bleachenjoyer

[bleachenjoyer]

Thanks for this post! I definitely agree with all of the analysis of the different elements you listed here. I think, even though it's a very strange premise, the relationship between Koro-sensei and the students of Class 3-E show the value of a passionate and dedicated instructor (even if said instructor also wants to destroy the Earth at the end of the year).

My Thoughts on Assassination Classroom

I thoroughly enjoyed this anime, and I found it to be a pleasant viewing to wrap up this class. The series follows a group of outcast students who are tasked by the government to kill a mysterious and powerful entity who will serve as their teacher for a school year unless they fulfill their mission. The show provides a fun coming of age story that incorporates many relatable feelings towards the rigorous nature of school and the hardships of growing up. Ultimately, the class and their new teacher bond over the experiences and the knowledge and wisdom he imparts to help them complete their assassination, move forward in their education, and succeed in life. Koro Sensei shows his students that no matter how people view you, you have the potential to obtain something valuable by being diligent in your education. 

Throughout the show, there is a conflict between Class E and the rest of the classes at the junior high school. The students in Class E are looked down upon heavily, humiliated for being the outcasts of society and worthless, and painfully discriminated against in their academic existence. The leader of the school makes active attempts in keeping the status quo of inferiority of Class E. In spite of this, Koro Sensei inspires the class to grow beyond their labels of underachievers and instead take pride in what they do. The students use these pieces of wisdom to push themselves in their studies, and develop in their assassination training. I like his message a lot and I think Koro Sensei provides invaluable advice to students who need reassurance in themselves that despite difficult circumstances, they can achieve greatness. Koro Sensei fulfills the teacher’s purpose by giving the children the tools they need to succeed. 

Other aspects of the show I enjoyed was the dedication to competition and the relatability of the characters. I found myself feeling the dread that marks the end of term exams, which become arenas where students showcase their hard work in order to not only prove themselves to one another, but also validate themselves in their own eyes. Koro Sensei’s instruction about failure also was particularly powerful. The fears and motivating factors of failing to apply oneself and be worthy of talent, and also meeting competition by rising to the occasion, are all aspects of education that I still grapple with. I felt that the series provides valid and useful sentiment that can empower students to succeed.

[bleachenjoyer]

4/25 - Assassination Classroom

Assassination Classroom is something I've tried to get into a couple of times (specifically, with reading the manga) and I just haven't been able to stick with it. However, I had a good time watching these episodes, and I'll have to try and get into it once finals are through. Even though the premise of the show is kind of wacky, I think there are still some real-world parallels to be found.

I think the most prominent theme in these episodes of Assassination Classroom as well as the series as a whole are the consequences of institutional discrimination. The students of Class 3-E prove just as bright if not brighter than the other students at the academy. However, despite this, they are essentially used as targets for the rest of the student body, to serve as a motivation for the other classes to succeed. This shows that, sometimes, there are groups in various areas of society that are looked down upon or actively worked against by the system for reasons that are completely irrational.

I think Assassination Classroom also lends a lot of support towards the idea that a good educator can really make a difference in the lives of their students. Even though Koro-sensei is an alien who wants to destroy the world, the passion and care with which he teaches the students in Class 3-E, bringing out their talents and bolstering their weaknesses, shows the benefits that a good education can have for an individual, even those who may be in less fortunate circumstances (such as Class 3-E).

I also thought it was really fun watching the characters battle the physical representations of their final exams, especially with finals week coming up. It'll be hard to not feel like I'm doing that myself, but we'll make it through!

[bleachenjoyer]

I definitely agree with your analysis of these episodes. Money is what drives everything in the world of Cyberpunk - healthcare, status, and the ability to just lead a basic life are driven purely by how many eurodollars one has. I definitely agree that watching David become a cyberpunk was sad, but I pose the question: would contributing to a system that drives people to that life in the first place (as an Arasaka employee) be any better?

