Wade Explores Commercial Materialism and Japanese Pop Culture

NEW YORK, January 11 – Jeremy Wade performed a mixed dance piece that incorporated interpretive dance and manga artwork called There Is No End to More. The performance was commissioned and performed at the Japan Society.

In his one man show, Wade’s performance playfully straddled the line between cute and horrifying. He focused thematically on the excesses of commercialism and pop culture in modern life. He included many references to Japanese pop culture including robots, ninja, large soul stealing moe eyes, Super Sentai teams, and Tokusatsu.

Wade especially emphasized the Japanese commercial concept called "kawaii". Kawaii is a label used to describe a commercial product that exudes an irresistible cuteness. It has been used to market and promote everything from toys to airlines.

In addition, Wade's performance was integrated with manga style artwork by Hiroki Otsuka. Otsuka, a veteran mangaka, provided the backgrounds for the dance. His works were projected on the back wall of the stage in stark black and white, and Wade danced in front of them. Some of the Otsuka's works were still images, and others were animated clips such as scenes incorporating rain and snow. His work was pretty amazing. Otsuka managed to create very imaginative environments for Wade to explore. His artwork was definitely one of the highlights of the show.

Related Links:

• YouTube - Jeremy Wade - there is no end to more - Dec. 3-5
• The New York Times: Twitches and Paroxysms, in Shades of Grotesque
• Sunday Arts Blog » Archive » Too Cute | THIRTEEN
• BLACK LACQUER DISPARITY | bmacmedia.net
• Jeremy Wade “there is no end to more” at Japan Society « Culturebot

Curry Hotspots in Hong Kong

NEW YORK, January 12 – CNNgo published my first official foodie article about my favorite curry spots in Hong Kong. Check it out!

CNNgo: 3 places to sate cravings for curry in Hong Kong

Shingo Katori Talks Somewhat Like Singing [2009 Back Post]

NEW YORK, January 3 – I know it’s the New Year, and I should be posting new material. But, I had a back log of blog articles from the end of 2009 that I never got the chance to post. They were neglected mostly because of time. This is the first article in a series of “back posts” that I will try to fit into the month of January.

On November 21, 2009, I attended a showing of the live Japanese musical named TALK LIKE SINGING at New York University. The production was the brain child of comedic playwright Kōki Mitani (三谷幸喜). Mitani who is known primarily for his Japanese plays penned a playful bilingual musical (Japanese/English) about language.

The story is about a boy who is unable to speak but has the capacity to communicate through singing. The child draws national attention, and a group of scientists try to help the child learn proper speech and pronunciation. In the end, the whole group realizes that the boy’s singing is not a disability but a gift.

Besides Mitani, the big draw of this play is Shingo Katori (香取 慎吾) who plays the leading role. Katori is a huge pop idol in Japan. Having first entered the public eye with his role in SMAP, Katori remains a hugely popular figure in Japanese culture. According to many in the audience, his role in the production seems to be the primary reason for most of the show’s hype.

Katori’s performance was pretty decent, but he seemed to struggle in the English parts. On the other hand, his co-stars were very entertaining, and their comedic timing was amazing. I especially enjoyed Shinya Niiro’s (新納 慎也) parts. He played the comedic relief who commented on the scene from the outside breaking the fourth wall. Niiro delivered every comedic remark with a touch of sarcasm and played it beautifully.

Mitani has plans to take the production to Tokyo in 2010.

Related Links:

• Japanese Musical TALK LIKE SINGING Comes To NYC 11/13 At NYU's Skirball Center 2009/07/16
• Katori Shingo’s “Talk Like Singing” Musical « 見ないで! ひとり言
• PlaybillArts: Features: Konishi's Talk Like Singing Receives World Premiere in NY Nov. 13-22
• Koki Mitani's "Talk Like Singing" – Musical Theater Review
• Japan Zone - Entertainment News from Japan: Talk Like Singing an Off-Broadway Hit
  
  

Random Year in Review - 2009

Akihabara from my hotel room at Remm Akihabara.
NEW YORK, December 30 – 2009 has been a crazy and bizarre year in the life of this blog and Asian-American pop culture. There were great moments and scary ones, but I made it without too many scars. I've flown nearly 30,000 miles and visited five different countries. I've eaten amazing food and met some very interest people in my travels.

I know a lot of people are doing year end lists of the “Best and Worst”. These are some of the most interesting moments of Random Access Information Blog in 2009.

