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[abhiramanimeblog]

Hetalia and Stereotypes

This was my first time watching Hetalia and I have to say I did not like it. I found the stereotypes to be amusing, but the overall experience was just not fulfilling. It may be that I have just watched Your Name, but the story of Hetalia did not hit. I was also surprised to find out how popular this was since I have never watched it or heard of it, but it has over 9 seasons. I think it is offensive, but like the reading suggests it inspires conversation which is also important. For this discussion, I want to talk about the stereotypes in Hetalia.

I want to preface this by saying that stereotypes are not inherently bad. They can be very comedic when used to that effect. They are generalizations about a population which is definitely bad if it is taken as fact. However, most will not take a stereotype as fact so it is not a bad thing. I did not get offended by anything Hetalia showed. A big part of my not being offended may be that my country was not represented heavily. I can see how people from Italy and England could be offended by the depictions Hetalia showed.

Italy is depicted as a very clumsy and helpless country. This is true in some regard since they were not big winners in any major wars. Where I can see Helalia stepping too far is when they make Italy a country or a depiction obsessed with pasta which may be offensive to the Italians, any generalization about a country's interests will be offensive to some people. One of the only things I found truly funny from the show came from the chibi form of the show where the Holy Roman and Italian relationship was shown which was hilarious.

I also think that the depiction of Germany especially in this time as being something noble and likable is a bit weird. To most people, this time period in Germany is definitely villainous. They did some undeniably heinous acts and to paint them as some kind of good character is very odd. Obviously, the show does not go out of its way to have any villains. It is just trying to showcase a funny telling of events. It is still a bit weird.

In my life, I have seen a lot of stereotypes about Indians told to me. I do not let these stereotypes make me feel bad. I know who I am, and while I do fit some of them I am still my own person. I am not a generalization of my people.

Overall, Hetalia is a short show that can comically tell you about the history of the Axis powers. If you have some time you should check it out.

[kylie1010]

Hello! This was also my first time watching Hetalia and I was not a fan. This is definitely one of my least favorites we have watched and I was not a fan of the stereotypes presented. I really like your description of stereotypes and how they are not necessarily a bad thing, and I am glad you were not offended by anything in this animation. I, however, did take offense to some of the jokes andI know that many other people were probably much more offended than I was. I also agree that the depiction of Gernmany was very weird and I think that kind of put a bad taste in my mouth with this animation.

[kylie1010]

Hetalia

This was my very first time watching Hetalia and I was not the biggest fan of it. I just did not find the animation to be very engaging or entertaining and would much rather prefer to watch something else. I liked Your Name much much better than this animation, and this one is definitely one of my least favorites from the class. The animation was filled with offensive stereotypes and was very misrepresentative of history and past events. I found that along with the humor and misrepresentations that I was just an even bigger opposer of this animation.

I was not a fan of the humor that they used in respect to past events. The jokes and commentary they tried to make went slightly against history and was not supportive of the real life events. I also feel that much of the representations and jokes they were making were culturally offensive and very stereotypical. I found that the way they depicted Germany was very odd and could also offend many people watching. They were very inconsiderate with their representation of Germany, portraying it as one of the "good guys" per say in the war. I think that this was just completely inconsiderate to many people watching and also a downplay and misrepresentation of history. I just think that this animation was very wrong in their ideas and portrayal and just overall did not like it.

While I cannot directly connect or relate to this animation, I can say I relate to the stereotyping they did. The animation is filled with different stereotypes about different cultures and people and I am a victim of stereotyping. I have been stereotyped by my gender, race, religion, looks, etc. I know what its like to be stereotyped and can relate to the stereotyping done in this animation.

[abhiramanimeblog]

Your Name and Kizuna

This is the 3rd time I have seen the movie Your Name and it is just as good as I remember it. It is one of my favorite movies I have watched in this class and I highly recommend anyone to watch this movie if they have not already done so. However, for this blog post, I want to talk about the Kizuna in Your Name.