Cyberpunk Edgerunners (ep 1,2,6,10)

This show highlights the social problem of division of the social classes. The first episode shows the treatment of the lower class in a night city. The show opens up with David trying to wash his academy uniform, but the washer was not able to continue washing his clothes due to insufficient funds. He tried to use a bootleg version of the software that was needed for his class. His mother is seen as tired from working hard to get David a good future in the academy. However, most children of the wealthy are able to afford to go to the academy so David was sticking out like a sore thumb. When David and his mother were in a car crash, the ambulance came they had to scan both David and his mom to see if they were important customers. Once they pronounce them as not important customers, they left them injured at the scene. Everything in this show is ruled by money. Even the doctor's decision was dependent on how much money David paid to save his mother's life. It is sad to see everything in the night city is dependent on money, even medicine. It shows that the poor are not able to climb their financial status as they are consistently challenged by society. Hence, the appeal of committing crimes for easy money is appealing. David becoming a cyberpunk was a bit sad. His mother, a former cyberpunk, had tried her best to give David a better life than hers. But, in the end, he became a cyberpunk. He had learned to steal, fight, and even kill from Maine and the crew. From Maine's words, he was becoming a man, especially after sleeping with Lucy. When Maine turned into a cyber psycho, he told David that this was his end and he should leave the scene. David had tried to become the new Maine with his new body and tech ware. In saving Lucy, he risks his psychosis and died saving Lucy. Well, at least Lucy got a chance to go to the moon.

[bleachenjoyer]

4/23 - Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

I'm a big fan of Cyberpunk Edgerunners. I originally played Cyberpunk 2077 when it came out, and I've also toyed with the Cyberpunk 2020 and Red tabletop games. Thus, I very excited to watch Edgerunners again (I watched it on release, too). In going back through these episodes, I refreshed myself on the themes that make Cyberpunk, Cyberpunk - the disastrous consequences of unchecked capitalism, and the dangers of over-reliance on technology.

From the first episode of Edgerunners, we bear witness to the cash-is-king society of Night City, California. David is constantly looked down upon by his classmates for not being as financially well-off as his peers; his mother dies as a result of a lack of insurance coverage and the care of an inferior medical establishment; he turns to a life of crime in order to live. The environment that is built by these episodes show the possible life paths in the Cyberpunk universe - either buy into the system and work to live, or break the law to do the same. No matter which way an individual turns, the motivations are the same: to earn enough eurodollars to cover their basic necessities.

Technology is a central element to the Cyberpunk series, and a defining factor in episodes 6 and 10. Maine experiences absolute detachment from reality as a result of his cybernetic implants; David experiences a similar detachment in his assault on Arasaka Tower. While I don't think anything directly like this is happening in real life, it's a cautionary tale as implants and cybernetics become even more enhanced in the future - at what point do we lose grips on our humanity as a result of augmenting ourselves? This may be a stretch, but I also think that this can serve as a warning for the use of modern technology. As the line between virtual and reality becomes blurred, how do we stay grounded?

[bleachenjoyer]

I definitely agree with your praise of Satoshi Kon's work with Perfect Blue. It's not an understatement to say that I, in addition to Mima, had absolutely zero clue what was going on in the third act until the final confrontation with Rumi. The cinematography and animation were also perfect, and I would also like to argue that the music used contributed to a great amount of the atmosphere and the increasingly tenuous nature of Mima's grasp on reality. I think all of that contributes to an excellent commentary on the consequences of the cognitive dissonance that can result from doing things that are 'untrue to oneself' in the name of success.

^^ a perfect shot

This is my third time watching Perfect Blue, and it’s still a straight banger. Directed by the GOAT, Satoshi Kon, this anime film is absolutely mind-blowing, and it’s one of my favorite anime movies of all time.

What I love about Perfect Blue is how it messes with your mind. The story follows Mima, a former J-pop idol, who's trying to make it as an actress but is haunted by her past. The film blurs the lines between reality and illusion, and it's so intense and suspenseful that it keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The final twist and chase scene goes so crazy, and it’s the perfect climax.

The direction of the movie is also top-notch. Satoshi Kon is a genius when it comes to storytelling. He uses visual cues, symbolism, and changes in perspective to create a sense of unease and uncertainty. The pacing is spot-on, with quiet moments of introspection followed by wild and surreal sequences. The animation is also stunning, especially for a movie that came out during the 90s. The visuals are vivid and dynamic, adding to the overall intensity of the film. One of my favorite shots is when the stalker in the beginning seems to be holding Mima in his hand.

