Emi Koyama’s new blog in English

Emi started a new blog in English!
http://eminism.org/

Thoughts on Takarazuka & “Dream Girls”

I just wanted to write a little more in response to the film “Dream Girls” we saw in class today:

I really found it intriguing how much emphasis is put on the women as male stars. Tomomi brought up that, during the restaurant scene, the girl who played male roles in Takarazuka said she had always liked the female parts – but even though this alludes to the fact that there are female roles, it doesn’t speak much for female stars. I wonder what the difference between male and female role stars is, or if the female characters are actually given anywhere near as much hype. As was also mentioned in class, it seems as though female fans understand the fact that all of Takarazuka’s stars are female (e.g. stars are often brought girly things like baskets and gift bags); but it was interesting to see this fan-craze illustrated for the women who play men’s roles.

Rokkasho Rhapsody, another perspective

Well, as I think Miho did a nice job summarising the documentary (though I think that she uses some strong language that I don’t necessarily agree with), I think that I will just present another perspective:

The problem that Kamanaka portrays in the film is definitely something that can be related to in some way, in many parts of the world, as Norma Field noted before the screening, and I think, related to in many different ways. I think, from a global perspective, this film really made me think about the future of the earth in general, with our current energy consumption, and I start to feel more and more like the (scientist? He was shot with a print of Picasso’s Guernica in the background, which I think was quite fitting for this film) man who thought that with our current energy trends, we will always have some sort of problem. (Something like this. I wish I had made better notes. Please correct me if I’m wrong). In a sense, I think that this is true. Because in order to sustain our energy consumption, something must provide the energy, right? so it can be coal, oil, natural gas, wind, nuclear power etc. We don’t have THAT many choices, and with each choice comes a problem (either polution of some kind, or accessability/availability), but if we want to live our “lives of convenience,” then there are certain risks that we must take.