Behind again?
Mar. 7th, 2008 10:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkerOkay, let's catch up a bit.
Friday, and a chunk of Saturday, were background. We finally heard the story of why Ako's father left the little chopstick painting craftshop and built a factory, and why Grandma has been so angry with him - with a very special resolution.
Friday started with the family at dinner, and Father asking what the factory owner said. Uncle says, "He's going to close the factory."
Cut to the hospital, where the owner is watching his sleeping wife. She wakes, and asks what he is doing there so late. Nothing. Oh, I stopped the matchmaking meeting. She thanks him. Then after a moment, asks if there's something else he wants to talk about. He says no and leaves.
The front door of the little chopstick store, someone is banging on it from outside. Mom comes out, muttering about the time. She opens it, and Ako is standing there. Ako says, "Is my father here?" "No, why?" "My mother called, said he was acting funny, and then he didn't come home." Mom tells her to relax, take a deep breath. Then Mom steps back and calls everyone. Ako is horrified, but Mom says it will be better. Everyone comes in, yawning and griping. Dad is in PJs. Kiyomi says, "What's wrong? Ako? Why are you here?" Ako says her father is missing, and her mother said to come here.
At this point, Grandma steps forward and says, "I know where he is. Come with me."
She takes them all out to the workshop, where Ako's father is sitting in the dark. Grandma comments that the police arrest trespassers. Ako says, "What are you doing here? I was so worried."
At which point the writer pushes forward and asks him to tell her the story of why he left the workshop. Even uncle is surprised, "Not now." Then Grandma says, "I would like to hear that story, too."
Long story, mixing glimpses of the owner and family in the workshop with flashbacks. Flashback to the owner telling Grandfather that he is going to leave, he can't eat on what they're making. And Grandfather is crushed. Then the owner talking about his own interest in chopsticks. As a child, he grew up using knife and fork, not chopsticks. The writer asks, "Was your family rich?" Chorus from the family responds, "No." He explains that his father was a foreigner, and Grandma mutters something about "James Dean." But mother moved to Japan, and he had to learn to use chopsticks. He worked hard at it, and liked chopsticks from the little workshop. Then he came to the workshop to learn how to make chopsticks, and it felt like he had a family, warm.
But the son (Kiyomi's father) was so good at the work, his chopsticks were so different. Younger brother's chopsticks are just like his. That's what I meant when I said it was just like that other time. And I couldn't make such beauty. I met my wife, the daughter of a small factory owner. We got married, had a son.
Flashback: Kiyomi's father finishes his beautiful red chopsticks and finds the pile of letters from Kiyomi's mother. He runs off (we've seen this part, but the next is new.) The factory owner walks in, finds the discarded chopsticks amid the letters, and looks at them. He sits down, discouraged by the beauty. (and he managed to convey that with actions and expression!)
New flashback: Grandfather looks at chopsticks that the factory owner has made. Then he turns back to his work, and says, "Akan. Naote." (No good. Fix them.)
Last flashback: the factory owner is working in the shop, and Grandpa comes running in. "Son? Is that you?" And the owner turns. Grandpa's face falls, and he says, "Oh, it's you. It's late, I'm going to bed."
The factory owner says, "So I left."
And the voiceover added, in Kiyomi's voice, "At last I understood just how deep a love he had for painting chopsticks."
Saturday picked up with the owner talking about building a factory, and discovering that he was good at organizing factory work. He talks about aiming to make Obama (the town) a world center for painted chopsticks. Uncle comments that he did all his work for them. And Grandma shakes her head and says no, she can't forgive him. Uncle asks what she wants. And the owner says he didn't expect her to forgive him, that's not why he told the story.
Kiyomi starts to say something, then stops. Everyone insists. She explains that when the teacher expelled Soso, he wasn't upset because Soso was gone so much as because he really cared about him. Maybe that was true for Grandpa, too?
And Grandma agrees, that he really cared about the owner. Doesn't matter if they leave or you send them away, it hurts. But I can't forgive it.
And someone chimes in with, "But he is still an important child for you, right?"