One thing that stands out in the movie is how it explores the dark side of the entertainment industry. It delves into the pressures of fame, the loss of identity, and the consequences of pursuing one's dreams. It's a thought-provoking commentary on the price of stardom and the sacrifices that come with it. Another amazing modern manga/anime, Oshi no Ko, tackles similar themes of exposing the entertainment industry, and it’s clear that Oshi no Ko has taken a bit of inspiration from Perfect Blue. Moreover, Satoshi Kon's impact on the film industry cannot be overstated. He's known for pushing the boundaries of storytelling and animation, and Perfect Blue is a prime example of his genius. His use of visual metaphors and symbolism adds depth to the narrative, inviting viewers to interpret and analyze the story in multiple ways.

[bleachenjoyer]

4/20 - Perfect Blue

Good lord. I now have a love-hate relationship with Perfect Blue. It was a stellar movie. On the other hand, Perfect Blue instilled an intense sense of dread in me from the first note that Mima received in the fax that just intensified until the end of the film. As horrifying as it was at times, I do think it did a really good job at depicting the negative side of fandom and the battle between desire for success and sticking by one's own boundaries.

The more deranged elements of fandom were on full display from the very beginning of the film. Through Me-Mania's actions (which later turned out to be on Rumi's orders - I was writing this as I watched), from stalking Mima, committing murder, and attempting rape, it illustrated an extreme example of what may happen when a fan of someone or something becomes far too wrapped up in their obsession and becomes detached from reality. These actions are absolutely deranged and all done in the name of a twisted sense of devotion and absolute mania towards a public figure in what I construe as a parasocial relationship taken far too far. Me-Mania's fragile state due to this engagement with fandom was able to be easily manipulated by Rumi, who drove Me-Mania to commit such acts.

I think Perfect Blue also puts on full display Mima's struggle to balance her desire to succeed and do right by those who helped her with her own personal boundaries. This first manifests in the rape scene, where she essentially bears it but laments doing it behind closed doors, something then repeated in her being photographed naked. This cognitive dissonance eventually results in her seeing the version of herself from her idol days, and a complete fracture of her psyche. The smooth transitions between completely unrelated scenes and the increased intertwining of the drama's plot and Mima's actual life show her losing grips on reality as well. These scenes, in my eyes, show the mental strain that such a life can take on an individual, and the consequences of acting in a way that's detached from how one perceives themself - especially in the public eye.

I don't think I've ever known what was going on less than when I was watching Perfect Blue. Every time I did, the plot switched up on me again, and there were times where I couldn't tell what was real, either. I'm glad Perfect Blue did end happily for Mima. However, I am very much looking forward to feeling more certain about things when I watch Cyberpunk Edgerunners for Monday (I've already seen it).

[bleachenjoyer]

Unhinged is right when it comes to Sensoron. Trying to essentially call the Rape of Nanking a complete fabrication is absolutely preposterous, when there is so much evidence that it occurred that he actively chooses not to cite. I think there were elements of truth buried in his stance on testimony, but emotional charge does not render a testimony absolutely invalid. I definitely think that this manga, either intentionally or otherwise, is definitely misinformation and a morally questionable attempt to reframe history.

Sensōron

This manga is so unhinged. It is far-right revisionist propaganda written for the purpose of downplaying Japanese war crimes and defending the Imperial Japanese Army's actions during the war. I have never felt more frustrated while reading something. The fact that this thing has the audacity to deny the existence of the Nanjing Massacre is completely abhorrent. It goes even further and tries to excuse everything that the Japanese military did during WW2 and even tries to frame the Allies as the true bad guys during the war and especially during the postwar occupation of Japan.

Sensoron is an attempt at criticizing and reversing the "brainwashing" of Japan due to Western postwar propaganda. However, this manga itself is a piece of propaganda. It employs an arsenal of blatant logical fallacies and insane mental gymnastics in a poor attempt to excuse or disprove all of Japan's crimes during WW2. (The author even compares photos of war crimes to UFOs??? What is this far-fetched connection?) The fake-photos section is a treasure trove of cherry-picking and composition/division logical fallacies, where he proves a couple photos false and from there makes the outlandish claim that the ENTIRE massacre must therefore be false too. The author does make some good points in that it is important to not believing everything one sees as absolute truth and that basic fact-checking is an important aspect of journalism and education, but his application of that idea to disproving Japanese war crimes is completely unhinged.

