Mac's Blog

[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.

[macyocheese]

The discrimination was a big theme to this show. It was interesting to see the principal say at the beginning that having a class to look down upon helps the other students in a positive way. I feel like it is better for class E to have more motivation to beat all the main campus students so they have a little bit more respect for them. Clearly we see class E come out on top and are highly motivated.

I also thought the main character with the blue hair was a girl until they used he/him and that he was wearing a vest and a tie. I am not sure why his hair is like that and he has a very high voice. It is almost as they made the main character look like this on purpose. He seems to be on the lower end of the scale in terms of traditional masculinity. I just feel like his character is very neutral and he the show doesn't focus around him too much from the episodes we watch compared to a show like naruto lol.

[macyocheese]

Assassination Classroom Review (SZ1 Ep. 1,5,16 SZ2 Ep. 11)

Review: 7/10

I thought this show was really interesting and it had a pretty cool concept. It seems there are a lot of episodes and we only watched 4. It seemed like the assassination part of the show kind of fell of after the first episode and it turned into relating school and taking tests to assassination. I thought the idea of them competing with other classes as a whole battle was really cool and unique.

The only thing I could see theme wise is the importance of using teamwork and studying hard to achieve your goals. Also Koro sensei uses his unique teaching style to help the kids in class E who are not smart enough for the main campus to learn and improve their grades. By the second season this show starts to turn into an intense battle between class A and class E to see who can score the best on their tests. It is also a competition between the teachers. They still mention class E are tougher since they are assassins. I am guessing other episodes have more assassination attempts on the teacher. The rating could go higher if i watch the whole series.

I am prepping for my final exam tonight and this show was definitely some good motivation to study. It was hyping me up when they were in the battle taking their exams.

[thirteen-orphans]

Cyberpunk Edgerunners (1, 2, 6, 10) Reflection

I might be a little down bad for Lucy but uhh.

The first thing I noticed about this anime is how money literally decides your fate in society. It's a very pessimistic view on how poor people can work all their lives to try and provide a better future for their kids, but their bodies won't hold up forever; if they fall ill or die, then the medical expenses in turn fall to their children, and the cycle starts all over again. In this world, people equip themselves with cybernetic prosthetics(?)/chrome as a way to get past their body's physical limitations, but this process in and of itself is costly, but in terms of money and the consequences that it has on one's mental state. There's a clear class divide between those who can climb the corporate ladder and those who can't, and that divide breeds discrimination; even though David has been said on many occasions to be a top student, he's still bullied by his peers for not having the money to afford the proper equipment that the academy expects all the students to have. Not only that, he has to put up with those same classmates badmouthing his mother, even though he knows full well how hard she works, trying to provide for the both of them.

After his mother passes, David is left without a direction or purpose in life until Lucy tries to steal from him. She's something of a fugitive, trying to run away from corporations and doing anything she can to make a living for herself. For those who are rejected by the corporate ladder or choose to reject the corporate ladder themselves, they're left to survive; they can lead meaningful lives, but it's strife with conflict and every clash could be their last. Even so, she still has the dream of going to the moon, which can be seen as a sort of exteriority to the capitalism and corruption that runs thick through the city. When her relationship with David develops more, he begins to want the same thing; yet, he dies at the end (again, pointing to a very pessimistic view about how you just can't win at life if you're born into unfortunate circumstances) and helps Lucy get the money she needs to go to the moon by herself. It's ironic that capital is needed for her to escape from capitalism, similar to how the girls traveled to Antarctica in A Place Further Than The Universe.

[macyocheese]

oooo thats big I like that comparison to A place further than the universe. I think we are all down bad for Lucy. I agree with you, I think this show displays how the body can only handle so much with what you're born with. I think it is similar to sports in the sense that it is very hard for someone under 5'10 to make the NBA. Also how in foootball receivers can not play O-line. There is limits to ones body.

[macyocheese]

Cyberpunk Edgerunners Review

Review: 8/10

This was a solid show. Lots of action and lots of feels. It may go higher if I watch the whole series. David and Lucy are lit. I also liked Rebecca I think her name is.

What first comes to mind for me is Psycho Pass. Just the world that David lives in and how it all has like a central core to the world. There is also a pretty crazy hierarchy that is established in this type of world. David was born into the lower class and went to school with upper class kids which caused a divide from the start. There was either rich or poor it seemed like in this society for the most part. David's mom left behind a very high spine "download" that will increase his speed like 100x faster and increase every other ability. David was given the opportunity to achieve something bigger than the route he was on.