Surviving the Deployment June 16 -- I can’t really discuss the details, but I’m glad that it’s over. It was one of the most bizarre cultural experiences in my life. I was living in the desert with fully loaded weapons and some survival Arabic. Somehow we all made it back. I will never forget playing spades early in the morning and the sandstorms that turned days into nights. I will not miss the desert, but I will miss the people that I served with… I will never forget them. POST: Part I: Otaku War Journal: Did you find any Xilians today?

Giant Robot Family June 21 -- Living in New York tends to harden people, but my visits to Los Angeles seem to provide a little balance. I always try to visit my extended Los Angeles family at least once a year. They are amazingly chill. I enjoy hang out with the entire crew. I love all of my friends and family on the west side. POST: Giant Robot Magazine Headquarters: Pilgrimage or Loitering?

New York Asian Film Festival June 25 -- I absolutely loved the New York Asian Film Festival. They played some of the best films from Korea, China, and Japan. I met some great directors and film makers as they promoted their latest movies. I can’t wait until next year’s festival. POST: NYAFF09: Crushing and Blushing with Kong Hyo-Jin

Anime Week Atlanta September 18 -- I don’t go to many southern anime conventions, so I decided to head south. I flew down to Georgia to attend Anime Week Atlanta (AWA). It was quite a bizarre experience with crazy cosplayers, curtains falling on people, and Carl Gustav Horn holding court. It was quite a different experience than a northeastern anime convention, but still very cool. POST: Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA) 2009: Part 1: Anime Hell

New York Anime Festival September 27 -- New York Anime Festival (NYAF), one of the biggest industry conventions for anime and manga, held its last stand-alone event. Reed Exhibitions plans to merge the NYAF with the New York Comic Con creating one large convention. This year’s NYAF is the last time a major anime only convention will be held in New York City. I’ve loved hanging out with industry guests, fellow anime/manga reviewers, and friends. POST: New York Anime Festival 2009: Pictures and Words

John Woo – Red Cliff Interview October 15 -- During the New York premiere of Red Cliff, I had the opportunity to interview John Woo. I have been a huge fan of his movies like the Killer and A Better Tomorrow 2. He was extremely gracious and entertained all sorts of questions. POST: John Woo's Battle of Red Cliff

P.K. 14 and Carsick Cars November 20 -- The best of Chinese punk hits the streets of New York. I was complete blown away by the post-punk sounds of both bands, and the crowd was lit. I also ran into Giant Robot photographer Ben Clark. He was completely chill. POST: Raw Chinese Punk at the Ding Dong

Pixies Thanksgiving November 26 -- I didn’t post about this, but it was completely awesome anyway. The Pixies played a 1 A.M. Thanksgiving show for their New York fans. It was completely awesome to hear the entire Doolittle album being played with some B-side tracks. As a long time Pixies fan, I was completely thrilled.

Hong Kong Cavalier December 10 -- I spent nearly two weeks eating my way through the streets of Hong Kong and Macau. I was able to gorge on every type of Southern Chinese Cuisine with the help of my Hong Kong family. It was a nonstop buffet of dim sum, noodles, hot pots, buns, grilled meats, and street food. POST: Dim Sum Delight

Tokyo Raider December 22 -- This was my first opportunity to visit Japan. It was a very education affair because I didn’t know the language or the city. It’s was a stumbling expedition of districts, shops, and eateries. After three days, I began to truly know the city, the train system, the restaurants, and I even picked up some basic Japanese. I’m already making plans to visit next year during Winter Comiket. POST: Akihabara@MIDNITE

Happy New Year! I hope next year will be just as exciting and bizarre as 2009.

Akihabara@MIDNITE

Akihabara at midnight. Drunken salarymen rush home from nearby bars.
TOKYO, December 23 – Many fans of anime and manga have heard about the Japanese nerd mecca called Akihabara ("Akiba"). Supposedly a safe haven for nerdy persuits, it's streets are lined with bright lights, crowded sidewalks, and young Japanese women cosplaying as loli-maids. As it gets closer to midnight, the vibrant store fronts close and the people rush home. The streets become desolate.


The maids have gone home. Only the darken cafes and maid dresses remain.


Shinji, Rei, and Asuka are imprisoned behind the storefront shutters of a closed pachinko parlor.


Sofmap. Nicknamed "Electric Town" Akihabara didn't seem too "electric". On another note, Final Fantasy 13 is currently getting the most aggressive marketing push in the district.


Taito Station was still open, but there were no players.


Some stoic teddy bears watch the empty sidewalks at Taito Station.


Idle anime and manga themed vending machines near the entrance of Comic Toranoana.


Octopus Grill and Crepes stands were still open for business.


Yummy, plastic display food. It's just like the real thing.


MaiDreamin Maid Cafe. Where have all the loli-maids gone?