Reading response :CHENKEXU

In a certain period of time, the content created by the film will reveal some events at that time or before, such as Tokyo, after the two atomic bombs were dropped and the natural disasters have been all along, creating monsters, Godzilla and other animated film images to replace the end of the world illusion brought by these injuries. On the one hand, these images show the anxiety of the people at that time in disguise, but at the same time, these images embody the image of abstract events, The method of normalizing abnormalities also alleviates anxiety to another extent.

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Reading response

This article discusses something about ghosts. There is a connection between ghost films and architecture, which is used in many ghost films to set off the atmosphere. Many Chinese horror films are full of traditional Chinese elements, usually they will put old houses, zombies, black and white and other elements, and then match some scary background music, in order to affect the audience’s mood. I once saw a Hong Kong horror movie called the Dead Man in the Village. Through the imitation of The Ring at Midnight and its own innovation, The Dead Man in the Village abandonsthe previous routine

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[Reading Response: Abbas]

Abbas discusses the transition of the city of Hong Kong, the disappearance of its architectural history and the attempts of preserving history. Through constant restructuring, Hong Kong becomes unrecognizable when looking back at its past. The article mentions how market erodes place, and with the city’s economic transition, every piece of Hong Kong’s history is of imminent destruction, to make way for newer, more profitable spaces. Though, this fast-paced transition makes Hong Kong difficult in constructing an identity as local culture is devalued for economic success. As a city, there are attempts to preserve old architecture, a form of post-colonial

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[Reading Response: Abbas, M. A.]

In the reading, Abba explores different reasons behind the architecture disappearance in Hong Kong and its impact on the disappearance of its identity and culture. According to him, the disappearance relates to several aspects, such as the economic aspect, the architectural style, and the people living in the area. In my understanding, first, the author provides an example of the Ritz Carlton Hotel to explain the impact of the economic market, wherein the building was sold due to the fact that the newly built building would produce more income. Second, the architectural style of Hong Hong is highly influenced by

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[Reading response: Abbas, M.A.]

In his essay “Building on Disappearance – Hong Kong Architecture and Colonial Space,” Ackbar Abbas explores the complex relationship between Hong Kong’s architecture and its identity as a city. Published in 1997, the year of Hong Kong’s handover from the British Empire to the People’s Republic of China, Abbas argues that Hong Kong has a culture of disappearance due to its colonial past and its impending erosion by the market system and globalization. The author contends that architecture is the first visual evidence of a city’s identity, but preservation can be selective and tends to exclude the dirt and pain

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[Reading Response: Abbas, M. A. / Tsutsui W.M. ]

Eujin Lee 3035993701 Tsutsui’s Oh No, There Goes Tokyo:   The title “Oh No, There Goes Tokyo” indicates the frequent occurrence of destructive events in Tokyo. The tone of the title is casual, implying Tokyo’s historical vulnerability to catastrophic events. By taking an example of a Japanese pop artist Murakami Takashi, the author insists that Japanese visual culture was heavily influenced by the lingering trauma of these events and vulnerability. The films mirror the anxieties towards war and natural/man-made hazards, and one of the major functions of the film is to alleviate them. The monster film in Japan is very

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Reading Response: William M. Tsutsui

Japan, where the entertainment film and television industry is particularly developed, has always had a special preference for disaster themed works. Due to Japan’s unique geographical environment, tsunami, earthquake, nuclear leakage and other disasters occur frequently, Japanese people are born with anxiety and crisis awareness. They repeatedly use the film to show the disaster, more is to convey the hidden meaning behind the film, it reflects the strong and distinctive “disaster consciousness” of the entire Japanese nation. The so-called ‘disaster awareness’ refers to people’s understanding of disasters at ordinary times, as well as the destruction of social and living conditions

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Reading Response: William M. Tsutsui

In the reading Oh No, There Gose Tokyo, the author elaborates on the popular culture of Japan. The author proposes many ideas about the rise of Japanese pop culture, which he described as “apocalypse”. Generally, the boom of movies which depict the destruction in the postwar Japan can be attributed to a kind of faith or emotion of Japanese nation. Japan has fallen victim to many natural disasters. Japanses people has been exposed to a feeling of vulnerability. Meanwhile, since Word WarⅡ, Japanese people hasn’t overcame the pain mentally not only as a victim but also as an aggressor. Therefore

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Reading Response: William M. Tsutsui

The reading material introduces different reasons for the emergence of the apocalyptic imagination in Japanese culture. The mainstream views are Japan’s historical vulnerability to disaster and the lingering trauma of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is also argued that the peculiar beauty of destruction aesthetics can bring a psychological function that alleviates anxiety through distraction and normalizes those phycological unbearable. From my perspective, I agree with the opinion that postwar imagination is a commemoration of loss and a kind of therapy. Compared with the pessimism and nihilism generated from the reflection on history, wars and nuclear weapons, the imagination of the

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[READING RESPONSE] Tsutsui W.M.

Instead of raising the fear of disasters, the various kinds of apocalyptic films all seem to have an optimistic ending where people beat the monster, usually due to some lucky factors. And each film starts with a peaceful city and ends with a destroyed one; the reconstruction process of the damaged city is hardly shown on the screen, which makes the audience believe the rebuilding of a city is much easier and damage is not a big deal. These all lead to excessive confidence in Japanese culture, where people believe the disaster should happen at regular times and damage contributes

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