I feel like the reason to why he was with that team in episode 6 was just lost. I guess what I learned was that they are underground people who have good hearts and want to change society but are portrayed as evil in the eyes of society which is controlled by a higher power. Given this the company is constantly attacking them. I believe the name edge runners comes from the fact that they run on the edge of life and to what their bodies can sustain with upgrades to it in order to contribute to the overall goal of changing the society.

To David and our prospective the idea to change society in this world came from Lucy and she gave him the opportunity to use the upgrade and do that. In episode 10 we see that David runs on the edge by installing a crazy body mod. to go and get Lucy back from the big corp. controlling the world. David sacrificed himself so that Lucy could stay alive (love) and so that the dream of changing society could carry on.

It was interesting to see that the edgerunners were always content when they were dying. That kind of made me think if I died would I be content in the life I am leaving behind.

[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.

[macyocheese]

I agree with you on the theme that Mima doesn't get a lot of privacy which stems to other problems later on. I wonder if the culture of Japan causes stalking and a lack of privacy to be less. Imagine what celebrities in america go through, it is probably way worse. I feel like it is less of a problem in Japan given that it was a minor problem in the show I feel like, while there was other things such as rape scenes and murder.

[macyocheese]

Perfect Blue Review

Review: 7.8/10

This was a very interesting watch. I guess I can check off watching a rated R movie for school. The thing about this show besides being very intense, is that all that happened is actually true. Things that happen in this show can and may have happened to many people in the film industry and Hollywood. A lot can be talked about with this show.

First off, the biggest theme that stuck out to me was identity disorder. We first see that Mima is a pop star singer that wears cute dresses. She knows what her job is and what happens outside her job. The rest of the movie Mima changes her job and enters the acting world which is seen by her agents as the "next big thing" for her. In this new world she experiences a lot of new things. I feel like she was questioning whether she should leave the pop star singer role being torn between her old career that she loved and this new acting career. She is also struggling with all the new stuff in the acting world. I think the role to play a rape victim in the show just added to all the stuff she was going through mentally. I think as an actress you need boundaries and going into a role like that right away is just terrible especially if you don't know what the scene entails and if the film makers and other actors have the best intentions for you in general.

I was talking with my friend who knows someone that got sexually abused and it has the victims thinking less of themselves, nicely put. It is much more worse than my words as we saw in the movie. Now going forward, Mima begins to loose touch of reality. The movie begins to cut scenes and transition from dream to reality so much that when you thought it was reality it was a dream and vice versa until you're confused yourself. I think they did this to have the viewer experience what Mima was going through and what people who go through the same things experiences. If this is really the case this movie deserves a higher rating. I do not know the full story but apparently Heath Ledger experienced something like this with his role as the Joker in Batman. He was one of the best if not the best actor to play Joker but he couldn't separate his role as the joker from his own personal life. From what I heard this ultimately lead to his death.

The stalker was super creepy and the fact that her agent tried to kill her at the end and killed others I am assuming was a shocker. I guess she was never on board with Mima's decisions in acting. But to go and kill people around her and someone she was close with. I can't imagine the things Mima was going through.

Can someone please explain the hospital scene and the last scene. I was so confused when it ended like that. Why was she all smiley and happy? Is she good now or what? I would also like to add that there were so many dudes in the audience as a pop singer which kind of concerned me straight from the start. I was on board with her acting if her fan base as a singer is mostly guys. It was a little sus.

Anyway, I actually think I might recommend someone watch this movie but probably only if they bring it up. This actually comes in second for this semester of how intense it was. Behind Barefoot Gen of course.

[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.

[macyocheese]

I was very interested in your post since you are a manga enjoyer. I myself have never read manga until this and I was so confused as to what was happening. I did noticed a little brain washing as you mentioned which what it seemed like with far right views that were portrayed throughout this manga. I am similar to you with political views. I get exhausted with it all and people should be more open minded and hear things from the other side. I think sooner or later we just need to accept what is happening and get involved as citizens since we have the opportunity to vote.

