Michy

Spirited Away (2001) by Miyazaki Hayao is a Japanese animated film produced by Studio Ghibli. The story begins with a little girl named Chihiro, who is traveling with her parents to a new home. They encounter a tunnel and explore through it. The parents turn into pigs as a consequence for eating Yubaba’s guests food. With the help of a mysterious boy, Haku, Chihiro becomes contracted with Yubaba in order to survive the spiritual world by working. She uses this opportunity to find a way to return her parents back to normal and return to their world. Towards the end of the movie, Haku is gravely injured from stealing from Yubaba’s twin sister, Zeniba, and Chihiro ventures by train with No Face, Bo, and Yu-bird to return Zeniba’s stolen good. Then, Haku goes to retrieve Chihiro and Bo after waking up from his short coma. At the end, Chihiro was able to break the contract, bid her farewells, and return home with her parents.

It was my first time watching Spirited Away. I remember vaguely that I might have watched it half way through when I was younger, but I believe it was because I did not understand the film as much compared to being older. So far, I really like the film’s storyline and the art. The music was nice along the way too. When Chihiro was going down the stairs to the boiler room, the moment she broke through the step, it gave me a big jumpscare. The encounters with the susuwatari were very cute. The way that they realized Chihiro could carry the heavy rocks for them was adorable. Despite their job being in possible risk, they quickly enjoyed Chihiro’s presents and defend her against Kamaji. After Chihiro started working, she has a few encounters with No-Face. My thoughts on No-face is he is like a lonely kid. He is always alone until he met Chihiro who showed him a small amount of kindness. Although it was a bit shocking to me to have seen the outcome of him after getting rejected by Chihiro, but watching him become back to normal and follow her just as he used to made me feel like things are getting back to normal again. 

There was one scene I thought was interesting. While Chihiro, No-face, Bo, and Yu-bird are on board the bus. There is one shot where you can see Chihiro facing the side against her reflection in the window. In her reflection, her eyes and skin looked empty. It looked like we were seeing her soul in the reflection, while she is manuevering her somewhat soulless body.  I am pretty content with the ending of Spirited Away. I would like to rewatch the Dub version sometimes eventually. It is not my first time watching a film produced by Studio Ghibli. My childhood favorite film produced by them is Ponyo. I’ve watched it in both dubbed and subbed. I am hoping to watch more of their films in both translations.

Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) by Takashi Miike is a western and action film. It is played in the English language in a Western-styled Japan. The story revolves between two warring clans, the Heike and Genji, also known as the Reds and Whites. Amidst the turmoil, a lone traveling gunman meets both sides and rejects their requests for him to join them. Eventually he is taken in by Ruriko and later he meets Shizuka, a prostitute, mother of young Heihachi, wife of deceased Akira, and daughter in-law of Ruriko. After Shizuka warns the gunman of one of the Genji’s men revenge for him, he tells her to leave with his son. Unfortunately, Shizuka meets her end when she comes back to retrieve her “heart.” A plant growing with white and red colors. Then, it is revealed that Ruriko is Bloody Benten and she is seeking revenge for her son’s death. She also had Akira with Piringo, another talented gunman. In the end, the gunman has his final battle with Yoshitsune, leader of the Genji’s, and the Heike’s are killed by Ruriko. She is eventually killed by the sheriff.The gunman leaves town and he farewells Heihachi with a handful of gold. Heihachi in turn grows up into a gunslinger named Django. After watching the film, I enjoyed the action filled scenes and the camera work following the fights. I also felt like the story was dark. The death of Heihachi’s whole family was very sad and I believe the gunman had a similar experience as Heihachi and that is why there are flashbacks of a man and lady hung by a bridge. What I did not like was the things that Shizuka had to deal with after her husband’s death. She was raped and others attempted to, and she was constantly suffering from trauma. I felt bad for her as she sought revenge for her family by becoming a prostitute for the Genji and being killed for trying to save the plants Heihachi and she felt dearest to. Other than that, I was also intrigued by how creative the sets were made and the camera work where it shows plenty of headshots to show expressions on the faces of the actors. At the end, when they bring up what happens to Heihachi, I found it interesting how he decides to become a gunslinger in response to the trauma he has faced each time.

