Dobie Theatre, near the University of Texas, is hosting a Kurosawa/Mifune film festival this week. So I posted the info on the whiteboard before Japanese class this morning. To my complete amazement, most of these people had no idea who Akira Kurosawa was. One guy asked me if the films were live-action or anime. I guess I wouldn't expect the average Texan-on-the-street to know, but these are college students studying Japanese. (sigh) Maybe my expectations are skewed by my son (who saw his first Kurosawa film, Yojimbo, at 8) and my step-son (who's watched The Seven Samurai on DVD every time he's comes to visit us since he turned 10).
But what did I know when I was 18? Probably not much. I can't remember ever being that young. I guess once you learn something it's easy to believe that you've always known it.
Posted by M Sinclair Stevens
February 12, 2003
Comments
Yikes - not to know Kurosawa... at least you're helping by posting the info!
Still, a decade ago when I was studying Japanese in college, we all knew of Kurosawa (and Doraemon and Sazae-san.) Though I suppose most of us, myself included, developed an interest in Japan due to Hayao Miyazaki.
There definitely is a "generational" difference though with people who are interested in Japan nowadays. Guess it was, in part, the boom in anime that took place in the 90's.
Comment by: Jason Cha. Posted February 12, 2003 10:20 PM.
You may not get this as I have not commented in quite some time. But I am sitting here at my desk taking lunch and thought, "Yes, Melissa's blog. Check it out." I was taken with your comments here since I have had an interesting experience too with Kurosawa and kids. I got out Dreams some years back and Emily and Daniel, then about 6 and 8 years of age, if not younger, loved it. They watched it over and over again. We still talk about it sometimes. Now Emily, who is 11, has embraced anime, which she got into in France when she was about 4 watching Sailor Moon on T.V. She has developed her own characters and gives them Japanese names, or at least what sound like Japanese names. I bought her a Manga drawing book last Christmas so she can formalize it a little bit. Through her, I have become more interested too. I am taking her to an anime festival this Saturday, so should be fun. By the way, they got Totoro out last weekend after a long separation. It was fun to see it again. As for me, I need to see more foreign films. As Tom doesn't enjoy watching a movie in a foreign language and I watch few films these days anyway, I am feeling rather unpleasantly locked into American culture here. Must make the effort. Gambatte Jeanne! As for the song you noted, it doesn't ring a bell. I still love some Enka music I brought back on tape though. If I happened to hear one of those songs in a movie, how excited I would be! Jeanne
Comment by: jbl. Posted March 12, 2003 02:06 PM.
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