MatchaBlossom

[50caldragon]

My Favorite Non-Ghibli But Ghibli Movie

So I watched Your Name years ago with my sister and I still love it. I fully remember the first time going in and expecting a fluffy body-swap romcom. You know, harmless Freaky Friday shenanigans. And yeah, sure, there’s some awkward “oops I have your body now” moments (Taki, get your hands off Mitsuha’s chest challenge: failed repeatedly), but then????? BAM. meteor strike, rural erasure, grief spiral, time travel???? Please it still hits so hard (like the meteor) to this day when watching it again even knowing what happens.

Sobbing over braided cords as metaphors for fate and gender and memory and yadiyada. Foucault would’ve eaten this up. Every tiny interaction like Mitsuha getting called out for “unmanly” behavior in Taki’s body, or just the straight up performance Mitsuha does at the begining of the movie, shows how norms aren’t just from The State™, they’re in your classmates, your grandma, your bento box (not the one on 13th under The Standard. Or maybe yes it is???) Casual, quiet power? Devastating. Gorgeous. Thank you, I hate it.

And then there’s Hetalia.

Y’all. Hetalia is like if someone gave Model U.N. a Tumblr filter (or lack thereof) and no impulse control. It’s pure chaotic energy. It’s history fanfiction on crack. I half expected to see miku binder Jefferson (if you get that, I know who you are). But like… why did it actually make me think about Sensōron?? Kobayashi (I'm sorry I kept thinking of Kobayashi's Dragon Maid) talks about Japan’s struggle with war guilt and nationalism, and here’s Hetalia throwing on a chibi filter and going “let’s make war trauma cute!” Is it bad? Is it brilliant? I don’t know. My brain melted. I lied, I do know. It's bad. Throwing me back to my youtube animation phase.

But real talk: both Hetalia and Your Name dig into how Japan wrestles with identity, memory, and what gets remembered or totally glossed over. One does it through tragedy and funky time travel. The other does it through cosplay and memes.

The duality of man.

[matchablossomblog]

I also watched Your Name in the past, but I came to appreciate it more now. It definitely gives Freaky Friday vibes at the beginning and then takes a turn and becomes something emotional and dramatic. It reminds me of other anime that are filled with so much emotion like Your Lie in April and Violet Evergarden. I agree that Hetalia was chaotic, especially with so much going on in short episodes. The following episode either continued what happened in the previous one, or featured something else, which made it confusing.

[matchablossomblog]

Your Name/Hetalia/Sensoron

I’ve seen Your Name before, which was a few years ago. Before rewatching it, I remember I felt very confused after seeing it for the first time and googling what I watched. I didn’t understand the hype and why everyone enjoyed it, while I was left wondering what happened; however, I do recall appreciating the animation and soundtrack. I think that it was good seeing it again from an older viewpoint, and after watching the lecture.

Your name reminds me of the Disney movie The Swap. In this movie, Ellie, the female lead, had to provide a masculine performance and play hockey while in Jack's body. While in Ellie's body, Jack had to provide a feminine performance and do gymnastics. I thought this fit with the lecture on how men and women are expected to act, as seen in the scene where Mitsuha, in Taki's body, is expected to use the proper pronoun with his friends. I also noticed that the grandma mentioned that her son abandoned being a Shinto priest to go into politics. This reminded me of the first module that discussed different essentialisms, one of which was Closeness to Nature, inspired by the Shinto religion. I noted the scene where Mitsuha cuts her hair. Cutting hair usually means a new beginning or change. I thought her decision to cut her hair could be a symbol of changing fate, where she and her loved ones would survive the comet fragment that struck and destroyed Itomori.

I have never heard of, nor seen, Hetalia before this course. However, I found it to be a very interesting watch. I thought it was intriguing how the characters represented different countries and their personalities reflected the stereotypes of their countries. I found some parts of the anime to be comedic, and the lack of a filter for some comments caught me off guard. One comment that I noted was in the English dub episode 9, when Britain commented that America would become a diabetic fat person if he continued on a burger-only diet. I thought this drew attention to the stereotype of an overweight American due to the large portion size and affordability of fast food burgers. I also connected Italy from Hetalia to Mort from All Hail King Julian. I thought they shared an attachment to and reliance on another character, Germany for Italy, and King Julian for Mort. Furthermore, they have obsessions, as Italy is obsessed with pasta and food, while Mort is obsessed with feet.

I have read other manga and Sensoron was definitely the most biased one. I’m glad for the warning about it being biased since it could easily be misinterpreted as entirely true. This piece was my least favorite content in the module; however, I understand its connection to Hetalia and the topics discussed in the lectures regarding nationalism.

