semantic confusion made me see red.

This sentence expresses how the speaker's frustration causes her to feel no small amount of anger. "To see red" is a well established phrase in the English language meaning, of course, to become angry, or, on the more extreme end, to lose control. While the phrase's origins are debated, one can safely assume that most people (excluding perhaps certain synesthetes) do not actually see red when they become angry.

Thus:

Example: I literally* saw red when he told me I had to work overtime with no extra pay.

Unless the "he" in question was waving a red cape during his less than savory edict or the speaker herself has a rather distressing neurological problem that would be best discussed with her local neurologist, her use of "literally" is blatantly incorrect (and, coincidentally, infuriating) in this situation.

Now, one may argue for hyperbole. I argue that "literally" is then butchered and loses all meaning outside these shoddily constructed formations that would be better left on the side of the road than in any respectable individual's lexicon.

"Literally," after all, is very important in modern language, specifically because so many phrases can be interpreted as either literal or figurative. Oftentimes these phrases aren't meant literally, and would be quite silly in any sort of literal interpretation (the colloquial "what's up?" comes to mind), but there are occasions when the addition of "literally" is vital to the listener's understanding of the speaker's intent.

Example: That migraine injection was a literal pain in the ass. (Implication: the injection was given to the speaker in the buttocks.)

In this case, the speaker uses the word "literally" in order to convey that, while the shot may have been a figurative "pain in the ass," it was also a literal one as it was administered, we can assume, to the derriere.

However, if we abuse "literal" and "literally" as in the penultimate example above, sentences like this will become absolutely meaningless, and we will be forced to invent (or allocate meaning appropriately to) a new word entirely to serve the semantic gap where "literal" has so recently been unceremoniously yanked.

In short, take a moment to think before embellishing your sentence with a meaningless "literally." Some of us need that word, sans meaning bastardization.

And yes, I know some of you may have read contemporary articles concerning this very issue, some even going so far as to say that "literally" has had its meaning morphed into "not literally" in common conversational usage. Apparently some even cite an example in The Great Gatsby, but I fail to see how improper usage of a word once in the early 20th century makes its continued misuse any more valid today. After all, they thought that heroin was a great cough syrup in the early 20th century, so let's just say it's not the best time for intellectual hindsight. (Besides, I hate The Great Gatsby.) Frankly, I'm just not ready to see "literal" suffer the same fate as "inflammable", dear readers, not yet.

This is Edo, signing off hoping that she wasn't too pretentious to bear this time around.

... ok, ok, I admit, this topic is just a little too "out there" (not to mention infuriatingly preachy and irritating) to let the post slide into publication without a little something for my devoted readers who are less-than-interested in modern linguistic debate. I apologize, dears, and present this peace offering.

How can you be mad at me after DJ Ozma, after all?

And since I think the live version really gives you a better feel of the song and just how interactive it is (despite its lack of helpful lyric subtitles)...

If you've only time for one of these videos, I recommend the latter. Unless, of course, you have some interest in a (very) brief interview and banter of debatable wittiness on Utawara. Then... you should probably make the time to watch both.

(Unfortunately AVEX, stingy bastards that they are, took down the original live video I wanted to show you. Thus, you get the version with... inexplicable alien/robot Ozmas. Oh, well.)

Waiting is the worst part. (待っているのが一番辛い。)

2011-06-13T16:17:00.004-07:00

Especially when you, like me, have a stomach prone to stress and thus a near constant case of indigestion beginning from the submission of the application and lasting until some undetermined point at which I will decide that there is no longer any need for stress in my life.

... that may be, in fact, when I am dead.

I have been, after all, stressed almost constantly since I decided to apply for this thing. You know, as separate from the stress stemming from my regular bouts of existential crisis, paranoia, and general feelings of dread about the future.

... but, quite frankly, if I'm not stressed, I don't feel that I'm accomplishing anything. So, while this may be horrible for my upper digestive tract, it really is good for my overall mental wellbeing, no?

... oh, well.

How about some nice, classic BUCK-TICK to make up for the decidedly dull and dreary nature of today's post?

