The Anim(e)ted World Blog Entries

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[rushilsood]

Hetalia: Axis Powers stands out for its unique approach at depicting world history through anthropomorphized nations. Each country is personified, often with exaggerated stereotypes, engaging in comedic and sometimes poignant interactions that reflect their historical relationships. This setup offers a fresh and accessible way to explore complex geopolitical themes.

Hetalia highlights both Japanese and global issues through its portrayal of historical events and international relations. In Japan, the anime sparks discussions on national identity and the country’s role in global history. By using humor and satire, it encourages viewers to reflect on Japan’s past and its relationships with other countries, promoting a more nuanced understanding of history. Globally, the anime addresses themes of nationalism, war, and diplomacy. The exaggerated characteristics of each nation bring to light the absurdities and stereotypes that often underpin international relations. This satirical lens helps viewers recognize the complexity of global conflicts and the importance of understanding different cultural perspectives.

I personally believe Hetalia provides an entertaining yet insightful look at history, making it more relatable and engaging. The anthropomorphized nations and their interactions remind me of the importance of empathy and understanding in my own life. By seeing historical events from multiple viewpoints, I gain a deeper appreciation for the diverse experiences that shape our world.

Annett’s analysis in “World Conflict/World Conference: Axis Powers Hetalia” offers a valuable framework for understanding the anime’s impact. Annett explores how Hetalia uses humor to address serious historical and political issues, making them more approachable for a broad audience. This aligns with my experience of the anime, where the blend of comedy and history makes complex topics more digestible and engaging.

Given these points, Hetalia: Axis Powers is more than just a comedic portrayal of nations. It provides a unique lens through which to explore historical and global issues, encouraging viewers to reflect on the past and its influence on present-day international relations.

[mochicrackersss]

Hi again Rushilsood! Your blog posted help me appreciate Hetalia a bit more than I did going in. While I still do think the show could've handled some bits of history with a bit more grace, I do understand the humor was used to poke fun at history at the same time, as well as the global superpowers who run the world. Super well said and thank you for sharing!

[mochicrackersss]

Blog Post - Hetalia ᯓᡣ𐭩‧₊˚ ⊹

GIRL WHAT THE HELL WAS THIS SHOW!!! ITS SO GOOFY! I always forget that CountryHumans: The Anime exists, but when I do remember it, I always wish I could forget it again. Hetalia is pretty silly, but it gets kinda weird when you think about it for more than five minutes. I can recognize that it succeeds as a massive parody to make fun of real-world powerhouses and how much they don't attribute to the world besides violence. But, the show turns whole-ass countries into buff or twink men and lowkey encourages their fans to ship them with one another. No wonder the Hetalia fandom turned out to be so crazy.

However, one choice I didn't really like was when the creators cutie-fied the events of World War 2 from the perspective of the Tripartite Pact. I think it's a bit insensitive, especially for how infamously evil German and Japanese forces were during that time. I think if the show wanted to create shenanigans between personified countries in the present time that would be fine. But having a tiny stranded beach episode with Germany, Japan, and Italy while both sides of the war tortured and murdered thousands in real life during fights, concentration camps and sieges is just. Again, kinda weird. I don't wanna know that Germany is good at tying shoelaces right now!!! But maybe the show just wasn't my cup of tea, I could see how others can get behind it.

If I put to the side that all the characters were countries, Hetalia was a lot more enjoyable. But I think it was an odd choice to have this for our last anime in the class. This anime could've paired so well with Genshiken as a real-life example of toxic fandoms within anime communities. Both shows deal with the balance of good gay representation and dangerous representation from BL, but adding the representation of countries on top of that could've been super interesting to compare! But I understand why it was paired with Kobayashi's Sensōron instead.

But anyways, this is my last blog of the class! Yay!!! Pasta!!!

[rushilsood]

Your Name is a film that goes beyond cultural and geographical boundaries, connecting with audiences everywhere. The story follows two teenagers, Taki and Mitsuha, who mysteriously swap bodies. This magical premise dives deep into themes of identity, connection, and the blend of personal and societal issues.

The film tackles several important issues within Japan and globally. One major theme is the rural-urban divide. Mitsuha’s life in a small, traditional town is starkly different from Taki’s fast-paced Tokyo life. This contrast reflects the ongoing struggles many Japanese towns face due to urban migration, leading to depopulation and cultural loss. Globally, it mirrors the challenges of preserving cultural heritage amidst rapid modernization. Another significant issue is disaster preparedness. The comet disaster in Your Name is reminiscent of real-life events like the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. It highlights the importance of memory and collective effort in overcoming such tragedies, a theme that resonates worldwide in an era of increasing natural disasters.

