Animated World Class Blog

[ahmed-jpt]

Your Name

Your Name was a great film. I liked the romance with the serious mixture for a film. It kept me engaged throughout. It explores many themes through the story of Taki and Mitsuha, two teenagers who begin to swap bodies. This swapping helped them see life from a different perspective and understand others.  

After their switch, Taki begins to explore Mitsuha’s life. It is completely different from his normal city life. Mitusha lived in a rural village while Taki lived in the busy life of Tokyo. They both come to see how difficult but beautiful each other's lives are. There is not just one way of living. Their environments are complete opposites. I believe this body-swapping scenario has a bigger meaning, especially in Japan. I believe it reflects the growing divide between urban and rural life. The film does a wonderful job of illustrating these two cultures and social dividends and despite how different they are, shows that each way of living has meaning and purpose.   What I loved the most about Your Name is how it showcased the human desire for wanting to belong and connect with others. In today’s world, most interactions are done digitally and aren’t real.  Taki and Mitsuha’s quest to find each other was beautiful. It shows that people still want to have genuine and authentic relationships. This theme is a global issue that almost everyone deals with. It’s hard to form real connections in an increasingly digital world.  

The film also had a comet strike that hit. This can be seen as a relation to Japan’s natural disasters that destroyed their city. Like the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. These natural disasters remind us that life is not guaranteed and everything you have can flip in a second. They had each other to help in this time of mishap. 

[maximustirado]

Hii, I really enjoyed reading your analysis on Your Name. I love that you spoke about this anime covering how humans want connections with other people and I totally agree. I honestly think we were born for the purpose of creating relationships and finding that right person to spend the rest of your life with. I also loved Taki and Mitsuha's journey. It shows that people's paths can be extremely different, but they will always find who they were meant to be with.

[ahmed-jpt]

Hetalia

Hetalia was really interesting to watch. It was indeed weird but I actually enjoyed it. It kind of took us through world history but made it humorous and satirical. The show used these personified countries to shed light on the complex history that took place between these countries. I would say it focused on Japan and its historical relationships with other nations while stereotyping them as well. I found it cool how Hetalia used comedy to showcase serious issues like war and nations. 

Hetalia shows us all the cultural misunderstandings that take place and how big some of these conflicts are. It does emphasize that every country has its challenges even though some might seem greater than others. I can’t help but wonder if this comedic approach Hetalia takes has made some people mad. If it made them think that they were making fun of suffering that took place in dark history. They talked about some very sensitive topics like World War II through these satirical jokes which is usually not appreciated. Hetalia also critiqued nationalism and cultural stereotypes which I thought was important. In our world, we humans kind of categorize each country by these stereotypes we have in mind. From media or word of mouth, we sometimes assume a country is in some sort of way which is completely false. We wouldn’t know until we actually visit the country and to most surprise, it will most likely be nothing like those crazy stereotypes. Especially in Japan, knowing what to say about national pride is super serious. 

I was thinking about how I learned about history in school while watching this. The humorous way they told each instance was honestly a great learning tool to understand the bigger issue at hand. It may get some heat for presenting issues in that way but I thought it was unique and quite enjoyable. 

[maximustirado]

Hii, I also enjoyed the anime and definitely think people might not have taken it in the best way if they are more of a serious person. I think it was good that there is something that kind of pokes fun at the war as it might bring even greater attention and awareness to how important it was. I think the representation for the country as one person was to represent nationalism, but it leaves out the differing opinions of the countries which is what makes them so diverse.

[maximustirado]

Hetalia blog:

I’m soooo glad the last anime we were assigned to watch was a funny and light-hearted one. I actually love when people are able to make stereotypes funny and make comedic jokes with them. The anime was able to cover serious topics such as war and nationalism in a comedic way which was great and I think makes us pay even more attention to the serious topics being talked about. The anime represents each nation with a person that has the stereotypical traits that are common with the country. The countries being represented are the major powers that were fighting in World War II such as the Axis powers - Germany, Japan, and Italy and the Allied powers - USA, England, Russia, France, and China. For example, Germany is tough and serious, Japan is more timid and quiet, and Italy just loves pasta. The fact that one person represented each nation covers the topic of nationalism. It illustrates that everyone in the nation has the same ideas and supports the country in every way. While that isn’t always the case that people have the same ideas, actually people always have different opinions and viewpoints, I believe that the creator of the anime did this on purpose to show loyalty towards the nation and supporting the majority of viewpoints. In contrast to how I said it was good to see the anime using comedics to serious topics, it is important to realize how significant these moments were and how many lives were destroyed. We should always remember the importance of this event even if it is made in a light-hearted way as we owe it to those who died in the war. I personally cannot relate to the plot of the anime, but can in the way it was acted out. I am someone who tends to cope by making jokes or having a more giddy viewpoint when something serious happens. It definitely isn’t always good that I’m like this, but in my mind that is how I am able to get over things easier. Overall, I really enjoyed this anime and would recommend it to others. Wow, I can’t believe this is my final blog post for this class. Tbh, I probably won’t be using Tumblr anymore after this unless I take another class where I’ll need to, but honestly this was fun and I’ll miss it.

