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anotheryojimbo · 5 years ago

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“Time of Eve” Movie Review

For my intercultural assignment, I have decided to review the animated film “Time of Eve”.

The main premise of this animated feature is that in the near future, Robots are implemented into human society and created to assist individuals in their daily lives. The robots follow the three laws of robotics: Robots are not to hurt humans, are to follow orders, and to preserve their existence (as long as it does not compromise the first two rules. The current model of robots look nearly Identical to humans, except their mannerisms and tone of speaking is both superficial and stoic.

Along with this, Robots have a noticeable holographic ring above their head (indicating a state of activity and a visual to see if the robot is properly programmed) Our main character, Rikuo Sakisaka (a high school student), is generally uncomfortable around robots. This is more emphasized when his family purchases a robot servant by the name of “Sammy”. During the day, Sammy performs basic tasks (such as cooking, cleaning etc.) and behaves in a manner as you would expect from a robot. One day however, Rikuo notices a robot acting out of place and he and his close friend, Masakazu Masaki, decided to follow the robot to investigate the weird behavior. Eventually, the Robot goes into an unmarked alley and proceeds into a building. Rikuo and Masakazu reluctantly followed after and discovered an unusual location: A small cafe known as “The Time of Eve”.

Inside this cafe, robots do not display their holographic ring and act as though they are human. The general rule of the bar is that humans and robots are not to give away which is which; no discrimination and everyone is welcomed.

The two protagonists are, at first very confused and flabbergasted. However, as time goes on, they’ve learn to respect the bar’s rules and often would forget that they were more likely talking to robots, rather than humans.

While this is going on, Rikuo slowly tries to understand Sammy and learns not to prejudice or rude to her, Masakazu is dealing with own personal biases and issues with robots, since his family robot (who he saw as his best friend) stopped speaking to him abruptly when he was a kid. While all of this is going on, the government has noticed their has been numerous disturbances in which robots have gone rogue (due to them visiting “The Time of Eve”).

Tonally speaking, this film’s art direction makes you think this is going to be a sci-fi film about the dangers of robots; the composition and color theory implies that there is a slight uneasiness to the composition. However, the film is very much aware of this and the exact opposite occurs; this film is incredibly wholesome.

For the sake of clarity, The way Japanese portray robots and functionalism is the complete opposite of how america portrays them. In films like “I-robot” or “Terminator”, it highlights the potential dangers of robots becoming either self-aware or sapient. However most Japanese medium will show robotics in a positive light. “Time of Eve” is the epitome of this sort of human, technology relationship, since it presents the idea that Robots could coexist with humans, with ease.

In the films lore however, the government has experienced previous events of robot uprisings, due to the lack of restraint (hence the three laws). This is more implied than directly shown but its also not the focus of the film. The main characters themselves are not necessarily the focus either; they are more like a catalyst for the audience, so that the robot characters can be introduced. All of the side characters (whom are robots) have various reasons why they go to the cafe and each of them have had dramatically different experiences with human relationships (ranging from escorting government officials to simply being a bag holder for a high-school student).

Ironically enough, the robots, in this film tend to have more personality than the human characters. This is mostly because of the premise of the film of course (you could also argue that, lore wise, they express more because they repressed most of the time).

Overall though, this film was very fascinating to watch and I definitely recommend it if you are into robots or if you want to watch it as a juxtaposition to western films about robots.

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anotheryojimbo · 5 years ago

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Interview with Study Abroad Colleague

Japan, as a whole, appears to have a set of universal customs and social expectations, throughout each of its regions. However, for the sake of getting as much information about the prefecture I will be staying in, I’ve decided to consult to a fellow colleague who has been to Japan Previously.

For more context about the region I am staying in, Iwate is located in the northern part of Japan’s main island; Iwate University is located in a city known as Morioka (the city itself is roughly between Aomori and Sendai. Morioka itself has a fair balance of all four seasons; spring and summer are fairly rainy, fall has a sense of transience, and it does snow in the winter.

