Category: Learning
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The Impact of Sleep on Our Perception and Well-Being
Read more: The Impact of Sleep on Our Perception and Well-BeingThe movie Ring by Hideo Nakata left a profound impact on me, particularly in how I viewed sleep. Now that I understand more about the brain and its functions, I realize how incredibly powerful it is and why it deserves to be at the center of our attention. I first watched Ring during high school,…
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The Power of Neuroplasticity: A Path to Lifelong Learning and Personal Growth
Read more: The Power of Neuroplasticity: A Path to Lifelong Learning and Personal GrowthI don’t really remember how I started watching his podcasts on YouTube, but Andrew Huberman’s podcasts are always a pleasure to watch or listen to. For those who are not familiar with him, he is a neuroscientist and professor at Stanford University. He begins his podcasts by telling his mission is to provide at no…
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GTO: A Wake-Up Call for Change in Education and Society
Read more: GTO: A Wake-Up Call for Change in Education and SocietyGreat Teacher Onizuka (GTO) is a manga that follows Eikichi Onizuka, an ex-gang member who becomes a teacher in a prestigious school, only to find himself in charge of a notoriously difficult class. His unorthodox personality and teaching methods challenge the conventional approach, gradually winning over the students who initially resist him. Onizuka’s mission is…
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The Power of Connection and Support: Reflections on Final Fantasy IX
Read more: The Power of Connection and Support: Reflections on Final Fantasy IXFinal Fantasy IX, released by Square Enix in 2000, stands as the ninth opus of this beloved RPG series. This installment not only marked a nostalgic return to a “super-deformed” (SD) character design, reminiscent of earlier games, but also showcased the team’s refined experience on the PlayStation platform. The results were spectacular, delivering a captivating…
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Dreams in the Snow: A Reflection on Noi the Albino by Dagur Kári
Read more: Dreams in the Snow: A Reflection on Noi the Albino by Dagur KáriI watched Noi the Albino on ARTE, a unique French-German channel known for broadcasting lesser-known films and documentaries. This film, set in Iceland, tells the story of Noi, a 17-year-old teenager living in a small, remote fishing village. Noi’s appearance, marked by alopecia totalis (a complete absence of hair), sets him apart visually, but it’s…
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Uncovering Truth and Responsibility: Reflections on Spotlight and Societal Change
Read more: Uncovering Truth and Responsibility: Reflections on Spotlight and Societal ChangeThe 2015 film Spotlight, directed by Tom McCarthy, chronicles the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” team, the longest-running investigative journalism unit in the U.S., as it exposes a decades-long cover-up of systemic child abuse by priests within the Boston Roman Catholic Archdiocese. I became interested in the movie after watching an interview with actor Mark Ruffalo, who…
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Finding Connection and Resilience in Toumei Ningen by Tokyo Jihen
Read more: Finding Connection and Resilience in Toumei Ningen by Tokyo JihenTokyo Jihen’s Toumei Ningen (Invisible Person), released on their 2006 album Adult, portrays the delicate, sometimes paradoxical journey of someone who feels invisible to the world around them. The Japanese band, led by vocalist and lyricist Sheena Ringo, is known for blending various musical styles and complex lyrics. Toumei Ningen is no exception, weaving difficult…
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Life, Identity, and Euthanasia in Me Before You
Read more: Life, Identity, and Euthanasia in Me Before YouMe Before You, directed by Thea Sharrock, delves into the transformative relationship between Louisa “Lou” Clark (played by Emilia Clarke) and Will Traynor, a once-successful banker and adventurer who, after a tragic accident, is left as a tetraplegic. Though the film falls into the typical tropes of a romantic drama, it raises relevant issues of…
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Finding Enlightenment Through the Journey of Growth in Vagabond
Read more: Finding Enlightenment Through the Journey of Growth in VagabondVagabond, a masterpiece by Takehiko Inoue, offers a fictionalized portrayal of the life of Japanese swordsman Musashi Miyamoto, based on Eiji Yoshikawa’s novel Musashi. The story begins with two 17-year-old warriors, Takezō Shinmen and Matahachi Hon’iden, wounded on the battlefield after the Battle of Sekigahara. Determined to achieve greatness, they pledge to become “Invincible Under…
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Exploring Romance and Self-Growth Through City Hunter
Read more: Exploring Romance and Self-Growth Through City HunterCity Hunter, a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsukasa Hojo, was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1985 to 1991. The story follows Ryo Saeba, a “sweeper” and flirtatious gunman, who runs the “City Hunter” business in Shinjuku, Tokyo. At first accompanied by his partner, Hideyuki Makimura, Ryo’s world changes dramatically when Hideyuki…