Anime Class

Posting short exposés on anime mangas I read

[aidansanimetedworld]

Your Name, Hetalia: Axis Powers and Sensōron

Watching these three anime make me reflect on how Japan grapples with memory identity, and responsibly. These ways seem specific but also widely relatable. Your name stuck out to me on an emotional level. The idea of two people connected across time and space due to a disaster kind of feels like a metaphor for how the past shapes the present. The comet disaster echoes real events like March 11, 2011. This makes me think about how places like Japan, but similarly all over the globe have to live with constant awareness that the world can change overnight. Like the hurricanes in Florida where I live, and how the affects of these things linger long after the disaster.

Hetalia was more complicated. It seems lighthearted and absurd, but beneath these jokes, it is also a reminder of how national identities can be stereotyped and how we keep performing these stereotypes. It was odd to be laughing at things like World War II and imperial histories but maybe that discomfort is part of the point. It trivializes real conflict, but shows how easily history can become cartoonish if we don't look closer.

Reading Sensōron helped tie these feelings together. The essays confront how Japan remembers war, what is forgotten, what is rewritten and how peace gets tangled up with denial. That makes me look at these anime in a different way. Maybe it is harmless fun, but it is also demonstrates how complicated it is to carry painful history in pop culture.

All together these anime make me think about shared trauma, it romanticizes, forgets or mythologizes it. On a personal level, it makes me think about how people rewrite their own past and choose to forget certain things to make life more comfortable to live.

[eliacker]

Hey Aiden, I agree with your idea that the past shapes the present because I think it really does. For example if Japan never went on their colonial rampage then the anime Hetalia would have been structured much differently with Korea not being as little brother like. Also I did not even think about what metaphors the comet could have stood for, but I think you did a really good job connecting it to a hurricane in florida, besides the fact we have a little bit more time to know its coming. I also agree that I though Hetalia was very lighthearted, and I thought it was structured this way to remove the negative stigma around stereotypes and treat a stereotype as a sort of joke. I think your analysis of Sensōrom was very accurate as these essays showed how much it lost over time.

[eliacker]

Your Name and Hetalia: Axis Power

Both these animés allowed me to have a different perspective on the way that information can be seen. Both of these animé have a direct link to the key topic of tactful polyvalence of discourse.

I found that this tactful polyvalence of discourse is more in how the reader views the animé than included in each anime. Mostly it can be seen in Your Name with the two different children seeing the world from an entirely different scope. This almost reminds me of the discourse going on right now about the new jeans commercial by American Eagle. Some people depending the circumstance love it, others think it is racism, and others think it is setting women back. This small example in comparison to the animé helped me truly understand this topic. Furthermore, I saw the town as an escape from crazy life of the city, and more like a gemeinschaft as compared to the gesellschaft of the city. In the beginning politics were terrible, but eventually by the end the governor eventually ends up helping to save everyone showing the actually generosity a small town can have, without needing to compare it to the city as the view knows what a city is like.

I think Hetalia: Axis Powers was a funny animé as I could definitely tell that the personalities of each country were all stereotypical as I have seen this before, although I am unsure where. I believe that the idea of making fun of some of these stereotypes will help reduce the stigma around them and all for these stereotypes to be forgotten. However, due to the funny nature I saw this animé in there were a few instances where it seemed like the funny aspect dropped and the characters were reflecting a stereotype or essential that the people of that country wanted everyone to see in them. Almost like the nationalism of that country. Additionally, I was able to understand the tactful polyvalence of discourse through this anime because of the duality of being serious yet meaningful with their stereotypes which was very novel to me.

I have seen stereotypes and laughed about stereotype jokes because I can understand that they do not speak for everyone from that country or community and do not allow for diverse voices.

This image highlights the idea of tactful polyvalence of discourse in a simple implication, that one thing can be taken for two separate meanings at the same time.

[aidansanimetedworld]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Watching these anime reminded me a lot of the contrasts between nature and technology. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind feels like a warning about the possibilities of environmental destruction. The Sea of Decay is toxic but also symbolically beautiful. It is a reminder that nature regenerates even when poisoned by human carelessness. It reminds me of Avatar in that way, specifically the game Avatar Frontiers of Pandora. The RDA is trying to take over Pandora, the world of the Na'vi, and the planet works to recover after parts of the RDA are taken down. In Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the Titans and Cloud Sea feel related to parts of the world Nausicaä. Ancient beings that literally carry human civilization on their back. the slowly are dying of exploitation. Both stories exemplify the anxieties that feel not only Japanese but global. Although, Japan, an island rooted in a long history of natural disasters and postwar industrialization, and the atomic bombs. The ideas that our survival hinges on respecting the balance we keep destroying is so painfully relevant in todays world.

