Blog Project

[bryanschmuck]

Assassination Classroom

This was a pretty cute show honestly. I thought that the episodes were pretty entertaining, and despite the show being about students having to kill their junior high school teacher, it's overall a very heartwarming and pleasant show. I've heard great things about it but hadn't watched it until now.

As for analysis of it, I think that the main thing that is easy to pick up on for this series is discrimination. We can see that class E is discriminated against because of their past of not being the best students in school, which has led to them being on an entirely different campus from the rest of the school, while also being ostracized and bullied whenever they are with the rest of the school for assemblies. However, we can see that Koro-Sensei is able to teach the students that they all have their own strengths and can be successful if they apply themselves correctly. I think this calls back to the message of Eden of the East, where it showed the NEETs that they were able to be productive members of society if they applied themselves correctly. For Assassination Classroom, the students were able to overcome the best class in the school, Class A. It's an overall very uplifting message about finding your own strengths and using them to the fullest in order to be as successful as possible.

One other thing that I'm not sure of it the show was trying to comment on or not, but the main character (who is a male) looks like a female (at least to me they did. They're very androgynous looking). I think that this can show performativity of gender, since without seeing the clothes they wore and knowing they were male, you could mistake them for female.

Overall, solid show. May have to watch the rest of it some other time.

[lthomasthoughts]

I focused less on the theme of discrimination, but I completely agree with you analysis. Koro-sensei does a great job getting the students to embrace their strengths and become their best selves, regardless of how they are treated by anyone else. Overall, I really liked it too and I might watch the rest of it later too.

[lthomasthoughts]

Assassination Classroom (s1 ep 1, 5, 16. s2 ep. 11)

I really enjoyed this series and I think we did a good job picking different series and episodes for the past few classes.  While watching it, the main themes that I took out of it were the importance of teamwork, the effects of discrimination, redemption, and friendship.  The teamwork aspect was the most obvious theme to me, as the students are trying to grow and become better, and they struggle with it until they learn to work together.  Once they realize the true power of working as a team, they all become more confident and overall stronger.  The main evidence I saw for this was in episode 5 when the students are going through a training session together, and we can see how much they grow from it.  Kind of tied in with the theme of teamwork is the theme of friendship and the benefits that we see of it.  At the beginning of the series, the students seemed kind of standoffish, but by the ending episodes we see how much of a team they have become, in large part to their bond of friendship.  Although we do not see how all of these bonds are created over the course of the show, it was clear through the episodes that we watched that as time went on, the students became much closer with one another.  The final theme that I thought stood out was the idea of redemption.  At the beginning of the show, the students perceive Koro-sensei as an enemy because he is an alien, but he is shown to be a great teacher who not only guides them in assassinations, but in giving them life lessons that truly matter.  This clearly demonstrates that people should be given an opportunity to prove themselves, rather than being judged by their preconceived notions of who they might be.  Overall, I really enjoyed the show.

[bryanschmuck]

Cyberpunk Edgerunners

We really poppin off with the class suggestions huh.

This show was actually such a banger, but I was pretty sad that David ended up dying in the end. I do believe that the ending is a bit better with David dying for Lucy, and then we get to see Lucy live out her dream of going to the moon, but it's still pretty sad.

I think that it's clear the overall theme of the story is discrimination and overcoming it (which is why I was extra sad with David because he's had such a shitty life and ended up still dying young). We can see from the very beginning of the show that David comes from a single parent home and is very poor, as they can barely afford to pay to wash their clothes. His mother dies as a result of a criminal heist or attack or something gone wrong, which leaves David to fend for himself and forces him to commit to a life of crime in order to get by, but also to rebel against the society that has put him in this position.

The show clearly shows the problems that many disadvantaged people in society face, and I believe that it urges us to try to do more to help them. It is not David's fault that he was born into poverty, and despite being a gifted student he had to resort to more shady methods because they were more cost efficient. And despite the characters being criminals, I would argue that some of them (very strong emphasis on some), are better people than the corporate minds that seem to run the society. This class divide is very prevalent for much of the show, and I think that thematically the show was pretty well done.

Animation was beautiful, characters had distinct designs, music was also very good. Overall, really good show.

[lthomasthoughts]

You make a great point about discrimination and the struggles that are associated with it that we see in the series. People can be put in an unfair position based on characteristics that they cant control like who their parents are, where they are from, or how smart they are. We see this played out through David, like you mention, and I think his story is not one that is necessarily unique to him. Overall, I really enjoyed the show too.