Sweet Bean (2015) by Kawase Naomi is a Japanese film that centralizes on freedom and joy. The story centralizes on a man, Sentaro, who runs a small Dorayaki shop in order to pay off a long-term debt. One day, an older lady named Tokue is attracted by the scent of the Dorayaki and is interested in his part-time hiring sign. Due to the possible liability from her old age and crippled hands, Sentaro rejects each of her attempts to become hired until she leaves a carton of An, sweet bean paste, that she made for him to try. Their next encounter, they begun to work together and the new serving of An blossoms Sentaro’s shop. Soon after, the wife of the deceased owner of Sentaro’s shop comes by to discuss firing Tokue because of her case of leprosy. Eventually, Sentaro does begin to lose business and Tokue quits upon noticing the occurrence. This was not the last encounter for Sentaro and Tokue. Sentaro and Wakana, a school girl and close friend, visits Tokue a few time at her home in the quarantine for those with leprosy. A few months Tokue passes away from Pneumonia and Sentaro opens his own stall with the equipment passed down from Tokue. 

This film was very beautiful and sad. I really enjoyed watching it and would recommend family and friends to watch at least once. There was not a lot of music present throughout the film. Only the sounds of the environment and the interactions between people. I believe there was only one incident where music was played. The shots of the scenery and the camera work was clean and the film overall felt very realistic. In the beginning of the story, I thought it would be similar to Tanpopo, whereas the owner of the little shop works to improve on a recipe. Although it was not the same, it was similar in the aspect that both shops wanted to change their a part of their food. I did not expect the amount of sadness the film would have brought, and listening to how patients from leprosy longed for freedom from quarantine and illness. Especially Tokue’s statements throughout. She would mention how lucky and it must be nice to be young like the school girls. Due to her illness, achieving her dreams were deemed impossible and her freedom was taken away since she was young. Tokue is a very loving and kind spirit. She just wanted Sentaro to feel joy and feel free just like the birds and the trees. I really enjoyed the ending despite the death of Tokue. Sentaro looked happier compared to the beginning of the film and receiving Tokue’s care, equipment, and recipe allowed him to step out from his past.

Ring (1998) by Nakata Hideo is a psychological horror film. It is about a journalist, Asakawa Reiko, who investigates into the mysterious death of her niece and her friends. After some clues, it leads her to a tape that is known for being cursed. It causes the viewer to die after seven days from watching it. Asakawa comes into contact with the tape while she went to investigate the site where her niece and her friends hung out. Immediately, she watches the tape and she experiences the same encounters as those who watches it. Afterwards, she partners with her ex-husband Ryuji, who has the ability to sense supernatural beings, to help her resolve the curse before her seven days. Apparently, her son, Yuichi, watched the cursed tape as well because Tomoko told him to do it. This further complicates and rushes them to figure out the case. In the end, they figure out that the curse was caused by a vengeful spirit named Sadako. Sadako was pushed and killed in the well by her own father. In order to uplift the curse, they figure out where she died and retrieve her remains. Unbeknownst to them, the curse was not lifted and Ryuji is killed on his seventh day, meanwhile Asakawa does not. She figures out that you need to let someone else watch the copy of the tape in order to pass along the curse of Sadako. In order to save her son, she is seen driving to her father with intention of having him watch the tape.  After watching the film, I felt like the film was intriguing and not very scary as I thought it would be. I could see how the Ring would be more frightening in the past compared to our modern horror films. The scenes that were intended to be frightening or disturbing were humorous. An example would be the pictures of the distorted faces. The shaping and features designed to make it look scary were perceived as silly and like our modern day face filters. Watching this film reminded me of my childhood. I remember as a kid that the older children and my classmates would often talk about old scary stories and curses. It used to frighten me a lot as a kid and traumatized me growing up until I learned that the chances of it happening of them becoming true is low. Just like the story of Sadako, I believe Bloody Mary is similar to it as well. In order to trigger Mary to appear in the mirror, you have to repeat her name a certain number of times in a dim-lit room. Afterwards, she attacks the person who calls for her. Similarly, I believe they are related as being a vengeful spirit and both have a trigger to their curse in their own way.

