Chinese poster for Totoro’s first theatrical release in country has a beautifully subtle secret

That’s not a forest or a field Hayao Miyazaki’s characters are walking through.

“Cute” is obviously the first word that comes to mind when describing Totoro, the star of director Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 anime classic My Neighbor Totoro. “Unhurried” would also be a pretty good choice, though.

Not only is the furry Studio Ghibli mascot unflappably relaxed, he’s taken 30 years to make his way to theaters in China. Next month, though, My Neighbor Totoro will become the first Studio Ghibli film to have a theatrical release in the country, with a digitally remastered version of the film set to premier on December 14.

But even though no Ghibli films have officially screened in Chinese theaters until now, Totoro is already much loved in China, thanks to alternative media distribution methods. As such, the movie’s opening is a big deal, and to celebrate, the local marketing team has commissioned a gorgeous new poster.

For those who aren’t familiar with the story, My Neighbor Totoro focuses on two young sisters, Mei and Satsuki, who move to a countryside home with their father, where they encounter various nature spirits while exploring the surrounding forests and fields. The Chinese poster, with Miyazaki’s name displayed proudly smack dab in the center, is beautifully understated in its aesthetics, showing Satsuki following Mei through what appears to be a field of tall grass. The perspective, gazing down on the girls from far above, elegantly reminds us of how young and full of potential they are by drawing the characters as such small representations, with so much of the wide, wonderful world waiting in front of them.

But then, as your eyes follow in the direction of Mei’s outstretched hand, you notice a few darker patches. Are these metaphors for the sadness and hardships that are also part of growing up? Shadow cast by clouds, further reinforcing the atmosphere of watching the scene from above?

Perhaps, but the more likely explanation is that they’re the gray tufts of fur on Totoro’s eminently huggable tummy.

The clever design, subtle enough that you might miss it at first glance but distinctive enough that you’ll always notice it after, is the work of Chinese artist Huang Hai. His take on Totoro has been drawing praise both in China and Japan, and is so artistic that one commenter sees parallels with The Ball, one of the works of 18th/19th century Swiss/French painter Felix Vallotton.

This isn’t Huang Hai’s first time to work with a high-profile Japanese film. He’s also done local posters for Shoplifters (also known as Manbiki Kazoku), a live-action Japanese movie released earlier this year, and the 2014 CG Stand By Me Doremon film.

▼ Shoplifters

As mentioned above, My Neighbor Totoro is the first Ghibli film to have a theatrical release in China, but if it does well at the box office, we can probably expect to see some of the studio’s 20 other films get a similar treatment, and hopefully similarly beautiful posters.

Source: Livedoor News/Record China via Toychan
Featured image: Twitter/@donguritaishi
Top, insert images ©SoraNews24



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The most popular Japanese baby names of the past 30 years, from Sakura to Shota

Meanings show hope for bold boys, beautiful girls in list of the most popular names of the Heisei era.


The Japanese language has more than 2,000 general-use written kanji characters, which can be used by themselves or in combination with others. That creates a virtually limitless number of not only vocabulary words that can be created, but names too.

Still, just as in other countries, some names catch on while others fade away for being too old-fashioned or unflattering. With Japan’s Heisei era set to wind down next spring when Emperor Akihito abdicates the throne, Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance decided to take a look back on the 30 years of Heisei and compile a list of the most popular names for boys and girls born since 1989.

Let’s take a look at the top 10 for each, along with how they’re written and what they mean.

● Boys top 10
10. Takuya (meaning: “pioneering land”)
拓也

9. Sota (“strongly blowing wind”)
颯太

8. Daiki (“large tree”)
大樹

7. Tsubasa (“wings”)
翼
6. Hiroto (“soaring high”)
大翔
5. Daiki (“shining brightly”)
大輝
4. Ren (“lotus”)
蓮

3. Kenta (“healthy and strong”)
健太
2. Sho (“soaring”)
翔
1. Shota (“soaring strongly”)
翔太

There’re a lot of bold, auspicious imagery at play in the boys’ list, with numerous mentions of flying high in the sky and allusions to physical strength. One name that really stands out from the rest, though, is Ren, which is one of the few Japanese male names with a floral theme (though it still has a strong, masculine sound to it).

● Girls top 10
10. Mitsuki (“beautiful moon”)
美月

9. Mirai (“future”)
未来
8. Manami (“beautiful love”)
愛美
7. Nanami (“seven seas”)
七海

6. Yui (“connected clothing”)
結衣
5. Ai (“love”)
愛
4. Sakura (“cherry blossom”)
さくら

3. Hina (“sun and plants”)
陽菜
2. Aoi (“hollyhock”)
葵
1. Misaki (“beautiful blossom”)
美咲

Meanwhile, the girls’ list has a softer touch to it, with references to beauty, romance, or flowers showing up a collective eight times. The girls’ list also has the only non-kanji name, with Sakura rendered entirely in phonetic hiragana, as opposed to the more stately kanji version of the name, 桜, ostensibly because of the more rounded, cuter lines used to write さくら.

