JP Pop Culture Interpretation

Aidan Crawford JPT1311 blog

[spburns1]

Hetalia

I came to understand that the figures are meant to be anthropomorphic representations of the many nations that were prominent players in world politics. In summary, Hetalia is a humorous, symbolic account of the First and Second World Wars, along with a few other major political occurrences, such as the American Revolution and Japan's openness to international trade (or, as one American character puts it, "Now you're rockin' with your c*** out!"). Cultural corruption occurs when America and Japan become close to one another. Every country is represented by a character, and some may ask if Hetalia is racist due to its many stereotyped qualities. But if a single person is selected to symbolize a whole nation.

Hetalia is a comedy and caricature that looks at political and historical subjects from a Japanese point of view. Slightly satirizing World War II and other historical events, the series personifies countries like Italy, Germany, and Japan. It provides a less aggressive approach for Japanese viewers to interact with the historical significance of their own nation. The way that other countries, including Japan, are portrayed might encourage viewers to consider national identity and historical memory in more complex ways. The show has the danger of oversimplifying intricate historical narratives, which may not always be sensitive or accurate in the past. Hetalia addresses nationalism and cultural prejudices on a global scale. Hetalia strikes a chord with me personally because it skillfully combines comedy with weighty historical subjects. It serves as a helpful reminder to viewers of the intricacy of international relations and the value of comprehending other points of view. The amusing yet thought-provoking depiction of history promotes an investigation into the ways in which nations see themselves and one another.

[crawforda-ufl]

Hi spburns1, nice blog post! Indeed, Hetalia contained various elements that made international politics more palatable for Japanese people, such as references to international culture they are likely familiar with (such as food) and the presentation of Japan as a capable country. On the other hand, while it does combine comedic elements with weighty historical subjects, what does it teach the audience about these subjects? Hetalia does include trivia, but from my perspective, it doesn't seem to cover important parts of these historical international politics events. Of course, this is up to interpretation, and it certainly did characterize the major alliances at the time.

[crawforda-ufl]

Hetalia: Axis Powers Reflection

Throughout my life, I have lived in many countries, many of which are featured in the anime, so I have conflicting feelings regarding the humor in the show. On one hand, the jokes made in reference to countries clearly do not have malicious intent, as no character is criticized without some redeeming qualities. Further, there are attempts to sprinkle real facts and trivia about countries (for example, the suggestion to unite England with France). However, the nature of the jokes, especially at first, appears crude and mainly focuses on the aspects of countries that Japanese people might be familiar with.

Because Hetalia focuses on country attributes that Japanese people (who are statistically unlikely to have traveled to Europe) may know, there is a large emphasis placed on food, particularly near the beginning. Unfortunately, although done in good nature, I believe this perpetuates unhealthy stereotypes about other countries. Clearly, the average American does not eat dozens of hamburgers a day. However, the truth is there are many Americans don't even eat fast food frequently, if ever, and may have a preference for food from other countries.

Additionally, because the anime focuses on a Japanese audience, the character of Japan is one of the few characters without harsh character flaws. I believe this is redeemable as this is a work of fiction, but this shows how popular media written about international issues are likely to be tainted, generally in favor of the country of the audience it was written for.

Overall, Hetalia is playful and I believe fulfills its purpose as a comedy anime. Further, there are facts and trivia points that are taught within the anime about countries and their international relations. However, it also perpetuates stereotypes and potentially "bad takes" (such as the suggestion that Liancourt Rocks clearly belongs uniquely to Japan, which is a bad take as the actual circumstances are much more unclear).

[autoblur]

Your Name: by Makoto Shinkai

I have watched this film a few times and it still is one of my favorite Japanese films alongside Howl's Moving Castle. This is more my cup of tea because I love romance in anime. However, unlike most romance stories in other animations which can be repetitive, this one had such a lasting impact on me. I remember the first time I watched it I genuinely started crying. It tells the story of Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu, two high school students. Although this anime does take themes and common tropes from other animes, it does so in a very unique and beautiful manner. Their love story transcends time and space.

The two strangers begin switching bodies without ever actually meeting each other. These episodes occur for an entire day, and then they return to their original bodies. Whenever Taki tries calling Mitsuha on the phone, the body-switching stops.

An important element of the film is the natural disasters that it depicts. The most important phenomenon is the comet Tiamat which was expected to pass near Earth during the autumn festival. This is my favorite part of the movie, I had never watched such a beautifully written story. When the body-switching stops Taki tries to find Mitsuha only to find out that the village had been destroyed by the Comet three years prior. The two were not only switching bodies, but time traveling. They were traveling between the years 2013 and 2016. Mitsuha was one of the 500 people killed by the comet.