Swallowtail Butterfly is directed by Iwai Shunji and the set of the film takes place in Tokyo, Japan. The story’s protagonist is a teen named Ageha and her life in Yen Town, a name that the immigrants use to call the city they live in. After losing her mother, she is taken in by Glico, a Chinese Yentown and prostitute. While staying in her care, she meets other Yentowns who befriend and look after her. One day they discover a way to counterfeit Japanese currency and uses that strategy to change their lives. Using the money, they open a bar with Glico as the main singer on the performance stage. Eventually, the business is shut down after one of Ageha’s companions, Fei Hong, is imprisoned and Glico contracts with a Japanese agency to become a singer. After Fei Hong is released, Glico encounters members of the mob, who are after the cassette tape they found, and she was chased until they were killed by Ran and Shen Mei. Later, Ageha overdoses on heroin and she was taken by Ryo Ranki to see a doctor deep inside Yen Town. The doctor saves her life and eventually she goes back to get a swallowtail tattoo done by him. Meanwhile, in attempt to outrun the mob, Fei Hong is recaptured by the police and accused of being an accomplice of counterfeiting money. Due to not receiving the answers they wanted from him, Fei Hong succumbs to his injuries in his cell. A funeral was held for him by Ageha and companions. In the last scene, Ryo receives his missing cassette tape from Ageha and finds out her relationship to Glico.  My first thoughts to when we started watching Swallowtail Butterfly, I was amused and interested. It was exciting for me to see Chinese culture, and many more, being incorporated into a Japanese film. It showed the life of immigrants who leave their country to seek a new life and who struggle to survive in the economy. I felt some connection to this film because my parents immigrated to the United States for the same reasons and had little to no knowledge of the language. I liked the scene where Ageha receives a tattoo. While getting tatted, she begins to run her thoughts and it takes her back to memories of her as a little girl. Her conversation is in third-person as if she is talking about someone else. The interaction between the small Ageha and the butterfly is like she is slowly discovering herself and further recognizing the changes in her life. I believe a swallowtail butterfly was a perfect symbol for Ageha as she embodies hope, endurance, and change just like the meaning of it.

The Japanese film, Hanabi, directed by Takeshi Kitano, is also known as “fireworks” for the English translation of the title. The main protagonist is Yoshitaka Nishi. He is a police detective and due to his wife’s illness, he retires from his position to be with her. When he visited the hospital to check on his wife, the doctor recommends Nishi to take her on a trip and talk to her more. After retiring, he loans money from the Yakuza so he can pay off their medical bills. He eventually pays off his debt by robbing a bank while dressed as a police officer and driving a police vehicle. Soon after, Nishi takes his wife on a road trip and spends time with her as much as he can. He takes her to a temple, a snowy area, and the beach. Unfortunately, he had to deal with a series of events along the way. The Yakuza boss wanted to charge him interest after he paid off his debt and sent members after him. NIshi was able to fend them off and due to the fail attempt by the Yakuza members, the boss comes with others to intimidate and threaten him in order to charge him interest money. This leads them to their death, as Nishi kills them in the car. In the end, Nishi is met by his ex-coworkers from the police department and the scene ends with two gun shots facing the ocean. 