Your Name mainly revolves around a body swap plot. 2 people of 2 different genders and livelihoods swap bodies and experience life through the other one's perspective. In this case, both characters Mitsuha and Taki gain an appreciation for the country and one another. Taki gains this through living Mitsuha's country life and engaging with Mitsuha in their diaries. Mitsuha gains this by living away from the country in the city like she always had wanted and realizing what she lost while also engaging in diaries. This is significant since both characters despite coming from different backgrounds and experiencing life in a city can see the appeal of the country and each other. We see that Mitsuha stops complaining about her life in the country all the time, and instead, she wants to go to the city to see Taki. We also see that Taki becomes obsessed with Mitusha's town and the disaster, he even makes his job revolve around stopping disasters like this which is shown to be unliked since he is not able to find a job. This appreciation they both share for the country along with their body swapping forms Kizuna between them and they cannot stop longing for one another even when they forget their names and experiences.

I can relate to the appreciation of the country. I have a lot of family members living in villages that are even less developed than Mitsuha's which I love and want to keep safe. I would never want them to die in an accident like what happened in the original timeline and I think I would go to great lengths to keep them safe. I also think that shared interests and appreciation can make connections that transcend time like in the movie. There are many people I know that although I do not see often or talk to often I can always find a common ground with some subject that we have talked about before.

Overall, Your Name is a must-watch movie. I think everything in it is amazing and it showcases how strong connections can transcend time. I would also recommend watching Weathering with You after Your Name to get some more context in this movie.

[kylie1010]

Hello! I also agree that Your Name is one of my favorites we have watched in this class and it was definitely a very good watch.Your connection to the film and the appreciation of the country is extremely touching. It is so fulfillinf to see how you feel about your family and want to protect them. I also agree that I would like to make connections like those made in the animation. We often find difficulty inc connecting with people who are different than us, but those are the people we learn the most from. I hope I can continue to make those types of connections.

[kylie1010]

Your Name

This was my first time watching Your Name and it was very good. I really enjoyed the animation along with the plot and themes that came along with it. I would definitely recommend this animation to anyone who is looking for a good watch.

Itomori is the name of the small rural town that Mitsuha hails from. She longs for the thrills and possibilities of city living because she is bored with her peaceful life. Her viewpoint demonstrates what it's like to be desirous of something bigger while feeling stuck in a tiny town.Taki, however, resides in bustling Tokyo. His life consists of attending school, working part-time jobs, and socializing with pals. Mitsuha's slower-paced rural life is significantly different from Taki's fast-paced, high-pressure environment.They leave notes for each other to help them navigate their swapped lives when they start trading bodies. They begin to comprehend and feel empathy for one another's backgrounds as they immerse themselves in each other's environments. This body-swapping experience demonstrates the distinctions and parallels between rural and urban living.

The major turn of events occurs when Taki finds out that Mitsuha perished in the comet-caused destruction of Itomori three years prior. Acknowledging that their bond transcends time, Taki attempts to alter history in order to preserve Mitsuha. This section of the narrative demonstrates the value of empathy and understanding in all circumstances and eras.The animation represents the connections that may arise between individuals with disparate origins. Despite living different lives, Mitsuha and Taki manage to communicate and encourage one another. At the end of the film, they cross paths once more in Tokyo, implying a bright future in which they share their different experiences.

I can relate to this because I, too, have friends from different cultures and backgrounds who I work to understand and connect with. It is extremely fulfilling to learn about their cultures and share our experiences with each other.

[mochicrackersss]

Blog Post - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 ᯓᡣ𐭩‧₊˚ ⊹

Going into Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the only knowledge I had previously was my exposure to some of the featured characters in Super Smash Bros and Super Smash Bros Ultimate. (Shulk was saur annoying to fight and then there were those two girls, but I don't remember their names lol). Besides that, I really didn't know much. I also assumed for how popular the franchise was, it would've gotten some sort of anime adaptation instead of relying on its multiple video games for its story. That's not inherently a bad thing, but just something I wondered about since Japanese video games sometimes do get their own shows, like Corpse Party or Castlevania.

