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The East Unleashed: Asian Invasion Heats up in America

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The East Unleashed: Asian Invasion Heats up in America THE RETRIEVER WEEKLY OPINION April13, 1999 PAGE9 The East Unleashed: Asian Invasion Heats Up in America spotlight for America to see in The Joy Luck Remember The Transformers, Speed Eidos, Rare, Interplay or id don't make good Del-Kun Dave Chen Club, The Replacement Killers, Rush Hour, Racer, Robotech, Voltron? Know anything games, but if it hadn't been for the video game Lethal Weapon 4, The Corruptor and Jet Li's about the Masked Rider, Sailor Moon and craze generated by the Japanese landmark upcoming Black Mask. Dragonball Z shows on TV? Yup, all pretty companies then there would've been little You've seen Jackie Chan rumble in the True, you could say that not many of these much straight from Japan. Additionally, Sony, chance for Westerners to jump onto the band­ Bronx, Sammo Hung enforce martial law, and movies really pay any attention to what Asian Toshiba, JVC, Casio and Panasonic are all wagon and prove themselves to be any good. Jet Li as a totally lethal weapon. America life is like, but the increase of its culture and major Japanese manufacturers of electronic With groundbreaking titles such as Final loved these guys doing what they do, and influences in the US mainstream is testament consumer products that Americans can't seem Fantasy VIII from Square and Sony's Gran that's proof of why Asian recognition is grow­ to America's interest in the Orient. Besides, to survive without, further proving that Turismo 2 set to redefine video game stan­ ing as we speak and is ready to show America with action stars like Arnold, Sly and the other Asians should be recognized by Americans dards, one can imagine how soon it will be that we're more than just sushi, bamboo, rice guys getting old and the people growing tired for their importance in the culture and soci­ before the best game titles come from only and rocket scientists. oftheir antics, it's time to give America some­ ety. Japan and the Western competition is left in Even before the aforementioned, Asian thing new. What Asians have is what people Also, don't forget that in video-gaming the the dust. culture has been a great part of America - have been missing- old-fashioned ass-kick­ Japanese are almost always on the cutting­ When all is said and done, Asians and their in technology, foods, transportation and en­ ing in a way that'll blow your mind. Watch edge. With companies like Sega, Sony, culture are a force to be reckoned with and tertainment. The electronic consumer prod­ any old Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Capcom, Nintendo, Namco, Square, Konarni not to be taken lightly. You've seen it before, ucts we use, the eggrolls we order, the fuel­ Biao or Jet Li films and your jaw will just and SNK producing games that hold atten­ but now with it in your face, there's not much efficient cars we drive and the cartoons we drop, believe me. tion with superb graphics, fantastic gameplay else to do besides give acknowledgement to watched as kids have largely come from the Asians are not becoming popular in just - and innovative ideas, it's no wonder that some the fact that the Orient could and may very Eastern world. These have been around for a subject matter but also in film styles too­ of the best games come from the East. well b~ the next big thing in America. So long time, but not until recently has the cul­ with John Woo leading the way. Hard Tar­ Parappa the Rapper is a game featuring a think about how you might not have really ture been the subject of interest once again get, Face/Off and even The Matrix are per­ dog who wants to impresshis flower-girl­ noticed the obvious truth that Asian culture in the American mainstream. haps prime examples of how Hong Kong friend and to do so he must become a rapper. has been an integral part of society, how it Back in the 1970s, Bruce Lee, Kung Fu moviemaking is slowly but surely infiltrat­ Sounds weird, but garners loved it. Metal may have been taken for granted, and how it and samurai B-movies stormed the market ing Hollywood. In The Matrix, many of the Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, Legend qf will eventually become an important part of and captured America's attention. These special effects shots were quite likely inspired Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Virtua Fighter, America itself. films, while not the most excellent work by by Japanese animation or comic books­ Tekken, Street Fighter, and Samurai Shodown today's standards, were an introduction to another unique Asian thing that has been are quality games that people know and love Dave ·chen is a senior majoring in photog­ different aspects of Asian culture. And now, steadily flourishing in American culture in because of how good they are. raphy. He is the assistant photo editor ofThe the Oriental lifestyles are once again in the recent years. This is not to say that Electronic Arts, Retriever Weekly. Jason Klaarman, 20 Graphic Design "/ would fake a major in) Jocab Rath, 23 VPA (IMDAJ "Go on a one year drunken rampage." .
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