Episode 72 - With host Craig Norris and cohost Taylor Lidstone.
First Broadcast on Edge Radio, 10th May 2024.
We discuss Darth Jar Jar’s LEGO comeback, compare radio charm to Spotify’s algorithm, and celebrate Bluey’s “Dad Baby” episode’s US release. We also cover Japan’s tourist restrictions, anime fan must-visits, Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives’ yaoi elements, and Star Wars’ hidden influence in Shōgun. Tune in for a compact journey through the latest in entertainment and travel!
Episode also available on podcast:
Links
Links:
The Radio Is Better Than the Spotify Algorithm | Lifehacker https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/the-radio-is-still-better-than-the-spotify-algorithm
'Banned' Bluey Episode 'Dad Baby' Is Finally Viewable in the U.S. (gizmodo.com) https://gizmodo.com/banned-bluey-episode-dad-baby-now-on-youtube-in-us-1851452765
Japan blocks overcrowded selfie spot, bans tourists from traditional areas to cope with explosion of travellers - ABC News https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-08/asian-tourism-post-pandemic-japan-singapore-thailand-surge/103809554
Rejecting media tourism: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-31/briars-wildlife-reserve-harry-potter-experience-petition/103275544
Anime Fans Rank the 'Must See' Anime Pilgrimage Sites - Interest - Anime News Network:AU Media tourism and Edge Radio https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2015-04-21/anime-fans-rank-the-must-see-anime-pilgrimage-sites/.86814
"Rosehaven" Episode #1.5 (TV Episode 2016) – IMDb
Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives proves yaoi would save an Edwardian boy - Polygon https://www.polygon.com/24141759/dead-boy-detectives-queer-yaoi-supernatural
There’s a hidden Star Wars influence in every Shōgun episode - Polygon https://www.polygon.com/24124644/star-wars-shogun-influence-subtitle-font
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TRANSCRIPT
This is an AI-generated transcript of the audio and it may contain errors. We may update or correct this transcript in the future. Please contact us if you have any questions about the information in this transcript. The audio is the official record of this episode.
CRAIG NORRIS
OK. Hey, you're listening to Edge Radio 99.3 FM, this is media mothership now and look, OK, full confession. It's been a month since I've been able to get back into the driving seat to do media mothership, so I'll. Tests it's, you know, the muscle memory is not there the so yes, we have had a couple of technical hiccups, but now I'm confident that everything's according to plan. I'm Doctor Craig, of course. And I'm joined by Lord Taylor. How are. You, Lord Taylor. Yo. You're not helping what?
Speaker 5
Do you mean?
CRAIG NORRIS
OK.
Speaker
That's.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Fantastic. We had. Well, this is on on your show, but when like the second week after you left or something like that. Oh, he came on my show. Ohh really crazy.
CRAIG NORRIS
Great. Well, Ollie, of course, one of our great volunteers here. At this radio.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Comfort jeans.
CRAIG NORRIS
Times. Not tunes. Yeah, well worth listening. To yes so. Here on media mothership. What? Do we do we explore? I'm gonna ask that cause I was.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
OK well I was getting ready for it.
CRAIG NORRIS
Afraid. You. Alright, we we explore how media can shape our understanding of the world around us and we look at bizarre media phenomenon. What is it you think we do?
Speaker 3
Huh.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
We we look at all of the great media. Not even centric, just minorly part of media things that happen.
Speaker 6
Street.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
That's what we do.
CRAIG NORRIS
It's very true, including stories of how kind of I guess core properties become popular. So let's start with what I found as one of the the really unusual stories that's that's come across my desk. I'll play a a short snippet to put people in the zone of of what it is.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
OK.
CRAIG NORRIS
Sorry, it's going to be after this thing. It's muted. Yeah. This is a piece looking at the Java Jar Lego.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
What an Ed.
Speaker
Event.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
I can't, you say, Lego said Legos.
Speaker 6
Yeah. Here you go.
Speaker 5
It's falling apart. The building blocks of the Galaxy are getting mixed up. This doesn't make any sense. We're over change. People will change in ways we cannot possibly imagine.
Speaker
I don't love.
Speaker 6
That this is wild.
Speaker 5
Swing time players he walks. Bounty hunters. I'm going to hurt you.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, yeah. So that I'll play that once.
Speaker 3
More the big reveal.
