The Blog Project

[zachary305]

Going Out With a Bang (Hetalia)

So… here we are. The last anime we will be watching is… Hetalia. I mean, to some extent I absolutely understand why we ended with this; it's MASSIVELY popular, depicts real world events, is kind of an epitome of the anime-stereotype, and has definitely had a massive influence in the anime world. On the other hand… I tried so hard for so long to avoid watching this show ever again and it somehow found its way back to me. I really REALLY don't like this show, not just because of some of the questionable choices it makes, but I honestly find it super obnoxious. The fast paced scenes and the extremely energetic characters just don't do it for me. That's not even mentioning the problematic aspects of the show. Actually on that topic though, I feel that's why we even watched it in the first place; this is probably one of the most polarizing anime on the planet because of its depiction of real-world countries and events and that's something worth examining.

So, to start, the anime mainly focuses on the era of WW2, which when you’re doing that you’re already treading on thin ice, but goes as far to use an extremely lighthearted tone with the AXIS POWERS as the main characters. And as if that wasn’t absolutely insane enough, almost every character is a stereotype of themself EXCEPT FOR JAPAN. So even in its main premise this show was BOUND to create controversy, because its representation of these real world events are so far from the actual events that it's offensive to the real-world tragedies they are linked to. However, it also has an intention of educating its audience on various historical events, regardless of the way it does it.

The reading was also interesting as I believe it painted Hetalia’s fanbase within an interesting light, a unique group that consumes and CRITIQUES the anime which I think is important. It shows that these individuals don’t shun the anime completely, but rather consume it and create discussion. In this Hetalia becomes an interesting examination of the nature of consuming content and how we associate it with real world events. I think that's the core of the inclusion of this anime, it shows how we can critique a depiction of ideas but still consume it. If that doesn’t define this class, what does?

Well, I think that's all yall. I had a great time watching anime with you guys (even when things got a little more stressful than I would have liked). Before this class I had watched at most 4 animes, so I feel I’ve really broadened my horizons and my ability to critically examine media. I also found one of my favorite shows of all time through this course, so maybe all the stress was worth it. Congratulations to all of us for pushing through and I hope to see yall later!

[julietv09]

Good afternoon,

I too questioned why we ended with this anime. I never heard of it before so I cannot say i was avoiding it, but now I will be avoiding it. I cannot say I agree with the fast paced because I kinda enjoyed that. Also, Genshiken will definitely be on my do not watch ever again list. This class was definitely more stressful than I thought it would be. I expected an easy class where we just chitchat about anime. Oh how wrong I was. Well, in a certain aspect that is what we did, but to a more extreme extent. Now, it is time to go stress about this final!

[julietv09]

Hetalia

Honestly, I have a lot of mixed feelings about the anime “Hetalia”. It was like educational, but in a funny stereotype way. I could understand how people could find enjoyment in watching that because it is like a cute little cartoon that is making fun of real life events. I did appreciate how short each episode was. I personally cannot sit through long episodes and movies, I get easily bored so this class has been quite a challenge for me. That is probably why i would procrastinate work so much lol.

Hetalia is an anime series that anthropomorphizes countries, portraying them as characters who embody stereotypes and historical traits associated with their nations. The show primarily focuses on events during World War I and World War II, with a comedic twist. The main characters represent the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allied Forces (America, England, France, Russia, and China).The episodes often depict humorous interactions among these characters, highlighting their cultural quirks and historical relationships. Through these characters we were able to learn about events that happened in the world but in a biased, stereotypical view.

I do not know how I feel about this being the last anime of the class. We started off so good with “Spirited Away” and this ending just felt bleh. I was expecting something more grand or something with more meaning. It was not a bad show. It just did not have as much of an impact as some of the other animes we watched. I also failed to see the theme or message this anime had to do with the module. Overall, the class coming to an end is like bittersweet. I enjoyed discovering new animes and reading blogs of others that shared similar opinions to mine about the anime’s. On the other hand, no more blog posts yayyy!

[rosiebee-18]

Your Name

The story of the movie, which centers on the lives of Taki and Mitsuha, two teens who mysteriously switch bodies, provides an opportunity to examine disparate lifestyles and the wider social consequences of these distinctions.

