Slash And Burn

I Big Up Myself Part 2

Daily J has posted part two of its interview with me. So there.

Thanks to everyone at Nipponster for choosing me to be your launch interview. I hope I don't ruin your business.

(But seriously. It's quite flattering. ありがとうよ。)

Buying Japanese DVDs Part 2

Recently I linked to a piece I wrote last year about buying Japanese films on DVD. After looking it over I realized there was more to cover, particularly in the realm of bootleg DVDs and all-region DVD players. I'll address those two in this piece.

You may want to get caught up on the previous piece before delving into today's guide.

Bootleg DVDs
When I wrote the previous piece, I had yet to really get into the wild wild west world of bootleg DVDs. There are just so many amazing films that haven't been released on DVD, or are frantically difficult to come by, that sometimes it's just necessary. But where to buy good bootlegs? Here are three vendors that I frequent.

Kurotagi
http://www.kurotokagi.com/
The Good: Huge selection, professional quality, hard-to-find films.
The Bad: Pricey ($15.00).
The Skinny: If you can afford it and are serious about Japanese film, this is the place to visit first. Color DVD inserts, screen-printed discs, menus and everything. Better take out a second mortgage as there's so much good stuff you're going to bankrupt yourself quick.

Super Happy Fun
http://www.superhappyfun.com
The Good: Big selection (and from more than just Japan), good quality.
The Bad: No inserts, label-printed DVDs, pricey ($13.00).
The Skinny: I like Super Happy Fun, primarily because of the name. But they also have good stuff, like Himiko and Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan. A bit pricey for no insertsor case though.

All Clues No Solutions
http://allcluesnosolutions.com
The Good: SUPER cheap ($7.00, or $6.00 each if you buy 5), and some weird-ass stuff.
The Bad: No case, no inserts, no label on the DVD.
The Skinny: All Clues No Solutions is the new kid on the bootleg block and they're off to a good start. I like them because of the price, which you can't beat, and the selection. They've got stuff I haven't seen anywhere else.

All-Region DVD Players
I don't own one yet, so I can't vouch for specific players. Friends have them, and it seems really convenient to be able to play DVDs from any region, any country. You can always hack your player like I did, but that won't allow you to play PAL DVDs in an NTSC player (or vice versa for those of you on the other side of the pond). That being said, I have heard friends complain about the crappy look of PAL DVDs in their all-region players, but my friends are poor so better quality players may take care of that issue.

You can find all-region DVD players all over the place. Kinokuniya in San Francisco's Japantown has one. I've seen them in Chinatown as well. J-List has a variety of them as well, in a variety of prices (all under $100). I mention J-List because I'm an affiliate, and if you buy something from them I benefit.

Alright, happy hunting.

An Interview With Me

The nice folks at Daily J have done an interview with yours truly about this little site of mine.

Read what I have to say here.

Daily J is a part of Nipponster, a search engine that filters for Japan-related content.

Come On, Amoeba

I don't want to hate too much, because I really do like Amoeba. I've been going to their stores since they opened in Berkeley in 1990 (seems older than that, but that's what the website says). When I lived in LA I shopped at the Hollywood store, and of course I often frequent the Haight Street store. So what's up with the recent shoddy DVD ordering?

The Haight store has a great DVD section. It's huge and I've come to rely on it for fun shopping. I always find used stuff at good prices, and usually new stuff too. But the last few times I've been in there to pick up a Japanese film it hasn't even been ordered.

Last time it was for Welcome To The Grindhouse: Dragon Princess/Karate Warriors and Rica. They had neither. Today I was in there and they still didn't have Rica, nor did they have Horrors of Malformed Men or Snake Woman's Curse! I asked about it and they said they must have snuck under their radar.

OK. Rica I can kinda understand. But Horrors? It's one of the most expected titles recently. Never been available on DVD before. Ever. Not even in Japan. So what gives? I hate to say it but I'm going to have to start buying all my DVDs online.

Crunchyroll Now With Index

Just checked out Crunchyroll for the first time in a while and I was plenty surprised to see they had added an index function. The Drama Index is just what I had been hankering for.

I'm not sure if a lot of movies have been uploaded lately, or I just missed them, but the index is packed with amazing movies. Such as? Gojira Vs. Gaigan, Shinobi No Mono, Haze, the list goes on.

