Guillermo del Toro as Totoro: The amazing fan art concept that was right under our noses

Guillermo del Totoro is the touching result of a child actress’ pronunciation hurdles.

Between his collaborations with video game creator Hideo Kojima and the obvious Neon Genesis Evangelion thematic and visual inspirations in Pacific Rim, it’s clear that film director Guillermo del Toro is a pretty avid fan of Japanese entertainment media. So when Japanese child actress Mana Ashida came up with a nickname for him while filming Pacific Rim, the acclaimed filmmaker was probably grinning from ear to ear at her choice.

Ashida, who was only nine years old at the time of Pacific Rim’s release, plays the childhood version of character Mako, (who’s portrayed as an adult by Rinko Kikuchi). In her on-set interactions with the director she was having trouble pronouncing “del Toro” and asked if she could instead call him by a name she had more experience pronouncing: Totoro, the star of beloved Studio Ghibli anime My Neighbor Totoro.

The director said sure, and while the adorable agreement actually took place years ago, it’s only recently become public knowledge (and has been confirmed by del Toro himself). The story is now out there, though, and so, of course, is the fan art of Guillermo del Totoro!

@iamrichevans @RealGDT You have heard of Totoro and of Guillermo del Toro, I present to you Guillermo El Totoro. On… http://twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

—
Enrique Robles (@DraftDesigner) August 23, 2017

Another one! https://t.co/W2agPaIOPN

—
Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) April 28, 2016

Not just fans, but del Toro himself are thrilled by the illustrative crossovers, with the director retweeting his favorites. Many even include Ashida, dressed in a coat evocative of the one she wears in her big Pacific Rim scene.

A Pacific Rim illustration by Japanese artist @yokotanji of Guillermo del Totoro and Mako(s) : @RealGDT https://t.co/sy79PK3AhK

—
  (@blauereiter) March 05, 2016

@RealGDT @patrickklepek No sé quién lo hizo, pero muero de ternura. https://t.co/6p2JZMC4i5

—
Eduardo Marin (@Ed_Marin) August 23, 2017

▼ Oddly enough the Japanese text says “Pacific Rim,” not “Studio Jaeger.”

Thank You- keep making these! Love the chibi Gipsy Danger. https://t.co/Atx7v6iTH2

—
Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) April 29, 2016

Guillermo del Totoro is actually a pretty flexible motif, as you can either apply del Toro’s traits to Totoro…

Guillermo del Totoro https://t.co/1bJqjGnCQW

—
Nick (@NickJWinn) February 04, 2017

…or give Totoro’s mannerisms and poses to del Toro.

@bettuncito Guillermo del Totoro plus https://t.co/nzio2EwYxa

—
diegopo (@DiegoTeEfe) May 14, 2016

And while del Toro’s pantheon may not be quite as iconic as Ghibli’s, he’s still helmed films with plenty of memorable characters, inspiring artists to include references from Pacific Rim, Hellboy, and Pan’s Labyrinth.

@amouretc @arturoest Pero es animada... Necesitamos un live action... Dirigido por Guillermo del Totoro https://t.co/WF44Kvp7P9

—
  (@Rorriberto) July 12, 2017

@RealGDT https://t.co/NWwcmmBETe

—
Gonzalouch Ikari (@GonzalouchIkari) August 24, 2017

Guillermo Del Totoro @EscribeCine https://t.co/4qTnLUiysY

—
Escribe Cine A.C. (@EscribeCine) May 28, 2016

Unlike his nickname’s namesake, there’s no record of del Toro giving Ashida a magic bag of seeds or a magic flight through the sky on a spinning top. Videos of the pair from the Pacific Rim set shows that the director has a heart as soft as Totoro’s inviting tummy.

o guillermo del toro é o próprio totoro da vida real https://t.co/3K11CYJo9E

—
pétric (@patriqqq) July 18, 2017

9 de Octubre, cumpleaños de uno de mis directores favoritos de la vida: Guillermo del Totoro! https://t.co/hwxAHHOW6y

—
Cata Marín (@kitcatmarin) October 10, 2016

Making the story sweeter still is that My Neighbor Totoro is a film that left a profound impression on del Toro. “As a young adult I saw “My Neighbor Totoro” and it moved me to tears,” he recalls. “I mean, I basically couldn’t stop crying at the beauty and the enormous feat of capturing the innocence of being a child. I immediately chased down everything [director Hayao Miyazaki] had done.”

Guillermo del Totoro may not move anyone to tears, but it’s certainly causing plenty of smiles.

