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[alvint555]

Perfect Blue - 4/22/2020

     Well Perfect Blue was certainly an interesting anime to experience. I got pretty confused halfway through the anime, and I’m still not sure if I understand it or not. The anime has a very clear message about the pressures associated with being an idol singer or actress and how they can push people to do things that they don’t want to do. In order to succeed in the field of acting, Mima had to agree to a rape scene in a drama and revealing photo shoots. Since she was doing things which she normally wouldn’t have agreed to doing, she began to have a split personality where she saw her actress self and her idol singer self as two different people. She even began using the fan blog as a way of seeing what she did in a day as an idol singer rather than enjoying her life as an actress. Apparently Rumi felt the same way and dressed up as Mima, the idol singer, in an attempt to make Mima go back to “normal” and not act anymore.

     I’m still not sure who murdered who in this movie. It became confusing as illusion and real life began to merge. At the end, however, Mima seemed to have grown accustomed to her life as an actress after being almost murdered by her old manager. Rumi seemed to be the one who placed the most pressure on Mima to return to being an idol singer which was the cause of illusion and reality merging together. Now that she was in the psychiatric hospital, Mima could come back to reality and was able to succeed as an actress. She was also being pressured by the stalker who wrote the blog, but he seemed to be dead in reality, and I’m still not sure if it was Mima who killed him.

[snipesga]

The movie definitely had an interesting way of going about showing Mima’s acceptance of her actress self and deviation from her pop idol self. However, I don’t think that Rumi put that much pressure on Mima; rather, Mima put that pressure on herself, resulting in her seeing the illusions of “pop idol” Mima. Rumi merely played a side role in my opinion. Of course, she was deranged, but Mima saw illusions even when Rumi was not around.

[snipesga]

Perfect Blue 4/22/2020

Wow, I didn't really have any expectations going into Perfect Blue since I hadn't heard of it, but that movie was far from what I imagined. I thought the anime was really interesting. It definitely gave a strong message regarding stardom and the pressure that comes along with the role.

The movie tries to visualize the immense pressure placed on celebrities, specifically "idols" and actresses. Mima's character is forced to choose between her career as a pop idol and one as an actress; despite seeming to like being a pop idol more, Mima chooses to follow the actress path out of a lack of money found in the idol path. Following her transition, Mima severely stresses herself out by forcing herself into uncomfortable positions. She agrees to act out a rape scene despite knowing deep inside that she absolutely does not want to. Furthermore, Mina finds herself seeing illusions from time to time. Of course, part of the illusions was a result of her stress arising from Mr. Me-Mania and Rumi; however, that stress does not normally result in someone seeing an idolized version of themselves. the pressure placed on Mima's transition sends a strong message about the mental health of celebrities.

I think Perfect Blue also touches on the replaceability of pop stars. Near the beginning of the film, the two other members of CHAM seemed sad about Mima's departure from the pop group; however, Mima's next encounter with the group finds the two remaining members celebrating their success with little remorse about her departure. People at the agency even say that "CHAM can exist as two people", diminishing Mima's role in the group. Additionally, Rumi's embodiment of Mima's pop idol persona implies that people can take the place of Mami; even though that belief was due to Rumi's personality disorder, the "pop idol Mami" persisted throughout the film, even when Rumi was not there.

[outofphase-owl]

Sign Me Up For The Death Parade Please

Wow, Death Parade was really a unique anime. The story was framed around these moral dilemnas, in which we, as the viewers, must judge whether characters presented to us are “good” or “bad,” at their essence. (It reminds me of those trolley problems.) Of course, the conclusion that the show arrives at is the fact that nothing is that black and white, and that every person’s life decisions are morally ambiguous. 

Speaking of black and white, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Decim is visually black and white (in terms of his hair and his clothing). His appearance certainly reflects his views: that every person is either good or bad, and that this moral quality can be exposed given enough prodding. It’s a bit of a stretch, but it kind of reminds me of the ideology of essentialism. But in this case, it would be essentialism of the individual, the idea that each individual, at their essence, is good or evil, and that all of their life choices can be rationalized by this essence. 

This seems like a silly ideology, but it certainly pervades through everyone’s thought processes. People are guilty or not guilty, going to the afterlife or going to purgatory, etc. And much like how, in this anime, games are used to decide the fates of the dead, the judicial system kind of seems like a game too; one side wins and one side loses, and both are trying to do everything they can to eke out an advantage over the other while following the rules. And this “game” ultimately decides how society will then judge this person. 

