Tag Archives: Japanese Culture

anime, fourfolds

Neon Genesis Evangelion Rebuilt, V2

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The fourth movie was finally made and finally shown! Thank you Hideaki Anno, for finishing your rebuild, and Amazon Prime, for letting us easily see all four.

Full of battles between giant robots and kaiju called angels, full of teenage, human, and non-human emotional struggles, and full of signature Evangelion nonsense, about midway I was getting a bit unhappy with it. But as it coming to a close I thought that this was indeed a good ending.

So what does “Thrice Upon a Time” mean? That this is the third ending? First for the series, second for the movies after the series, and thirdly for the rebuilt movies? And what does the designation “3.0+1.0” mean? Three movies plus one more?

Further Reading:

https://www.cnet.com/news/anime-epic-evangelion-gets-a-worthy-conclusion-heres-the-ending-explained/

https://www.indiewire.com/2021/08/evangelion-thrice-upon-a-time-review-1234658228/

https://www.polygon.com/22627444/watch-evangelion-franchise-amazon-netflix

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelion:_3.0%2B1.0_Thrice_Upon_a_Time

Neon Genesis Evangelion Rebuilt

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fourfolds

Yonkoma

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From Wikipedia:

Yonkoma manga (4コマ漫画, “four cell manga” or 4-koma for short), a comic strip format, generally consists of gag comic strips within four panels of equal size ordered from top to bottom.

And also:

Traditionally, yonkoma follow a structure known as kishōtenketsu. This word is a compound formed from the following Japanese kanji characters:

    • Ki (起): The first panel forms the basis of the story; it sets the scene.
    • Shō (承): The second panel develops upon the foundation of the story laid down in the first panel.
    • Ten (転): The third panel is the climax, in which an unforeseen development occurs.
    • Ketsu (結): The fourth panel is the conclusion, in which the effects of the third panel are seen.

Further Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonkoma

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kish%C5%8Dtenketsu

[*12.3]

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chain, fourfolds

Yojijukugo

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A Yojijukugo (四字熟語) is a unit of four kanji characters that usually represents an idiomatic saying in Japanese. It is itself a yojijukugo, even though it isn’t idiomatic, since the term can also broadly refer to a non-idiomatic phrase of four characters.

Shunkashūtō (春夏秋冬) is a nice one that means the four seasons of the year, and so is a fourfold written in four kanji characters.

Eshajōri (会者定離) is hopefully appropriate, meaning “every meeting must involve a parting”.

Further Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yojijukugo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunkash%C5%ABt%C5%8D

https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/yojijukugo-idioms/

https://www.nippon.com/en/nipponblog/m00111/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_proverbs

And these are just interesting:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_kanji_by_stroke_count

All about Japanese characters: hiragana, katakana and kanji

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fourfolds

Mitama

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  • Ara-mitama (荒魂): wild soul
  • Nigi-mitana (和魂): tranquil soul
  • Saki-mitama (幸魂): love soul
  • Kushi-mitama (奇魂): wise soul

Further Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitama

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto

[*12.74]

eightfolds, mythology

Tanabata, V2

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Soon it will be Tanabata (七夕) in Japan on July 7th.

Make a wish!

  • Orihime : Vega
  • Hikoboshi : Altair
  • Bridge of Birds : Deneb
  • Silver River : Milky Way

Further Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata

http://www.iromegane.com/japan/make-a-wish-for-tanabata/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Triangle

[*10.48, *11.114]

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anime, fourfolds

Neon Genesis Evangelion Reshown

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Like an angel with cruel and merciless intent
Go forth, young boy, and you’ll become a legend!

— From A Cruel Angel’s Thesis, lyrics by Neko Oikawa

I’m sure all that are interested have already heard that Netflix is streaming some version of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion anime beginning 6/21/2019. This diagram shows the names of the first four pilot children from the series, ignoring possible later ones and new characters from those problematic Rebuilt movies.

Further Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_Genesis_Evangelion

https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2019/03/22-1/neon-genesis-evangelion-anime-makes-its-netflix-debut-on-june-21

‘A Cruel Angel’s Thesis’ took just two hours to write says Evangelion lyricist Neko Oikawa

Excellent reviews of the first few episodes (but spoilers of course!):

Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 1

Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 2

http://wrongeverytime.com/tag/neon-genesis-evangelion/

[*11.15]

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sixfolds

Tanabata

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Soon it will be Tanabata (七夕) in Japan on July 7th.

Make a wish!

  • Orihime: 織姫
  • Hikoboshi: 彦星
  • Vega: 織女星
  • Altair: 牽牛星
  • Deneb: デネブ
  • Amanogawa (Milky Way): 天の川 or 銀河?

Further Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata

http://www.iromegane.com/japan/make-a-wish-for-tanabata/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Triangle

Altair IV was the planet journeyed to in the movie Forbidden Planet. But that was a different story.

[*10.48]

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anime, fourfolds

Neon Genesis Evangelion Rebuilt

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sq_evangelionThe final movie of this tetralogy has been named:

  • Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone
  • Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance
  • Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo
  • Evangelion 4.0: You Will (Not) Happen

Alternative facts are (not) fun!

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebuild_of_Evangelion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_facts

Seen post-post:

http://screenanarchy.com/2016/01/have-your-say-evangelion-30-10-will-not-be-made.html

Post-post-post:

http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2018/07/20-1/fourth-rebuild-of-evangelion-film-hits-japanese-theaters-in-2020

https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2019/12/26-1/evangelion-3010-finally-set-to-be-released-in-japan-on-june-27-2020

Not so fast:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelion:_3.0%2B1.0_Thrice_Upon_a_Time

And finally:

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/evangelion/3.0-1.0/thrice-upon-a-time/.170407

[*9.198]

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