randy-wlee

[randy-wlee]

It’s true that Mima could have protected herself by reporting it to the police, and I think she did not do so because she doesn’t want to bother others. When she talks about her concerns to those around her, they seem against the idea of reporting to the police. The others are likely too focused on filming the show. This is evident when we consider the fact that they just continued filming when the team members are literally getting killed. 

Perfect Blue

“Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don’t know why. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.” 

-American Psycho (2000)

I would like to attach a disclaimer, that the analysis of this film as well as the informational link(s) I have provided surrounds sensitive content that may be graphic, upsetting or offensive.

Perfect Blue is regarded as an anime classic, from the creative genius of Satoshi Kon. I’ve only seen one other Kon film, his Tokyo Godfathers. It’d be painfully obvious to say that the two films are as different as two films could be, showing off this director’s range. I would like to watch more Kon films in the future. I can see why Perfect Blue is so well regarded, but it is definitely not a movie I should have started at 1:30 a.m.. 

Perfect Blue tells the story of Mima Kirigoe, a pop idol that is looking to move her career in a more serious direction, with acting. Her very last concert is practically ruined by rude fans, and this starts the film off by drawing towards it’s central message, as the movie makes a biting critique of fandom and celebrity cultures. 

Throughout the film, we see that Mima’s fans have no respect for her autonomy. We see this in various scenes, where her overwhelmingly male fan base makes remarks about what she’s doing with her career, and expect her to constantly keep the pop idol persona they’ve fallen in love with throughout her life. They don’t respect her enough to respect her boundaries, lining up outside of her apartment building, first thing in the morning. When Mima ignores them, they complain that acting has turned her snobby. They don’t bother to think about the fact that Mima may be going through something, or even simply doesn’t like people doing this to her. They make these complaints in front of her because they don’t care about her welfare, and they don’t respect her as a human being– Mima is just a source of entertainment, and they expect her to be entertaining 24/7. 

The elephant in the room of this movie is the character of Me-Mania, who is representative of this harmful fan base on an extreme scale. While other fans mercilessly criticize her, Me-Mania brings this onto another frightening level, stalking her and attempting to rape her. Although he seems exaggerated, the very caricature of a creepy stalker, people like Me-Mania are all too real, and are a blight on the film and musical arts. In the United States, Natalie Portman has come forward to say that the first fan mail she ever received, at age thirteen (13), was a man telling her about his fantasies of raping her.  

Despite this mistreatment, Mima is brave enough to continue her career. However, her dedicated service to others comes at her own detriment. There are multiple times that she could have stood up for herself or contacted authorities from what she was experiencing, but she did not, out of fear, ranging from the simple fear of being a bother to fear of herself losing her grip on reality. This is something that is relevant to both Japanese and American societies, as women are less likely to report problems, less likely to ask for raises, etc., because of the societal roles that have been pressured upon them. As a result of the pressure from society and fans, we see Mima’s breaking point, when she starts to lose touch with reality. This is her TV show’s rape scene. Even though her co-worker was very respectful, saying he was sorry to be in such an uncomfortable position, Mima was not nearly an experienced enough actress to be putting herself in that sort of situation, even if she was in no real danger. The only one that truly recognized this was another woman, Rumi. However, Rumi didn’t even stop what was happening, it was too late. 

The film isn’t quite clear, as we see things from Mima’s distorted perspective. The pressure set upon her doesn’t cease, as not only Mima, but those around her, become increasingly delusional. Me-Mania has already been discussed, but his terror almost pales in comparison to that of Rumi. I was most surprised by this, as Rumi was the only one I trusted to help Mima in the film. However, at the film’s climax, it is revealed that Rumi has been having delusions of being the “real Mima”, and has actually been the one writing the “Mima’s Room” webpage. She had exploited Me-Mania’s vulnerability to pull him into this delusion as well. Rumi had committed the murders, and even tried to kill Mima as well. 

The events of this film are meant to represent the terrifying, voyeuristic way in which people are treated, just because they sing pop music, act, or other things. This mistreatment comes from not only the fans that are obsessed with consuming, but those managing the talent that are obsessed with producing. Grinded to a powder in the middle is the talent itself (singers, actors, etc.), that are held up to these unrealistic expectations. People ignore the terrible conditions, particularly in J-Pop and K-Pop, that these talents are put under, only seeking to consume/produce. This is why so many of them die young, or have mental breakdowns, and what Perfect Blue is looking to present. 

