Jeremy Wade's performance left me a bit dumbfounded about the purpose and the result of his work. There were isolated aspects of the whole thing that I enjoyed and appreciated, but otherwise was confused and think it fell short of what it was meant to achieve.
The use of the video, in particular for background or ambient light was effective. There was one part where the video was projecting snow onto a background, and I understood the lightness. Color also was employed effectively. The sound sometimes was effective, especially when the music was played, but the narration was a little bizarre.
I have my biases, I'm not interested in Japanese anime or manga, so I don't necessarily appreciate the topic. However, I still understand and know about it, and I didn't really understand or see the connection between Wade's work with the Japanese genre. I felt that it should have been more apparent whether or not the audience members were familiar with it.
The performance did help me understand and think of ways to use video and sound, especially as a way to create an ambiance in setting.
The dancing aspect left me a bit confused as well. I'm not particularly interested in dance, but I felt that the dance wasn't synchronized well with the music and video. In fact, I felt that the dancing, narration, and video were all anachronistic. Maybe I was searching for a familiar face, a linear way of thinking, rather than something that is nonlinear and timeless. I do find the stream of consciousness aspect interesting (in particular, the dream sequences). I also understood a lot of Wade's intentions, that is, expose people's anxieties by mocking how people respond to things they are unsure of, doubtless from his own experience first or second hand accounts.
Wade uses the over-the-top traits of Japanese manga and anime to exemplify the constant, endless wanting of western culture. Nothing is ever cute enough, dramatic enough, or loud enough to satisfy the reason for producing the genre in the first place. Likewise, nothing is ever enough to satisfy the westerner's need for more material things.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
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