I’ll be honest; the little interpersonal dramas between members of the Quindecim bar were kind of boring to me. But I thought that the overall premise of this anime was pretty interesting. And that metal music during the end credits went super hard! :D

[snipesga]

I think your point about Decim’s style is very interesting. At the same time, I wonder - if your theory is true - whether Decim truly internalized the lessons from his time with Chiyuki. I didn’t seem to notice any changes in Decim’s appearance over the course of the anime (granted, I only watched four episodes), but his physical appearance stayed constant even though he might have changed his belief towards humans.

[snipesga]

Death Parade 4/20/2020

This is my first time watching Death Parade, though I've heard the OP before (but I'm not that big of a fan of it). I knew the anime was rated mature, but some of the scenes made me really tense when dealing with pain during the games (especially darts). The show tackles the human condition with a large focus on human emotions.

The interactions between Chiyuki and Decim show that human emotions are both simple and complex at the same time. Decim judges deceased humans strictly based on the "darkness of the soul" revealed through the games, deeming them their true emotions and intentions; however, Chiyuki's character shows the fallacies in his judgment. In my final essay for the class, I talked about how emotions were one part of the human condition and what makes us human. After watching Death Parade, I think that is an oversimplification; it is the understanding of each other's emotions on a deeper level that makes us unique in some manner. Decim ruled that Machiko was "evil" and sent her to the void; however, Chiyuki's experience as a human and not some arbiter being allows her to understand Machiko's true thought process and her pain in deceiving Takashi. That understanding is the difference between Chiyuki and Decim. That difference seems to be lessened as Decim spends more time with Chiyuki; he takes her experience as guidance on how to better judge humans, but we don't really get to see the result of their time together.

I thought Death Parade also had an interesting take on pain and fear. I hadn't really thought of it before, but - as Nona states - fear is the drive to stay alive. We see that through Takashi's betrayal while facing Machiko: out of the fear of dying, he "accidentally" hit a dart onto the board instead of missing to put his score lower than Machiko's. Although we don't get to really see Machiko's perspective or fear of dying, she also hits a double onto Takashi's eye, putting her score lower than his. Despite being a couple, the two continuously hurt each other out of the fear of death.

[revyrn]

Violet Evergarden

I can’t believe it’s already been two years since Violet Evergarden came out. I think its definitely one of the most memorable anime I’ve watched, and for good reason. The soundtrack is beautiful, the story is heart wrenching, and to top it all off, the animation is absolutely breathtaking. I think stories and shows about war tend to center around the war events themselves (with a tragic ending, of course), rather than the post-war recovery stage, which is something I really enjoyed about Violet Evergarden. The way it covers so many different perspectives of people affected by the war in an episodic format is something I especially enjoyed. 

There’s definitely a very clear message in this anime about how war tears apart everyday life for all people, whether they were directly involved in the war or not. I know some people found Violet to be an intolerable character and found the show hard to watch because of it, and I thought the same way at first. But I’ve come to really appreciate and like it, since it shows how a potentially normal person has been completely hollowed out by the military and war, so it’s not her fault she comes across as emotionless and unsympathetic. While in the military, she was simply used as a tool for killing, which was aided by her lack of emotion. However, after the war ended and she became an Auto Memory Doll, she came to learn the consequences of her killing, and how she tore apart the very relationships she is trying to learn about and protect now. She also seems to have survivor’s guilt, since she was unable to save the major, the only person who she cared about. However, after seeing the gratitude of her clients and those who she delivers letters to, she makes up her mind to continue to move forward, which is what I think the message of this anime is all about. Despite being left with many scars by the flames of war (including the loss of both her hands), she doesn’t remain stagnant. Despite struggling for some time, she manages to integrate back into normal society. Her work as an Auto Memory Doll makes her appreciate the value of human connections, and she continues to work as a doll in order to continue mending, preserving, and nurturing these connections. 

Episode 10 was obviously very impactful, since, apart from the heart wrenching story of the mother and daughter, it’s the first time we see Violet cry and express such strong emotional understanding. It really highlights how far she’s grown as a person from the start of the series. She’s also not the only one who makes progress in this series, however. She also helps each of her clients make progress in their lives in each episode, thanks to her letters, and I think she has become a fantastic character.