[maximustirado]

Your Name blog:

So I had never heard or watched this movie before, but boy was I surprised. It was honestly so good. In the film we see two characters, Taki (boy) and Mitsuha (girl), who randomly switch with each other’s bodies. Taki is from the city of Tokyo while Mitsuha is from a more rural area. They are both in different years, which I’m not sure how they don’t know, but find ways to help each other out. When switched, Taki becomes more feminine as Mitsuha is the one controlling his body and mind while Mitsuha becomes more masculine as it is Taki who is controlling her. This ends up helping the both of them as Mitsuha becomes more popular as she becomes more extroverted when Taki is controlling her body and starts climbing the social ladder while Taki gets a date with a girl because of the empathetic and soft side Mitsuha brings. While there could be stereotypical themes happening here as Mitsuha is more caring because she is female and Taki is more extroverted and leaderlike because he is male, switching bodies shows us the importance of having both “feminine” and “masculine” traits. The two of them learn how to use their dynamic and are able to stop a natural disaster that is supposed to happen, saving people from its possible effects. They are finally able to meet in person after a while, but have forgotten each other’s names and who they are. However, they have a feeling that they know each other and there is an unknown connection and understanding between them. I can personally relate to some of the aspects of this anime and I have both masculine and feminine traits. And, I would say this has helped me gain more friends and allowed me to connect with both boys and girls. Overall, I think this anime was extremely well written and I would 100% recommend for other people to watch it and I will definitely be watching it again.

[just-another-anime-blog-2048]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

I initially thought Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was an anime, but it apparently is just a video game that’s inspired by anime. When I first saw the cut scenes, it reminded me a lot of this video game I played in high school called The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In a way, both video games involve some calamity that creates ruins. In Xenoblade Chronicles 2, a disaster many years ago destroyed the world, so only a certain area of land was available for humans to live on. Likewise, in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the calamity Ganon destroyed the entire empire and also affected the environment by spreading its malice (a poisonous substance) in multiple areas.

I’d also like to add that I think Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is also quite similar to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind in that both feature similar settings to indicate environmental concerns. For example, while Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind had the Sea of Decay, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 contained the Cloud Sea. I personally find the Cloud Sea unique because it embodies both the destruction from nuclear weapons (the clouds) and the consequences of climate change (the ocean), which are two contemporary issues in our society.

Also, the video game contains a heaven called Elysium where there are unconstrained open spaces that allow nature to thrive and remain preserved, which is quite similar to the settings of many post-apocalyptic eco films, but we find out later on in the game that Elysium is more of an illusion. The vision of the green hills and trees is gone, and we learn the truth that Klaus had damaged the environment so badly to the point where there wasn’t really a way for it to return to its original state, which is quite illustrative of how humans are treating nonrenewable resources these days. We’re currently abusing these natural resources to the point where nature might not be able to regenerate them in time to restore balance. Therefore, it’s important to protect the environment, and we can start by learning how to minimize our own damage. Some of the things I’ve been taught include recycling plastic, reducing my carbon footprint, and using more biodegradable products.

[maximustirado]

Hiii, I feel as though Klaus is an example of all us in the world today. We are taking advantage of our natural resources and not caring about how the environment is affected. We need to realize that without a healthy environment then we as humans won't be able to survive properly.

[mcdouble28]

Neon Genesis Evangelion Part 1

It’s been a while since I’ve watched Neon Genesis Evangelion. I will admit the first time I watched it I thought it was boring but watching it again I saw more themes that I missed before. Overall, I thought it was pretty good and the opening song is still fun to listen to. 