On a personal level, the film brings up feelings of nostalgia and a longing for connections that go beyond time and space. The idea of swapping bodies and lives, even temporarily, makes you think about the nature of empathy and understanding. It made me reflect on the everyday challenges and joys that others experience, deepening my appreciation for diverse perspectives.

Michel Foucault’s “The History of Sexuality” offers a unique way to analyze Your Name. Foucault’s method emphasizes the historical and social construction of identities and the power dynamics involved. In Your Name, the body-swapping can be seen as a metaphor for the fluidity of identity and how personal and social histories shape our experiences. The characters’ struggles with their new identities reflect Foucault’s idea that identity is not fixed but is continuously constructed through discourse and power relations.

[mochicrackersss]

Hi Rushilsood!!! I totally agree that Your Name is weirdly nostalgic. Of course nobody has ever experienced something like this before, but many viewers can relate to the feeling of having a realistic dream. One so realistic that when you wake up, you can't believe your dream wasn't your actual life. Great point in bringing that up!

[mochicrackersss]

Blog Post - Your Name ᯓᡣ𐭩‧₊˚ ⊹

The movie Your Name is so recognizable within anime communities and is vastly known for its beautiful animation and endearing story. So why the hell have I not watched it until this class??? I knew for years this film would be right up my alley, and I loved watching similar movies like Suzume, Belle, and Weathering with You in the past. I even know the famous end-credit scene where Mitsuha and Taki reunite on the staircase years later. So I think I'm just insane or something, I don't know lol.

The movie was super cute, especially with its time-traveling Freaky Friday-like plot. I found the main characters endearing, with their struggles and embarrassment to live as the opposite sex. I liked how eventually, the two of them began to enjoy each other's lives and even helped save it. And I always enjoy a story that mentions the concept of the "red thread," or "Musubi" in the movie. The idea is that everything in the world is connected by time and place. Especially your soulmates, platonically or romantically, are all tied to your body by an unseeable thread until you find them is super fascinating to me. It felt similar to the anime, Kamisama Kiss, where the human girl Nanami and the fox spirit Tomoe were bound to fall in love again across every lifetime.

I will add that this movie surprisingly was an in-depth commentary on gender performance. A scene that stood out to me was when Taki, in Mitsuha's body, kicked a desk to stop the school bullies from talking behind her back. Everything that normal Mitsuha has done, being nice to them, staying quiet, and not bringing anything up, is stereotypically considered a "feminine" reaction to bullying. Your Name tells us that being feminine isn't the solution, and to stop someone from bullying you, the victim has to reject them in a "masculine" way (i.e. kicking your desk or getting into a fight). Of course, this isn't 100% true in reality, but the concept behind it is seen in the real world. Women have been taught for generations to bottle up their problems and not cause a scene so they aren't a nuisance, so some close-minded people believe only being a man or being masculine will get things done.

[pari-patel]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Blog Post

I appreciate how this deviated from what we have been writing about in our past blogs, but I’m still not a fan of it. It does offer an immersive experience that tackles important environmental issues, but it just didn’t engage me or catch my attention much. This game presents a narrative that resonates with both Japanese cultural concerns and global environmental ones. Set in a world where Earth has been destroyed, it reflects the vulnerability of natural disasters and the chaos that technological advancements bring. It aims for a balance between that and environmental preservation. The narrative connects to climate change and degradation which incites players to consider their own actions on the planet they live, making this both a global and native concern. Furthermore, it elicits that degradation drives human ingenuity for environmental restoration.

Personally, the themes of this game related to my own experiences of being raised in a world where technological progression has outstripped and overshadowed environmental considerations constantly. It further sheds light and is a reminder to prioritize ecological importance and restoration, furthering reducing out environmental footprint and helping better preserve and restore our planet. Through witnessing the impacts of climate change first hand, I advocate for more sustainable practices and, as mentioned in my previous blog post, that is mainly done through participating in annual walk-a-thons and even spreading awareness locally in campus. This further connects to the readings by navigating human relationships with natural ones and the need to recognize both aspects as an integral part of a system. They are not separate entities, but, instead, need each other to facilitate restorative acts and encourage individuals to preserve the planet for future generations to come. It highlights how human and ecological restoration must go hand in hand and that one thing cannot happen without the other supporting it. This is a little different than the Nausicaa Blog Post since that one relied on the planet to restore itself overtime, but this one relies more so on humans and the plant collectively.

