Going to My Favorite Place in Japan: Enoshima

Granted, I've only been to Japan twice, and with both ventures I've only seen Tokyo.  A narrow scope, barely much at all, and yet with these tiny experiences I'm finding special places that feel like homes away from home.  Enoshima is such a place.  A small island in the Kanagawa Prefecture, a close distance from Tokyo.  About an hour transport from Tsurukawa, where I stayed in 2015, and two or so hours from the Tokyo Disney Resorts, where I stayed last April.  This time, coming from the Disney direction, we got to travel on the Shonan Monorail, which is like a reverse monorail, car hanging below the track, and is a really a nice little trip.

The first time I visited Enoshima with Michael and Krista we loved it so much we visited twice during our short six day trip.  It was worth it both times.  Out of all the things I could have done on this last trip in April with my Mom and brothers there was no question Enoshima had to make the list, despite the travel time, and sure enough this proved to be one of everyone's favorite days.

Tokyo is fun, granted, and a must see, but there's a certain up-tightness amongst the chaos.  Crowded.  Over stimulation.  Yet as soon as you set foot in Fujisawa, where Enoshima and Kamakura lay, there's an instant feeling of chill.  Laid back.  Calm.  The little street leading from the Shonan Monorail exit to the bridge that connects to the island has a cool beachy vibe.  And the island itself is a joy.  There's a little of everything: a shopping street with restaurants with a step-back-in-time feel, amazing sights from various vintage points, temples and shrines, a tower, gardens, and caves (though they were shut down for repairs).

For this post I'm showing just the first part of this journey, as doing a complete review of this island would not give ample attention to all that can be experienced.

And thus I end this post, still at the beginning with adventure lurking in the distance.  This entry would be too long if I were to venture further on this topic, so here I leave you, Enoshima still waiting, until more can be discovered and explored.

Photos by Sarah, Robin, Steven and Ty

Does Having Star Wars: Heir to the Empire Action Figures Make Them More Real? Mara Jade is Still My Favorite Character

Maybe I've been romanticizing the Star Wars Extended Universe, the one Disney removed from canon, more than I should.  In truth it's been quite a while since I've read any of it.  They hold in my mind happy memories.  The question is if I was to reread these EU books would I have the same feelings?  Would I see them in a different light?

It's no secret that the new Star Wars Trilogy has created quite the divide.  Those who love certain movies.  Those who don't.  I'm in the Force Awakens is too much like A New Hope, Last Jedi detoured and killed off way too many elements, and The Rise of Skywalker is... (spoiler in my last blog post), camp, but the short of it is I'm not a huge fan of Disney Star Wars.  Many love it.  Many love aspects of it.  Watching the fall out of this last movie and seeing all the various reactions and opinions has been interesting.  I'm honestly surprised at how many people love The Rise of Skywalker, but to each their own.  If we all loved the same things life would be boring.

After watching The Rise of Skywalker I now want to reread the Star Wars EU, what are now "Legends," books, and also read some of the stuff I missed.  There's a lot I haven't read.  From what I've heard it's a bit of a mess.  Too many authors contributing here and there, adding bits at random while claiming their corner of the Universe.  At some point next year I'm going to reread the Thrawn trilogy.  Ah!  But you know what's sad?  I needed to clear out some room and donated some of my Star Wars books.  And there were others that were so worn the first several pages fell off.  So I have to buy books again, so getting through aspects of the Star Wars EU will take some time.  And I have other books to read and listen to as well.

Still, whatever I think of the Thrawn trilogy the next go through, I do love the characters.  Thrawn and Mara Jade are awesome.  Thrawn is once again canon.  Mara Jade isn't, and I'm pretty sure if Disney gets their hands on her they'll ruin her.  You know, thinking of Mara Jade's character arc, Ben Solo could have gone down the same path, dealing with his past while moving towards the future.  Maybe subconsciously that's why I'm having issues with certain Rise of Skywalker decisions.  Ben could have been a Mara Jade type.  He could have been so interesting.  I've always struggled with Ben Solo's character arc because it didn't make sense.  His fleeing thanks to Luke wanting to kill him is so out of character on Luke's part, I've struggled with Ben's development.  Thank you Timothy Zahn for creating really interesting characters.

For now I want aspects of the EU to still be true.  They were for a good portion of my life.  Just because Disney drops big bucks and changes things doesn't mean I have to accept their reality.  My imagination can have it's own reality.  And in my mind Mara Jade and Luke totally got together.  (Disney... don't go there.  Just don't.  But if they do, I'm super stubborn and can accept what I wish.)