Personally, these works made me reflect on how detached my own daily life is from the land I live on. Driving around in a car, use electricity, eat packaged food, etc, all without seeing the real cost it has on our environment. Nausicaä's empathy for every living thing made me question how I could live more gently. In Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the theme of inherited mistakes resonated too, how we carry forward problems we didn't create but have to fix anyway.

One connection I keep thinking about is how both stories blur the line between savior and destroyer. The same humans who poison the earth also hold the power to heal it. That contradiction feels very honest, its a very grey area seemingly without heroes or villains and a hope that we change before we lose everything.

[eliacker]

I think you reflection on both these pieces of pop media was very accurate, and I love how you pulled in another piece on environmental destruction. I didn't even realize how big of an impact them including the nuclear warfare presence in the Nasuicaä of the Vally of the Wind. Mostly because of how big an impact it played on the Japanese society. I do also relate to your internal realization of everything you have been consuming that likely hurts the environment, however they are too difficult to give up with the lifes we live today. Comparatively to other people we would be at a major disadvantage if we gave up all of these harmful tactics. However in the end I don't really agree with you that humans have the power to save the environment. In my eyes we have to power to stop destroying it, and they will save theirselves, as what happened in both pieces.

[eliacker]

Nausicaä and Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Throughout both the animé Nausicaä of the Vally of the Wind and the game Xenoblade Chronicles 2 there is constant insight into what will happen to the earth if we continue with the rate of pollution and detriment to the environment that we have.

In both pieces of media there is a reflection of uninhabitable zones because of how badly the environment was destroyed. This as we know can be depicted of nuclear wearfare zone, however I saw them also as a metaphor for what humans have done to nature. With these massive cities of concrete we have made, these places are practically uninhabitable for nature, besides planted greenery. This reflects both the zones in these popular media, just reversed around, having humans be the ones banished from the majority of the planet. Also, in Nausicaä, the forests will attack those who go into it, which shows how when nature infiltrates are man made structures we immediately kill it.

Moreover, we know Nausicaä of the Vally of the Wind provides no solution to helping the environment except just waiting, however, in the world right now we do not know how to help change and improve nature as it already has tools to perfect its animals and plants for their specific niches. Furthermore, in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 they do provide an answer to help nature reform and bring the titans down to help spread healthy plants. I think that this answer however is looked past, I saw it as giving up our domination of the world so that nature could eventually take back its rightful dominance. I felt the humans had very little to do with it as the actual act of the environment spreading was due to nature. The humans were only able to make the places they had recently destroyed more habitable.

Overall, I am beginning to see less and less natural greenery in the world and I do believe the idea in Xenoblade was smart, to relinquish some of our domination for the longevity of the world before we ruin it.

[kathykaswan]

Facing the Void: Personal Reflections on Neon Genesis Evangelion

The experience of seeing Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion was odd, shocking, and incredibly intimate. I expected an action-packed robot anime with awesome robot battles, but instead I got a deep psychological examination of identity, sadness, and interpersonal relationships.

The series' portrayal of Japan's social limitations, especially on young people, struck me as the most striking aspect. Shinji's battles with loneliness, expectations, and self-worth were linked to the larger concerns in post-bubble Japan about productivity, separation, and conformity. However, I also thought it was broadly applicable. You don't need to be Japanese to understand what it's like to feel like you're living a character instead of being yourself.

The characters' emotional integrity is what gives them worldwide resonance. Different reactions to stress and alienation are represented by Shinji, Asuka, and Rei: shutting down, snapping, and vanishing into obedience. It wasn't easy, but it was genuine to see them break apart in The End of Evangelion. It made me face aspects of myself that I often attempt to avoid, such uncertainties, rejection concerns, and purpose doubts.

I was somewhat reminded of existentialist philosophy by the show. It poses the question: What do we live for if the world provides no definitive answers? The original series ended with Shinji's decision to embrace himself, which seemed abstract yet hopeful. In contrast, the movie was violent and unclear. Is it preferable to run away into oblivion or face suffering and connection?

Although Evangelion didn't provide me with simple solutions, it made me reflect on a number of topics, including society, myself, and what it means to persevere in the face of uncertainty. Love for the program is difficult, but forgetting it is even more difficult.

