Fresh off the Plane

An airplane ride is likely not the place to explore new TV shows, let alone one I have long awaited. A work of art likely to be “Zrucore.” There was only one episode available. But…I was ready. (This story is from when I flew back to the US a couple weeks ago.)

It was finally time to see the famous Fresh off the Boat, featuring a Chinese family who is….far from fresh off the boat (F.O.B.). They are another American family, as I see it. Sporting a Beastie Boys t-shirt, Eddy – a middle schooler – loudly proclaims his love of hip hop, placing him in line with most middle school boys. And within this American family, there is a tension I find rather familiar – to be the perfect son in alignment with the “previous culture”. In his case, to be a Chinese son; in my case, to be a Pakistani son. The struggle to be “other” and American simultaneously. It can feel like a gigantic contradiction.

Beneath the surface, this show ponders: what the heck does it mean to be American?

As a society, we pride ourselves on being a melting pot – that’s supposedly the foundation of the United States. However, (too) many white Americans think that the melting pot is just a lie, having “seen” what immigrants bring. But to a son of immigrant parents like me, the melting pot does exist, just with imperfections and without ever quite becoming a proper fondue. One could argue, the melting pot was not stirred properly. (This metaphor falls apart here because cultural divisions in America are likely due to systemic problems, not cooker’s apathy.)

The Beastie Boys, I will remind you, are (were) white Jewish rappers, playing in a black-influenced style. In a way, a Chinese-American listening to the Beastie Boys is certainly America – American culture is a complex combination of many sources, rendering it different from Europe. Over the past month (or so), I spent time in England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and France – and I saw for myself how different European culture is from American culture, even with the similar origins. We even speak some weird thing we call English but is in reality “American”. But even living in such an odd society, there is a great effort to cast non-white people as “other”. With an immigrant perspective – whether it is mine or Eddy’s – one sees such a situation as painfully ironic, where the country is comprised of so many different things, but where that difference is also wielded to the detriment of all.

This difference between “Americans” and non-“Americans” forces one to bounce between cultures. Eddy’s love of hip hop, for example, is seen as extending outside of his appointed zone as a person of Chinese descent; his peers rebuke him for his interests. As a fellow Beastie Boys fan, I understand how “white” is assumed to be the norm for fans of most popular groups, let alone just the Beastie Boys. This cultural battle is best portrayed through the character of Phillip who is Chinese by birth. The principal asks Eddy to show him around because of that assumed cultural link – by corollary, assumed comfort. However, though Phillip shows some of the favored characteristics of the “perfect Chinese Son”, he turns out to be a self-involved prick. This only contributes to Eddy’s sense of isolation.

As a “brown” person (realizing that “brown” has a few different meanings here, but for me, it means being of Pakistani descent), I can recognize the same things. My features seem “closer” to Europeans because of my fair skin, but even something as simple as my name reveals my status as other. Eddy’s struggles with befriending Phillip are also quite familiar; I have struggled to befriend other Pakistanis, as that supposed cultural connection is not necessarily enough. I find myself wrapped up in Pakistani culture, even while negotiating American culture – this, all in spite of my growing up and being raised here. For Eddy, the Beastie Boys help him negotiate the analogous double-think required to marry the two cultures.

Spanning one’s immigrant culture and the mainstream (American here) culture is quite demanding of one’s energy and time. It requires realizing that maybe this double-think frequently gets in the way of more meaningful interactions. But even in such a frustrating situation, it’s better to stay true to the values that you grew up with and ones that you select for yourself. Even if those values are some combination of the immigrant upbringing and the living in the US.

One Week Friends (2017) and the Power of Memory

Live action films. The devil, as far as most anime fans are concerned. (Some of us…unfortunately…seem to tolerate them. Even going as far as to see Ghost in the Shell (2017).) The idea that someone will desecrate the works you love, or at least profane the purity of anime as a whole. Many recall that Avatar: The Last Airbender atrocity and know that it could happen to them or the animes with their loved ones. These films tend to be panned because they only marginally feature the same plot points, yet somehow manage to be lazy.

