A Zen comedy not to be missed will be shown online by the Japan Society in New York: FANCY DANCE (ファンシイダンス』), a 1989 Japanese film set in a Soto (I believe) Zen temple, very funny. It is also hard to find. It will be available online from December 3 to 23rd ($10 for a 3 day rental) as part of the Society's wider Japanese film festival (Sorry, they say that it is only for North American viewers, so I am not sure about other places). Here is a nice little summary ...
I am sure that the online version will have subtitles, but here is a preview ..
PS - Anything in the film that raises a question, ask about here. I will do my best to explain. Some of the jokes are really hard to translate.
Gassho, J
STLah
Successful punk-rock vocalist Yohei happens to come from a long line of Buddhist priests and is expected to serve a year as a novice monk. He reluctantly submits, shaving the half of his head which wasn't already shaved, and resigns himself to a life of asceticism and discipline in a mountain temple. But he and three fellow novices soon learn that some monks are more equal than others. [One] monk secretly hoards chocolates and the disciplinarian monk likes to don a wig and hit karaoke bars. And then Yohei's girlfriend shows up. The mix of belly laughs, slapstick, sex jokes and satire pushes towards a predictably serene, spiritual conclusion.
PS - Anything in the film that raises a question, ask about here. I will do my best to explain. Some of the jokes are really hard to translate.
Gassho, J
STLah
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