rl: slight recap
Nov. 14th, 2023 12:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
issenlloA bit distracted as I'd only recently returned from a trip to Japan, where I was at, among other places, Saitama, so I could watch Hanyu Yuzuru's RE_PRAY performance, which was spectacular, thanks for asking, and I've never regretted my lack of gaming knowledge more? In one sense it's been exciting finding out, so I look forward to teasing out more details as the archived (BEYOND LIVE) version becomes available.
And in another sense it's going to be an equally thrilling prospect (a) to contextualise the use of a gaming framework in the overall show; (b) to interpret the different versions of the narrative being generated by each different avatar used and yet with the outcome become largely the same (as seen from the first 2 days so far at least, we will see what happens for the performances in Saga and Yokohama); (c) IF the outcome remains the same; (d) to think about what it means for the overall message being conveyed - whether it is a fairly wholesome message about making decisions for yourself, life and the universe, or whether it ultimately presents a slightly self-contradictory message about how life must be lived forwards; and (e) on a meta level, what this means for the overall narrative Hanyu has been building starting from Prologue and following with GIFT.
It is possible I'm overthinking all of this, of course. But it's fun anyway.
***
The fly in the ointment for my trip was, probably due to prompting by my nearly-nonexistent better nature, I agreed to go with an old friend of mine who, for reasons of her own, really really wanted to go to Japan even though she does not like the Japanese language, nor Japanese trains, nor Japanese food, nor Japanese prices, nor temples, has seen loads of nice scenery in her life and isn't particularly impressed by the Japanese type. (I assisted in booking flights and hotels.) Like I said, it doesn't have to make sense. But I was frustrated that I had to figure out stuff for both of us and also to keep justifying why we're taking this train, why we're stopping here, why isn't everything in English, why does Japanese money have so many coins? *facepalm*
There were a couple of misadventures (one of which was being stuck in Nikko till the morning of 4 November and I had half of a heart attack thinking I was going to miss RE_PRAY) - embarrassing but my fears were unfounded and nothing bad happened? I felt bad that for reasons of her own, she thought I was going to be her tour guide despite my repeatedly informing her I was no such thing, I was a newbie to Tokyo, and I really, really couldn't bring her around Tokyo because I was in Tokyo (-->Saitama) purely to catch performances.
Frustrating. I'm unsuited to be this kind of travelling companion, as I particularly dislike chitchatting over things like ooh what kind of breakfast would you like. Really, no.
But in everything else the trip was heavenly.
And in another sense it's going to be an equally thrilling prospect (a) to contextualise the use of a gaming framework in the overall show; (b) to interpret the different versions of the narrative being generated by each different avatar used and yet with the outcome become largely the same (as seen from the first 2 days so far at least, we will see what happens for the performances in Saga and Yokohama); (c) IF the outcome remains the same; (d) to think about what it means for the overall message being conveyed - whether it is a fairly wholesome message about making decisions for yourself, life and the universe, or whether it ultimately presents a slightly self-contradictory message about how life must be lived forwards; and (e) on a meta level, what this means for the overall narrative Hanyu has been building starting from Prologue and following with GIFT.
It is possible I'm overthinking all of this, of course. But it's fun anyway.
***
The fly in the ointment for my trip was, probably due to prompting by my nearly-nonexistent better nature, I agreed to go with an old friend of mine who, for reasons of her own, really really wanted to go to Japan even though she does not like the Japanese language, nor Japanese trains, nor Japanese food, nor Japanese prices, nor temples, has seen loads of nice scenery in her life and isn't particularly impressed by the Japanese type. (I assisted in booking flights and hotels.) Like I said, it doesn't have to make sense. But I was frustrated that I had to figure out stuff for both of us and also to keep justifying why we're taking this train, why we're stopping here, why isn't everything in English, why does Japanese money have so many coins? *facepalm*
There were a couple of misadventures (one of which was being stuck in Nikko till the morning of 4 November and I had half of a heart attack thinking I was going to miss RE_PRAY) - embarrassing but my fears were unfounded and nothing bad happened? I felt bad that for reasons of her own, she thought I was going to be her tour guide despite my repeatedly informing her I was no such thing, I was a newbie to Tokyo, and I really, really couldn't bring her around Tokyo because I was in Tokyo (-->Saitama) purely to catch performances.
Frustrating. I'm unsuited to be this kind of travelling companion, as I particularly dislike chitchatting over things like ooh what kind of breakfast would you like. Really, no.
But in everything else the trip was heavenly.