[snipesga]

I like the overall message of perseverance that you took away from Violet Evergarden. Aside from her own hardships, I found that Violet became a figure for other people to move forward as well. She helped every single one of her clients with their own personal burdens they were facing all while developing herself.

[snipesga]

Violet Evergarden 4/17/2020

Violet Evergarden continues to be one of my favorite anime and one of the select few that has made me cry. It tackles the human condition as well as human emotions through several non-linear adventures with Violet. If you get bored during quarantine, I highly recommend watching the rest of the show (also go watch Made in Abyss, 'tis a shame we couldn't watch both).

Much of the show focuses on Violet Evergarden's discovery of herself and her human emotions. In episode one, we see Violet as a war-torn orphan who basically has no control over herself; she is ordered around as simply a "weapon" of war and does not know what emotions really are, let alone the complicated feeling of love. Her exaggerated lack of emotions may be a representation of the effects that violence and war can have on humans and their behavior. Violet's transition back to normal, civilian life is constantly hindered by her inexperience with the world outside of the army; in the beginning, she repeatedly uses military salutes and formal speech in unorthodox settings. As the show progresses, we can see her discovery of emotions that both helps and hurts her. She becomes more open to society and interacting with others; at the same time, her realization of the horrors of war comes back to hurt her with the "burning" sensation discussed by Hodgins and Violet.

Violet Evergarden might also be taking an anti-war stance, though it is not really that pronounced or strong in my opinion. The consequences of war are consistently shown throughout the series. From the very beginning, the viewer knows that Violet lost the major due to war. We also see that Irma and Ardo lost their husband and son, respectively, due to the war. As mentioned before, the war also caused the separation of Violet from normal human behavior; she was always treated as a weapon prior to her injury, preventing her from adopting any true emotions or relationships outside of the army.

[derekpenasbl0g]

Sensoron

It’s no wonder why this manga is infamously known for being highly conservative. It’s a bit of a tough read, as the author argues tirelessly against this idea of Japanese War Guilt which undermines many previously held notions of WWII. I have my fair share of criticisms for his points, but I would firstly like to talk about what I did appreciate about this very controversial manga. One thing I will give it credit for is the artwork. The artist is very expressive in many of his drawings, very clearly communicating his fury with the current state of how Japan views its own past. The panels of him shouting directly at the reader and the final panel of him sarcastically crying with those giving testimonies were very exaggerated, and I appreciated that he used the strengths of his medium effectively. I also respect that he choose to tackle such a sensitive topic, as I believe it is important to always be skeptical of what one is told. He presents numerous arguments against this idea of war guilt being fabricated, such as forged photos and false testimonies. It reminds me of the idea that history is written by the victors. It is certainly possible that Japan’s atrocities may have been exaggerated and that these exaggerations were accepted to be true because of evidence of other atrocities. Working to weed out the fake aspects of history in order to get the truth is important in my opinion. However, it is evident that the author’s primary goal is not to correct our interpretation of history. It would be one thing if he challenged his readers to question the information they are given and seek for deeper answers, but he goes further by seemingly claiming that Japan hasn’t done anything wrong. He never admits that Japan has committed it’s own fair share of atrocities or clarifies that he only seeks to eliminate the lies of the war. History should be as accurate as possible but that is because we need to learn from history. We need to learn as humans from our past mistakes. Germany, Japan, and even America have all committed atrocities during the WWII and it is highly immoral to gloss over those facts. Perhaps students shouldn’t be brainwashed with false photographs and testimonies, but they should still learn the mistakes of their country’s past and work towards a future of peace. Fostering irrational hatred towards other countries is more damaging than the war guilt brainwashing that he claims occurs in newspapers and museums, as it could lead to even more atrocities being committed through future wars. Will those be ignored as well? Who will Japan point fingers at? When does the cycle of war and hatred stop? I stated earlier that I admired his choice to tackle a delicate topic, but that choice can come with serious consequences if not handled with care. This author’s lack of care makes him seem like a hardheaded conspiracy theorist throwing a tantrum and calling his audience idiots for being so apologetic for Japan’s dark past.

