Princess Jellyfish: An Otaku Adventure

Posted on July 19, 2016

from left: Tsukimi (Rena Nounen) & Kuranosuke (Masaki Suda). PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

My Delicate, we’re both otaku.

Beloved, thank you for encouraging me to write this.

Written by

Jude Thaddeus L. Bautista

Kuranosuke (Masaki Suda) is a handsome man, one of the most popular guys in campus. Unknown to most he is actually even prettier as a woman and loves make up and fashion. In full drag, he looked forward to the Amars group’s sukiyaki night. To this group of reclusive women he was too ‘attractive’ and fashionable. The group prohibits men in their apartment, even women who they deem intimidating, pretty and stylish. They were also all fully convinced he was female. Either way or gender he was unwelcome.

Masaki Suda plays Kuranosuke who is handsome but loves to dress up in women’s clothing. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

Sensing this he bit back, “How old are you women?” Chieko (Azusa Babazono) retorted, “How dare you ask a woman her age!” Still irritated Kuranosuke added, “You’re all NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) aren’t you? You’re in your 30s and yet none of you have a decent and consistent income.” A frantic Mayaya (Rina Ohta) replied, “We’re not NEET! For your information we do have a decent and consistent income…it’s called an allowance!”

Rina Ohta plays Mayaya who is into Samurai action figures. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. For screening schedules click here. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is a live action film based on a successful manga (comic book serial) “Kuragehime” by Akiko Higashimura. It was such a huge hit in 2008 that it was also produced as a popular anime series that has reached the U.S. and other countries. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

from left: Jiji (Tomoe Shinohara), Chieko (Azusa Babazono), Tsukimi (Rena Nounen), Banba (Chizuru Ikewaki) & Mayaya (Rina Ohta). PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

The film version directed by Yasuhiro Kawamura is hilariously funny, touching and even romantic but goes way beyond that. The story was originally by creator Akiko Higashimura (manga) and the screenplay by Toshiya Ono. The movie is able to deal with serious aspects of the story that the animated series or the comic book versions were not able to convey and made it even more human and relatable. Anyone who has ever had any kind of insecurity will be able to see themselves in the unique and quirky characters.

Princess Jellyfish manga creator Akiko Higashimura has won awards as an artist. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

On the surface, it does feel like a teenage comedy because of the directorial treatment, use of animation and effects. But it also deals with a lot of angst. In a way it explains how people become reclusive, while not necessarily judging them. People are who they are, whether or not they fit into definitions or boxes of society’s expectations.

Tomoe Shinohara plays Jiji who has an attraction to images and manga of old men. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

Otaku

Otaku (オタク) in Japanese slang is ‘nerd’ or ‘geek’. According to Wikiwand: “it’s a more derogatory term; seeing an “otaku” as a person unable to relate to reality… It is typically used to refer to a fan of anime/manga but can also refer to Japanese video games or Japanese culture in general. Some classify distinct groups including anime, manga, camera, automobile, idol and electronics otaku. The economic impact of otaku has been estimated to be as high as ¥2 trillion ($18 billion). According to studies published in 2013, the term has become less negative, and an increasing number of people now self-identify as otaku.”

Actress Chizuru Ikewaki is underneath that Afro as Banba who is obsessed with trains and has train sets all over her room. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

Amars nuns from left: Chieko (Azusa Babazono), Mayaya (Rina Ohta), Banba (Chizuru Ikewaki), Jiji (Tomoe Shinohara) & Tsukimi (Rena Nounen). PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.Mall.

The Amars group-5 women in the story do fall into this category. They live in an old apartment as roommates in the Amamizu district in Tokyo. Tsukimi (Rena Nounen) is an aspiring illustrator obsessed with jellyfish. Mayaya (Rina Ohta) is into medieval Samurais complete with action figures. Banba (Chizuru Ikewaki) can’t get enough of trains, trains sets and subway trains. Jiji (Tomoe Shinohara) is into Manga but also has a fetish for images of old white haired men whether drawn or photos. And Chieko (Azusa Babazono) is into Ichimatsu Dolls, a traditional Japanese doll that represent little girls or boys, correctly proportioned and usually with flesh-colored skin and glass eyes. Chieko dresses in a kimono and acts like a ‘mom’ to her dolls dressed in a similar costume.

