Riya

[thomasaila35]

Your Name, Hetalia: Axis Powers and Sensōron

When I look at Your Name, Hetalia Axis Powers, and Sensōron, I see three completely different anime that all connect in the way they talk about power, identity, and how people respond to change. They do it in such different ways, but each one made me stop and think about how much influence culture, tradition, and even misinformation can have on our choices.

In Your Name, the story of Taki and Mitsuha really stuck with me because it showed how much power exists around us even when we do not notice it. Mitsuha spends the beginning of the movie dreaming about leaving Itomori. She wants to get away from the small town, from her family’s traditions, and from the responsibilities of the shrine. She even complains about making the sake offering, which feels pointless to her. Taki, on the other hand, is living in Tokyo where life moves fast and everyone is focused on school, work, and getting ahead. He does not have time to think about traditions at all. When they start switching bodies, they are forced to live each other’s lives and see things from the other person’s perspective. I loved how the movie showed that the traditions Mitsuha wanted to run from were the same ones that ended up connecting her to Taki and saving her entire town. It made me think about how we can want to grow and move forward but we should not forget the things that gave us our foundation.

Hetalia was completely different in tone but still made me think a lot. Seeing countries turned into characters and interacting like people was funny, but it also showed how each country’s history shapes how they act. America’s loud and confident personality, Japan’s quiet and polite nature, and Germany’s strict discipline all reflected stereotypes that we recognize but also truths about how nations see themselves. I actually connected to this because when my dad was stationed in Iraq me and my mom lived on base in Germany and one time we stumbled on German school textbooks and it talked about WW2 in a whole different light. What I found interesting was how the show reminded me that there is never just one way to look at history. The way a country tells its story might be very different from how another country tells the same event. Watching the characters argue, joke, and even fight in ways that mirrored real historical moments made me realize how much perspective matters.

Sensōron felt the most serious out of the three, and it really made me pause. It focused on how easily people can be influenced by information without checking if it is even true. I could not help but think about how much that happens today, especially online. We see a headline or a post and react right away without stopping to think about where it came from. The anime shows how dangerous it can be when entire groups follow something blindly just because everyone else is doing it. It was a strong reminder to question things and form your own opinions instead of letting other people think for you.

All three of these anime connected for me because they kept pointing back to awareness. Whether it was Mitsuha and Taki learning to value what they had, countries in Hetalia showing how different perspectives shape history, or Sensōron warning about blindly following information, they all made me stop and reflect. It is not about rejecting everything we hear but about not taking things at face value either. These shows were not just entertaining stories for me, they were reminders to pay attention, ask questions, and decide for myself what to believe.

[purple1scorpio1]

Hey there! I definitely agree with you about the fact that Taki living in Itomori as Mitsuha is a reminder that maybe we should take a step back to remember and learn more about our roots. While it's good to keep moving forward and to keep becoming more advanced as a society, it's also good to appreciate our history and keep it alive, and also use it as a way to remember our mistakes and to learn from it.

I also wrote about something similar for Sensoron - it's so easy for us to blindly believe something we see on social media - whether it's a news article from an unreliable source or a photoshopped or AI picture of someone or something. Social media makes it hard for us to see what is true and what's not true and I think that it's really important for us to read reliable sources and make our own judgements.

Your view on Hetalia kind of goes back to Sensoron and how we perceive the things we see on social media. It's really all about the way something is portrayed. We can see in this anime that Germany is portrayed as more of a good person - aggressive at times but has a few soft spots. In reality, there's so many atrocities that Germany and even Japan and Italy committed during WWII that go unrecognized in this anime.

[purple1scorpio1]

Your Name, Hetalia: Axis Powers, and Sensoron Blog Post

Your Name

This anime was really good! I was really rooting for Taki and Mitsuha and I feel like the movie was constantly pushing them away from each other and pulling them together which made it even more interesting. I thought that the anime was a good example of how different the expectations are for women vs men and I thought that it was a funny and lighthearted way of putting men and women into each other's shoes to see the difference. Mitsuha gets to experience what it's like to be a guy: the expectation to act confident and a bit tough, especially in front of friends. Taki on the other hand gets to experience what it's like to be a girl: to be more gentle through words and actions. Overall I thought that this was a good anime because it really broadens the audience's perspectives in terms of what it's like to be of the opposite gender.

Mitsuha and Taki meeting in person for the first time

Hetalia: Axis Powers

This anime was not too bad - I can definitely see why many people would take offense to it. There's a lot of stereotypes about the countries, like Italians always eating pasta and Americans always eating burgers. To me it was really interesting to see the way America was portrayed. The character for America was very outgoing and very optimistic, which I can see why people outside of the America would think that. Perhaps other cultures are relatively less enthusiastic and more reserved than Americans are. I also thought that it was kind of funny to see the character for America taking all of the credit for the plans made to defeat the Axis Powers - there's this idea that America is the hero and main character of the story, and that the world revolves around them. I can also see why people from other cultures would think that Americans come off as entitled. While some of these stereotypes may be offensive, I think that this anime did a good job of expressing the idea that it's really about perspective - and people's perspectives can change so much based on the way the media interprets something. If a person had watched this anime without knowing anything about the Nazi regime, they probably would've assumed that Germany was doing the right thing based on the way the character was portrayed.