In the movie, the contrast between rural and urban life in Japan is one of the main topics. Taki resides in Tokyo, a city known for its modernism, ambition, and fast-paced way of life. On the other hand, Mitsuha lives in the made-up rural town of Itomori, where people lead slower, more conventional lives that are closely entwined with the environment and regional traditions. The act of body-swapping makes one character face and adjust to the surroundings of the other, emphasizing the widening gap between Japan's rural and urban locations. This gap shows a major problem facing modern-day Japan: the exodus of young people from rural areas to cities in search of better prospects, leaving behind aging populations and collapsing communities. The movie gently criticizes this pattern by showing the abundance of life in Itomori and the value of preserving cultural and community ties. Without realizing the mysterious body-swapping, Mitsuha yells out, "Please make me a handsome Tokyo boy in my next life!" since she is fed up with her small-town life. This film effectively contrasts the calm, traditional way of life in Itomori with the busy, modern surroundings of Tokyo through this paranormal event. When Taki takes up Mitsuha's body, he finds it difficult to adjust to the slower, more intimate pace of country life because he is used to the fast-paced city life. On the other hand, Mitsuha enjoys the quiet and energy of Tokyo while in Taki's body.

This film is presented in the theme of natural disasters. This incident is similar to the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami of 2011 in that it happened suddenly and had a catastrophic effect on a town. When Mitsuha learns of the impending disaster, she works diligently to alert her village, emphasizing the need of being prepared for disasters and the resilience of people. 

Your Name looks into how people are bound together by unseen strands of destiny, touching on themes of connection and fate. This idea is popular to viewers, particularly in this day and age when globalization and technology have both connected and isolated people. Another potent image in the film is the red thread that Mitsuha wears. It symbolizes the "red thread of fate," the traditional Japanese notion that individuals who are meant to meet are bound together by an unseen red thread. The scene where Taki and Mitsuha ultimately cross paths on the crater lake's edge is a clear example of this pattern. Even though they are separated by time and location, the thread represents their destined bond. The essential human need for connection and the conviction that there is a greater force directing our interactions are both discussed in this scenario.

[julietv09]

Good evening,

I really enjoyed reading your interpretation and perspective of the anime Your Name! I agree that there is for sure a general theme of destiny and fate presented throughout the film. You made a great point about the red thread Mitsuha wears and how it represents traditional Japanese culture. Overall, I agree that these characters both had contrasting lives but still something in the universe kept bringing them together. The film does a great job of showing the major differences between their lives. There is a certain level of love and destiny and I think the film is portraying a beautiful message.

[julietv09]

Your Name

I had heard of the anime “Your name” before but never was interested in watching it or learning what it was about.

Your Name is a Japanese animated film directed by Makoto Shinkai. The story follows two teenagers, Mitsuha Miyamizu, a girl living in a rural town, and Taki Tachibana, a boy living in Tokyo, who mysteriously begin to swap bodies intermittently. As they experience each other’s lives, they form a connection and develop feelings for each other, even though they have never met in person. The plot thickens when they realize that they are not just swapping bodies but also living in different times—Mitsuha's timeline is three years in the past. Taki discovers that Mitsuha’s town was destroyed by a comet, leading him on a mission to save her and the townspeople. The film blends elements of romance, fantasy, and drama, culminating in a touching and bittersweet conclusion as the two struggle to meet despite the challenges of time and memory.

After watching I can say, this film was absolutely stunning! I really appreciated how the film resonated with people from different genders, ages, and backgrounds, as it focused on finding similarities despite these differences. I truly loved how the story highlighted the fleeting nature of time and its potential to be manipulated, adding a captivating element of mind-bending time travel to the plot. I was really captivated by the bond between Taki and Mitsuha. I believe the way their paths crossed at that moment perfectly complemented the idea of soulmates, as it felt as though the universe brought them together in mysterious ways instead of the classical cheesy rom-com way that we often see. After truly experiencing each other's lives, they have an incredibly deep understanding. Overall, this was a cute and fun movie to watch and I definitely recommend.

[calebsjpt1311blog]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Blog Post

This was my first time hearing about the game “Xenoblade Chronicles 2”. After watching through the cut scenes I have got to say, this game looks like it would be a lot of fun to play. The storyline and world-building are very interesting and unique to me. After watching through the cutscenes I can see how this game connects to ideas of dualism and objectification from the reading. 

