Kiki

Let's face it... Kiki was never that great at flying to begin with...

Speaking of "Kiki's Delivery Service," have you heard that there is a live action adaptation of the movie set to release in Japan next month?  Here is the trailer:

I don't know what disturbs me more, the creepy CG version of Jiji the cat or the overly aged appearance of Kiki... or the fact that there is a live action adaptation at all!!  Personally, I find the original animated movie to be a beautifully craft film, and I don't know what the purpose of such a live action adaptation accomplishes.  Perhaps it's an attempt to reach audiences who normally don't watch animation, or maybe the film producers figured that today's kids haven't seen the older animated version and will see this version as new and amazing.  Regardless of the reasons, if you haven't seen the original animated film, "Kiki's Delivery Service," I highly recommend you check it out.  If you happen to see this live action version, I'd be curious to hear your review.

Saraba!!

Adventures in Japan! Part 5: Tokyo

The final stop on our journey was Tokyo.  Our first mission was to check out the Ghibli Museum.  If you love Studio Ghibli films, then this is a very charming place to visit.  A life sized Totoro greets you at the entrance.  Inside, you can watch a Ghibli short film, exclusive only to visitors of the museum.  See concept art from your favorite Ghibli movies, sit inside a life sized cat bus, and stand next to a life sized robot from "Laputa: Castle in the Sky."

"Balse"

My favorite part of the museum is an amazing 3D zoetrope.  Tiny sculptures of Ghibli characters in a progression of poses are placed in a circle and then spun around quickly while a light strobes, giving the illusion of movement.  Girls are jumping rope while bats fly around and Totoro's friends disappear and reappear... it's quite amazing and I urge you to see it with your own eyes!

Our next stop was Akihabara, "The Electric City," and the Mecca for hardcore otaku.  We navigated through various anime themed stores and eventually found some great treasures.  Zer07 got himself some One Piece figurines and I got a One Piece stuffed animal that I've been wanting for a while:

Chopper!!  My favorite One Piece character.

After Akihabara, we met with some friends for shabu shabu in Shinjuku.  On our last day of fun, we met with some of my old friends from ninja animation school at Asakusa.

Kaminari Mon

Agemanjuu - Deep fried sweet bean pastries

Later, we explored Harajuku and were amused by the interesting use of English on shirts and signs:

Then we ended the evening with dinner in Shibuya.

What a fun adventure we had!!!  I can't wait to visit the homeland again soon.

If you missed them, be sure to check out the other parts in our Adventures in Japan series:
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5