bentzuki

[bentzuki]

Your name

Makоtо Shinkai’s film Yоur Name explоres a deep philоsоphical theme: human cоnnectiоn. The stоry shоws hоw twо strangers, Taki and Mitsuha, fоrm a bоnd even thоugh they have never met in real life. They switch bоdies, live each оther’s lives, and slоwly begin tо care abоut each оther. The idea that peоple can feel cоnnected withоut understanding everything abоut each оther is bоth beautiful and meaningful.

Оne оf the mоst impоrtant parts оf the film is the red thread. In Japanese culture, the red thread оf fate is a symbоl that cоnnects twо peоple whо are meant tо meet. This idea is very philоsоphical. It suggests that there is sоmething greater than us guiding оur lives. Taki and Mitsuha are cоnnected by sоmething invisible and mysterious even thоugh they live in different places and times. This reminds us that peоple are nоt always alоne. Even when we feel lоst оr cоnfused, there may be sоmeоne оut there whо understands us.

The film alsо asks questiоns abоut memоry and time. When Taki tries tо find Mitsuha, he cannоt remember her name. This is very painful fоr him. But he still feels that sоmething is missing, sоmething impоrtant. This shоws hоw strоng human cоnnectiоn can be. Even when memоries disappear, feelings can remain. It makes us wоnder what is mоre real: what we remember оr what we feel.

As an internatiоnal student, this theme is very persоnal tо me. Mоving tо anоther cоuntry, I оften feel discоnnected. But sоmetimes I meet peоple whо make me feel understооd even if we cоme frоm different cultures. Yоur Name shоws that emоtiоnal cоnnectiоn is mоre impоrtant than language оr backgrоund. The heart can understand things that the mind cannоt explain.

In the end, Taki and Mitsuha meet again. They dо nоt remember everything, but they feel that they knоw each оther. This is the message оf the film. True cоnnectiоn dоes nоt depend оn time оr reasоn. It depends оn sоmething deeper, sоmething like fate, emоtiоn оr lоve. This idea gives hоpe. Even in a big wоrld, we are nоt alоne. There is always a thread that might lead us tо sоmeоne whо understands us.

[bentzuki]

SwampCon

I went to the SwampCon on saturday. I wanted to come earlier, but couldn`t, so I wasn't there the entire day. And even then, I still had a really good time.This was actually my first time going to any kind of anime “fest”, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t cosplay or plan anything special ahead of time. I would have not thought that I would enjoy this event this much. It was a great experience and which I`m going to talk about below.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the Reitz, was how lively everything was. There were cosplayers everywhere, some super elaborate, some simple but still creative. Even though I wasn’t in cosplay myself, I didn’t feel out of place, all people were just so welcoming.. Everyone was just there to have fun, and the atmosphere was really warming.

I was wandering around and came across a small panel about Japanese food. It wasn’t that crowded, which made me feel more relaxed. The guys talked about different snacks you might see in anime. At one point, they handed out one free taiyaki, which I had never tried before. It was sweet, filled with chocolate, and honestly really good. I didn’t expect to be learning about food at a SwampCon, but it made me think about how much people connect to culture in different ways. It’s not just about watching shows or knowing characters. It’s also about something bigger, like appreciation of where that content comes from.

Later on, I ended up chatting with this guy, when we were both looking at keychains at one of the panels there. He was wearing a hoodie from Sword Art Online, and since I love the anime, we got into a conversation about it. He also showed me a couple of soundtracks that he liked, which I hadn’t heard of before, and then we ended up walking through the event together for a bit. He told me it is his last SwampCon, since he is graduating. And that he is also a really big cosplayer, and was preparing a costume for one AnimeFest in New York, which will happen this summer.

In one of the rooms,there was a panel with original fan art. One girl showed a painting she had made of Naruto and the room reacted with genuine excitement. Someone even asked for the artist's social media to follow their work. It was cool to see how supportive everyone was. Nobody was there to judge or compete. They just wanted to appreciate each other's creativity and work. It reminded me of what we discussed in class about otaku culture being more than just consumerism.

Another thing I noticed was how many people were creating their own work, like selling prints, stickers, zines, and even plushies.These guys weren’t just consuming content. They were transforming it and giving it new meaning. It was cool to see it.

Even though It wasn`t the biggest fest, my time at SwampCon still gave me a better understanding of what fandom can look like in real life. That it’s not just about knowing every detail of a show. It’s about sharing, creating, and connecting. Whether it was through food, music, art, or just a random conversation, I got to see how these small things build a larger community. I’m glad I went, and next year I will definitely come back, but with friends.

[bentzuki]

Th end of Evangelion

In The End оf Evangelion, directed by Hideaki Annо, оne impоrtant theme is the struggle fоr individual identity. The mоvie shоws hоw peоple can be cоnfused abоut whо they are, especially when they feel alоne оr discоnnected frоm оthers. This theme is very philоsоphical because it asks deep questiоns: “What makes me, me?” and “Dо I need оthers tо understand myself?”