[lthomasthoughts]

Cyberpunk Edge Runners

Before voting on it in class, I had never seen or heard of this anime, but I really enjoyed it. While its plot was interesting and captivating, I really picked up on 3 main issues.  The first, and most prevalent in my opinion, was power and how it is associated with corruption.  In the series, we see mega-corporations that hold strong power over many by exploiting people and controlling tech. One of the main conflicts in the series is between the edge runners and these super powerful entities.  It seems like one of the main points the directors is trying to make is that it is important to fight corruption and power.  There was another theme that I noticed, and it was how decisions have consequences and how it is important to weigh the consequences of your actions.  What is right and wrong is not always black and white, and there were several times where the edge runners had to sacrifice their values and loyalties.  The last theme I really noticed was the meshing together of technology and humanity.  In all honesty I was not really sure what kind of point they were trying to make, but it was interesting to think about the possible ramifications of that in a real-world scenario.  Overall, I really liked watching it and I can not wait to get more insight.

[jmalegni]

Perfect Blue

Holy, this was more horror than Psycho-Pass. And of course this is what we watch when I am writing my essay defending otaku. Kinda funny not gonna lie.

Anyway, this movie really focused on the struggle of being in the limelight. Mima's mental health issues, parasocial fans, and just the general pressure that gets placed on entertainment figures. There were so many times where I had absolutely no idea what was real ore not and I guess that's a good thing? I am assuming that was the goal because Mima also had no idea what was real or not as the film progressed. So please correct me if I am wrong but there are two stalkers, Me-Mania and Rumi. Rumi is upset by Mima's decision to shed her good girl pop idol image and ends up believing that the real Mima is an imposter. Rumi then "recruits" Me-Mania to just make Mima's life miserable? Not too sure there.

To get to actual themes, actors/actresses, idols, pretty much any entertainment figure all have a significant amount of pressure placed on them to perform in certain ways and do certain things, Mima became spilt between her past idol self and her new actress self. Rumi and Me-Mania also were very influential in exasperating this divide, getting Mima to actually lose track of what was real, what was a dream, and what was in the move that she was acting in (which conveniently was super similar to the actual situation). The idol is pressured to be the perfect good girl, cute dresses, catering to the adoring fans, always being happy. The actress is pressured to take risks, do anything that will get you noticed, in this film it takes form of acting rape scenes multiple times, and taking nude photos for distribution. Mima struggles to escape the idol mindset and to healthily take on the actress role, leading to her mental issues. All of this stems from what she believes her fans expect and want from her when really it's only a couple of problematic people that own a webpage and is pretty much her only confidant. The other fans while disappointed by Mima's decision, get over it and move on with there lives like normal. But its the extreme parasociality in a few that ruin it all.

Definitely a heavy one, but I am glad Mima ends up being happy and successful.

[lthomasthoughts]

You made a really good point when you were talking about Mima attempting to escape the idol mindset. I feel like this was a common theme throughout the movie, and one of the main critiques it made. It is super difficult and can often seem impossible for those in positions like Mima to have a healthy transition into a role in the public eye, which can lead to some really tough and detrimental mental issues, as we see through Mima's story.

[lthomasthoughts]

Perfect Blue

I had never seen or heard of Perfect Blue before I watched it and I was a little confused at the beginning, but the more I watched the more I became entrenched in the story and wanted to keep watching.  I am not someone to consistently go out of my way to watch movies that focus on psychology, but this film made me think deeply about a lot of different things and the ending was awesome in my opinion.

I think one of the main themes of the film is the culture of being a celebrity and how that can and does affect people.  From the beginning of the film to the end, we can see how Mima consistently has her mental state deteriorated by the stresses associated with being a celebrity.  In my opinion, this deterioration comes from a crisis of self-perception that is created by celebrity culture.  She is under immense pressure to conform and live up to societal expectations which is really interesting to watch.  It was also really interesting and cool to see how, in the psychological aspect of the film, the lines between reality and hallucinations are blurred to a point where we can not discern be the two as an audience. 

I think that a lot of Mima’s problems that we see in the film result from a lack of privacy, which is evident through Mima’s obsessive fan who stalks her and makes it such that she has no private life whatsoever.  This is a common theme in for celebrities all over the world, not just in Japan, and it was riveting to see the effects take hold first hand.  I would recommend that anyone watch this movie because I really enjoyed it and would consider watching it again to understand it better.

