jaythomasthetrain

[jaythomasthetrain]

I enjoyed reading this post. The connection you made to mental health was very interesting to me, but it makes a lot of sense. Curses, being the manifestation of negative emotions, truly makes the feelings literal, and I found it pretty neat.

JJK

More than just a captivating action anime, Jujutsu Kaisen is a potent meditation on trauma, fear, and grief. The idea that negative emotions, such as pain and resentment, can literally materialize into curses is one of the main themes. When you consider Japan's cultural emphasis on repressing emotions in order to maintain social harmony, that idea strikes particularly hard. This concept is reversed in the anime, which claims that unsaid pain festers and grows instead of going away. This message seems equally relevant on a global scale. Mental health issues affect people all over the world, and Jujutsu Kaisen transforms those internal conflicts into physical form. I can relate to the show because it avoids romanticizing loss or suffering. After losing those he cares about, Yuji Itadori is always wondering what it means to live a good life. I believe that many of us experience that internal conflict—wanting to do the right thing but not always knowing how—especially in college when we're still developing our identities. The program also highlights how our relationships—friends, mentors, and even adversaries—influence our development. Seeing the characters persevere in the face of their trauma serves as a reminder to me that resilience is about learning to move forward while bearing the burden, not about being emotionless. Jujutsu Kaisen links this anime to texts about identity and accountability by posing the same queries: Who am I when no one is looking? In a world full of suffering, what am I supposed to do? This anime questions the notion that having power automatically makes one good, much like the readings that examine duty and selfhood. Rather, it emphasizes choice and how individuals choose to behave in high-stakes situations. Jujutsu Kaisen is ultimately about facing our inner darkness and deciding to protect others despite the fact that it isn't just about fighting monsters.

[jaythomasthetrain]

Jujutsu Kaisen

The final post I'll be making for this class is for the anime Jujutsu Kaisen. I actually haven't seen JJK, so I was really excited to watch it this week. I didn't want to watch only the assigned episodes, so I actually sat down and grinded out all 30 episodes as well as the movie (after watching the two other assigned anime)! It was a lot, but obviously I got it done with a few hours to spare. I really enjoyed what I've watched so far, and I'm even more excited for the Shibuya Incident arc. In the assigned episodes, I was not able to take away much, but I feel the biggest thing that stood out to me was Geto and his steady decline. At first, he seemed totally normal, but after suffering a loss to somebody who didn't have cursed energy, he began to question everything he had stood for as a sorcerer. He used to believe that he had to protect the weak, because he was strong and they couldn't do it themselves, but that all changed after he lost to a "monkey" without cursed energy. He started to question why he chose to protect people who couldn't protect themselves when he was above them, because he had cursed energy. He then had a talk with another sorcerer, who planted the seed into his head to kill off all non-sorcerers. Eventually, he witnessed people with no power discriminating against young girls who did, and he finally lost it, murdering the entire village. I feel something like this could be seen in people like school shooters, which ties back to surveillance over people, and the inability to be able to predict such horrifying accidents. In the end, I really enjoyed JJK and will be finishing it soon. Thank you to everyone who has read and reacted to my posts, and goodbye!!

[jaythomasthetrain]

This is an incredible post!. The breakdown of her name was awesome, and is something I would have totally missed if I hadn't read your post. I liked the analogy you used of forging a sword and then expecting it to become scrap metal again, it gets the point across well and is pretty clever, good post!

Hope Springs Eternal; Violet Evergarden

My god, what a work of fiction. For one, allow me to get out a thought that has been haunting me ever since the introductory credits rolled- Violet’s own name. Now, I understand that it might be a bit of a low-brow assertion to make, but I implore you to follow along with me and suspend your disbelief for just a moment. Violet, the word “violet”, phonetically sounds VERY similar to vio-LENCE, for good reason obviously, as I’m sure you’ve begun to think, seeing as how they share many of the same letters. However, “read” and “read” are the SAME word, but sound radically different, as do “rouge” and “rouge” - a handsome “rouge” and the color “rouge”, respectively. I make mention of this because Violet is herself, very nearly indistinguishable from violence. A child soldier, raised in the ways of warfare, some would argue, even engineered by it, now faces a world that has no need for her any more, a largely peaceful land, fertile, lush and rich with life, perpetually green. This “Violet”, must shed vio-LENCE, and learn to inhabit a world of ever-gardens. Beautiful, no?

