物の哀れ (Mono no aware)

[Moved from my soon-to-be defunct side-blog because 1. I still haven't had time to write anything new and 2. it's more Relevant To Your Interests on this one.]

Hitomi Kanehara is an interesting lady. As I always do when reviewing an author for the first time I make a point of reading the biography blurb at the beginning of the book to get a feel for his or her background; Kanehara’s is, to put it mildly, unconventional. Her status as a professional writer, although it was aided by the endorsement of well-known author Ryu Murakami whose edgy and controversial works bear quite a similarity, is still surprising given her early life and education. Considering how Autofiction is focused on a twenty-something female writer who also had a turbulent adolescence you can’t help but wonder where the inspiration for this striking novel came from.

This possiblility that the book’s title should be taken literally is dangled in front of the reader’s nose from the outset but whether it’s a clever bluff on Kanehara’s part is something I wouldn’t hazard a guess on. Anyhow, the character of Rin and the events of her life are a fascinating if somewhat unsettling read: the first few pages pick her story up soon after her wedding, then successive chapters take up the narrative at points earlier on in her life. Telling stories in reverse is nothing new of course (taken to extremes in the likes of Memento) but in this case the approach serves to dig into the troubled psyche of the protagonist, peeling away layer after layer of insecurity and paranoia as it goes.

The weeks following my return to the UK have been a little bit blurred (the first couple of days were blighted by the inevitable jet lag and family-related stuffs have cropped up too) so trying to get my final thoughts on my stay in order took longer than hoped. It’s a bit tricky trying to be objective when this has been my first proper trip abroad – I’ve never been exposed to anything other than a North-European climate for instance, and strongly believe that mastering the language would’ve made things easier. You can get by in Japan if you only speak English but it’s a lot more straightforward – and rewarding in some ways – to converse with people in the language they’re more fluent in.

Culture shock is a funny thing; in this case it was doubly shocking in that, for all the things that took me off-balance, there was quite a lot that I found to be pretty intuitive and easy to adjust to. If you’re too lazy to read what follows after the jump, I found that the society is very different from the one I grew up in but in terms of individual people there aren’t many differences at all. I also didn’t want to come home…as in, apart from seeing my family and friends again, I really didn’t look forward to coming back.

Now this is what I call going full-circle. Back when I first started anime blogging Mushishi was the one series that really cemented my burning desire to write. The self-contained nature of each instalment suited my episodic approach at the time but above all else every outing, without exception, was crammed with insight and meaning that begged to be talked about at length. Just before the final subbed episode was released though, the C&D orders went out and I put my following of the show on-hold until the DVDs were released. Over two years later I can finally finish what I started.

The Sound of Footsteps on the Grass isn’t the best episode in terms of emotional impact: there were several earlier occasions when the gravity of the events portrayed moved me to tears and left me speechless at how profound they were…not to mention of course episode #21, which wins in terms of unsettling creepiness with those mushi kids. In many ways this is ‘just’ another episode but it does offer some of those rare insights into Ginko’s early life, which is a neat bonus for those of us who have followed the series so far. Besides, any Mushishi episode delivers more than most anime anyway.

It’s a bummer when some minor flaw draws attention to itself and throws obstacles in the way of enjoying an otherwise quality experience. I recall how viewers couldn’t stop talking about the characters’ noses in Escaflowne: considering how it juggles a variety of themes, aesthetics and plot devices and appeals to an audience of both genders and a broad age range, its achievement should never be clouded by an insignificant stylistic quirk.

This balancing act of bringing totally separate ideas into the same narrative stewing pot and getting them to work together without any one detracting from the others trips up even the best writers and directors, making the first half of Escaflowne that I’ve seen so far even more impressive in my eyes. Which brings me to Higashi no Eden, a show that also tries to sit some ambitious and disparate ideas side-by-side; the consequences of which can be more serious than a ski-jump hooter.

I’ve had a .flac version of Seventh Heaven on my HD for a while now but when I was in Akihabara I was able to pick up the legal version (I decided against the limited edition since I was worried about spending too much…). It has the prettiest CD inlay booklet I’ve seen in a long time but above all else it’s the neatest way of getting Kalafina’s best material on one shiny disc. In fact the only disappointing omission here for me is the Lacrimosa single and its B-side Gloria but it does include all the major vocal numbers from the Kara no Kyoukai movie series, plus a track or two that you won’t find on any of the OSTs.

