Category: Japanese

Swimming to the Mainland for Studio Ghibli’s The Red Turtle

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

When I heard The Red Turtle, a collaborative work between Studio Ghibli, Wild Bunch (distributing) and Michaël Dudok de Wit, is making its rounds at special screenings, I knew I had to jump at the chance to see it as soon as it arrived in North America. Flying to Japan or Toronto was sadly out of the question due to budget, but as soon as I saw that it was playing at the 2016 Vancouver International Film Festival, I wanted to hop a ride on a whale to the mainland as soon as my schedule allowed. In the Pacific Northwest, orcas are representative to the region and I do not think one would kindly take to riding her back to English Bay / Vancouver Harbour just for this film. The same might be said for this film’s protagonist when considering his first encounters with the reptile, and he got off lucky!

With this movie, I find Hayao Miyazaki never fails to astound his fans in the talents he recognizes as masters of their craft. After he stated, “All I did was announce that I would be retiring and not making any more features,” in a report by LA Times, he would still be influential in the future of the company he helped co-found. His son Gorō is involved in other co-productions with various studios and Isao Takahata helped with the artistic development of this Dutch animator / director feature-length film debut.

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Ed’s Pokémon GO Journals – Mixed Feelings About the Latest Update & Player Tactics

pokemon-go-logoBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Niantic Inc is rolling out a new update to Pokémon GO and by now, most players should have it. As much as I often think of stop playing this game, this latest revision has my interest. In trying it out, my feelings are mixed about the ‘new features.’

I love the fact that the medals finally mean something (players get a better chance to capture pocket monsters from a particular type) and the gym your team occupies can be trained up easier. Instead of using one gladiator, you can now bring in six. The big news is in the fact the game will balance the combat power so these fights are fair. It works, but I am bugged that all my little warriors need a revive crystal before they are usable again. There was a time they simply fainted and only heals were needed. In fights at rival gyms, to use the said item makes sense, but when fighting your own? I wish Niantic brought back this feature.

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Wind Up Geek’s J-Music Quick Fix – October 3, 2016

shonenBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

Bradio

Bradio will be performing live with France‘s 80’s group Les Innocents in a concert titled “Music Exchange Concert France-Japan ～BRADIO meets Les Innocents～”. The event will be live streamed through VIDEO Clipper. The VIDEO Clipper app is only available for the iPhone. Streaming will begin October 4th at 5pm (17:00) JST. Bradio’s live will begin at around 8:20pm (20:20) JST.

About VIDEO Clipper
https://clipper.events/

App Store　VIDEO Clipper Download
https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/video-clipper-maruchianguruderaibu/id1053782735?mt=8


 

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Traditional Japanese Group Covers Track from GNR’s ‘Appetite for Destruction’

SMER_CD_BLH14By James Robert Shaw
(The Wind up Geek)

They have yet to go viral on YouTube with this recording but Japan‘s Bamboo Flute Orchestra has received over 840,000 views on Facebook thanks in part to Guns N’ Roses, the NHK, and the Rock vs. Metal Facebook page (stylized Rock \m/ Metal). Bamboo Flute Orchestra which contains members Yoshimi Tsujimoto, Erina Ito, and Yuko Watanabe are taking the Internet by storm. Like the Yoshida Brothers before them they are introducing traditional Japanese music to a wider audience. With their first album Shakuhachi (released on September 28, 2016), they create a fusion by performing pop and rock tunes with traditional instruments. Some of the songs covered by the Bamboo Flute Orchestra are Michael Jackson‘s “Smooth Criminal”, Avicii‘s “Wake Me Up”, and Taylor Swift‘s “Shake It Off”.

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Ed’s Top 10 Picks of the 2016 Vancouver International Film Festival

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

The 2016 Vancouver International Film Festival starts today and their selection of animated films and nerdy delights is fantastic! From a few television spotlights to films, this year’s event is of particular interest to me because the industry is paying attention to the coming thing  — virtual reality. From an industry exchange and VR pass to a discussion on how it affects storytelling in a cinematic medium, I am interested. This new technology to immerse audiences into a virtual world is challenging, and just how storytellers and filmmakers can use the medium certainly needs to be discussed. Does the story work like a choose-your-own-adventure book or is the narrative just that much more difficult to curtail? If the viewer is in total control, they can navigate anywhere. This industry panel will certainly explore it all for much of the day.

With a unique catalog of horror and animation films, I just wonder if I can see it all? or will I have to limit what my budget can allow? At least I have this top ten list of what I has my eye in this year’s programme:

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The Animated Lineup of Guests Is Growing At Fan Expo Vancouver 2016!

tom-kenny-1-2By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Fan Expo Vancouver (Nov 11-13, Vancouver Convention Center) is shaping up to be a delight for pop culture fans of all ages. Tom Kenny of Spongebob Squarepants fame will have children coming in troves. For older fans, he is lending his vocal talents in the animated Guardians of the Galaxy as The Collector.

Since coming into the entertainment scene in the late 80’s in How I Got Into College, his career just simply exploded. Followers of his work will remember the many voices he’s offered in the Transformers Animated series and for some, the debate will still continue as who is the best Starscream. Die-hard fans of Generation One cartoon will name Chris Latta but after his passing, other names continued this character’s legacy. From the list of seven (including the live action Bay treatment), Tom Kenny and Steve Blum are by far in the top three whose performances are memorable.

In the anime and animated front, original voice-actor Ryo Horikawa (Vegeta) of Dragon Ball Z will be making an appearance. English voice-actors of this show includes Chris Sabat and Eric Vale. Also appearing are Linda Ballantyne and Susan Roman of Sailor Moon, Cherami Leigh of Sword Art Online, Jamie Marchi of Fairy Tail and Trina Nishmura of Attack on Titan.

For a full line-up of guests coming to this year’s show — especially several returning to the Pacific Northwest if you missed seeing them at Emerald City Comicon in prior years — please check out the guest list here.