Tony Takitani (2004) January 30, 2007
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In short: A beautiful waste of time.
Thoughts: Adaptation, as Charlie Kaufman discovered, is a fine art and it’s comforting to know there is some things that can only be conveyed through the page. Haruki Murakami’s stories have an ethereal quality and meandering nature that make them beautiful to read, but difficult to imagine cinematically. Jun Ichikawa makes a noble effort here, capturing Murakami’s dreamy atmosphere and the grey of his loneliness. For the latter, the cinematography and location are exquisite, particularlythe spacious emptiness of Takitani’s home. However, the slow pace of the story, combined with Murakami’s total lack of resolution make the whole experience rather unfulfilling. This may well be similar to numerous other arthouse movies, but Murakami’s words seem to have an empathy missing from Ichikawa’s visuals. Passively watching it unfold in front of you, it just doesn’t have the same effect.
Anime critiques January 22, 2007
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Enrollment at SOAS has the added benefit of access to a range of academic materials, including several critical appraisals of anime that I have wanted to read for a while. (more…)
Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru Ep1-12 (complete) January 14, 2007
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Kare Kano Vol.21 (End) January 14, 2007
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In short: All good things….
Thoughts: Kare Kano finally came to an end with the final English volume and it’s like watching my childhood disappear in the distance.
(Spoilers)
Satisfaction January 14, 2007
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I’ve been in my new job for about two weeks now (give or take bank holidays and a few days worked over Xmas). Overall, it’s going pretty well – though it certainly hasn’t been easy. (more…)
Er… January 14, 2007
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ER kicked off its 13th season last week, with some noticeable changes.
Any excuse for a Parminder Nagra pic
I can’t believe they’ve axed the opening titles from ER. It seems the vogue to have a quick title screen and then cast names over start of the episode (see Lost, Ugly Betty, Studio 60) – but do they honestly think it jazzes up an old series much? I doubt it frees up that much more time for ads either, but I guess every second counts.
I also can’t stand the jingle that now poses for a theme tune. I want the pulsing sounds of the ER theme dammit! Like many long-time fans, that first burst of sound – the crash of the doors as they push a gurney through – that’s ER, not some indie-pop guitar crap. On that note, they’ve taken the insert song too far as well – one at the end of every episode?? And usually a generic, sickly sweet one at that. It’s a real shame as, when used sparingly, the insert songs normally chosen appropriately enhance the emotion. Now it seems every episode is pretty much by the numbers in structure as well as story.
Pic courtesy of Parminder Nagra Online
iPhone January 11, 2007
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O.o Every man and his dog is blogging about this, but it really is a gadget that can only be described as sex. Without a doubt, I will be buying one. I haven’t updated my phone in two years and my iPod in four. I still have several questions: does it take any sim card? Which networks will it be on? How good is the battery life? Will the touch screen stand up to over-over-and-over-use? Can I buy one separately from the Apple store? All will become clear as the June US-launch approaches. In any case, the touted European launch in September/October coincides well with my birthday. Go on, treat me.
It’s a boy! January 11, 2007
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Congratulations to Phil and Stef, now the proud parents of baby boy Noah. No doubt Phil has already programmed a baby mobile to play Dylan and the Beatles. The education starts here.
Tsundere desho? January 3, 2007
Posted by ayasawada in Anime, Japan.add a comment
DarkMirage: The perfect CD for your masochistic self
Unless you’re an otaku, you’re unlikely to know what tsundere is. If you do, this is the perfect CD for you. Even if you don’t, it’s hilarious. Thanks to DM for painstakingly translating all of it. I think I betray myself by wanting one.
On a side note, I badly want one of these. If you’re from a Chinese family, you’re family with the toilet-roll-as-tissue solution for budgeting. And we’d get away with it too if we had one of these.