This game is similar to the anime “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” because they both involve ideas and critiques of human interaction with nature. Also, both worlds were completely destroyed by weapons (potential representations of nuclear weapons) before the start of when the audience began watching. Another similarity between the two pieces of media is they both contain limited space for humans to inhabit. For example, the Cloud Sea in “Xenoblade Chronicles 2” limits the people to only living on the backs of the Titans. 

However, the interactions between nature and humans in “Xenoblade Chronicles 2” and “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” are different. In “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” the humans live separately from nature. In “Xenoblade Chronicles 2”, humans live in coexistence with nature. The humans live on Titans where they survive with the ecosystems built there. Later in the game, the audience discovers that the Titans are being given the genetic information of past organisms through nanotechnology created by Klaus, a human. Therefore, in the game, humans and nature live together and not separate from one another as they need each other to survive and expand. 

I personally could not connect to this game. In my opinion, the modern world does not live in coexistence with nature, thus, I could not relate to that aspect of the game. Also, the modern world does not contain many of the fantasy elements in the game, thus, I lack a personal connection there too. 

[julietv09]

Good afternoon,

your blog post is very informative and engaging. First, I agree after watching the cutscenes the game does look fun to play. I do not know If i would evert get around to playing it, but it looks cools. I love the connection you made between Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. I did not see the connection at first, but your explanation helped! I agree that the connection with nature is different between the video game and the anime. Overall, your post brought a new perspective of the game for me and I enjoyed reading it.

[julietv09]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

I had never heard of the game “Xenoblade Chronicles 2”, but based on the cutscenes we watched it seems really cool. I enjoyed how instead of watching an anime, we had to pay attention to the animations of a video game. I forgot that there are more animations than just anime. Watching this cutscenes, you can see the effort and dedication animators put into these games. Can you imagine if you were playing a video game and the graphics were so bad? You would lose interest so fast.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has great narratives and animations that make you feel more interesting and invested in playing. The game is set in the vast world of Alrest, a land comprised of Titans, massive creatures that carry entire civilizations on their backs. Players follow the journey of Rex, who forms a bond with Pyra, a mysterious and powerful entity known as a Blade. Together, they seek to reach Elysium, a paradise atop the World Tree, which is believed to be the last hope for humanity. The narrative of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is both epic and deeply personal, exploring themes of friendship, sacrifice, and the search for a place to call home. The game’s combat system is a unique blend of real-time action and strategic planning, where players control Rex and his companions, each wielding their own Blades with distinct abilities. The story is driven by a cast of well-developed characters, each with their own motivations and backstories that intertwine with Rex’s quest. As players progress, they encounter various factions and adversaries, each adding layers of complexity and intrigue to the narrative. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 also features a robust progression system, where players can level up their characters, enhance their abilities, and unlock new skills through a detailed skill tree.

This brief explanation of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 probably does not do the game justice, but it does sound like a fun game!

[autoblur]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

A Kingdom lives in the Valley of the Wind, neighboring the Jungle which seems to have toxic effects on the people. Princess Nausicaa has a special power that allows her to connect with animals. The jungle is poisonous and spreads and consumes other kingdoms. An elder woman named Obaba tells Lord Yupa that his destiny is to search for the Man in Blue which will come and restore humanity's connection with the earth that was destroyed.

Princess Nausicaa is highly respected in the kingdom. She is competent at using the wind to travel through the sky. One night, she saves the Princess of Pejite, and helps an insect return back to the jungle. After the first crash, more ships arrive in the Valley of the Wind. Princess Kushana is the commander of the Tolmekian army. Her goal is to unify the kingdoms and to burn down the toxic jungle. The Tolmekians strip the kingdom of their resources and manpower. In a secret chamber, Nausicca grows an ecosystem utilizing plants from the toxic jungle. She learns that with clean water and soil, the plants aren't toxic.

The insects from the jungle are enraged by the ships crashing into the jungle. The insects seem to care for Nausicaa and don't hurt her. Nausicaa and the boy she saves fall beneath the jungle, where the air seems to be pure. Water flows beneath the forest. The trees in the forest have evolved to purify the pollution made from human, which causes them to die.

Throughout the film, there are many ongoing battles between kingdoms. Due to fear and greed the humans all fight each other and kill insects. Humans fear things that are a risk to their existence. The kingdom of Pejite use a baby ohm to lure the ohms back to the valley of the wind, where the wind now stops. Princess Nausicaa saves the baby uhm and subsides the insects' anger. The anger of the insects represented the anger of the earth. It turns out that although a female, she is the "Man in Blue" that restored humanity's relationships with the earth. I felt that this was a very beautiful film about the relationship between humans and earth. I feel that the protagonist being a woman was very impactful.

