Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai --- traditional Japanese art is LOVE<3

Art is something that I have been interested in ever since I was young... well, that's apart from anime and Japan. And when we talk about Japanese art, there's one person that I could easily think of... Katsushika Hokusai.

Well, it's just one of the names he's used but it's the most popular one. I guess I started appreciating his works a few years back when I got to know about him and his works from one of my students.

Since then, I've been fascinated with ukiyo-e and how flowy the designs were during those times... I especially like his The Great Wave off Kanagawa which is a part of the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji series. His works even inspired some of my other favorite artists like Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet. (I'd love to see their works in person someday.)

Now, why am I talking about Hokusai, you may ask? Well, it's because he's part of the animated film that I'm about to share with you. It's called Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai.

_{NOTE: All photos are screenshots I took from the anime}

Let's talk about the title first... Why Sarusuberi? was the first question I asked. Sarusuberi is the tree you see in the photo above.

As I searched for the reason online, I found out that the mangaka Hinako Sugiura explained that ... According to Japanese culture, the tree keeps blooming abundantly even though its flowers fall. The author compared the vigor of the plant to that of ukiyo-e.




Now, why "Miss" Hokusai? Wasn't Katsushika Hokusai a man?

Well, although he played a significant part in this story, the film isn't about him but his daughter named O-Ei.

O-Ei is one of Hokusai's daughters from his second marriage. She inherited her father's artistic skills and she would sometimes paint in his stead.

The setting of the anime is in the year 1814 in Edo City. Since O-Ei helped her father with his work, she lived with him alongside another budding artist Zenjurou.

Despite that, she sometimes visits her mother and her younger sister who is visually impaired. She'd take her to places and describe what she sees to her which I find sweet and thoughtful.

This is based on "The Great Wave off Kanagawa"... In the anime, O-Ei took her sister on a boat ride.

The anime also had some elements of the supernatural which I find quite amusing. There was a line when Hokusai told Zenjurou that the reason why he couldn't draw well was because he couldn't see ghosts. hahaha

I think he's implying that you need to have imagination to improve...

Here's a funny supernatural bit from the anime... xD

The anime didn't really have a specific plot. Instead, they're bits and pieces of O-Ei's life as an artist and as a person. How she was as a daughter, a sister... and as a shadow of her father.

It was quite interesting to watch and it made me curious that I had to check all the other artists present in the film (O-Ei Hokusai, Keisai Eisen and Utagawa Kuninao).

If you're interested in Japanese culture, specifically traditional art and artists during the Edo Period, then this is a perfect film for you.

The most iconic line from this film for me was "We're father and daughter; with two brushes and four chopsticks, I guess we can always manage, in a way or another."

It's funny because I could relate with their father-daughter bond. My father and I have similar hobbies and interests especially when it comes to drawing... and just like them, we also bicker a lot since we can be very stubborn and prideful. xD Despite the bickering, I love and respect my father... and my mom, too (of course!)!!!

Anyway, I'll end this post by dropping the trailer below...

Thanks for reading and see you around! (^^,)/