The "horror" in Japanese Horror

I heard my first classic Japanese horror story probably sometime in my high school Japanese class. It was the story of Hoichi, the blind biwa player who was tricked into playing his version of the battle of the Heike for ghosts. The ending then has a Buddhist priest writing sutras all over Hoichi so the ghosts won’t haunt him any longer, but the Buddhist priest forgets to write sutras on Hoichi’s ears, so the ghost rips of the ears of Hoichi because without the protection, the ears was the only thing the ghost could see. The ghost takes the ears as proof that he tried to get Hoichi, and Hoichi lives the rest of his life blind and ear-less (though he can hear if I remember the story correctly).

I found this story to be rather perplexing. While it certainly has the trappings of a horror story with ghosts and the ripping off of ears, I never found this story scary. Mainly because if ghosts haunt blind people who are master biwa players, I am pretty much safe. The horror that I found with most scary stories I grew up with is the elements in those stories were based on the idea that I should be afraid because the “monster” in the story could get me, and do horrible things to me. The majority of Japanese horror stories seem to be so separated from the common person that I had a hard time believing that anyone would find this scary.

Coming upon Halloween, and living in Japan, I decided to check out more modern Japanese horror and see if I could maybe relate it back to classic Japanese horror and see if it could help me understand the “horror” of it. I came upon the story Enigma of Amigara Fault (click link to read yourself!) and it dawned on me where the true “horror” is in Japanese horror. In the Enigma of Amigara Fault, what is scary is the idea of someone you know and/or love giving in to something that could not only hurt them, but kill them. How scary that irresistible urge is to give in to something that they very well know could be the end of their lives (or something worse). The more I think about that, and the more I abstract it out of its original context, I realised that the whole “irresistible urge” could be so easily applied to a loved one with a drug problem, or something else that can be tantalizingly harmful. It is then it came to me, Japanese horror isn’t scary because it could happen to you, but Japanese horror is scary because it preys on the common foibles that all people have.

Take the story of Hoichi: while on the surface it is just a story about a blind biwa player being taken advantage of by ghosts, it can also be a tale about how being too trusting can lead to an unfortunate situations, even with help (or perhaps due to help). It is the observations on these common aspects of humanity that can give both classic and modern takes on Japanese horror their timelessness and scariness. The horror comes from realising that the tragic characters, despite their best efforts, couldn't escape their fate because of the common human traits we all can share. People would like to think that if they are put into a a scary situation they could escape, but Japanese horror seems to be all about showing that through just being human, they are fated to succumb in the end.

I think the reason I have enjoyed Japanese horror, and why I felt the need to explore what makes it appealing, is because the scariness, at the heart of it, is more existential and psychological than just scary due to the threat it could imply on the audience’s life. Maybe because of the existential nature of this terror that leads me to think maybe these classic tales of Japanese monsters, ghosts, and other creepy phenomenons are somehow connected to the terror that comes with the earthquakes, typhoons, and other natural disasters that hit Japan. Much like those classic scary tales, natural disasters can hit with no rhyme or reason (despite what some misguided people may think) and hurt people that may not even “deserve it.” Maybe those horror stories then offer a sort of escape from people’s troubles, but in a way that still relates to their real fears in life. And that, in my opinion, can be the best sort of stories.

"Dreams"

 When I found myself wanting to blog more, the first thing that I thought about was the comic strip “Dreams” from xkcd. Xkcd is “A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language” that I can’t really stand. I would not say that I necessarily hate Randell Munroe’s xkcd, because that would be like hating the local mom and pop record store; they are doing what they want to do with lives in businesses that are profitable against the scaling odds against them. The problem I have with xkcd is that it encourages a sort of child-like, nerdish optimism about life that I just find rubs me the wrong way. I try not to mind other people enjoying it but whenever someone posts it online or quotes from it, I find myself having to suppress an urge to go “WHYYYYYY!”