[macyocheese]

Sensoron Manga Review

Yea I don't know if this is the best way to get introduced into manga with this series. I am confused on what was happening in what we read. I guess the story was on Japanese history and kind of looking at it from a far right view as the professor mentioned in class. From what I recall, the manga seemed to start out at the main dudes office and there was a problem happening and then it transitioned into how this problem is similar to history of Japan.

Again I was a little lost but kind of understood what was happening with testimonies. I guess in the political world I lean more toward the right. My mom has mixed views but my father is pretty far right minded and so using his mindset I kind of understood things near the end. What I got from the manga was that a testimony for something happening could be considered helpful or also invalid. There was also mention of late testimonies after a matter had ended which is something that has come up in our society recently.

Adding to the last statement, it is kind of frustrating that every time someone enters office people have to bring up their history and things they have done in the past that ruin their reputation. Both Trump and Biden have some pretty bad stuff on them that people have brought up on the news.

I do think that this rape stuff from the war is a much serious topic and I think their testimonies are all valid since everyone knows that comfort girls were a real thing happening. I guess I am confused on what exactly you can do then to raise awareness for the situation and have it never happen again. I understand the far right view that it mentioned that, the comfort girls thing was "something of that era". On one hand, there is nothing we can do to change the past but on the other, we can raise awareness and not let it happen or make sure in the future it is to be punished for. I know now, more people would stand against those actions.

I am not the most informed on politics and the political world so this is definitely a harder read for me. Same with the hetalia show. I watched it in sub which I guess was a mistake looking back. I would have probably enjoyed the dub better. History and politics are not my thing. I hope class will help me understand what is going on with this manga. Your Name to this manga is a weird jump tbh.

[ceejayblogs]

4/14/23: Shinkai  – Your Name

Makoto Shinkai films are simply beautiful. Having seen this film several years ago, I’m still in awe at how crisp and nice the animations and scenes are. The music from Radwimps is amazing and this film holds up pretty well in my heart today.

Much of the film can be taken in through the scenery. I think that Makoto does a great job of showcasing this through its insane attention to detail and brief pauses that are light but powerful. This combined with very noticeable symbolism in the bracelet ties and the infinity sign of the lake, creates some pretty interesting motifs. The red strings seem to draw a parallel to human relationships in how they “twist, tangle, sometimes unravel and break, and then connect again”. The infinity symbol of the lake also seems to touch on a sense of unchangingness and eternity. 

Above all, I feel that Your Name excels at presenting the idea of love and empathy. Being that Mitsuha and Taki live completely different lives in different environments, it forces them to be aware of each other’s presence when they switch. Through chaotic messes and shenanigans, they both become understanding and grateful for the other person. And towards the end with a powerful finish, Makoto takes great note of that and presents a great portrayal of what it means to love someone. It can make an individual feel so powerful and capable of doing anything. The way it can push someone like Taki to try so hard to find Mitsuha or cause tears for Mitsuha in setting up Taki on a date, feels so well done.

While some people have commented on how convoluted and confusing it is to understand Makoto’s intentions (which I do agree with to some degree), I do feel like watching this for a second time has definitely helped a lot in my own understanding of it. Having watched this, The Gardens of Words, and Weathering With You, I’m excited to see what Makoto Shinkai creates with his new film. 

[macyocheese]

I was in the same situation as you, I had seen this movie before but was super confused on what happened and even when my friend explained it I was still lost. Having watched it a second time, I understand the whole film a lot better now and the themes are much clearer. On the topic of love, they both acted selfless for one another and there lives were connected. Surprisingly, it is not a major theme in this movie but rather a cause of other themes shown throughout. For example, I think the fate of the red string and how it connected them together, going through a similar challenge caused them to fall in love.

[macyocheese]

Your Name Review

Rating 9/10

This movie is amazing and it is so much deeper than you really think. The first time that I saw this movie I was super confused. I watched it a second time and then I understood it. It wasn't until I was writing up my presentation and discussing with my partner did I see how much deeper the story is.