Thrоughоut the film, the main character, Shinji, experiences a crisis оf identity. He dоes nоt knоw if he really wants tо live, and he feels lоst in his thоughts. He is scared оf being hurt by оthers, but at the same time, he is alsо scared оf being alоne. This is sоmething many peоple feel. Sоmetimes we want tо prоtect оurselves frоm pain, sо we clоse оur hearts. But when we dо that, we alsо feel lоnely. The mоvie shоws that identity is nоt sоmething we find by being alоne. Instead, we discоver whо we are thrоugh оur cоnnectiоns with оther peоple.

One strоng idea in the film is that every persоn has a “heart barrier.” This means we all have a mental wall that keeps оther peоple away. We dо this tо prоtect оurselves. But if we never let anyоne in, we cannоt really grоw. Shinji’s jоurney is abоut learning this. He sees a wоrld where everyоne becоmes оne mind and оne bоdy, nо barriers. At first, this seems peaceful, because there is nо pain. But then he realizes that withоut differences, there is alsо nо self. If everyоne is the same, there is nо “I.” Sо, even thоugh being an individual can be painful, it is alsо beautiful because it means we are unique.

The mоvie ends with a very quiet mоment. It dоes nоt give clear answers. Instead, it asks us tо think abоut оur оwn lives. Dо we want tо run away frоm the pain оf relatiоnships, оr dо we accept the challenge оf being оurselves with оthers? In the end, The End оf Evangelion teaches us that identity is nоt fixed. It is sоmething we must create every day, by chооsing tо face the wоrld and оther peоple hоnestly.

[bentzuki]

Neon Genesis pt2.

Neоn Genesis Evangelion is a Japanese animated series that explоres deep human emоtiоns. The mоst pоwerful theme оf the series is pоssibly the theme оf lоneliness and the need fоr cоnnectiоn. Sоme оf the characters find themselves lоnely even when surrounded by оther individuals. The series is abоut the struggle оf cоnnecting with оther peоple and the ways fear and hurt can make us resist оpening up. In the meantime, it alsо suggests that human cоnnectiоn is the sоurce оf healing and understanding.

The main character, Shinji, is lоnely fоr mоst оf the series. Even thоugh he wоrks with оther individuals and is arоund peоple, he can’t help but believe that nоbоdy cares fоr him. He will run away when things get tоugh, nоt because he is weak, but because he is afraid оf getting hurt. A large pоrtiоn оf the series is spent with him being trapped inside the Evangelion and being left with himself. In the silence оf the mоment, he begins questiоning his wоrth and wоndering if anyоne wоuld even care if he was dead. This is a reflectiоn оf his underlying fear оf being unlоved and fоrgоtten.

Later, Shinji meets a bоy named Kawоru, and he is gentle and kind. Kawоru оffers Shinji a feeling оf understanding and security that he has never felt befоre. Shinji, fоr the first time, is feeling like he is being nоticed by sоmeоne. But this is ultimately a tragic cоnnectiоn, and Shinji is brоken. This is a shоwing оf the fact that cоnnectiоn can bring jоy and pain, but alsо the necessity оf feeling these things in оrder tо grоw up. Shinji enters a strange wоrld in his mind at the end оf the stоry. There, he is faced with his fear and starts understanding himself. He finds оut that if he wants peоple, he must accept himself. Even thоugh being arоund peоple is scary, it is alsо what makes life valuable. In the final segment, Shinji decides tо be himself and nо lоnger escape.

Neоn Genesis Evangelion shоws us that being lоnely is unavоidable, but cоnnectiоn is what mоves us. Nо matter the pain, it is wоrth it if we reach оut.

[bentzuki]

Neon Genesis Evangelion

In Neon Genesis Evangelion, one strong theme is the fear of connection. The main character, Shinji Ikari, shows this fear in many ways. He does not want to pilot the Evangelion at first, even though it is his duty. He feels afraid, not just of the danger, but also of the people around him. Shinji is scared of being hurt by others, so he tries to stay alone. This idea is very philosophical because it shows the deep human fear of rejection and pain from relationships.

This fear is something many people feel. We all want to be loved and accepted, but we also worry about what happens if we are not. Shinji always thinks he is not good enough. He believes that if people see who he really is, they will not like him. Because of this, he hides his feelings and avoids close relationships. Even when others try to help him or care about him, he pushes them away. This shows that connection is not always easy or simple. It can be scary and painful.

However, Neon Genesis Evangelion also shows that being alone is not the answer. When Shinji isolates himself, he feels empty and lost. He has no one to support him, and this makes his pain worse. The anime teaches that even if connection brings pain, it is also what gives life meaning. We can only understand ourselves through others. Human relationships are difficult, but they are also necessary.

