#saki morimi

[allenkross]

Мy favorite canon couples (they make me happy)

YatoHiyori

EdwardWinry

AndyFuuko

HakYona

ShoutaSawako

AkiraSaki

KenMomo

TamakiHaru

ZenShirayuki

SenkuKohaku

(I know they aren't a couple but this is my top, meh :p)

[uwudonoodle]

Shout out to Eden of the East for being my introduction into anime.

[fiirekat]

Inktober day 20: Saki Morimi from Eden of the East

[therosecrest]

[mochicrackersss]

Blog Post - Eden of the East ᯓᡣ𐭩‧₊˚ ⊹

Erm... the naked man jumpscare right at the beginning of the first episode was not what I was expecting!!! Girlie was a little too chill about that... But jokes aside, I enjoyed Eden of the East! Even if it confused me a bit. The anime reminded me a bit of Future Diary and the manga Liar Game.

I see why Eden of the East was chosen to pair with our recent readings about Neoliberalism. Constantly, the main cast, like the protagonist Saki Morimi, is conflicted about finding a job as soon as possible (in other words, going through the shūshoku ritual) as the assumption they "are NEETs at heart" hovers over the younger generations of Japan. Saki seems to have an understanding sister and brother-in-law who will support her until she lands a job, but at the same time, it only perpetuates her feeling of becoming a NEET. To an extent, however, Saki accepts that as her fate. She's already been part of the Eden of the East club before graduation, and their goal is to support NEETs in Japanese society and eventually show how dependent older higher-ups are on the budding working class. Later on, the club gets supported financially by the other protagonist, Akira Takizawa (the aforementioned naked man) who seemingly lost all his memories of owning a phone with 8.2 billion yen in its name and a goal from a mystery corporation to "save Japan." And in the end, he did. Twice! The first time was before his memory wiping, as the 20,000 NEETs he assumed he killed in actuality helped evacuate Japanese citizens from a surprise missile strike. The second time was at the end of the series when he finally got Japan's generations to work together.

Eden of the East is an interesting showcase of the ideology of Neoliberalism, as the characters inside the anime demonstrate great potential as people but are held back from society by their unnecessary title as a NEET. (Hopefully, I interpreted that right).

Also, I liked the doggy :)

[best-thriller-animanga-tourney]

Propaganda and summaries:

Erased: Erased is about a man who goes back in time (against his will) and has to stop a tragedy in order to escape the loop, usually at his own expense. When his mother is murdered in his apartment and he becomes the lead suspect, his power transports him to his childhood where he has to save 3 children from being murdered by the same person who killed his mom in the future, and find the murderer.

Eden: On November 22, 2010 ten missiles strike Japan. However, this unprecedented terrorist act, later to be known as "Careless Monday," does not result in any apparent victims, and is soon forgotten by almost everyone. Then, 3 months later... Saki Morimi is a young woman currently in the United States of America on her graduation trip. But just when she is in front of the White House, Washington DC, she gets into trouble, and only the unexpected intervention of one of her fellow countrymen saves her. However, this man, who introduces himself as Akira Takizawa, is a complete mystery. He appears to have lost his memory, is stark naked, except for the gun he holds in one hand, and the mobile phone he's holding in the other. A phone that is charged with 8,200,000,000 yen in digital cash.

[n4stasia]

Eden of the East

This watch was quite unusual for me since I'm typically not into this sort of anime genre. I have to be honest, Eden of the East left me with mixed emotions and a strange aftertaste. The plot is certainly unique, which I appreciated, but the execution didn't quite resonate with me. Nonetheless, it ties into the themes we're discussing this week—work culture, neoliberalism, and social dropouts—which I'll dive into.

The anime immediately submerges us into a somber mood, depicting a broken social and work system that Saki Morimi strives to change and improve. The opening episode is set in the "center of the world," which funnily enough reveals to be Washington, D.C., symbolizing Japan's dependence on the United States and globalization. This theme is carefully integrated into the anime with references to pop culture such as Taxi Driver and Scarface.