Speaker 5
This are going to hurt you.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yep, so this is a Lego video game. What video game? The Lego. How do you pronounce it? Lego. Lego. Darth Jar jar trending after Lego Star Wars rebuild the Galaxy trailer reveals fifth version of character it seems from the trailer what they're going for is a type of inevitable multiverse. Mm-hmm. Of excitement in Star Wars, where things which didn't happen in the cannon are now occurring. You know, I think there's, like, ewoks's bounty hunters and. Included within that is one of the really notorious. Fan theories, which was Jar Jar Binks, was actually a villain character. Do you have any memories of the Star Wars films and it was may the fourth last week. You have great, sometimes I.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
I've seen all the Star Wars films. Wonder it's it's so funny though, because I always find that like you just think, like when I think of Star Wars now. Well, this is rubbish. This is terrible. OK. But then when I watch it, it's like for the two weeks after. It's like it's awesome.
Speaker 6
Yes.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
And then it just sort of Peters out again. And then I have to watch it again to be like ohh, that's awesome. And then I'll go around hitting things.
CRAIG NORRIS
It's interesting cause in that cycle I think emerged the jar. Jar theory have. You heard the theory of Jar Jar Binks. No. As a Sith Lord. So it's of course. Jar Jar Binks was a character introduced in the prequel series that he.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Was most loved by everyone.
CRAIG NORRIS
He was, of course, hated at the time. It's since moderated that view, but JoJo was a character introduced into Phantom Menace. The first film with the prequels met with a really lukewarm, if not outright hostile, reaction. Any fans as the kind of attempt at a Comic Relief character which many people pointed out didn't quite work. The number of problems that some fans had with that character and and you know, I think much to the detriment of the poor.
Speaker 3
Yes.
CRAIG NORRIS
Actor that performed that role. Interestingly, he was. Later brought on. And I think it's in the book of Boba Fett series or the Kenobi series. He he reappeared, cast as a, as an actual Jedi in that one anyway, the. The JA JA. Theory is, so you have this, this Gungan kind of character that's kind of slapsticky yats.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Style.
CRAIG NORRIS
Style. Yet at certain pivotal moments he actually becomes a key protagonist in what's happening. So, for instance, he's the one in the Senate meeting that puts forward the nomination for Emperor Palpatine to become the. Role ruler of the democracy, right? So, you know, setting up the idea of the the Dark Emperor as well as the idea that he can perform clearly kind of Jedi level stunts. And so again, this theory is that that actually all along he was performing. Buffoon. But in reality he was a a Sith villain, right? Which is what this little clip from the Star Wars trailer is suggesting. We'll listen to one more time.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Oh, as in I.
Speaker 6
MHM.
Speaker 5
It's not going to hurt you.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Chart chart.
CRAIG NORRIS
That actually, yes, he he's he's he's this lightsaber wielding Darth Vader equivalent, if not worse character.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Fans. Nasty.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, yeah. So again, that that gut.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
At least it gets to be a little bit. Interesting, I guess. Yeah. Look, I.
CRAIG NORRIS
Mean I love those fan theories for that very reason. So the.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Well, it's not. It's not the theory now cause.
CRAIG NORRIS
Other people.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
The thing isn't it?
CRAIG NORRIS
Yes, yes, it's one of these moments where fan ideas gets incorporated into actual storytelling. So while of course the Lego Universe isn't cannon per say. Nevertheless, it clearly shows that the rights holders you know Lucas Film would have been definitely involved in this have been more than happy to incorporate that in in a in a licenced product the the Lego. Star Wars game, which is your very. Story where story. Driven. Yeah, yeah, I I don't know if it. Would get me to play.
Speaker 6
It but I.
CRAIG NORRIS
Wasn't used to see the trailer and you know, I gotta admit, I'm a real sucker for multiverse ideas of variant. What if scenarios? So yeah. Given that it taps into fan culture.
Speaker 6
I I I thought it was really.
CRAIG NORRIS
Cute. Some of the comments on Twitter include one from Mark Hamill saying you had me at Darth Jar Jar.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Who's mark hammer?
CRAIG NORRIS
He played Luke Skywalker, yes.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
I know that I'm getting you to say that for.
Speaker 3
Was a setup.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
The people at home. Ohh.
CRAIG NORRIS
Noah writes in to say Darth Jar Jar being officially recognised by Lucasfilm was not on my 2024 bingo card. Yeah, so again that point that it's interesting that it's getting recognised. Donovan mccomish. Right. They did it. They actually went and did Darth Jar jar. This is going to be the most insane Lego Star Wars special by several 100 layers.
