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

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

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

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

stallings-am

Hello! I agree that "Your Name' really makes you analyze your own daily life and the environment that you live in. The idea that there are invisible threads that connect you between people that you have never met before is an interesting concept. I enjoyed your analysis of the body swapping power dynamic. That our identities as humans are incredibly fluid and can impact our social histories with one another. Our experiences are made true through our interactions with one another.

Your Name- Analysis

Your Name is a beautiful movie that emphasizes the connections and relations between people, specifically Mitsusha and Taki who live in two different planes of existence. Mitsusha is a girl that resides in a rural community and follows traditional Japanese religious views and cultural values to continue the legacy of her family. In contrast, Taki is a normal teenage boy who lives in Tokyo, which depicts his characterization as a city boy with city ideals, not used to a rural lifestyle. However, their knowledge of the world gets thrown into the air when they begin to swap bodies with one another.

There are so many aspects of this movie that are really engaging to the audience from an analytical standpoint. The imagery in this movie between the comet and the intertwining thread connected to Mitsusha and Taki. The musical details in important scenes throughout the film. The time loop story that captivates the viewers due to Taki attempting to save Mitsusha from being hit by the comet. Thus, leads to their romantic relationship with one another. There is a reason why this movie was so critically acclaimed, and it is because of how it tugs at your heart strings, while providing wonderful story telling.

The part that I find really interesting with the movie is how the Shinto God Mitsusha idolizes in her traditional rituals symbolizes the bonds and ties in humanity. That there is an invisible thread that connects everyone to each other, which we can see between Mitsusha and Taki, but also is mentioned by Mitsusha’s grandmother. That the god in the movie appears to be looking out for the town that worships it due to Mitsusha’s offering of sake that represents half of her soul. This half of her soul is what becomes interchangeable with Taki’s as they attempt to navigate around the comet. Additionally, the inclusion of the scene where Taki stumbles into the body of their god and drinks the sake represented of Mitsusha’s soul before falling back and seeing imagery of the comet. Thus, drawing Taki’s attention to the connections he must make to save Mitsusha.

The usage of Mitsusha’s religious views and her braided cord skills to be what inevitably saves her is a more conservative Japanese ideal, yet I do appreciate how it is utilized in the movie. It is a unique way to depict the connections between those in our society and draw the plot of the movie together.

mochicrackersss

Blog Post - Hetalia ᯓᡣ𐭩‧₊˚ ⊹

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

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

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

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

stallings-am

Hello! I really liked how you said that "Hetalia" is fun for the first five minutes before you actually think about it because that is such a good summary of the anime. There are so many aspects of the show that make you sit and question, "why did someone make this." I think that you recognizing how wild it was to have an episode about the Tripartite Pact in a comedic way is one of them. Also, how the creator explicitly tries to ship some characters together in a way that fetishizes BL relationships adds to that.

Hetalia- Analysis

I hate to admit it, but I have a long history with this anime. I don’t engage with the Hetalia fandom anymore and haven’t since middle school, but whenever I think about it, I shudder. It definitely feels like a stain on my record, but that also makes me question why I feel that way about the show.

Hetalia personifies interactions between various countries in an established comedic sense that exaggerates stereotypes regarding the countries. In this sense, the show depicts the countries as caricatures of what their actual national identity is. The issue with this, though, is that Hetalia tends to take a harmful approach of ideas relating to each country and prorogates it in a way that does kind of instill these stereotypes. It could also be argued that Hetalia pokes too much fun at the countries, which makes it hard to take seriously. I think this can be true considering that the author makes fun of every single country with no discrimination in an attempt to address their warlike nature. However, it is still weird to me that the author chose to depict Germany, Italy, and Japan as the Axis Powers. I don’t know if there is some type of underlying commentary I am not getting at, or the creator just really wanted to choose the one era where Germany is a Nazi. It does allow room for more interactions between the characters, especially with the Allied Powers, but it is still an odd choice in my opinion. Additionally, the dub version of Hetalia is absolutely so wild with the dialects for the countries. This does also fall into the category of the creator comedically addressing essentialist values within each respective country, so I don’t think it can be too overly critiqued because it is equal for each character.

