*I really love manga*
I've read all the volumes of "Hokuto no Ken" in the studio, in one go!! Whew it really knocked me out! It made me cry over and over. I learned a lot from it!! Reading it I fully realized it IS an important piece when we try to understand Japanese culture. Kindness, humanity, intentness and sacrifice . . . they can be found also in "Tora san" I guess?? (lol) Yes they are definitely the fundamental elements of "image of hero" in Japan! Hokuto and Tora san, I guess they'd have sort of same philosophy! Don't you think so?? (lol)
The studio also had "Salaryman Kintaro" and now I'm halfway to finishing it. Today I've read through the volume 12. I knew of it when I got a glimpse of its drama version on TV, and once I started reading this manga, I couldn't put it down!!! How interesting!!! It shows me how Japanese society works, even more directly than "Hokuto no Ken." See, I love manly men, so I'm really into Kintaro-sama(*heart*). Woow I'm getting to sound vulgar a bit! But I think he does have something in common with Tora san, like innocence, attractive manliness proper to Japanese men, doesn't he?? (well I think I'm not going like "I'm so into Tora san*heart*" though. (lol)).
Don't dig me like "hey I just thought you were busy doing something else!" - for me movies and manga are important sources of inspiration! (Really??) Yeah I'm not kidding!! I've been inspired by various kinds of manga, especially when I write lyrics. If we want to create something fine, I'd say the shortest way to reach it is to absorb fine things by touching, hearing and seeing them constantly. I think Japanese manga and animation are really great. The studio where I've been working has a selection of mangas which are to be changed periodically, and the selection is always excellent. So I look forward to going to work everyday! To tell you the truth, when I was recording "SAKURA Drops" which was to be the next single of "Hikari" in exactly the same studio, I was so into "Hajime no Ippo" that it might have, uh, well, a tiny influence on the lyrics . . . let's leave it until you actually listen to the song!!!(it may be *interesting* if you keep this story in mind) Hehehe!
Well, can you guess what kind of flavor "Hokuto no Ken" and "Salaryman Kintaro" will add to the album Utada Hikaru is currently working on?? (lol)
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(NOTE by Nuuk)
"Hokuto no Ken" ... a Japanese manga, made by Son Buron(writer) and Tetsuo Hara(drawer).
"Tora san" ... the main character appeared in the Japanese longest movie series called "Otoko wa Turaiyo."
"Salaryman Kintaro" ... a Japanese manga, made by Hiroshi Motomiya.
"Hajime no Ippo" ... a Japanese manga, made by George Morikawa.