A main theme in this movie is sexuality. In the movie Taki and Mitsuha are switching bodies and they experience different things. For example, when they switch the friends they have notice there is a big change. Taki is more aggressive and acts more masculine in Mitsuha's body which is shocking to people around her and the opposite when Mitsuha is in Taki's body. Another theme is fate. The meteor was going to crash into Mitsuha's home town no matter what but Taki had the power to rewrite that destiny as we see him sip from the fermented saki. They work together to get everyone in Mitsuha's town to saftey to decrease the amount of people in the tragedy. They do this because Taki and Mitsuha are experiencing these things 3 years apart. Also they met each other prior to all this chaotic switching and the red string that was Mitsuha's was given to Taki when they first met and Taki didn't know who she was. Taki then wore the string around his wrist long after that.

I am looking forward to presenting and sharing more themes that we found as a group... the other two themes i havent mentioned that are present are Power and Traditional vs. Modern.

[academic-weapon]

Hetalia: Axis Powers

word count: 396 words 04.07.23

I watched dub, if it matters. Purely for the extra everything. The show somehow did a pretty alright job at striking a form of balance between absolute nonsense and pretty reasonable commentary, though the latter you certainly have to look for. The show is, in essence, a combination of comedy, cultural commentary, and social critique.

I'd say it's comedic in nature, first and foremost. The show takes a lighthearted and satirical approach to explore historical events and cultural differences between countries. The use of humor and exaggerated national stereotypes is meant to make light of serious and complex topics, making them more approachable and entertaining for viewers. For example, Italy is depicted as a pasta-loving coward, Germany as an efficient but uptight workaholic, and America as a loud and brash jerk with a savior complex... so on and so forth.

I absolutely understand any offense anyone could take with these portrayals... but I suppose it's also hard to remain genuinely upset when the show doesn't really take itself seriously. I mean, the show often breaks the fourth wall and acknowledges its own absurdity, with characters commenting on the events and situations they find themselves in. This self-awareness really just serves to emphasize the show's lack of seriousness and its intent to entertain rather than to educate or make political statements.

It's worth noting, however, that this lack of seriousness does not mean that the show is devoid of meaning or value:

The characters struggle with their national identities and cultural traditions, highlighting the complexities of national identity and the ways in which individuals are shaped by their cultural and historical contexts.

The show critiques extreme nationalism and the ways in which it can lead to conflicts between countries.

It depicts the consequences of imperialism and the ways in which it can lead to oppression, war, and other forms of violence.

By highlighting the similarities and differences between different nations, the show encourages viewers to engage with other cultures and to seek out common ground.

While the show does use national stereotypes for comedic effect, it also critiques the harmful effects of stereotyping and encourages viewers to look beyond surface-level differences to find commonalities between people of different cultures.

While Hetalia's social commentary and criticism may not be as prominent as its comedy and satire, it does explore important issues alright. It's just not the main focus.

[macyocheese]

Your account name holds true. I am impressed you got all of that from this show. I enjoyed learning more about the purpose of the show and the things it draws attention to. I was just not into the show and I am not the biggest fan of history. I enjoy learning it the first time but not a fan. I like how you mentioned the important themes that it tries to get across despite the shows lack of seriousness. I guess I kind of did notice a lot of insecurity across some countries that were mentioned and its culture. Italy is pretty proud of it culture but I felt like France was very insecure about a lot of things.

[macyocheese]

Hetalia: Axis Powers Review (Ep. 1-19)

Rating 3/10

I thought this was going to be funny and entertaining and it kind of was but it was mostly just annoying. It was very fast paced and I was pretty confused throughout the show. I felt like there was a lack of structure. As the show progressed the axis powers joined together like in WW2 and the countries tended to reflect back on their past which I understood. I was confused on why the baby italy was in a dress and holy rome was there, everything about that made me uncomfortable.

I am gonna be honest, I do not know what the professor wants us to get out of this show. One thing I saw was sexuality, Italy was super weak and lame throughout the whole show. He showed very feminine qualities and as a kid wore a dress? He cried and complained a lot throughout the show. I want to know what the writer has against Italy. I looked up the meaning behind Hetalia and it means stupid Italy. I guess it is accurate for the most part based off of history...

Germany and Japan made sense based on stereotypes. Italy was the most annoying and obnoxious out of all the characters and France was a close second. I was also pretty confused on the plot. The flow of the show just confused me throughout. The axis powers would prepare to fight against England. However, I didn't understand the side of the allied powers. They were really unorganized.

I would not recommend this show unless you think you would like it and enjoy world history.

