About Genkina Hito

 

Who am I?

I work in an art gallery and love culture in general but I love films, anime, gaming and Japan most of all. I have lived in Tokyo and Osaka and I am currently learning Japanese. I write for magazines and film festivals and other websites and I have been known to interview/talk to the odd director and actor. I help with a film festival in the UK and hope to continue adding to my experiences.

Why Genkina hito?

It was the only thing I could think of during a bout of existential angst.

Who would I like to emulate?

Michael Palin so I can travel the world.

What will I write about?

Films, film culture, anime and anything to do with Japan and the Japanese language. I’m interested in piquing a readers interests and then comparing notes.

Oh yeah I want to go to Japan so maybe this blog will detail efforts to achieve that goal! – I made it in 2016. I have just updated this page from Osaka.

I regularly go to the cinema because of the spectacle and ritual involved and always make an event out of it. My favourite cinema films by far have been Inception, Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters 2, Kick Ass, Infernal Affairs, Back to the Future, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, A Prophet, Casino Royale, Skyfall, The Hurt Locker, Tell No One, Zombieland, The Fifth Element, Spirited Away, Vital, Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno, Rurouni Kenshin, Fuku-chan of Fukufuku Flats, The World of Kanako, Why Don’t You Play in Hell?,  13 Assassins, The Snow White Murder Case, Judge!, The Cabin in the Woods, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Rebirth, Mai Mai Miracle, The Wolf Children, For Love’s Sake, The Guest, Nightcrawler, Himizu, Key of Life, Patema Inverted, Nightcrawler, The Guest, Our Little Sister, Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise, The Wind Rises, and Battle Royale. 
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76 thoughts on “About Genkina Hito”

  1. Necromancer

    The Fifth Element is my favourite film ever and it only cost me a £1 to see in a cinema! I didn’t particularly enjoy The Hurt Locker but had to see what all the fuss was about ater it got an Oscar.

    Reply

  2. I really enjoyed The Fifth Element when I saw it in the cinema. Good call on that film, an underrated spectacle.

    The Hurt Locker was one of those films that presented a credible view of the world that I felt actually taught me something – life in a bomb disposal unit in the Middle East. Plus, I was on the edge of my seat for most of the film and enjoyed the portrayal of soldiers that went beyond the standard good/bad western imperialist.

    Reply

  4. Thanks for the link.

    I read a book recently: The Junior Officer’s Reading Club by Patrick Hennessey.

    It’s a good book, well-written and it gets across the media-saturated war and exposes the reality of the testosterone fantasies that a lot of people have of military life – which includes the sheer exhilaration and the surreal.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-junior-officers-reading-club-by-patrick-hennessey-1719368.html

    Reply

  5. A Prophet is awesome…it enters straight in my top 5 films ever. The best 3 hours I’ve spent in a cinema, and I pretty much had it all to myself 9too many uneducated heathens in my locality..)

    Reply

    1. I totally agree. The film was electric and has to be one of the best I’ve seen not just in 2010 but of all of all time. The screening I went to was packed full of people and it had a decent box-office run in the UK.

      Reply

  8. Just wondering if you watch any Japanese TV Dramas. They can give you a perspective that may stay with you longer than a two hour film. I still need to watch them with English subtitles, but I like them enough to have reviewed a good many.

    jmm

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the reply.

      The only TV show I’ve watched (apart from Monkey Magic and The Water Margin) is Arakawa Under the Bridge. I’m trying to set aside time to watch some. It’s interesting to note that a lot of recent films are adaptations of TV shows.

      Reply
  12. akb48fan

    Just in case you’re trying to access my movie blog for the Evangelion 3.0 review I posted this morning, for some reason my blog has been suspended by WordPress without warning. I have told them I haven’t broken their Terms of Service so hopefully my blog will be reactivated soon. So frustrating……..

    Reply

    2. Hi Jason, this also happened to me a while back and I was really worried that I’d done something wrong and would lose my account but they reinstated it the next day and just said they were sorry and it had all been a mistake. I wonder whether it’s if they think you’re spamming – I seem to remember when it happened on my account I’d used an unusual title and they must have thought I was spamming so suspended it till they’d checked.
      Lynn 😀

      Reply
      1. akb48fan

        That’s exactly what they told me in their apologetic email – they thought I was spamming. Thankfully my blog was back up again in less than 12 hours after they took it down.

