christianlep

[christianlep]

I think this was a good analysis, and I agree that it mainly focuses on the topic of control vs freedom. People who are older tend to think they know what's best because of their wisdom, and while seniority does help in establishing order, it's important to understand the perspectives of the younger generation as they are the future. In terms of this show this revolves around the notion of promoting a safe society, free from violence, which is ironically established through violence, although discretely. It's interesting because the anime does rationalize surveillance and monitoring to a certain extent that because of these systems, society is a lot more safe, but because we are "ruled by democracy" total control isn't a thing, and therefore the odds of tragic accidents occurring are a lot higher. The new world had an interesting break in that they were essentially able to reset and establish a new system that raises its people to be okay with being controlled, although stated for societies benefit, it does seem like there are bigger implications behind this.

4/17/24 "Shin sekai yori" JPT3702

"Shin Sekai Yori", also known as "This New World" is an anime about societal control, manipulation, and groupthink.

The jist of the aesthetic is a tactical mix of old-world visuals and a new world aesthetic, which definitely demystifies the idea that your society could be manipulating you without even realizing it. I think a lot of the time, people associate this type of manipulation and society with the 'older' age, including emperors and rituals, etc., so when we see it in a modern day anime atmosphere with slice of life theming and schoolchildren, it makes the viewers feel like this could be applied to their lives too. Many of the characters in this society follow rules only because the ones who don't are killed off. Saki's mother had lost her own first child, as children are 'removed' from society until age 17 for anti-state behavior. Pupils are continuously taught rhetoric and stories involving those who go against society, and the things that happen to those who are deviant. Children are made to cast their Cantus into fire without even recognizing the need for this ritual, inducing this aura of blind obligation, and absolute authoritarianism. People are taught that this is necessary because they need to keep society safe, but in doing so they stifle children's individualism and turn them into a hivemind of people who keep their heads down out of fear.

The first case of the modern day application of this anime is the scene where the queerats fell into the river. Most of the girls and boys didn't want to help the drowning queerat because they were worried about punishment from their superiors, as the system is made to keep people separated into classes. Saki helps the drowning queerat, despite it being against the rules. This is reminiscent of modern day Japanese social issues wherein people are told to 'not cause a fuss' by drawing attention to themselves, especially in public. This has caused bystander effect crimes, in which individuals see a crime but refuse to intervene because they otherwise don't understand what is happening, don't think it is their place to intervene, or think that somebody else should be helping. While most of the famous bystander cases happen in America and China (both notably collectivist and individualist countries), Japanese society still has their fair share too. People all over the world generally tend to not care about things until it affects them.

The game they played in episode 2 (i think it was 2) showcased a teamwork effort for ball rolling which was supposed to indicate and weed out troubled students. Afterwards, one of the cheating kids was killed discreetly. This is because they were attempting to remove "shounen A"s from society preemptively. kids who are said to have been 'consumed by their egos' are crushed, instead of removing the issues that cause them to feel like societal rejects. This was a similar concept to what was discussed in the "Wild Child" reading in today's class. The fact that so many people couldn't determine why the student "went crazy" was enough for them to determine that they needed to surveil the children even more instead of learning to listen for more warning signs instead. Additionally, I also want to mention that the game played simulated a societal reality. People are used until they 'break' and discarded when they are no longer useful to society, just like the pieces in the game. The sphere was cracked, so they replaced it very quickly.

[christianlep]

I'm kind of confused on what episode 21 is about in the beginning, because the guy tries to save some humans I think and acts like the town's savior but then gets killed by the ogre, but I do think you're right, talking about human complacency. We find comfort by fitting in groups and not necessarily having to make decisions, especially hard ones, and it's a lot easier to put your trust in someone else who's willing to tackle those problems. There are moments in which an individual can't do too much, but this show does highlight that one person is capable of doing a lot, for better or worse, and that's it's important to consider how we utilize our own influence or skills.

for class 4/19

Episode 21 really showed me how rage can be something that is blinding. The opening to the episode was symbolic of hysteric rage. Everyone was initially rooting and chanting for this violent cause, however, even they too perished. Despite being the ones who wanted the uprising, they perished alongside the people that they were uprising against (if I interpreted this right). I know this is something that’s relatively minor in respect to the episode, but it stood out to me. I also liked how the ogre stood up to the individual who ended up killing those people.

