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NEWS: Satoshi Kon, His Wife, Madhouse Studio Write About His Passing


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toru



Joined: 22 Dec 2004
Posts: 115
PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 9:54 pm Reply with quote
This is Kon's last message Tiwanese version.
http://ppt.cc/RLWT
Japanese
http://togiushi2nd.blog54.fc2.com/blog-entry-1923.html

I think English from Tiwanese is more better than English from Japanese.
You can understand what Kon said by Google translation.
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tlsmith1963



Joined: 10 Jun 2003
Posts: 100
PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 10:02 pm Reply with quote
MeggieMay wrote:
Thank you for translating maaya, I'll be checking back in to see how this is going. So far, I've been brought to tears by what he wrote about his final months. My mom died of cancer as well, ten years ago in January and my father died in '08. Both chose to do so at home and I sympathize with him and his choice to do the same thing. Add to this I'm only a couple years younger than Satoshi Kon and it adds to how sad this is all making me feel Crying or Very sad . I'm glad he was able to get what he could in order, so his wife will be taken care of which I guess is a bright spot in all of this. This artist death is really hitting me harder than I would have expected.


I am the same age as Kon, & our birthdays are very close. Always weird when someone my age passes away.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15279
PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 10:04 pm Reply with quote
tls: You have a point. I was the same age as Aaliyah when she died in that crash.
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Spastic Minnow
Bargain Hunter
Exempt from Grammar Rules


Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 4595
Location: Gainesville, FL
PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 10:10 pm Reply with quote
From maaya's translation of Kon's message:
Looking around, suddenly something started to move out of the calendar on the wall and spread across the room. “Oh man … a parade from a calendar? My hallucinations aren't even one bit individual.”
I felt amused by the fact that even in a time like this my “professional consciousness” was working, but actually that might have been the moment I was the closest to death. I really did feel death next to me.
While I was enclosed between the world of death and my sheets, thanks to the efforts of many people, I was miraculously able to leave the hospital, and to reach my home.
Even dying is exhausting.
[/quote]

I just realized how much Kon's story and journal entry reminds me of the early Graphic Novel by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, Signal to Noise. It's actually about an arthouse film-maker, he turns fifty in the story, who is dying of cancer and refusing treatment, in his last months he imagines one last story about villagers in the year 999 gathering on a hilltop, convinced the world will end with the Millennium.

So, if anyone would like to read a fictional story with some scary parallels, I highly recommend it. It's a bit strange and post-modern and has the slight fault of being an early story of Gaiman's and one about an older man which he wrote as a young man, but the story has always been a favorite of mine.


Last edited by Spastic Minnow on Wed Aug 25, 2010 10:38 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Xenofan 29A



Joined: 09 Aug 2007
Posts: 378
PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 10:11 pm Reply with quote
Thank you for the translation. I don't know if I'd want to do it myself. I'm too emotionally invested in it to want to deal with the normal worries about style or diction. It must be hard for everyone who wants to convey his message though, and a real burden to try to convey it well.

I watched Millennium Actress this evening. It was even better than I remembered, and I found myself wondering how he felt about the ending during his hardships over the past few months.

Truly, may he rest in peace.
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Cryssoberyl



Joined: 17 Jan 2009
Posts: 237
PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 11:04 pm Reply with quote
Of his works, I have only yet seen Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress, the latter being especially an amazing and deeply moving experience, unquestionably one of the finest pieces of animation I have ever seen. I already feel the loss, and I'm sure that feeling will only grow as I see more of his works.
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chocobolily



Joined: 31 Aug 2008
Posts: 32
PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 11:40 pm Reply with quote
Pancreatic cancer is horrible, horrible disease and it just feels worse knowing that he had to go in pain. I'm relieved that we are able to read his last words; thank you so much for the translation, maaya.
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Sailor Star Dust



Joined: 18 Aug 2010
Posts: 166
Location: US and A
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 1:18 am Reply with quote
Thank you for the first part of the translation, Maaya. It's hard to read, but an important read nevertheless.

I'm going to donate to American Cancer Society (I volunteer there, excellent cause, especially when you know people affected by this illness.) in his name.

