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Your Name / Hetalia: Axis Powers / Sensōron

I enjoyed watching in Your Name mostly because its so pretty. The other two were disappointing to view and repeated a lot of world domination propaganda I'm sick of hearing. The serious problem is the attachment that modernity has with systems such as colonialism, imperialism and patriarchy. And because these systems have yielded commodities and conveniences we seem to think that they are the only systems that can create valuable things and experiences. In Your Name, is a beautiful anime with powerful emotional pulls. But I find this gender issues are still in their infancy compared to the bold work out there in the world. I find that by now a trans or non binary character would lead the critiques in modern day Japan through. It seems like every generations gets their version of a Sailor Moon and the likes rather than move the pendulum somewhere; we are somehow still neatly dabbling in the subject. The problems is that its okay to watch these subjects being critiqued while watching anime but something totally different is organizing to brings these challenges into the real world. It's very frustrating to see that anime still has room for "right-wing" manga that challenges the ugliness of Japan's worst atrocities. To think that Japan and its people cannot commit harm is crazy. To know that Japan committed atrocities in their history doesn't make them inevitably evil; it means, now that we know what are we going to do about it. It's similar to the historical amnesia suffered in the United States and its this denial of the passed that traps us into inactivity and history repeats itself. The reading for this topic on power by Foucault, ugh, again eurocentric, is interesting but ignores power outside the colonial view. To think no other ways to viewing and living with power have ever being imagined is a narrow believe. Why not read something from Discourse on Colonialism, or something that de-centers power under the colonial world. If we are to look for critique and radical solutions so we could move beyond just viewers into real actors for change out there in the real world.

29beetles

Hey Emma, I agree, Your Name was definitely a very beautiful film and I think this is where it gets most of its acclaim from. Though obviously the story within itself is cool too, but I do agree with your assessment on the anime still having gender issues of its own that it uses as a source of humor. I agree with your emphasis on taking the critiques and actually doing something with it or advocating for some sort of change, which most of these anime or shows that depict these critiques don't necessarily do. (The extent to which people make up for things such as discrimination from the previous module is argued as well).

I also agree with your view on Sensoren and also thought it was shocking to see this guy justifying things such as the "comfort women." I mean even the name of that alone is pretty horrific and telling of the times to try and justify / downplay using these women by giving it a seemingly innocent name like that. I think so many people get caught up in trying to defend their nations because of their nationalist ideas and end up forgetting, exactly like you said, that a critique of a country doesn't mean you are calling it evil. It just means you are actually trying to make change. It's like people get so caught up in themselves and their affinities for things that they couldn't possibly bare being wrong or having to admit that something they like is flawed in one way or another. Obviously, we know this way of thinking is incredibly limited and prevents us from making any sort of progress.

8/8 Your Name, Hetalia, and Sensōron

“Every so often when I wake up in the morning I find myself crying... I’m always searching. For something, or someone.”

I'm not going to lie, out of all the anime, it was quite hard for me to see how Your Name relates back to the issues of this module surrounding national discourses, though I guess that's because I don't know anything about what is going on in Japan. However, after watching the lecture and thinking about it, I do see how Your Name could reflect some ideas of valuing and working to preserve the small town and in turn traditional beliefs.

What I got instead, however, were ideas surrounding kizuna and connection since it is the bond between both Mitsuha and Taki, or if you think about it the bond between tradition and what is new/progressive, that help save the town in the end. Taki uses his knowledge of the impact event to help reclaim traditional methods, ie the town broadcast system, in order to preserve the countryside, ie traditional mindset. I argue Taki's actions could also represent the idea of bonds that can form through imaginary communities. We see two people from two very different walks of life that are united because of their supernatural connection that nobody but them see or understand so it appears to be "imaginary." In the end, they support one another despite their supposed differences because of this bond. In context of the module, they represent the idea of a nation where all sorts of people are idealistically "united" because of of shared birthplace.

Taking this back to the narratives of previous modules, we see how despite the anime supposedly depicting a conservative view of valuing traditional religion, valuing the small town (which were said to be indicative of the values of a nation), utilizing traditional methods of communication, and finding meaningful connection through those traditional sources, Taki and Mitsuha still felt some of the restrictions of the traditional culture they ended up valuing. Mitsuha and her little sister were expected to play certain roles such as being shrine maidens, Taki and Mitsuha were critiqued for behaving "in "typical" "oddly" or in ways that defied their gender expectations, and they both were expected to move on with their life after forgetting each other that day the asteroid hit and continue going through the neoliberal pipeline. So why is it, I wonder, that people think we should keep holding onto whatever a countries "traditional" values are if it ensures people will continue being discriminated against or emotionally confined? Surely there must be a way to still pay homage to ancient shrines, texts, religions, and conducive behaviors in a way that isn't forceful or emotionally draining on individuals.

Relating back to the last paragraph, I also thought it was interesting to see how Taki and Mitsuha's behaviors were interpreted or received in different ways based on the body they were in. Though they were both behaving as "themselves," because they were embodying "oppositely" sexed or gendered bodies, they were both viewed as falling outside of their "expected" behaviors and received comments for their "odd" behavior. A part of this obviously being because they were acting very different from their usual selves, but I found this idea still interesting. Thus, I feel like this movie shows how subjective and fragile some of our social realities are. In a more literal sense, the use of scifi elements such as nonlinear time, alternate realities, forgetting things that were important, and blurred realities such as everything you thought was real not actually happening (like how they both couldn't remember each other at one point and them forgetting why they were doing the things they were doing and also Taki telling himself it all must have been a dream when he woke up and his diary was being deleted) added to this fragility of reality as well.

Side tangent: I'm not sure why but the idea that I could wake up one day and find out that everything that happened the past year didn't actually happen is scary. But it is interesting to see how in the anime it is everyone around these 2 characters that convinces them that nothing happened, that they didn't feel anything, or that they were making stuff up. Again, this relates back to the way people are quick to police others for their behaviors and make them feel as if they are the crazy ones for not abiding to particular socially created pressures.

I do also wonder what it is they were longing and crying for in the beginning of the movie. I think I might have missed something and that was actually them later in life. Were they crying for each other without knowing because of the "amnesia"? Was it the connection they had that seemed so real but they just couldn't tell? Is this symbolic of anything? Symbolic of longing for unity and connection between people? Longing for understanding? I'm not sure, but I think this theme made Your Name more grounded and emotionally mature compared to the other two texts we looked at this module.

Moving forward, never in my life did I think I would be watching Hetalia for a college course nor assessing it for its themes on national relations obscured by the generalizations we have for each other. Of course I have heard about the anime but never looked into it much because of the fanbase around it, which made reading Annett's article on this fandom particularly interesting. With that being said, I know Hetalia within itself is a satire on the stereotypes we have ascribed or surmsied about countries, but I found it surprising that one of the only bits they had for Italians was about their infatuation with pasta. The bit was just overdone for a show that obviously knows (arguably) enough about various historical events to create hundreds of episodes worth of commentary on these countries countries. Also, I noticed the show focuses a LOT on Germany and Italy. Though I guess that makes sense given the name of the series and Japan’s history with being involved with these two (Hence, “Hetalia Axis Powers.” )

(I know this was mentioned in the lecture but I had written about it originally and thought I would include it but expand on it anyway.) I would also like to add there is something odd about the way this anime portrays the Axis powers as this eclectic trio of dillydalliers who got up to funny antics when we all know what really went down during WW2, particularly in Germany. I wonder if depicting Germany as this smart, strong leader while depicting Austria as a strict one despite both countries being culturally and geographically similar was done purposefully or as a result of cultural biases / Japan favoring Germany in political climates. I argue the latter and that this depiction of countries by this Japanese anime could reflect or relate back to the idea of favoring those that are like us / behave like us and "othering" those who aren't.

In the end, Hetalia doesn’t do much but dramatacize stereotypes and questionably depict historical events, but I don’t think this anime was supposed to be taken seriously in the first place. In terms of where I fall on the split I would say I am more with the group of people who took this anime at face value and was entertained, but I could definitely see where the controversy came from. I believe the controversy should lie less in utilizing stereotypes for humor (since I am hoping the show uses these stereotypes to depict how stupid they are, in turn mocking the prejudices and not really the countries, or at least that's what I got from this) but more so in the way it positively shows countries that did horrific things (Again, like Germany during WW2).

Now when it comes to Sensoren, I think this is a good example on how easy it is to fall into extremes. I think this is what makes this manga, and talking to certain people, frightening. Throughout the entire thing I kept wondering what was this guy going on about? Again I'm not going to sit here and say I am well versed in Japanese affairs, but Kobayashi seems to have a rebuttal and counter-argument against every major fault people seem to have against Japan. It seems in Kobayashi's eyes everything is either this or that and there is no room for complexity. It's either you are 100% for Japan or you are a brainwashed traitor. This is very ironic because the entire point of his manga is trying to make an argument that modern Japanese people are extreme in their hatred for Japan and need to think twice about the media they see (which I agree with this sentiment, you should always look into things before believing them), but we see him play into this very idea by justifying everything Japan does because of his extreme nationalism. This sentiment is only strengthened in his proclamations that everything in newspapers, including all of the photos, testimonies, etc are fabricated, false, or lacking in foundation to be taken serious in the first place.