The anime’s handling of the innate traumas that come with being a child soldier, the training that one must be subject to in order to survive such an ordeal, time and time again, both physically and mentally, is stellar. When we are first introduced to Violet, it would appear she has no identity outside of being a warrior, her first instinct is to seek her commanding officer, to prostrate herself before his authority and operate, not as an individual who is a member of an armed force, but rather, a tool- a tool to be used in any way seen fit by those who one views as superior. It would appear that war has rid Violet of any desire to be anything but an extension of warfare, greeting her new patrons with a military salute, standing at parade rest when in the midst of being offered a softer, peaceful life, and even addressing individuals in a matter-of-fact way, as one would expect a junior officer to address a CO.

The entire length of the anime chronicles how Violet fails to see any innate value within herself that does not involve violence or her commanding officer in some way- she constantly attributes effectively everything in her life to being the result of an authority’s role in her life, attributing herself no agency whatsoever outside of executing commands, and as such, fails to find any reason to stay alive after the end of the war, explicitly requesting to be cast to the side, as she has failed to be useful.

This parallels the struggles that military members face when returning to civilian life, the rigor and structure of the military, having overridden their psychology as it was designed to do, now has no place in their new world, and the process of shedding something that was ingrained within you by force and then reinforced time and time again over the course of several years is an arduous task, and one that can be likened to taking scrap metal, forging it into a sword, melting it down, forging it again, repeating the process until it becomes nigh-unbreakable, then tossing it to the side, expecting it to become scrap metal again on it’s own.

Equal parts heart-breaking and thrilling, this anime whisked me off my feet, then proceeded to kick me in the sternum- and God save me, I love it all the more for it.

[jaythomasthetrain]

Violet Evergarden

The second of the three anime chosen to watch this week was Violet Evergarden. I enjoyed this movie, and it made me want to watch the actual show. This show had many showings of the effects of war on people. Violet embodies people who know nothing but war, and don't even have a personality, because in war, you don't need one. The only thing she knew was following orders, and she was unable to do anything else when she no longer had orders to follow. The struggle with loss is also seen plenty in the anime. Violet struggled heavily when she found out the person she would follow in the war had died, and she is representative of many people who have had to deal with not only losing loved ones in war, but also losing loved ones in general. Another lens on loss was shown through the brother of Violet's partner in doll school. He became a drunk and was very depressed after his parents were lost because of the war, showing the effects war can have on normal people who just so happen to be caught in the crossfire. After the war, I feel Violet could be representative of young people trying to find a job and a place in society. She learned what she wanted to do, then set a goal, and did what she could to get it done. She went to school, failed, learned, listened to her peers, and was able to become a proper doll. I was pretty happy watching this movie, because Violet kept improving herself, as well as helping the people she came across. I hope to become somebody like her in life, someone who is able to brighten anybody's life. Overall, I was very satisfied after watching this anime, and am happy it was chosen!

[jaythomasthetrain]

Great post, Leo! I never noticed many of the things you stated in the film, like the connections between the movie and Shonen A or Shinji, but I totally see it now that I read your post! I really liked the insight you had, so good job.

Akira- An Analysis of Control and Alienation

Akira is a film that applies to many themes from this course, such as control over children, discrimination, and different internal domains of power. I was able to draw connections from the messages of Akira with some of the other assigned films from this class.