[ufliaprice]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind / Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was a super cozy watch for me. Honestly, anything environmental is pretty cozy. I really enjoyed it. One of the things I noted was that Nausicaa was not only a super strong female lead but also a princess. It’s not a super popular trope, but even when that trope is used, the princess always needs some kind of major saving along the way. However, this was not the case for Nausicaa. She was highly independent throughout the entire film and ended up saving her people all on her own in the end. Another thing that stood out to me is the prophecy. The person depicted in the prophecy was a man. However, I caught on to the fact that the person who would fulfill the prophecy would be Nausicaa early on. Only the old lady realized at the end that Nausicaa had fulfilled the prophecy. I don’t think many people realized either because they didn’t know it, or because Nausicaa is female.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 seems like a game that I would love to play. I really enjoy fantasy RPGs, and this game appealed to me on many levels. The thing that stood out to me right away is that, in the beginning, other than some creatures here and there, there was absolutely no nature. No grass, trees, shrubs, or anything other than what was being grown on the Titans’ backs. Everything was super industrial. It seems to me that this game speaks to what our future would look like. Obviously, without the fantastical aspects of the game. But, it’s more so saying that this is what our world could look like in the future. Mostly man-made things and very few aspects of the natural world. In dystopian media, you either have one of two extremes. The two extremes are that there is little to no nature, or nature has overtaken everything.

[matchablossomblog]

I also enjoyed watching Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. To add on to your point about Nausicaa being a strong female lead and a princess, I realized, in the first scene with Asbel (after the plane crashes), she saved him from the insects. The usual concept is for the princess to be saved by the prince, and she displays a switch in the roles. I agree with finding Xenoblade Chronicles 2 to be a game I’m interested in playing. It reminded me of The Legend of Zelda BOTW/TOTK, which I really enjoyed playing.

[matchablossomblog]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind/Xenoblade Chronicles 2

I enjoyed watching Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. I noticed multiple connections between this anime and other anime, as well as other media. One major connection I made was between Nausicaä and the first Avatar film. The beginning scene in the forest, with its diverse creatures and plants, reminded me of the giant forest in Avatar. In Avatar, the Na'vi have neural queues that allow them to connect with other species that have these queues on Pandora. Similarly, the insects in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind have yellow tendrils that they use to make contact with Nausicaä, who has a strong connection with and understanding of the insects. Additionally, firearms are depicted in both movies, creating a similarity in how humans use these weapons against nature. A scene I noted from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was when the planes are descending and are about to crash. The hostages from the village initially do not listen to the cries for them to throw off the cargo (until Nausicaä takes off her mask). I thought this could represent how people struggle with attachment to physical objects. Another connection I made was between this anime and Shin Sekai Yori. In Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, a guard/member of the valley tells Nausicaä that insects and humans can't live together in the same world (as she attempts to protect a small insect). I thought this was similar to Shin Sekai Yori in how the individuals with abilities can't coexist with individuals lacking abilities (since they can kill without the repercussions of death), so they turned those people into Queerats, which they can kill. This shared inability to coexist and the alternative solution both include a conflict between humans and other species.

I found the cutscenes from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 to be interesting since they reminded me of the memory cutscenes in Legend of Zelda BOTW/TOTK. Also, the aegis reminded me of Saber and the other weapon characters in the Fate anime collection. As the cutscenes progressed, Rex's group grew, and more characters joined him on his journey. This reminded me of Hunter X Hunter and Freiren. The final connection I made was with Trigun/Trigun Stampede. In Trigun, the people rely on "plants" to survive since they're used as power sources to run towns/cities. Similarly, the creatures/people in Xenoblade rely on Titans as a home to live on. Overall, I thought that these were two media that help us reflect on the relationship between humanity and nature.

[avalon169]

Neon Genesis Evangelion | The End of Evangelion

(I'm actually crashing out over this one)

Okay so watching this was pretty much an acid trip.

Pertaining to the module, it's pretty clear that Shinji does not possess the traits for hegemonic masculinity. Shinji is scared of operating a giant robot machine and fighting monsters with it, which most boys would find awesome, and he gets scared and wants to quit every time something goes wrong with the Eva. One thing I noticed was that Shinji is basically obligated to fight to protect his country from the angels, which is a very traditionally masculine trait, but he constantly runs away from it. He doesn't seem to have that sense of responsibility to protect people.

I thought that by episode 8 Shinji had finally gained some self-confidence, but it was perhaps just him trying to adopt hegemonic masculinity and one again failing to do so.

The ending of the series seemed to have an overwhelming message of "you can only truly know yourself if you are connected with other people," which I think was a good message and goes with the idea of accepting yourself for who you are. However, the movie didn't really have the same tone to the ending. The movie conveyed a message of eternal struggle and confusion between having a queer masculinity and wanting to be accepted by a traditional society.

Also, I think even though queer masculinity doesn't actually mean the person is gay, Shinji definitely displayed interest in both males and females.