Sensoren is obviously a manifestiaton of nationalism as we can see how he analyzes and calls back on his own youth in order to depict his point about how he, like many other people his age, failed to uphold Japanese values by giving into American propaganda. This issue is therefore personal to him and shows that he is in strong support of his nation.

I don't think this was shown in the manga clippings provided, but there is even this quote on the manga cover that states: “Will you go to war? Or will you stop being Japanese?” I don't think his position could get any clearer. It is just really frustrating because he deems everyone who critiques Japan idiots and he claims they are all clouded by misapprehension, prejudice, emotional outbursts, and blind believing yet we see he basically harbors all of those traits too. Sadly, often times that is the case.

#jpt1311

thecapybarawhisperer-deactivate

Between Spores and Circuits

Watching Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind right after the cut-scene reel from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 pushed me back and forth between dread and hope. Dr. Smith’s Nausicaä and Instrumentalism lecture notes that Miyazaki wrote in the long shadow of Minamata Bay and nuclear fallout, and the Valley’s toxin-scrubbing jungle feels like Japan replaying its own pollution trauma. Cobb’s “Drama of the Anthropocene” widens that frame by arguing that the real crisis is a five-century habit of treating nature as something outside ourselves.

Yet Nausicaä still keeps people and forest on separate stages. The only cure is stepping aside and letting the Sea of Decay finish its slow cleanup. The Xenoblade and Objectification lecture flips that script. The game’s Titans, Blades, and nanomachines form an ecology rebuilt through deliberate tech and human partnership; nothing grows unless people bond with Blades, so objectification collapses into mutual dependence. That structure feels closer to the synthesis Cobb wants, where “observer” and “participant” finally merge.

On a personal level I live in coastal Florida, so the thought of waiting a thousand years for a forest to detox the soil is not comforting. Algae blooms and hurricane debris need sweat, local policy, and maybe a few home-brew nanomachine equivalents. Nausicaä teaches humility, but Xenoblade hands me a workable job description: accept that we are already engineers inside the biosphere and act like responsible ones.

Both expose how stories steer action. If my media diet only showed slow ecological self-healing I would probably stay detached. Pairing that with a vision where humans code themselves back into the food web makes agency harder to dodge. Next time I drag a friend to a beach cleanup I will frame it less as a sacrifice and more as bonding with our own Titan under the cloud sea we call the Gulf.

29beetles

I like how you were able to make a connection back to your residency as a Floridian. I made a similar comparison for our video discussion assignment, but specifically about the importance of mangroves. Like you said, humans are already so intricately tied up into the natural world whether we want to view ourselves as something separate or something within nature, and we are not going to be gone anytime soon unless some crazy, unprecedented national disaster strikes, taking everyone out. So until then, the only thing we can do is become "engineers in the biosphere" like you said.

Taking this idea of responsibility falling into our hands back to Florida, we see this idea with the mangrove restoration / preservation efforts. If we continued going forward with this mindset of existing outside of nature, trying to absolve ourselves of any blame or influence we have over the environment we live in, we would end up not only hurting other species, but our own as well since it is these mangroves and other coastal flora that have helped protect and stabilize these coastal areas to begin with.

We have seen constantly throughout this class, and hopefully have realized in our own lives, how defining things as "others" has the potential to negatively affect them. Whether it be physically, such as the destruction of ones home or body by pollution, or emotionally, such as the anxiety or stress caused by expectations. Usually, this has to do with overlooking them entirely because we see them as something beyond ourselves that should not fully be considered or payed attention to. Thus, contributing to that damage I was referring to in the last sentence and the damage we see done in Xenoblade (at the beginning of the series), Nausicaa, or in our environment as we have expanded into land without consideration of what was there before.

8/4 Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Xenoblade Chronicles 2

When it comes to the anime for this module, I had heard of both Xenoblade and Nausicaa, but I had no idea Xenoblade was a game. I think its ability to still be able to explore ideas of environmentalism, environmental objectification, and whatever ideology corresponds with the opposite of instrumentalism in regard to viewing nature as having value of its own and worth consideration despite / as opposed to value derived from what humans can gain from it is very impressive. I thought Nausicaa was interesting as I have rarely seen movies with introductions of their own. Especially a Studio Ghibli movie that tends to follow the familiar course of jumping right into plot. Additionally, the farther I moved along into the film the more I realized I had actually seen this movie before, but I'll be honest it did not originally rub much of an impression on me. Although, watching it this time over with the added context of instrumentalism and objectivism made it seem somewhat more purposeful since before this class I used to think Studio Ghibli films were just random in their plot.

I think what's really interesting about Nausicaa specifically is how in its depiction of viewing nature (through Ohms and the Sea of Decay) as having its own separate identity, it highlights the beauty, danger, and force nature has. This point was sort of touched on in the lecture and an essay one of my classmates wrote. In one of her points, my classmate discussed how nature itself is portrayed as being powerful and capable of destruction just as much as humans, which I think was an interesting analysis since she was writing about another Studio Ghibli film, Princess Mononoke. What I specifically find notable about this observation is how it seems to be a common theme for Miyazaki to use environmental objectivity or the "humanization" of nature in order to make viewers "better understand nature" or sympathize with the people who are trying to destroy it.

However, I think this idea of separating humans from nature and viewing nature as an oppressive being as opposed to simply an accumulation of things that just exists allows for people to absolve themselves from blame or responsibility for their destruction. For instance, it was previous societies in Nausicaa and Xenoblade that caused the apocalyptic settings or natural disasters we saw in the anime. Yet, we see how specific groups like the Tolmekian blame nature for its danger so they don't think twice about using or destroying it.

I will say, I think it is somewhat unavoidable to use resources of take from the land, regardless of whether or not you consider yourself a part of nature since simply being alive means you must consume. However, I still believe it is important we hold ourselves accountable and recognize our power in restoring / conserving nature where we can such as Klaus making reparations by ultimately creating a new world from the one he previously destroyed.

#jpt1311

harryreallylikesfish

Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion

I just finished watching Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion, and boy was that a full ride! At first, I thought that this was just going to be your typical mecha anime, you know, where the main character gets his big awesome robot and saves the world. But I was very pleased to see that while this theme was pretty much followed, our main character differed a lot from the norm for this narrative, that being, the main character being this super macho and confident type of guy that’s super passionate about his goals. Instead, Shinji is the oppositive of this, he doesn’t want the role that he was pushed into it, and this is reflective in a lot of his actions, and I liked how this story took this twist of the typical mecha narrative.

The fact that Shinji was kind of pushed into his role is undisputed fact, and not only did he not really want it, but he also wasn’t really suited for it. And we can see that through how he is just pretty bad at fighting, and he is slow to adapt to his role in the combative position. Shinji doesn’t really fit into the narrative of who you would consider fitting his position. To have such great power and responsibility wielding such a weapon, it would be expected that its wielder would be some brave and macho person who was willing and able to use said weapon whenever is required of them. But this is not who Shinji is, he isn’t really willing to enact violence whenever, and he doesn’t really fit the model macho persona. And, thus, we get the situation Shinji is put into. He needs to and is coerced by those around him, constantly at that, to conform to this standard that is expected of him by virtue of his position. He is made to act in a way very different to his nature, and this causes much strife for him. It’s exhausting to have to always act in a certain way to meet the expectations of those around you. And I think that a lot of Shinji’s actions, particularly where he blames those around him for his problems, are because of how often they pressure him into fitting the narrative they want to see in him. A very good example is how people around his always tell him things like “you’re a man aren’t you?”, this is manipulative and is meant to get him to act the way society expects of him.

Overall, I actually think that Shinji’s nature makes him really well suited for this position; he’s not wanting to do it. And who would be better suited to wield such power than someone who is the opposite of power hungry. I also liked the representation of different masculinity with Shinji and how he shows the pressure that many are under to conform to some normative masculinity by society. And how this causes great strain to the individual. What’s more, Shinji highlights how we as a society tend to look down on those who do not fit the standard, those who are different than what is expected they are like.

29beetles

Wow. I really liked your analysis of Shinji's character. I feel like I always have so much to say but I can never find the right words to say it, so I commend you for how straightforward and easy it was to read your train of thought.