[ceejayblogs]

4/16/23: Kobayashi – Sensōron

Sensoron is a manga that dissolves straight into a whole argument challenging the existing views of Japan during and after WW2. Being a manga enjoyer myself, I wasn’t expecting such extreme views from Kobayashi even after the professor warned us about the manga’s conservative beliefs. I’m not one to dwell in politics myself, but I honestly felt frustrated and pissed off at this manga as well.  

Kobayashi makes several points in the manga, one of them being about the misinformation of the portrayal of Japanese during the time of WW2. As much as I would love to bash how many logical fallacies there were from the cherry picking to the tu quoque, he definitely does bring an interesting point in how a country can brainwash its people. What can be perceived as the truth can easily be misinformed and twisted into believing something that may not be exactly true or completely wrong all together. It’s a concept that can be especially drawn parallel in our own society in how information is spread and communicated to others. If one wants many people to perceive something in a certain way, the truth can be construed and shaped into what one wants people to believe. Especially in our era where information can easily spread and be manipulated to one’s desire, it’s a concept that is pretty scary to think about. And while I will not be one to really dissect how legitimate Kobayashi’s argument is, I do find it ironic in how his argument is one that utilizes logical fallacies to show that several countries were exaggerating Imperial Japan’s actions.

Content like this is also exactly why I am one who does not really dwell in politics. I find it draining and downright frustrating to see information twisted from the truth and spread around for people to believe and get angry about. I don’t even interact or check on news for this very reason, as important news that I should care about will get to me one way or another. I feel that everyone should seek to see everything in its entirety and take everything with a grain of salt. As pessimistic and selfish as this sounds however, I don’t know if we’ll ever reach the point of that happening. Simply worrying about my own life and moving on is what I ultimately came to conclude as the best possible approach for me.

[lthomasthoughts]

I thought many of the same things as you while reading the manga. The author definitely had some views that were radical and presented his arguments in a very biased way, but that does not mean that all of the facts he presented were incorrect. I think much like the governments and media that he criticized, he nitpicked information that best supported his argument to make it seem irrefutable, which I think is not honorable, especially in a manga clearly aimed at children.

[lthomasthoughts]

Sensoron

I was completely confused reading through the first few pages of the manga but as it progressed it made much more sense and I could see the points that the author was trying to make, although personally I disagree with many of them. Firstly, I think it is wrong and intellectually dishonest to present his argument the way he did. To begin with, it seems to me like he is trying to absolve Japan of any blame for the War and prior invasions altogether. While it is fair to say that Japan was not the only one in the wrong for these events, I think it is unfair and out of bounds to suggest that Japan and its military bear no responsibility for these events. Second, I think his criticism of how the media and the Japanese government handled the situation post-war is a fair one, at least to an extent. As he showed through his explanations of the several photographs that intentionally painted Japan in a negative light, many of them were not fact checked whatsoever and were not accurate depictions of the events that actually took place. This is a completely fair criticism of the media in my opinion, but the author uses these seven instances of malpractice by the media to suggest that the entire media itself is bad at its job and should not be trusted. I think that this is biased, as there are many other publications and stories about the war that he did not mention that were accurate and did not represent Japan in a negative way. Overall, while I think the manga had some fair criticisms, I think it missed the mark by a lot and should not be used for educating young children about the events surrounding Japan in the twentieth century, especially towards the children that it is marketed to.

[kaiojustin]

Your Name

This was such a beautiful movie that I've been meaning to watch for a long time. I really enjoyed how unpredictable the movie was and the absolutely gorgeous artwork. It represents a few societal problems that are relevant to the modern world. First, it represents the issue of distance and disconnection in modern society. Taki and Mitsuha, despite living in the same country and being of the same age, are initially strangers to each other. They come from different backgrounds and have different experiences, yet they are able to connect through their shared experiences of body-swapping. The movie reminds me of how technology, while making communication easier, can also create distance and disconnect between people. It shows how meaningful connections can be made when people take the time to understand and empathize with each other. Additionally, the movie involves the theme of memory and the importance of preserving it. The comet that the town is preparing for is said to wipe out all memory of the town and its people. It shows how the loss of memory can lead to the loss of culture, history, and identity. This shows the importance of preserving and passing down memories, stories, and traditions to future generations. Finally, the movie demonstrates the issue of gender roles and expectations in modern society. Mitsuha, who lives in a traditional, patriarchal family, is expected to fulfill the role of a daughter and carry on her family's traditions. However, she longs for more independence and freedom to pursue her own dreams. The movie shows her struggle to break free from gender roles and expectations. This can also be seen when they swap bodies and behave differently than they normally do. While they normally act in their stereotypical way for their genders, they act opposite while being swapped. This causes people to think they are weird, when in reality, them acting masculine or feminine should not dictate whether they are weird or not. This was a really fantastic movie and I am very glad this course gave me the motivation to finally watch it.