[julietv09]

Good evening,

I agree with a lot of points you made in your blog. I believe this film portrayed our human instincts to fear insects and first thought to kill. Throughout the film, we see the guards automatically want to shoot down any bug they saw, but Nausicaa would stop them. Nausicaa had a different connection with the environment than others. From on outside perspective, it almost seemed like she was able to talk to animals to help them rather than hurt them. Nausicaa was nature’s keeper in a way. This film was indeed beautiful and showed how humanity and nature could work together and benefit from each other.

[julietv09]

This was my first time watching “ Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” and I must say it was beautiful. "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" is a 1984 Japanese animated film directed by Hayao Miyazaki before he created Studio Ghibli. Studio Ghibli, as we know, produced productions like Ponyo and Spirited away (which was the first anime we watched in this class).

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is struggling to survive amidst the toxic jungle, known as the Sea of Decay, which is spreading across the earth. Nausicaä is a young princess of the Valley of the Wind, a peaceful community that thrives in harmony with nature. Nausicaä has a deep connection with the environment and the giant insects that inhabit the jungle. This is shown since the beginning of “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” when she was able to tame Teto.

Also, she uses her knowledge of nature to create a non-poisonous jungle in hopes to save her father. She was determined to find a cure so she filtered the poisonous dirt from the plants and spouted them in a hidden, underground room. Once her father dies, she sees no use for this jungle and begins to question her connection to nature. When conflict arises between different human factions over the control and destruction of the toxic jungle, Nausicaä strives to prevent war and find a way for humanity to coexist with nature. Through her compassion, courage, and wisdom, she uncovers the secrets of the jungle and seeks a path to restoration and peace for both humanity and the natural world.

Overall, I know the theme of this anime was not girl power, but it kinda felt like it was. When people think of princesses, they imagine big ball-gown dresses and tiaras; however, Nausicaä was not your average princess. She did not mind getting her hands dirty to protect her people.

[jpt-1311-deactivated20240823]

End of Evangelion

I think if you showed a random person just the first and last few minutes of this movie, they would direct you to a therapist, and they wouldn't necessarily be wrong in doing so. EoE certainly feels like a complete 180 from the ending of the TV series, considering how we went from "Congratulations!" to "How disgusting." I don't really know what more there is to say on masculinity in EoE that wasn't already said in the previous two posts, but I'll give it a try.

Evangelion as a series has a lot of sexual and maternal imagery and symbolism, but it becomes especially apparent in EoE. There's the hospital scene, the scene with Gendo trying to merge with Rei, Rei sitting atop Shinji naked while instrumentality is happening, the tree of life entering the massive Rei through a literal vulva on her forehead, the mass production Evas penetrating themselves with the spears, the hills in Shinji's weird dream as a child that resemble breasts, the souls of mankind all returning to the Egg of Lilith, the sea of LCL, and plenty more. I could probably hit 300 words just listing examples. This imagery being so prevalent certainly makes one wonder what it's trying to say. There's certainly an analogy to be made between the human instrumentality project and sex, as if sex can be described as the joining of two people, then instrumentality is the joining of everybody. In relation to Shinji, I think this imagery matters because Shinji never engages or seems interested in anything sexual. In fact, I think it's fair to say that Shinji is probably afraid of such things.

Through the lens of normative masculinity, sex can be seen as the ultimate expression of men's dominance over women through the act of penetration. In a softer light, sex is the removal of all barriers between two people. In both these interpretations, sex is not something that would be possible for Shinji. Shinji does not perform normative masculinity - whenever he's tried it's gone poorly - so he cannot perceive sex through that lens. Additionally, Shinji is incapable of laying his true self bare to another person because he hates himself. Another perspective on sex would be the one Misato takes - that sex is a source of pleasure to combat the pain of life. Shinji cannot follow this either, as he does not believe he is deserving of pleasure. Much of Shinji's problems stem from his hatred of himself, which in turn likely stems from his inability to perform normative masculinity. Shinji does not follow the ideals of normative masculinity, it simply isn't his nature. Unfortunately for him, his queer masculinity means that he does not fit into a society that demands normative masculinity from him, and thus society shuns him. Rather than see this as a fault of society, Shinji takes society's disapproval of him and internalizes it, finding the fault to be in himself. Thus, Evangelion shows, through the character of Shinji, how damaging a society that demands normative masculinity can be to those who perform queer masculinity.

