The Past is Your Friend

The future is your master.
The present is your enemy.
And the past is nothing but an old friend.

恋をしましょう

In line with their winter campaign centered around the theme of “恋”,the team at BEAMS have apparently came up with an app that allows you to find out if love has passed you by. Apparently, its a romance application that can bring you happiness and allow you to chase your destiny.

You can find out more about the application via their campaign web. 

So what are you waiting for? The whole world is waiting for you to fall in love!

Twelve Days of Christmas – 12. 青の炎

“My favorite things… My road racer. The world – as I see it from my road racer. Mom’s cooking. Haruka’s chubby face. Daimon’s lousy pictures. Oikawa’s jokes. The nude sketch of Noriko. Her dog – who talked in his sleep. I.W. Harper 101. Faye Wong singing in Mandarin. Zidane’s ball handling. Kusturica’s movies. Tom Waits’ voice. Crispy fried  bacon. Donuts without holes. Ice cream that doesn’t make your head hurt. Sea-turtle eggs. Cicadas singing quietly. Fullcolor pandas. Pockets with no bottom. Injections that don’t hurt. Completely empty toothpaste tubes…”

And so the movie ends with a requiem for doomed youth;  the protagonist calmly reading out a list of his favourite things via a tape recording as the audience slowly comes to terms with the traumatic end to the story. Yes, 青の炎(The Blue Flame) is exactly that type of movie, the kind that will break you if you take it too seriously.

The Blue Flame tells the story of Kushimori Shuichi, a high school student who meticulously plans for and eventually murders his abusive stepfather. Although it’s an interesting subject to tackle, the film is unfortunately ladened with idiosyncrasies that perhaps not many can appreciate. Adapted from a novel written by someone more famous for their work in fictionalized horror and shot with a cast of young teen idols, at face value, it really doesn’t promise to be anything more than airy-fairy fanservice. Plus, who needs another movie about troubled Japanese youths? But dig hard enough and you’ll be rewarded with your pot of gold. With its sweeping dialogue, beautiful cinematography and great acting (although overshadowed by his more famous hollywood debut, Letters of Iwo Jima, this is definitely Ninomiya Kazunari’s true magnum opus; his performance here is almost iron-clad), The Blue Flame is undoubtedly a buried treasure, just one that doesn’t come with a map.

So, let’s backtrack to the real world a bit as I work my way round the point I want to make.

As the year approaches its end, whether we like it or not, lists start springing out almost everywhere in various forms; “Movies of 2011″, “Best music tracks in 2011″ and “Top 10 Justin Bieber moments”, etc etc, you name it.

Why do we need so many lists? Why can’t one authority publish a list of everything on everyone’s behalf and save us all the trouble?

That’s because we like the idea that each list is unique. We like talking about the things we appreciate and we relish how such lists can define us and make us different. However, the irony is, in making one, we inevitably fall into the trap of “You are unique, just like everyone else”.

On the contrary, in the case of The Blue Flame, the movie doesn’t try to make the protagonist more unique by laying out a list of  the things he liked; If you are defined by the things you like, then the heartbreaking ending tells us that Shuichi was merely an ordinary kid trapped in difficult circumstances. Out of a generation’s worth of upbringing that insists on the unique specialness of every single person, the film instead pays a weeping tribute to those who were denied a chance to be the same as the rest. It also brings to light a fundamental truth that deep down, nobody wants to be that different.

(Love how the movie starts and ends off with Pink Floyd)

Anyway, I’m sure that the badly burnt Albanian boy (see previous post) can relate to this.

On an ending note, I wish that in 2012,  I’ll be in the company of even better literature, film and music. And so will you.

Twelve Days of Christmas – 11. Monster Movies

There’s nothing that I love more than indulging myself in a 8hour42minutes&23second monster movie marathon. Because I love being specific and because I love monster movies. Plus, who can forget my favourite, Albi the Racist Dragon:

Twelve Days of Christmas – 10. Maquillage Essence Rich White Liquid

Bought this in Tokyo a couple of months back. Though I just started using it, for the first time, I felt that I’ll never change for another foundation again. This is the only liquid foundation out there that I think truly fulfills the claim of coverage that feels like its barely there. Every time after I use it, I feel super-freaking happy, in my head (seriously, in my head only) it’s like a Hannah Montana! transformation, from old hag to SUPERSTAR YOZ!! TOTALLY!

But the truth is, Shiina Ringo can sell me anything, even fertilizer if she endorses it.

Twelve Days of Christmas – 9. Switching Murakami

Although I’m a big fan of Murakami’s work, as a female reader, I am often left disturbed and a little unsatisfied by his famous female characters. Sometimes they are too quirky, too effervescent or too fragile, most times they are highly objectified, completely intangible beings that exist just outside the plane of reality. They neither progress nor develop throughout the story, always remaining the same; like dots scattered across the narrative, they are akin to dolls whose only purpose for existence is to satisfy some kind of male fetish.

The male characters on the other hand, always start out as a bland conduit through which the reader can experience the story vicariously but is then sharpened up pretty nicely towards the end as a well-rounded (albeit broken) person capable of courage, fear and love; the male character is the moving line that ultimately connects the dots.

It’s a very nice balance and definitely one of the winning formulas behind the success of his literature but sometimes when I read his books, I have a more enjoyable time if I do a little switch-up: I often re-imagine his female characters as male characters and his male characters as the female. For example, as I am reading 1Q84 now, I always think of Aomame as the male lead and Tengo as the female lead. Somehow it makes more sense to me that way. Just try it too if you wanna know if it works for you.

Or if you are too lazy, I suggest you just go read Yoko Ogawa.

(P.S. If 1Q84 ever gets made into a movie, I DO NOT WANT RINKO KIKUCHI TO ACT AS AOMAME… she is just too damn irritating in my opinion.)

Twelve Days of Christmas – 8. Bananaman (Japanese Comedy Duo)

If looks could kill….

Twelve Days of Christmas – 07. FML

Because it is the perfect way to end any sentence. Add it to the end of anything and it totally changes the game.

A: I just completed level. 55 of Farmville.
B:  I just completed level. 55 of Farmville. FML.

(See, “FML” makes person B sound so much more well adjusted than person A)

Last but not least, I would just like to thank Kristen Juliet Soh (who is definitely one of the smartest people i know, and i don’t mean it in a joking way) for being the person who taught me the meaning of “FML”. Totally made me realize that FML has nothing to do with your mother, my mother, or anyone else’s mother for that matter.

Oh, it’s New Year’s Eve and I am blogging.

FML.

Shortest Short Story Online

Anyway, the point of the story is that my dog can drop-kick anyone in the stomach. Even Chuck Norris if he asked for it.

Twelve Days of Christmas – 6. Max Fischer

“I’m glad that you managed to pull it off.”
“At least nobody got hurt.”
“Except you.”
“Nah, I didn’t get hurt that bad.”