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Red Hat Bugzilla – Attachment 315586 Details for
Bug 460954
Crash in _cairo_gstate_has_show_text_glyphs
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atom.xml
iwanihana.atom.xml (text/plain), 240.20 KB, created by
Pete Zaitcev
on 2008-09-02 20:05:29 UTC
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atom.xml
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Pete Zaitcev
Created:
2008-09-02 20:05:29 UTC
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240.20 KB
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><?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> ><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0"> > <title>Iwa ni Hana</title> > <link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/atom.xml" /> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-599504</id> > <updated>2008-08-31T22:42:46+08:00</updated> > <subtitle>Art-house Animation and Illustration: Commentary and Analysis (with a comparative focus on the PRC and Japan, and other topics such as manga/manhua, cinema, music, literature and other aspects of culture)</subtitle> > <generator uri="http://www.typepad.com/">TypePad</generator> > <entry> > <title>[Breaking News] 'Asakiyumemishi' on Noitamina timeslot in Jan 2009</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/08/breaking-news-a.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/08/breaking-news-a.html" thr:count="4" thr:updated="2008-09-02T21:59:02+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54938862</id> > <published>2008-08-31T22:42:46+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-08-31T22:54:06+08:00</updated> > <summary>So the news is out that next January the...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Asakiyumemishi" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ãããããã¿ã" /> > > ><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>So the news is out that next January > > >the Noitamina timeslot will feature an anime adaptation of <strong><em>Asakiyumisashi</em></strong> - a shoujo manga adaptation of <strong><em>The Tale of Genji</em></strong> by <strong>Yamato Waki</strong>. Personally, I see this as good and bad news.</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=555,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/31/main_2.jpg"><img width="370" height="256" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/31/main_2.jpg" title="Main_2" alt="Main_2" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>The bad news is that the adaptation originates from a manga adaptation of <em>The Tale of Genji</em> instead of <em>The Tale of Genji </em>itself. I for one would have been much more pleased with the latter. It is, after all, the adult female-targeted Noitamina timeslot, and I would have liked to see a fresh, liberal interpretation of the story (coupled with Gankutsuou-like art direction, if you please). But since they opted making an anime of Yamato Waki's manga, they will have to stick with her interpretation. I read the manga some years ago and I think it was just another me-too interpretation - hardly groundbreaking.</p> > ><p>The good news is that it is still <em>The Tale of Genji</em> - and though an earlier low-key earlier anime adaptation exists, the story just begs for an aesthetically and visually stunning anime adaptation. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=700,height=483,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/31/genji_murasaki_death.jpg"><img width="390" height="269" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/31/genji_murasaki_death.jpg" title="Genji_murasaki_death" alt="Genji_murasaki_death" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>As literature, I do not think <em>The Tale of Genji</em> is by far the most sophisticated novel which depicts a high-born man's relationships with a long list of beautiful women. I think <em>The Dream of Red Chamber</em> is by far the more sophisticated - yours truly can easily spend three nights and days talking about the complexities of the plot and the personalities in the novel. In <em>The Tale of Genji</em>, the women seem to fall within a narrower range of temperaments - you can discern their differences in personalities to some extent, but the differences are slight. With the women in <em>The Dream of Red Chamber</em>, there is no mistaking one woman from another - in fact the women are so masterfully portrayed that they inevitably generate strong opinions in the reader; you either love so-and-so or dislike so-and-so. <br /><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/31/genji_oborozokiyo.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=500,height=772,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="200" height="308" border="0" alt="Genji_oborozokiyo" title="Genji_oborozokiyo" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/31/genji_oborozokiyo.jpg" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; float: right;" /></a> >But I digress and I know that this is like comparing an apple to an orange as <em>The Tale of Genji</em> is a romance whereas the <em>The Dream of Red Chamber</em> is a novel of manners. <em>The Tale of Genji</em> can easily degenerate into a meet-a-new-lady-each-week anime if not handled well, the way your typical bust-the-monster anime series falls under the meet-a-monster-each week pattern. If all else fails, the original material is still strong in evoking visual images of nature as a backdrop to Prince Genji's romance - there is always one or more Kodak moment made for poster in every chapter, and I am particularly keen to see art direction that is as innovative as <em>Gankutsuou</em>, which may or may not happen after all depending on how 'faithful' they are to the manga.</p> > ><p>Now for speculation's sake - could the idle <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/nakamura_kenji/"><strong>Nakamura Kenji</strong></a> be taking charge of this <em>Asakiyumemishi</em> adaptation? Personally I think his immense talent should be given the freedom to adapt as he pleases from <em>The Tale of Genji</em>, as Asakiyumemishi may be too small a shoe to fit this giant. But we shall see when the list of staff is announced. </p> > ><p>On the voice-acting front, whoever they cast for the role of Prince Genji, there will inevitably be a nice storm in the teacup among fangirls of voice actors. Personally, I think either <strong>Miki Shinichirou</strong> (䏿¨çä¸é) or <strong>Sakurai Takahiro</strong> (æ«»äºåå®) would be safe choices for the mannered and effeminate Prince, but I would like to see a more creative interpretation of the Prince's image - by using a deeper male voice like that of <strong>Okiayu Ryoutarou</strong> (ç½®é®é¾å¤ªé), for example. I mean, Okiayu deserves a breakthrough role where he can show off his voice coloured with romantic passion - which has the potential to make female hearts melt like butter on a grill. He tends to be cast in warrior-type roles instead of lover-type roles - and I think this talented voice actor deserves a breakthrough. </p> > ><p>But tell me, you fangirls of voice actors - the role of Prince Genji should belong to whom in your opinion?&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> > ></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>The meaning of 'youen' (å¦è¶) and Mononoke</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/08/the-meaning-of.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/08/the-meaning-of.html" thr:count="1" thr:updated="2008-08-31T01:39:32+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54455908</id> > <published>2008-08-24T22:19:03+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-08-25T07:16:32+08:00</updated> > <summary>There are words denoting shades of beaut...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Cultural Theory" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Mononoke" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ã¢ããæª" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/24/61utrqq1xfl_ss400__3.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=281,height=397,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="200" height="282" border="0" alt="61utrqq1xfl_ss400__3" title="61utrqq1xfl_ss400__3" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/24/61utrqq1xfl_ss400__3.jpg" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; float: right;" /></a> >There are words denoting shades of beauty in Japanese of which there are no equivalents in English, and I think <em>youen</em> (å¦è¶) is one of them. The typical Japanese-English dictionary gives its meaning as 'glamorous' or 'bewitiching' but in either case I think they are quite off the mark. For the record, I have observed that <em>youen</em> refers to:</p> > ><blockquote><p>i) The erotic attractiveness of a woman who is outside the traditional norm of feminine virtue (eg. a geisha etc) and avails herself amply of man-made enhancements to her beauty (eg. flamboyant dress, cosmetics etc). In other words, you cannot be a virtuous woman and be <em>youen</em>, nor can you go casual in your dress, wear no make-up and be <em>youen</em>. Moreover, there must be a sinister vibe to your erotic attractiveness. </p> > ><p>ii) <em>Youen</em> in this sense is sometimes applied to effeminate men. A manly man is never <em>youen</em>. <em>Youen</em> is a distinctly feminine/effeminate quality. </p> > ><p>iii) This quality is sometimes extended to the afterlife in supernatural tales, where the ghost of a dead woman bearing some personal grudge appear as a <em>youen</em> ghost to execute her revenge. In fact, one may go further to say that <em>youen</em> is the default characteristic of such female ghosts in supernatural tales - in other words, if you are a female ghost in Japanese supernatural tale, you had better be <em>youen</em>. Fox spirits, when they take on a feminine guise, are also typically <em>youen</em>.</p></blockquote> > > > > > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/24/61koutnxy4l_ss500__2.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=345,height=498,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="200" height="288" border="0" alt="61koutnxy4l_ss500__2" title="61koutnxy4l_ss500__2" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/24/61koutnxy4l_ss500__2.jpg" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; float: left;" /></a> >The 'eroticism' referred in <em>youen</em> is different from 'sexiness' >- the eroticism denotes something remote and unapproachable, typically >aided by man-made effects like make-believes in a play on stage or else supernatural magic. You >more or less allow yourself to be hoodwinked for the time being in order to appreciate the >eroticism. It is more intellectual than physical.</p> > ><p><em>Youen</em> also has other usages when applied to things. For one thing, it can be a term of description in visual art, but <em>youen</em> in art is rather like zen - it cannot be explained in words and either you get it or you don't. However, you may look at <a href="http://gallery.aethereality.net/list/artist/84/1/">the illustrations of Amano Yoshitaka</a> and you may get a feel of what <em>youen </em>in art means.</p> > ><p> <em>Youen</em> can also be used to describe a story, typically a supernatural story. Many times have I heard <a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/mononoke/"><strong>Mononoke</strong></a> described as a <em>youen</em> story in Japanese (or else in some similar adjective, like <em>tsuyayakana</em> è¶ãããª). Sure, the art direction and the voice-acting etc may contribute to <em>Mononoke</em> being <em>youen</em>, but if I were told the plots of the same stories for the first time in nothing but plain words, strange to say but I would have still found the stories <em>youen</em> nonetheless. Why I cannot say.<br /> </p> > ></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>Various</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/08/various.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/08/various.html" thr:count="9" thr:updated="2008-08-26T05:25:53+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54311590</id> > <published>2008-08-18T00:44:46+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-08-18T00:45:53+08:00</updated> > <summary>I have been rather busy with work (a fic...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>I have been rather busy with work (a fictionalized version written purely out of fun you can read <a href="http://www.grandiose-escape.info/">here</a>), so just a quick post of things I just have to get off my chest:</p> > ><p>1) I discovered the personal blog of <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/the-aesthetics.html">Eno.</a> (the PRC illustrator whose works always make my heart skip a beat). Apparently, she is now doing a series on Lan Lin Wang èéµç, <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2007/03/the_dance_of_sa.html">a historic character whom I wrote about here earlier</a>. Legend has it that he was a handsome warrior-prince who took to wearing a fearsome mask in battle and died young. He is also famous for a dance which went on to become a staple of Chinese and Japanese theatre art. His dance is an aesthetic motif that seized the imagination of many an artist, like the burying of flowers by Lin Daiyu from <em>The Dream of the Red Chamber</em> - another aesthetic motif I dearly love.</p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/17/4ac4d4d4453890b310254.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=457,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="222" border="0" alt="4ac4d4d4453890b310254" title="4ac4d4d4453890b310254" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/17/4ac4d4d4453890b310254.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/17/4ac4d4d44538910fffa07.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=468,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="228" border="0" alt="4ac4d4d44538910fffa07" title="4ac4d4d44538910fffa07" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/17/4ac4d4d44538910fffa07.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>The blog can be found here: ttp://blog.sina.com.cn/u/1254413524</p><p>2) Speaking of Chinese aesthetics, I am catching as much of the Olympic games as I can. I am probably nitpicking here:</p> > ><ul><li>The Confucian-themed sequence in the opening ceremony was my favorite (though one wonders what will become of all those white and beige costumes and feather-headgears afterwards). However, the Tang-dynasty dresses of the dancers in another sequence made me want to dig a hole and die quietly somewhere. Women's fashion in the Tang was by far my favorite in all of Chinese history (followed by the Sung). I am not very happy with the gaudy colours and unimaginative design (see below).</li></ul> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/17/img214516750.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=500,height=333,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="259" border="0" alt="Img214516750" title="Img214516750" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/17/img214516750.jpg" /></a> > > ></p><blockquote><p>I mean, really - why cannot they achieve the same pleasing designs with well-coordinated colours in the Olympics as has already been achieved by, say, a run-of-the-mill show set in the Tang dynasty (see samples below)? </p></blockquote> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/17/bb5d10383f6378fcb211c754.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=280,height=426,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"></a><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/17/3a11b912076a44dcc3fd78ce.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=498,height=334,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="261" border="0" alt="3a11b912076a44dcc3fd78ce" title="3a11b912076a44dcc3fd78ce" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/17/3a11b912076a44dcc3fd78ce.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/17/e23cf8dc0504c6afcd116670.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=500,height=370,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="288" border="0" alt="E23cf8dc0504c6afcd116670" title="E23cf8dc0504c6afcd116670" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/17/e23cf8dc0504c6afcd116670.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/17/b1be6c81319d9ecabc3e1ecf.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=500,height=335,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="261" border="0" alt="B1be6c81319d9ecabc3e1ecf" title="B1be6c81319d9ecabc3e1ecf" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/17/b1be6c81319d9ecabc3e1ecf.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><ul><li>The dresses worn by the Chinese girls who carry the medals and bouquets are rather imaginatively designed though. There is a fix of the Tang (the low-cut horizontal breast-line), the qipao (the collar), the umbrella-style skirt and high heels (the 1950s). You also have to be very fit to wear the dress well. It is sleeveless, which makes it unsuitable for women with flabby upper arms. It also emphasizes a slim waist. You also have to keep your back straight all the time in order to look well in the qipao collar. </li></ul> > ><p>3) I discovered a Japanese artist by the name of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audrey_Kawasaki">Audrey Kawasaki</a>, whose works possess a Beardsley-vibe. Her great theme would seem to be the eroticism of adolescent girl and sexual taboo. Her female subjects look to me as though, having lost their innocence due to some betrayal, set out to be dangerous seductresses determined to draw their lovers to ruin. </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/17/ed5364592853c4392934f06e.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=519,height=370,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="278" border="0" alt="Ed5364592853c4392934f06e" title="Ed5364592853c4392934f06e" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/17/ed5364592853c4392934f06e.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>4) The fifth volume of <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/himitsu_top_secret/"><em>Himitsu - The Top Secret</em></a> by Shimizu Reiko is out. Below is the cover:</p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/17/517r097i8ll_ss500_.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=500,height=500,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="390" border="0" alt="517r097i8ll_ss500_" title="517r097i8ll_ss500_" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/17/517r097i8ll_ss500_.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>This would also seem to be a good place for me to put in a word about <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/the_revelation/"><em>The Revelation</em></a>, the TV anime based on <em>Himitsu - The Top Secret</em>. The animators seem to better job when they are working on an original - but when they work on a story adapted from the manga, they inevitably slip on the timing and building up of the story. I think the best told original episodes are Episode 1 and 16, and Episode 16 has a distinct feel of the beautiful tragic that would not have been out of place in a Shimizu Reiko manga. </p> > ><p>The currently running story-arc called 'Nobody Is Looking (誰ãè¦ã¦ããªã)' is lifted out of the manga series. I don't think they plan to skip the theme-park mascot murder case (which I have been harping about) in the TV anime (for it came earlier in the manga). It is such a masterpiece of a story that perhaps they are saving it for the TV anime finale.</p> > ><p>The thing is, I wonder if Shimizu-sensei is about the wrap up the manga series - certainly the latest plot development would seem to suggest so. One of the dilemmas of a manga artist, I suppose, is knowing when to wrap up a series instead of milking it to to the last drop. I am rather eager to see her try her hand at something new. </p> > ><p>5) <a href="http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzg1NzkyNjA=.html">Check out this graduating work of students of animation in China</a>. <a href="http://6.cn/watch/807749.html">As well as this graduating work of animation students in China</a>. The voice-acting of the latter is lousy, but as for the animation itself there is a Makoto Shinkai feel I like. </p> > ><p>6) You know, a good half of the year 2008 has passed and I am still waiting for an anime series that really, really wows me like <a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/mononoke/">Mononoke</a> last year. I am hoping that <a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/titania/">Tytania</a> would be the one. The TV anime of <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/yakushiji_ryouko_no_kaiki_jikenbo/"><em>Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jigenbo</em></a> is humming along - though I am not too happy with the meet-a-monster-a-week pattern it has fallen into.</p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>'Michiko to Hatchin (ããã³ã¨ãããã³)': Translation of plot summary and character bios</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/08/michiko-to-hatc.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/08/michiko-to-hatc.html" thr:count="3" thr:updated="2008-09-01T07:48:21+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-53651686</id> > <published>2008-08-02T10:58:08+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-08-02T17:34:24+08:00</updated> > <summary>I am sure fans of Samurai Champloo have been on the look out for news of this new series from Manglobe for some time, and finally they updated the official website with the following info: Plot summary: Hatchin is a...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Michiko to Hatchin" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ããã³ã¨ãããã³" /> > > ><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>I am sure fans of <strong><em>Samurai Champloo</em></strong> have been on the look out for news of this new series from <strong>Manglobe</strong> for some time, and finally they updated the official website with the following info:</p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/01/official.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=377,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="183" border="0" alt="Official" title="Official" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/08/01/official.