[randy-wlee]

Apr. 22 - Perfect Blue

This was my first time watching Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue, and my goodness, it was really heavy. Although some scenes were disturbing, this movie is amazing in my opinion. The anime did a great job portraying the psychological side of Mima. I also love how the anime blurs what is real and not by depicting the characters filming for a show.  

Perfect Blue portrays the challenges faced by idols/actresses in Japan. As we see early on, Mima is popular and her fans give her plenty of attention. The character Me-Mania in particular, is obsessed with Mima. He constantly observes her movements, recording everything she does on “her” website. Such actions invade on Mima’s privacy. Even at her home, there are hints that Mima is being watched. In Japan, extreme fans who send death threats and harass idols/actresses do exist and some have even injured them. The stabbing of Mayu Tomita is an example. Also, when Rumi discusses about Mima being an actress with the other person (forgot his name), that person doesn’t really consider Mima’s feelings. I thought that reflected the pressure that idols/actresses in Japan face. There have been cases where idols commit suicide due to the pressure they face from their agencies.

I read online that Rumi and Me-Mania thought Mima is not who she is anymore because the rape scene and her nude shots tarnished her pure image. Thinking back now this does make sense. During the rape scene, Rumi is seen crying, even though it is just a fake performance. Furthermore, after Me-Mania tried to rape Mima but failed, he ends up dead next to Tadokoro. Because Rumi did not see Mima as herself anymore, she tries to kill her as well. This need to maintain purity exists in Japan’s acting/idol industry as well. In the idol industry for instance, there is a no-dating policy which prohibits idols from (openly) being in a relationship.

[randy-wlee]

I thought your point about Decim essentialist view does make sense and I like your examples of it in society. I think society is quick to label what is “good” and “evil” as well when in fact it is not that black and white. I thought of an example: a person robs others because he is too poor to pay for his son’s medial bills. Upon learning about the robbery, people would likely label him as “bad” or “evil” even though he has “good” reason to do so.

Sign Me Up For The Death Parade Please

Wow, Death Parade was really a unique anime. The story was framed around these moral dilemnas, in which we, as the viewers, must judge whether characters presented to us are “good” or “bad,” at their essence. (It reminds me of those trolley problems.) Of course, the conclusion that the show arrives at is the fact that nothing is that black and white, and that every person’s life decisions are morally ambiguous. 

Speaking of black and white, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Decim is visually black and white (in terms of his hair and his clothing). His appearance certainly reflects his views: that every person is either good or bad, and that this moral quality can be exposed given enough prodding. It’s a bit of a stretch, but it kind of reminds me of the ideology of essentialism. But in this case, it would be essentialism of the individual, the idea that each individual, at their essence, is good or evil, and that all of their life choices can be rationalized by this essence. 

This seems like a silly ideology, but it certainly pervades through everyone’s thought processes. People are guilty or not guilty, going to the afterlife or going to purgatory, etc. And much like how, in this anime, games are used to decide the fates of the dead, the judicial system kind of seems like a game too; one side wins and one side loses, and both are trying to do everything they can to eke out an advantage over the other while following the rules. And this “game” ultimately decides how society will then judge this person. 

I’ll be honest; the little interpersonal dramas between members of the Quindecim bar were kind of boring to me. But I thought that the overall premise of this anime was pretty interesting. And that metal music during the end credits went super hard! :D

[randy-wlee]

Apr. 20 - Death Parade (ep. 1,2,9,11)

These four episodes of Death Parade were… interesting. It wasn’t what I expected it to be, but it’s still a pretty unique concept.

These episodes definitely focused on human emotions, but I was slightly confused. The black-haired girl (Chiyuki) in episode 2 argues to Decim that Machiko actually loved her husband and was just trying to lessen his guilt. I thought this demonstrates how complex human emotions are. Machiko is willing to go the extreme, lying and destroying her relationship just to protect Machiko. In episode 11, Chiyuki admits that it is difficult for humans to understand each other, stating that she herself couldn’t understand why she is upset after her injury. Again, this seem to point towards the complexity of human emotions. In episode 9 however, we saw how the game itself intensified Shimada’s need for revenge. Chiyuki points out to Decim that people aren’t that complex and their emotions are easily influenced. To me this seems to contradict the whole idea of human emotions being complex.