America from Hetalia: Axis Powers - portrayed as overly optimistic and takes a majority of the credit

Sensoron

It was definitely interesting to see something other than an anime in this class. This manga reminded me of American political cartoons like Thomas Nast and his depictions of political machines, Irish people, and the donkey and the elephant which represent the Democrat and Republican parties respectively. I think that this manga really reminded me of Nast and American political cartoons because of it's ability to convince you to think in a certain way. It's much easier for people to look at visuals than to read multiple articles about a topic. There were some very notable things that I picked up from the manga, but the main thing that I've learned is how people who create visuals like political cartoons and propaganda (if I can call it that) is that there's so many ways to manipulate it. In Sensoron, there are multiple photos that show how the lighting can be played with to make a photo look a certain way. It reminds me of things like Photoshop and AI that can alter pictures and make them look so real, and therefore mislead people.

The part of the manga that says that photos can be manipulated - even though this point was used to prove that the Nanking Massacre didn't happen (it did), it just goes to show that the media can often warp are ability to separate the truth from lies

[jpt1311-anime-analysis]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind / Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Looking at the brief descriptions of Nausicaa and Xenoblade, I would've never imagined that the two share some major similarities, especially given the differences in age and genre. Much to my surprise, both contain themes of environmentalism and the danger humanity poses to nature.

The origins of the worlds in both series were caused by a massive catastrophe at the hands of humans. In Nausicaa, it was a war of 1,000 years past, using massive weapons that wielded nuclear energy. In Xenoblade, Klaus attempted to save the world by using the Conduit, but instead destroyed the Earth to a point of no return. Both Nausicaa and Xenoblade warn viewers of how technological advancement, and the use of it, with no regard to the world's nature, can lead to irreversible destruction. Of course, in reality, most technological advancements - aside from weapons of mass destruction - wouldn't immediately destroy the planet.

However, we're slowly destroying our planet through chemical runoff, massive production of greenhouse gases, and manmade landscape changes like industrial mines. It has only been a few hundred years since the start of the Industrial Revolution, but we're already on track to do irreversible damage to the Earth. Instrumentalism can be attributed to most of these issues. Humans are constantly digging out wide swaths of land for mines, building factories, and burning forests for agriculture. Destroying nature at such a large scale will eventually lead to our own demise, just like it did for humans in Nausicaa and Xenoblade.

However, the solution offered in the two series contrasts. In the ending of Nausicaa, nature is left to heal on its own without humans making major contributions to help in its restoration. However, in Xenoblade, humans are directly restoring nature by the use of nanomachines. In my opinion, both methods are equally valid. Nature should be conserved and left to heal on its own, but at the same time, humans should also try to aid in its restoration. For example, humans could dedicate parcels of land for conservation purposes, while directly aiding endangered animals in the vicinity to help in restoring their population.

I also found it interesting how both series had religious symbolism. The Conduit in Xenoblade resembles a Christian cross, and the resurrection of Nausicaa is similar to the resurrection of Christ. I wonder if these Christian elements are used to contrast acts of sinful greed and destruction shown in both series.

Overall, I think both Nausicaa and Xenoblade offer unique perspectives on ecology. It was interesting how these fantasy worlds managed to make a solid commentary on contemporary ecological issues.

[purple1scorpio1]

Hey there! I definitely think that seeing both of these animes actually have quite a few similarities is a little surprising. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and its characters seem to be more in sync with nature, while Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has a more futuristic setting - with all the metal buildings and robots and the bulky metallic outfits that the characters wear. I do however, like how they both portray environmentalism in very different ways - I think it really shows that there is no right answer when it comes to reversing the damage done to the Earth. Rather, we should use various approaches to help restore the Earth and its environment. I also agree with you in that, while the world may not look like the world in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind or the world of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, it's important to take it as a warning as to what could happen if we're not careful about our actions and if we don't do anything to prevent the environment from going into further turmoil.

[purple1scorpio1]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Blog Post

Both of these animes brought me back to the first time we started talking about anime in this class. I remember as we were talking about capitalism and the effects that it has on society, one of the main things I thought of was its impact on the environment. We've created so much technology to allow for efficiency and the overall prosperity of humans, but at what cost? In the short-term, capitalism and the innovations we've made have made life so much easier, but in reality, it's caused a lot of problems in the long run that we have to find ways to counter.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

I thought that this anime had a really interesting take on environmentalism. I definitely think to some extent, letting nature repair itself can be a good thing, for we as humans have the responsibility of reviving and preserving it as well, especially because we're the ones who created the damage in the first place. However, it's so cool to see how powerful nature is, and how it's able to adapt to be stronger than ever before. It's like Charles Darwin's idea of the "survival of the fittest," where organisms constantly evolve to adapt to changing environments. In this anime, the plants and organisms like the Ohms have evolved to try and help reverse the damage done to the Earth. Overall I really liked this anime, especially because of Nausicaa's charming, go-getter personality.

The Sea of Decay - at first Nausicaa and everyone else thought that this place was extremely dangerous, but it's later revealed that this place is meant to absorb all of the toxins on Earth and reverse the damage

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

I think I would've enjoyed this one more if I had played the game, because I feel like I didn't really understand what was going on at some points. There were a few random characters that must've appeared between cutscenes and I didn't really understand who they were. Anyways, I did like the message that it gave about environmentalism - that humans should take more of an active approach to restoring the environment. While I do think that nature is powerful enough to help restore the damage done to the environment, I still appreciate Klaus and his effort to help restore the Earth, since he was the one that created mass destruction in the first place.