The most prevalent problem within Hetalia for me is the fetishization of the characters, similar to what was found with Genshiken. There is a big push from the author of the anime to sexualize the characters and create BL relationships between them, which is harmful for many reasons. Thus, it enabled the fandom to ship the countries with each other. That premise can seem kind of funny when recognizing who the characters are meant to represent. However, how the fans took this task on just makes you realize how weird it is.

pari-patel

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Blog Post

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

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

mochicrackersss

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

stallings-am

Hello! I agree that I appreciated this change as XenoBlade Chronicles 2 is vastly different than what we have been watching so far for this class. I like this game as it illustrated to us that humans need to make active changes in our own way of life to coexist with nature. That we are not separate from the restoration of our world, rather we are a crucial part of its growth and that it is necessary for humanity to recognize this. Thus, differs from Nausicaa's approach to environmentalism, which you referenced in your post.

XenoBlade Chronicles 2- Analysis

Prior to this reading and watching the cut scenes of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I hadn’t really considered the different meanings of ecological stories. I could recognize that the intent of the media was to convey how the audience should participate in saving the planet, but not necessarily how. This was mentioned in the lecture of Nausicaa: The Valley of the Wind, but there was a point made on how Nausicaa technically didn’t do anything to help the planet environmentally. She stopped all of humanity being pummeled by Ohms and we can assume inevitably aided with the Toxic Jungle salvaged from the effects of the war that occurred a thousand years ago. Yet, this type of activism can still be considered as a pacifist method because she didn’t convert the topsoil back to its pure state, nor purify the air or water so they were consumable again. The healing of the earth was done through evolutionary ways of nature.

In context of XenoBlade Chronicles 2, I was a little confused by the plot of the game cut scenes and had originally thought that the game was similar to Wall-E. Wall-E follows the storyline of a futuristic existence where humans can no longer inhabit their planet and must use outside methods as to maintain humanity, which is apparent in XenoBlade as humans must live on Titans to survive. However, in XenoBlade, we see that humans take a proactive approach to save their barren land through mechanical methods to artificially reconstruct life. Thus, it strays away from the objectification of nature that was mentioned in the reading as humans have broken that barrier of living outside their environment. They aren’t just protecting and preserving the world, forcing it to fix itself, but rather are a critical part of its development. XenoBlade is a fascinating game that separates itself from the common modern takes on environmentalism. It emphasizes humans as participants of the world and not just mere bystanders of nature.

mochicrackersss

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

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

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

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

stallings-am

Hello! I think that is such a fun memory to have; I have never been to Japan myself to visit the Ghibli Museum, but it seems everyone loves it, so I hope you had a good time. When it comes to your comparison between "Nausicaa" and "NGE," I agree that between both the anime, humans seem to be the center cause of all our problems. That the hatred and violence of humans is what ends up plaguing our earth and resulting in inevitable destruction. I also think that the music in this movie is so underrated. I know that many other Ghibli films have great music, but this movie's music gets overlooked too much as it's just so fitting for the film.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind- Analysis

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is one of my personal favorite works by Studio Ghibli. It follows Nausicaa, the princess of the Valley of the Wind, who lives in an area unaffected by the apocalyptic war that created a Toxic Jungle. The Toxic Jungle inhabits many different species of insects, including the Ohm, that serve as a protection to this desolate wasteland. However, the spores that form from the plants in the jungle create air and water that can’t be consumed by humans.

Nausicaa follows the trope that a good portion of Hayao Miyazaki’s main female leads abide by, a confidant, young woman that does anything to protect what she loves. While this may be an overused trope by Studio Ghibli, I believe these characters serve as good role models for the young children Miyazaki's films are directed towards. When it comes to Nausicaa specifically, her character arc and personality type mainly parallel another lead, Princess Mononoke. While I know that Princess Mononoke was created after Nausicaa, I still think the relations between the characters are interesting with retrospect to the message Studio Ghibli was attempting to convey. There are many similarities between the two women that emphasize Miyazaki’s beliefs on environmentalism and modern-day ecoterrorism that seemingly plague the earth.