[bleachenjoyer]

4/6 - Xenoblade Chronicles 2

I had heard of Xenoblade Chronicles prior to watching these cutscenes (mostly due to characters from the series' inclusion in Super Smash Brothers) but I didn't know very much about its actual plot or anything from the actual games prior to watching these cutscenes. Admittedly, I had to look up a plot summary to bridge some of the gaps and fully grasp what was going on, but once I had both watched the cutscenes and read the synopsis, I could see that this game paints a picture of some themes that could definitely be described as eco-consciousness as well as some that could warn of the effect humanity can have on itself if no accountability is in place.

From the beginning of the cutscene playlist, I immediately drew connections to elements of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. The Cloud Sea paralleled the Toxic Jungle to me - an area not fully understood, not habitable, and as we come to find, the result of human action. It's not hard to draw a connection to real-world pollution and the ruination of land as a result of human activity. This theme is compounded upon by the destruction of Elysium, as a direct result of individual actions. However, the message is not all negative and bleak - the end of the story sees the dissolution of the Cloud Sea and an almost reborn world, which I believe implies a hopeful message and the possibility for humanity to turn itself around before it's too late.

Overall, though there are definitely many elements of the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 cutscenes that aren't related to this theme, I believe that the story communicates the importance of preserving the world and the potential ramifications of letting the actions of certain individuals go unchecked and ruining the environment for everyone else.

[macyocheese]

When I was trying to write my review on this I couldn't exactly pin point what theme the professor was trying to get across to us. However, I did notice at the beginning of our cutscene journey, Rex wanted to change the world so that everyone didn't have to worry about the decrease of land and titans. I like that you got right to the point and mentioned its relation to nausicaa of the valley of the wind. Below the sea of clouds it is indeed inhabitable, everyone lives a top the titans or inside them. We see at the end that the titans are just pieces of land and they all connected back to the mainland which was a gift from the Architect.

[macyocheese]

Xenoblade 2 Cutscenes review

Rating 7.8/10

I give this show a 7.8 because the story is really cool and I had a die hard fan of xenoblade explaining the cutscenes we skipped and how chronicles 2 connects to chronicles 1. Also Pyra and Mythra, duh.

The cutscenes that we watched mainly followed Pyra/Mythra (eagis blade) and Rex her driver. They both start off wanting separate things out of the relationship when Pyra gave some of her life force to Rex and they became a blade/driver relationship. Over time, they saw how they were not connected or much of a team. This is right around where Rex and the group lost Pyra to Jin and Malos. Rex said he was wrong to not follow Pyra's dream and was living for her. When Pyra/Mythra feel pain so does he and he doesn't want them to feel that. Pyra and Mythra reveal all there power to Rex and Rex still wants to be their driver.

It was interesting that this show had two O.P. characters in it. It seemed like Pyra and Mythra just kept surprising Malos and everyone else. I feel like Malos was the weakest of the three Eagis that the Architect created. At the end we see that Pyra and Mythra sacrifice themselves to blow up there world or something and the gift that the architect gives everyone else is that the titans all become one land. I think Pyra and Mythra are still alive because she gave Rex her crystal core. I cant really see too many obvious themes other than team work and maybe the blade/titan lifecycle and how the blades are objectified. That is one thing Rex learned and he started to treat pyra and Mythra as a person rather than a blade that is used for fighting.

For me I learned to have your friend who is a huge Xenoblade fan watch the cutscenes with you so you can understand and enjoy the story line. If I knew there were huge story line video games like this in the past I would probably be a big video game guy. I guess that would be one of my alternate time lines that the characters of the video game saw.(reason unknown)

[ceejayblogs]

4/2/23: Miyazaki – Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 

After watching Spirited Away and now this film, I have to say that this honestly caught me off guard at how enjoyable this was. The visuals and music were great and I felt that the story was more fluid and understandable. Like Spirited Away, Miyazaki casts a great example of environmental problems that stem from human involvement. I also noticed that much of the themes that are explored in the film, such as Princess Nausicaä’s position of power defying traditional gender roles to war between humans and insects, are very much in line with previous themes that we have discussed in class.