I found out this news yesterday, but I'm still in shock... Rest in peace, Kon-san, you will be missed.
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Tortoiseshell Tabby Girl



Joined: 24 Jan 2007
Posts: 153
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 1:38 am Reply with quote
I would also like to thank you, maaya, for your translation. My mind has been continually circling back to the fact of Kon's death, creating what feels like an endless cycle of shock, disbelief, and sadness, and your translation allowed me to cry a bit more, and allowed me to know Mr. Kon a little bit more. It is interesting that he brought up his outsider individuality again--a part of him that I'm sure many of us can relate to. He remained true to himself to the very end. I can only wonder and daydream about how the experiences in his last few months of life must have affected his creative processes, possibly giving him new insights and ideas that he would otherwise not have had. As a creative individual myself, it touches me deeply that he was able to leave his last creation in sincere hands. It seems fitting that it is a movie that is more for children--perhaps it will be an inspirational piece for a new generation--the moon before the full moon.
Just this year my local library got the Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist book by Andrew Osmond and I got to be the first person to read it! It was a very intersting read that I'm thankful for because it gave me further insight into Kon's thoughts. I especially liked this quote from Kon himself: "In order to live in reality, one must have room for fantasy, whether in the form of a myth, a folktale, a piece of music, a novel, or a film. Even religion can be considered as a form of fantasy. To need these hopes and dreams is human."

Thank you for being so very human right up to the very end, Satoshi Kon.

Moon before full moon;
My favorite moon of all:
Ripe with silver hope.

--In Memoriam, by TTG
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toru



Joined: 22 Dec 2004
Posts: 115
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:12 am Reply with quote
The Dream Machine productin staff blog uploaded two message.
http://yumemirukikai.jugem.jp/
One is about "Suspension of the staff recruitment". #It's Not "stop".
Another is gratitude message to the readers from all the staff.

Staff member say:
When the production reopens, we will announce it on this blog again. We are happy if you apply again.
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HiroNotHero



Joined: 14 Aug 2010
Posts: 37
Location: Hawaii
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:56 am Reply with quote
Like many of the others, I saw/read this deeply saddening news on ANN on 8/24. At first, I thought I was hallucinating or something and had to re-read the news segment. It's still hard for me to grasp the reality that Satoshi Kon has passed from the human realm. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. It was great that his wife and fellow colleagues at Madhouse posted those messages in the hour of mourning. His final messege was deep and moving. Rest in Peace, Kon-sensei. May work works and your passion for life and anime live on forever.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15279
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 3:25 am Reply with quote
toru: That cake they in a prior update had totally threw me off. I thought things were proceeding normally. Crying or Very sad
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fishsticks



Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 4:55 am Reply with quote
I'm very sad. Since I saw the news. Heartbroken.

Thankyou user maaya for the translations.
Here is another site with the full rough translations too if you want to get a gist of the entire thing.
http://www.makikoitoh.com/journal/satoshi-kons-last-words

Thankyou both for translating.
I cried my eyes out.

Satoshi Kon, you will be miss.
RIP.
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 9902
Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 5:12 am Reply with quote
toru wrote:
This is Kon's last message Tiwanese version.
http://ppt.cc/RLWT
Japanese
http://togiushi2nd.blog54.fc2.com/blog-entry-1923.html

I think English from Tiwanese is more better than English from Japanese.
You can understand what Kon said by Google translation.

"Tiwanese"? Rolling Eyes By the way it has a few errors, such as mistakenly translated pancreas (膵臓) to spleen (脾臓).

I've read it as well as the original Japanese version mirrored on ANN. Sorry I should have translated it earlier, but I was totally exhausted due to preparing for a group meeting. And the first anime news that greeted me after the meeting was director Kon's passing... Anime cry
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telemarq



Joined: 04 Oct 2007
Posts: 3
Location: Colorado, USA
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 5:53 am Reply with quote
Perfect Blue was my introduction and Millennium Actress is my favorite. All of his works are outstanding.

This is just so sad. May his art be an inspiration to many and his spirit live forever in all.
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