The Blog Project

Cyn :)

[jpt1311-blog]

Cyberpunk Edgerunners (1,2,6,10)

I was a little bit weary to watch this anime just because I know from the game side of things it wasn't really well received however after watching it I was able to see just how similar it could be compared to a lot of societies aspects today. Now one of the main things that I'll talk about is it's critiques on capitalism and disconnect between different social classes. As this was one of the class voted I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to be looking for because there wasn't necessarily any reading associated with it so it was kind of all up to my own interpretation, but it became very clear that the idea of money was what was the guiding force of the main character David. As somebody who grew up all around a lot of upper class and upper middle class people it was hard to really make that disconnect between what money should be used for and what money can be used for and how money really moves everything in somebody's life. The idea that in order to even get a higher education one must pay enormous amounts to get a piece of paper so that they can go into the workforce to make money and repeat the cycle for their children is kind of evident in itself that money really is the end all be all when it comes to how people end up going about living their lives. Seeing how not only in this show money was ultimately what pushed the main character David to pursue being a cyberpunk but how money impacts people’s lives in the real world by the food they eat, the clothes they wear, the things they do, etc., really makes the idea of capitalism such a focal point in the way people are raised and how future generations are raised. Overall I like the anime and think that it was very easily relatable to today!

[lunacyn24]

I really liked your analysis and I completely agree, especially when it comes to money being the end all be all attraction in this society and how it's reflected in today's modern world, unfortunately. I would also agree that money was a guiding force for David because he experienced an environment where they had to paycheck to paycheck and his mom was always taking shifts to keep a roof over his head and keep him in school. Thus, again, another recognition that is seen and experienced in our modern world.

[lunacyn24]

Cyberpunk Edgerunners: EP 1, 2, 6, & 10

What an interesting series. And I mean that in a good way, I suppose, because I liked watching the show. The art style was different, and the story line was unique. The characters were also unique and different. I kind of wish I had more time to watch all of Cyberpunk to better understand who Maine, Kiwi, Falco, and Rebecca were though. Something that I noticed immediately was the classism that has clearly infiltrated this cyber- advanced society. We see that the main character, David, lives with his single mother and they live paycheck to paycheck. However, David has the opportunity to go to this prestigious academy, but students at this academy constantly bully by saying he doesn’t belong there and constantly bad mouthing his mother. David’s mom was a hard worker who committed many hours to her job to keep a roof over their heads and ensure her son would continue to have an education. But David has delinquency tendencies which gave everybody else chances to further diminish his worth and used it as an excuse to treat him like scum. The classism theme can also be reflected in the real-world because many people live in a society where they are seen as lesser than when they don’t fit the status quo. Such as a student being let into a prestigious academy or college on a scholarship vs having rich parents, no one’s worth should be diminished just because they come from a different background. Additionally, this society portrays money as being a huge factor into how much you can contribute or be useful to someone. As if money defines worth, so it’s an almost dog-eat dog kind of world. We see this especially when David passes out in front of Lucy and he’s being nursed by this medic who eventually turns on them once she found out that David was connected to systems (or metals) that would fetch a very high price to buyers. Cyberpunk is also a series where vigilantes, delinquents, and “mafia bosses” thrive in this high stakes society because everyone is always wanting to advance themselves and their livelihoods, which can also be relatable towards the modern world.

[plusultranumber1]

My Thoughts on Your Name

I was happily surprised with how much I enjoyed the film, and I applaud its storytelling and emotional message. The film follows two star-crossed lovers, Taki and Mitsuha, trying to find one another through time and space, only connected by fading memories of living in the other’s place. The film touches on the traditional teenage romance themes of the power of love and youth, and also made homage to tradition and the natural world. The film shows that love and human connection transcends the surface and physical world, and that being in another’s shoes is the only way to truly understand someone.  

The film’s content matter has its focus on gender expression and sexual identity, as displayed in the swapping of places between Taki and Mitsuha. As the two live in the other’s life, people around them begin to question their clear change in behavior, which could be either advantageous or not depending on the social circumstance. When Taki is Mitsuha, he is seen as not ladylike enough by her father or too rambunctious by her peers, but also has an inspiring confidence and determination. When Mitsuha is Taki, she struggles with his busy lifestyle but her calm and vulnerable feminine nature attracts Miss Okudera. In relation to Foucalt’s writing, hegemonic powers in our world produce immense pressure for individuals to display heteronormative behavior. In learning how to fulfill and perform the other gender’s role, the characters struggle to perform properly, which is echoed in Foucalt’s writing that hegemonic powers in our world produce immense pressure for individuals to display heteronormative behavior.

The film heavily commentates on the tremendous power of love. Through the journey that Mitsuha and Taki both take, the film shows that love goes deeper than the surface. Even without knowing each other’s names and forgetting the past they shared, the connection between the pair never faded. The film teaches that love can not be possessed, but is rather a feeling that comes with one does not possess but instead is a feeling that spawns from hard work and investment in one another on behalf of the two people. Other more subtle themes the film discussed were tradition vs change, in which both Taki and Mitsuha abandon their roots in search of connection and love. Another observation I noticed was when the adults refused to heed the warnings of imminent danger from the children. This could be referencing older generations unwillingness to listen or acknowledge the younger generations' grievances about the damage to the ecological systems. 

[lunacyn24]

I definitely agree with you on the portrayal of gender expression and sexual identity in this movie because we see the two discover different things about themselves and the person they switched bodies with. Such as Mitsuha wanting to go on that date with Ms. Okudera, but Taki was the one to go.

[lunacyn24]

Your Name

Wow… I love this movie. Your Name has been on my watch list for a while and I’ve heard a lot about it, and I can see why people admire it so much. It tells a beautiful story of a boy and a girl living separate lives and timelines, yet they still remain bound and connected to one another. Not to mention that the movie is a visual work of art that enhances the progression of the plot. My favorite part, visually speaking, is when Taki went to the mountain shrine and envisioned the memories of Mitsuha. This movie definitely took me on an emotional roller coaster because at first, I thought they were two people living in the same time period, but they lived different lives in the city and in the rural environment. Then, I’m confused and shocked when it seems as though Mitsuha died 3 years ago, yet Taki is still alive in the present. There was just a lot of back and forth and intertwining of lives that both confused and intrigued me. Overall, this movie definitely compares and contrasts traditionalism and modernity. 