[snipesga]

I like the way you looked at the author’s arguments and his “nationalistic” bias. I also got a sort of “conspiracy theorist” atmosphere from the manga. I think this is partly due to the fact that Kobayashi continuously gave evidence of Japan’s innocence without recognizing their own faults. The fake photos he presented are certainly influential and make a compelling argument for misinformation present, but he essentially threw everyone under the bus except for Japan.

[snipesga]

Sensoron 4/13/2020

I don't read much manga, but Sensoron's arguments and content is not something I would have expected from this type of medium. Furthermore, I did not expect this level of conservatism in Sensoron, even after hearing it would be "conservative". The content in Sensoron seems to paint an extremely strong argument for Japan's innocence.

While reading Sensoron, I couldn't really grasp whether Kobayashi was being satirical with his writing or not. The fictional examples and stories he made lead me to believe that his arguments were satirizing Japan's innocence and involvement in violence and war; however, Kobayashi's repeated examples of "framed Japan" makes me think that his arguments were legitimate and it is what he truly believes. That's not to say the Japanese didn't commit war crimes; however, the misinformation and information manipulation obviously present in the text are morally wrong in my opinion. Everyone is at fault in some manner and I don’t have the capacity to validate any claims made within the manga or by any information I’ve received in the past.

As a Chinese-American, this text is really confusing for me. Both my Chinese background and American background tell me that Japan is terrible (my parents still don't like the Japanese) and that we were not at fault for much during wartime. Furthermore, American schooling has always taught us that Japan became a pacifist nation and a great democracy as a result of the United States. The content of Sensoron obviously goes against all these teachings and beliefs of mine. I also read some of the responses from our classmates that have Asian backgrounds regarding Sensoron. Not surprisingly, there were some rather strong positions on the portrayal of Japan's innocence. At this point, I personally don't know what to think of the situation. For example, the Rape of Nanjing was obviously an atrocity on Japan's part; however, the death toll is hotly debated. Is it 300,000+ as reported by the Chinese? Is it 60,000 as reported by Kobayashi? There is so much information that I can't confirm; because of this, I've basically chosen to simply take in the information without deriving a conclusion. While the actions of the Japanese are unforgivable, the world is different now; America doesn't hate Germany for its actions in the past, so why should Japan be any different?

I'd like to see the opinions of my classmates who have no relation to these events in the past at all. I think it would be interesting as to how everyone responds differently to the manga, and how influenced or swayed they are by Kobayashi's arguments.

[derekpenasbl0g]

Your Name :DDDDDDDDDD

I love this movie. Like I really love this movie. This is my second time watching it and I still couldn’t fight off the tears. I could rant for days about the beauty of this movie, the wonder of its storytelling, the nuances of its symbolism, and the passion behind the animation. 

One topic I thought was really interesting was how this movie toys with the idea of power. As defined by Foucalt, power is this intangible force that exists in all things, much like Musubi. With this power, comes a power relationship that everything takes part in. A key aspect to this relationship is the ability to resist another being’s power influence over you. This can be seen as Taki and Mitsuha struggle against their fate, searching for each other despite not being able to remember each other’s name. Taki is literally able to rewrite time in his opposition to the force that is splitting him from Mitsuha. This is also seen in a more grounded sense with Mitsuha’s father, the mayor of Inotori. Being the mayor, he is at the top of the town’s governmental hierarchy. Yet, it is through Mitsuha’s resistance to his orders to continue the festival that hundreds of lives are saved. I believe this film teaches us to embrace our ability to oppose those who exert their power on us, as we make up the other half of the power relationship.

I think this movie also says a bit about masculinity and femininity. In both instances, Taki and Mitsuha become more likable to others when the opposite person is inhabiting their body. Taki attracts the girl he has a crush on through Mitsuha’s more gentle and stereotypical feminine side, while Mitsuha has her peers fawning over her when Taki displays his more stern and stereotypical masculine side. However, both Taki’s and Mitsuha’s friends become a bit concerned with their sudden change in behavior. I took this to represent how neither masculinity nor femininity are inherently good or bad, as they both have their pros and cons. Yet, perhaps a balance should be struck between these two sides? Personally, I think we shouldn’t look at either side as good or bad. We should just accept people for who they are and how they wish to portray themselves. :D

[snipesga]

I didn’t fully understand the Focault reading, but your point about opposition to power makes sense. I think that message could also be found in Taki’s behavior towards Okudera and Tsukasa, in that even after being discouraged by them, Taki continues to search for the truth about Itomori and what happened after the meteor.

