Until we meet again :P
So I bought Chupa Chups last weekend, because why not? After a while I tried opening it but I realized I can't. Well to be fair I was playing video games while trying but still, I couldn't believe that it was so difficult to open. I notice I was dead in game because I got so distracted. I had no choice to use a knife to open it but GUESS WHAT? I still couldn't open it. It literally took me more than 30 minutes just to open a stupid candy.
This weekend, I went back to my parents' house in Gunma to celebrate my sibling's birthday. The cake and the meals my mother and neighbors prepared were delicious.
Today on my way to school I saw many high school students and that brought nostalgia to me. I miss the time when I play guitar with my band members after school, talk about stupid things and laugh. I also miss the gossip and the relationship troubles. It was an experience that I should not have for my age. However, it is the happiest time I would ever have.
Message & Reaction:
The message highlights the abundance of logos in our surroundings, which are present in our daily lives even though we often fail to notice them. I have observed numerous logos, but I struggled to recall the brand names or the significance they represent. Also It was quite humorous how they depicted Ronald McDonalds as some kind of criminal and Michelin man as a cop.
Logos I recognized:
McDonalds, Michelin, Pringles (My favorite snack), Pizza hut, Burger King, Sprite, Fanta, Dr Pepper, KFC, Dunkin Donuts, BMW
Logorama was pretty overwhelming in my opinion and i think that its one of the messages it tells. How in our modern society there are so many logos that they just go over our heads without us noticing.
Some logos I recognized were;
McDonald’s, Michelin man, Arbys , Lego, Nasa, Warner Bros, Logicool, Supreme, Apple, Bigboy, Pringles, Mr. peanut, and Puma
What it means:
I think Logorama shows how dominat brands are in our society. By showing that amount of logos we as the viewers were able to recogonize them, and it shows just how much logos we know.
some logos I notcied:
Michelin Man, Pringles, Haribo, Green Giant, McDonalds, BigBoy, Nike, Puma
The film got me like this Leonard DiCaprio meme.
This is like the logo version of Ready Player One!
There are 2,500 logos in this video. The logos that I was happy to find:Daft Punk, Apes, Nintendo, Paramount and Batman.
What's the message?
The film is about the impact these logos have in our society. They are so dominant that we tend to buy products with the logos we are familiar with which could be what the video is warning about.
Logos I saw in the video
BMW, UPS, H&M, JAL, KFC, M&Ms, BBC, NASA, SEGA, TBS, ABC, CNN, Dell, FOX, HBO, LEGO, Pepsi, Sega, Sony, UPS, USPS, Visa, Yamaha, Adobe, Apple, Audi, Canon, Cisco, Citroen, Dell, Disney, Ford, Fujitsu, Google, Honda, IBM, Intel, Lego, Lexus, LG, Mercedes, Nestle, Nissan, Panasonic, Pepsi, Philips, Samsung, Sony, Sprite, Toyota, Toshiba, Yahoo, Yamaha, Adobe, Apple, Canon, Cisco, Fujitsu, Google, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nokia, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, YouTube, American Express, Bank of America, BlackRock, Caterpillar, Chevron, Coca-Cola, Deloitte, General Electric, Mastercard, McDonald's, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Starbucks, Target, UnitedHealth, Verizon, Visa, Walmart, HSBC, IBM, Intel, Nestlé, Nokia, Novartis, Oracle, Philips, Shell, Sony, Toshiba, Toyota, Coca-Cola, Ford, General Motors, Honda, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Samsung, Sony, Texaco, Textron, Toyota, Verizon, Walt Disney, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, Sony, LG, Xiaomi, Lenovo, Huawei, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Uber, Airbnb, Dropbox, Tesla, GoPro, Oculus, Skype, Milky Way
Message
I believe the video shows the rivalry between leading companies and how companies impact our lives. Each logos can express the wealthiness of a person. For example if a person is using a Louis Vuitton bag, it shows that person has money, rather than someone using a cheap North Face bag like me.