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><strong>Plot summary</strong>: <em>Hatchin is a girl who is brought up by foster parents and yearns to escape and live freely. However, she doubts that it is possible. But one day, a woman named Michiko Marandoro appeared to take her away. Michiko is a sexy diva who vows to live freely and broke through a jail which is said to be impossible for jailbreak. The story is set in a country of radiant sunlight and primary colours, where it is a dangerous lawless zone once you step out to wilderness. Along with Latino music, Michiko lives blithely, and Hatchin lives in the freedom she dreams of... From two women of incompatible personalities, comes an impossible escape full of thriller!</em></p> > ><p><strong>Michiko</strong>: <em>Age unknown. No permanent residence. Unemployed. Endless previous police records. She has a fearfully beautiful face and body. She was imprisoned in a jail that was said to be impossible to break out of, but she breaks out once she learns of Hatchin's existence. She is full of self-confidence in a groundless way, and she is always optimistic. She acts with the resolution that she should never rely on anybody. She is an attractive woman who would act with full force and go through any foolish length in order to achieve her goals</em>.</p> > ><p><strong>Hatchin</strong>: <em>She is the daughter of the man whom Michiko loves, and her real name is Hana. She is a girl who raised by a strict, Spartan foster family for as long as she remembers. There is nothing cold but inwardly strong about her. She thinks of running away from her stern foster parents, but then she would think that after all they have brought her up all along... She hopes to have someone coming one day to take her away. Her wish is granted, but that someone is none other than the outrageous Michiko.</em> </p> > ><p><span class="xl12"><strong>Hiroshi</strong>: <em>He is Michiko's lover who ran away and the father of Hatchin. He is nice to everybody but often that is the cause of problems. He is a boob who often fails at things. But he is pleasant to his companions. He is full of love and without hate. He should have died in a bus explosion accident but...</em><br /><br /><strong>Atsuko</strong>: <em>A childhood friend of Michiko, or more precisely she was abused by Michiko when they were young. She vows to get even with Michiko and eventually became a policewoman. She rejoices at the fact that if Michiko is thrown into jail she would be able to see Michiko suffering, and approaches Satoshi for a deal. However, Michiko broke out of jail. After thinking damn to herself, she begins to chase after Michiko with great relish.</em></span></p> > ><p><span class="xl12">So there you have it. It looks to be a wacky road-trip series like <em>Samurai Champloo</em>. This October would seem to be a much more promising season than last year (which was utterly lacklustre) - thanks to heavyweights like <em>Michiko to Hatchin</em> and <em><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/titania/">Tytania</a></em>.</span><span class="xl12">&nbsp;</span><span class="xl12">&nbsp;</span></p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>I remember 'Moon Child' by Shimizu Reiko (or The Portrait of a Shoujo Manga Fan as a Young Woman)</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/i-remember-moon.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/i-remember-moon.html" thr:count="14" thr:updated="2008-08-24T23:19:46+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-53276716</id> > <published>2008-07-27T00:15:44+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-07-27T00:23:47+08:00</updated> > <summary>Recently, I stumbled upon newly republis...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Shimizu Reiko" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="æ¸ æ°´ç²å" /> > > ><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Recently, I stumbled upon newly republished volumes of <strong><em>Moon Child</em></strong> (æã®å), a manga classic by <strong>Shimizu Reiko</strong> (æ¸ æ°´ç²å). It struck me that it was precisely ten years ago, when I was a sixteen-year-old girl in some godforsaken place in Canada, that I discovered <em>Moon Child</em>, and went down the slippery slope of shoujo manga ever since. I was extremely pleased by the elegantly designed new covers, and in a bout of nostalgia I reflected on the decade-long <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/04/is-love-of-anim.html">love that dares not speak its name</a> that is my love of (well-written) shoujo manga.</p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/26/bunko_mc1.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=324,height=475,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="170" height="249" border="0" alt="Bunko_mc1" title="Bunko_mc1" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/26/bunko_mc1.jpg" /></a> > > ><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/26/bunko_mc2.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=321,height=475,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="170" height="251" border="0" alt="Bunko_mc2" title="Bunko_mc2" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/26/bunko_mc2.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p>It may sound like ancient history in this age of freely distributed manga scans: Ten years ago, I lived in the backwaters part of town, and the most economical feasible way for me to get hold of manga was through trips to a Chinese-run manga rental store that was two hours away by bus. These trips had to be planned and budgeted ahead of time, as I had only a small allowance and I usually also stop by a well-stocked public library to borrow books (the library closer to home simply did not have the books I wanted to read in literature and history) and CDs (mostly classical music).&nbsp; </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=325,height=475,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/26/bunko_mc3.jpg"><img width="170" height="248" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/26/bunko_mc3.jpg" title="Bunko_mc3" alt="Bunko_mc3" /></a> > > ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=325,height=475,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/26/bunko_mc4.jpg"><img width="170" height="248" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/26/bunko_mc4.jpg" title="Bunko_mc4" alt="Bunko_mc4" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>As you may have guessed it, there was really no one around to share my passion for these things, so these trips were inevitably solitary excursions. Until I discovered the fan communities on the internet later on, I had no one to whom I could spread the gospel. The other kids at school were interested in dating, Hollywood movie stars, sports <em>etc</em> - things that they could talk about to each other aloud. I was in love with the quality of ephemeral beauty and the aesthetic sense in Shimizu-sensei's manga (among a bunch of other things). I think it was also around this time that I began to develop my idea that having a trained eye for beautiful things is the saving grace of otherwise sordid and transient human life, even if it means having that trained eye means social isolation. Think of the myth of Psyche having to to keep silent about her pregnancy in order to give birth to Pleasure. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=330,height=475,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/26/bunko_mc5.jpg"><img width="170" height="244" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/26/bunko_mc5.jpg" title="Bunko_mc5" alt="Bunko_mc5" /></a> > > ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=327,height=475,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/26/bunko_mc6.jpg"><img width="170" height="246" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/26/bunko_mc6.jpg" title="Bunko_mc6" alt="Bunko_mc6" /></a> </p> > ><p>There is an incident during one of my trips to get manga, books and CDs that recur in my dreams quite frequently of late. Once, I was so absorbed with whatever I was reading on the way home that I missed the stop where I was supposed&nbsp; get off. The next stop was 15 minutes away by bus and 1 hour away by foot.I got off at the next stop, in order to take the same bus route going the opposite way to get home. The bus I was waiting for comes only once every half an hour, so I was stuck in the middle of nowhere with two heavy bags of loot. I sat down on a wooden bench, tried to carry on reading but was afraid that I would get so absorbed again as to miss the bus. So I simply sat, and gazed at the countryside around me, with cows chewing grass here and there and not a human soul to be spotted across the horizon. The wind blew against my skirt and I felt a touch of the chill of the Canadian early spring. And perhaps because the landscape was so very broad, I felt very small. Time seemed to have stood still to me, and I felt an inward sadness. <em>So this is where your passion gets you</em>, I thought to myself. <em>Why can't you just be like everyone else? </em>Certainly the natural landscape around me compounded the loneliness I felt, and that feeling is vivid even in my dreams to this day. Still, I wonder why do I dream of this incident so often?</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=325,height=475,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/26/bunko_mc7.jpg"><img width="170" height="248" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/26/bunko_mc7.jpg" title="Bunko_mc7" alt="Bunko_mc7" /></a> > > ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=326,height=475,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/26/bunko_mc8.jpg"><img width="170" height="247" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/26/bunko_mc8.jpg" title="Bunko_mc8" alt="Bunko_mc8" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>Ten years later, the picture is very different. There is less pressure for a working adult to blend into a set of social group for one thing, and your independent judgment has more credibility - in fact, unless you teach, <a href="http://www.grandiose-escape.info/">the typical working life is all about agreeing and disagreeing with other professional adults</a>. In high school, you are conditioned to be like everyone else. In the real world, anything goes.</p> > ><p>By way of conclusion, here is my question to anyone reading this: Have you ever had the moment of revelation where you ask yourself, <em>why can't I just be like everyone else?</em><br /> </p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>[Manga] 'One More Cup of Coffee' (ã³ã¼ãã¼ãã䏿¯) by Yamakawa Naoto (å±±å·ç´äºº)</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/manga-one-more.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/manga-one-more.html" thr:count="0" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-53068134</id> > <published>2008-07-22T22:12:23+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-07-22T22:16:38+08:00</updated> > <summary>I was browsing through a Japanese bookst...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Yamakawa Naoto" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="å±±å·ç´äºº" /> > > ><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>I was browsing through a Japanese bookstore and discovered&nbsp; just the sort of manga that the writer Murakami Haruki (æä¸æ¥æ¨¹) would have produced if he were a manga artist. I refer to a series called <em>One More Cup of Coffee </em>(ã³ã¼ãã¼ãã䏿¯) by Yamakawa Naoto (å±±å·ç´äºº). > ></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/22/img.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=730,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="337" border="0" alt="Img" title="Img" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/22/img.jpg" /></a></p> > ><p>The series is comprised of short stories that all have to do with coffee one way or other. (Murakami is also a coffee lover and ran a coffee shop at one time, by the way.) The stories tend to be bittersweet with a philosophical bent.</p> > ><p>I have only read the second volume so far and my favorite story by far is this:</p> > ><p><em>A man comes home one day and finds the cat he used the keep two years ago waiting for him. The cat has grown up and was apparently running his own successful business. The cat wears a suit and has a handful of employees by his side. They talk while drinking coffee and the cat finally reveals that it has come to watch a movie called </em><em>Coffee and Cigarette with the man. The man has no DVD player and the cat dispatches one of his employees to fetch a DVD player at once, and the two of them sit down to watch the movie. The man notices that the cat fell asleep during the movie. The cat apologizes and the man says it must be tired from work. The man remembers that two years ago, the cat was but a child - he wonders what would be the human equivalent of two years in a cat's life...</em></p> > ><p>I think it is a unique story that illustrates basically the same concept as Shinkai Makoto's <em>Byousoku 5 centimeter</em> - that people live at different speeds.</p> > ><p>There are other stories like this and I beseech you to check them out. Even if you cannot read Japanese, the unique, engraving-like artstyle is a pleasure to look at. There is a touch of the fantastical in the artwork, just like the stories themselves. Here are some pages I scanned after the jump: </p> ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=799,height=581,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/22/img_0001.jpg"><img width="390" height="283" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/22/img_0001.jpg" title="Img_0001" alt="Img_0001" /></a><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=558,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/22/img_0002.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/22/img_0002.jpg" title="Img_0002" alt="Img_0002" style="width: 388px; height: 270px;" /></a> > > ></p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>[Announcement] French translation of 'Arslan Senki'</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/announcement-fr.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/announcement-fr.html" thr:count="8" thr:updated="2008-07-23T19:48:50+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52913026</id> > <published>2008-07-20T00:55:42+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-07-20T17:00:56+08:00</updated> > <summary>Does anybody still remember Arslan Senki...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Tanaka Yoshiki" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="The Heroic Legend of Arslan" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ã¢ã«ã¹ã©ã¼ã³æ¦è¨" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ç°ä¸è³æ¨¹" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=480,height=742,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/19/9076f7d39ecc60c9a8ec9ac3.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/19/9076f7d39ecc60c9a8ec9ac3.jpg" title="9076f7d39ecc60c9a8ec9ac3" alt="9076f7d39ecc60c9a8ec9ac3" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; float: left; width: 228px; height: 353px;" /></a>Does anybody still remember <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/the_heroic_legend_of_arslan/">Arslan Senki / The Heroic Legend of Arslan (ã¢ã«ã¹ã©ã¼ã³æ¦è®°)</a>?</p> > ><p>Apparently, there is now a published Vol.1 of the French translation of the novel series by Tanaka Yoshiki. Not that I know French to be active in the French fandom, but I am surprised that it came into publication in April 2008 with so little fanfare...</p> > ><p>Rumour also has it that a new Japanese volume will be published sometime this year. </p> > ><p>Now if only they would continue with the anime adaptation thereof after so many years...</p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>'Talk (è天)' directed by the PRC animator Meng Jun (åå)</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/i-just-saw-this.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/i-just-saw-this.html" thr:count="0" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52911056</id> > <published>2008-07-20T00:11:18+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-07-20T00:15:09+08:00</updated> > <summary>I just saw this 10-minute award-winner directed by the PRC animator Meng Jung and was utterly floored by the Kon Satoshi-style crazy storyboarding in the first half and the 2nd Life-like lyricism of the second half. Seriously, the storyboarding and...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chinese animation" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>I just saw this 10-minute award-winner directed by the PRC animator Meng Jung and was utterly floored by the Kon Satoshi-style crazy storyboarding in the first half and the <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/04/2nd_life-from-l.html"><em>2nd Life</em></a>-like lyricism of the second half.</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=590,height=395,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230019.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230019.jpg" title="Talk19072008_230019" alt="Talk19072008_230019" style="width: 149px; height: 99px;" /></a> > > ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=592,height=399,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230044.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230044.jpg" title="Talk19072008_230044" alt="Talk19072008_230044" style="width: 149px; height: 99px;" /></a> > > ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=587,height=398,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230009.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230009.jpg" title="Talk19072008_230009" alt="Talk19072008_230009" style="width: 150px; height: 101px;" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>Seriously, the storyboarding and the mastery of continuity in the wild chase/flight in the first half is something that would not have been out of place in a Kon Satoshi film. I have no technical terms to describe it - it is just the sort of thing that I reckon a discerning animation fan like the blogger at <a href="http://www.pelleas.net/aniTOP/">AniPages Daily</a> would immediately appreciate (he is my gold standard for judging excellence of the technical aspect of animation). Every frame just screams of invigorating dynamism and the viewer is kept on the edge from frame to frame. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=593,height=401,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230119.jpg"><img width="150" height="101" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230119.jpg" title="Talk19072008_230119" alt="Talk19072008_230119" /></a> > > ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=588,height=397,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230132.jpg"><img width="150" height="101" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230132.jpg" title="Talk19072008_230132" alt="Talk19072008_230132" /></a> > > ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=588,height=394,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230230.jpg"><img width="150" height="100" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230230.jpg" title="Talk19072008_230230" alt="Talk19072008_230230" /></a> > > > </p> > ><p>The second half is slow in tempo, but develops the story and the main character. The story is more like a narrative blended with fantasy set against the background of the Seventies in China, in which a young man dreams of creative expression with his camera and the girl he loves next door. The whole animation feels like an ode to a bygone time. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=588,height=397,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230506.jpg"><img width="150" height="101" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230506.jpg" title="Talk19072008_230506" alt="Talk19072008_230506" /></a> > > ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=592,height=399,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230542.jpg"><img width="150" height="101" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230542.jpg" title="Talk19072008_230542" alt="Talk19072008_230542" /></a> > > ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=589,height=401,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230600.jpg"><img width="150" height="102" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/19/talk19072008_230600.jpg" title="Talk19072008_230600" alt="Talk19072008_230600" /></a> </p> > ><p>There are some interesting touches to the story: The girl next door never shows her face. Perhaps she is not a real person but is an abstract metaphor for the youthful days the protagonist looks back in yearning for. The protagonist's father steals her picture away from him when he makes the protagonist do his homework, but gives it back to him in the end. Underneath her picture is written 'run for tomorrow'. There is something bittersweet about that.</p> > ><p>I cannot seem to find any DVD release of it, but a Chinese blog posted the video <a href="http://www.uiad.net/YC/Talk.mpg">here</a>. </p></div> ></content> > > <link rel="enclosure" type="video/mpeg" href="http://www.uiad.net/YC/Talk.mpg" length="71974916" /> > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>Kildren, the Jungian concept of the Eternal Boy and Oshii Mamoru's 'The Sky Crawlers'</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/kirudoru-the-ju.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/kirudoru-the-ju.html" thr:count="4" thr:updated="2008-08-04T21:48:18+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52908324</id> > <published>2008-07-19T22:03:17+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-07-19T22:03:28+08:00</updated> > <summary>I have been meaning to write more about ...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Oshii Mamoru" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="The Sky Crawlers" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ã¹ã«ã¤ã»ã¯ãã©" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="æ¼äºå®" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>I have been meaning to write more about Oshii Mamoru's new animated film <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/the_sky_crawlers/"><em><strong>The Sky Crawlers</strong></em></a>. For its plot summary, I would strongly recommend that you have a read <a href="http://jasongray.blogspot.com/2008/05/sky-crawlers-takes-flight.html">here</a>.