In this blog post, we take a deep dive into the boundaries between reality and fantasy, identity and truth through Satoshi Kon’s film Perfect Blue. I’ve always been fascinated by Satoshi Kon’s work, with its dreamy moods, colors, and darkly atmospheric compositions, and his unique way of blurring the lines between reality and unreality often leaves a lasting impression on...
Why did the money=rank formula in professional sports break down in the face of Moneyball?
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how the Moneyball story shattered the “money=rank” formula in professional sports. Currently, the world of professional sports seems to be a world where money is what determines rankings. For example, Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahayan, a world-renowned tycoon, bought the English soccer team Manchester City and invested huge amounts of money to bring...
Movie Review – An Inconvenient Truth (Is Global Warming Relevant to Your Life?)
In this blog post, we reflect on the seriousness of global warming and what we can do about it, as revealed in the movie An Inconvenient Truth. “It’s not what we don’t know that gets us into trouble. It’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so.” – Mark Twain. This sentence appears at the beginning of the movie An Inconvenient Truth. In the movie, Al Gore...
Movie Review – Mother (Why did Mother dance?)
In this blog post, I would like to look back at the meaning of motherhood, guilt, and oblivion through the film “Mother” by director Bong Joon-ho. The concept of “motherhood” is often associated with warm words such as unconditional love and devotion. However, the emotions of the mother played by Kim Hye-ja in the movie Mother toward her son cannot be simply explained by the word “devotion...
Movie Review – Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Is Grunewald a monster or a victim?)
In this blog post, we take a closer look at whether Grunewald, the main character of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, is a monster or a victim. About horror fantasy Horror fantasy is a subgenre within the larger genre of fantasy. Therefore, in order to understand horror fantasy, a basic understanding of the concept of the “fantasy” genre must be preceded. The “fantasy” genre is based on...
Movie Review – Exit Through The Gift Shop, Is it just a souvenir shop?
In this blog post, we will consider the nature of art through the documentary Exit Through The Gift Shop, which crosses the boundaries between art and consumption. Exit Through The Gift Shop, the title alone made me think a lot. I started to think why a gift shop would appear in the title, and why did the director choose this title for the film? The title has a huge meaning in the film...
Movie Review – The Shawshank Redemption (Why Should We Never Give Up Hope?)
In this blog post, I will talk about why we should never give up hope even in the midst of despair through the movie “The Shawshank Redemption.” In the movie “The Shawshank Redemption,” “hope” appears as an important theme in that it becomes the driving force for the main characters to improve their situation and overcome difficulties. First, the main character, Andy Dufresne, was able to...
Unethical behavior that transcends the law and ethics by heroes, can heroes stand above the law?
In this blog post, we will look at the unethical behavior that is condoned under the name of heroes and consider whether heroes can transcend the law and ethics. Introduction When we were young, we were thrilled to see heroes like Superman defeating villains in a cool way and wanted to be like them. The little boy who played Superman on the playground has now grown up. I still enjoy...
Movie Review – Castaway on the Moon (How do two people who are alienated from society communicate with each other?)
In this blog post, we will look at how two characters who are alienated from society understand and communicate with each other through the movie “Castaway on the Moon.” Director Lee Hae-jun’s “Castaway on the Moon” is a story about two Kims, who were marginalized in modern society and drifted in their own worlds, finding hope and each other. The story revolves around the two main...
Movie Review – Frankenstein (Why was the monster not given a name?)
In this blog post, we will look at the human challenge, the responsibility of creation, and the meaning of the nameless monster through the movie “Frankenstein.” Do you know who Frankenstein is? If you think of a green monster with a screw in its neck, you’re wrong. Contrary to popular belief, Frankenstein is not the name of the monster, but of the doctor who created it. Dr...