Traditionalism is definitely something that I noticed in the movie when we look back at the life of Mitsuha. Mitsuha lives in a small and intimate community where they lack a lot that is typically present in a more modern city. We hear Mitsuha and her friend, Sayaka, complain about there being no bookstores, no jobs, no cafe, and no one dateable. Although these are the gripes of teenage girls living in a rural community, it still shows how different their lives are. Moreover, we see with Mitsuha and her family that family hierarchy and spiritual identity are very important to them, at least to her Grandma. Mitusha’s grandma represents traditionalism because a strong family structure and continuation of traditions are important to her, especially when taking care of the shrine. This traditionalism is further seen in the representation of the red ribbon when Mitsuha and Taki first met, and in the ritual, Mitusha performed with her sister. But, this traditional way of life was not something Mitsuha’s father partook in. We even see Mitsuha’s grandma outright kick out Mitsuha and her sister’s dad because he turned to politics after his wife died, and their grandma severely disapproved of it. Don’t even get me started on how Mitsuha’s father treats her, very stern, cold, and clinical. 

Modernity is portrayed in the life of Taki who’s living the life of a city person that Mitsuha only dreamed about. (See what I did there? ;) because they both thought they were dreaming about each other’s lives…?) Moving on…Taki could go to the cafe, go to the bookstore, work at a job, and didn’t have to wait over 2 hours for the train to come. Taki was able to have a lot of freedom that gave a whole new perspective to the traditionalist environment Mitsuha was used to. Traditionalism got to know about Modernity, and seemed to really enjoy her time there, while still holding on to her roots and what was important to her. However, both blended into each other whenever they crossed lives, and depending on the day, this either turned out to be for better or worse.

[angel-is-not-creative]

Hetalia

I cannot rate this with a good conscience ❤

I have autism and Hetalia is my special interest so this is literally 3k words long and I have absolutely no regrets. I could have gone on longer but I wanted to remain relevant to the class. If you don't reply to me I will cry.

I'm gonna break this into a few sections so you can skip around. I'm going to try and stick to just season 1 with this discussion, which won't be too hard cause it's the most insane one. Also, I just want to say that I wrote this all before I read the attached article and I'm now seeing that I literally could have written that article because I know everything about Hetalia.

When do we cross the line between stereotyping and just straight-up racism?

Hey, why are we idolizing WWII Germany?

Oh, we are portraying war as silly and funny, okay cool.

Is this Japanese Nationalism? (a surprisingly controversial argument)

The Sub and the Dub are 2 totally different shows

The Fandom (and linking back to other class-related terms)

Okay I'll name one good thing

Alright, let's get started.

1.

A lot of people will argue that Hetalia is not racist at all because they are making fun of everyone. If you are portraying all of the countries as their most common stereotypes then it evens out in the end. I would argue that this is in fact, not the case. Especially when you set your show during WWII. I will give Himaruya credit in that he mostly focuses on European countries to make fun of, making a lot of the stereotypes less so targeted at minorities. However, a lot of these jokes are still highly insensitive and frame some countries in a worse light than others

Just look at the difference between how Northern Italy is portrayed as opposed to Germany or Japan. Or how France is a predator, Belarus is into her literal brother, and Spain is seen as a creep. It is often times mocking an entire country's intelligence, appearance, or personality. While it is not always that serious, it does lead me to the second point.

When you personify a country and mock it, you aren't just mocking a piece of land, you are mocking an entire population of people. These jokes may seem harmless but they can still be hurtful. While I don't believe that liking Hetalia translates to your actual views on world events, it can unconsciously impact your real-life thoughts and behaviors.

(also why does Britain see imaginary magical creatures, what is that referencing? According to the wiki, it is some popular folklore story of a rabbit who lives on the moon but like.. what? If Himaruya was doing this much research into these countries' cultural backgrounds why is he portraying them like this?)

2.

This show portrays WWII Germany in too positive of a light for my liking. I've noticed a trend in anime where they seem to love Germany (or Germanic aesthetics) a lot (AOT I'm looking at you). Now I'm not well-versed in the interpersonal relationships between Japan and Germany, but the idolization is not it. The way that Japan in this show is portrayed as being literally obsessed with Germany is the biggest example (Italy is also shown having an immense appreciation for Germany and is often gushing about his positive qualities, even writing him a song while he was being kept prisoner). But I mean look at how Germany is portrayed, even his stereotypes are mostly positive, he is hardworking but helps out his fellow allies, makes great food, and is super strong. His only negative trait is that he sometimes doesn't understand social scenarios and that makes him very awkward. However, he will always go out of his way to try and better understand his friends (like Italy) by purchasing books to try and help him learn the appropriate way to act in scenarios).

This is 10x worse in the dub but we will get there. When one of your main characters, the one you are portraying in the best light, is a literal war criminal hot anime boy, you can understand why I would be concerned. I mean they gave him the whole blonde hair blue eyed appearance like come on. Now I'm not going to go into depth on fandom or anything here but Hetalia knows that its demographic is young tweens (primarily girls) so how can you be surprised when this portrayal of Germany leads to WWII fanfics sympathizing with Germany and 14 y/o girls in German military uniforms doing questionable things. (also Germany becomes a canonically gay character in Hetalia in like season 4 or something and that just makes me so mad, like yeah, of course, the gay character is WWII Germany that so cool) (okay, I would like to clarify that technically Sweden is the only confirmed gay character. Sweden is bad representation though because he has one-sided feelings for Finland and makes him uncomfortable by constantly referring to him as his wife)

3.

I mean yeah, obviously this isn't going to be an accurate portrayal of history but some of this is just totally misinformation.

Austria invading Germany is literally just Austria annoying him in his house for a really long time. But also there's like actual wars... and like all of the events of WWI are canon... and like there are some really serious episodes

Also, we literally see a bunch of countries going to war personally, like fighting on the frontlines. Which to me confirms that these people are all literal murderers, like mass murderers lowkey.

