Untitled

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Wandering Son

I'm a bit late, and had to watch this quite fast, so I'll keep it brief. This anime tells a very interesting story of two transgender children, which is quite the odd topic for an anime series. It strongly showcases social stigmas about being different in general, as well as the dangers of being transgender, especially at such a young age. However, it is also touching as Shuichi and Yoshino support each other through their problems and help each other to come into their own in the world.

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Death Note

I had actually just watched Death Note for the first time a few months prior to this, so I didn't rewatch it for this class. That being said, I don't agree with watching this show for the class, as many of the episodes contribute to the overarching plot rather than working well as standalone episodes, and I feel like it is hard to convey the entire series or its themes through only 5 episodes due to the nature of Death Note itself. Death note is a very plot heavy and very character driven show, with the interactions between L and Light being the main driving force of the entire series, even after L's death. Through their clashes, Death Note creates an extraordinary commentary on the effects of power, and the possibility to corrupt a sense of justice. One could argue that anyone could be Kira, but I personally believe the Death Note chose Light, and that only he could become Kira with his personality and genius. Of course, it is his own hubris that leads to his demise, falling for a simple trick from Light's successor that comes from his own complacency after he believes he has totally won now that L is dead. All in all, Death Note is an incredible series and one I would recommend to anyone, and I plan to read the manga later this year.

[iterationofaphoenix]

Death Note - Episodes 1, 2, 5, 10, and 11

Death Note is a modern anime which is widely known and extraordinarily popular. There is many memes and jokes also present within the realm of this series, that being said it is an extraordinarily deep and heavy story which is told about Light and L. At least, through the 1st season (which is all I really care about, no hate towards Near, I just strongly prefer the L storyline).

The main plot of Death Note follows Light after he receives the book and then his usage of it in order to try and make an ideal world. He uses it to kill criminals, then later anyone he considers to be a threat to this new world he is designing. The psychology of this is fascinating because you are watching a character who truly believes they are doing the right thing fall deeper and deeper into a chasm of being corrupt. He truly believes that he is in the right, even up to the end. He thinks that this new world will be the best because he is in the right, he is intelligent enough in order to be correct about this. His only challenger, L, is someone he even eventually overcomes. This shows that his greatest competition is gone in the end. Which provides deeper evidence for him that he is the smartest and knows what is best for the world. It helps him develop a god complex, he even states that he will be the "God of the New World." He has no qualms with this idea and begins to not even look past what is actually going on with him. He sinks further and further into a state of destruction. He thinks becoming Kira was a stroke of amazing luck while the viewer sees that it was his greatest misfortune. As in the end he loses everything that he had hoped to gain.

The vigilante justice he serves goes to show the core problem with the idea of vigilantism. The idea that eventually one will take it too far, it's why there is a core problem when there is no judge, jury, and executioner. The moment someone becomes all three, it is them playing god. Something no man has any right to do. Even if he were able to maintain a fair world, who is to say the next person would too. This goes to show the inherent flaw with that system.

I love this anime and manga. I feel like Death Note is a right of passage in many ways. While I do enjoy all of the memes, I find myself favoring the story far more. I think following Light, who is undoubtedly the villain, was an amazing design mechanic of the story. Having heroic antagonists was possibly the best decision of this anime

This has been an amazing semester and I am so happy to have gotten to review and watch all of these anime. This is Iteration of a Phoenix signing off.

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Near hate is forced

[marsisfried]

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Analysis

At its core, FMAB is about dealing with loss, facing the consequences of your actions, and figuring out how to move forward when everything feels broken. The story follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who try to bring their mom back to life using alchemy. It backfires, Ed loses limbs, Al loses his body, and his soul gets attached to a suit of armor. From there, they set off on a mission to fix what they've done and find a way to regain their bodies.

