Category: Translations

Anime, Films, Interviews, Translations

The Waterworld of Michael Dudok de Wit

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In this interview Director Michael Dudok de Wit talks about the use of the waterworld, water and aquatic creatures in his film The Red Turtle and his other works. De Correspondent originally conducted this interview and published it on their website on July 21, 2016. If you can read Dutch, please click here to read the interview in its original language.

Michael Dudok de Wit labored ten years on his new, widely praised animation film about a man who washes up on an inhabited island. Water and aquatic animals are recurring themes in his works. Where does his fascination come from?

The Waterworld of Michael Dudok de Wit

Interview: The Endlessly Fascinating Waterworld of the Man Behind the Red Turtle

His short animation The Monk and the Fish was nominated for an Oscar. His short animation Father and Daughter won an Oscar. But Father and Daughter also won – actually a much greater honor – the admiration of the legendary Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli. ‘Can’t you make a long film for us,’ they mailed in 20061)Studio Ghibli did not work previously with a non-Japanese animator, but still pulled out – together with French film distributor Wild Bunch ...continue. The Red Turtle was born.

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Notes   [ + ]

1. ↑ Studio Ghibli did not work previously with a non-Japanese animator, but still pulled out – together with French film distributor Wild Bunch – millions of euros to let Dudok de Wit – together with dozens of animators – work in complete freedom on his dreamed of first long animation.
Anime, Books, Manga, Translations

Ghost Hunt Chronicle: A 20 Year Chronology

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The following table from the December 2010 issue of Da Vinci captures the chronology of the Ghost Hunt series and some real life events. I have translated this along with a short introduction which accompanied the chronological table.

Ghost Hunt Chronology

Ghost Hunt Chronicle: Closing in on the Charms of the Series!

Since the publication of the series’ first volume Are there really lots of Evil Spirits!?, Ono Fuyumi’s horror masterpiece the Ghost Hunt series continued to captivate readers over a span of 20 years. First of all, let’s look back once again at its history along with the related chronology. The reason why the Ghost Hunt series is eternally loved across generations, should come to the surface from there.

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Anime, Films, Interviews, Translations

Michael Dudok De Wit Interview: The Importance of Acceptance

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The Red Turtle received the nomination for Animated Feature Film for Oscars 2017 and recently won an Annie Award. With the 89th Academy Awards coming up next week, I decided to translate another interview with director Michael Dudok de Wit, with another one coming up later on. In this interview Dudok de Wit talks about the theme of acceptance in the film. It’s a rather personal interview, which touches upon his childhood, among other things.

De Lagarde originally conducted this interview and published it on their website on July 7, 2016. If you can read Dutch, please click here to read the interview in its original language.

Interview: Michael Dudok de Wit (The Red Turtle)

The Importance of Acceptance‘In elementary school, my teacher called me Karel Appel1)Karel Appel (1921-2006) Dutch painter, sculptor, and poet., because I always drew. My three brothers did the same as well, but perhaps a little less obsessive. I could immerse myself in it, forgot everything around me, including what was being said and taught. I wasn’t very good at school. Fortunately, my parents weren’t too upset about it. My mother herself was artistic. I still remember – I must have been very young then – that she once made a drawing of one of our bantams2)A small variety of poultry, especially chickens.. I can still see it before me, so beautiful and detailed. She was an artist at heart. But she chose to be a good spouse and mother. It had been very nice for me, but there’s no doubt that she must have struggled with that choice sometimes.‘

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Notes   [ + ]

1. ↑ Karel Appel (1921-2006) Dutch painter, sculptor, and poet.
2. ↑ A small variety of poultry, especially chickens.
Books, Translations

The Historical Context and Significance of The Evil Spirits Series

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Ten years have already passed since the Ghost Hunt anime aired on Japanese television. It marked the beginning of its popularity in the international anime scene. In celebration of this anniversary, Story Unlocker turns the spotlight on Ghost Hunt, also known as the Evil Spirits series.

Mai and Naru (Shibuya Kazuya)Mai and Naru (Shibuya Kazuya)
An illustration by mangaka Inada Shiho of Mai and Naru, the main characters of the Ghost Hunt/Evil Spirits series.

The Ghost Hunt anime partially adapted the manga illustrated by Inada Shiho. Inada Shiho went on to adapt the entire Evil Spirits series by Ono Fuyumi. In 2016 she completed the manga adaptation of the sequel to the Evil Spirits series: Akumu no Sumu Ie. In the meanwhile, Ono Fuyumi took it upon herself to rewrite her debut novel series. Media Factory published the rewrite of the Evil Spirits series in 2010 and 2011.

In light of the rewrite, magazines like Da Vinci and Yuu featured several interviews and articles on Ghost Hunt. The December 2010 issue of Da Vinci celebrated the first rewritten volume of the Evil Spirit series with a special feature. The feature begins with a preface by Higashi Masao, an expert in horror and ghost stories criticism. In this short contribution, he highlights the historical context of the Evil Spirit series.

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Books, Interviews, Translations

Miura Shion Interview Part 11: The Meaning of Reading and Teaching

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Miura Shion is the original author of Fune wo Amu (2011) otherwise also known as The Great Passage. The anime adaptation started airing from October 16 on Fuji Television’s noitaminA block. The interview consists of eleven parts; this is the last part on reading and teaching children who dislike Japanese language. Please go to part one “Encountering a Dictionary” to read the interview from the beginning.

Fune wo Amu film

The Meaning of Reading and Teaching

You might think that’s for the best, but to a child it might be a pain. Because the way of receiving completely differs depending on the child. For this reason education is difficult, and that’s why education is important.

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