Do you know how many weird USSR jokes there are throughout this? So many. Lithuania is pretty much just in a running gag where he keeps getting manipulated by Russia into coming back to live with him. (Yeah, there are so many USSR fics as well).

ALSO! why is the American revolution portrayed as the saddest thing to happen thus far, the storyline is stretched out from episodes 16-20 and it is all drastically different from the tone of the rest of the show. Britain is literally on his knees crying saying that he can't shoot America (which also implies these countries can physically harm/kill each other). Like that is the war you wanted to make all sad and sentimental? Why? Is this how Japanese people think that we view the Revolutionary war? Because that is a pretty inaccurate view.

Anyways back to the original point. Some historical events should not be played for laughs sometimes. It is incredibly disrespectful for actual victims of these tragedies to portray these events as funny or goofy.

Though I will give credit because Himaruya does make all sides of the war look like idiots who have no clue what they are doing, which is a sentiment I can get behind.

4.

As a both non-Japanese and non-Korean person I can not really give my opinion on this however I can share with you both sides of the argument. This is mostly in relation to the original comic strip, but has some relevance to the anime as well. I just wanted to bring it up because it is interesting to me. (This is briefly mentioned in the article but I wanted to expand on the argument).

You may or may not have noticed that there is no South Korea character in this show, however, there was in the original comic. In the comics, South Korea is a pervert who is constantly touching Japan and he also takes credit for the inventions of other countries. Now I'm obviously not going to go into the past history of these 2 countries because that would be incredibly long but the South Korean National Assembly reviewed Hetalia and determined that it was a "crime against South Koreans, akin to slander". So yeah, South Korean people were not happy with this portrayal and the character was inevitably removed from the anime before release. (This is a real picture of the South Korean National Assembly reviewed Hetalia, the corner shows South Korea groping Japan inappropriately)

There are two opposing views to the Japanese Nationalism take and I'll link them both (Belittling Japanese Nationalism Hetalia: Axis Powers is the title of the first one)

The first one pretty much argues that Hetalis is not Japanese nationalism because it paints Japan in just as negative of a light as all of the other countries, no one is left out of being made fun of. Japan is seen as socially awkward, emotionally repressed, and obsequious.

The second argues that Japan is often shown to be more intelligent than other characters as well as often being of the voice of reason (especially compared to China) and most of his negative attributes are not nearly as harmful as some others in Japan’s case, even his “negative” stereotypes are inoffensive, as they pose no threat of meiwaku.

I think we see in the dub that Americans are a little more willing to make fun of themselves. Though there are a few good Japan self digs, like the capitalism joke in one of the first episodes.

5.

Oh boy I've been waiting for this.

The dub is 10x more offensive than the sub. Most people consider it a crack dub.

So many of the jokes are rewritten that it is practically a different show. The sub is from a Japanese perspective and the dub is from an American perspective.

First of all the accents in the dub are so bad like it is actually atrocious. Japan is really annoying because not only is his voice stereotypical but he always says 'nani?' instead of 'what?' as if that is a normal thing that people do. The narrator is the best part of the dub and she is hilarious.

So I don't really feel comfortable even typing out the jokes here so if you want to hear them I included the time stamps for the three nazi jokes I remember in season 1 (the last two being worse).

Episode 1 (1:35:1:38)

Episode 7 (2:13-2:19)

Episode 48 (1:28-1:31)

Those are just a few examples and it gets worse. The dub literally had no reason to include these jokes because there is not even an insinuation of them in the sub and it makes literally everything a million times worse.

I will give the dub some credit for being so utterly ridiculous that it's funny. I will provide a few timestamps for the funniest jokes that only appear in the dub from the first 19 episodes (but I really recommend looking up Hetalia dub funny moments on youtube because some of them are really priceless):

Episode 13: (1:45-2:05)

Episode 14: (1:12-1:22)

Episode 17: (0:59-1:15) (2:06-2:11)

6.

Now I've had this post typed up for a bit and originally I wasn't going to talk about the fandom but after reading the article that he assigned (and going through the fandom unit), I see that there is a lot of reference to fandom in particular so I want to at least mention it.

Not the 2 biggest problems with the Hetalia fandom are racism and the fetishization of gay men.

As mentioned in the article, there have actually been multiple fan incidents of them dressing up in WWII German military uniforms Germany/Prussia cosplay, and standing in front of temples with fake guns or doing nazi salutes in convention photos (If we want to bring racism and fetishization of gay men together there were two people who kissed in a holocaust memorial museum in Italy and Germany cosplay... there is no picture of this so it might be a rumor but it was well-known so it is worth mentioning). There were also a lot of people using imperialist Japan flags in cosplay/fanart and writing incredibly inappropriate fanfiction about real-life events.

If you would like to see any of these incidents feel free to look up "Hetalia the Boston Incident" I don't really wanna include the photos here.

The fetishization is not unique to the Hetalia fandom, but it is amplified to the max. Obviously, within Hetalia, there are almost no female characters, so this leaves only male characters to be shipped with one another. Now suddenly Germany is an uwu gay bean and not an actual war criminal. At the moment of writing this Hetalia has 32105 M/M fics on ao3 which is only one of the three fanfiction sites, with ao3 not even becoming popularized until after the peak of the Hetalia fandom. (the most popular ship being America/England who refer to each other as brothers in the show as England raised America, showing another problematic part of the fandom). I would argue that Hetalia has one of the gayest fandoms (My Hero Academia is giving it a run for its money though) and I agree with the article that it is inaccurate to say that this is only done by straight cis women. The fact of the matter is a lot of queer teens used Hetalia as an outlet to express their own sexuality through these characters. The straight women that do fetishize BL are likely only doing so because anime creators suck at writing good female characters.