Perhaps it just says more about me than anything. I just feel that the brand of humor Mr. Monroe shows on xkcd isn’t really funny because it doesn’t really reflect how I see the world or reflect on any sort of truth. The world of xkcd seems to be a world were nerds and smart people can outsmart and be witty about everything around them, to the delight of everyone. In the end, it feels fake to me. Humor without truth to me isn’t really funny. Also, without truth, it fails to be really insightful, or really have any point to me all together. Sometimes it feels like it just wants to be “cool,” and as Patton Oswald said, “The enemy of comedy is cool.”

But, let me show the strip in question

In the strip “Dreams” (note: I have censored it for the sake of work safety, but you can view the original at http://xkcd.com/137/) it starts off with one bumpy headed guy warning the Smooth headed guy to be careful what he writes on the internet because a future employer might read it. The guy at the computer then asks “When did we forget our dreams?” which the bumpy haired one asks “What?” and then the sitting stick figure stands up and launches into a rant about he has been living in loops and doesn’t want to water down his ideas just to fit in. The rant ends with a “F#&K THAT S&%T” in order to contrast to the intellectual sounding speech before it.

It is hard for me to read this comic strip and not think, “Poor bumpy head guy.” As far as I can tell, here is this well meaning guy, concerned about his friend/coworker/whatever so much that he goes out of his way try and make him aware that he should be conscious of everything he writes on the internet because it can be found and can be taken out of context and may hurt future career options. It is one of those things that people are finding out more and more in this digital age. The internet is super convenient, but that convenience comes at a cost. It is almost too easy to write whatever you want, and there is no context, no policing, or whatever to help you figure out what is appropriate and what is not. It is so easy to sound like a complete jerk on the internet, and unlike real life, there can sometimes be a complete lack of signs to tell you that you are making a huge social mistake.

So instead of appreciating this advice and taking it in the vein it was given in, he launches into his whole rant as if the bumpy headed man himself is to blame for the smooth headed guy’s perceived wrong, as if the bumpy head one is the guy forcing him to “fit into the mold.” I assume that the “what?” the bumpy guy asks is supposed to be an inquiry of the meaning behind the Smooth head guy’s words, but I read it as more of a “What did I do to deserve this.” Smooth head guy even goes as far as to assume exactly what the bumpy head guy is thinking (“And no, I don’t know all the answers”) and in the end feels comfortable enough with his position to use expletives. It is the kind of thing that makes me wonder what the next line in that dialog would have been...

Smooth Head Guy: F&%K THAT S&$T
Bumpy Head Guy: Uh...okay. Well, I am just saying that some people might find your thesis on the morals of having relations with dolphins may be misunderstood by most people, and I just thought I might want to give you a heads up. I will leave you alone now.

And in the end, that is really why I don’t like xkcd. Just because you are nerd and might be technically right (he is supported by freedom of speech after all) that doesn’t mean that you should. It is a big distinction that in the real social world has no real easy answers. It is that sort of ambiguity and the struggle to try and figure out what is the right thing to do, if there is a right thing to do, that I feel is a fertile ground for both comedy and insight. The way that xkcd tries to simplify and just not care about those ambiguities by dismissing any urge to censor himself is just sort of boring to me. Sure, limiting yourself for the sake of others is not the way to blossom creatively, but not even going through the process of thinking that what you send out into the world can define you feels very lazy to me.

In the end, every blogger (myself included) has to come to grips that they are writing for an audience and the various limits that someone who writes on the internet has to put themselves through can actually be very helpful. Someone who is creative has to find an audience to listen to them and finding that audience, and finding the balance between defining your audience through your work or your audience defining your work is a very tricky one to navigate sometimes. I find myself being thankful that my parents read my work because while it does not force my subject matter, it does force me to try to write articulately enough that at least the heart of the work can be shown through even if not all the context is understood. It is a big reason why, even though editors are hated by many a writer, it is those same editors that can make a good piece, into a great piece.

Xkcd may not invoke any truth in me, but I am sure that it invokes humor out of somebody out there. Just one thing: if you have to rant about how your work life is watering down your dreams, please leave us socially conscious bumpy headed guys out of it.