Almost immediately off the bat, the viewer learns that the Japanese government in this futuristic version of Tokyo- which is referred to as Neo-Tokyo- frequently conducts inhuman lab experiments on children for them to carry out "godlike" tasks. Instantly, I thought of Shin Sekai Yori, which admittedly was a bit different in its treatment of children; however, the two forms shared similar themes on the surveillance of children. The differences between these seemed stark at first but became increasingly similar as the plot of Akira unfolded. While Shin Sekai Yori began with child surveillance, Akira started with lab experimentation and evolved into child surveillance and control, which is not quite the same thing. However, once Tetsuo's superhuman abilities were revealed, the government treated him as something dangerous and similar to Shonen A. It was then in the movie that I asked myself, "How would the government change how it surveilled adolescents?" Once the government realized they could not control Tetsuo, they attempted to terminate him and ultimately failed. I noticed that Tetsuo was also meant to be exploited in ways that reminded me of Shinji from Neon Genesis Evangelion. This demonstrates the government's internal sphere of power it holds over the people in this futuristic time with evolved technology. Unlike Psycho-Pass, the government in this film exerted its power through brute force rather than psychologically, which is evident through the heavy insertion of assault weapons throughout the movie.

Tetsuo is similar to Shinji in ways more than one. I noticed the parallels between the two in the ways that they both house their own internal dilemmas. While Shinji internally struggles with his queer masculinity, Tetsuo struggles with harnessing his unique abilities. Although a lot of Tetsuo's struggles may root from his powers themselves, I would like to argue that his perspective of himself may very well be heavily affected by the treatment of the government, as stated above. Tetsuo is treated as both a god and an animal, but never as a human by the internal societal powers he is subjected to. In this way, he is similar to Naruto from Naruto, who is viewed as a monster just because the spirit of the nine-tailed fox resides inside of his body. While Tetsuo may struggle under the pressure of his abilities, the way that he is being hunted and treated by the government is likely contributing to a major sense of self-isolation and feelings of alienation.

Akira is definitely an appropriate film to wrap this course up with. There are so many aspects of it to analyze and connect with the learnings of the class. Additionally, the plot is amazing and keeps you interested; I consider it to be a must-watch classic for all avid anime watchers.

[jaythomasthetrain]

Akira

Entering the final week of watching anime for class, the class was given the chance to choose which anime they wanted to watch. While voting, Akira stood out to me the most. I had always been interested in it because of the meme that blew up a few years ago and the classic Akira slide on the motorcycle, so I voted for it. I won't lie when I say I believe I judged a book by its cover. I thought it was going to be a cool action shounen anime about motorcycles and stuff, but it was hardly that. I don't think I enjoyed it all that much, to be honest, I wanted to, but it just didn't happen. The entire movie is essentially a boy who gets Eleven's powers from Stranger Things, kills everyone he sees, and then gets nuked. Aside from my opinion of the movie, there are definitely some ways it relates to real life. The complex a person gets when they have so much power is shown through Tetsuo. He was always being saved, and never the strongest, but once he got his powers, he went mad. This could have been because of the stress he was going through, but for the sake of argument, let's just say his mind was altered by all the power he now had. There were also plenty of scenes where the people of New Tokyo were trying to rebel against the government. This seems to be incredibly common in the movie, showing that people are very upset with how the government is operating. Poor government is a large issue in many places around the world, and protest and terrorism are also big issues in society today. Overall, even if I didn't love the anime very much, I'm happy I was able to watch it and learn what it was all about.