I think Robert Schimelpfenig's way of thinking within The Drama of the Anthropocene is so flawed. As seen so many times throughout history, no amount of pro-environmental media will truly change everyone's minds and encourage them to take care of the Earth. It's sad, but it's the truth. Media like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 or Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind are powerful pieces of fiction that depict their characters' "risks and sacrifices" for their ruined worlds (Nausicaä has the toxic jungles, and Xenoblade has the cloud sea) as "heroic and honorable" but they will never truly grasp all of their audiences. Especially those who could truly make a difference to slow the processes of climate change or war.

[kylie1010]

Hi mochicrackersss! I also did not know much going into this film, but had heard a lot about it due to its popularity. I really enjoyed the film though, despite not knowing much about it. I also really liked how you explained Xenoblade Chronicles 2 as pieces of fiction that depict their characters risks and sacrifices. I think this is a really good description and relates a lot to the animation.

[kylie1010]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Xenoblade Chronicles 2's is more than just another animation. I really really enjoyed this one, with both the visuals and the plot. I would definitely rewatch this animation and would recommend it friends. It also gives us a much deeper look at how we abuse the natural world.The animation is centered on enormous, living beings known as Titans that drift through the Cloud Sea. The universe is these Titans; they are more than just the setting for the journey. Every Titan has an ecosystem all its own, rich in resources and life. The characters highlight how nature is more commonly viewed as something to be utilized than as something to be treasured, as they frequently find themselves gathering materials, hunting animals, and mining resources rather than simply appreciating these natural wonders.

This animation takes on further depth with the idea of Blades which are sentient entities that form bonds with people. Every Blade is associated with a certain element, such as water or fire, signifying human dominance over the elements. The idea that nature, as represented by these creatures, exists to serve human objectives is furthered by the fact that these Blades are essentially tools for exploration and fighting in the animation.However, it goes beyond just taking and using. The animation dives further into the negative impacts of this way of thinking as well. Once rich and powerful, the Titans are gradually disappearing as a result of resource depletion. This serves as a reminder of the price of viewing nature only as a resource to be exploited, since it reflects real-world environmental challenges.

I can relate to this because I often use nature to my own advantage but do not view it as a living thing. While I love nature, I think of it for my benefit and sometimes forget that I am also apart of it.

[robian]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

I actually think this is my new favorite studio ghibli film. Something about it was extremely beautiful and touching. Was I just under a rock, I don't know how I haven't heard of this film before. Also before this analysis begins, I just wanna put out there a theory that the design of Malenia from Elden Ring may be partially inspired by Kushana. Could be a coincidence but that's why it's just a theory.

Two major themes of the film are Anti-war and connection with nature. I'll start with Anti-war. The films depicts a world one thousand years after a nuclear war. The soil and water is filled with radiation/poison and is fetal to humans. The forest keeps spreading is seen as a threat to mankind, but in reality it's devitalizing the world with new soil through the ashes of the trees. This film was created not too long after the cold-war in which many worried about the possibility of a complete nuclear war. If that war was to happen it would have damaged the earth, leaving lasting effects for thousands of years. If a nuclear war on the scale of a World War happened, it could very well be the end of humanity or at least set us back many years as depicted in the film.

Theres this famous quote from Albert Einstein that I can't help but think of: "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones". Nausicaa realizes that the hate and war needs to stop. Even she was blinded by rage from the murder of her father and retaliated by killing people. Yet, she learned to put aside her feelings for the good of the people and from that time on, she never killed another soul.

