Back in 2018 A Place Further Than The Universe was universally praised by those with actual credential in critiquing Anime from a Feminist perspective.
Including those generally biased against "Cute Girls Doing Cute Things" and "Moe" like VraiKaiser. It even made AnimeFmeinists top 25 of the Decade.
No one suddenly hating on it in 2024 from a "Feminist" Perspective is doing so in good faith. They just think their favorite LOLcow's opinions must always be the opposite of true.
This is a show that unlike Utena was actually directed by a Woman.
And a lot of the "Men" into this Genre have a history of discovering they are Trans later, from Trixie The Golden Witch to Pedantic Romantic.
I'm not even into this show, I dropped it after two episodes. But I know plenty of other things Jukki Hanada has been involved in writing, and when it's not an adaptation he's clearly mostly just putting to script whatever ideas the director has. There are plenty of shows where I do think the writers deserve more credit than they usually get relative to the director, but those are highly episodic shows with a lot of Filler.
While the romance between Sailors Uranus and Neptune has rightfully earned praise,Sailor Moon’s other explicitly queer relationship gets little notice. And that’s a shame, because Zoisite and Kunzite were remarkably progressive compared to both their contemporaries and what had come before.
While looking for screencaps of these two, I stumbled across this excellent article. I always love reading essays on KunZoi and seeing how much they’ve been individually loved, enjoyed, and understood. While there are a couple of points where my opinions diverge, overall I feel the author has done an excellent job capturing the depth, richness, and clarity of how much these two genuinely loved each other. I highly recommend this read for some validating and fulfilling KunZoi feels <3.
The next episode of the podcast is about to E-X-P-L-O-D-E! That’s right, in honor of the year in which the film takes place (the futuristic dystopia of 2019!), August’s podcast episode will be all about the Akira series by Katsuhiro Otomo! And joining me will be first time guest Vrai of the Trash & Treasures podcast! We’ll be discussing some of the themes & symbolism in Akira, the massive impact it had on everything that came after it, and what makes it so incredibly special--along with your listener questions, of course! If you any questions, comments, or topics you’d like us to discuss? Feel free to leave a comment, send a DM/ask, or email me directly at [email protected]!
Want to get a special shout-out on the episode? Tip me 2 or more “coffees” at my Ko-fi account here to get your name included in my Special Thanks segment!
Get your questions & tips in before August 19, 2019!
The Anime Nostalgia Podcast - ep 78: Akira Talk with Vrai
The Saturday Anime series continues with one of the most iconic anime (and manga) to ever be made: AKIRA! And with me to talk a bit about this massively influential franchise is new guest to the show Vrai Kaiser (they/them). Even with 2 hours to chat about Akira, we only manage to touch the tip of the iceberg on what makes this Katsuhiro Otomo classic so special. Listen as we discuss how we first saw this film far too young, how it appealed to more folks than just your typical anime fans, and why this 80s creation is a little too prophetic on how life in 2019 ended up being. Also in this episode: the premiere of my brand new opening theme!.....that you don’t hear until the end. (Whoops.)
Stream the episode above or [Direct Download]
Subscribe on itunes | Stitcher | Google Play | Spotify
Relevant links:
Watch Akira (dubbed) legally, free with ads in the US on Tubi!
Buy the Akira bluray/DVD combo pack on Rightstuf or Amazon
Buy the regular edition Akira manga on Rightstuf or Amazon
Buy the limited edition 35th Anniversary Akira manga hardcover box set on Rightstuf or Amazon
An Incomplete History of the Akira Bike Slide
Mentioned in the episode: the essay “You Called for Me: Masculine Pain and Isolation in Akira” on the VRV blog
Also mentioned on the episode: The Awaken Akira fan film, and the Project Akira fan film
Follow Vrai on Twitter
Listen to Vrai’s podcast, Trash & Treasures
Find more of Kerobit’s music on InazumaKick.com!
Support the work I do on this podcast by leaving me a tip on Ko-fi! Want to have your name read in the special thanks segment on the next episode? All you need to do is buy me 2 or more “coffees” on Ko-fi!
As always, feel free to leave me your thoughts on this episode or ideas for future episodes here—or email me directly at [email protected].
Thanks for listening!
It was only a matter of time before our collective visions of Rose Quartz were dashed.
Vrai Kaiser's 2015 review of "We Need to Talk" makes for some interesting reading these days.
It was only a matter of time before our collective visions of Rose Quartz were dashed. They had to be, for the sake of Rose existing as a three dimensional character and not just an untouchable goddess on a pedestal. That her flaws wound up tied to what others remember most about her (her love of humans) is just a painful little stroke of brilliance. Rose is a puzzle of a Gem
...
