Look at Dead Fish Eyes Running Down the Street

Way back before I ever dreamed of studying or living in Japan, I was an intern at a government office in downtown Honolulu. Not only is the area the central hub of political activity in Hawaii, it's also a hot spot for tourists who want a bit of history and culture. I don't think there's another state that can claim bragging rights to having a capitol building on the same block as a former royal palace.

One day, I happened to be outside of Ali'iolani Hale waiting for a document. Not much was going on, but a film crew was setting up in front of the statue of King Kamehameha. Some reference photos:

I was standing off to King Kamehameha's right side in front of the building. The person they were obviously going to be filming was a guy, maybe a bit older than me, dressed up all nice in a tuxedo and looking pretty. I didn't know who he was, but I assumed he was some Korean super star drama actor filming his next big thing in Hawaii.

The crew set up a camera across the street from the statue. Tuxedo Mask did three takes, running furiously in front of the statue each time. Between takes he went back to his make-up and hair assistants and someone graciously held an umbrella over him to protect his delicate skin from the harsh sun. It must be nice to be so pampered, I thought.

I took a few photos of this guy and asked my expert K-drama friend who he might be. She had no idea. And then I forgot about the whole thing until three years later when I was studying Japanese at the University of Hawaii. I retold this story to a classmate, who immediately told me, "That was Dead Fish Eyes!"

INDEED IT WAS DEAD FISH EYES.

Oh, Fishy, if I had only known who you were... Maybe you and I could be married, like your BFF Jin and Meisa, and speaking English on Route 66. Instead I took some creepy stalker photos of you. Thanks for the memories and rhetorical "what if..." questions I will ask myself until my dying day.