Image of the barren Elysium in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - here we can see the effects of the damage done to the Earth

[youngboipat]

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Watching Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion was like staring into someone’s mind during a total collapse. I’ve never seen an anime that felt so deeply personal and chaotic at the same time. What hit me hardest wasn’t the sci-fi or the giant battles—it was the raw mental and emotional breakdowns that all the characters, especially Shinji, go through. The show made me feel uncomfortable in the best way, like it was forcing me to sit with thoughts I’d usually push away.

In terms of global relevance, Evangelion doesn’t just reflect Japan’s postwar identity crisis or the pressure on youth to conform. It goes even deeper—into what it means to be human when everything else is stripped away. Isolation, depression, fear of connection—those themes aren’t just Japanese issues; they’re universal. I think anyone who’s ever felt alone or unsure of who they are can relate to Shinji’s paralysis and constant questioning of his worth.

I also found the ending of The End of Evangelion incredibly powerful. It’s messy, violent, and abstract—but it’s honest. It felt like a rejection of everything “clean” that anime is supposed to be. Instead of giving us a perfect resolution, it gives us emotion, confusion, and one small moment of human connection at the very end. That felt real to me. Life doesn’t always offer closure. Sometimes, just choosing to keep going is enough.

Watching this made me reflect on my own fear of vulnerability. Evangelion shows that connecting with others means accepting pain and imperfection, and that’s terrifying—but also necessary. It’s not a show I can say I “enjoyed” in the usual way, but it’s one I’ll probably be thinking about for a long time.

[purple1scorpio1]

Hey there! I like how you focus your analysis more on the emotions, themes, and personalities of the characters because I find opinions interesting. Also because I didn't particularly like the plot of this anime so analyzing the characters and how they portray real-world issues and phenomenon is interesting. I feel like in general, society talks more about gender roles and expectations for women and how they're unfair, but we don't always consider the possibly unfair expectations that we as society have for men, and this show really forces us to think about this as you've mentioned. Your point about forcing the youth to conform kind of relates to our conversations earlier in the course about NEETs and escaping capitalism - that there really is no escape to capitalism unless you want to be jobless, and how you're kind of forced down one particular path. Shinji trying to find ways to escape the pressure of hegemonic masculinity and to escape the need to conform is a great example of how society sets expectations for our lives from the moment we are born. It's so interesting to see how the concepts we learn in this course relate to each other.

[purple1scorpio1]

Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion Blog Post

I didn't particularly enjoy this anime(s) very much because I didn't find it as entertaining as the others ones we've watched in this course. I think it was because at first I didn't really understand what Shinji and the others were fighting against and why they were fighting against them until I watched the lectures and did my own research. And I feel like it was just kind of a strange anime overall, especially when Shinji was masturbating to Asuka's unconscious body.

The one thing I did find interesting about this anime though was the idea of the Human Completion Project. The idea of everyone being fused together as one, individual, living organism was so strange to me yet so intriguing. It's something that I've never thought about, mostly because I don't think there's ever been any reason for me to do so. But the idea of everyone combining bodies and minds is interesting because would it be one being with multiple voices in its head or would it be like one, single being that has one mind, just like any other person? I guess it eliminates the problem of having too many different opinions on a topic, but what would the world be like with a single being? The idea of it was so strange to me, but it also reminded me of a book I read called Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum where a wife was caring for her husband who was slowly dying and eventually they merged bodies because of the love that they had for each other. And that also makes me question whether or not they would have two separate minds or one.

The Human Completion Project sucking everyone's souls to merge them all together

I also noticed that this anime had many biblical allusions like references to Lilith and to Adam, as well as the Angels, the main antagonists in the anime, and their names being Sachiel and Ramiel for example. There were a lot of biblical allusions in the anime, but they weren't really being used to make commentary on Christianity or religion itself. I did my own research on the reasons for inclusion and it just said it was for aesthetics, which I think is a pretty underwhelming answer.

Lilith being crucified

Overall a strange anime that I didn't hate but didn't really enjoy either.

[youngboipat]

Anime Convention True Otaku

I’ve never been to an anime convention in person. Still, after watching the True Otaku documentary, I feel like I got a good look at what the experience is like—both the exciting parts and the ones that made me think deeper about what fandom really means. At first, I expected the documentary to simply show people cosplaying and discussing their favorite shows, but what I got was a comprehensive look into how fandom becomes a significant part of someone's identity, especially for young people trying to find their place in the world.

One thing that stood out to me right away was how personal anime is to many of the fans. They don’t just watch shows for fun—they live in those worlds, relate deeply to the characters, and express themselves through cosplay, fan art, and writing. Some of the people interviewed talked about how they didn’t feel accepted in their everyday lives but found a sense of community and belonging through anime. That reminded me a lot of what we’ve been learning in class about youth culture and how people build their identity through shared experiences and interests. When someone doesn’t feel seen or understood in regular society, fandom offers a space where they can be their full self without apology.

