Endtroducing

heyy surface dwellers

[napsskai]

[rosecitychime]

[passionpeachy]

me when it’s dark and miserable pouring thundering rain outside

[garpond]

[jpt1311-anime-analysis]

Your Name / Hetalia: Axis Powers / Sensōron

This was an interesting lineup of media to watch and read. They all initially seemed unrelated, but once I saw all three, an underlying theme of nationalism and national identity became clear.

Your Name is probably my favorite one out of the three. Its beautiful visuals drew me in a few years ago, and I'd say they still hold up to this day. It explores a unique scenario - what would happen if two people, living entirely different lives, swapped bodies? The film executes this idea wonderfully and the character dynamics feel fresh and real. I never realized Your Name was conservative in that it emphasizes the connection between urban and rural peoples. It also criticizes modern forms of connection, favoring relationships formed in-person. For example, at the end of the film, the two meet again on the steps to a shrine. This connects to an earlier point in the film, where they meet for the first time after Tachibana visits a shrine in Miyamizu's village. Shrines hold significant historical importance in Japan as they are representative of its culture and religious traditions. Conservative values often stress the importance of maintaining tradition, hence why this anime is conservative.

Hetalia shifts away from the emotional elements of Your Name and provides a more comedic outlook on national identity. It uses stereotypes and historical events to personify countries into human beings. The anime seems to suggest that a nation's people have core essences, in that their personalities all share some common features. Looking at it from a purely non-analytical standpoint, Hetalia is an enjoyable anime with lots of funny moments. The character dynamics seemed based in reality, with Germany constantly having to rescue Italy from danger, and Japan being a loner due to its former isolationist policies. However, I feel as if it was a bit distasteful to personify nations in the era of WW2. Tens of millions of people died during this time, and making a comedic anime about such a time period is an interesting decision to say the least.

Sensoron is probably the only assigned media that I actively dislike. It is rife with disinformation about horrible atrocities. The author claims that America fabricated the Nanking massacre to punish Japan. He also states that Japan was brainwashed by America and peace museums that displayed the atrocities Japan committed. Sensoron uses exaggerated facial expressions and odd bodily features to portray people that the author does not like. It came off as incredibly childish and insulting. However, I believe it's important to cover media like this, as it makes students aware of the fact that such mediums can be used to push certain political agendas and disinformation.

Overall, viewing these anime and manga while analyzing their connection to nationalism and national identity was an enjoyable experience. I am thankful to this class for introducing me to amazing anime that I never would have stumbled upon otherwise, and for teaching me how to uncover the hidden meaning of anime. Thank you for an enjoyable summer semester!

[fragspotting]

I think the underlying conservatism of Your Name is really interesting and was something I did not really pick up on first watch! I was also kind of struggling to see how it connected to the rest of the module. I also agree with you about Hetalia, its an alright show with funny moments but there is something very distasteful about it all. It is crazy to me because the main concept of countries as humans for humor in no way necessitates a focus on world war 2 or the axis powers. It makes me kind of interested in the author himself, I'd like to understand why he did that honestly.

[fragspotting]

Your Name/ Hetalia/Sensōron

Good movie. I knew the basic premise of it but I wasn’t expecting it to be so complicated. Like with the time travel and disappearing. I liked that a lot. I liked the contrast between Taki’s life in urbanized Tokyo and Mitsuha’s rural life, which was steeped in tradition. It was a good movie but it didn't impact me much. I really liked the relationship between Taki and Mitsuha in the first part of the movie but I feel like as the plot with the meteor crashing took importance some of the drive was taken out of their relationship. I have always heard incredibly high praise for the movie, and I understand where it comes from, but for me personally the move did not hit that hard. I will probably rewatch it with less of a time crunch in the future and maybe then I'll change my mind.

This was actually not my first time watching Hetalia. I was really surprised when Professor Smith said this was one of the most well-known anime that he teaches, I feel like I’ve never met anyone other than people I was friends with as kids into the show. I am really happy that it’s covered in this class, not because I am a fan or anything but because it is really interesting and I like examining the show in an academic setting. Rewatching the show, without discussing its problematic aspects, I’m wondering why I watched this as a kid. I don’t think it’s bad or anything it’s just like 5 minute slop. I feel like I’m watching reels or something. To be fair, this show did get me very interested in history and other countries. I think in the later seasons the episodes get longer and have more plot but I just can imagine ending the five minute episode and being like yeah put in the next one.