[mochicrackersss]

Hello Pari!!! I agree that simply watching cutscenes didn't grab my attention and make me interested in the story. It was cool to try something new, but between the length and choppy-ness of missing context in between cutscenes, it's just harder to follow. But like you said, the points within Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is still well illustrated, especially when tackling themes of environmentalism and human responsibility. Great post!

[mochicrackersss]

Blog Post - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 ᯓᡣ𐭩‧₊˚ ⊹

Going into Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the only knowledge I had previously was my exposure to some of the featured characters in Super Smash Bros and Super Smash Bros Ultimate. (Shulk was saur annoying to fight and then there were those two girls, but I don't remember their names lol). Besides that, I really didn't know much. I also assumed for how popular the franchise was, it would've gotten some sort of anime adaptation instead of relying on its multiple video games for its story. That's not inherently a bad thing, but just something I wondered about since Japanese video games sometimes do get their own shows, like Corpse Party or Castlevania.

I think Robert Schimelpfenig's way of thinking within The Drama of the Anthropocene is so flawed. As seen so many times throughout history, no amount of pro-environmental media will truly change everyone's minds and encourage them to take care of the Earth. It's sad, but it's the truth. Media like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 or Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind are powerful pieces of fiction that depict their characters' "risks and sacrifices" for their ruined worlds (Nausicaä has the toxic jungles, and Xenoblade has the cloud sea) as "heroic and honorable" but they will never truly grasp all of their audiences. Especially those who could truly make a difference to slow the processes of climate change or war.

[jpt-1311-deactivated20240823]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Another Ghibli film I'm glad to finally cross off my list. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is, unsurprisingly for a Ghibli movie, a beautifully animated story with strong themes about humanity's relationship with the environment and a clear message against environmental destruction.

The movie takes place 1000 years after the end of industrial civilization, after the Giant Warriors set the Earth ablaze and the Sea of Decay grew to consume much of civilization. The Sea of Decay is seen by the current humans as an evil that they must constantly fight back to survive and ultimately must destroy. From the beginning of the movie, though, we see that our main character, the titular Nausicaä, is not afraid of the toxic plants and fungus or massive insects that fill the forest. Instead, she is captivated by them, and understands them much better than anyone else. By collecting spores from the forest and growing them underground with clean water and air, Nausicaä discovers that the plants themselves are not toxic, rather it is the earth that they grow on that makes them so. With this discovery, the true nature of the Sea of Decay begins to be explained. The second part comes when Nausicaä falls into the massive cavern beneath the Sea of Decay, where large trees purify the toxic water and air. Now, the truth is revealed. The Sea of Decay is not some disastrous poison that will spread to destroy the land, rather it is nature's response to the waste that the old humans left behind, trying to clean it all up. The message here is twofold: first, it is humanity's mass pollution of the environment that led to these problems - a clear condemnation of humanity's disregard for nature. Second, we may destroy the environment through our actions, but in the end, that will only end up destroying us, and while nature will come back, we may not - a clear warning that environmental problems such as climate change must be taken seriously.

[mochicrackersss]

Hello!! I really love how much detail you put into your blog post. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is such a good warning of what could happen to human civilization if we don't treat our environment with respect and strive for world peace. It's so sad that the film showcases how far the damage has gone, and how many of its people are simply repeating the vicious cycle once again. If you enjoyed this Ghibli movie, I highly recommend Princess Mononoke! It tackles very similar themes!

[mochicrackersss]

Blog Post - Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind ᯓᡣ𐭩‧₊˚ ⊹

I have very fond memories of watching Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind last year. During my and Dad's flight to Japan last summer, we downloaded all the Ghibli films we hadn't watched in preparation for the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka. Going to Japan, but ESPECIALLY the Ghibli Museum was on my bucket list for so long because I'm such a huge fan of Ghibli, so I wanted to make sure I could enjoy every bit of it! And I'm glad I did, as I don't know why I never watched Nausicaä until then. Not only is it (kind of) the studio's first release (since technically it was created and directed by Hayao Miyazaki even though the studio was founded after its release), but it's also just a beautiful animated story that holds up great even today.

