I only slept three hours last night. I’ve no idea why but regardless I managed to have a very full day today although I’m knackered now (after twenty hours awake).

Today I went to Cinema Sunshine in Ikebukuro since they opened early and Google says they have some of the best screens and audio in Japan. The cinema spans several floors of a high rise and the two-story lobby (on the fourth floor) had an amazingly large cardboard standee advertising a film that the world has mostly forgotten about.

I saw the new Masters Of The Universe film. My screening was in a ‘Bestia’ cinema, which meant upgraded visuals and sound (and ¥600 more for the ticket). I also bought some merchandise in the cinema shop and – for the first time in aeons – some food from the canteen.

I got the ‘potato fries set’ which was chips and a drink for only ¥840 (about $5). Not bad for something that would have cost $20 or more in the USA, and they even give me a nice little tray to put in the drink holder.

The seats were very comfortable and the screen was indeed brilliant but the audio was amazing. It was probably the loudest cinema screening I’ve ever been to and every explosion and crash was like a punch to my chest. The film has an incredible soundtrack, and I’m pleased I was in a cinema with such a good sound system.

I loved this movie. I’d been talking it up for a while since I had a feeling it would be my sort of thing but it far exceeded my expectations. If you’re a fan you’ll obviously see (and love) it, but even if you don’t know anything about the franchise this is a beautiful and very funny high fantasy film with a good heroic story. I already want to see it again!

I saw a subtitled version and there were about fifty in the audience. As best I could tell I was the only westerner but since I heard a few others chuckling chuckles either they understood English or the sub was well done.

Also I was amazed and amused that not one single person left the cinema until after the final credits ended and the lights came back on! I’ve never seen that in the USA 🙂

Oh and I was curious what to do with the food tray they gave me but of course as I left the cinema there was a table just outside (that wasn’t there before) with two girls collecting the trays!

Afterwards I did the usual mix of shopping, game center exploration and getting things (Shinkansen tickets, stamps & postcards) ready for the next two weeks. I also saw first hand a lot of evidence supporting what I’d heard: Japan is in the grip of a ‘puffy sticker’ fad. Maybe this bears more research…