When I saw the warning next to this reading I thought it would be a normal manga story that happens to have underlying right wing and revisionist themes. I was not expecting a 42 page pamphlet of trying to disprove war crimes. I am honestly very happy that we get to look at this in a class setting, its the kind of thing I would have never seen otherwise. A good opportunity to examine right wing narratives surrounding world war 2 in Japan. I feel like the American education system (at least my experience with it) covered Germany and Italy a lot without touching on Japan other than the atomic bomb.

I can't evaluate it on enjoyment or quality or anything because it was literally 42 pages of pointing out minor photo inconsistencies. The author comes across as a really smug and annoying guy. Obviously part of my feeling on that is my disapproval of his political stance but seriously he just kept drawing himself as a smart guy making a smug face. Reminds me of those rightwing youtubers who draw themselves as like smart guys in suits while making the stupidest arguments. Having read about the rape of Nanking and comfort women made this a really tough read honestly. Both very disturbing stories and to see this guy flippantly write them off was crazy.

I'm kind of bummed this is the end of the course! I'm happy that I'll be able to relax finally and not be on this schedule but I really did like the material covered and the way in which everything was connected.

[fragspotting]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind/ Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Wow! I loved that movie! Definitely one of my favorite things I watched for this class. I think the movie hit especially hard as an Ecology major, as I’m really hoping to be able to do environmental work in the future. This movie reminded me a lot of Florida and its unique environment and the way in which that environment has slowly been boxed in and destroyed in the name of urbanization. I’m reminded of the currently at risk Pine Rocklands. There is only 5% of the Pine Rocklands left and it is an environment unique to Florida. If you’re from Miami Dade you might remember that there was recently a lot of controversy surrounding the proposed building of a water park over protected Pine Rocklands last year. I also think about the Everglades and how much of it has been tamed and sort of fought back and the way in which even when we try to contain these environments they still end up spilling back into the city.

I also loveesssd the creature and world design of Nausicaä, especially the ohms. They kind of remind me of Lavos from Chrono Trigger if you’ve ever played that game. I liked how in the movie covers the history of how everytime the humans had attempted to contain the jungle they had faced retribution. I also really liked Nausicaä as a character. She was strong but never presented this strength through violence but through her resolve and commitment to the nature. This movie is so sweet. I think I’ll rewatch it soon. Something I love about Ghibli films is the attention to detail. Every shot in this movie is brimming with life. The movie made me think about how I really miss spending time in nature.

I’ll be honest it was a really weird experience to see this game only through cutscenes. I’m big into gaming and part of me is bummed I have to get spoiled for this story before I get the chance to play it. At the same time I was never interested in playing the game before and now I am so that’s good. I actually thought Xenoblade chronicles looked pretty lame as an outsider and I have a lot of respect for the story it’s telling and interest in playing the game. I also really liked the reading we did this week. I liked this module because I feel a lot of anxiety regarding the environment and human activity in nature. I really liked the discussion about humanity’s relationship to nature through objectification, instrumentalism, and the linearity of time. It was interesting reading about our society’s relationship with nature in this way. In highschool, I went to a school focused on conservation biology and spent a lot of time in Botany classes and horticulture classes, learning the technicalities and science of nature but I think this is something that should be taught as well to everybody but especially people looking to go into these fields. I liked the discussion around harmony with nature, I’ve always hoped I could one day live somewhere surrounded by nature and escape the insulated city where I live. Honestly, when I moved from Miami to Gainesville to attend UF I feel like I got a lot more in touch with nature. Gainesville has way more nature than my home in Miami. In Gainesville, I get to go to Paynes Prairie and the springs and different forests all the time.

[fragspotting]

Neon Genesis Evangelion

I love this. I love Neon Genesis evangelion so much. I first watched it 2019, I was 12 years old. Evangelion would go on to be one of the most impactful pieces of art I have ever experienced. I begged everyone I knew to watch it. The first vinyl I ever bought was Evangelion Finally. Evangelion spoke to me like it has for so countless other viewers. Its super exciting to read everyone else in this class's reaction to Evangelion, first time viewers and re-watchers alike. I honestly really appreciate the blog post structure for our discussions, I feel like I get a lot of fresh point of views and ideas that way.