Logos I've found in the video:
French’s, Dominos, Pringles, Sleep Inn, Pizza Hut, Ghost busters, Skippy, Taco Bell, KFC, FANTA, Mcdonalds, HAribo, WWF, MAsterCArd, Nescafé, Nickelodeon, M&M, LEVI’S, Nintendo, Lacoste, Dunking donuts, Starbucks, Bluetooth, Xbox, Windows, Evian, North face, LEGO, SNICKERS, Samsung, Disney, Nike, Universal, Pepsi, NASA, MilkyWay
What's the message:
The film shows/tells us how we are losing what makes us unique by giving too much importance to originality, and how it created chaos and an apocalypse.
The message
I think the message is the power of logos and characters in marketing. The city made of logos indicates that logos are pretty much everwhere in the world that we live in. They are on buildings, cars, food and drinks, etc.
In the video, when Ronald McDonald crashed his van, hazard symbols fell out of the vehicle. These pictograms could be a metaphor for McDonald's unhealthy food they provide. Logos are the face of the companies; they carry the companies' name and reputations, and people tend to decide whether the item is safe or not by these logos. I think this video is trying to tell us not to judge by their logos.
The logos I noticed
MSN, T-Mobile, Pringles, McDonald's, Best Buy, Kmart, Co-op, GMC, Guerrilla Games, LEGO, Energizer, Wendy's, Gorillaz, Stüssy, Pizza Hut, Billboard, Aston Martin, Bentley, Nintendo, Yoshinoya, Tamiya, Dr. Pepper, 7-Eleven, Heinz, Marlboro, Nomura Securities, Domino's Pizza, SEGA, Hard Rock Cafe, Vodafone, Michelin, Ghost Busters, Heineken, OBEY, WWF, Taco Bell, KFC, Nestle, Burger King, Sprite, Fanta, Bud Light, Bluetooth, Big Boy, Haribo, Paramount, NBC, JAL, Linux, MGM, Jolly Green Giant, RIAA (Parental Advisory), Mastercard, Audi, Hertz, Chevrolet, Smiley, Dolby, Nespresso, Dunkin Donuts, Coca Cola, Pillsbury, Nissin, Yahoo!, Nickledeon, Starbucks Coffee, Evian, Yamaha, M&Ms, In-n-out Burger, Dunlop, Denny's, Street Fighter 2, Daft Punk, MTV, Levi's, MercedesBenz, Carl's Jr., Lacoste, Batman, BMW, Sex Pistols, XBox, Chicago Bulls, Left 4 Dead, Microsoft, Lotto, Electronic Arts, Hewlett-Packard, Rockstar Games, IBM, Apple, USB, National Geographic, The North Face, South Park, Bandai, American Express, Snickers, DTS, Panasonic, Dell, Durex, Nokia, IKEA, VISA, Intel, Volkswagen, Epson, H&M (& and M were missing), Mitsubishi, Adobe, Casio, Chanel, UPS, Rolex, Google, Toyota, Yves Saint Laurent, Adobe Illustrator, Samsung, Blizzard Entertainment, Walt Disney, Nike, Universal Studio, Sony Ericsson, Tropicana, Doritos, Dole, 7up, Moutain Dew, Gatorade, Frito Lay, Lay's, Pepsi, Internet Explorer, Virgin, Nasa, Subaru, Pioneer.
Message
This video highlights the impact of advertisements in modern society, with logos often being visually appealing but superficially promoting products. This superficial approach often overlooks the benefits of the products.
Logos
T-mobile, French’s, Walker, Union Gasoline, Domino pizza, Lego, Pizza Hut, Energizer, Yoshinoya, Hot Wheels, SEGA, Seven eleven, Ghost busters, Taco Bell, Heinz, KFC, Fanta, Crunches, McDonald’s, Bic, Haribo, Big boy, Evian, Esso, Pringles, Starbucks, m&m, Nintendo, Crocs, DHL, Nespresso, Dunk-in Donuts , Levies, Colgate, Marlboro, National Geographic, The north-face, Yamaha, American eagle, Walt Disney, Samsung, Nike, Universal studio, Tropicana, Pepsi, NASA, Subaru, Milky Way, Skippy, Michelin, Ghost Busters.
The message here, in my opinion, is to inform us the overwhelming numbers of big companies' logos and the possible consequences and the conflicts they might induce. The very first thing I get from this video is that there are so many logos that can create a city. With all those logos pervaded our life, and most likely still increasing, it is hard for us to make decisions that we are truly satisfied with. In the book The Paradox of Choice, the author Barry Schwartz says that the satisfaction we get from one choice are withered by the choices we give up. In other words, the more choices there are, the less satisfaction we get, since we can not choose all options. The McDonald iconic clown, Ronald McDonald is representing the top of the business pyramid, hence his brutal terrorizing other logos. This is implying a potential conflict of big companies.