But after all is said and done, I have the action figures, and having the action figures of characters I grew up loving makes them more real to me. 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the end of the "Chosen One" saga, movie review with spoilers

Rating: C-

Spoiler Warning.

This review is going to be lengthy.

I've got a lot going on in my mind piecing this all together.

I was introduced to Star Wars in the 5th grade.  At that point I was already a well established Trekker as Star Trek: TNG's Encounter At Farpoint was first broadcasted when I was in Kindergarten, and since my parents are both nerds we watched it as a family every week.  Science Fiction and Fantasy were a staple of my youth by the time I watched Star Wars, and it was instant love.  I collected everything I could.  Joined the Star Wars Fan Club.  Got the Star Wars Insider magazine.  Read all the extended universe books I could get my hands on.  Back in the 90's I never once felt Star Wars, or Star Trek for that matter, wasn't for me.  I was a girly nerd and it was cool.

Rumors were already circulating in the early 90's that there was going to be a new Star Wars trilogy.  I wanted so bad for an episode 7-9.  We got the prequels instead.  But I had Timothy Zhan's creations, and that was enough for me.  It got to the point where I was glad Lucas Film never did a 7-9, as I didn't want it ruined.  Then Disney bought Star Wars, and at the time I wasn't terribly worried.  I grew up with Disneyland as well, and Star Tours launched several months before Star Trek: TNG.  1987 was a good year.  (How I didn't get into Star Wars sooner is still a huge mystery).  But Disney could do Star Wars, right?  I was finally going to see Luke, Leia, and Han together again.  Childhood recaptured on the big screen with new adventures.  That's not what happened.

Now we're at the end.  The end of an era.  Everyone is saying that the Skywalker saga is now over.  I would disagree, with The Rise of Skywalker these nine core films central theme isn't the Legacy of the Skywalker's.  It's the Legacy of the "Chosen One."  We just watched the "Chosen One" saga end.  Episode 1-3 is all about Anakin Skywalker being the Chosen One, only to then become Darth Vader.  Episode 4-6 is all about Luke being the Chosen One, and he was until Disney ruined his legacy.  Episode 7-9 is the over telling of Rey being the true Chosen One, the ultimate everything, succeeding where the past failed, bringing balance to the force, erasing the sacrifice and victory of both Anakin and Luke in the process.

By this point there are countless articles filled with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker spoilers, lists, pros, cons, etc all over the internet.  I don't know what difference my thoughts will bring to this sea of opinionated information.  While writing this I just looked over to a paper I've scribbled all over with torn notes placed on top.  It wouldn't be practical to detail them all.  It's Christmas Eve and we all have better things to do.  So here are the things I value most:

It's clear there's no true trilogy arc, no true master plan encompassing episodes 7-9.  The Last Jedi is a very divisive movie, one of which I've felt the extremes of emotions, elation to disappointment as inner analysis sat in.  The first part of The Rise of Skywalker is rough.  Crowded.  The movie leaks spoiled online before Rise of Skywalker was released contains more detailed information than what we got in the film.  Yes, I spoiled the movie before I went.  I went into the theater jaded.  Watching this final movie was bittersweet.  The rashness of Episode 9's opening gives of taste of what JJ Abrams had in mind, retconning parts of Episode 8 in the process.  The more Ep. 9 progressed, the more irrelevant Ep. 8 began to feel.

But it is also the speed of the movie, cramming as much as possible, unclear, over the top conveniences, breaking and creating rules for plot points, jagged editing jumps, characters magically showing up as if teleportation is a thing, that makes this movie feel sloppy.  That makes this trilogy feel unbalanced.  That makes it clear that too many hands were in the pot.  And through it all we're not given a chance to breath.  Repositioning characters.  Reintroducing ideas.  We see Poe, Finn, and Rey working together, which we should have seen last episode.

Nothing is explained, but we're supposed to just accept it, go with it, don't ask questions.  I love questions; I can't not ask questions.  A conglomerate of ideas thrown to the wall to see if they stick or not with no background information, nothing thought out.  Abrams was a squirrel chasing shiny objects, never realizing oak trees, when planted, have roots.  If anything was left for other authors to tackle in comics and books for explanation, that's simply "passing the buck."

