あらしのよるに Arashi no Yoru Ni

Arashi no Yoru ni, or One Stormy Night, is a story book by Yuichi Kimura and Yuichi Kimura (illustrations). Following its success, many sequels came out and the first book was also made into a movie.

I saw the movie adaptation of One Stormy Night. I would first like to ask you.

Can a wolf and a sheep become friends?

In this story, the wolf and sheep packs have traditionally been at odds with one another. One hunts the other, this is not uncommon. However, one sheep named Mei meets a mystery character named Gabu one stormy night. Gabu is a wolf. Mei, not knowing that Gabu is a wolf befriends him. The two decide to meet again and their own pass code that helps identify one another is, "one stormy night." Gabu, however, as smelled Mei and knowing that she is a sheep, befriends her with the intention of eating her later one when they meet.

Gabu does not eat Mei. Instead, the two of them become true friends. So when the wolf pack comes to chase Mei, Gabu and Mei run away together. However, Gabu gets very hungry and Mei is willing to sacrifice herself to Gabu so that he can survive. What will happen?

Arashi no Yoru ni is a very moving story about the beautiful friendship between two living animals whom nature has created as enemies.

Top photos from: http://movie.naver.com/movie/bi/mi/photo.nhn?code=57278#ps

Last photo from: http://cafe.naver.com/more3.cafe?iframe_url=/ArticleRead.nhn%3Farticleid=2331

Ghibli Animation OST Part 3 - Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle is another Hayao Miyazaki film based on the book of the same name. However, the book and the movie are a bit different. The theme song from the movie is also very famous. It is called The Merry-Go-Round of Life. I really like this song. It fits the movie well and it has a very calming effect. When put together with the pictures, the feeling that you get is indescribable. I must say, the chemistry between Miyazaki's film and Joe Hisaishi's music is indescribable.

I noticed that the ending themes of most of Hayao Miyazaki's films have a very unique style when looking at the voices of the singers. Some people say that they sound too "old granny-ish." However, I find the voices very soothing and homely. The ending theme for Howl's Moving Castle is called The Promise of the World, or Sekai no Yakusoku (世界の約束).

Japanese Lyrics (Romanji)

Namida no oku ni yuragu hohoemi wa
Toki no hajime kara no sekai no yakusoku

Ima wa hitori demo futari no kinou kara
Kyou wa umarekirameku
Hajimete atta hi no youni

Omoide no uchi ni anata wa inai
Soyokaze to natte hoho ni furetekuru

Komorebi no gogo no wakare no ato mo
Keshite owaranai sekai no yakusoku

Ima wa hitori demo ashita wa kagirinai
Anata ga oshiete kureta
Yoru ni hisomu yasashisa

Omoide no uchi ni anata wa inai
Seseragi no uta ni kono sora no iro ni
Hana no kaori ni itsumademo ikite

Translated English Lyrics

Beyond these tears, my flickering smile

holds the promise of love from the beginning of time.

Even though I'm along now, with our yesterdays this day is born aglow

like the first time we spoke.

Somehow I lost you among all my memories.

You brush past my face softly as the breeze.

Though we slipped apart like sunlight through the leaves,

the promise of love will live on eternally.

Even though I'm alone now, my tomorrows are boundless

like the kindness you showed me hidden in the night.

Somehow I lost you among all my memories.

In a brook's gentle song, in the depth of the sky,

in a scent of a flower, you will live on eternally.

This is the actual ending scene of Howl's Moving Castle.

Ghibli Animation OST Part 1 - Laputa: Castle in the Sky

Studio Ghibli has released many of my favorite movies. The soundtrack incorporated into these movies is also phenomenal. I have yet to hear a melody that does not dazzle me, lyrics that do not make me smile. This week, I would like to upload some famous songs that play a big part in Ghibli's movies.

Part One -- The Castle in the Sky

Today I'll post the ending song of Laputa: The Castle in the Sky

Song: 君をのせて Kimi wo Nosete (Carrying You)

Composed by Joe Hisaishi (<-- incredible composer)

Performed by Inoue Azumi

Japanese Lyrics (Kanji)

あの地平線 輝くのは
どこかに君をかくしているから
たくさんの灯がなつかしいのは
あのどれかひとつに 君がいるから
さあ でかけよう ひときれのパン
ナイフ ランプ かばんにつめこんで
父さんが残した 熱い想い
母さんがくれた あのまなざし
地球はまわる 君をかくして
輝く瞳 きらめく灯
地球はまわる 君をのせて
いつかきっと出会う ぼくらをのせて