Chiyuki being with Decim leads him to question his judgements. The former questions the latter’s ability to understand human emotions, stating that he was never alive. I thought this is a fair point. If it is difficult for humans to understand emotions, how can someone who was never alive do any better? Considering how Decim’s wrongly judged Machiko and Takashi due to his inability to understand emotions, is it really fair for him to remain as an arbiter?

After watching episode 9, I thought the game itself can be compared to court cases. The game pressures individuals and intensifies their emotions, which allow Decim to (sometimes falsely) judge them. This reminded me of cases where defendants are faced with a plea bargain. I’ve read that some defendants who might not be guilty plead guilty because if they plead not guilty and enough evidences are presented, they can face severe punishments. The punishments pressure the defendants, which I thought is kind of similar to the game.

[randy-wlee]

The anime definitely emphasizes on moving on after the war, but I think it also highlights the difficulty in doing so. It is especially the case for Violet. At first she still thinks that she can and should continue serving for the war, not even realizing that she is “burning.” Ilma has difficulty moving on too. I think Ilma being unable to find the right words for her opera actually symbolizes how difficult it is to move on. 

Violet Evergarden

           A theme that this series portrays is the pain the war has brought upon society, we see the emotional pain caused by the loss of a loved one. When Violet was writing the letter to the lady, she found out instead that it was supposed to be the climax to an opera. The letter was supposed to be directed to a soldier by his spouse, the letter would capture the emotion of women and men. This shows much efforts to try to get over the loved ones that were lost at war. This is the transition where they must go on about their days with their loved ones not being there anymore.

           The movie also focuses on the scars and pain left behind by war. In some scenes we are shown bloodshed and battle scenes from Violets dream or memory. We see that the guilt of being in the war and causing bloodshed and also being the one to suffer from losing a devasting amount of their men at war. There seems to be a constant commentary that society should learn to accept the past and move on.

We see how Violet must now live life a very different way than what she would use to in war. We see how she progresses from awaiting to be ordered to do something to actually doing something that is her free will. She has to learn to live on without the major and now has to fit into a post-war society.

In episode 10 we see how Miss Ann’s mom was not worried about the past and writing towards her dead husband from war. Instead the letters are directed to Miss Ann and are symbolic to thinking about the future and learning how to live on without the presence of your loved ones.

[randy-wlee]

Apr. 17 - Violet Evergarden (ep.1, OVA,ep. 9,10)

I think Violet Evergarden is by far the saddest anime we’ve watched in this class. I have watched this once before, but watching it again still hit me hard. Also, I really like the animation in this series. Kyoto Animation did a superb job.  

It’s really sad to see how Violet views herself. Growing up in the army, she came to believe that she is only a tool for war even though Major Gilbert does treat her like a human. The anime portrays how she lives life after the war. Initially, she does not have her own will and only wants orders from Gilbert. She seems more concerned of the major than herself too, as seen in the first episode. Violet however, becomes more accustomed to civilian life by working as an Auto Memory Doll. I think this is what the anime is trying to point out, that getting a job can help war veterans reintegrate into society and deal with loss. In episode 9, when Violet breaks down, she recovers after receiving a letter from Roland and then helping him deliver the remaining letters. While the letter definitely helped, I think delivering the letters contributed to her recovery as well since it gives her a sense of purpose.

I thought it was interesting how Violet tries to learn what love is through writing. She has a hard time understanding the concept of love and the nuances in human language since she takes orders literally. However, as seen in the OVA, she starts to slowly understand after being exposed to the many lost letters. The anime definitely focuses on the power of writing. We saw how Ilma uses Violet’s lyrics in her opera to try to move herself and others forward from the war. I thought this is kind of similar to Nosaka Akiyuki writing of Grave of the Fireflies to overcome war experiences.

[randy-wlee]

I had the same thoughts as you while reading this manga. I couldn’t tell if the author is serious in defending Japan or if he’s using irony. He tells the readers to think critically and to not believe everything they see, but that applies to his manga as well. Also, when he falsely accuses Poka-Q, I’m not sure whether that is meant to show hypocrisy or support his point. 