Owner turns to Grandma and says, "Okamisan?" (Mother?) She hugs him, and everyone cries.
There were several more little bits tucked into Saturday, but clearly this was the climax/resolution of the two days.
One bit was the owner praying at the household shrine with the picture of Grandfather (which echoed him being turned away at the funeral long ago). Kiyomi's father comes in, and asks him to wait on closing the factory. Kiyomi's father says he's just a small craftsman, but maybe . . .
Another was Ako standing outside the door of the store. Kiyomi opens the door, and then gives her an advertisement for the rakugo show that Kiyomi is going to do in Obama, and asks her to come. "I know it may not happen soon, but I'd like to understand, to be friends again." Ako thinks about it, then hands the flyer back. Not polite (warui) but not yet.
The final bit was Kiyomi walking back into the garden at the school (so we skipped the show!) and finding Soso on the floor in the shredded suit. She asks what happened and he explains. Then Sogen and Shiso come in, with a shopping bag. Sogen asks "Are you still laying there?" Then "Here." and holds out bag. Kiyomi takes it and gets out a new suit. "It's a gift from your brother. And it fits." Then Sogen gives a little talk about now Soso has a student, and needs to treasure his memories of the teacher and his wife, but not get wrapped up in old stuff. Soso thanks him, and yells for Yusuke. Cute little scene of trying the suit on, Yusuke saying it doesn't fit, and Soso saying that means it fits very well.
Three hooks for the next week! First, a tiny scene with father, uncle, and little brother in the workshop. Father is showing uncle the chopsticks that little brother makes. And little brother says, "Father, I'm sorry, but I don't really want to paint chopsticks." Second, the voiceover with Soso posing in his suit says, "What happened next I can't say easily." And third, a collage of tiny glimpses of upcoming scenes.
So we picked up with Soso getting a new suit - he finally has one that fits, instead of the hand-me-down that leaves his arms and legs poking out. And little brother, despite father telling uncle all about little brother's skill at painting chopsticks, announces he is quitting! And that's where it was left on Saturday.
They sure know how to leave an audience hanging.
Friday, and a chunk of Saturday, were background. We finally heard the story of why Ako's father left the little chopstick painting craftshop and built a factory, and why Grandma has been so angry with him - with a very special resolution.
Friday started with the family at dinner, and Father asking what the factory owner said. Uncle says, "He's going to close the factory."
Cut to the hospital, where the owner is watching his sleeping wife. She wakes, and asks what he is doing there so late. Nothing. Oh, I stopped the matchmaking meeting. She thanks him. Then after a moment, asks if there's something else he wants to talk about. He says no and leaves.
The front door of the little chopstick store, someone is banging on it from outside. Mom comes out, muttering about the time. She opens it, and Ako is standing there. Ako says, "Is my father here?" "No, why?" "My mother called, said he was acting funny, and then he didn't come home." Mom tells her to relax, take a deep breath. Then Mom steps back and calls everyone. Ako is horrified, but Mom says it will be better. Everyone comes in, yawning and griping. Dad is in PJs. Kiyomi says, "What's wrong? Ako? Why are you here?" Ako says her father is missing, and her mother said to come here.
At this point, Grandma steps forward and says, "I know where he is. Come with me."
She takes them all out to the workshop, where Ako's father is sitting in the dark. Grandma comments that the police arrest trespassers. Ako says, "What are you doing here? I was so worried."
At which point the writer pushes forward and asks him to tell her the story of why he left the workshop. Even uncle is surprised, "Not now." Then Grandma says, "I would like to hear that story, too."
Long story, mixing glimpses of the owner and family in the workshop with flashbacks. Flashback to the owner telling Grandfather that he is going to leave, he can't eat on what they're making. And Grandfather is crushed. Then the owner talking about his own interest in chopsticks. As a child, he grew up using knife and fork, not chopsticks. The writer asks, "Was your family rich?" Chorus from the family responds, "No." He explains that his father was a foreigner, and Grandma mutters something about "James Dean." But mother moved to Japan, and he had to learn to use chopsticks. He worked hard at it, and liked chopsticks from the little workshop. Then he came to the workshop to learn how to make chopsticks, and it felt like he had a family, warm.