Not One Week Friends (2017) – it has standards unlike a GitS (2017)!! (That’s not to say I was not apprehensive in the slightest. Not to mention, I haven't seen GitS anyways.) Towards the end, there was a memorable scene that encapsulated the work. A montage, interspersed with a series of drawings on a book being flipped through, masterfully reminded the audience of what had happened, while setting the stage for what would happen in the film’s conclusion. As the makeshift flipbook progresses, we see an evolution of the main two characters Yuki Hase and Kaori Fujimiya. Through this scene, the viewer saw the physical representation of the power of memory, especially when regained; such an action sets up Yuki well when he chases down Kaori, the friend seemingly lost to the power of time, through another dramatic montage. Shots of her face, and from behind. With quick pacing. But then the film pauses suddenly, letting the scene catch up to its momentum; the previously manic cutting slows down, and Kaori calls out to Yuki, having remembered what had happened. Here, she affirms that power of memory.

Because of Kaori’s medical condition, she can only remember one week at a time. (To keep this relatively spoiler free, I will just say that her ‘anterograde amnesia’ stems from an accident she suffered.) As a result, Yuki keeps asking her to become his friend. In this ending scene, Kaori remembers Yuki’s actions, and this time she asks him to be her friend in a simple but powerful gesture. (Of course, he consents.) Arguably, the film’s themes rest on this single moment, and it pulls it off convincingly.

One Week Friends is neither a perfect nor completely faithful adaptation – but what matters is that it made an effort to carve out its own unique space. This space had some major flaws. Covering the several volumes of the manga in one film – where the anime only covered around half the length – may not have been the best decision. Much of the film maintains a sense of rushing, which creates a more manic feel. However, there were times that could likely have been cut, such as a subplot involving Yuki being in a manga club.  Saki, a cheerful girl introduced a few episodes into the anime, is now a childhood friend of Yuki, where she used to be a new friend of Kaori’s. (Shogo, Yuki’s rather lazy and sleepy friend, is still more or less the same, thankfully.) Another flaw that one could have anticipated anyways is how the film tries to use similar dialogue to the anime but falls flat because of the medium difference.

In spite of this rushing and covering too much information, there is a clear sense of heart to this work that echoes the original manga and the anime adaptation. The main theme of this work, mainly the power of memory, is powerfully upheld (albeit clumsily).

It is no easy task to follow the excellent acting, animation, and directing found in Brain Base’s 2014 adaptation of One Week Friends. This live action version suffered from uneven scriptwriting and acting that cannot be explained simply from the original work itself. Despite these rough patches, the film had unexpected delights in its craft, especially the excellent use of set design and cinematography to make every scene feel unique. Unusual camera angles ran amok, but they were put to great use.

Most live actions, at least based on this conjecture I’m tossing out there, just tell without showing. But this work supplements long stories with visual representations of what happened, without hitting you on the head with exposition. For instance, when describing Kaori’s medical condition, we see an image of her being placed in a MRI machine, allowing us to connect more deeply. It applies a similar approach to a traumatic experience for Kaori – using extensive blurring on a set dominated by bright blue street lights, we get an intense visual for what she feels. This is complemented by her falling onto her hands and knees and clutching her head.

There was a clear best part of the film, even beyond the excellent visual presentation. One character had marvelous stage presence, beyond that which I would expect from most films, let alone a live action adaptation of a manga. This character was Saki, who in some ways felt straight from the anime. Those familiar with Fate/Apocrypha’s very adorable Servant Astolfo would be pleased to know that the anime iteration of Saki is played by the same voice actress (Rumi Ookubo). But the live action iteration is played by Haori Takahashi (who is apparently not well known enough to have a Wikipedia page), who marvelously recreated Saki in 3D space. Haori’s performance was able to effectively express a variety of emotions from sorrow (when she defends Kaori from criticism) to the chipper tone (most of the film) one would expect from the character.