I think that the "level of gayness" turns straight fans away from watching the show (again MHA is the same way today) as it is hard to interact with the fandom without seeing some yaoi content. However, many people view this as something wrong or cringy, when in reality it is a normal part of fandom culture. When gay people have such little content that is actually gay, you cannot blame us for creating our own through characters that we like/relate to. Again, I think the only issues that arise here are the problematic ships that give young people a bad impression of relationships (abusive, incest, pedophilia, etc) or the arguable problematic ones like China/Russia or Lithuania/Russia as again these are real countries with real political relations. (However, I will never forget the time that there was Russia/China fanart on the news, maybe they approve and I shouldn't be complaining)

The thing is, Hetalia only seems so bad because the fandom is so large and so young. A lot of shows have fandoms that sexualize the characters and have kinda problematic fans, but the sheer volume makes things seem worse. This is something that we covered when we watched Genshiken, but there is a lot of negative stigma behind this fandom in particular, but it is just a loud minority that gets a lot of news coverage between fandoms.

It also raises the question "Is a show responsible for the response of its fans?"

Because while Himaruya has no control over what people do with his characters or how they interpret a plot, if a majority of people are leaving your show spouting vaguely racist rhetoric and interpreting your show one way, isn't there some validity in that interpretation? I think a creator has to be aware of their audience, which in this case is a very young and impressionable audience who might not understand how offensive some of the things they are doing really are. They don't hold the same ability to separate fiction from reality.

That being said Hetalia had a large impact on fandom culture as a whole, largely starting things like 'ask a character' panels (along with like homestuck but we don't talk about her). If you go to any convention you will probably find a Hetalia cosplayer, and if you watch any dub there is probably a voice actor from Hetalia there.

I also want to mention Hetalia is also a fandom full of cultural capital, If you don't know every niche fact, you're not a real fan, If you haven't read Auf Wiedersehen Sweetheart you haven't even met the entry-level requirements to be a fan. There are also no characters that are too sacred to be altered within the fandom. If you want to put Germany in a maid dress have at it, if you want to see all the characters as girls you're in luck cause Himaruya literally drew them. Fanfictions can take place anywhere from WWI to the present day and you can put any characters in any scenario and make it believable. There are thousands of pieces of fanwork, fan art, fangames, and fan AUs. These characters are malleable to fit your personal preference and there is really no way you could be mad at this as Himaruya does this himself, with no real established canon.

a Hetalia fan once said, "No one cares if Hetalia was written by a Japenese Imperialism apologist when you're 31 chapters deep into a human Au soulmate fic about Austria inviting Prussia to see his boyband perform in Berlin"

Himaruya is also the king of moe characteristics because he turned these Hetalia men into any cute thing he could think of, Chibi versions (Chibitalia), female versions (Nyotalia), and cat versions (Nekotalia). He has no reservations about drawing the characters in a dress or in cat ears. He gave the characters human names to allow for more standardized human AU's and made a DS dating game. He encourages fans to take his characters and use them in their fanworks as they see fit, canon is up to interpretation itself. I think Himaruya himself was a huge part of fandom culture (not that I could tell you cause no one knows anything about the guy) and saw how the female characters were often treated by fans and turned it on its head, allowing for females to sexualize the males this time.

Also, none of the male characters in this show resembles a Hegemonic form of masculinity. Even the most masculine character in the show (Germany) can be seen doing more "feminine things" like wearing a dress or proposing to a man. Which, you know, I guess is a good diversion from things you would typically see in an anime of this nature (but again there are a lot of instances of characters being feminine being played for laughs, like a man being girly is something inherently funny). Feat. Germany proposing to Italy with a tomato ring.

7.

I am Hetalia's biggest hater, however, I cannot deny the impact that it has had on my life and how much I love to talk about it. Hetalia is what introduced me to anime and fandom (and tumblr) for the first time. I met a lot of people I still talk to today because of this show. It encouraged me and a lot of other people to actually get interested in history. Thanks to this show I can identify every country in Europe, and it was a lot easier to remember historical facts if I just imagined the Hetalia characters. Also, Auf Wiedersehen Sweetheart is a literary masterpiece and there is a reason it almost has a five-star rating on goodnotes (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/22064556) I love you George DeValier I hope you're doing good wherever you are.

I would like to make it abundantly clear that despite everything I've said that might make me sound like a woke blue-haired liberal, I don't really think this show is some horribly racist show or that the people who enjoy it are racist. I just wanted to provide a deeper outlook on the impact a seemingly dumb show can have on real people. I can't really blame the show for the terrible response of the fandom and it did honestly get better in later seasons that are not focused on WWII.

Despite all the bad stuff, it is a relatively funny little 5-minute watch, and you can really just jump in at any point you want to. If you don't take it as seriously as I do you might even enjoy it a little.

If you actually read this far I have major respect for you, I'm really excited to see what the general consensus on this show is.

Prussia and South Italy were my favorites in case anyone cared

If you're wondering why I didn't do my presentation on Hetalia despite my extensive knowledge, it is because I would be incredibly biased and I would go off the rails I think.

Also, my biggest fear is current Hetalia fans finding this and killing me, that might seem irrational but the Gundam fans found me last time so I wouldn't put it past them.

[lunacyn24]

My goodness, that was a lot, BUT I loved it. Several times throughout your response I either strongly resonated with it, or I was like "oh! I never thought of it that way" or " that makes sense!" I had no prior knowledge as to what Hetalia would entail, I thought it was going to be a slice of life genre centered around this one dude, but boy was I wrong. Your point #2 is definitely something that stuck out to me as well when I was watching the episodes like huh?? this is how they want to portray these countries during WW1 and WW2...? Interesting. Thank you for breaking down the fandom culture centered around Hetalia in point #6, it really helped me in better understanding! Great Analysis!

[lunacyn24]

Hetalia: Axis Powers (EP 1 - 19)

Hetalia is not what I was expecting it to be. The poster for it is definitely deceiving because I thought this was going to be a slice of life series about some guy, but nope. It’s literally about the relationship and events that took place between several countries during the time of World War 1 and World War 2. As the name suggests Hetalia: Axis Powers centers around the formation of the Axis Powers and the Allied Powers. Countries like the US, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Britain, and many others (Holy Roman Empire too) make appearances in this series that take a comedic approach towards “educating” its audience about the events that took place in WW1 and WW2. This series even portrayed events that took place before the World War like the American Revolutionary War as we see in the episodes concerning America cleaning its storage room. 