Source: You Offend Me You Offend My Family, Indie Wire, The New York Times
Featured image: Twitter/@RealGDT

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小黄人番外篇《疯狂小黄人》

遥远的石器时代，小黄人们把香蕉树上的所有果实吃光了，穴居人老爸只身前去捕猎，将自己饥饿的儿子交给小黄人们照看。不过小家伙可不是什么省油的灯，他给保姆小黄人们找了不少的麻烦。

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World celebrates ninja manga Naruto’s 18th anniversary with “Naruto Runs”

It may sound like a joke, but it sure brings fans together.

In 1999, the first issue of the popular manga Naruto was released in Japan. Since then, it has captured the affection of not only Japanese anime and manga fans, but also a lot more around the world.

2017 marks 18 years since the first issue was published. Instead of gathering for an anime-watching or manga-reading marathon, though, fans around the world have decided to show their fandom to the world in a different kind of marathon.

Fans have organized “Naruto Runs,” slightly less formal and official than the Dragon Ball Runs you may have heard about, at locations across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia, Belgium, and more. Most of them are posted on Facebook as events, which you can find by searching for “Naruto Run.” Some events have as little as 16 participants, while others, such as the Trump Tower Naruto Run taking place on September 1, 2017, have almost 5,000 fans who have RSVP’d. Most locations are on popular streets in cities, college campuses, and famous landmarks.

Okay, but what do you do at a Naruto Run? Well, you run like Naruto. Run like you normally do, only this time, run with both arms out behind you. I guess that’s what makes Naruto a great ninja. Maybe. Sounds embarrassing? Not if you’re a true fan. Watch this guy show you how to do it.

#CorrerComoNaruto #NarutoRun #Otaco #NoLaPonesMasFede https://t.co/3QOcBwdqYd

—
J-Dragon (@IzanamiFonFabre) April 02, 2017

It’s not just limited to streets; you can even show off your Naruto running skills on the beach!

This is what it looks like when everyone does the Naruto Run.

People lived the #meme @ Sat. night's #NarutoRun across #StoneArchBridge: buff.ly/2vhnS5T https://t.co/DYBlwyV6Pl

—
City Pages Arts (@citypagesarts) August 21, 2017

This one is from last year, and it’s been viewed over 250,000 times!

Japanese netizens have responded to the idea of Naruto Runs mostly with laughter, with a few pieces of important wisdom thrown in. Here are some examples.

“There’s a Hurricane in the southern U.S.A right now, but people still want to do a Naruto Run? Hahaha!”

“People are calling it the Naruto Run, but didn’t DBZ (Dragon Ball Z) come first?”

“There are a lot of manga artists that draw characters like this, like the character Arare-chan.”

“It’s how a ninja runs. They don’t run to cover distance; they run in a way so that their hands are closer to their throwing weapons.”

“Just how much free time…do these anime fans have…?”

“A lot of them are university students, and they have a lot of free time, haha.”

“Doesn’t Mario beat them all?”

Yes, the similarities between Mario’s run and the Dragon Ball Z run are similar…it all depends on who you talk to, I suppose.

So, would you be interested in joining a Naruto Run? Do you know anyone–or have you, for that matter–participated in a Naruto Run? Tell us about your experience!

Top image: YouTube/Gabriela Andrade
Source: Yurukuyaru

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On the day of the highest youth suicide rates in Japan, a letter to troubled teens

”The world you’ve known so far is still such a small piece of our world.”

Japan sees more youth suicides on September 1 than any other day of the year. With summer vacation ending and students going back to class, some students succumb to the pressure of returning to an unhappy routine of bullying, tests, or loneliness and make the tragic decision to end their lives.

Various organizations have sent out messages of support for teens grappling with emotional distress, and now our Japanese-language correspondent P.K. Sanjun would like to offer his message to teens and adolescents grappling with emotional distress.

The long summer vacation is ending, and it’s time for the second semester to start. Some students are excited, thinking “It’s finally time to go back to school!” But others feel despair at knowing that classes are starting again.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, in Japan September 1 sees the largest number of suicides among people under 18. With school starting again, some children who dread going back instead take their own lives.

Children who don’t want to go back to school all have their own reasons. Some are tormented by bullies. Some haven’t finished their summer homework assignments. If you’re dealing with those pressures, they can see, as big as life itself, but you must not let killing yourself become an option.

30 years ago, when I was still a child, the preferred, common logic in society was “Don’t run away! Face your problems head-on!!” In some ways, that’s the right idea, but the reality is that not everyone can cope with life’s difficulties in that way.

I do believe that when life throws hardships at us, our first response should be to stand up to them, and not shrink away. But if we’ve been trying and trying and trying, and we still can’t work through those problems, don’t you think we should be able to run from them? If you don’t want to go to school because you can’t stand the emotional pain, don’t go. But whatever you do, don’t think of killing yourself as an escape route.