[lthomasthoughts]

The issue you mentioned of distance and disconnection between people is one that I did not think of while watching but I completely agree with. I also did not see the technology aspect that you mentioned, but the points you made were great in my opinion. I agree with your overall assessment that the movie highlights the idea of striving for independence and breaking free from the expectations that others have created for you.

[lthomasthoughts]

4/14/2023 – Shinkai – Your Name and Foucault – Method

I really enjoyed Your Name because it was a unique concept that was new to me and made me truly think.  A lot of times people will tell you to “Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” and that is exactly what Mitsuha and Taki do in this movie.  Other than the clear theme of identity explored by the changing of bodies, the film also discusses and explores themes like memories and fate, and what they both mean to the human experience. 

The main way that memory is critiqued is through the experiences of Mitshua and Taki, as when they switch bodies the only things that they have from their orignal selves is their memories.  After the switch, they both begin to question what their memories truly mean, while also getting a better glimpse on how their actions actually affect those around them. 

The film had a unique connection to the assigned reading that I found interesting as well.  In his essay “Method” Foucault tries to get a grasp on what knowledge truly means and one of his main ideas is how knowledge relates to power.  It was not directly discussed in the film, but I think that this has a connection to the ideas of memory and identity in the film.  When the bodies were switched, the only thing that they have left is their knowledge.  In that way, knowledge is more powerful and influential than anything else in your life, and that is how it effects things like politics like Foucault discusses later. If I am being honest though, I did not truly understand the point he was making about sexuality and how that relates to the rest of his discussion of power and how knowledge relates to that power.

[bleachenjoyer]

4/9 - Hetalia: Axis Powers

I had heard of Hetalia prior to watching the assigned episodes for tonight, and after watching the episodes, I was definitely thinking to myself 'what on Earth did I just watch'? Although I didn't quite understand what was going on at times, I think I was able to catch on to enough to write about. I think that not only the plot but also the existence of Hetalia in the first place have applications to the real world.

If there was one thing that I were to take away from Hetalia, it is that history and international relations are complicated. Even in the more fictionalized elements of the episodes we watched, there was some kind of friction or confusion going on that made things much less smooth than they could be. I already know this to be the case, but it was interesting seeing this kind of strange spin on real events. I think the entire concept of the show itself calls into question what is and isn't grounds for parody - this show covers some topics that are not necessarily humorous and attempts to make them so. When some of the topics in question are actual wars that happened, it made me wonder about the ethics of parody (at least in this respect) and the making light of very heavy events.

Maybe things would make a little more sense if I were to complete the series, so maybe I'll have to make that happen. I definitely think that the format of the episodes (the 5 minute length, the multiple storylines within each episode, etc.) lent itself to a very chaotic and disjointed experience when compared to the movies and shows we've watched before in this class. I will welcome the more long-form format of Your Name when we watch that for Friday.

[lthomasthoughts]

I think all of your comments on the show were spot on. The lines between reality and fiction were blurred consistently in the series, which as a watcher made it very confusing, but also engaging and fun. i really enjoyed the series because of this.

[lthomasthoughts]

Shirohata – Hetalia Axis Powers  (Season 1 Ep. 1– 19)

I really enjoyed the way that this series was put together, with many shorter episodes.  It seems kind of trivial, but it made it much easier to watch some, get busy with something else, and come back while still having a good understanding of what was going on.  One of the other things that I really enjoyed about the series was the way it personified countries and sometimes used stereotypical caricatures to represent different cultural identities and nations.  Despite joking around a lot, which was often at the expense of powerful people, the series also does an outstanding job of explaining and showing the vast effects of war and how it can cause destruction for all those involved.

While it adds to the humor and does not directly offend me, I think that using the sterotypes that the series uses so often is a weakness.  While it can get a laugh from the audience sometimes, it is difficult/impossible to predict how those that are depicted will assess their representation.  While I do not think that the creators of the show were trying to offend people, I do think that they should have done a better job of creating more nuanced and accurate depictions of other cultrues around the world, as well as the historical events that it depicted.  If someone did not know the real history of the situation, they could easily be convinced that the show is accurate, which could potentially be dangerous.

Despite its flaws, I really enjoyed the series and think it was a fun and interesting watch.

