GEEK GIRLS (A Review)

Are you a Geek? You might in fact shy away from that label because it connotates some one who is different, creepy and/or a social outcast. Director Gina Hara’s feature-length documentary entitled GEEK GIRLS explores the culture of geeky women who are empowered by their geeky-ness in their own creative and meaningful ways. I was lucky to have been able to watch this documentary, which was featured as part of Edmonton’s DEDfest, a festival that celebrates the works of indie film makers. Gina’s documentary, which took three years in the making, is brilliantly put together and well researched--and it shows.

In her quest to find the answer to the question: What does geek mean to me? Gina’s journey begins and ends in Japan as she grapples with the politics of geek identity. In her pursuit, she weaves together women’s voices from around the world, who articulate their trials, risks and tribulations of what it means to be part of a “geek” community/nerd culture. In a community typically defined by men and that which is often hostile towards the inclusion of women, the cast of women interviewed in the film, which include cosplayers, gamers, comic book creators and a scientist, celebrate how women define and redefine the boundaries of geek culture. The multiple perspectives that the documentary offers underscores the theme of "inclusivity," which is central to the film’s political vision.

The film is conscientious not just in terms of its form (sound, music & cinematography), but also its content, especially in articulating its feminist aims. In other words, it doesn’t celebrate a culture of women at the expense of men. Rather, it accomplishes to make you think and even reassess your own values and stance. This was evidenced during the Q & A session following the screening. A woman, sitting in the audience tearfully asked how she could protect her daughter in a community that might be toxic for young girls? Why at the cost of humility, shame, ostracization and cyber-bullying, would she, as a parent, encourage her daughter to celebrate geek identity? This prompted a young man, also sitting in the audience, to ask what he can do to combat sexism. Some of the best films are those that inspire and Gina’s documentary has the potential to foster and nurture a sense of community beyond the text itself.

For upcoming screenings and more information about the film, click here.

All photos provided by Gina Hara (Thank you!).

Get Ready for Nagasaki Kitty: A Hibakusha Story (PC Game)!

Nagasaki Kitty

Sounds like a rendition of Hello Kitty, or does it?

In a world of all things kawaii and pink, Nagasaki Kitty casts a shadow on a culture of decadence by reminding us about Japan’s historical past--before the time of Cool Japan. Directed and written by Ryan Scheiding and developed by his team, Nagasaki Kitty is a choose-your-own-adventure/ visual novel type PC game that features a young protagonist named Ayako during the aftermath of the atomic bombings in Nagasaki. In her quest to find her mother, Ayako encounters the harsh realities and tragic loss of those around her. The story, though fictional, recounts the real events of the utter devastation brought upon by the bomb, which is conveyed in the monochromatic, sumi-e style  illustrations done by Marilyn Sugiarto. The music by Steven J. S. Bowcott sets the tone of the game, and all these elements are brought together by the tech savvy, Luciano Frizzera. Stay tuned for Samia Pedraça, the 3D modeler for the next iteration of the game!

My role as a translator was both exciting and challenging. Exciting because it was the first game that I translated and challenging for two reasons. First and foremost, I asked myself, how  do I begin to translate the experience of war? Would my translation cause offense to those who actually survived the war? This led me to a host of other questions: does the game’s translation lend itself to how some hibakusha narratives have been utilized to repress the memory of conflict between Japan and America, which functions not only to redefine Japan’s relationship to America as its ally, but at the same exonerate Japan’s colonial history, as scholars such as Yoshikuni Igarashi once said?  In what ways does it reconstruct Japan’s cultural memory about the war and its role as victim within it? Am I thinking too much? Secondly, as a woman educated in Hyojyungo Japanese, how do I capture Nagasaki-ness? Do I imitate and appropriate Nagasaki-ben or do I leave it in Hyojyungo? I grappled with these questions in my translated version of Scheiding’s prose. At the end of the day, and with the help from friends, I decided to incorporate some Nagasaki phrases and words, while maintaining the flavor of Scheiding’s original. My aim isn’t to reproduce with precision and accuracy an historical event that is beyond comprehension to begin with--neither is this  the aim of the game--rather, Nagasaki Kitty offers an interesting cross-cultural interpretation of Japanese history through a contemporary North American lens, which isn’t without its limitations as well as potentialities, but it ultimately sparks and invites conversation and critical discussion.  

Check out the team’s individual websites & of course Nagasai Kitty!

Luciano Frizzera

Samia Pedraça

Marilyn Sugiarto

Replaying Japan 2017: 5th International Japan Game Studies Conference | Rochester, New York

From August 21st to 23rd Replaying Japan's 5th International Japan Game Studies Conference was held at the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York. The theme of this year’s conference was “Transmedia and Story in Japanese Games.” My presentation focused on a Sherlockian video game called Great Turnabout Trial: The Adventures of Ryūnosuke Naruhodō, which is exclusively sold to the Japanese market. I specifically explored the representation of Sherlock Holmes (as a clumsy detective) within the historical and political context of the Meiji Period, in which the game is set, to address how contentious questions of nation and identity are mediated in the game. These questions are not new, but can be traced to classic works of Japanese detective fiction such as by Edogawa Rampo and Okamoto Kido who expressed ambivalent attitudes towards the Western encroachment of Japan through the role of their detectives, but in different ways. Why questions of cultural authenticity and identity re-emerge in the 21st century in Japanese pop-culture (anime, manga, video games) is a topic that I take up in my thesis! Contact me if you'd like to discuss more about this!

Q & A session. 

I hope next year’s conference will be just as great! #replayingjapan

This year’s conference was a success thanks to all those at the Strong Museum and RIT, to those on the Organizing Committee, and to everyone who attended. It was so nice to reconnect with old faces and meet new ones. It’s so rewarding to see the conference grow each year and appeal to a global community of scholars. If you’re interested in doing research on Japanese video games (in all its variety) stay tuned & consider submitting an abstract to the 2018 conference. Some of the highlights of this year’s conference included the keynote speakers: Tom Kalinske and Rachael Hutchinson, the demos and poster sessions,  the special tour of the Strong Museum’s collection of arcade games (see photos), and the panel on “Gender Issues,” which explored contentious questions of gender representation in video games. In addition, a very promising initiative to “document the role of women in the game industry,” is being undertaken by Shannon Symonds at the Strong Museum.