The red ribbon is also a crucial element of the move in my opinion. I always loved the symbolism of the red ribbon which connects people's fates. Mitsuha had visited him three years prior but he had lost the memories and given him the red ribbon he always wore. Taki again awakes in Mitsuha's body and tries to save the village and their timelines cross. This was such a beautiful and memorable scene, the image of the scene is still engrained in my head. Taki returns the ribbon, and they try to write their names on each other's palms. Both of them had been losing their memories of each other. When Mitsuha returns to her body she convinces her father, the mayor, to order an evacuation that saves the city. However, she loses memory of Taki, but learns that he wrote that he loves her on her palm instead of his name. Years, later they meet again in Tokyo but they have lost their memories of each other. However, the red string of fate has connected them throughout different timelines and universes. They feel the connection between them, and they ask each other for their name.

This film was an emotional roller coaster for me. I love watching romance films because although they endure challenges to their love, the ending usually is predictable which is comforting. However, this film truly takes fate into a different direction. There was a point where I didn't know how everything was going to work out, but it did.

[crawforda-ufl]

Hi autoblur, nice blog post! Indeed, although I have not seen the red thread of fate discussed in this class yet, it does appear in anime such as this one and tends to represent the unbreakable and everlasting fate between two future lovers. Here, the read thread of fate is symbolized as Mitsuha's hair tie, which passes from Mitsuha to Taki and back. Meanwhile, it's also compared to the flow of time, which is said to bend and even flow back.

Since Mitsuha herself (and possibly her family) made her hair tie, one possible reading could be that Mitsuha was the one that tied their fates together (as did her ancestors) due to her status as a shrine maiden.

[crawforda-ufl]

Your Name Reflection

When I originally watched this anime, I immediately recognized the contrast between the futuristic (present day) cityscape of Tokyo with the rural town Itomori. The film could be read such that these ways of life are compared. To make this comparison more clear, Itomori existed in the past, and indeed, rural living is becoming less and less common in Japan as Japan urbanizes. Both ways of life have aspects the other desires: while Tokyo has futuristic opportunities and lots to do, Itomori has its own charm.

Upon rewatching the anime, there appears to be some comparison between the male and female sex. When playing the role of Mitsuha, Taki is able to impress her friends through his confidence and his athleticism. In contrast, Mitsuha is able to impress a crush Taki may have had through her feminine charm. Notably, both characters are able to achieve things the other might have desired but did not receive due to their expectations in themselves. For example, Mitsuha was either not interested in or did not have confidence in her athleticism, while Taki was not confident in his ability to allure his colleague.

Nonetheless, near the end of the anime, Taki (in Itomori as Mitsuha) determines he is unable to achieve the task of evacuating Itomori residents, as people don't believe he's Mitsuha. This might mean that they do not find his masculinity appropriate in Mitsuha.

Upon reflection, I do agree that self confidence has a large influence on what we attempt to do and how we approach tasks in front of us. I took the JLPT N2 last winter and passed it with a very high score, but I almost didn't take it at all due to assuming I would be unable to pass it. This could relate to the reading by Foucault as Mitsuha might feel "resigned to" acting feminine, but I didn't personally feel the power dynamics described in the article in the film.

[zachary305]

We are Nature (Xenoblade Chronicles 2)

I personally haven’t played Xenoblade Chronicles 2, so watching through the cutscenes was a little bit of a strange experience for me. However, I did end up enjoying a lot of what I saw; the story was interesting, the art direction was cool, the worldbuilding seemed very interesting, and the characters themselves were very charming. When it came to themes, I didn’t know what I expected, but it absolutely wasn’t what I got. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 uses the worldbuilding I mentioned previously and uses it to craft a story about environmental disaster, rebuilding, and our role as part of the environment itself. 

The topic of not separating humanity from nature is something I immediately was hooked by within this module. I had been wondering much of the same things that were being questioned in the material for years, but I had never once heard others voicing the same ideas. So to see it in this class was something really cool and I think that same thinking can be applied to Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

In the game, we are introduced to 2 settings, Alrest, a world covered in a sea of clouds, and Elysium, a paradise where open fields abound and nature thrives. Elysium becomes this sort of macguffin for our heroes and once they get there, its revealed it isn’t a paradise of natural life, but a deserted ruinous landscape contained by some sort of futuristic technology. We learn that a long time ago, the earth underwent a cataclysmic event that killed almost all life on earth, but Klaus created the cloud sea, elysium, and the titans all to bring back life. Here we find the key aspect of this story: every single thing that is restoring life to the planet is tech, it isn’t naturally-occuring.