My thoughts on this film are bittersweet. I enjoyed the film and I would rate it highest on my list in comparison to the old and new films we have watched in class. In the beginning, I was confused whether the scenes were showing the before and after or Nishi’s current situation. Eventually coming to understand how the film works, it allowed me to have a further understand of Nishi’s actions and what he has gone through as a police detective and husband. While watching, we learn that Nishi and his wife previously lost their child and both are affected by an emotional strain. It does not help that his wife was also diagnosed with an illness that seems to be terminal. Although the doctor does not reveal what her illness is, it is portrayed that her illness is shortening her life span. The film has brought a lot of sadness, sweet, and rough moments. I loved the interactions and how much Nishi shows his wife his love and care for her. The two scenes that stood out to me the most was the first scene of her taking his cake and giving him a strawberry. Seeing that made me smile, I found that as a cute, yet doing her best to uplift the mood interaction with her husband. The next scene would be Nishi guessing what card she had in hand. Despite the heartwarming scenes between the two, it was very sad to remember that she was slowly dying and all he wants is to stay by her and make her happy. 

Go directed by Yukisada Isao is a Japanese film based off of a novel. It is about a teenager named, Sugihara. He was born in Japan, but his ethnic background is Japanese and North Korean. The story is about Sugihara’s growing experience in Japan through prejudice, school and love life with a Japanese girl named Sakurai Tsubaki. 

While watching Go I was fascinated by the music choices and the directing in comparison to the older films we have watched in the past. There was a definite difference in feeling in comparison between a 2000s film and an older one. I also enjoyed watching Sugihara act out against his bullies at school and how he bonds or gets along with his parents. We are also shown a scene of his past with his dad teaching him how to box. Using this skill, he is able to defend himself against those who taunt and try to hurt him at school. 

Sugihara’s love life began when he first saw Sakurai at a party. Their casual talk leads them to leaving the party and going on dates together. Eventually they start dating and things are going smoothly in their relationship until his best friend from school, Jong-Il, is killed by a stab wound into the throat at the subway station. His death was very emotional and unexpected. I honestly wish that Jong-Il lived to the end as I really loved his character the most. While Sakurai consoles Sugihara, they decide to go somewhere and sleep together, but it ends up with him leaving her in bed alone. During that scene, he decided to tell Sakurai of his true ethnic background as during this time in Japan, there was a lot of prejudice against mixed and foreign ethnicity. Sakurai’s reaction towards his real ethnicity was negative and she goes as far to tell him that she feels scared of having him inside of her because he was not Japanese. Hearing that is what led them to break up and him leaving her. At the end of the film, Sugihara begins to understand his father more and decides to study into college to fulfill Jong-Il’s wishes for him. He also rekindles his relationship with Sakurai after they talk it out at the place they first went on a date together. I am glad that she was able to love him more than caring about his background.

The film touches on the prejudice against other races other than Japanese in Japan. This occurs a lot in the United States where Asian and non-Asian minorities are commonly discriminated against. Although newer generations have a better mindset, the old generations and those who have passed down their views to their children are still prejudice against other races. In Go, Sakurai is an example of a child who was raised to be prejudice by her father. Although, she eventually ignores it at the end to be with Sugihara. Similarly to Sugihara, I was born in the United States, but my ethnic background is Chinese. Attending school was miserable as I was bullied, teased, and not treated the same way as everyone else solely because I was Asian and looked different. Unfortunately, prejudice and discrimination towards minorities in schools in the United States, and most likely elsewhere, is still very prevalent today regardless if you were born here.

Tampopo by Itami Juzo, is a Japanese comedy film that tells a story about a widowed women who owns a small ramen shop called Lai Lai. She meets a truck driver named Goro who saves her son from school bullies and comes in to eat her food. After hearing Gun’s advice on her ramen, she begs him to help teach her to cook proper ramen. He agrees to teach her and film proceeds to show a series of events of her learning, developing, and improving her skills. She meets plentiful of new people who support her journey. In the end, she meets her goal and Lai Lai is renovated and renamed to Tampopo with many customers in line waiting to have her food.