Both movies discuss a world that is filled with rage and conquered with pure hatred between differing groups of humans. The hatred in the world develops into war and consequently damages the environments around them, which leaves the animals of the earth to fight to save their land. Miyazaki utilizes emotional ploys through the connections between sets of humans and animals to illustrate just how terrible the war is on the forests. The audience is meant to realize that human greed is the enemy in both these movies, not the animals or insects that are victims of rage.

Princess Mononoke feels as more of an artistic approach to this concept, while Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a more analytical approach. There is one scene, though, that really struck me in Nausicaa, and it was when Nausicaa attempted to hide the baby Ohm when she was a child, yet her father killed the baby anyways because humans and insects aren’t meant to coexist with one another. This scene enables the viewers to recognize that Nausicaa serves as a middle ground between the differing worlds. That her sense of empathy and pure generosity triumphs over the greed and hatred in the hearts of humans. I think that Nausicaa is a beautifully made character that represents how protective humans should be on our earth. War and rage only result in terror that destroys our environment and pollutes our land, while fueling a terrible world for our future generations.

shadowydazecg

The End of Evangelion

"The End of Evangelion" serves as a multifaceted conclusion to the anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion". It addresses deep psychological, existential, and societal issues both within the context of Japan and on a global scale. This movie includes a surreal and disturbing examination of the individual and collective psyche results from the movie's portrayal of the Human Instrumentality Project, which entails the psychological fusion of all human consciousnesses into a single collective entity. Shinji Ikari’s inner turmoil is laid bare as he confronts his fears, desires, and sense of self.

"The End of Evangelion" reflects the struggles associated with mental health and the societal pressures that contribute to psychological distress. Japan has a culture where mental health issues are often stigmatized. The honest depiction of mental suffering in this movie speaks to the internalized conflicts that many people experience. The film’s exploration of identity crises, existential despair, and the search for meaning resonates with those who grapple with similar issues in a society where emotional vulnerability is frequently hidden or suppressed. Globally, the film tackles universal aspects of mental health, such as loneliness, self-doubt, and the pursuit of personal understanding in the face of external pressures, making it relevant to audiences worldwide due to its intense focus on psychological themes.

Mental health is a serious topic that I'm glad we covered in school. I know some people still don't believe in the effects of mental health, but it's definitely real. It's not going away unless we do something about it. I'm sure everyone has experienced when their mental health is at its lowest. Sometimes we don't even realize that our mental health is so low until it's too late. I definitely have moments when my mental health is low. The causes are usually the amount of schoolwork I have to do and personal relationships. In order to get my mental health up to par, I have to truly relax. It could be watching a movie, sleeping, being by myself, etc... The important thing is to do something that makes you happy and lowers your stress/anxiety levels.

letadlock

Hi Shadowydazecg, NGE surely has it's fair share of mental health depictions as you mentioned and it's a relatable point for a lot of audience members. In a negative light the alternative ending to this movie as opposed to the series suggest that there isn't a place of acceptance for people who suffer with mental health struggles, especially those related to identity and gender performance. I'm not sure that having this kind of media necessarily helps the public with these mental health issues. If anything the series could have left off with a hopeful ending and promote healthy acceptance because, like you said, it's not going away unless we do something about it.

stallings-am

Hello! I like that you focused on other aspects of "The End of Evangelion" besides what we have been talking about in class, like Shinji in regard to masculinity. I do think that masculinity is an important part of NGE, especially with Shinji's depiction of sexuality, but NGE has a huge focal point on mental health in Japan. The show reflects how harmful their society is towards those that suffer with their identity and have emotional vulnerability. This can also be recognized with Shinji's psychological warfare and lack of ability to lean and rely on others.

The End of Evangelion- Analysis

After watching The End of Evangelion, I think my original analysis on the last couple episodes of the main series was a little inaccurate. When it comes to the last episode, I believe that Shinji ends up accepting the Instrumentality process, while with the movie we see that Shinji and Asuka reject Instrumentality. This is an interesting dynamic as out of all the humans on the planet, only the two of them decide that the pain of living is better than the perfect organism NERV was reaching for. However, the first thing Shinji does when he comes to is turn to Asuka and decide to choke her. This is important because the whole reason Shinji denies Instrumentality is because he recognizes that even though relationships may cause suffering due to the disconnect between humans, his desire for individuality trumps the resulting consequences. But, Shinji only reinstates that disconnect when he tries to kill Asuka, which Asuka replies with “Disgusting.” Thus, further putting the nail in the coffin that humanity will always be separate.