One of the main themes Eden of the East explores is NEETs—Not in Education, Employment, or Training—who are labeled as societal "parasites." This term, not unique to Japanese society, reminds me of the Soviet Union's concept of "tuniadstvo," - literally social parasitism. Not having a job or a family was considered a crime, for which "social parasites" living off others' efforts were often prosecuted in a communist society. NEETs are often criticized, but the anime prompts us to ask why they ended up in this situation. Perhaps the very system that promotes individual responsibility for success is responsible for their exclusion. This idea is reflected when Saki, despite conforming to social norms and pursuing a corporate career, faces humiliation during a job interview. She could easily have become one of the many naked NEETs locked up in the mall. Saki was fortunate to have a support system and inner strength, which social dropouts may not have had access to. Salecao member presents a seemingly "easy" solution to eliminate NEETs through violence. However, Akira takes on a different approach, offering these individuals a second chance by acknowledging them, providing with guidance and work tasks. Rather than "getting rid" of the issue, he decides to reintegrate them back into a productive society.

Since this anime is rich in mysticism and surrealism, it's anything but a manual for solving real-world dilemmas. Nevertheless, it sheds light on socioeconomic struggles and remains an intriguing piece of art.

[blogforanimeclass]

Eden of the East

Eden of the East is a story about what would happen if 12 everyday citizens were given the ability to shape society to their will. One protagonist, Akira Takizawa, gains consciousness with no memory of his identity while naked and holding a gun in front of the White House. Akira owns a phone with a concierge that answers any question he asks. It is later revealed that this phone has a balance of 10 billion yen and is the means through which the Selecao (those given the opportunity to shape society) carry out their will. There he meets Saki Morimi, a resident of Japan who is in the US on a graduation trip. Saki gives Akira her coat, and she decides to follow him to his apartment. At his apartment, Akira picks a passport out of several with different names, finds a few clues about his identity and decides to flee the country. Akira goes with Saki back to their home country, Japan, to try to discover Akira’s identity.

Young adulthood is a common motif throughout the series.  The protagonists of the series are about 20 years old, fresh out of college and on their Shushoku. It is a pivotal time for anyone as they decide who they want to be and what they want to contribute to society. The series is a coming-of-age story in that sense. However, with the potential of a young adult comes vulnerability. Young people often seek conformity – to fit in with a group – above all else. One can see this idea illustrated in Akira’s chosen group to influence: twenty thousand NEETs. This group is seen as easily manipulated due to their lack of general extrinsic motivation to pursue anything. In the series, they are seen evacuating individuals from a missile strike, being manipulated into going on a cargo ship to Dubai and being ordered to come up with solutions to another impending missile strike – all at Akira’s command.

All in all, Eden of the East is seen as an ode to the young adulthood and all that comes with it: unmatched potential as well as vulnerability.

[fictional-birthdays]

Happy (late) Birthday! (January 6th)

Carmen (Animal Crossing)

Anthony Rester (Death Note)

Felyne (Animal Crossing)

Eclat (Pop’n Music)

Liz (Nanatsu no Taizai)

Darui (Naruto)

Ebizou (Naruto)

Danzou Shimura (Naruto)

Phoebe Theodorakis (Muv-Luv)

Nao (DRAMAtical Murder)

Nutcracker (Tokyo Ghoul:re)

Oimo (One Piece)

Tilestone (One Piece)

Saki Morimi (Eden of the East)

[beefmastersblog]

Eden of the East (Episodes 1-5)

Eden of the East started off as what I thought would be a silly, slightly romantic show. It began with a young woman, Saki Morimi, visiting Washington D.C. for her graduation trip and encountering a man, Akira Takizawa, completely naked with only a gun and a cellphone, and no memories of his past.

But as the episodes went on, I became more intrigued by Takizawa's past. And as he redicscovers things about himself, we get to be clued in on exactly what happened in his past. We learn that he is part of a mysterious game where he recieves a cellphone with 10 billion yen on it, which he is supposed to use to save Japan. We also learn that besides thee Selacoa's, there is a Support, which kills you if you run out of money or don't follow the rules of the game.

I think a major theme so far could be trying to escape from your past. Takizawa did this by erasing his memory, and Saki is trying to run away from the capitalist expectations society has for her. We learn that Takizawa is somehow related to a group of 20,000 NEETs that went missing, and he is scared that he might have been responsible for killing him. But at the same time, he can't remember anything, so he doesn't know.

One thing that also really stood out to me was the way that one of the other Selaco created a hospital to give elderly people a safe place to work and live. This made me think a lot about the current condition of the world, and reflect on ways in which the elderly do get treated. I do agree with him in the sense that the elderly often get left behind; in society, people forget about them, and don't have the same respect for them as they do for younger generations. Healthcare is also a current big issue, so the fact that he made that his mission was really powerful and really resonated with me. I think this anime is also a commentary about major issues in our society and the fact that we often ignore them rather than trying to fix them. I think making it so that the Seleco have to complete their mission, or they get killed might be a bit extreme method of trying to enact change, but I do think that it could be reflective of the creator's opinion that change is necessary and a pressing matter.