Introducing Saki as a childhood friend made me raise my eyebrows. But this decision proved to be brilliant as it led to her being introduced early on – it sets her up as an important character. Early in the film, she criticizes Yuki’s bedhead and sprays his hair, establishing her image firmly. In another scene, she helps Yuki pick out a notebook, emphasizing that it should have a tora (tiger) design. Pointing to a specific scene or technique used by Saki’s actress would be hard for me – because all of it was a consistent delight.

By now, you are probably thinking “Yes, so a live action could be good. But I’m an anime purist! Harumph.” The talented, albeit seemingly uneven, director at the helm of this project certainly played a role in making it shine. The script itself stumbled – even in factoring the manga’s own bizarre decisions in the latter half – but made an earnest, charming effort to make a standalone film. But…as much as I say it is good, my heart will not move on….To me, love is the 2014 anime adaptation, so watch that instead.

Script: 6.5/10
Acting: 6/10
Cinematography/Pacing/Design: 9/10
Music: 7/10
“Heart”: 7.5/10

Total: 68/100

For Some Reason, I Woke Up: Half Two

Please see Half One here.
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#
The children circled around an empty chair, the scattered flowers still in place. A cloud of gloom hung over them, but nobody could break the silence. The girl who had asked for lessons, Aki-sama, picked up the unattended glasses and announced she would get to the bottom of this mystery.

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^

I may have overreacted. I grabbed Saki's sword and threw it.

Yes, I said we should become friends! But her shadow looked scary! ;_____;

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*

"Wh-what?" I cried out, as I ducked. My eyes perceived a sharp object zooming over my shoulder. It was far clearer than it should have been.

But no glasses sat on the bridge of my nose. I prodded myself until a voice interrupted.

"Apologize, Mao" said Saki sternly, holding a blonde girl who looked vaguely Japanese captive.

"Waahhh, I'm sorry! Uguu~~" cried out this Mao person.

I'm not sure why Saki was there. But it was strange to hear her so stern. Nevertheless I made certain to hug her. Even if this might be a dream, it's the best course of action.

And...somehow….Saki made glasses appear for me. What is this world? These are immaculate. Surely I can see again.

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#

The children's gasp stretched out across the room.


Aki, the master detective who had decreed her pre-ordained victory, had disappeared.

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%

Where am I? Who am I? Is this Wonderland?

Is this the mystery!?

I'm on big sister Sora's back. Well that was an easy mystery!

Wait.....a new mystery has appeared. I need to go poo!

But where? Where? There's so many trees but not poop places.

Oh....big sister Sora is taking me to the bathroom.

More trees...don't want to see them ever again. Hmph.

And we arrived at a hospital. It was another mystery to solve.

Big sister Saki and big sister Blonde took up the roles of lead detectives for this mystery. I, Aki-sama, would allow it this time.

But big sister Saki walked funny. She seemed to know the way so I will follow!

Ahh. Poop. I was done. Another mystery solved.

Big sister Blonde asked how it was. It was good. Good.

We went back to the forest. Ugh trees again! Sick of them!

But pretty floating lights are good I guess.

I point towards the sky and motion to big sister Sora. The other big sisters followed my finger.

Ohhh! A rainbow is in the sky! It's in front of us. Does it want to play? Or perhaps poop?

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#

The children were still in a state of shock at Aki's disappearance.

"Where is she" they asked in unison. (Well, the half that was paying attention.)

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^

Awww, well that sight is rather cute. The sight of Aki-chan snuggly sitting on Sora, wearing a haughty smile. Seeing that, maybe things will work out.

I, Mao, must accept my own power. Yes, yes! I nod enthusiastically.

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We found ourselves on the second floor of a grand palace, lit sublimely by torches bearing blue flames.

The rainbow staircase that led us into the sky was far behind.

There appeared to be four chambers shooting off from the room. In the cardinal directions.

Mao surveyed the room with uncharacteristic caution. Sora was glancing downwards. But a sense of panic arose when I could not see Aki.

Did she disappear ahead? Well it's not like we need her. Hmph.

Then I saw her, squatting in the center of the room.  A pedestal inscribed with some text drawing her rapt attention. Aki's mouth was open in an "O" shape. Far quieter than a five year old should be.