The section about testimonies had a tiny bit more validity than the fake-photos section. But it still contains numerous instances of logical fallacies and a pervasive mindset of overextrapolation. Once again, he discredits a few selected cases of misinformation, but then immediately engages in his own attempt at misinformation by extrapolating to conclusion that ALL claims of Japanese use of "comfort women" must be false, which is a very grand conclusion that cannot possibly be reached with the selected evidence that he gives. Of course, he does make semi-reasonable points in regards to how emotionally charged and inconsistent testimonial evidence is and can be. However, that is not to say that all testimonies should or can be immediately disregarded as pure fiction.

I really dislike this piece of right-wing revisionist propaganda. It claims to be combating misinformation and brainwashing, but it itself is a despicable participant in misinformation and brainwashing, just in the opposite direction. I do quite frankly think that this manga would be an excellent example for studying logical fallacies.

[bleachenjoyer]

4/16 - Sensoron

I was excited to read Sensoron today. Even though I enjoy anime, I am much more of a manga reader these days - additionally, as someone who is at least marginally interested in history, I found the prospect of a revisionist-history Japanese perspective after World War 2 a very compelling premise. As I went through this work, I found it to bring up some interesting points, but overall it almost seems like a rambling from a bitter conspiracy theorist who just wants to see WW2-era Japan in a more positive light than it deserves.

I found the overall work of Sensoron to be, as mentioned earlier, a great example of revisionism and, at times, flat-out misinformation. Given what the author was trying to communicate, about how 'Japan was treated unfairly' and 'the Allies did bad stuff too' clearly attempts to downplay the atrocities committed by the nation during the war. Instead of taking an objective standpoint and accepting that, while the Allies did do some morally questionable things during the war, Japan is guilty of the same, the author attempts to frame the West as the REAL bad guys, and the root of a grand array of problems in modern Japanese society.

One thing I think the author did not intend to showcase (but does) is the mental gymnastics that he has to go through in order to justify Japan and delegitimize the West. I thought the entire first sequence about the trials and the subsequent Western involvement in Japan was far-fetched, with elements of truth buried in it - but as soon as the author started accusing photos displaying Japanese war crimes as fake, comparing them to UFOs and ghosts, the argument lost any shred of legitimacy. Through these perspectives, Sensoron communicates a perspective that is unhinged at best and deliberately deceptive at worst.

[bleachenjoyer]

Thanks for this post! I really liked your analysis of the whole 'fate' concept - I hadn't thought about the woven string being used as a metaphor for the ability of the main characters to control fate throughout the movie. I think this definitely goes hand in hand with how fate operates in Your Name - though some things (like the comet destroying the town) are fated, that does not mean everything is predestined.

Your Name (Kimi no Na wa)

This is literally my favorite movie ever. I’ve seen it a countless number of times and can’t recommend it enough to anyone who hasn’t had this viewing pleasure. The animation looks absolutely stunning, the music is the type of beat I still hum to this day, and the characters are fun and memorable. The anime revolves around Mitsuha and Taki, two teenagers living in different towns and times who mysteriously swap bodies. They are tasked with preventing a comet disaster from occurring that would kill Mitsuha and her whole town. They prevail and eventually fall in love with each other, making for a really wholesome and fun watch. The anime talks about a vast array of themes including the possession of power, the idea of fate, modernity vs tradition, and sexuality and its connotations.

The idea of power is prevalent throughout the anime. Power is something that exists everywhere and is a force that a person can exert. With this in mind, the question becomes who holds power, or better said, who has the ability to control fate and exert a force of change? When the two main characters switch bodies, the power to control the lives of Mitsuha and Taki respectively shifts to the other protagonist. They are no longer in direct control of their lives, and are subjects to the power exerted by each other. Thinking of this idea on a larger scale, the entire cast is at the mercy of the power exerted by fate and destiny. Since Mitsuha lives in the past, fate has exerted power and control over her by controlling how she will die. It’s initially fated that her town will get destroyed. However, this power is subject to resistance in the form of Taki’s character. His determination to meet Mitsuha and save her town switches the position of power from fate/time to Taki. He, using Mitsuha’s body, helps devise a plan to save everyone. However, when he switches back to his own body and Mitsuha takes over the town’s evacuation effort, the position of power is given to Mitsuha, where she can now determine her own fate.