[eliacker]

Hey Kathy,

I loved you reflection of this animé and I thought it was very well put together. Your idea on living a character within yourself is a very big thing, because especially in school, we can all attest to seeing that one kid not acting like themselves when out in public, as if trying to display their masculinity or impress the others around them. However, I am happy to learn that this anime did open your eyes to reflect upon yourself and face the things you avoided most as Shinji was eventually forced to in the animé. I feel it is better to work those things out on your time as opposed to borrowed time.

[eliacker]

Evangelion

Throughout this animé Evangelion critiques queer masculinity versus hegemonic masculinity. This is especially present in the twenty-fist century and many gender bariers set in the 1900's are being broken down with all haste.

Characteristics of Hegemonic Masculinity

For example, across the world the LGBTQ movement is taking place, and while the main goal is trying to normalize homosexuality, it has also taken traits that are associated with homosexuality, which are different from hegemonic masculinity and making them seem more masculine.

While third wave feminism for women is taking items and traits that women already have and making them more feminine and powerful, for men it is taking traits that are not the norm and infusing them with masculinity. For example, in my own life, I have many friends who love to go shopping or love to smell good, however that was in the past a primarily womenly thing, especially using fragrences to smell good. Men now are using queer masculinity in their everyday lives, changing the narrative on masculinity.

In this animé it depicts the main character physically not being able to do many things related to hegemonic masculinity, resulting him falling into a cycle of depressing and internalizing the hatreds of society towards him. Now boys do not have to play sports or be competative to be seen as men or have to embody the traits of hegemonic masculinity. I believe this animé must have had a major effect on the world because people are not as prone to reject someone who is representative of hegemonic masculinity and are more likely to accept a queer masculinity.

Overall, I feel as if masculinity is going through a change at the moment, especially with the lecture term of hegemonic masculinity being represented by a military man. Many of the men I know in my life would never want to go into war or even into the military, and would rather rely more and brains and intellegance than violecnce to get themselves through life. I dont know if this is due to major non-violence campaigns throughout the world, or the non-violence preached in schooling systems, but men in this age have lost much of their need to commit violence whether to bond or if it is call upon by a person.

[icadive]

Sailor Moon, Aggretsuko, and Wandering Son Review

After watching Sailor Moon, Aggretsuko, and Wandering Son, I started thinking about how anime can handle femininity, gender expectations, and self-expression in totally different but still connected ways. Even though they’re distinct in style and tone, I think all three push back against rigid social norms in their own way, and that makes them powerful.

Sailor Moon was the most obvious with its “girl power” message. The characters embrace traditionally girly things like makeup and cute outfits, but those things are turned into literal weapons and sources of strength. At first, I thought this was just for fun, but after listening to the transcript, I started realizing how this flips society’s usual view of girlishness. Instead of seeing femininity as weak or shallow, the show shows how it can be empowering. That said, I still see how the second-wave feminists' concern makes sense too. The characters still obsess over beauty standards and weight, which kind of reinforces some harmful expectations.

On the other hand, Aggretsuko handles femininity more like a trap. Retsuko works a boring job where she has to be polite and agreeable all day, but at night she screams out her frustration through death metal. It’s funny, but also kind of sad. She’s stuck between wanting to meet expectations and wanting to break free. The show doesn’t give easy answers, but it shows how gender roles in adulthood can quietly wear someone down.

Wandering Son takes it even further by questioning gender altogether. It’s one of the first anime I’ve seen that really tries to explore transgender identity in a way that feels soft and personal. Instead of talking about power or rebellion, it focuses on what it means to just exist as yourself—even when people around you don’t get it.

Together, these three shows made me think more deeply about what it means to be feminine, and how anime can help challenge or reshape those meanings in very different ways.

[eliacker]

I agree with your opinion on all three of these anime, particularly sailor moon. This anime definitely goes to change the narrative on feminism and embraces girl related things as having power in its own. This embraces the idea that yes women are different than men, but they have powers that men do not. Also, Aggretsuko does seem like a trap to keep women socially complacent, but it also brings attention to the broader concept of gender roles. While gender roles might seem like fitting in, it's more of a curated ideology from the moment we are born. As a boy we are put in blue pajamas from birth, or as a girl with are put in pink. This anime goes to show that although we want to reject all gender roles, that is how the two sexes are distinguished from each other. Wandering Son was definitely an interesting anime and does not place an onus of change on a specific individual or society changing to accept transvestites, but just so that they can coexist, not having to like each other.

[nemi2229]

Otaku Culture

Personally, as a broke introvert, I haven't had any experience with OtaKon or Comiket. However, I did accumulate a reasonable database and response through online and media. I've heard of the positives and the negatives about this culture, and the True Otaku: The documentary series opened my eyes to the diverse nature of community in the United States.