Speaker
Wow.
CRAIG NORRIS
Mind blown emoji and :) emoji. So yeah, look, I mean it's. It's clever. I mean, I think many people have been feeling some fatigue. May the fourth comes around. And it's yeah, it's, it's. I guess it's a fun, playful little. Connection there. Do you have any? Thoughts about how that could be continued?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
What Star Wars and Jim?
CRAIG NORRIS
Darth Jar Jar with a big character you'd be. Keen to see more?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yeah, I I haven't played or seen any of the Lego. Star Wars anything before, so I don't know how they're going to, like, put it together or what sort of stylization they put with stuff like that, but I'd be interested to see it in terms of an actual.
Speaker 3
Hmm.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Ohh serious.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm not. I'm not sure what the current thing that's. Around the corner with Star Wars. So yeah.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yeah, they came seem to be pumping out all manner of rubbish at. All the time.
CRAIG NORRIS
Alright, talking not of rubbish now, but again a slight change. There's an article on Lifehacker talking about why radio is still better than the Spotify algorithm subtitle. Being, sometimes you need actual human curation instead of just more of what you're already like. So this article, just to give you a basic summary of it.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
A ChatGPT summary.
Speaker 6
Yeah, this is going to.
CRAIG NORRIS
Be my effort to actually remember the article.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Oh well, OK.
Speaker
Yeah, it's one.
CRAIG NORRIS
Of those classic experiences, I think many people that listen to stream music, most of us in fact experience, which is where the algorithm.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Not me, but sure.
CRAIG NORRIS
Of the stream engine you're using does suggested listening right. You know you might enjoy this. You might enjoy that. And the author here is complaining just to pop. The author is complaining that actually what it's suggesting is not really that novel, and it's not really. That exploratory, he's feeling right that in fact, he'll find that the suggestion sometimes gets. Stuck in these, uh, particular kind of funnels of music content. So he said that his, for instance, the music he was listening to seemed to get him stuck into a what he referred to as the sad Girl indie music scene.
Speaker 6
Wow.
CRAIG NORRIS
So it was constantly referring to curated playlists that were sad Girl Starter Pack, sad indie indie pop hits. My life is a movie, and all of those he felt just got stuck in his suggested feed for months. And he was kind of frustrated that actually it was just an echo chamber. So his suggestion is that actually a radio station like the very one you're listening to now, Edge Radio and 9.3 FM.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Listening on the podcast.
CRAIG NORRIS
And then hopefully you can tap into the website edgeradio.org dot AU we'll perform. A far better job and actually taking you through music. You know, if you're interested in a type of music going into where there's a DJ that's curated and hours worth of programming like here, we've got some great radio station. It shows like the ride. Pete, and he'll take you through like I remember his one that he did on. I think it was offensive language and music. And he creates these really interesting pieces with the significance of them and this article. Anyway, he's talking about how radio really has. A far superior role than the algorithm in terms of if your goal is actually to. Become informed and experience a broader listening interest from a basis that you have curiosity in or existing listening in that you that you will do it much more effectively through radio. Does that make sense to you? Do you reckon that argument would hold up? Anecdotally to your experiences.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
I don't stream music.
CRAIG NORRIS
Do you find radio space that influences any in any way your music interest? I mean you do the K pop unlimited show it's it's one where you offer some curation. Would you like to think that people would be tapping into that to get a kind of?
Speaker 3
Hmm.
CRAIG NORRIS
Listening.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Guide well, if they are, they're foolish because I just didn't. I just play bubble gum pop girl K pop tracks always.
CRAIG NORRIS
Well, again, I think. The wise words there is to choose your radio. Shows carefully. Make sure.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Exactly, not mine.
CRAIG NORRIS
You get one which has. But again, you're part of it. Is, is. Dipping your toe into some of the great content that's coming out of radio, and there are plenty of great community radio stations that are doing some really interesting content examples. All right. What I'm going to play now is just just a little clip to see what this evokes in people.
Speaker
He's having a baby. I didn't know.
Speaker 5
This was the something I got a foot. Ohh. She's got my down here.
Speaker
Come on.
CRAIG NORRIS
Alright, what? What do we just hear then? Taylor's Louie. Louie. Yeah. Yeah. So for those that haven't. Seen blue or no blue. What? What is bluey?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
It's one of the best TV programmes ever created and differently the best that Australia's ever created.