Another aspect that resonated with me was the way the fans discussed escapism. For many, anime wasn’t just entertainment—it was a safe haven. In a way, I understood that more than I thought I would. Even though I’ve never cosplayed or gone to a con, I’ve definitely used anime as a way to escape stress, school pressure, or even feelings of isolation. Shows like Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, and My Hero Academia gave me something to hold onto—characters who struggle, overcome, and push through. That emotional connection is what pulls people into fandom and keeps them there.

The documentary also made me realize how deep the commitment to fandom goes. People weren’t just watching anime—they were collecting merchandise, organizing meetups, running forums, and even learning Japanese to connect more with the culture behind the shows they love. That level of dedication reminded me of what we discussed in class about postmodern culture—how media and identity are no longer separate. Fandom doesn’t just reflect who you are; it shapes who you are. It influences your values, your relationships, even your goals. And in a time when traditional identities are less fixed than ever, fandom becomes a place where people can actually choose who they want to be.

There was one part of the documentary where someone said they felt more themselves in cosplay than in their regular clothes, and that really stuck with me. It shows how fandom isn’t about hiding from reality—it’s about creating a version of reality that feels more authentic. And that’s where cultural identity formation comes in. These fans are building identities that don’t fit into the usual boxes—student, worker, sibling—but instead, center around shared passions, creativity, and emotional connections.

Overall, watching True Otaku gave me a much deeper understanding of fandom. It’s not just about loving anime—it’s about building a life around something meaningful. It’s about finding people who understand you when no one else does. And most importantly, it’s about turning passion into identity, even when the world tells you that passion is weird or “too much.” After watching this documentary, I feel that I understand not just anime culture, but youth culture as a whole. It’s creative, emotional, and deeply human.

[purple1scorpio1]

Hey there! I've never been to an anime convention either, but watching the documentary really opened my eyes to anime/manga/video game fans and the fandom's culture. I totally agree with you about how the people that cosplay really immerse themselves into the roles - they shift from their own selves to the actual character. They don't just look like the character, they basically are the character. It's really cool to see someone so passionate about something and be able to create something outside of the anime/manga/video game itself. It's almost like they're expanding the creative realm in their own way. Even though some people may see it as a waste of time or they may judge, you have to admit that the community that Otaku have been able to build to be able to support each other and to share their passions is very admirable. Their dedication to the fandom and to the culture beyond just reading manga, watching anime, and playing video games is something that is really cool to see, and it's a great creative outlet!

[thomasaila35]

Sailor Moon, Aggretsuko, and Wandering Son

All of these anime were really different from each other but they all connected through the topics of feminism and gender which I think is the main message they were trying to show. Each one had its own take on what it means to be a woman or how gender and identity are seen, and I honestly felt like a lot of it related to things I’ve noticed in real life too.

Starting with Sailor Moon, this one felt the most traditional when it comes to how girls and boys are shown. But at the same time it shows girl power and makes femininity feel strong. Like the girls cry and wear jewelry and skirts but still save the world. That’s really cool. But something that stood out to me was how when they transform and get powerful, they also get more “sexy” looking. That part made me feel weird. I get that it’s supposed to be empowering but to me it sends the message that to be powerful you also have to show off your body. And the thing is they’re only 14 if they were in college or end of high school I would be all for it. I was that age not too long ago in all glitter justice outfits and when I watched shows like that I would compare my body to theirs or feel like I had to look like that to be strong or pretty. So it kind of messes with your head even if the show is supposed to be positive.

Then Aggretsuko felt more realistic but also frustrating. The main character is a panda but she’s basically just a regular office worker who has to smile and act feminine all day even though inside she’s angry and stressed. She can’t be her true self at work so she lets it out in secret by singing death metal at karaoke. That made me think about how women are expected to act a certain way and hide how they really feel. It’s like you can be whoever you want to be but only at home or when no one is watching. It also shows how society expects women to just work until they get married or have kids like that’s the only path.

Wandering Son was definitely the most emotional and probably the most real when it comes to gender identity. It shows characters who are figuring out who they are and how they want to present themselves but it’s not easy for them. The main characters want to dress and live differently from how they were born but they’re still learning what that means. One thing that stood out was how the anime showed that it was more accepted to play a gender role on stage than in real life. That made me think about drag queens and how people are cool with it when it’s a performance but not always when it’s real life. Like you can act a certain way for entertainment but the second you live that way it becomes a problem for some people. The anime shows how confusing and hard that can be especially when family doesn’t support it.

Overall I think all three anime said something about how gender and identity are not simple and how people are still trying to figure out how to be themselves in a world that doesn’t always make that easy. Whether it’s being a magical girl, a stressed out office worker, or a kid trying to understand who they are, all of these characters are dealing with real stuff. I liked how each show made me think about the world differently and honestly I felt connected to parts of all of them in my own way.

[purple1scorpio1]

Hey there! I totally agree with you about how in Sailor Moon, there's definitely a "girl power" element that's used. It depicts young girls as emotional and very feminine, but also shows girls fighting evil. And I also liked how you mentioned the girls' "superhero" costumes and how they're more revealing and skimpy. It is a little strange to be sexualizing teenage girls, especially considering the creators of the anime were probably grown adults. It's very contradicting to see girls in dominant and powerful roles, yet also get depicted in a negative way.