  13. Pingback: 「妖獣都市」感想まとめ　Yōjū Toshi (Wicked City) Summarised Review | Quizoxy クイズ

  14. michael

    don’t know you personally but I found your website looking for the opening rank of the new DragonballZ movie battle of the gods. Wanted to know your take on it. Though this isn’t the only anime i watch, it was one of the starting points fueled by akira as my first ever anime i watched.

    Reply

    1. The latest Dragon Ball movie is released today and the trailer looks action packed and the animation looks great. I love the updated version of the theme Chala Head Chala. That written I’m not the biggest fan of the franchise (give me Patlabor The Movie any day) but I suspect the makers of the film won’t care because there are a lot of fans and the film will be sitting on top of the chart next week.

      Check back in and see if it is 🙂

      Reply

    1. I’ll definitely give this a reply but I’ll have to schedule it for the Monday of the week after next because I already have two reviews lined up so I can do a Japanese essay. I’ve started it, at least.

      Here’s my essay soundtrack:

      Reply
  17. yooy

    Hi Jason,

    I really like your blog, and I stop by on a regular basis. So thank you for keeping us updated about Japanese movies.

    One thing though, and it is not a criticism, but the only thing I regret is that your website is very heavy, I mean it takes sometimes a very very long time to charge. I hope you can fix it.

    Anyway, thanks again.
    One more thing, since you like the Japanese language, you might be interested by this website. It is completely new and completely free. It is made by my Japanese teacher.

    http://www.kanji-link.com/

    Reply

    1. Hey, thanks for the reply and the kind words 🙂

      Japanese movies are awesome so there’s plenty of things to write about.

      Perhaps the reason the blog is slow for some readers is due to the large amount of images and videos. I’ll be more reasonable with what I post from now on.

      Thanks for the link. I’ll check it out and then add it to my list of Japanese language links some time this week.

      Reply

  18. Hey – sorryin advance for the long message! I didn’t know your email address and have an unusual blogger query!

    I’m going to be presenting a panel at an anime convention, Ayacon, next month called ‘Blogging about anime and Japan’. I’m hoping to put together a short video with some fellow Japan bloggers to ask them about their experiences blogging, and wondered if you’d like to get involved!

    If possible, you’d film yourself talking for a minute or two and I’d fit the footage together. Of course, your name and blog would appear in text on the video so people know who you are. I’ve come up with a few questions but you’re welcome to add your own stuff!

    Who are you? What’s your blog called? What do you blog about?
    Why do you blog about Japan?
    What is your favourite thing about Japan?
    What tips do you have for other bloggers?

    The panel will be in the weekend on the weekend of Friday 16th August, so I’d need all the footage by Friday 9th to allow plenty of time to edit!

    I’d really like you to take part but realise this is a bit of an unusual request – and I am a pro for avoiding the camera! The main thing is for it to be a bit of fun, so let me know if you’d like to do this!

    Thank you

    Sophie xx

    Reply

      2. I just got online after visiting a Japanese restaurant. I’ll edit your comment and send you a quick email so we don’t get randoms contacting us.

        I’ve never used my laptop’s camera before so it’ll be fun.

  19. Hello Genki 🙂 Finally I was able to watch the film Kikujiro… you were right it was realy a brilliant film. It’s a funny movie too but I had tears when the boy saw his mother with her family…
    Thanks and see you around! xoxo

    Reply

  21. Hi Genki!

    Nice blog. Like you I’m a big fan of anything Japanese, and me and my girlfriend hope to go their one day too (we’ve even joined some Japanese classes to help us on the way!). We love all Studio Ghibli, have watched a few animes (Elfen Lied, Naruto, Chobits, Full Metal Alchemist, Deathnote etc) and Paprika, Summer Wars and the Girl who leapt through time (all fantastic!). However outside of Ghibli and those other animes we don’t really know where to go next. Any recommendations for live action films or other good anime film studios? A good starting point?

    I’ll be subscribing to get some more recommendations. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog 🙂

      I’m very enthusiastic about the stuff I write about and I hope I can point you in the direction of films and anime you will love.

      If you’re into action movies you should watch 13 Assassins. It’s a samurai film which will grab your emotions and put you through an exciting time!

      If you like musicals then you can try For Love’s Saket. Like the above film, it’s directed by Takashi Miike and it’s a wild ride but with less bloodshed. It’s a musical full of fun songs and performances.

      If you like horror films then you should watch Ringu and these:

      House is a kooky horror film which leaves everyone I know happy and I can recommend this one without hesitation.