</p> > ><p>For one thing, I see that the term <a href="http://bangin.wordpress.com/2008/06/29/%e3%82%ad%e3%83%ab%e3%83%89%e3%83%ackirudore/"><em>Kildren </em>or ãã«ãã¬</a> from the film (and the novels on which the film) is based, seems to have come into wide circulation. When I first heard of it, my knee-jerk reaction was that it would be an interesting idea to compare it with the Jungian concept of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan_syndrome#Peter_Pan_syndrome">Eternal Boy</a>, as articulated in Marie-Louise von Franz book <em>Puer Aeternus</em>: <em>A Psychological Study of the Adult Struggle with the Paradise of Childhood</em>. A few quotes from the book may be illuminating:</p> > ><ul><li><em>Pueri aeterni are generally very agreeable to talk with; they usually have interesting subjects to talk about and have an invigorating effect upon the listener; they do not like conventional situations; they ask deep questions and go straight for genuine religion, a search that is typical for people in their late teens. Usually the youthful charm of the puer aeternus is prolonged through later stages of life.</em></li> > ><li><em>How can one pull out of this fantasy life of youth and youthfulness without losing its value? How can one grow up without losing that feeling of totality and the feeling of creativeness and of being really alive, which one had in youth?</em></li> > ><li><em>It is a trick which many pueri aeterni perform: the realization that they should adapt to reality is an intellectual idea to them which they fulfill in fantasy but not in reality.</em></li> > ><li><em>The suffering of normal young people consists partly in the fact that inwardly they are very efficient, intelligent and grown-up, but outwardly, they are not given the possibility of using these capacities. They are held back by society, with the result that they are bored.</em></li> > ><li><em>After the puer loses the esctatic, romantic élan of youth, there is danger of an unantiodrama into a completely cynical attitude toward women, life, work in general, and money.</em></li> > ><li><em>They live only 'on condition'; secretly they flirt with the idea of suicide. At every step of their lives, they think they will try something or other, and that if it does not work, they will kill themselves.</em></li></ul> > > > > > > > ><p>The Eternal Boy is also said to be possessed of the Messiah complex: <em>[...] with the secret thought that one day one will be able to save the world; that the last word in philosophy, or religion, or politics, or art, or something else, will be found.</em></p> > ><p>Homosexuality or Don Juanism is also said to be found in the Eternal Boy: <em>There is always 'a hair in the soup'. The woman is never quite the right woman; she is nice as a girlfriend, but... There is always a 'but' which prevents marriage or any kind of commitment [...] the woman is not yet what is really wanted, and there is always the fantasy that sometime in the future the real thing will come about.</em></p> > ><p>I am no expert in psychology, and whatever observation I may have of children who do not grow up to be adult is only derived from a narrow personal level. I am extremely curious as to what Oshii-sensei makes of this theme - he seems to emit a didactic streak in the press releases so far. I will be sure to write a full-blown analysis (like I did for <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2007/04/toki_wo_kakeru_.html"><em>Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo</em></a>) when I do get to see <em>The Sky Crawlers</em>.<br /> </p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>Shopping tips for Chinese manhua and illustration books</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/shopping-tips-f.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/shopping-tips-f.html" thr:count="2" thr:updated="2008-07-21T06:05:30+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52771900</id> > <published>2008-07-16T22:38:44+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-07-16T22:43:36+08:00</updated> > <summary>I got an email request to share shopping...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chinese illustrators" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chinese manhua" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>I got an email request to share shopping info as to where to buy all those gorgeous, hard-to-find <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/chinese_manhua/index.html">Chinese manhua </a>and <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/chinese_illustrators/index.html">illustration books.</a> As I said, I am not aware of any online seller of good repute that ships overseas, takes any currency other than RMB or else settles by a method of payment that does not require you to have some sort of bank account with a PRC bank. </p> > ><p>However, below is the address of a specialist bookstore in Hong Kong I know which imports just those publications:</p><blockquote><p>ç¶ éä»è¹¤<br />ä¹é¾æºè§è¥¿æ´èè¡60è2/F<br />æºè§å°éµE2åºå£</p> > ><p>Green Readings<br />2/F, 60 Sai Yeung Choi Street, Mongkok, Kowloon<br />Mongkok MTR Station Exit E2</p> > ><p>Tel: (852) 2332 9285<br />Email: info@greenreadings.com<br />Website: ttp://www.greenreadings.com/</p></blockquote><p>I actually took <strong>Ori</strong> (a regular of this blog) there when she was visiting town last year. Be warned, however, that the bookstore is located in one of those dilapidated old buildings where occupier probably has no legal concept of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupiers%27_liability_%28English_law%29">occupier's liability owed to lawful visitors</a>.* But it is where I buy my stuff, and also where I buy the books for<strong> Ialda </strong>(another regular of this blog, who undertook to pay but I decided to make him a gift). Since they imported the books, they usually mark up the price by around 10% or so, but then these publications are so inexpensive to begin with that the markup is practically immaterial. Their selection is not great <em>per se</em>, but the turnaround of their stock is fast.</p> > ><p>I would expect those new bookstores that have been established in big cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen to be more likeable shopping places (if only for being more recently built). I have yet to find any in the PRC which stocks a critical mass of manhua and illustration books.</p> > ><p>Are there any other shopping tips that you may have? The floor is all yours.</p> > ><p>* Actually, most neighbourhoods in the so-called Asia's World City is >pretty dilapidated these days - there is always a layer of grim in just >about every building. The office district and a handful of gated >residential complexes are about the shiniest place you will ever see. >But I digress.</p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>[Translation] 'Apocalypse of the War' and 'Chang An Huang Ye' by Han Lu</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/post-2.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/post-2.html" thr:count="4" thr:updated="2008-07-22T20:30:16+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52670408</id> > <published>2008-07-14T22:13:56+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-07-14T22:32:02+08:00</updated> > <summary>I have been harping about a few manhua titles for some time now. Yet it seems that my words could hardly do them justice, so I decided to translate six random pages from each of the below manhua by Han...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chang An Huan Ye" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chinese manhua" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Han Lu" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="é¿å®å¹»å¤" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="é©é²" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>I have been harping about a few manhua titles for some time now. Yet it seems that my words could hardly do them justice, so I decided to translate six random pages from each of the below manhua by Han Lu:</p> > ><ul><li><em>Apocalypse of the War</em> </li> > ><li><em>Chang An Huan Ye</em> </li> > ></ul> > ><p>Please note that (unlike Japanese manga), you should read from <em>left to right</em>, and then from top to bottom. Each hyphen below stand for one speech bubble.</p><p><em><strong>Apocalyse of the War</strong></em></p> > ><p>Summary: Fifty-seven escapees of Auschwitz were killed because none of them would point out who the ringleader was to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Mengele">Josef Mengele</a>. In this scene, the real ringleader (who did not step out to say that he led the rest to escape) is confronted by Mengele. See <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/the-beautiful-i.html">my earlier post here</a> for more background info. > ></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/14/20070816_01eb524986fe2289cc25pdleb3.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=639,height=800,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="488" border="0" alt="20070816_01eb524986fe2289cc25pdleb3" title="20070816_01eb524986fe2289cc25pdleb3" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/14/20070816_01eb524986fe2289cc25pdleb3.jpg" /></a></p> > ><p><em>- Is it...<br />- All over now?</em></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/14/20070816_5f10f9074f29bab38e10kzhmgr.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=639,height=800,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="488" border="0" alt="20070816_5f10f9074f29bab38e10kzhmgr" title="20070816_5f10f9074f29bab38e10kzhmgr" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/14/20070816_5f10f9074f29bab38e10kzhmgr.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><em>- God said, "Do not abuse and kill children".<br />- But in the Gospel of Matthew, He also said, <br />- "Please bring the children to my side".<br />- I don't understand this. <br />- It is like the cruelty of a thinker. Appearing to some as a profound philosophy.<br />- Why is it that to cleanse this world of filth, war and murder are necessary means?<br />- This incessant rain is making one melancholic and sentimental. Perhaps I should not have dragged in God with [our] advancement [of civilization].</em></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/14/20070816_06e9d86204fa3e59914a1kpzcv.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=639,height=800,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="488" border="0" alt="20070816_06e9d86204fa3e59914a1kpzcv" title="20070816_06e9d86204fa3e59914a1kpzcv" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/14/20070816_06e9d86204fa3e59914a1kpzcv.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><em>- Herr Doktor Mengele, the rain is getting heavier.<br />- Please go back.<br />- I can take care of the rest.<br />- That would not be necessary.<br />- The rain will wash all this away.<br />- Please tell everyone to go back.<br />- Think for yourself. <br />- Actually, if you had confessed -<br />- Perhaps I would not have killed them.</em></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/14/20070816_36eb7687530dae54fe86ha0vzy.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=639,height=800,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="488" border="0" alt="20070816_36eb7687530dae54fe86ha0vzy" title="20070816_36eb7687530dae54fe86ha0vzy" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/14/20070816_36eb7687530dae54fe86ha0vzy.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><em>- I hear the cries of -<br />- Countless dead souls.<br />- Major Leo told me a stupid joke just now. <br />- An extremely stupid joke.<br />- An American, a Russian and a German were walking in the forest. They were surrounded by a pack of wolves. The three men were in trouble.<br />- So the American said, "Please don't eat me, I can give you a lot of US dollars".<br />- The wolves were very happy to hear that, and let the American go.<br />- Seeing that, the Russian said, "Although I do not have US dollars, I know a lot of beautiful Russian women and I can introduce you to them." The wolves were even happier to hear this, and let the Russian go.</em></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/14/20070816_a098a7cb37060042abc8ewubmz.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=639,height=800,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="488" border="0" alt="20070816_a098a7cb37060042abc8ewubmz" title="20070816_a098a7cb37060042abc8ewubmz" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/14/20070816_a098a7cb37060042abc8ewubmz.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><em>- So only the German was left. He had neither money nor beautiful women, so he said, "I belong to the SS".<br />- On hearing this, the wolves begged, "Please don't kill us. I know you are even more cruel than us wolves."<br />- I laughed so hard after hearing this joke. Not because the joke was funny. But because Major Leo saw this kind of joke satirizing the SS as a form of praise.<br />- He is so simple-minded as to be ridiculous.<br />- Wolves are cruel in eating their own kind in order to survive.<br />- This is different from the nature of the SS.<br />- So how about you?<br />- You took them to escape with you. And the reason was not because you wanted to help them survive.<br />- But because you did not have to courage to escape alone.<br />- You killed those fifty-seven people.<br />- You cowardly scum!</em></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/14/20070816_fa44c739205373104d71ralj9c.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=639,height=800,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="488" border="0" alt="20070816_fa44c739205373104d71ralj9c" title="20070816_fa44c739205373104d71ralj9c" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/14/20070816_fa44c739205373104d71ralj9c.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><em>- Thank to those who died, today was an eventful day.<br />- It was fun to play with you.<br />- So he knew everything from the beginning...<br />- Then why...</em></p> > ><p><em><strong>Chang An Huan Ye</strong></em></p> > ><p>Summary: After Li Lang Ya was accidentally injured by his best friend Huang Fu Duan Hua, he remembers when they first met. See <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/05/introducing-gor.html">my earlier post here</a> for more detail.</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=510,height=750,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/14/3411476717733510201.jpg"><img width="390" height="573" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/14/3411476717733510201.jpg" title="3411476717733510201" alt="3411476717733510201" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><em>- Whether the snow stopped that night...<br />- I cannot remember<br />- I only felt vaguely <br />- That my hand was being held tightly by someone else...<br />- For one whole night without letting go<br />- That night<br />- I dreamed of an incident from a long time ago...<br />- Duan Hua's mother <br />- Was said to be a very beautiful woman...</em></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=514,height=750,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/14/3411476717733510207.jpg"><img width="390" height="569" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/14/3411476717733510207.jpg" title="3411476717733510207" alt="3411476717733510207" /></a> > > ><br /><em>- As a concubine, she disappeared shortly after Duan Hua was born.<br />- At that time, Duan Hua was still a stupid, unkempt kid with a nose running all day long. Perhaps it was because his mother was not with him, he looked sad all the time...<br />- If a young married woman walked past him, he would glue himself onto her.<br />- Mom!<br />- Mom!<br />- Mom!<br />- Therefore "that idiot son of the house of Huang Fu" was very famous hereabouts...<br />- Mom!<br />- Mom!<br />- Mom!<br />- Damn you! What do you want?<br />- Look, this is my mom, not yours!<br />- Lang Ya, how rude you are -<br />- This must be the little young master of the house of Huang Fu?</em></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=508,height=750,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/14/2836704815290475596.jpg"><img width="390" height="575" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/14/2836704815290475596.jpg" title="2836704815290475596" alt="2836704815290475596" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><em>- However, I am not your mom.<br />- I will give you this flute -<br />- As an apology, okay?<br />- I...<br />- I don't want this stupid flute!<br />- That was the first time Duan Hua cried in front of someone in my memory.</em></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=518,height=750,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/14/2836704815290475600.jpg"><img width="390" height="564" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/14/2836704815290475600.jpg" title="2836704815290475600" alt="2836704815290475600" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><em>- A kid who could not even remember the face of his mother...<br />- Lang Ya...?<br />- Lang Ya -<br />- Are you awake?</em></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=511,height=750,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/14/2836704815290475603.jpg"><img width="390" height="572" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/14/2836704815290475603.jpg" title="2836704815290475603" alt="2836704815290475603" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><em>- My Royal Sister <br />- You are here.<br />- Don't move.<br />- I am fine.<br />- Where is Duan Hua?<br />- That idiot is a member of the Imperial Guard.<br />- Yet he hurt a member of the Imperial Family.<br />- This early morning<br />- He was summoned to His Majesty [my father] for a disciplinary hearing.</em></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=516,height=750,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/14/2836704815290475608.jpg"><img width="390" height="566" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/14/2836704815290475608.jpg" title="2836704815290475608" alt="2836704815290475608" /></a> > > ><br /><em>- You, Huang Fu Duan Hua, a member of the Imperial Guard.<br />- Were born of a noble family<br />- Of high repute<br />- You are young and skilled, therefore appointed to a position of importance.<br />- However, your negligence appointed Us. You hallucinated for one thing, and injured [an Imperial Prince] for another.<br />- You caused a member of the Imperial Family to be injured, and anxiety in the capital city.<br />- However, it is of no use to have you compensate for your wrongs in death. Therefore We ask you to repent yourself.</em></p> > ><p>~~~</p> > ><p>Thoughts? The floor is all yours.</p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>More on Chinese illustrators (again)</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/more-on-chinese.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/more-on-chinese.html" thr:count="11" thr:updated="2008-07-20T09:33:46+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52640198</id> > <published>2008-07-14T00:16:46+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-07-14T00:21:10+08:00</updated> > <summary>Jing Shu (æ¯æ®) Yet another illustration a...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chinese illustrators" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><strong>Jing Shu (æ¯æ®)</strong></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=524,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/031.jpg"><img width="390" height="255" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/031.jpg" title="031" alt="031" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>Yet another illustration artist I discovered of late. As usual the pictures speak for themselves. She has a strong sense of colours, and personally I think she is much more in her element when depicting Chinese subjects than western subjects. </p><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/034.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=565,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="275" border="0" alt="034" title="034" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/034.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/036.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=580,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="282" border="0" alt="036" title="036" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/036.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/20071249356.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=630,height=874,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="541" border="0" alt="20071249356" title="20071249356" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/20071249356.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/017.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=472,height=662,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="546" border="0" alt="017" title="017" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/017.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/200711910485.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=549,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="267" border="0" alt="200711910485" title="200711910485" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/200711910485.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/20061226101635.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=635,height=866,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="531" border="0" alt="20061226101635" title="20061226101635" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/20061226101635.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/018.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=548,height=786,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="559" border="0" alt="018" title="018" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/018.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/020.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=640,height=906,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="552" border="0" alt="020" title="020" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/020.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/021.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=638,height=864,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="528" border="0" alt="021" title="021" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/021.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/013.