At the start we see the juxtaposition between Shinji and Misato’s personalities. Misato comes of as confident and bold, while Shinji comes of as awkward and shy. He is more reserved and is very in tune with his emotions. When you compare him to his father who is masculine (not in a good way), he seems more feminine. Now this is not a bad thing, nor does it take away from Shinji’s “masculinity” but I don't think he has the traditional personality of a thirteen year old boy. In media you often see young boys wanting to fight, thinking war is cool, but that's not the case for Shinji. Shinji also is viewed as weird when he isn't sexually attracted to Rei. This can be compared to the readings and the idea of queer masculinity.

I HATE Shinji’s dad. He is so cold and standoffish to his own son. He only cares about Shinji when he learns he has the potential to pilot an EVA. Shinji’s dad was also about to sent Rei out to fight when she was hospitalized. She could barely stand and he wanted her to save the world. 

I do find Shinji relatable. While this whole Mecha situation is kind of bizarre, I can relate to how Shinji gets scared to do things and how he doesn’t always succeed. Even though he ended up winning the fight against the Angel, Shinji got pummeled at first. He isn’t a perfect protagonist, and he even runs away when things get difficult. I want to think that if I was ever in a situation like this I would be calm and collected, but in reality I would probably act exactly like him. 

[maximustirado]

I really feel for Shinji as he is just not like his dad. His dad represents the hegemonic masculinity that we see in today's world still and how that can cause others to spiral and have a bad mentality of themselves. Shinji represents the queer masculinity that was talked about in our readings as he depicts more "feminine" characteristics and isn't "manly" as he doesn't want to fight or be cold like his father.

[mcdouble28]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

I really enjoyed this movie. It’s one of my favorites from Studio Ghibli. Nausicaa’s character is really well done, and she always tries to do the right thing even if it puts her life in danger. 

The most obvious commentary on human influence on the environment is the poison jungle. We learn that the jungle itself is not poisonous, only the soil because of years of human pollution. Everyone spent so long fearing the jungle and the insects inside of it, that they didn’t even try to understand how they could fix it.  

The Tolmekians represent the greed of society. They drain the valley of their resources and want to kill the remaining insects as well. Instead of taking a more peaceful approach like Nausicaa and gently guiding the insects back to the jungle, they try to blow them up and eradicate them. The only ones that don't try to use nature are the people of the Valley of the Wind. I think this situation is comparable to demand of natural resources in the present. We tear down trees, mine coal, and contribute to global warming. If anything, people today can be compared to the Tolmekians. 

Another point I’d like to make is that the Tolmekians try to use nature to fight nature. When the Ohms swarm the valley of the wind, they send the earth demon to fight them. The Pejites are just as bad. They hung an injured baby Ohm to direct its family to attack the valley.  

Overall, I think the message of the movie is that, even if we have done terrible things to the environment, there’s still a chance to make things right. We see this through Nausicaa as she earns the trust of the insects of jungle and actively works to prevent human interference. Nausicaa urges people to leave the environment alone. 

I do find Nausicaa relatable. She cares about the environment and tries to help those around her. I may not be fighting off invaders or flying through the sky on a glider, but I do try to do small things that help the environment.

[maximustirado]

I also really liked this movie. I think the anime did a great job relating to the audience how important the environment it. It also provided perspective on how all things are connected and that we need all of the animals in nature to survive. Nausicaa is a prime example of how we should learn to understand the environment better and learn how to coexist with it in hopes of saving our world.

[mcdouble28]

End of Evangelion

After watching the tv series Evangelion I thought watching this movie would give me more clarity on what happened. In the show there were lots of plot points I didn't understand, which was made worse by the episodes we skipped. Unfortunately, even though we were given more context, I was left even more confused by the End of Evangelion.

On a more positive note the animation was really high quality and the fight scenes were cool, especially Asuka's fight against the angels. You can see the vision that the show wasn't able to fulfill in the last two episodes of the show.

End of Evangelion covers the events right after Shinji killed Kaworu. What I liked about the movie vs the show is that we were able to get more context and see the perspectives of everyone disappearing, instead of just Shinji. 

There were several differences between the show and the movie. I honestly prefer the characters the way they were in the show, rather than the movie. Everyone just seemed like the worse versions of themselves, especially Shinji. Maybe it was on purpose because the world was falling apart, but many characters were missing the redeeming qualities they had in the show. The endings were also vastly different. In the show everyone was turned into a collective consciousness, while in the movie both Asuka and Shinji survive.