Nausicca has a special connection with nature. From a young age she's depicted protecting a baby Ohmu. She gets along with every animal she meets and most importantly she doesn't see the forest as something to be feared. In the end, nature quite literally brings her back to life symbolizing a new beginning where the world is connected with nature once again. The nature of the forest was the world healing itself after the nuclear war and the Ohmu shared the feelings of the Earth. The film criticizes current society's distance from nature. Current society does not respect nature but rather uses it for it's own benefit. The pathway to peace is a world where we embrace the Earth rather than fight unnecessary wars that end up harming it.

[kylie1010]

Hi Robian! I definitely agree with you, this is one of my new favorite animations! I really loved everything about the animation and also feel like it was very beautiful and touching. The connection to nature was definitely the most prominent in this film and I really enjoyed that concept. I also really like how you pointed out that the film criticizes society's current distance from nature. This was a really good point and the film definitely does a really good job at that. I did not think about that before and that definitely deepened my perspective and understanding of the film.

[kylie1010]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

This was my first time watching Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and I really enjoyed it. The animation was very well produced and it was just an overall beautiful film. I loved both the visuals and the storyline of this animation and would definitely watch it again. The animation brought out a lot of emotions, but was really good in my opinion. I would even say this one of my favorites that we have watched so far.

The reoccurring theme presented in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is instrumentalism. There is a large connection and focus on nature in this animation. Many of the characters beleive that nature is not worthwhile and something that can just be rid of, however, Nausicaa is very appreciative of nature. Nausicaa is very respective of nature, unlike the others in the animation, who kind of disregard nature and its importance in the world. Nausicaa is able to live peacefully among nature, while all those who oppose it are not. They live as bugs and animals while Nausicaa is almost one with nature. This is due to the fact that Nausicaa does not practice instrumentalism, while the others do.

I relate to Nausicaa because I would say I am not an instrumentalist. I am a nature lover and am outside as much I can be. I love the fresh air and seeing all the anims, and just being at peace with nature. being outside with myself is so calming and it is one of the reasons I love nature. i appreciate nature and its use in my life, as well as its beauty. For that, i can definitely relate to Nausicaa and her love for nature. I really liked this animation and the message it sends and hope that everyone can be as appreciative of nature as Nausicaa and I are.

[kwanyoung]

The End of Evangelion | Themes of Individualism & Reality

The Plot Of The Anime

After the massive destruction and near human extinction, traumatic flashbacks of Asuka Langley Soryu's mother committing suicide, as well as the defeat of her beloved Evangelion Unit-002, we can see that Asuka is comatose, and Shinji Ikari is trying to wake her up, but eventually goes desolate and not responding.

All the Angels have been defeated and there isn't much to do with the Evangelions now. We also get an insight into the Human Instrumentality Project, which Gendo Ikari and SEELE (a secret organization) proposed to force evolve humanity. They believe that humanity reached its evolutionary limits (as we can see Angel species dominate in power) and calls humans and living beings weak and flawed. They thought that merging the existence of everyone into one whole, super-entity, instead of making the beings independent, would make them stronger and comparable to entities like the Angels, as well as solving independent struggles and hating of their own kind. Gendo, personally pushes the project just to see his dead wife again. SEELE, however is hacking NERV's Magi super computers so they can do their agenda before Gendo can, eventually turning into all-out war.

In the near end, Shinji goes hysterical as he witnesses the awakening of the angels (Lilith), a part of SEELE's master plan towards instrumentality.

The Issue In Question

Honestly, this movie took on a very weird and disorienting storyline, so finding themes were quite hard to do so. However, I want to talk about individualism in the space of reality. In the end, the anime talks about reality and the fact the composition went from anime to cinematography. Reality is reality, and you cannot escape it. Dreams and fantasy are where you can find happiness, but it is temporary, and reality will always come for you in the end. Individual-wise, if there was no individuality, and if all entities merged into one, you will be everyone but also nobody. There will be no pain, no suffering, no individual thinking. The concept of fear is lost, there is nothing good in this new combined reality. We see that there is a 5 billion year cycle between individual humans and a single god, and neither can coexist at one period (humans probably messed up injecting angelic remains into individual beings). We can only have individual humans, or all the humans merging into a one supreme being.