The stereotypes in this series are constant throughout this series. Please note that unfortunately I chose to watch the 19 episodes of Hetalia: Axis Powers assigned to us in English Dub…Continuing on, America is always chowing down on fast food like hamburgers and sodas. America is an individual who thinks highly of himself and always wants to be the hero, without truly doing the work most times. Japan is reserved, quiet, and observant. Germany has an accent and is very stern, buff, and disciplined. Italy is portrayed as being very naive, nonchalant, and weak. Italy also turns out to be a thorn in Germany’s side because of their care-free nature. That thorn grows bigger once Germany realizes how flaky and insufficient Italy is in battle. Something that the reading cleared up for me was why the series is called Hetalia. As I was watching the episodes, I kept wondering why Hetalia sounds so close to Italia (the Italian word for Italy), and it’s because creators combined the word “hetare”, meaning useless, with Italia. Useless Italy… but I’m not sure why the whole series should be called Useless Italy because it covers other countries as well, perhaps that’s the “humor” behind it? Even still, you have countries like Germany that are portrayed in a positive and hardworking light, when it wasn’t like that at all. Especially when looking at the time period this show takes place as I’ve mentioned before between WW1 and WW2, meaning the Holocaust was happening then. Germany is portrayed as this helpful and determined individual who helps out his allies when, in reality, it was a raging racist and anti-semitic totalitarian state. The depiction and behavior of Germany wasn’t the only thing that stood out to me, but it was definitely at the forefront of my mind. Italy’s not safe at all seeing as it was also under fascist rule, but by Benito Mussolini. I can definitely see how and why this show caused controversy with various populaces’ and governments around the world because it depicts and impacts the people of those respective countries. All in all, I wasn’t expecting this kind of storyline from Hetalia, at all.

[jpt1311]

Xenoblade 2

The whole story of Xenoblade 2 is flooded with the total despair of a zero-sum game. There is no fundamental advancement of technology that aims at improving people's livelihood, but various appliances - results of taking scraps and bits from currently available techniques and recombining them just to obliterate each other more efficiently. People do not work on attaining a better life but are manipulated to serve just a privileged few so that these ruling groups can preserve their power. All people can do to keep their hope in dreams and ideals like gods, churches, or, alternatively, the holy grail or any other tail that may help them get by. Eventually, there is nothing a single ordinary person can do. All the tales and all the epics do not belong to the people; it is the possession of a few chosen ones. With all the awkward background aside, the whole story is a great combination of all sorts of cliché in a well-crafted manner. This is a compliment. The expressional power of these almost low-poly pitiful graphics, or to say, Nintendo-style graphics are insanely strong. It is almost the perfect embodiment of Japanese-style animation: if just graphics is not enough, just add better lines, actions, or sounds. Yet still, you see the cliché, although not presented with the downsides of cliches, they still are: The continuous growth of the protagonist and their friends, the improvements of their bonds, etc. There is that weird and over-the-top great evil who wants to obliterate humanity, while the player's job is to stop them. You can almost expect the story, just like the Xenoblade predicts others' movements just by all the hints in the story because the player has very likely seen them all in other games. All these can be found in a great deal of JRPGs, just that Xenoblade is standing at the apex of them all.

[lunacyn24]

I really liked your analysis, and I agree with the unfortunate reality that the people are being manipulated to satisfy the greed and power of a few while they suffer. Ironic because we live in a world today where people are manipulated by others for the success and greed of a few. Xenoblade also connected to the real world in the scope of showcasing the challenges of living on a dying world when the diminishment of their world could have been avoided.

[lunacyn24]

Xenoblade Chronicles

I don’t quite understand what is going on in this Xenoblade Chronicles playlist… maybe I just need more context, but it’s like I understand, loosely, of what’s going on but the true details and makeup of this world, I don’t understand. But, what I can gather is the importance of the environment in this world because the environment holds an effect on their powers. Moreover, harmony with the environment is important to everyone, especially when it comes to human relations with the Titans. When I noticed this, I immediately thought of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind due to the importance and correlation between being cognizant and taking care of the world they call home. The Titans in Xenoblades are these giant beings who the people rely on to stay afloat in their dwindling realm, which ties into the reading about anthropocene, the age of human influence on the earth. There’s irony though, in the fact that homosapiens are regarded as exceptions to the natural laws that nature itself abides by. Yet, in the Xenoblade realm that exception, or excuse, to go against nature’s ways, ends up biting the populace’s butt as they navigate their diminishing world and must learn to survive in the consequence of taking advantage of the earth. As the reading states, every species has to adapt to its environment. I could even go as far as referring to the Charles Darwin experiment that discovered “survival of the fittest”, but I won’t because we’re aware of that. Adapting and change are words that this realm is familiar with, especially when looking back at the rebirth of the swords and crystals who are portrayed as very human-like. These swords of power and light are in a cycle of immortality and being able to die, but have no recollection of who or what they did before. I find this trope interesting because it’s almost sad but intriguing to go one for multiple lifetimes but not recall any unless circumstances force them to.

[voicesofthechord]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

This film has a heavy environmentalist theme. It is a post-apocalypse story that follows Nausicaa, a young princess of the Valley of the Wind, as she tries to bring harmony between nature and humans.

The world is in a post-apocalyptic state where a gradually spreading toxic forest emanates toxic spores that are dangerous to human life. This Sea of Decay is also populated by insects and defended by the Ohms, which are giant insects (There's a lot of insects in this film). Industrialized civilization seems to have destroyed itself in an event called the Seven Days of Fire using Giant Warriors, which seem to be analogous to nukes/WMDs. It is an obvious message that humanity's greed, wars, and ignorant destruction of nature will lead to our own destruction. However, nature is very resilient in the grand scheme of things, and it will eventually recover. This can be seen with the Sea of Decay, which is the Earth's way of cleansing itself after humans have polluted it. The Sea of Decay, on the surface, is hostile and deadly to humans, especially the spores. But that's only because the trees of the Sea of Decay grew up on polluted soil and water, and the spores they release embody that deadly pollution, which is the product of past humans.