My colleague attended Iwate University and stayed in Morioka for an academic semester (about three to four months). She regards her experience as mostly positive and pleasant. The following below describes different aspects of her experience, and interactions within Morioka.

Firstly, she goes into details about her interactions with Japanese people and how they perceive foreigners. She felt as though she stood out, since cultural diversity is not as prevalent in Japan, as it is in the US. I can personally relate to this since I also stood out on my trip to Kyoto, five years before (mostly because of my mixed ethnicity. This isn’t stemmed from any form of bigotry; simply, Japan’s popularity is primarily Japanese individuals so individuals of color, like myself and my colleague, are guaranteed to stand out). This however didn’t affect her experience and she said that everyone was very hospitable and polite to her. She describes that Japanese individual tend to be more patient and helpful to foreigner, since they may not be too familiar with social customs.

Another thing my colleague has mentioned, is that the Japanese language comprises of a lot of nuances and dialects that are essential for speaking to certain individuals. For example: when speaking to a friend, you would a speaking style known as “Kudaketa” (casual style). However, if you are speaking to a teacher, mentor, or someone older than yourself or in a higher social/political position as yourself, it is more appropriate to speak in “Teinei” (polite) or “Keigo” (honorific). She also mentioned that, depending on the age of the individual, they may speak in an older dialect of Japanese, where some words are not translated as literal as others (making it slightly more difficult to understand).

In Iwate specifically, she described to me that it would be best for someone visiting the prefecture, to have some knowledge or understanding of Japanese, since most people in Iwate may not understand English. For comparison sake, cities like Tokyo and Kyoto have more English-speaking Japanese individuals, since both cities are very popular tourist/ academic sites for foreigners that speak English. However, Iwate is a city that is a fair distance from both Kyoto and Tokyo, and have less foreigners visiting. Therefore, outside of a business center or universities, there are not many English-speaking natives.

My colleague also described to me, that Japan’s perception of the US and its citizens are very much indifferent. Most Japanese individuals view foreigners as kind of a singular category; a foreigner is simply just a foreigner. However, this does not mean that they are not hospitable (quite the opposite). If you were to talk about your native country, with a Japanese person, they are more likely than not just be curious and would like to know more. As from a political/social perspective, my colleague told me that Japan relies on the media to inform them on foreign affairs. This in turn can potentially cause stereotypes to form, but it is seldomly out of malicious intent. Ultimately, the opinion on foreigners is always different, from person to person.

She also informed me that Japan has a set of universal/unspoken rules, when it comes to social activity. For example, talking on your phone, while walking, is considered incredibly rude and is a form of noise pollution. This also applies to talking on the bus and being too loud inside of a store. Essentially, silence is very much appreciated in Japanese culture. This even applies to watching a film, in a movie theatre; she described that when a film is playing, the people in the theater are nearly dead silent. No one is even whispering at all, throughout the film.

Another cultural rule, which is similar to the former, is that it is considered rude to eat while walking about. There is an exception to this, however. Whenever there is a festival, then this rule does not apply since there are numerous food vendors and it is a time of fellowship and joy.

Inside of a home or interior settlement, she said you are expected to leave your umbrella (if you have one) at the foyer and you need to take off your shoes before entering the main part of the house or building. This is most commonly done in households, schools, martial arts dojo, etc.

There are also a set of universal cultural etiquette that are similar to western social etiquette. An example would be giving your seat up, on a bus, for an elderly or pregnant person. Another is to be respectful of someone who is older than you or who has a higher social role than yourself (such as a manager or political leader). Some social etiquette are quite contrasting, however. My colleague mentioned that you are not supposed to give change or money to a cashier directly. Rather, you are supposed to place the money in the tray in front, otherwise they will not accept the payment. Another example is that it is considered rude to tip a waiter or waitress, in a Japanese restaurant. There is also a zero tolerance policy, when it comes to foreigners; if you do anything that is illegal, then they send you back to your home country.