What makes FMAB stand out is how emotional it gets while not focusing solely on battles or powers. The characters don't cry always or are expressive about their emotions, but you can feel it in the silence after scenes. The anime also looks at how power is used, who gets to have it, and what it costs (similar to Akira). The anime shows that alchemy is cool but it cannot fix everything. Some of the most dangerous people in the anime aren't alchemists, they are the ones in charge and use fear to stay in control. The anime doesn't hold back from pointing out how systems of power can become corrupt and how people in charge sometimes hurt others just to keep their position. When looking at Greed's character he starts selfish and obsessive. However, over time, there is character development as he learns what it means to care for other people.

Then there's the war narrative. The show doesn't shy away from showing how senseless war can be. The Ishvalan genocide is a turning point in the series and highlights how people (especially those in power) can justify horrific actions through ideology and the hunger for power.

Overall, I really enjoyed this anime as I've previously watched most of it and liked rewatching these episodes. In the end, the anime is about growing up, taking responsibility, ethics, and figuring out what kind of person you want to be in a world that is objectively unfair.

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You should finish it!

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Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

I wholeheartedly believe Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood to be the greatest work of fiction of all time. It truly has a biblical story, and although first time viewers for this class won't get to experience that, I still feel I should mention it. The episodes we were assigned to watch were episode 2, which is the first that happens chronologically, and it demonstrates the hubris of mankind to try to overstep their boundaries and play god. Ed and Al both knew that human transmutation was something they shouldn't do, but they did it anyway. Despite being 14 and 15 years old, they carry the burden like men, making sure to only let it affect themselves and to do whatever it takes to right the wrong, and make sure nobody else ever repeats it. Episode 22 shows Winry's reaction to finding out Scar kills her parents, and it is a pivotal moment especially for Ed, as he realizes that he failed to protect Winry and steels himself to do better from this point forward. He failed to keep his burden on his shoulders alone, and that deeply troubles him. Episode 25 reveals that the Ishvalan war was a false flag operation from the very start, all of it orchestrated by the Homunculi's shadow organization that controls the entire military and all of Amestris. It obviously relates to real world conflicts, which often have arbitrary or hidden motives that subjugate and expend the average people of both countries while benefiting the higher ups.

[2and2makes5]

Media Analysis: Akira

Akira is a film that I have known for so long, and I feel like a lot have aswell. Not necessarily that they watched the movie, but more specifically witnessed the "Akira bike slide", which is in so many different shows, movies, and video games. Yet, I like to say how Akira is one of the most influential films in history, and not just for its animation, but its grotesque and brutal explorations of power, identity, and control.

At its undeniable core, Akira is about the instability of control, whether that be over one's body, society, or the future. Tetsuo's transformation from a nobody outcast to a godlike figure is both breathtaking and horrifying. His powers are a symbol for unchecked technological and political experimentation, especially if this experimentation becomes way too out of anyone's grasp. This is viscerally represented in the final scenes of Akira, when Tetsuo's body becomes a massive, uncontrollable blob, reflecting what happens when human ambition and power are stretched and unchecked.

This theme of control is emphasized in the portrayal of institutions like the military and the government. In Akira, they oversaw the secret psychological experiments on children to harness psychic powers for national dominance. The irony here is that while the state attempts to create control, it actually creates something uncontrollable. Even the scientists are reduced to spectators by the end of the film. Their awe quickly turns to fear, showing how even the most “rational” systems of knowledge are helpless when confronted with forces they helped unleash but cannot govern.

One last thing I'd like to mention is some comparisons I found with Akira and Neon Genesis Evangelion, particularly in Shinji and Tetsuo. Both are teenagers who were forced into roles shaped by adult institutions, with both stories ending in bodily transformation and psychological collapse. Tetsuo's mutation was uncontrollable, a total collapse of his autonomy, consumed by a power never meant to be wielded. Shinji’s absorption into the EVA-01 in End of Evangelion and his near-loss of self during Instrumentality represent his psychological collapse under the burden of expectation, grief, and emotional isolation. In both cases, the protagonists lose control over their own existence, highlighting the terrifying consequences of forcing growth without guidance, care, or consent. However, both endings are different. Akira ends in cosmic rebirth, with Tetsuo becoming something entirely new, very ambiguous but oddly hopeful. Shinji's end results in personal revaluation, left in a world where meaning must be self-created. Yet, both attempt to answer one question: What does it mean to grow up when the world around you is broken, and the systems meant to protect you are the ones doing the damage? Both suggest that this path to maturity involves confronting such chaos, not through violence, but with awareness, reflection, and, sometimes, painful transformation.

