yeayeayeatherockcityboy

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

I agree about how different their relationship is. I think that Kaworu is the one of the few people where Shinuji feels he can be himself because he doesn't demmand utility from him. Kaworu allows him to feel emotion and so I agree about the music kind of being symbolic to Shinji allowing himself to feel the emotional connection he shares with him before he has to kill him.

NGE eps. 8, 16, 24, 26

I was sad they killed off Kaworu immediately. Anyway, that episode was really interesting to see, just because I noticed Shinji blushing a lot when Kaworu had any interaction with him. I felt like I saw him interact with many girls, e.g. Ms. Misato, Rei, Asuka, etc., but I feel like he did not blush as much or as often with them. It was also interesting to see how drawn-out that one scene was where Shinji was in the EVA and he had to kill Kaworu for the sake of humanity. It was just playing classical music for quite some time before Shinji proceeded to kill Kaworu, and I just thought about how Kaworu and Shinji had their first interaction talking about how music entices the soul or something like that. Even though there was music playing during that scene, that scene was still very quiet and silent. You could really feel the contemplation that Shinji was going through before going through with the act. Also the last episode was really introspective and made me start thinking about myself. I wonder what versions of myself are possible, and I wonder what life would have been like if I was not who I am right now. I wonder how life would have been had I interpreted some other things differently. What do people think about me? What makes me, me? Who am I? Imma go sleep on these questions now.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

Evangelion 8,16,24,26

I thought it was interesting how Asuka mocks Shinji for apologizing and then manipulates him with masculinity to take the lead against the angel and then criticizes him when he takes the lead as brashly as she pushes him to. In his distress, Shinji pleads for Misato whenever he's afraid or in danger. He belies that if someone as important as his father doesn't think well of him, no one does. In his darkest moment, he remembers his mothers affection. It's incredible that motherly love gets expressed in such a bloody and violent way.

When Shinji is subjugated to hegemonic masculinity, he suffers severe turmoil to push himself to be useful and coupe up his emotions. He internalizes it and hates himself for any weakness he has and never feels useful unless validates by someone else. When Kaoru is introduced, Shinji explores a queer masculinity with him where Kaoru values his weakness and how he feels. It's one of the few times Shinji is happy in the series and when Shinji has to kill Kaoru, he sits for a 30 second still pannel holding him in unit-1's hand until he crushes him. In the last episode, they explore how one's preception of reality is what defines the outside world and one's preception by others is how they determine self image. From it, they say that one can change their shape once they are precieved. Then after that is a fever dream/ova typa sequence. In this way, the preception portion is like a recovery from the death of Kaoru. When Kaoru dies, its like a loss of the possibility of loving and accepting his weakness. After, he is able to change how he precieves the world to make him feel strong.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

I agree with what you said about Shinji's lack of connection. I feel like Gendo's absense causing that is a success for him in a way. Although Shinji is at first to emotionally unstable to fulfil the notion of masculine sacrifice, he is still fulfilling the emotional disconnect that I believe to be a part of Gendo's idea of masculinity.

NGE pt 1

While our class discussions have rightly emphasized the application of queer theory to Neon Genesis Evangelion, a significant and enduring interpretation, my initial viewing of the early episodes, specifically 1, 2, 4, and 5, resonated more deeply with themes of depression and familial dysfunction, particularly through a Freudian lens. Shinji Ikari's introduction is marked by a profound passivity and social withdrawal. His compliance with Gendo's orders, despite evident fear and reluctance, suggests a deep-seated need for paternal validation, even if that validation is expressed through cold, utilitarian commands. The absent, emotionally distant father figure, Gendo, mirrors classic Freudian interpretations of parental influence, leading to Shinji's stunted emotional development. His inability to connect with others, his internal monologues filled with self-deprecation, and his constant struggle with anxiety are all hallmarks of clinical depression. The psychological battles within the mecha, and the constant threat of the Angels, act as externalizations of Shinji's internal turmoil. His fear of intimacy, evident in his interactions with Misato and Rei, reflects a broader fear of connection, rooted in his abandonment by Gendo. The constant pressure to perform, to pilot the Evangelion, is a metaphor for the overwhelming weight of expectations and the fear of failure that often accompanies depression. The show's early exploration of Shinji's psyche, through his internal monologues and his reactions to external stimuli, lays the groundwork for a narrative deeply concerned with the human condition, particularly the isolation and despair that can arise from familial trauma and societal pressures. While later episodes and deeper analysis reveal the rich tapestry of queer themes, these initial episodes firmly establish the series as a powerful exploration of depression and the psychological fallout of damaged father-son relationships.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