父さんが残した 熱い想い
母さんがくれた あのまなざし
地球はまわる 君をかくして
輝く瞳 きらめく灯
地球はまわる 君をのせて
いつかきっと出会う ぼくらをのせて

Japanese Lyrics (Romanji)

ano chiheisen kagayaku no wa
doko ka ni kimi o kakushite iru kara
taku-san no hi ga
natsukashii no wa
ano dore ka hitotsu ni
kimi ga iru kara

saa dekake you
hitokire no PAN
NAIFU, RANPU kaban ni tsume konde
do-san ga nokoshita atsui omoi
ka-san ga kureta ano manazashi

chikyuu wa mawaru kimi o kakushite
kagayaku hitomi kirameku tomoshibi
chikyuu wa mawaru kimi o nosete
itsuka kitto deau
bokura o nosete

do-san ga nokoshita atsui omoi
ka-san ga kureta ano manazashi
chikyuu wa mawaru kimi o kakushite
kagayaku hitomi kirameku tomoshibi
chikyuu wa mawaru kimi o nosete
itsuka kitto deau
bokura o nosete

English Translation (Warning: The translation may contain some inconsistencies with the original Japanese lyrics.)

The horizon shines because it is hiding you somewhere.

I long for the many lights because you are there in one of them.

So, let's leave.

A piece of bread, knife, and lamp stuffed in a bag.

My father gave me his passionate heart, my mother gave me her eyes.

The earth turns, hiding you.

Shining eyes, twinkling lights.

The earth turns, carrying you.

Carrying the both of us, who will meet someday.

My father gave me his passionate heart, my mother gave me her eyes.

The earth turns, hiding you.

Shining eyes, twinkling lights.

The earth turns, carrying you.

Carrying the both of us, who will meet someday.

Ponyo on a Cliff - Why I liked it

Ponyo on a Cliff may seem like a cheesy, children's animated film. Actually, this movie is actually more for children compared to Hayao Miyazaki's other works. However, there are aspects of the movie that make it truly enjoyable for everyone. In addition, there are messages we must not take lightly.

First of all, I really enjoyed the pictures. Hayao Miyazaki's artwork is always creative, new, and simply breathtaking. Watching the film makes me happy and relaxed. His expression of everyday objects is truly spectacular. For example, the waves of the ocean have a life and shape of their own. The way they move and act heightens the idea of nature being a spectacular entity of its own. In addition, Ponyo's mother is portrayed as a loving, beautiful, understanding, goddess of the sea, flexible and moving with its own force. I think that Hayao Miyazaki wanted the portray the idea of a "mother" in such a powerful way.

Sosuke's mother, Lisa, is also a very interesting character. She is loving and she is very open-minded. She encourages Sosuke's love of the sea and does not care when he brings a random fish from the sea to take to school. In addition, when Ponyo appears before her as a young girl, Lisa believes Sosuke when he says that Ponyo the fish has turned into a girl. She then brings both the children into her home, takes care of them, and tells them that although such queer occurrences are exciting, everyone must be calm. I know that if I brought home a friend and told my mother that she was a fish, my mom would just say, "Hello, come in and play for a while" without believing a single word. Although this is the normal reaction of most people, who really knows what happens in the world? Sometimes I like to believe in magic too because there is much much more to the world than I will ever know.

There are also some things that we must learn from this movie. In the movie, Ponyo falls in danger because of the trash that covers the ocean floor. Also, it is suggested that Ponyo's father was originally a human who did everything in his power to live in the sea because he was disgusted by what human beings were doing to nature. He also wants to create a world in which life forms may explode again in the ocean. He describes it as a second "Cambrian Explosion." However, he was mistaken in thinking that all humans evil. Lisa and Sosuke are not. They are able to accept Ponyo even though she was a fish because they loved Ponyo for just being Ponyo and they were also willing to open their minds and hearts to others.

Sosuke is also a very kind boy. He is polite to the villagers, he knows how to help his mother and others in the neighborhood, he knows how to love indiscriminately. I wish more children could grow up like him with such wonderful parents and happy environments.

What I also like about Hayao Miyazaki's films are that the heros may be women, animals, grandmas, children, or anyone else for that matter. He shows that such things do not inhibit us from being strong, brave, and loving. In addition, all these characters are able to be explorers and go on adventures of their own.

http://movie.naver.com/movie/bi/mi/photoView.nhn?code=66464&imageNid=5329725

Ponyo on a Cliff

Ponyo on a Cliff is a story about accepting people for who they really are inside, rather than what they appear to be.