Up until now I viewed Shinji as slightly pitiful, but still understandable in some ways. However, after watching this movie I can’t help but dislike Shinji. He is too dependent on other people and honestly a creep. I mean the opening hospital scene says it all. Like in part two, I think this is another example of Shinji trying to prove his hegemonic masculinity. This again fails and throughout the movie we see him relying on everyone else to solve his problems. I mean he literally was begging Asuka to help him when she was unconscious. He also had to be dragged by Misato and she got shot because he took too long. And, when Asuka woke up she literally had to solo all the angels because Shinji was sitting there feeling sorry for himself. He was only enraged once he thought Atsuka died, when if he literally had helped her in the first place, she would have been fine. Shinji wasn't the only creepy questionable character though. Misato literally kissed Shinji, and it wasn't a motherly kiss. It was quite passionate considering she was kissing A MINOR.

I did not find this movie relatable at all. It was all over the place and too extreme to be comparable to any real life situation I've been in.

[maximustirado]

Hiii. I was also extremely confused throughout the entire movie and wouldn't get clarity and the explanation I needed to get unconfused. I think it's really disheartening that Shinji had to kill the person he got closest with, Kaworu, and that makes him spiral even more. I honestly don't know how he is still alive lol. I think the movie focuses on more of individualism rather than masculinity and the choice to live in a real world and not in a fantasy world as it takes away all of our humanity, making everything perfect.

[mcdouble28]

Neon Genesis Evangelion Part Two

There’s a lot to unwrap for part two. I’m starting to feel bad for Shinji. Shinju desperately seeks validation from the people around him in the only way that he knows possible. It’s clear that he feels his only value is through piloting the EVA. 

We also see Shinji start to fit in more along the lines of hegemonic masculinity as he tries to find himself. He gets extremely cocky, challenging Asuka and saying that he can handle being the team leader. Shinji even mentions that fighting is a man’s job. His brashness almost gets him killed. 

While it is hard to theorize what EVAs actually are without seeing all of the episodes, I do think that Shinji’s EVA is connected to his mother. When he is trapped inside of the angel’s shadow, his mother saves him. There are also many references back to Shinji’s mother through the show that are too frequent to ignore.  

With each episode, Shinji seems to spiral more and more into endless pit of self-hate and anxiety. It’s only when Kaworu is introduced that we see Shinji start to open up more. Kaworu is the first person that appears to want to show Shinji unconditional love with nothing in return. That, however, is short lived as we learn Kaworu is an angel, and Shinji eventually kills him. As you can probably guess, that has an even more negative impact on his mental health. 

It’s in episode 26 that we finally see Shinji realize that he is worthy of existing. All of his negative internalized thoughts about others hating him, suddenly turn into his friends and colleagues congratulating him. I think that this change represents Shinji finally accepting himself as he is and realizing that he doesn’t have to perform perfectly to society’s expectations.  

While I argued that Shinji was relatable in my last response, I’m going to take the opposite approach here. Shinji faces a lot of criticism for his queer masculinity, something that I have never had to deal with. While everyone has their anxieties, Shinji’s internalized problems stem from years of isolation. This is not something the average person can relate to. 

[maximustirado]

Heyyy, I loved reading your blog post. I definitely think Shinji is suffering because of his queer masculinity. He is battling to be more like his father and have hegemonic masculinity, but I think it just makes his situation worse as he confuses himself and doesn't let himself become who he truly is.

[maximustirado]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 blog:

So upon watching the anime, this is actually a video game and wasn’t a movie at first which was pretty cool. I have never seen a video game turn into an anime or movie as it is usually the other way around where there is a video game created from a movie. The plot of the anime is that the earth was destroyed years ago and now they live in a sea of clouds where humans live on these things called Titans who also serve them.

This anime reflects environmental concerns as they are unable to live on earth as it was destroyed and have to live on Titans because the world is covered by clouds, which could also be seen as environmental decay. I would say that there isn’t really a lot of complexity in this anime and doesn’t have many ways to challenge the theme of environmentalism, but it still does a good job explaining the environmental issues and that one day we might live in a world like this if we don’t save our world now. Countries definitely have to re-analyze the need of natural resources and the healthiness of our environment. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to survive and live freely. We would have to utilize resources in order to survive and not use the full scope of what we were given. While honestly nothing is good for the environment at this point, I still believe we can do little things that can help it such as recycling, even though half the time it doesn't get recycled, using reusable cups and straws and trying to reduce our carbon footprint every chance we get. Personally, I can’t relate to this anime as we don’t live in a world like that, obviously. But, sometimes I do see the effects and consequences of pollution and deforestation which leads to an unhealthy environment. Especially in Florida because it is literally SO HOT.