The logos I know:
Lego, Pizza Hut, Pringles, Nintendo, Ghostbusters, Taco Bell, Dr. Pepper, Diesel, McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Fanta, Sprite, Burger King, Haribo, Mastercard, Evian, Yamaha, Wendy's, Coca Cola, Adidas, Ikea, Marlboro, Michelin, Subway, Xbox, M&Ms, Levis. 7/11, Domino's Pizza, Oreo, Lacoste, Starbucks, Paramount, Bluetooth, Hollywood, Disney, Apple, Adobe, Universal, Durex, Samsung, Rolex, Pepsi, Nasa and a ton more I might missed
Today during IE Writing class, we were talking about Pokemon. Therefore, I thought I will write some things about Pokemon.
Pikachu, the most famous pokemon in the whole franchise, has some interesting fun facts you might not know. The name Pikachu is actually two Japanese words combined, pikapika (the sound of sparkling) and chuchu (the verbalization of squeaking). It's name makes more sense now, given that Pikachu is a lightning SQUIRREL. YES, Pikachu was originally designed as a squirrel.
In the first generation of Pokemon games. Pikachu has a chubby face, which in game designer Atsuko Nishida's words "At the time, I was really into squirrels, so I wanted the character to have puffy cheeks. Squirrel tails are cute... However, I wanted the character to have a lighting element, so I made it shaped like a lightning." Apparently, Pikachu's round cheek is where he store electricity, like a squirrel carries a nut.
This Saturday I met one of my “推し” in an event!!!
I chose to go to the event on that morning without thinking about how much money I had in my wallet so…
Right now I am broke …(߹𖥦߹)
Some of you guys might already know but whatever. So basically, last Friday after school, I went out with my friends to watch a movie. During my way back home I accidentally past through a NO BIKE ALLOWED TUNNEL. Then guess WHAT? I got followed by a cop (覆面パトカー). When I realized the cops rang the siren. After hearing the siren, MY HEART BEAT WENT SKYROCKETING. When the cop said "PULL OVER" I realized I screwed up REAL BAD. I just lost 6000 yen and got 2 points on my license. I just really glad that I wasn't pulled over for speeding or else my license will be gone. (P.S. I'm not gonna stop speeding and I'm really broke.)
For my dinner today, I cooked 麻婆豆腐 ( Mabo Tofu )
It didnt tasted well than I expected.
I am writing this blog in a tedious class whose name I will not tell you for obvious reason. For some odd reason, my brain is rejecting Japanese recently. This brings up a very intriguing question. Do I have different personalities for different languages.
Since I have abandoned Chinese, my mother language, I speak English and Japanese most of the times. I found myself become more active when I speak in English and calmer when in Japanese. I want to know if my IE 3 fellas can relate to this. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
This is my first time writing on the blog except for assignments so i’m gonna write about something that I love. Here’s a song that I can’t stop listening to.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=vkPfKnUaq5k&feature=share
It’s Garden by Fujii Kaze. You may know him for ‘Kirari’ and ‘Shinunoga E-wa’. These two songs went viral on social media and he gained the popularity globally.
What makes this song unique is that each part of the lyrics ends with the vowel e. It makes a comfortable melody that keeps me coming back to the song. His voice is angelic and deep. It’s always fun to discover new music!
Hey everyone! Since I want some credit, I'm here to talk about the enjoyable experience of having COVID! And let me tell you, it was quite a ride! So, let's talk about some of the unforgettable things I experienced during my time with COVID!
Now, let's move on to some tips to make the most of your COVID experience:
Tip number 1: Pray to God! Forget about those useless medicines; it's good to have faith and hope for a quick recovery! Light a candle or say a prayer for some extra comfort :) Amen!
Tip number 2: Get plenty of sleep! Since going out and eating is limited, use this time to rest and relax. Set an alarm for a late wake-up time and enjoy the extra sleep. It's a great way to recharge!
There you have it, my friends! Remember, stay safe, keep your distance, and let's hope that one day we can look back and laugh about the experience of having COVID.