Evangelion 3/28/2025

In Evangelion, Shinji has different masculinities forced upon him. The hegemonic masculinity forced upon him by Gendo, Rei, and Misato is devoid of emotion and full of sacrifice to fill out his duty as a pilot. Taking a viewpoint from Collins ideas of masulinity, Gendo stands as the patriarch of hegemonic masculinity in Evangelion and subjugates Rei, Misato, and Shinji due to their subordinate masculinities. Gendo sexually abuses Rei as a way to reward her for fulfilling the hegemonic masculinity and subjugate her as a girl and a child. (If I was shinji, I don't care if humanity would die. I'd pull a gun on him for everything). Misato also follows most of the masculinity to fulfil her role and make the outcome be that humanity will survive, but she tries to instill some form of emotional connection with Shinji. This can be seen as part of Heasly's idea that masculinity is a spectrum rather than a monolith, but in this case I still believe she is a part of Collin's form of masculinity because her happiness always came of as feigned to me and she never forms as real of a connection because she hides her true sadness and fear because she think it will make Shinji's emotional state worse. In this way, I think Misato is still devoiding herself of emotion and fitting into her subordinate masculinity. As for Shinji, he doesn't interact with his father directly, but due to the subjugation of Misato and Rei under his fathers masculinity, it leads to them enforcing it upon him. If we examine masculinity through a social dynamic lens though, Gendo appears to be not fully masculine. He fails as a father figure entirely. Shinji's actions and idiosyncrasies can be seen as traditionally effeminate, but it is entirely out of place for Gendo to be able to criticize him for it because he took no part in Shinji's childhood to raise him to be more traditionally masculine. I wanna end this by saying Gendo's a bitch <3

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

I agree that the practice of roles in society doesn’t just apply to gender. I think that faking and forcing people into boxes is as exhausting and draining as the show depicts aggretsuko. Although I do understand the need for professionalism and a standard of how you act, I think a lot of corporate society needs more honesty and directness.

Aggretsuko

I'm pretty sure I've seen images or pictures of Aggretsuko before and honestly thought it had something to do with Sanrio, and apparently after a quick Google search it turns out I was right all along. The whole anime looks like what a "traditional" anime would have as a "bonus" episode with its art style, I or one quite like it. The main point of this anime and the reading, I'm sure has to do with societal norms, and how we present ourselves to society. This is clearly shown with the dichotomy of "work" Retsuko and "after work" retsuko. During work she puts on the mask of a compliant employee, doing her tasks and bottling up her annoyance and frustrations with the people and job itself. Only shows this side of her late at night in a karaoke booth singing heavy metal a genre of music associated heavily with punk or emo culture not known for its "order" or "neatness." The juxtaposition of these two sides of her as well as what Butler talks about in Performative Acts aims to draw a statement on how in society a lot of individuals have to act as to what is expected of them. Whether it be Retsuko in the office, or as Butler says it, men and women in society. The main driving point behind this idea is that these performances and masks we put on keep us "safe" in society, preventing judgment and scorn. They don't actually let us express ourselves, they just add more work and effort into an already extensive list of "To-Do's" eventually draining and destroying us from the inside out.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

The reading points out that a lot of gender is a social practice of action and this fits really well with aggretsuko which displays both terrible working conditions in Japan, and how it affects women differently. In the show, we see aggretsuko and her coworkers have to perform to fit the role they’re given in the company and kiss up to their boss as he slacks off. Many of them, show that it is just a performance as they act differently out of this. This is especially the case for aggretsuko and the deer she hates because they are women. They have to participate in the performative acts of being a caretaker, speaking kindly, and bottling up their emotions. Aggretsuko hates how much the deer fits into this role and kisses up to their boss, but it’s not just because she thinks the deer is annoying. The main thing angering her is how they both as women and salarywomen are put into this subjugated role to the performative acts belonging to their gender. Aggretsuko, like many Japanese working women, are put into turmoil by how much they have to imitate their role in the company and the historic female role as a kind caretaker for their boss. However the caretaker role often takes on more and more than the anime itself expresses. A lot of women in Japan find it difficult to find and keep jobs and get underpaid because they are expected to become mothers and leave for maternity leave “inconveniencing” the company.

