[Reading Response] Ancuta, K

In Ancuta’s article, ghosts in Asian societies are portrayed to coexist with the dead, living in apartments surrounded by cramped urban densities. I was interested in the concept of the “living ghost”, where individuals living in modern Metropolis are alienated, and how failed dreams of economic success through migration turn individuals into “ghosts”. I’m also fascinated by the interplay between the “living ghost” and “dead ghost”.  ‘The Promise’ focuses on a Bangkok story of two siblings from a bankrupt developer family, both swearing to commit suicide. One sibling commits suicide, dies and becomes a physical ghost. Meanwhile, her sister broke

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[Reading Response] De Certeau, M. (1984). Walking in the City, and Spatial Stories.

From the perspective of De Certeau, I believe that the practice of urban space in Hong Kong, especially against a backdrop of towering buildings, is a rewriting of the city’s text by every individual’s actions and choices. The high-density residential and commercial areas compel residents to find personalized ways to utilize limited spaces, such as rooftop gardens and corner shops, which are personal statements against standardized spaces. These seemingly trivial daily practices form the unique social texture and cultural landscape of Hong Kong. Therefore, as a young person growing up in this city, I place great importance on those spatial

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[Reading Response 2]-In search of the Ghostly in context

The representational space of In Search of Ghostly Contexts is an important platform for marginalized individuals to fight for their rights and solve social inequalities. Made in Hong Kong, a film by Fruit Chan, addresses this inequity by integrating its critique into the larger socio-political framework of Hong Kong’s upcoming political transfer. In Made in Hong Kong, Susan’s suicide highlights the inequitable living conditions generated by government neglect and represents the decay and ghostliness of Hong Kong’s urban landscape.   Prior to the handover in 1997, Hong Kong saw a significant political upheaval uncertainty. Such worries are reflected in films

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[Reading response2] Li Xiaoping 3036066464

Michel de Certeau’s book, “Walking in the City ” really intrigued me with its take, on life observed from the top of the World Trade Center. It vividly portrays the contrast between the citys planned structure and its lived reality. De Certeau suggests that when viewed from heights the city transforms into a “text” awaiting interpretation losing its liveliness and turning into static symbols. What stood out to me in De Certeau writing was his depiction of the shapers of the city—not the planners or architects but everyday pedestrians. These individuals carve out their paths and narratives continuously reshaping and

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[Reading Response2] Katarzyna Ancuta: ‘Communal After-Living: Asian Ghosts and the City’

This reading is mainly looking into three themes: co-living for the ghosts and living,  loneliness and isolation, and the ghosts as a representation of failed economic dreams.    What captivates me the most, is the relationship between the city, public housing and ghosts. Public housing often appears in blocks of concrete filled with small windows, catering to low-to-medium income level citizens. There’s a quote that resonates with me, “ The loneliness of apartment ghosts mirrors the loneliness of humans.” I noticed its lack of maintenance, such as peeling walls and gloomy staircases, would always give me chills. Adult residents, burdened

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[Reading Response] Oh No, There Goes Tokyo

For this reading response, I will be addressing some of the arguments brought up during the tutorial for the “Oh No, There Goes Tokyo” text. One of the main points that was mentioned was the influence of Japan’s disaster related past, specifically the events such as World War II, and how it was reflected in many of the films such as Rodan and Gojira. As a recap, Rodan was a film where the plot followed giant pteranodons destroying the Japanese city of Fukuoka which parallels the disaster events of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I think these arguments

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[Reading Response] The Imaginary Real World of CyberCities by M. Christine Boyer

Cybercities, a hybrid of physical and virtual space, are discussed by the author in “The Imaginary Real World of Cybercities”. Having a glimpse of the whole world, we may marvel at the fact that technology has been evolving in a rapid way. People are exposed to this digital era, and are more and more familiar with the concept of Cybercities. In this article, the author explores how digital technologies affect people’s perception of time and space and presents the challenges and opportunities for architectural design and social issues as well as urban planning under the context of Cybercities. The article

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[Reading Response 2] ‘Communal After-Living: Asian Ghosts and the City’

This reading proposed three themes: the living and dead cohabiting, how ghosts and the living associate with social disconnection in times of rapid urbanization and the criticization of prosperous rich developed cities. The second point intrigued me as I drew connections with previous readings regarding public housings and loneliness between individuals. The writer argues that living environment contributes to social isolation, which is reflected in productions featuring ghosts haunting tenants and expressing their dissatisfactions towards the living. In Asian horror films, the low to middle income class is focused when presenting this idea. As governments try to occupy as many

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[Reading Response 2] Oh No, There Goes Tokyo, Leung Nim Yan

After reading “Oh No, There goes Tokyo”, I would like to respond to the change of the image of giant creatures.  I agree with the point mentioned in the reading: the historical factor highly affects the image of giant monsters/ creatures in movies or TV series. During the WWII, Japan received two nuclear booms from the United States. I regard the original Gojira (monster) and the Ultraman (Alien) as two different perspectives towards unknown threats. They both represent the unhandled power in the Japanese perspective. Gojira, as a monster which has brought destruction towards Japan, was defeated by Japanese technology. This has

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[Reading Response 2] Oh No, There Goes Tokyo by William M. Tsutsui, Cheung Wan Suet

There is a thematic parallel between Japan’s calamitous historical past and its visual culture and artistic creation, predominantly characterised by the doom-laden fictional apocalypses. From natural disasters to the nuclear threat, to the burst of a beautiful bubble of economic prosperity, the historical vulnerability led to the perceivable pessimism and unhealable trauma expression in most aspects of its cultural output.  However, the reading expresses an interesting point of view to challenge the very established notion of the gloomy “aesthetic of destruction” with a contrasting kind of optimism and hopefulness that lay underneath the seeming surface of pessimism. For films of

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