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Yeah, the control theme was definitely prominent, I should have looked into it more

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Akira

Akira was very interesting. While I can't claim to have understood everything it was trying to say, I still very much enjoyed watching it. The animation is incredible, with all the movements of everyone, even the background characters, seeming almost lifelike, and even the mouth flaps almost perfectly matching what the characters are saying. I can only imagine how much it cost (just looked it up it was $5.5M USD). Extremely impressive for 1988, and it inspired many other anime and pop culture in general, especially the ever-famous Akira bikeslide which has probably been referenced in every piece of media since its release that contains a motorcycle. On to the actual contents of the movie itself, there were a lot of things that I felt I didn't understand, such as how the Numbers were created and where the other *at least* 22 of them are, how Tetsuo developed his powers in the first place since it seems the rest of the children with powers were created through experiments, and what happens in the final scene of the movie. Also, the anti-government doesn't really go anywhere, with the messiah they were hoping for turning out to be nothing. Maybe that was the point, and that anti government movements should take matters into their own hands, but they were already doing that in the movie, the rebels were rioting and conducting raids on the regular. I just had trouble figuring out how it all connected rather than just being a series of well animated events that the directors thought would be cool.

[2and2makes5]

Media Analysis: Sensōron

Yoshinori Kobayashi’s Sensōron is a particularly weird read, considering how controversial it is. This manga reimagines Japan's role in World War II through a nationalistic and revisionist lens, and the author attempts to position Japan not as a villainous aggressor but as a noble, misunderstood power trying to defend its sovereignty. Although this manga has sparked controversy due to its downplaying of war crimes, such as the Rape of Nanjing, and its squeaky clean version of history, it does offer a very important view of how historical memory, national identity, and war is malleable; it can be shaped and reshaped overtime.

In Ernest Gellner's A Short History of Mankind, it can be seen how Gellner demonstrates that nationalism arises not from ye olden times of a country, but from demands of the modern, industrial society. In that sense, Kobayashi's work is less of a historical analysis and more of a reflection on current cultural anxieties in Japan. Sensōron seeks to shape national identity in the present by bringing a sense of unity during a time when many may feel morally unsure about their nation.

A certain chapter I'd like to bring up is where Kobayashi critiques and attempts to debunk well-known antiwar photographs, where he argues that some of these photos are misleading, edited, or staged. He explains that these images were used as tools to push a masochistic narrative of Japanese history, where Japan is always portrayed as the villains, even in Japanese textbooks. Attempting to question these images, the author of Sensōron tries to break the guilt and shame that many Japanese felt postwar. Tying this with Geller's article, Kobayashi isn’t just challenging specific images; he’s questioning an entire version of history that, in his view, weakens national pride. Kobayashi tries to create a different national story, one where Japan is not just a defeated empire but a misunderstood power that is of high honor.

Globally speaking, this revisionist trend is seen in other countries, even the United States. Various states over the years have softened talks about slavery and overall racism in the United States, omitting many key details about the Jim Crow era of the U.S., Native American genocide and Manifest Destiny, Japanese-American internment camps, and even the Vietnam War. But, that's what this manga is about; it was created to reclaim a version of history that restores pride and meaning to a national story that many feel as if it has been overshadowed by guilt. Kobayashi seeks to replace narratives of victimhood with those of honor and sacrifice. Sensōron really shows a global struggle over memory, where the trauma of those who died and experienced war and other traumatic events are continuously reinterpretended for the sake of the present and the overall presentation of a nation.

