#and the end point of interpretation shouldn't be retroactively applied to conception | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

chiarrara · 6 days ago

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One of the most important things to practice in analyzing or even appreciating media is placing that media in the appropriate historical context.

For example, it is incredibly short-sighted to criticize Revolutionary Girl Utena for being formulaic and reusing animation sequences based on preferences and standards from the 2020s, but it's also incredibly short-sighted to only rebut that the repetitiveness is thematic when it was animated in 1997 and directed by a guy who worked on Sailor Moon.

#restrictions of the medium and the production can be used toward thematic purpose. but you shouldn't imply they exist for that purpose #and the end point of interpretation shouldn't be retroactively applied to conception #and watching old shows out of context of what else was being made around that time is just ignorant #like rgu in 1997 shouldn't be approached the same as haruhi's endless eight in 2009 #repetitiveness is thematic in both but the context is different #for the record I think both are good. but i also binged endless eight and didn't have to tune in week to week for two months #so my opinion is also formed by removal from historical context. which i have to understand to see why it's disliked #it's normal to struggle watching formulaic 90s shows today when the access and infrastructure to view them is completely different #not to mention how cultural mindsets around media and entertainment have drastically shifted with those changes #you have to just put your brain in “old show” mode and let it do what it's gonna do man idk what to tell you. learn how to watch old media #revolutionary girl utena #rgu #utena #shoujo kakumei utena

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