In retrospect to Shinji’s masculinity, that interaction exemplifies how Shinji’s identity with queer masculinity can turn to the worst when not regulated due to his fragile mindset. Hegemonic masculinity depicts violence that is only okay when it aids our societal norms, like a soldier demonstrating violence for our country. Thus, Shinji’s harm to Asuka still does not fall in line with hegemonic masculinity and rather shows how his queer masculinity hurts others because of how he is unstable due to his trauma.

In my opinion, Shinji is just a victim to the world that has failed him. He is unable to regulate his emotions and actions on others due to the lack of support he received throughout his childhood. He feels isolated because his world is divided and centered on their own grief, which just continues the cycle of pain and self-loathing in society. Shinji’s faults reflect the world’s faults.

letadlock

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Part 2)

As we watch more episodes further into the show, the introduction of Asuka presents a clear challenge to Shinji's queer masculinity.

To be completely honest when I first watched this show I thought Asuka was incredibly irritating and mean to Shinji. Now with the knowledge of hegemonic, queer, shadow, and sissy masculinity I can view her role in the series as a display of what Shinji is not. It's ironic to me they chose this representation of hegemonic performance through a woman but I think that all the more pounds the nail into Shinji's self-loathe.

Asuka is strong, violent, and fearless in piloting her Eva. She does not hold back unlike Shinji and even mocks him and his queer masculinity saying things like "well aren't you a man?" But now it seems to motivate Shinji into really delving into his hegemonic masculine performance. We see scenes of Shinji piloting his Eva without holding back in violence. Only he seems to end up right back where he was in his self hate when things go wrong.

We are also introduced to another character, Kaworu, the supposed 5th child. Kaworu, unlike any of the other characters (except maybe Misato at times) approaches Shinji with complete kindness and understanding. Shinji is able to open up to Kaworu about his past leading up to piloting the Eva and even his hatred for his father. He entrusts Kaworu because he sees himself in Kaworu.

Kaworu, like Shinji, also performs queer masculinity. But unlike Shinji we don't see him being punished for it or scolded into performing hegemonic. Instead, Kaworu is a sympathetic and accepting model for Shinji. Which I think is also why Shinji takes it so harshly when he finds out Kaworu is actually an Angel.

I mean think about it. Shinji never lashes out at the others the way he does when he finds out he has been betrayed. He is hurt because the one person he could trust, the one person similar to him in his queer masculinity, was all a lie.

So then I question if this has a broader meaning that there is no room for acceptance of queer masculinity in society. With Kaworu's identity being false our representation of queer masculinity in this series falls back on the self-loathing Shinji. Does this mean there really is no real existence of healthy queer masculinity in society?

Even now I'm still incredibly confused about the ending of this series. On one hand, yay Shinji is finally accepting himself! On another... what just happened. Perhaps the last "End of Evangelion" will provide some further context.

stallings-am

Hello! I like reading other people's interpretations of Kaworu as a character because when I had first watched this anime, I was so confused about him (and admittedly I still am). I also didn't really touch on the subject of masculinity in my second post and mainly focused on the meaning of the ending episode. When it comes to the idea of queer masculinity with Kaworu, he definitely serves as an example to Shinji that it is perfectly possible to reject hegemonic masculinity. However, I think that their ending interaction with Shinji killing Kaworu more so exemplifies how Shinji needs to self-reflect on his identity, rather than seeking constant comfort from others. That he has to learn not to loathe himself and accept who he is without looking for guidance to fill his heart.

NGE- Analysis Pt.2

When it comes to the second half of Neon Genesis Evangelion, it is easy to visualize what it means to be human. This is especially true in the last episode where the Instrumentality process gets enacted, and we see how Shinji interacts with the psychological torment of his two halves. There is a definitive true self, the voice that morphs into other characters to continuously probe him, and his ego, the voice of doubt. In this scenario, though, his true self is ironically what appears to be deceiving him to give into Instrumentality. The notion that Shinji can never be whole if he doesn’t connect with others to fill the void in his heart is reinstated. However, Shinji eventually learns that his heart is already made up of the people he interacts with. That he takes pieces of their identity to morph into his own, which creates his sense of self. That he should learn to love himself as he is made up of the people he cares for. This allows him to get the “happy” ending where he rejects Instrumentality and chooses the real world even with the heartache and pain it causes him.