Firstly, the otaku culture is different in every nation, I believe. In the US, I think the open nature of the culture created a more diverse and accepting community. Even before the otakon, I think, Cartoons and videogames existed and were popularized. One can go further and say that the anime and manga community in Japan itself were heavily influenced by the American Cartoons and Comics. Goofy animations like Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse has become the foundation for the animations of Japan through their introduction into the Japanese daily lives after World War II and Japan's surrender to America. However, due to the Galapagos effect of Japan, over the course of history, they became a thing of their own: the caricaturizing of human anatomy to become more "moe" and the culture to appear more vulnerable to evoke a more amicable emotion in the viewers. These cultures in Japan deepened, however, not in the norm, but was often stigmatized, because the groups involved were mostly NEETS and Freeters who did not participate in society, but were considered a baggage. And from that stigmatization appeared the term "otaku," a vastly different concept to how it is perceived in the US.

In the US, however, this stigma is not present. Moreover, it is quite the opposite, as they encourage the socially isolated to participate in society again, and allow them to live a second chance--as shown in the True Otaku: the Documentary. The openness of the nation's culture to cartoons, comics, games, and media may have allowed a positive growth of reputation of the culture, though it is not yet vastly accepted in the older generations as it is in the younger ones, in my opinion. However, if there are the positives, there are also the negatives. One problem I have observed in these cultures, especially the younger generations, there seems to be a group that does not problematize the atrocities performed by Japan either by not knowing, only superficially denying or condemning such history, or outright supporting it. One of the deciding examples is the fact that the flag of the Rising Sun is continually used, albeit in niche communities, a Nazi symbol of the east, and they are oblivious of it. Well, its also true in Japan, but I don't want to dive too deeply into politics. The flag is still used, and for eastern viewers, it does not sit well with them as they are constantly reminded of their countries past while doing what they love.

I think this shows that the same culture that initially existed, when incorporated with the existing cultures of other nations, they become nuanced and becomes a differently accepted and perceived culture.

However, this does not deny the fact that the amicable nature of anime and manga itself, and the identity of the so called otaku culture is extremely prevalent. Even in eastern nations, such as Korea and China, they enjoy the fruits of cultures like this in their nation, in the form of manhwa/webtoon (만화) or manhua (漫画), and such. Stories of the pilgrimage to the original otakon, comiket, flood the internet, including that of the famous vtubers, who are also a remnants of anime and otaku culture.

There the positive sides and the negative sides to all cultures, but in the vast and diverse cultures of the anime/manga/otaku, the cultural cohesion under a common idea is what unites all otakus: the love for their character.

-Holo from Spice and Wolf (2024)

P.S.TMI. I prefer the old one.

[eliacker]

I noticed you said you have not attended any Fan Conventions, and if there is one near you I implore you to go as it is a great opportunity to express your true self with like minded people. Speaking on your writing, I think that Japan and the USA are two very different cultures and here in the US were are much more embracing of obscure fandoms because we have such a massive population and they hail from all over the world. Additionally, I think us younger generations definitely do not process that Japan was an evil in the world not too long ago primarily because of the media that we consume from them which depicts them as amazing and great.

[eliacker]

Fan Convention

Recently, Lionel Messi moved to Miami to play for the soccer team Inter Miami. Eventually, his kids began to play for the academy team run by Inter Miami association. One day there was a mass email going out to all Azzurri players that Messi’s son was going to be playing against my cousins team, on our local fields. Everyone was very excited to meet Messi and many people in the soccer community began posting about it. However, when I showed up on game day, the parking lot was already full, 30 minutes before the game, and people were parked all over the road and grass. I made my way to the field, which was already packed with kids. Throughout the area, there were also tents strewn about selling Messi memorabilia. After I arrived at the bleachers, there was an announcement made from the crowd that Messi was in the bathroom, and within seconds and ensnaring mod was sprinting towards the bathroom all feeding off of each others energy. Then me and my friend decided to sit down on a bench and not run over, and behold we were sitting next to his wife and children who we began to talk with and they told us he took off in his car because of the danger and overwhelmingness of this crowd. My friend was eventually able to get a photo of Messi after he came back to the field. However, he was once again swarmed and he ended up leaving until the game was over and his family was escorted out by police, and while I was driving I looked over and they were driving right beside me somehow. Overall, I think the entire scenario was overly inappropriate for what it was. Yes, it started it off as a small meet and great, however so many people showed up, ignoring lines and ignoring human decency and surrounding the man. I personally did not get a photo with him because of the overwhelming nature of what his wife said to us, I almost felt bad as he is unable to watch his kids game. The people who sprinted to the bathroom and swarmed Messi, to me, seem like an accurate representation of Otaku as they were doing everything possible for a photo with Messi, although that would have absolutely zero value in the real world. These kids around me knew stats of each year he played while I felt I barely knew anything, I almost felt as if I didn’t belong there. Additionally, everyone there wanted to get a signature on the Messi jersey that they were wearing, however that would have no real-life value outside of the “otaku of Messi”. This moment really changed the cultural identity of soccer in Naples Florida I feel. Many people I saw at the fields had never played or even talked with me about soccer, but since then they have begun to assimilate into the soccer community learning more statistics and playing more. I think Messi coming to Naples while not enjoyable for him because of the inappropriate security and childness of the crowd, it was very beneficial for the cultural identity formation of soccer here. I think fandom can certainly go too far to the point that it is influencing someone’s life, such as a movie star being swarmed wherever they go, degrading their quality of life. They constantly have eyes on them and their family. Everyone wanted a real “piece” or rather picture of Messi to have for the rest of their life to bring him into their reality. Furthermore, I believe this is relative to anime conventions because many times fans can go too far with creating fan art so that they can have a piece of that fantasy for the rest of their lives, but its particularly harmful when it’s in pursuit of a real person.