CRAIG NORRIS
It's. Yeah. So it's who the characters employee.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
That we heard in that sequence. Yeah, I don't have the thing up, but if I remember correctly, it would have bandit who plays the father. There will be the voice of bingo and the voice of the neighbour who's called Lucky's Dad.
CRAIG NORRIS
Now that episode, what is the title of that episode that baby? Dad baby, what is the episode talk about?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Deadbeat.
CRAIG NORRIS
This feels like a cliche.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Is it because you don't actually know?
Speaker 6
No, no, I've I've read. A bit about, yeah.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
OK, so you're testing me right? OK, yeah. So what's it about? Yeah, it's about base. It's a really nice story of bandit. Who's the father who has a sort of like a blanket on around him. And one of his children goes in it. And. To sort of like simulate. The baby process of being born.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah. Simply, he's curious to know because he's grown up and and seen the birth of his brother. His, her like Blues brother. Sorry, not gender. Sorry. Not what.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Well, you've never. You've literally never seen this show before. They're both they're 2 girls.
Speaker 6
What is?
CRAIG NORRIS
OK, sorry. OK. Yeah, I've not seen this show. I I missed it. In terms of my demographic of my kids were growing up by that stage. Alright, so. OK. And what?
Speaker 3
We're listening to is. Yeah, a playful way.
Speaker 6
Who?
CRAIG NORRIS
Of of unpacking that. Why was that? What's the controversy with this? Is this? Is this episode considered amongst Blue fans, which I'll position you as one known a well known episode?
Speaker 3
Yeah.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Not in the US.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah. Why is that?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Cause banned by Disney.
CRAIG NORRIS
It was banned by Disney. That's right.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
There's been heaps of stuff that's been banned by Disney, including the episode. I think it's called market or something like that, where there is an image of a of a pony. Defecating. Ohh, but you know really sort of funny and not disgusting or horrible humour at all sort of way, but that was enough to.
CRAIG NORRIS
Anyway, grant me.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Get a ban.
CRAIG NORRIS
Well, so this episode of Blue Indeed was banned, but has finally become viewable earlier this month in the US and and no one really knows why it was banned. I mean, there was no statement from Disney to say we're banning it for this reason, but the suspicion is it's it's that idea. Of. Maybe the performance of birth at the? Dad's doing.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yeah, I I guess, yeah, it could be. That's yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
The idea that that, yeah, again, there there's kind of like, you know, not only does he wear a kind of one of those kind of tummy holders with his youngest son in it to replicate. Some pregnancy, sorry. Child. Also there's the the birth, the delivery of the child, right? So he lies down and we, you know we there's the kind of jokes where he's pushing and and one of the other characters has the hand up to to help draw the newborn out. So yeah. I mean on paper.
Speaker 3
Hmm.
CRAIG NORRIS
It it, it paints quite a graphic image, but in the comic I saw in the cartoon. I mean, it's quite amusing. It's done very light and.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yes. Funny. Very tastefully. Done as well.
CRAIG NORRIS
And that seems to be the case here. I mean the the articles attracted attention because now that people have gone and watched it, given it's notoriety, being banned, which normally you associate with, it's about Satanism. Or is it about? Something really extreme. And you watch. It and you think this has no no real offence that I can locate with it. Of course you know this. Left tail into the current. Political drama playing out in Penrith, in Weston, so I don't know if Kenneth Weston South of Sydney, where the local council banned a Co parenting book. Alright. Yeah. And there's threats of funding. So yeah, again, we shouldn't just point the finger at the US and say those silly people in the US banning non offensive material. Equally, there's debates occurring in Australia are on similar content which are polarising communities around whether or not this is considered offensive or not.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
But also there are silly people in. The US as well.
CRAIG NORRIS
So people everywhere? Yeah.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Exactly, not just the US, yeah.
Speaker 3
So I just. Try to do some winking. Everyone's not as exciting. Perfect. It's a big morning TV.
Speaker 6
It is a bit yeah, alright.
CRAIG NORRIS
So next story I want to look at is. Yeah. Yeah. OK. Yeah. Just trying to decide which look at.
Speaker 3
Let's let's let's let's.
CRAIG NORRIS
Build up to Japan, right? So, so there's this music playing. There's so we talked about Star Wars, right. I'm going to play you a scene from Star Wars and.