Now about the movie... I definitely have some opinions. My blood was boiling and I was livid. I had to put it on 1.5x speed because I my entire body was too revolted to watch it. I swear this movie is my 13th reason. I actually wish I had never watched it.

I know a lot of people didn’t like Sailor Moon because she was annoying and cried a lot, but in my opinion Shinji is so much worse. He’s the typical anime main character that’s like “I suck I suck everyone hates me blah blah” but he barely improves and his attitude doesn’t change. AND THEN he spent the ENTIRE movie sulking and acts all shocked when his friends drop like flies around him.

Basically every character in NGE has more hegemonic masculinity that Shinji, and I think it just gets to a point where he's just too useless and he makes it hard to enjoy the movie (besides all the other nonsense happening at the same time).

For example, Asuka is literally shoved into a robot while STILL in a coma and somehow manages to KICK ASS (wait can I say that?) right after waking up, yet Shinji is curled up like a baby while everyone around him gets shot to death.

Don’t even get me started on the hospital scene.

I honestly wish Shinji hadn’t accepted himself at the end because I certainly don’t.

There was one thing that I loved about this series though, and that was the music! The opening is iconic obviously, but the orchestral music during the fights scenes and the ending theme were also incredible.

[matchablossomblog]

I agree with how you found Shinji to be very weak and the complete opposite of the stereotypical idea of a male individual. You mentioned that he didn’t seem to have a sense of responsibility and I agree with that. At the beginning of the anime, I assumed that he would start with a lack of courage and sense of duty, but then eventually grow and become stronger. However, I was disappointed when I discovered that he didn’t grow or progress that much as the anime continued. I also disliked the movie and found it disturbing while showing little character growth with Shinji. I definitely agree that Shinji is worse with the crying situation compared to Usagi. She cries but has a sense of responsibility and grows stronger, in contrast to Shinji who continuously attempts to run away from his problems.

[matchablossomblog]

Neon Genesis Evangelion

I found Neon Genesis Evangelion to be slightly confusing; it honestly was not one of my favorite anime that we watched throughout this course, but I made multiple connections between this anime and the others. One connection I made was between this anime and Spirited Away. In Neon Genesis Evangelion, they speak about how only 14-year-olds can pilot the Evas. In Spirited Away, Chihiro is required to work to fix her parents' mistakes. They share a similarity in children being required to work to clean up the mess of previous generations. Another connection is between Shinji and Nishimiya from A Silent Voice, as both express that they hate themselves. In the 8th episode, I noted that the old men on the ship were skeptical about the 14-year-olds being pilots in charge of protecting and defending humanity. I found this to be important because it reflected a generational conflict between maintaining old methods and attempting new ones. I also found a connection between Shinji in Neon Genesis Evangelion and Takemichi Hanagaki from Tokyo Revengers. In both anime, these male protagonists are perceived as weak because they do not conform to society's ideal of a man. They both cry, but a main difference is that Takemichi continues fighting and moving forward despite his doubts and fears while Shinji is forced to. In episode 26, I noted the scene where Rei has toast in her mouth while running late to school. It's a classic cliche seen in many anime where a female student is running late with toast in her mouth and then runs into a male character, such as Romantic Killer and Sailor Moon.

In the movie, I found multiple scenes slightly disturbing. During the part where Rei and Kaworu confront Shinji in her giant form, I found it peculiar that half of her face was distorted, creating a gruesome image, and her attachment to Kaworu was also strange. I was also uncomfortable with how the humans just exploded into orange puddles, and with the depiction of Rei's death. While I did not enjoy those aspects, I think that the verbally narrated message held value.

[avalon169]

Convention Experience

MegaCon, April 1st 2023

I’ve only been to one big convention before and it was MegaCon 2023 in Orlando. I had never been interested in attending anything like this, but my friend invited me to go with her so I figured it would be an interesting experience. I never really liked cosplay, but my friend handmade her own Technoblade (R.I.P. King) cosplay so I wanted to try cosplaying too. I went as Kyoka Izumi from Bungo Stray Dogs, partially because I really like the character, and partially because I already have long, dark hair so I wouldn’t need a wig.

I had no idea what to expect but I had looked up the guest celebrities that would be there and my idol, John Cleese, was on the list. Many people know him from Monty Python, but I had been a fan of his British comedy show called Fawlty Towers since I was very young. Although I didn’t actually get to meet him, because my friend and her family didn’t want to wait in line, I did briefly talk to some of the other people waiting and many of them loved Fawlty Towers as well. I was surprised because it’s not as well known, but happy to find other people who enjoyed it as much as me, especially because I feel like that show is peak British comedy and everyone should watch it (however, it’s wildly offensive).