[eliacker]

Sailor Moon, Aggretsuko, and Wandering Son

All three of these animé confronted some point within the formation of gender and gender performance, and the critiques that come with it.

First off, Sailor Moon mainly critiques second wave feminism, third wave feminism, and girl power. In Japan and across the world there was a transition from second wave feminism being the primary feminism to third wave. While third wave acknowledges that women are different that men, they deserve the same. Throughout my life in western society I have seen this countless times as many women demand to be paid the same as men and given the same opportunities. However, third wave feminists use Girl Power, much like what is represented in the animé with common girl like items becoming weapons of great power, such as a tiara. This girl power allows women to be proud of their sex and gender and embrace it. However there is known to be major resistance against this anime as there are still many second wave feminists today. They think that these ideas of the feminine gender are placed upon them by a patriarchal society and should not have to use or wear any of them. However, many of these movements like the anime, or body positivity, or the movement of women not having to wear shirts is primarily started by women, and for women. This anime while created by a "patriarchal" society, is intended for women to feel comfortable within their own gender, lifting them up, not requiring a change to society but empowerment of women.

Aggretsuko reflects the ideas of performative gender markers. In this anime it is easy to tell women apart from men because they are playing the role of a women. Much like in our readings this anime reflects how women perform the act of being a female through their social interactions and their actions. However, this animé implies that many women have an internal want to not conform to the social norms of women. While our readings say the opposite, and women's personality are developed because of their gender performativity. This I can personally attest to, that women have a deeper inside wish, aside from what gender believes, because having a sister and a girlfriend, they both act a lot differently when we are at home as compared to in public, following their gender rules much more strictly in public.

Additionally, Wandering Son alludes to the problems with transgenderism in a monolithic signified culture. Through this animé Nitori goes across a journey of changing his gender performativity into that of a womens. This is indicative of real life as many people go across this journey, changing their gender, sexuality, and even sex to fit the monolithic standards. However, although these peopl have completely become monolithic they are still not accepted by society, as that would result in the notion that all these three pieces that make of society are all subjective and changeable, which is scary to society. Furthermore, Doi is representative of the community that rejects all transgenderism, which eventually gets rejected by Nitiori, like in society that transgenders are beginning to be more and more accepted into society.

[aidansanimetedworld]

Genshiken

I've always expected fandoms of things as something light and fun. Genshiken really shows how complicated it can get. How loving something so deeply can isolate you just as much as it connects you with others. Genshiken captures the awkwardness of trying to find your place when your interests don't fit the mainstream. In japan, where fitting in is so important, being labeled as an "otaku" comes with real social costs. It can even affect job prospects or family expectations. Watching these characters navigating those judgements made by others made me think about how, globally, people still struggle to feel seen regarding their hobbies when such hobbies don't fit what is considered normal by society. Parts of this anime reminded me of how people will sometimes go to online places to find communities for things they don't feel comfortable sharing in their real life. The clubroom makes me think of if like a online forum or a Discord server was brought to life. A messy place, but comforting to those who are a part of it, where people understand you without you really needing to explain too much. The show also doesn't represent fandoms as purely positive, which I think is a good thing because there's so much controversy within fandoms about certain things where people will harshly judge others based on their opinions of something that doesn't matter that much. It really looks at whether being so deep in a hobby can hold you back from connecting with others and even with the wider world. It shows passion and isolation, and its so relevant today, when its so easy to disappear into a niche and forget that there are other things going on besides that thing. Overall, this anime made me appreciate how universal it is to look for spaces where you can be yourself, even if the world doesn't understand it.