I really appreciated rewatching Eva for this class with the themes of masculinity, and especially queer masculinity in mind. Of course, I had always understood on some level that Shinji represented queer masculinity but I only ever really thought about it in context to his relationship with Kaworu that happens in like one episode near the end. Of course, I also understood Shinji as a subversion of the typical male protagonist and the masculine qualities which one was supposed to embody. But, through this module I feel I got a way more in depth view and understanding of Shinji's masculinity, and the way in which it is shown throughout the show and End of Evangelion. Shinji is notoriously a character who grinds a lot of viewers gears. His passivity and weak-willed nature gets under the skin of many viewers. I honestly never felt annoyed with Shinji's behavior. ( I don't say this to excuse his behavior) I appreciate this depiction of masculinity, through the lens of this weak willed boy and his relationship to the women in his life. For me, one of the most interesting aspects of Evangelion is its relationship to women, both through Shinji and the show itself. Like a week or two ago we were talking about the sexual imagery that often appears in anime and what it says about those who consume this content. The readings and lectures both ended up saying that the fans never act on the sexuality which is portrayed through anime and its separate from them as people. And like, I get it, I don't want to be the content morality police or some puritan but there is a part of me that wants to discuss what it means to show women in this way. Evangelion simultaneously gives us these complex nuanced women, with nuanced relationships to sex and their own gender while at the same time giving us "fanservice". Is this fanservice a commentary on anime and Shinji? is it supposed to be through Shinji's eyes or a commentary on how young girls are used in anime? and, even if it is is there not still an aspect of it which reduces the girls in someway, an aspect of it that is enjoyed and consumed by fans? Look at Asuka and Rei, who have become the center of heated internet debates about who is the "better girl" as in the better girl to be a partner to the male viewer, who Shinji may serve as a self insert to. I found the reading of Shinji's masturbation scene the the professor puts forward really interesting, and something you only get with reading the entire series through queer masculinity. I am genuinely thankful to have gone through this module and get this new view on one of my all time favorite things. I don't just want to repeat the readings from prof but I really appreciate the queer aspect of Shinji, personally speaking. I appreciated growing up as a queer teenager and even more now.

I always read Shinji's actions in End of Eva as his frustration towards the women in his life (and himself), centered on Asuka becoming manifest. Y'know even though Shinji is weak willed in the show passive and nonconfrontational I feel that there is as subliminal aspect to this where he is still in a way demanding something of other people (if that makes sense) It kind of gives me the same feeling as when people are overly self deprecating and walk around going "oh I'm so dumb" "oh nobody cares about me" To me this behavior sometimes reads as almost narcissistic in a roundabout way. It's essentially begging other people for reassurance and emotional satisfaction. I think going about in this self pitying way is often a way to evoke a response from others. I don't believe this is done in an "evil mastermind way" like I don't think Shinji or others who participate in this behavior think in their head, let me say this so they'll be nice to me, I think it is a bit of a subconscious impulse, one that is often not recognized by those acting like this. I don't think I'm describing something new here, I once saw a quote from Orson Welles which I think sums up this idea. He's talking about Woody Allen, before the world knew about his sexual abuse when he was still quite popular, and he says "He is arrogant! Like all people with timid personalities, his arrogance is unlimited.....He's scared. He hates himself and he loves himself....a man who presents himself at his worst to get laughs, in order to free himself from his hang ups." I don't think Shinji is a malicious character, I mostly pity him. This is horrible to admit, but in a way I totally understand this behavior. I understand that desire for comfort from others, the desire to receive this comfort without having to give it. I think this is why I love Evangelion so much.

[jamiesalk]

Sailor Moon, Aggretsuko, and Wandering Son

Sailor Moon isbright and bubbly, and the story about teenage girls navigating friendship, responsibility, and self-doubt is relatable despite me being a man. The show goes out of its way to empower emotions rather than hiding them. As someone who grew up being told that emotions or vulnerability were weakness, watching Usagi save the world because of her sensitivity not in spite of it, was quite satisfying.

Aggretsuko was a completely different experience. It was funny and absurd, but still painfully relatable. The way Retsuko screams death metal to cope with a soul-crushing office job reflects not just Japanese corporate life, but a broader burnout culture that I recognize too well. It reminds me of my current minimum wage job at Chipotle and how I scream to grunge music in my car on the way there. It made me question how much we mute ourselves order to get by within bureaucratic systems.

Wandering Son brought things to a much deeper emotional level. Its quiet tone and slow pacing gave space to think about gender identity in a way I rarely see in media, let alone anime, which rarely confronts gender norms in my experience. Watching Shuichi and Yoshino navigate dysphoria, social pressure, and self-discovery felt honest. It reminded me how important it is to see characters questioning the gender binary, not just subverting it for comedy or fantasy. It can be just a serious of a topic as any else.