So what can I obtain from this? I personally don't have a clear answer. Also, watching this movie quite damaged my mentality in some way. However, I might suggest that what an individual must find is happiness, by facing the fears of society, and suffering through pain. Society and the individual must understand each and they are humans and humans are humans, separated by individualism and scattered from a spectrum whole. But who knows, the movie seems interpretive anyways.

The Issue Addressed In Japan & Beyond

Our world is reality, the place we live and the place we are conscious in. In our world, there is no escaping. Dreams and fantasy are inside our reality and are temporary means of happiness, whether that is sleeping or diving into fiction. It is important for an individual to find happiness in their life and there are no shortcuts. Pain, fear, and suffering are all part of the cycle of living, especially you, and one must suffer through it while maintaining your individualism (be like yourself), which is a good thing as other people can understand who you are in reality and you will find some good helpful people. Our reality does not have a single being just like how all the souls merged in the anime, we have to cope living in this reality.

My Personal Takes

I don't know. My previous statement is what I think about my reality. The movie itself felt like a fever dream, and I writing like I am going through that phase in this blog. My reality is shared among everyone but it is the individual that isn't shared. My individual, my body, my control. By being an individual, I have my own will to shape and bend reality how I want (however in small local bits and if I am confident enough with no pain, fear, nor suffering blocking my path). How I perceive myself and the forgoing reality is destined to becoming my future. I had this kind of thinking and it applies especially in college. If I have a strategic path through reality and have the confidence to execute it, the future will eventually bring me happiness and success.

--- Hysteria mode has ended ---

[kylie1010]

Hello! I agree that this movie was definitely a bit odd and different from others we have watched. I like how you brought up the idea of reality and how you cannot escape it in relation to this animation. That is not something I thought about before and is definitely an interesting take. I also agree that individuals must face their struggles by taking on their fears of society. That is a really great point and is so relevant in this context. I really like your perspective on individuality and it has changed my perspective as well.

[kylie1010]

The End of Evangelion

This was my first time watching the End of Evangelion and I was extremely confused. While it was good, I felt a bit lost on what was going on. The theme of masculinity, however, still persists here. I really enjoyed the themes and plot presented in this part, even with the confusion I experienced.

Shinji acts completely out of character in this part and it was extremely unexpected. He does things you would not expect of him, especially as a queer masculine. We see a very big shift in his behavior and personality in the End of Evangelion from Part 1 and Part 2. Shinji, again, attempts to become more masculine, but ends up disgusted by himself and his actions. His queer masculinity once again shines through and he reverts back to his old self. He views himself as less than society and feels he should not be accepted himself, which can be seen through many of his actions. This is extremely representative of people trying to change their ways and their personality in order to fit in, and end up losing themselves in the process. It was really sad to see what Shinji went through and how this affected him.

I relate to Shinji in the way that I, too, have changed myself in order to fit in and have felt like an outcast before. While it is really sad, it does make you feel like you should change yourself to be accepted. I can relate to Shinji on this level and feel for him, even as a character. It is a very awful feeling, but eventually I was able to embrace myself and that took me even farther. That, however, is not the case for Shinji. He lets it get to his head and does not overcome his feelings of rejection.

[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. 

[kylie1010]

Hi Robian! I liked how you explained the changes Shinji goes through in Part 2 as "character development" because that is exactly right. Shinji goes through many changes and realizations in Part 2 that were very different from Part 1. I think that your descriptions of everyone are so spot on and very representative of all of the characters in Part 2. I liked Part 2 much more than I liked Part 1, and it seems that you did too!