Sending virtual hugs and a friendly wink as we say goodbye <3
So last Sunday, I went riding with buddy again. This time went somewhere in Kanagawa. Probably near Enoshima. While my way there, my buddy and I were speeding again. (Yes again, Some of you might think “Hey Koki you’re gonna get yourself hurt!”, Well I can’t help it, I’m addicted to speeding :) ). Then suddenly A POLICE MOTORCLCLE CAME FROM OUR BLIND SPOT with the red lights lighting up!!! I got frighted as hell and I stepped on the brake REAL HARD and slowed down as fast as I can. We were lucky that the cop was nice enough to just warn us.
This Sunday I played Pokémon card with two of my senpai from APS(Aiyana Pocket Society)!
I played it none stop for 4hours!
I was too tired that I was about to sleep as soon as I came back home but it was very fun!
About a month ago I went riding with my buddy near Odaiba.
As some of you know I love riding bikes (motorbikes). My buddy knows all about
bikes and places for riding it. He told me there was an area where there were
no cops and no speed cams. As soon as he told me that, I knew exactly what he
was thinking. We went to the spot and we were SPEEDING REAL FAST. I really hope I don't get arrested. :)
Once-A-Week-Blog (part 2)
Hey, to whoever is reading this. Let me drop a quick update for this week. (and for them credits ofc). Nothing much happened, to be honest. Well, I guess except for one thing- I came across a snake on campus the other day.
I absolutely have no clue what species of snake it is. I'm not a reptile expert. If any of you can identify this snake, feel free to comment below or something. (btw, you also get a credit for commenting) That's all for this week's blog. Stay tuned for the next one I guess?
summary
The animal took a rest at center of quiet grassfield. Then grey animals pulled big city with dark cloud. The grassfield were contaminated by black wave that came from the city. main character took a little tree before it get withered,he took care of it at city. animals suffer from an illuness and climate disaster. Then jellyfish took animals into their body. There is a peaceful place like the place he lived.
reaction
I think this movie send us a message about how human’s act affect the environment. The sudden arrival of big city represents urbanization. Excessive urbanization can break ecosystems in there by causing air pollution and lose of animal habitat. In the movie, animals got a respiratory disease because of live in dirty air and some animal died. Also birds ran away from the urbanization. In Brazil, destruction of amazon forest is serious environmental issue. It can lead to loss of precious species. I think this movie also warn us that. I have never seen animals appear in the movie. Not mentioned in the movie, excessive urbanization can promote global warming. Building big city can make humans life easier and comfortable. But we must consider the effect on environment including animals live there.
Short summary:
The story follows a small creature living in a decaying urban environment. It embarks on a journey to reclaim the lost beauty caused by industrialization.
Reaction:
This story deeply resonates with the audience, evoking a range of emotions from empathy to nostalgia. The film effectively conveys profound emotions without relying on dialogue.
Moreover, "Varmints" emphasizes the importance of connection and compassion in a world that often prioritizes progress over individual well-being. The film encourages us to appreciate the natural world and value human connections that nurture our souls and offer solace in difficult times.
At the end of "Varmints," the story reaches a climactic moment that allows for personal interpretation and reflection. In my interpretation, there is a personal transformation of the main character. Alternatively, the story may focus more on the creature's internal journey. Rather than physically changing the environment, the creature undergoes a profound personal transformation. Through experiences and encounters, it gains a deeper understanding of its own purpose and inner beauty. Ultimately, the creature finds solace and fulfillment amidst the chaos of the world, embracing its resilience and inner strength.
Varmints
Who
The rabbit looking creature
Message
I believe the story is telling us the damage we did to
our planet which used to be full of nature. The CO2 emissions we make around
big cities around the world, will eventually destroy our planet similar to the
story. We need to find a way to help reduce pollution and protect the natural
environment in order to live a happy life.
Summary
The story begins with the main character watching plants. Then, suddenly many tall buildings appeared. It started covering the whole field, but he succeeded in protecting a branch from it. He brought it to his new home which was inside one of the tall buildings, and took care of it everyday. However, it eventually became sick. After the branch had totally died, a jellyfish looking creature had appeared. One by one, the inhabitants were taken by it. The main character also wanted to be taken. When he fell down, the jellyfish lifted him. And after he woke up, he was in a place that looked like the place he was in at the first time.