[fragspotting]

I totally agree with all your saying but I especially relate to what you said about Aggretsuko. Watching Aggretsuko reminded me of walking to my pizza place job listening to metal, how angry I’d be walking there just to put on a bright smile the second I got in. You’re right to ask how much we mute ourselves in order to get by bureaucratic systems. I agree with your ideas of the other two as well, with Sailor moon being cute and lighthearted while Wandering son was a lot more personal, quiet, and reflective.

[29beetles]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[fragspotting]

I’d never heard of spooky empire before but after reading your post I think I’ll try and attend! I like that you brought up Simon Pegg, Shaun of the Dead is one of my favorite movies of all time and I credit it with getting me into horror. After watching that I watched Romero’s living dead trilogy and I’ve been a horror fan since then. I also liked that you brought up Gregg Araki, I love his teen apocalypse trilogy and am super excited for his new movie. Cause of Araki’s movie I got into shoegaze music through his frequent use of slowdive and you listed a lot of good bands. Dope tattoo. I agree with your conclusion watching the documentary really made me want to get out there and meet people.

[fragspotting]

True Otaku

Despite the fact that I’ve been a fan of anime and video games my entire life, been friends with many convention regulars and cosplayers, I have never been to a convention in my life. So instead I had to watch True Otaku. Wow! I always figured at some point in my life I would end up at a convention but after watching the documentary I really want to go soon. I know UF hosts one, Swamp con, which I wanted to attend but got caught up with work and other stuff. I will definitely attend the next one.

I really liked getting to see the inside of the convention, see all the interviews and cosplays. Even though the documentary didn’t talk about specific anime I recognized a lot of cosplays in the background from my favorite games and shows. I found the attendees very endearing if that makes sense. I know they lick the best interviews to be in the documentary but I really liked how nice and passionate everybody was. Ever since I moved away to college I don’t really know a lot of people into this kind of stuff and I’ve found myself missing the passion and humor. I got that same feeling watching Genshiken. There’s part of me that’s sad I can’t go to the older conventions seen in the documentary, I’m not really into a lot of newer or currently airing anime so I’ve always worried that if I did go to a convention I wouldn’t recognize the anime. I feel like I’d probably waste a lot of money too.

True Otaku was a really interesting look into the lives of this community. Through the interviews I really got a feel for the lives of fans and what drives them creatively. I saw a wide variety of people in attendance giving me a better idea of the community. I appreciated that the documentary was both appreciative and critical as Nicole Boyd discusses some of the more troubling aspects of anime culture and talks about what happens to those aspects when they cross over to America. I was really surprised to see so many families, mothers and fathers accompanying their kids, and just older people in general. My parents have never really understood all this so I guess it’s surprising to see that some parents do. There’s a part of me that gets second hand embarrassment watching parts of the documentary, a product of my own internal shame surrounding being an anime fan. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it but when I was younger I was very embarrassed and I was part of a very small group in my grade who were fans of anime growing up. Like five-six kids max. It’s weird cause around the time that I got into anime I feel that anime was entering the mainstream through shows like AoT. Despite that due to growing up in a small school, in a very conservative Cuban area of Miami my peers were not introduced to anime as it entered the mainstream. I would say the first time most of my peers knew about anime and had a level of familiarity with it would be 2020, when I became a freshmen in highschool. Something about the pandemic really drove up engagement with Anime from what I could see, as many of the kids I’d gone to school with suddenly got into anime. It’s interesting to me because by 2024 when I was graduating just about everyone in my graduating class has seen at least one anime.

Overall, I really enjoyed watching True Otaku. It gave me a renewed interest in being a part of the anime community and made me nostalgic for when I was more active in my anime interest.

[fragspotting]

Sailor Moon/Aggretsuko/Wandering Son

This is the first module where I’ve actually watched all the anime beforehand! I appreciated the chance to revisit these with the texts in mind.

I’ve always really liked the contrast in Sailor moon between Usagi’s teen life and her crime fighting alter ego. Specifically, the way the show weaves these two together. Sailor Moon is a show very much informed by the anxieties surrounding young girls entering adulthood, maintaining school and relationships, and learning how to express yourself through your body and fashion. All the anxieties of coming into your own as you grow up. Neither Usagi nor sailor moons battles ever take precedence over the other, rather they both come together in the end. At the end of the day it’s all the same battle. I think it’s interesting to look at the ways in which the show utilizes patriarchal conventions of what women should be like and turns it around to empower the girls. It’s a difficult space to occupy, things like make up and beauty standards are things which are expectations placed upon women by the patriarchy and I think many women are aware of this when they partake in those.