There was a dialogue in episode 21 that also stood out to me. One of the characters, not sure the name, claims that killing Shisei would be far too difficult for an ogre to do, since his powers allowed for repelling all of the ogre’s attempts. But here’s what that symbolizes to me, it kind of symbolizes how once people get comfortable or complacent in a system, trying to do anything that makes an effort to oppose it seems futile. It’s almost like people are blinded by comfort. This is definitely something that happens in society today. People, for example in politics, think that sometimes there is just nothing that can be done about current situations. I know I am personally part of this issue because I do not believe that anything I do makes a difference against anything considered much stronger than me. Or even much bigger than me.

This kind of rebellion that we saw towards the ending assigned episodes seems like a call to action for me. It seems to request that viewers try to break free of fearing people who have these gifts that others do not, even if you cannot understand them. People have these deep desires to understand perplexing things, and this is part of the subconscious effort to control the unfamiliar.

[christianlep]

Blog 37- 4/19

This second viewing of Shin Sekai Yori was in a totally different direction than I had thought that this show would go in, but was very interesting nonetheless. While watching, it was clear that the topic was on civilization and the true nature of humanity. Whether we like it or not, deep down we are cruel creatures, oftentimes acting out of our own benefits and only asserting ourselves or weighing in when something affects us personally. This show explores how as a species, we do view ourselves as superior to other species, and even within our own species, we often compare ourselves to different civilizations. To us, an ant is just a bug, mindless and irrelevant to our lives, but from the perspective from the ant, its colony is its life, a nearby tree is the world, but do we care when we step on an ant? Not really. On the news, we hear about wars going on across the world, or conflicts that seem so distant, but do we think about it? Not unless you’re somehow personally affected, or it’s your job to. It’s this mentality that has allowed our civilizations to rise in the first place, because of imperialism and the domination of others, nations have been able to assert dominance, claim more land, and have led to the creation of first-world and third-world countries. It’s interesting that the show brings up that monster rats are humans, because it symbolizes that when humans are not in our in-group, we view them as a threat, which is often used to rationalize war. When we separate ourselves from the objective truth that humans are fighting each other, we become a lot more complacent with the idea, and view it as simply an inevitability, when really that shouldn’t be the case. When you sit down a really think about who is on the other side of the gun, or bomb, or anything, it can be devastating, which is why PTSD and depression and all of these other mental illnesses are so prevalent in veterans, because while they served their country, they have to live knowing that they took the life of someone who was just like them with a similar life, just on the other side of this planet. In Oppenheimer, the atomic bomb was his magnum opus, but did it make him happy? In the movie, it was one of his biggest regrets, knowing that his contribution led to the instant eradication of around a quarter-million people. This show definitely makes you think about how quickly we brush off things, and how much those in power really keep in secret from the population so we don’t uncover the dark truths of how America, and various other countries, have been able to establish their dominance for so long and thrive, all while keeping the facade that we are peaceful and pure.

[christianlep]

Blog 36- 4/17

Shin Sekai Yori (From the New World), is a unique anime that seems confusing at first, but becomes more understandable as you go on, much like a lot of other shows. At first it seems like there exists gifted people who are able to utilize people integrated within society, much like Naruto or Jiu Jitsu Kaisen, and that Saki and her friends are simply in a remote area training, however as we delve into the show, we see that this is not really the case. After a scientist was able to successfully conduct an experiment which allowed humans to utilize more of their brains, we were gifted with telekinesis, and while a cool concept in theory, in practice, it turned out to be one of the most devastating breakthroughs for humanity, and that’s because of human nature. While there are plenty of us who are content with where we are in life or the peace that we share, there are some who live in a more primitive sense, where they are driven by hunger for power, or simply disturbed and unable to integrate within the constructs of society. This in turn led to some people utilizing their power for destruction and domination, asserting themselves over others, and all the while, normal technology was unable to stop it. This show takes place 1000 years later, following the resulting aftermath of these events, where the power which many are now gifted is controlled and tamed, with the children being monitored early on to ensure that there are no more incidents. This show provides a commentary on the balance between freedom and surveillance, forcing us to contemplate our society and questioning what we can do to ensure total peace, a concept that is almost impossible under the concept of democracy and freedom. In the show, it seems that we are provided with the commentary that more control is somehow safer, as it aims to ensure that threats are tagged and dealt with before anything happens, however given the context that each person is potentially capable of destruction on the level of nuclear warfare, we are way more likely to agree that the systems in place of this new era is understandable. In real life however, I believe this does highlight the fact that we seem to be too late when it comes to warning signs of serious consequences, or that we don’t do too much, even now. While the Columbine Massacre was a notorious event that triggered elevated school safety and some reformation, there are still numerous events that have occurred since then, such as the Stoneman Douglas shooting and the Uvalde school shooting in Texas in 2022.

