Showing posts with label Japanese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japanese. Show all posts

Sunday, August 10, 2025

Review: Mori Hoshi - Everything Becomes F

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Biasanya sih nunggu beberapa bulan untuk beli buku barunya Penerbit Haru, tapi pas dapet diskonan di tanggal kembar, jadi langsung beli. Buku ini masuknya cetakan pertama bahasa Indonesia, jadi aku masih memaklumi kalo di buku ini ada banyak typoo-nya. Baaaaaaaaaaanyak banget typoo-nya. Aku merasa ini buku terbitan Haru yang paling banyak typoo-nya, entah kenapa.

Sebenarnya ceritanya bagus banget. Tokoh utamanya dua orang, tapi yang lebih dieksplor adalah proses berpikirnya Sohei Saikawa. Untungnya ini novel, segala sesuatunya harus dibayangkan. Karena baca Saikawa-sensei merokok dimanapun, kapanpun, rasanya... Sesak napas. Tapi... Karena rokok itu dia bisa berpikir luar biasa. Bukan sebuah pembenaran, tapi... Memang begitu jalan ceritanya. Rokok itu buruk bagi kesehatan, Saikawa-sensei juga ngomong begitu kok. Bahkan saat Moe Nishinosono mau nyoba, ga pernah diizinin.

Kalo ngomongin jalan cerita, sperti kebanyakan novel iya-mishu dari Penerbit Haru lainnya, buku ini juga punya plot twist yang bikin melongo. Nggak kepikiran sampe sana kalo ceritanya bakalan begitu. Dan aku sih nggak berusaha menebak karena aku tipenya yang menikmati kecurigaan dan menikmati proses, jadi lanjut aja terus bacanya sampe halaman 444.

Yaaaaa... Ini novel tebel, walau termasuk page turner (nggak berasa 15 menit bisa baca 20-30 halaman atau lebih, aku nggak ngitungin sederil itu). Jadi emang kalo dibawa jalan-jalan rasanya berat banget, tapi untuk dinikmati jalan ceritanya, buku setebel itu emang mendarangkan kepuasan sendiri. Cuma memang karena settingnya lab riset yang penih dengan komputer, jadi banyak percakapan melibatkan bahasa pemrograman. Aku sendiri agak pusing di bagian itu, tapi ga papa. Nggak perlu dipahami semendetil itu. Percaya aja sama apa yang diomongin sama tokoh-tokohnya.

Kesimpulannya, untuk bilang ini buku Penerbit Haru yang paling bagus sih... Nggak ya. Masih ada yg lebih dibandingkan ini. Tapi buku ini worth to read. Saaaangat worth to read. Sangat menghibur, nggak ngebosenin dan nggak slow paced. Kalau memang pencinta novel Asia Timur, bergenre mystery/thriller, buku ini cocok buat jadi TBR selanjutnya.

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Challenge Day #3: A Memory

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Through the 2020, we are force to lock ourself on our house, not going anywhere because the world is suffering for COVID-19. With this situation, it is impossible for anyone to held a massive event that can be attended by so many people. Turns out… This is one thing I miss the most on 2020. The Natsu Matsuri (Japan Summer Festival).

Last year, on 2019, I went to the biggest Natsu Matsuri held here in Indonesia. It is Ennichisai.

The event held on Little Tokyo, Blok M. To me, this summer festival is the most elaborative Japan culture festival in Indonesia. It isn’t just about pop culture (Japanese Idol, cosplay, anime’s merchandise) but also the Japanese traditional culture. I came there when they about to do the Omikoshi.

The Omikoshi is a portable Shinto shrine for the gods and spirits. It resembles a small building which is fixed to 4 poles. Omikoshi are usually very heavy and require many folks to carry it on their shoulders. The Omikoshi is usually bounced up and down to the rhythm of the chants (https://archive.dannychoo.com/en/posts/omikoshi).

Last year was the first time I saw Omikoshi right in front of my eyes. There surely so many people involve to carry those big cart around the venue. I don’t have too many documentary of the event because I was too mesmerized of what happened in front of my eyes.

This video was taken by my sister’s cellphone. By the time that Omikoshi was held, we were surrounded by sea of people, with a sun shine so bright… and hot (just like what a summer supposed to feel). There'are also another cart carried by those people. The giant one is the last cart (too bad I can only post one video here). But it is always amazed me seeing this kind of culture being presented live (even though I’m not a culture-mania kind of person).

The other things I remember the most from Natsu Matsuri is their food festival. Foods like:


Ringoame (candied apple),



Taiyaki (fish-shaped bread filled with red bean paste),



Giant octopus skewer,


Okonomiyaki (Japanese style omelette) and Takoyaki (ball cake filled with octopus),



or even Ramune.



… sometimes only visible on this event (well… Ramune, takoyaki and okonomiyaki can be found in the supermarket, but it taste better when you have it on the festival).

One last thing we usually saw on Natsu Matsuri is COSPLAY.



Usually, people will wear a light costume/make up based kind of cosplay. But this hungry Kaonashi also appeared at the Natsu Matsuri I attended (this wasn’t take on Ennichisai). But this unique views also one thing I miss from attending Natsu Matsuri.


I heard that despite the pandemic situation here, Ennichisai actually postponed and not going to be held this years. I read from https://www.kaorinusantara.or.id/newsline/131438/ennichisai-2019-terakhir-blok-m-komentar-pengunjung that the comittee decided to postpone the event for several years in order to be reviewed. They also said that after the reviewing process, they will held the event on a bigger venue (thank God if this really happened). Hopefully, over this all pandemic will be over so they will held the event and I can attend the event again. I hope next year this wouldn’t just a memory to me.