But the son (Kiyomi's father) was so good at the work, his chopsticks were so different. Younger brother's chopsticks are just like his. That's what I meant when I said it was just like that other time. And I couldn't make such beauty. I met my wife, the daughter of a small factory owner. We got married, had a son.
Flashback: Kiyomi's father finishes his beautiful red chopsticks and finds the pile of letters from Kiyomi's mother. He runs off (we've seen this part, but the next is new.) The factory owner walks in, finds the discarded chopsticks amid the letters, and looks at them. He sits down, discouraged by the beauty. (and he managed to convey that with actions and expression!)
New flashback: Grandfather looks at chopsticks that the factory owner has made. Then he turns back to his work, and says, "Akan. Naote." (No good. Fix them.)
Last flashback: the factory owner is working in the shop, and Grandpa comes running in. "Son? Is that you?" And the owner turns. Grandpa's face falls, and he says, "Oh, it's you. It's late, I'm going to bed."
The factory owner says, "So I left."
And the voiceover added, in Kiyomi's voice, "At last I understood just how deep a love he had for painting chopsticks."
Saturday picked up with the owner talking about building a factory, and discovering that he was good at organizing factory work. He talks about aiming to make Obama (the town) a world center for painted chopsticks. Uncle comments that he did all his work for them. And Grandma shakes her head and says no, she can't forgive him. Uncle asks what she wants. And the owner says he didn't expect her to forgive him, that's not why he told the story.
Kiyomi starts to say something, then stops. Everyone insists. She explains that when the teacher expelled Soso, he wasn't upset because Soso was gone so much as because he really cared about him. Maybe that was true for Grandpa, too?
And Grandma agrees, that he really cared about the owner. Doesn't matter if they leave or you send them away, it hurts. But I can't forgive it.
And someone chimes in with, "But he is still an important child for you, right?"
Owner turns to Grandma and says, "Okamisan?" (Mother?) She hugs him, and everyone cries.
There were several more little bits tucked into Saturday, but clearly this was the climax/resolution of the two days.
One bit was the owner praying at the household shrine with the picture of Grandfather (which echoed him being turned away at the funeral long ago). Kiyomi's father comes in, and asks him to wait on closing the factory. Kiyomi's father says he's just a small craftsman, but maybe . . .
Another was Ako standing outside the door of the store. Kiyomi opens the door, and then gives her an advertisement for the rakugo show that Kiyomi is going to do in Obama, and asks her to come. "I know it may not happen soon, but I'd like to understand, to be friends again." Ako thinks about it, then hands the flyer back. Not polite (warui) but not yet.
The final bit was Kiyomi walking back into the garden at the school (so we skipped the show!) and finding Soso on the floor in the shredded suit. She asks what happened and he explains. Then Sogen and Shiso come in, with a shopping bag. Sogen asks "Are you still laying there?" Then "Here." and holds out bag. Kiyomi takes it and gets out a new suit. "It's a gift from your brother. And it fits." Then Sogen gives a little talk about now Soso has a student, and needs to treasure his memories of the teacher and his wife, but not get wrapped up in old stuff. Soso thanks him, and yells for Yusuke. Cute little scene of trying the suit on, Yusuke saying it doesn't fit, and Soso saying that means it fits very well.
Three hooks for the next week! First, a tiny scene with father, uncle, and little brother in the workshop. Father is showing uncle the chopsticks that little brother makes. And little brother says, "Father, I'm sorry, but I don't really want to paint chopsticks." Second, the voiceover with Soso posing in his suit says, "What happened next I can't say easily." And third, a collage of tiny glimpses of upcoming scenes.
So we picked up with Soso getting a new suit - he finally has one that fits, instead of the hand-me-down that leaves his arms and legs poking out. And little brother, despite father telling uncle all about little brother's skill at painting chopsticks, announces he is quitting! And that's where it was left on Saturday.
They sure know how to leave an audience hanging.