Speaker 6
OK.
Speaker
Yep.
CRAIG NORRIS
I'm going to talk about something. About this scene. OK, all right.
Speaker
Yes, Greedo, as a matter of fact, I was just going to see your boss tell Java that I've got.
Speaker 5
His money.
CRAIG NORRIS
All right, so do you know that scene?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
I have it on there so I can't exactly say, but I yeah, it's definitely one of the.
CRAIG NORRIS
You don't mind?
Speaker 3
Don't have it with.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
4561 Yep, you hope, you hope, obviously.
Speaker
Me tell job.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Probably. And So what?
Speaker 3
Wow, yes and no.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
I was saying Jabber. Yeah, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
But he doesn't appear in the yeah, the special editions put him back in, but the original theatrical release you don't see? Yeah, he refers to. Yeah. So this is the infamous Cantina scene where Han Solo.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Ohh no no no but. All right.
CRAIG NORRIS
Is confronting the bounty hunter Greedo? Ohh yeah.
Speaker 3
And of course there's that.
CRAIG NORRIS
Whole debate. Who shot first? Because the theatre, really. Showed hand firing first, then the leader Recuts showed it was kind of both fired at the same time. Anyway, what's really interesting about this is the subtitles, right? Of course. Greeter is speaking in Greedo language and there's subtitles underneath it, and this links to the TV series Shogun, right? Shogun has a hidden.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Alright.
CRAIG NORRIS
Star Wars influence. Yeah. Really fascinating article in Polygon talking about how one of the showrunners, Justin Marks, wanted to match George Lucas's intention with this choice. So the link between Shogun, which is based on James Clavell's 1970s novel.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Wow.
CRAIG NORRIS
All 1960s novel, actually Shogun, that's currently just finished. It's at Disney plus and FX release has with Star Wars subtitles, right? So this article interviewed the showrunners. Talking about how they spend a lot of time trying to decide on how they're going to subtitle the Japanese and they wanted to find a particular font. That the Sharon just marks fell in love with watching Star Wars.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
So it's that one that's at the beginning where it's all going outwards towards.
CRAIG NORRIS
No, it's not. The title it's not that that scroll font. It's. Yeah, it's the. The normal subtitles used for the aliens, which is said, you know clearly is a fantastic choice because it's, you know, obviously designed for an international market. It's easy to read English script, sorry the the the font scripts. So yeah, they they spend all this time trying to track down and match for this 1977 Star Wars font. Because they felt it was such a fantastic readable font which they say look the font itself, they feel, yeah, was was was clearly. Easy to read by a A kind of young audience that would be watching Star Wars, which I thought, yeah, it was kind of fun to think that that there's a link with Star Wars and Shogun beyond. The fact, of course, that Lucas was heavily influenced by samurai and Shinto. And kurasawa films. Yeah. When he put together the Star Wars mythos and the Jedi idea and.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Definitely. All the the samurai lightsabers that are around.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, the Cortana vibe and yeah, the film, the course, our film Hidden Castle has very similar plot beats and character ensemble cast. So yeah, that's interesting to consider something as as innocuous subtitles could be the thing.
Speaker 3
Yeah. I think this could throw on me.
CRAIG NORRIS
Alright, next article along next article and look at is Japan blocks overcrowded selfie spot bands. Tourists from traditional areas to cope with explosion of travellers. So I've just gotten back from Japan myself. I've been over there for the last.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Gonna be alone. And you caused.
CRAIG NORRIS
That's right, I was using my immense influence of power, my social media power was unleashed and the ABC recently ran an article talking about how and this is something I've been familiar with for a while. Pre COVID Japan had very much renewed its economy.
Speaker 3
Mm-hmm.
CRAIG NORRIS
From a huge tourism surge, mainly from China, but including Korea and close South. Asian countries, but specifically China, had huge tourism explosion into Japan, so much so that key locations like Kyoto, which is one of the kind of more heavily traditional areas of Japan where people go and they can have various experiences. Of your kind of tea ceremony. It's it's this small, small city. But it's regarded as one. Of the kind of premier traditional sightseeing spots, right, which has a lot of history and tradition in it that has been shown so much by tourists that even locals are struggling to get to work on time as they're battling with tourists to to kind of, you know, get a a seat on the train or. Landing position on the train. So it's it's it's it's a. Real a struggle and.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Well, when when we when we went to.