It’s worth bearing in mind that just like in other cultures, parents in Japan often choose a name for their child based more on the name’s sound than its meaning, which explains how Yui, with its charming ring, made it into the top 10 for girls despite its mundane meaning. And even for those names that do have more appealing meaning, with a few exceptions such as Sakura, Ai, and debatably Tsubasa, native Japanese speakers hear every entry on these lists first and foremost as people’s names, without giving their meanings much immediate thought. Still, the use of kanji does give them an associated meaning, and this list of names parents have chosen over the past 30 years is a reflection of the hopes and aspirations they had for their children in the Heisei era.

Sources: Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance, Namae Search
Top image ©SoraNews24
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)



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Let’s go get a haircut at Tokyo’s anime otaku hair salon【Photos】

Akihabara’s awesome Off Kai is a hair salon by otaku and for otaku, and SoraNews24 stopped by for a trim.

So the other night I hopped on the train and headed to Akihabara. But while I make frequent trips to Tokyo’s otaku district, this time I wasn’t going there to search for that Slayers Try soundtrack CD I’ve been wanting or to munch on the surprisingly delicious food at the Square Enix Cafe. This time, I was going to Akihabara because I needed a haircut.

Not far from Akihabara Station (though Suehirocho Station on the Ginza subway line is the absolute closest rail stop) you’ll find Off Kai, a hair salon that bills itself as being “by otaku and for otaku.” Off Kai shares its name with a Japanese slang term for “offline meeting,” and its existence is another sign of how being an otaku in Japan is evolving from a solitary existence to a more social one, with modern hard-core anime and video game fans valuing personal grooming more than their predecessors did.

▼ The street leading to Off Kai

From the outside, Off Kai looks like any other stylish hair salon, unless you notice the sign out front which explains that it’s “a hair salon that’s nice to otaku.”

But once you open the door…

…you’ll know you’re in the right place.

Instead of the bland, general-interest magazines you might find in a regular hair salon, Off Kai is stocked with hundreds of volumes of manga. They’re lined up on shelves in the waiting area, so you can read through your old favorites or check out a new series while you wait your turn, and you’ll also hear anime theme songs playing through the salon’s speakers.

There’s also a menu of free drinks on offer, including coffee, green tea, and juice.

If you’re a first-time visitor, the staff will also ask you to fill out a survey with three simple questions. The first asks how you found out about Off Kai, while the second asks you to share a few of your favorite anime, manga, or video game series.

▼ And no, they won’t laugh at you even if you don’t list anything newer than 1996’s Escaflowne.

The third question asks whether or not you’re the sort of person who likes to chitchat while you’re getting a haircut (with check boxes for “yes,” “no,” and “no preference”). That’s because Off Kai recognizes that while some people enjoy having a lively conversation about the latest and/or greatest anime (no dull chatting about the weather here!), other people relish a bit of quiet time while they get a trim. The salon says its customers are split pretty evenly between the three conversation comfort levels, and there’s no stigma about staying silent as you continue to flip through whatever manga you’ve grabbed off the shelf while the stylists quietly do their thing.

▼ Sitting back and admiring the figures and artwork is also an option.

Appointments can be made through Off Kai’s website, which also has brief bios for each stylist, and since Haruki, the woman who would be cutting my hair, describes herself as a big fan of ‘90s anime and robot series, I figured we’d have plenty of common interests to talk about (other staff members list series such as Love Live!, Onegai Teacher, Serial Experiments Lain, and FLCL as their personal favorites).

▼ After years of small talk along the lines of “Umm, how about that local sports team?” it’s pretty awesome to have the person cutting your hair ask “So, are you a Ranma 1/2 fan too?” and then be able to bond over how you both agree that Ryoga is the best character.

In addition to being a hair stylist, Haruki is also an avid cosplayer, and is gearing up to do some KanColle cosplay at the upcoming Winter Comiket. She was also kind enough to recommend some more recent anime series that a fan of ’90s series might like, such as Hisone and Masotan, Zombie Land Saga, and Karakuri Circus.

Given its clientele, Off Kai often gets customers who ask for their stylist to recreate a particular anime character’s hairdo or color, both services they’re happy to provide. My hair is no longer long enough to pull off a respectable Vash the Stampede, though, but that’s no problem, since the staff is equally skilled at styles with no connection to any fictional franchise.

▼ Unless this sort of counts as Deckard from Blade Runner.

Off Kai charges 5,400 yen (US$48) for a haircut, which isn’t an unusual price for a full-service salon in downtown Tokyo. All haircuts also include a shampoo and styling.

▼ The finished result

▼ Before/after

On the way out, you’ll be given a point card, and once you’ve filled it up, you can exchange your points for discounts on hair products sold in the salon, or, as most customers no doubt prefer, anime figures.

OK, so we’ve established that Off Kai is a great place for a haircut if you’re an anime fan, but what if you’re a foreigner? Yep, it’s still a great place. While the staff doesn’t have a designated English speaker, Haruki says they regularly get foreign customers, and with the help of some basic smartphone translation apps, they’re able to communicate well enough to understand how they want their hair cut, once again making a shared love of otaku culture and entertainment a way for Japan and the rest of the world to connect.

Salon information
Off Kai / オフカイ
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Soto Kanda 3-6-6, Akihabara Hattori Building 1st floor
東京都千代田区 外神田3-6-6秋葉原服部ビル1階
Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (Monday, Wednesday-Saturday), noon-10 p.m.(Sunday)
Closed Tuesdays
Website

Photos ©SoraNews24



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