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=378,height=750,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="773" border="0" alt="013" title="013" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/013.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/b82ad319bd359e72dab4bdd5.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=571,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="278" border="0" alt="B82ad319bd359e72dab4bdd5" title="B82ad319bd359e72dab4bdd5" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/b82ad319bd359e72dab4bdd5.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/033.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=562,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="273" border="0" alt="033" title="033" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/033.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/030.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=658,height=473,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="280" border="0" alt="030" title="030" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/030.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/028.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=779,height=473,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="236" border="0" alt="028" title="028" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/028.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/019.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=594,height=900,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="590" border="0" alt="019" title="019" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/019.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><strong>Momoco</strong></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/20080202_636765ea5b7086202e59zqqg2f.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=452,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="220" border="0" alt="20080202_636765ea5b7086202e59zqqg2f" title="20080202_636765ea5b7086202e59zqqg2f" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/20080202_636765ea5b7086202e59zqqg2f.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>Don't quote me on this but it seems that Momoco also produces manhua, though I have not had any luck tracking any of that down. As you can see, she seems to favour the Gothic and/or visual-kei look. </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/20080202_dcbdce03beab5b9b4ec0f0sdqg.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=457,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="222" border="0" alt="20080202_dcbdce03beab5b9b4ec0f0sdqg" title="20080202_dcbdce03beab5b9b4ec0f0sdqg" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/20080202_dcbdce03beab5b9b4ec0f0sdqg.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/20080202_76f95b68ee3b035ca0fbycwtu7.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=450,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="219" border="0" alt="20080202_76f95b68ee3b035ca0fbycwtu7" title="20080202_76f95b68ee3b035ca0fbycwtu7" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/20080202_76f95b68ee3b035ca0fbycwtu7.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/20080202_43b29d4dfe623e85a7b1crlbyf.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=457,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="222" border="0" alt="20080202_43b29d4dfe623e85a7b1crlbyf" title="20080202_43b29d4dfe623e85a7b1crlbyf" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/20080202_43b29d4dfe623e85a7b1crlbyf.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/20080202_22b6eeae92938eab0787z1cwha.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=457,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="222" border="0" alt="20080202_22b6eeae92938eab0787z1cwha" title="20080202_22b6eeae92938eab0787z1cwha" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/20080202_22b6eeae92938eab0787z1cwha.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/20080202_5e2f8e93e69417c2a7aekh6y6d.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=460,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="224" border="0" alt="20080202_5e2f8e93e69417c2a7aekh6y6d" title="20080202_5e2f8e93e69417c2a7aekh6y6d" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/20080202_5e2f8e93e69417c2a7aekh6y6d.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><strong>Rain (é®ç åº)</strong></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/0b3b2b6d.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=425,height=601,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="551" border="0" alt="0b3b2b6d" title="0b3b2b6d" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/0b3b2b6d.jpg" /></a></p> > ><p>Actually, she is not new to me as I discovered her quite some time ago. I just thought I should mention her for the record - it seems that she is something of a forerunner of the present art movement which I have been harping about and as you can see her art style has been a great influence on other artists like Eno and iiiis.</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=460,height=700,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/337b2820.jpg"><img width="390" height="593" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/337b2820.jpg" title="337b2820" alt="337b2820" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=482,height=700,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/04c32664.jpg"><img width="390" height="566" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/04c32664.jpg" title="04c32664" alt="04c32664" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=565,height=800,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/fb8a458d31950f15b21bba17.jpg"><img width="390" height="552" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/fb8a458d31950f15b21bba17.jpg" title="Fb8a458d31950f15b21bba17" alt="Fb8a458d31950f15b21bba17" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><strong>Yaya</strong></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=565,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/a35522dffdff3201632798c4.jpg"><img width="390" height="275" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/a35522dffdff3201632798c4.jpg" title="A35522dffdff3201632798c4" alt="A35522dffdff3201632798c4" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>Another artist with a vibrant sense of colours. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=790,height=558,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/73ed97c2805c6a090ef477ab.jpg"><img width="390" height="275" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/73ed97c2805c6a090ef477ab.jpg" title="73ed97c2805c6a090ef477ab" alt="73ed97c2805c6a090ef477ab" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=484,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/07a7878f32102cfcf01f36b5.jpg"><img width="390" height="235" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/07a7878f32102cfcf01f36b5.jpg" title="07a7878f32102cfcf01f36b5" alt="07a7878f32102cfcf01f36b5" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=493,height=697,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/a6b8950165de710c738da5fc.jpg"><img width="390" height="551" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/a6b8950165de710c738da5fc.jpg" title="A6b8950165de710c738da5fc" alt="A6b8950165de710c738da5fc" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=492,height=696,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/2519f15498291557d10906d5.jpg"><img width="390" height="551" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/2519f15498291557d10906d5.jpg" title="2519f15498291557d10906d5" alt="2519f15498291557d10906d5" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=868,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/86f2741066ca04eec2ce7901.jpg"><img width="390" height="564" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/86f2741066ca04eec2ce7901.jpg" title="86f2741066ca04eec2ce7901" alt="86f2741066ca04eec2ce7901" /></a> > > ><br /><strong><br />Misha</strong></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/01.jpg"><img width="390" height="292" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/01.jpg" title="01" alt="01" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>I know influence can be a subtle thing but these illustrations just scream <em>Saito Chiho</em> at me...</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/02.jpg"><img width="390" height="292" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/02.jpg" title="02" alt="02" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/06.jpg"><img width="390" height="292" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/06.jpg" title="06" alt="06" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/09.jpg"><img width="390" height="292" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/09.jpg" title="09" alt="09" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/08.jpg"><img width="390" height="292" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/08.jpg" title="08" alt="08" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/04.jpg"><img width="390" height="292" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/04.jpg" title="04" alt="04" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/11.jpg"><img width="390" height="292" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/11.jpg" title="11" alt="11" /></a></p> > ><p><strong>CHRY</strong></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/1770196128533821322.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=495,height=750,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="590" border="0" alt="1770196128533821322" title="1770196128533821322" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/1770196128533821322.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p>Actually CHRY is more of a manhua artist, whose manhua I actually managed to track down and was sucked into in no time.</p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/3956130797668978677.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=498,height=750,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="587" border="0" alt="3956130797668978677" title="3956130797668978677" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/3956130797668978677.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/chry.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=496,height=750,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="589" border="0" alt="Chry" title="Chry" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/chry.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/5351965207176735617.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=510,height=735,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="562" border="0" alt="5351965207176735617" title="5351965207176735617" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/5351965207176735617.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/354376995679291277.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=537,height=750,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="544" border="0" alt="354376995679291277" title="354376995679291277" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/13/354376995679291277.jpg" /></a> > > ></p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>Just a word on Ep. 14 of 'Itazura na Kiss'</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/just-a-word-on.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/just-a-word-on.html" thr:count="2" thr:updated="2008-07-15T22:38:12+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52582562</id> > <published>2008-07-12T20:54:52+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-07-13T07:29:08+08:00</updated> > <summary>I was moved by this episode quite in spite of myself. The original manga series laid claim to being a 'Bible to dating' and I think it does hit the central issue of relationships in our supposedly liberated society, which...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Itazura na Kiss" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ã¤ã¿ãºã©ãªãã¹" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>I was moved by this episode quite in spite of myself. The original manga series laid claim to being a 'Bible to dating' and I think it does hit the central issue of relationships in our supposedly liberated society, which seems to be teemed with people who give way to two things that produce much unhappiness:</p> > ><p><strong>1) The tendency to make mountains out of molehills</strong></p> > ><p>That is to say, in most civilized places the barriers of class, society, family pressure, religion and race <em>etc </em>that were traditional roadblocks to relationships have by and large vanished. There ought to be nothing that stands in the way of two young people of full age and in possession of free will to give effect their choice <em>per se</em>. Even in the case of having lost touch with that special person from years ago, in this age of Facebook and other alumni networking sites, there is nothing to stop you from trying to locate that person <em>per se</em> (think Tooni and Akari in <em>Byousoku 5 Centimeter</em>). Yet it seems to me that people break up or shy away from relationships with that one special person who would have been the flower of one's life for reasons that are, when held against the light of happiness one could have had, quite trivial and conceited. <br /><strong><br />2) The relationship-advice-column attitude</strong></p> > ><p>By which I mean the relationship-advice-column attitude that i) denies A can in fact be absolutely unique B, and ii) advocates that there are always other trees in the forest. I personally am always skeptical of advice of this sort. It seems to be an awful half-truth to say that the man/woman one desperately love (and cannot be with for whatever reason) is just one of many thousands, or else exchangeable by some other substitute. It may be a convenient make-belief that you can always be just as happy with someone else - but can you really be just as happy deep down, like <em>really</em>?</p> > ><p>Which brings me to Episode 14 of <em>Itazura na Kiss</em> -</p> > ><p><strong>[Spoilers ahead]</strong></p><p>You know, Naoki is perfectly in position to two-time (or in this case three-time) Kotoko, Matsumoto and Chris. He can:</p> > ><ul><li>Marry Chris and pretend to the perfect husband</li></ul> > ><ul><li>Maintain two faces to Kotoko (as he always had) - continue to tease Kotoko out of vanity/love, lie/say to her saying his marriage was for his family, eventually makes her his mistress out of vanity/love, make her keep their affair secret, and make no commitments as to his feelings to her. I think, being simple-minded as Kotoko is, she would have willingly succumbed to all of the above just for being with Naoki, however tainted in conceit their relationship may be. </li></ul> > ><ul><li>Continue to date Matsumoto in secret out of vanity and lie to her his marriage was for his family. However, Matsumoto may not buy it in the end.</li></ul> > ><p>In that light, you have give credit to Naoki for being at least not conceited. There is something like honour (which is seldom found these days) in the way he gives effect to his choice with Kotoko. She may not be smart and clever in the worldly sense, but it seems to me that it is a mountain out of a molehill to discount someone entirely just for not being smart and clever. Naoki also realizes that she is unique to him and does not write her off as one of thousands. He follows his instinct and goes where the feather blows.</p> > ><p>For the record, I have no opinion on the typical shoujo scenario where an average girl bags a superb guy. I am just touched by the sight of a young person giving effect to his free choice in itself and nothing more - in a world where all too many people fall victim to 1) and 2) above. </p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>The Chinese illustrator Hansey and his illustrations for the PRC edition of 'The Legend of Galactic Heroes' novels</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/the-chinese-ill.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/the-chinese-ill.html" thr:count="6" thr:updated="2008-07-13T00:04:57+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52394626</id> > <published>2008-07-08T22:08:20+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-07-12T21:09:22+08:00</updated> > <summary>Imagine my surprise on discovering (bett...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chinese anime/manga fans" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chinese illustrators" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Tanaka Yoshiki" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="The Legend of Galactic Heroes" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ç°ä¸è³æ¨¹" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="éæ²³è±éä¼èª¬" /> > > ><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Imagine my surprise on discovering (better late than never) that a few years ago a huge controversy was caused by the original covers for the legitimate PRC edition of Tanaka Yoshiki's novels <em>The Legend of Galactic Heroes</em>, illustrated by the Chinese artist Hansey (see below):</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=480,height=799,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/12/zuijiudeshaoji20060317181431.gif"><img width="150" height="249" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/12/zuijiudeshaoji20060317181431.gif" title="Zuijiudeshaoji20060317181431" alt="Zuijiudeshaoji20060317181431" /></a>&nbsp; <a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=300,height=375,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/12/200603230017_1041593.jpg"><img width="150" height="187" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/12/200603230017_1041593.jpg" title="200603230017_1041593" alt="200603230017_1041593" /></a> > > ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=300,height=435,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/12/200603230018_1041591.jpg"><img width="150" height="217" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/12/200603230018_1041591.jpg" title="200603230018_1041591" alt="200603230018_1041591" /></a> > > ><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/08/200603230018_1041595.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=180,height=250,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><br /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>The gist of the controversy was that fans in the PRC seem to reject them with overwhelming hatred. In the end, the covers were pulled from publication. Of course I am curious to know <em>why</em> the PRC fans find these covers despicable. Unfortunately, from what I glimpse online I found it rather difficult to discern any clarity of expression behind all the hate message as to why they hated the novels to the point of calling for a boycott. Much of it seems to be mired in personal attacks against the illustrator than any rational assessment of why the covers do not suit T<em>he Legend of Galactic Heroes</em>. Worse, I seem to sense the undercurrent sentiment that 'anything made in China is rubbish'. </p> > ><p>I personally am delighted with the air of mysteriousness of Hansey's >covers - I actually prefer them to the more dull-looking but more hard-sci-fi looking covers of <a href="http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E9%8A%80%E6%B2%B3%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84%E4%BC%9D%E8%AA%AC-%E9%BB%8E%E6%98%8E%E7%B7%A8-%E5%89%B5%E5%85%83SF%E6%96%87%E5%BA%AB-%E7%94%B0%E4%B8%AD-%E8%8A%B3%E6%A8%B9/dp/4488725015/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1215521108&amp;sr=8-2">the Japanese edition</a>. I learned that in the end the PRC publisher <a href="http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kz=226008737">recycled the illustrations of Michihara Katsumi </a>(éåãã¤ã¿), the Japanese shoujo artist who illustrates and adapts the story into manga format. Her artwork has a shoujo-feel which I always adore (see below), but to be honest,&nbsp; I love the bold and imaginative style of Hansey that is somehow expressive of the vastness of time and the galaxy as novel covers better. Michihara's illustrations in themselves may be nice - but I find the colour coordination of the background of the novel covers rather wanting - it looks as though her drawings were cut and pasted against dull backgrounds of red, blue, yellow and what-have-you.</p> <p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/08/41b38201025f03d8267fb5f7jpg_2.gif" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=321,height=450,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="190" height="266" border="0" alt="41b38201025f03d8267fb5f7jpg_2" title="41b38201025f03d8267fb5f7jpg_2" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/08/41b38201025f03d8267fb5f7jpg_2.gif" /></a> > > ><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/08/8122ac77aec63715b151b9f7_2.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=321,height=450,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="190" height="266" border="0" alt="8122ac77aec63715b151b9f7_2" title="8122ac77aec63715b151b9f7_2" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/08/8122ac77aec63715b151b9f7_2.jpg" /></a> > > > </p> > ><p>So, tell me, you fans of <em>The Legend of Galactic Heroes</em> - what do you feel about Hansey's illustrated covers? Am I the only one to think that they are wonderful? That the PRC fans do not know what they are missing out?<br /> > > ></p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>Episode 01: Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jikenbo (è¬å¸«å¯ºæ¶¼åã®æªå¥äºä»¶ç°¿)</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/post.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/post.html" thr:count="17" thr:updated="2008-08-24T22:29:27+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52312052</id> > <published>2008-07-06T23:10:51+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-07-06T23:19:15+08:00</updated> > <summary>So one of my most anticipated anime seri...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Tanaka Yoshiki" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jikenbo" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ç°ä¸è³æ¨¹" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="è¬å¸«å¯ºæ¶¼åã®æªå¥äºä»¶ç°¿" /> > > ><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>So one of my most anticipated anime series finally aired. Some quick comments (with spoilers ahead):</p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/06/cff05a432afa06049313c683.