My friend was excited to meet other cosplayers and take pictures with them. At the time, I wasn’t really aware of any of the members in the Dream SMP, but I remember meeting another person cosplaying as Jsclatt. My friend participated in a few cosplaying events, though I didn’t really understand what was going on. I was more nervous about meeting and taking pictures with strangers than she was because I was never part of the community. I remember two girls coming up to me to take a group photo because they were dressed as Chuuya and Dazai, also from Bungo Stray Dogs. I could see how many people at the convention really enjoyed just bonding over common interests and getting to meet new people.

The main floor of the convention was filled with stands for anime merchandise and other miscellaneous interests. One stand that really interested me was the D&D dice table. I think this was my first encounter with fancy, handmade resin dice, so when I looked at the prices, I almost had a heart attack. Way too expensive. Despite this, I liked looking at all the cool art that people made based on their interests.

Looking at all the events on their website, there actually wasn’t too much I wanted to do so I let my friends decide where to go most of the time. One event I was interested in, however, was the K-pop meeting. I went to the room it was being held in with my friend’s mom and got to meet a few other people who liked TWICE like me. We talked about who our favorite members were and they showed me their collections of photocards. I even got given a few items by one of the girls I met. I didn’t bring any of my photocards to trade, but I still enjoyed talking to them about my favorite K-pop group. 2023 was back when I had a major K-pop phase, so at the time, I pretty much made it my whole personality. I also didn’t have any friends who liked K-pop so I didn’t have anyone to talk about it with. Therefore, meeting other people that understood my obsession was fun.

To be honest, I don’t remember much else about MegaCon because I found it to be mostly boring. I get that a lot of people are very excited about attending conventions like these, but I just don’t think I liked how huge and crowded it was. I also don’t feel like I was too excited about many of the events, which were directed toward people with more interest in video games and cosplaying than I was. I still think it was a good experience because now I know what I won’t be spending my money on, and I got a college assignment out of it. I also know that the way I participate in fandom is different from how the people attending these conventions participate.

[matchablossomblog]

I’ve been wanting to attend MegaCon in Orlando since it’s one of the largest conventions in Florida! I also think your Izumi costume is great! I can definitely relate to your shock with the price of some handmade items since these events always have amazing handmade products, but cost a lot due to the time and effort behind making them. While I enjoyed my experience with these types of events, I also disliked how they get extremely crowded and uncomfortable.

[avalon169]

Sailor Moon

I’ve been wanting to watch Sailor Moon so I’m glad it was one that we got to watch for this class. I went in not really knowing what to expect but I can definitely see how this is directed towards girls, and I also believe the original manga was written by a woman. I like that this show demonstrates feminist ideas that girls can be heroes too, not just boys, while at the same time not changing Usagi’s girly personality. Usagi is very traditionally ‘feminine’ as she wears cute clothes, she has really long hair that she wears in pigtails, and she cries a lot. However, she uses these feminine items like her princess crown, wand, and makeup to fight bad guys. She also presents herself as the “Pretty Guardian” who fights for love. This isn’t the typical “superhero” that people are used to, but Sailor Moon channels her femininity into her hero form which gives her strength and the ability to protect vulnerable populations like young girls.

Aggretsuko

I watched this show when it first came out on Netflix, and I remember liking it. I think Retsuko is basically a representation of a lot of women in a corporate job field and how they feel like they’re stuck in that situation, yet have to just continue playing their part as a female who behaves femininely and tries not to rock the boat. Mr. Ton was very annoying in the beginning because of his behavior towards women and especially Restuko. When women are treated badly in their jobs they probably feel like screaming insults like Retusko does through her death metal, but they can’t act out of place because it would jeopardize their job. I could understand why Retsuko’s plan was to become cuter, get married, and never have to go back to her office job again. Even though this is the more expected path for women, which enforces gender performance, unfortunately it is the only way to escape that corporate world for women like Retsuko.

Wandering Son

I didn’t really like this anime as much because I found the story just more boring, but the biggest point I picked up on was how girls who dress more masculine are seen as cool and people are more supportive of it. However, when Nitori wants to dress as a girl but people discourage it because they are worried she’ll get picked on. Even her friend Takatsuki, who supports her transgender vision doesn’t want Nitori to go to school in a girl’s uniform.

I figured this is because it’s Harder to society to accept more feminine guys than it is to accept masculine girls. Girls have been adopting more masculine traits over a long period of time, it’s been a long and gradual process, and it’s been at more of the forefront of feminist movements.

[matchablossomblog]

I liked how you mentioned Retsuko’s situation with having the option to either get married or continue working at a job she dislikes. This reminded me of the work culture lecture about the Office Lady. Retsuko ends up fitting this gender norm and occupation as an ideal woman. I also kind of found Wandering Son to be boring, but I liked how you pointed out that Nitori’s friend did not want her to go to school in a girl’s uniform but supposedly supported her transgender vision. This part felt contradicting as one would expect Takatsuki to support her friend, despite the backlash Nitori would face from her peers.