How did Palpatine survive?  Who were Rey's parents?  Which one was Palpatine's son or daughter?  Were they force sensitive?  And if it's Rey's maternal or paternal side that wasn't a Palpatine, who were they?  Because Rey's parents sacrificed themselves to save her.  Protect her.  And they died in the process.  More on that later.  Who were those hooded people?  How did the Emperor build 100+ high powered Star Destroyers, fully staffed, without anyone knowing, not even the First Order?  Was the Emperor really just sitting around for 30 years to give his Granddaughter a gift?  He seriously, willingly stayed hidden for 30 years?  Seriously?  And no one "felt" him?  By the way, did we ever find out who the First Order even is?  How did someone know about the Wayfinder, just happen to create a dagger with Sith on it, that extends to show the shape of the Death Star, and Rey just HAPPENS to stand in the right spot??!!  Luke and Lando searched 30 years and couldn't find it. Seriously the dumbest plot device we're just supposed to accept, like mindless children.  Logical fallacies abound.

Rise of Skywalker also messes with Science, as well.  Space horses and people running on top of Star Destroyers, in the upper atmosphere with no protection and obviously no shields.  High winds anyone?  Minimal oxygen.  Freezing temperature. Pressure.  I could go on, but Star Wars is considered fantasy and not science fiction for a reason.

I'm getting off track.  I'm glad Lando is back, just wish he was used more.  Han's cameo made me teary eyed, but as I knew the ending it was just... sad.

Random, but there was a point where my Mom, 3/4ths of the way through, leaned over and said, "I haven't seen Baby Yoda yet." I laughed and told her he's in the show.  (Which I still haven't seen.  I told my youngest brother I was coming over when the season was over to binge watch, which he's cool with).

And unfulfilled character arcs!!  Finn is obviously force sensitive, which was never explored, and it doesn't seem like it's going to be.  Poe was wasted.  When General Hux was revealed to be the mole, I actually got excited.  "This could actually be really fascinating!"  And then he was all like, "I just want Kylo to lose," or whatever, because heaven forbid we can have an interestingly layered character.  But could you imagine if he was a mole this whole time for all three movies?  The ultimate double agent/spy, holding it together and deceiving so brilliantly.  Oh my goodness Disney!!  But that would require planning and proper execution.

One last major detail.  Are Rey and Ben Solo related?  Last year the Marvel comic Darth Vader, issue 25 I believe, shows Anakin traveling through some time and space thing, and he sees his mother, and in this vision of sorts he sees Darth Sidious, Palpatine, manipulate the force around Shmi Skywalker while she was pregnant.  Was he the one who impregnated her?  Or did he simply manipulate the situation?  In the legends Darth Sidious manipulated the force to create Anakin.  The canon comics back this up.  So is it a dream or reality?  And if it's reality, are the Skywalkers simply experiments of Palpitine, or even a bloodline?  If a bloodline that makes Rey and Ben 1st cousins once removed.  If experiments, then Palpitine is truly the ultimate puppet master. (I should note that anything of value should be shown in Live Action and not delegated to other media.) (I found this information in "Anakin's Father finally REVEALED in CANON - Star Wars Theory Comics.")

For the record I don't like the fact that Emperor Palpitine, Darth Sidious was brought back.  The fact that nothing is explained is laziness on JJ Abrams part.  "I have this really cool idea!!  Let's bring back Palpitine!" "How would that work? He died. Fell down a shaft. The Death Star exploded." "I haven't a clue, but we don't have to tell the audience that!" Bright shiny objects.  His bringing back Palpatine really diminishes the memory of Luke and Anakin.

The last few scenes of The Rise of Skywalker was cringe worthy.  My Mom was actually fine with it.  Reading comments all over the net shows many people are fine with it.  But Rey gets EVERYTHING!  Literally.  Rey took EVERYTHING from Luke.  She's the chosen one, finishing what he couldn't.  She gets his ship.  His home.  His name.  His and Leia's saber.  She also gets the Falcon, which was Han's.  (Ben should have lived just so Rey could have given him the Falcon, and it would have once again been owned by a Solo).  And she calls Leia "Master," when Leia never finished her training to become a Jedi, once again disrespecting Luke who wasn't shown being a good teacher.  Rey is the ultimate Mary Sue, which is a caricature of poorly written fan fiction.  It's a shame Rey took the Skywalker surname.  Her parents sacrificed themselves for her, it's clear Rey was loved, and yet Rey doesn't honor them.

