Well, today I woke up and planned to go to Yokohama, but when I got to the station I just couldn't bring myself to buy a ticket. All I wanted to do was sit down. I have been feeling tired for a while, as I mentioned before. So I decided to go to Yokohama tomorrow and go to the movies today.
So, David, Nick, Oliva and anyone else who is interested, I have now seen the Full Metal Alchemist Movie. Since I had my UC Davis ID on me at the time, I paid only 1500 yen. By the way, I think I know why movies in Japan are so expensive. Not only is all media expensive in Japan to begin with, and not only are property values high, but movie theaters here do not seem to sell much food. And there you have it.
So first, for those of you who have never heard of Full Metal Alchemist, allow me to explain. Set in a world remarkably similar to World War I era Germany, the story follows the journey of two brothers as they seek to regain the bodies they once possessed. This is my favorite anime series of all time for several reasons: its narrative is elaborate but nearly flawless, it has impeccable timing of dramatic moments, the characters are all interesting, it discuses philosophy but does not preach, and the dramatic revelations are unexpected but make sense. Even after basically burning out on anime, I was able to watch Full Metal Alchemist from beginning to end a second time with David.
The movie was not what I had hoped for, but was not bad. I thought there were enough lose ends at the end of the series that they could have taken the entire movie tying up. Instead, the movie introduced many new characters, and had a plot line that involved some of the loose ends but did not continue the plot of the series. But I cant say I am disappointed with the way it was done. It's not as good as the series, but it is not bad. Just perhaps a bit more mediocre than I hoped for. There were only a few things that actually disappointed me. I don't want to spoil anything, so if you have any specific questions, leave a comment.
When I left the theater I tried to figure out what to do for the rest of the day. I though about walking somewhere, but after wondering where I should walk to for 10 minutes I concluded that I really didn't want to walk anywhere. I thought about going to Yokohama again, but I realized I didn't feel like sitting on a train. In fact, all I wanted to do was go back to the hotel and sleep. So I did. And I needed it. I napped for 5 hours and only woke up when I felt the building shaking because of an earthquake.
Tomorrow I hope to have more energy. I would like to go to Kamakura and play in the ocean, but I don't know what the Kanji for Kamakura looks like, so it might be hard for me to find on the map. I would also like to stop by and say "hi" to all of the people I know there, but not having a phone, it might be hard to get a hold of them. I don't know whether or not just dropping by is polite, but I don't want to be rude and go to Kamakura but not say "Hi". Hmm. Maybe I'll just bring some fruit and leave a card at the door if no one is home.
IMPORTANT POSTSCRIPT
I just did the Kilograms to Pounds calculation and it doesn't look good. I think I know why I have no energy: I have lost 5 kilograms (~12 pounds) since the start of my trip, and I can't afford to gain that weight back at this point in time. I can only spend 6000 yen a day, and the hotel costs 4000.
4 comments:
So how did you understand the film? Did it have English subtitles? Has your Japanese gotten that good?
So, I didn't read that blog entry because it was long, but you're coming home soon. I hope that you are excited. I know I am. I miss you loads
Um, I could understand maybe 60% of the dialouge. The rest I had to infer from the actions of the characters. Full Metal Alchemist has VERY dificult dialouge in plot intensive parts, so I cannot tell you what happens with great accuracy.
I am excited to see you too Kira. Lets go out to lunch, your treat!
have you checked your e-mail
waiting for an answer
Post a Comment