When watching Aggretsuko I appreciated that compared to the other two shows for this module it was the only one not based in adolescence. I think Aggretsuko serves as a very interesting view of women in the workplace and the balancing act Retsuko performs with her identity. Even though women have made it into the workplace we see how they are undervalued and mistreated through Retsuko. Retsuko finds her work so miserable she wishes to just quit and get married. Aggretsuko shows how comfortable men are with commanding and devaluing women and the great lengths the women must go to in order to appease them and keep their jobs.

I really enjoyed rewatching Wandering Son. I’ve seen the show before and read the manga, I’ve always found it to be a very powerful story. I appreciate how it uses both Nitori and Yoshino to investigate the different expectations both have placed upon them due to their gender and how their expression is affected. One of the most poignant aspects of the show is how it demonstrates how gender expression is policed differently across women and men. Through Yoshino and Chi we are shown how those marked as women by society are allowed to move freely between male and female expression. When Yoshino shows up to school in a boys uniform the administration find it strange but ultimately raise no issue. In contrast, when Nitori shows up to school in a girls uniform she is instantly shut down. Nitori’s brief attempt at feminine expression leads to humiliation, administrative action, and difficult conversations with family about what could have caused this. I think this reflects the unspoken but well known hierarchy of gender expression. It’s okay for Chi and Yoshino to present masculinity because a girl embodying masculine elements is seen as elevating herself. Yoshino is called “awesome” by classroom peers and the teachers are bemused but ultimately accepting. The inverse of this is when a man presents femininely he is seen as degrading himself. It is strange and off putting to their peers. Nitori faces repeated bullying at school after showing up in the girls uniform.

What separates Wandering Son from Sailor Moon or Aggretsuko is its portrayal of the trauma that young children at odds with society’s expectation face. All three anime show a struggle against society’s expectations, but in Wandering Son we see how vulnerable our main characters are. Nitori and Yoshino have found a safe place in their social circle to investigate and freely express their identities, but they are faced with society’s expectations and their changing bodies.

[jamiesalk]

Genshiken

To me, Genshiken was one of the most easily digestible animes simply because of how relatable it can be. It doesn't have any blockbuster plot per se, but rather a calmer, slice of life sort of take on the life of a college student. Specifically, the lives of outcasted students, or "otakus". Funnily enough, I thought it was kinda weird to witness otaku culture from the Japanese perspective because as an American, I've only ever witnessed the word "Otaku" be used to describe western or American men who are obsessed with Japanese anime and manga culture. Though the subject matter an otaku finds themself involved with is Japanese, this realization proved to me that the idea of a nerdy outcast like an otaku is not unique to either America or Japan. An American equivalent of an otaku would be someone who is obsessed with comics and superheroes, who would be known as a "geek" here. Geek/nerd culture in the US seems to be the same from Otaku culture in Japan after watching Genshiken. The anime seemed to just peer into the lives of the members of the Genshiken club, I think in an attempt to normalize this sort of interest in Japanese things. Even one of the characters went through the growth of learning to appreciate and respect the club even if they aren't respected by the rest of society. I think that growth is what Genshiken as an anime wants all people of society to have after watching it.

[fragspotting]

Right, I thought it was super interesting seeing how Otaku's are portrayed in Japan since we've only seen them from a western viewpoint. I like that you bring up geeks as the American equivalent to otaku's. Throughout the readings I just kept realizing how similar our fandom spaces in America are to those in Japan. I'm sure on some level these two communities have influenced each other as well as with how Japanese media has a fanbase in America I am sure there are fanbases in Japan based around our cultural exports.

[fragspotting]

Genshiken

Out of all the anime we’ve watched so far for this class, I’d have to say this might be the one that interested me the most. I’m a big fan of the visual style and designs as well as its portrayal of fandom. I really appreciated how much detail went into the anime the characters are fans of and the club room. The characters all felt interesting and multifaceted rather than just being otaku stereotypes.

Even though I don’t consider myself an otaku, as someone who grew up close to fandom spaces this show felt very familiar. This show reminds me a lot of both people I've met in real life and my exposure to fandom/anime over the internet. I really liked how the show covered a wide array of the different interests and people you find within fandom spaces. I especially liked that it was a slice of life about college students rather than the typical high school setting. The college aspect made it feel more relatable, having to balance their interests with adult life, where still being into these kind of things brings more judgment than it did in high school. Through the series we see Sasahara struggle with which club he should join and later struggle with job hunting. We see the judgment that is cast upon the members of the club.