During my second watch, I noticed Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind has a similar setting and tone to Neon Genesis Evangelion. Both stories are set in this post-apocalyptic world populated with monstrous, alien creatures. Although, it seems Nausicaä's world is more far gone than Evangelion's. The air is barely breathable due to the spore-like infection covering almost every inch of the Earth, and massive insects that could crush any remaining human civilizations. However, unlike the Tokyo-3 citizens, Nausicaä stresses to her people that cohabitation with insects and humans is possible. If anything, similar to Evangelion, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind illustrates that humans are the root cause of violence and destruction. The soil and water were polluted by the wars thousands of years ago, which caused the air to be unbreathable, all the plants to be lethal and the toxic jungles to grow.

Side note, I absolutely love the music for this movie. Joe Hisaishi ate so hard with the 8-bit synthesized fantasy score, it tickles my brain so well.

[robian]

End of Evangelion

Sorry for cursing, but what the actual fuck did I just watch. To understand this film, I basically had to read an entire essay about background information that can only be found in outside sources such as video games. I even watched a 5 minute YouTube video purely just to understand the infamous hospital scene. 

If you're confused like I was please read this:

and read:

https://imgur.com/2oRZv

Shinji at this point in the story is just absolutely fucked up in the head mentally. Both of his friends leave. Asuka is comatose. Rei is swimming in a juice bathtub. He even killed the guy that finally accepted him and even liked him. By the way apparently some people think Kawaru is a representation of Jesus who needed to be killed. Anyways, Shinji was just mentally not there. Shinji's in this shit mental state and knowing Shinji, he doesn't know how to properly express his emotions. So naturally what does he decide to do? Bust a load to Asuka's comatose body. Btw although the anime doesn't show any attraction for Asuka prior to this (except the kiss maybe and the childhood friend fantasy) apparently there's some side content that makes their relationship make a bit more sense.

I would explain the events of the story in more detail, but reddit can explain it better. Basically at the end Shinji decides he would rather live in the new destroyed world than a fantasy and the only person that we can see who also decided to stay is Asuka. Basically,Shinji chokes Asuka so he knows he's not living in some weird fantasy. Asuka caresses his cheek and calls him disgusting, letting him know that it isn't a fantasy. Basically Shinji has the craziest character development in all of anime history. Although it's hard to say if he's even alright at the end.

On one hand I think Evangelion is a masterpiece and on the other hand I think it's garbage. It's an anomaly within anime. As a story writer, if most people can't understand your story, then it's badly written. However, Evangelion reminded me of poetry. It was confusing but clearly had deeper meanings. I doubt anyone could ever COMPLETELY understand Evangelion by only watching the series&movie. It practically requires discussion between people to even grasp it. If the writers wanted to leave a lasting impression, they certainly achieved their goal.

[mochicrackersss]

I am SO glad you also had no idea what this movie was about. I was genuinely so lost and I was going as insane as Shinji in the film. Thank you for adding that reddit thread for more explanation. I think this class would benefit from watching the series in full, because I think that's why I feel so confused on how things lead up to the movie. But like you mentioned, I do respect what the Evangelion series and movie attributed to anime communities and maybe I'll understand its more complex meanings with a proper rewatch.

[mochicrackersss]

Blog Post - The End of Evangelion ᯓᡣ𐭩‧₊˚ ⊹

I followed Neon Genesis Evangelion pretty well despite skipping a lot of episodes. The show was confusing, sure, but it posed a lot of interesting philosophical themes of self-hatred and fascinatingly illustrated biblical imagery. I even thought the ending of the original show was sweet despite its suddenness. I felt the characters deserved to learn to love themselves after the hardship they went through.

HOWEVER! The End of Evangelion movie confused the shit out of me! I thought the show was done? Does this take place after his self-love revelation in the last episode or before??? If so, why is Shinji now going insane again??? WHY DID SHINJI DO THAT IN FRONT OF ASUKA'S UNCONSCIOUS BODY IN THE HOSPITAL?????? WHY ARE A BUNCH OF ADULTS SEXUALLY HARASSING KIDS???????? (Insert defeated Shinji leaning over chair image here...) I just truly feel like I missed something here. I still don't understand what "The Promised Day" means, who Rei and her clones are in relation to Shinji's mom, why those black armored soldiers are attacking Nav HQ, or why Asuka and her Evangelion are going berserk.