I also thought that the point you made in your writing about Wandering Son and how dressing up in a different gender is ok at times, like for performances, but not accepted on a daily basis, and how it relates to drag queens. If people can wear the clothes of the opposite gender on stage, they should be allowed to just wear the clothes of the opposite gender in their real life. This double standard is also very contradicting and hard to understand.

[purple1scorpio1]

True Otaku Documentary Blog Post

Before watching this, my knowledge of conventions was very limited. I never really took the opportunity to learn about and watch anime before this class, but watching the True Otaku documentary really showed me what it's like to be an Otaku and what it's like to go to conventions.

I found it interesting to see the large numbers of people, all dressed up like it's Halloween, as mentioned by many in the documentary, and to see the community that Otaku and anime/manga fans have. Everyone shows appreciation for the hard work and that craft that people put into each other's costume, and it's really nice to see that there are people that admire the time and effort that they put into their costumes. I definitely know what it feels like to show my work to everyone, and for everyone to see what I've accomplished and for them to see what I'm able to create. And being able to see the behind the scenes of the making of a costume, specifically from Dust Bunny, really showed me how much is put into costume making. Seeing her research the costume and put together so many reference photos showed me the patience required for making a costume.

I also loved to see how there were family members that weren't necessarily Otaku come and support their family who were Otaku. There were some parents that came to the convention not because they watched anime or read manga, but because they wanted to make it a family event. And the family members were pleasantly surprised at the community that Otaku have built, and how everyone shows appreciation for each other. It was nice to see that even family members were supportive of their family member's passion for anime/manga.

The definition of Otaku wasn't really clear in the documentary, since everyone had a different definition for it. Some were saying that the definition is someone who's a fan of anime/manga/video games, some said it was someone who's a fan of Japanese culture, and some were very broad and said that Otaku includes people who were a fan of anything, to the point where they're very passionate about it. I think the term Otaku is whatever you make it to be, although I'm not sure if a Star Wars or a Marvel fan would necessarily be an Otaku because the term is primarily used in Japanese culture. The term Otaku is very up to interpretation, so it's really up to the individual person how they want to identify.

It was very interesting to see the Lolita fashion style at the conventions shown in the documentary as well. Since conventions are primarily for cosplaying for anime/manga/video games, it was interesting to see how people weren't necessarily cosplaying a certain character, but rather dressing up in the clothing style that's native to Japan. Lolita fashion to me seems to be very maximalist, very conventionally feminine, has a lot of frills and lace, and uses very simple color schemes. I can definitely see how the Lolita style has taken inspiration from Victorian clothing styles from the Rococo period, especially with the use of petticoats to make the dresses appear very big and rounded in the skirt part of the dress. It was also interesting to see how the Lolita fashion style had different subgenres, such as more gothic (using darker colors) and the ones that are more traditionally "feminine" which use lighter colors. I had never heard of Lolita fashion so it was really fascinating to learn about.

Example of Lolita fashion - you can see that the girl in the photo is using a petticoat to expand her skirt, and has many bows, flowers, and frills on her dress, which is very typical of the Lolita fashion.

Overall, this documentary was really interesting, and it showed me the depth of Otaku and Japanese culture. The documentary showed me that there was more to conventions than just manga/anime/video game cosplayers, and that there is still a lot I could learn about conventions and Otaku and Japanese culture!

[purple1scorpio1]

Sailor Moon, Aggretsuko, and Wandering Song Blog Post

Sailor Moon

I actually really liked this show! I couldn't really tell if it was directed towards kids, but I still found it very entertaining! I might continue to watch this show - I like how light-hearted it is, and it reminds me of shows I used to watch when I was a kid, like My Little Pony so it was very nostalgic for me. I thought that the episode about Usagi and her friends wanting to lose weight was so strange though. If this is a show directed towards young girls, I don't think it's a good message to be sending. Not only does Usagi stop eating and exercises excessively, her family also tells her to eat less and exercise more, rather than telling her that it's ok to be gaining weight since she's still growing. It's just crazy to me how her parents didn't even seem to express concern for Usagi and her relationship with food and her body. Other than that, I still enjoyed the show.

Usagi and her friends at the new weight loss center that encourages excessive exercise and poor eating habits.

Aggretsuko

I liked this anime as well even though it was very different from the other animes we've watched so far, in terms of the artistic style. In the other animes we've watched, I became so used to seeing characters with big eyes and characters that we're human. It was cool to see an animated world where everyone was anthromorphic animal. It kind of reminded me of Zootopia. The anime was pretty funny, especially Gori and Washimi. Aggretsuko showed the reality of the expectations for women in the workplace in a comical and exaggerated way. Although most women wouldn't stand up to their boss by fighting in a karaoke battle, it was still great at showing the hardships of women in the workplace and the abuse of power by executives.

Retsuko and Director Ton's karaoke battle - Retsuko expresses the unjust things that Ton has said and done to Retsuko.

Wandering Son

I really liked the message of this anime and how talked about transgenderism in children and how others perceive children who are transgender. Often times uniforms are required in schools to promote equality and limit distractions, but having separate uniforms for girls and boys can be tough for children who are transgender. I thought that the way the teachers reacted to the few children that wore uniforms of the opposite gender was a little awkward - like they wanted to say something but they didn't really want to be mean. I think that this behavior and mindset influences the other students, causing them to stare and judge. It shouldn't matter what a child wants to wear to school, as long as they are doing their duty as students to learn and work hard. To see children feel discomfort in their bodies is so devastating, and while there are many controversies in terms of transgenderism, especially for children, if a child is visibly uncomfortable with who they are, it might not hurt to give them a chance to experiment with gender.