      Tetsuo the Iron Man is absolutely nuts and all the better for it. A nightmarish trip in post-modern horror.

      Strange Circus by Sion Sono has a brilliant story full of surprises but be warned, there are some disturbing themes like child abuse.

      Filmmakers I love include Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Nobuhiro Yamashita, Shinya Tsukamoto and Sion Sono. Their films might not be to everyone’s taste but if you want to expand your cinematic horizons they are a good place to start.

      In terms of anime you should give Attack on Titan a go. Very dark and dramatic but worth it and the emotions you feel will be intense.

      Sekai Seifuku – Bouryaku no Zvezda is an anime about a little girl who takes over the world. It is currently airing and it’s only on episode 3 but it’s funny! The danger is that the laughs might fail but that third episode was a killer 😉

      Mawaru Penguindrum, And Yet the Town Moves, Kino’s Journey, Time of Eve and Bakemonogatari are also recommendations. It’s a nice mix of comedy, drama and action and some of the titles I found really entertaining and high quality.

      Anime studios to pay attention to would be Production IG (I have a soft spot for Patlabor) and Madhouse (especially the works of Satoshi Kon). These two studios usually release quality titles.

      Most are available on DVD in the west. Let me know what you think of them. I have Japanese class myself in an hour and thirty minutes! Good luck with your studies and getting to Japan! Keep in touch!

      Reply

      1. Wow, arigato gozaimasu! Haven’t heard of any of them so they’ll definitely keep me going for some time! I’ll let you know what I think 🙂 Good luck yourself, speak soon, and thanks again!

  23. Quizoxy

    Hello fellow blogger!

    This is Quizoxy from your neighbour wordpress blog QUIZOXY クイズ 新 and we just got a chance to do our first book review and give-away this festive season!

    This book is titled THE MOÉ MANIFESTO written by Patrick W. Galbraith showcasing his researches and interviews with famous contributors from Japan regarding to the revolutionary of “Moe” that transformed the japan culture ever since.

    Read the full review here: http://wp.me/p4ndCM-OD

    TUTTLE Publications has sent us this book along with several other titles for review and giveaway which we are doing today, starting with this title. We will be giving out two copies of THE MOÉ MANIFESTO shipped from TUTTLE Publications at totally free of cost. We think that it’s good to share the news with you regarding to this give-away session cause we think you deserve it too!

    Simply like us on our RandomFantasy facebook page, and name us one of the interviewees featured in the book under the comments of this post shared on our facebook page and you may just be our winner! It’s just that simple! Get your friends to like us on RandomFantasy facebook page to increase your chances of winning! Good luck!

    Note:
    Please enable private message on facebook for contact purposes.
    Closing date: 15th December 2014

    Quizoxy
    Administrator of Quizoxy新 and RandomFantasyAnimeUpdates

    Reply

  28. Pingback: Dragon’s Loyalty Award | Zezee with Books

  29. Pingback: Not at all bookish! | Books and travelling with Lynn

  30. I just saw “Happy Hour” yesterday at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and enjoyed it immensely. I suppose I should be able to figure this out myself, but I am not sure who died in the car crash at the end of the film. Can someone help me, please? Was it the young writer?

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the comment. It is a good film and a lot of it has stayed with me since I watched it.

      SPOILERS

      The person who died in the car crash was Fumi’s husband. That’s where she meets Akari since she works there.

      Reply
      1. Steve Kroeter

        Dear Genki Jason—

        It was very nice of you to reply to my question. Thank you.

        I remember that Fumi has a moment of regret when she recalls that she handed her husband the keys to the car. But somehow it seemed to me that we saw him in the film after that scene.

        But thank you for clarifying that point. As with you, the film has stayed with me. An investment of 5 hours that I am very happy I made.

        Steve

        From: Genkinahito <comment-reply@wordpress.com>
        Reply-To: Genkinahito <comment+e1z9mcziiv9s9rsdwqkhsstbdi_z4lxe3li7fkbak8-9-486wx6d@comment.wordpress.com>
        Date: Wednesday, August 31, 2016 2:52 AM
        To: Steve Kroeter <kroeter@designersandbooks.com>
        Subject: [New comment] About Genkina Hito

        Genki Jason commented: “Thanks for the comment. It is a good film and a lot of it has stayed with me since I watched it. SPOILERS The person who died in the car crash was Fumi’s husband. That’s where she meets Akari since she works there.”