And Ben Solo.  Ben Solo.  I never really liked his character.  But the Kylo/Rey connection that began in Episode 8, the only truly interesting aspect of that movie, began to make his character worth watching.  The whole "Dyad" idea is cool.  Ben and Rey being a representative of light and dark.  The battle within themselves.  The parallels.  When his character was redeemed there was so much potential, and then he died.  And he honestly didn't have to die.  He could have lived.  The real adventure begins when you choose to live.  Rey has God like powers and could have saved him in turn.  I don't care what anyone says, he could have lived.  And the continuing character growth Ben Solo could have shown in the future would have been truly interesting to watch/read.  But he had to die.  One of his quotes from the first movie plays as a foreshadowing: "Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to. That's the only way to become what you were meant to be." He was a Skywalker.  Disney hates the Skywalkers. No living Skywalker's allowed.  And the "Force is Female," so he had to die for that reason as well.  But can you imagine a truly redeemed Ben Solo and a truely developed double agent/mole General Hux meeting up after the fact?  That would have been fantastic!!  Oh my gosh, popcorn.  I would have needed a whole bucket of popcorn for that scene.

Seriously Disney?!!!  You and your missed opportunities.

In 1991 Timothy Zahn published Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, keeping Star Wars alive through strong creative story telling adding fantastic new characters while respecting Han, Leia, and Luke.  The Star Wars extended universe grew and was considered canon.  21 years later, in 2012, Disney buys Star Wars for 4 billion, killing the EU in the process by calling them "legends."  The stories I loved getting washed away by a giant price tag.  If Disney can come in and retcon the EU, who's not to say that a couple decades from now someone can't come in and retcon Disney Star Wars?  That would be poetic justice.

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action.

Riding the Palette Town Ferris Wheel in Odaiba, Tokyo Japan

I have a love/hate relationship with Ferris wheels.

They're great fun, sure.  Giant.  Round.  If you ride one of the especially large Ferris wheels you can see for miles.  Except I have a fear of heights, and whenever I ride the one at California Adventure, Disneyland, I imagine San Andreas going off and the metal cage in which I sit landing in the water pool with no way out.

My brain likes to play with fun scenarios.

Going back in time a bit, I have a clear memory of my first several hours in Tokyo, Japan, back in 2015.  I went with my brother Michael and Sister-in-law Krista, my Mom graciously volunteering to babysit the kids for a week.  I was sick.  With what, I don't know, but I had a fever which broke that first night in Japan.  Jet lag.  Long flight from LAX to Narita in coach, no sleep.  And I had the most Japanese speaking knowledge in our group having listened to 7 of 12 Michel Thomas Method Japanese CD's and a couple vocab lists to Krista's 1 of 12 listened with no extra vocab study.

I was nervous, tired, sick, and a crazy mixture of worried excitement.  Amazed that after so many years of wanting to visit Japan we were finally there.  Worried of the level 3 volcano in Hakone--It just steamed, shutting down the sky tram system, but is completely fine now--as we were staying in Tsurukawa, 42 miles away.

I remember starring out the window during that long bus ride from the airport to the closest train station we could get to, and then spending 30 minutes at that station trying to figure out how to get to Tsurukawa station, hauling luggage up and down stairs we didn't need to go up and down, because we kept going to the wrong platform and couldn't find the elevator. I remember staring out the window on that silent bus, not allowed to speak as that's a sign of respect in Japan, just simply looking out the window with whirling thoughts.

 

Seeing the Sky Tree in the distance was a shock, towering higher than imagined.  And I remember a Ferris wheel along the bay.  Giant and bright with colors, a light display dancing in the night.  I watched as it passed, wondering what it was.  Overwhelmed with emotions.  It felt like that Ferris wheel was welcoming me to Japan, and for some reason I felt ease in watching its colors swirl.

 During this last trip in April my Mom, brothers, and I went to Odaiba to visit the TeamLab Borderless museum and see the giant Gundam, but I didn't realize a giant Ferris wheel was there, the same one I saw all those years ago.  After the museum Steven and Ty wanted to ride it, and they wanted to ride in one of the clear cages.  Thinking of Earthquakes in Japan I was nervous, brain leaping from one scenario to another, but my Mom and I were game, riding the Ferris wheel that welcomed me to Japan all those years back, having brought me happy comfort in a worried stage.  

Seeing the Ferris wheel was like seeing an old friend.

The Palette Town Ferris wheel was great fun, and despite my fear of heights I'm glad we rode in the clear cage.  It's freaky looking down and seeing the ground, but it was cool at the same time.  The sights up high are nice, seeing both the city and the bay.

Photos by Robin, Sarah, Steven, and Ty.