If you haven't discovered the wonder that is Crunchyroll yet, get thee there pronto.

Animeigo Release List

Animeigo has updated its release list until the end of 2008, and there's some interesting (and unexpected) stuff here.

October 2007: Shinobi No Mono
1962 Raizo Ichikawa ninja flick. Um, hell yes.

November 2007: Battle of Okinawa
Kihachi Okamoto brings his usual cynicism to WWII.

December 2007: Mikogami Trilogy Box Set
Hope Animeigo fixed the combing!

January 2008: Big Bang Love, Juvenile A
Takashi Miike's gay prison arthouse film. Apparently as whacked as Izo. Can't wait.

February 2008: A Hardest Night!!
"A classy and refined Japanese comedy set in the world of Rakugo (Japanese Comic Storytelling) -- or at least, it would be if it weren't full of the raunchiest jokes you've ever heard or seen."

March 2008: Shinobi No Mono 2

April 2008: Shogun Assassin 4
Animeigo must be making a mint off these dubbed Lone Wolf and Cub movies.

May 2008: The Wolves
Hideo Gosha. Yes please.

June 2008: Revenge of Kabuki Actor
This is Kon Ichikawa's Revenge of an Actor, apparently not his best but it does star the beautiful Ayako Wakau.

July 2008: Shinobi No Mono 3

August 2008: Father of the Kamikaze
"This is the story of Admiral Onishi, known as the father of the Kamikaze missions -- and who, despite helping to plan the attack on Pearl Harbor, thought it was a mistake."

September 2008: Shogun Assassin 5

October 2008: The Ballad of Narayama (1983)
This is a fantastic film from Shohei Imamura. Nice job, Animeigo. (Wait, I better save the accolades until I see the print.)

November 2008: Shinobi No Mono 4

Lots to look forward to! Yay for being alive and liking Japanese movies.

Oh, and here's a PDF of upcoming releases with nifty pictures and such.

ExPats Need Online DVD Rentals Too

I just learned about ExPat Video, an online DVD rental site geared towards expats living in Japan. The film selection is pretty good, focusing on Japanese and other foreign films with English subtitles as well as arthouse fare and cult titles. Like Netflix and Greencine, the DVDs come to your house in the mail, and the site offers a number of different plans.

I know when I finally get my ass back to Japan, I'll be taking advantage of this site.

Guide To Buying Japanese DVDs

Way back in September 2006, when I first started this blog, I wrote a guide to buying and watching Japanese films on DVD. It covers everything from hacking your region 1 DVD player to buying region 2 and 3 DVDs online.

That was awhile ago so I thought I'd make some noise about it again:

Buying Japanese DVDs

*End shameless self-agrandizing now*

The Mysterians

Japanese Title: Chikyu Boeigun
AKA: Earth Defense Force
Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Kenji Sahara, Yumi Shirakawa, Momoko Kochi
Year Released: 1957
Genre: Sci-fi
See Also: Dogora, Gojira
Otaku Alert: Apparently the '60s band ? and the Mysterians named themselves after the movie.

Ishiro Honda was in top form in 1957. He had already helmed Gojira, Rodan, and Beast Man Snow Man, a sort of King Kong in the snow. For The Mysterians (or Chikyu Boeigun as it's known in Japan), the story of invading aliens and the resistance movement to stop them, it was decided that Toho would use its widescreen technology, TohoScope. This, combined with its fantastic color palette, makes for one beautiful (and fascinatingly deep) science fiction movie.

Strange natural phenomena plague the island of Honshu, culminating in the appearance of a giant robot, the Moguera. This bird-faced thing (which appears to be wearing samurai armor) trashes a village in the mountains, heralding the appearance of the Mysterians, a race of humanoids from the "Mysteroid," a belt of asteroids between Mars and Jupiter. Once a planet, it was destroyed by the aliens when they discovered atomic warfare. Now they want a small piece of Earth land on which to build a base, and some Japanese women to help repopulate their decimated race. Shocked faces and steely resistance ensues.

The Mysterians owes much to American science fiction movies of the time. Like The Day the Earth Stood Still and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, what masquerades as good ol' entertainment is actually an allegory for current events. This is strictly my interpretation of things, mind you, but from where I'm sitting, The Mysterians is an anti-American Occupation diatribe.

