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General

The Animatrix

I just watched THE ANIMATRIX, which is to be released on DVD in June. There are 9 episodes, all directed by Japanese directors (except for 2 of them, one by Peter Chung of AEON FLUX fame, and another by the studio that did the FINAL FANTASY CG film), and they were all excellent. If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be BEYOND by Koji Morimoto, who I think was one of the animation directors on the AKIRA film. It’s the only short that takes place in Japan (and you even get to see one those construction signs that I blogged about a few entries ago), and there’s just something about the animation, perspectives and environments that I really enjoyed. But that being said, all of the shorts were really terrific and they just made me want to see the soon to be released live-action sequels even more.

I’ve mentioned it before, but let me just remind you that you can watch 4 of the episodes online here.

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General

www.jeansnow.net

If you were not able to view the site earlier today, it was because of some server problem which is now fixed. For some reason, the site could be accessed with “jeansnow.net” but not “www.jeansnow.net”. I hadn’t noticed at first because my favorites link doesn’t use the “www”, but I got a few emails from people telling me that the site was just giving them a 404 error page. Contacted my provider and everything is OK now. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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General

Under Construction

I’ve always had a fascination for construction signs in Japan. The linked site is just full of them. Pictured above is one of my favorites: the construction worker with the shakes (actually, it’s because he’s bowing so much).

Categories
TB.Grafico

Tractor

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A blue tractor.

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General

Hideki Kaji

My wife is going to be very, very happy next week as her favorite singer in the whole wide world, Hideki Kaji, is releasing a new single, “Fantastic Game.” I’m also looking forward to it as I also have a soft spot for Kaji-kun’s infectious pop singles.

Another thing that intrigues me is that the single is being released on the Felicity label, which seems to be the home of quite a few artists from Cornelius’ now defunct Trattoria label. My friend Patrick also just found a listing on the Tower Records Japan site for a Cornelius album called PM to be released in July on Felicity. I’m now wondering who owns Felicity.

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TB.Grafico

Koma

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A day out in the Japanese countryside.

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General

Battle Royale Cosplay

Only in Japan. The following site features costume play to the theme of the infamous ultra-violent BATTLE ROYALE film.

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General

Chihara Koh

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This Bitcha-Bitcha exhibition by Chihara Koh at the Gas Shop in Nakameguro sounds interesting. Here’s what REALTOKYO has to say about it:

The walls and the floor of the basement room are completely covered with drop art. For me personally, Chihara Koh is the most talented “outlaw” graphic designer in town. You won’t find here “pieces to decorate,” and rather than just space design, somehow it’s still a piece of graphic work. Intention or coincidence? Is this space environment or the artwork itself? And is it an act, or is it the result? The crushing strike of this incredible expressiveness makes me dizzy. The delicacy that accomplishes certain roughness and gives rise to complications, as well as the result’s defiant attitude toward the visitor — it’s all here in this room. The breaths of the trees along Meguro River mix with the air of the painted GAS basement for a perfect double punch.