[christianlep]

I was also confused, I actually thought Saki and Akira knew each other and were going through on a plan together, but it's interesting that Akira had his mind wiped for some reason. I think the art style is pretty cool too.

4/12/2024 Blog Post

Hoogh I wrote so much about work culture and crunch in my last two Japanese classes so I did myself a favor of swapping my discussion leader day out from this and on over to EVA.

But! that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy Eden of the East! I'd say it's one of the better anime we've watched recently, though, I don't know why we have this trend of skipping the episode 2's of these anime hahaha.

After reading the work culture document I went into this kind of expecting all the things I talked/wrote about in prior classes, but was kind of surprised by all the stuff that happens. We got memory loss, these crazy Selecao members, brain surgery and murder, like missing people and I just like whoa whoa whoa what slow down. I can't imagine what the later episodes on Monday are gonna be like but goodness gracious. Tokyo was seemingly attacked by a missile and Saki supposedly did something with the White House and it just keeps going like this with a lot of crazy details but, yknow what. That's okay. I'm so tired now at the end of the semester that watching something so bonkers like this is fine, really.

Akira is a really interesting main character cuz despite his memory loss he's really sly and knows how to get his way around things it's really funny and Saki is adorable, depending on how these next few episodes go she may or may not become my next "silly character of the week." This anime is also just really funny with a lot of cute animations and a pretty charming artstyle, I'm looking forward to seeing and learning more about the characters and I sincerely pray that this does't turn south really badly or anything.

[christianlep]

I agree, I actually mentioned that I also felt like the ending was pretty abrupt, however I do feel like the commentary was pretty good at depicting both sides of the Japanese psyche and take on the direction of Japan. We do see that NEETs are considered basically scum, however we also see that a lot of them are NEETs because they literally don't get the opportunities to work. It's nice to show that NEETs aren't all entirely useless by showing them saving Japan in the end.

4/15/24

Today I got to watch four more episodes of Eden of the East including the series finale. Personally, I felt that the anime ending was a little abrupt, I don't know if there were problems with the studio or the creator when this was being finished, but it sort of felt like the original Bleach manga ending where there were tons of loose ends and a lackluster finish.

I did however enjoy learning and interpreting some of the messages in this anime. I feel that the way they were implemented was clever. For instance, one of the messages focused on arguing the idea of downsizing Japan by getting rid of the useless and those who wouldn't give up their own rights to better the overall nation. I felt that this message was very cleverly displayed throughout the anime. After all, one group of these useless people who they wanted to get rid of, the NEETS, ended up being instrumental showing ingenuity and quick thinking in a stressful situation when they collaborated as a group to intercept the missiles that were bearing down on them and the mall.

This directly confronts and contradicts some of the extremists in modern day Japan who believe that Japan has to downsize to only those who would put it back to its Imperial era roots, as they believe this was the best version of Japan. I touched on this in my last paper, which was focused on Zipang and its messages against the extremist values of Imperial Japan as I believe that while it is a minority, it is still a dangerous minority, and I believe that addressing it through this was a smart way to disprove their ideas. Overall, I feel that Eden of the East was a good watch with a solid overall message.