[matchablossomblog]

Sailor Moon/Aggretsuko/Wandering Son

I have seen some episodes of Aggretsuko before this class, but I had not seen Sailor Moon and Wandering Son. I enjoyed watching Aggretsuko and Sailor Moon. Something I noted while watching Aggretsuko was how she attempted to do yoga, which was somewhat similar to Usagi in Sailor Moon. I noticed a similarity between how they attempt to use exercise as a means to conform to societal norms; however, Aggretsuko tries to make yoga a way to relax, while Usagi attempts to exercise to lose weight. I also think that the scene where Retsuko could not cook good yakisoba. I felt like this scene challenged the gender norms of women knowing how to cook to provide for their partner and family. I related to how Retsuko uses singing and music as a way to decompress as I also use music and singing as a way to relax. In Sailor Moon, I thought that the girls' desire to become thinner is a major aspect that still exists to this day. Many girls, especially teenagers, can easily feel pressured to conform to societal beauty standards. A part that stood out to me in Wandering Son was where Nitori's sister calls him "sick" because he is interested in female presentation. I immediately connected this to Psycho-Pass from module four. It reminded me of how individuals who could not self-discipline themselves were considered "sick" by society and deemed criminals or potential criminals. It also reminded me about how some people in the real world who struggle mentally are also seen as sick and are sent to a therapist or psychiatrist. Nitori's interests also reminded me of another anime, Wind Breaker. In this anime, Tasuku Tsubakino is also interested in feminine presentation. He's focused on stylish clothing, wearing makeup, and enjoys dancing. These are all activities and interests usually associated with femininity. I thought this was a perfect comparison as Niroti and Tsubakino both enjoy dressing in feminine clothing and having a feminine presentation. Additionally, they both believe that their feminine presentation properly expresses their true selves. I think this connection also shows a growing presentation of and awareness for these individuals who seek acceptance for their interests in media.

[matchablossomblog]

Convention

I have been to four anime conventions: Otakufest, Florida Supercon, FtLauderdale Anime-Fest, and Spirit of Japan. Otakufest was the first one I went to in 2023. I remember that I was excited since it was my first one. They had a gaming area, a meet and greet area, a maid cafe, an artist alley, and regular vendors. I also saw these aspects at other anime conventions like Florida Supercon and Spirit of Japan. When I went to Florida Supercon in 2023, I attended a panel that consisted of voice actors for a game, and checked out other events they offered. They also had a section set up like a scene from Star Wars. When I went to Spirit of Japan in 2024, it was mainly concentrated on Japanese culture along with anime, gaming, and manga. They had performances with drums and dances. They also had a maid cafe like the other conventions, and had a gaming area filled with older and discontinued consoles. This event also had Japanese voice actors in attendance. Spirit of Japan also offered some Japanese events such as calligraphy, super ball scooping (similar to goldfish scooping), food making events, and more. I found these events exciting since they were similar to the activities seen in anime. They also had kimonos displayed and other areas to take pictures in. One part that I enjoyed about this convention in particular was the food vendors. There was a wider variety of Asian food available at this event such as Filipino, Chinese, and Japanese food. I liked this difference from other anime conventions I’ve been to since Otakufest and Florida Supercon mainly offered regular concession food with a small variety of different foods. At these events, I dressed up or wore an anime-related outfit. For Florida Supercon and FtLauderdale Anime-Fest, I wore a costume (A Japanese-style costume and Violet Evergarden). For Otakufest I wore a Spy x Family shirt while I wore a very casual cosplay of a character from Skip Beat at Spirit of Japan.

At all of these events, I remember seeing people at tables selling books and comics that they wrote. Now, I correlate those parts of the convention to textual productivity. Before this class, I did not think much of these tables, but after learning about the three productivity, and seeing the effort Ogiue from Genshiken makes in module seven. I found a new appreciation for their efforts in creating a new piece of work. One part that I mainly enjoy about these conventions is looking at and purchasing items from small businesses in the artist alley. I like to collect a wide variety of characters in different art styles and I appreciate the work put into these pieces. As someone who attempted to create a small business, it is extremely difficult and time-consuming to maintain a small business and make a profit from handmade/personalized products. Additionally, during the time I started my small business, I looked into the costs of having a table in the artist alley, and it was very expensive for these conventions. This experience has made me more supportive of small businesses, despite some high prices, especially at events like anime conventions. Furthermore, I also like attending these events because it can be easier to find unique styles of a character or a character who is not very popular. I have also seen enunciative productivity at these events where people would gather to talk about their favorite media. Some would also get into conversations because of a notable cosplay or a shared interest in a character. At all of these conventions, one can find different events, vendors, and actors who appeal to those who are fans of gaming, anime, manga, comics, movies, and much more. It creates a space for fans to feel safe in exploring and enjoying their interests. This is similar to how Sasahara feels about being at the comic conventions seen in seasons one and two. I think anime conventions can be fun events to attend with people who have similar interests or interests addressed at these events. I am not sure if I will attend any more in the future, but I believe that the ones I attended were a great experience and connected to the topics discussed in this class. 