The humans in the film still don't understand nature and doesn't seem to have learned anything from past mistakes. Instead of appreciating nature for trying to cleanse the Earth, they deem it as their enemy. Factions like the Tolmekians want to destroy the Sea of Decay, even though that is the very source of the pure water that the humans rely on. The Tolmekian's actions is a critique of militarism and how war can only bring destruction and cause more problems than it might solve. It is also a critique of the blind violence of industrial human civilization, who frequently fall back on violent means to destroy anything that they perceive as obstacles, instead of trying to genuinely understand the root of the obstacles and overcome via peaceful and more thoughtful means. It is ironic that as human civilization progresses, especially in terms of industrialization, they become more barbaric in their treatment of nature. Furthermore, the humans in the film are split into different factions that are all busy fighting each other instead coming together to solve the collective problem of the environment. It is a critique of how despite being faced with a common problem, humanity still has this tendency to remain fragmented in what is basically tribalism, and each separate group only fights for their own greedy needs instead of working together.

The film also has a heavy generational critique. It is the past humans that have utterly destroyed the environment, and the newer generations have to live with it. Furthermore, in the film, Nausicaa, who is representative of a younger generation, has to fight and fix the problem by herself, despite the problem being originally caused by those older than her. The adults, for most of the film, are busy bickering with each other, starting wars, and angering nature, while Nausicaa, the young princess, has to fix of their problems and at the end even sacrifice her life. Nausicaa is also an environmentalist ideal. She is in tune with nature. She tries to understand nature's perspective and look for peaceful methods of coexisting, such as her secret lair of those supposedly toxic plants. Those peaceful methods often take much more hard work to pull, but Nausicaa nonetheless never wants to use the easy method of sheer violence as a solution. And the only times that we see her use violence is against other humans and not nature.

The film tells a good story and its themes are very relevant to our modern society. It preaches the importance of respecting nature and learning to live harmonious with it, because in a conflict between humans and nature, nature will always win in the end.

[lunacyn24]

I love your breakdown of the movie! I definitely agree on your analysis as it pertains to post-apocalyptic human interaction with nature, especially nature that has been so biologically transformed. I didn't fully realize, though, the generational critique you pointed out. But, you're right, the adults are constantly fixated on fighting amongst one another and enraging the Ohm's and the jungle. While Nausicaa actually pursues means to help the environment and the people survive and heal, as we saw with her laboratory of non-poisonous plants. Nausicaa is also a huge advocate for not-fighting. which further plays into the generational impact this film portrays.

[lunacyn24]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

This was an interesting watch. I had never heard of the movie, to be honest, but I saw that it was directed by Miyazaki, so I figured it had to be good and I wasn’t wrong. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind tells the story of a Princess named Nausicaa who is admired and cherished by everyone in her village. Everyone in this film lives in a world of toxicity. The people live in a constant state of fear because of the poisonous air that pollutes the air and the rage of the Ohm’s. But, Nausicaa knows how to read them and interpret them. She holds and symbolizes a lot of qualities cherished by the people, in which she is brave, kind, resourceful, and determined. This is further shown in Nausicaa's interaction with the villagers, they listen to her without a second's thought because of the love and trust they hold for her. We can tell throughout the course of the movie that Nausicaa cares for her people and her valley. She is truly one with the valley because of how attuned to the Ohm’s, the jungle, and the wind she is. When Nausicaa believes in something, her actions will further back up her words. In the film, I noticed that Nausicaa has both masculine and feminine characteristics. Some masculine characteristics and societal expectations that Nausicaa had would be the ability to fight, to “hunt” for the sake of the village, and the quickness to lead. Some stereotypical feminine characteristics she exudes would be the ability to soothe, to care, and look after. Nausicaa knows the insects and communication between them like the back of her hand and she constantly uses that knowledge to soothe, aid, and/or dissuade the insects of the valley from their rage. Nausicaa understands the severity of the Ohm’s and the other insects and constantly works to live in harmony with them because she understands that they only want to protect themselves and their home, just like she is. Humanity was also being called into question as we see these 3 nations, the Pejite, Tolmekia, and the Valley of the Wind, fight to survive. Fighting either amongst themselves, or in general, as they navigate their world of Ohm’s and the toxic jungle. The 3 nations represent either the culmination of society’s humanity.

[lunacyn24]

SwampCon

I loved SwampCon! SwampCon was the first time I attended an event like this that catered towards artists, crafters, anime-watchers, and manga readers alike. When I was volunteering, it was kind of relaxing to sign people in and interact with people and recognize their cosplays, if they chose to wear cosplay. I got to see Rengoku and Tengen Uzui cosplays (both characters from Kimetsu No Yaiba: Demon Slayer). Ouran High School Host Club, Sword Art Online, Hunter x Hunter, and last, but certainly not least, Sailor Moon, were just a few of the cosplays I recognized when I was volunteering. Even when people didn’t cosplay, they still got the chance to express themselves in multiple ways, and I’m glad that this space was created by SwampCon for people who want to express themselves or art in the capacity that SwampCon facilitates. To see how so many get to express themselves and share their work with others was really cool. My favorite features about SwampCon would definitely be Artist Valley and the Vendor Hall. Artist Valley was a continuous row of artists that made me very happy to see, but made my wallet weep, in all honesty. There was this one vendor who had a whole keychain rack of my favorite shows. Like Spy x Family, Sailor Moon, Demon Slayer, Hunter x Hunter, Jujutsu Kaisen… it really broke my heart to walk away from the displays because they were so good! Don’t even get me started on the Vendor Hall. I had to walk away from Sailor Moon posters and earrings, it was a hard day for me, but fun nevertheless. I was fangirling multiple times throughout the day, I saw a group of cosplayers who were dressed as the Pretty Sailor Guardians and I was in heaven. I thought I would only get to see a full Sailor Moon cast photoshoot on Instagram, but SwampCon offered this opportunity for me and the cosplayers! I think the organization of SwampCon was good too, at first there was a lot going on when my friends and I were in the thick of business, but it was really fun and a great experience. I highly encourage anyone to go, if given the chance!