[christianlep]

Blog 35- 4/15

Honestly, I wasn’t that thrilled about the ending of this show, I feel like it kind of left off with a lot of things unanswered, such as who the supporter was, and what the end goal of the game was if Mr. Outside is dead, and I understand that at the end Takizawa uses his money to be free from the game after accomplishing his magnum opus of defending Japan once again from missiles, but wouldn’t that technically mean he’s “eliminated” and therefore out to be killed? I thought that there might be a hint for a season 2, however seeing that this came out in 2009, I doubt that there ever will be one. I was also confused why he had to take the blame for the missile strikes, I feel like the same things could’ve been accomplished if he had just told them that the public is suspicious of them since he knew the strikes were happening and that he’s sending them off for a bit until everything cools down, because if he was able to convince them to vacate the area, I feel like he wouldn’t have to say that he was a terrorist all along. Besides all that, I see that the show calls in to question Japan’s identity, and the fact there exists a lot of political unrest, which seems to stem from the division between the elderly elite who seem to maintain right wing ideology and reminisce upon Japan’s prior unwavering identity, and the emerging youth/ working class, who seem to be more left leaning and embrace the democratic and peaceful culture modern Japan has turned to. One big aspect talked about is about the NEETs, those who are incapable of finding work, which often isn’t even because they’re not qualified, it’s that business practices in Japan are strict, and those in power are incapable of seeing the value in someone with little real-world experience or simply view them as people who don’t “truly embrace” Japanese mentality. This way of thinking can result in dramatic impacts, the main one being that because these young adults don’t have a job, they can’t gain experience, and vice-versa, which ultimately leaves them without a proper source of income and either an increased sense of dependency upon their parents, or forced to barely make ends meet by taking up any opportunity that comes by for income. This in turn breeds a further disconnect between the youth and the elders, as they simply view NEETs as those not effectively contributing to society or simply living as a freeloader as a choice, however I feel like this show goes to show that it’s not necessarily the case. WHile there are some people who are just lazy and stay inside and don’t want to work, there are a lot of NEETs who just can’t find a job.

Also I'm glad Itazu is alive still.

[christianlep]

Blog 34- 4/12

Eden of the East does a good job reflecting the confusion Takizawa has at the beginning of the show, hinting initially that he may be part of a terroristic group and that one of his big misdeeds was killing off twenty thousand NEETs (Not employed, educated, or trained), which leads the viewer to believe that he actually an antagonist and should be unlikable, however as we continue, we begin to see that he is actually a good guy roped into a unique and tense situation. We are shown that Takizawa, as well as 11 others, are a part of this game where they are allotted 10 billion yen and given the direction to change Japan dramatically (for the better), under the stipulation that there can only be one person to do this. This concept is interesting and reminds of a movie called Nerve, which is about these people who download an app like truth or dare, except only dare, and they are requested to do more difficult things or face the consequence of death, with the winner receiving a big prize. While the motives are fundamentally different, the aspects of competition and the necessity to always make progress towards an ultimate goal still exists there. In Eden of the East, this is because the organizer, Mr. Outside, believes that Japan is crippled, overly reliant upon America, and overall inundated with various issues that need to be addressed. In this premise, it’s interesting to see that the show seems to promote this commentary that Japan in its current state isn’t ideal, which in some ways is facilitated by the influence of America. THis is seen in the first episode where we see that Morimi says she came to D.C because it is the “center of the world.” In this context, she’s not referring geographically, but rather implicating that the world’s political and economic affairs are dictated ultimately through legislation in the US, which while I agree that the US is a big player on a global level, it is still just one piece of the picture. This show also promotes the commentary that money alone isn’t the answer to fixing bigger societal issues, it requires effort and systems in place in order to enact change, but while some people utilize their wealth and influence for good, there will always also be those who utilize those aspects for their own selfish gain. This contrast can be seen between characters like Takizawa (Which implies he actually reintegrated 20k NEETs instead of kiling them) and Dr. Hiura (Who used his money to influence legislation and improve healthcare for seniors) and Kondō (Which we don’t see his motive, but see that he is willing to kill at will to serve his interests) and Kuroha (Who has used her wealth to cover her sadistic acts and live in a nice home with plenty of servants).  

[christianlep]

While providing commentary on both sides of war, I would argue that this piece is an anti-war piece, as it seems to prioritize virtues of 21st century Japan, with the navy being adverse to all instances of warfare unless essentially for their safety. There was a clear potential of being able to use the Mirai as a powerful weapon to assist Japan in winning WW2, however many players in the war recognize that the best course of action is the defeat of Japan. To Takumi, this is through a peaceful Japanese surrender and signing a treaty, while to the Imperial Navy chief, this is through simply letting history repeat itself without interference, allowing the millions of casualties and devastating defeat that Japan is meant to undergo. Had this been a piece promoting war, I feel like it would've gone through with creating a theoretical situation in which Imperial Japan had won.