[jaythomasthetrain]

Hetalia

The second anime we were assigned to watch this week was Hetalia, a comedy anime where the main characters are different countries. The first thing that stuck out to me was the five-minute episodes; I had never seen an anime with episodes of that length before. While I understand that the jokes and stereotypes shown in the anime may upset people, I found them to be pretty funny and I enjoyed the comedy. My favorite genre of movie has always been comedy, so this show was right up my alley. I am also a fan of history. I always enjoyed my history classes in middle and high school, so that was another reason why I enjoyed this anime. I also was happy that the things that were going on in the anime were historical events that I at least knew a little about, making the show that much better. The show mainly follows the Axis powers during what I believe to be the buildup before WWII, which is quite a sore subject for many people around the world. The anime still found a way to make it lighthearted, while not going too overboard. Each character represents a country, mainly by acting out emphasized stereotypes for each country. This is the main reason that I feel people may be upset by the show. I feel a proud Italian would probably not enjoy the show as much as I did. While the show pokes fun at countries and their stereotypes, it does it to everyone, showing that there are ridiculous stereotypes of every kind of person around the world. The countries acting out these crazy stereotypes also show that those stereotypes are not necessarily true. I don't know many Italian people, but I know they don't act how Italy was acting in the show. This creates a humorous tone because the show is actually killing off some of the negative narratives behind certain people and certain countries!

[jaythomasthetrain]

I sympathize quite a bit with this post. I enjoyed the show and thought it was funny, but know out that there are people out there who probably don't appreciate the jokes made towards their countries. Me personally, I thought it was pretty funny.

Hetalia

When going into this anime, I had little to no idea of what to expect. It was an interesting watch, but a little difficult to follow at points. I found myself laughing at how Italy was being treated throughout the show as the punching bag. However, if some of my Italian friends saw this representation of their country I doubt they would find it as funny. Some of the imagery, such as the backgrounds within the episodes, were really well made as metaphors. One such instance of this is the island that Italy, Germany, and Japan find themselves trapped on. This being the metaphorical isolation the countries found themselves on during World War Two. Furthering this idea, the show is a parody of many world events and the stereotypes of the countries. This is shown with the interactions between the countries within the show. With Germany being the stoic, hardworking country whereas Italy would be more of a carefree type of country. One criticism that I had when watching the show is that it felt like they made a joke of the World Wars. Now I understand that the countries were make as a parody of actual events, but it still does not feel like they put respect on that history. On a lighter note, I believe that they balanced the stereotypes of each country quite well and the history behind the creation of each was done well similarly. I believe that there is some merit in creating shows like these as it allows for lessons in history while also having fun with it. The storylines were a bit jumbled, but well thought out and executed. I found myself unable to guess what would happen next and I really enjoyed that type of storytelling. It was a good watch and I believe that I was able to appreciate how it told history.

[jaythomasthetrain]

This may be one of my favorite posts of the entire time I've been making blog posts for class. This was actually such a smooth, easy-to-read post that I actually enjoyed reading. I thought the way you connected the movie to other anime we have watched was brilliant, and I enjoyed reading your final paragraph going over what you took away from the movie about finding love.

Your Name.

One of my all-time favorite animes, this movie is about two main characters that switched bodies. Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu have to find each other to get their souls back to their respective bodies, but this quest is more than just getting the bodies back to normal. For them, it’s something deeper.

The movie mainly addresses the power of fated love and its struggles. Foucault talks about this from his article of power relations. He said that power relations are “intentional and nonsubjective,” and are “imbued with calculation.” What Foucault said sums up the plot of the movie. Tachibana and Miyamizu found themselves in their bodies, and somehow they feel connected. However, not everything is smooth for these two. In fact, Foucault mentioned that power relations are always filled with “points of resistance.” Tachibana and Miyamizu find themselves in a race against time in their path of trying to find each other, with no recollection in between their body swaps. Thus, they have to try to pick up the pieces of where they had left off to meet each other, and simultaneously save the village from the comet. When I think about their situation, I thought of something similar to Romeo and Juliet’s. Although the conflicts differ from each media, the main concept still applies. Furthermore, this applies to real life circumstances of destined love, including busy jobs, schedules, etc. It can be hard to balance daily life with dating, and even though it is burdensome, hopefully it will work out. 