[maximustirado]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind blog:

I actually liked this anime. It was nice to see its critique of environmentalism and the issues that come with pollution and not taking care of the environment. We see the effects of environmentalism with the toxic jungle which is known as the Sea of Decay. It is filled with giant mutant insects and spores. Nausicaa is the princess of the peaceful Valley of the Wind and her goal is to understand and coexist with nature.

She discovers that the toxic jungle is actually healing the environment and taking away the pollution in the waters and earth. The giant insects and spores are actually cleaning the environment and they aren’t as bad as they might seem as they are helping with the purification of the environment. So, if it would have gone the way that the Tomekians wanted then the environment would have been destroyed causing more chaos in the land. This anime relates to us the effects of the environment and shows us how important it is to keep it healthy. It reflects Japan’s tragic pollution situation and the rest of the world’s as well. Additionally, it also teaches us how important having a healthy world is for our survival and how crucial each and every part of the environment is. While I personally am not the biggest fan of bugs and insects, they have an important role in regulating our surroundings and keeping the world safe and healthy. Environmentalism should be a main focus of those around the world as without a healthy place to live we won’t be able to survive. We are reminded that this is the only world we get so we have to take care of it in the best way possible and try everything to keep it healthy. Overall, this anime does a great job reflecting the issues with the environment that we are facing today and that everything is connected in some way. If we destroy one thing then it might lead to another and then the overall destruction of the ecosystem.

[maximustirado]

The End of Evangelion blog:

So in this anime we see the near end of all humanity. The Evangelions win and defeat all of the Angels, but it comes at a price as everything is basically destroyed. I honestly was really confused watching this and was only able to understand the series because I looked up information on it to understand it better. It was a lot to comprehend and I barely did to be fully honest. Shinji’s mentality is extremely messed up with everything he’s gone through and I don’t even know how he’s alive at this point. Moving on, we see that Gendo and another secret organization called SEELE believe that humanity has reached its peak of evolution and can no longer grow. They believe the only way for survival is to become one and merge everyone’s existence creating one powerful entity. Gendo does this for personal and selfish reasons as he wants to see his dead wife again, but SEELE goes behind his back and hacks into all of the NERV super computers so they can carry out what they want, not what he wants. Shinji, along with Asuka, decide to stay in the real world as they would rather be there than in a fantasy world where basically nothing is real. I think the movie tackles more of an individualistic subject rather than masculinity. I honestly can’t really make that many connections to masculinity other than some parts that I’d rather not mention. I don’t really know how this relates to the real world other than that living in a fantasy world is not as good as it seems and that everyone has their own struggles and copes differently. Personally, I can’t really relate to this at all other than some of the aspects of the struggle with mental health, but other than that I can’t really relate to much of it. Overall, I was just in confusion and was kind of like “what is going” while watching it but it was interesting to say the least and would recommend for others to watch it.

[maximustirado]

Neon Genesis Evangelion (part 2) blog:

The second part of the episodes we were assigned to watch introduced us to the different order of children. Shinji is the third child, Rei Ayanami is the first child, Asuka Langley Soryu is the second child, and we later meet Kaworu Nagisa as the fifth child. Asuka is introduced as a violent and extroverted person who has immense control of her Eva (Evangelion Unit-02). She gives confidence to Shinji who gives another shot at controlling his Eva (Evangelion Unit-01).

He does well controlling it until he has to fight an Angel by himself. He ends up losing control and the Eva becomes insanely violent, destroying the Angel. We see Shinji having an identity crisis trying to figure out who he is. His personality differs from the other men as he is not traditionally masculine and exudes a more queer masculinity. He eventually finds similarities with Kaworu and they become close, but is conflicted as Kaworu is half angel. Episode 26 is about all of the characters' inner struggle and turmoil as they deal with finding themselves and come to terms with it. Shinji finally accepts who he is and finds that he is not alone, he just believes that he is. Now connecting this with reality, this tends to happen a lot. Men are afraid of who they are if they do not display hegemonic masculinity. This allows for mental struggles and issues as they believe they do not fit in and have a place in the world. However, men should realize that there are a lot of men who aren’t traditionally masculine and actually have interests in things that aren’t “manly.” Being gay, I am definitely more feminine, but my guy friends who are straight don’t really mind and actually don’t care as much as people might think. Overall, I think this anime does a good job critiquing masculinity and shows the struggles that men deal with. I think everyone should be who they are as much as possible and even though it is easier said than done if people don’t like you for who you actually are then there is no point in being friends with them.