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=527,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="256" border="0" alt="Cff05a432afa06049313c683" title="Cff05a432afa06049313c683" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/06/cff05a432afa06049313c683.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>1) It seems that they are featuring original stories instead of lifting material straight from the novel series. I see from the staff credits that the script was written by one Yamazaki Hiroyuki (å·å´ããã¦ã). If the story were really in the element of Tanaka Yoshiki, I would think that the whole shopping trip to Ginza would probably be a calculated plan on the part of Ryouko - though she makes it look as though it were just a whim.</p> <p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=704,height=396,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/06/yakushiji00014.jpg"><img width="249" height="140" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/06/yakushiji00014.jpg" title="Yakushiji00014" alt="Yakushiji00014" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; float: right;" /></a> >2) The part where Ryouko asks for Izumida's opinion when she chooses a swimming suit is admittedly not a very original way of expressing the sexual tension between Ryouko and Izumida. It feels like something you have seen elsewhere before. In the novel, one thing that leaves a deep impression on me is when Ryouko and Izumida are tired after finishing a case, and there was no chair for her to sit down to rest. Ryouko asks Izumida to sit on the front of a police car and then she sits on his lap. When he tries to say something (because other people are watching), she says: 'You are a chair. A chair does not speak.' That strikes me as a more subtle way to express the sexual tension between the two.&nbsp; </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=704,height=396,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/06/yakushiji00012_2.jpg"><img width="249" height="140" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/06/yakushiji00012_2.jpg" title="Yakushiji00012_2" alt="Yakushiji00012_2" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; float: left;" /></a> >3) I know the supernatural elements may put some people off in a police >mystery/thriller series, but the thing is, in the world of Tanaka >Yoshiki even the wacky supernatural elements are grounded in materials >from reality. A leak from 2chan has it that the second episode is will be a continuation of the first, and it will be revealed that the incident is related to <a href="http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%9F%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A9"><em>mirra</em> (ãã¤ã©), a loanword which the Japanese borrowed from Portuguese meaning 'mummy'</a>. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=704,height=396,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/06/yakushiji00016_2.jpg"><img width="249" height="140" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/06/yakushiji00016_2.jpg" title="Yakushiji00016_2" alt="Yakushiji00016_2" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; float: right;" /></a> > Now this is my guess of the truth from what has already been revealed in the first episode: We know that the bad guy Soga used to be a government official who was involved in a medical poison case for which his subordinate was blamed and committed suicide. Soga then goes to a corporation which has to do with medicine research of vaccines. He also seems to have shady dealings with a newly found religious cult. The victims in the present case die strange deaths after eating imported food, for which the ministry Soga used to work at is responsible for inspection.</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=704,height=396,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/06/yakushiji00018_2.jpg"><img width="249" height="140" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/06/yakushiji00018_2.jpg" title="Yakushiji00018_2" alt="Yakushiji00018_2" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; float: left;" /></a> > This reminds me that in Chinese medicine, a mummy is actually seen as a type of medicine in itself. A mummy is said to be a medicine for eternal life and is therefore very valuable.&nbsp; Hence in Japanese there is a saying that 'one who goes to obtain a mummy becomes a mummy (ãã¤ã©ã¨ãããã¤ã©ã«ãªã)' because you have to cross deserts and brave dangers etc to find mummies. Mummies are also know in Japan in the form of Sokushinbutsu (å³èº«ä»), ie. Buddhist monks who died while meditating and being buried alive. The motives behind this are varied - some sources say it is like an act of self-sacrifice to save people (<a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/mononoke/2007/08/episode-03-umi-.html">similar to the idea of <em>fudarakutokai</em> è£éè½æ¸¡æµ· which I explained in the <em>Umibouzu</em> story arc in <em><strong>Mononoke</strong></em></a>), others say it is a form of 'suicide' when monks cannot bear the harshness of religious training and look for a way out. </p> > ><p>So I wonder if the truth may not be something along the lines of finding gullible victims in the religious cult to be lab mouses in their tests of mummification because some nutcase is obsessed about eternal life. Alternatively, it could also be some sort loose adaptation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aum_Shinrikyo">bio-terroism along the lines of the the gas attack of Tokyo's subway in 1995 by Aum Shinrikyo</a>.</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=704,height=396,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/06/yakushiji00005.jpg"><img width="249" height="140" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/06/yakushiji00005.jpg" title="Yakushiji00005" alt="Yakushiji00005" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; float: right;" /></a> >4) According to the same 2chan leak, the third episode will be about two reporters who set out to reveal the 'scandals' of Ryouko, whose arrogant manner they came to know in the Ginza incident. I think it will be more or less a recap of the main characters' background and their past involvements in other incidents from the novel series. I would expect the background of how Ryouko and Izumida came to know each other to be explained in this episode - ie. Izumida was Ryouko's former instructor when she was still a rookie policewoman, who has since then climbed above him in rank and become his boss. I would also expect Ryouko's personal background to be explained in this episode. </p> > ><p>5) Considering that the novel series began in 1996, it seems interesting in retrospect the issues Tanaka-sensei touches on in his depiction of the characters:</p> > ><ul><li>Ryouko and Muromachi both seem to have feelings for Izumida, but both will have to - so to speak - 'marry down' if they are serious about him. Izumida for one is conscious that Ryouko is out of his league - she is multilingual and he knows just a little English to get by; she graduated from a top law school and he is just an ordinary graduate from nowhere <em>etc etc</em>. Come to think of it, I can't seem to remember an anime or manga where the female lead is out of the league of the male lead by virtue of her being an overachiever.</li> > ><li>Kishimoto, Muromachi's subordinate, is a die-hard otaku. Nevertheless, he is on career track within the police. <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,501050718-1081429-2,00.html">I know otaku is typically associated with the <em>makegumi </em>side of society</a>, but here is a positive image of a <em>kachigumi </em>otaku - which is not to say that he is perfect. Compared to Izumida, he does seem lacking in competence. Nevertheless, the two male leads form an interesting contrast of 'man' and 'boy'. </li></ul> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=704,height=396,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/06/yakushiji00006.jpg"><img width="249" height="140" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/06/yakushiji00006.jpg" title="Yakushiji00006" alt="Yakushiji00006" style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; float: left;" /></a> >6) On a personal note, I have always found it hard to identify with the female characters in novels/anime/manga/movies. The fictional world of Tanaka Yoshiki is actually about the only place where I find female characters that are identifiable. Even to this day, I think <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_von_Mariendorf">Hildegard von Mariendorf</a> from <strong><em>The Legend of Galactic Heroes</em></strong> is about the only fictional female character I can identify with (though she is often overlooked). I like her for being low-key, whereas Ryouko is much too flamboyant in personality for my taste, though she definitely has better fashion sense than Hildegard. (Did I mention that I recently bought three jackets that look nearly identical to the one she wears in this episode, except they come in black, white and red?)&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> > ><p>7) The wild card in this episode is when Tanaka Yoshiki appears as a cameo. He signs his name for a fan with this message: <em>My favorite words are 'the deadline is extended!'&nbsp; </em>Actually, there is a typo in the message. But you get the idea.</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=704,height=396,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/06/yakushiji00027.jpg"><img width="370" height="208" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/06/yakushiji00027.jpg" title="Yakushiji00027" alt="Yakushiji00027" /></a> </p> > ><p>8) There are also subtle hints of the characters' personalities here and there. For example, when Izumida travels to work, you see him reading a book. He is very much the reading type of guy. Also, in Ryouko's office, you see her motto written across the wall - åã¦ã°å®è», which may be translated into English as 'might is right'. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=704,height=396,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/06/yakushiji00003.jpg"><img width="370" height="208" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/06/yakushiji00003.jpg" title="Yakushiji00003" alt="Yakushiji00003" /></a> > > ></p> </div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>'Franz Kafka Ein Landarzt (ã«ãã« ç°èå»è )' by Yamamura Kouji (å±±ææµ©äº)</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/so-th.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/07/so-th.html" thr:count="2" thr:updated="2008-08-24T22:33:39+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52290792</id> > <published>2008-07-05T23:38:33+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-07-05T23:43:12+08:00</updated> > <summary>Click here to see gallery of screencaptu...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Franz Kafka Ein Landarzt" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Yamamura Kouji " /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ã«ãã« ç°èå»è " /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="å±±ææµ©äº" /> > > ><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><strong><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/photos/franz_kafka_ein_landarzt/">Click here to see gallery of screencaptures</a></strong> > ></p> > ><p><strong>[Spoilers ahead]</strong></p> > ><p>So this animation adaptation turns out to be quite faithful to Franz Kafka's original story. You can find the plot summary on Wikipedia <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Country_Doctor_%28story%29">here</a>, and the text of the story <a href="http://malaspina.edu/~johnstoi/kafka/countrydoctor.htm">here</a>. </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00002.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=450,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="208" border="0" alt="Kafkalandarzt00002" title="Kafkalandarzt00002" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00002.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>1) I made a conscious effort to block out any spoiler of this animation ever since I learned of it <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2007/08/newsflash-franz.html">last year</a>. So imagine my pleasant surprise when I heard the Noh-theatre-like recital of the lines throughout this animation. In fact, I have to say I was much more drawn to the voice-acting aspect than the visual aspect of this animation. I was extremely curious as to who the voice actors could be, and the cast credits at the end finally dispelled this mystery - quite a number are members of the Shigeyama family, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyogen">Kyogen</a> masters! The man who plays the country doctor is none other than Shigeyama Sensaku (èå±±åä½), a human national treasure of Japan. That explains why the voice-acting is heavenly.</p> > ><p>(Interestingly, Director Yamamura Koji also casts himself as one of the characters.)</p><p>2) There is a number of creative touches to the animation. For examples, the homes of people are shown as:</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=450,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00079.jpg"><img width="370" height="208" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00079.jpg" title="Kafkalandarzt00079" alt="Kafkalandarzt00079" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>This creates a curious effect when the maid servant Rosa goes around knocking on their doors (ie. the back of the 'heads') to borrow a horse. They literally 'turn their backs' on her.</p> > ><p>Another creative touch is when the country doctor contemplates suicide and seizes the moon, which then turns into a hanging rope. I believe it is a subtle suggestion of his lunacy (for which the moon is a symbol). </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=450,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00077.jpg"><img width="370" height="208" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00077.jpg" title="Kafkalandarzt00077" alt="Kafkalandarzt00077" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>3) Of course, it does not go amiss that all the things that make or could have made the country doctor's life meaningful are both associated with rose colour - his maid servant Rosa whom he secretly has feelings for, and the rose-like wound of the boy patient. This rose colour stands out in contrast to the grey, wintry landscape. Ironically, admitting that either one of these actually brings meaning to his existence would probably bring him discredit - the maid servant does not belong to his 'class', and a doctor is not supposed to wish a patient ill.&nbsp; &nbsp; </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=450,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00019.jpg"><img width="370" height="208" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00019.jpg" title="Kafkalandarzt00019" alt="Kafkalandarzt00019" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>4) I am curious about the country doctor's head which is exaggeratedly elongated from time to time. His head is like jello that changes shape magically from one moment to the next. I think his elongated head visually echoes the elongated moon, which suggests his lunacy.&nbsp; </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=450,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00027.jpg"><img width="370" height="208" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00027.jpg" title="Kafkalandarzt00027" alt="Kafkalandarzt00027" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=450,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00028.jpg"><img width="370" height="208" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00028.jpg" title="Kafkalandarzt00028" alt="Kafkalandarzt00028" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=450,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00076.jpg"><img width="370" height="208" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00076.jpg" title="Kafkalandarzt00076" alt="Kafkalandarzt00076" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>5) The two little black men are said to be the country doctor's inner voices in the cast credit. But if you look at the plot carefully, almost all the characters appear to be pieces of representation of the country doctor's inner desires. The groom springs from his pig sty, almost magically with just what the very horses he needed. Then the groom does just what the country doctor could only dream of doing - namely sexually pursuing the maid servant, and staying home instead of answering a medical call. </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00052.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=450,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="208" border="0" alt="Kafkalandarzt00052" title="Kafkalandarzt00052" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00052.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>The patient's family likewise rejoices at the news that the boy patient is indeed sick after all. And finally, the boy patient whispers to the doctor just the very thing that the doctor longs to do too - &quot;leave me to die&quot;.</p> > ><p>In that light, it seems fitting that towards the end, the doctor's face becomes the groom's face and then Rosa's face. The story is like a dream where all the characters are representations of the dreamer's secret desires.</p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00130.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=450,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="208" border="0" alt="Kafkalandarzt00130" title="Kafkalandarzt00130" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00130.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p>6) The last three minutes of the animation is a great visual rendition of the doctor's delirious rambling towards the end in Kafka's text. There are subtle hints what you see is not 'real' but the feverish imagination of the doctor. For example, there is a scene where the carriage is running on a wooden floor, which is a cue that the scene does not take place out in the snowstorm but is actually what the doctor sees in his head. </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00134.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=450,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="208" border="0" alt="Kafkalandarzt00134" title="Kafkalandarzt00134" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/07/05/kafkalandarzt00134.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>I really enjoyed this animation short. The only thing I have trouble interpreting is the village elders stripping the doctor naked and putting him in bed with the patient, and the doctor's speech about the axe in the forest. What is the meaning of that? I would be interested to hear your views. <br /> </p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>The Chinese illustrator and manhua artist Li Kun</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/li-kun.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/li-kun.html" thr:count="7" thr:updated="2008-07-15T22:25:07+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52018610</id> > <published>2008-06-29T19:29:16+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-06-29T19:29:27+08:00</updated> > <summary>As I was saying, Li Kun works as an illu...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chinese illustrators" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chinese manhua" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/28/11_46010_0b92a5732bc6daa_2.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=430,height=500,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="430" border="0" alt="11_46010_0b92a5732bc6daa_2" title="11_46010_0b92a5732bc6daa_2" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/28/11_46010_0b92a5732bc6daa_2.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/there-is-so-muc.html">As I was saying</a>, Li Kun works as an illustrator and manhua artist. More comments on her artistic style after the jump:</p><p>One cannot help but sense that she must have had training in traditional Chinese ink painting by looking at her brush strokes. The illustration below is example of <em>shuimo</em> (水墨) in that large expanses of the illustration is faded ink with no particular suggestion of perspective. We do not know where the figure in white is standing and how far away that figure is from the ghouls. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=540,height=768,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/28/04c5aecbd.jpg"><img width="370" height="526" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/28/04c5aecbd.jpg" title="04c5aecbd" alt="04c5aecbd" /></a> > > ></p> <p>At the same time, she also seems to excel in combining manga artstyle with <em>gongbi</em> (å·¥ç) in her meticulousness of detail. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=562,height=790,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/28/04d2f7448.jpg"><img width="370" height="520" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/28/04d2f7448.jpg" title="04d2f7448" alt="04d2f7448" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>I also like the way she arranges the graphical elements of her illustrations subtly, like the way the two 'groups' of flowers complement each other diagonally and the sword 'cuts' across them perpendicularly. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=561,height=782,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/28/075a4587e.jpg"><img width="370" height="515" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/28/075a4587e.jpg" title="075a4587e" alt="075a4587e" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>I also like the element of fantasy in her illustrations, and there is an unmistakable spark of life in those portraits. The bonus point that that she is really good at drawing long, flowing hair. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=852,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/28/fei8.jpg"><img width="370" height="525" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/28/fei8.jpg" title="Fei8" alt="Fei8" /></a></p> > ><p>I think I will just let some of her illustrations speak for themselves:</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=826,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/28/hei6.jpg"><img width="370" height="509" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/28/hei6.jpg" title="Hei6" alt="Hei6" /></a></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/07dd7ef4a.