We can see some of this from aggretsuko as she lives alone and is kind of closed off from society besides at her work place. Even though her job technically means she isn’t a NEET, how consuming her job is makes it seem like her personal life is equivalent to a NEET.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

I agree with what you said about it not giving a clear answer. I think there is value in an education, but I don't think Yuki should be forced to conform. I also was left disappointed at the end by Ame leaving without properly saying goodbye to his mother. I was like "do you not love her like?" I think from the start the mother should've been more involved with Ame once she knew he wasn't going to school. He can persue a different path rather than the normal human one, but he's still 10 like??? what if he changes his mind and wants to go back to human society part of the time, but he's uneducated so he just can't fit in at all.

I think the opposite for Yuki. The mother should've made her still go out into the forest as a wolf to make sure she could still accept that side of herself. All in all, I kinda didn't like her parenting with either of them, but maybe that's the point.

Wolf Children - Nature vs Society

Wolf Children is an emotional and visually stunning movie. I remember watching a while ago, but I didn’t really care for it. Rewatching it, I still don’t really like it, but I can see how it reflects themes of discrimination and nature vs. society. In the movie, Hana’s children, Yuki and Ame, inherit the ability to transform into wolves from their father. However, their unique ability creates a constant tension for the children, as they struggle with their identity and their place in a society that is rigidly structured and not designed to accommodate their dual nature.

The theme of nature vs. society is explored through Yuki and Ame’s conflicting desires and experiences. Yuki, the older of the two, represents the pull toward societal acceptance. She is desperate to fit in with the other children at school, suppressing her wolf nature to avoid being different. This reflects the societal pressure to conform, to suppress anything that doesn’t fit within the accepted norms. Her internal conflict highlights how society often values conformity over individuality, leaving those who don’t fit in feeling isolated or marginalized.

Ame, in contrast, feels more drawn to his wolf side, symbolizing a return to nature. As he grows, he finds comfort and solace in the wild, distancing himself from human society. Ame’s journey represents the tension between the freedom of nature and the limitations imposed by society. Unlike Yuki, he embraces his primal instincts and rejects the idea of fitting into a society that doesn’t fully understand him. His choice to live away from human civilization is a powerful metaphor for those who choose to step outside societal expectations and embrace their true selves, even if it means isolation.

The movie also touches on themes of discrimination, as both Yuki and Ame struggle with the stigma attached to their hybrid nature. They are forced to navigate a world that may not accept them, dealing with societal rejection and fear of the unknown. In this way, Wolf Children becomes a commentary on how society treats those who are different. It asks whether it is better to suppress one’s true nature to fit in or to embrace one's uniqueness at the cost of belonging.

Ultimately, Wolf Children doesn’t offer easy answers to the nature vs. society conflict. It suggests that both aspects are essential to understanding who we are and finding balance. Hana, as a mother, faces the challenge of raising her children to navigate these two worlds, and by the end of the film, the children make different choices: one to embrace her humanity, the other to return to nature. Their journey reflects the complexity of identity and the ongoing negotiation between the natural world and societal expectations.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

Wolf Children 2/27/2025

I think wolf children was a commentary on the education system and the laid-out path to integrating into the common work force through a corporate job. This can be seen between the two different paths that Yuki and Ame take. Yuki has to conform to try and fit in, not just from being a wolf-child, but also her personality and what she thinks. Ame, in contrast, has always been free to be himself, wolf or human, in the forest. There's no collective there to force him to think positively of Souhei or tell him his interest in nature is gross. The same can be said about it being a commentary against urbanism in Japan. Wolfman and the wolf-children are inherently a part of nature since their birth and because of who they are they are unable to live in the city, so after the father dies, they flee to the countryside where they find freedom in their individuality and in the nature around them. The mother is able to support herself and the kids through the help of other people there and be free from the regulation of the city that threatens the safety of her children.

In the way that it is presented, Wolf Children is linking nature and individual freedom against urbanism.