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Yeah the part that really gets me is he doesn't just try to play off certain parts of history, he's trying to rewrite the entire war to make Japan entirely a victim, which if you know anything about WW2 is absolutely the opposite of what happened

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Sensoron

It's not every day you see blatant lies published under the guise of humor. Sensoron, also known as Neo Gomanism Manifesto Special- On War, is, suprisingly published in the 90's. Before I read it, I expected a "right wing revisionist history manga about world war 2" to be published in the 60's or 70's, not 1995, and definitely not by an author who wasn't even alive during WW2. Although it does present some legitamte conservative values, such as participating in local politics and producing meaningful societal change, it does it in a way that insults the Japanese people, calling them weak, brainwashed and "a different species from our ancestors". On top of that, it straight up lies, claiming that there is no evidence for the Rape of Nanking and that even if there was, they were justifed in doing it because of the atomic bombs that killed just as many people in Japan. My AP history teacher in high school, who is one of the smartest people I know said that denying the holocaust is a nice and easy way to permanently lose all respect in the academic space, but it is not uncommon to speak to large university audiences on why the Rape of Nanking never happened, even in America and worldwide, despite mountains of evidence that point to it, similar to the holocaust. The only thing that could possibly be argued in both cases is the issue of the population and the exact number killed, but claiming that the Chinese army dressed as Japanese and raped murdered and brutalized their own people just to frame Japan is utterly unbelievable. I'm all for questioning and mistrusting the government and the "history written by the victors" but you have to at least do it in a way that makes sense and doesn't make your side look like buffoons clinging to literally any way to keep yourselves looking good and absolve yourself of heinous crimes without actually paying the consequences.

[orionautoparts]

Your Name

This was a really beautiful piece of art to watch. The animation and the story was really beautiful. It reminded me that we are all connected, past and present. I also loved that they showcased gender expression when they would switch bodies. For instance, when Taki would switch into Mitsuha’s body, he would squeeze her breasts and when Mitsuha would switch into Taki’s body, she would act more feminine and initially used feminine pronouns when referring to herself as well as use emojis throughout her notes. I think keeping the person’s personality and actions the same even when they switched bodies made the characters feel more humanistic. Also, it was interesting to see a portrayal of how Mitsuha was pushed into becoming a shrine maiden because of her family. Since she comes from a long line of shrine maidens and priestesses, she has to keep the tradition going, even if she gets ridiculed by younger folks who do not follow Shintoism. This reminds me of people who are forced into a religion because their parents practice it. Specifically in Catholicism, growing up in it often leads to something called “Catholic guilt,” which is a sort of an exaggerated or irrational sense of guilt that’s typically felt by practitioners. Anyway, I am glad that she follows and honors her family’s traditions. Even though there are times when she hates it, e.g. after performing a ritual to make kuchikamisake in front of her classmates, she still honors and practices tradition and even makes the trek to the Shrine of the Body with her grandmother on her back to offer up the kuchikamisake that she made. Overall, it was a really beautiful anime to watch, and gave me hope that I will meet someone that I may have known in another life.

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Glad we had the same thoughts king

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Your Name

I truly thought I’d never watch another movie as good as A Silent Voice, and then this came around. I don’t even know if I can put into words how utterly beautiful this movie is. Every single frame is a work of art with one of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard. I really don’t know what else I can say other than that this is a total masterpiece from the very first second. The suspense is layered so perfectly and the storyline unravels in a magical way with each scene. I don’t even think I can do a deeper analysis of themes or whatever because I’m actually about to cry thinking about it. I will recommend this film to everyone I know until the day I die.