[snipesga]

Your Name 4/10/2020

Yeah...so I'm pretty sure I've watched Your Name around 20 times. It's a problem. The animation and soundtrack still blow me away, and I still learn something new every time I watch it again. Most notably, I found myself focusing on the differentiation between traditional Japanese life/religion and modern Japanese society.

The main plot of Your Name revolves around having two teenagers in completely different lifestyles: one living in a traditional town (aside from the politics surrounding it) and one living in Tokyo. Shinkai juxtaposes their lifestyles several times, especially in the beginning when both are still getting accustomed to switching bodies. I think Shinkai tries to show the benefits of a traditional lifestyle through the actions of Taki and Mitsuha, as Mitsuha's traditional religion ends up being the key to saving the town of Itomori. Additionally, the movie seems to place more emphasis on the struggles of Mitsuha trying to adapt to the Tokyo lifestyle; much of Taki's adjustments and actions in Mitsuha's body are projected through dialogue with other characters, such as her sister and classmates. Shinkai also seems to critique modern society through the actions of Mitsuha's father; his shift towards politics (i.e. modernity) hurt his own family and caused a divide in his relationship with Mitsuha. His ignorance nearly killed the residents of Itomori because he could not listen to his own daughter's warnings, instead calling her "crazy" like her mother and for still following the Miyamizu family traditions.

I think Shinkai also touches upon sexuality through the body-swapping of both characters. Although rather hectic at first, both characters become accepting of the bodies they have, regardless of whether they are in their actual body or that of the other gender. Additionally, the "masculine" and "feminine" behaviors of Taki and Mitsuha were also praised throughout the movie. When in each other's bodies, both characters broke traditional gender norms which increased their popularity (e.g. Okudera liking Taki's "feminine" side, male classmates staring at Mitsuha during basketball); this is in direct contrast to Hourou Musuko where children were punished for breaking from gender norms.

Also, go treat yourself and watch Shinkai's new film Weathering with You. It's almost as good as Your Name.

[randy-wlee]

Apr. 6 - Hetalia Axis Powers (ep.1-19)

I am quite surprised at what I’ve just watched. I haven’t seen Shirohata’s Hetalia Axis Powers prior to this, and so judging from its name, I thought it would be a serious anime.

Hetalia Axis Powers tries to portray events in history, especially serious ones, in an absurdly light-hearted way through characters that represent each different country. Although I did enjoy it, after reading Annett’s “World Conflict,” I can see how the anime can be controversial. In order to deliver comedy, this show uses stereotypes in some of its scenes. For example, in the grocery shopping scene of episode 14, an Italian cuts the line as the narrator explains it being a common phenomenon, and later another Italian is shown to be loud in line. For the dubbed version, I thought about why we were asked to watch it, and what is most obvious is the accents that the countries have. Japan’s and China’s accents stand out especially. One might think of it as stereotyping, although personally it doesn’t offend me. In any case, people of different countries are overgeneralized, but that isn’t a surprise when an entire country is represented by an individual.

I think it is interesting reading about Koreans’ reaction to Korea’s character in the anime. Since the source material was made by a Japanese, the anime of course would portray the countries from the Japanese’s point of view, and so bringing in contested topics can invite negative reactions from fans of other countries. Annett mentions the hate arising from online communities due to the anime, but also says that such controversies helps fans to be more open-minded. After reading about this, I think it is important for us to be open-minded as well, acknowledging things that are offensive, but also realize some people enjoy an anime for reasons other than its political meaning.  

[snipesga]

I like your point about Korea’s reaction to Hetalia. I think it’d be interesting to compare Chinese viewers’ reactions to their character compared to the Korean’s, seeing as both have had some negative interactions with Japan in the past (with China’s being portrayed throughout Hetalia).

[snipesga]

Hetalia Axis Powers 4/6/2020

I think Hetalia Axis Powers is the first show I've watched where I prefer the dubbed version over the subbed version. I've never watched the show before but didn't really know what to expect knowing the historical background of the plot. After watching most of it, it gives off a similar feeling to Cells at Work. They're both "informative" animes that bring a comical aspect to factual information.