[kylie1010]

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Part 2)

Part 2 of Neon Genesis Evangelion was a lot different from what I expected it to be. The theme of masculinity continued into this part and was presented further through the plot. Part 2, however, was very different from Part 1 of Neon Genesis Evangelion. there was a shift in masculinity in men to woman through Asuka. Masculine traits are presented by her character rather than through a man, which represents a major shift from Part 1. This exemplifies the lack of masculine characteristics in Shinji by highlighting those shown in Asuka.

We see Shinji attempt to act more as a hegemonic masculinity, however, he is not successful in doing so. We see him trying to conform to society and fit in with his masculinity, but he fails. he continues to show his queer masculinity. It is very sad that he felt the need to change his ways and himself in order to fit in and feel accepted by society, but he did not achieve this goal. Instead, Shinji ends up feeling that he will never fit in due to his queer masculinity and feels his mind will not change on that.

While I can not relate to Shinji, again, because I am a girl, I can relate it back to the men in my life. I makes me extremely sad that Shinji would feel the need to change himself to feel accepted and I would hope that no one in my life would have to do that. He felt very discouraged and down and that is something I do not want anyone in my life to experience. As for Asuka, I do not think I present very many masculine characteristics, so I can not relate much to her. i was, however, an athlete, so many people never saw me as very feminine either.

[blogs-no-giggles]

Evangelion Part 1 Reflection

 

Part 1 of the “Evangelion” is super exciting to say the least. The show featured a post-apocalyptic era where humans were forced to hide underground because of the monster species “Angel”. They built cities and very sophisticated structures and technology. It is actually super interesting to see that the city underground is much like an upside-down world kind of like the other side in Stranger Things.

  The Anime first starts off with Shinji getting rescued by Ms. Misato when the Angel raids the city. All the military forces were useless against the Angel, so they denoted a bomb much like the nuclear bomb with a radius near the ground zero to be utterly evaporated. However, this did not stop the Angel, it healed rapidly and the Allied forces were left with no plans left. Shinji is then transported to the main city where the Allied forces live underground away from the sight of the Angel. There he found his dad, however, his dad commanded him to operate the last resort of humanity, The Eva Series 01. Although Shinji doesn’t really want to, he is guilted in operating the machine since his dad gave him the ultimatum of either the hurt girl to operate or him since only they are able to operate the Eva Series and the same humanity. Shinji in the show is kind of like the queer masculinity the module discussed whereas Hegemonic Masculinity is what is expected of him. The society expects him to be fierce, violent, and be honored to defend the human race. Which is a common perception of what males should be and should do back in the traditional society.

  When Shinji ultimately faced the Angel, he struggled to command the Evas 01 and were brutally defeated at first. But, suddenly the Evas 01 gained control of itself and obliterated the Angel, this could be a contrast between what Shinji should have been, and what he couldn’t do. The actions of Evas 01 is what is expected from him in the beginning, something he couldn’t do for which the machine did it itself. Then Shinji was left with either quitting or staying, a stage of personal reflection for some time. He ended up coming back and was faced with another mysterious Angel, the fifth and most powerful angel. The episode left a cliffhanging scene as Evas 01 is seemingly getting destroyed by the Angel. I’m very excited to watch the part 2 of the show!

[kylie1010]

Hello! I also agree that Part 1 was very exciting and was really engaging as post-apocalyptic anime. The animation was very unique and the plot and overarching themes were so interesting to watch. I found it really sad the Shinji was not accepted because he exemplifies queer masculinity rather than hegemonic masculinity. I also really liked how you explained it as going against the common perception of what males should be and should do back in traditional society. You explained it perfectly, which is extremely sad for this context.

[kylie1010]

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Part 1)

I have heard of Evangelion many times before, but this was the first time I have ever watched it. It was a good watch, but I was definitely a bit confused at times. With the switching of the episodes, I felt I was lost and missing a lot of what was happening. But overall, I enjoyed it and thought that the plot was pretty interesting.