I was a little confused at first because I thought there would be no climax to the movie the longer it went on, but it eventually came during the storm. I thought it was interesting because I feel like most western movies follow the sort of mountain shapped story progression that always hits its peak at around the same time in each movie. I think in this way, Wolf Children feel more like a chronicle of events passing, with each important point being emphasized like wolfman's death, them playing in the snow, and Ame leaving.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

I saw the same ideology from naruto about moving on from hate and not expressing it through war. I think its a very important sentiment to have, but at the same time I find it slightly ironic. The episodes parallel a lot of WW2 stuff, and so it feels kinda strange that a japanese anime is commenting on world war 2, saying to let go of what people have done after japan committed such atrocities in ww2.

Naruto ep. 1 and Naruto Shippuden eps.162,163,168,174,175

As much as these episodes were a physical fight, these episodes also showcased a battle against two different ideologies: one ideology consisted of the thought that peace can only come after knowing pain, and the other that peace comes from understanding the individual. I liked this feature of the show since it reflects how wars in real life are often fought due to a difference in perspectives, ideologies, etc. When Naruto was able to forgive Nagato after the cataclysmic destruction that he brought to the Hidden Leaf Village, it symbolized that vengeance and revenge are not effective solutions to hatred and violence. Nagato’s character symbolizes that continuing the cycle of hatred and vengeance will only lead to more hatred and revenge; thus, Naruto’s role in these episodes are to serve as a reminder that the best way to resolve conflict is through direct confrontation using one’s words in order to gain a better understanding of the other person’s motives, why they feel that way, and to talk it out by trusting and understanding each other. This was further demonstrated when Naruto decided to listen to Nagato rather than killing him on the spot. Had he just killed him on the spot, someone like Konan would have likely taken up Nagato’s stance on peace yet again, showing how revenge is truly a vicious cycle of violence and unnecessary cruelty.

Besides this, I would like to think that these episodes were also a commentary on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The destruction and imagery used during that scene is similar to the detonation of an atomic bomb, which leads me to believe that this was to provide commentary on the war. Placing the blame on any one thing would only lead to more revenge and destruction; hence, the path to peace is through mutual understanding.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

Naruto 2/25/2025

I used to watch the regular naruto series when I was younger, so I was happy to come back to this. Thank god we skipped through the pain vs naruto fight cause that was 5 episodes long. I know fighting is the focus of Shippuden, but its fights for fights sake often without conflict resolution happening until 5 episodes later. That's exactly why I quit watching once I got to it. The first arc where they try to make Sakura not useless had me hopeful, but it was a boring, overextended fight, and then she went back to being useless, so.

I was a bit surprised that the pain arc had actual substance to it though.

The pain arch seeks to display that war is a cycle and more violence isn't the solution to the issue. Pain reasons that the very reason people cause pain is because they have felt pain themselves from war and seek to take revenge or inflict violence to defend against that pain. We see that both Naruto and Pain nearly kill everyone in Konoha in their responses to pain: Pain doing so to stop war and violence and Naruto to defend Konoha. We can see just the same in the civilian casualties caused in Japan from external attacks like the bombing of hiroshima and nagasaki (mirrored by pain's use of almighty-force/shinra-tensei/planetary-devistation), and the Japanese military itself causing the starvation of civilians by taking away their resources to be used in the military. The obvious irony in Pain's tactics serves the purpose to point out that violence and almighty force are not the solution to bring peace as the violence from doing so would just repeat the cycle of war. This however, leads to supporting the argument Pain made to Tsunade in favor of destroying the Shinobi system that that caused the loss of Pain's parents. The system and any similar form of military will cause more pain and casualty, of course, but Pain is wrong in saying that the solution involves getting rid of the system. In the conclusion of the arc, Naruto doesn't quit being a Ninja. Naruto and Pain both decide to let go of their loss and pain instead of letting it control their present and seeking out assault and revenge. In this way they are showing that the solution isn't to rid of a military system, but to change its operation as a means only to defend. This can be seen in Japan's addition of article 9 in its constitution post WWII where they prohibit a militant force that would be used to settle international disputes.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

I agree that a lot of the ethics get lost in war. War inherently is a threat for any side to the lives of their civilians and the people who choose to go into war are choosing the possibility of conquest over the lives of their civilians.