Here is what I want to say to each and every one of you:

There is so much more to the world than what you’ve experienced so far.

The world you’ve known so far is still such a small piece of our world. If you compared it to Super Mario Bros., all you’ve seen so far is World 1-2.

It’s probably been incredibly difficult trying to clear World 1-1 and 1-2. But there are so many fun, happy things that are waiting for you from World 1-3 on. Yes, there will still be unhappy things when you’re an adult, but there are fun things, delicious things, things that make you feel happy all over. So much happiness s waiting for you.

If you can’t bear going to school, you don’t have to go. If the thought of suicide crosses your mind, first talk to your mom and dad. Talk honestly to them.

Anyway, no matter what, do not take your own life. No matter what. I promise you, the world is packed full of happiness you don’t know about yet. And parents, if you notice your children slipping into depression, talk to them.

Photos ©SoraNews24

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Japanese finance minister is in hot water after statement allegedly condoning Hitler

Taro Aso later retracts statement which seemed to suggest Hitler’s motives were right.

Taro Aso, former Japanese prime minister and current finance minister and Deputy Prime Minister in Shinzo Abe’s government, has landed himself in trouble after seeming to condone or excuse Adolf Hitler’s actions, including the killing of millions in a speech.

Addressing his faction of the ruling Liberal Democrat Party, Aso is recorded as having said:

“[In politics] results are most important. However correct his motivations, what Hitler, who murdered millions of people, did was no good,”

The statement provoked outrage from a number of sources, led by the main political opposition party, the Democratic Party, which forced Aso to formally retract his statement.

“It was inappropriate that I cited Hitler as an example and I would like to retract that…It is clear from my overall remarks that I regard Hitler in extremely negative terms, and it’s clear that his motives were also wrong.”

Some supporters have argued that Aso’s words have been misinterpreted, that Hitler was just an extreme example to support the argument that people aren’t judged on motives but on the results of their actions, and that the correct interpretation of his words was more akin to:

“Whatever your motivations, if the result is like that [the killing of millions] then it’s no good.”

Known for his assorted gaffes, reading mistakes and things better left unsaid, Aso has managed to remain at the centre of Japanese politics for decades. This isn’t the first time that he has been in hot water for referencing the Nazis, either. During a 2013 speech regarding the opposition of older Japanese to revising Japan’s pacifist constitution, Aso suggested that it could be stealthily changed by emulating the way the Nazis were able to take advantage of the Weimar Constitution, another statement which was widely condemned but for which Aso refused to resign. The opposition Democratic Party have called for his resignation again and questioned his simultaneously holding two of the most important positions in the Japanese government, as both deputy prime minister and finance minister.

While many Japanese social media users agreed with Aso’s defence that his words had been twisted by political opponents and the mass media to make a story out of nothing, here’s some friendly advice for politicians and people of all stripes: maybe lay off the Hitler and Nazi references.

Source: NicoNicoNews via jin115
Featured image: Wikipedia/Hatto

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Kyoto city deals with doggy doo problems on its streets using nothing more than chalk

“Operation Yellow Chalk” is making waves for how incredibly simple yet effective it is at getting people to pick up after their pet.

I grew up in a home where we always had at least one dog or cat around, and I couldn’t imagine life without a furry companion by my side. The one thing I could for sure do without, though, is the chore of picking up the “presents” they leave behind. I can’t say I’ve ever met anyone who enjoys the task either, but it comes with the territory of pet ownership and is just something you learn to deal with…nnless you’re one of those uncouth barbarians who lets their dog do its business while out for a walk, and then leaves it, walking away and ignoring your duty as a pet parent.

Here in Japan, most dog owners are fairly diligent about cleaning up after their pooch – bringing along special bags to pick up and dispose of solid waste, and even carrying along a bottle of water to wash away their dog’s urine from the pavement. But there are still a number of people who think they can get away with shirking any responsibility of cleaning up what their pet leaves behind.

The city of Uji in Kyoto Prefecture has started taking measures to counter this problem of improperly discarded doo-doo, which it calls “Operation Yellow Chalk”. The measure is simple – anywhere that dog poop has been left behind, the excrement gets circled with some bright yellow chalk, and the date is written next to the scene of the crime. Seriously, that’s all it takes.

When the city first tried out this strategy last January, in a neighborhood where this was a particular problem, there were approximately 30 spots where feces had been left behind. Now, they report that you’ll find next to none. In other areas where the strategy has been implemented, the majority have reported a related decrease of people leaving behind their dog’s poop.

The Yellow Chalk method uses the bright-colored chalk to draw attention to the poop left behind, as a way to convey the message to the offending owner that their actions are a nuisance to others.