I waited half a moment for her to speak.

"What does this mean?" Aki asked with a posed look, her head gazing sideways.

"Can't you read?" I asked back, hiding my laughter.

"Aki-sama can read! Just not something like this! She pouted.

After giving her a condescending head pat, I step forward.

...she was right. Welp.

The tablet was faded, hard to read. But it seemed to say--

"A way home? How exciting! Just a few chambers to pass through. Let's leave this world for good," exclaimed Mao. She leaned in closely to me. Maybe a little too close.

"Didn't we come here for a second chance?" I asked sharply.

"And that is a kind of second chance!" Mao pointed out.

"At least, the other two should..." I whispered.

Mao frowned a little as she nodded.

"You! Tell Aki-sama the mystery!" A certain child was pouting again.

Mao bent forward, hands on knees, and explained quietly with a kind smile.

"We all get to solve mysteries!? Hurray!"

Aki smiled as she ran towards the north entrance.

We came up with a tacit agreement to each pick a chamber. With the hope that we would meet up again.

Sora went south. Mao went east. That left me with West.


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Now here's a mystery!

This seems like a scary cave. But I'm a big girl who can solve any problem.

I'm not scared. Not at all?

Going through the cave. There's no monsters yet.

But it sure is dark.

Then little green lights led me to the mystery! I will get to the bottom of this.

Ouch! I tripped but the lights waited.

A purple mist was pretty. I walked through it. I felt frowny...this was a hard mystery.

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^
Settle down there, horsey!

This magnificent mahogany stallion carried me swiftly alongside what looked like European ruins. Broken columns and the like.

A branch nearly grabbed my hair, were it not for my reflexes. I exited the ducked position and sat upright properly. Feel free to imagine a parasol covering my hair, if you will.

The wind across my face made my heart race. I wrote the phone novel to feel alive. But.. this somehow beats it.

Ground gave way to rocks, above the ground and far from uniform. The horse slowed down at my urging and we carefully negotiated the area. Ugh...this is gonna make me sick won't it.

Giddy up, horsey! We are onto level ground again. More wind. Exhilarating!

Something strange happened. An object zooms closer and closer. The horse neighs as instinct begs me to drop deeply into the saddle . The cannonball whizzed over my head. And more were on the way.

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*
My hair streamed upwards as I plummeted...towards certain doom? Or maybe it's closer to the end of a rainbow.

For ages I've fallen...at least half an hour by any reasonable estimate. Even more miraculously, my glasses remained on the bridge of my nose.

Still I fell down an earthy abyss, whose edges were riddled with tunnels. Ones large enough for a human child, but not an adult. Dim light streamed down even at this depth.

Flowers the color of wet mud dotted the entrances to these tunnels, speckled with green grass.

This air was earthy but fresh and lightly humid, as if it was filtered. But alas...that didn't make the wind less irritating. Could gravity make up its mind? Seriously.

Blood rushed to my cheeks, trying to warm them. If I make it back, I suppose there's no longer a need for that sky diving certificate. Maybe helping children is a way more action packed profession than I thought.

And that was part of my current predicament...

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Mud everywhere.

Dirt flowers in my hair.

Me in the air!

I fell from the tunnel into the hole...

Big sister Sora had grabbed me. I was safe.

Now it was an adventure!

The ground wasn't being nice. It kept moving away! Grah!

Play nice for Aki-sama!

I made a frown, so big sister Sora smiled at me.

My eyes went to bed. Zzzzz…

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^
I wanted to see the world as it was, like with my phone novel but more clairvoyant. To understand my position in this odd place. Why did I wake up?

Right now, I was bright red. Like a star! And like a star, I was in the sky...then I looked down. My horse and I plummeted downwards.

This is scary! I hurriedly close my eyes but still feel the sensation of air molecule resistance.

Some level ground this is! Really!

My eyes watered up, the air insulting them fiercely.
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 A mat of vegetation. I was entangled, which frustrated my half awake self. All these damn vines.

This place was so different from the chamber I had entered. Then I remembered falling through the floor.