[luigi-schia]

Hetalia Axis Powers

I never thought there would be an anime about the countries in this way, but I guess I was wrong. To be fair even "I was reincarnated as a vending machine" is a manga so anything is possible I guess. This anime is very clearly a silly anime, but it does tackle real world problems, though in this case it depicts the major wars and disputes between countries as minor arguements between people. This whole decontextualization I believe is one of the main points of this anime, much like what Annett talks about in her essay. Although Im sure the parodic nature of the anime was not meant to harm or offend anyone, it often does and its a problem that has more or less happened with anime as of late. With the main goal of generating more interest or content by using niche or funny topics to create discourse about the subject. Although the anime is funny and having the countries do silly things can be cute, I do think talking about very serious problems like these in this manner could not have the intended effect. After all anime is for kids and im not sure how the airing situation was with this anime I feel like downplaying it this much can give kids the wrong idea. If someones concern is whether or not they can handle the actual reality of these events, then I would say the simple answer is to just not talk about it until they are. Stuff like this shouldn't be dumbed down because then it loses the real effect it had on the world.

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On the contrary, satire is one of the most long standing and proven ways of amplifying the impact that something has on history. A good satire, rather than simply dumbing down events, produces commentary on the events if viewed through that lens, while those who don't want to see it will simply view it at a surface level, a joke.

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Hetalia

Out of every topic that could be chosen to anthropomorphize the subjects and make a gag anime about, World War 2 is probably one of the best there is. The amount of genuinely absurd things that happen during the war make for great material to satirize even further. That said, this show is just not funny. I find all the characters (specifically Italy, which I find odd that he is such a pushover considering the fascist movement during this time) to be extremely annoying. The characters interact with each other in a way that causes complete chaos to unfold, especially in the first scene of episode one, although that isn't unrealistic. Other than that, the show continues on satirizing different topics and making fun of history through the form of anime humor.

[rohits-anime-blog]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 prominently features environmental themes through the cutscenes assigned. The game's world, Alrest, is depicted as being in a state of slow collapse. The colossal Titans that function as continents for its inhabitants are aging and gradually sinking back into the Cloud Sea.

Cutscenes consistently emphasize this diminishing landmass, reinforcing the central narrative problem of resource scarcity. This environmental decline serves as a significant allegory within the story. For instance, nations like Mor Ardain are portrayed struggling with their deteriorating Titan, often employing industrial means that contrast with more stable environments, illustrating the pressures placed upon their homeland. Much of the geopolitical conflict shown in the game stems directly from competition over these shrinking territories.

While the focus may be less on pollution in a modern sense, the cutscenes vividly depict the societal consequences of an environment nearing its limits. This ongoing decay fuels desperation, incites conflict among nations, and propels the main characters towards the sanctuary known as Elysium. The narrative demonstrates that the degradation of the foundational environment leads to serious societal instability and hardship.

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I didn’t get the environmental aspect, more just that limited resources cause bloodshed.

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Xenoblade 2

I bought the game probably 5 years ago, and got to just past when Mythra/Hikari awakened. I wanted to like it but really didn’t like the gameplay. Watching these cutscenes for class made me really really wish I had finished the game because wow is the story and soundtrack just incredible. Maybe it was just because i watched these cutscenes in Japanese, rather than the British/scottish accents from the dub (which are weird), but I enjoyed this way more than I remember. I also don’t really get why they changed the characters names. Hana to Poppi, Pyra and Mythra to Homura/Hikari, Metsu to Malios, and many more, I’m sure. One thing I did prefer from the dub was Pyra and Mythra’s voices (the only ones without British accents. Something about them just sounds better. On to the game itself, the story had much deeper themes than I remember, focusing on the war, betrayal, and the struggle for survival and resources, with the legendary Elysium promising an infinite source of sustenance for all. Wouldn’t that be nice? Rex is just a regular guy, but he gains awesome power and a pair of wives by pure chance becoming the savior of the entire world, similar to many other protagonists we’ve seen.

[2and2makes5]

Swampcon!!

Swampcon was the first real convention I went to. I had planned on going to a convention prior, but I wasn't able to make it. This convention lasted two days, March 29th and March 30th. I only went for one day, but I was there for a lot of it. In fact, I volunteered! I signed up to volunteer quite a bit ago because I have been meaning to get involved in Swampcon. I was planning on going the day after as well on Sunday to check more stuff out, but it was pouring down rain, and I didn't want to deal with that. The rain did remind me of Genshiken, with that one episode where it was pouring down rain.