[julietv09]

Good evening,

I am currently laughing at your opening statement because of how true it is. I agree with the maternal imagery presented in this anime. We constantly see each character referring to the mother and the loss of their mother. Also, Shinji’s disinterest to sexual encounters might have to due with his lack os masculinity. You mentioned that sex can often be seen as a man’s dominance over a woman, which dominance is something Shinji lacked especially over women. I believe the show is trying to portray sex as the connection of souls because of the constant reference to unity of souls. Your blog really helped me understand what I watched in “The End of Evangelion”.

[julietv09]

The End of Evangelion

In my previous blog post, I spoke how confused “Neon Genesis Evangelion” made me and hoped that “The End of Evangelion” would have some sort of explanation for me. It is to my disappointment that “The End of Evangelion” only added to my confusion. Even after watching the lectures prior, I still do not quite grasp the concept of this anime.

I understand it tries to explain Shinji’s question about his masculinity, but what is real and what is reality? Is everything in this anime Shinji’s imagination or dreams? Is this battle of masculinity all in Shinji’s head or is this an alternate reality? Towards the final scenes of “The End of Evangelion,” it no longer is an animation. We see a glimpse into humanity and hear Shinji question dreams. So is Shinji a human battling his real-life issues through vivid dreams? I feel like I have so many questions and little answers. The show kept adding more details to understand without explaining past details I needed answers to. Maybe I missed something or there were episodes we skipped that explained my questions, but I am confused. I know I cannot be the only one that is confused.

Overall, the graphics of the show were really good. I feel like If I understood more what was happening, then the scenes would be cooler. There were some scenes that were kinda weird and I did not understand the meaning of. Another thing that confused me was his relationship to each character. Like why did Misato kiss him before he got in the Eva? Why was he begging Asuka to help him? Everything was just a mystery to me. I also did not like how they would flash between present and past. How was Asuka laying in a hospital then fighting in the Eva? My point is i need to understand what was happening because everything is just a blur to me currently.

[robian]

Evangelion Part 2

Alright Part 2 is where I can actually get to writing. I wrote my part 1 blog almost entirely on Shinji so I'll start off by explaining what I meant by his “character development” that I mentioned in my last post.

Those last 2 episodes were probably super confusing. They probably felt like they came out of nowhere. Some people say it's an amazing ending, while others say it's horrible. Honestly, I don't know how I feel about it. I even needed the help of redditors to get a semi-understanding of what it meant without having the movies spoiled for me. Basically these two episodes are all about Shinji's self hatred and at the very end he comes to finally accept himself. Really, it seems to be that simple. Of course, I haven't watched the movies yet, so if there's more to it, that's probably why.

 Honestly, I knew that Shinji hated piloting the Eva, but I feel that we don't get a true understanding of his self-hatred until these last two episodes. You can say this is dumb, because it may seem like the writers just suddenly had Shinji hate himself, but personally I feel that the story had some obvious hints along the way. When people yelled or even hurt Shinji, he never defended himself. He always avoided problems. Someone who hates themselves, doesn't have the power to protect themselves. 

Alright, I should probably talk about some other characters. Rei still confuses me and I'm betting there's more info In the movies because it seems she has some connection to Shinji's mother. Rei's character development is basically her smiling and shedding a tear. She's attempting to find her humanity and sense of self even though she knows she is different from everyone else. 

Asuka says she's piloting the Eva for herself, but in reality she pilots the Eva as a coping mechanism for her mother. Her mother never cared for her, and the chance to become an Eva pilot meant that people would always care for her, unlike her mother. She believes that if she isn't the best, people will stop giving her attention. She believes that she'll lose any value she has. As of the ending of the series, Asuka is still in a depressive state, but I'm assuming she'll get back on her feet in the movies. 

Finally, I'll talk about Misato Katsuragi. At first, she just seems to be this strong, independent, happy, snobbish, beautiful lady. However, we later find out that she's dealing with some serious trauma of her own. Her dad, who she originally hated, sacrificed his life to save her. It left her confused as to whether she hated her dad or not. She unintentionally sought out things that reminded her of him such as her job and her boyfriend to fill the void left in her heart. At the end of the series, it seems to point out that she is scared of being alone. Her dad leaves her. Her boyfriend leaves her. She just wants anyone's attention and even seemingly makes a move on Shinji.  