I don't know... I feel like the original show put a lot of care into showing their characters' flaws, but also demonstrating that these flawed people were born from their terrible environment. Therefore, if they could accept their wrongdoings or learn to love themselves and others, they deserve to live peacefully. So is the movie trying to take back their claim or show the other side of reality? Is it saying sometimes despite bad environments, bad people don't try to change? Because End of Evangelion made a lot of their characters into suddenly shitty, violent people. It's fine to have those kinds of characters, but not so suddenly with no buildup. But that's just me, and like I mentioned, maybe I missed said buildup in the show.

At least those white, angel-like Evangelions are pretty cool design-wise. I have no idea where they came from, but I like their wings and hoverboard swords.

[robian]

Evangelion Part 2

Alright Part 2 is where I can actually get to writing. I wrote my part 1 blog almost entirely on Shinji so I'll start off by explaining what I meant by his “character development” that I mentioned in my last post.

Those last 2 episodes were probably super confusing. They probably felt like they came out of nowhere. Some people say it's an amazing ending, while others say it's horrible. Honestly, I don't know how I feel about it. I even needed the help of redditors to get a semi-understanding of what it meant without having the movies spoiled for me. Basically these two episodes are all about Shinji's self hatred and at the very end he comes to finally accept himself. Really, it seems to be that simple. Of course, I haven't watched the movies yet, so if there's more to it, that's probably why.

 Honestly, I knew that Shinji hated piloting the Eva, but I feel that we don't get a true understanding of his self-hatred until these last two episodes. You can say this is dumb, because it may seem like the writers just suddenly had Shinji hate himself, but personally I feel that the story had some obvious hints along the way. When people yelled or even hurt Shinji, he never defended himself. He always avoided problems. Someone who hates themselves, doesn't have the power to protect themselves. 

Alright, I should probably talk about some other characters. Rei still confuses me and I'm betting there's more info In the movies because it seems she has some connection to Shinji's mother. Rei's character development is basically her smiling and shedding a tear. She's attempting to find her humanity and sense of self even though she knows she is different from everyone else. 

Asuka says she's piloting the Eva for herself, but in reality she pilots the Eva as a coping mechanism for her mother. Her mother never cared for her, and the chance to become an Eva pilot meant that people would always care for her, unlike her mother. She believes that if she isn't the best, people will stop giving her attention. She believes that she'll lose any value she has. As of the ending of the series, Asuka is still in a depressive state, but I'm assuming she'll get back on her feet in the movies. 

Finally, I'll talk about Misato Katsuragi. At first, she just seems to be this strong, independent, happy, snobbish, beautiful lady. However, we later find out that she's dealing with some serious trauma of her own. Her dad, who she originally hated, sacrificed his life to save her. It left her confused as to whether she hated her dad or not. She unintentionally sought out things that reminded her of him such as her job and her boyfriend to fill the void left in her heart. At the end of the series, it seems to point out that she is scared of being alone. Her dad leaves her. Her boyfriend leaves her. She just wants anyone's attention and even seemingly makes a move on Shinji.  

Hopefully y'all didn't seriously read all 500+ word yapping session, but part 2 was definitely where the phique of the characters was delved into more. As for my opinions on Evangelion (before watching movies), I liked it, but I don't really understand the hype. 

[mochicrackersss]

Hi Robian! I definitely read all 500 words of your yapping session just because you said everything so well. I'm not sure if I missed the part where Misato is revealed to have hated her father, when in fact he sacrificed himself for her, or maybe you just knew the whole context of the show. But it is sad that she seems really similar to Shinji in that sense, both of them struggle to determine their hatred for their fathers because they did questionably right, but morally wrong things. I also didn't know that she tried to advance on Shinji, or I would've said she was a great mother figure to him. But never mind!!!

[mochicrackersss]

Blog Post - Neon Genesis Evangelion Part Two ᯓᡣ𐭩‧₊˚ ⊹

I don't know why I thought part two would be a new season, but it was just finishing off the original Neon Genesis Evangelion. I appreciate that choice so it's easier for us to follow the show! And I'm really excited that Asuka Langley Soryu was introduced in the first episode! She's like the og "tsundere" girlie and I love her for that. Asuka is such a petty girl boss and is also an interesting parallel to Shinji's and Rei's more quiet demeanors.