I also want to point out that the imaginary world that he delves into within the Instrumentality process, is his ideal society. It depicts a version of the world and him that he wishes was obtainable. In this altered reality, Shinji and Asuka have a legitimate relationship with each other that isn’t fueled by the desire to be a better Eva operator as to gain value. Shinji’s parents are alive and serve as a normal family. Rei is an individual with functional emotions and actually interacts with Shinji and Asuka. Finally, Shinji is a more masculine and confident person that can easily joke about and fall into childish, male fantasies with his friends. This is Shinji’s most optimal world, and yet he chooses to reject it. Thus, symbolizing Shinji’s growth as a character because he actively chooses an existence that will cause him pain at the expense of a “free” world. He wants genuine connections and relationships rather than the bleak, emptiness that Instrumentality would provide.

The last couple episodes of NGE are some of the most symbolic pieces of art that I have analyzed. There are so many aspects of NGE that depict legitimate problems regarding connections between humans and how such relationships are fundamental for humanity’s existence. With these problems, we see the main character actually come to a solution, rather than finding some middle ground that lets down expectations to the audience. Consequently, demonstrating how NGE became such a focal piece of media in the Japanese pop-culture scene.

studentmeyag

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Part 1)

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a giant robot anime that takes place in a dystopian world where we are at war with beings (or robots, I’m not sure) called Angels. For the sake of this lesson, Im going to focus on the character Shinji and how he is presented different in terms of masculinity.

Shinjo is much more reserved than most main characters in these types of anime. He does not want to fight in the war or pilot the Evangelion. Right off the bat, we can see that Shinji is not inline with the societal expectations of masculinity. His classmates love to play war games and a very interested in girls, all traditionally masculine traits that Shinji doesn’t have. He’s looked down on by his father for not being enough. Some of the women even have more masculine traits that Shinji, particularly Misato who is a slob compared to Shinji’s clean nature.

Shinji is forced to pilot the Evangelion, a very masculine weapon attributed with bravery and relentless destruction. This is similar to the pressure to perform in a very masculine way. Shinji essentially wears Evangelion as one would wear a masculine identity to fit into the world around us.

It’s worth mentioning that Shinji and his peers are all children. It’s natural that he wouldn’t want to pilot a war machine. Who would? It’s terrifying and deadly. Still, he is thrown into it. This could be an allegory for men being thrown into hypermasculine roles and being expected to meet this.

Overall, I thought this show was a little boring, although the Angles were pretty cool in terms of character design. I found Neon Genesis Evangelion not completely applicable to masculinity, if anything it was more related to themes of war. Nonetheless, I hope you got something out of my analysis.

stallings-am

Hello! I really liked some of your thoughts on the masculinity theme in "Neon Genesis Evangelion." In particular, I appreciated your dichotomy between Shinji and Misato with their masculine and feminine traits oriented around their level of cleanliness. In addition, you identifying the symbolism with Shinji being forced into his Eva as representing him being thrown into a masculine role stuck out. I hope that you enjoy NGE more as you get into the later episodes because NGE, in my opinion, is definitely way more than just the theme of masculinity. There are a lot of different elements with NGE and the last episode was insane to watch for me the first run through.

Neon Genesis Evangelion-Analysis

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a staple anime in Japanese pop-culture that has existed since the 1990s. We follow our main character Shinji Ikari, a fourteen-year-old boy who pilots an Eva that is linked to his psychological makeup. Shinji, from there, battles with creatures referred to as Angels who seem to want to destroy mankind. That is the general overview from just the first episode, but the actual details behind this anime run far deeper than what is on the surface. We see the anime delve into themes of masculinity, isolation, and rejection.

I actually have already watched NGE during the quarantine era, and I was super obsessed with the show due to my connection with the characters and the dilemmas they faced as humans. It has been a while since I last analyzed NGE, so it is nice to come at this anime with a specific purpose, rather than just for pleasure watching, which is ironic considering its darker tones.