Additional real life issues that the movie addresses are monolithic gender and job stagnation. Miyamizu said that she wanted to be a boy in Tokyo… and she did. This is because she is disillusioned with her current status as a shrine maiden because of the expectations brought upon her. What is interesting about this is that Miyamizu’s frustration reminds me of Aggretsuko. We know Retsuko’s work situation, venting her anger at a karaoke and other things. The difference is that Miyamizu actually got what she wanted, and she experimented doing different activities while being stuck in Tachibana’s body (vice versa too with Tachibana). And I think this experimentation is similar to what the main character of Wandering Son did when exploring her gender identity. I brought these issues up because they can apply to frustrations of people being burdened of trying to live up to cultural, societal, and gender expectations like Miyamizu did. 

What I love about this movie is how emotionally tense and heartfelt of the interactions between Tachibana and Miyamizu. For those who are still single (like me), we can learn from this movie is that there is always that someone who will love you not matter what you are, and it all takes is patience and knowledge to create a relationship.

[jaythomasthetrain]

Your Name.

The first anime I was assigned to watch this week was the movie Your Name. This was quite an interesting movie, and it had me very engaged throughout the entire thing. This movie at first seems to be a movie about a boy and a girl from different places in Japan switching bodies. The girl is from a rural town, and the boy is from Tokyo. At first, I believed that they switched bodies due to something to do with the comet, and after it passed, they found each other and fell in love. I was sorely mistaken. It turns out that they were in completely different time periods, yet they would switch as if they were on the same day. The time difference between the two was three years, which caused the boy (who was living in the "future") to realize that they stopped switching places because the girl was killed because the comet broke up and landed in her town. The boy then takes matters into his own hands and forces them to switch bodies once more, with the intent to save her town from the comet. They work together and are able to save the town but forget each other's names. At the end of the movie, they are both living in Tokyo, and this part really had me stressed. In the final scene, they see each other on parting trains and run back toward each other, yet when they walk by each other, they don't say anything. This moment had me freaking out because whether or not one decided to speak up would decide whether it was a happy or sad ending, and I am a happy-ending kind of guy. The boy eventually says something, and the movie ends, leaving me very pleased :). This anime touches on corrupt government using money to get votes but does not flesh it out much. It also touches on religion and how people may feel about a religion and its followers.

[jaythomasthetrain]

Hey, Benny, I thought your post was pretty interesting. I didn't give much thought to the Titans in my post, but you brought up a pretty interesting lesson. I feel the connection you made to treating the Earth as a living being is fantastic, and I think it's a pretty good way people should start thinking about the world they live in.

Xenoblade Chronicles II - Nature as a Character.

While watching a selection for the cut scenes from Xenoblade Chronicles II, it was interesting to see how pieces of a video game could be woven into a film. I haven’t played any of the Xenoblade Chronicles games and in the other games that I’ve played, I usually have enjoyed the gameplay more than the cut scenes. When I go to play a video game, I’m looking for more of a participatory experience rather than a passive one. For that I’d be inclined turn to a TV show or movie. That said, my interest is peaked now and I’m curious about what the Xenoblade Chronicles II experience would be like when such extensive cut scenes are mixed in with gameplay. I think I’ll have to give it a try.

The bits of the story that were in the selected scenes weave a detailed narrative full of mystery and action. Environmental commentary is clearly one of the major themes and shows up in many ways. One interesting aspect was the connection between the people and the Titans. In the world of the game, people travel and live on the backs of these gigantic sentient beings. This reminded me of our own existence on Earth, riding through space on a living planet. For many thousands of years, humans have personified the natural world, imbuing oceans, rivers and mountains with personality and agency. Xenoblade Chronicles takes this further, making the Titans active participants in characters’ lives. The connection between the Titans and the Earth as our home is made even more clear at the end of the game when all the titans come together to form a new continent.

Imagining that the world we live in has a personality may not be a scientific notion, but it can be a powerful reminder that we live within a shared, living system. Everything that we do has an impact on others – humans, animals and the natural world alike. Xenoblade’s portrayal of the Titans suggests that we should treat the ground that we live on with the same care and respect that we would to an old friend or grandpa.

