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Your Name

It took me a bit to understand the connection between this week's material. At first glance, Your Name and Foucault’s History of Sexuality seem like they’re from totally different worlds. One’s a beautiful, emotional anime about star-crossed lovers, and the other is a dense philosophical text about power and discourse. But uppon closer inspection, they both delve into how identity and relationships are shaped by systems we don’t always see. Foucault argues that power isn’t just something people hold, it's something that's everywhere, woven into our relationships, our knowledge, and even how we talk about ourselves. In Your Name, the idea of identity is super fluid. Taki and Mitsuha literally switch bodies, forcing them to understand life from the other’s perspective. But what’s really interesting is how they start to internalize each other’s behaviors, Mitsuha gains confidence and Taki gets in touch with his emotions, and this speaks to Foucault’s idea that identity isn’t fixed, it’s shaped by interactions and social expectations. There’s this push and pull between what the characters can remember and what’s being erased, almost like a metaphor for how power works in Foucault’s view: not through big, obvious control, but through subtle erasure, normalization, and shaping what’s considered “true” or “real.” Their love resists those structures, pushing back against forgetfulness and fate, which kind of mirrors Foucault’s idea that resistance is always part of power, not separate from it. While Your Name may not look political, it taps into some deep ideas about how we come to know ourselves, each other, and the forces that quietly guide that process.

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🇩🇪 Hetalia: Axis Powers 🇮🇹 🎌

I never thought I'd be watching Hetalia: Axis Powers for one of my classes, but here we are. Hetalia is one of those anime that sounds super weird when you try to explain it: countries turned into anime boys reenacting world history. But it actually says a lot about how fans interact with history, identity, and each other. In Annett’s article "World Conflict/World Conference" these ideas are broken down by showing how Hetalia isn’t just a quirky comedy; it’s also a huge example of how anime can build international fan communities while still causing a bit of friction across cultures​. One of the biggest takeaways is how Hetalia became a phenomenon among female fans, especially in places like Ikebukuro’s Otome Road. There, fans weren't just watching the anime, they were buying merch, writing fanfiction, making cosplay, and turning the show into a social experience. Annett points out how these fan communities (mainly fujoshi) used the characters and their relationships to explore ideas that went way beyond the anime’s surface. It was an opportunity to explore things like queerness, national identity, and alternate versions of history​.

However, because Hetalia uses stereotypes and lightheartedly portrays serious wartime events, it sparked controversy, especially in places like South Korea. Annett explains how this shows the tension in “transcultural fandoms.” When fans across the world connect through shared interests, they don’t always see the material the same way​. What’s fun and funny for some might be hurtful or confusing for others. Still, Hetalia is a perfect case of how anime isn’t just a product, it’s a platform for fans to build communities, tell their own stories, and even rethink history in creative (if sometimes chaotic) ways. It’s messy and imperfect, but that’s what makes the fandom around it so interesting.

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It's so funny that Misa is famous. Imagine that you're a normal ass cop and you get put on a special task force to catch a mass murderer. And you meet with the expert detective in charge. And he tells you your top 2 suspects are a random teenager and like. Ariana grande

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Her 💛

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AKIRA

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rise and grind

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Xenoblade Chronicles 2

This week's material included cutscenes from the video game Xenoblade Chronicles 2 along with Cobb’s "The Drama of the Anthropocene: Can Deep Ecology, Romanticism, and Renaissance Science Rebalance Nature and Culture?"​. The game is set in a world where the natural environment has already collapsed, and what’s left of humanity lives on the backs of giant creatures called Titans. That whole setup feels like a metaphor for how Cobb talks about humans pushing nature beyond its limits, using it, reshaping it, and eventually breaking it. The Titans, who were once powerful and full of life, are slowly dying because of human greed, short-sightedness, and the exploitation of resources. It all feels a bit too familiar. In the article, Cobb talks about how modern humans see themselves as separate from nature, treating it like an object instead of something we’re part of​. In Xenoblade 2, that disconnect is super obvious in the way people treat the Titans. The idea of instrumentalism is illustrated in the way humans take and take from the natural world without thinking about the long-term damage. It's only characters like Rex, who see the Titans as living beings worthy of respect, that offer a real chance for change.

