Tag Archives: Japanese Culture

Neon Genesis Evangelion Rebuilt, V2

August 19, 2021 Martin K. Jones Leave a comment

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/

‘Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time’ Review: Hideaki Anno’s Iconic Anime Finally Gets a Proper Ending

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

fourfolds

Yonkoma

November 22, 2020 Martin K. Jones Leave a comment

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]

chain, fourfolds

Yojijukugo

November 6, 2020 Martin K. Jones Leave a comment

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

https://gogonihon.com/en/blog/japanese-characters

fourfolds

Mitama

October 30, 2020 Martin K. Jones Leave a comment

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

July 3, 2019 Martin K. Jones 1 Comment

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]

anime, fourfolds

Neon Genesis Evangelion Reshown

April 24, 2019 Martin K. Jones Leave a comment

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!):