This video, which I believe is from 1989, documents three very important things:

1. That BUCK-TICK was indeed, at one point, popular enough to be on television, despite what you may hear.

2. That Imai was always a little ~~terrifying~~ ~~unintelligible~~ unique.

3. That Toll's truly remarkable hatred of change was established very early on in his career.*

*For those of you ~~who aren't fangirls~~ not in the know, this was very soon, if not immediately after the band's "hair spring" debut period. Look who didn't get the new hairstyle memo.

It also demonstrates that signs of Atsushi's "woman" stage were evident as early as '89, but we all know about that.

This is Edo, signing off wondering if it's better to be stressed with or without "Dress" stuck in your head.

PS- Damn it, I said this, thought it was clever, and can't bear to see it lost so quickly in the ether:

"I have dreams about being called 'Doctor'...and believe that sonic screwdrivers should come standard issue with every PhD."

I never said a word about fangirls.

Oh, dear. (あらまあ。)

2011-06-09T15:57:00.004-07:00

Ah. Hah.

Well, you skip a week of posts, that's laziness, but you skip an entire month (ok, and then some) and I think it evolves into something like commitment, don't you?

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Anyway, what with the moving back to America-land, applying for the MEXT research scholarship (application sent off last Friday, thank you for asking), and the daily grind of kanji-studying, novel-reading and Wii-exercising, my life has slowly devolved into a daily humdrum not exactly conducive to thrilling bouts of bloggery.

Succinctly put: no ideas, no posts, kids.

So in the interim, I thought I'd share a refreshing bit of fashion-feminism with you all. Because if I can't be amusing, I can at least be supportive of the counter-heteronormative, yes?

http://www.manrepeller.com/

I think the url speaks for itself.

Nevertheless.

Down with conformity! Oppose the skankily-bedecked public image! Declare your existence as separate from faceless sexist drudgery! FIGHT THE POWAH!

Yup.

This is Edo, signing off not feeling nearly as guilty about this whole blog-neglect thing as she probably should.

PS- Let it be said that I know next to nothing about high fashion (since I don't think ロリタ系 and Vivienne Westwood really count), nor do I really find myself anything like entranced by clothing that makes my frugal soul hide and cry under the bed. I just like to see people doing things that fight the heteronormativity running rampant and unchecked in our society. Right? Right.

I also like getting my thesis-buzz-word out there as much as possible. Boo. Yaka.

Whoops. Again. （しまった。また。）

2011-04-25T05:02:00.000-07:00

It appears that I have gone and left you all without a post.

For more than a week.

Which is very, very cruel of me, I know.

... suffice it to say that I'm very busy with all of this moving and grooving and bustling around?

A poor excuse, I know, but better than none at all!

... or is that not how the saying goes.

Oh well.

Have some pictures of springtime rice fields. I think they look cool, although when they really look cool is at night, when it seems as though there are endless lakes stretching away into the darkness, broken only by a dim imagination as they softly reflect the lights of the city and the dim pricks of starlight far above...

... Yeah. They're nice.

Admittedly, they looked a bit cooler before the rice sprouts started coming up, but those were literally nonexistent one day and at the point you see them the next. Fast growing little buggers.

Regardless, still pretty cool, especially when it's everywhere you look.

This is Edo, signing off with a full agenda and a sleepy brain.

Tradition amidst the chaos. (混乱の中で、伝統。)

2011-04-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

Really, the title of this post refers to the content in relation to the rest of my blog, and not the content itself. I know, I know, I apologize--you went in to this with such high hopes, didn't you?

Anyway. Chaos, of course, means my regularly scheduled random wanderings among topics. Tradition, of course, can only mean 花見 (hanami, flower viewing), as of course it is that time again.

And because I'm so very busy lately, honestly I wanted to ~~take a break with a bit of picture spam~~ attempt to make up for my neglect with pictures of Kyoto nature at its finest.

Oh, dear. These are in complete backwards order. Curse you, blogger.

Anyway. This is a lovely bamboo-covered path up near 北山 (Kitayama) on the 鴨川 (Kamo river). I basically walked up the 鴨川 from 今出川 (Imadegawa), just pretend I walked the other way and he pictures will seem, for all intents and purposes, in order.

Or. Well. They're in order except for that first one.

... admittedly, the first one is quite nice. A good lead-in, you might say.

Well played, blogger.

Anyway, this is the true beginning of my journey--just after walking down onto the river pathway at Imadegawa. Ah, the sakura-lined 鴨川. Lovely.

I particularly like these willowy ones.

