tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994365939017837190.post6763609356819714605..comments2024-03-26T09:56:34.296+09:00Comments on The Blog-Tick Phenomenon: Keijijou Ryuusei: a freeform reviewCaycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05982217665840858486noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994365939017837190.post-11576594071336401312014-06-06T09:01:46.802+09:002014-06-06T09:01:46.802+09:00Thanks so much for your support! Would you buy my ...Thanks so much for your support! Would you buy my book even if it were called This is NOT Greatest Book?Caycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05982217665840858486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994365939017837190.post-2941139073823184392014-06-06T04:03:15.816+09:002014-06-06T04:03:15.816+09:00dearest Cayce,
if you were to write a book, i swe...dearest Cayce, <br />if you were to write a book, i swear i would buy every copy. <br />you are amazeballsingly amazeballs. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994365939017837190.post-27323547174873684332014-05-19T22:26:42.623+09:002014-05-19T22:26:42.623+09:00Thanks for bringing up the point about the French ...Thanks for bringing up the point about the French Revolution! Somehow I forgot about that one but you're absolutely right. Equally good point about the B-T members being Cold War kids.Caycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05982217665840858486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994365939017837190.post-48285775467297587052014-05-19T01:57:53.468+09:002014-05-19T01:57:53.468+09:00Yes, I can't believe for a second that Buck-Ti...Yes, I can't believe for a second that Buck-Tick as a band are unaware of the universal usage of the red flag - which is as a longstanding and widespread symbol of proletariat socialist revolution. It's been around since the French Revolution, and there's even a song about it. Whether or not a direct equivalent exists in Japan, I find it hard to believe that Mr Sakurai, in particular, has not come across it in his reading material over the years. And even apart from that, Buck-Tick were Cold War kids (as am I). I don't think anyone that age doesn't at least know the red flag in its association with the Soviet era (and also the many other Soviet motifs which are liberally used in the video). And if they are aware of all that, then they also know that viewers are, and will make that association. <br /><br />It's not new - the red flag and Soviet emblems have been used in music, album art and videos by other bands in the past as a visual shortcut. It may mean a bunch of additional things too for each artiste, but at its most basic heart, the red flag being held aloft or worn in any form is a rallying cry for revolution. If Buck-Tick didn't want people to make that association in their minds, I think they would just have chosen another set of imagery entirely.<br /><br />"The people's flag is deepest red,<br />It shrouded oft our martyred dead,<br />And ere their limbs grew stiff and cold,<br />Their hearts' blood dyed its every fold.<br /><br />"Then raise the scarlet standard high.<br /> Within its shade we live and die,<br /> Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer,<br /> We'll keep the red flag flying here." <br />(The Red Flag, 1889)<br />Mawbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12688827578326331314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994365939017837190.post-80993115663935849052014-05-16T03:30:55.581+09:002014-05-16T03:30:55.581+09:00My first association was also Adult Children, and ...My first association was also Adult Children, and I imagined Sakurai from the verses as a devilish figure luring the boy, moreso because his invitation is very similar - to play and love. However, it struck me how desperate he seemed in his invitation. As if it was the adult that needed comforting and consolation, that needed the child. So I think the dark figure is the grown up narrator, who is "tainted by the black shadow dragging behind him" and looking for contact with his inner child, his inmost self. Thus all the black and white stripes, opposites meeting, I guess. And Imai pulling out his old guitar.<br /><br />The game the second verse is referring to seems to be Kagome Kagome (the question "Ushiro no shoumen daare?" is from its song.) In it a player called the "oni" (demon) sits blindfolded in a circle and has to guess who's the one behind him in order to escape the circle and swap places with them. I find the changing places aspect of it particularly fitting with the theme, but even if Sakurai didn't intend for the allusion to go that far, it adds to the feeling of confusion.<br /><br />As of the meteor/ red thingie (which is always out of focus in publicity photos), I think being something you can't put your finger on is the very point. I don't see much of a connection with communism at this stange except for U-ta's pioneer tie (that one made me giggle a bit) but we'll wait and see (:<br /><br />Well, these are my thoughts but I'd be very curious to hear from the mastermind a hint about the meaning. He's spinned some very cryptic lyrics this time.crossparallelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07731017836081721370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994365939017837190.post-26579171600923819482014-05-15T19:16:22.705+09:002014-05-15T19:16:22.705+09:00Thanks, but rather than emailing me privately with...Thanks, but rather than emailing me privately with interpretations, I think it's more interesting to discuss them here on the comment thread. I discourage people from simply stating opinions without any sort of analysis because this is not a shoutbox, but I encourage constructive discussion. I mean Constructivist discussion. I mean wait...;)Caycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05982217665840858486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994365939017837190.post-13883948104693370822014-05-15T19:12:23.356+09:002014-05-15T19:12:23.356+09:00An interesting theory, but I don't really get ...An interesting theory, but I don't really get an escapist vibe from this one...I think it's more about the bravery to venture into the unknown, rather than an attempt at self-protection. There are a lot of children's games that involve blindfolds...I kind of think it's about searching in the dark when you don't know what you're looking for. But there's really no right answer.Caycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05982217665840858486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994365939017837190.post-18862573141036174952014-05-15T15:25:09.104+09:002014-05-15T15:25:09.104+09:00Could it be that the meteor is a metaphor for the ...Could it be that the meteor is a metaphor for the person whose perspective this is coming from's heart? Maybe the flag is a blindfold that symbolizes naivety or trusting, and the thought of letting go of the illusion breaks his heart? Like when children blindly believe what they are told because they know no better, and as they grow older they begin to see through it all. Maybe he wants to hold onto the fabrications, the innocence and not see the truth. Maybe he wants that blindfold to stay covering his eyes to the truth. What truth? Well, I guess it could be any number of things, but this definitely does have a political attitude so there are many ways of interpreting this...<br /><br />Just my two cents. Samnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994365939017837190.post-5297333634919018982014-05-15T02:25:53.455+09:002014-05-15T02:25:53.455+09:00Thank you so much for this great review! I always ...Thank you so much for this great review! I always love to read your article :) Also, it's pretty interesting to me that they seem to explore political theme this time, since (like you said) they don't usually, explicitly make comments about politics. Synnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8994365939017837190.post-31944878139867255152014-05-14T23:45:17.006+09:002014-05-14T23:45:17.006+09:00Hey Cayce (: As I feel one of the people the last ...Hey Cayce (: As I feel one of the people the last paragraph is implicitly addressed to, I wanted to say that of course we know you value user input, and we love you very much. I would rather be concerned if you didn't answer comments. <br /><br />This is actually great review, and I think we aren't even that far off in our interpretations of the song. I didn't say that the flag stands for dreams, only that that was an association. I couldn't quite express what you say when you describe the meteor: "something that streaks across the sky in momentary, breathtaking beauty, yet that beautiful fire is the fire of its own destruction". It is the liminal, ephemeral quality of it that I found dream-like.<br /><br />By the way, if you would really, really care to read a fan interpretation, I would love to mail you one (: Only I'm not including any summaries... 'cause that's boring :Pcrossparallelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07731017836081721370noreply@blogger.com