I'm also super excited for Naruto. I watched it in 6th grade and loved it, but I'm not sure if it would hold up now that I'm older, but I can confirm a lot of the openings are bangers and it's better than naruto shippuden (so boring oml). Be warned: Sakura is 1000% useless in Naruto.

Mobile Suit Gundam (Episodes 1-2, 8: "Gundam Rising," "Destroy Gundam," "Winds of War") (Episodes 13, 20, 32: "Coming Home," "Sorrow and Hatred," "Farewell in Side Six")

This was the first time I haven't watched the entire anime of the assigned episodes. Mobile Suit Gundam has 42 episodes! Or 43, if you count the episode that was taken down due to poor production value. The next assigned show is Naruto, and I'm definitely not watching all of that. All that aside, I have a very loose grasp on what is going on, and this post will probably be shorter than usual.

At least in our assigned episodes, Gundam emphasizes the human aspect of war, similar to the past two films we watched: Grave of the Fireflies and Barefoot Gen. Large scale clashes between the two sides of the war takes up most of episode 1, but this is used solely to show how this war interacts with the average civilian. We are told that many critical military personnel died in the ambush, but the show chooses to instead focus on the civilian deaths caused by both stray and intentional missiles, which included the death of Fraw Bow's mother to bring further attention to this theme. The destruction of attack most significantly affected civilian homes. A town is depicted to have been wiped off of the map in episode 8, and the deaths of parents of children and the neighbors of a community are depicted in episode 13. The vicious nature of war also causes the Federation to allow Amuro, a child, to pilot their most powerful weapon in the very front lines of war. War causes governments to do whatever they can, disregarding ethics with the singular goal of winning. I assume that Amuro continues to pilot the Gundam under the authority of the Federation for the remainder of the series. This desperate behavior extends to the way both sides approach battles as well. The Zeon attack in episode 1 was not only an ambush, but also targeted civilians. The Federation behaves similarly in episode 8, where they use civilians as a cover to sneak the Gundam behind Zeon's forces. In this episode, the Federation's main ship is very aptly named "Trojan Horse". This continues ad nauseam, through Amaro's dishonorable gunshot at a Zeon soldier in episode 13, and the Zeon's ambush on Amuro's team while they were trying to get their ship repaired in episode 32.

Gundam also emphasizes the empathetic side of human nature. Even some pilots from Zeon, who are framed to be the "bad guys" in the show, risk their lives to gift supplies to refugees carried by Amuro's team in episode 8. This empathy is also expressed through battlefield interactions. Amuro hesitates greatly to kill the soldiers that ambushed them in episode 2 (which the soldiers mistake for bad aim), and in this same episode, Sayla also hesitates to shoot these soldiers too, as one of the looks like her brother. These points subtly hint the audience to the fact that even if the opposite side in a war are enemies, they have their own lives and families too.

This very same idea is expressed by Amuro's mother herself in episode 13. Interestingly, Amuro loses his hesitation to kill when the same soldiers equip Zaku mobile suits, claiming that Zaku aren't human. War has a dehumanizing nature and through the abstractions of military equipment that meet in battle, it is difficult to remember that the pilots of these equipment are still human, especially so as it is this same equipment that take innocent civilian lives and destroy families/homes.

Civilians in general appear to view wars as civilians versus life takers, instead of nation versus nation. This is most obvious when in episode 13, Amuro's mother and the other displaced civilians appear to both warn Amuro to hide his ship (thus helping/saving him) and scold him for almost taking a Zeon life. The mother of Amuro's childhood friend also very easily forgives abandoned soldiers who were harassing her out of frustration of their own situations. This all leads to the conclusion that from their perspective, they are all on the same side. As the civilians are the ones who bear the most sadness of a war, they often come to acknowledge the preciousness of all human life. When Amaro reunites with his mother in this same episode, the jealously of the nearby orphans blatantly recognizes this. Viewing war itself as the main enemy, members of this community labelled Amaro's incoming Federation fighter as bad news.