My overall thoughts on this film was interestingly funny, gross, and yet heartwarming. The opening scene of the man in the white suit was neat as he was looking and talking towards the camera, as if he was talking to the audience watching the film. Once the main protagonist was introduced, the widowed ramen shop owner, the story proceeds to be a heartwarming learning journey, but occasionally there were scenes that seemed completely off topic from the main plot. These scenes felt similarly to ads as they abrupt and were related to food as well.

 I found the first scene where a group of business executives visit a French restaurant for dinner. The executives ordered the same thing as the director, but there was one subordinate who orders a whole meal knowing the menu compared to all of them. This scene was very funny to me as each person, including the director, were red as an apple from embarrassment and looking down. 

The next scene shows an older man having a sweet time with his mistress. I thought it was going to be a normal sexual interaction for the couple…but behold. We ended up watching them make out by exchanging an egg yolk until it popped in her mouth. Eventually the man has an encounter with an oyster diver and their make out scene was just as disturbing to me especially with his bloody lip. This man definitely has an interesting fetish for food. 

Although not the last scene, I thought this one stood out to me as well. An older working man runs home to his dying wife, children, doctor and nurse. It was sad watching the man tell his wife not to close his eyes because he wanted her to keep living. He goes as far to shake her excessively and then he tells her to get up and go cook. I was surprised by this, but she immediately gets up and cooks dinner while struggling to keep her balance. After serving dinner to her kids and her husband, she smiles happily knowing they loved her cooking and she collapses. The doctor and nurse calls her time of death right away after checking her pulse. This was really sad moment. The father then tells his children to keep eating and cherish the last meal their mother made for them. They memorialize her through food, feeling the love she put in it before leaving them.

The Family Game by Morita Yoshimitsu is a film revolving around a dysfunctional middle-class family. The Numata family consists of a father, mother, and their two sons, Shinichi a high schooler and Shigeyuki a junior high student. Due to Shigeyuki not being able to meet the academic expectations of the father, the father hires a private tutor named Yoshimoto. Yoshimoto is responsible for helping Shigeyuki pass his entrance exam into a good high school like his brother, Shinichi. 

After watching The Family Game, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the film but it would have been better if I was not still recovering from being ill. I thought the dynamic of the Numata family was very much like the stereotypical family. I also found the friendship between Shigeyuki and Tsuchiya was pretty interesting. They were very close childhood friends growing up and knew each others deep secrets. If I remember correctly, in the film it said that the reason for them not getting along as well is just because of their close friendship. There was not too much bad blood between the two friends besides Tsuchiya’s friends bullying him. Towards the end of the film, they also do not display any aggressive or disdainful feelings towards each other, rather, they are able to casually walk, talk, and hope the best for one another after graduating junior high. 

The relationship between Yoshimoto and Shigeyuki was very humorous to watch. I really enjoyed watching Shigeyuki’s carefree behavior. One of the scenes that I liked that showed this personality was during the his first lesson with Yoshimoto. He was instructed to write down any words that he did not understand from his reading, instead, he wrote “dusk” repetitively in his notebook just to pass time because of his boredom. It was really funny when Yoshimoto finally noticed his work after time had passed. Another interaction between them when Shigeyuki was carefree, is when he did not attend his lesson on time. Foregoing his private tutoring session, he went to the bookstore to read only to get caught out by Yoshimoto and wrestled by him. I am fond of their growing relationship even though Yoshimoto would physically beat him for not listening. As time progresses, Yoshimoto goes as far to help teach Shigeyuki how to fight as long as he does the work into his academic lessons. We see them practice fighting on the rooftop and later when Shigeyuki gets challenged to a one on one fight with Tsuchiya and wins. 

Overall, I felt like this film was rather more relaxing and humorous to watch compared to our previous films. This movie was more of about watching the life of a typical family and a son progressively growing to attain a goal with the help of a tutor. I thought the seating of the dinner table was a great and interesting detail as well. The family and Yoshimoto are seated in a vertical table, while as the audience watches them like we’re looking through the screen of a television.