[projectmcblog]

Neon Genesis Evangelion Tres

I am truly flabbergasted. I started the anime amused at the full minute of back-to-back production & company and ended with a whole lotta confusion and disgust.

STARTING with the opening scene. In part uno and dos of the Neon genesis evangelion trilogy I was trying to feel for Shinji. I knew that I wouldn’t understand one hundred percent since he’s a fourteen-year-old boy, but I tried to empathize with the outright toxic and damaging community he had around him and the effect on his mental health. But him exposing Asuka’s naked body as she lies unconscious in a HOSPITAL bed and masturbating to it,,, I was honestly speechless. To take advantage of someone in such a vulnerable state, and then spend most of the movie moping around and berating yourself… I couldn’t find any more empathy for him. AND the kicker is that Asuka KNEW and said he did it on multiple occasions. A REPEAT OFFENDER! Literally clutching my pearls I can’t anymore. Is this some sort of fanservice thing? Why do these creative minds decide to use their artistry to make such appalling material???

Then, when we get past that, [approximately] fifteen minutes later we see a THIRTY-year-old WOMAN kissing a FOURTEEN-year-old CHILD. I even googled the ages to confirm. From the past episodes, it seems as if they have a peculiar relationship going on. Nobody knows what a healthy relationship looks like in this show but Misato is kinda like a caretaker/ guardian to him. I saw this dynamic while she was trying to snap him out of his depressive state by encouraging him to make his own decision and pilot the robot. I guess as an extra boost of encouragement she kisses him and hints towards him getting “more” later. Fighting for my life to look past how wildly INAPPROPRIATE this is for the bigger picture, it seems as if the circumstances were unique. They were in a life or death type of scenario, and Shinji looked like he was ready for everything to just end (ex. Him not even lifting his head when that guy had a gun pointed at him). Misato acknowledges this and that she’s probably gonna die anyway, so she pulls this stunt as a last-ditch effort. Did it work? Shinji kinda just sat there staring at the robot for a good chunk of the movie so…

In the grand scheme of this, this movie showed the state of Shinji’s mental health, and how depression affected him greatly. He lost the will to live and battled with self-hatred. Through a confusing dream sequence, we see Shinji’s attitude slowly shift and he finds hope- using it to reject the single human state which destroys the lilith and sets the souls of humanity free.

[lunacyn24]

I was just as flabbergasted as you, like jaw constantly dropping when questionable scenes were being shown. I can also agree with this movie portraying Shinji's poor mental health, the poor guy is constantly at war with himself.

[lunacyn24]

The End of Evangelion

…What did I just watch? In all honesty, this movie left me more confused than the final episode, 28, of the series. Perhaps I wasn’t paying attention enough, but this movie definitely offered more graphic and maturer content than the series. In the first few minutes of the movie, we see Shinji is in distress because Asuka is in the hospital and is unresponsive. My thing is, when did Shinji and Asuka become so buddy-buddy? In the previous episodes, we saw how tense any interaction between Shinji and Asuka was. Maybe this friendship “blossomed” in the between episodes, but still Shinji was at an all time low in this movie and it showed. However, why the heck does it pan to Shinji’s hand that is covered in a white, sticky substance…? *bombastic side eye* This boy was literally boo-hoo crying over Asuka being unresponsive and had the audacity to become aroused to her half naked, prone, and unresponsive body? Like what? Shinji even says in the hospital room that he “is the lowest of the low”, and I completely agree because what in the world compelled him to do that? Don’t even get me started on Katsuragi KISSING Shinji???? (RIP Katsuragi) But what? Then she says “that’s how grown ups kiss”. Maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention, but this series left me more confused and flabbergasted than I’ve ever been before with a series.

[beefmastersblog]

Neon Genesis Evangelion Part 2

The exploration of traditional masculinity and the expectations placed upon young boys is a recurring theme in this anime, that I think reaches its climax in the episodes we just watched.

Throughout the series, Shinji Ikari struggles with these expectations, as he is recruited to pilot an Eva and fight Angels. He constantly grapples with his own insecurities, vulnerability, and the need for validation from his distant father, who doesn't seem to care about him at all. Shinji's journey is an exploration of traditional masculine ideals, ending with him ultimately rejecting the notion that he must fit a certain mold to be considered a man.

One thing I noticed was that Asuka, another pilot, experiences her own struggles with societal expectations. She is forced to become independent and strong due to her traumatic past, placing her value as a human in her ability to pilot an Eva. This highlights how societal norms not only affect men but also women, pushing them to embrace certain roles to be seen as valuable and competent.

Another thing I noticed was the what happened with Kaworu, who sacrifices himself to save humanity. This act of selflessness contrasts sharply with the traditional masculine notion of protecting oneself at all costs, further emphasizing the need to redefine what it means to be a man.

The last episodes of the series delve deep into Shinji's mental state, as he learns to accept himself and reject the toxic messages society has imposed on him. He discovers that embracing his true self, rather than conforming to societal expectations, leads to a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

This show explored themes of challenging societal norms and redefining what it means to be a man. It highlights the importance of self-acceptance, emotional vulnerability, and empathy, qualities that are often dismissed or devalued in favor of physical strength and emotional detachment. Through this powerful narrative, Evangelion invites its audience to consider the damaging effects of societal expectations on individuals and ultimately, to forge their own path, free from the constraints of hegemonic masculinity.

To be honest, I still do not like this show. But it was better than I expected. I'm excited to move on to the next thing once we watch the movie :)

[lunacyn24]

I really enjoyed your analysis and it really helped me in understanding with what was going on the final episodes 24 & 26. These past episodes definitely introduce a darker element to Neon Genesis I was not expecting.