You so easily explained how one becomes hurt by society "othering" them and I especially liked the following lines: "He is made to act in a way very different to his nature, and this causes much strife for him. It’s exhausting to have to always act in a certain way to meet the expectations of those around you." I feel like you took the words right out of my head. When you put it like that, I feel like anyone could understand those who are outcasted and the seemingly antisocial or negative attitudes they have. I mean, how could you expect someone NOT to be sad, angry, or frustrated when you are constantly telling them they need to be someone else in order to be accepted. Those who disliked Shinji for his "passiveness" or "gloominess" might reconsider their stance if they read that because frankly it only makes sense for him to be that way given the pressures he has faced from everyone around him.

I also think it's interesting how you made the distinction between blaming/disliking everyone around you vs just disliking the judgement and pressure they put on you. Though I have to wonder how far removed is a person from their ignorant and judgmental mindset really? (Not that far I say). I know I have felt this myself as I think about how much easier my life would have been if I lived in a world where people didn't have such strong ideas about what was "normal" or "expected." I know I have never been one to judge harshly, so I don't really understand how so many people in this life can look down on others for things that don't actually matter. (That being anything but whether or not someone is a good person who cares about and refrains from physically or emotionally harming others. If you do that, then I think you are doing good in my book.)

7/31 Neon Genesis Evangelion.

"God knows I’m not perfect either. I’ve made tons of stupid mistakes, and I later regretted them. And I’ve done it over and over again. A cycle of hollow joy and vicious self-hatred. But even so, every time, I learned something about myself. Please, Shinji. You’ve got to pilot EVA and settle this once and for all. Find out why you came here. Find out why you exist at all."

Oh man, where do I even begin? I think anyone who says they watch or used to watch anime has seen, or at the bare minimum has heard, about Neon Genesis Evangelion. I bet even people outside of the anime space but have found themselves heavily online sometime in 2020 know about this anime. I already knew about Evangelion having been a big anime fan in middle school, but I only ended up watching it sometime along my freshman year of high school. As a guy who falls outside of, and frankly was never going to fit in with, ideals of hegemonic masculinity, specifically heteronormative masculinity if you catch my drift, I knew it was only time before I would have stumbled across this show.

Hearing Yoko Takahashi’s voice in Cruel Angel’s Thesis hit me like a truck. No joke, I got full body chills and watery eyes after hearing that intro song again after 5 years. Suddenly I was 14 and deeply insecure, coming straight of middle school with no emotional preparation for what high school had in store for me. I still think about Evangelion from time to time but I know it meant a whole lot more to me then. Especially since I looked, acted, and felt a whole lot like Shinji at the beginning of high school, suffocating in a world with expectations I never wanted to begin with.

And I think that’s one thing that really gets me about this show, and about this life in general. It becomes exceptionally hard not to ruminate or let yourself get worn down by the fact that everyone seems to have all these expectations about who you are or who you will be or what you should be and what you should do or like or dislike without actually consulting or considering you / the person they are projecting on in the first place.

For instance, why is it a little boys fault for not liking or being interested in all the things you thought he would? What do your ideas have to do with him? Why is it that so many people have a hard time understanding that not everyone is going to be exactly like them? Why is it so hard to just let others live and grow as themselves and not act all surprised when they turn out to be a person with their own interests and desires? In context of the show, why is it Shinji’s fault that his father couldn't handle the grief of losing his lover so he decided to make it everyone else’s, but mainly Shinji’s and the Third Children's, problem by scheming and working toward enacting the Human Instrumentality Project? Despite Gendo and everyone else claiming Shinji didn’t “actually have to pilot the EVA,” why was he expected and initially told he was the only who could do it? Why was he constantly made guilty or insulted for being unsure of taking on this responsibility in the first place? In other words, why was he looked down on for not upholding a role that was never actually his but was put onto him?

Expectation in this sense works as an illusion of choice in which you are penalized for not performing a subjective behavior right. That punishment, in the case of masculinity, being the “queering," and therefore subordination of your identity, as defined in the article by Heasley. We see this idea in Evangelion more overtly when Shinji is met with disapproving comments or gets yelled at for his uncertainty, timidness, and crying/sadness throughout the series. I also argue Evangelion helps demonstrate the idea of complying to the roles expected of you via Shinji’s relationship with NERV/piloting. We see the social repercussions and emotional turmoil of failing/struggling to live up to these set of standards as well when Shinji's conformity to his role costs him his mental health as he struggles with his place in the world, with others, with whether he actually wants to do this, feeling like he doesn't matter, coping with his father abandoning him yet dragging him back into his life with limited emotional support, and eventually struggling with the discovery that he has been contributing to the Human Instrumentality Project and if it is even right.

We see a similar psychological / philosophical / moral struggle in men, and anyone really, who is coerced into shaping, by typically dulling or ignoring, parts of their personalities, identities, expressions, and interests in order to be accepted into mainstream culture. Taking it back to the hypothetical little boy in my fourth paragraph, he is penalized because his interpretation, understanding, and expression of self did not align with what society had in store for him, just like Shinji is penalized for not being this strong, resilient figure of a man and pilot. Thus, it is interesting how Shinji's character both figuratively and literally depicts this fight of trying to exist in a world that treats you as if you were lesser than because of a particular set of standards.

Ultimately, I think viewing Evangelion and Shinji's character under the lens of hegemonic masculinity helped me better understand why I liked this anime so much during my youth.

#jpt1311

lvillanti

Sailor Moon / Aggretsuko / Wandering Son

Throughout the entire show, Sailor Moon is a lighthearted, enjoyable watch about heroine characters. However, the themes of female empowerment are complex, especially given the time of release. I think it was cool how the main character used common feminine products to show power. It connects to the reading by Newsome because the main character is being “girlish” while still being cool and a bada**. Being a superhero while dealing with regular female issues is also a great way to inspire young generations, no matter the era.

Aggresuko is also a lighter-hearted show; the mix of different animals reminds me of Bojack Horseman. I think the mix of different animals also represents the uniqueness of individuals in society. I do not necessarily have office work experience, but I can agree with the frustration that Retsuko feels. The toxicity of the office is prevalent, and it is simply because she is a female. The death metal rage is pretty funny and relatable. I think we all have emotions masked to be polite and respectful, even if we truly do not feel like the person receiving the courtesy does not deserve it. So, no matter the sex or gender, I think it is relatable, even if the situations are vastly different.

Lastly, Wandering Son was a pretty sad, but maybe realistic show to watch. I think this show brings me back to the last module about discrimination. The sad reality of people not agreeing or accepting the way people feel is very common. For instance, the sister of Nitori has very polar beliefs then hers. And obviously, treating Nitori poorly is never the best solution, but I do not think people are born having certain beliefs. I think their upbringing has a lot to do with having different beliefs. So, as much as it is the sister’s fault for not accepting her sister, I think society needs to be less discriminatory, no matter the person. Overall, the show explored a foreign topic, but allowed me to be more accepting of everyone through the experience.

Even though I can not necessarily relate to all three anime, I did find it very insightful on how people can be treated and feel because of their gender or sexuality.

29beetles

I found many of the conclusions you made about each anime to be pretty insightful. I also liked the concept of using femininity, and things typically associated with it, as signs of power. Typically, our society defines and associates things like grace, empathy, and kindness in addition to the more material things like dresses, skirts, and ribbons with femininity, and for some reason these things have become associated with weakness or inferiority as opposed to a force to be reckoned with. For instance, in other cartoons and anime there are usually bits of women who are ultrafeminine or men dressed up in skirts or behaving emotionally. In these cases, femininity is used as a joke. So, besides the underlying question as to why certain acts, behaviors, and materials things are associated with anything to begin with, I can understand why Sailor Moon received a lot of credit for this depiction of femininity given the history of feminine traits being devalued or made into humor for society.

Additionally, I enjoyed Aggretsuko for one of the reasons you highlighted. I think the use of heavy metal to represent Retsuko's true emotion and rage against the system was very clever. Like you said, it was very relatable as I listen to very loud music when I get frustrated or feel very tense and in those moments where other people say or do something questionable I find myself blanking out and speaking to myself like Retsuko. I thought it was pretty sad watching her though since this "rage" was often provoked by the sexist phenomena and policing of her gender she experienced day-to-day. It is obvious that Retsuko feels so restricted by her life that she has to figuratively scream out multiple times per day. Though in the end she is never really heard, which is what really makes this fact incredibly disheartening. And to add onto that, the one time she did find the confidence to show her "rage," though really she was forced into it by her condescending boss, they were all so drunk they forgot about it. So, in the end, even though Retsuko continues experiencing these bouts of anger, she was still stuck. Thus, there was no real rebuttal or escaping any of the things that were bothering her.