Of the very little we know of Rose, one thing we’ve seen over and over is that she’s secretive. She has a hidden cache of weapons. None of the Gems knew about Lion. Steven himself might be a long con unbeknownst even to Greg. In this very episode Rose says it’s “good” that Greg knows nothing about her (referring, I imagine, to her role in the rebellion and the way it clearly continues to haunt her).
There goes a popular theory that Rose is former Gem royalty of a sort, a “Pink Diamond” who reinvented herself as Rose Quartz and broke away from Homeworld. Whether or not that proves true (there are certainly some compelling bits of evidence), reinventing seems to be something Rose is doing constantly. She’s a caretaker to Amethyst, a role model to Garnet, a confidant and idol to Pearl (probably. Hold that). And she tried to be the winsome mysterious lover she no doubt saw in movies (she catches on to the Marx brothers reference pretty quick and loves music, so I imagine she’s absorbed humanity largely through pop culture) for Greg until he out and out demanded she stop. And perhaps that’s what ultimately ended up being special about him.
It’s hard to say anything, with all these gaps – none more glaring than the one revolving around Rose and Pearl. This makes three episodes now (“Rose’s Scabbard,” “Sworn to the Sword,” and this one) that feature Pearl’s feelings for Rose as a major component. And yet, even when we have Rose there in person it’s hard to gauge the dynamic of their relationship. There are a few suggestions, particularly in the fact that Rainbow Quartz is a highly compatible fusion (like Garnet, she is completely humanoid except for having extra eyes). But Rose is so flippant in both of her flashback appearances, always laughing and putting on a cheerful front, and we have yet to see a real one-on-one conversation between the two without an audience.
That fact makes it almost impossible to get a handle on their relationship. Is Pearl’s jealousy childish, coming in the wake of reassurances from Rose about Pearl’s importance? Is it stemming from the fact that Rose is acting as though nothing’s changed, while Pearl’s inferiority complex resurfaces and she begins to fear Rose is tossing her aside for Greg (her heart wrenching “I think he’s her favorite too” seems to imply so)? Their fusion dance is certainly one of the most intimate we’ve seen, even ending with a kiss (Rose’s hair is blocking the lip touch, but you can see Greg trying to mimic the motion as he dances with Rose), and yet… and yet. These are very conspicuous blank spaces in the writing, and I don’t think for a moment that this is just forgetfulness on the part of the writers. Something is coming to a head – it might be during tomorrow’s episode, or it might be months from now, but there’s a key piece of information about these two that’s being withheld. I am, dear readers, most confessedly afraid of that day.
Your Mother and Mine airs tonight! If your household counts for Nielsen views, pleasewatch it on TV. If not, watch it anyway! Or play it again on the app (app views = best views).
I’ve already posted a lot about it, but I did enjoy this article’s take: Steven Universe Recap: Your Mother and Mine by Vrai Kaiser.
The episode opens with each of the Off-Colors telling a version of Rose Quartz’s legend, and Garnet responds with her own legend. Not the real, messy truth, but the version these outcast gems need to hear in order to value themselves. Garnet doesn’t tell them any lies, which distinguishes her story from the false propaganda being told on Homeworld, but she elides the details that make history messy. She tells them about a hero, not a person.
We’re so used to the show being from Steven’s perspective that it’s sometimes easy to forget that not everything revolves around him. Garnet isn’t telling her story to Steven, this time. He’s there, but this story is for the Off-Colors.
I still think Garnet doesn’t know the full truth of what happened to Pink Diamond, of course. Or the full truth about Rose. But we know she does remember just how awful the war was, and she leaves that part out.
It’s very interesting that Lapis presents Homeworld’s armies as diminishing towards an inevitable loss in Same Old World, while Garnet presents the same scenario here for the rebels. I suspect that neither Pink Diamond’s shattering, nor the Corruption Attack, was driven by those logistical concerns. But we will see.
The Big Show airs in a week, so I’ll start posting about it today, I expect. Please block either “su unaired” or the episode title itself if you want to avoid spoilers.
The announcement trailer is out, which means I can FINALLY tell you all that my story, “Keys in Stranger Deserts,” is going to be in the Cthulhusattva: Tales of the Black Gnosis anthology!
Considering that it starts with the attempted theft of the Necronomicon, becomes a college student and con artist road trip, and then goes downhill from there, I think you might be able to understand why I’ve been champing at the bit to tell y’all about it.
The final version is out in May, so look forward to it!