Sensoron

I have to confess that I feel angry with this manga. Since the document contains only some parts of the manga, I do not make a conclusion for the moment. But I don’t know the author is using an ironic technique, criticizing Japan’s reluctance to admit its mistakes made in the war, or he really thinks that Japan did nothing wrong, and even believe that the United States does brainwashing to Japanese, and fake photos are used in China for publicity. I don’t know the author wants to express his point of view through the mouth of the main character in the manga, or is he satirizing this character. Also, I am surprised that the author could draw such a long manga for the purpose of defending Japan.

Although I have known for a long time that the Japanese government has done a lot to cover up the truth of the history and deny its guilt, including rewriting history textbooks, when I actually read this type of reading, I still feel a bit angry and disappointed. In addition, the argument of this manga is not sustainable. Japan and Germany are aggressor countries, which is an indisputable fact all over the world. I don’t know much about American brainwashing, but I know clearly that Japan massacred more than 300,000 civilians in Nanking. Every Chinese knows this fact. Even if the photos are censored or fake, or if Japanese soldiers did not kill so many people in Nanking, then what? Do you want to say that because of these two reasons, Japan had not committed any crime and had not killed anyone in Nanking?

Recently, My Hero Academia has been completely banned by Chinese mainland because the manga content involves insulting China. I want to say that the Japanese haven’t deeply recognized their mistakes until today. But it is time to change.

[randy-wlee]

Apr 13 - Sensoron

Even though the professor said Yoshinori Kobayashi’s Sensoron is conservative, I was still surprised at how conservative it really is. Through Sensoron, the author denies accusations of war crimes against Japan. After looking up this manga on the Internet, I found that the manga was published in the 1990s, which was a time when there were efforts to rewrite history textbooks in Japan.

The denial of war crimes brought up in the manga is highly controversial. Instead of arguing about it, I’d like to talk about some thoughts I had while reading. In page 6 (of the pdf), the author presents the Tokyo War Crimes Trial, saying that Japan was punished for its crimes and the US used the Nanking Massacre as a justification of the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombing. While reading this, I wondered, are the atomic bombings by the US war crimes? The definition of war crimes includes intentionally attacking the civilian population, and the bombings seem to do just this. However, only the loser of the war is punished for its war crimes. If there is a major war in the future (hopefully not), wouldn’t this serve as a motivation for perpetrators to not lose, and in turn prolong the war?

Sensoron discusses false information and altered images as a tool to influence people’s opinions. I thought this is very relevant in our world today. With easy access to the Internet, people are exposed to a huge amount of information and opinions, and can themselves disseminate them. Due to this, the Internet is being used as a tool to influence thought, which can be dangerous. For example, anti-vaccination supporters have been arguing the negative effects of vaccination, and people believing it is likely the reason why we saw a rise in measles cases last year. I think that when both sides of an argument become widespread on the Internet, it would then become difficult to discern which is the truth.

Also, Sensoron has some relevance to Gellner’s “Short History of Mankind.” Gellner says that nationalism comes from understanding a common high culture (I think). Kobayashi using manga to promote nationalism is then an example of this.

[randy-wlee]

Your analysis of balancing between tradition and modernity is interesting, and I can see how that is the case. At first, I thought the anime favors tradition since tradition was what allowed Itomori to be saved. But considering Taki’s life in Tokyo and Mitsuha’s wish to live in Tokyo, I think the anime is reminding us not to forget tradition in our modern lives. 

Your Name is up there as one of my favorite films of all time. Makoto Shinkai’s art style stands out as some of best that anime has to offer, which help contribute to the film being the highest grossing anime film of all time. 

One major aspect of the film is the ideological juxtaposition between tradition and modernity. The first way the film explores this conflict is by making Mitsuha and Taki polar examples of these concepts. Mitsuha is the presented as the pinnacle of the traditional lifestyle through her role as a Shinto priestess. She takes care of her family’s shrine and participates in her family’s traditional ritual, the kuchikamikaze. On the other hand, Taki represents the aspects of life unique to modernity. He is college student studying architecture, while working part time as a waiter. His choice to study architecture is purposeful, as this career path is symbolic towards the creation of new buildings for the modern era. Throughout the film, Mitsuha and Taki begin to embrace both lifestyles throughout their body swapping misadventures. Taki learns to appreciate the past and traditions, while Mitsuha enjoys the city lifestyle. At the end of the day, the film does not present an answer concerning these juxtaposed ideologies, but rather treats both sides as something that should be balanced. 