I liked how you touched on the fact that people are not born having beliefs (for the most part). People are not born with ideas of hate or discrimination just as people are not born with ideas of what a man or a woman even is or what they "should" do. These are all ideas that are taught and conditioned into us just like so many other things. When you are born there are all these expectations and stereotypes placed onto you without any of your knowledge. People already have ideas of who you should be and what you should do, and for the most part, people live up to this with a few discrepancies in interests, but usually it is nothing too "out of the norm" such as what we saw with Nitori or Takatsuki. When you stray from these ideas, we see the consequences through the treatment of various characters such as Retsuko or Nitori.

Despite this fact, however, so many people seem unable to grasp or are simply unwilling to accept how these socially created ideas of gender and sexuality have affected almost every aspect of their lives. It leaves me wondering, why is it is so easy for people to believe, understand, and acknowledge that systems such as neoliberalism and capitalism have affected their lives, but not gender, sexuality, and race?

7/28 Sailor Moon / Aggretsuko / Wandering Son

“If you knew the true me would you still smile like that?”

So, I have actually seen Wandering Sons before although I didn’t remember much about it. However, I do know I ended up crying at some point during my first watch and after watching only a few episodes I understood why. I mean the first few seconds of the anime alone make me feel emotional because despite feeling suffocated, both literally and figuratively, by her uniform, Nitori still “had” to wear it anyway. The allegory toward the constraints of gender couldn’t be made any more obvious, and we see constantly throughout all the assigned anime how this awareness of the pressure of performing, as Judith Butler would put it, one’s “assigned” gender affects all the characters.

For instance, despite motifs of femininity being used as a source of power in Sailor Moon, the anime itself still utilizes gender stereotypes and perpetuating the idea that there is a "proper way to embody a woman." We see instances of Usagi and the other girls being preoccupied with their appearance and other ideals of feminine beauty, going to great lengths to sty thin for example. It is also interesting because I noticed a lot of the schemes made by the evil blonde guy use these societal definitions of femininity (ie. jewelry, fashion, being pretty and petite) in order to trap/lure said women to benefit for his cause. Perhaps this was not accidental and could be read as a critique of being gullible. I'm not sure, but if not then I think it is interesting that Sailor Moon is renowned as being great for its depictions of femininity because I think if we really think about it the anime just perpetuates stereotypes and performativity like I mentioned earlier. This is really apparent when Usagi, aka Sailor Moon, keeps being saved by and seeking validation from the men around her.

On a similar note, despite Aggretsuko providing commentary on the sexism that typically comes with strong societal views of gender, we see how ultimately Retsuko and everyone else plays into it. Never really challenging or combatting these ideas. For instance, see how whenever someone made a really sexist comment like “You’ll never have a boyfriend if you don’t act more ladylike,” it was never really addressed. Sure, they didn't agree with it but people sort of kept their head down. They were expected to, and urged each other, to just stay quiet, let it slide, or act in line to the negative comment. Also, nobody ever really stood up for Retsuko as they were also feared of being being shunned, or defying the social norm, themselves. Though we do see how Washini and Director Gori tried helping Retsuko by talking to Director Ton, even that didn't change much. We also saw how despite those women having the power and authority to help, it is only because they were "successful" in their performance appearing powerful and feminine, which we see was a struggle to them as well. In the end, any of the help people did try offering her did nothing to actual combat what was wrong in the first place. Retsuko was already fed up with the confounds of ALL the expectations placed on her and fantasized about quitting her job and yelling at everyone. We also see how gender is not the only expectation placed on her, although we did see how themes of gender crossed over with neoliberalism.

Ultimately, we see how everyone is expected to fall within the lines of gender and masculinity or femininity, and how EVERYONE, even those who are not transgender, face the repercussions of failing to adhere to this policing to some extent. For the most part, people live up to these standards so they never think too hard about negating these norms or how it is a force that greatly influences them. For the majority of people, one’s perception of their own gender falls in line with the performance expected of them, so they actively play into these ideas and do nothing to try and counter any discrimination they might face, even if they experience some brief turmoil because of it. We see how everyone seems to fear not being taken seriously or being seen as a lesser man or woman for something they do.

It is just really sad because ultimately everyone would be happier if we all just realized that people are so incredibly complex and different from one another that these “one-size-fits-all” type markers can only say so much about a person. Ultimately, it limits how well you can understand somebody if you simply view them as their gender, race, sexuality, employment status, etc. It reduces the complexities of a life by removing the context of an actual living person, causing more harm than good when we start assuming that everyone who is marked as a “woman," for instance, should have the same characteristics and behave the same way as opposed to behaving like a person with their own styles, hobbies, or personalities. These ideas of gender and performativity seem almost similar to essentialism in the way they both rely on core “essences” or characteristics to try and define people. If we can see how limiting it is to try understanding a country’s culture through essentializing it, couldn’t we also see how limiting it is to view a person based on essentialized assumptions/expectations too?

#jpt1311

harryreallylikesfish

Convention

The Fandom that I have the most intimate of experiences with is that surrounding the world of Reptile and Aquarium Keeping. Theres was a lot that went into me first discovering my love of this community and how I grew into being a part of it. To start, I got my first fish tank when I was about ten years old, and from there my passion only grew. From one small twenty-gallon tank to seven of them, my enjoyment of the hobby grew tremendously in my first few years in it. All I wanted to do was research different fish, which ones I could keep with which other ones, where they were from, what habitat they liked the most, how I could get them to exhibit natural behaviors, the list was never ending. My thirst for more grew by the day. It was about this time that I started to consolidate my passion both physically and metaphorically. I went from seven smaller freshwater tanks to a single one hundred- and twenty-five-gallon freshwater and another one-hundred-gallon saltwater tank.

It was at about this point where I decided to keep fish in as close to their natural habitat that I could, as such, I spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours researching and buying everything I could to make exactly that possible. I wanted everything from the aquatic plants to the fish living in the tank to be like what you could find in a natural system, with my reference being streams from the southern end of the Amazon basin. My passion for the saltwater world and reptile keeping grew from this obsession I had over my first large aquarium. To keep with it chronologically, let’s first look at my saltwater journey. As I say other people in the aquarium world keeping both water types (salt and fresh) I too naturally wanted both. I was particularly fond of the elaborate reefs and coral systems that many were able to create. The art of creating what appeared and acted naturally from the unnatural fascinated me.

I loved to see how people could make these reef tanks look so beautiful, and I wanted to do what they could do. And so, after many hours of moving rocks around and spending far too much on coral, I was able to set up my own reef tank. What I loved most about the saltwater keeping community is the vast droves of knowledge that its members like to post online. This I found to be particularly helpful when it came to understanding water quality, and how to control it best. And as I spent more and more time on these forms I started to understand the lingo that those in the community like to use, that being very pretentious often academic jargon to describe even the most ordinary of ideas or topics. This, as I now know is how people in the community like to deter others from joining it, its made to seem intimidating intentionally. From what I have gathered from my time in places like fish stores or conventions, a lot of the reason that people often use academic jargon (for example, only referring to different species by their scientific names) in this hobby is because of how legitimizing it feels, you spend all this money on a single fish or coral, of course you want someone who knows its value to commend you. This barrier was easy enough to overcome, but it is ever present within the community, and can be hard to overcome at first.

As I grew in the hobby and attended more and more of these spaces where people of my hobby gathered, I was slowly introduced to the world of reptile keeping, which fascinated me to no end. I eventually decided to attend a reptile only convention for the first time shortly after this, and it was here that I got my very first reptile, a ball python I named Pricilla. She’s adorable, and I love her to no end, you can see the day I first got her below. Anyways, what makes me getting Pricilia so significant is because it’s the whole bit of these conventions. People spend months or even years breeding their reptiles for these shows, they spend hours trying for different morphs and color patterns. To the extent that some breeders spend thousands of dollars getting their animals genetically tested to see if they carry certain morph genes. It gets insane, and because so many people spend so many hours trying to produce and procure the coolest and most beautiful animals that they can, it’s no wonder they would want to show off a little to people who understand the effort that they put into it. At these expos, dozens of breeders and enthusiasts gather and at these expos you can often find some of the most novel animals and learn about the best and newest care techniques.

(ignore how bad this picture makes me look, I was young)

Because of the large amount of knowledge and time that is required to be a part of these hobbies there is a natural disconnect between those in the hobby and those outside of it. As such, a lot of the enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge that you accumulate while being in this fandom are not really understood by those outside of it. This leads many, myself included, to get very excited to talk with other fans about the goings within the fandom. It’s a very enjoyable experience to talk with another who shares your passion. The positive environment that this passion creates makes reptile and anime conventions to be very fun and creative spaces. For example, a recent aquarium show, Aquashella in Orlando, was a massive gathering of all types of Aquarium fans. People from all over the US gathered to show off their skills and share their knowledge. I really like going to these shows because of all the people I get to talk to while being there. Like, for example, I talked to this guy who has been selling goldfish for the last fifteen years for over an hour, and it was great being able to just nerd out with him. You can meet people who share your passions and understand why you have them.