Zipang p.2 Blog Post 4/10

More Zipang and more war. I’m not sure if it is because I am not the hugest fan of the anime, but I found I have not really connected with many of the characters. I’m also a little confused with the plotline at times, but it’s probably because we had to jump around episodes. Well, they are still in 1942 in the midst of the war, and as the introduction states in the 13th episode, what should they do in the midst of this era? It seems like they are definitely interfering in the war, interacting with American army forces. However, it seems there are some conflicts on the morality of the war. We hear a discussion in episode 13 over whether to attack, in which one person says that the blood of all people is the same. However, despite the other person saying “the dignity of human life is not based on country or race,” he argues that this is a time of war in which the same morals do not apply and that they must continue to fight in order to achieve a Japan that is unlike any Japan the future and past has seen before: Zipang. An independent country separate from Imperial Japan and present-day Japan. 

I like how in episode 17, they discuss the power behind the Mirai. They talk about how it is important to not let anyone else get their hands on it, reflecting how powerful their modern technology is compared to the past. Tying it back to the insecurity of technology in post-war Japan, this could mean that this is a reflection of how far Japan has come in terms of technological warfare and their boom in industrialization and machinery. I also like how episode 17 further discusses the ethics behind obtaining knowledge of the war and being able to morph it, and if it is in their right to put other lives and countries in harm's way. 

I still have mixed opinions over whether this anime is considered pro-war or anti-war, I think it is a commentary on both sides. On one hand, they are interfering with a war that has already happened and have a chance of receiving victory for Imperial Japan, and stating that war mentality challenges overall morality for the greater good, but also can speak on that death on either side of war is still considered death, and human lives are sacred even in times of war. 

[christianlep]

Blog 33- 4/10

In the second half of watching Zipang, we are introduced to a more complex scenario in which the 21st and 20th century Japanese find themselves at odds with one another. While skipping around a few episodes, it’s clear that the 20th century Japanese fear the power that the Mirai is capable of, and given that at this point many Japanese were quite prideful of their spirit and will to fight, they were willing to engage in conflict with the Mirai, despite not being provoked to. On the other hand, the 21st century crew remains disinterested in any conflict with Japan, and in fact wants to end the war, which garners suspicion as the 20th century crew, or rather Takumi, questions the 21st century crew’s belief and siding as American sympathizers. It’s revealed that Takumi wishes to alter the course of history in a way that both eras of Japan get what they want, balancing a strong national identity while maintaining positive and peaceful relations with other countries through the attempted formation of Zipang. As the show begins to wrap up, we see that there begins to form a mutualistic acceptance, in which the Imperial navy chief consults with the crew of the Mirai, believing that the best course of action is by letting history run its natural course, as it has ultimately resulted in a better Japan. In this second half, we can see that this very much a piece on anti-war sentiments, exploring a situation in which Japan was equipped with enough power to overrun the allies and asserting that while Japan may’ve won, the nation would implode internally due to political unrest, and that the current Japan has shaped generations of Japanese that are free from the indoctrination of previous ideology, allowing for individualistic freedom and breeding a society focused on other avenues of power besides violence.

[christianlep]

I think the art style was pretty interesting too, I do like that all the characters have a unique design, and plays into their personalities, I feel like Takumi is more emotionally detached, and his eyes seem to have a detached look to them. I think it was cool that this anime explores how even small actions can lead to big alternations in history. I didn't notice that the ships were CGI, but I'll have to keep an eye out on CGI in the next episodes.

Zipang 4/8

Battleships are so interesting to me. How does such a large and heavy piece of machinery not immediately sink (I know why but it's still cool)

Zipang was such a whirlwind of emotions, both good and bad, and I really enjoy it so far.

Time travel is a subject that man anime explore, however, I've never seen an anime that attempts to cover both the micro and macro aspects of the plot device. Small changes in the past can result in catastrophic changes in the future, and Zipang's time travel is no exception. I appreciate how vital this idea is in Zipang, and because of it, I see the methods and beliefs of time travel in the show as an interesting allegory of actions and their consequences.

Furthermore, it's representation of war is "refreshing" (not super common) in that, there is no true protagonist or evil antagonist. War itself is complex, with strategy and plans that are, in almost every case, morally ambiguous, and I really appreciate how the creators of this show make that a point. We as an audience root for the titular characters, however it's made clear that their actions can also be callous and cruel, as well as brave and heroic.

