Features Editor – Megumi Jindo
There is something satisfying about trying to put together your life in the aesthetic way that Notion allows you to. I know, normally, people may use Notion for organizing their class notes, personal entries, or for other reasons. However, for me, I tend to use Notion similarly to how I use Pinterest –– as a pool for inspiration. Ever since I began to use Notion, whenever I had a goal or a dream, I would make a vision board and list things that I would need to do to achieve that goal, and trust me, it WOULD COME TRUE. For instance, last summer, my growing homesickness for my home country, Japan, gradually accumulated into a fueling desire to go back. I wasn’t sure if my parents would allow me to go forward with this last-minute wish, but I created a vision board on Notion, and then everything kind of worked out! Perhaps it may also be because “where there is a will, there is a way,” but, for some reason, I have this inkling that there is something purifying about seeing your vision and leaping forward to attain it.
Layout Editor – Ivy Lin
I’m a glutton for psychological thrillers, and the day that I stumbled upon Satoshi Kon’s work was the day that I metaphysically ascended into heaven and morphed into a glorious butterfly. I was a teen with unrestricted internet access, and out of the many bizarre pieces of media I unfortunately interacted with (“Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared,” “Five Nights At Freddy’s,” “Salad Fingers”), “Perfect Blue” was absolutely a highlight. Funnily enough, I watched the full pirated version on YouTube back when copyright restrictions weren’t as strict, which was definitely a sign of the times.
“Perfect Blue” is a horror/psychological thriller movie following J-pop star Mima Kirigoe, who quits her idol girl group to become an independent actress. As she struggles to shed her wholesome popstar image for a mature acting role, she is stalked by an obsessive fan and starts to lose her grip on reality. The movie is a devastating commentary on celebrity worship culture and a visual representation of the psychological blurring she experiences between her professional life, her stalker, and other delusions.
For a movie about such dark topics, it truly has some iconic shots. As a pretentious art major who cares about aesthetics a little too much, I cannot express my gratitude to Kon for generating endless art references. Some of the film’s scenes were visually and thematically referenced in other films, such as Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan,” which I also loved. Kon’s entire discography is peak cinema, and I highly urge you to watch everything he has produced, namely “Millennium Actress” (2001), “Tokyo Godfathers” (2003), and “Paprika” (2006).
However, viewers should be warned of its content warnings: rape scenes, graphic imagery, and mental health. That said, “Perfect Blue” is a triumph of horror that must be added to the top of your to-watch list.
Layout Editor – Kelan Sato
Shape Shifter – A Minidoka Concentration Camp Legacy. Lawrence Matsuda.
There are not that many published narrative works, especially collections of poems, on the topic of Japanese American Incarceration. Under the current sociopolitical scene that we live in, it is now more important than ever to remember to learn from the past and not to let history repeat itself.
Never Again is Now.
Nidoto Nai Yoni.
Through 56 poems, Lawrence Matsuda tells his story about being born in the Minidoka, Idaho, Concentration Camp during World War II and the traumas his family endured. Published in 2022, the book is split into six sections, starting from his birth, depicting what life was like for his family living in the concentration camps, and ending with how generational trauma continues to exist in his family close to a century later. If I had to choose a few of my favorite poems, I’d have to go with “Mom Was Pregnant Over Half Her Time In Camp,” “Return to Seattle From The Minidoka Concentration Camp, 1945,” and “Seattle Covid-19 Pandemic Brain Damage: 2020-2021” (although I might be biased because my uncle was also born in the Minidoka Concentration Camp, and I was born and raised in Seattle). If you’re not a big reader like me, “Shape Shifter” is a short (only 98 pages!), informative, and extremely moving work. Put it on your summer reading list