My finial note on my convention experience in the Aquarium and Reptile keeping fandoms is the insane amount of money that people are willing to spend at them. I have seen people spend hundreds of dollars on a single frog all because it is rare, and by having one, they could say to other fans that they keep some rare animal that they don’t. The keeping of rare or cool animals is one of the biggest forms of shadow cultural capital in this fandom by large. This is of course seconded only by having large or particularly interesting or natural enclosures for said animals. Creativity is very important in this fandom because you have to be a very creative individual to create a natural and functional enclosure for your animals. You need to balance maintenance, plant or animal species, light and humidity, just to name a few of the many aspects that go into this art. And it is for all the reasons above that I so love being a part of this Fandom. And while I only have my snake at the moment, I very much plan to get fish once I graduate and can get more permanently settled. While I am not a very active member in the community now, I still am at heart.

29beetles

Wow, it was very interesting reading about your experience with aquarium keeping. I didn't even know there was a specific name for it though I knew it was a big hobby since there was a week I was super enthralled with watching the upkeep and creation of various tank types on YouTube. I know personally I really enjoyed the 100 day ecosystem simulations as I have always been a fan of plants so being able to watch the time-lapses of plant/animal growth was always interesting. I also had no idea there were events for aquarium fans and I never bothered to look into it, so this was actually an insightful post as well. I will definitely keep a look out for Aquashella next year.

When it comes to some of the points you touched on such as the use of scientific names and plant jargon, I know I can definitely relate to you. Like I mentioned earlier, I have always been more interested in the "flora" of the world, which is arguably a huge part of aquarium keeping as it the relationship between the plants and animals that even allow an ecosystem to function. I am interested in horticulture and a big part of this community as you'll see in countless videos, blog posts, and within the workforce is the knowledge of scientific names. While it obviously matters more if you are someone who is designing botanical gardens and exhibitions, there is a sense of status and being taken more seriously in your interest based on whether you can identify the "correct," or scientific, names of things. Though that isn't to say being familiar with common names isn't important as well.

Collection and possession seems to be a big part of fandom status like you mention. Whether we are talking those interested in horticulture, aquarium-keeping, or japanese pop-culture, the more you have, the more you read, and the more you know all tend to be associated with greater-fan status. Ultimately, this makes some sense because if you really liked something you would most likely dedicate more time to learn about it, but like you said it could be very intimidating to encounter at times.

7/28 Convention Post (but instead it's more like 'an amalgamation of some of the "fandoms" and scenes I am interested in' post... whoops)

“...One person goes crazy, so the other person goes crazy, and then that’s cool.” - Rachel, True Otaku: The Documentary Part 1

I have personally never attended a convention nor will I be able to during the duration of this course, however, there was a con I was particularly interested in that did occur in Orlando last June called Spooky Empire. It is a horror and science fiction convention where the actors and directors of these particular type of movies meet fans, give autographs, and take some cool photo ops in which the actors are usually in costume. The convention also has tattoo artists, movie screenings, and other vendors selling merchandise or art related to specific movies.

I wouldn’t say I am a huge film buff, nor would I say I am anything more than a casual fan of the horror/sci-fi genre of movies represented by the Spooky Empire convention. However, I have definitely watched my fair share of movies and would consider myself a big fan of certain directors and actors such as Simon Pegg and James Duval. James Duval being the main reason why I learned about and was interested in attending the Spooky Empire convention in the first place. James Duval has acted in a slew of indie, arthouse type films like Donnie Darko. The movie itself is a blend of science fiction and psychological thriller and his character in the movie, Frank, was depicted as a man in a bunny suit whose eyes were cut out, explaining why he was featured at this convention.

I will say, I am much more fond of some of the other movies he was featured in that were directed by Gregg Araki. Those being Nowhere, Totally F***ed up, and the Living End. Gregg Araki is a director who has garnered a cult following, or fandom, of his own for his very unique style of filmography as well as his exploration of topics like sexuality, gender, youth culture, fashion, music, and the societal / political climate surrounding these ideas of the late 20th century. He is noted as being a pioneer in the New Queer Cinema wave for those works I mentioned earlier which were later coined as the Teenage Apocalypse trilogy. His work skirts on the surreal and through this is able to interestingly depict the hedonistic and nihilistic attitudes that were, and still are, prevalent in the youth scenes of the early 90s.

But circling back to the Spooky Empire convention and conventions in general, we know these gatherings offer a space for people with varying levels of interests for things that exist on the edge of pop-culture, such as horror or gore flicks. Though the documentary initially sets the definition of an otaku as someone who is very into media from Japan, ranging from anime, manga, jpop, japenese video games, and japanese fashion, we are also shown how there are various perspectives of what that word means. Arguably, the term is used to describe somebody who is "obsessed with anything," as eloquently put by user katfujiouka212 in the comment section of the first part of the documentary. With that being said, I would definitely say I am an otaku who is obsessed with and greatly passionate about Araki's work as I have seen nearly all of his films multiple times. Though there is no specific convention for Araki's work, there have been some organized movie screenings in light of watching his work.

When it comes to music though, this is where most of my obsessive qualities come out. I am pretty sure anyone would agree music is one of the most defining means of developing and recognizing various cultural identities. We see this in the trends that occurred in America for instance. With the 50s/60s being the development of rock and roll. The 70s being defined by disco and funk. 80s we saw this new resurgence of rock, punk, and music with synthesizers. 90s we see the development of hiphop, rap, electronic, etc. Famously, the early 2000s is associated with a slew of iconic "pop" music from artists such as Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, the Black Eyed Peas, Daft Punk, and more. When it comes to musicians that have shaped my own adolescence, I sort of got into music with singing because of some of my own interest in these pop musics. I had a collection of those generic "Now That's What I Call" cds and I remember being very young listening to them over and over while dancing and singing around my room. I eventually joined the choir in elementary school and then band in the 4th grade. From there, I went to art schools, spent hundreds (of my parent's money) on music lessons, instrument rentals, valve oil, sheet music, and traveling for county to state wide festivals or band events. As I got older though I went away from classical music and got more into bedroom pop and indie music and then started slipping into some more experimental and screamo music. There was a time when I was really into shoe-gaze and dark ambient type artists like Have a Nice Life, Giles Corey, and Planning for Burial. I adored these particular artists so much I got limited edition vinyls of albums despite not even owning a record player. I even got a tattoo of the logo of the record label (The Flenser) that signed and help distribute the work of these artists. For me, owning and (literally) using my body as a medium for music helps me feel even closer than playing or listening might.

As described briefly in the documentary, with the invention of the internet, online spaces are created for chatting and meeting about particular interests. I know I have done my share of reading up on the lore or details that went into creating certain tracks and there is no mistaking the effect social media has had on shaping the current trends of music, fashion, and youth culture as well. I would argue this is where most fandom experience, including my own, occurs since it is relatively accessible and doesn't require traveling. It is even possible to continue materializing your interests through online shops, commissions, and showing off your cosplays to online communities. Moreover, it was these online spaces that even allowed me to learn about the Spooky Empire convention in the first place as well as helping me discover my current favorite musicians and directors.

However, there is something really special about being surrounded by thousands of people with similar interests and motives as you and this awe-inspiring feeling simply cannot be replicated in online hubs. When it comes to times I have recently felt this, I think back on a bruins vs panthers game I went to earlier this year. (Repping the bruins admittedly.) Again, I am not nearly into hockey as I am into specific musicians, but feeling the chill of the ice, the largeness of the arena, the flashing light, and the rumble of the pre-game music and announcements was thrilling.

I am not sure where to end this off, but I know after watching this documentary and reflecting on some of the things I have experienced, I feel more compelled to get out there and continue exploring my interests in the physical, whether that be by attending conventions, sports games, raves, or concerts.

#jpt1311

harryreallylikesfish

Genshiken

I just finished watching Genshiken for the first time and I think overall it was a great anime! It highlighted a lot of the aspects of many of the fandoms and other communities I am a part of in such a way that it made me really think critically about the way that fandoms and the communities they form. This anime captured all the parts of fandoms that I can love and see for myself, from the obsessed nerdy archetype to quite fan who keeps their passions hidden.

Genshiken did a really good job at showing the many parts of fan cultures, what I think it did particularly well is showing how many people tend to hide their fan nature because of society and its views on the subject. Particularly when it comes to being a Fan of anime, In my experience people tend not to be as open of belonging to such fandoms as compared to sports fandoms for example. And this comes from the fact that being a fan of sports is much more socially acceptable than being an anime fan. This most likely stems from strangely common idea that all anime are weird or perverse in some way, which is no doubt a byproduct of sensationalism cherry picking some fringe examples of anime and using that as a base for all anime as a whole.