Breaking it down:
1) Men with advanced (read: atomic) technology land on the home islands and destroy civilian targets.
2) They want a small bit of land on which to build a base.
3) They want to breed with Japanese women, much as the American GI's did.
4) They want to take over Japan for themselves. America never wanted Japan's land, but our cultural influence was unmistakable.

Of course, the American Occupation was already over, but the aforementioned cultural takeover was ongoing. Also, the secret security treaty between Japan and America was still in place, and would be renewed in 1960, prompting a number of more overtly anti-American films to be made.

This is all conjecture on my part (much like my assertion that Gappa is about ugly American tourists). But hey, the best science fiction is often working on numerous levels. Or maybe it's just my white guilt.

Loyalty: Hachi-ko and The 47 Samurai

Title: Hachi-ko
Japanese Title: Hachiko Monogatari
Director: Seijiro Koyama
Actors: Tatsuya Nakadai, Masumi Harukawa, Hisashi Igawa
Year Released: 1987
Genre: Drama
See Also: Milo and Otis
Otaku Alert: Hachi-ko was nominated for best film at the 1988 Japanese Academy Awards but had to settle with the Genesis Award, which is given to films that contribute to the humane treatment of animals.
Availability Note: Import only.

Title: The 47 Samurai
Japanese Title: Genroku Chushingura
AKA: The Loyal 47 Samurai
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Actors: Chojuro Kawarasaki, Yoshizaburo Arashi, Kunitaro Kawarazaki
Year Released: 1941, 1942
Genre: Drama, Samurai
See Also: Chushingura, Swords of Vengeance
Otaku Alert: Chojuro Kawarasaki, who played Kuranosuke Oishi, also appeared in the classic Humanity and Paper Balloons.
Availability Note: Import only.

Loyalty, I would hazard, is a highly regarded virtue in Japan. From the bushido practice of unwavering fealty to one's lord, to the national adoration of one very devoted dog, loyalty is built into the cultural identity. As an ideal, it's certainly admirable, and yet it also has a darker side, as can been seen in World War II and the government's insistence on unquestioning loyalty to the emperor.

Hand-in-hand with loyalty is sacrifice, whether that be bodily or not. The former was exploited during the war, with young men expected to die en masse in the service of the emperor (and, by extension, the imperialistic goals of the government). The latter is just as important, for it forms the basis for the lord/vassal feudal system under which Japan was ruled for almost 300 years (and quite a bit longer before that under less strict guidelines). Certainly the adoption of Neo-Confuscianism as a justifying philosophy for the Tokugawa's social hierarchy contributed to the lasting power of loyalty, much as Calvinism still permeates American culture. It's not surprising, then, that two of Japan's most enduring, loyalty-based narratives should be made into film.

Hachi-ko, a movie about a dog, was a huge hit in 1987. This should not surprise anyone who's ever been to Japan and noticed the ubiquity of dogs as companions. Like Milo and Otis (yes, a Japanese film), Hachi-ko is largely animal-centered. However, although kids may enjoy it, it is decidedly a film for adults.

Hachi-ko, a pure-bred Akita, is given as a present to Ueno (Tatsuya Nakadai), a college professor who is at first cool about having another dog after the previous one passed away. As Hachi-ko grows and no one is found to adopt him, the professor takes to him like a child would, doting on him so much that his wife begins to get jealous. Wikipedia states that Akitas are known for their loyalty, and Hachi is nothing if not loyal. He follows his master to Shibuya train station every morning, and then trots back to meet him at the end of the day. If you're at all familiar with the story, you know that the professor dies one day while at work. Hachi-ko then devotes his life to waiting outside the station for his master, who of course never returns.

You don't have to be Japanese to be moved by Hachi-ko's single-minded devotion, and thankfully the movie avoids being overly sentimental—the story is moving enough as it is, aided by the always stellar acting of Nakadai. The only real "big moment" is when Hachi and Ueno are reunited in the afterlife, fresh cherry blossoms falling as they embrace. Cheesy, yes, but I cry every time I see it.

Hachi became something of a celebrity while he was alive, with newspaper articles detailing his vigil. After he died, a statue was erected in front of the station, positioned so Hachi is forever watching the station entrance. The statue is a favorite Shibuya meeting spot, and Hachi is often decorated to suit the seasons. His legend remains alive.