[beefmastersblog]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

I've never heard of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and I didn't know it was a game until I opened up the links. I was quite confused for a second, but after watching the scenes, I see why this piece was selected for us to write a blog post on. Despite being a game, it has a lot of deeper themes and motifs to it, which is something I don't find very often in games. So I thought that was actually very cool.

To begin, this piece has a lot of environemntal themes. The natural land our characters live in is declining and their land is shrinking, which is very similar to what is going on in our world with global warming. I liked the idea of Titans, and the fact that they are also slowly dying off due to pollution and human causes. I think that is a very unique way to portray this idea of environmentalism, and I haven't seen it done in a game like this before. I really liked the ways in which this game tied into what we see in our real world, and I like how this shows a different perspective on an environmental piece.

Another major theme is this idea of our place in the world. I thought the idea of these blades were very important, especially the way that they are completely under the control of their owner, and if their owner dies then their memory gets completely cleared, which basically starts over their life, as they have no memories, and therefore identity to be their own. I think the fact that they look identical to humans is an important theme, because it brings into question something we have been talking about a lot this semester, what makes someone human. These blades aren't considered human by their users, yet they look and act just like people, other than the fact that their motivations are completely driven by their user. This brings up a question of what it really means to be human and what constitutes enough identity to really be a person.

Finally, the last thing I want to bring up is corruption of power. We see that the main antagonist of this piece, Jin, is motivated by a desire for revenge, and his way of achieving this revenge involves hurting absolutley anyone or anything that gets in his way. This is a common theme we see in a lot of stories, but I think what makes this interesting is that it is presented in a much more complex way. It reminds me a lot of things we see with powerful people here, specifically when it comes to other countries and some of the recent international conflict. Some leaders are held up on things that happened far in the past (gives similar vibes to revenge….), and are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want without much regard for the impact on other people and their lives. We've seen this plenty of times throughout history, and I feel like we are seeing it now with certain global conflicts.

Overall, while I don't think I will ever play this game since I am not a big gamer, it was cool to mix things up for this class and view something a little bit different than our typical anime.

[lthomasthoughts]

I thought that the two main themes were environmental destruction and corruption of power, just like you mentioned. While it is a very different approach to commenting on the environment and how it was/is being destroyed, I think that doing so in a video game is a really cool and effective way of doing so. Corruption of power is a theme that is seen much more often in video games, but the combination of the two made for a very unique experience.

[lthomasthoughts]

Cobb - Drama of the Anthropocene

I found the article much more interesting than the anime because the author was arguing about something that I do not think about usually.  Cobb argues that the dominant cultural narrative of the modern world which prioritizes human progress and technological development has led to a separation between humans and the natural world. He suggests that we need to embrace alternative perspectives, such as deep ecology and romanticism to rebalance our relationship with nature and address the ecological crisis.

Cobb talks about the Anthropocene, which marks the era in which human activity has had a significant impact on the Earth's ecosystems. He suggests that the Anthropocene requires a new way of thinking about our relationship with nature, one that recognizes the interconnectedness of all living things and the importance of balance between humans and the environment. Cobb argues that the dominant cultural narrative of modernity, which prioritizes human progress and technological development, has contributed to the ecological crisis by promoting a view of nature as a resource to be exploited rather than a living system to be protected.

To address the ecological crisis, Cobb proposes a synthesis of three philosophical and cultural movements: deep ecology, romanticism, and Renaissance science. Deep ecology focuses on the intrinsic value of all living things and the importance of preserving biodiversity. Romanticism celebrates the beauty and mystery of nature and encourages a sense of awe and wonder at the natural world. Renaissance science, which Cobb describes as a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to knowledge, emphasizes the interconnectedness of all phenomena and the importance of understanding natural systems as a whole.

The ideas that Cobb discussed made me rethink what our relationship with nature should be, one that acknowledges the complexity and interconnectedness of all living things and embraces a more holistic and reverent approach to the natural world. However, some may argue that Cobb's approach is overly idealistic and may not be practical in a world dominated by the values of modernity. While this may be true, it is important to do all we can to protect the environment and create a more sustainable relationship.

[lthomasthoughts]

True Okatu: The Documentary

I was very disappointed that I was not able to see SwampCon first hand and I hope to be able to go next year, but through watching all three parts of True Okatu I think that I was able to get a really cool perspective on what Okatu can really be and what it looks like in person.  The documentary starts by describing how anime conventions work, which was interesting to me because I had never been to one or seen one operated.  Seeing the large crowds of people who are all interested in different parts of Japanese culture in one place sharing common interests was really cool to see and was not something that I had anticipated.