Hopefully y'all didn't seriously read all 500+ word yapping session, but part 2 was definitely where the phique of the characters was delved into more. As for my opinions on Evangelion (before watching movies), I liked it, but I don't really understand the hype. 

[julietv09]

Good evening robian,

I agree the last two episodes were really confusing. I kinda understood that Shinji was expressing his self-hatred, but I just did not understand how did he end up spiraling since we skipped some episodes. Shinji’s hate for piloting the Eva was very apparent since day 1, but it was sad to see how much of an impact it was having on him. Furthermore, Rei is also a mystery to me. I expected to see more character development from her, but she still remains reserved. Overall, I appreciate your breakdown of each character. It really helped me understand the show a little more and I can see where you are coming from.

[julietv09]

Neon Genesis Evangelion Pt.2

I thought I understood why the Evangelion worked, but part 2 of “Neon Genesis Evangelion” really confused me. I did not understand how the Evangelion went rogue and seemed like an angel at times. These episodes in part 2 were definitely more confusing and complex.

In part 2, we can see the mental health of the pilots decay slowly. When Shinji gets stuck in the shadow, we can see him start to spiral about his father and mother. His panic was due to being alone in his own thoughts, but he was able to overcome these mental blocks and break through the orb.

Episode 26 really confused me. I am not sure if it is because we skipped episodes or if it was just confusing in general. It just flashed between reality or an alternate universe. I understand it was Shinji’s thoughts but I could not tell when it became real or if any of it was real.

In the last episode, he is thinking about his feelings and we can see the different characters telling him how he should feel. It was kinda like the angel and the devil on your shoulder analogy. It also showed how Shinji was not the only one struggling mentally. This need to have someone understand you is why Shinji so easily trusted the undercover angel. He felt a connection and needed someone to lean on. Each character had some reason to why they we not happy and I believe this is why they were chosen to pilot the Evangelion. The pilots need a purpose and piloting the Evangelion is what gives them that sense of life. Becoming a pilot, gave each of them something to be motivated by and work hard for.

To reiterate, I am not sure what really happened in the last episode and hopefully “The End of Evangelion” further explains what is happening.

[mochicrackersss]

Blog Post - Neon Genesis Evangelion ᯓᡣ𐭩‧₊˚ ⊹

I've wanted to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion because it's just so iconic within anime culture. I never did though, because I heard the series could be hard to follow. However, despite that fear, it really drew me in! Evangelion was like Mobile Suit Gundam but a thousand times more terrifying, especially with its darker tones and the presence of Lovecraftian-like Angels.

I can definitely see how the main character, Shinji Ikari, not only rejects masculinity throughout the series (like the readings from this module discuss) but he also rejects everything within the show. The boy is invited by his absent father to be at the organization, Nerv, with no other information. Once rescued by Misato, he is brought to the top secret location where eventually (with much prying by his father) finds out that the only reason he is here is to pilot the mech suit, Evangelion. Suddenly, all the adults around him who told him nothing are now telling him to do everything. They constantly push him to pilot the suit and make him feel horrible if he doesn't, which puts an enormous amount of pressure on Shinji. And once he finally accepts to pilot (only because Rei was hurt) they still belittle him and say things like "Suck it up! "Be a real boy!" and "Stay calm!" as it isn't his first time piloting a dangerous mechanical monster against a terrifying biblically accurate angel.

This is a bit off-topic, but I find it interesting that the mech suit is treated like an uncontrollable wild animal. (Which it kinda is since its revealed to have an alive creature inside.) It's constantly restrained to prevent a "runaway" or becoming "berserk", and only a few people can pilot an Evangelion without rejection. In a way, I wonder if it was an intentional comparison between Shinji and the Evangelion suits. They are considered dangerous deadweight until they become useful to the people around them. Maybe that's why only people who reject societal norms can pilot the suits.

[julietv09]

Hi mochicrackersss,

we made very similar points in our blogs! I agree how belittled Shinji’s feelings were compared to Rei’s. He was forced to pilot the Evangelion without any training and was not allowed to be scared or nervous. They made his concerns seem irrational as if piloting the Evangelion was something that was easy. ABout the suit, I personally believe since it connects with the person’s mentality. Therefore, if the suit becomes “berserk”, it is because the pilot is not in the right mental headspace. This is apparent when Rei’s suit malfunctions and the staff questioned what she might have been thinking. I could be wrong, but that is how i interpreted it. Like you said, maybe that is why not just anyone can operate it.