Reaction
I thought the sudden appearance of the tall buildings and the rooms inside it represented modern times. I also believe that they are warning us of the current crisis. The dirty air, smoke from the factories which create bad air like exhaust fumes, rooms that almost look like a prison, and overworking. People are really dying because of it. I feel the seriousness of what humanity is currently doing to the earth. We have to have more compassion for the earth. If everyone would have the same sense or thoughts of care for plants that the main character had, the world wouldn’t become like the world in the video, and the environment would be better.
"Varmints" is a short film about a small creature in a city. The city has destroyed nature, but the creature tries to survive. It takes care of a plant/branch he managed to rip off from a tree before it withered away. The city and its people start to die due to the lack of greenery in the city. Then some huge Jellyfish creature brings life and color back to the city by planting millions of seeds from the sky. The film showed the importance and the power of nature.
The theme is about cities hurting nature and why it's important to help the environment. The film shows hat happens when the city completely takes over nature; death. It wants us to understand that we as humans, can harm the Earth, but also have the power to heal and restore it. People need to work together to take care of nature, and make the world a better place/green for everyone on the planet.
Summary:
The story is about a small creature trying to preserve nature from urbanisation and recklessness. Thoroughout the film, it showed the characters' indifference to others and nature.
Reaction:
This film emphasised on the consequences of industrialisation and deforestation. For instance, toxic gas and animals/civilians becoming sick and dying.
I have two interpretations about the jellyfish.
The first one is that the jellyfish represents heaven, and the animals are dead. Inside the jellyfish, it is bright, fillled with nature, looks warm, and it simply looks like what people imagine how heaven is like. After the protagonist gets taken by the jellyfish, he looks down the city from above. He also was able to meet his crush again. The dandelion seeds from the jellyfish could represent reincarnation or new generation of animals because seeds=new life.
The second is that the jellyfish represents nature conservation organisations like the WWF, and the animals are taken to a much healthier environment. At the very end of the film, the jellyfish emit dandelion seeds into the city. This could represent the actions by the nature conservation organistions, environmentalists, and animal-rights activists, etc.
"Varmints" is a short animated film directed by Marc Craste.
It tells the story of a character who lives in a polluted city. One day, the protagonist discovers a small flower growing among the industrialized surroundings.
Feeling inspired and hopeful, he decides to protect and care for the fragile flower. Despite the environment, he finds happiness by nurturing something beautiful.
The film shows the contrast between the city and the flower, symbolizing the resilience of nature in difficult circumstances.
While the city is getting more polluted and the inhabitants are getting sick, magical beads start growing. When it seems there is no more hope because of the pollution, the beads, now grown up, save some of the inhabitants of the city by incorporating them.
Now the protagonist can enjoy the nature he loves and has a chance to get to know one of his neighbors with whom he shared a piece of his small flower, while the beads spread seeds all over the city destroyed by pollution.
"Varmints" explores themes of environmental destruction, the ability of nature to bring hope, and the importance of small acts of kindness. I really enjoyed watching the short film as it made me reflect about how we can end up if we don’t do something to stop pollution and to think more about the environment. Even if it may seem that it's too late to make significant changes, we can all contribute to improving the circumstances we find ourselves in.
The story begins with a creature taking care of plants. It seemed peaceful at first, but suddenly dark clouds and buildings start to appear and destroyed everything. The main character continues to take care of the plant that he saved at the beginning of the story. Eventually the air gets polluted, making it difficult for the creatures to breathe. At the end, some of the creatures end up in a jellyfish looking thing where it is peaceful.
I believe this story is trying to tell us
about how urbanization destroys nature. At the beginning of the story, everything seemed peaceful and there were many trees and plants. However, the field was ruined because
of the tall buildings that suddenly appeared. When nature
was destroyed, the air was polluted and affected the creatures. You can understand
that urbanization not only destroys nature, but also affects many living
things.
On Saturday I went to a cosplay event in Yomiuri Land (theme park) . There, I cosplayed as Arima Kana a character from an anime called “Oshi no ko” . It was my first time participating in a cosplay event so I was very nervous at first. Though, as I was with my friends I was able to have fun by the end.
I was very happy that many people not only the cameraman and other cosplayers but the families who came to the theme park to have fun actually came up to me and asked whether if they could take photo of me.