Shuichi as a boy vs Shuichi as a girl - allowing children to express themselves through clothing and being able to present as a different gender may help them feel more comfortable and figure whether or not transitioning is right for them.

[jpt1311-anime-analysis]

Genshiken

Watching Genshiken reminded me of my time in late elementary and middle school. Anime was nowhere near how popular it is today and many people still regarded anime fans as social outcasts. It was difficult for me to find people to share my interests with. Although this was nearly a decade after the airing of Genshiken, its main plot elements held true.

Being a part of a group or community to discuss your hobbies with is a special thing. The members of Genshiken could, for the most part, express their interests freely, although there was a bit of conflict at times. Although I couldn't find such a group during my school years, I found online communities where I could discuss anime and manga.

Kanji was probably the most relatable character for me. Just like me, he lacked confidence in sharing his interests in anime and manga with others. But once he found a safe place to do so, he gained confidence and started being more true to himself.

Genshiken is a fun and relatable anime for fans of any non-mainstream media. It also serves as a great example of the shadow cultural economy. Throughout the anime, we see the characters, especially Madarame, partake in this economy by acquiring shadow cultural capital such as dōjinshi. The need to partake in the shadow cultural economy is so great that Madarame spends most of his money on shadow cultural capital rather than on essential needs like food, hence why he is so frail.

Saki can be viewed as an example of how outsiders perceive otaku culture. She initially dislikes and shuns the members of Genshiken, seeing them as weird and perverted. However, as she gets to know the members, she becomes more accepting and even helps them at times. This goes to show that anime and manga fans aren't inherently weird. Rather, they might struggle socially because they're afraid or ashamed to share their interests with others.

Genshiken reminded me of how I was when I initially began watching anime, with a lot of it still being relatable today. I also liked the references to other anime as it made the anime feel more real. Overall, it was an enjoyable watch!

[purple1scorpio1]

Hey there! I definitely agree with you about the judgement of Otaku and Otaku culture. I feel like there are some extreme fans that sometimes paint a bad picture of what Otaku culture is really like and I also think that Otaku culture isn't really talked about that much so many people don't know what it consists of and they're therefore quick to judge. It's interesting to hear your perspective since you've said yourself that you've been into manga and anime for a long time now, because personally I've never really given it a shot until now. I also thought that you mentioning Saki and how she's a representation of the outsider view of Otaku culture was something that was interesting and I didn't really connect the dots at first. And I agree with you, she shows some initial judgement and hesitation towards Otaku culture at first, especially when she's trying to talk to Kousaka and try to tell him that she has feelings for him. Even though Saki isn't an Otaku, she still accepts the other members of the group and realizes that they're not as strange as she thought them to be.

[purple1scorpio1]

Genshiken Blog Post

I thought that this anime was really different than the other animes we've watched so far. The other animes we've watched have had actual storylines, cliffhangers, and were jam-packed with action. Genshiken was different because it wasn't filled with drama nor did it have a specific plot - it felt a lot more realistic, like it was just a representation of the lives of college students. I thought it was interesting to see the lengths that fans of more niche pop culture fandoms would go to explore their passions - like Madarame hurting his hand yet wanting to push through the pain just to get into the convention. While it's easy to judge people for their interests in things like anime and manga, specifically the suggestive types we see in Genshiken, we can't really get mad at people for liking something, even if it's a little odd.

I also thought that Sue and Angela being introduced was quite comical because it shows how people from Japan and other cultures perceive Americans. As Americans, we know that Sue and Angela were just exaggerated representations of American culture, and we wouldn't do or say most of the things that Sue and Angela would, like randomly taking off our shirts or being overly vulgar in most settings. I think it's safe to say that generally, we as Americans are probably better at reading the room than Angel and Sue are.

I also thought it was interesting to see how there wasn't a lot of outright discrimination or negativity towards Otaku culture, besides some snarky remarks from Kasukabe who wasn't an Otaku. It's kind of like how in the other animes we watched like A Silent Voice and Wolf Children where those who were in minority groups were part of a small pocket of people who had similar interests and accepted each other.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this anime - I definitely thought it was refreshing to watch an anime without a lot of action and drama happening.

Picture of Angela - she looks like a typical American girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She's not necessarily wearing something really revealing but compared to the other girls in the series she does wear slightly more revealing clothing.

[hwiiii-bloggg]

Naruto, Wolf Children, and A Silent Voice

Watching Naruto, Wolf Children, and A Silent Voice back-to-back felt like moving through three stages of growing up in modern Japan—and, by extension, anywhere. Naruto hit me first with its relentless insistence that the wounds of the past don’t disappear until someone chooses empathy over vengeance. As a kid who devoured shōnen shows for the flashy fights, I missed how the series mirrors post-war debates about generational trauma: the village elders cling to old conflicts while Naruto imagines a future where former enemies share a meal. That refusal to inherit hatred resonates in today’s fractious global politics, where cycles of retaliation still feel easier than reconciliation.