The biggest theme in Evangelion is masculinity. men are typically known as the more violent gender, willing to fight whenever it is needed. While this is a key characteristic of masculinity, Evangelion goes against and rejects this characteristic. This can be seen through Shinji's unwillingness to fight. he broke the stereotypical masculine characteristic of violence and fighting. This presents Shinji as having queer masculinity , meaning he still shows some traits of masculinity, but not all. In the anime, this is looked down upon and Shinji is treated poorly because of it. Shinji is not accepted in society for who he is, demonstrating the difficulties people who are different have with fitting in and being accepted. it is really sad to see how the anime presents the rejection of queer masculinity and how Shinji is not accepted because of this. Just because Sjinji does not want to fight or be violent does mean he should be viewed as an outcast.

I can not really relate to this because I am not a man and do not present masculinity, but I can relate it to the men in my life. Many of the men I know would not participate in violence or fights and it makes me extremely upset to see how Shinji was being treated because of that and how the men in my life may be treated like that as well. Everyone is different and should be entitled to their own differences and opinions without judgement.

[kwanyoung]

Wandering Son | Themes of

The Plot of the Anime

The anime takes place in the first year of middle school. We are introduced with Nitori Shuichi, who identifies as female while assigned male during birth, which they wear a woman wig and woman uniform. The second main character, Takatsuki Yoshino, is introduced, who identities as a male while assigned female during birth, who has short hair and male uniform. The characters see that students are more mature and are settling into their classes. When the students are introduced, we can notice some have gender non-conforming traits (e.g. having no preferences wearing gender-matching uniforms), which shows how gender-fluid their world is. It also appears that Shuichi has affection towards Yoshino at one point, but Shuichi doesn't understand what love is.

The Issue In Question

As the two main characters are transgender, each faced some discrimination due to their identity. We have Shuichi who was made fun of at school calling them by "tranny" as well as locking them outside of class. We also see people looking at Shuichi in a weird way in public as well as girls being surprised and angry at Shuichi trying to express their female gender identity. Shuichi is also resisting to dress up as their female-self because they feel like they could be discriminated.

We also see a scene where Saori Chiba, who initially confessed her love to Shuichi, angry and bullies Yoshino because Chiba found out Shuichi expressed their love to Yoshino, effectively breakikg Chiba's hopes of having a relationship with Shuichi. When Yoshino wore men clothing to school, the school staff questioned them and Yoshino had to clarify the situation.

From these observations, the takeaway issue is that for someone who feels like they are another gender (transgender people or any LGBTQIA+ members), it is more difficult for them to adapt to society due to discrimination and perceptions.

The Issue Addressed in Japan & Beyond

Japan is a pretty friendly nation towards queer or LGBTQIA+ members, however in certain situations or in nations worldwide, there comes to be discrimination towards and the inability to adapt to society for any gender non-conforming people.

Discrimination-wise, there are a lot of scenarios of discrimination towards queer people in schools and even online. In schools or other professional institution, there have been cases where they would ban any queer education or identities, restricting them from exercising their identity in those spaces. There are a lot of people online who are sending hate messages towards queer people.

We can see that just like in the anime, we see the same issues in our real world where queer people are often called out as "weird" and also are not respected or thought of as unusual.

My Personal Takes

While I do not identify as queer nor is part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I have personally seen a lot of acts of discrimination and bullying towards these members, however the worse cases I've seen is on social media like Instagram. Note that I am a straight person and I do not have the full picture of the LGBTQIA+ community, so please take my observations lightly. So like, there are people calling these groups, especially online in comments or posts, as "insane" and "mentally unjust", as well as hearing them talk about wanting the community to be banished.

I am not affiliated with these negative discussions but I do believe they are discriminatory and give an unfair perspective on these communities and people. Again, please do not actively criticize me in a personal level, like beyond this blog post, but you are free to drop your perspective within this blogpost. Please be positively minded.

