Daikon Head

I'm on an A-Z movie list spree, and the other night the lottery fell on "H."

I have a strange infatuation with Miyazaki Hayao films- they're reminiscent of my sojourn to Japan, totoro's and all. "Howl's Moving Castle" had many of the themes common to other Miyazaki films, like redemption, Victorian clothing, and wonderous air balloons (so far they're up one against Ferrari).

But a hopping scarecrow with a turnip for a head? That won me for sure.

My family is not a bunch that takes to anime so well, and understandably so: with Dragonball Z and Power Rangers (they're fake enough for the category) as their only contact with the industry- in fact, with Japanese pop culture in general besides cuddly Godzilla or run-ins on my humble collection of J-Pop- I'm in no position to boo and point my finger of Kamehameha destruction.

I still remember a time when Katri dressed up in rag-tag fashion and spiked her hair and called herself "Dragonball Z." I still get teased for my love affair with Pokemon that turned salty like soy sauce. I still adore Pikachu. I still crave tonkatsu and donburi, tsukemono and the occasional natto. I still love my kawaiimono (Rilakkuma's lounging in the closet).

I still embody #58 of Stuff White People Like, with a few exceptions:

I had sushi at Furusato's in Waikiki yesterday. That was better sushi than the stuff I could afford in the big J, and

I don't have much of a desire to teach English over there. I did it for free, and I don't need to do it again.

But yeah, I do kind of ruin it for everyone else.