[jaythomasthetrain]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

This week, I was assigned to watch something a little different. Instead of watching an anime, I watched cutscenes from the Japanese game Xenoblade Chronicles 2. This is a game centered around a boy who lives in a sea of clouds. As a matter of fact, the whole world lives on a sea of clouds. This boy's dream is to find Elysium, which is a land where all the people of the world can live and thrive. Considering everything just said, this game has some deeper meanings having to do with the environment. This is a world that is no longer normal; there are way fewer people in comparison to a normal world and no land to live on. Everyone lives on the backs of big animals called titans. Elysium can be found on a big tree, also symbolizing what it is that the world needs yet no longer has. As the game progresses, the main cast eventually gets to Elysium, but it is no longer what they thought it was. It was a desert, all dead, with nothing but old buildings in it. It is even revealed that the tree is actually a large space station. It is revealed that the main "god"-like figure messed up so badly that he basically killed every living thing on Earth. In order to fix everything, he made an elaborate system that was able to slowly bring life back to the Earth. He created his own circle of life and his own manmade solution. This is different than most environmental movies and themes that I have seen. For example, in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, the solution to the environmental problem is to do nothing and let the Earth fix itself. I feel this is the theme in most environmental media, so this is a different point of view that I have never seen before.

[jaythomasthetrain]

I thought this post was pretty interesting. I found it very cool how you were able to draw ties between Nausicaa and the Native Americans. That's a pretty cool idea that I'd never be able to come up with. I also thought that the cycle of organic matter and the giant not being able to decompose was really well thought out, and I didn't even think of anything similar to that.

Nausicaä

Going into this movie, I had no idea of what to expect. Needless to say, I was blown away and enjoyed the movie a lot. I was very happy by the visuals of the movie and I was surprised that Hayao Miyazaki had directed this movie. The reason being that I had never heard of it before. The big critique that this movie had was about how humanity is destroying the world with pollution. However, I was surprised that the civilization was destroyed not by bombs, but by giant beings. I believe it was pushed in this direction because the giant beings, although made by machines, were mostly organic. Moreover, they also add to the pollution of the world in how they die. They turn into stone like beings, unable to ever give nutrients back to the soil. Thus, ending the cycle of how everything returns to mother earth. I believe that there was an importance placed this organic property. This could tie into how the old world was destroyed by organic beings and the new world also suffers similarly. This also ties into the critique in how humanity is now destroying the new world. Humanity doing this by trying to destroy the toxic jungle. This jungle being the saving grace of the world in how it cleans the soil. This was shown in how Nausicaä grows the plants with good soil and water. The plants are no longer toxic towards animals and living beings. When watching this movie, I noticed a lot of similarities with how Nausicaä treated the Ohmu and how a Native American treated a buffalo. I felt like there were a lot of similarities there. This could be Miyazaki's way of telling the audience that the only way to heal the earth is to respect animals much like our older cultures did. It was very interesting to see this similarity between these two cultures.

[jaythomasthetrain]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

The anime we were assigned to watch this week was Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. I enjoyed this anime, as one would expect out of a Studio Ghibli movie. This anime's main concern and driving factor was the environment. The movie takes place in some kind of future world that has been extremely polluted by previous wars. The forest is toxic and has these huge insects that can kill humans with ease. I feel this movie speaks out about war quite a bit. War is what polluted this whole world, and there is a weapon treated as basically a nuclear bomb. This weapon causes the world to be on fire for seven days, and the main conflict begins when the weapon is introduced. I feel this anime could also slightly be critiquing how governments treat things like the environment and unknown threats. The kingdoms that did not understand the truth behind the forests tried to burn it, causing many issues like the wrath of the insects. The kingdoms constantly being at war did nothing but aggravate the environment further, making their situation worse as a whole. One of the most shocking parts of the movie is when it is revealed that the plants in the forest are actually not toxic, but the water and soil the plants use to grow is toxic, causing the plants to be toxic. It is also revealed that the forest is slowly cleaning out all the pollution and creating clean soil and water, and the insects are protecting that process. I feel that this speaks out about what is going on in the world. The Earth is slowly fixing itself, but humans are doing things to make the situation even worse, even without trying. The only way to truly make a full recovery is to wait and let the Earth fix itself.