Maybe that's why my head hurt. ...And my heart still raced. So much for it desisting in this world. Maybe I'm like this because this is a real afterlife.

If so...

I kept walking, struggling to avoid thick tangles.

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*

Our hair flapped upwards, as I held a sleeping Aki in my arms. But still we fell, like we were going into the depths of the planet.

Would this ever finish? Ever?

What kind of padding could stop our fall now? Is this it?

A gust of wind buffeted us from below. Losing consciousness, I vaguely understood that we were slowing down. Somewhere above an island.

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%

We landed!

Ohhhh! I swallow a bunch of air. Tastes weird. The water around us looks funny.

Shock! Big sister Blonde pets me. And big sister Sora was watching and laughing.

Geh! They saw Aki-sama frown!

This place was scary...and I want to go home but Aki-sama must protect everyone!

I will defeat this mystery.

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By this point, mud was glued to my feet, hiding my natural complexion. I shivered as my dress felt unbearably heavy, hobbling along a wet cave. Drops kept falling from the ceiling, as brown overwhelmed the senses.

Exiting led to a crescent shaped shore inundated with the flow of green water. Emerald towards me but a sludgy green split off towards the center of the room. A landmass sat separated by these two water layers, and the embankment I found myself on.

Something seemed out of place among oak trees and mud: a mat of blonde hair, twigs attached.

As if in response, Mao glared at me -- "so I'm the token blonde here, huh?"

For some reason, the other two had wandered to the other side, beyond my eyesight.

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^
The red flames of my master surrounded me again! My steed had since evaporated, blown into the wind. And I would be alone if not for Aki and Sora. Oh fate, let me not endure this!

Shouting telepathically at Saki, across the water, I reunited with my identity as a blonde Japanese girl.

"What took you so long? I asked, staring at my feet.

"Just a little fall." She responded.

"Just? Your head is bloodied on the side. You might be dying!"

"Well my heart is killing me."

"Can't you wish that away?"

"You seem to have figured it out...we can wish things here. But not the exact way expected. My heart pain followed me here, but subdued. So leaving..."

"See the red around me? I've wished to understand what I can do here...to make up for  dying early. It took this long...but it came in the form of a vision."

"Vision...? I don't like the sound of that...it tears  me up a bit. But go ahead."

I stepped closer to the dirty water, standing on rocks being abraded. I took a deep breath.

And: "Under our feet, the ground gives way, rocks colliding with a lower sanctum. Brilliant red light, sparkling in intervals of seconds, covers Sora and Aki, who are becoming fainter.  Their heads are last to vanish, leaving us with parting words. And we watch, collapsed 50 meters below, and let them go."

Saki stared at my feet and ankles, which had become pitch black from the water. As if suffering a violent burn. But as time wore on, as I delivered another statement, they recovered miraculously. The pain disappeared.

"And of course, Aki tells me what a great Big Sister I am!"

"In your dreams. Aki-sama would never do that! " announced the queen of energy herself, flanked by Sora.

And Saki fell silent, her eyes angled upwards at the ceiling.

Moving against half-hearted protests, I pat Aki on the head. Then she surprises me with a tight hug. In typical fashion, she denies missing me.

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*

I stared in wonder as Mao was not harmed by the water. Saki, after a difficult walk through knee-high water across sunken pebbles, made it over here too. Her dress was partially eaten, but her legs went from black to healthy. They healed almost immediately. The sticks and branches Aki and I had thrown in were swiftly dismantled, floating away as fragments. But leaves could not even be observed. How could these two be okay?

How?

Saki explained to us some of what happened. It seemed incomplete but we learned that some water in the room was safe, marked by a pristine emerald color.

My central hypothesis is pH differences because of microorganisms! And I think Aki agreed. Not that either of us are hydrologists....

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%

Mogumogu. Big sisters Saki and Blonde seem ok but why? The sticks weren't...

I threw a rock in and it died too!

Did they die too? Are Big sisters Saki and Blonde ghosts?

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*

I grabbed Aki's hand and followed the bend. And there I noticed that the water color changed as a function of position, like Saki had said.