The idea of fate goes hand in hand with this idea of power. The red string of fate, a popular symbol for the control of one’s destiny, is a prominent theme in this movie. Mitsuha’s grandmother describes how strings represent time, how strings flow but can sometimes come undone, meet new ends, and reunite to form new threads. The idea is symbolic of destiny. Strings are the flow of time that represent the timelines in which certain events are meant to happen. However, certain “masters of fate” (string weavers) can cut the timelines, change them, and create a new future. Since Mitsuha is a string weaver, literally, she holds the power of fate. This is also symbolized with her red hair tie which is an alias for the literal red string of fate. She symbolically shares this power with Taki who is given the red string by Mitsuha. He wears fate on his hand and uses that power to change the course of history. When Mitsuha unravels her hair tie at the start of the movie, she undoes the current timeline. Taki, by wearing the hair tie, is making a new timeline by having the string meet a new end. At the end of the movie, when he gives Mitsuha her hair tie back, she wraps it around her head once more, solidifying the new flow of events.

Taki and Mitsuha contrast each other in not their bodies, but also in the locations, cultures, and ideas each character was raised in. Taki’s life is very modern and is rooted in a city where traditional beliefs are not the main focus of life. Conversely, Mitsuha lives in a rural town surrounded by nature where religious practices and traditions encompass a large facet of her life. Though the idea of a body swapping adventure sounds fantastical and nonsensical, the movie has many allusions to Japanese spirituality for its explanation of the phenomena. The movie alludes to the notion that many facets of life such as fate, time, and salvation are tied to spiritual practices and how believing and partaking in old traditions are the key to understanding and controlling such concepts. It is implied that someone living in a modern setting is devoid of such understandings of the world and thus incapable of changing the world nor their lives compared to a person of spiritual background. As a result, the movie suggests that we need tradition and spirituality in our lives in order to be true masters of our own lives. For example, Taki, in order to save Mitsuha and her village, had to commute from the city to the nature filled town out in the countryside. Once there, he was only able to get another chance to save Mitsuha by drinking sake made through traditional means in a shine.

Finally, the movie touches upon the idea of sexuality. Though I have talked about this topic a lot in the past few posts, I will say this anime has a similar mindset as other anime where it suggests that there shouldn’t be a gender norm. When each main character switches bodies, the people around Taki and Mitsuha notice how each of them act either more “masculine” or “feminine.” Their bodies act differently and show different sides of people that exist within them. Not all boys are super tough and unaccepting of emotion while not all girls are soft and frail. This show challenges the idea of conformity and encourages you to express yourself however you want. The fact that friends and families of each main character seem happy (for the most part) about their differences in behavior critiques how society should accept people who don’t conventionally fit into any preexisting mold of gender.

[bleachenjoyer]

4/13 - Your Name

Your Name is a movie that I've been meaning to watch for a while, but just hadn't gotten around to it. As the fifth movie we've watched in class, I can't say I liked it as much as End of Evangelion or A Silent Voice, I still think it was a very strong film with many good themes and definitely something I will have to watch again to fully understand.

I definitely think the creators of Your Name wanted to push a message of embracing tradition over modernity. A great portion of the film is dedicated to showing how a return to spirituality and tradition is what began the path towards the people of the town being saved instead of destroyed by the offshoot of the comet. When Taki realizes that the thread of time has been broken and Mitsuha and the town have both been gone for years, it is only when he departs his city life, journeys to the old shrine, and partakes in the ceremonial sake that he can begin to alter fate. Also, I think the movie puts a greater reverence on the activities happening in traditional living - a great amount of care and detail is put into the making of the woven ribbons, the making of the sake, and the visits to the shrine, as opposed to the much more mundane elements of city life shown through Mitsuha and Taki's experiences in Tokyo.

I also think that fate as a concept is explored in the movie. I don't mean this to imply that Your Name is trying to say that everything is predestined to happen - I just think that it states that there will always be events and happenings that are out of the control of humanity, but it is the decisions that we as humans make that truly define the future.