In addition to proving itself effective, the Yellow Chalk method is economical since it costs next to nothing. After word of Operation Yellow Chalk had spread, the city began receiving calls and emails from other municipalities regarding the strategy.

Netizens are impressed by the method’s simplicity and effectiveness:

“All you do is circle it with chalk and write the date? I wanna try this next time I see someone has left their dog’s poop.”

“I guess this works because they mostly take the same route on their walk, and it makes them realize they’re being watched.”

“This is likely effective since they realize people are watching, and that there’s a possibility they’ll be found out and punished.”

So dog owners out there, beware. If you won’t pick up after your pooch for the sake of others and for general cleanliness and good manners, then do it out of fear of being Yellow Chalked!

Source: Kyoto Shimbun via My Game News Flash 
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: Gahag

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54-year-old Japanese woman stops armed robbery at her convenience store with her brute strength

When her much-younger, knife-wielding assailant asked her for the money, she decided that the time for talk was done, and the time for action was now.

Armed robbery isn’t as easy as it looks. We recently examined the tale of an 83-year-old man who was arrested in Osaka when he was outwitted by his would-be victims, and now comes an incident in which a criminal’s ambitions were foiled not because of age-diminished mental facilities, but because of what appears to be a severe lack of physical strength for a man of his age.

On the afternoon of August 29, at roughly 3:50, a man walked into the Kikuma branch of convenience store chain 7-Eleven in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture. The man was described as appearing to be about 20 years old, 165 centimeters (65 inches) tall, and of slender build, and was dressed in a black shirt and black pants.

At the time there were two part-time employees working in the front of the store, a 20-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman. The man in black walked up to the woman and pulled out a knife with a 20-centimeter (7.9-inch) blade. “Put the money in here!” he demanded while holding out an empty bag, making sure to use a clearly-phrased command so as to avoid any accidental or willful misinterpretation of his words.

As the woman stood there, looking at this man who was some 30-plus years her junior, perhaps it occurred to her that, by their ages, he was young enough to be her son. And while that didn’t melt her heart and make her take pity on the robber, she did respond in a way reminiscent of a mother who’s had enough of her kid’s crap.

Instead of giving the robber a single yen, she grabbed him by the arm. Then, with her male coworker watching, she forcibly dragged the robber out of the store. The man in black then fled on foot, with nothing taken from the shop and no one injured.

Online commenters had the following to say:

“The store manager should pay the woman extra since she ended up doing security guard duty too.”

“They should totally write a book about her.”

“Dude, help out, male clerk!”

“Just how weak is that robber?”

“Wait, are we sure she wasn’t really his mom after all?”

While the female clerk and the man in black are indeed unrelated, we imagine her kids, if she has any, are very well-behaved.

Source: Sankei News
Top image ©SoraNews24

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A Silent Voice, anime about bullied deaf girl, gets English-subtitled trailer, U.S. release date

Emotional scenes, in-your-face translation notes part of preview of acclaimed anime film.

In 2016, anime director Makoto Shinkai Your Name was the biggest theatrical hit in Japan, animated or otherwise. But less than a month after Your Name hit theaters, yet another beautiful, emotional anime film saw release.

Instead of the location-hopping, body-swapping sci-fi of Your Name, A Silent Voice keeps its story grounded in reality, which includes the ugly-but-true element of children with disabilities getting bullied in schools. The film follows the shifting relationship between male lead Shoya and female lead Shoko, through their first meeting in elementary school, Shoya’s heartless bullying of the deaf girl, and his attempts to reconcile with her and redeem himself once they meet again as teens.

The film went on to critical and popular success, and was even shown in a Japanese-captioned format at select screenings for hearing-impaired audiences. This fall, moviegoers in the U.S. will also get to see A Silent Voice on the big screen, and distributor Eleven Arts has just unveiled the official English-subtitled trailer for the film’s American release.

The scenes shown in the trailer, down to their sequence, are an exact match to their Japanese counterpart, but with English translations of the dialogue and on-screen text.

The preview gives away a few major plot beats, but considering that it’s the same one that the very satisfied Japanese audiences saw prior to A Silent Voice’s domestic release, it doesn’t seem like the trailer’s spoilers entirely spoil the anime’s impact and ability to leave an impression on the viewer.

What’s a bit more concerning is the presence of some clunky on-screen translation notes, which are more the sort of thing you’d expect to see in a fansub, or at least a home video release, rather than an official trailer for a theatrical feature.

But as we’ve seen before, Japanese wordplay and miscommunications are often tricky things to render smoothly in English. On the bright side, Eleven Arts still has about a month and a half until A Silent Voice’s October 20 release in the U.S., so maybe their translators and scriptwriters will take another swing at those lines before then.

Source: YouTube/Eleven Arts via Anime News Network
Images: YouTube/Eleven Arts

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