Wolf Children then slows everything down. Hana’s decision to raise Ame and Yuki in the countryside reminded me of my own grandmother’s stories about rural Vietnam—fields shrinking, neighbors leaving for city jobs, and mothers doing the emotional labor of holding a family together. Hosoda’s film quietly protests the social structures that make single parents almost invisible. It also suggests an alternative: community built through shared work and patient acceptance of difference. In the readings on furusato (“hometown”) nostalgia, scholars describe rural spaces as repositories of authenticity; Wolf Children both leans into and challenges that romanticism by showing the back-breaking reality of farming alongside its grace.

Finally, A Silent Voice confronted me with the everyday cruelty we excuse as “kids being kids.” Shōya’s journey from bully to ally forced me to revisit moments when I stayed silent in school corridors because joining in felt safer than speaking up. The film’s portrayal of disability and depression pushes against Japan’s—and much of the world’s—tendency to keep mental health struggles private. I kept thinking about Goffman’s writing on stigma from this week’s readings: redemption begins when we allow the stigmatized person to narrate their own story.

Together, these works challenge me to cultivate courage, care, and compassion—whether I’m facing institutional injustice, family responsibilities, or my own past mistakes. They remind me that change starts small: one handshake, one freshly tilled garden row, one apology sincerely given.

[purple1scorpio1]

Hey there! I saw that you made a point about Hana from Wolf Children being a single mother and I didn't think about how there was some discrimination against single parents in the movie as well. Hana tries her best to raise her kids, especially since her kids are half wolf and she has not idea how to raise them. One part that I think could be considered as discrimination would be when the Child Protective Services comes knocking at her door because her children aren't vaccinated. The authorities act as if she's a neglectful mother and doesn't want the best for her kids, but in reality she doesn't even know what kind of doctor to take her kids to, let alone know how her kids will react to getting vaccinations. Not only does society fail on their part to support children from multicultural backgrounds, but they also fail on their part when it comes to supporting single parents.

[purple1scorpio1]

Naruto, Wolf Children, and A Silent Voice Blog Post

Naruto

I’ve heard many things about this show, but have never actually watched it. I thought that it was a good example of an underdog who proved himself worthy to everyone around him. Even though Naruto had to change himself to fit into society, his dedication to work hard and develop his skills is admirable. I don’t have much of an opinion on the show as I didn’t really know what the show was about beforehand, but I might try and watch more episodes to see if it’s something I would enjoy!

This image represents how Naruto feels different from everyone else and how everyone shuns Naruto - it feels like Naruto is against the rest of the world with no one on his side

Wolf Children

I thought this movie was really good - it brings light to people who come from multiethnic and other marginalized backgrounds. The movie shows how society and other institutions aren’t equipped for people who come from multicultural backgrounds, and how people are forced to pick a side to fit into society. In Hana’s case, she didn’t know anyone with wolf children, which made it even harder for her to raise them. Oftentimes in our world, even though resources may be limited for people from other backgrounds, there are still some resources to help. I thought the analogy that Professor Smith made about Yuki’s box with animal bones to kids from other cultures bringing cultural food to school was such an interesting detail that I didn’t think of before! Overall, I like this movie because it encourages society to not only be accepting of people from multicultural backgrounds, but to also create resources for them to help them become better equipped.

Ame as a wolf - he had to choose a side (human vs wolf) as society wasn't accepting of people who chose to embrace both

A Silent Voice

This was genuinely such a devastating movie. Honestly, I never really saw people get blatantly bullied like this when I was in school, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. I’ve definitely seen kids in school talk behind peoples’ backs and make back-handed comments but nothing as intense as this. Part of me thinks that it’s the kids that are at fault - because they chose to act the way they did. But at the same time, the adults around them ignored it and enabled it all to happen. We could also blame the school and societal system, and the fact that they put Nishimiya into the class without any support. I think all groups are in the wrong in some way, and that it was unfortunate that Nishimiya had to go through all this and felt like it was her fault that everyone was upset.

I also wanted to mention that even though Nishida was very wrong for bullying Nishimiya, for him to get shunned by everyone around him was, not uncalled for but it was contradicting. First of all, the other kids around him joined in on bullying Nishimiya, and turned on him once the teacher and principal called Nishida out. And I say that this is contradicting because everyone wanted Nishida to change and to stop being a bully, but they also didn’t give him the opportunity to change and instead ignored him and stopped being friends with him. He learned his lesson, and even if his words and actions didn’t seem right, the intention to change eventually came to him. He was given another chance, and it shows that maybe other members of society are willing to change. But maybe not Ueno, because even though everyone around her was willing to accept Nishimiya and apologize to her, that girl for some strange reason believed that her actions were justified. Also I felt that when Ueno was bullying Nishimiya it seemed like no one did anything and just watched it all unfold. Other than that the movie definitely had my emotions all over the place but I still thought it was a great watch.

From Nishida's point of view - everyone has x's on their voice the symbolize the fact that Nishida doesn't feel any sort of connection between the people around him - and that everyone is against him.

[m4k14]

Watching Shin Sekai Yori felt like being slowly pulled into a dream that turns into a nightmare but one that you can’t stop thinking about even after it’s over. I went in expecting a sci-fi dystopia, but what I got was something way deeper: a haunting meditation on power, memory, identity, and what it means to be human.

