[KineJapan] Ryoki in Ozu's film

[Kukhee Choo via KineJapan]

Thank you Mitsuyo and Michael!

In fact, I'm currently finishing up a paper on My Sassy Girl for a Korean Cinema anthology! I briefly discuss the Japanese concept of ryoki as a comparison (and also mention Endogawa Rampo). The scene from Ozu's film is one of the prime examples I offer, but I wasn't sure whether there are other Japanese films up to 1990s that might use ryoki in a similar manner. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't leaving out any other important Japanese film examples.

And Michael, thank you very much for sharing about Miriam Silverberg. I have never met her in person, but learning the history of a scholar I respect is really rewarding. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Kukhee


________________________________
From: KineJapan <kinejapan-bounces+kukheechoo=hotmail.com at lists.osu.edu> on behalf of Michael Mc Caskey via KineJapan <kinejapan at lists.osu.edu>
Sent: Sunday, April 24, 2016 1:52 AM
To: Japanese Cinema Discussion Forum
Subject: Re: [KineJapan] Ryoki in Ozu's film

I looked in several Japanese dictionaries, which gave meanings along the lines of bizarre and grotesque, but the term is used in a different way as well, at least recently.

There was an original 2001 Korean film, directed by Jae-Young Kwak, which has the Japanese title Ryouki-teki na kano jo, and the English title Sassy Girl, I don't know Korean, so I won't attempt to try to put it in roman letters properly.

This Korean film was then adapted as a popular 2008 Japanese TV drama series, Ryouki-teki na kano jo, also known in English by the title Sassy Girl.

Also in 2008,a US version came out, titled My Sassy Girl, directed by Yann Samuel. It's known in Japanese as Ryouki-teki na kano jo in NYC.

There's also a 2014 Japanese song, part of the title including ryouki-teki, describing a woman. I think it was a hit, but don't remember the full title.

In your context, it seems to be a male attribute described by a female, but maybe it has the same sort of "sassy" meaning. In English, I think "sassy" mainly applies to females, but maybe there's some male analog word that works in English.

In Japanese popular usage, terms that go way back in slang often don't get in prestigous dictionaries. I didn't find "sassy" in any dictionaries for ryouki-teki, but in movie/TV title translations and transmogrifications instead.

I hope this may help. Miriam was once a student of mine, and also a friend. She could read Japanese very readily and very well, and I had a great respect for her. She would have had fun with this question, and I think would have gone along with "sassy," and then given us a lively English word for the term as applied to males. She's gone, sadly, so I can only give you this second-best answer.

Miriam would have also loved it if this answer of mine should lead to lively group discussion, strong disagreements, etc.

Michael McCaskey
Georgetown University

On Saturday, April 23, 2016, Kukhee Choo <kukheechoo at hotmail.com<mailto:kukheechoo at hotmail.com>> wrote:

Hi all,


I have a question about how the term "ryoki" is adopted in Ozu's film Where now are the dreams of youth? (Seishun no yume ima izuko, 1932). There's a scene where the male protagonist Tetsuo tries to repulse a Moga female who's interested in him, but instead of getting turned off, she becomes more attracted to him and says "ryokiteki de iiwa."


Considering that the literal term of ryoki means grotesque bizarre acts of violence, but with Miriam Silverberg's Ero Guro Nansensu in mind, I was wondering whether there are any other film examples where the term ryoki is utilized in such a manner?


Thank you!


K Choo

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