So finally we get to the connection to the idea that humans cannot be separated from nature, because we ourselves are natural. We must consider ourselves as natural and not try to let “nature” repair itself, but actively be a part of the repair process. Anything less is irresponsible and separates us from our true nature. We cannot heal what is broken, if we do not address two things, not either one, but both: 1. We broke nature

2. We are nature

When you get cut, you apply a bandaid, so why can’t we do something similar with our environment and work to heal ourselves?

[crawforda-ufl]

Hi Zachary, I liked the art direction in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 as well! Also, you bring up a very important point: the fact that humans are part of nature is emphasized heavily in the game, and even a key point that is used to persuade people to try to rebuild nature. Also, the fact that all life on the planet in the game is artificial and man-made emphasizes that humans are not inherently different than nature too.

You also made me realize that the way humanity in the game solves nature's problems is not inherently special at all either. Rex uses Homura and Hikari's power of course, but otherwise, they still use escape pods in the final cutscene and they use technology to destroy technology.

[crawforda-ufl]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Reflection

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 involves Rex and his group going on an adventure to save humanity from a dying world. On the way, the viewer sees how titans and blades and other elements that appear to be natural to the world are thoroughly instrumentalized by humans. As they are instrumentalized (where titans are intentionally killed to be used as blades) and never left to re-enter the cycle of life for blades and titans, the land on which humans may reside grows smaller and smaller.

While the problem is clear, few humans appear interested in Rex's adventure as the road to improving the world's environment is too treacherous and is described as "fantasy." Further, for powerful humans, having power within the existing land may not transfer where everyone has freedom to live above the great tree, so they are not interested in living there. Thus, human greed is harshly contrasted against Rex's goodwill.

One interesting quality of the game is that it is not an anime (in the sense that it does not use anime-style compositing), but it holds certain characteristics that a viewer might expect to come from one. For example, rather than focusing on the action or special effects in the final sequence, the game spends many minutes setting up and lingering on the emotional moment where Rex loses Hikari and Homura (which I believe may be representative of nature having to sacrifice itself to save humanity).

Overall, I believe that the game approaches the topic of environmentalism from a productive perspective. From the beginning, there is a clear goal humans may reach (paradise in harmony with the environment), and Rex seeks it out as soon as he can. Further, it reverses the modern linear narrative where humanity gradually uses more and more technology, distancing and separating itself from nature. In contrast, in the game, Rex has to slowly fight to restore what's lost of nature.

[kwanyoung]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind | Themes of Ecocriticism

The Plot Of The Anime

We first see that the land is filled with dangerous fungi releasing fumes of lethal gas; the world is all moldy and wrenched. People and their animals are wearing gasmasks to protect themselves from breathing in spores. We also learn that villages and the people in them are being consumed in the Sea of Decay, a jungle of toxic fungi and plants that slowly encroach the open land, filling everything in its path with mold; this happened starting after 1,000 years of industrial development.

We also get introduced to a woman named Nausicaä, who flies using her Mehve gadget. She is the princess of Valley of the Wind, a small country where salty wind protects them from corruption. Nausicaä, intelligent and adventurous, gathers powerful resources for her village and wants to learn more about the toxic world and the origins. She has a skill of knowing how to keep any creatures docile. Nausicaä also made companions with Teto, a wild fox-squirrel, gifted by Lord Yupa, their region's greatest swordsmen and a close friend of King Jhil of Valley of the Wind (Nausicaä's father).

The Issue In Question

The anime takes place in a post-apocalypse futuristic world (with medieval aspects). The Seven Days of Fire incident, caused by powerful humans, created suffering to the world, destroying most of the life that civilians depend on. Now, these civilians have deep care for clean crops, water, and air. The world is devastated by the spreading toxic, war, and famine. Crops are hard to grow due to fungi and when nature is threatened, massive invertebrate creatures like the Ohmu can go in a rampage, which can cause destruction and civilian deaths. Torumekia, a aggressive nation, have goals of destroying the fungi and insects but that seems to be a bad idea as the insects will all fight back. Moreover, Nausicaä discovered it is the land itself, not the plants and insects, making the world poisonous, and the underground water is only clean because of the trees under the Sea of Decay, which Torumekia affiliates fail to understand.