I have mixed feelings on the art style.

For the time it came out, the 3d cgi used on the moving ships its actually surprisingly well-rendered, and hard to notice at times. However, the designs of the characters are where I have "concerns." In many pieces of media we've seen in class thus far, we've discussed the use of larger eyes and smoother edges on a character's face as a design choice to make a character seem more approachable/kind. This had an effect on audiences to make them believe that the Japanese individuals were more innocent, and often characters around them who were not of Japanese descent were often drawn with more accentuated features. Many of the characters (Japanese specifically) have this in this show, however, because this show has more of a centralist perspective, I think of this less of a direct choice with this mentality, and more of an overall design choice to follow the manga art style, as well as make the overall message more palatable.

I do however REALLY REALLY love that each character has a unique facial structure, that's some intense attention to detail.

[christianlep]

Blog 32- 4/8

I think the premise of Zipang is pretty cool, exploring history through time travel and grappling with the cultural differences between two eras of the same place. Besides the Back to the Future-esque plot in which by existing at the wrong time and performing actions have profound impacts on the known future, I think that this use is a creative and interesting commentary on Imperial Japan and modern Japan. We see that despite being from the same country, Takumi and Yosuke are worlds apart, defined by the lens of warfare. This separation is evident through both character’s personalities; Takumi is stoic, reserved yet confident when he speaks, and is not shy to engage in warfare, even when the enemy is his country, while fighting on behalf of his country. On the other hand, Yosuke is humble, more expressive and sensitive to the well-being of all parties, which could be shaped through the fact Yosuke has never even engaged in war up until the time swap. This kind of commentary can be viewed in two ways, one being a negative statement towards the modern zeitgeist of Japan and its lack of focus on military strength or mental fortitude, while the second focus (which is probably more of the commentary the studio was going for) seems to showcase the importance of WW2, and how Japan’s loss was a blessing in disguise. While Japan’s defeat shattered its previously unwavering identity of imperial dominance and dedication to the throne, it gave way to a new identity, one that is void from the tragedy of war and promotes the liberties of its citizens. I think that it’s interesting that Takumi has had the opportunity to glimpse into the future and doesn’t like the Japan Yosuke lives in, and this in some ways may reflect the value of the those who have lived through WW2 into the modern era, due to the fact it is such a different identity than the ones they were raised with, and was not the projected future pre-WW2.

[christianlep]

Blog 31- 4/5

Welcome to the NHK is a very interesting anime that I’ll probably finish watching. I feel like this anime is unique as the premise revolves around something that isn’t typically explored in media, and that’s the struggles of being socially inept (that’s not a murderer or something), and the barriers that one faces when they feel like their life has no meaning. We follow the life of Satou, who is a Hikikomori, and is similar to an Otaku, lacking the social prowess to navigate daily life. I feel like this anime does a good job of exploring how individuals may reach a point like this in their life, which can develop at anypoint, and in Satou’s case it was after his only friend, Hitomi, graduated university, at which point he dropped out and began the descent into living as a Hikikomori. As we watch, we are shown that Satou has developed an unhealthy mental cycle, in which he yearns to go out to explore, but that then goes against it, fearing that he’ll be looked down upon for not being in school or unemployed. If he goes past this line of thinking, he’ll attempt to look for ways of bettering himself, before convincing himself that he has no applicable skills or the assertion necessary as a human to be viable within society, routing himself back to square one. I feel like this anime lends itself to two main purposes; one purpose being a critical commentary on the psyche of people who go through this social isolation and the harmful perpetuation that exists when there is no intervention, providing a level of explanation and understanding to those who can’t imagine how people find themselves in this situation, while the other purpose is to connect with the very group this anime focuses on, demonstrating that these individuals are not alone, that there are plenty of people who struggle with mental barriers, and serves as a platform to potentially empower those in the same situation to better their own lives.

Another thing I thought about while watching this was the social isolation of Japan, and its declining and elderly population, and how this sort of lifestyle contributes to these aspects. While people talk about Japan’s work culture and how it promotes a busy yet anti-social life as individuals lack time to interact with each other, there exists the extreme on the other-side, where the constant influx of media, entertainment (in regards to the anime figurines, it provides a level of emotional satisfaction to those who believe they can't achieve it any other way), and an inherent valuation based on your employment, has bred a group of people who are “content” with living by themselves, or scared to navigate their world, which also leads to an anti-social life. I’m not sure how much of Japan falls into these two groups (Being too busy to live a personal life, or living in recluse with intent), but it would certainly play a role in explaining Japan’s declining birth rates.

