Sunday, November 29, 2015

Millennium Actress Notes

Man, I just love Millennium Actress so, so, so much. I adore it with all my heart. And I was given the pleasure to write about the film in detail. So here is the link! As usual I have the notes below, it's a little more... well, it's just different, because I've seen this movie so many times. But I hope you enjoy them nonetheless.

The Link


Notes:
The movie starts with Chiyoko determined to fulfill her goal
Immediately we get the merging of reality theme, with the rocket lift off and earthquake paralleling.
This intro is simply amazing
Examine the intro scene (rewind)
This funny moment also reveals Genya's passion and loyalty to her
In the tea scene, it's clear that Genya is just as taken with Chiyoko as she is with Painter
"The Key to the most important thing there is."
Three interpretations of the Key.
  1. Painter = Creativity
  2. Chiyoko = Her search
  3. Us = This movie
The editing is so fluid!
"What are we shooting?" Ida is our proxy
The music is so damn good
"I wanna know who that guy is!" Genya's obsession is revealed
"Peace will come to my homeland" Is Painter Chinese?
Penultimate moon means hope.
Genya catches the hat, he's interacting with more of the story, more invested
The initial chase to the train station is representative of her life-long search
"When did this become a movie!?" This is when things get screwy
Genya is playing along with Chiyoko
Chiyoko is now interacting with Genya, he's fallen further down the rabbit hole
Otaki takes the key, just like he removes Chiyoko from the search
Millennium Actress is really Genya's finished documentary
Ako makes like of the search now, just like later
"Just be the character" Chiyoko takes this a little too seriously
Love Ako in the background and the Teller's glance toward her
"I wish I were that dog."
Genya saves Chiyoko 1
"I've been asking that question all day!" Still our proxy
Genya saves Chiyoko 2
Ida is our comic relief too
He's already dead, such foreshadowing
"He awaits you there" Proof that Chiyoko continues her search after death
"One day you will understand." Hmm?
Genya saves Chiyoko 3
Perhaps Millennium Actress is really a collection of love stories, of which Chiyoko's is only similar. Samurai Chiyoko is the earliest chronologically, to perhaps Chiyoko is a proxy for the relationship. Tea of Life causes this relationship to be forever played out, even after Chiyoko's death (Genya as Chiyoko)
Soldier with gun is the policeman
Genya saves Chiyoko 4
Love this scene
The editing in the circle fight scene imitates similar movies
Genya saves Chiyoko 5
This is hilarious
Just in case you didn't realize Genya loves Chiyoko
This scene is awesome
Genya saves Chiyoko 6
"Chiyoko I-" "Need to pay attention" I love this line
Millennium Actress is the story of unrequited love, that's why we never see the painter's face
Genya saves Chiyoko 7
This is hilarious
Love this montage
Genya saves Chiyoko 8
Grave of Fireflies reference
Painter's scarf is red, red signifies passion and love
Chiyoko can't die, the old hag won't let her
Genya saves Chiyoko 9
The maid's glance at Chiyoko "Doctor's think old people are always sick" Hmm?
Godzilla reference 1
Genya's secret is out!
After the story was interrupted, it takes a while for Genya to become fully involved again
"We're looking for Chiyoko's key!" I love this moment
This scene is really depressing
"You went off an got married" Love the hesitation
Chiyoko is 46 when she finds the key again.
Chiyoko is wearing a red scarf like the painter!
"Look, the full moon!" This is Chiyoko's last chance.
The hag in the woods. Hmm?
Genya saves Chiyoko 10
Godzilla reference 2
We find ourselves at the beginning, but with Genya instead of a random guy
Genya saves Chiyoko 11
The hag has Chiyoko's mole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Genya saves Chiyoko 12
Chiyoko is torturing herself! She's continuing on this unsatisfactory journey!
Love the non-verbal storytelling here, we know exactly what the doctor told him, but he never spoke a word, we didn't even see their faces.
"After all, it's the chase I really love."
Chiyoko had to realize her satisfaction came not from when she finds the painter, but in the journey.
The Space station looks like a lotus!