The story starts out with Brunhilde, a small red fish, going to the shore. She was traveling underwater with her magician father and fellow fish sisters. However, she wanted to see more of the human world and ended up swimming too close to shore. Her body got stuck in a bottle thrown away into the see. A young boy called Sosuke frees Brunhilde and takes her out of the ocean with him in a green bucket. On shore, Sosuke gives Brunhilde the name Ponyo and the two become best friends. Sosuke also promises Ponyo that he will protect her. However, when Ponyo's father realizes that Ponyo is gone, he sends great waves to bring her back, believing that Ponyo has been abducted by humans with evil intentions. Ponyo ends up being taken away from Sosuke.

Ponyo and Sosuke both want to be with each other. By using magic and with the help of her sisters, Ponyo transforms into a young girl and returns to the shore to find Sosuke. Upon finding Sosuke, she is able to stay in Sosuke's house. Both Sosuke and Sosuke's mother, Lisa, recognize Ponyo even in her human form. As the night approaches, the waves start flooding the land. Lisa, who works at a senior home, goes there to see if everything is okay.

Meanwhile, Ponyo's father realizes that Ponyo's transformation has disrupted the balance of the world and now, everyone in it is in danger. He seeks Ponyo's mother, a goddess of the sea, for help. Her mother leaves the question of whether or not Ponyo can stay human in the hands of the two young children, Sosuke and Ponyo.

Kimi ni Todoke Review

My friend and I live near by. Between our houses lies a very small book room. Here you can borrow books or just sit down in the corner and read a few books. I borrowed comic books from here once in a while. So did my friend.

A few days ago, I was bored. You know those days when you have a lot of things to do, but you don't want to do anything other than roll around, watch a movie, grab a snack, or the like. I suddenly remembered that my friend told me that she read a good manga from that book room. It was called Kimi ni Todoke. I found that manga on the internet and started reading it.

Honestly, I didn't like it in the beginning. It was a very typical Japanese manga. There is a shy girl and a popular guy. The events that happen are very typical of events that ALWAYS happen in other Japanese or Korean manga. However, as I didn't feel like doing anything else, I kept reading (sort of like how you can watch tv for hours even when nothing interesting is on).

As a kept reading, the story became a bit better. After a while, you get closer to the characters and can enjoy various happenings more. That's what happened. I caught myself laughing, smiling, and getting annoyed at some parts. Because this series is not completed yet, I ended up reading up until the last uploaded episode.

What I liked about the manga: It wasn't too complicated and good for easy-reading for times when you want hear a entertaining story, but don't want to think too much. The drawings were also pretty enough. Each character had a look that matched their character and didn't look too awkward.

What I didn't like: The story was very obvious, predictable, cliche. The story kept dragging on and on. It took over 40 chapters for the main characters to finally realize their feelings for one another. Dragging things out can drive the audience nuts.

I don't believe reading comic books is a waste of time. Anything that you read, anything that you see and think seem to come in handy sometime in the end. However, I could have spent my time more wisely and done something more productive. I had fun though and I think it is very important to have a fun and happy life.

Kimi ni Todoke - Storyline

http://indexdown.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/kimi-ni-todoke-episode-3/

Kimi ni Todoke starts out with Sawako Kuronuma's school life. She is always alone; her school mates fear her and believe that she can curse others with her eyes. These rumors usually arise due to Sawako's "scary" appearance. She is called "Sadako" because she looks like the character with the respective name from the Japanese horror movie, The Ring. However, Sawako has no such powers and is actually a typical and gentle teenage girl. She highly respects fellow classmate, Shota Kazehaya. Shota is a very cheerful, sociable, and popular guy. Sawako first met him at the beginning of her high school years when he asked her directions to get to the school with a "brilliant smile." Since then, Sawako has always wanted to be more like Shota.

http://www.basugasubakuhatsu.com/blog/2009/11/08/kimi-ni-todoke-anime-first-impressions/

Shota Kazehaya has also been noticing Sawako. When the two sit next to each other, Shota starts talking to Sawako and encourages her try her best to open up to people. With Shota's constant support and Sawako's own bravery and effort, she starts to make new friends. She has always had an awkward smile, but learns to smile from her heart. In addition, Sawako learns how to stand up for her friends and herself against rumors. Always feared by others, Sawako earns their respect when people realize how good she is at teaching others and soon, fellow classmates come to her study sessions for extra help.

http://littlealice.vox.com/library/post/kimi-ni-todoke-chapitre-30.html

http://yokaze.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/baby-cause-of-kimi-ni-todoke-hiatus/

In addition, Sawako and Shota very slowly start to realize that their mutual respect and friendship may be a little stronger than they thought!

http://omochikaeri.wordpress.com/2009/10/01/fall-2009-anime/

http://jeanniex.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/kimi-ni-todoke-episode-1/