Various, but all involving Japanese cultural products

[dangermousie]

We actually went to a kabuki performance last week and it was fascinating. There were two plays, a historical one and a comedy. I preferred the comedy as I don't speak Japanese so the long dialogues in the historical one (about Yoshitsune and Benkei's escape, called 'Subscription List') obviously went over my head. I laughed my head off at the comedy one though, called 'Substitute' about a young lord with an overbearing wife who attempts to sneak off to visit his mistress.

It was very cool, and the Ambassador of Japan was apparently in the audience (since I have no idea what he looks like, I didn't spot him, but that is what they announced. In general, I don't think I have seen as many Japanese people since we returned from Japan!) and at the end the troupe got a standing ovation. The liner notes said the current head of the family/troupe is [balnks on the name, too lazy to look up] XVIII, and that this family has been doing it for 400 years. Whoa.

Here is more Brand uploads. Just join with HJSplit:

Brand eps 2-3, part 1:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OQ6GCF7D
Brand eps 2-3, part 2:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=F82TB8R7
Brand eps 2-3, part 3:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A3ERLR47


I have decided Kanzaki is my jdrama boyfriend. He is well-adjusted and a good person, but with sarcasm and inner angst. Plus, he has the most adorable grin ever. Yay. Also, not being a JE boy he: a. weighs more than an undernourished chicken and b. does not look like a girl (I like JE boy dramas, I do, but serously...)

Also, only in jdrama would a tea ceremony be fraught with dramatic angst. Heh.

Can't say I care for Kanzaki's father. And I am sure he is going to hit the roof when he finds out his son has fallen for a woman ten years older than him and one who's only seen a tea ceremony on television before. But then, hey, cranky old guy, look at it this way. He could have gone for a woman like me, who drinks her tea out of a teabag. *Watches the old grinch keel over*

In other news, hit the bookstores yesterday and bought two new (to me) mangas: Juvenile Orion which looked fun and had really cool art and is only 5 volumes and Backstage prince, which is cute but I mainly bought because it's a manga about kabuki (!!!)

Oh, and I am also reading the next Thursday Next novel. And finishing up Otogi Zoshi anime. I sort of lost interest in the latter, but Mr. Mousie likes it, and once we are done, it's on to finishing Blood +, which is a lot more my thing.

Comments

[lilithiasonata.livejournal.com]

After actually reading Backstage Prince myself, I want to see a kabuki performance!!

[kitsune714.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the uploads, Mousie! Isn't kabuki fun? I saw a show when I was in Tokyo (I refused to use the English language translation ear phone thingies) and had a blast.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Juvenile Orion and Backstage Prince are both enjoyable, but neither is amazing or incredibly memorable. And they're also short. BP focuses a fair bit on Kabuki(also the main reason I got it) And, as you said, they're both very, very short.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they are cute lunchtime reading, which is basically all I wanted.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It was totally neat, loved it! Have fun with the uploads...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It was totally fun when I went. They do tour sometimes, so you never know...

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

yup, all I expected of them, myself. I kept thinking, though, that I'd like Backstage Prince more as a dorama.

I'm invested in enough epics of one variety or another that the occasional short manga is a blessing. Actually, I've been having a lot of luck with shorter manga lately.

[lilithiasonata.livejournal.com]

Not to Australia I imagine! :(