[christianlep]

I agree, four episodes is hard to gain an attachment, and really get a complete understanding of everything, but I think that these four episodes did a good job from what I saw. I think this anime definitely does well to highlight the dark side of humanity, and that there are people like this who exist, and there are people who have to suffer because of it. It was nice seeing that the topic of homosexuality was deeper in meaning than just erotic love.

4/3

My younger sister is a really big fan of Banana Fish and always tried to get me to watch it but I was never interested. She was happy to hear that I was assigned this anime for class.

This is no one's fault due to the nature of having to pick only 4 episodes of the series, but I felt that the episodes lacked a lot of context, which caused me to not develop empathy for the characters. I was sad to see Skip die early in the series, especially because it seems like he was just a kid, but again I didn't have any real connection with the characters. I would've liked to know where this took place (I later learned it was New York), I would've liked to know why Eiji was in America (I didn't know Eiji was the only Japanese guy until a character called him "the Asian guy" or something), or why Ash was involved in gangs in the first place.

I had heard a lot about the homosexual romance before watching, and without looking into it at all, I just thought it was the typical queerbaiting media. I was relieved to see that it wasn't simply queerbaiting, but in fact had a deeper context. It was really sad finding our about Ash's past being trafficked and a "child p*rn star" (for lack of a better term). It was especially disappointing when the police officer/detective who was interrogating him showed Ash the media he was part of and called him a "movie star" on his way out of the interrogation room. I don't know much about how human trafficking is dealt with on the legal end (ex. like how Ash was treated in that interrogation room), but I thought it was sad to see a victim be made fun of and looked down upon in such a way. Later in the series, some other guys call him a "whore" as well. It's a really harsh look into the lives that human trafficking victims live, but one that is necessary for non-victims to see. I think Banana Fish did a great job depicting the lives of trafficking victims.

However, again due to only watching 4 episodes, I had a lot of questions about the series. There were so, many, characters, I couldn't keep track of them all. I didn't know why there were people from so many other countries involved (especially the Chinese clan). Hopefully I can learn more context tomorrow in class. Overall, this was a very gruesome and bloody anime, but I still enjoyed the themes and the messaging. These kinds of things really do happen in real life, so it's important to bring awareness to it.

[christianlep]

Blog 30- 4/3

Banana Fish was an unexpected combination, blending the Shōjo genre with a more intense subject matter that deals with the influence and violent nature of the mafia and corruption within the government. A major component that serves a sort of yin-yang in the anime is the exploration of homosexuality. On one side, it is used as a tool of asserting dominance; a gross and predatory way of establishing influence over others, backed by the financial success and political influence of powerful individuals. The Corsican Mafia demonstrates this perfectly by  enacting a male prostitution ring that utilizes vulnerable young boys for their own enjoyment, and as a market at their expense. On the other hand, homosexuality is also used as a method of showcasing the tenderness and warming nature of love, which is presented as a more intimate and deep understanding and care between two individuals, as opposed to something more sexual. We can see Ash has had a rough upbringing, and his years of trauma have impacted him dramatically, but through Eiji, Ash is able to feel grounded, and effectively has a safe haven, sharing his vulnerabilities with the one person he believes is too pure to be mixed up in the life Ash has. Besides this, another aspect this anime explores is corruption. I’m not sure this anime is based on any particular event, but rather a culmination of scandals throughout the years, although it’s interesting that it is set in America, showcasing that those in charge not only act out for themselves, but are authoritative, greedy, and sometimes pedofiles. While there have been instances of these being true, I do feel that the same notions could be applied to many other countries, although that’s besides the point. It’s interesting to see an anime that explores the darker side of life, as it calls to attention the fact that for all the romanticism Mafias get in cinema, there are very questionable aspects to these groups, and that there have been plenty of cases in which the government, which fundamentally supposed to protect its citizens, are sometimes the very ones who put our lives as jeopardy out of selfishness. Also, Banana Fish is a random name, but apparently it’s based off a story called “A Perfect Day For Bananafish,” which is about a man who snaps out at people after coming home from war and being mentality inflicted, which ultimately leads to his suicide.