There’s also a big theme about needing a “new operating manual” for civilization, which Cobb says we’ll need to survive the Anthropocene​. That mirrors what happens in the game when the characters realize the old ways of endless fighting and using up the land aren’t sustainable anymore. They have to imagine a new future where they live in harmony with the world instead of just surviving on its remains. This detail is a little concerning, given our previous discussions around the dangers of grand narratives, but I can see how it comes from a place of wanting positive change. Overall, I think Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is an interesting fantasy story about the Anthropocene: showing what happens when we lose our connection to nature, but also offering some hope that we can rebuild it if we change how we see ourselves and the world around us.

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sometimes you have to rewatch nausicaa of the valley of the wind and be reminded that after disaster there is beauty. after violence there is love. there is magic in decay, there is hope in a toxic jungle there is -

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🍃Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind🍃

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind felt like a thrilling adventure and a deeply personal story at the same time. It's a story about compassion, empathy, and finding a better way to live with the world instead of trying to conquer it. I loved the art, the music, and the overall story. Nausicaä herself is such a refreshing hero. She’s not the usual “chosen one” type who's trying to dominate nature or defeat evil through violence. She actually listens, learns, and tries to understand the creatures and people around her, even when they’re hostile. She doesn’t see the toxic jungle as something evil that needs to be destroyed, she sees it as misunderstood, something that grew out of human mistakes but still has its own kind of beauty and purpose.

The anime doesn’t shy away from showing how destructive humanity can be, either. It’s clear that greed, fear, and the hunger for power are what poisoned the earth in the first place. But it also shows that healing is possible if people change the way they interact with the world. I really liked how Nausicaä’s compassion isn’t portrayed as weakness. It’s her greatest strength, and it ends up saving everyone. Overall, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind isn’t just about saving the environment, it’s about finding a new way to live with it and with each other. It’s a little idealistic, but it felt honest in a way a lot of other “save the world” stories don’t.

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youtube that is a big question

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The End of Evangelion👁️

I've been meaning to watch The End of Evangelion, but the first time I tried, I closed my laptop after the infamous hospital scene. TEoE is basically the emotional and psychological meltdown of its predecessor Neon Genesis Evangelion. It takes everything that was bubbling under the surface in the series, like feelings of loneliness, fear, and self-hatred, and blows it up into something chaotic and brutal. Instead of giving us a traditional heroic ending, the movie forces Shinji (and the audience) to sit with the mess of what it means to be human. At the center of it all is Shinji’s total breakdown. He doesn’t want to hurt anymore, but he’s terrified of being close to people because it means risking even more pain.

Instrumentality, the idea of fusing all humans into one mind to erase loneliness, sounds tempting, but Shinji realizes it would also erase what makes everyone unique. So he’s stuck between two terrible options: be alone and suffer, or lose himself completely. The movie is messy on purpose. Scenes blend dreams, memories, and reality until you can’t tell them apart, which mirrors how lost Shinji feels. TEoE also rips apart the usual ideas of what a “strong” or “masculine” hero should be. Like in NGE, Shinji isn’t brave or confident; he’s scared, confused, and desperate for love, and that’s what makes him feel real. By the end, Shinji makes the painful choice to live in a world where people are separate and relationships can hurt. The final scene with Asuka is uncomfortable and ambiguous, but that’s kind of the point: real human connection is messy and hard, not some perfect fantasy. Overall, TEoE isn’t about saving the world. It’s about facing how scary it is just to exist and still deciding to keep going anyway.

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^ how finals has me feeling

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💠 Neon Genesis Evangelion 💠

It's been a while since I've seen Neon Genesis Evangelion, so this was a nice opportunity to revisit the series. This week's readings included R.W. Connell’s "Masculinities" and Robert Heasley’s "Queer Masculinities of Straight Men," and when viewed alongside them, NGE becomes a sharp critique of the rigid norms around gender performance and masculinity in particular. Connell’s notion of hegemonic masculinity defines the culturally dominant idea of what a "real man" should be. This definition includes traits like strength, emotional restraint, and heterosexual dominance​. Yet in Evangelion, the protagonist Shinji Ikari is defined precisely by his failure to embody these traits. Shinji is sensitive, fearful, and driven by a desperate need for affection, traits that, according to Connell, often lead boys and men to be marginalized or labeled with feminized insults like “wimp” or “sissy”​.