(I also attached pictures from Florida Supercon and Spirit of Japan)

[ufliaprice]

Genshiken

When I first started watching Genshiken, it started off super boring, and there wasn’t much happening at all. The first thing I noticed was that one of the characters in the show that they were watching looked awfully similar to Haruhi in Ouran High School Host Club. This reminded of how shows typically reuse characters because of a character that became popular at some point. Other than that, a couple of other things stood out to me. Obviously, the first one is the sexualization of everything. It really caught me off guard. Especially the yaoi in the second season. I was not expecting that at all. I feel like the show mainly focused on the sexual aspect of the otaku, and it also normalizes having an interest in said sexual media. Thankfully, I watched it on my phone because I have no idea how I would begin to explain what I was watching to someone without dying of embarrassment. So, the embarrassment that the characters felt in the show definitely checks out. Another thing that stood out was how the fandom kind of bled into their reality, even though they are aware of the difference between fiction and reality. For example, the scenes with the dating simulation to make the decision on what to say in real life in season one, and the making of the BL based on real people in season two. Even though fiction and reality are separated, the characters still use the fandoms to navigate the real world in some aspects. The last thing that I want to point out is the sense of community. We find that, in season one, the main character feels shame about his interests and tries to pretend that he isn’t into that in the beginning. But, as the show continues, he becomes more comfortable within the club and finally feels like he has a place the he belongs where he can relate to people that share the same interests. Though the content over which they bond is questionable, it just goes to show that finding community, no matter who you are, is always important.

[matchablossomblog]

I also found the beginning of Genshiken very boring. I like how you connected Haruhi from OHSHC, and related it back to the reuse of characters mentioned in the lecture. I was also surprised by how much sexualization was depicted throughout the anime, especially contrasting the anime seen prior to Module 7 (which contained some, but not as much as Genshiken did). I really liked how you mentioned community, which I also mentioned in my post, and Sasahara's growth because of the club.

[matchablossomblog]

Genshiken

At the beginning of Genshiken, I found that the first few episodes were not engaging for me. However, as the story progressed, I found that those episodes were necessary for context. I thought that this anime successfully depicted fans and participation in semiotic, enunciative, and textual productivity, as mentioned in the lectures. In season 2, I noted a discussion between one of the Japanese girls and Angela. She explains that the Japanese place a high value on nonverbal communication and the expression of unsaid feelings. I thought this connected back to Spirited Away and A Silent Voice, which utilize full animation to express emotions through action rather than speech. Another part I noticed was in season 2, episode 11. In this episode, Sasahara mentions to Ogiue that he feels worthless because he failed to secure a job. I thought this related to the work culture in Japan discussed in Module 3, including Eden of the East. What stood out to me overall was Sasahara finding a place to belong in the Genshiken club. I thought this was similar to the discrimination discussion in Module 6, especially with Wolf Children and A Silent Voice, since they include small communities where individuals have a sense of belonging. However, Sasahara's finding Genshiken as a safe space for him mainly drew my attention because I could relate to how my high school drama club became a place to belong. As a 9th grader, I was shy and was not very active in any clubs. I was interested in joining the drama club as a part of tech. One day, I ended up on stage due to a misunderstanding. I was too shy to talk to the stage manager and ended up a part of the ensemble for their production of Mamma Mia. However, I discovered that I enjoyed participating in musical theatre; I ended up being a part of the cast for every production and served as the club's president for two years. The drama club gave me a sense of belonging as I was welcomed by everyone and felt like I was in a safe space where I could sing and dance with my friends. It helped me grow individually, and I made friends with people in my grade and upperclassmen whom I still stay in contact with. I also made countless unforgettable memories in the club, which is why the concept of Sasahara finding a community mainly stood out to me.

[noahleikensohn]

Naruto | Wolf Children | A Silent Voice

Revisiting Naruto and Naruto Shippuden was a trip down memory lane for me. Firstly, after learning about the terms Gaman and Ganbaru, I can see how most shonen, especially Naruto, have the formulaic hero’s journey following adversity to become stronger. Furthermore, I realize now that this formula is what is so addicting about the shonen genre, the viewer can get hooked on the constant progression of strength that many shonen main characters have. It is easy for the viewer to get sucked into living vicariously through these characters as unlike real life, their progress is ideal, linear, and measurable. I would say that Naruto, while exhibiting both, leans towards the Gaman trait as his nindo (ninja way) or personal belief is not giving up, while on the other end Naruto does have to train, but he also has much natural talent compared to the average shinobi.