This is also the same sadness that also fuels a war. We realize in episode 32 that many soldiers who are serving in the military are actually civilians who were displaced and either have no alternative or want revenge. This revenge is the main focus of episode 20 and in full display on both sides, as not only is revenge the sole purpose of the Zeon attack of this episode, but Amuro also exclaims, "Damn Zeons! I'll get you all!" at 11:50 as he moves to suppress their attack. Instead of revenge, other civilians resort to escapism instead, which is the focus of episode 32. Side 6 is essentially a replica of Earth with a peace agreement with the intent of almost pretending as if the war never existed. However, the show views this escapism as a bad thing through character dialogue: "Cameron. You've done nothing but escape from the war. You haven't changed a bit." In my opinion, I think that the problem in the studio's eyes isn't escapism itself, but the lack of acknowledgement of the war and its heavy impact. You can protect yourself from war all you want, but it is wrong to pretend as if it does not exist. In doing so, you disrespect everyone and everything that was lost to war.

Finally, I would like to highlight Amaro's development and interactions throughout the show, as they are dense with meaning and summarize all of the above themes. Though, I will only list everything concisely. Originally, Amaro is hesitant to take lives, even if they destroyed his home. He is also then scolded by a military officer to become a better soldier, even if he is just a child. By episode 13, Amaro easily shoots at a Zeon soldier in a dishonorable way, by pretending to be an injured civilian and taking the Zeon soldier off guard. His mother suggests that maybe Amaro's cruelty is because he was raised by a man. When leaving his mother at the end of the episode, Amaro salutes to her instead of giving her a familial, intimate farewell/hug. Amaro's mother falls to the ground and sobs. War slowly degrades one's empathy and humanity, and in the mother's eyes, it is almost as if Amaro had already died.

As a footnote, it was interesting that we followed the viewpoint opposite of the people who are trying to gain independence. It also appears that this post wasn't really shorter than usual somehow.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

Mobile Suit Gundam and Ashbaugh

In MSG (Monosodium glutamate lmao), we see a few aspects of how the war is portrayed negatively. The first episode primarily shows how war affects civilians. We first learn that they originally lived in another colony before the war caused them to move and during the episode, we see them have to evacuate from where they lived due to an attack. This is incredibly ironic because in WW2, Japan wanted to expand their empire and their greatness, but the land they original have is destroyed to rubble and people were forced to live in horrible conditions.

Another thing we see is how kids have to both take the responsibilities of adults and block out emotion or sorrow to take action in the war. Amuro has to push himself to pilot the robot despite his panic and age. Fraw has to stop mourning the death of her family that she witnessed to go escape to the base and then never mourns the loss, only continues helping around the colony. This depicts the loss of humanity in war because action even to just save lives is so involved that emotion is blocked out. And at its worst, people over time lose their humanity in favor of violence and conquest. We see that this initial impact on Amuro is furthered when we get to one of the later episodes and he takes immediate action and his mother begins to cry because the boy she raised is gone.

We can see this violence and conquest more in the commanders in the first episode who prioritize transporting the Gundam over the transportation of the civilians. The consequence of their action and the monkey patching of the rest of the military crew trying to car for civilians leads to about 30 deaths in the first episode alone. The same can be said about the military government during ww2. The lack of care for the damage done to their civilians and providing food and resources lead to many deaths from the bombings all over and the eventual starvation of many.

I'm surprised because I thought from reading Aushbaugh that the criticism of Japan in WW2 was going to be a bit more direct than it was. I'm curious how matsumoto's series compares in directness. I think both are almost cruel because their target audiences are children and having to bring kids in to a debate on ww2 seems a little inappropriate but /shrug.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

I felt a lot of the same way about the displayed need for survival to continue onward. Under normal circumstances, it would be absolutely normal to be paralyzed by grief from the loss of your family, but in order to survive, Gen really had to let go of that and take care of what he still had.

Barefoot Gen

This is an exceptionally sad war movie which shows the horrific nature of the atomic bombings, expounding upon the series nature of what is really going on. I personally struggled a lot with watching this movie to completion, because even though it was very good the topics were very challenging. I had to take a break a few times to reorient myself in order to continue with the viewing. Watching the main character, Gen, struggle so much as a child with living life after what happened to him, in many ways it was hard to comprehend. This wasn't because it was unbelievable that someone would struggle, but instead because it is difficult to know how to react and act when someone is suffering. So, while the anime gives a lot of food for thought, it also makes you realize how helpless you are in order to do something. I am not sure I can ever watch this anime again, it was extraordinarily difficult to handle the viewing this first time. That being said, I am happy to have seen this film in a sense of the word. I think it provides commentary on an issue which shouldn't just be ignored.