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=422,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="260" border="0" alt="07dd7ef4a" title="07dd7ef4a" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/07dd7ef4a.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/15b7fbdcd.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=620,height=871,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="519" border="0" alt="15b7fbdcd" title="15b7fbdcd" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/15b7fbdcd.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/20061231824594561.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=438,height=558,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="471" border="0" alt="20061231824594561" title="20061231824594561" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/20061231824594561.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/cai7.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=851,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="524" border="0" alt="Cai7" title="Cai7" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/cai7.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/b_0b5fdc4332216f8c.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=443,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="501" border="0" alt="B_0b5fdc4332216f8c" title="B_0b5fdc4332216f8c" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/b_0b5fdc4332216f8c.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/b_77c38502545dc8ce.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=417,height=620,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="550" border="0" alt="B_77c38502545dc8ce" title="B_77c38502545dc8ce" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/b_77c38502545dc8ce.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/b_905aab167de70181.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=450,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="493" border="0" alt="B_905aab167de70181" title="B_905aab167de70181" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/b_905aab167de70181.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/b_a1e19d9d6d477f2f.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=494,height=700,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="524" border="0" alt="B_a1e19d9d6d477f2f" title="B_a1e19d9d6d477f2f" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/b_a1e19d9d6d477f2f.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/b_ab0d26d8da539da9.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=491,height=700,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="527" border="0" alt="B_ab0d26d8da539da9" title="B_ab0d26d8da539da9" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/b_ab0d26d8da539da9.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/cangyue327.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=850,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="524" border="0" alt="Cangyue327" title="Cangyue327" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/cangyue327.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/fei4.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=849,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="523" border="0" alt="Fei4" title="Fei4" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/fei4.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/fei6.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=841,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="518" border="0" alt="Fei6" title="Fei6" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/fei6.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/fei7.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=843,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="519" border="0" alt="Fei7" title="Fei7" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/fei7.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/img225466345.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=400,height=550,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="508" border="0" alt="Img225466345" title="Img225466345" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/img225466345.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/luyi0330200604091212.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=555,height=744,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="496" border="0" alt="Luyi0330200604091212" title="Luyi0330200604091212" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/luyi0330200604091212.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/luyi03302006040912342.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=438,height=620,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="523" border="0" alt="Luyi03302006040912342" title="Luyi03302006040912342" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/luyi03302006040912342.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/meiren1.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=400,height=574,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="530" border="0" alt="Meiren1" title="Meiren1" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/meiren1.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/29/rh060111011.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=848,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="370" height="522" border="0" alt="Rh060111011" title="Rh060111011" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/29/rh060111011.jpg" /></a> </p> > ></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>[Housekeeping] Sub-blog of Tanaka Yoshiki's 'Tytania'</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/housekeeping-su.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/housekeeping-su.html" thr:count="0" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52027412</id> > <published>2008-06-29T19:25:43+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-07-13T00:11:29+08:00</updated> > <summary>Apparently the anime series that is most anticipated by me in 2008 is called 'Tytania' not 'Titania'. Anyway, the official website of that series was launched a few days ago and between now and the scheduled release in October, I...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Housekeeping" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Tanaka Yoshiki" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Tytania" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ã¿ã¤ã¿ãã¢" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ç°ä¸è³æ¨¹" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/tanaka_yoshiki/index.html">Apparently the anime series that is most anticipated by me in 2008 is called 'Tytania' not 'Titania'</a>. Anyway, the official website of that series was launched a few days ago and between now and the scheduled release in October, I will probably be updating <a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/titania/">my dedicated sub-blog</a> on bits of news that leak through.</p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>[Housekeeping] Iwa ni Hana evolves once again</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/housekeeping-iw.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/housekeeping-iw.html" thr:count="7" thr:updated="2008-07-05T23:51:58+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-51694076</id> > <published>2008-06-22T22:41:03+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-06-22T22:41:16+08:00</updated> > <summary>I know I have swung the emphasis of this blog before in the past: First it was arthouse Japanese animation, then it was arthouse animation with no emphasis on any country of origin in particular, and now this time it...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Housekeeping" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>I know I have swung the emphasis of this blog before in the past: First it was arthouse Japanese animation, then it was arthouse animation with no emphasis on any country of origin in particular, and now this time it has swung to: </p><blockquote><p><em>Art-house Animation and Illustration: Commentary and Analysis (with a comparative focus on the PRC and Japan, and other topics such as manga/manhua, cinema, music, literature and other aspects of culture) </em></p></blockquote><p>The thing is, ever since I discovered the Chinese manhua/illustration/animation scene lately, I feel that I have not been this excited for a long time - to the point that I am of half a mind to just fold Iwa ni Hana and start with new blog on Chinese works alone. There is so much going on in the Chinese scene that I feel I just have to take my time to dive into each artist, and introduce their works to the West with a loudspeaker or something. </p> > ><p>And on a honest note, I also have to say that I am somewhat jaded with the Japanese anime/manga scene. There is a grand total of two manga artists whose running manga series I follow and they are Shimizu Reiko's <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/himitsu_top_secret/index.html"><span style="color: #660099;"><em><strong>Himitsu</strong></em></span></a> and Umino Chika's <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/3/index.html"><span style="color: #660099;"><em><strong>March Comes in Like a Lion</strong></em></span></a>. Of anime series I actually remember to watch every week, there is also a grand total of three and they are <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/toshokan_sensou/index.html"><em><span style="color: #660099;"><strong>Library War</strong></span></em></a>, <em><span style="color: #660099;"><strong>Itazura na Kiss</strong></span></em> and <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/kaiba/index.html"><em><span style="color: #660099;"><strong>Kaiba</strong></span></em></a>. The only light novel series I am actively following these days is Tanaka Yoshiki's <span style="color: #660099;"><em><strong>Titania</strong></em></span>. These are all great and highly accomplished works, but (with the exception of <em>Himitsu</em>) they do not really make my heart skip a beat. </p> > ><p>It is not like I have given up on Japan - there are things like Kato Kunio's <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/breaking-news-t.html"><span style="color: #660099;"><em><strong>Tsuki no Ie</strong></em></span></a> which I am <em>dying</em> to see. And I think discussions of the Chinese scene is more productive with references to Japan since Japan is (and will probably remain for some time) the origin of inspirations. </p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>More on the Chinese illustration/manhua boom (and a word on cultural cool vis-à -vis Japan)</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/there-is-so-muc.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/there-is-so-muc.html" thr:count="2" thr:updated="2008-06-29T20:36:44+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-51688572</id> > <published>2008-06-22T17:46:15+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-06-22T17:53:53+08:00</updated> > <summary>There is so much happening on the China ...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chinese illustrators" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chinese manhua" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Cultural Theory" /> > > ><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>There is so much happening on the China illustration/manhua scene than I have time to cover, so I think I will just let the pictures of these emerging artists speak for themselves:<br /><u><br /><strong>iiiis</strong></u><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/8f8d39d132d04ac1572c84f2.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=379,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="246" border="0" alt="8f8d39d132d04ac1572c84f2" title="8f8d39d132d04ac1572c84f2" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/8f8d39d132d04ac1572c84f2.jpg" /></a> > > ><br />Probably stylistically closest to <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/the-aesthetics.html"><span style="color: #660099;"><strong>Eno.</strong></span></a> (whose works I adore). iiiis is also an independent musician and he even draws the covers to his own albums (see his MySpace post <a href="http://iiiis.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!de07a09cd96c37a3!222.entry">here</a>). As you can see, he likes to play with visual space in the sense that you cannot quite tell which is the 'real' part of the picture and which is the 'unreal' part of the picture - though the two seem to coexist in the same picture which is in itself something of a twist to the traditional Chinese aesthetic concept of <em>ji bai dong hei</em> (<a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/the-aesthetics.html">see my earlier post on Eno. for detail</a>).&nbsp; <br /> </p><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=854,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/034f9cc369e8c647b219a802.jpg"><img width="390" height="555" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/034f9cc369e8c647b219a802.jpg" title="034f9cc369e8c647b219a802" alt="034f9cc369e8c647b219a802" /></a><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=591,height=415,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/112ce9b5af9522db36d3cac8.jpg"><img width="390" height="273" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/112ce9b5af9522db36d3cac8.jpg" title="112ce9b5af9522db36d3cac8" alt="112ce9b5af9522db36d3cac8" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=828,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/070123184739000.jpg"><img width="390" height="538" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/070123184739000.jpg" title="070123184739000" alt="070123184739000" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=397,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/c2b806fafa67068259ee90a0.jpg"><img width="390" height="258" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/c2b806fafa67068259ee90a0.jpg" title="C2b806fafa67068259ee90a0" alt="C2b806fafa67068259ee90a0" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=849,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/aed6970f56fc43ffab6457f7.jpg"><img width="390" height="551" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/aed6970f56fc43ffab6457f7.jpg" title="Aed6970f56fc43ffab6457f7" alt="Aed6970f56fc43ffab6457f7" /></a> > > ><br /><u><strong>Ah Geng (é¿æ¢)</strong></u></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=533,height=741,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/05.jpg"><img width="390" height="542" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/05.jpg" title="05" alt="05" /></a> > > ><br />Another artist who seems to have been influenced by <strong><a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2007/08/new-discoveries.html">Rain</a></strong> (é®ç åº). In fact, Rain's influence seems to be present in some of the other artists below as well.</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=641,height=439,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/10.jpg"><img width="390" height="267" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/10.jpg" title="10" alt="10" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><u><strong>Ninnin (å¹´å¹´)</strong></u></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=500,height=353,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/b_1b8700b8328d0aaf3e20a31591cd81f0.jpg"><img width="390" height="275" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/b_1b8700b8328d0aaf3e20a31591cd81f0.jpg" title="B_1b8700b8328d0aaf3e20a31591cd81f0" alt="B_1b8700b8328d0aaf3e20a31591cd81f0" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>Likewise, Ninnin would seem to be another artist who is influenced by Rain. However, she does seem to work in a variety of styles over time. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=618,height=900,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/7d03800a09c1293fb1351df8.jpg"><img width="390" height="567" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/7d03800a09c1293fb1351df8.jpg" title="7d03800a09c1293fb1351df8" alt="7d03800a09c1293fb1351df8" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=500,height=349,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/b_fd69526a2c04d08b.jpg"><img width="390" height="272" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/b_fd69526a2c04d08b.jpg" title="B_fd69526a2c04d08b" alt="B_fd69526a2c04d08b" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=469,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/ninnin22062008_154307.jpg"><img width="390" height="228" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/ninnin22062008_154307.jpg" title="Ninnin22062008_154307" alt="Ninnin22062008_154307" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><u><strong>Shel</strong></u></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=750,height=560,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/8f4s57kcb.jpg"><img width="390" height="291" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/8f4s57kcb.jpg" title="8f4s57kcb" alt="8f4s57kcb" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>Shel's perennial theme would seem to be young love. Certainly she seems to be able to capture that 'clean' or 'innocent' feel of adolescent romance.&nbsp; </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=730,height=560,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/8f4s57lgu.jpg"><img width="390" height="299" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/8f4s57lgu.jpg" title="8f4s57lgu" alt="8f4s57lgu" /></a> > > ><br /><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=520,height=700,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/8f4s56b9l.jpg"><img width="390" height="525" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/8f4s56b9l.jpg" title="8f4s56b9l" alt="8f4s56b9l" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><u><strong>Tang Ka (åå¡)</strong></u></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/5629499534455537.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=434,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="282" border="0" alt="5629499534455537" title="5629499534455537" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/5629499534455537.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>There is something in the works of Tang Ka that reminds me of the spirit of Impressionism in that the Impressionists were determined to depict urban subjects in urban settings (as opposed to historic subjects in historic settings which were expected of serious 'academic' paintings at the time). </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/12103423998890425.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=424,height=599,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="550" border="0" alt="12103423998890425" title="12103423998890425" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/12103423998890425.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/12103423999117433.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=434,height=175,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="157" border="0" alt="12103423999117433" title="12103423999117433" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/12103423999117433.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/29273397578174505.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=430,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="544" border="0" alt="29273397578174505" title="29273397578174505" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/29273397578174505.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/43065671437617978.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=815,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="529" border="0" alt="43065671437617978" title="43065671437617978" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/43065671437617978.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><u><strong>Ishuria (é¿äºäº)</strong></u></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=566,height=800,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/5910974511260711.jpg"><img width="390" height="551" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/5910974511260711.jpg" title="5910974511260711" alt="5910974511260711" /></a> </p> > ><p>There is an unique abstract and dream-like feel to the works of Ishuria which I find fascinating. She also has a very strong sense of colours. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=770,height=628,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/ishuria020070209162836.gif"><img width="390" height="318" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/ishuria020070209162836.gif" title="Ishuria020070209162836" alt="Ishuria020070209162836" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=570,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/ishuria020070209162728.gif"><img width="390" height="277" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/ishuria020070209162728.gif" title="Ishuria020070209162728" alt="Ishuria020070209162728" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=564,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/ishuria020070209164017.gif"><img width="390" height="274" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/ishuria020070209164017.gif" title="Ishuria020070209164017" alt="Ishuria020070209164017" /></a></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=566,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/ishuria020070209165256.gif"><img width="390" height="275" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/ishuria020070209165256.gif" title="Ishuria020070209165256" alt="Ishuria020070209165256" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=598,height=800,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/10977524092047557.jpg"><img width="390" height="521" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/10977524092047557.jpg" title="10977524092047557" alt="10977524092047557" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=569,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/3659174697578634.jpg"><img width="390" height="277" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/3659174697578634.jpg" title="3659174697578634" alt="3659174697578634" /></a> </p> > ><p><u><strong>Li Kun (æå )</strong></u></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=424,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/1bc8bec8b4a27d1b7f3e6f57.jpg"><img width="390" height="275" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/1bc8bec8b4a27d1b7f3e6f57.jpg" title="1bc8bec8b4a27d1b7f3e6f57" alt="1bc8bec8b4a27d1b7f3e6f57" /></a> </p> > ><p>Apparently she is also a manhua artist, though I have yet to check out any of her manhua stories. Her forte would seem to be historic fantasy combined with romance. There are miscellaneous scans of her manhua work <a href="http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kz=257909247">here</a> so that you can gauge her quality for yourself. She has a difficult name in Chinese that I actually had to look up å to know that it reads as <em>kun</em>. </p> > ><h1><a name="head"></a></h1> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/li22062008_164334.