Azusa Babazono plays Chieko who loves kimonos and Ichimatsu Dolls. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

The Amars group lives in Amamizu kan district in Tokyo. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

FOOD

One of the group’s common passions is food. Kuranosuke gained entry to their Sukiyaki night by bringing them Grade-A Wagyu beef. Apart from Japanese fare they love Chinese food. The most rotund of them Chieko sings a song with the lyrics “We’ll eat siomai, dumplings and Peking Duck!” They call siomai the same way we Filipinos call it. Banba and Mayaya regret not going with the others to Yokohama Chinatown crying in frustration: “They must be having Bird’s Nest soup by now!”

Hikikomori and NEET

Apart from their obsessions they are also in a way reclusive. Collectively, they all have an aversion to attractive people who are fashionable and men in general. Sometimes it can reach to paranoid proportions. In one scene, Tsukimi intended to go to a pet shop specializing in jellyfish. But since it was also in a district with students where she saw so many pretty girls. She had a panic attack where she had an impression they were all mocking her for her plain looks. She couldn’t reach the shop and had to run away.

Rena Nounen plays Tsukimi who is obsessed with Jellyfish, drawing and painting. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

There’s a very real phenomenon in Japan called Hikikomori (ひきこもり) literally “pulling inward, being confined”, i.e., “acute social withdrawal”) is a Japanese term to refer to the phenomenon of reclusive adolescents or adults who withdraw from social life, often seeking extreme degrees of isolation and confinement. The term hikikomori refers to both the sociological phenomenon in general and the people belonging to this societal group. Hikikomori have been described as recluses, loners, or “modern-day hermits.”- also from wikiwand.

Their apartment actually also has a 6^th occupant, who the Amars group consider their sensei. She is a recluse to the point of being unnamed and unseen. They slip questions underneath her door and she replies by writing as well.

Chizuru Ikewaki (Banba) used a Canon 5D Mk III to shoot a train operator in the driver’s compartment. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

NEET or Not in Education Employment or Training is a British acronym adopted in Japan. It is a broad category some of the youth fall into because of economic factors. An article by Kaitlyn Smith–Stagnant Youth: the NEET, freeter, and hikikomori phenomena expounds on the economic and sociological factors that have given rise to NEETs and the Japanese media’s reaction to them. “In a society primarily consisting of older adults, many youth found that it became increasingly difficult to find long-term employment, and as a result many young Japanese became disenfranchised with the Japanese school-to-work system…It (Japanese media/opinion) served to ostracize and punish those who fit the NEET definition, without paying appropriate attention to the social and cultural circumstances that created them.”

Lesson in Tolerance

For Smith NEET is related to Hikikomori, “In many societies, the youth who feel isolated or rejected tend to form subgroups, to emphasize and idolize the qualities that allow them to be unique individuals. However, Japanese society places an enormous value on conformity and all individuals living and working in unity. Therefore, to those Japanese youth who find themselves unable to conform may find themselves turning to isolation. Rather than work to change themselves, they may find it easier to instead isolate themselves in their rooms, disconnected from society.”

In my view this is how PRINCESS JELLYFISH goes beyond entertainment. While we’re laughing, we learn how and why each character has their obsession, insecurities and fears. Kuranosuke loves to dress up as a woman; one of the reasons is that he is rebelling against his strict politician father. We learn that all of the Amars group members were victims of bullying in school, some of which lead to their life long insecurities.

Princess Jellyfish has a live action movie and anime series. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

Even the group has its own prejudices, which we now see is also wrong. We understand, accept and not judge. Sometimes we’re not even aware of the trauma we cause people when we bully them. Or if we were victimized in our youth, we should work to overcome these insecurities and fears that have affected our lives for so long.

Kuranosuke (Masaki Suda) teaches Tsukimi (Rena Nounen) how to use make up, fix her hair and dress nicely. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

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Rena Nounen (a Canon M3 endorser) plays Tsukimi who is obsessed with Jellyfish, drawing and painting. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

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Banba is obsessed with trains and has train sets all over her room. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

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Kuragehime magazine cover. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

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from left: Shu (Hiroki Hasegawa), Tsukimi (Rena Nounen) and Kuranosuke (Masaki Suda). PRINCESS JELLYFISH is currently showing in RED by HBO. The hit movie premiered in the Philippines at Eiga Sai 2015 organized by Japan Foundation Manila at Shang Cineplex, Shang Rila Plaza Mall.

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