Learning through movies/books

[Shibakoen]

I'm interested in finding good movies and short stories to better learn Japanese. However, all the movies are horror flicks or anime. I don't particularly like either. I'm curious if there are any good movies that are light AND interesting. Comedies seem soooo silly. Anime can be downright disgusting. Many, like Spirited Away, are just really freaking weird.

As for literature, I think short stories would be best so I can get through it all in a week or less. But the ones I've found so far are really dark and depressing. Any suggestions?

[Ady001]

if you want some good short stories. I recommend Haruki Murakami, he's quite good. Or if you want, you can try a Japanese haiku for a start. For films, a good one could be Zatoichi or Swallowtail Butterfly- award winning ones heheh. Film-subs or fansubbed anime is better than dubbed because you get the real feel of language. So try to buy some. If you want anime, I recommend Omoide Poroporo, because you'll learn a lot of Japanese culture in the anime