As I implied before, I basically always watch the subbed version of an anime. I think part of the reason I do this is because the characters' voices seem to fit more naturally with the character being animated in the subbed versions; with dubbed anime, I feel that there is something off or unusual about the anime. Hetalia is an exception to this case largely due to the fact that there are a variety of different nationalities in the show; naturally, a Japanese voice actor would not be able to replicate the accents Western-dominated list of countries in the show. I think the best example of the difference in voice acting is episode one, where the countries are all congregated; I could definitely make out the stereotypical accents of some countries in the dubbed version while the subbed version sounded...like normal anime. The opposite holds true as well; watching episode 16 in both subbed and dubbed was interesting seeing as the two main characters were both oriental. Like any other anime I watch, the clash of a Western voice actor with oriental characters just seems odd. Therefore, the subbed version sounded more natural to me for that episode in particular.

The stereotypical accents I mentioned before are addressed by Annett in our reading. He states that the use of stereotypes in Hetalia generated some controversy in the community due to its possible offensive nature to certain nationalities. I can certainly see where their views come from; certain countries stand out as being mocked more than others in the show. For example, America is portrayed as a very stubborn character in the first episode, saying that he would "take no objections" to his ridiculous idea of a hero protecting the Earth. Italy is also a hot target throughout the show, being portrayed as a cowardly guy who runs from any fight. Those are of those characters' nationalities could take offense to this ridicule as they may feel it does not represent them.

[alvint555]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - 4/3/2020

     This was my first experience with the game Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and it made me want to play the game myself. The story was quite interesting to learn about and living in the sky above the clouds reminded me of The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword which was my favorite game as a kid. In this game, however, humans were forced to live above the clouds because of the destruction of their past which made the Earth uninhabitable, and the titans that they were living on were beginning to die out which made Rex worry about the future of humanity. There were also conflicts between people due to the overpopulation of humanity and the lack of space for them to live in which is a problem that can model the modern world. Because our population has been growing so fast, we have drained wetlands and deforested many forests in order to create more space for us to live in. As we continue to make progress in science, our inventions continue to make the Earth’s environment even worse and are making it harder to fix all of its problems.

     In his editor’s note, Cobb talks about the role of humanity in nature and how we don’t know if we belong inside or outside of it. Science pushes us to look at nature from an outside perspective which makes it difficult for us to see how much damage we are causing to the environment. Klaus tried to save the Earth through his scientific experiments and became able to create life again on Earth with the cloud layer and the core crystals. These scientific experiments still did more damage than good, however, as the blades he created soon began to fight each other and brought the Earth’s environment to an even worse state.

[snipesga]

I like your discussion of Cobb’s text. I feel like the “role of humanity in nature” in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is pretty similar to the Tolmekians’ use of the Giant Warrior in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Both Klaus and the Tolmekians attempted to modify nature in a drastic way. For Klaus, that was through the use of science and technology, and for the Tolmekians, it was trying to use nature against itself. In both cases, the texts sent a strong message about how humankind is still lower than nature. They cannot control it in such a forceful manner.

[snipesga]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2  4/3/2020

I feel like Japanese video games have this unwritten rule to make terrible graphics, even on modern titles. Despite the animation and art being rather lacking (in my opinion), Xenoblade Chronicles 2 brings a vast world with an interesting story, including ideas relating to the environment, technology, and more.

Near the end of the video game, Klaus activates the conduit in an attempt to change his own universe; he reveals to Rex that once he leaves, the Conduit - the large source of power in this world - will likely vanish, causing the World Tree to collapse as well. The importance of the Conduit displays technology's grip on the world portrayed in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The world benefited greatly as technology played a large role in the formation of it; however, their over-reliance on the things they took for granted cause the world to nearly cease to exist. Cobb's "Drama of the Anthropocene" partly relates to this in the fact that science and engineering has contributed to a "naive" worldview separate from nature. This worldview, then, warps our perspective on nature causing us to ignore certain aspects of this world. The collapse of the Conduit brings back nature in a sense; the Titans merged together to create a new natural landscape, one that fulfilled Rex's true goal of Elysium. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 also addressed the role of the environment in the world earlier during the story.

The cutscenes throughout the video game revealed to us that Rex's supposed goal of Elysium was instead lifeless and not at all what he had expected; there was no plant life and the buildings were all crumbled. The destruction was caused by past human life as a result of the exploitation of resources. Klaus also realizes the errors of humankind, saying he gave up on the species. He felt the current world coming to an end, just like his previous home.