[bleachenjoyer]

I definitely think that the portrayal of some of the countries in Hetalia absolutely misrepresents the actual acts and history of the World Wars and more events. I honestly was surprised with the portrayal of Germany - the fact that it wasn't villainized was a strange choice. The stereotypes of each country were also very in-your-face and were honestly kind of annoying by the end (I was beginning to lose it with Italy mentioning pasta for the millionth time).

Hetalia: Axis Powers (EP 1 - 19)

Hetalia is not what I was expecting it to be. The poster for it is definitely deceiving because I thought this was going to be a slice of life series about some guy, but nope. It’s literally about the relationship and events that took place between several countries during the time of World War 1 and World War 2. As the name suggests Hetalia: Axis Powers centers around the formation of the Axis Powers and the Allied Powers. Countries like the US, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Britain, and many others (Holy Roman Empire too) make appearances in this series that take a comedic approach towards “educating” its audience about the events that took place in WW1 and WW2. This series even portrayed events that took place before the World War like the American Revolutionary War as we see in the episodes concerning America cleaning its storage room. 

The stereotypes in this series are constant throughout this series. Please note that unfortunately I chose to watch the 19 episodes of Hetalia: Axis Powers assigned to us in English Dub…Continuing on, America is always chowing down on fast food like hamburgers and sodas. America is an individual who thinks highly of himself and always wants to be the hero, without truly doing the work most times. Japan is reserved, quiet, and observant. Germany has an accent and is very stern, buff, and disciplined. Italy is portrayed as being very naive, nonchalant, and weak. Italy also turns out to be a thorn in Germany’s side because of their care-free nature. That thorn grows bigger once Germany realizes how flaky and insufficient Italy is in battle. Something that the reading cleared up for me was why the series is called Hetalia. As I was watching the episodes, I kept wondering why Hetalia sounds so close to Italia (the Italian word for Italy), and it’s because creators combined the word “hetare”, meaning useless, with Italia. Useless Italy… but I’m not sure why the whole series should be called Useless Italy because it covers other countries as well, perhaps that’s the “humor” behind it? Even still, you have countries like Germany that are portrayed in a positive and hardworking light, when it wasn’t like that at all. Especially when looking at the time period this show takes place as I’ve mentioned before between WW1 and WW2, meaning the Holocaust was happening then. Germany is portrayed as this helpful and determined individual who helps out his allies when, in reality, it was a raging racist and anti-semitic totalitarian state. The depiction and behavior of Germany wasn’t the only thing that stood out to me, but it was definitely at the forefront of my mind. Italy’s not safe at all seeing as it was also under fascist rule, but by Benito Mussolini. I can definitely see how and why this show caused controversy with various populaces’ and governments around the world because it depicts and impacts the people of those respective countries. All in all, I wasn’t expecting this kind of storyline from Hetalia, at all.

[bleachenjoyer]

4/9 - Hetalia: Axis Powers

I had heard of Hetalia prior to watching the assigned episodes for tonight, and after watching the episodes, I was definitely thinking to myself 'what on Earth did I just watch'? Although I didn't quite understand what was going on at times, I think I was able to catch on to enough to write about. I think that not only the plot but also the existence of Hetalia in the first place have applications to the real world.

If there was one thing that I were to take away from Hetalia, it is that history and international relations are complicated. Even in the more fictionalized elements of the episodes we watched, there was some kind of friction or confusion going on that made things much less smooth than they could be. I already know this to be the case, but it was interesting seeing this kind of strange spin on real events. I think the entire concept of the show itself calls into question what is and isn't grounds for parody - this show covers some topics that are not necessarily humorous and attempts to make them so. When some of the topics in question are actual wars that happened, it made me wonder about the ethics of parody (at least in this respect) and the making light of very heavy events.

Maybe things would make a little more sense if I were to complete the series, so maybe I'll have to make that happen. I definitely think that the format of the episodes (the 5 minute length, the multiple storylines within each episode, etc.) lent itself to a very chaotic and disjointed experience when compared to the movies and shows we've watched before in this class. I will welcome the more long-form format of Your Name when we watch that for Friday.

[bleachenjoyer]

Thanks for this post! I definitely agree with the points you made here - and they are some really compelling ones! These cutscenes absolutely display the consequences of 'flying too close to the sun', as it were, for power. I undoubtedly think that this parallels the real world, and how many countries are vying for power and increased influence at the expense of others. I should get on playing this game too!