In Genshiken, we see the characters really start to open up inside of their club, it’s a space where they can be themselves and geek out with people who can understand their fan status and enjoy the exchange of that shadow cultural capital. The fact that such spaces are rare and hard to find in person, such a space would be wonderful to find ones community and others who share a common interest. This is a big problem for many anime fans because the ability to meet others in person who share their passion are often hard to find in places outside of anime conventions or the like. What’s more, I really like how the anime showed how many people, even super obsessed fans, can distance themselves from the fiction they enjoy. They realize the difference between reality and fiction and are proactive at creating this separation.

Overall, I liked the commentary that Genshiken provided about fan culture as a whole and I think a lot of people could learn a lot from this anime about fandoms as a whole.

29beetles

I strongly agree with your sentiment in regards to how this anime was able to depict those who have minimized or hidden their passions and I really liked how you were able to use this realization to explain / define how important fandom spaces such as the college club of "Genshiken" are for creating a sense of community and free self-expression.

When I was younger I was super into anime and was definitely more vocal about my interests than I am now. I feel like a part of my change in attitude definitely has to do with the societal aspects and slight judgement aimed at certain interests or being "obsessed" with something like you mentioned. I think an added layer of this has to do with aging and the societal expectations that come with growing older. Specifically on what it means to be or act like an "adult" with "serious" hobbies or interests. Typically, you see people ignoring or no longer engaging with the things they used to be obsessed with or enjoy doing.

When it comes to anime, I know I definitely don't have many people I could talk to about it with anymore as everyone around me seemed to "grow out" of this interest as well, whether that be because of naturally changing interests or through this pressure to focus on other, more socially acceptable hobbies. I know at the end of the day I can talk to any of my friends about whatever and this isn't an issue that particularly affects me that much as I am one to do or watch what I like, but I can definitely relate to this issue and the characters we have seen to an extent

You make another good point about how outside of comic con, there aren't really that many spaces in real life for people to talk to or bond over anime with. Especially those not in school anymore. I think this goes back to one of the problems many people face as they get older with losing access to community based, club like spaces. Outside of the popular gatherings like sport events, concerts, clubbing, and festivals, when it comes to group gatherings for more "niche interests", the activity options grow very slim if they exist at all. I think this loss of fandom space could also explain why lots of people seem to be discontent, lonely, or have a hard time making friends as they get older and as we move into the "postmodern" time.

7/24 Genshiken

“Embarrassment will get you nowhere.”

I was actually surprised by how much I liked this anime. I thought it was pretty funny and a good change of pace from the more serious anime we have watched. It was super enjoyable watching the interactions between the Genshiken members and I even saw myself in a few of them.

To begin with, we see how even in this post-modern time that is characterized by atomization and the destruction of collective meaning and social cohesion, the various Geshiken members are able to find community and shared purpose again through their fan productivity, interactions with pop culture, and interactions with each other. For example, we watch as Sasahara goes from this timid guy who is unable to speak up for himself in episode one to somebody who is much more comfortable with himself and is able to explore his hobbies/interests more freely. It is no question that Sasahara’s newfound confidence sprouted from his involvement with the Genshiken club. This space allowed him to meet other people, like Kousake and Madarame, who are veryand carefree about their intersts, thus normalizing this experience for him. I know I can definitely relate to Sasahara in a way and I am pretty sure we can all agree about how affirming and motivating t is to meet others with similar hobbies and interests as you.

This anime also does a good job at demonstrating the concept of a Grand Narrative. The Genshiken acts as its own little chunk of society that all work toward upholding a passion for anime, manga, doujinshi, video games, and other “otaku” like interests. We watch as the members bond over new releases, introduce each other to different media, and freely talk about whatever. Kousake’s character specifically shows how being an otaku can give one's life purpose, direction, and a reason to wake up everyday. We even see how this passion can drive one to endure hardship such as when Madarame suffered through a sprained/broken wrist to get his hands on some collector's cards. Personally, I'm currently living for the release of Spiderman Beyond the Spiderverse and Batman 2 and I vowed that no matter what I WILL see these movies.

Additionally, I think this anime does an interesting job at portraying how even in these fringe, unofficial cultural spaces, there is still some of that pretentiousness and social hierarchy around what is considered more “legit” or “official.” The character Mirei Yajima openly denounces people such as the ones in the Genshiken club for simply enjoying reading or watching anime as well as those who were into cosplay. He deemed certain acts such as producing doujinshi of your own as being “better.” Perhaps for doujinshi’s ability to be exchanged for monetary value and in turn subcultural clout. This idea of valuing certain interests over others is similar to what differentiates “official” cultural capital from “unofficial” or shadow cultural capital as it is the ability to be exchanged for real monetary value and social improvement that makes one official. Even in hobby spaces we see larger socialisation forces such as capitalism (in the sense that money and having capital is valued) at hand even though that line of thinking defeats the point of the shadow cultural economy being more accessible and accepting of everyone.

Similarly, despite the array of personalities in the Genshiken club and the fact that the otaku subculture is supposed to be for those more passionate than “normal” mainstream fans of things, there are still exclusionary or gatekeepy ideas of what one should act or look like. Sasahara is guilty of perpetuating these ideas as well but Yajima really drives home this idea by critiquing Kousake for not fitting with the “otaku” stereotype.

Ultimately, it is the willingness to encourage each other in their pursuits and having an openness to talking with others that is supposed to make these shadow cultural spaces welcoming. Luckily, (hopefully?) most people in these spaces are not like Yajima and it is those like Madarame and Kugayara, who are really in it for the culture, that will continue prevailing and making safe spaces for those like Sasahara.

#jpt1311

lvillanti

Naruto/Wolf Children/A Silent Voice

I think the majority of people who know any anime know Naruto, but I haven’t watched Naruto until watching these few episodes. This decision was solely based on the number of episodes there are because I know it is highly recommended. After watching these episodes, I was reminded of Attack on Titan. Eren, the main character, had similar beliefs to Pain. They both were brought up through suffering and watching loved ones die. They also both believed that the only way for peace was violence, especially after the discrimination their people had gone through. They “needed to fight”. However, I think Naruto brought a different outlook on the resolution because he found a way to make peace and explored the idea of having peace prevail without violence. Naruto is a better peace negotiator than the Marleyians, though. I think the discrimination Naruto felt was wrong, but almost justified from the village’s point of view. After what happened to the village and Naruto, I think I would find it difficult not to be frightened and cautious of his abilities. So, in this situation, I believe discrimination isn’t right, but at the same time, I can not blame them for being discriminatory. This is why discrimination is not a black and white subject, as I wish it could be. Everyone should be as open-minded as possible and not discriminate, but due to certain history and conflict, it may be hard to do so.

The movie Wolf Children was not an easy watch, but I did relate to it. I am not a werewolf, but I am a younger brother to a sister, and we do not always see eye to eye. It sucks because I would obviously want my sister and I to be best friends, and sometimes we are, but usually we are in two separate worlds. The ending gives me a lot of hope because of its maturity. They both come to an understanding about who each of them is and their differences. The discrimination in this movie is prominently shown. These two kids have to grow up and can never truly be themselves. I think the harassment they go through is uncalled for and very close-minded, but the system that they live in is just unfortunate. By the way the movie makes it seem, these two kids are the only ones of their kind, so I would expect the system they live in not to be as conducive as it would be if they were only human or only wolf. This situation is unfortunate like Naruto’s, but the key difference is that Naruto could resolve the discrimination by becoming a super powerful being that is trustworthy, but these two kids couldn’t ever have the perfect solution to the discrimination.

And finally, A Silent Voice was a heartwrenching film and gave me a great outlook on what it would be like to be disabled in some way. I feel very privileged after this film. But I think the climax of the film, Shoya falling off the balcony, was horrible to watch, but almost a necessity to see true resolution from him. Him saving the girl he bullied from death was how to truly forgive his mistakes. Also, I think Ueno was a fantastic character to have in this film. Obviously, she was a horrible person, but to have the belief that Shoko ruined her elementary school experience is lunacy and horrific. It makes me wonder how many of these people are out there. It also gives me more insight into how people with disabilities are looked upon and how discriminating people like Shoko is saddening.

29beetles

I was particularly drawn to replying to your Blog Post specifically because you mentioned your own experience with siblings as well as your mention of Ueno from A Silent Voice.

For starters, I like how you comment on how, despite growing up in the same household, Yuki and Ame are essentially in two completely different worlds dealing with struggles of their own like you and your sister at times. I think this accurately reflects what it is like for most people with siblings since the chances of you being exactly like your sibling are incredibly slim and it is only natural that the things you'll have to face in your life will differ from what she will. Despite it all, I believe their relationship with the world and each other is interesting because we see how discrimination can affect even our most personal relationships with other people and ourselves.