Next, this was my first time watching Wolf Children. Personally, I somewhat relate to the children were going through, as I am half Korean and half American, I also struggled with dual identities when I was younger. But, since I primarily grew up in America, I have dismissed much of my Korean identity, even forgetting how to speak the language fluently. I believe this result is most likely a result of my community having much more American society and structure, while having very little Korean influence. In this anime, we were introduced to the ideas of an ideal small community (Gemeinschaft) and the idea of a big society (Gesellschaft). Though it can be argued that the idea of Gemeinschaft is key to the core identity of people’s personality, I do not believe that a true Gemeinschaft free from society exists, much like how in A Place Further Than the Universe we discussed how there cannot be a place fully free from capitalism, meaning that society is in everyday life.

Lastly, A Silent Voice was so extremely well made! Watching Shoya attempt to redeem himself and go through all the realizations of change and his wrong doings gives hope to the watcher that no matter what their past they can improve themselves and help others. Furthermore, Shouko’s innocent attempts to become friends with everyone and her persistence made it even more heart wrenching when we see how she truly feels and attempts to commit suicide. Additionally, I love how the movie bookends itself where Shoya at first was going to jump to kill himself but then jumps at the end to save Shouko.

[matchablossomblog]

I liked how you mentioned the terms Gaman and Ganbaru regarding how it furthered your perspective on Shonen anime since it did the same for me. I’ve seen multiple Shonen anime, such as Bleach and Black Clover in addition to Naruto, and never realized that these two traits were the reason I enjoyed these anime. It was also my first time seeing Wolf Children and I liked how you connected it to your experience with dual identities. I thought it was great that you connected with A Place Further Than the Universe. I also mentioned Ishida’s decision to save Nishimiya as his redemption.

[matchablossomblog]

Naruto/Wolf Children/A Silent Voice

A Silent Voice is one of my favorite anime and manga. One aspect that I liked about the anime was the expression of emotion despite the lack of words. This is similar to how Studio Ghibli films focus more on action and facial expression to convey emotion rather than verbal exchange.

I also noticed a similarity between A Silent Voice and Wolf Children. In both anime series, another character's ear is injured by a main character. I viewed this development as a depiction of harm to the auditory sense, which can be seen as a valuable asset. In response to these incidents, the mother of the main character takes accountability for her child's actions. I find this admirable because it depicts these women as strong, honorable, and respectable individuals.

I found a similarity between A Silent Voice and my favorite musical, Les Misérables. Ishida and Jean Valjean are initially seen in a negative light as Ishida was a bully and Valjean was a criminal. However, they eventually seek redemption to make up for their past actions. Both male protagonists use their abilities to assist the people around them and those who struggle. For example, as discussed in the lecture, Ishida gathers and welcomes those who are discriminated against; he also saves Nishimiya when she jumps off a balcony. Similarly, Valjean cares for Cosette after promising Fantine her protection. They use their second chance to make a difference in the lives of others. I also found another similarity between Naruto and Les Misérables. As discussed in the lecture, Naruto decided not to kill Pain. This is similar to Valjean as he decides not to kill Inspector Javert, despite being hunted by him for years. They both decided to end the cycle of violence.

A part I appreciated in Wolf Children was when Hana cleaned the dirty and seemingly hopeless run-down house. She eventually found beauty in their new home as she cleaned and made repairs. I thought this contributed to her character as it continued her bright outlook on life despite challenges. I also thought this added to the concept of looking beyond the superficial appearance, similar to how Hana felt regarding her deceased partner.

I have seen Naruto and A Silent Voice before, but I think the lectures gave me a new perspective on both anime, and helped me make new connections like the similarities I found in Les Mis.

[avalon169]

Shin Sekai Yori

Watching this anime was nothing less than a rollercoaster for me. From the opening scene of the first episode, I could understand the connection to the reading about Shounen A. I thought it was interesting that in their society, people were so scared of kids that they had extreme measures of control over them. Every day a song would play throughout the whole town signaling for when the kids needed to go home. But it was never shown where this song was being projected from, which gave me a verry eerie feeling from the beginning. From the first 2 episodes it’s clear that kids are essentially erased from existence and easily fade from memory if show potential to become a fiend or karma demon. The government in this anime tries to find commonalities among the kids who become violent to fit them into a known path and remove them from society.

I thought it was interesting that the parents in this anime essentially have no control over the fate of their children. Saki’s parents could only sit back and hope that Saki would progress fast enough for her to live. This really emphasizes the idea in our world that kids like Shounen A are not understood by anyone. Even their parents don’t know how or why they commit violent crimes.