This theme of balance between the two is a metaphor for the success of modern Japanese culture. In Japan, western technology and ideology are perceived as modern after the United States helped Japan recover post-WWII. Modern Japanese culture is unique because it was able to strike a balance between maintaining the traditions of the past, while adopting many aspects of modern life. An example of this would be Tokyo as it is renown for it’s modernity. There are plenty of soaring skyscrapers in Tokyo, but ancient shrines are also scattered across the city. Some of these shrines are just as popular as other modern places to visit like Skytree. Overall, Your Name illustrates that balance needs to continue to be maintained between tradition and modernity.

[randy-wlee]

Apr. 10 - Your Name

This is I think the third time I have watched Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name. Although I do think the visuals of this anime is superb, I still find it difficult to wrap my head around the timeline of events in the show.

What stood out to me in Your Name is the rejection of traditional life in favor of a modern one. Early on, Mitsuha is shown to be sick of her current lifestyle. Living in a rural area, she finds it boring because her city is small, shops close early and there are no cafes. Mitsuha doesn’t seem to like practicing the traditions passed down in her family either. For example, after she makes the kuchikamisake while her friends observe, she is embarrassed and later shouts “I hate this life!”. When Mitsuha switches body with Taki however, she enjoys her life living in Tokyo. Mitsuha’s father is similar in this respect. Instead of continuing the Miyamizu family traditions, he chooses to become a politician. Although I’m not entirely sure, I think the anime favors traditional life. I say this not only because the grandmother rebukes the father for becoming a politician, but also because the kuchikamisake that was made in the traditional ceremony became the key to saving Itomori.

Something else that caught my attention is how people reacted to the characters after they switched bodies. When Mitsuha is in Taki’s body, Okudera says to Mitsuha, “I like you better today. Never knew you had a feminine side.” Mitsuha is even able to help Taki go on a date with Okudera. On the other hand, while Taki is in Mitsuha’s body, he helps Mitsuha become popular, to the point that a boy and even a girl confesses his/her love to him. It’s interesting how Mitsuha, who displays her feminine side while in Taki, and Taki, who displays his masculine side in Mitsuha, can gain popularity. This is different from Nitori from Wandering Son, who is punished for not performing according to his gender. The difference could be due to their outward appearances, since Mitsuha and Taki still dressed normally.

[randy-wlee]

I definitely agree that the stereotypes portrayed in Hetalia can serve as a negative influence for people. Similarly, the biases present in the show might influence the audience’s views. This could especially be the case for younger children who might not be knowledgeable, since children do watch this anime.

Hetalia Axis Powers - Apr. 6th

Watching Hetalia Axis Powers really threw me back to middle school where it was the only show I watched for over a month (yikes). It is different watching it now and watching it back when I was 12-13 because I did not know much about world history. I took a lot of history classes in high school so I actually knew what was happening in each episode this time around. Something I picked up on in the show, that I did not notice years ago, was there are many stereotypes for each country. In Annett’s “World Conflict”, she states that the anime makes fun of stereotypes, but does not dismiss them because the characters only play the stereotype. Hetalia Axis Powers is seen controversial because of this reason where hurtful stereotypes are presented and insists that it is true. The anime sets up bad examples of how some people view those of different nationalities and/or ethnicities. Hetalia being a popular anime means almost everyone has access to it and watching it puts a horrible influence on those who are easily susceptible to believing that people from other countries literally act like that. It carries into people making racist and prejudiced comments.

Annett also brings up the biased side of the anime. Past conflicts between South Korea and Japan are presented in the anime with a favorable bias toward Japan. Over 17,000 Koreans signed a petition to cancel Hetalia Axis Powers because of the anger they felt over events shown in the anime, such as the ones during World War II and the Dokdo/Takeshima dispute, and depicted Korea in a disdainful manner. It is interesting to know that the anime has a bias, even if it is not blatantly obvious, because it was written by a Japanese man. The show has gathered hate from fans of other nationalities/ethnicities because of the downplay of certain events by projecting it in a silly and/or cute way. However, it is mentioned in “World Conflict” that some Hetalia fans are educating others by providing factual information of past historical events that are portrayed in the anime. 