I also really like how you related Naruto to Wolf Children and I agree that there is a much less simple way to dispel the discrimination faced in the world of the Wolf Children. In a world where Ganbaru cannot save or prevent you from experiencing discrimination, the journey of trying to evade or end this discrimination becomes much more daunting, especially when that discrimination is institutionalized or engrained into everyone whether they realize it or not. I mean, what are the chances you would react normally after discovering your best friend is a werewolf? Probably slim since for the majority of people it becomes incredibly easy to discriminate against or not know how to behave around someone that is new, different, or somehow tied to past acts of cruelty, despite not actually being a part of it. I think that last point is really lost on people, such as those in Naruto who discriminated against Naruto because they couldn't separate him from the fox spirit that decimated their village even though Naruto had absolutely nothing to do with that destruction himself.

Going back to what you said, I definitely agree the only way to combat discrimination like this is through trying your best to approach people with openness, empathy, understanding. A task easier said than done.

Additionally, we see how hard this task is for characters like Ueno who would much rather blame the ones they discriminate against for being different as opposed to recognizing their own ignorance and intellectual shortcomings with the complexity of life in this world. I think her character, though arguably important for some aspect of conflict and alternative perspective, made A Silent Voice incredibly unenjoyable for me to watch. I think her inability to show any sign of critical thinking or self-reflection was, sadly, very accurate to the phenomena we see in people who perpetuate discrimination since they tend to think very rigidly and selfishly.

Though I am glad you were able to take something away from A Silent Voice, I argue this film ultimately does not do well in depicting the fight against discrimination because nobody, besides Ishida to an extent, really held themselves accountable for their actions in grade school. I mean, it took Ishida half the movie to even apologize to Nishimiya and in the end he let her take the blame for Ueno's bullying in addition to bringing her around all her former bullies again. Everyone in this movie, besides Ueno, was incredibly avoidant of confrontation and they never really had serious discussions about what they did and how it was wrong.

7/21 Naruto / Wolf Children / A Silent Voice

“I wish I could be like you, being able to smile even when talking about my true self.”

Okay, so I'm going into this post having seen A Silent Voice and not liking it the first time around. Seeing it again while actively looking out for structures of discrimination and power only added to that distaste as I am somewhat able to articulate my issues with this movie now.

For starters, all the anime we watched portrayed discrimination on the basis of a feature a character was born with. When you really think about it, the majority of the discrimination people face in our world has to do with intrinsic parts of themselves too. For whatever reason, there is this deep judgement that compels so many people to discriminate against things that are new or different to them. Instead of showing these discriminators take accountability for their biases and engage in self-reflecting / critical thinking, we see the weight of combatting and ending discrimination fall onto the individual being discriminated against.

What especially bothers me about this fact is how in Naruto, Wolf Children, and A Silent Voice, this resolution seems to be acceptable. The townspeople end up worshipping Naruto and deeming him the 7th Hokage, but only after strenuous efforts of Ganbaru. Nishimiya “makes up for” her deafness by not only forgiving, but becoming best friends with the very people who tormented her in grade school, avoiding confrontation, letting herself get pushed around, consoling other characters even when they were wrong, and leaving spaces such as primary school where her presence was deemed a hindrance. Yuki and Ame eventually choose and are accepted into their own paths, but ultimately in doing so they have to reject a part of themselves that their mom so graciously helped raise. So, my question is, why does it take either assimilating or staying on the outskirts of humanity to be accepted by society?

While arguably Nishimiya received the most overt effects of this discrimination by literally getting her hearing aids ripped out and pushed into fountains, I believe the character arcs of all the protagonists feed into the notion that people need to make up for or justify being born. It pains me how prevalent this idea is everywhere, not only in these anime but in every other story where the main character feels compelled to go on a mission to “become better” in order to be accepted and valued by their society. Why not question why their society even values or allows for discrimination against certain things to begin with?

This idea is not inescapable in our own society either. I would go so far to say that the foundation of our lives revolves around our "usefulness" and what one can do to provide for themselves or others. Whether you were born 1 million years ago or 2 days ago, the question will always come down to when and how you will contribute to the pack. With the rise of capitalist and neoliberalism thought, this can be done through filtering into employment. However, we see how even a path as seemingly straightforward as that can be made complex when the world was not made for people like you. For example, Nishimiya is disabled by a society that was not organized for people who cannot hear. Nor was society made for those who may not fit our definitions of “human” or for those who fail to meet certain benchmarks of success like Naruto not graduating with his class at school.

Now going back to my original comment regarding my grievances with A Silent Voice, on top of everything previously mentioned, I also believe, despite his best intentions, Ishida’s character just played into the trope of using the minority character for his own development and guilt resolution. Although he does recognize the fact that he never actually apologized to Nishimiya halfway through the movie, he did so…. HALFWAY THROUGH THE MOVIE. Not only that, but he “accidentally” brings people back into Nishimiya’s life and struggles with properly handling this fact. We also see how other characters like Ueno and Kawai are unable to admit that they were wrong for bullying her. Though Kawai does make attempts at making it right with Nishimoya, for the most part they seemed disingenuous. To me everything about this movie just shows that minorities accepting and putting up with the oppression they are subjected to is okay so long as the people that were oppressing them eventually learn basic human empathy and compassion. But why must people wait until you say it is okay for them to live peacefully?

Overall, I think everyone deserved better and it was sad watching all the characters struggle and internalize discrimination differently. I think the burden of responsibility in regards to dismantling discrimination should really fall more in the hands of society. Though that is not to ignore that it takes individuals within it to push for change as well. Thankfully, despite my gripes with the endings of these anime, we still saw instances of people supporting the protagonists, such as Sahara who offered to learn sign language for Nishimiya, Sohei and Hana (the mom) who graciously accepted the identities of the half-wolf people, and the villagers who ended up supporting Hana and her family.

I end this off by saying life within itself is work. Knowing that, we all really need to try our best not to make it any harder for anyone else. Especially if the worst thing someone has ever done was simply live.

#jpt1311

emmaarmen

Shin Sekai Yori

This anime explores what could be done about "wild children" since the child murderer Shonen A. These murderers produce anxiety and fear within the Japanese society. This anime explores one of the ways that child delinquency could be addressed to erase all criminality in society. This anime individualizes violence and creates systemic solutions to correct the individuals that threatened its very existing with you guessed it, thru violence. This animes proposes, genetic mutations, discipline, control and ultimately murder by legalizing abortion to 17 years old. Its no wonder some people turn to violence when the conditions of life are violent. Here the anime ignores the fact that violence is born in the systems, in the institutions that hold our lives together. By individualizing violence, it distracts us from exploring the violence inherently inflicted upon humans by strict, and inhumane conditions of modern capitalism. This anime proposes that children need intense, conversion style therapy from birth. It implies that our natural humanness is problematic. In my own experience, thinking that my childhood self was violent is weird. My parent's need to keep me in check is weird. I think that by criminalizing youth is a way to take away that last bit of freedom from the human experience. I was told that as a child I didn't have to worry about anything. I got to just play and be a "kid". Childhood is free from work, credit, mortgages and other social obligations. Now even childhood need to have particular outcomes. Childhood is measured, data is collected, and based on this information the system decides whether you can move on to adulthood as a productive member of society quietly obeying, a zombie body producing mindlessly. Again, Japan is presented as a solo society with no access to any other solutions to their problems. This anime reminds me of the book Lord of the Flies which proposes that our human nature is inherently violent. But once we explore real life stories of lost children in the woods or jungle, the story is one of collaboration and collective survival. So in order for this anime to make sense, it to ignore yet again, the vastness of our human history where many humans loved nature and lived in harmony with the non human world.

29beetles

I am so glad somebody else was aware of and mentioned the fact that violence, for the most part, is institutionalized. I especially love how you characterized it as "individualizing violence," because that is exactly what happens when we fail to consider the circumstance or an individual's background. Instead of solely blaming one person many fail to inspect the context, and even when they do, people tend to come up with poor explanations such as blaming video games or horror movies for horrific acts such as murdering sprees and school shootings.

Throughout the past 2 modules we are introduced to characters who constantly overlook and disregard how their society is a big contributor to people seemingly "melting down" and behaving "irrationally" and "violently" as if these individuals haven't been suffering under the stress of invasive governments and institutions that act under the guise of helping and protecting individuals. Of course the word society is used loosely here but for the most part I'm referring to these large methods of socialization and the expectations or ideas we are actually socializing people into.

As discussed in the lecture on the Wild Child, for the most part, the methods we see being used to try and filter the children of From the New World into society involves keeping data logs of their Cantu and personality development, keeping them on a strict schedule throughout school, and resorting to picking off those who fail to meet certain benchmarks. We also get a glimpse at how these means of surveillance and discipline are implemented for the benefit of a society in its process of achieving its proposed progression and peace as opposed to trying to help the child progress and succeed in life.