Fufufu, I understand.

Mao and Saki carried across us via piggyback and it is no problem. Then they trip and we all die. But what if something important is underwater...

...I can see why that may not be the solution. What with the water of death.

Aki shouted, fear in her voice, "it's getting closer!"

And all of us hugged the ring of trees at the peak of the island, trying to evade the mysteriously rising tide, as moonlight shone softly.

Our heads turned sharply. A person arced downwards, heading for a skillful dive. Her voluminous hair briefly shone underwater like a spark of lightning.

And Saki stood next to me, as shocked. (Even here, she couldnt manage her condition here.) Aki made her surprise audible with fingers pointed.

The water...was no longer knee deep. And the hair at the surface had disappeared to the greater volume. The seconds passed by, each an eternity that promised us despair. Maybe we were still processing the shock that it would be her. Saki was the likely candidate to be our hero here, as she glued us together.

Are we all heroes in some capacity? Bitterly, I wonder if we lost one.

I hope I'm overreacting.

And Mao had died a hero's end.

Ha, I'm a fool.

A rusty iron switch, depressed but looking beyond disrepair, was in plain sight. And the water was gone. And I was princess carrying Mao, her hair sopping wet. And she was left in a white night gown, the acid having eaten away  her dress worn on top.

(I suppose the power of her wishes allowed us to forgo the cliched fanservice scene.)

She smiled and closed her eyes. My cheeks pulsed red as I understood -- she was braver than I.

And her eyes never opened again. Okay, that was a lie. But she felt oddly light in my arms. Almost as if she was a ghost.

Saki breathed deeply.

Aki asked quietly, "Will Big Sister Mao be okay?" Her head hung low as she petted Mao's head.

Keep this a secret, but I knew she was awake.

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^

I might have pretended to be asleep...maybe I can go with them.

Sora carried me across the now accessible back of the room, away from the Island. Saki and Aki were with us. A staircase led upstairs. My eyes opened briefly from time to time.

But actually she carried me very gently.

As I am covered in red, a crimson portal appears before us. Guess it was time.

So that's how the cruel event happened. The ground began cracking and even capable Sora lost her grip. She shouted at me for continuing to play asleep -- the one time she got mad.

Saki had somehow fallen down as well, which made sense as she was behind me. Maybe the living two, Sora and Aki, realized what we were.

But no matter, we had fallen, like I had foreseen. Maybe our forecasting of the moment led us here.

Sora and Aki waved goodbye as the portal, the one I had conjured, disintegrated steadily. Aki shouted, "Aki-sama loves Big Sisters Saki and Mao!" And she uncharacteristically fought back tears.

And Sora said she was mad at them for leaving her, "but I'll forgive you. And we will live on in your place."

Saki muttered, "live for yourself, idiot."

"Did you tell me to live for myself? Me and Aki can't just do that," Sora teased before offering a tearful goodbye alongside Aki. They slipped into the portal and vanished from here, into the world they belonged in.

Our magic had delivered them...

------

For so long, I've been dreading... I hope they really live for themselves. That which I've been trying to do since being diagnosed. Like Mao and her novel.

I hugged Mao tightly. She looked at me with widened eyes before relaxing. Emotions are usually far from me...but I wanted to show my gratitude.

This new life was more than I had expected. And I couldn't -- wouldn't -- summon living people here anymore.

Sitting in the hospital I woke up in, but with Mao sitting in a chair, I pointed out the switch she had pressed back there.

Tilting her head, Mao suggested that other humans lived here. Along her dive she had seen other artifacts like shovels...so they were not alone.


We could search this world, this now opened world, together. Beyond the trees, there were others. I wished that Aki and Sora would be fine. But we could keep living this bittersweet gift.

And here this hospital connected me to the world Mao and I had left behind.
But we would forge our own path.

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#
The children, still around the desk, tugged at Aki and Sora who were in a sorry state indeed with tattered clothes.  But the ikebana was still there. They got cheers from the quarter of the class, mostly little girls, who still paid attention. And they were very much alive .