Also alive is the legend of the loyal 47 ronin, a story so soaked in myth and yet so remarkably present in Japanese culture, it's difficult to approach it in any length that doesn't approach book proportions. But I will try:

The year was 1701. Asano Takuminokami, the feudal lord of Ako, was preparing to welcome the imperial envoys to the shogun's castle for their annual visit. Asano was part of the official greeting committee, headed by Kira Kozukenosuke, a man of little virtue and, if the many plays and movies based on the following events are to be trusted, great vice, chief among them a desire to be bribed.

Asano was a virtuous man who refused to give in to Kira's demands for payment, even when Kira withheld crucial greeting protocol information during the visit of the imperial envoys. Finally, unable to take it any longer, Asano drew his sword on Kira and cut his forehead and shoulder before being restrained. The punishment for drawing a sword in the shogun's castle is death, and Asano was summarily ordered to immediately commit seppuku, or harakiri, ritual disembowlment.

At the time, there was a provision in the law that specified equal punishment for all parties in a quarrel. While Asano nobly went to his death, Kira received no punishment. Asano's territories were to be confiscated by the shogun and his employees, his samurai cast into the street as ronin, masterless samurai.

It is common during circumstances such as these that the samurai of the fallen lord will choose to die defending their castle, thus joining their lord. Or they may commit seppuku as well. Asano's samurai, headed by chief retainer Oishi Kuranosuke, chose instead to plead for an amendment of the order and the reinstatement of the Asano house, with Asano's younger brother in the head position. When this failed, a second plan went into effect.

The retainers dispersed themselves around Edo, taking odd jobs and generally laying low. Oishi even disappeared into a brothel for two years to throw off the scent. Then, on December 14th, 1703, 47 of the former retainers made an attack on Kira's compound, claiming his head and avenging their lord.

The 47 loyal retainers marched through the snow-covered streets of Edo to Sengakuji Temple where their lord was buried and presented him with Kira's head. The 47 were ordered to commit seppuku and were buried with their master on the grounds of the temple.

Kenji Mizoguchi's version of the story of the 47 ronin, Genroku Chushingura, was released in two parts, in 1941 and 1942. Historical accounts differ, but there is no doubt that Mizoguchi was asked by the Japanese government to make a wartime version of the famous story, ostensibly to foster feelings of loyalty and sacrifice in the people.

I don't know what the government thought of the version Mizoguchi filmed, but, depending on how you look at, it can be seen as either a nationalistic parable or, more likely, a criticism of nationalistic behavior. Indeed, the version of the story used was written by a leftist, Seika Mayama, and the chief actors were members of a leftist theater troupe. It could be that their contribution to the film assuaged the government about their politics.

The history surrounding The 47 Ronin, as it's known in the US, is undoubtedly fascinating, but how does it fare as a film? Let's just say that if you're not a Mizoguchi fan, you may want to get your Chushingura fix elsewhere. This is not a samurai film, as the genre is understood in the West, despite the presence of many a samurai. It may be jidai geki but it is decidedly not a chanbara. Mizoguchi famously omitted the big raid sequence, the pay off for most samurai movie fans. What you have instead is a slow, inexorable crawl towards group suicide.

This is not a criticism—it's merely a description of the screenplay. The Chushingura story has been done more times than seems countable, on stage, on film, and on television. Each version chooses a slightly different focus, from Kenji Fukasaku's revenge-heavy Swords of Vengeance to the comedic Salaryman Chushingura, which places the action in the corporate world. Mizoguchi was not an action director. He preferred drama, and in The 47 Ronin, the drama takes center stage.

That being said, Mizoguchi also favored stories about women, and The 47 Ronin (as the title suggests) is about mostly men. It's telling that the few scenes involving women are the most vibrant in the two films' nearly 4 hours. Indeed, he gives the duty of recounting the raid, read from a letter, to Lady Asano, who imbues the telling with warmth, something lacking from all the stony-faced samurai.

Mizoguchi himself has remarked that he was practically forced to make the film, an indication of how he likely felt about it. It's certainly not the deepest of his films, nor the most emotionally resonant. But it's still a Mizoguchi film, and that's saying something.

Ultimately, if you like Mizoguchi, you'll find something to like here. The camera itself is a wonder, moving gracefully amidst the serious rituals, a feminine fluidity to contrast the masculine rigidity. But if what you want is samurai action, look elsewhere.