[eliacker]

Hey Aiden, I can conquer that I also thought fandom was always a fun and lighthearted group, however I didn't know it could get so deep and complex. I also wrote about how fitting in was very difficult for the people in this anime club, however I believed it was not because their interests were not mainstream. However this makes a lot of sense as people in America that are interested in odd sports such as badminton might not be able to fit into the sport society as it is an non-mainstream sport. Furthermore, I also said in my reflection of the anime how the club reflects where people go to feel safe in their special community no matter if its online or in person. I also totally agree about the negative aspects of communities for people who have opinions adjacent to the norm. They many times are bashed by the original community saying they are not real fans to keep their ideas relevant and special.

[eliacker]

Genshiken

I found Genshiken very interesting as I did not think to analyze of being such a fan of something might outcast you from society. The animation highlights the oddity of trying to fit into society using what you know.

The club in Genshiken as we know is representative of a group of Otaku sharing their interests with each other. However, many of the scenes portray an awkward feeling as many of the characters do not have the scheme built up to interact with women, or each other sometimes. This causes them to attempt to use the scheme that they are well versed in, or their shadow cultural currency. However, as we learned this cannot be turned into actual value outside of the niche of that community. I have found that many people I know use their pre-developed schema of very popular works of pop-culture to influence their interactions with society and decisions they make in different scenarios to try to fit in.

On the other hand, This anime is able to reflect on how it is difficult to fit in if you are only well versed in specific pop-culture. Much like in real life, it will be much more difficult for someone that is obsessed with anime to fit into society than someone that has knowledge of many things in the world.

Furthermore I think the club itself reflects the groups that people obsessed with a certain pop-culture media are able to form and find meaning with eachother. This is depictive of all the clubs made at a university, and even online clubs made through discord or reddit.

Overall, I think Genshiken does very well at reflecting how otaku interact with the world around them and the safety they feel in their group. However I wish the was more included about people who are well versed in both anime and other pop-culture media.

Mental model in this image stands for a schema developed by what people see in interactions.

[hopefullycompetentmediaanalysis]

A Silent Voice was really good. Of the anime I've had to watch so far, it's been the best by a considerable margin. I got quite invested into it and found myself really caring about the story. I found it heartbreaking how we learn so little about Shouko beyond her disability. The story shows so little beyond the ways she doesn't fit into majority society.     “if you’re here just to make yourself feel better. Please leave”  

This is one of the messages that really stuck out to me. it's not the responsibility of the abused to make the abuser feel better just because the abuser is sorry. It puts more work on the person who was abused; it requires the abused to fix the mistakes of the abuser for them. Many of the people who step in to help Shouko don't help Shouko, but instead simply confront the abuser, they don't try to comfort or otherwise help the abused, they simply stop the abuser.  

Both A Silent Voice and Wolf Children use a small space outside of majority society where those who are discriminated against can be themselves. I feel like in the modern era a lot of people find those places online, due to the vastness of the internet its easy to find others going through the same problems as you. It might not represent total escape, you might still mostly be trapped in majority society, but even a little escape goes a long way, having people to talk to about problems, having people to commiserate with. All those small things that the internet can provide can go really a long way.  

The episodes of Naruto that were selected were selected to show a contrast, and the episodes succeeded in that, although for me that contrast jumped the shark. its hard to imagine how the show got from point A to point B. Also i don't love when stories about discrimination come to the conclusion that the onus is on the individual being abused to stop the discrimination.  

[eliacker]

Hey, I found your post very insightful, especially surrounding A Silent Voice. I loved how you said that it's sad about how little we learned about Shouko. I just realized how much we truly didn't learn about her beyond her disability. I makes me think this was reflective of how everyone else in society saw her as a person with a disability and nothing else, not viewing her as an equal. Additionally, I concur that the majority of people now find their escape or gemeinschaft online now, but i believe that some people have a lot of in person ones, such as the gym community.

[eliacker]

Discrimination in Amine

In all three of these animations, and many others, discrimination is a collective issue that they all continuously draw attention to and make critiques of. While some believe society can change, and other believe the individual has to change, they are both critiquing discrimination. Both Naruto and Wolf Children believe that society cannot change as it is either too large, according to Wolf Children, or it is constant, according to Naruto. However, in A Silent Voice, the Society around Nishimiya changes.

