Eskapó

After my Coaches’ Training Session at Power Memory-Ortigas today, I walked with a friend up to Robinsons Galleria and from there, I rode an air-conditioned bus going to Trinoma where I would ride an FX going home to Bulacan.

I don’t usually watch films shown for free onboard because watching or reading while in a moving vehicle triggers nausea and in worse cases, causes me to vomit. More often than not, I would watch for a few minutes, just enough time for me to recognize what film is being shown, then I would go back to gazing at different cars on the road that usually leads to daydreaming, haha!. That, I resolved today is the only safe thing for me to do while in a bus. And I realized that fact after making a horrible mistake of paying attention to a gory Japanese film showing in the bus today.

Nasa pinaka-unahan pa man din ako, sa tapat mismo ng TV.

To my misfortune, I glanced at the monitor just in time for the goriest scene of what turned out to be the goriest, most horrible, most violent, most violating, most terrible film I’ve seen in my life was being shown. It instantly made me feel heavy and caused my heart to beat fast. Can you imagine the most violent thing a woman wearing a drill bra do to the boobs of her female opponent? That, among all other sorts of gore - fountains of blood and dismembration every 10 seconds. Grabe! Naramdaman ko nasusuka na ako, I could sense my face was frowning all over. I wanted to vomit and cry. I felt soooo violated. I glanced at the back and saw similar expression of shock on the faces of men and women, young and old. Huhu. Naisip ko, ano kayang nagawang kasalanan ng mga pasaherong ito para makapanood ng ganong klaseng pelikula accidentally when all they wanted was to arrive in the comforts of their homes safely and peacefully.

After, I think, three scenes, I felt the need to protect myself from what my eyes where seeing. I planned on transferring to the back of the bus but when I stood up, I found myself rushing to the door! Hanggang Trinoma ang binayad ko sa konduktor pero bumaba na ako, deadma na kung nasa Cubao pa lang! Grabe masuka-suka ako pag baba ko. Umakyat ako sa MRT station pero ang haba ng pila, so I walked back to the bus queuing area, after I made sure the previous bus has gone.

The first thing I did when I got home was to research for the title of the film. I only had to key in “drill bra” and I got it: The Machine Girl by director Noboru Uguchi, a “Tokyo Shock Original”, the poster says. Surprisingly, there were a lot of positive reviews about it, mostly from guys who are fond of gore-school girls-barbaric-Japanese-flicks. Nakakaloka.

Oh well, the film may have been rated A or B by some who appreciate such kind of gorefest, but as one critic said “the film is not for all”, at sa tingin ko, kaya nya sinabi yon dahil alam nyang may mga taong kagaya ko na hindi kinakaya ang mga ganong klaseng pelikula! Those kinds of films are targeted to a specific audience who are ready for the torture, and obviously not meant to be shown on a public vehicle where there is a great chance that people, especially kids and women who are not accustomed to those kinds of theme, would accidentally view it.

I just think its unfair how the “drill bra” scene would haunt me for months when it wasn’t my choice to watch it in the first place. I’m healing from deep hurt and violence is the last theme of a film, or any medium, I would ever opt to watch. Pero hindi nga pala alam ‘yon nung driver o konduktor o kung sino man yung magaling na nagsalang ng DVD na yon…

I know I have no right to question why people want to make those kinds of super violent films, and why there are people who enjoy watching them. At alam ko hindi ko na dapat pakilaman kung nakakakuha man ng pleassure ang mga Hapon sa violence (as a theme lang sana). Pero kahit ‘di ko naiintindihan, I respect their idea of entertainment. Pero sana naman hindi ganon ang mga tema ng palabas sa public bus!!!!

Yun lang. Thank you.