Current Events > Just watched Lost In Translation

(+) Yeah! (+)

It's a great looking film, no doubt. Just disliked how the japanese are mostly portrayed as weirdos and the general "Japan is so quirky/weird" vibe of the film. Japan in the film just ends up feeling like scenery for the white main characters plot, which is unfortunate.

cousinvini posted...

It's a great looking film, no doubt. Just disliked how the japanese are mostly portrayed as weirdos and the general "Japan is so quirky/weird" vibe of the film. Japan in the film just ends up feeling like scenery for the white main characters plot, which is unfortunate.

Eh. Im not sure thats it. Its about being a stranger in a strange land. The main characters dont know Japanese or much about the culture so they feel alienated while going through some life shit.

Maybe I need to rewatch it, but I dont think theyre doing the hurr durr Japan weird stuff. Its more about culture clash and lack of proper translation (hence the title). I think the Japanese in this movie are quirky/weird is as innocuous as assuming Murica is all hamburgers and guns. Its not too harmful, just reflecting on how poor stereotypes are at representing cultures.

FYI, I lived in Japan and Im from bumfuck nowhere Appalachia. I have been around this stuff.

All I know is that if you are in Tokyo and bored, then you're doing something wrong.

I really disliked this movie.

joaquintall posted...

All I know is that if you are in Tokyo and bored, then you're doing something wrong.

I really disliked this movie.

Because the two main characters aren't having fun in Tokyo?

FYI Tokyo sucks ass. Maybe its neat if thats the only place youve been to in Japan, but every other big city is much more charming and isnt full of assholes.

Yeah I enjoyed it but there's definitely a real unintended undercurrent of racism in the movie. The main characters keep getting frustrated with the Japanese for being Japanese over and over again, when really they're getting frustrated because they're depressed and can't allow themselves to have fun. Someone going for a few weeks or to do a paid junket wouldn't feel frustrated all the time. Someone living there for 10 years would but it would be over other stuff. They wouldn't get frustrated about fire alarms and food and alarm clocks, they'd get frustrated about crowds and miscommunication and work culture.

Sundercles posted...

FYI Tokyo sucks ass. Maybe its neat if thats the only place youve been to in Japan, but every other big city is much more charming and isnt full of assholes.

I think thats kind of a crazy claim. Not that there arent other great places to go in Japan or whatever, but if you cant have a good time in Tokyo, the problem is probably you.

Sundercles posted...

FYI Tokyo sucks ass. Maybe its neat if thats the only place youve been to in Japan, but every other big city is much more charming and isnt full of assholes.

I've lived here 8 years and been to Tokyo many, many times (was just there last weekend with my family). I have a great time every time I go there. And I like it more than Osaka or Nagoya (not sure what else you count as a bit city). I enjoy living in the middle of nowhere, but Tokyo is awesome.

Glob posted...

I think thats kind of a crazy claim. Not that there arent other great places to go in Japan or whatever, but if you cant have a good time in Tokyo, the problem is probably you.

Its just little things. In other prefectures I could ask for directions and get a lot of help even though Im a huge white guy. In Tokyo my Japanese friend was ignored for asking for directions.

ssjevot posted...

I've lived here 8 years and been to Tokyo many, many times (was just there last weekend with my family). I have a great time every time I go there. And I like it more than Osaka or Nagoya (not sure what else you count as a bit city). I enjoy living in the middle of nowhere, but Tokyo is awesome.

Thats pretty cool. But just from my own experience Nagoya is the best. Living in the middle of nowhere is better, but Nagoya is probably best after that. Its been like 20 years since I lived there though.

Sundercles posted...

Thats pretty cool. But just from my own experience Nagoya is the best. Living in the middle of nowhere is better, but Nagoya is probably best after that. Its been like 20 years since I lived there though.

Japanese people routinely rank Nagoya the worst or near the worst city in Japan. Even people in Nagoya think it's bad. My wife also used to live there so we have a lot of experience with it. I would never rank it above Tokyo or Osaka.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20161122/p2a/00m/0na/004000c

joaquintall posted...

All I know is that if you are in Tokyo and bored, then you're doing something wrong.

I really disliked this movie.

it's called "depression" that's the point.

ssjevot posted...

Japanese people routinely rank Nagoya the worst or near the worst city in Japan. Even people in Nagoya think it's bad. My wife also used to live there so we have a lot of experience with it. I would never rank it above Tokyo or Osaka.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20161122/p2a/00m/0na/004000c

what is nagoya famous for

having nothing famous

_____Cait posted...

what is nagoya famous for

having nothing famous

You ever see the samurai performance at Nagoya castle? They do a joke where they ask Tokugawa what Nagoya's meibutsu is and he responds Taiwan Ramen.

ssjevot posted...

Japanese people routinely rank Nagoya the worst or near the worst city in Japan. Even people in Nagoya think it's bad. My wife also used to live there so we have a lot of experience with it. I would never rank it above Tokyo or Osaka.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20161122/p2a/00m/0na/004000c

Wow. Thats news to me. Again, its been awhile since I lived there but Nagoya was awesome back then. Everyone was friendly and you could find bars dedicated to ANY sport. I became a fan of Australian rules football because of the culture around there. Im not Aussie, the Japanese werent Aussie, but we all loved watching some Aussie football.

I also played Magic there and found some obscure robot models. Nagoya was good to me.

Sundercles posted...

Wow. Thats news to me. Again, its been awhile since I lived there but Nagoya was awesome back then. Everyone was friendly and you could find bars dedicated to ANY sport. I became a fan of Australian rules football because of the culture around there. Im not Aussie, the Japanese werent Aussie, but we all loved watching some Aussie football.

I also played Magic there and found some obscure robot models. Nagoya was good to me.

EDIT: Hell, I even got jobs there. I was a model, did some translation work, and even did some voice over work.

On a kind of related note, Gaelic football is very popular in Hanoi.

ssjevot posted...

You ever see the samurai performance at Nagoya castle? They do a joke where they ask Tokugawa what Nagoya's meibutsu is and he responds Taiwan Ramen.

The one thing I actually like about Nagoya is that it has a lot of variety in food and actual Mexican places, while not being crazy big like Tokyo or a tourist cesspool like Kyoto.

Sundercles posted...

Eh. Im not sure thats it. Its about being a stranger in a strange land. The main characters dont know Japanese or much about the culture so they feel alienated while going through some life shit.

This