Throughout Naruto ,he must Gaman, or endure lots of pain and discrimination, and ganbaru, or try very hard to achieve his goals. This is in comparison to civil rights, or women's rights movements in the 1900's. Both of these groups had to overcome society's prejudice and make them accept them by growing stronger and proving their value as member of society. Also, in the Anime Wolf Children the family has to run away to a gemeinschaft to live life outside of prejudice. This reminded me of ghettos, or where people of a certain culture all lived together in one area. For example china town in many cities has developed that way on a specific street because they were pushed to live out their by society. Now, while discrimination has majorly declined in our lives, I still see some remnants in everyday life in America and it is likely to be seen across the world. Many people cannot live where they want still and are pushed out of their homes through economic or mental "warfare" because the community around them does not want them living there, an example of this is gentrification.

Additionally, I believe A Silent Voice resonated deepest with me, as I felt it was most reflective of the society we live in today. While our society has certain implementations for people different than the normal, there is still a society of bullying surrounding them. Similar to in the anime, people will take stuff from the victim and throw it around, but in these times teachers will actually stop this, yet they are not always there. However, I believe that society is changing and we are becoming more accepting of all types of people. I believe it started with the liberal movement in America of accepting all types of people. While I know it has become blown out of proportions I believe the start of it, with accepting all people no matter their disability, race, beliefs was the origin of a change across the entire world, and it is now seen even reflected in this anime. It may seem unlikely as shown by Wolf Children but I believe the majority of society is willing to socially accept different people.

[kathykaswan]

Reflection on Shin Sekai Yori

It was disturbing in the greatest way to see Shin Sekai Yori. It's more than simply a dystopian tale; it makes you consider the lengths a society will go to in order to maintain peace, as well as what it is prepared to sacrifice in the process. I started to doubt concepts I generally take for granted, such as morality, memory, and free choice, after watching the series.

I was particularly struck by how the characters were influenced by the information that was withheld from them. In order to "protect" children, the grownups in the narrative concealed harmful facts, but ultimately, this simply made matters worse. That brings to mind how, in real life, families and even institutions can occasionally conceal painful facts in the hopes of protecting others, but in reality, doing so just serves to postpone the suffering. I witnessed some of the same quiet tension as I grew up in a somewhat restricted environment: the cost of obeying, the fear of asking questions.

Additionally, I kept thinking about how the performance mirrored current issues in Japan, particularly the urge to preserve peace despite social conformity and discomfort. However, it also discusses how communities handle those who are viewed as "different" or dangerous on a worldwide scale and how brutality may be readily justified out of fear.

I liked that there were no simple answers in the anime. It doesn't indicate who is correct or incorrect. It just presents this meticulously constructed reality and challenges you to endure the agony. It's more about analyzing the type of universe we are creating than it is about evaluating the characters, which is what I found to be its most powerful quality.

[eliacker]

Hey Kathy, I totally agree with you that it is creepy how much we value peace in the world and the animes reflection on where that is taking us. However, sometimes I have found concealing information does do a lot to mentally and sometimes physically protect people from harm. While in the anime this is not the case, I have found in my life it very much has been helpful concealing certain information. Similar to you, I think that the anime did very well at reflecting Japanese society and the future of the world. The anime ranged from small problems that are being fought at this moment, like the viewing of people as different and the ensuing discrimination, to future problems, like where this desire for peace and child surveillance will take us.

[eliacker]

Shin Sekai Yori

The Anime Shin Sekai Yori has enlightened me on how far society will go to protect the masses and maintain a peaceful environment. Also, This anime give more reflection upon dehumanization in an unforeseen metaphor.

While in the world Shin Sekai Yori the regulation on the use of telekinesis to kill another human is a smart and effective way to deter violence from telekinesis users. It promotes violence in other individuals without telekinesis. This is reflective of major regulations against individuals from popular crime areas and a broken home when buying weapons that do extensive harm verse an individual from a proper home and low crime area. Albeit, not as extreme, both individuals have the same ability to do harm, but as one is in a low crime area, representatively there will be a bigger police presence so it will be harder to get away with a crime. Therefore, if this anime world was todays society, we would have commited mass genocide against anyone living in high crime rate locations, even if the majority of them are upstanding citizens. In the anime every child born without telekinesis is killed, as they are able to kill without fear of discipline, therefore discipline is acted upon them before the commit any crime. They are murdered, just out of fear of their potential. This reflects how far surveillance has gone, to the point where if you have the ability to commit a crime, you can be arrested. Similar to loitering around a building and a camera records the whole thing. These people may not have intent of harm (like the majority of kids in the anime), but to protect peace they are removed. In Japanese society, and even all over the world we commit this assumption, arresting people based off of intuition almost. While a sketchy person staying might be scary, it is not indicative of a crime, although it is met with discipline and constantly regulated. Throughout the world regulation is maintained, but it is just one step away from become a discipline controlled world.