Shinji’s inability to "perform" hegemonic masculinity places him outside the circle of what traditional society defines as a legitimate male subject. Heasley’s framework expands on this by introducing the idea of "queer masculinities" or ways of being male that disrupt heteronormative standards​. Shinji’s relationships, especially with Kaworu Nagisa, reflect Heasley’s idea of "elective straight-queers" and "social justice straight-queers." These archetypes, whether consciously or not, disrupt the dominant scripts of masculinity and heterosexuality. Kaworu's affection toward Shinji, and Shinji’s ambiguous, emotional response, suggests a queering of hetero-masculinity not through sexual labels, but through the intimate, emotionally vulnerable connection itself. Their interactions break away from the hypermasculine, emotionally sterile relationships usually portrayed between male characters in media.

Moreover, Shinji’s general behavior, his hesitation to fight, and his frequent emotional breakdowns aligns with what Heasley calls living "in the shadow of masculinity"​. He understands the expectations placed on him but cannot fully engage with the aggressive, dominating ideals of masculinity that his role as an Eva pilot demands. Like Heasley's "shadow" men, Shinji survives by "doing enough" masculinity to get by, piloting the Eva because he is ordered to, but without embracing the identity of the warrior-hero. This ultimately reveals how fragile hegemonic masculinity is: it requires constant performance, often at great personal cost. His father, Gendo, also illustrates these dynamics. Gendo represents an authoritarian, emotionless form of hegemonic masculinity: commanding, cold, and obsessed with control. Yet the show reveals the hollowness and profound loneliness behind his facade.

NGE portrays masculinity not as a natural or stable identity, but as a painful, often impossible performance. The characters live in a world where failing to conform to rigid gender norms leads to isolation and suffering. By centering characters who cannot or will not perform traditional masculinity, NGE offers a vision of identity that is fluid, fraught, and deeply human. It critiques hegemonic masculinity by presenting characters who exist on the margins of what masculinity "should" be.

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⚧️ Wandering Son ⚧️

This week's anime was one that I had never heard of before, which is unfortunate because it was an interesting story with pretty visuals. Wandering Son directed by Ei Aoki, explores the lives of two transgender kids, Shuichi Nitori and Yoshino Takatsuki, as they figure out who they are and how they want to present themselves to the world. The show presented gender in a thoughtful way, not as something inherent, but as something people perform, shape, and struggle with, especially when they’re growing up. The idea of gender performance or the way we "do" gender through clothes, behavior, and how we talk or move is comes through in the selected episodes. Shuichi wants to wear feminine clothes and go by a feminine name, but she’s always running into pushback from classmates, teachers, and even her own family. Those small, quiet moments, like when she tries on a dress or talks about her name, say so much about how hard it can be to live authentically in a world that wants you to fit into a neat box.

Yoshino deals with this too, especially when it comes to what he wears and how people see him. The anime does a pretty good job of showing these struggles in small, meaningful ways. The friendship between the two becomes a kind of safe space, where they can be more themselves without fear of judgment. This is especially clear after the scene where Shuichi runs through the street after being called sick for putting on a dress. I also liked the inclusion of an older transgender character who acted as a mentor for the two protagonists. The tone of Wandering Son is slow and soft, which matches the emotional weight of the story. I really enjoyed the dreamy watercolor art. It didn’t try to be flashy or overly dramatic. Instead, it lets you sit with the characters and really feel what they’re going through. The characters did look pretty similar which made keeping track of the story and relationship dynamics a little confusing, but maybe this was a purposeful choice to further blur the lines of gender expression. Overall, I enjoyed the show, and I found the story endearing. Representation for marginalized communities is important, and I hope more stories like this can be told.

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salt and vinegar 😛

Death Note

What chip flavor do y'all think it was?

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Akira

ANXIETY STOP