I won’t be specifically analyzing the idea of isolation within this post; we will most likely recognize this theme when we watch the last episodes. However, the concept of masculinity is explored greatly within the first episodes in retrospect to the power struggles Shinji faces as a male in society. Based on first glance, Shinji doesn’t have any truly notable masculine traits to him: he shies away from combat, refuses to initiate eye contact with his father, detests piloting the Eva, and isn’t that sexually attracted to women. In this sense, Shinji isn’t a man to the world, he is just a “sissy” boy who doesn’t interact with the qualities society expects him to have. This is overly stated especially when he tries to flee his responsibilities with the Eva as he is reluctant to give into his war-torn city. He doesn’t want violence and as a result he is constantly belittled for his beliefs. When it comes to sexualizing the characters in the show, we can see how it always centers around Shinji and his inability to act on his “manly” desires. Shinji chooses to respect the women around him and focus on their personality, which further deviates him from society’s heteronormativity of what a male should be. NGE makes explicit commentary on how the world expects men to present themselves as a valuable member to society, by exhibiting their traditional roles. In the case of Shinji, it is evident how this is only harmful in the long run for those who want to be a human before a man.

shadowydazecg

Anime Convention Post

I have never been to an anime convention. I've heard about them on social media, but I never actively tried to attend these events. Because I've never been to an anime convention, I'm watching the True Otaku Documentary that Professor Smith provided. As I watch the video, I realize how big these events are. In the readings and the anime shown in class, they all mentioned how big the community is. Seeing it in action and reading about it is totally different which is why I'm so shocked. I'm glad that the video provides a little history background of these conventions, it shows how far anime conventions have traveled (literally). Since the mid-1980s anime conventions have been popping up all over the United States. This gave American otaku a place to share their common interests with others, learn more about Japanese culture, and purchase merchandise.

When I think of an otaku, Katsuya's definition of it resembles my own. She defines otaku as someone who is extremely into anime, manga, and Japanese culture as a whole. Joe, another person who was asked what otaku means, said some things that I agreed with. In Japan, otaku was looked at as a derogatory word, but now it's sort of embraced due to how popular the fandom has gotten overseas. Lauren, another person who was asked what otaku means, brought up some interesting points that I think should be mentioned here. She said that otaku means something different to everyone. To her, otaku means anime fan, not just a fan. In Japan, her regarding herself as "otaku" will make Japanese people respond with "of what". While in the United States, she can refer to herself as "otaku" and the meaning would be associated with anime, manga, and video game fans. I thought that was pretty interesting how the two countries associate the word "otaku" with different meanings. There are different types of otaku in Japan while in the United States, there is one specific meaning to the word "otaku". Marlon made me laugh with the way he was describing himself as an otaku fan (timestamp 8:36). I loved how honest he was about the amount of money he's spending on something he's very passionate about! I love how the interviewer is asking them about their clothes and what they are made out of. It blew my mind with all the things that were used to create their costume. Mike was one of the cosplayers who surprised me with the things he used to create his staff. He used a paper mache, a shoehorn, a couple of dog toys, a lot of newspapers, and an Easter Egg. That's extremely creative of him to put that together and then paint it to create his magical staff!

I've had some negative thoughts about the Lolita genre that didn't sit well with me. It reminded me of the movie Lolita. The main character, Lolita, was preyed upon and sexualized. Because of this thought, I stayed away from it. Melissa stated that it's really about maintaining modesty, and the clothing is a representation of the Victorian and Rococo styles. Hearing Melissa and Casie talk about Lolita fashion made me reconsider the topic itself. Maybe they are somehow not connected. It also seems that these conventions aren't just for anime. I seen some Star Wars cosplayers and some Super Mario cosplayers in the video.

I had a great time watching this documentary about anime conventions! It provided a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of these events and highlighted the strong sense of community that anime fans share. It was wonderful to see everyone embracing their favorite characters and bonding with like-minded individuals. These anime conventions seem like such enjoyable and inclusive gatherings.

stallings-am

Hello! I have also not been to a convention myself, but I think there are so many differing aspects of conventions that are interesting to look at and analyze. First off, looking at people's own interpretations of otakus in retrospect to Japanese pop-culture can be really engaging. There are a lot of negative depictions of what encompasses an otaku, yet everyone there in some form is participating with that fandom culture. I also wanted to mention that the Lolita fashion is extremely different and not connected to the "Lolita" movie, which I am not even sure why that film was named that title considering the actual long history of the Lolita genre.