The issue that this anime addresses is the environmental damage that the humans, corporates, and other organizations are creating. However, the corporates nor the governments seems to understand the environmental-impacting situation so this anime is a way for people to spread awareness to ensure nature is treated carefully. We can see WWII nuclear themes like when the U.S. government bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, destroying life and causing famine, which the government doesn't feel remorse for those innocent civilians, which represents the Seven Days of Fire. Torumekia and its affiliates are basically like those organizations who contribute to the environmental negligence and also blame the Sea of Decay (even though the sea provides the clean resources) and the insects for the deaths it creates.

The anime also reveals the consequences when nature is abused. When the Torumekia affiliate, the Kurotowa army, used a baby Ohmu to bait the adult Ohmus, this created a wave of angry Ohmus that has the ability to destroy villages. This resembles the impact of global warming when plants are killed by smog from industries, much like when global warming is the revenge against the consequences of humanity's actions, is the same as when the Ohmus create a genocide for what the feared humans are doing.

The Issue Addressed In Japan & Beyond

In Japan, we can connect the damage created by industries that affected humans like the Fukushima incident. Fukushima was constructed to serve energy as Japan is becoming a heavily industrialized nation after WWII. This disaster leaked radioactive waste into the water, creating contamination, potentially caused radioactive deaths from civilians affected by it.

While Japan's industrial plants contributes a part of the environment impact, we can broaden the scope as well as discuss the most relevant issue connected with this anime's themes. We can see that almost all the nations are emitting potential toxic chemicals into the air due to the rise of industrialization. We have power plants releasing smog, nuclear reactors releasing radioactive waste, and even the manufacture of plastics release their own deadly chemicals.

This is a global issue, the harmful waste the industries are leaving can create consequences such as environmental destruction, killing off plants and animals that serve oxygen as well as food, which can directly affect us humans as a consequence. Global warming is also another impact due to CO2 emissions from industries, leading to warmer climate, increased hurricanes, frequent storms, and even rising sea levels.

My Personal Takes

I could be affected by the impact of humans and groups associated with industrialization as I am living in Florida, where hurricanes are rather very common and destructive. When I was living in Tampa, we started to have hurricanes as early as June, which is the first one I've seen that early. I also experienced frequent and heavy rainstorms as well as last year's winter being not as cold as in the past.

Overall, the anime is warning us about the changes we as a collective human society is making, and I can already start to feel those changes, like nature is attacking us back with climate and storms. This seems like a significant lesson as it is one of the most debated topics in areas like science and politics, and I believe we should reduce these harmful emissions and wastes before it is too late as seen in the anime.

[crawforda-ufl]

Hi kwanyoung, excellent post! I didn't see the reading that the toxins themselves were from the seven days of fire. Indeed, I believe it was mentioned the weapons then were radioactive. While the symptoms of the characters are slightly different from what they would experience after a real fallout, they are similar, and real radioactive fallout ruins the land and water it reaches too. However, radioactive fallout necessarily decreases and stabilizes over time in real life, whereas in the anime the fallout is implied to last until purified.

Perhaps this anime gives us an idea on how the world might become if we were to use nuclear weapons, had radioactivity had the capacity to last forever.

[crawforda-ufl]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Reflection

Nausicaa of the valley of the wind is an environmentalist story whereby fighting nature is contrasted with living together with it. Here, we primarily see a duality of approaches. Whereas most countries attempt to find power to destroy nature (due to its toxic forests), people of the valley of the wind attempt to coexist with it. From the very start, Nausicaa shows us this is, in fact, possible:

Kushana and other characters in the anime attempted to control and destroy the forests and the ohms through firepower. Nonetheless, this brought all parties involved pain. It ended up in the deaths of entire countries, and the insects themselves also died of rage.

Meanwhile, Nausicaa was able to coexist with insects inside the forest, calm them down, and even make armor and tools with Ohm shells (peacefully). Further, at the end, Nausicaa herself was healed.

The contrast in this anime suggests that humans should stop attacking nature, when it is only trying to help us - indeed, forests on Earth literally clean the Earth of Carbon Dioxide, and the Earth has other self-healing properties (for example, the ozone layer has healed since it was last damaged). Humans can only gain from reduction of attacks against nature.

Another aspect compared in this anime was the style of leadership of the princesses. While Kushana ruled her people with power and might, Nausicaa inspired her people and empathized with them. Ultimately, Nausicaa's style of leadership was respected by everyone, including Kushana and those she did not rule over.