Within this anime there are 2 classes, ones who can use telekinesis, and ones who cannot. While it was apparent that this is reflective of all types of dehumanization, racism, classism, sexism. I wanted to draw attention to what I think is a reference to World War II. All the people who did not have telekinesis power are representative of the Jewish populace, and the ones with the power were representative of the germans. The germans committed mass genocide against the jewish as the telekinesis were able to against the monster rats. I think this is to again gain soft power in Japanese society, claiming how World War II was awful, although they sided with Germany in the War. I believe it was a tactful play to restore the Japanese image.

[jmas6]

Becoming a Surveillance State is the Most Optimal Way to Improve the Social Order...Until it's not

One thing that initially stuck out to me about Psycho-Pass was the reappearance of the commentary on the school-work pipeline and its importance in modern Japanese society. Unlike the previous anime we watched, however, Psycho-Pass portrays the process of having your education and career determined by a third party who supposedly has your, and society's, best interests in mind as a good thing that increases life satisfaction and societal cohesion, at least on the surface. Also, while previous anime discussed the more personal side of this concept, like how your personal effort may or may not play a role in how successful you end up being, Psycho-Pass touched on some of the more sensitive aspects of the problem. One way it does this is by showing how a single event that damages a person's position in society might radicalize them beyond the point of no return, since they feel that their lack of control over their future leaves them with nothing to lose if they are already going to hit rock bottom because of circumstances outside of their control.

The concept that made me stop to think the most, however, was the idea of what a surveillance state in the modern world might look like, and what sort of benefits and detriments it may bring to society. The country that is closest to being a surveillance state in the current day is definitely China, with their "Skynet" surveillance system currently touting more than 600 million cameras, if their reports are to be believed. When paired with advanced facial recognition technology, it is safe to say that a large portion of the population in China is embodying Foucault's idea of panopticism, since they are very aware that any crime committed in view of a Skynet camera will almost certainly be tracked back to them. This has, in fact, made China a more harmonious and safe place to live over the past decade or so as this system has rolled out, with many Chinese people viewing the system positively. However, there are many other factors that have contributed to the relative success and of this system to this point and, in my opinion, the largest has been their economic success as a country. As long as the economy is doing well, and peoples' standard of living is improving, the government can do basically anything that is not completely outrageous and get away with it, since most people are satisfied as soon as their personal needs are met. However, just like in Psycho-Pass, once these systems start peoples' lives to get measurably worse, cracks start to appear in the system. One example of this in China would be the triad's support of Mexican drug cartels that has started to arise in order to get around China's very strict capital control. Currently, China has a very strong capital control policy that limits the amount of RMB that any citizen can take out of the country each year, and this gives them very strong control over the value of their currency. This has not been too big of a problem in the past, but now that China's real-estate bubble is deflating, and with their stock market being a historically neutral investment, people want to take their money elsewhere, where it will grow in value. Without getting into too much detail, the system that has started to pop up involves rich Chinese citizens giving money to the triad in China, the triad giving Pesos and/or drug precursors of equivalent value to cartels in Mexico, and, finally, the triad's US branch giving USD collected from the sale of drugs to rich Chinese citizen (or someone they trust to manage this large sum of money). In Psycho-Pass, there is nothing quite so complex, but instead the masks created by Makishima are used to represent this idea of embracing anonymity and escaping the control of the oppressive system. While, in an ideal world, the idea of the government constantly surveying its population for crimes might seem like a good idea, as soon as the government starts surveilling for things that go against the interests of the people, the system starts to break down-and no one can tell if or when this will happen.

Graphic explaining the China-Mexico-USA money laundering scheme:

[eliacker]

Hey Jmas, I like how you included the idea that one social and economic inhibition, created by a third party, such as getting a poor job will send you on a downward spiral in life, causing envy and hatred toward those who prospered. I also thought your allegory about the triads of drug trade was very representative of the masks in Psycho-pass. If always being surveilled, people will naturally search for a way to avoid being spotted. For example, many people go off the grid, or use the black market to avoid surveillance and detection by their respective government. Additionally, in our world we are shifting to a surveillance society like chines Skynet system. Everyday more and more cameras are being put into place. It is harder to find places that are unsurveilled than are.