Consistancy

“Adventures are all very well in their place, but there's a lot to be said for regular meals and freedom from pain.” Neil Gaiman (Stardust)

Consistancy is one of those things that people generally don’t praise. No one really rewards people for showing up for work everyday or smiling every morning. Maybe a big part of consistency is having it expected from people. Assuming that people are going to show up somewhere or do a specific action is something that falls into the category of social norms. People end up wanting to be consistent so they can “fit in.” Though in the end, consistency is only rarely appreciated when it happens over a long period of time, and even then, one can only wonder if all that time and work can really be rewarded.

For me, consistency is one of those things I always find myself appreciating more than most people. I don’t buy music singles anymore and always try to buy full albums, I like longer books and more involved movies, and generally like longer entertainment in general. I like something I can sit down every night for an hour and reap enjoyment from. I also find myself much more sympathetic for people who have worked everyday of their lives and trying to get by, than people who tried to hit the jackpot once and failed. Maybe it is that Illinois suburb Midwestern boy in me, but I rather learn how to fish than only being able to eat the best fish in the world only once.

The more I think about it, the more I realise how much this love of consistency has sort of permeated my tastes. Things like reality television and pop music, which rely often on moving from fad to fad and emphasizing being new over quality, don’t usually appeal to me. Though I do admit, this is making me sound like some old fogey that loves Family Circus just because it’s in the newspaper everyday (fyi: Family Circus the longest running, most not funny comic strip as far as I can tell, seriously, I don’t think that comic strip has even made me smile once). I love weird things that challenge my tastes, but it is the act of going into those challenging things and trying to really appreciate what they are trying to express that I derive enjoyment from. I am not really a guy that is about consuming something just to be weirded out and then never try it again.

So I would implore everyone out there to look at the consistent good things in your life, like a good radio show, book series, video game, or whatever and appreciate what they bring into your life. Is it a source of comfort to you? Is it something that brings something new and interesting to your door step every so often? Or perhaps an American Life podcast where I lifted that quote at the beginning? Well, then maybe you should show your appreciation somehow. Even if it is just reading a blog from a guy you know that he posts on every week.

Better Door Than Window

One problem I have been having lately is that I really want to write more, but I find myself too busy to really have any time to really form anything substantial. My free time has been rather sparse lately and free time that I do have I feel more like relaxing than working on something creative. It is unfortunate, but a big part of the problem is more of my high standards of what I send out there on the internet.

If i have noticed any trends on the internet, it is that people are more apt to watch, listen, or read something that is short than dedicate themselves to something longer. It doesn’t seem to really matter of the media in question is any good or not. In the end, people would rather see several dumb youtube videos than watch a good movie on the same service. So many times I have shown someone something that they like the first five minutes of and then they stop watching, not because it stopped being good, but mostly because they don’t want to spend the time to experience it. Then they proceed to watch 20 or so short youtube videos instead. Granted, maybe it is just people being nice and just not liking the longer things I show them, but I feel like it is more of a question of how people have been conditioned to consume things on the internet.

I feel like I am tooting an old horn here, but it is frustrating sometimes to spend your own time trying to create things for people to enjoy but having them ignored, not because they are bad, but because their attention spans aren’t up to the task. There are many times I feel I would almost enjoy sometime tearing down something I created if only because it was proof that they actually put in the effort and not only consumed it, but analyzed it to the point that they can criticize it.

Alas, in the end, writers write for an audience, not for themselves. So I am going to try and write something every week, but maybe make it less ambitious for both the benefit of my free time and the audience who doesn’t want to read my long rants on often silly things. Though, I only have myself as an editor, so I can’t guarantee any miracles. SO LET’S GET THIS ROLLING!

So the name name for the blog is “Better Door Than Window,” which is a saying commonly said to me when I would be standing in front of something people were looking at. I am not sure if that is just a common saying, or if people thought that I imagined myself with window qualities (or perhaps people saw door-ish qualities in me), but it is something that I always remember. It has gotten to the point that I have somehow made it into something much higher, something with much more meaning than it probably should have.

You see, being a window just means it frames something; something to look at or admire. With this blog, I want to not just bring things to attention, but have it make people think. That is the goal of this blog, to bring up stuff I think about a lot (perhaps too much) and hopefully that will make you, the reader, think about it too. My plan is to post every Friday, so let’s open the door together, shall we?