Chiyoko was born on September 1st, 1923

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Glass Mask Episode 4

Man, I just love this show so much. This is one of the... lesser episodes. With Episode 3 and 5 far surpassing it, but this episode is still so good.

As always I have my notes below and a link to the full article right here. I didn't take as many notes as usual, I was sucked into the episode, so the real meat of my thoughts are in the article linked earlier.

Notes:

Narrator proves that Ayumi earned her fame

Ayumi must love rivalries, even starting a rivalry with her own mother

Hayami's goals are not his own

Hayami proves my point last week about Hayami getting Maya when he had the chance

Tsukikage is testing her determination, good thing for Maya that's her biggest quality.

"Talent means believing in yourself"

Yeah, left that venomous woman.

Sayaka is pretty mean in the beginning


"A talentless girl like you can never become an actress" Maya's mom is emotionally abusive.

That slap was a wonderful action

That kettle representative of the intense situation, but then it becomes part of it.

Maya's mom should have been slapped again

Maya's mom got over that quickly

Tsukikage is forcing Maya to fully invest in her future

You gotta love Ayumi's ambition

Sakurako-san Episode 7

So I've been covering this show for MonkeysFightingRobots. I was really hoping it was going to be a good show, it seemed promising. But... well I wasn't very enthralled with it. Now it's just a chore I have to get through. This episode didn't help anything, I actually had hope for it, but Sakurako-san decided to crush that hope... I hate this show. But, here are some notes I took while watching it. Just in case you've seen the episode as well. If you'd like to read my elaborated thoughts, check out my article right here.

Notes:
PREDICTION: Two parter is about the teacher introduced in the previous episode.
A school festival episode, yay... /s
Butlers and maids for a pancake shop?
Ten years ago? But none of those students were there when it was an All-girls school, I don't see how that should affect their assertiveness.
Why would Shoutaro be interested in the forearm? That's random.
PREDICTION CORRECT! Wow... I must be Nostradamus or something!
"It was to teach other how they support and move the body!" But bones don't move the bodies, that's the muscles.
Sakurako's character feels way to all over the place. Like this whole cake thing.
Where did the laptop come from? Sakurako didn't bring it.
Obvious parallel to to Sakurako is obvious.
Why is this being so demonized? If I had a pet I loved that's how I would immortalize it.
Shouldn't his class be pissed that he totally ditched them?
But being different people isn't a bad thing at all, quite the contrary.
AAAND Sakurako can pick locks... of course she can.
You'd think the police would be A LOT more suspicious of Sakurako considering how often she's found corpses.
Well, this episode isn't really developing that teacher dude.
Ok, you are WAY too sensitive, Shoutaro.
I'll bet you $50 Sakurako took the cat bones.
ooh, Sakurako Hawking
Looks like Sakurako's personal vice will be dealt with.
For a show "Dedicated for those stuck in the past" this show is pretty sentimental.
Woah, I never noticed that the ending is Sakurako groping bones while naked herself... that's really creepy.
Is Sakurako a Necrophiliac???

Friday, November 13, 2015

Welcome to Glass Maskian

Welcome to Glass Maskian, a site dedicated to just how amazing the Glass Mask Franchise is. Right now I'm writing a weekly episode recap on the 2005 adaptation. Unfortunately, you won't find these here (at another site) but you can find my notes taken while watching and any additional thoughts that don't make it into the article! You can expect at least one article a week for the next year or so.

I don't have any notes for episodes 1 and 2, but 3 and on I'll have covered, and maybe I'll take notes on episode 1 and 2 after if I feel so inclined!

If you are a fan of Glass Mask, please join. If you don't know what Glass Mask is... You will love me. Just read this article right here. Follow the link in at the bottom, and fall in love with this show just like I did! It's a great show, and you will thank me for showing it to you.

I might write about some other things too, but the major focus is on Glass Mask. Hence the name.