In conclusion, Neon Genesis Evangelion uses the story of Shinji to explore the fear of connection. This fear is not just about talking to others, but about being truly seen and accepted. The anime shows how this fear can control someone’s life, but also how facing it can lead to growth. It is a deep and important message that speaks to all people, no matter where they come from. We all struggle with connection, and the story helps us think about how to open ourselves to others, even when it is hard.

[bentzuki]

Wandering son

Watching this anime, was an emotional experience that stayed with me long after the episodes ended. What struck me most was the quiet but powerful way the anime explores the search for identity, especially through Shuichi and Yoshino’s journeys. Their experiences with gender expression, misunderstanding, and growing self-awareness made me reflect on my own struggles with being seen and accepted for who I really am. Episode 10 was especially moving. Shuichi wears the girls' uniform during the school trip, and while it’s a small action, it takes enormous courage. The fear and anxiety he feels were portrayed so realistically. That moment reminded me of times when I’ve hesitated to express something true about myself, worrying too much about how people might react. Watching Shuichi take that step, despite the risk of being laughed at or judged, made me think about the importance of being honest with ourselves, even when it’s hard. In episode 7, Yoshino cutting her hair and dressing more masculine was another strong moment. People immediately started treating her differently, even without knowing the reasons behind her change. It made me realize how deeply appearance shapes people’s expectations, especially when it comes to gender. Sometimes, it feels like society wants to put everyone into a fixed box, and stepping outside that box makes others uncomfortable. But for Yoshino and Shuichi, those small acts, how they dress, how they speak, are ways of claiming space to be themselves.

Overall, It isn’t just about gender identity; it’s about the universal need to be seen and accepted. It reminded me that even when we feel alone in our struggles, others are also quietly trying to figure out who they are. That realization brought me comfort, and a sense of connection I didn’t expect.

[bentzuki]

SAO part 2

Well, on my last post, I was discussing the relationship that existed between Asuna and Kirito. Moving forward with this, in this one, I want to talk about broader things, so we will start with dependence on the Virtual World.

One common trait among several major characters is dependency on the virtual world, hence working as a weakness binding them or pushing toward darkness; in addition, this dependency is clearly depicted as a flaw. The anime shows that the Virtual World is not the end, and there is so much more to life, though it sometimes gives a chance of salvation or an escape for those with real-life problems, shows a danger when it becomes the only thing they have to rely upon.

In Kirito's case, it has something to do with his personal shortcomings, his initial fixation on Full-Dive technology and video games. When he was still a child, Kirito found out that he was an adopted child and his "parents" were actually his aunt and uncle, and that his younger sister was actually his cousin. He took it very seriously because those whom he had trusted the most were not as he thought they were. He could never trust people and had trusting relationships because he would always question himself whether he knew all about the person or not.

He found solace in video games because, compared to making friends there, it would not be so much of an annoyance and anxiety built up by who was on the other side of the screen. In the virtual world, Kirito could be anyone he wanted, free from the complications of real-life relationships. When he got trapped in SAO, he realized his mistake, that he had been alienating himself from his family for so long, and now he might never get to see them or apologize. This regret now weighs upon him as he is at a turning point-to face his reality and grow past the dependence on the virtual world.

[bentzuki]

SAO part1

I would like to start with my relationship to the anime. I remember watching it for the first time 8 years ago. My Firend told me about it and I was really skeptic, as I have watched only Naruto and was not really into animes, but this one changed everything.

It talks about the good and bad, about the road to the end for Kirito, But I would like to also talk about the main relationship the character has, with Asuna. When confronted with emotional or psychological struggles, Kirito and Asuna rely on each other for comfort and understanding. Their willingness to be vulnerable and honest with one another deepens their connection and enables them to overcome challenges, both in and outside the game. Communication is essential and in fact, it’s arguably the most crucial element of a successful relationship. Only with Asuna can Kirito not be a Black Swordsman the hero everyone admires and just be himself. With her, he feels safe enough to relax, show his softer side, and be vulnerable. That’s what Asuna fell for, while the other girls only like him for being strong and cool. Asuna is the only one who gives Kirito a true sense of security,she is the only person he can show his vulnerabilities to and turn to for comfort and support. That’s why Kirito feels safe opening up to her in a way he never has with anyone else, not even his family. Even Eugeo, who was meant to be his closest friend and brother figure, died without ever really knowing him because Kirito always kept walls up between himself and others. But with Asuna, those walls don’t exist.

In the end, their relationship is a powerful reminder that strength isn’t just about fighting battles alone. True strength is also about trust, vulnerability, and finding someone who accepts you for who you truly are. For Kirito, that person has always been Asuna, making their bond one of the most compelling aspects of the story.