Overall, I believe this anime makes a familiar point in a novel way. While it is obvious we should stop cutting down forests and draining swamps, this anime suggests that we have much to gain from treating nature well or else nature will destroy us. Further, in smaller groups, I have also seen the power of ruling with people with empathy like Nausicaa.

[pari-patel]

End of Evangelion Blog Post

This was kinda sad to watch. I can tell it was the fear of isolation, nature of human consciousness and the yearn for an identity that was prevalent throughout this entire anime. While continuing to address pressures of societal expectations, the film delved more so into Shinji’s internal conflicts where society s now portrayed as a place in which individuals must explore tensions between personal desires and collective responsibilities. In his case, it is his queer masculinity vs his hegemonic one. Audiences worldwide reflect on their lives and shape their struggles accordingly. The fear of losing oneself is something all individuals struggle with while simultaneously trying to create a human connection with others in such an interconnected world.

As someone who is dictated at times with the fear of rejection, this anime hit home. It invites me to introspect into my life and the way I go about creating human connections and learning more and more about myself too. The emotional and psychological depth to this film was very clearly and properly explored in my opinion. It makes me wonder where I should start in attacking my barriers to better embrace and welcome genuine connections into my life. It is no surprise by now that Shinji’s character challenges notions of masculinity by embodying a vulnerable and emotional personality. This complexity contrasts with rigid gender norms and we see that all Shinji wants is to be accepted and embraced for who he is. You know it’s bad when he starts behaving in a hegemonic way that can get him accepted, but it goes against his morals and character. The ending made me happy, and I am glad to see his character develop throughout this all as it brought him to life in a way. He was able to come to terms with himself and with society which is all he had ever yearned for.

[crawforda-ufl]

Hi pari-patel, excellent blog post! I didn't read read it that way, but what you wrote makes sense: Shinji was able to come to terms with himself and society, and that's why he decided to restore individuality in End of Evangelion. You mentioned attacking barriers to accepting others in your blogpost. Do you think Shinji was ever able to fight to accept more people? To me, it appeared that he was always forced to fight to exclude angels (like Kaworu) or people (those attacking NERV). Philosophically, you could say fighting is the attack of excluding the influence of other peoples' influences, so that may be a reason why Shinji had such a strong aversion to fighting.

[crawforda-ufl]

The End of Evangelion Reflection

The End of Evangelion was highly abstract; unfortunately, I struggled to interpret a large part of it. Nonetheless, I would like to highlight a few ways the anime comments on gender norms:

Here, we can see a woman in NERV struggling to want to fight other humans. While she was trained to shoot guns, she outright refuses to attack other humans as NERV is taken over. Notably, this implies she (and others) believed other angels were "inhuman."

However, unlike Shinji, her unwillingness to fight is accepted, albeit with resistance. While with Shinji, Misato forces Shinji into an elevator to fight and tries to bribe him with rewards that hegemonic masculinity might enjoy, she is not forced to attack at all. Although subtle, she is seen later with what resembles a pillow; someone else certainly accepted her (feminine) behavior and gave her a pillow out of pity.

This comments on the duality of the requirement to partake in war: while it is socially required of men to fight, it is not required for women to do so (and in some, the desire to avoid war in women can be encouraged).

Later, everyone in the world is engrossed in one single, eternal being (technically an angel). Although it might seem as if people could get along better (this was part of the reason for the being's creation), this did not end up being the case. As people learned of the differences of others and the things others hid behind their backs, they pushed others away. Eventually, for Shinji, he was left alone with Rei (possibly representing the amalgamation of humanity) and felt alone.

Thus, unlike in episode 26, in this movie, combining humanity into a cohesive unit did not appear to allow Shinji to be accepted as a queer man. As such, Shinji decided to restore individuality to all humans, only to be rejected once again.

Upon reflection, I agree that if a person (or group of people) does not accept himself, herself or themselves, then the person or group will not be loved or acknowledged by the rest of society either. While this is an important first step, it is just as important if not more so for people to be more accepting of those who are different.

[shadowydazecg]

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Part 2)

The eighth episode introduces Asuka, the new Eva pilot. Her relationship with Shinji and the other members of the NERV team is evident. It emphasizes the conflict between her and Shinji as well as her aggressive nature. In Japan, there are pressures and expectations placed on individuals in competitive environments. Asuka’s introduction shows the impact of high expectations and the struggle to meet societal standards. High academic and professional expectations are common because of how competitive Japanese society is. Globally, this episode tackles issues of rivalry and how personal concerns affect interactions with others. Asuka's aggressive demeanor and the tension it creates illustrate the universal challenge of navigating personal identity and self-worth amidst external pressures and expectations.