Off of my own personal feelings on the show, I found it revolve a lot with the theme of doing whatever one can to survive. What I mean by this is the fact that Gen and his mom are just trying to live throughout the entirety of the film. It isn't about some grandeur of the world or even what is going on outside of them, though there is other characters and such, in actuality it comes down to survival. Oftentimes when looking at media, survival is an aspect of a show, but it is not the focus, the focus is on living in the sense of doing things and becoming content. That is not at all what Barefoot Gen presents. This film presents the world survival and nothing else. While the characters are dealing with the terrible grief of everyone they love around them (apart from each other) being dead. The film does not end with them suddenly happy, content, or even doing well. It does end with them having hope, but that is an important thing to note, because there is only a certain amount of time a person can make it if they don't have hope. People often forget that it is the fuel of the fire in the situation. This absolutely should be noted because the entire film is not hopeful, it is heart wrenching. Yet, the sliver of hope present at the end shows the world is moving on. Evien if it is hard for them.

With all of this in mind, I think it is important to really look at the ideas which are present. The idea of survival versus living, how it is difficult to comprehend the worst of acts. The need for hope in the long-term for survival, but most importantly the idea that the world still moves on. Terrible things happen, the world continues to spin. The people who aren't affected live the same lives and those that are affected find new ones. As the author of Barefoot Gen was a survivor, I think it is key to notice how he shows what people cannot comprehend as well as the fact that he is living a new life. That part was never forgotten, it was defining, but there is so much more to his person.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

2/19/2025 Barefoot Gen

This is the most terrifying movie we've watched so far. Barefoot Gen aims to directly display the horrors that happened in hiroshima as the nuclear bomb was dropped. I was definitely the most grossed out by the people that were still alive after the drop and became living corpses. The uncle that ryota and Gen end up helping is a living corpse before they instill hope within him. After he is more active and lively, the maggots don't cling to him as much, symbolizing how his hope has freed him from death. In this way, the movie is trying to show the hope needed to move past war. It is also trying to show the kindness needed. Gen and Ryota only get the money to feed their family from being kind to that man and helping him feel human again. Although the movie tries to reconnect to the beginning and say how Japan had recovered from war like the grass that grows anywhere, the real ending that stuck with me was the scene before where Gen's newborn sister dies and the mother hears from the emperor that they have surrendered in the war. The mother asks why not before the bomb was dropped? why put victory in war over the families we have? In this way, the film makers are criticizing Japan's reasoning for the war. Japan joined wwII for conquest onto other regions and in doing so, they risked the lives of civilians for that and in the end, killed many inoccent kids and families.

I also really liked how the show didn't shy away from the horror of everything. Kids and adults were mutilated from both the initial bomb and the radiation afterwards. It really is trying to make people see just how terrible the aftermath of the war was.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

I like what you said about the good guy/bad guy being based on perspective. That something I've been considering in this show and also while watching season 3 of Invincible. I think that the ends rarely justify the means. The immoral oppression of the queerrats is definitely wrong, but they can never be emancipated by moral means. The power the "humans" hold over them is so great that there isn't any way for those to work. The people in power in the colony have manipulated reality and made it so that there are barely any means to oppose it. Only by breaking the fabricated reality they made in some way, by means of thread or force, could the mole rats really have liberated themselves from oppression under the humans.

Shin Sekai Yori ep. 17, 21, 24, 25

Wow this series was wack… I feel like I don't even have the words to explain my thoughts on it. Each episode we were assigned to watch was so intense; there was so much going on and everything was developing in completely unexpected ways. I still can’t decide if I fully hated it or if I was just in shock the entire time I was watching. Either way, this show explored some very extreme ideas and definitely had me questioning everything.