[randy-wlee]

True Otaku: The Documentary

First of all, I think it is quite interesting what the term “otaku” means for people in the United States and how this term evolved from its original usage in Japan. An interviewee in the documentary pointed out that in Japan, the word “otaku” means a hardcore fan and could be applied to any type of fan. In the west however, people have come to associate otaku exclusively with fans of anime and manga. It has been pointed out as well that “otaku” is more of a derogatory word in Japan due to the Otaku Murderer incident in the 1980s. Over here, there are still some negative images of the otaku, but the word “otaku” itself isn’t used as much as a derogatory word compared to in Japan.

The documentary points out that Otakon serves as a place where people with interests in anime and manga come together and form a community. The convention allows people to make new friends through their interests and to participate together in activities without being judged continually by those around them. I thought this community of acceptance is similar to what we saw in Genshiken. We saw Sasahara having confidence in approaching doujinshi booths at Comiket as he realizes that those around him are the same as him. Otakon being a place where people can express their inner fantasies through cosplay, in particular, cross-play is similar to Hato (in Genshiken as well). Like Madarame accepting Hato’s cross-dressing, the community in Otakon seems accepting towards the different types of cosplay present there.

The cosplays in Otakon relate to our previous readings on the otaku. When asked about what it means for participants to cosplay, some say that it is something that allows one to be someone other than himself/herself and to bring fiction to reality, while others say that it is a way to interpret characters. In any case, these cosplays show that otaku produce simulacra in order to “own” the unownable fiction, as argued by Saito. This, of course, is similar to what we saw in Genshiken. Regarding the creation of costumes, we can liken Iris (Dustbunny) to Ohno. Both of them put much effort into creating their own cosplays. On a side note, I found it interesting how such creations involve so much work and can teach one many new skills. Iris says that she researches characters through different websites before creating her outfit. I thought of this as the continuation of creating simulacra through other simulacra. Before I move on, something I’d like to point out is the fact that there were stormtroopers present in Otakon. From my past experience, there are definitely a lot of people who cosplay as characters from western media. I don’t think I saw any in Genshiken, so that could be a difference between here and in Japan, but that might not be the case in real life.

Although Otakon is a place where people aren’t judged by the general public, it certainly is interesting how some cosplayers decide to put themselves in a position to be judged by a panel of judges through entering a cosplay competition. Iris mentions that the competition is not only a way to gain attention, but to gain recognition. I thought this relates in a way to Fiske’s discussion on fandom. Winning the competition requires a thorough understanding of not only the characters being represented, but the skills needed to create the cosplay. Thus, by winning it, cosplayers can signal to others their rich knowledge and gain status within the fandom. It’s also worthy to point out that cosplay competitions are held in Japan as well.

Finally, otaku here are similar to those in Japan in that they spend a lot on anime and manga merchandise. A good deal of people in the documentary say that they spend a lot while at the convention. I have to admit, even I do spend a lot on merchandise as well.

Even though I thought this documentary is quite entertaining and informative, I think it focused too much on cosplays. It would have been even more informative if the documentary included other things such as fanart and doujinshi.

[snipesga]

I like your analysis of cosplayers’ skills in the realm of otaku culture. It highlights the shadow cultural capital discussed by Fiske and how their popular cultural capital garners them recognition among the otaku fandom. I find it interesting that cosplayers use skills and knowledge from other areas (i.e. sewing, artistic skills) to further their status within the otaku fandom. In some cases, this official cultural capital can lead to better popular cultural capital.

[snipesga]

Otakumentary

           The documentary on Otakon was very eye-opening; it highlighted an entirely different portion of the “anime convention” experience than the Genshiken episodes we watched before. Even though I am disappointed that we could not attend SwampCon in person, I think that this documentary was able to give me a deeper look into the fandom culture and how otakus come together to celebrate Japanese culture and media. I certainly would not have been able to get the insight received from the interviews of cosplayers – such as Dustbunny – had we only gone to SwampCon.