When Asuka is introduced to Shinji and his classmates, they are immediately surprised by her brash attitude. It might be due to her German descent that the Japanese characters are taken aback by her prideful personality. However, I believe it has nothing to do with where she comes from, and Asuka only comes off as confident to mask her insecurities. When she finally meets Shinji, the Third Child, she is jealous that he can effortlessly sync to his Evangelion, instead of going through the long training that she and Rei went through. In an attempt at friendliness, Asuka tries to bond with Rei about this dilemma in the locker room, saying sarcastically "He did it so effortlessly it's a little frustrating, you know? He's amazing! Magnificent! Tough! Too tough! Ooh, Shinji the Mighty! Our jobs will be so much easier thanks to him! Right? We'll have to work super-duper hard to keep him from leaving us in the dust!" Yet, her conversation falls on deaf ears as Rei leaves her alone mid-sentence. And she isn't the only one who doesn't care about her. Even though she should be at least acquainted with Misato and Shinji because the three of them live together, it's clear by the body language that they consider Asuka a very annoying roommate. All of this neglect doesn't just make Asuka feel more insecure about her capabilities as a pilot, but alone in Japan without anyone to truly connect with. It makes me feel really bad for her.

[kwanyoung]

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Part 1) | Themes of Masculinity & War

The Plot Of The Anime

Violent enemies, called Angels, roam the planet Earth and cause havoc on the human created infrastructure. A young boy named Shinji Ikari is forced to join the NERV (a secret organization under the United Nations who battles against the Angels) by his father Gendo Ikari, who is a commander of the organization, with complex relationships with him. Gendo is also the director of the construction of the top-secret Evangelion weapon project. Shinji eventually is tasked to control Evangelion Unit-01 to battle against the Angels with his group, which Evangelion Unit-01, being a powerful giant biological mech, much like what you see in Mobile Suit Gundam (I should stop making references to that dumb anime).

The Issue In Question

In episode 1, we can clearly see themes of masculinity crossed with themes of war. Gendo is the director and has a powerful position in the United Nation's secret initiative, NERV, who was also chosen by his authorities to do what he wants in control. We see that this reflects the male hegemony system, where males dominate over females in crucial positions or missions. Additionally, we can see the father wants his son, Shinji to be the one to pilot the mech and engage in war, which also shows this pattern of passing that male hegemony system down as society expects men to be mentally strong and discipline, even though Shinji is a child. However, Shinji is more of a different person, showing a presence of a female's gender performance (according our society), refusing to pilot the mech and go to war, which subverts the social norms in the anime. This is also one of the reasons why the son-father relationship is poor as the father is seen more as a masculine figure while the son has a more feminine figurine side, but I will probably discuss more on that on another blog as the focus for this blog is male hegemony.

The Issue Addressed In Japan & Beyond

Male hegemony is very present in our modern world and even has been the same historically. Men are more likely to take on very powerful positions such as being a president of a wealthy nation, a general of a powerful military, or even a CEO of a large company. In Japan for example, there hasn't been a female prime minister yet, nor in the United States, has there been a female president. Most if not all CEOs of the most valued companies around the world are occupied by males. of In the This leaves women to take on less powerful positions, specifically roles that meet what society expects in gender performance like nurturing or housework for women. However, this situation has been improving as a result of awareness for gender equality and the laws passed with it. Females started rising in importance in society and are praised for taking more powerful roles males formally took on.

My Personal Takes

I want to talk about my personality and my physiques as a male and how it doesn't really reflect how society imagines a true male looks. Men tend to look tall, muscular, and handsome as those are physical traits that make of masculinity (sounds like muscular). I do not possess most of those traits as I am a lean person who often loses in arm wrestling. However, I am tall, but not as tall as some of the more masculine dudes out there, and also I did not win the genetics of having a handsome facial features like a diamond-edged jawline.

The more related personal aspect of me to this blog is the personality aspect, where my dad's personality is very ruthless and scary, especially when he gets mad. I do not have those traits as my siblings don't seem to be scared of me at all. I do have a big soft side like Shinji in the anime and also have contrasting personalities to my dad just like Shinji and Gendo.

[mochicrackersss]

Hi Kwanyoung! I really appreciate your relation to Shinji as a character. It's nice to know that such a popular anime can represent a different kind of male protagonist, one that doesn't fit masculine norms and isn't all about toughness and sex and killing and whatnot. Shows should have all different kinds of male leads, as real life people are extremely complex, both physically and mentally. But its sad that you typically only see super masculine male characters, just as you see super sexual side-piece female characters.

[mochicrackersss]

Blog Post - Neon Genesis Evangelion ᯓᡣ𐭩‧₊˚ ⊹

I've wanted to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion because it's just so iconic within anime culture. I never did though, because I heard the series could be hard to follow. However, despite that fear, it really drew me in! Evangelion was like Mobile Suit Gundam but a thousand times more terrifying, especially with its darker tones and the presence of Lovecraftian-like Angels.