What hit me the hardest was how peace in that world is maintained not through kindness or cooperation, but by erasing memories, controlling people from birth, and literally reshaping evolution. It was chilling. It made me think about how much of our own reality is shaped by what we’re allowed to know. How much do we blindly trust in the systems around us, just because that’s how we were raised?

There’s something deeply unsettling about watching kids grow up in a world that lies to them “for their own good.” And yet… it also made me wonder if we do the same in subtler ways. Whether it's in school, media, or even the stories we pass down, what gets left out, and why?

The show’s portrayal of sexuality also stood out to me. It felt natural and unforced, like love was just another part of growing up. No labels, no judgment. Honestly, that felt more progressive than most media I see today.

It’s the kind of anime that doesn’t just entertain it lingers. Even now, I’m still turning over its biggest question in my head: is a peaceful society still good if it demands constant sacrifice? Shin Sekai Yori doesn’t give a clear answer, and maybe that’s the point. It forces you to sit with the discomfort and I think that’s what makes it brilliant.

[purple1scorpio1]

Hey there! You make a great point about how we're taught from a young age to not question our elders and other rules society has for us, and to just go along with it. We're not allowed to know why something is the way it is and usually the answer to why is "Because I said so." This can especially be seen in Shinsekai Yori and the children in the show, who are completely in the dark as to what's going on - why their friends are disappearing, the tainted cats, queerats, etc. There are definitely things adults in school and in our family don't tell us growing up, claiming it's for our own good. And sometimes it is, but not in the case of Shinsekai Yori, where they were completely lied to and kept in the dark. Children are a lot more capable of being mature than people claim them to be, and sometimes it's better to be honest with them about what's happening, especially when it's such an important part of the society that they live in.

[purple1scorpio1]

Shin Sekai Yori Blog Post

While I did think the storyline to this show was interesting, I did find it unsettling, especially when Saki's parents talk about the children they've lost, and when Satoru reveals that the Monster Rats are descendants of humans. It shows the reality of the world we live in and correlates with Charles Darwin's idea of the survival of the fittest. The children born without powers were murdered and the humans born without powers were bred as human-rat hybrids as they weren't fit to survive in this society. They were born different and they didn't get a chance to prove that they were worthy of living in this world. It shows the brutal truth and the way that most people think. We can even see the survival of the fittest idea in places like education and careers. If you make a mistake or you're just not fit for school or the job you want, you don't always get another chance.

I also think that this anime conveys the dangers of gene editing technology like CRISPR - while gene editing could benefit people by editing their genes so that they don't inherit diseases and disabilities, it can also be taken a bit far. This can be seen in the example I used earlier - the Monster Rats. People that were born different were not just considered less than human, they were physically made to be less than human - giving humans with powers more of a reason to demean humans without powers.

Last point I wanted to make - the respect (or the lack thereof) shown towards children in this anime. Not only were children killed if they didn't have powers, but the adults refused to tell the children what was going on with all the other kids around them randomly disappearing. The adults were all protecting themselves from the harm that children without powers could cause, but who was protecting the children without powers? Don't the children at least deserve to know what's happening and what's going to happen? Treating kids as if they're the problem without it really being there fault seems harsh to me.

Overall a very thought provoking anime!

Squealer - a monster rat from Shinsekai Yori - Squealer claims that he's human and that he should be treated as such, to which people laugh and dismiss him

[jamiesalk]

Psycho-Pass

Psycho Pass was a very riveting anime in my opinion and it reminded me of an older Tom Cruise movie, Minority Report. The concept of that movie was that the minority report could find and arrest citizens before they commited the crimes it predicted that they would with its algorithm. This is very similar to the "Sibyl system" in Psycho-Pass. Both of these medias ask a very important question that we often find ourselves asking in the real world: What is the proper balance between one's liberty, and one's freedom? That question is often the center of debate that surrounds many laws acts and actions passed and taken by world governments since the beginning of civilization. It is especially important in the nation we live in which was born with proclaimed values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But the world is a lot more complicated, and many people consider security and safety a greater privilege than any other. Some people would prefer a controlled society like the one in Psycho-Pass to one where danger can freely run rampant in the name of liberty. People like Makishima in the show, would argue that liberty and the ability to think for oneself is greater than the safety provided by the Sibyl system. His actions to manually disrupt the sibyl system are very questionable and he stops at nothing committing acts of torture and murder without pause. This makes his character very morally ambiguous and is why his character stood out so much to me. Because though you can't agree with his methods, I couldn't help but finding myself agreeing with his rationale. No I don't think people are livestock and dehumanization is dangerous, but when people are living in a society that's enclosed like a gated pasture and are being force fed the information that the government decides, you can't help but see the truth in that analogy.

[purple1scorpio1]

It really is hard to find a perfect balance between surveillance/security and freedom. The thing is, regardless of where a society is on the spectrum, everyone has different opinions so therefore not everyone is going to be ok with how the said society is structured. We want to prevent crimes from happening, but we also want people to have the freedom to express themselves. Unfortunately, some peoples' definition of expressing themselves can be perceived by others as a threat. However, I do agree with you - the more we restrict what people see, think, and do, the more we restrict their individuality and their ability to think for themselves. This can be seen when a woman is brutally murdered in public by a person wearing a mask, and the people around them don't do anything because they security cameras don't do anything. Because this society caused people to rely too much on technology and the surveillance system, it actually caused more harm than good.