One thing I will say is I believe calling what was happening to some of these kids abortion is missing the mark when really nobody had a say in what was happening at all. It was pure government sanctioned murder. 9 times out of 10 the parents had no choice or say in what was going to happen to their children and the reasons for the killings were trivial.

Similar to you I have thought a lot about how children seem to take the blame for falling short of expectations unwillingly placed on them in addition to being essentially punished and ultimately forced to put up with measures that were designed because of other people's wrongdoings. I also wonder why children are expected to completely go along with and understand everything despite being left out of the truth half the time.

Children are put in a very weird place in many societies and I believe this anime, despite many of my grievances with it, does a fair job at showing that.

7/17 From the New World

"But by then, I had realized there were more important things than rules."

I don’t know if it was just the nature of this anime or the fact that we had to skip around in order to see all the relevant plot points, but I had a really hard time following Shin Sekai Yori compared to the previous shows we watched. It was especially difficult given all the vaguely religious or scientific names of schools, institutions, and characters we’d come across once and then never see again unless they were offhandedly referred to mid conversation. With that being said, I am pretty sure I got the gist of what was going on and I definitely saw the parallels between the lectures and this anime, but I apologize now if any of my specifics are off.

From the very first episode we get insight into this seemingly intricate system that children are led through in order to “successfully” be integrated into (adult) society. Though the regulation of kids begins from the moment they are born, the most notable means of interference occurs as soon as they develop their psychic powers. Once this happens, the children are required to undergo a series of rituals that forces them to relinquish control of said powers and promise not to use them for wrongdoing. In addition to controlling their powers, the kids are also asked to give up their worldly desires, emotions, and memories for a brief moment. However, we also learn that if children fail to develop these psychokinetic powers by a certain age, fail to control them properly, or are deemed potentially dangerous at any time after the ceremony, they are killed off. After successfully completing this ritual, children are funneled into special schools where they will be allowed to develop their powers, but only under close supervision and documentation.

With all that being said, it is very clear that this society views these children as things that are potentially dangerous and increasingly volatile, just like the existence of the Wild Child. I mean, they quite literally are vessels that possess the ability to do anything, so their powers were treated as something that needed to be controlled and monitored. This realization that children with powers existed and the subsequent scramble of trying to figure out what to do with them only mimicked the frenzy that we saw occur in the 90s following the horrific events we discussed in the lecture. In attempts of figuring out how to restructure society around preventing / dealing with deviant kids, we saw the familiar formation of totalitarian states that adopted extremist methods and beliefs of taking no chances. This means utilizing large methods of socialization such as schools and resorting to intense surveillance, restrictions, and punishments for anyone who is even suspected of becoming dangerous. Though arguably in this anime some of the methods are much more low-key, hidden behind closed doors or structured as being a bonding communal experience.

In a very frustrating fashion, in trying to understand these individuals and figuring out what caused them to be that way, both societies in Shin Sekai Yori and Psycho-Pass fail completely by treating these children (or whoever) as an “other” that can only be feared and dealt with as opposed to a human being that can be understood. In trying to prevent violence, both societies only legitimise it by legalising the killings of thousands and thousands.

We see this fear (perhaps not really) subtly in the design of schools that are built like prisons with one way in and one way out. I saw it in my own high school the last few months before graduating when they finally installed metal detectors, which were faulty half the times mind you, and made us form lines to empty out our backpacks before entering campus. It’s very difficult because while in some ways I understand that all these people seem to be acting, in their own ways, out of fear and desire to keep themselves and children safe, I can’t help but think about how futile these methods are and how really they are not solving anything. The acts we have seen in this show and the acts I have seen in my own life of schools trying to address the elusive school shootings and poorly dubbed “mental health crises” seem to ignore much greater social context that cannot be solved with pushing out of touch slideshows, campus design, and physical camera or AI surveillance implementations onto students.

In a different context too I argue we see this fear of the “potentially dangerous other” in the way immigrants are treated globally, but especially right now in America. In what world would taking people off the street and sending them away without notice be the best way to deal with a situation? I believe there is far too much scapegoating under false pretenses of “national security” (and disgustingly national identity, whatever that means) to justify horrific things being done to people. Whether it be in fictionalized narratives such as Shin Sekai Yori where children and Queerats were controlled fully or in real scenarios where people are treated as subhuman in internment camps, there is a lot that needs to be addressed.

It is far too easy and noncommittal to end things off like Saki, who, despite being in a position of power, wished society magically becomes better by the time her children are born. Really, one should think "what can I do to ensure that during the process of trying to prevent violence I don’t end up contributing to violence as well?"

#jpt1311

thecapybarawhisperer-deactivate

The Tyranny of Surveillance

Psycho‑Pass hit me less as speculative fiction and more as a mirror tilted a few degrees into the future. Foucault’s panopticon describes bodies that police themselves once the gaze is constant but unverifiable, converting external force into self‑discipline . The Sibyl scanners simply extend that gaze from rooms to neural circuitry and show how little overt violence a state needs once visibility is total. Japan already prizes social harmony and technological convenience, so the series’ Tokyo feels plausible rather than dystopian. Reading the Washington Post report on Bluetooth beacons grading Syracuse freshmen, I saw the same calculus: trade attendance points for autonomy (Harwell 2019). Sibyl just finishes the bargain by slotting every citizen into a job, a therapy queue, or a cell. Lecture 1’s reminder that visibility becomes morality clarified why crowds in episode 1 freeze as a murder unfolds, they have never rehearsed dissent . Lecture 2’s discussion of “legibility” sharpened the danger: when worth collapses to a single index, the unlucky are pathologized, not persuaded . Globally, the show echoes predictive‑policing software that ProPublica found mislabels Black defendants as high risk twice as often as whites (Angwin et al 2016). Sibyl’s “crime coefficient” looks objective but, like COMPAS, it seals fates before action. Makishima weaponizes that flaw, proving that perfect data still rest on political choices about whose pain counts. Personally, the series forced an inventory of my own concessions. I silence dissenting thoughts before typing because cloud folders feel like interview panels. My smartwatch nags me to stand, my credit score nudges me toward “responsible” purchases, and I comply, grateful for the frictionless life those metrics grant. Psycho‑Pass asks whether that gratitude will survive when an opaque ledger decides my next career or my freedom. The anime therefore reads as a caution: precision governance may lift productivity and lower street crime, yet it empties public space of spontaneity and ethical judgment. If society delegates trust entirely to algorithms, citizens risk forgetting how to doubt, resist, or even notice power. Sibyl is not a monster hiding in the tower, it is the tranquil voice inside our heads saying, “Everything is fine, stay in your lane.”

29beetles

After reading your Blog Post I literally said "DANG."

You articulate your thoughts incredibly well in a way that is almost literary. It felt like I was reading some great novel where every other sentence seemed to have a point of its own.

One overarching theme you touched on that also really struck me while watching the show is about the ability to think and choose for yourself. There have been various times throughout history where people have been more than willing to go along with practices and rulings that were much more overtly cruel than intense surveillance such as slavery and mass genocide,(although in reality those things typically go hand in hand) but like you said, I agree it is the very act of placing ones trust entirely into a system, in this case the government, that causes this inability to recognize, doubt, or fight against power. A big part of reason why people complied in the first place, such as in the case of Psycho-pass where people adopted the Sibyl system, was because people would much rather just "go along with" the powers at be than consider the potential ramifications or disadvantages of the systems they subscribe to. I would also say this has to do with simply lacking the ability to think about the potential downsides of something such as intense surveilling apps such as SpotterEDU for whatever reason as well as having lost the ability to think because of compliance overtime like you argued. For the most part though, I would assume for many people it is just easier to "stay in your lane" than having to be the one to speak up or go against social norms. Especially if the supposed punishment is death.

We see this willingness to comply in the anime when any comment made by an Enforcer or civilian that could be interpreted as having reservations against the Sibyl System could potentially cost them their life or societal "privileges" and thus causes the said offender to "correct" themselves and fall back in line. Ultimately, this compliance overtime leads to the loss of "ethical judgement" like you said. And it was this loss of judgement that caused mass confusion and panic when the video of the woman getting beat was released because up until this point, most people never had to question the systems they were governed and governed themselves by.

It sucks because it seems only in extreme cases do people really take a step back and question what they are doing.

It is also interesting how you mention things such as your smartwatch and credit cards as being vessels for these forces as well. I don't think a lot of people realize just how many mechanisms there are in society that silently shape and direct their lives. I argue the same thing about insurance plans, compulsory education, neoliberalism ideology, and even simply being born and having to adhere to ones family, even if the rules or expectations coming from that socialization force are ridiculous. Because at the end of the day, if you want a "frictionless," comfortable life, the best thing you can do is go along with as much as you can without resistance, but as Psycho-pass warns, this can be incredibly dangerous and cause societal uproar when people remember the forces they let themselves be controlled by.

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