blog.aka.me -
December 10, 2006
Viewed 484 times
| Japan | social | Video |
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Hikikomori

Italian photographer Francesco Jodice worked together with film director Kal Karman on a well-edited video documentary about a little-known Japanese social phenomenon: hikikomori which Wikipedia describes as reclusive adolescents or young adults who have chosen to withdraw from social life, often seeking extreme degrees of isolation and confinement due to various personal and social factors in their lives.

Nothing too new here, but it's pretty rare to find videos in English about the subject. I would recommend Jodice to put the video on YouTube though. (via wmmna)

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November 10, 2006
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| Japan | Video |
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Konnichiwa, pasokon desu. Doumo, Mac desu.


Yay, the Ramenzu, famous Japanese comedy duo, are back in the Japanese version of the popular "Hello, I'm a Mac; and I'm a PC" ads.

Not nearly as funny as their other works, but worth a look.

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January 13, 2006
Viewed 419 times
| Honda | Video |
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Honda commercials

Here, I updated my collection of cool Honda ads...

Do you know more on each of them? leave a comment...

New Honda Civic (UK - 2006 - Wieden + Kennedy)
Honda Grrr (UK - 2004)
Honda Cog (UK - 2004? - Wieden + Kennedy)
Honda Everyday Object (UK? - ? - Wieden + Kennedy or Rubin Postaer and Associates?)
Honda Civic IMA (UK? - ? - Wieden + Kennedy) can't find it online anymore, can you?
Honda Lego "Purpose" (US - 2003? - ?)
Honda Cars / People (US - 2003? -?)

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November 15, 2004
Viewed 709 times
| anime | Exhibitions | Friends | Video | wow |
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ResFest 2004

My good friend Gaku is quoted in this article on ResFest 2004 over at The Japan Times Online.

This time, look for Tokyo-born Gaku Kinoshita's entry, "For Your Blossom..." The six-minute animated film tells the story of a little boy soldiering through a big, indifferent world and an encounter that will free him from his destiny. The spare drawing and subdued pastel color scheme work perfectly for this touching little tale. "I guess the biggest inspiration was coming from the conformist and conservative idea of Japanese society," 27-year-old Kinoshita said in an e-mail from London, where he works for an independent film-production company. It is stunning to realize that the filmmaker made "For Your Blossom..." on a laptop computer, and indeed, many ResFest films prove how much is possible with just a few thousand dollars worth of equipment -- plus plenty of talent, of course.

This theme is recurrent in his animation work. And it has given him plenty of food for thought which he has until now always managed to beautifully interpret for our viewing and reflecting pleasure. Check out A Clown on his website. Congrats Gaku, I'll make sure to catch the show!

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February 19, 2004
Viewed 173 times
| Japan | Video |
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MailMan

MailMan is a very exciting and sweet short clip presented by the imgl department of Keio University. The music was done by Yasuhiro Tsuchiya (aka Unplug). Check out his other creations.

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December 11, 2003
Viewed 349 times
| Honda | Video |
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Honda Everyday Objects

[Creative Review] Yet another fine ad for Honda, this time detailing a typical working day, via sequential close-ups of the inconsequential objects that help to make our lives easier. The idea being that these ingenious pieces of engineering also include the Civic.
From Wieden + Kennedy, directed by Ivan Zacharias.

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December 10, 2003
Viewed 344 times
| Honda | Video |
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Honda Cars/People

[AdWeek] They say that married couples, as well as pets and their owners, start to look alike after many years. In this new spot, Honda owners love their cars so much that they start resembling them.
From Rubin Postaer & Associates, directed by Malcolm Venville.

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December 10, 2003
Viewed 306 times
| Honda | Video |
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Honda IMA

[carpages] A television set switching itself off while a man falls asleep is an unusual way to advertise a car brand. Honda’s new ad also features a tap turning itself off after a man has finished brushing his teeth and lights which turn on as a train arrives at a platform. (...) The everyday scenes featured in the new advertisement demonstrate intelligent use of energy, but there is no obvious car connection. Or is there?
From Wieden + Kennedy, directed by Peter Thwaites from Gorgeous.

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October 30, 2003
Viewed 331 times
| Honda | Video |
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Honda Lego

After this year's Honda Cog advert for the Accord in the UK, Honda of America has just released a new advert for the Honda Element called "Purpose".

It was directed by Roman Coppola, brother of Sofia Coppola and son of Francis-Ford Coppola. It lasts 30 seconds and was entirely done in CGI. The tags line has evolved from the earlier: "Isn't it nice when things just work" to "Every piece has its purpose". Honda puts forward the same idea as the Cog advert: its engineering and design perfection.
More details at the CG Channel.

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August 22, 2003
Viewed 301 times
| Robots | Video |
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Robot wrestling

my dream studies/job: invention & fun with radio-controlled robots. Don't miss the multiple videos over 6 pages and the 2 other websites linked to with more videos to discover.

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