On the other hand, I feel bad for Asuka. I did more research on her background because she intrigued me. She resembles Shinji in a way because she also wants to be loved by her parents. They neglected her for no reason. NO child deserves to be deserted. I think that's why when she's introduced, she has an aggressive demeanor. Since I talked about Shinji and his father in my part 1 post, I won't mention them here.

Episode 16 delves into the character of Kazuichi, a member of the NERV support staff, and examines the effects of the ongoing battle on a human and psychological level. It also features a significant confrontation between the Eva units and the Angel, highlighting the cost of battle on human lives. This episode reflects concerns about the impact of relentless technological advancement and warfare on individual lives and societal values. Japanese concerns regarding military involvement and technological ethics, both historically and currently, are reflected in the strong emphasis on the human cost of conflict. Globally, the episode addresses the broader implications of technological and military progress. It serves as a critique of how technological and military pursuits can overshadow humanistic concerns, encouraging viewers to reflect on the ethical dimensions of progress and conflict.

I think they did a great job showcasing the damaging effects of military actions on people who live in certain places. Some war conflicts (in real life) could've been avoided if leaders tried to accommodate one another. They are constantly thinking about themselves and their pride, they forget to think of the people and what they need. Unnecessary deaths don't seem to faze them, instead, they use those deaths to manipulate the people to take their side in fighting against their "enemy".

[crawforda-ufl]

Hi Shadowydazecg, great post! Indeed, Asuka and Shinji behave very differently, but both of them (as evidenced by the beginning of episode 26) crave validation from their parents, others, and themselves. Shinji ultimately adopts traditional masculinity to acquire that validation, and Asuka becomes competitive and does her best to excel to acquire the praise of her friends and superiors (this is something that Shinji tries too). Also, indeed, I also believe one of the anime's primary goals is to show how militarism can overshadow or even overwrite peoples' personalities by pressuring them to follow the "correct path" in life.

[crawforda-ufl]

Neon Genesis Evangelion Part 2 Reflection

In this part of Neon Genesis Evangelion, we can see that not only Shinji is judged based on his masculinity, but subtly, girls and women in the anime feel judged based on their behavior. For example, Asuka pretends to be accepting of Shinji around Rei, but after Rei leaves the room, she punches a locker in frustration. This shows she feels she has to conceal the parts of herself that are not considered feminine.

Further, Misato judges herself for not properly protecting Shinji, as she believes it was her feminine responsibility to properly take care of Shinji as a child (because he is not masculine). Although Ritsuko only judges her for it later, she nonetheless internalizes the role and the requirements of being a woman.

Later, Shinji is able to develop a close relationship with Kaworu. Shinji appears to be interested in Kaworu, partially because Kaworu accepts Shinji's behavior even though it may not necessarily be masculine. Notably, Shinji appears more attracted to Kaworu than any of the girls he encountered previously (although there are signs that he is either bisexual or pansexual).

Overall, Kaworu is shown as a boy that is simultaneously masculine yet also accepting of queer Shinji. Kaworu appears to be gay (as he expresses romantic interest in Shinji and none of the girls) so he does not appear to fit into straight-queer categories discussed last section. He could be representative of a society that accepts queer men; unfortunately, he determines that he must die or he will destroy (disrupt) conventional society, and Shinji ultimately kills Kaworu.

Upon reflection, it is clear in real life that society does judge both men and women for not following traditional gender norms. Just like Shinji was judged for not being masculine, in this part, women are judged as well. Also, I believe that the fact that Shinji killed Kaworu gave credence to the belief that queer acceptance has the power to overturn hegemonic masculinity.

[pari-patel]

Evangelion Blog Post 1

I am not a huge robot person in general. I never watched The transformers or Ben 10, basically anything robot related and, if I have, I haven’t enjoyed it much. This was an interesting anime, but I wouldn’t give it a second watch. I do like how it delved into psychological and societal issues through Shinji and as the narrative progressed. The first few episodes set the stage and I can immediately tell Shinji is a reluctant hero thrown into this role of inflicting violence on others, which he constantly battles. This resonates globally with young individuals who grapple with their identity and the pressure placed upon them by their family or society. It relates to the notion of conforming to certain roles and expectations imposed by a higher power whether it be authority figures or your parents.