[kylie1010]

Hi Robian! I really enjoyed reading your blog post and think that you brought up some really great points I did not think about before. I really like how you described their society as very gender fluid. That is the perfect way to describe it and I never thought of it in that context. I also really like how you brought up the discrimination against the queer community because the other animations we watched discussed more about stereotypes based on gender and were not very focused on the LGBTQIA+ as Wandering Son is. I think you brought up some really great points, great job!

[kylie1010]

Wandering Son

This was my first time watching Wandering Son and I enjoyed it. It consists of the themes of gender roles we have seen with Aggretsuko and Sailor Moon and further discusses gender performance.

The plot of Wandering Son focuses on Shuichi and Yoshino, who must negotiate the murky seas of their gender identities. Yoshino was labeled male at birth, although he feels like a boy, and Shuichi feels like a girl despite being assigned male. It was really cool to see how they dealt with their struggles and tailored to them. The way this show addresses gender norms is what makes it so unique from the others we watched in this module. It examines how Yoshino and Shuichi handle their own challenges as well as those of society. The animation demonstrates that gender is a very personal and individual characteristic rather than merely a collection of stereotypes.

From the pressure to fit into gender norms to the very real difficulties of expressing one's genuine self in a society full of fixed expectations, the show addresses many different aspects of gender roles and stereotypes. The animation acts as a reminder of how important it is to recognize and accept individuals for who they really are, regardless of the labels that society may ascribe to them.

I do not personally relate to this because I have always associated myself and my behaviors with my gender. I feel that is a big part of who I am and I have always identified with that. However, I think the animation was very eye opening to the experiences of the people who do feel that they do not identify with their given gender. I feel after watching this I have a greater understanding for identity and separation of identity from gender and behaviors and would definitely recommend this animation to others.

[abhiramanimeblog]

Aggretsuko and Gender Performance

This was my first time watching Aggretsuko and I liked it. It was very cartoony and the animation style was enjoyable to watch. The episode length was also really good, it never overstays its welcome or goes overboard with its comedy. For this blog, however, I want to talk about the gender performance in Aggretsuko.

I think that in Aggrestsuko gender performance is integral to the story. Gender performance is the idea that every person is not put into a specific gender at birth but rather it is these performances or behaviors in line with a gender that gives one their gender. One of the ways this applies to Aggretsuko is in the pure fact that you can identify the characters' genders. They are animals and so in real life, you would never be able to tell, but in this series, they are clothes in gender-defining clothing telling you exactly what gender each one is, without that I doubt I would be able to tell what animal is what gender. Hence, gender performance in the form of clothing is a way that the world of Aggresuko is represented.

Additionally, we see the behavior of Aggresuko also falls in line with this gender performance concept. She is a woman in a hard and abusive at times job with no real outlet for her anger at her situation so she has to just suck it up and act polite and nice which is what any woman traditionally would do. In reality, she does channel this anger through her love of death metal which she hides from people since it does not fall under her gender identity, and would be strange for any woman to do that to vent their anger. This shows the binding that obeying one's gender identity can have on them where they cannot truly express themselves.

In my life, I can relate to the concept of gender identity and I am sure everyone can. According to the idea, gender is a construct, and thus any act that I can define as belonging to the male gender also belongs to this idea of gender performance. If I acted in a different manner then I could be defined as the other gender in my mannerism. Additionally, if the male and female performances were reversed I would likely be performing those acts that define women now since they would define men in this hypothetical.

Overall, Aggresuko is a funny watch that I would recommend. It covers the topic of gender performance and especially that of woman in the workplace extremely well as well as being something funny to watch.

[kylie1010]

Hello! I really like how you mentioned the concept of gender performance and how that is presented in the animation. I also really like how you related that back to how the characters treat others and interact in Aggretsuko. The animation is very representative of the idea that your gender does not define who you are and what you are capable of. I agree that it was a funny watch and I definitely enjoyed the themes that were presented in the animation.