           One of the first topics the “otakumentary” discussed was the term “otaku”. From the interviews of people at Otakon, it appeared that every single person had a different perspective and idea of what an “otaku” truly was; for some, it was only the most invested fans while for others, virtually every person into anime could be defined as an “otaku”. The responses in the documentary reminded me of our reading discussing what an otaku was; both our reading and the documentary reflect the fact that the otaku category is comprised of a variety of people and that the word itself is up to interpretation. I think one benefit of watching this documentary over attending SwampCon is that we got to see a greater variety of people at Otakon; SwampCon would definitely not have had more than twenty thousand people in attendance, limiting our experience with other people who appreciate Japanese culture. Most SwampCon attendees would likely have been UF students and not representative of the entire otaku group. I highly doubt there would be people like the Peach cosplayer who was in the United States Air Force at SwampCon.

           Otakon also revealed far more aspects of a typical anime convention than Genshiken. In the anime, there was a heavy focus on Dōjinshi (original, fan-created works) with some mentions of cosplay on the side. The documentary displayed a variety of other activities at the anime convention including panels, shops (with the MIKU doll), videogame stations, interviews, and more. The shops in particular highlight the capitalistic nature of Japanese culture, as well as Japan’s soft power. A large part of attending these types of conventions is the items one can purchase; True Otaku interviewed one convention goer who said it was worth buying the MIKU DOLL, even if it meant he had little money for much else. The potential for profit is great at conventions, where vendors can appeal to those interested in the products. The influence of Japan is also shown at these conventions; despite being in America, the products being sold at anime conventions are mostly Japanese. The Miku doll is a vocaloid from Japan. The posters all depict characters from anime.

           The focus of the “otakumentary” was centered around cosplayers and their role at conventions like Otakon. Genshiken seemed to reflect the atmosphere surrounding cosplay relatively well; in the anime, people dressed up and were the center of attention for those wanting to see their characters become reality. At Otakon, the same thing was prevalent to an even greater degree. Most of the attendees seemed to don some sort of outfit, even if it was not a full costume of a character. Both Genshiken and Otakon reflected the idea that people wanted to experience the simulacra of their favorite shows and characters some cosplayers at the convention said they enjoyed the attention and recognition of characters. Many acted like the characters they were cosplaying, bringing those simulacra to reality. Another aspect of cosplay reflected both in our anime and the documentary was the social aspect; convention goers were able to bond over similar interests and make friends. Funnily enough, both Genshiken and the documentary highlighted a couple that got together because of their interests; Ohno and Tanaka started dating in Genshiken due to their common interest in cosplay. Similarly, the couple interviewed at Otakon met at an anime convention in Boston.

           Overall, the documentary by True Otaku helped connect many of the themes found in our class so far. I was able to see the pull of capitalism, the otaku fandom, and much more even without experiencing SwampCon in-person. Maybe next year I can go see all the different activities for myself.

Also that Kirin cosplay was great

[twisted-tito]

Nausicaa

           One of the major things I got out of this movie is how destructive humans can be and how they will only listen once their life is at stake. We are introduced to an apocalyptic future where humans haven’t learned from their past mistake and continue to ensue pain and destruction to the Earth, we also see how the Earth retaliates and is forced to destroy humanity in order to protect itself. Nausicaa is introduced as the only person who is able to rationalize the world around her and tries to understand it as well. We see how she is able to do research and concludes that toxins are only being put out as a result of the pollution that the humans have caused.

           I really enjoyed the fact that this Miyazaki film also focuses on the environment and shows the dangers and destruction that we can cause to nature. This is pretty relevant today and probably was relevant at the time the film was made. We have known about the increasing levels of carbon dioxide since the 80’s and are ignorance continues to expedite the destruction of our planet. I think that the film tries to get rid of this ignorance by making us conscientious of how our actions may come back to bite us in the near future.

           The film as portrays women as the voice of reason throughout the film. We see how the women of Pejite work together to help Nausicaa escape. We also see how the evil princess also changes however she is blinded by her fright even to the end of the movie when she awakens the monster to help fight the Ohms. Towards the end the prophecy is fulfilled only that one thing is wrong, the hero that was supposed to save the world is not a male but a female, this highlights how progressive the film is by advocating feminism.

[snipesga]

I like how you pointed out the feminism in this film. Females have many of the large roles in this movie. I feel like Nausicaä does a better job than Sailor Moon at advocating for feminism and women in powerful roles. To me, the women in this movie felt more natural when doing what they were doing. Sailor Moon kind of felt forced; the women also set unrealistic standards on women’s appearance and behavior.