I can definitely see how the main character, Shinji Ikari, not only rejects masculinity throughout the series (like the readings from this module discuss) but he also rejects everything within the show. The boy is invited by his absent father to be at the organization, Nerv, with no other information. Once rescued by Misato, he is brought to the top secret location where eventually (with much prying by his father) finds out that the only reason he is here is to pilot the mech suit, Evangelion. Suddenly, all the adults around him who told him nothing are now telling him to do everything. They constantly push him to pilot the suit and make him feel horrible if he doesn't, which puts an enormous amount of pressure on Shinji. And once he finally accepts to pilot (only because Rei was hurt) they still belittle him and say things like "Suck it up! "Be a real boy!" and "Stay calm!" as it isn't his first time piloting a dangerous mechanical monster against a terrifying biblically accurate angel.

This is a bit off-topic, but I find it interesting that the mech suit is treated like an uncontrollable wild animal. (Which it kinda is since its revealed to have an alive creature inside.) It's constantly restrained to prevent a "runaway" or becoming "berserk", and only a few people can pilot an Evangelion without rejection. In a way, I wonder if it was an intentional comparison between Shinji and the Evangelion suits. They are considered dangerous deadweight until they become useful to the people around them. Maybe that's why only people who reject societal norms can pilot the suits.

[robian]

Wandering Son

Honestly, at first I thought this anime was a comment on discrimination against transgender people. However, by the end of the show, I think the anime was more of a comment on cross-dressing. Either way, the discrimination portrayed could easily be applied to either one because most people can't differentiate between the two. Most people, if they saw a bio male in a dress, would automatically jump to the conclusion that the person was transgender.

I thought it was interesting how the anime portrayed the contrast between male and female cross-dressers. Women can pretty much easily get away with dressing as a man, but if a dude were to wear a skirt (unless you're about to whip out the bagpipes), people would judge him. My personal thoughts on the cause of this is that women tend to be more fashionable in general, so a woman dressing as a man could just be seen as fashion.

The anime makes a pretty clear statement that society frowns upon men to women cross-dressing. What I think is interesting is how we've applied gender labels to so many things. Even the color pink is seen as girly. Personally, as a dude, I love the color pink. Society, from a young age, conditions us to like certain things. Boys are given toys different from girls, they're dressed in different clothing, etc. There's nothing biologically that implies a guy can't like wearing a skirt. It's all psychological conditioning.

I wonder if transgender people feel that they were born into the wrong body because their interests happened to align with the opposite gender's. gender and sex are fundamentally different after all. One is based on psychological aspects while the other is based on biological aspects. In my opinion, theres actually nothing psychologically wrong with transgender people at all, rather, it's society assigning labels that's the problem.

Society is wrong for discriminating these people just because they don't fall under it's standards. Just let people like what they like. If it isn't hurting anyone, then what business do you have with them. To all my homies out there, if you wanna go dress up as a woman, go do it. To all the ladies out there, if you wanna dress up as dude, go do it. Who cares what society thinks, cause it's all BS anyways.

p.s. if you disagree or feel strongly about any of the things I said just know I don't read any of yalls reposts, but feel free to criticize🙏

[mochicrackersss]

Hi Robian! I also thought this show was about transgender students, but I wasn't entirely sure as its not directly referenced in the anime. But crossdressing or not, I still think its point is clearly made and wonderfully handled. Especially in its real depictions of discrimination towards those that don't fit societal norms. The LGBTQ+ community constantly faces harassment towards all kinds of sides and its just so baffling to me that such hate exists. I personally don't see any room to criticize your post! Great job! :)

[mochicrackersss]

Blog Post - Wandering Son ᯓᡣ𐭩‧₊˚ ⊹

See, now this is proper LGBTQ+ representation compared to what was shown in Genshiken and Shin Sekai Yori (you wouldn't have even known Shin Sekai Yori discussed that topic without looking into its other episodes, but it wasn't that much better lol). Wandering Son follows Shuichi Nitori and Yoshino Takatsuki as their journies overlap while trying to figure out their dysphoria and gender identities. Shuichi yearns to be a girl and inspired by Shuchi's courage, Yoshino desires to be a boy. Simultaneously, the pair has to balance the shenanigans of middle school and their fear of social isolation due to their new identities. As Yoshino puts it, "It's just the difference between wanting to wear boy's clothes and wanting to wear girls' clothes. Even so, it's harder than you'd think." Although Shuichi and Yoshino are not specifically said to be transgender in the anime, they are either heavily implied to be or enjoy partaking in cross-dressing. And for whatever interpretation the viewer has, Wandering Son is a well-handled representation of transgender, gender-fluid, and non-binary communities. Especially in a Japanese school setting, which is somewhat unheard of in real life.