[maximustirado]

Neon Genesis Evangelion (part 1) blog:

Neon Genesis Evangelion critiques the topic of masculinity and how toxic it can be. The anime begins with a 14-year-old boy named Shinji who is called upon by his father, who he isn’t close with, to Tokyo-3. Gendo Ikari, his father, calls him to join a secret group under the United Nations that he runs called NERV. Gendo wants Shinji to fight in the Evangelion Unit-01 to fight enemies called Angels. Shinji is reluctant to fight and does not want to. This situation critiques the stereotypical masculinity in society as Gendo wants his son to fight and be a man while Shinji doesn’t really want to fight and get involved which could be deemed as not masculine.

Masculinity is associated with fighting and being “strong” and if a man is anything but that then they are frowned upon and ostracized. His father trying to pass the position to his son is also a reflection of male hegemony as he wouldn’t be so inclined if he had a daughter to do this and wants to continue the position of power in his family through his son. This can be seen happening globally. Most of those who are in high power are men. I believe this is not because women aren’t strong enough but because we have become accustomed to having men in power. For example, we have not ever had a president who is a woman and not until a few years ago did we ever have a female vice president. Now speaking from personal experience men can definitely be insecure about their masculinity. Men are afraid to act “gay” as it isn’t masculine, but honestly it just makes them look insecure in their masculinity and who they are. While I sometimes believe that men should be traditionally masculine at times, growth needs to happen with allowing men to be comfortable in not being masculine and not wanting to do necessarily “manly” things.

[briochebrioche]

MegaCon 2022 !!! ( I'm Batman )

The most recent convention that I’ve been to was MegaCon (2022) in Orlando. It was more comic book based, but there were many different fandoms and genres present. The venue was a really massive building that had multiple rooms for showings, small parties, and interactive areas. I’m pretty sure there was a small Vocaloid concert in one of the rooms as well. The main attraction of course was the main room where all the booths were set up. As I walked through the convention, I was able to appreciate just how much these fans had elevated the media to more than just entertainment.

First, there’s the place itself. The giant open hall was divide into multiple sections, such as the retail area, the artist alley, the celebrity booths, and the food courts. The retail area was mostly people selling props like ninja blades or things of the sort, body pillows, masks, shirts, cards, etc. It was a lot of merch for a variety of mediums including comics, anime, games, and movies. The other main attraction for me was the artist alley. It was just a very large area lined up with booths and booths of independent artists. It ranged from their own personal art to art of characters from beloved series. It was not just a commercial thing, but also a display of the huge variety in artistic styles. I saw spray paintings, watercolor on paper, acrylic accessories, metal pins, stickers, hand drawings, sculptures, and so much more. Personally, I got a My Hero Academia sticker of my favorite character (lemillion), a watercolor ghostface poster, and a metal pin of Calcifer (from Howl’s Moving Castle) for a friend that couldn’t be there. I think it’s really amazing how all of these fans are able to produce so much due to their love for these franchises. Sure, it has become a huge business that can earn someone a living. However, it’s the way that fans are able to physically possess this fiction that is so cool to me. The characters come to life in a way, jumping out of their source material to be presented by us in the real world in unique ways. It adds an interactive layer to the entertainment we all love. Relating to this extra layer, I didn’t even talk about the cosplaying and voice acting yet.

Walking around the con, I saw so many different cosplays that I recognized. Spiderman characters, DC villains like the Riddler and joker, Tanjiro from Demon Slayer and others from the series, Five Nights at Freddy’s characters, and so much more. I went dressed as Batman (the Robert Pattinson version) and had a blast. So many people came up to me to take pictures and tell me how cool my costume looked, and some even treated me as if I was the real batman and roleplayed a little. My favorite part was when a little boy (probably 10) came up to me in his own batman costume and took a picture with me. It was just very wonderful to see how the community was so positive and having fun. It really felt like a space where everyone could express themselves however they wanted and be encouraged instead of judged. It was also cool to learn about how people put together their cosplays, as a lot of them were hand-made or modified. One more thing that was awesome was the fact that there were a lot of voice actors and popular cosplayers that showed up. The most notable of these, for me, was Kevin Conroy (the iconic voice of batman in the animated series and the games). Being able to meet the person who voiced one of your favorite characters, as well as seeing all the cosplays around you, really makes you feel like the fiction has come to life. It’s also very validating to see other people enjoy these characters and shows as much as you do. Overall, it was an amazing experience that I will definitely do again.