[julietv09]

Neon Genesis Evangelion Pt. 1

When I began watching “Neon Genesis Evangelion”, I originally thought it was going to be like “Mobile Suit Gundam”. Although they have similarities, “Neon Genesis Evangelion” does not entirely focus on a war. The storyline of “Neon Genesis Evangelion” explains the stigma around masculinity and men’s mental health.

As young boys, men are taught to suppress their feelings. This misconception is drilled into their way of thinking from early on. The anime portrays this by showing the little care everyone had about Shinji’s feeling towards his father. He resented his father as his father had “no use” of him, so he abandoned Shinji three years prior.

Once his father had no one else to pilot the Eva, Shinji finally was of use to his father and was able to see him again. Shinji was reluctant at first to help his father with the Eva, but he knew he needed to help. In order to operate the Eva, pilots must sync their mind to the robot. They must be mentally prepared as it takes a lot of strength to operate. We see this as the character Rei fails connecting with Eva and the operators worry what she might have been thinking. Furthermore, we see the difference of treatment between Rei and Shinji. His own father is dismissive and negative towards him, but with Rei it is apparent he has a soft spot for her. The father’s care for Rei is shown when a malfunction happens and the father burns his hands to open the pod Rei was in. On the other hand, anytime Shinji gets hurt when in battle, he wakes up in a bed alone. This just shows the idea that men are supposed to be stronger than women.

Overall, I am interested in watching more and seeing how both Shinji and Rei continue to operate the Eva.

[loquaciousstrigidae]

Wandering Son

Is it just me or is the art style of this anime really, really bright? So many scenes are colors with white and off-white colors that it often makes details hard to see for me. 

Every frame has this white vignette that blurs out much of the periphery, reminding me of an unfading dream sequence or flashback. I’m not sure whether this artistic choice is meant to symbolize something or not—it may very well just be stylistic if nothing else. Regardless, it did harm my ability to enjoy the anime a good about, as my eyes are sensitive to such bright visuals. I am curious if anyone else thought the same. 

On another note, I did appreciate the androgynous design of each of the characters. I think this supports the themes of gender-nonconformity and self-expression very well. Every character was drawn with large, glossy eyes, and overall homogenous facial features that didn’t signal any particular gender. 

Anime characters confound me sometimes. These kids have so much social tension and I often find myself puzzled where certain confrontations even come from. 

I saw this on screen, blinked, and spoke, “what...?” From my perspective, this proclamation of hate seemed to come out of nowhere. I didn’t really understand the motivation behind these words or the events that preceded it. Maybe it’s due to us skipping episodes, but through much of this anime, it was hard to discern what exactly was going through these kids’ heads. 

I think even in Western animation, queer identity and transness is encountered more in a ‘casual’ way. Examples that come to mind are Raine from The Owl House (a non-binary person) and Elle Argent from Heartstopper (a trans woman). Even when placed in their prospective shows, there is not much focus on their trans identity—they simply exist as who they are while engaging in an unrelated plot. I think that in many cases, this is a positive thing, as it normalizes transgender identity, but it does seem that many pieces of fiction are afraid to explore trans identity outright. Wandering Son does this, however, which I think is great. 

Really, though. My eyes burn.

[julietv09]

Good evening,

I really enjoy how personal your blogs seem. I had quickly scrolled through and saw the gif and knew I had to read what you could have meant with the gif. I was surprised to read it was about the bright screen and laughed as i felt click-bated in a way. I personally did not notice it, but I always keep my brightness really low. To add onto your reflection, I agree that often times when we skip episode, I notice some details get left out so some scenes do not make sense. Some scenes felt like they came out of nowhere, but the overall message and theme of the anime was still there.

[julietv09]

Wandering Son

The anime series, “Wandering Son”, is a coming-of-age anime that explores themes of gender identity and adolescence. In the first episode, titled "What are little girls made of?", we are introduced to two main characters, Shuichi Nitori and Yoshino Takatsuki. Shuichi is a young boy who feels more comfortable presenting as a girl, while Yoshino is a girl who feels more comfortable presenting as a boy. Shuichi envies Yoshino because she seems to be more confident as she states she wears whatever she feels like that day. Her confidence allows her to wear the “boy’s” uniform to school while Shuichi hides his “girl” clothes in his bookbag. In the episode, we can see Shuichi attempt to go out in public dressed as a girl. He constantly stops and looks at himself, really taking in what it was like to be seen as a girl.