One moment that particularly stood out to me was Sasahara conversation with Haraguchi's at the convention in episode 3. Haraguchi is judgmental that the group aren't producing anything greater than themselves, that all the members are lacking in direction. He calls them all a bunch of "lukewarm losers" I like how this showcases the hierarchy that is established in fandom and the futility of it. Sure, the manga club produce more then genshiken but in the end Sasahara feels sorry for them and recognizes that Genshiken is a more accepting and healthy expression of fandom. This show ultimately points out and satirizes the stranger parts of otaku culture while recognizing the people within the culture as an endearing sort. I think its very easy to judge the kinds of people who throw their whole lives into fiction like this but its hard not to admire the passion behind it. The readings we did this week would talk about different perceptions of otaku, both positive and negative while attempting to remain neutral. I think going through this module has given me a more complete view of Otaku. As I said earlier I don't consider myself an otaku or anything close to that level of obsession despite the fact that I have many interests across the anime and gaming worlds that they enjoy. I even remember at one point while watching that the members of Genshiken would probably like a game I like, Touhou, only for a game that looks just like it to briefly appear in the intro to the OVA. Ultimately, I've never had the drive that the members of Genshiken have in creating and expressing love for fiction but I have a great admiration of it.

The readings we did this week were super interesting, and I felt that they gave me the words to understand phenomena in fandom community I had observed for a while. With the discussion of fan-made derivatives and spin-offs as well as the discussion of how characters have become the driving interest point of media I couldn't help but think of tumblr. The ideas that Azuma talks about in the database animal reading reminded me a lot of tumblr and the rise in popularity of AU's (Alternate Universes). Many popular video games, shows and animes have a variety of AU's here on tumblr which are presented through fan fiction, fan art, fan games, and more. What I find especially interesting about these AU's is that they are not born from an interest in the narratives of the works they spin off but instead they are born from interest with the characters and their relationships to each other and the desire to see these beloved characters in different settings or lives. Some of these AUs and fanfictions grow so large they take on a life of their own and become almost a separate fandom to the original they were born out of. Another thing I've seen is artists who obsess over and create fan art of one character for a long time, slowly changing the character and implementing ideas they'd like to see until the character is unrecognizable. At this point many artists just change the name of the character and adopt it as their own. Another way in which derivatives have been born and placed on the level of importance as the original media is through You tube, and the rise of reaction and lets play channels. I've met many people who are fans of certain games who have not played the games themselves but are fans through having observed someone else play them. Despite the fact that I don't consider myself a part of these communities beside being a passive observer I find it really interesting the new ways people are creating to engage with fiction. It was cool to read Azuma's writing and being able to connect it to the fandom I've observed. I especially enjoyed reading about post-modernism and the way it has influenced our media landscape. I think I'll probably read the rest of the texts later.

[thomasaila35]

I really enjoyed all three anime because I could connect each one to cultural and personal experiences that really stuck with me.

For Naruto, I saw a strong connection to the term code-switching not just in the modern sense, but as something people have done for a long time to survive or fit into society. Naruto is treated like an outsider because of the Nine-Tails sealed inside him. He carries a stigma that isn’t his fault, but he still works hard to prove himself to the people around him. That reminded me of how groups throughout history have been forced to change or hide parts of who they are just to be accepted. Naruto doesn’t completely hide who he is, but he internalizes that judgment and pushes himself to become someone the world sees as worthy, which shows how identity can be shaped by pressure from society.

Wolf Children made me think about people caught between two cultures or identities. Hana’s children are both wolf and human, and they have to figure out who they really are and how they want to live. It reminded me of a FAFSA story I once saw about an immigrant family who felt disconnected from their roots but found strength through their family. I also thought back to when I was in elementary school, and we had international potlucks. Even if someone didn’t love the food, we were told to write something good about each dish, and it helped us learn not to use words like “weird” for different cultures. That small experience really taught me the value of respect and curiosity, and I think Wolf Children shows that too how understanding difference starts early.

A Silent Voice was the one I connected with personally the most. My brother is nonverbal autistic, and we’re used to stares and awkward questions when we take him places. But over time, we’ve found that when people actually take the time to see his talents, they connect with him in a real way. In the movie, Shōya has to face how deeply he hurt Shōko, and how silence and judgment can affect someone for years. It reminded me that people who’ve been hurt remember both the cruelty and the kindness, and sometimes it really is possible to make things right, even after a long time.

Also this is random but my siblings have been watching all the Disney Zombie movies so I thought this was cool that it sums up all the anime’s. The zombies in Seabrook are treated like outsiders and are forced to act a certain way just to be accepted just like Naruto, and even like Ame and Yuki in Wolf Children. Zed tries to fit in but also doesn’t want to hide who he is. And like A Silent Voice, the story shows that when people get past fear and actually try to understand each other, real connection and change can happen.