[maximustirado]

Hiiii!! This was so cool to read about. I have always seen and heard of these conventions but have never been interested in going, but after reading this I might just have to. The only person I know who has gone to a convention like this is my biology teacher and he showed my class a video and it seemed crazy. It was a Star Wars convention so I am not surprised. I love that you were able to see a lot of actors that inspired a community where people can be themselves and express themselves freely.

[maximustirado]

Convention blog (part 2):

By emphasizing the individual experiences of otaku, the documentary dispels myths and highlights the good things about this active group. With a gripping story that appeals to audiences both inside and outside of the otaku community, it demonstrates how fandom can be a potent force for self-discovery, creativity, and social interaction. In the end, "True Otaku" challenges us to reevaluate how we view fandom and acknowledge how it influences cultural identities. It honors otaku's devotion and passion, emphasizing how their love of manga and anime adds to a rich and varied cultural tapestry. By using this lens, we are better able to understand how fandom and young culture interact to create significant identities in a world that is constantly changing. I would definitely recommend watching this to those who haven’t been to a convention, but are interested in anime and manga.

[maximustirado]

Convention blog (part 1):

I haven’t been to any convention ever in my life, so I don’t have an experience to write about unfortunately and had to watch the True Otaku documentary. After reading some of the other blog posts and the experiences that some of my classmates had I honestly think it would have been really cool to experience one of these conventions, but I don’t think I will ever attend one honestly, unless my friend forces me to as I am just not that into things like this. The documentary provides an insightful look into the Japanese anime and manga fanbase. Although the term "otaku" is often associated with conflicting ideas, this documentary explores the lives of individuals who belong to this subculture in great detail, offering insight into the ways in which youth culture, fandom, and cultural identity interact and change within this community. Originating in Japan, the term "otaku" refers to those who have an intense passion for manga and anime. By depicting its members as fervent and committed aficionados rather than as socially awkward misfits, "True Otaku" illustrates this subculture. Focusing on the individual experiences of otaku is one of the documentary's most significant features. These stories demonstrate how closely their identities and fandom are entwined. Many people consider anime and manga to be more than just pastimes; they are integral parts of their life that influence their social relationships, worldviews, and even job decisions. The documentary highlights that being an otaku is more about expressing oneself and establishing a feeling of community than it is about running away from reality. Youth culture is a dynamic and ever-evolving phenomena, and in Japan, a large portion of this demographic is the otaku subculture. The documentary illustrates how young people use manga and anime as a coping mechanism for the challenges of puberty throughout their formative years. These stories' characters frequently deal with issues that the audience experiences, making for relevant stories that have a strong emotional impact on younger viewers. "True Otaku" is an example of how fandom provides a forum for identity development and self-examination. The otaku community gives young people a platform to express their uniqueness and make connections with like-minded peers in a world that frequently prizes conformity. In contrast to the loneliness that might come with puberty, this connection promotes a sense of acceptance and camaraderie. The documentary also discusses the artistic side of otaku culture, where followers create their own content in addition to consuming it. Young otaku are encouraged to discover and display their talents through cosplay and doujinshi, or fan-made comics. Through increased engagement with their interests through these creative channels, they further cement their identities within the subculture. As portrayed in "True Otaku," fandom encompasses more than just a love of manga and anime; it's a vital component of cultural identity. The documentary shows how fandom communities establish their own social structures, rules, and values, which then influence the identities of their constituents. These groups provide a haven from the stresses of society at large, enabling people to fully immerse themselves in a setting where their passions are not only acknowledged but also cherished. The documentary also emphasizes how otaku culture is becoming more and more global. Otaku communities have sprung off over the world as a result of the popularity of anime and manga. This cross-cultural interaction strengthens the common identity of being an otaku while also bringing new viewpoints and experiences to the subculture. This phenomena is captured in the documentary, which shows how the otaku identity crosses national lines and promotes a sense of global solidarity. "True Otaku" illuminates the intricacies of youth culture, fandom, and the construction of cultural identities by offering a deep and sympathetic portrait of the otaku subculture.