[randy-wlee]

Apr. 6 - Hetalia Axis Powers (ep.1-19)

I am quite surprised at what I’ve just watched. I haven’t seen Shirohata’s Hetalia Axis Powers prior to this, and so judging from its name, I thought it would be a serious anime.

Hetalia Axis Powers tries to portray events in history, especially serious ones, in an absurdly light-hearted way through characters that represent each different country. Although I did enjoy it, after reading Annett’s “World Conflict,” I can see how the anime can be controversial. In order to deliver comedy, this show uses stereotypes in some of its scenes. For example, in the grocery shopping scene of episode 14, an Italian cuts the line as the narrator explains it being a common phenomenon, and later another Italian is shown to be loud in line. For the dubbed version, I thought about why we were asked to watch it, and what is most obvious is the accents that the countries have. Japan’s and China’s accents stand out especially. One might think of it as stereotyping, although personally it doesn’t offend me. In any case, people of different countries are overgeneralized, but that isn’t a surprise when an entire country is represented by an individual.

I think it is interesting reading about Koreans’ reaction to Korea’s character in the anime. Since the source material was made by a Japanese, the anime of course would portray the countries from the Japanese’s point of view, and so bringing in contested topics can invite negative reactions from fans of other countries. Annett mentions the hate arising from online communities due to the anime, but also says that such controversies helps fans to be more open-minded. After reading about this, I think it is important for us to be open-minded as well, acknowledging things that are offensive, but also realize some people enjoy an anime for reasons other than its political meaning.  

[randy-wlee]

I think you make a good point on how the setting, which is independent from our world, plays a role in portraying human nature and our place outside of nature. Not only does it show the destructive nature of human ambition both in the old and new world, it depicts issues that humans commonly face as well. For example, refugees that stay on Indol are a result of wars using Blades. Also, we see that people living in poverty are forced to take on risks when the people in Torigoth risk their lives to see whether they can become Drivers or not. 

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

 I was very much surprised by this piece of media. Yes, the animation was very rugged and was not really aesthetically appealing but I got used to it. The plot really drove me along and it felt like I really got a feel for the entire series. I also think the overall environmental message was extremely important and related heavily to “The Drama of the Anthropocene” article that we needed to read.

The series seemed well thought out and what made it even cooler was that it was a video game. It seems even in this alternate world, human nature didn’t change. Even with the recreation of life all the way from the beginning, human beings didn’t change. I think this is a message from the series in itself. That human ambition,greed,courage, and love will continue as that is the human condition. The article, however, ponders where this places us in the world. Are we above nature? Or are we a part of it? This is the drama of the anthropocene.

As the article says, there is no way to stop our slow demise without first examining our position in relation to nature. Xenoblade chronicles provided a similar scenario to our own except in a setting divorced from history or political ideals. It is set in a world that is decaying just like ours. We see that it is the mixture of technology, human ambition, and the belief that we are external to nature that has led to the fall of the old world in the animation. This is a strong message of the bad connotation of these elements.

The main character, Rex, in the show comes up with a solution, to find Elysium. This place is the embodiment of nature. When he finally reaches the place where Elysium was said to be, it is riddled with the “hubris of humanity.” It seems that technology was the root of this new world but also would be its demise in the form of Malos. The solution that this animation is to destroy our old view of science and progress being synonymous. This idea is symbolized by the destruction of the world tree along with both Malos and Pyra, the tools that were used to create this world. Only this way are they truly able to find elysium.

This message is in accordance with the articles. We must completely question and change our system of knowing. We have to change society’s view so that it is heroic to be a part of and preserve nature. Only then will the destruction of civilization be averted.

[randy-wlee]

Apr. 3 - Xenoblade Chronicles 2

I think it’s pretty cool that the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 cutscenes are part of our readings in this class. This is the first time I’ve heard of this game, and I’m really impressed already just from the cutscenes.