[lunacyn24]

Neon Genesis Evangelion (EP 8, 16, 24, 26)

What an interesting set of episodes today. In these last 4 episodes, we are introduced to new “Children” pilots, Asuka and Kaworu. Asuka definitely has a personality that can be alot when first meeting her. We see in episode 8 that Asuka is very confident (almost overconfident), abrasive, and competitive. She has strong desires and skills to prove herself, especially as the pilot of Unit 02, a more advanced and innovative Eva. Honestly, when Asuka first started interacting with Shinji and Katsuragi, I immediately noticed how masculine like she is portrayed because of the confidence and arrogance she exudes that I believe people were seeking more from Shinji when he first became a pilot of Unit 01. We see in episodes 8 and 16 how Asuka is a go-getter and if she sees an opportunity she takes it. 

Then, there’s Kaworu, who was a double-crosser it turns out because he had the capacity of being an Angel while portraying himself as The Fifth Children. When Kaworu is introduced, the element of “queer masculinity” is definitely portrayed, especially when we see things like Shinji blushing and becoming nervous around Kaworu (they took a bath together and Kaworu said that he really liked Shinji). 

These episodes go into a deeper dive of what we talked about in class regarding the portrayal and expectation of hegemonic masculinity and queer masculinity. For instance, in episode 16, when an Angel appears and when deciding on courses of actions for the Eva’s to dispose of the Angel, Shinji steps up and says “fighting is for boys” to which Asuka replies “How antiquated”. We see in Neon Genesis that they really wanted to call into question the stereotypical roles and identities of heteronormative masculine presenting men. This is shown through the main character Shinji, who is very shy, sensitive, some may say, and intropunitive, and he is looked down upon for these characteristics of his because they aren’t normal. He isn’t seen as a valuable asset because he doesn’t have the confidence or “manly strength” to keep up with the high expectations of the Nerva society, thus he was often cast aside as unimportant or a disappointment. Moreover, Shinji, a shy and reserved individual, is surrounded by confident characters who are in respectful and high places of operations.

[ceejayblogs]

3/26/23: Anno – Neon Genesis Evangelion (ep. 1,2,4,5)

Being that this is my uncle’s favorite anime show, I had pretty high expectations coming into watching Neon Genesis Evangelion. So far, I’m pretty impressed with it and was surprised at how dark the show is. Initially, my background knowledge of the show consisted of just the ‘aesthetic’ commonly used in lofi/sad content nowadays and the popular character appearances widely used in everything. Now, I’m pretty intrigued to keep watching and see this show progress.

Right off the bat, I notice a big disconnect between Shinji and his father. Shinji seems to be in disagreement with his father and resents him for his actions, while at the same time his father seems to pay no attention to him at all while strictly treating him. Episode 5 showcases how he rather acts as a father figure for Rei, going as far as to damage his hands to save Rei which contrasts with his disappointment in Shinji’s first angel encounter. Because of this, Misato seems to step up as the parental figure for Shinji, taking him in and worrying about his state many times throughout the show. In addition to parental roles, there’s a pretty interesting development regarding Shinji in the first few episodes. He starts out as a self-deprecating coward who feels that he is not suited for the role of piloting the evangelions. He does his first mission out of spite for his father and believing that he mustn't run away, but continually puts himself down in the process. It is until he acknowledges the efforts he has made and the people that care about him, is when he finally seems to be able to accept his position and come back to Misato after running away. Though these are my first initial thoughts of what’s going on, I’m pretty interested in seeing how much this changes after hearing from several people how messed up this show gets later on.

[bleachenjoyer]

Thanks for this post! Your uncle has good taste. I definitely agree with you - I think these episodes make a point of driving home how separate Shinji and Gendo are from the get-go. From the very first episode, we learn that 1) they haven't spoken in years, and 2) Shinji was only asked for because Gendo needs him to do something. This relationship is an important one for the series, and I believe sheds light on the dynamics between humans - though the 'Hedgehog's Dilemma' that Misato mentions definitely rings true in its description of the correlation between intimacy and pain, the interactions of the Ikaris show that extreme detachment can cause pain, too.

[animenss]

The father's development is quite interesting. Makes me think of why was the father so cold and distant beforehand. Is the father truly only interested in his son's usefulness?

[lunacyn24]

I was also surprised by the depth of heaviness and darkness this show portrays because of the large amounts of distress Shinji and Rei go through as pilots of these advanced robotic machines. The disconnect between father and son made me more curious about the show and where the plot will be going from here on out. I really enjoyed your analysis on the parallel of Shinji's Dad and Rei vs. Shinji and Katsuragi. Let's also not forget about the slap Rei delivered to Shinji when he bad-mouthed his father... *side eye*

[lunacyn24]

Neon Genesis Evangelion (EP 1, 2, 4, 5)

First off, I love the opening of this series. Personally, when it comes to watching a new anime, I’m going to judge if I’m going to like it or find interest in it through the opening sequence. So, this is definitely a show where I have a strong interest to continue it and see where it goes. Now this series and the readings had a lot to offer in regards to masculinity and the projection of it. We can tell from the first episode that the main character, Shinji, doesn’t follow hetero-normative masculinity discussed in the readings. Shinji is a lot more shy, hesitant, and socially awkward, in addition to having a more higher pitched voice. The complete opposite of traditional masculinity mentioned in the readings where men typically have deeper voices and are supposed to exude this confidence and air about them. This “nontraditional” aspect of Shinji is also shown when Katsuragi keeps telling him to “be a big boy” when he was first being immersed into the Eva. However, perhaps, Shinji’s socially awkward mold is being shed, but I have no idea if it’s a good or bad thing right now within these first 5 episodes. When Shinji went “berserk” and Katsuragi reprimanded him for not following her orders, Shinji definitely took on a more nonchalant and almost arrogant tone when speaking to Katsuragi that we hadn’t seen before. Especially because before and after Shinji went berserk, he was socially awkward, but respectful saying “yes ma’am, no ma’am”. I would also say that Neon Genesis has heavy depictions because we see the deep well of distress Shinji goes through as a pilot of Eva, in addition to the treatment of Rei and how she was constantly asked to pilot despite being in no condition to pilot. The readings were interesting as well, they both centered around the same things essentially of hetero-normative masculinity vs. nontraditional masculinity, with emphasis on the analysis of homosexual men and the “categories” they would fall into.