Furthermore, the episode of highlights the expectations placed on individuals based on their assigned gender at birth. Shuichi's discomfort with being seen as a boy and Yoshino's wish to be perceived as a boy challenge the traditional binary views of gender. The narrative emphasizes the emotional challenge and social pressures they face, illustrating how societal norms can stunt self-expression and authenticity. By focusing on their internal conflicts and external reactions from peers and family, the episode exhibits the importance of acceptance and understanding in fostering a more inclusive environment. I really appreciated the representation this anime portrayed.

It was refreshing to seeing the LGBT+ community not being sexualized and fetishized, but rather embraced and supported. In this generation, we see more people gaining the confidence they deserve and being who they truly are.

Overall, watching Shuichi gain confidence and finally be their true self was very empowering. I hope someone who watched this anime can feel a sense of comfort that they are not alone.

[blogs-no-giggles]

Convention Blog

  I personally have never been to any Anime fandom convention. To be honest,  I wasn’t really invested in Anime at all before this class. However, this class has taught me many things including the context of Anime and the fandoms that surround it. It also made me enjoy Anime and the concept behind it. Apart from that, since I didn’t go to any actual conventions, I watched the 3 parts of the documentary instead. It is very interesting to say the least, the documentary went over many aspects of the Anime culture, the cosplay culture, and the general communities they provide for the people and the fans.

  To start off with, I want to discuss my findings on the Otaku community, those who have a keen interest in Anime, Manga, and cosplay. During the documentary, it showed tens of thousands of people gathering at the Otakon. People from all over the world gather at the city it’s being hosted in to pursue their interest and their passion in either Anime, Cosplay, or similar contexts. We see the very diversified audiences of the Otakon, from children, teenagers, adults, the elderly, and different cultures from all around the world gathered together to celebrate the Otaku community. The community itself brought and flourished cultural exchange, and different people from different cultures were able to collaborate, celebrate, and communicate about the similar passion they have for the Otaku community.

  Another interesting discovery were the answers, when the interviewers asked the attendees the question “Do you consider yourself to be an Otaku?” Although the festival is Otakon, many people actually don’t consider themselves to be Otaku. They perceived the meaning of Otaku as someone who is very invested in the Otaku culture. Some although very passionate cosplayers and such, do not consider themselves to be one. The identity of being an Otaku varies from person to person, some consider themselves to be one even though they have only been to a single Otakon event, while others don’t even though they have been to multiple. It may also have something to do with how the Otaku culture is perceived by the outside world. Although many people are interested in Anime and Otaku culture, it is still not relatively a big subculture in the U.S. Some people may criticize the ones who are devoted to the culture, and the Otaku themselves could be subject to embarrassment. This also leaves us to talk about the next discovery I found in the fandoms, and Otaku culture, belonging.

  A big context of the documentary is the essence of belonging. It showed how everyone was welcoming and socializing at the Otakon. The host, Nicole said that the Otaku community is a place where all the Anime lovers and Otaku’s can belong, a place where there is no prejudice, a place where people can openly discuss the things they love about Anime, cosplay, and manga. People find a new community when they attend Otakon. Friends and family come to this convention to make new friends, discuss their passions, and enjoy what they love doing. Many also find their new circles of friends and even lovers at Otakon. During one of the interviews, Nicole interviewed this couple who met at Otakon, they met during 2 Otakons, and decided to commit to each other because of their similar interest in the Otaku culture. It is also a place for discovering new friends. People who may be afraid to express their passion for Anime may freely discuss their views with others during the Otakon. Everyone here is open to each other’s perspectives about the common thing they love. It is a commonplace, a community, and a place called home for all Otaku lovers.

[julietv09]

Hi,

I did not watch the documentary as I decided to write about my experience, but I hope the documentary inspired you to attend a convention one day! I can honestly say I was not excited or had no interest to attend before I did, but actually experiencing one really changed my opinion. If you are a really big fan of anime or even like a slight fan, it is worth every second as you get to see people express their love for anime’s you might also love. It really does give you a different perspective on anime and opens your mind to different aspects of anime. No pressure on attending one soon or at all, but I do highly recommend!