Another interesting part of Japanese culture, my colleague described, was how they dispose of waste and recyclables. Instead of everything being collected and sorted for one trash/ recycling day (like here in the US), there are different days for different types of waste. There are certain days where only burnable waste will be picked up, certain days for plastic recyclables, etc. She also mentioned that the trash bags also had be somewhat transparent, otherwise the waste or recyclables would not be collected. This is simply because if they were in a non-transparent bag, then the collector can not distinguish what may be inside said bag.

Academically speaking, my colleague said that Japanese schools (from her experience) had a fairly moderate school load. Almost every day she had classes, but she also said that she had plenty of free time to prepare and do the homework for said classes. She did however say that if you are not as proficient in speaking Japanese, then you may not have the opportunity to attend certain classes, since some classes and curriculum comprise of mostly native students or foreigners in the advance stages of Japanese learning.

My colleagues biggest struggle with her study abroad experience was the isolation from familiarity. She missed her family and friends and felt as though she was alone. However, she was able to converse with her family weekly (via phone calls) so there were work some arounds. She also advised to not have high expectations for what type of experience you may have. Often times, when studying abroad, personal goals or plans may change drastically. This can result into acute disappointment or frustration. Therefore, it is important to adapt to change and to enjoy the present moment of the experience.

She also mentioned that clothing is also a very important social etiquette. What Americans consider “formal” is sometimes not enough in a business, or special event. Therefore, it is best to have a suit or superficial clothing on standby, for the occasional meeting or important circumstance.

Temperature wise, my colleague stayed at Morioka during the spring and early summer. She mentioned that there was a lot of rain in the spring and during the summer, there was no air conditioning in her dorm. She also said that her friend stayed during the fall and winter and snow is frequent. Not only this but there is no one who clears the snow away, during the academic semester. Therefore, it is best to bring various types of clothing to help yourself to adapt to the different temperatures and precipitation statuses.

Overall, it sounds as though my colleague enjoyed her stay at Morioka Japan. I have spoken to her on the subject previously and she recommends that if you are not too familiar with Japanese or Japanese cultural etiquette, it is best to visit somewhere like Tokyo or Kyoto first. She also said that in Iwate, it is very easy to feel isolated due to the lack of English speakers. However, she also said that Iwate is great for an immersive experience and language learning, since you are forced to adapt and learn the language as you go.

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anotheryojimbo · 5 years ago

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Momofuku Ando

Here is a Time-line (test) for my intercultural seminar class. https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1xM8wS1UA-_9oIdqxSjeYlq_cy2VlMBtDiDak_PdwYSw&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=650

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anotheryojimbo · 5 years ago

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Wagakki Band and Anoice

I feel a bit torn, when it comes to this current intercultural study assignment. Currently, there are two Japanese music groups whom I love equally but for different reasons. The first one is Wagakki band, a hybrid/ folk rock group comprising of both modern rock instruments (such as the electric guitar and drum set) and traditional Japanese Instruments (the Shamisen, Shakuhachi Flute, and the Koto).

This group specializes in making very energetic compositions that masterfully adapts and blends the more minimalistic Japanese instruments to the modern flow and rhythm of alternative rock. My personal favorite songs from them are “Ignite” and their cover of “Senbonzakura” (originally composed through Vocaloid). Their visual aesthetics perfectly reflect the type of hybrid genre the group has created; the clothing and cosmetics of the band is a wonderful blend of traditional Japanese clothing and modern, streamline apparel.

The second group is known as Anoice: a neo-classical rock group that focuses on creating atmospheric pieces, that have a more somber and melancholy feel to them. Anoice specializes in creating sorrowful and immersive classical pieces, which have a very other-worldly, ethereal feel to them. Conversely, they also specialize in making very intense classical-rock pieces that are invigorating but also calming at the same time. The music seldom feels like “music” but more like a gateway to another world.

This group also has a branch to it by the name of “Films”. Films focuses more on vocalization and harmonizing but what really fascinates me is that the vocalists made up their own language, for the sake of this sub-group. I personally recommend the albums “Ruined Hotel Sessions” and “Ghost in the Clocks” by Anoice. However I also recommend giving “A forbidden Garden”, by Films, a listen.

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