To be honest, the actual story had me confused about something every 5 minutes, and I think the time skips didn’t help with that either. I was very confused by how the queerats fit into the society-surveilling-children theme of the beginning of the show. However, I feel like the storyline of the queerats added their own bit of eeriness to the anime as well. I think the realization at the end of the show that humans had been suppressing other humans, treating them like slaves, and mercilessly killing them had a strong impact. The only thing that has been bothering me about this show is that it feels like I was watching two different animes. The beginning had the theme of the “wild child” where adults feared children, but by the end it was more about dehumanizing a group of people in order for one social group to stay in power.

Overall, I enjoyed this anime and thought it had a unique story even though I struggled to figure out what was happening in the story quite often.

[matchablossomblog]

I liked how you mentioned the limited control parents have over their own children’s futures. It makes me feel bad for them since they never know whether they’re going to lose their child due to a lack of ability or a possibility for future violence. It’s already difficult to lose a child due to disease or an accident, but a child dying for the sake of maintaining control is extremely sad, especially since the child is innocent. I also agree that some parts seemed confusing due to the time skips and the lack of context regarding what happened to the other children who used to be part of their group.

[matchablossomblog]

Shin Sekai Yori

One aspect I noticed in Shin Sekai Yori was Saki's reaction to Maria and Mamoru's child. She saw their child as the last piece of them that they left behind in their world. This reminded me of Gin's reaction to and view regarding Shirase in A Place Further Than the Universe. In both anime, they view the youth as precious individuals who were left behind by their friends whom they loved, but who have passed away, especially since the youth have the features of their deceased friends. This sense of nostalgia from seeing a passed loved one's child is something that also occurs in the real world for those who have experienced loss. Another part I took note of was in episode 2, where Saki's father tells her that queerats are real. He reveals that the adults make sure the youth do not see them. This contributes to the controlling surveillance society that fears its children and attempts to restrict the youth. This system of control and secrecy reminds me of The Promised Neverland. In both anime, the children are oblivious to what happens in society as the adults keep their actions confidential while maintaining control over the children. Additionally, in both anime, children disappear, and the others are left unaware of what truly happened to their friends and peers. Another connection I made was between Shin Sekai Yori and Psycho-Pass. In both anime, people who had the potential for violence were eliminated. This also supports the concept of a surveillance society that attempts to maintain peace through control. I also felt a connection between the death feedback and how the criminals in Psycho-Pass both suffer the consequence of death from killing another individual, since it affects them internally (psychologically in Psycho-Pass and physically in Shin Sekai Yori). Overall, I was initially caught off guard by the opening scene of violence, but the anime addressed significant issues applicable to the real world. I also enjoyed the character growth as the audience sees the characters develop their own opinions that differ from the rest of society and they grow stronger as they encounter new challenges.

[avalon169]

Psycho Pass

I expected psycho pass to be pretty entertaining, but just from the 8 episodes we had to watch, I’d say this is one of my favorites. I think the idea of the government being able to analyze people’s mental state and enforcing law based on that makes for a very intriguing show. When I get the time, I definitely plan to go back and watch the rest.

Just from the first episode, the show had me enraged (in a good way). After the investigators took care of the guy who had lost his mind and kidnapped a random woman, the rest of the team wanted to also execute the woman, who had just become a victim of rape and abuse, because her psycho pass score went up. Society in this anime has been so trained to trust a system that they thought the victim had become dangerous instead of attributing her psycho pass to the traumatic events she went through. I think Tsunemori was one of the only characters that still had the ability to judge situations for herself instead of base her actions on a number.

When the masked man bludgeoned a woman to death in the middle of the street, no one tried to stop him. They all stood around watching someone get murdered. This is the main scene that shows just how much people trust in the Sybil System, and how the system has taken away their ability to think for themselves. The anime attributes their passive behavior to shock. No one knew how to respond because they could never imagine this  happening in such a safe system. They trust the scanning technology so much that they can’t properly judge a situation happening right in front of them.

This scene also exposed how useless their Public Safety Bureau is. The automatons told the woman to seek therapy based on her increasing anxiety and stress instead of preventing her from getting further hurt. By having cameras and scanners all over the city, the goal is to deter unwanted criminal behavior, but when that criminal behavior actually happens, they don’t have an effective way of stopping it.

I think this is what Makishima was trying to prove with his violence. Just trusting in a system to keep peace isn’t enough. When faced with immediate danger, people need the ability to think for themselves.

[matchablossomblog]

I liked how you mentioned the victim being executed because her mental state was unstable due to her attack and that Tsunemori was the only one who recognized the lady as a victim rather than another possible criminal. Her decision to speak up and her view contrasts the desensitized enforcers and her fellow investigator. I also liked how you mentioned that the Public Safety Bureau was useless, especially in the case of the woman who was beaten by the man in the mask. It definitely reveals how much trust the people place on the system and how the Public Safety Bureau does not properly do its job of protecting the people.