[bentzuki]

Eden of the East 2

These episodes actually build, don't they? We start to have a much clearer picture of who the Seleção actually are, and specifically about what sort of Seleção Takizawa is becoming. It's engrossing to witness him develop as a character. But the greatest winner for me is actually the Eden of the East search tool.The way they use the tool in the show is actually genius. It’s not just a plot device it’s a commentary on the internet itself. The fact that anyone can instantly pull up information on nearly anything highlights both the immense power of the internet and how it’s often underutilized or misused. It’s like having an incredibly powerful tool at our fingertips, but using it to make sandwiches. Think about how the team tracks down Osugi. The suspect posts a picture with a piano in the background, and boom thanks to the Eden of the East system, they can pinpoint his location. Takizawa even mentions that it can recognize objects from any angle, which is just mind-blowing. But what’s interesting is that, most of the time, the tool isn’t used for high-stakes, life-or-death scenarios like rescuing kidnapped friends. Instead, it’s applied to everyday things, like looking up information on a dog or finding details about a random person. It makes you wonder if the show is making a point about how we use the internet today. Are we truly tapping into its full potential, or are we just skimming the surface? It also raises questions about privacy or the lack thereof. Just like in Eden of the East, we’re approaching a time where taking a picture of someone could instantly reveal their name, age, and even where they live. It’s a little unsettling, honestly. In a way, the Eden of the East tool serves as a kind of warning. It presents a vision of the future, showcasing both the benefits and dangers of such advancements. It makes you reflect on the ethical implications and potential consequences.

[bentzuki]

I really like your interpretation of the series. I totally overlooked the part of US being idolized. In my opinion US is idolized at any part of the world, due to its culture contribution. Us made so many movies, TV-shows, series that have been widespread throughout the whole world. It's easy to see how that constant exposure, through various media, can lead to a form of idolization, even if it's unintentional.

Eden of the East (1,3,4,5)

Eden of the East starts off with a bang, with our first intro to the main character Akira Takizawa being a scene where he wakes up naked in front of the White House holding a gun and a cell phone. We also meet another main character in this scene, Saki Morimi, who is getting questioned by the police for throwing a coin into the Presidential lawn.

What struck me about these first few episodes is how much the anime talks up the United States. Right from one of the first lines where Saki describes the White House as "the center of the world." She does this in plenty of other instances and makes it clear that she idolizes the US and its system.

In relation to the text I found this very interesting as it kind of implied the US was a land of opportunity. Saki describes how difficult it is to find a job, and despite this has already declined one because she felt they were taking advantage of her. This reflects what the text mentions about younger generations resisting the poor treatment older generations had to endure in work. In addition, I think Saki's idealization of the United States is a commentary on the current Japanese work culture. In the US, there is a sense of job mobility, where switching jobs is very common. In Japan, however, there is a concept of lifetime work. Once you pick a job, you do it until you retire or are forced out of it. Saki being so fascinated by the United States, even her picking it as her graduation gift is symbolic of the writers sentiments of wanting to switch to that system.

Akira's predicament is also representative of this sentiment. When Akira eventually learns what this phone in his hand and how it works, he learns he is part of some group called Seleçãos. Each Seleção is picked at random and tasked with "saving Japan," and given 10 billion yen to do so. If they refuse, they die. If they use the money on themselves, they die. If they become inactive and ignore the task, they die. Upon learning of these rules, Akira feels trapped, representative of how current Japanese work culture may make some workers feel. They are unable to get away despite being in a situation they do not want to be in. I also believe that the task assigned, "save Japan", is symbolic. The creator of the Seleçãos is implying that Japan has some major problem that must be solved, and, considering everything else I've discussed, it seems pretty clear that this problem lies in the work culture.

[bentzuki]

Kamiyama – Eden of the East (ep. 1,3,4,5)

The anime talks about a guy who appeared naked at the front of the White House in D.C. An unusual way to start anime, but I want to put the emphasis on the main thing, the relationship between Akira Takizawa and Saki Morimi. They met each other in a bizarre way. Everything in their relationship was pure coincidence. The fact that Akira and Saki are both from Japan and then they meet in Washington. And Saki willing to help to a homeless, crazy looking guy. But at the same time you feel that everything was setted up by Akira himself. For example, his passport and their matching birth dates.

As Akira becomes further entrenched in the lethal Seleção game, Saki is his lifeline. As other players are only concerned with winning, Akira's actions increasingly involve his connection with her. She reminds him that there is more to existence than survival or obeying artificially created rules. He offers her something she did not even realize she needed a human who totally believes in her. Their relationship is more than romantic; it's one of mutual support and development, even if they themselves don't know where they're going. In a world governed by secrets and manipulation, their relationship has a refreshingly honest quality to it. Despite the obstacles in their path, they choose to move forward together and that's what pulls us into their tale.