Subject: [FFML] Re: Test and reference as aid to the writer...Re: Re: Essay on Self-Insertions.
From: "Robyn, Duke of Amber" <seraphim@sentex.net>
Date: 7/8/2002, 1:11 AM
To: Bickham Jourdan
CC: GL Sandborn <sandborn@kc.rr.com>, Sean Danna <carrotglace@mindspring.com>, FFML postings <ffml@anifics.com>


On Mon, 8 Jul 2002, Bickham Jourdan wrote:

 as for old books....

 They were showing a special on sexuality in
religion on T.V. and showed a
particulair temple with a bunch of giant phaluses
(phaili?) my Japanese
roomate had no idea where they were.... but I did.
 I'd remebered them from the book "Pink Samurai"

Are you sure?  They have a Penis Festival (Chinchin
Matsuri) in Kawasaki every year.

two both points...

actually the snapshot in "PS" was pretty much a duplicate of what they
were showing at T.V. and the shot on T.V. was on long enough for me to get
up and show my roomie.

 and yes, although a native of Japan she (my roomie) had no idea
what/where the bit on T.V. was.
 Just because you are from Japan doesn't mean you go to Kawasaki...
Just like the fact that living in Toronto I don't know "Office Joe" (if
anyone watches certain beer commercials they will know what I mean.
 Hell, I thought that the miniseris SHOGUN (based on
the book) was total
 and fiction...

 Nope.
 Based on actual events.

Right but wrong... BASED is the important word.  It was
based  on the life of Adam Smith and his relationship with
Tokugawa Ieyasu.


Bzzzzt!

Actually an English navigator named WillAdams who washed ashore in 1600
near Kyushu. He spent the rest of his life as an advisoor to Leyasu.





  Japanease Mythology?

 Well I just saw a modern dance program on NHK last
night an ALL of the
works were based on mythology. Not because there was
a set theme to the
preformences.. just happened.


Dance = mythology?  Ok...

I'm just saying even a source such as dance can be an influence to a
writer as well as containing a nations cultural icons and ideas.



 Sources and research are pretty important, heck
look at a movie by
Takeshi Mike and then by "Beat" Takeshi.. same world
different view.
 but if you watch both and then throw in Ozu
wowsers...
 (actually Ozu's "Ohaio" "Good Morning" is great for
looking back in time
as well and the film is just dying to be
remade.....and you could do it on
 almost any  Millitary base or even a fishing
village and it would STILL
work.)


As I said... depending on what you are using it for the
value of old library books changes.

but there is still value.


 Did you know it's bloody hard for a non-native in
Japan to get internet
access early in the morning/late at night without a
lot of help?
 - well people trying to buy tickets for the World
Cup did.
 After the fact.


I've had no problems.  Now if you don't speak any Japanese
or don't have friends in the It world...then it would be
rather dificult.  Get an 8M ADSL line wasn't too
diffuclt....

hmmm
a lot of sports stations as well as NHK news reported problems...


    Even "dated" works have a liot of value for
getting the feel of a
culture.
 "the Cursathimum and the Sword" (probably
miss-spelled) was written
almost a "guide"  for both the millitary and
industry in Japan after the
last "world" war. A lot of it is hokey and was dated
even at the time of
it's writing but a lot is stil relivant.
 You have to keep your eyes and mind open...


I'll admit that there is stuff to gleen even from old
books.  But without prior knowledge of what to look for
how you know what's the wheat and what the chafe?  And as
you can tell... I think Reischauer is shit.  Maybe in the
modern day he could do better, but he and his group wote
books that were shit.  Beyond hokey to the point of being
brainwashing and ridiculous.  Bascially....he was part of
the group in the State Department that worked with Japan
before the war.  They wanted to give Japan a slap on the
wrist for World War II and let them go...  luckily Truman
did not go with their plan.


I find it funny that America payed less attention to  John Kennith
Galbrath (sp) than the Japanese and refused to take part in his
"newfangled" ideas and these American ideas were what lead Japan to the
economic forefront...
 creating a wave of Jingo-istic American trade policy and Niho-phobia as
expressed in "Black Rain" and other films.
 >
 Heck I really enjoyed (and am now hitting myself
because I can't remeber
the title) a series of stories featuring Nabiki
writing to an  Anonymous
pen pal on the internet...
 *technicly* it would be pretty doubious to see this
muhc home computer
use in Japan at the time of the series... and even
to some extent now...
But the story worked.

I am aware of it... don't remember the title or author.
Something like Letters to/from Nabiki.  No I never said
anything about chatting and PCs...actually it'd have more
likely been done by cell phone email, but anyway... it was
a small stretch/bend...so why nit pick?  I try to stick
with the glaring ones...


Correct about the title (thanks all)

 But, glaring errors in information and customs (and
for that matter the
striving to be "perfectly accurate") are both things
that can harm a
story.


For someone who isn't japanese or hasn't lived in Japan 20
years... very close accuracy is difficult.

When I C&C...if I see a plot hole I mention it.  If I see
an inaccuracy I mention it.  Sometimes I miss them...it
happens.


And then there is the whole "appropriation of voice" thing which I
completely throw out.
 I mean forget beiing Japanese ...how many fanfic authors know what it's
like to be animated :)
 - or aqua-transexuals :)


 Neil



     __________________________________________________________________
                             _____________
            Seraphim, the Restless Angel with a (borrowed) sword.
                               ________

         Nene, Ami,
       Girls with glasses. girls with computers. Pink hair. blue hair
                       _______________________
                 Robyn, Duke of Amber. Agent of Chaos.
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