CRAIG NORRIS
Japan, yes. So I took a whole group of students, Japan as a lecturer here at UTAS at the time and. Yeah, I got new combo planning funding.
Speaker 6
For it and.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
There was we. We ensured that someone didn't get to their work on time, didn't.
CRAIG NORRIS
We well, it was one of those boxes to tick down. No. What I do remember, I don't know if it was the trip you were on, but it was down in Fukuoka, which is the location that I had taken. Your study group, yeah. Since the southern, one of the Southern islands, the main Southern Island student was talking to me later, saying, yeah, that they thought there was an auction which happened in. The middle of this electric. Like a kind of Harvey Norman shop there. And there was a lot of screening and there was this guy.
Speaker 3
Hmm.
CRAIG NORRIS
That was kind of addressing each person and then they were getting the objects they were giving out and by the end of it, most of the store had. Been emptied out, of course. And I'm saying no, no, no, no, that wasn't an option. That was a group of. Tourists, that kind of flocked in from the cruise ship and they all came in. As a big. Group and it's amazing actually, cause I've never seen a huge group like we're talking 3040 to 50 tourists all in a tightly packed bunch and then hit a store and there's a tour guide. There, and they're all yelling very loud and yeah, they just bought tonnes of stuff and this poor student saying that's not a typical experience. That is, yeah. So certainly experience this kind of. You know, and again I you. Know people could refer to that as a kind of a locust experience. It's. Always kind of thing, yeah.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Well, what I was referring to was when you asked someone for directions.
Speaker 6
OK.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
And they literally walked us down across halfway across town in order to get to where we actually wanted. To go, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, right. He definitely would been late for whatever he wanted to do. That's right. Yeah, that was in the first day or something. So it was the hotel. And again, you know, it, it's one of the reputations Japan does have of being immensely polite and help.
Speaker
Yeah, I get that.
CRAIG NORRIS
To tourists, so far I do. Wonder whether or not they'll they'll. They'll.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
There'll be a change in that because of.
CRAIG NORRIS
Your frustration.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
This you know.
CRAIG NORRIS
There's some really interesting clips. There's one in particular of a convenience store, Lawson convenience store. So if you go to the article, it features this Lawson convenience store which has become. Famous because it was featured in some pop cult. As a great location which had Mount Fuji in the background and it's just got a kind of nondescript Lawson in front of it. But then it became this kind of media media, pure image site where if you see the footage, there's all this cure of people outside the Lawson convenience store just doing selfies or posing. As cars are trying to park and trying to back out and triggering, but it's it's packed with tourists in the car park so it's it's one that does remind me a little bit of. The Ross bakery. Ohh yeah, here in Tassie I know we have a similar kind of. You know the pros and cons of tourism for a media location, so the Ross Baker, of course, has this idea that it was inspiration for Kiki's delivery Service Bakery, which Jubilee have since debunked and said they never did any footage preparation or sourcing from. The Tasmanian or bakery, but it still hasn't prevented that story to spread, and I think if you go to the Ross Bakery, it does evoke some similarities to the anime keys delivery service and the kind of, you know, colonial period. Bakery, which is featured in it, but I do know that at times some tourists will go to their bakery just to again do that, take photos in front of it, stand on the road, oblivious to traffic, you know, not worry about going in and buying a vanilla slice, which are particularly nice and just. Right off, right, so. The idea that that then it's not sustaining any economy.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
It it's it's purely just. Causing potential hazards around it. So yeah, it's it's a, it's. There was one bit of weird media tourism I did do in Japan, which is I've been watching the Shogun series and so in the showing series it it it highlights a character they called Tenaga that's based on a real historical figure, Tokugawa. Who was 1600 late 15th century, late 16th century in early 1600. Shogun, that United Japan, and she's Walker, which where we spent some time, has his final resting space. So we went there and we found that there is this exclusive Gundam model kit that you can get there only from that store and one other in Shizuoka. And Gundam, of course. Knows A is a famous robot anime. Series and this is this weird bit of media tourism where you have to go to the shrine to get the Tokugawa.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
You don't have to go.
CRAIG NORRIS
You really are missing out. You go to this friend and you get this. You know, Tokugawa themed Gundam robot model kit to put together. Sadly the cheap one would sold out so I had to invest in a in a very expensive one which I've then informed the family is going to be a family.
Speaker 3
Hmm.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Premium.