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=603,height=404,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="261" border="0" alt="Li22062008_164334" title="Li22062008_164334" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/li22062008_164334.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/li22062008_164348.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=511,height=723,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="551" border="0" alt="Li22062008_164348" title="Li22062008_164348" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/li22062008_164348.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/li22062008_164258.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=561,height=605,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="380" height="409" border="0" alt="Li22062008_164258" title="Li22062008_164258" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/li22062008_164258.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/li22062008_164428.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=603,height=406,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="262" border="0" alt="Li22062008_164428" title="Li22062008_164428" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/li22062008_164428.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><u><strong>Lin Ying (æè¹)</strong></u></p> > ><p><u><strong><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=500,height=325,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/b_e92a65d13e30d1d0.jpg"><img width="390" height="253" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/b_e92a65d13e30d1d0.jpg" title="B_e92a65d13e30d1d0" alt="B_e92a65d13e30d1d0" /></a> > > ></strong></u></p> > ><p>An illustrator who also works as a manhua artist. Likewise, I have yet to check out any of her manhua titles. You can kind of discern influences of the early CLAMP in some of her works.</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=465,height=700,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/b_fda26d2b83e84f52.jpg"><img width="390" height="587" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/b_fda26d2b83e84f52.jpg" title="B_fda26d2b83e84f52" alt="B_fda26d2b83e84f52" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=354,height=487,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/b_5ac0d0e62df10d2c.jpg"><img width="390" height="536" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/b_5ac0d0e62df10d2c.jpg" title="B_5ac0d0e62df10d2c" alt="B_5ac0d0e62df10d2c" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=370,height=507,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/b_97e1b3e6f9b02739.jpg"><img width="390" height="534" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/b_97e1b3e6f9b02739.jpg" title="B_97e1b3e6f9b02739" alt="B_97e1b3e6f9b02739" /></a></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=370,height=522,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/22/b_20ad7ac915b79c27.jpg"><img width="390" height="550" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/22/b_20ad7ac915b79c27.jpg" title="B_20ad7ac915b79c27" alt="B_20ad7ac915b79c27" /></a> </p> > ><p>By way of concluding remarks, there are a few things I would like to say:</p> > ><p> > >1) The works of these excellent artists just <em>beg</em> to be exhibited overseas. > ></p> > ><p>2) I think the scene has matured enough for one to say that there is an art movement involving artists who share more or less the same vision and aesthetics. The question is what this art movement will be called. I will be on the look out should a name finally emerges. > ></p> > ><p>3)I know the Japanese manga industry has never really been outward-looking (ie. it never really makes an effect to market itself overseas but depends on foreign interest to import and translate). China has been aggressive in marketing its cultural goods so far but primarily in big-budget kung-fu and historic films. It will be <em>very</em> interesting times indeed when attention is turned to marketing made-in-China illustrations, manhua and animation. > ></p> > ><p>4)This is particularly so when you factor in issues such as political censorship on the domestic front. While commercial pressure apply to Japanese and Chinese artists alike, I think Chinese artists have the added pressure of:<br /><em><br />i) Differentiating themselves from Japanese artists, some of whose artistic influence they have borrowed</em></p> > ><p>In other words, they would have to do some hard soul-searching, and from what I see so far, they have done quite a good job of it. And of course, I suspect there is probably an undercurrent nationalistic sentiment of <em>what the Japanese can do, we can do better</em>. <br /><em><br />ii) Gaining acceptance from censors and recognition from society at large</em></p> > ><p>Hence their works will skewer towards stories with depth and philosophy as opposed to gratuitous and mindless fanservice, because they have the added pressure to <em>prove</em> their worth and artistic merit to people who are not into illustrations/manhua/animation, instead of just focusing on pleasing a targeted audience with predictable tastes (ie. otaku).&nbsp; </p> > ><p>Also, if there are stories about the political elite at all, I would expect them to be set in premodern China instead of modern China or a futuristic China (in other words, I do not expect to see a Chinese version of <span style="color: #660099;"><strong><em>Ghost in the Shell</em></strong></span>).</p> > ><p>But feel free to agree or disagree with me - the floor is all yours.<br /> </p> </div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>'Kemuri' (the ED of 'The Revelation') and the artist Makichang</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/kemuri-the-ed-o.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/kemuri-the-ed-o.html" thr:count="0" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-51688040</id> > <published>2008-06-22T14:29:54+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-06-22T14:29:54+08:00</updated> > <summary>The first thoughts that crossed my mind ...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Himitsu - Top Secret" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Kaguya-Hime" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Shimizu Reiko" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="æ¸ æ°´ç²å" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ç§å¯âãããã»ã·ã¼ã¯ã¬ããâ" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="è¼å¤å§«" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=750,height=1065,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/21/20071017_3f3fad830f80bf419a46c6xb1y.jpg"><img width="250" height="355" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/21/20071017_3f3fad830f80bf419a46c6xb1y.jpg" title="20071017_3f3fad830f80bf419a46c6xb1y" alt="20071017_3f3fad830f80bf419a46c6xb1y" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; float: right;" /></a>The first thoughts that crossed my mind when I first heard Makichang's <em>Kemuri</em> (the ED of <span style="color: #660099;"><strong><em>The Revelation</em></strong></span>) were:</p> > ><p>i) It is the most musically inspired ED since Aya's <em>Overnight</em> for <strong><span style="color: #660099;"><em>Le Chevalier D'Eon </em></span></strong>(<a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2007/06/overnight_and_t.html">which I wrote about in more detail here</a>). </p> > ><p>ii) It would have been the perfect ED for <span style="color: #660099;"><strong>Shimizu Reiko</strong></span>'s <span style="color: #660099;"><strong><em>Kaguya-hime</em></strong></span> (è¼å¤å§«) if it were ever made into an anime - that is, if you look at the lyrics, which is written from a female perspective and alludes to yearning to leave the earth to somewhere faraway (ie. space) as well as bitterness of being trapped on earth. </p> > ><p>iii) My regret is that it is a visually 'lazy' ED - all the images are taken straight from Shimizu Reiko's illustrations. </p> > ><p>Like Aya, Makichang would seem to be an independent artist - certainly she seems to be a relatively new face on the music scene and it is something of a wonder that she managed to put herself forward in the pop music cartel. </p> > ><p>I am hoping that <em>Kemuri </em>is not just a one-shot wonder from Makichang, the way Aya seems to have been completely off-the-radar since <em>Overnight</em>. </p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>Interview with Director Furuhashi on the making of Le Chevalier D'Eon</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/interview-with.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/interview-with.html" thr:count="2" thr:updated="2008-06-22T10:31:48+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-51667732</id> > <published>2008-06-21T21:38:19+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-06-21T21:40:56+08:00</updated> > <summary>There is a series of interviews with Director Furuhashi on the making of Le Chevalier D'Eon which is full of outspoken insights (or at least more outspoken then the typical PR stuff from staff and cast). The interviews are available...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Furuhashi Kazuhiro" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="ã·ã§ã´ã¡ãªã¨ ~Le Chevalier D'Eon~ " /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="夿©ä¸æµ©" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/21/24_078.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=300,height=169,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="200" height="112" border="0" alt="24_078" title="24_078" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/21/24_078.jpg" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; float: right;" /></a> >There is a series of interviews with Director Furuhashi on the making of <span style="color: #660099;"><strong><em>Le Chevalier D'Eon</em></strong></span> which is full of outspoken insights (or at least more outspoken then the typical PR stuff from staff and cast). The interviews are available in English here:<br /><span style="font-size: 0.6em;">ttp://www.productionig.com/contents/works_sp/44_/s08_/000794.html</span></p> > ><p>There are a few quotes that I would like to comment on. On the fictional D'Eon de Beaumont transforming into a woman when his sister's soul possesses him:</p><blockquote><p><em>If you overemphasize unrealistic aspects when you are rendering occult >elements, you lose the freakiness. It might work with books, but when >you are working with pictures, going too straightforwardly would leave >no room for imagination. It would be easy to use it as a format, but at >the end of the day it's not very effective. So I thought we had to take >a minimalist approach. Just show a little of what would hint at his >transformation from a man to a woman, like untying the hair and >changing the color of the lips.</em></p></blockquote><p><img border="0" alt="F0709_01" title="F0709_01" src="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/21/f0709_01.jpg" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; float: right;" /> >I honestly never knew that D'Eon <em>physically </em>changes into a woman until I read about it in this interview. When I watched the anime, I assumed that the body remains male although his voice changes into Lia's voice, and the change of lip colour is just an indication that Lia is 'there'. Now, that's a freakish touch that I completely missed. </p> > ><p>Here is another quote on the thin line between the 'imagined' and the 'real' in animation:</p><blockquote><p><em> >In animation, there is no much difference between hallucinations or >psychic phenomena. I mean, they look the same because we use drawings >in order to render them. For this reason, you must really render well >to show the difference between, let's say, something that is <em>actually</em> >happening and D'Eon's hallucination. We must always question ourselves >on how we can accomplish the difference between hallucination and the >reality as we produce an animation.</em></p> > ><p><em>Let me give you an example. There is a scene where King Louis XV >touches D'Eon's lips. I tried to incorporate that sort of bodily touch >to make the scene look more real. By the way, that part was drawn by >Saburo Mochizuki who did the storyboards. He really did a great job.</em></p></blockquote><p><img border="0" alt="F02_03" title="F02_03" src="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/21/f02_03.jpg" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; float: right;" /> > > >Now here is another intentional touch that I was mistaken about. When I saw that scene in which Louis XV touches D'Eon's lips, I assumed that was a homoerotic thing to please BL fangirls... Apparently, the touch was only supposed to be an indication that D'Eon is in reality. Nevertheless, Furuhashi's comment on the 'imagined' and 'real' in animation is spot-on. </p> </div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>Taiwanese animation 'A Fish with a Smile (å¾®ç¬çé±¼)': A Tale of Urban Loneliness</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/taiwanese-anima.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/taiwanese-anima.html" thr:count="2" thr:updated="2008-06-21T20:06:02+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-51568108</id> > <published>2008-06-19T22:28:15+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-06-19T22:31:29+08:00</updated> > <summary>While the Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy (å¹¾...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chinese animation" /> > > ><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>While the Taiwanese illustrator <span style="color: #660099;"><strong>Jimmy </strong></span>(幾米) is a unique topic in himself, I would like to focus on quickly introducing a 10-minute animation based on one of his illustration books called <span style="color: #660099;"><strong><em>A Fish with a Smile</em></strong></span> (å¾®ç¬çé±¼) in this post.</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=526,height=260,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/19/jimmy19062008_212844.jpg"><img width="200" height="98" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/19/jimmy19062008_212844.jpg" title="Jimmy19062008_212844" alt="Jimmy19062008_212844" /></a> > > ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=528,height=261,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/19/jimmy19062008_212911.jpg"><img width="200" height="98" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/19/jimmy19062008_212911.jpg" title="Jimmy19062008_212911" alt="Jimmy19062008_212911" /></a> > > ></p> > > > ><p>The story goes like this: A man living in a city sees a fish from a pet shop that keeps smiling at him - a fish that smiles at him during daytime, night time, shiny days and rainy days. He wants to own the smiling fish and he ends up taking it home from the shop. When he eats, the fish smiles at him, When he watches TV late at night, the fish smiles at him. When he showers, the fish smiles at him. To him, the smiling fish is as faithful as a dog, as tender as a cat and as passionate as a lover. At night, he kisses the smiling fish goodnight. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=528,height=260,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/19/jimmy19062008_213114.jpg"><img width="200" height="98" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/19/jimmy19062008_213114.jpg" title="Jimmy19062008_213114" alt="Jimmy19062008_213114" /></a> > > ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=529,height=259,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/19/jimmy19062008_213213.jpg"><img width="200" height="97" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/19/jimmy19062008_213213.jpg" title="Jimmy19062008_213213" alt="Jimmy19062008_213213" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>That night, he dreams that the smiling fish has flown out of the fish bowl, emitting a green light. He follows the smiling fish as it flies through a sleeping city. He wonders if everyone in the city is asleep and if they are having good dreams. The smiling fish leads him to a bridge where he stops to gaze at the moon - then he realizes that he has not gazed at the moon for a long time and that he has forgotten how to make a wish to the stars. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=528,height=260,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/19/jimmy19062008_213431.jpg"><img width="200" height="98" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/19/jimmy19062008_213431.jpg" title="Jimmy19062008_213431" alt="Jimmy19062008_213431" /></a> > > ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=530,height=258,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/19/jimmy19062008_213546.jpg"><img width="200" height="97" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/19/jimmy19062008_213546.jpg" title="Jimmy19062008_213546" alt="Jimmy19062008_213546" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>The smiling fish then leads him to a forest and he remembers a dance he used to know when he was young, and he dances a little. He also remembers that he used to play hide-and-seek with his friends, and wonders where his friends have all gone. Finally, the smiling fish leads him to the sea, where he also swims like a fish - until he realizes that he is swimming in a fish bowl...</p> > ><p>He wakes. He realizes that he cannot keep the smiling fish any longer. He takes the fish home to the sea, where he also takes a surprising action...</p> > ><p>The theme of urban loneliness in a modern city is a theme Jimmy revisits time and again. The amazing thing about him is that he seems to be able to combine picturesque charm with a touch of melancholy and philosophy in his works. <em>A Fish with a Smile</em> is just one of those obscure gems in animation that is destined to be one of its kind. The storyboarding is smooth as silk, the art direction is wonderful and the whole thing just feels like poetry. Please take my word for it and go check it out.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>[Breaking News] 'Tsuki no Ie (ã¤ã¿ãã®ãã)' directed by Kato Kunio (å è¤ä¹ ä»ç) wins The Annecy Cristal 2008</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/breaking-news-t.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/breaking-news-t.html" thr:count="0" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-51394962</id> > <published>2008-06-16T21:49:08+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-06-16T22:54:31+08:00</updated> > <summary>Breaking news! Some of you may remember ...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Kato Kunio" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Non-mainstream animation" /> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="å è¤ä¹ ä»ç" /> > > ><content type="xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Breaking news! Some of you may remember my earlier posts on <span style="color: #660099;"><strong>Kato Kunio</strong></span>'s <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/01/the-apple-incid.html"><strong><em>The Diary of Tortov Roddle</em></strong></a> as well as on <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/01/the-apple-incid.html"><strong><em>The Apple Incident</em></strong> and <strong><em>Fantasy</em></strong></a>. I just found out a day late from <a href="http://www.asahi.com/culture/update/0615/TKY200806150152.html">Asahi Shinbun</a> that his latest work, <span style="color: #660099;"><strong><em>Tsuki no Ie</em></strong></span> ã¤ã¿ãã®ãã (which is translated as <em>La maison en petits cubes</em> in French) won the Annecy Cristal as well as the Junior Jury Award for Short Film at the Annecy (widely regarded as 'the Cannes of animation films'). This is the second time a Japanese director won this honour of the Annecy Cristal since <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2007/05/overseas_animat.html">Yamamura Koji's </a><em><a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2007/05/overseas_animat.html">Atamayama</a></em>. Below is <a href="http://www.annecy.org/home/index.php?Page_ID=2049&film_id=20080922">a description of <em>Tsuki no Ie</em> from Annecy's website</a>:</p><blockquote><p><em>It is difficult to keep the house made of blocks out of the water </em>[sic]<em>. The >grandfather who has lived in it has been constantly adding to it as the >water level rises. This is the story about his family memories.</em></p></blockquote><p>Looking at the credits list, this would seem to be primarily a one-man show on the part of Director Kato. The work is 12-minute long. Unfortunately, I cannot find any images of this work except that tiny picture at the Annecy website. </p> > ><p><em>The Diary of Tortov Roddle</em> is just one of those works that I love animation for (see my image gallery <a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/photos/the_diary_of_tortov_roddl/index.html">here</a>). I am counting the hour till I get to see <em>Tsuki no Ie</em>.</p></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > <entry> > <title>The aesthetics of the Chinese illustrator Eno.</title> > <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/the-aesthetics.html" /> > <link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/the-aesthetics.html" thr:count="11" thr:updated="2008-08-24T22:32:29+08:00" /> > <id>tag:typepad.com,2003:post-51360770</id> > <published>2008-06-16T00:22:34+08:00</published> > <updated>2008-06-16T00:32:48+08:00</updated> > <summary>You know, I just have to do another post...</summary> > <author> > <name>Wabisabi</name> > </author> > <category scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" term="Chinese illustrators" /> > > ><content type="html" xml:lang="en-US" xml:base="http://www.iwanihana.info/"> ><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>You know, I just have to do another post on the illustrations of <span style="color: #660099;"><strong>Eno.