Metropolis

IT’S RAININ’ MEN

I’m sure I wasn’t the only person who was surprised to find a seriously hot black guy on the cover of this week’s Metropolis (Star Struck, October 2), rather than the vapid starlets who normally end up there. Sure, Dante Carver might not have much to say for himself, but I could stare at the guy all day. More, please!—Jane, Saitama

IN OUR SIGHTS

I found the Recruiters Cup article in this week’s edition of Metropolis (Global Village, October 9) an inspiring read. Good job (sorry), recruitment companies, for supporting the homeless cause and making a small difference to what is a very large problem. Altruism is good. Perhaps they can take it one step further by handing out a few cushy finance jobs while kicking the ball around at Think Park? Many people assume (sometimes correctly in the case of my home country of England) that such circumstances occur because people make bad choices: alcohol, drugs, laziness… But suffering in (relative) silence in Tokyo are people punished at the hands of bad luck, redundancy and financial ruin, hence the older demographic. And I fear the slope to recovery could be more slippery in Japan. I hope as people enjoy their holiday on Monday (Oct 12), fittingly Health & Sports Day, that they at least give some thought to those without a home. Hell, buy a copy of the Big Issue, even. Tokyo’s homeless population should no longer be politely “out of sight and out of mind.”—Eightball, Tokyo

CAGE MATCH

Don Morton’s Steven Seagal-bashing (Movies, October 2) is certainly compelling and hilarious to read, but after several reviews I sense that they ironically both stick to a tried and tested formula: everyone’s favorite rotund, articulately challenged action hero caters to the straight-to-DVD-lovers amongst us, while Don gets his thrills from slating him for our reading pleasure. To up the ante, would it not be more entertaining if Don interviewed Seagal the next time he visits Japan? Even more funnier (sic) would be if you sent Seagal some of Don’s reviews prior to their meeting. The “Star Struck” section in Metropolis could then be changed to the “Struck by a Star” section.—Anon

DEEP WATER

Glad to see a reference to The Cove for TIFF (Agenda, October 9). I find it bizzare that there are some Japanese that have watched the film and are still protecting it as a “culture.” But then again, being bashed by outsiders doesn’t feel too good either. I wonder whether perhaps reactions might have been different if the staff and directors were Japanese instead.—Yumi, Yokohama

CULTURE CLUB

Thanks so much for your recent article about the re-emergence of the ’80s fashion boom (Body and Soul, October 2). As someone who routinely suffers from somewhat, shall we say, unruly locks, I personally am thrilled to hear that the decade of big hair is back! While the technicolor pants, clashing patterns and shoulder pads aren’t exactly my cup of tea, I say it’s a small price to pay for not having to spend an hour on my hair every morning!—Volume-challenged in Tokyo

CORRECTION

The name of the restaurant reviewed in our October 2 issue was mis-romanized. The proper name is Cosari, not Kosari.

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