CRAIG NORRIS
Bonding experience to do together the Tokugawa Gundam so that was a real bonus and and one of the things about the Tokugawa area. She's Walker in particular. Is that it's considered kind of Ground Zero for a lot of model making Tamia one of the premier world famous model scale model companies is headquartered in Shizuoka, Banda as well, and and in the Tokugawa shrine area they have this. These model kits, and there's a small explanation saying that some people. Suggests that a reason that she's Walker became famous as as a a base headquarters for scale models in Japan was because talked about was set up to occur as a location for little craftspeople Craftsman. It's also considered to be a good location because a lot of the early scale models were.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
All right, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Wood made of wood that you'd put together, and she's also has. Forests that could be used to very helpful make good, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So that was, that was my one bit of media. Tourism. I don't think I got in anyone's way. When I was doing it. I don't know if you've been to Tokyo. You'd also see there are people. There's like the Mario karts that you can get into and that always seems crazy, that they drive around in these real like the the basically go karts. Yeah, that we'd use here, but they're for some reason able to be driven on the road. And they're dressed up as Mario characters, so foreigners use them. You know, you can hire them or you go in a group. It seems. I've never done it, but they're all dressed up as like Luigi and Mario. And all the characters, and you'll see them zipping through congested to peer traffic. And it's like, oh, wow. I wonder what that's like. Yeah, so that's that's that is. Yeah, the the craziness of that. There is this list, I'll just do this. Quick list before. I go to the next story which is.
Speaker
Yes, sure.
CRAIG NORRIS
Back in this is a bit outdated now. 2015 anime fans ranked the must see anime pilgrimage sites to Japan. I'll just run through the ones that I'm familiar with. Number one, of course, is from my neighbour Totoro. Have you seen that one by?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Jubilee, just in case.
Speaker 3
Yeah. Great. Ohh.
CRAIG NORRIS
All right, so this is a. Famous one. It's set. In the.
Speaker 6
Ah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Gosh, is it the interwar period post war period? No, I think post war period. Yeah, 1950s, sixties and yeah, it's in this kind of rural setting. So you need to get to higher. She would ayama.
Speaker 6
First, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
In Tokyo or. Tokoto zawa. And took you took all those our area inside town.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Wait, I think. I think I know a bit of trivia about that, like grave of the fireflies. Yep.
CRAIG NORRIS
Ohh please. World War 2.
Speaker 5
Is.
CRAIG NORRIS
Tearjerker.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Is when the it's it's like when the bomb. Dropped.
Speaker 3
That's right.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Whereas Totoro was.
Speaker 6
Ah yeah.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
The antithesis of that of when the bomb hadn't dropped.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, yeah, many people. OK. Yeah, kind.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
That's the line of it.
CRAIG NORRIS
An ultimate what if? Yeah, I look. It's interesting. Some people point to the scene where the total creature causes the tree to grow as a kind of symbolic. Kind of anti atom bomb. If you see how the the big tree.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Glows and blossoms or or. Forests itself it it's kind of like a mushroom cloud, but it's it's so yeah, many people showed some interesting analogies.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Maybe I think it's, I think because they were released in the same year, I think and and they they had releases where they played one and then the other because it's like, yeah, this is the terrible, this is the good.
CRAIG NORRIS
They were. Yeah, I think they were.
Speaker 6
Yeah.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yeah, I think.
CRAIG NORRIS
That's yeah, it seems to be a I I have heard that that I do know that if you're not seeing it, great. Hello. Fireflies is a real it's a real I feel it's a real manipulative film because it's just tragic, right. It just sets you up for tears at the end and you know it deals with the two main protagonists.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
It does.
CRAIG NORRIS
Young brother and sister who's have lost their parents. I think. Yeah. And they. Yeah, they're trying to survive in this devastated. Wait. War. Japan. Yeah, actually, I think it's the fire bombing of Tokyo, right? Yeah. So it's not Hiroshima and the and bomb. It's it's the fire bombing of Tokyo that portrays. Yeah, it is not a destination to see in a million pure Mr. However, #2 is whisper of the hearts.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
It is, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Train station Slam Dunk, which is the basketball series. Is a district in Kanagawa Neon Genesis Evangelion. You gotta get over to Hakone. I don't know what the Neogenesis Evangeline clink there is. I have to look into that Ponyo. Another Misaki film is in Hiroshima.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Well, well. Where's where's that? Because ponyo. Most of the movie, they're underwater.