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

As I am presenting on this set of videos for the game Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I won’t give away too much of the information being talked about tomorrow. I will be talking about one of the themes which is the delusions of grandeur. In the 24th video of the playlist, we start off with seeing a room of scientists and analysts attempting to regain balance from the war waging outside the station. It then cuts to the professor who is experimenting on the Conduit talking about how creating a new universe and new life is something only a god could do but now he will be able to achieve the same. This seemingly is pushing his human agenda of wanting to have the ultimate power and wanting to play the role of god. Towards the end we see however that this professor regrets doing what he did as it caused suffering for all his people and it brought to light just the vastness of the universes and how even by creating what he did there was no way to escape the overwhelming power of who or whatever is out there in the great beyond. We can see this coming into play in the real world all to often with many powerhouse countries and wealthy people feeling as though they have the ultimate power and decision over life and death of the vast majority of people. Without getting political we can see countries building nukes and waging war in order to fulfill the idea that they deserve to be in control of everyone when in reality they are just someone filling a spot in the grand timeline of the world’s lifespan. Overall we have seen world leaders attempt to play the role of god and we know that with humanity being built the way it was, no one person should hold all the power as no single person has the best intentions for everyone. In the reading when talking about alchemy and the role it can play we read “It shows how alchemy in its many forms was just as empirical in its orientation as the mechanical or materialist forms of science that eventually triumphed. The main difference was that practitioners of alchemy believed that the secrets of nature represented an underlying divine unity that was manifest in the material world. Mechanical science was equally theological, but it posited that God was distant from nature, denying that nature itself might hold meaning." Overall now I want to play the game....

[bleachenjoyer]

4/6 - Xenoblade Chronicles 2

I had heard of Xenoblade Chronicles prior to watching these cutscenes (mostly due to characters from the series' inclusion in Super Smash Brothers) but I didn't know very much about its actual plot or anything from the actual games prior to watching these cutscenes. Admittedly, I had to look up a plot summary to bridge some of the gaps and fully grasp what was going on, but once I had both watched the cutscenes and read the synopsis, I could see that this game paints a picture of some themes that could definitely be described as eco-consciousness as well as some that could warn of the effect humanity can have on itself if no accountability is in place.

From the beginning of the cutscene playlist, I immediately drew connections to elements of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. The Cloud Sea paralleled the Toxic Jungle to me - an area not fully understood, not habitable, and as we come to find, the result of human action. It's not hard to draw a connection to real-world pollution and the ruination of land as a result of human activity. This theme is compounded upon by the destruction of Elysium, as a direct result of individual actions. However, the message is not all negative and bleak - the end of the story sees the dissolution of the Cloud Sea and an almost reborn world, which I believe implies a hopeful message and the possibility for humanity to turn itself around before it's too late.

Overall, though there are definitely many elements of the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 cutscenes that aren't related to this theme, I believe that the story communicates the importance of preserving the world and the potential ramifications of letting the actions of certain individuals go unchecked and ruining the environment for everyone else.

[bleachenjoyer]

4/3 - SwampCon

SwampCon was a very interesting experience. As I've been a fan of pop culture for a long time and anime a little more recently, I was of course aware of conventions and the kinds of things one would find in them, but I had never actually attended. Funnily enough, I had never attended SwampCon, but as a Gainesville resident, I had definitely heard of it from many people in high school. All this being said, in addition to the great amount we learned in class from the series we watched, specifically Genshiken, and the readings associated with this series, going to SwampCon and taking in all the things going on there definitely showed me a real-world example of the concepts of fandom, shadow cultural capital, and the personalization of fiction in order to 'possess' these non-physical things.

I was not at SwampCon as long as I wanted to be (due to a tremendous project that I had due the following Monday in another class) but I made sure to check out what I thought would be most relevant to the material we had learned in class. Namely, I did a lot of looking at the merchandise and material that was being sold in the vendor areas in the Reitz. It wasn't exactly like Genshiken (I would have been a little alarmed to see the type of doujinshi shown in Genshiken, but it would have been a strong connection from the series!). However, there was a similar vein of merchandise being sold in the sense that a lot of it was handmade representations of elements from various anime and pop culture series, which could be taken as examples of simulacra and the claiming of fictional elements as a means of possession for their fans (as we talked about).