I volunteered from 4 to 8 pm on Saturday in Artist Alley. The Artist Alley was an area at the convention where many artists (mostly local, but some traveled quite a bit to get there) came together to sell their art. I spent my time making sure people had wrist bands on and directing people to where they could get one if they did not have one. I was able to walk around and explore the rooms, and I was surprised at the amount of different types of art! There were stickers, prints, keychains, pins, and so much more. There was a variety of art; I even saw one artist making jewelry and blankets! It was very fun to see so many people come together to express their love for the anime, games, and comics that they enjoy. No other place would I be seeing Miku buying a My Little Pony keychain or Mista from Jojo buying prints of characters from a variety of media standing next to two Deadpools. This experience really helped me see the difference between official cultural capital and shadow cultural capital. Seeing so many people dress up and create art helped me realize how meaningful cultural expression really is. Conventions like these allow people to freely express their love for the media they consume, spending hours on end creating art, making cosplays, or just showing up and walking around.

Yet, I've only scratched the surface. Not only was there art all around, but there were also many panels, ranging from panels about dragons, furries, how to speedrun video games, kpop, lore in video games, quizzes related to video games, a panel about yaoi, and so much more. I sadly wasn't able to go to really any panels, but I met up with some friends on Saturday and they told me about what they experienced. There were also events, such as the maid cafe and Vocaloid concert. I was really hoping to go to the Vocaloid concert, but I sadly couldn't :( It was awesome to see some behind the scenes for it as I got a tour of the convention for training purposes for volunteering, and I was able to see everyone practicing their dance moves and see the stage for what it is. It's so awesome to see how dedicated and creative people are to their favorite series, even taking hobbies such as dance and incorporating them with the media they enjoy.

A little before the end of my shift, before I had to help the artists close up shop, I looked more into the individual items the artists were selling. I saw keychains of characters from Evangelion, prints of Makima and Denji from Chainsawman, and even stickers of Meatwad, Frylock, and Master Shake from Aqua Team Hunger Force, which I thought was really awesome. I didn't expect to find something like that; I mostly assumed it was just anime.

One last thing: I find it awesome that they were playing one of the UF basketball games at the same time in the center part of the Reitz, so seeing two different things happen at once was pretty cool, and a lot of people that came for the game didn't know about Swampcon. Anyways, here's a photo of an awesome cosplay I saw of one of my favorite Five Nights at Freddy's characters, Springtrap.

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Man I never saw the Eva keychains, I would have bought them

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SwampCon

This was my first ever anime convention, and I'll be completely honest, I didn't like it all too much. I know that we watched a lot of shows revolving around the acceptance of Otaku, and even though I watch a lot of anime and consume a lot of Japanese media as a whole, I just cannot find myself connecting with the average con-goer. Although many of them like the same media I do, they engage with it in an inherently different way, as we have discussed in class. Many of the stories present in anime mean more to me than I can explain in 600 words, but I do not have the obsessive tendencies of an Otaku. Being capable of spending the amounts of money that many western Otaku do is frankly insane to me, and I can't even say I understand it. I may come across as an elitist or something like that, but I believe a lot of them are liking the shows for the wrong reason. I am fully aware that a lot of the class was meant to curb this notion, but I still find myself subscribing to it. On to the con itself, it was interesting. Obviously a smaller venue than what would normally be used for an anime convention, but I really didn't do too much there. I couldn't spend the entire day there, but I walked around to see what there was to offer. I spent a lot of time in the Artist Alley looking at things, but didn't actually end up buying anything. Other than that, I didn't really do all that much. I know there were events, but I just didn't end up going to any. Maybe that's why I didn't like the event? I don't know, I really just didn't want to go to one of those. I already don't like being in crowded spaces in general, let alone spaces crowded with people I think myself to be different from. I'm glad the school has it for the people who enjoy it, but I don't think the paradigm will shift so that anime conventions will become normatively acceptable any time soon.