Interestingly the group members and Yuki Kajiura, the songwriter behind it all, are reluctant to categorise the material, instead describing it simply as ‘Kalafina sound’; given the range of influences in evidence I can understand their point. Choral-gothic-synth-folk is a bit of a mouthful yet still doesn’t go all the way to summing up how the musical approach of, say, Uninstall (or any of Kajiura’s similar work so far) has progressed. It’s pleasantly surprising how wonderfully this collection of songs works on its own merits outside the BGM/film theme context: you certainly shouldn’t be discouraged if you’re not familiar with the anime that inspired it.

This is the first half of my Tokyo retrospective (which I can do properly now the damned jet lag has worn off); I want to give an intelligent and balanced view of the place from a more personal and tourist-y perspective but a common view of Tokyo is that of a paradise for otaku, gadget freaks and lovers of Weird Stuff. While it’s indeed common to see people reading manga on the train (assuming there’s enough room to do so) the anime industry is still a niche interest next to the usual mainstream media, although it still enjoys a higher profile than in the West. The aesthetic is common and one or two titles are household names but it’s very dependent on where you choose to look. Wall of text punctuated by my favourite pieces of Engrish BTW.

A security barrier near the entrance to a shop in Akihabara

If it’s anime/manga stuff you’re after, or just anything electrical, Akihabara is the most obvious place to go. Elsewhere there are the chain stores: Tower Records and HMV are good for CDs, while Book-Off stock DVDs and graphic novels. My favourite spot is Yodobashi Camera which, as its name suggests, is an epic camera shop but is also a full-on department store for all things electrical, be it DVDs and CDs, toys, household appliances or computer parts. There are plenty of comic book shops that sell both new and used (the used stuff is actually very good value for money since it’s a lot cheaper but is in my experience in very good condition). Oh yeah, I’ll list the results of my shopping to prove that it’s easy to visit Japan on a budget but it’s also easy to spend a lot of money if there’s stuff you want to buy.

Eh, so my shopping list is pretty much done and at this point (almost going home, sadly) I have bought all the souvenirs I need for my family and have seen plenty of the city sights too. The second week was therefore comprised mostly of sightseeing; the idea of going to Kyoto via shinkansen was sadly shelved for financial reasons but fortunately Plan B turned out to be a good one. Actually this has been a holiday full of very successful Plan Bs that have been nearly as fun as the ideas they replaced: it leaves a few things yet-to-do for the next trip as and when I’ve saved up for it, if nothing else.

One case in point was the Edo palace and the surrounding gardens, which are closed on certain days of the week (some areas are off-limits to visitors anyway). Last week we went to the Shinjuku gardens instead but this time the Imperial Gardens were open…and the weather was scorching! Tokyo Tower is also well worth a visit in my opinion, especially if you get there late afternoon in time for the sunset…speaking of high-up places, it’s possible to see the one and only Mount Fuji in a day trip from Shinjuku. Really. I have pics to prove it. ^_^

I must admit I was a bit disappointed that the weirdness and wonderfulness that is Harajuku’s fashion and cosplay scene was dampened by the rain (that infamous bridge was pretty short on photo opportunities) but the surrounding area is still worth wandering around. It made for an enjoyable afternoon, not least because I walked back into Shibuya to sample the Tokyu Food Court again and discover how certain things are cheaper here than back home. It plays into my guitaku tendancies if nothing else.

The best thing of the past couple of days is the fact that it’s the Sanja Matsuri festival, one of the annual events that are held in the local area. I mentioned previously that Taito City, and Asakusa in particular, are pretty quiet and laid-back but in the last couple of days it’s become much, much livelier.

After the epic shopping spree in Akihabara (my OST and Jpop/Jrock album collection is mushrooming) I decided to do a bit of conventional sightseeing in the areas of the city that are more (in)famous among ordinary tourists. This involves more walking and photography and less spending of money, and helped give me a clearer impression of the place. Two of the most well-known names are Shibuya, a lively shopping district with the enormous pedestrian crossing and Shinjuku, which has a nice contrast between insane public transport mayhem in the railway station and a stunning public garden that sits in the middle of the urban sprawl.

Away from Shinjuku is the even trendier district of Ginza, which is where you’ll find high-rise office blocks and high-price department stores. This time around we decided to walk from Ginza through Ueno to get to Asakusa, just in time to see the Taito city festival processions. As I type this the usual sleepy, small-town feel of Asakusa has turned into a crowded festival atmosphere with (so I’m told) three million locals and tourists descending on the area.

The humidity has dropped a bit but the whole timezone thing is still messing with me in a number of areas (don’t ask). If nothing else I’ve had my first taste of the notorious Akihabara (advice #1: take money) and took the train out to Machida. A severely pic-heavy post follows but to kick things off here’s the sight that greets me in the morning.

Asakusa with the temple (hopefully visiting tomorrow) and a peculiar little kids’ theme park.