[christianlep]

I also didn't watch this previously, but my friends watched it recently and they liked it so I knew that this would be a good film. I this the premise was unique too. I feel like any of the three scenarios make sense, although I personally believe that it was probably the third reason. While the comet splitting was a natural disaster, which occurs a lot in Japan, what I think was the more prominent focus was the presence a higher power creating a destiny for the town of Itomori, which is then amended through Mitsuha's, and by extension, Taki's connection to the gods, which the writers though would be best achieved through a celestial body, which typically carries religious weight.

04/01/2024

Watching Your Name for this part of class was certainly an emotional rollercoaster. I have not seen this film before this class but i have heard of its reputation of being extremely sad so I was expecting a really sad ending to accompany that. Although the ending was not necessarily 'ideal' it was definitely happier than I was expecting which was nice. I think that the concept of Mitsuha and Taki switching bodies was already pretty cool to me and the idea that they were tied together through fate for this to happen as well as the idea of the comet bringing them together. Then the discovery that there was the time difference between them by years was such a cool reveal and wasn't something that I had even thought would be a factor. I was also intrigued by our classes on Penguindrum since it was vaguely based on a real event to see if this movie also had elements of that. Now obviously this wouldn't entail the switching of bodies. I was more so looking at the destruction of Mitsuha's village via comet because I feel like I would have heard about something like that before. When I looked it up, I got three different answers. The first one that pops up is that the film is loosely based off of the frequent amount of natural disasters in Japan. The second answer I found was that it was based off of the Tohoku earthquake which happened in 2011 and also caused a tsunami after the earthquake. the third answer that I found was that it was not based on a real event at all and was just a story that the director/producer came up with or that it could have been based off of a novel that they wrote. So long story short I have no idea what the truth of any of these conclusions are but I thought that these theories are still cool to look at.

[christianlep]

Blog 29- 4/1

It's rare that films ever get me super emotional, this one got me a little emotional, but Your Name was a great film and I almost had happy tears going at the end. I think that this movie was done beautifully, from the plot, to the artwork, to the characters, I think this was pretty well made. Delving right into the more critical analysis of the film, what I think some of the topics this film touches on is the journey of looking into the anima/ animus (discovering your feminine side as a male, and vice versa), the exploration of the contrast between Japan’s rich traditional history and its establishment as the embodiment of urban and modernization (and the intertwining of the two), and some insight into the notions of religion and fate. The exploration into the anima/animus is one of the most prevalent aspects of this film, after all, the premise of the movie is that Taki and Mitsuha are linked and are capable of switching bodies. In it, we are shown that the two in some ways are bound by their roles as male and female within society to behave a certain way, such as with Taki having to not express his vulnerabilities or tenderness (unmanly), and with Mitshua having to not express defiance (un-womanlike). Through this body switch however, both are suddenly provided a higher level of autonomy (as they no longer have to worry about “their” life being affected, and the fact that one gender now literally has the consciousness of the other gender), which to outsiders makes them seem more attractive as individuals as they break conventionality and ironically seem more true to themselves when they’re in each other than when in their own bodies.

Another aspect this film incorporates is the tie between the natural beauty and deep-rooted culture of Japan and the modern age. Having taken her environment for granted, Mitsuha is tired of her small and less-developed town and yearns to live in Japan, and is excited when she is able to switch bodies, but soon comes to realize that with all the cool and awe-inspiring technology and infrastructure of urban Japan, life is busy and fast-paced, and in an oxymoronic way, isolating. On the other hand, Taki had never experienced life outside the city, and so his life was brought some enlightenment when he was able to experience the innate beauty the world has to offer, and the cozy tight-knitted community of Itomori. This leads into the last aspect of religion and fate. It is expressed in the film that the Miyamizu family has unique ties to a higher power, which could be attributed through their practice of Shintoism, or could be a natural gift which is then channeled through Shintoism. It's slightly sad when it's shown that the traditions showcased are seemingly almost forgotten and even rejected (like when Mitsuha creates the sake and her classmates are disgusted). I feel like it makes you think about fate, like in Penguindrum, and wonder how much of our lives are predestined or linked with others, the presence of the supernatural, and our beliefs in them.