Another part that I found super interesting and informative was when they went around the Baltimore convention asking those who were there what Okatu meant and if they considered themselves an Okatu.  I was not surprised by the wide range of answers about them being an Okatu or not, but what struck me was the vast number of different definitions of what it really means to be an Okatu.  Some had no idea, others felt that it was an intense fandom, and some believed that in order to be a “true Okatu”, you must devote a large part of your life to your passion and be able to demonstrate that passion to others.  This went along perfectly with what we discussed in class, as there was never a single definition that you could fit all Okatu under, which is part of what makes it so interesting to me.

Another part I was totally unfamiliar with prior to watching the documentary was the costumes that people wear to conventions and other events, and the great amount of effort that is required to put them together.  While it was clear that it is not a requirement to dress up in order to attend these events, it was so impressive to me how creative and dedicated some people were in creating their own costumes from scratch.  This is something that we have not talked much about in class but I would like to learn more about as I am very inexperienced. 

The most important part of the documentary to me was towards the end of part two and the beginning of part three where they described the impact of Okatu and of organizing communities and events to support it.  They described how many Okatu feel marginalized or like they do not fit in, and these events allow them to find people with similar interests to share their passion and create a community to share their ideas with.  This community can have many positive impacts as they also showed.  For example, there is a lightsaber battling group in Maryland that was at one of the events that described how they raise money for several different charitable organizations and perform for groups to make a positive impact.  This was not something I had heard about in class or out, and it was great to see people wanting to have a positive impact on their community, not just their fellow Otaku.

All in all, while I am still very disappointed that I missed SwampCon, I am glad that I was able to get a peek into what real Okatu fandom looks like and the impacts it has on people.

[bryanschmuck]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

I actually liked this movie a lot. Despite it being a little old, and the animation not being completely perfect, I loved the world and the designs. The regions were uniquely defined, the animals and monster were very distinctive, and I felt that the movie had a pretty decent plot.

To me, it is clear that the large giants that caused the world to become this desolate, post-apocalyptic world, are meant to be referencing nukes, or at least human intervention that leads to the destruction of the Earth. There's very much a very strong theme that the Earth will start to rebuild itself if we let it, and we should not try to interfere in that process. This movie urges the audience to respect Mother Nature because she is very powerful, and I think that having large insects act as the guardians of the Earth was very interesting, since they are typically seen as more basic life forms compared to humans.

Something that I noticed though with this movie is that there seemed to be a little bit of a reference back to the "Wild Child", mainly with the scene where Nausicaa goes on a bit of a rampage after seeing her father has been killed (which totally makes sense, but she was really beating those knights asses). It's interesting seeing how Nausicaa can be overall very gentle and kind, especially when it comes to here interactions with the insects and nature, but then can seemingly turn it on and act like a violent monster with humans.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and I liked Nausicaa as a character. Compared to the rest of the people present in the story, Nausicaa is the only one who understand what is happening to the Earth, and recognizes the importance of protecting nature and the Ohms. She represents people that are conscious of how important nature and our environment is to our own survival, and I believe that the movie definitely tries to urge the audience to be like Nausicaa in order to protect the Earth.

[lthomasthoughts]

I completely agree with your main point about the quality of the storyline and the film itself. The parallels that this fictional world has with the real world are not on accident, and I think it is clear that Miyazaki is trying to make a critique on the way humans live.

[lthomasthoughts]

Miyazaki – Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

I have been on the fence for my over all enjoyment of the last few series that we have watched for class, but I really genuinely enjoyed this one for several reasons.  The first was that it had a very clear and effective running theme throughout the entire film.  For me it was the obvious idea of the balance that is required in the relationship between humans and nature.  Throughout the film, you can see how human overconsumption and greed can lead to the lasting and sometimes permanent destruction of nature.  There is also some themes of feminism that I noticed in the film, but I thought that Miyazaki did it much better than many of the directors we have watched before, as he used Nausicaä to challenge traditional ideas of what it means to be a woman, especially in anime and in Japan. 

One of the other themes I noticed was the redeemability of human behavior.  Despite using the weapon at first to conquer the Valley of the Wind, when she makes the sacrifice to not use the weapon again, the humans are able to rebuild their relationship and truly reconnect with the environment. 

One more interesting thing that I noticed was that like Spirited Away, who is also by Hayao Miyazaki, this was done in full animation rather than limited animation.  This allows the director to use more actions and less words in the film, which makes the film more effective in my opinion.