I struggle with a sense of duty and identity sometimes. I have a strong desire to just run away from all my responsibilities whether it be academic or socially; however, I am always persistent to keep on going. My family has always placed a certain pressure on me to perform well in school as they themselves weren’t given the opportunity to attend school. As a first generation student, it can be difficult at times to keep up with these expectations, especially while creating a social life and managing your own sleep life. I have learned how to better manage my time throughout the years and this anime made me reflect and relate to the universal experiences faced by many. In relation to the readings, Shinji’s father is extremely patriarchal and follows toxic masculinity where men are not allowed to show weakness and only meant to perform in manly activities, which is extremely outdated if you ask me. This asserted dominated or hegemony is what illustrated the dynamic of power relations and mirrors the societal structure of masculinity. Shinji’s reluctance to fight and his sensitivity contrast deeply with hegemonic masculinity and, although his father looks down on him for it, I respect it.

[crawforda-ufl]

Hi pari-patel, indeed, the anime focused on the personal issues Shinji faced during the first part of the anime. Also, you brought up a good point that this role of a reluctant hero is similar to how children are forced to spend a significant amount of time on school. In both cases, the process theoretically improves their lives (as otherwise, shinji would have died from angel attacks) but the children must give up part of their personality in the process. This could also be similar to how, in the 1980s, girls were pressured to play with dolls and enjoy "feminine" activities while boys were pressured to play with G.I. Joe toys. In these cases, children are pressured to act gender, even if they may not feel it.

[crawforda-ufl]

Neon Genesis Evangelion Part 1 Reflection

In the first half of Neon Genesis Evangelion, it is interesting to watch how Shinji refuses to accept the masculinity that others, and particularly Misato, requires him to perform. While other boys would be excited to perform the role of a masculine male, quite literally a warrior with high value women around him, Shinji would just rather leave. His strong resistance to traditional masculinity is impressive, but unfortunately, he knows that he must do the task, and if he does not, humanity will die. Indeed, he appears to agree to complete his first task out of pity for Rei, who is rushed to the 01 Eva in a hospital bed. He knows very early on that NERV needs him to be a warrior and will do anything to make him do it.

After Shinji makes his intentions to not perform masculinity clear, Misato adopts a complicated relationship with him. She still believes he should "man up" and act brave, but starts to see him as a child. Note that as she writes his door sign (which was written after she learned that he does not follow traditional masculinity), she uses the prefix chan. This prefix is generally used for little girls or babies. So here, she compares Shinji to a girl or baby simply because he does not act like a man.

Finally, although his reasoning for not leaving NERV after all is not entirely certain, it appears that he decides to stay as he felt that Misato was the closest thing to family for him. Shinji is clearly disregarded by his father, or only viewed as a tool (at least at first), and is said to have no mother. He envies the relationship Rei has with their father.

Upon reflection, I feel that the situation that Shinji faces is tragic, and is similar to many cases globally where male citizens are required to perform mandatory military service. While in most cases, one can choose to avoid combatant roles, this is not always possible depending on your nationality. Further, Americans drafted for the Vietnam war had to cope with a similar situation.

[just-another-anime-blog-2048]

Wandering Son

Wandering Son is an anime that touches on transgenderism in modern society. According to the theory of gender performativity, there are certain mannerisms that society has constructed to align with certain genders, so to express one’s gender identity, one could engage in such mannerisms. However, there are times when people feel trapped and uncomfortable when taught to follow their supposed mannerisms. For example, in this anime, we are introduced to Nitori, a child (assigned to be a male at birth) who realizes her desire to be a girl after understanding her lack of comfort with fitting into the gender performance that society had assigned her to. Nitori stated how the boy’s school uniform felt tight and suffocating, and later on, she starts engaging in feminine gender performance (trying on her sister’s dress), which initially catches her sister off guard. Her sister even tried setting Nitori on a date with a girl in an attempt to “fix” her, which is also quite reflective of some transgender individuals’ real-life experience. In other words, just like how Nitori’s sister was quick to judge her, many people that are transgender in the real world probably also received a very similar reaction from the people around them when they first shared their thoughts regarding their gender identity. Because of these negative responses, many individuals sometimes choose to hide their dislike for their assigned gender performances in hopes of being more easily accepted by everyone else, which often can lead to feelings of internal conflict. Thankfully, society has grown to be more accepting of people’s decisions over their gender identities, but like most reforms and developments, some challenges still remain.

I haven’t seen much representation of transgenderism in East Asian countries, so it was nice to see that this anime was able to portray some of the struggles people have experienced with their gender identity, and even though I can’t personally relate to the storyline presented in the anime, I do understand Nitori’s troubles with expressing her true thoughts, as the fear of being ostracized by society can be extremely stressful.