The movie’s premise is based around humanity’s struggle against a toxic growing jungle in a ‘sea of decay’. It’s interesting to see how parallel this concept is with environmental changes today, as projections predict that further tampering with the environment will lead to drastic consequences in the near future. Because of these circumstances, the insects inhabiting the toxic jungle are often misunderstood and mistreated by humans. Princess Nausicaä serves as the character that seeks to bridge the gap between humans and nature; to co-exist with one another. It’s incredible to see how far she’s willing to go for mankind, honing her resolve after seeing her father pass away and selflessly sacrificing her life amidst many people going against her ideas. It serves as this great wake-up call and questions the legitimacy of war-like efforts in order for humans to exist without nature. Lastly, I’d also like to touch on how Miyazaki defies traditional gender roles with female lead characters. Just like Spirited Away, Princess Nausicaä is a female lead that breaks the traditional gender role of a male character in power saving his people from danger. It’s nice to see how everyone in the valley of the wind appreciates Nausicaä’s efforts and believes in her.

[macyocheese]

Great blog post, I like how you mentioned that like in spirited away, the main character is a female. All the studio ghibli movies I have watched have a lead female character but it is not something I have noticed until now. It is pretty cool now that you mention it. I feel like it just positively adds to the film. I also liked how you mentioned this film shows the legitimacy of war like efforts and how we humans can't live without nature. I love nature myself and would stand up for it as well as to be more sustainable and that might be why I enjoyed this film as well. This movie should be popularized so more people can learn the great lesson in this movie.

[macyocheese]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind Review

Rating 9/10

This movie was really good. It was way before it's time for sure! There was all the emotions as well. It had a lot of action that I was not expecting too.

I saw a couple of themes throughout this movie. One was that the nature of the world was misunderstood by the humans so they all wanted to kill the source that was driving them out of a certain area. The insects of the Sea are the protectors so they naturally attack people who do any harm to the Sea/Forest. However, Nausicaa had a heart for the insects and the forest. We see in the beginning that she is hunting around for specimen to collect and is skilled at taming these big insects called Ohmus. We learn this Sea/forest is spreading a toxin around causing humans to die and leave their lands. Another nation comes into the Valley of the Wind, Nausicaas home, and crash lands. The wind people submit to them and we see that Nausicaa has a secret layer of all the toxic plants from the Sea but the air in the layer is pure.

We learn that there is something deeper behind why the plants are emitting toxic gas and Nausicaa knows why. She ends up saving her village in the end and fulfilling the prophecy that the Old Lady spoke of when she tames a massive heard of Ohmus. Throughout the movie she speaks of stopping war and killing. She tries to get people to see clearly about the Sea the other nations want to destroy and the insects are just protecting it.

Nausicaa shows many interesting leadership skills that were very impressive for a young girl, she is pretty lit. She goes around the world endangering herself and courageously stepping up for the insects and the forest. If you think about it, it is a pretty common theme for humans to be blinded by their actions and just see an animal protecting its home as a threat. Not stepping in the shoes of other or willing to see the other side of a problem.

I noticed that people think Nausicaa is wearing no pants, why is her jumpsuit the same color as her hands lol

I would recommend this movie to anyone. It was better than spirited away for sure. I just don't understand the hype around Spirited Away and I have seen it twice. Maybe its just a personal preference thing.

[macyocheese]

SwampCon Blog Post

Rating 3/10

This is a picture of me at SwampCon. I came, I saw, I left. I just didn't vibe with the whole thing. I will say my favorite spot was Artist Ally, I liked seeing the creative art in the two rooms. Other than that though, I am not that into the cosplaying or maid room stuff. I just like to watch anime shows. I have been to Comic Con in Tampa that was really awesome! I dropped like 150 bucks there. I thought all the cosplay was cool, the voice actor meet and greets (I watch sub only so I can't enjoy that part really), and all the artwork people bring. SwampCon was just not it for me.

It was really interesting to see there are people in the Gainesville area who are really into this stuff. The rest of the school likes to make it known the furries are out and they were indeed all participating in this event. Probably because of what we saw in Genshiken. They feel accepted and not judged at something like SwampCon or they just enjoy dressing up as a big animal. They had a whole maid cafe as well where you are sat down and get free food served to you. I saw too many guys in maid costumes and had to dip. It wasn't the vibe I was trying to be in on a Sunday afternoon.

I guess the most comparison I saw from our shows we have seen is Genshiken. Some people go all in and were having a lot of fun at this event. I showed up at like 11 so not much was happening and not a lot of people were there. I probably came at a lame time but I just counldn't stay longer than I did. It was not that interesting to me.