[jaythomasthetrain]

I really enjoyed reading this post. It felt very wholesome, and I liked the way you described always having a community around you. That's probably one of the best things the internet can do, in my opinion. I also found your interest in understanding and making your own game pretty cool. I am somewhat familiar with scratch and have played some games on there before. I also had a friend who was like you and created their own fan game. They made a pretty freaking good FNAF fan game.

Convention

Otaku. It is a word that many, even those who are constantly surrounded by the world of Japanese anime, are variable about. Is it obsessiveness? Yes, no, maybe, it's really what you make of it that really counts. This world that a huge subculture is surrounded with has started to spread across society. Many people used to view this as an encroachment on society. But more and more, as it is normalized behavior in this way, has become valued and cared for. It is something that I myself have somewhat experienced and continue to this day with the many people I surround myself with. While I have never experienced what it was like to go to an anime convention or cosplay at a mega con event, the documentary I watched reflected some of the smaller experiences I have been a part of throughout the years. I think many of the traits that people who are in love or passionate about things such as video games or anime can be somewhat reflected through small instances in my own life. For instance, the gaming community. Something the documentary touched on when it came to the huge spread of the Otaku community was the inception of the internet. With the internet, people from all over the world, all over the country, can connect without having to be part of a community in one physical place. The digital environment is a breeding ground for people with the biggest obsessions to share their ideas and thoughts on the topic they are most passionate about. My own experience with these kinds of communities online came in the form of a video game called Undertale, an illustrious fantasy author called Brandon Sanderson, and a community of programmers on a coding website called Scratch. When it came to the Undertale community, I got to experience the many adaptations people would make, such as a series called Glitchtale, which was an awesome take on the events leading to the ending of the game. I’ve engaged heavily with the content, and it has also inspired me to create my own games. Which leads me to the community of Scratch, where you are free to create your own games through a block-based coding method and share them with a wider programming community. In a way, the block-based coding method was an adaptation of read programming. Its original idea was to teach people the fundamental building blocks of programming so that once they learn the real thing, it would not only be easier but that they can go to real heights when it comes to their own creativity. Another community would also be that of Brandon Sanderson’s, where there is sort of a cult following of all the books he has made and the wider universe it encompasses. In online forums, I have been slowly engaging with the community output and speculation while also adding in my own as well. This sort of community engagement with those who are passionate about the same thing has steadily and assuredly shaped my identity in a huge and meaningful way. I have found that whatever obsession, whatever passion I have, no matter the subject, would always have an equally passionate community. Whether it be online or at your college campus. Which brings me to the value that college has. Many people in the documentary downplayed the value of clubs (I do think, though, that one of them was talking about clubbing) to be a part of, but I have found that clubs can be the biggest way to express your creativity and value for community in something that you are passionate about. I hope to continue cultivating my own personality and identity through the many communities to help shape who I am and value more who I could be.

[jaythomasthetrain]