This being said, I think the accumulation of shadow cultural capital as a concept was definitely in full swing (in my opinion) during SwampCon. One massive way in which this was happening was definitely cosplay of its attendees - it was difficult to find any people there that were not dressed up in some way, including me (though it wasn't a full-on cosplay, I had a cardigan on with a design from Bleach) and the friend I went with (who went as Asuka from Evangelion). This was one of the methods of acquisition we had talked about, and it was very compelling to see that in action. Additionally, there were examples of physical claiming of fandom as well, which I saw most strongly in the art rooms - where there were a lot of art pieces made by various fans that you could buy that clearly were not official but were original in their own right through the effort put in by their creators. I did not have time to go to any panels, but I imagine shadow cultural capital also played a hand in that element of SwampCon. I've never been to a panel like the ones here, but I understand that a lot of it is talking about specific series and enumerating parts of them to a wide audience.

Overall, I do think that SwampCon was a very cool and valuable experience, and it was great to be able to attend a convention before graduating (it had been on my list of things to do for a while). On top of this, it was cool to connect the material we had learned in the readings and viewings from the class to a real-world event. I may not be in Gainesville next year after I graduate, but hopefully I'll be able to experience something like this again!

[bleachenjoyer]

Thanks for this post! I definitely agree with your assertions about Nausicaa as a character - she clearly gets no enjoyment about violence, but is willing to undertake it if absolutely necessary. Nausicaa is also very prominently caring for the environment and the Valley throughout the entire movie, as you said - and it is this care that leads to the positive outcome at the end of the story.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

I loved the environmental aspect of this movie, and I think that is what differentiates this movie significantly from other war-type movies we have watched in the past.

I really enjoyed Nausicaa as a protagonist and I think that she is constantly able to think rationally and do what is best for her Valley. It's refreshing to see how much she cares for the nature around her and how she puts effort into caring for the creatures and growing plants of her own.

As a princess, she does not have to do all the things she does, like journey out into the Sea of Decay, she could just give orders from the comfort of a tower, but instead, she puts in a great deal of effort to protect her valley. She is willing to put herself into dangerous situations for the sake of the people she is governing.

At the surface level, Nausicaa might seem like a naive pacifist, but in reality, she is fully aware of the violence of the world and is able to make violent decisions when it is necessary. She finds no joy in these actions but understands that she needs to do them, however, she never does so unnecessarily and will always result in another form of conflict resolution first.

In the end, Nausicaa is able to end the rage not by an act of violence, but by sacrificing her life to the creatures. She was more than willing to give up her life to save the valley, and to make sure the humans stopped fighting the creatures. Because of her kindness in the past to the creatures, she is brought back to life, bringing hope of human survival in any circumstance.

(a little short this time around but just you wait til next Monday)

[bleachenjoyer]

4/2 - Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

I went into Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind with the expectation that is would be a film about environmentalism to some degree, as had been alluded to in class. In watching it, I found this to be somewhat the case, as much of the movie hinges around this theme - not only in its setting, but through its major plot elements and overarching motifs.

It is plain to see the environmental undertones of Nausicaa from the start of the movie - as a result of immense conflict, the Toxic Jungle was created, the setting in which the movie takes place. The transformation of a previously habitable area into a much more hostile environment where life quite literally cannot sustain itself is a pretty clear-cut allegory for pollution. This theme is further compounded upon by Nausicaa's findings relating to the plants in the Toxic Jungle, in which the plants grown under normal conditions are fine but those grown under toxic conditions are toxic. I choose to interpret this as a warning against the consequences of pollution - though the pollution itself is a detriment, it goes to show the ramifications on other elements of the environment that it can cause as well.

It is easy to see how these themes made it into Nausicaa, especially considering the real-world inspiration for Hayao Miyazaki's work on the film: mercury poisoning of Minamata Bay and the environment's response. After having researched the film and having this context for its production, it is certain that Nausicaa promotes an anti-pollution and pro-environmentalist message, while also commenting on the dangers of greed, fear, and conflict as a whole. I believe this film also bears a message of hope for the future, as the movie ends on the growth of a non-toxic tree in the Toxic Jungle, signifying that regrowth and recovery is possible.