Summary
The story starts off with a dog looking creature in a peaceful field, investigating the nature. Everything seemed to be fine until the field was destroyed by the huge buildings. He could only save one plant from the field and tries to grow it. Then the protagonist found glowing thing and it turned into flying jellyfish looking creatures. They started taking varmints inside their bodies. He found a beautiful field there ,like he was in at the beginning of the film.
Reaction
A well made short animated film without any language. The film shows how urbanization could ruin beautiful nature that is supposed to be protected at all cost. I think this film is a reflection of the society in real life because in the films, urbanization destroyed the nature and the characters served for the society blindly , which happens in our world. I think they were saved by the jellyfish creatures at the end.
Summary
The story starts off where the protagonist is looking after different plants in a field when suddenly tall buildings start to appear out of nowhere destroying and polluting the field. The protagonist manages to save a last surviving plant and tends to it while he is forced to be a slave to the cruel society that was created. He develops feelings for another one of his kind, but is too shy to confess. Magical glowing beads form from the surviving plant and stick to random areas around the buildings and grow overnight. Every body starts to get sick and as it seems that all hope is lost, the glowing beads turn into giant jellyfish and start saving the protagonist and his kind. The story ends as he wakes up in a field inside the jellyfish with the plant he cared for and realizes he is in the same jellyfish as the one he has feelings for.
Reaction
I found this story to be a little racist towards the end when the jellyfish were only saving the varmint and his kind. It is not proven that the other creatures are the ones who caused the corruption of the land or did anything bad in general to receive such a cruel death. I think that everyone deserves a second chance and that the jellyfish should have saved everybody instead of just the varmints.
Summary
The main character lives in a field, and is surrounded by nature. One day, the Varmints are colonized and put into tall prison like buildings while only having a single room to themselves that are similar to a prison cell. The main character keeps some seeds from a tree before he is colonized and continues to care for the seeds. They eventually become a sprout. However, becuase of the air pollution the Varmints grow sick and start to die. While this happnens, giant jelly-fish like creatures emerge and rescue the varmints. They "absorb" the Varmints, which takes them to a place full of nature.
My Reaction
I believe that the Varmints are being taken to a sanctuary like place, not heaven. I also think that they are not dead, and have simply been saved. However, I wonder who colonized them in the first place, and where that being is. I also hope that the main character and the female Varmint he likes falls for him. I also think that the video represents capitalism, as the owner of the new factory like structures is not shown, and appears suddenly. Along side capitalism I think it shows how slavery was back then, because it seemed that the Varmints were being worked like dogs, without any pay.
Summary
A varmint and his kind enjoy the beauty of nature, until a dark wind waves over the land and replaces it with buildings. The varmint lives and works there until the last plant starts to die. Then a lot of hot air balloon looking jellyfish appear in the city and start grabbing the varmints, putting them inside of them. Inside the jellyfish is what the varmint thought he would never see again, place filled with grass, flowers and the girl he had fallen in love with.
Reaction
The film conveys a powerful and emotional message without words, making it a stunning and emotional experience. The design of the Varmints was a surprise, as they were Droopy-like with monk-hood markings and heavy kangaroo tails. Their rural home was beautiful, but the sudden building of a fully-formed city in such a short sequence never felt believable. The Lowry existence of trudging between the looming of smoking chimneys, writing and drawing in a tiny flat at night, and dreaming under a tree. The last part departed into fantasy, and the jellyfish were beautiful and gently spooky. The wordless sound was nice, especially the tiny noises of the Varmints, but Johan Johansson's soundtrack could have had some more distinctive moments.
Summary
One day the city where the protagonist lives in undergoes a catastrophe. As a result, the once beautiful place utterly changed into a dark, dim and withered city. Before all the plants die out, the protagonist saved one branch and seeds from the tree he usually rests.
Later he discovers a glowing seemingly radioactive green bubble on the building. Soon, the bubbles in the city grow bigger and turn into gigantic hollow jellyfish roaming in the sky that capture other animals.
In the end, main character gets caught, and finds the inside of that jellyfish is the beautiful place just like the place he once lived.