All of these stories show different ways people deal with being different through change, self-acceptance, family, or redemption. There’s no one right way, but they all show how much it matters to face adversity with compassion and an open mind.

[fragspotting]

Hey there, good connection with Naruto’s experience and code switching! I totally agree with you about Naruto carrying that stigma and internalized hatred and the work he does in an attempt to prove himself to the people around him while hiding the parts of him that are not accepted. I agree with you on Wolf Children too, they are incredibly reminiscent of immigrant or minority families attempting to hold onto their culture in a country which increasingly demands assimilation. I’m reminded a lot of American immigrant stories, myself coming from immigrant families and living in immigrant communities.

[fragspotting]

Naruto/ A Silent Voice/ Wolf Children

I enjoyed watching Naruto. I had seen part of the original series as a kid so I had vague familiarity with the characters and ideas but I had never gotten to Shippuden. I really enjoy Naruto’s story in the original series, part of the reason it’s so popular is definitely because of how relatable Naruto is to a lot of children, myself included at that age. Naruto’s plot line with having to prove himself to the village was interesting and I hadn’t considered that it was essentially him changing to fit in with society. I liked the short arc we watched in Shippuden with its themes of cycles of hate and violence.

Wolf children was definitely the viewing I liked best this week. I was really surprised at how engrossing the movie was! I found a lot to love here. The story was well told and beautifully animated. I really like its portrayal of carving out your own place in society, it reminds me a lot of cities in America which have overwhelmingly become hubs for immigrant families and cultures to build their own worlds. I like the idea of finding refuge in the rural outskirts, Hana takes her kids out of the high intensity and fast paced city to a place where both she and her children can slow down and take their time. It’s a very interesting portrayal of growing up disconnected from your culture, and the trauma of having to force yourself into a society which makes no room for you. I was reminded of a documentary I watched regarding Roma children in European orphanages. The staff in those orphanages often carry pre-existing biases which influence their expectations and treatment of the children. This behavior ultimately affirms negative stereotypes and isolates the children. These feelings of isolation are only exacerbated by the children’s disconnect to the culture, due to being orphans. This creates a dichotomy within the children regarding their identities, the label of Roma is hatefully ascribed to them yet they have no base to understand the Roma identity. I think conflict like this is especially relevant to wolf children when observing the paths the children ultimately take in the end. In the end, Yuki and Ame strictly place themselves in being either wolf or human, bringing great turmoil to themselves and the family unit as a whole. I believe the reason the children felt the need to choose one or the other by the end was due in part to the absence of their father. Their father’s death left both them and Hana without a frame of reference for wolf/human life. Unlike Yuki and Ame their father is never seen choosing one over the other. He has found cohesion between his two halves and is able to operate in society while allowing space for his call of the wild. This illustrates how vital connection to the culture is, because while Hana did her best she could never truly understand their wolf identities. She did the best any mother could by giving her children space to explore both halves of their identity but ultimately she cannot change society for her children. The fathers absence is felt throughout the movie in every little crisis that Hana encounters, whether it’s taking Yuki to the veterinarian or hospital, or attempting to help Ame reconcile his call of the wild with human life.

It’s interesting that both Naruto and Wolf children use this connection to wild animals to portray being an outsider to society. I’m thinking this might be reflective of Japanese society moving toward industrialization and urbanization, thus making these people with a connection to the wild slowly become outsiders in their own countries. In both stories the lineage of our outsiders runs deep in Japanese history, with Naruto’s nine-tail fox being inspired by the Japanese Kitsune from folklore and the wolf father being descended from a long line of wolves in Japan who have become extinct. I think there’s also a connection to be made with the wild child concept we were discussing last week.

I had watched A Silent Voice before when I was around 14 during quarantine. In that time of isolation the movie really spoke to me. It instantly cemented itself among my favorite movies. So when I rewatched it for this class I was surprised. I liked the movie a lot less. I still think it’s a great movie, it just isn’t the same flawless movie I remembered it as. Ultimately where the movie needs to succeed it knocks it out of the park which I feel makes up for more of the straining parts of the movie. Shoya’s plot line of finding a way to live with himself and finding forgiveness was incredibly powerful. I also appreciate the different mindsets seen among Shoya’s childhood friends and the different ways the rationalize or gloss over their past bullying. Shoko’s path to acceptance not being the result of her having to change or co form but rather the people around her changing to accept her is incredibly powerful to watch. Even while she was apart of the friend group I couldn’t help but get the feeling that she was still isolated in a way, kept out of the loop of the complex interpersonal drama going on just as she had been when she was a kid. The one thing I would’ve liked to see more of in the movie was Shoko and to get more of a view into her interior and world. But, I understand the story is centered on Shoya and his path to wellness, I just wish a story focusing on this discrimination would take more work to center the actual victim. I know it’s based off of a manga so maybe stuff got cut for time.