First off, I thought the issues faced by people living in Alrest is similar to our world. In the first few scenes, we learn that human civilizations are built on the back of titans. These people face the pressing issue of having less living space as more titans begin to die. Rex recognizes this problem, which is why he tries to reach Elysium, a “natural” place that can provide more space. In our world, we are always faced with the issue of scarcity as well. From the past until the present, humans have sought ways to cope with scarcity, usually at the cost of nature. Destruction of aquatic habitats for water dams and deforestation for wood are good examples of this. But then when Rex finally reach Elysium on the world tree, he finds it barren and learns that Elysium is the result of previous human civilizations. Elysium is a representation of our future. As we continue to look for resources from nature, we are only worsening nature’s condition, and we might not be able turn to nature for resources anymore at some point. This relates to Cobb’s “Drama of the Anthropocene,” because in his writing, Cobb points out our current way of living and our methods to cope with scarcity at the expense of nature isn’t sustainable but creates more problems. The solution in the game seems to be the restructuring of the world and system itself, which I thought is similar to Cobb’s proposal of changing our way of living entirely.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 places an emphasis on the inevitability of violence arising from human society. The scenes show that even after the rebuilding of humanity, humans such as Amalthus still cause mass killings. This is the reason why Jin wanted to destroy all of humanity, but it’s ironic because he has to cause violence too to destroy humanity. In our world, wars have happened over and over again throughout history, and even though we learn from the past, conflicts leading to violence still arise. So to a certain degree, I do agree with Klaus that humans still have not changed.

[randy-wlee]

I didn’t talk about the impact of technology on the otaku community in my post, but I certainly do find it interesting. With online forums such as reddit, people who have interest in anime and manga can band together to discuss what they like. More importantly, people can also share their fan-art and cosplays on the Internet. By doing so, those who are not familiar with otaku culture are exposed to the culture through the Internet, which brings the otaku culture from the margins into the mainstream. 

True Otaku: An Otakumentary

“Imagination…is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”

                                                                                                       -Albert Einstein

This documentary, which is a documentary for otaku, about otaku, by otaku, explores the cross-cultural explosion of the American otaku community. 

What is an otaku? A question we explored before through viewings and readings is illuminated as we gain answers from otakus themselves. Otaku, the derogatory Japanese word, has been claimed American anime, manga, and lovers of the culture itself. These lovers have all have varied views on the term otaku themselves but one thing that rings true is that an Otaku is passionate.

The film also illuminated the importance and value of conventions and things like anime clubs, which are like mini conventions, as it fosters an open and accepting place, which is not easily accessible in society, for people with similar interests to be themselves and openly enjoy said interest. Despite, this importance of shadow culture capital is illuminated. Convention-goers shared that inner circle-wise otaku becomes a status symbol due to said otaku’s increased shadow culture capital.  

When the topic of cosplaying came it reminded me of Genshiken Second Season, where Hato noted that when you cosplay you essentially want attention. This statement was illuminated by all the interviewed cosplayers who reiterated this. It also emphasized shadow culture capital as it highlighted the competition for cosplaying which not only had tangible rewards but resulted in higher shadow culture capital the better a person was at it.

The documentary also noted the influence the digital age has had on the community. It emphasized not only a growth in the community but an influx in the tightknit-ness of the community, as the online platforms, like LiveJournal, even dating sites to name a few. Thus, the result is that Otaku culture is no longer a subculture but a culture itself. A culture that nurtures the individual while fostering a community, multigenerational in nature. A culture that illuminates that through conventions and panels, which truly shows what it means to be a fan, that being part of a community, a fandom means being completely passionate.

Thus, as revealed through the film, Otaku culture and its elements, like the media consumed and events like Otakon to name a few, are fundamentally revolutionary as emphasizes that commonness allows bridges between different peoples and cultures to be built, emphasizing the importance of cultural appreciation.

[randy-wlee]

True Otaku: The Documentary

First of all, I think it is quite interesting what the term “otaku” means for people in the United States and how this term evolved from its original usage in Japan. An interviewee in the documentary pointed out that in Japan, the word “otaku” means a hardcore fan and could be applied to any type of fan. In the west however, people have come to associate otaku exclusively with fans of anime and manga. It has been pointed out as well that “otaku” is more of a derogatory word in Japan due to the Otaku Murderer incident in the 1980s. Over here, there are still some negative images of the otaku, but the word “otaku” itself isn’t used as much as a derogatory word compared to in Japan.