Conventionsss

When it comes to Japanese culture, “True Otaku: The Documentary,” holds a good encompassing synopsis of what tends to be endorsed within westernized conventions. Specifically, we can recognize how influential American society has been on the makeup of subgenres within the otaku community. The documentary takes a deep dive into the creative minds and process behind interpretations of anime with respect to their fandoms: cosplays, clubs, and fan services. Conventions act as a sanction for which these aspects can be expressed within a safe environment, while also serving as a way for fandom culture to cultivate into a larger-than-life atmosphere. Nicole, the host, analyzes these depictions of identity in retrospect to the Japanese-oriented group of otakus as a way to obtain an understanding of this diverse group.

To further investigate this central idea, Nicole provides an essential question that is discussed in the contents of our own class, “What is an otaku?” The responses following this question tend to deviate greatly between a multitude of people. However, one core definition given included an individual who partakes in Japanese pop-culture to find a sense of community with those that share similar interests to them. In terms of our lecture definitions, this desire to connect with others utilizing the fandom world falls in line with the societal concept of “animalization.” This results from the lack of a grand narrative, a nationalistic idea that centers on finding a purpose for existence through working towards a utopian society, which creates a common goal for a set of people that derive from the same past. Thus, without this grand narrative people now seek a feeling of wholeness through a pack mentality of animalization. To feel as though they are making a difference and are contributing to their future they turn to hobbies like conventions where they can come together as one. It is interesting to recognize how Americans, in order to complete that animalization, turn towards Japanese culture and regard it as a way to feel fulfilled in their lives.

Additionally, the otaku community finds soundness through the personalization of the work they are consuming. This is notable through customizing anime and manga to center around their intepretations, which is seen especially in the concept of cosplays. Artists and fans alike devote time to creating costumes of characters to engage with the work to feel as both the producer and user of what they are indulging in. Thus, allows them to demonstrate the appeal of being an otaku.

Consequently, the intense soft powers of Japan are established and effectively aids their economic systems by advancing their reaches of anime and manga towards western outlooks. These soft powers also extend to the marketing of the Lolita style, which is mentioned in the documentary. In my opinion, the Lolita genre of Japanese pop-culture isn’t totally affiliated with anime or manga, yet there tends to be a blurred line where fans tend to regard this style as a characteristic of certain anime. Moreover, Lolita is consistently depicted throughout the convention just because of its usage in Japan as a whole, and not necessarily due to its participation in created works.

When it comes to my own interactions with otakus, I would classify the majority of otakus as pretty mild, which is also important to mention as otakus tend to disassociate themselves from actually ever enacting the sexual scenarios normally associated with them. I will say I am against people who fetishize gay relationships as to fantasize what it would be like in that position. It is quite harmful for the LGBTQ+ community and falsifies the correlation of gender, sex, and sexualization in gay relationships. Besides that, I have contributed to the otaku community by cosplaying as Misa Amane from Death Note and a female version of Monokuma from Danganronpa. Some of my friends have cosplayed Misato Katsuragi from NGE and Yumeko Jabami from Kakegurui, which is fun to witness their creative process and the pictures they take from their productions. I think that participating in Japanese pop-culture is a nice experience and I hope to go to a convention in the future, especially after their overview through the documentary.

Me as Twilight Sparkle from "My Little Pony"

mochicrackersss

Blog Post - Wandering Son ᯓᡣ𐭩‧₊˚ ⊹

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

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

stallings-am

Hello! I agree that this anime did a good job at actually representing the LGBTQ+ community and the hardships that are faced when coming to grasp your own identity. "Genshiken" was just all about fetishizing and sexualizing gay people instead of actually helping the community it was playing off of. I think it is also interesting that the chosen place to discuss gender and dysphoria was a school setting as that tends to be one of the most judgmental and discriminated environments, yet we see so much diversity. Gender identity is a tough subject to cover, but it is done so organically in this anime.

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