do you know that I want it all

[timeripple]

I had an excellent time at the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards on Friday- reconnected with some people, met others. One of the great things about Children's Lit is that an astonishing proportion of the people in it are really, really wonderful.

Watched the VP debate (in lieu of The Office) in the company of dear friends. We played a drinking game with our delicious homemade spiced apple cider, and by the end I couldn't even get up off the couch.

Much to the detriment of my schoolwork, I’ve also finished watching Dragon Zakura and Gokusen 2. (Which you would think would be motivating, but no.)

Gokusen 2 is kind of exactly like Gokusen 1, but less cheesy and with a better group dynamic. Dragon Zakura is pretty awesome, although at one point in the first episode, I totally expected the guy to say, "Me? I'm his homeroom teacher!" (Note to self: watch less Gokusen.) My favorite part is possibly when they learn classical literature, starting with The Tale of Genji. Their sensei explains Genji thusly: “In short, ‘classics’ is the erotic work of those [idle medieval] people, in order to kill some time.”

...Yup. That’s Genji, all right. That’s Genji ALL OVER.

I, with my Western-trained story sensibilities, have also noticed something about Japanese teen dramas. There’s far less emphasis on romance than in American teen drama series- although I don’t think they’re even structured the same way, because Japanese dramas are usually about 11 episodes long and often based on manga series. But anyway, there’s less emphasis on romance and physical stuff, even when the whole point of the series is a relationship (ex. Hana Yori Dango, sort of Hana Kimi). When there’s incidental romance or relationship issues (ex. Attention Please, Dragon Zakura, Kurosagi), they’re often left barely addressed and unresolved at the end of the series. (Attention Please looks like it’s trying to focus a bit more on the romance in the specials. I haven’t watched the second one yet. eta: okay, now I've watched it, and one of the romances does get resolved. Sort of. The other one REALLY doesn't, although that might have something to do with a certain person's demanding schedule. Being in two boybands at once is probably difficult. I understand this. I will not quote Susan Napier.) I find this lack of emotional resolution kind of frustrating, because I like things all addressed and tidy unless there’s obviously a sequel in which things get sorted out.

On the other hand, it’s kind of refreshing. Maybe this is another of those Japanese aesthetic things- the unfinished and imperfect as more beautiful than the completed and perfect. I think I read about that somewhere.

What do you think?

Comments

[kayselkiemoon.livejournal.com]

I'm confused - the Horn Book Awards for '08 were announced in June, weren't they? was the presentation on Friday?

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

Yup. :) It was fun to see the authors and illustrators (or their proxies), to say nothing of the excellent Horn Book people. And we got swag- an issue of The Horn Book Magazine, some posters, etc. (Just when I was thinking that my garret walls were looking awfully bare!) The stuff came in a folder that totally matched my scarf, too. ^_^

[cadragongirl.livejournal.com]

in regards to endings, i like to have things wrapped up, or at least explained in a sensible way. personally, i'm a sucker for happy endings, but will settle for an ambiguous or sad ending as long as it fits, makes sense & goes along with the stuff before it. i hate it when shows start off funny & then mid-way through get all dramatic & weepy - i notice that a lot of k-dramas do this & i find it darn annoying. makes me feel like i got jipped (is that how you spell it?), as in a 'i didn't sign up for this' kind of thing.

& maybe that's why i'm not a huge fan of j-dramas, at least of the few i've seen, they all kind of left me hanging emotionally. grrr.....

[timeripple.livejournal.com]

I think it's "gypped", actually. And yeah- as long as the ending makes sense in terms of the rest of the story, I'll take it. I'd prefer an ambiguous or sad ending that's organic to the story over a fake, manufactured happy one. (I love the end of Death Note 3, for example.) Good happy endings are best, of course! :)