[crawforda-ufl]

Hi Yangyingjiang, indeed, in the United States there have been considerable reforms designed to increase the acceptance of transgender people in the last few years. However, in Japan, the official (and I believe cultural) acceptance of transgender people is still more limited. Thus, challenges still remain for people like Nitori in Japan who wish to be accepted as transgender.

Also, I believe Nitori was actually very proficient at expressing her true thoughts. She clearly expressed her desire to be a girl to the school's staff without hesitation, which deeply impressed Takatsuki. However, Nitori is a very quiet (yet thoughtful and perceptive) person, so she does not express what she doesn't feel to be necessary.

[crawforda-ufl]

Wandering Son Reflection

Wandering Son involves Nitori Shuuichi deciding whether to integrate into society in middle school as a boy or as a girl. At first, she believes she has no choice and must go to school as a boy, but after seeing Sarashina and, eventually, Takatsuki crossdress, she begins to question that belief.

In the seventh episode, Nitori decides to date Anna, due to her kindness and acceptance of her effeminate behavior and appearance. Unfortunately, both Nitori and Takatsuki misunderstand the situation, as Takatsuki didn't realize Nitori had some feelings for her (Nitori is likely bisexual) and Nitori did not realize Takatsuki did too. Notably, this leads to a scene where Takatsuki misunderstands the situation and believe his choice to crossdress is why Nitori didn't choose him.

I find this particular moment very relatable. I had a transgender childhood friend, but he was rejected as his love interest did not see him as a boy. In addition to acceptance by society, acceptance as a partner is another difficulty transgender people experience.

Upon reflection, I believe the uncertain, flexible nature of the anime represents the experiences transgender people feel accurately. Unfortunately, there are no easy choices for transgender people, as often, they are forced to choose between two extremes. In the case of Japan, the Japanese government refuses to acknowledge a person as transgender unless they undergo a surgery. This is a high barrier, and prevents many transgender people in Japan from being accepted as transgender in a legal and official context.

Two years ago, in the United States, passports began being issued with any gender marker the holder wished (including the nonbinary or unspecified marker "X"), so in contrast to the situation in Japan, US citizens may freely choose their desired gender market. Further, children generally do not have strict, gender-specific uniforms in the United States. Thus, while the struggles Nitori and Takatsuki faced in the anime may apply to Japan, I believe they would occur in a very different form in the United States.

[loquaciousstrigidae]

Work Culture in Aggretsuko 

It is a really funny thought to me that when I first watched this anime years ago, I had never actually worked a job—I must have been in early high school. Returning to this anime after having worked, I can say that I appreciated the humor of it all so much more. The coworker dynamics portrayed in this show are familiar to me, and I found episode 7 “The Duel” especially hilarious. Maintaining positive relationships with coworkers is often a strange balance between acquaintanceship and professionalism and I thought this episode handled the concept of that exceptionally—especially with the drinking gathering near the end of the episode. 

After hours, Retsuko’s method of stress-relief being music is something I can really empathize with. Especially after a long day of studying and assignments, sitting down at a piano or with my guitar does an excellent job at turning off my brain for a while. Retsuko finds that metal music lets out her bottled-up stress which is an endearing moe-gap for her character. I do think that this hobby of hers underscores the importance of releasing negative emotion—especially when we have so little freedom to express it at work. While it is impossible to change the way that corporate life functions, having hobbies that can act as catharsis is an important way to take control of your life again. 

Despite being an anime that primarily takes place in the office, Aggresuko just as equally portrays relationships that go beyond professionalism. Retsuko taking up Yoga with her superiors Gori and Washimi allows her to foster connections with people she had previously viewed as ‘untouchable women.’ I really loved the genuine friendship that bloomed between these three—it is an endearing thing to watch Retsuko finally open up about her concerns with the workplace. 

6/10

[crawforda-ufl]

Hi Loquacious Strigidae, I also find Retsuko's workplace relationship struggles to be fairly realistic. Unfortunately, there are almost always employees that excessively gossip, and the choice one has between remaining professional, fighting back and kissing up to a superior is often muddy and unclear.

About the workplace drinking party scene, I found that humorous as well, but I couldn't see anything remotely similar to what happened in the anime happening at an American company. I don't find them to be as extreme or eventful. In any case, after filing a reasonable complaint with a superior, there is not much a boss can do to you except refuse to promote you under their department in my experience.