First and foremost, let’s discuss the queerats; more specifically, I want to emphasize Squealer. He was a character, to say the least. Based on what Saki clued us in on (with the skipping of episodes), he was apparently very sly. He is able to play both sides in seemingly every scenario, and his poker face is unmatched. However, what I really want to focus on is his dedication. Squealer, as a queerat, was ultimately powerless in the face of Cantus-wielding humans. And yet, he never let this stop him from fighting for his and his species’ emancipation. He definitely seemed crazy at times, but was he really? Is it really that bizarre that a cognitive being would want to be recognized by other beings? If we think of it from our current-day perspective, would we consider ourselves inferior to the government or reigning powers simply because they have their power? I mean ultimately, they are just other humans, and in no world should there ever be justification for the kind of slavery and oppression that the queerats were facing. Of course I am aware that this was a fact in our culture and still is a fact in other cultures, but it is inherently looked down upon and in no way normalized. But if it was, I would hope that we would fight for our freedom just like queerat. 

I also wanted to touch on the ideas of right/wrong and good guy/bad guy. I think it should be clear to everyone that these titles are a matter of perspective. I will agree that there are some things that should always be categorized in one or another, but they are very specific. I think this is an important concept in this show as well. Throughout the series, I was siding with Saki and the humans. However, by the end, I felt like I understood the queerats and was almost saddened at their fate. I mean, are humans right to defend the innocent lives that were taken by the queerats? Yes. At the same time, are the queerats right to defend their autonomy? I would also say yes. 

Overall, this series had a lot to say about death and life, struggles for power, the oppression that comes from power, justification of punishment, evil, goodness, and much more. But man was it weird…

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

2/17/2025 Shin Sekai Yori 15-25

Shin Sekai Yori speaks a lot to how controlling media and censorship to children doesn't solve violent tendencies and outbreaks within them and actually can cause harm. Shun suffer's the Hashimoto applebee's syndrome as a result of this where his mental health bleeds into a subconcious manifestation and emotional burden that builds till, like he said, it burts the lid and he can no longer putt it back on. Censorship of children's own issues leads to a mental breakdown that can lead to things like depression and suicidal thoughts and a warping of one's reality.

Additionally, the censorship and forced ethics don't make children ethical themselves. Shonen A and the fiends/ogres best represent this. When freed from the death of shame/death feedback, many children have no ethical reasoning taught to them that actually makes them think not to hurt people. At first, the fiends seem like they are inhumane monsters that spawn from nothing, but in fact, they end up being quite human, as seen by the red haired child of Maria and Mamoru. The death of shame/death feedback is still present within the child and it still has the same symptoms of how the children treated the molerats, just in reverse. It shows that really, censorship and forced ethics, including through Foucauldian surveillance, doesn't make someone ethical, it only makes them act that way.

The real ethics is through choice, as explained by de-cart's duty of ethics to others, which is best shown by Kiroumaru. His reasoning with the humans led him to make the ethical decision to sacrifice himself for others and because of that, many lives were saved without manipulation and other immoral means.

[yeayeayeatherockcityboy]

I agree that the system is inherently broken. It makes me wonder, based on their reactions, how little crime there is due to the sibyl system. We know from previous episodes that crime is typically hidden because someone who will commit a crime needs to be hidden from the sibyl system. I think even if the sibyl system is effective because it can detect and convict people that are likely to commit crimes, it is wrong because it convicts people that are 1000000% to commit the crimes.

Psycho-Pass pt.2

So it all starts to fall apart…. Let me just start by saying that these episodes were so good. I mentioned in my last post how much I was enjoying the series and I will definitely say that it’s continuing to get more and more interesting. I think in most dystopian media there is always a point in time in which someone wants something to change or someone finds a way to break out of the established system. In episodes 14-17, we see this exact occurrence play out in Psycho-pass.

First, I found it interesting how much the series emphasizes that the people really do have an undeniable trust in the Sibyl system. Considering that the system has never failed before, this makes sense. However, the way the pharmacists reacted when they were getting robbed was less of a panic at first and more of a “we’re safe, the Sibyl system would have said something.” Further, the society has almost developed an ignorance toward violence because of the Sibyl system. People were so used to having the Sibyl system watching over them in busy areas, that seeing a crime play out right in front of them was just confusing. It was like they didn’t know what was happening, and even when it was right in front of their faces, they had no motivation to take action. They watched as a woman was beaten to death and they all kept blank faces and recorded as the crime was committed. I think this goes to show how these societies can completely alter individuals. In a world so perfect, where crime was monitored and dealt with seamlessly, people only ever needed to worry about themselves. They were more afraid of their Psycho-pass going up than they were about something criminal being done to them.