Before I Go.
Picture this.
The Tokyo National Stadium goes dark.
A giant countdown is projected on the ground.
Five.
A little red dot roars.
Four.
The dot is a motorbike dashing towards the stage.
Three.
A close-up reveals it's the same bike ridden by Kaneda, the main character from the cult cyberpunk manga and animation Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo from 1988. The crowd goes wild. Millions of flashes from cameras, smartphones.
Two.
A new city of shining frames appears. It is Neo Tokyo, newly created by Otomo. At home, geeks and nerds lose their minds, their kids googling the significance of their parents' seizures. 2020 is the exact year the movie took place.
Hashtags. Memes. Retweets.
One.
The bike accelerates towards the centre, bright lights intensifies.
Zero.
A center stage resembling the iconic tower SHIBUYA109 emerges with the girl group Perfume, performing ‘Welcome to Tokyo’, as images of Shibuya are projected on the ground. Through image mapping, the city turns into Kabukicho, then Akihabara, Ameyoko ... the images go from monochrome to bright neon, revealing the map of the Tokyo metro system.
This was the original plan for the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, by the choreographer Mikiko Mizuno.
The full rundown can be found here. It includes other performers such as Daichi Miura as a Tokyo station staff, the actor Moriyama Mirai, comedian Naomi Watanabe as the tour guide, the emperor, Mario appearing from a giant pipe, passing a ball to Hello Kitty, Captain Tsubasa, Doraemon, Goku from Dragon Ball, Pac-Man, Sonic, Pikachu ...
Whenever I think of the phrase 'lost potential', I think of how the world was robbed of witnessing the single biggest explosion of soft power by Japan. The 2020 Olympics was supposed to bring in tourism money, investment money, retirement money, Nintendo money, whale-researching money…
They were employing millions on standby, regional hotels were putting up 'omotenashi' posters everywhere. There’s a reason why everyone speaks English in Tokyo now.
And then ‘you know what’ happened.
If the two kamikaze typhoons were God's divine intervention against the Mongolian's invasion of Japan, then it's as if the same God created COVID to fuck with Japan's economic growth.
Whenever I think of the phrase 'lost potential', I think of all the lobster sashimi, expired tuna bellies, Hokkaido scallops, and red sea urchins, down the drain.
Remember we were supposed to have one logo design, but it was accused of plagiarism, and then we had another logo? Remember when Zaha Hadid Architects' design was deemed too 'un-Japanaese' that they had to scrap all progress and get Kengo Kuma to rush one out in two years?
Perhaps it was all foreshadowed.
The first Monday after my daughter and wife left, I decided to catch a movie at Cinema Nova. $7 before 3pm, that's cheaper and more fulfilling than a cup of orange mocha Frappuccino.
The 'new' Alien movie, a 'new' Inside Out ... are we still milking the giant cow of nostalgia?
And then at the corner, Anime Fest - Paprika.
Whenever I think of the phrase 'lost potential', I also think of Satoshi Kon.
The anime director passed away in 2010, at the age of 46.
The early 00s was an exciting time for movies and pop culture because we question duality all the time. The exploration of dream and reality, mental and physical, the ghost in the shell. We had wonders and discussions about the impact of the internet, the connected world, the hive mind.
On the other hand, my child, who was born with seven OLED screens in the home, does not doubt that the simulation coexists with reality. When was the last time you thought about internet connection, or data limit, or overseas calls?
It is ridiculous to think 'Perfect Blue', 'Millennium Actress', 'Tokyo Godfathers' and 'Paprika' came out between 1997 and 2010, almost fifteen years ago. And after that, just like that, the creator Kon passed away.
I can't and won't explain Paprika to you.
There are many video essays on YouTube.
Every Frame A Painting is a good start.
The first time I watched it, I was too hung up on the storyline, the animation.
Fifteen years later, I picked up so much more.
About acceptance, and most importantly the regret of old men.
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