Convention

I myself have only been to one convention ever. I went to a gaming convention about 5 years ago, right before Covid, with a group of my best friends. Walking into the convention, my very mature 14-year-old self was thinking about how strange this was and how I didn't really belong with all these super gamer nerds (mature was satire, btw). Regardless, I continued on, enjoying the convention with my friends. As time went on, I got more and more used to everything and began to be much more accepting of what was going on around me. My friends and I spent hours in the convention center and even bought a ticket to a play in a Fortnite round. I got 89th place; don't ask me why I remember that. I ended up having an absolute blast and really enjoyed the time I had at the convention. The walls in my little 14-year-old mind were broken down a bit because of how everybody was in there. There is no discrimination, making fun of, or judgment, just a bunch of nerds enjoying themselves, and I say nerds with a positive connotation. It builds a sense of community, and I honestly think that's something really special and can't really be found anywhere else. Of course, just a few months later, I began watching anime and absolutely fell in love with it. I have watched over 30 anime completely and have a list of many more that I have yet to watch. Anime has become a very large part of my life and probably is the interest that I have put the most time towards since I started. This love for anime has also led me to read my fair share of manga, but not nearly as much as anime. I like to consider myself one of those super nerds now, and I have no shame in it whatsoever. My friends and I have even made plans multiple times to attend OtakuFest in my home city of Miami. Unfortunately, we have never gone, but I plan on going in the future. I even attended a friend's Halloween party, where everybody had to dress up in One Piece cosplay to get in. I was assigned Ace, and I honestly had a lot of fun cosplaying.

Now, I don't remember enough from that one convention five years ago to write a whole 600 words, so I watched the documentary True Otaku. I had planned on writing the whole blog post about the documentary, but as I watched, I started to remember how I felt during the one convention that I attended. I feel the documentary really backed up what my beliefs were about the community that is built inside those convention centers. Otaku was once a derogatory term, being an otaku was far from good. But over time, people began to be proud of their interests, and it only strengthened as the community grew. Conventions are now a place where everybody is as free as free gets, a true no-judgment zone. They are a place where people who usually may be shunned or made fun of for their interests can be themselves and enjoy their interests with the likes of many others. I think a very strong fandom is a great thing, and nobody should be shunned for having interests. I very much enjoy the fact that people have pride in the word otaku now because they are standing up for themselves and not letting others put them down for having an interest in Japanese culture. I'd like to consider myself an otaku as well, even if I don't have a million copies of manga or cosplay or go to every convention. I have an intense love for Japanese culture, and my life would be very different if I wasn't introduced to it. So, in my humble opinion, yay otaku and yay convention.

[jaythomasthetrain]

I love the way you described the movie. As somebody who has watched the show prior to class, I understand completely when you say all the things you do. I thought it was pretty interesting how you were able to tie it to real life, too. I don't think it's easy to confront our deepest fears, and I find it even harder to be able to truly make sense of our world, but I think being able to do those things will bring true peace to a person.

The End of Evangelion

If you’ve ever watched The End of Evangelion, you know that it’s not just another anime movie—it’s an emotional rollercoaster that leaves you questioning everything about the world and yourself. The 1997 film, directed by Hideaki Anno, is the mind-bending conclusion to the iconic Neon Genesis Evangelion series. But beyond the mechs, angels, and apocalyptic imagery, it’s a deep reflection on personal isolation, mental health, and existential crises. These themes aren’t just relevant to Japan—they resonate with anyone grappling with the pressure of modern life.

In Japan, where societal pressures often emphasize conformity and perfection, Evangelion serves as a mirror to the struggles of its youth. The characters, particularly Shinji Ikari, embody the isolation and the tension between individual desires and collective expectations. The film’s raw exploration of depression and anxiety reflects the intense societal challenges faced by young people in Japan—issues like overwork, expectations of academic success, and the constant pressure to "fit in." Shinji's journey is, in many ways, symbolic of a generation's desperate search for meaning in a world that often feels cold and indifferent.

Globally, The End of Evangelion speaks to universal feelings of alienation. The film doesn't shy away from depicting intense emotional vulnerability, making it relatable to anyone who's ever felt disconnected or misunderstood. The final scenes, with their surreal and philosophical undertones, challenge viewers to confront their own fears, doubts, and desires.

Whether you’re a fan of mecha anime or not, The End of Evangelion is an unforgettable experience. It’s a film that transcends its genre and cultural roots, making it a timeless exploration of the human condition. It forces us to ask—what happens when we confront our deepest fears and try to make sense of an increasingly complex world?