I was trying to get the 大文字 (daimoji, big character) in the background there, but I guess it didn't turn out so well.

Looking down the river towards 三条 (Sanjou...)

Still down, with the lovely lining effect.

And turtles! You can cross the river every now and again on stone paths, occasionally dotted with adorable turtles. Or boats, even. I like the turtles. These guys are at the crossing just north of Imadegawa.

What, non-sakura flowers? Blasphemy!

Ok, ok, that's better.

Ooo, aaah.

(Again, those white flowers. I thought they were nice, ok?)

Aaah, surrounded by blooms.

And then we get Edo's foray into the world of artsy shots.

This one is technically blurry because of a breeze, but I actually really like it.

I for some reason associate "close-up" with "artsy."

Ah, bad lighting. Also "artsy" in my brain.

Some college kids doing the same thing I was, just with better cameras.

At least I didn't have a backpack, so ha.

The falling blossoms. This one actually turned out better than I expected.

A lone tree on the opposite bank. I guess that guy liked it, though.

Nice stone stairway in the background there.

I particularly liked the reflection of these pink sakura in the river, so I had to get a shot.

Ah, there's that bridge again. Lovely.

A better view of the tunnel. Unfortunately, none of my wide views are very pretty.

And another nice close-up to round things off. Ah, sakura in Kyoto. I'm just too good to you readers.

This is Edo, signing off with cleaning to do and professors to e-mail.

If wishes were horses...　(願いが馬だったなら。。。)

2011-04-05T18:54:00.049-07:00

...then we'd all be eating steak.*

(And if you know where that particular quote is from, you get an automatic, all-expenses-paid trip to a prime location in Edo's Awesome Book.)

*This blog does not condone the eating of horses. The author is in fact quite fond of horses, in a vague and distant sort of way, not to mention all the grief she would get from her grandmother should she in any way suggest cruelty towards our hoofed brethren.

I'm not really sure how widely known (or used, or even understood) that Japanese translation I used is... Space ALC offered another, but I didn't think it had the same feeling, so I went with direct translation, which we all know is ultimately the doom of translators.

Regardless, what the title of this post should really be is: "Things Japan Sells as compared to Things Edo Wishes Japan Sold."

Explanatory, but not nearly so pithy. And we all know what's important around here.

What they sell: 1) Masks

You know 'em, you love 'em, you marvel at those wacky Japanese for wearing them every time a bug comes their way. And in a country full of public transportation and close quarters, yea, they're probably a good idea if you're hacking and sneezing a lot.

What I want them to sell: 1) Masks that aren't torturous devices of continuous discomfort

Sure, theoretically these masks are to help you keep your germs to yourself by keeping all those nasty germ-filled liquid droplets you spew from travelling the distance to that innocent bystander with the newspaper. (It doesn't keep you from wiping your nose and touching them, but hey.)

What they really do is force you to cough your sick, fiery dragon-breath directly up into your already sweating eyeballs, creating the most exquisitely irritating self-torture device recently designed by man.

I say recently because I'm sure the corset was pretty bad. But at least you weren't, theoretically, already sick when you were wearing the damn corset.

What they sell: 2) Anti-Pollen Goggles

Supposedly, these fancy things keep the pollen out of your eyes, thus making your allergy-ridden life much less miserable.

Supposedly. I have seen a number of students wearing them, anyway. Only children, oddly enough... hm.

What I wish they sold: 2) Sick-Spotting Goggles

Because try as I might, sometimes I do forget to scrub my hands vigorously after touching something... and hence the predicament of becoming ill myself. Were I to be in possession of a magical pair of goggles such as these, the bright red flashing lights that went off every time I went near someone or something sporting the tiniest bit of sick anywhere upon its surface, I feel my memory would serve me a bit better.

... I would hope, anyway.

...

I will be the first to admit that I intended for this post to be a much longer foray into things that I wish were available here in the wonderful land of Japan, but I admit, I'm feeling a little dry of ideas at the moment, and far be it from me to deprive you all of what hilarity (limited though it may be) I have already committed to the blog page any longer.

... ah ha! Perhaps it shall become a series. There we go.

Just wait kids, part 2 is coming up!

... yea, I saved that nicely.

This is Edo, signing off with a stuffy nose and a cough that just doesn't know when to quit.