  31. Pingback: Lovely Blog Award from LynLynSays « Medieval Otaku

  32. Hello Jason! Did you finally find a way to live in Japan? I saw you were at Osaka Film Festival? Do you live in Osaka now? Great blog by the way, always a pleasure.

    Reply

    1. Hi Oli. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I lived in Japan from September until June this year. I stayed in Tokyo for four months and Osaka for three and a month in Osaka prefecture and travelling down to Hiroshima. It was great. I want to return to Japan soon!

      Always great reading your blog especially the horror movies and the differing ratings of you and your good lady!

      Reply

      1. Thanks Jason! I hope you will find a way to come back soon. I’m always happy to hear people talking about their experience in Japan and about the good time they had here. Meanwhile, I’ll keep on reading your blog.

  33. Pingback: TAG – Five Flaming Hotties « Medieval Otaku

  34. Asiana

    Blog is good but your likes of films aren’t that good, to be honest but then each to their own.

    Nevertheless, if you love to watch Japanese films, then you have missed a lot of great ones, and i don’t just mean the top rated films but rather the rare japanese movies that takes you on a different cinema journey.

    I’ve watched lot of Japanese films (about thousands) and most of your favourite Japanese movies don’t even come in my Top 300. You could say the same thing but it would be better if you watch real Japanese films.

    Reply

    1. Sorry about the late response to your comment. I did see it but have been busy.

      I must admit that I’m intrigued by the Japanese films you say I have missed. I haven’t got time to review everything I see so maybe I have seen some. What would you recommend?

      Reply
  35. Chaelynn

    Hi there, I’ve recently been getting into Japanese film, and I came upon your blog — I love it! I must ask, where do you mostly see all these Japanese movies? I’m having a hard time finding websites or services like Netflix that offer a variety of Japanese films. If you could recommend some, I would really appreciate it! Thank you.

    Reply

    1. Hi Chaelynn,

      Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog. I’m glad you are finding it useful.

      In terms of the films I watch, a lot of them are screened at festivals and so I get to review them when I head to the events or provide coverage for other websites. I also watch films when they get limited theatrical runs.

      If you don’t have a festival you can go to. Amazon have a surprising number or they carry other services. Sometimes you can find them on YouTube. There are services like the Criterion Channel
      https://www.criterionchannel.com/

      and Mubi
      https://mubi.com/

      Last, but not least, I’ve got a DVD collection which I am not even halfway through.

      Reply
  36. Neal

    What’s your favorite beginners Japanese language book that is based on manga and Japanese slang / informal speech?

    My son wants to learn to talk to people his age and sound normal – plus he loves manga.

    Any help is greatly appreciated.

    Reply

    1. Hi Neal.

      When I first read your comment I immediately thought of the book Japanese the Manga Way:

      https://www.tofugu.com/reviews/japanese-the-manga-way/

      It’s accessible and fun and full of natural speech that you will hear in everyday life outside of work/formal settings.

      I am assuming your son is still at the beginner stage so I would also suggest getting Japanese for Busy People.

      https://www.ajalt.org/english/textbooks/japanese_for_busy_people.html

      Volume 1 will suffice for many things. This series of textbooks teaches more formal language and can be an excellent baseline from which to learn more informal speech and it comes with a CD that you can use to practice.

      Those are the books I have used. I also took lessons. My biggest piece of advice is, like with everything, figure out what your motivation is and practice often. If he can master even just the basics, it will open up a whole new world.

      I hope this helps and I hope your son has fun learning!

      Thanks for visiting.

      Reply

    1. 久しぶり！

      I was somewhat aware of Chofu’s film connections but the library featured looks incredible. Original posters for films like Tokyo Drifter and the actual screenplays for films like Floating Weeds! It looks like a place I’d stay in all day!

      I’m going to share this with my mother (another person who loves libraries and films).

      Also, I used that library in Urawa which is featured in the programme. A real lovely place. That was another 久しぶり moment!

      Thanks for thinking of me after watching this programme. I’m keeping a look out for more on your travels. Stay safe!

      Reply

  38. Reading your blog again after many years and so glad to read that you’ve made it to Japan my friend! (Haven’t gone back to blogging but reading again my favorite blogs, like yours. Hope you’re well)

    Reply

  39. Thank you so much for revisiting my blog!

    I checked yours a while back to see if there were any updates. I’m doing well and so are my my loved ones. I did manage to go to Japan (four times) and hope to go next year when everything has calmed down. Thanks to Japan, I’ve watched many Filipino films 😉

    I hope you and yours are doing well.

    Reply

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