Reaction
I think this short film is a reflection of the repercussion of industrialization. In the beginning, the transformation of the city is a representation of the rapidly changing city and the byproduct of it (environment change). The trees withered, the sky is covered with toxic gas, many animals got sick. The animals are the symbol for endangered animals. The green massive jellyfish represent the preservation organization human send out to save endangered animals. Each jellyfish is artificial habitat for rescued animals.
I think the video is meant to raise the awareness for the environmental damage we inflicted on other animals and how important beautiful nature is to wild life. When the whole city is changing, the main character rushed to save one branch of a tree and some seeds. This shows how much he wants to save his home.
I don't know what to write about, so I am writing about yesterday.
I had two classes in the morning yesterday. Reading and German. I chose German because one of my friends speaks German. I was pretty motivated at first, but I am bad at German and I don't like it now. someone tell me tips for German please.
after finishing the classes, I went for part time job. I am working as a barista at Akasaka. it's not far from here, so sometimes i see someone from university. i bet it is awkward, but talk to me when you see me. i will make drink for you.
i've been working so hard and i am lacking of sleep lately. i'm going to sleep early today. bye.
Short Summary:
So the story begins with the protagonist peacefully observing the beauty of nature that surrounds him, taking a moment to rest beneath the tree. However, black cloud approached his location from the horizon unvailling the massive buildings pulled by the countless creatures which upon its construction caused destruction of the surrounding nature.
And then the scene transits showing protagonist gradually adapting to the dystopian society while also developing a romantic feeling towards one of his neighbor. But in unexpected turn of event, soon after his plant died, massive jellyfish like thing started to kidnap the inhabitants ending the story with the protagonist and his crush getting trapped inside the same jellyfish.
Meaning & Reaction:
M: Probably this animation serves as the reminder of how urbanization and disregard to the surrounding nature at its process would lead to destruction of the nature and it could backfire to the society. Jellyfish and unknown disease spreading among the inhabitants symbolizes the nature`s retaliation / backfire against the society, and for the ending part I interpreted that the inhabitants that cared about the nature even slightly were spared inside the Jellyfish while the others who completely ignored it succumbed to death by the unknown disease.
R: This cold and dark atmosphere of the dystopian society that protagonist resided reminded me of the Tokyo, especially during the rain.
Varmints
I think the central message of Varmints is a criticism toward modern industrialization and heavy urbanization. First, in the movie, the protagonist is in a very peaceful place, enjoying the life surrounding him. Then a wave of huge buildings pulled by an almost soulless varmint came. Wiping out the beautiful nature. I think this part symbolizes the endless expansion of humans toward nature. After everything was lost, the protagonist still tried to grow some life. He almost looked alone in the entire city who is trying to preserve what he had before. Maybe others were trying too, but already gave up and stopped thinking about what they had and decided to be a mere gear in the city.
This made me think about myself in Tokyo, I was born and raised in Sapporo and everything is still unusual to me, the almost unethical train ride packed with people, the lack of greenery, and the huge crowd commuting to work or study like ants. I always felt Tokyo is like a huge machine. Even though I was the one who chose to come to Tokyo, I still don't want to feel normal being packed like a sardine every day. To resist from becoming too comfortable with the city, I go seek for nature to retreat from the urbanized area at least once a week. The fact that I am not much of an urban person made me really immerse myself in the film. Lastly I'm going to write about the thought on the jellyfish thing. I think it symbolize nature. Considering it destroyed the city and spread nature all over. Nature can be ruthless if you ignore it
and exploit it too much. But I'm really not sure why the jellyfish favored the varmints who love nature. Because nature does not favor any being. So I guess the one who was taken is dead. Now being one with nature.
I was wondering if Dr, Armstrong is checking our blogs, well... apparently he is! So I guess I might just write about the challenge I am currently doing.
I was preparing for video discussion and I came across this short video about how caffeine works. So basically, caffeine works like a inhibitor which blocks neuron receptor for sleepiness. Your brain will notice those receptors are being constantly blocked and to tackle that, your brain will create more receptors to be able to receive sleepiness signal. Therefore, The longer you consume caffeine regularly, the more receptors there are in your brain. This is not only make you need more caffeine to get the same alertness effect, but also make you more tired once the caffeine runs out.
After watch that video, I had a sense that I am in danger. So I took on a challenge of cutting my caffeine consumption. Starting with 50% off. Let's see how long I will last. Wish me luck!