</strong></span> (see earlier post <a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/06/two-illustrator.html">here</a>) - the beauty of her illustrations is just the sort thing that makes life (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_(book)">solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short</a> as it is) in this earthly world worth living. I mean - family, friends&nbsp; and relationships change over time, wealth and status come and go - but the one constant thing that illuminates life is one's eye for beauty. Live for beauty, and nought else -&nbsp; my lifelong motto.</p> > ><p>Anyway, let me go into details of why and how her illustrations are special to me:</p> > ><p><u><strong>1) The concept of <em>ji bai dong hei</em> </strong><strong> > >计ç½å½é»</strong></u></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/f5893230ab87619fa8018e38.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=566,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="275" border="0" alt="F5893230ab87619fa8018e38" title="F5893230ab87619fa8018e38" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/f5893230ab87619fa8018e38.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><span style="color: #660099;">In Chinese traditional painting, there is a concept of <em>ji bai dong hei</em> that is not readily translatable into English. The idea is to leave blanks in a painting, and yet the blanks do not mean that the painting is incomplete - instead the blanks are part of the completed painting. Thus not only the material world of touchable things (æ) is depicted, but also the immaterial world of nothingness and void (è). </span></p> > ><p>This is the opposite of western painting where one gets the sense that the artist feels the inch to colour in every corner of a painting. The western mind sees completeness in reproducing the material world in painting. The Chinese mind sees completeness reproducing not only the material world in painting but also the void that exists alongside the material world. <br /> </p> > ><p>Take Eno.'s illustration above, for instance - half of the illustration to the right is blank, and yet the blank is deliberate. Why not use Photoshop to crop out the right hand side? You see, cropping it out would take away the feeling of mystery the illustration generates: What and who are on the right hand side? Are they obscured by a mist? Is it a metaphor that the rest of world has disappeared to the two men engaged in a duel? Is it a depiction of the state of mind of the two men that their minds have gone blank in the heat battle?&nbsp; </p><p>Eno. seems to be very fond of this traditional Chinese concept. Sometimes one even gets the sense that she prefers the void to the material world, and that her favorite colour is white, and that the 'perfect painting' in her mind is a white blank. </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno001.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=553,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="269" border="0" alt="Eno001" title="Eno001" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno001.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno002.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=536,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="261" border="0" alt="Eno002" title="Eno002" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno002.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno003.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=567,height=412,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="283" border="0" alt="Eno003" title="Eno003" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno003.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno004.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=539,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="262" border="0" alt="Eno004" title="Eno004" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno004.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno006.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=647,height=510,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="307" border="0" alt="Eno006" title="Eno006" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno006.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno005.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=776,height=510,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="256" border="0" alt="Eno005" title="Eno005" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno005.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno007.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=604,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="294" border="0" alt="Eno007" title="Eno007" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno007.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno010.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=564,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="274" border="0" alt="Eno010" title="Eno010" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno010.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno012.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=541,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="263" border="0" alt="Eno012" title="Eno012" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno012.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno013.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=620,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="302" border="0" alt="Eno013" title="Eno013" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno013.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno015.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=536,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="261" border="0" alt="Eno015" title="Eno015" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno015.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><u><strong>2) Beautiful long black hair</strong></u></p> > ><p>They say that gentlemen prefer blonds but I have never been sold on that, and somehow black hair does not seem to be very popular with Asian people these days either in that everyone highlights or dyes their hair into some other colour. But I for one have always been an unwavering admirer of a beautiful head of long black hair (partly out of the influence of <em>Genji Monogatari</em>, I suppose), and it seems that Eno. adores beautiful long black hair as well.</p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno008.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=407,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="198" border="0" alt="Eno008" title="Eno008" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno008.jpg" /></a> > > > </p> > ><p>I love the way she draws long black hair flying in the air against the wind or hangs down a person's back. I seriously do not recall black hair more beautifully drawn elsewhere.</p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno009_2.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=659,height=394,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="233" border="0" alt="Eno009_2" title="Eno009_2" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno009_2.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno011.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=494,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="240" border="0" alt="Eno011" title="Eno011" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno011.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno014.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=543,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="264" border="0" alt="Eno014" title="Eno014" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno014.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno017.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=427,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="208" border="0" alt="Eno017" title="Eno017" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno017.jpg" /></a> > ><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno018.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=559,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="272" border="0" alt="Eno018" title="Eno018" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno018.jpg" /></a> > > ><br /> > > ></p> > > > ><p><u><strong>3) The feminine grace and elegance of her female subjects</strong></u></p> > ><p>Feminine grace and elegance are like zen - there is no defining or explaining what they are in words. In other words, either you get it or you don't. Eno. seems to be someone who gets it instinctively.</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=374,height=669,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno019.jpg"><img width="270" height="482" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno019.jpg" title="Eno019" alt="Eno019" /></a> </p> > ><p>I know femininity is a perennial topic of debate and I have always been amused by the gap of feminine beauty from male and female perspectives. There is nothing sexy about the women drawn by Eno. (and I don't mean this in a negative sense) - they are just graceful and elegant and that is that. I get the feeling that even if these women were stripped naked, they would still look graceful and elegant but not sexy <em>per se</em>. And that is what I like them for.</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=482,height=709,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno020.jpg"><img width="270" height="397" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno020.jpg" title="Eno020" alt="Eno020" /></a> </p> > ><p> ><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=528,height=740,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno021.jpg"><img width="270" height="378" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno021.jpg" title="Eno021" alt="Eno021" /></a></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=378,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno022.jpg"><img width="390" height="184" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno022.jpg" title="Eno022" alt="Eno022" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=344,height=500,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno023.jpg"><img width="270" height="392" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno023.jpg" title="Eno023" alt="Eno023" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=478,height=678,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno024.jpg"><img width="270" height="382" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno024.jpg" title="Eno024" alt="Eno024" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=529,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno025.jpg"><img width="390" height="257" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno025.jpg" title="Eno025" alt="Eno025" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=373,height=668,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno026.jpg"><img width="270" height="483" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno026.jpg" title="Eno026" alt="Eno026" /></a> </p> > ><p><u><strong>4) The androgynous beauty of her male subjects</strong></u></p> > ><p>Back at high school when other girls my age began to take an interest in male stars and the opposite sex, I was always baffled as to what they find 'handsome'. But then perhaps this is what reading shoujo manga does to one - even now the most beautiful men I have seen are drawn and not real and alive. Strange to say (and no offense to men), there is always an element of refinement in the appearance of male characters of shoujo manga - it is as though the crudity of real masculinity has been filtered out. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=489,height=867,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno027.jpg"><img width="270" height="478" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno027.jpg" title="Eno027" alt="Eno027" /></a> </p> > ><p>I think Eno. understands this as well - her male subjects have the kind of androgynous beauty that I personally find appealing. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=552,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno028.jpg"><img width="390" height="269" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno028.jpg" title="Eno028" alt="Eno028" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=739,height=492,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno029.jpg"><img width="390" height="259" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno029.jpg" title="Eno029" alt="Eno029" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=545,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno030.jpg"><img width="390" height="265" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno030.jpg" title="Eno030" alt="Eno030" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=549,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno031.jpg"><img width="390" height="267" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno031.jpg" title="Eno031" alt="Eno031" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=450,height=687,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno033.jpg"><img width="270" height="412" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno033.jpg" title="Eno033" alt="Eno033" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=882,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno032.jpg"><img width="270" height="396" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno032.jpg" title="Eno032" alt="Eno032" /></a></p> > ><p><u><strong>5) Pictures that tell a story</strong></u></p> > ><p>I have never been much of a fan of still-life, landscape or abstract paintings - I like paintings that tell a story (or part of a story), or at least hint at a story. Sometimes I like stories told in paintings than I like stories told in books, because there is so much more room for speculation.</p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno034.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=480,height=675,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="270" height="379" border="0" alt="Eno034" title="Eno034" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno034.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p>The fact that Eno. produces illustrations for stories help (though I have never read any of the stories she illustrates). For instance, in the illustration above, an armoured man in black is seated opposite of a person in white. Immediately, a host of questions cross one's mind: What are they doing? Playing chess? Reading the future? Discussing strategies of war? Or is the man is black bidding a loved one farewell? What is the expression on the man's face? The possibilities are endless.</p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno035.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=548,height=770,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="270" height="379" border="0" alt="Eno035" title="Eno035" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno035.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno036.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=473,height=714,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="270" height="407" border="0" alt="Eno036" title="Eno036" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno036.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno037.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=419,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="272" border="0" alt="Eno037" title="Eno037" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno037.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno038.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=728,height=544,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="291" border="0" alt="Eno038" title="Eno038" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno038.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno041.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=540,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="263" border="0" alt="Eno041" title="Eno041" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno041.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><u><strong>6) Combinations of colours</strong></u></p> > ><p>Eno. has a great sense of combining colours. The colours not only set off each other well, they jump out at you as though they have a life of their own. </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno040.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=520,height=741,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="270" height="384" border="0" alt="Eno040" title="Eno040" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno040.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno042.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=547,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="266" border="0" alt="Eno042" title="Eno042" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno042.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno043.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=425,height=615,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="270" height="390" border="0" alt="Eno043" title="Eno043" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno043.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno044.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=600,height=882,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="270" height="396" border="0" alt="Eno044" title="Eno044" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno044.jpg" /></a></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=495,height=725,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno045.jpg"><img width="270" height="395" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno045.jpg" title="Eno045" alt="Eno045" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=413,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno046.jpg"><img width="390" height="201" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno046.jpg" title="Eno046" alt="Eno046" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=500,height=692,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno050.jpg"><img width="270" height="373" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno050.jpg" title="Eno050" alt="Eno050" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p><u><strong>7) Hints of tragedy</strong></u></p> > ><p>One somehow gets the sense that the stories one reads into the illustrations do not have happy endings, and that suits me just fine. Actually - in the order of preference - I prefer bittersweet endings to downright tragic endings, and I prefer downright tragic endings to happy endings. The order of difficulty as I perceive it is also in that order - bittersweetness is very hardest to manage in an ending. I do not sense any bittersweet vibe in Eno's illustrations <em>per se</em>, but I am happy to take the next best thing.</p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=594,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno047.jpg"><img width="390" height="289" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno047.jpg" title="Eno047" alt="Eno047" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=709,height=471,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno048.jpg"><img width="390" height="259" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno048.jpg" title="Eno048" alt="Eno048" /></a> </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=496,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno049.jpg"><img width="390" height="241" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno049.jpg" title="Eno049" alt="Eno049" /></a> </p> > ><p><u><strong>8) Higanbana</strong></u></p> > ><p><a href="http://www.iwanihana.info/2008/05/a-word-on-andro.html">As I have explained before</a>, I like maple trees better than any flower. because maple trees are not flowers, and yet for a few fleeting days at the >height of their full glory in autumn, maple trees are more beautiful >than any flowers (at least to me). But if I really must name my favorite flower, I would say higanbana or equinox flower. And Eno. sure knows how to draw higanbana. She draws other flowers, but this is one type of flower that really stands out in her illustrations. </p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=512,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno051.jpg"><img width="390" height="249" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno051.jpg" title="Eno051" alt="Eno051" /></a> </p> > ><p>As<a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/irohanihoheto/2006/10/musing_the_poet.html"> I explained elsewhere before</a>, there is a poetic meaning to higanbana:</p><blockquote><p><em>There is sure to be some scientific reason for it out there, but >some anonymous poet of old, observing that the flower and the leaves of >an equinox flower never appear at the same time, adapted it as a >metaphor for unrequited love - when the flower blooms, the leaves do >not yet exist; and by the time the leaves come out, the flower no >longer is.</em></p></blockquote><p> > >And that, for all intent and purposes, is just my thing. > ></p> > ><p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=547,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno052.jpg"><img width="390" height="266" border="0" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno052.jpg" title="Eno052" alt="Eno052" /></a></p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno053.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=732,height=545,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="390" height="290" border="0" alt="Eno053" title="Eno053" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno053.jpg" /></a> </p> > ><p><a href="http://irohanihoheto.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/15/eno055.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=330,height=436,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="270" height="356" border="0" alt="Eno055" title="Eno055" src="http://www.iwanihana.info/images/2008/06/15/eno055.jpg" /></a> > > ></p> > ><p>I am curious to hear what others like about the illustrations of Eno. As usual, the floor is all yours.<br /> > > ></p> > > > ></div> ></content> > > > </entry> > ></feed> ><!-- ph=1 --> ><!-- nhm:dynamic-ssi -->
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