CRAIG NORRIS
There's they're coastal village, right?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Ohh I suppose yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
It's better than coastal villa. Well, lucky I've not seen a no, Hannah, that's inside. I'm a lucky star. I do know at the time in the when this article was written, 2015 was huge and there was a huge media, tourism phenomena of of people going to the location that was portraying. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, there's there's. There is, of course, media tourism here in this very studio. It's radio, it's radio was featured. In episode 5, season one. As the Community radio station of Rose Haven, we have yet to get any people joining my tours that I run off this location. But they are there. So if you do want to come and get your photo taken on the very film location. Of Episode 5, season one rose havens commute radio station. Feel free to come in to Edge radio and become a member. Yep. And then you can. Come and have a look.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
On Tuesdays and Thursdays.
CRAIG NORRIS
Tuesday. Thursdays. Alright, let's let's try slightly different music queue now.
Speaker 6
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bye. Luna.
CRAIG NORRIS
That's that's masquerade.
Speaker 6
Oh.
CRAIG NORRIS
So the other other car I want to go on about is Dead Boy detectives, which is a streaming series like your gamings associated with it, right? Deploy, detect.
Speaker 3
Take.
CRAIG NORRIS
And a streaming series which has an episode which proves Yawei would save a repressed Edwardian schoolboy.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
I prefer kinder eggs.
CRAIG NORRIS
Really to help repressed.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
No feeling compared to yalies.
CRAIG NORRIS
Of course, yes. So too many of yalies. What's the meaning of yalie that you're pulling? On. There chocolate, chocolate. And it's also OK.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Like like.
CRAIG NORRIS
Isn't it a mythical creature?
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Oh yeah, it's some sort of.
CRAIG NORRIS
It's the yui. It's a. It's a mythical.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Yeah, well, I know in Final Fantasy 10 it's a lizard. I don't know whether it's an actual lizard in anthology.
Speaker 6
Ah.
CRAIG NORRIS
It's also a genre of Japanese comics. What is Yai in Japanese? Chocolate. Yeah, he is same, same sex love stories, often featuring bishonen beautiful boys. They're often fan stories, right? Sort. Of the ginchy. Where fans will write a version of, you know, Kirk. Well, in the West, we'd refer to it as. Kirk Spock from Star Trek, right?
Speaker 6
Ah yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Where you take these two heteronormative characters and you do your Yahoo. The fan fiction version where they're actually married and lovers. Right. So similar to this and it's interesting this, this series, Dead Boy detectives features the this character, who, young boy, died in the Edwardian period but is a ghost now and is brought back in this comic series. The streaming series and Nico, played by U Kitten Murder, is one of his human companions, who encourages him to read Yawei comics to help him address his repressed homosexuality, which that was kind of cute right? During upon this kind of Japan pop culture character. To this kind of Edwardian period. Repressed boy. Yeah. Yeah. So that's, that's about it. That's about it. Day show. Yeah. Yeah. There's only one other thing I'd say just about. Media events that have been cancelled because of tourism, there was one that happened in Melbourne back in December this year there was. A a Harry. Potter event that was gonna happen in Melbourne Nature Reserve, but thousands of petitions caused it to be. This was one which was going to involve, you know, basically it was like a nature trail area, but they were going to put various kind of stunt areas. You could do Harry Potter themed actions in like hold of wands. They're going to put the car, the whomping tree car, somewhere, I think as well. Yeah, there it is. The Wimping tree car.
Speaker
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Or the the car that. I guess that Harry flies. And and Ron. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, I I could imagine that going very poorly here in Tennessee if we tried to.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Wrong flying flight, you know.
CRAIG NORRIS
Let's be membership for another week coming up next, we've got K Pop, Unlimited 10. What's happening? K Pop Unlimited this week.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Music. I already told you at the start of the show, it's bubble cut bubble gum pop girl bands every week. Actually, I'm going to start off with a song by Maude.
CRAIG NORRIS
Fusting so, but look, there might be some trap music. No, right. Yeah. OK. One day there might be trap music. Yeah. Alright, so I'm so relieved this show has.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
Finally worked.
CRAIG NORRIS
Worked. Thanks very much. Hearns Patience, TuneIn next week we'll get back into the rhythm of things so it can only improve from here. Keep listening to Edge radio. More great music coming up with K Pop unlimited. Thanks for listening.
TAYLOR LIDSTONE
If you're lucky.
CRAIG NORRIS
To. Media. Another ship.
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