The documentary points out that Otakon serves as a place where people with interests in anime and manga come together and form a community. The convention allows people to make new friends through their interests and to participate together in activities without being judged continually by those around them. I thought this community of acceptance is similar to what we saw in Genshiken. We saw Sasahara having confidence in approaching doujinshi booths at Comiket as he realizes that those around him are the same as him. Otakon being a place where people can express their inner fantasies through cosplay, in particular, cross-play is similar to Hato (in Genshiken as well). Like Madarame accepting Hato’s cross-dressing, the community in Otakon seems accepting towards the different types of cosplay present there.

The cosplays in Otakon relate to our previous readings on the otaku. When asked about what it means for participants to cosplay, some say that it is something that allows one to be someone other than himself/herself and to bring fiction to reality, while others say that it is a way to interpret characters. In any case, these cosplays show that otaku produce simulacra in order to “own” the unownable fiction, as argued by Saito. This, of course, is similar to what we saw in Genshiken. Regarding the creation of costumes, we can liken Iris (Dustbunny) to Ohno. Both of them put much effort into creating their own cosplays. On a side note, I found it interesting how such creations involve so much work and can teach one many new skills. Iris says that she researches characters through different websites before creating her outfit. I thought of this as the continuation of creating simulacra through other simulacra. Before I move on, something I’d like to point out is the fact that there were stormtroopers present in Otakon. From my past experience, there are definitely a lot of people who cosplay as characters from western media. I don’t think I saw any in Genshiken, so that could be a difference between here and in Japan, but that might not be the case in real life.

Although Otakon is a place where people aren’t judged by the general public, it certainly is interesting how some cosplayers decide to put themselves in a position to be judged by a panel of judges through entering a cosplay competition. Iris mentions that the competition is not only a way to gain attention, but to gain recognition. I thought this relates in a way to Fiske’s discussion on fandom. Winning the competition requires a thorough understanding of not only the characters being represented, but the skills needed to create the cosplay. Thus, by winning it, cosplayers can signal to others their rich knowledge and gain status within the fandom. It’s also worthy to point out that cosplay competitions are held in Japan as well.

Finally, otaku here are similar to those in Japan in that they spend a lot on anime and manga merchandise. A good deal of people in the documentary say that they spend a lot while at the convention. I have to admit, even I do spend a lot on merchandise as well.

Even though I thought this documentary is quite entertaining and informative, I think it focused too much on cosplays. It would have been even more informative if the documentary included other things such as fanart and doujinshi.

[randy-wlee]

I think you make a great point on how the film was created to bring awareness to the increasing levels of carbon dioxide. It definitely is relevant during the time it was released, since studies have been conducted in the 1980s predicting the increase in carbon dioxide but ignored. I like your point about this film advocating feminism as well. Feminism is also promoted through the fact that  Nausicaä and Kushana are both leaders of their own people.

Nausicaa

           One of the major things I got out of this movie is how destructive humans can be and how they will only listen once their life is at stake. We are introduced to an apocalyptic future where humans haven’t learned from their past mistake and continue to ensue pain and destruction to the Earth, we also see how the Earth retaliates and is forced to destroy humanity in order to protect itself. Nausicaa is introduced as the only person who is able to rationalize the world around her and tries to understand it as well. We see how she is able to do research and concludes that toxins are only being put out as a result of the pollution that the humans have caused.

           I really enjoyed the fact that this Miyazaki film also focuses on the environment and shows the dangers and destruction that we can cause to nature. This is pretty relevant today and probably was relevant at the time the film was made. We have known about the increasing levels of carbon dioxide since the 80’s and are ignorance continues to expedite the destruction of our planet. I think that the film tries to get rid of this ignorance by making us conscientious of how our actions may come back to bite us in the near future.

           The film as portrays women as the voice of reason throughout the film. We see how the women of Pejite work together to help Nausicaa escape. We also see how the evil princess also changes however she is blinded by her fright even to the end of the movie when she awakens the monster to help fight the Ohms. Towards the end the prophecy is fulfilled only that one thing is wrong, the hero that was supposed to save the world is not a male but a female, this highlights how progressive the film is by advocating feminism.