[fragspotting]

Shin Sekai Yori

Wow! This was one of the most interesting mystery anime I’ve seen, amplified by the fact that I knew nothing about it going in. I really appreciate how the show doesn’t just stand around explaining the lore but instead allows it to be slowly explained and built up. It was honestly really creepy at times especially in the beginning when we had no idea what exactly was going on. The fact that the show starts in 2011 and everything we see of their lives we know is coming after our lives but we don’t know exactly how it developed made it super interesting. I really liked the animation and opening for the show, it set a good mood.

It was interesting watching this after our two readings about the wild child and the school shootings because both readings gave me different ideas about what the show might entail. I imagined it would focus around wild children but I instead saw how the ideas of that reading permeate the show in less obvious ways, I’d say the world of Shin Sekai Yori represents a development of those cultural anxieties. The anxieties regarding the development of children, the uncertainty surrounding their interior lives and their future. One of the creepiest aspects of the show was the constant control over the youth that remained out of sight. We never really saw the children being disappeared or our main cast of kids being too harshly reprimanded (aside from that episode with the monk) but due to the subtle ways in which this control expressed itself we knew it was always there. Honestly, I think this anime and Psycho Pass go really well together, with their depictions of surveillance and control and preemptive marking of potential criminals. The connection became the two became glaringly obvious when Saki learns that children are not granted human rights until the age of 17 and any risky child can be disposed of, no questions asked. Even the kids parents just have to deal. What’s especially interesting about SSY though is its focus on children. I can’t think of a lot of popular media which focuses so heavily on children’s place in society, a class subjected to its own mistreatment even though I believe it’s an incredibly relevant topic for our society today. Children are a social class completely barred from decision making regarding them, who often do not even have a voice. I’m reminded of season three of the welsh show, Torchwood, titled Children of Earth. The short version of it is that humanity has been demanded to sacrifice 10% of the children or face complete annihilation. One of the most interesting scenes is one where they discuss which children should be sacrificed. They immediately start with tallying up child refugees and orphans. After that they look to the lowest performing children in the school system, the poor kids, the children they’ve deemed won’t amount to anything. This obviously connects with SSY disposal of children who don’t develop powers or children who show troubling signs. Both series end with their main characters pregnant, and a message that children are our hope for the future. There’s also an interesting contrast with the movie Children of Men, which focuses on a world where no children have been born for 18 years. This movie shows how hopeless a culture without a future is as the human race slowly marches towards its own extinction. When one pregnant woman is discovered the movie is able to end on a message of hope, the same message brought about in a totally different way, that children are the future.

The Queerats were incredibly disturbing to me, the idea that humanity just created a class to be subjugated. The revelation at the end that they were once humans makes so many things in the story even more disturbing in retrospect. Like the queen mother, she’s the only female in each colony, the only one who can give birth and she’s this huge animalistic beast. Already disturbing on its own but hey every species has their own way the recreate but with the new knowledge that they were once humans makes it so much worse. They humans who engineered the Queerats and modified the humans chose to do that to the women. The treatment she suffers later at the hands of her own people was so disturbing. To me it really highlights the commodification of women’s bodies despite being an essential cornerstone to keeping society running. It reminds me of when we were discussing the history of the Japanese economy, the part about how women are an integral part of keeping that machine running by producing more workers and maintaining the workforce at home. It’s been boiled down to its most basic form with women as baby making machines. It’s an interesting contrast where the Queerats weren’t incredibly likable, with what they did to their own queen mother and the killing of innocents but at the same time they aren’t wrong. Like damn if me and my people got turned into mole people just to be subjugated and killed on a whim I’d be doing all that too. Ultimately, the Queerats are a literal representation of the dehumanization that oppressors put those they position themselves against through. I appreciated Saki ending Yakomaru’s suffering but I really hope her future included reparations of some kind.

Overall, I really liked Shin Sekai Yori and the questions it posed about what it means to be human and what children mean for us as a society. Simultaneously depicting this fear and hope of what our children might become. It’s weird writing about children like this as someone who has only recently aged out of being a child.