Another thing I wanted to discuss was the author of Wandering Son, Takako Shimura. Although there is no record of anything she identifies by (and it's also not any of my business) she is one of many great female mangaka who can create good LGBTQ+ media without going down a fetish-y, fujoshi route like seen in Genshiken. Not all (assumably) heterosexual cis-women are completely incapable of writing great stories with great representation, and I believe those authors, along with LGBTQ+ authors, are the ones who should be put into the limelight instead of the questionable BL content. Simple, down-to-earth stories like Wandering Son could truly be just what someone needs to begin their journey of self-discovery, and I think that's very special.

[kwanyoung]

Aggretsuko | Themes of Gender & Societal Expectations

The Plot of the Anime

Aggretsuko is widely known as "Aggressive Retsuko", and it perfectly describes the main character Retsuko the red panda, who is a new female employee as an accountant and also a heavy metal performer. The workplace is full of diverse people, however they are under the authority of a strict and stress-making boss Mr. Ton, a large pig. Retsuko has a very aggressive and chaotic persona who is mostly quite against social expectations, especially in the gender category. Throughout the episodes, we will see Retsuko interact with the working conditions as well as fellow co-workers under her identity in her society, as well as challenge the social norms and expectations.

The Issue In Question

This anime contains elements related to the issue of gender and societal expectations related to working at a workplace. Judith Butler’s essay “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory” discusses a concept that gender is not just one's identity but also one's doings, meaning gender also revolves around labor. Additionally, gender is the basis for one's role in society and can change as humans beliefs and society changes; this is like a "living ideology" where for example, a female's societal roles and expectations are not fixed but can change, even overlapping male's societal roles and expectations. In episode one we see Mr. Ton, the workplace boss, ask Retsuko to perform a very specific task (decorating his table and making him tea), which he says because its a female's task, which shows society expects females to do the supportive (minor) tasks rather than being equal with the males.

Retsuko is an example of someone who goes against gendered norms. Her interest in hardcore metal in that period is something only certain guys would be interested in, yet here is a female with the same interests as those guys.

The Issue Addressed in Japan & Beyond

This issue is predominant in our society, Japan and beyond. Japan is said to have strict traditions on women being housewives after marriage. However, we can also see this pattern worldwide. People can expect females to do less intensive tasks like dishwashing or even having a taste in less intensive culture (as that is what we usually grow up experiencing). We can see this issue especially in workplace and family culture, where females end up in the kitchen whereas males end up working at the job making income. This belief has been embedded into what we expect an average family looks like. Even though if a female decides to work at a job, people would expect them to be the one doing the work similar to household work like making tea. This shows that people's belief in gender roles are fixed and they believe they stay relatively constant.

However, there is a rise of a group that breaks gender expectations in society such as the LGBT+ group (this group has spread internationally), which consists of members who have a fluid identity and also have interests that do not align with the "fixed" interests amongst gendered people. Other groups include feminists groups who breaks this norm.

My Personal Takes

In my life, especially when I became more conscious about my world and the diversity in it, I can see an increased number of people with interests and beliefs that is seen from the opposite gender.

In my high school, there are guys who like hardcore rock and metal, however I also see girls who also like the same area of interest. I tend to associate rock and metal with guy's stuff, but it is because I am too adapted to the societal expectations in my world. I also see guys having tastes in shows or music that I expect only the girls to have those tastes.

This fits Butler's statement of that there is not one fixed role for an identity. Gender roles and interests can change and we as a society should not always think gender is fixed all the time.

[mochicrackersss]

Hi Kwanyoung! I personally relate a lot to Retsuko, and her experiences definitely make me worry about my career in the future. (Especially if I go into an office job, which I do NOT plan to do but yknow anything can happen I guess.) Though, I can attest to her encounters with sexism. It happens everywhere, and unfortunately it is extremely common in workplaces. I'm just glad instead of Retsuko getting dogged on the entire show for laughs, she actually learns to stand up for herself with the help from her coworkers and her love of death metal.