So far, I have enjoyed this anime. I'm excited to continue watching the later episodes. Another thing I really like about it is that Takizawa's past gets revealed to him as it gets revealed to us. I really enjoy that level of suspense and I feel like I don't get to see that a lot in modern media.

[leiogerio]

Welp, the plot kinda sucked. I think the show had really good ideas, but it was much too constrained by its 11-episode runtime. If Eden of the East had more leeway to develop all of the contestants as actual characters and make Saki more impactful to the show, it could have been great, but what I watched was quite lackluster. Way too many plot threads in the ending are just unresolved. In fact, it doesn’t feel like the anime even ended, which is so unfortunate because I truly enjoyed the beginning.

Anyway, on to the analysis:

In Eden of the East, work culture is typified by the traditional "salaryman" mentality, where employees are expected to work long hours, put the company's interests ahead of their own, and be entirely dedicated to their job. This is exemplified by characters like Saki Morimi, who is trying to find a job to become a good capitalist producer, and Juiz, a virtual assistant who is always on call and available to help the players in the game. These characters are representative of the intense pressure that workers in Japan face, where success is equated with hard work and sacrifice, and failure is not an option.

However, the series also offers a different perspective on work culture, one that emphasizes the importance of individuality and creativity. Characters like Akira and Micchon reject the notion that success can only be achieved through conformity and sacrifice and instead employ innovative and individualistic strategies to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. For example, Akira's use of social media and his ability to think outside the box is crucial to his success in the game, and it serves as a counterpoint to the traditional "salaryman" mentality.

The themes explored in "Eden of the East" are not limited to Japan, and are relevant to work culture all over the world. The pressure to conform and succeed in the workplace is a universal experience, and the series offers a thought-provoking examination of how this pressure can both inspire and suffocate creativity and individuality. The importance of finding a balance between hard work and personal fulfillment is highlighted, and viewers are encouraged to reflect on their own work culture and strive for a more humanistic and fulfilling approach to work.

Amazing start, but feels unfinished

4/10 sadge

[vintravartola]

Eden of the East

Eden of the East symphonatically intertwines a unique, enthralling narrative with social commentary about the toxic effects of work culture, social dropouts, and neoliberalist norms. This anime takes a speculative approach in the socioeconomic ideas and solutions it presents and exemplifies through its elements. A key player in the social struggle of Japan is the demographic of NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), while typically seen as an obstruction and a parasite among neoliberalist societies, soon turn into a key player to the recovery of Japan’s troubled economic state. 

Beginning with Episode 1, we are introduced to Akira Takizawa, who awakens in Washington D.C., a landmark of hope for prosperity of Japan, ironically enough, being in a foreign nation. We are also introduced to Saki Morimi, who meets Akira in D.C. and returns to Japan with him. Saki, like many individuals in Japanese society, is a struggling graduate student who is unable to find a stable job due to requirements of prerequisite experience, which is a challenged faced by most alumni in the modern day, not just in Japan, but in worldwide settings. These systemic issues are explored further in Episodes 3-5.

Episodes 4 and 5 explore the societal hatred for NEETs, with the tension picking up as we approach Episode 10. Akira encounters pushback from other Selecao members, progressively getting more radical, staging a hijacking of billboards and a convoy of large trucks to broadcast a message of ethical confrontation to the Japanese public. This message challenges the idea of blame on the individual for being unproductive, and presents systematic problems that impact productivity on a grand scale.

I can personally relate to much of the frustration faced by NEETs, as can most people, when in an interapplication phase of one’s career, getting rejected at every turn. It is certainly demoralizing and demotivating, especially in many career fields which require certain educational prerequisites to work. I am glad for having viewed this anime, as it successfully portrays the image of much of these global issues facing society even today, and preventing production for people who want to produce.

[spburns1]

Eden of the East

Let me begin by saying that this particular anime did not catch my eye in the first two episodes, although as the storyline developed, the concept of the seleção was more and more intriguing to me. The narrative centers on Saki Morimi, a young woman traveling to the US who meets Akira Takizawa in front of the White House. Amnesiac Takizawa is holding a phone that has 8.2 billion yen in digital currency while naked. After careless Monday occurs, the two meet and the story begins.

When I think back on my own life, I can draw comparisons between the difficulties the characters faced and those I have personally faced in the contemporary labor market. A common thread is the pressure to continuously innovate, adapt, and establish one's value in a highly competitive environment. In the same way that the Seleção needs to manage their resources carefully in order to bring about long-lasting change, people today have to navigate a world in which career advancement and financial stability are far from certain. In a neoliberal society, "Eden of the East" also explores the question of individual versus group responsibility. The Seleção's solitary mission reflects the way neoliberal policies frequently put the interests of the individual ahead of the good of the group.

The one very apparent idea that I noticed from the readings and lectures that relates to the anime is the idea of a NEET, which is used several times in the anime, as well as ideas of neoliberalism and furītā. Overall, this anime was a good watch that discussed many societal issues in Japan.

[angelacnguyen]

Eden of the East

Unfamiliar with the anime Eden of the East, I was unsure what to expect. As Japan's economy struggled in the 2000s, with some referring to this period as the second lost decade, this anime intriguingly and thrillingly addresses the socio-economic issues Japan suffered in the 1990s and 2000s. Released in 2009, Eden of the East holistically captures detrimental issues plaguing Japan's younger generation, including the rise of neoliberalism and the dismantling of the status quo that built Japan's economic success in the '60s and '70s.

Through a convoluted metaphor, the show heavily exaggerates the adverse social conditions the youth of Japan are subjected to due to government mismanagement and the economic recession that followed the real estate bubble collapse in the 1990s. Following the main characters, Saki Morimi and Akira Takizawa, the show eventually reveals that Takizawa is trapped in a game as a "selecao," or savior of Japan, with eleven other individuals, where they are tasked to save the state of Japan with a gift of 10 billion yen. The individual who is able to save Japan first and achieve their goals are labelled as the victor, with the remaining 11 being killed after the game's conclusion. Because the show portrays the founder of this cruel, barbarous game as a wealthy and politically influential older man of the Shōwa era, the anime implies that Japan's stagnant economic state is due to the mistakes of the older generation. Additionally, the show criticizes Japan's older generation as it insinuates that Japan's older generation expects the youth to repair and reconstruct Japan by having the players of the game all be young individuals. Fostering sympathy for the youth of Japan, the anime also highlights the injustice of Japan's work culture and social system as it victimizes a group of unemployed individuals labeled as "NEETs."

Relevant to Ross Mouer's writings on Japan's work culture, the anime emphasizes the flaws in neoliberalism ideologies through the suffering of Japanese youth. This criticism is effectively communicated through one of the selecao, Yuuki. With Yuuki's parents passing away due to being overworked, Yuuki was forced into the labor force and trapped in a vicious cycle of unemployment. Despite his efforts, Yuuki would be the one at fault and labeled as incapable according to neoliberalist ideologies. Ultimately, the show utilizes Yuuki's character to stress that neoliberalism is one-dimensional in that it does not consider the system's flaws, with the system being responsible for putting the youth at an unfair disadvantage.

Overall, the anime was an enjoyable and exciting watch, with each episode keeping me hooked!

[therosecrest]

[theanimatedworldblog]

Eden of the East

This anime was also another different type of anime than what I usually watch but it also expressed the more perverted side of anime that I feel a lot of people relate the animation world to. The show was different in the sense that the characters were quirky when it came to sexual scenes. For example the scene where Takizawa showed his privates to the police officer when she asked for “evidence” that it wasn’t him in the picture. Then Takizawa also proceeded to make a quirky adult joke about the cold affecting him. This anime also addressed different viewed issues in Japan as well with the NEETs talked about throughout the show. For example Saki Morimi spoke about missing the interview at her job and lied to her friend and family about it. She also cried to Takizawa about it as well about how she wanted so badly to find a job. The transmission between childhood (not having a real adult job) and adulthood (finding that stable adult job) was shown throughout the show as well because during the beginning of the show Morimi is on a trip. This trip is a graduation trip to DC and she speaks about essentially saying farewell to that stage of learning and hello to a new life in adulthood trying to find a job. This idea of being a NEET does affect me in my own life because I sometimes struggle with the thoughts of being unsuccessful in the future. I don’t want to end up jobless after my college schooling so I understand in part how Saki feels. The reading also addressed the issue of the NEETs and the way they were looked down upon because they never fully cross over into that stage of adulthood because of the lack of stability in a job and the fact that they were no longer schooling. I think the anime represented this childishness or thought of them being stuck in youth by the way they were all bare of clothing while trapped in Takizawa’s house. Overall this anime was a little weird but it was engaging and funny at the same time.