The Anim(e)ted World Blog

Aston Lowe

[angel-is-not-creative]

Assassination Classroom

alright I have to start this by being sentimental first. This is the last post we're all gonna be making you guys :( personally I'm sad as this has been like my favorite class ever. It has been so amazing getting to hear from all of you and I've been exposed to so many beautiful pieces of media. This class is forever something I will bring up in any conversation and has made an actual impact on me. I know it is unlikely we will run into each other in the future considering the amount of you that are computer science or engineering majors but I hope my Hetalia blog post made a lasting enough impact in your brain that you may remember me, thanks for putting up with my takes and just being a really fun group of people ❤ (I won't be taking the exam with y'all so Wednesday will be the last time I see you all and I will be sad about it because I'm emotional)

okay now on to the actual show!

I have seen bits and pieces of this show but I've never sat down and watched the whole thing, and I still haven't cause I only had enough time to watch the assigned episodes.

This show has a lot of the same themes of shows that we watched previously. A few that I noticed are Psycho-Pass and Eden of the East. This show and Psycho-pass share the similar theme of "if you tell someone they are something they are bound to become it". Within this show, these kids have been seemingly abandoned by the education system. Every person at this school seems to hate class-E for no apparent reason. They are viewed as violent, dumb, and worthless by every other class and even the educators. They are being set up to fail, and their fate has been set for them at 14.

In regards to Eden of the East, this show also shares the similarity of kinda pinning the responsibility of saving the world on other people (also many of the shows we watch rely on children to save the world like Sailor Moon, Gundam, Evangelion). Despite literally having no faith in Class-E to do anything successfully, they put the fate of the entire planet in their hands. If these kids cannot kill their teacher every single person will die, and yet people still don't seem to be rooting for them.

They also have to work considerably harder to do satisfactorily on exams, as their education in the past has been lacking since no teacher ever gave them a real chance. With everyone against them, they still managed to rank themselves at the same level as Class-A, proving their ability despite what others may believe they are capable of.

Overall I think this was a pretty good watch and I will likely get around to finishing it.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

I actually hadn't thought about the parallels between this show and Psycho-Pass, which is kind of embarrassing since I really like both of those anime lol. Anyway, I like how you noticed the theme of class divide between Class A and Class E, even the school mascot was rooting for Class E's downfall. This was primarily because of the principal's rather extreme teaching style I believe. He wanted the E Class to be the lowest of the low, so the other students strive to at least be better than them. This backfires however when the E class begin to prove themselves to be on par with the A class, so it's an interesting battle against the principal. Also, I've watched the entirety of this show (I also chose the episodes, so sorry I couldn't choose closer together ones), and without spoiling anything, since you said you will probably watch the show, I think you'll have a different view of Class E's past teachers ;)

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

Assassination Classroom

I had already seen this anime before, and honestly it's one of my all time favorites. It just highlights such interesting character development and personality for literally each student and character introduced. Each character and student have unique abilities and personalities when it comes to trying to assassinate Koro sensei. However, the main takeaway from the episodes assigned seems to be the class divide between Class A and Class E. The principal's teaching style focuses on making all the students who aren't in Class E hate the End Class students. They are then motivated to work exceptionally harder in order to not be put into the E Class. The other students in the main school not only hate the E Class, but they also actively make fun of them, which we can see in situations like the assemblies. Koro Sensei tries to combat this teaching style by motivating his students and supporting them in an amicable way on top of providing them a fair chance at showing their strengths to the principal and other students. He does this, despite them being assigned to end his life. Spoiler alert for those who haven't watched the whole thing: he does this to fulfill a promise he made with one of the student's sister to make sure the E Class get a proper education, and that their learning environment is one that is nurtured. Anyway, the class divide and power dynamic between the two top students of both classes, Class E having Karma and Class A having Asano, is a heavy topic and one that is highlighted during the exam season. Karma realizes that he can't simply skate through life doing whatever he wants anymore, and that he must actually work hard in order to prove to the A Class that he and the other E Class members aren't "worthless". Overall, it's a great anime to watch, and I highly recommend anyone who hasn't watched it to watch the entire show. The assigned episodes focus on the class divide between the two classes, but there's so much more that goes on that simply can't be encompassed in four episodes.

[lunacyn24]

Cyberpunk Edgerunners: EP 1, 2, 6, & 10

What an interesting series. And I mean that in a good way, I suppose, because I liked watching the show. The art style was different, and the story line was unique. The characters were also unique and different. I kind of wish I had more time to watch all of Cyberpunk to better understand who Maine, Kiwi, Falco, and Rebecca were though. Something that I noticed immediately was the classism that has clearly infiltrated this cyber- advanced society. We see that the main character, David, lives with his single mother and they live paycheck to paycheck. However, David has the opportunity to go to this prestigious academy, but students at this academy constantly bully by saying he doesn’t belong there and constantly bad mouthing his mother. David’s mom was a hard worker who committed many hours to her job to keep a roof over their heads and ensure her son would continue to have an education. But David has delinquency tendencies which gave everybody else chances to further diminish his worth and used it as an excuse to treat him like scum. The classism theme can also be reflected in the real-world because many people live in a society where they are seen as lesser than when they don’t fit the status quo. Such as a student being let into a prestigious academy or college on a scholarship vs having rich parents, no one’s worth should be diminished just because they come from a different background. Additionally, this society portrays money as being a huge factor into how much you can contribute or be useful to someone. As if money defines worth, so it’s an almost dog-eat dog kind of world. We see this especially when David passes out in front of Lucy and he’s being nursed by this medic who eventually turns on them once she found out that David was connected to systems (or metals) that would fetch a very high price to buyers. Cyberpunk is also a series where vigilantes, delinquents, and “mafia bosses” thrive in this high stakes society because everyone is always wanting to advance themselves and their livelihoods, which can also be relatable towards the modern world.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

Definitely also noticed the "dog-eat-dog" aspect of this dystopian world. It really highlights the sadistic nature of capitalism and how it preys on the weak to benefit the strong.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

Cyberpunk Edgerunners

I had already seen this anime (pretty recently actually) so watching the assigned episodes again was a nice refresher. This anime tackles a lot of intense topics including class divides and the injustices of capitalism on lower class people. Our main character, David, is a delinquent in a prestigious school and, after the tragic death of his mother, he resorts to cybernetic implants in order to express his anger against the system. His mother and him were drive-by victims of a gang fight on the highway, but since they were of a lower class, the government didn't see the need to help either of them recover. This leads him to install an incredibly dangerous and illegal enhancement on his spine that gives him super speed out of anger against the capitalist system of government where one's worth is determined by how much they can give back to the government. This topic of determining one's worth based on their value to the government really highlights the dystopian nature of the anime. Another topic to discuss, somewhat related to capitalism, is the lack of shared healthcare for everyone, especially the lower class. David and his mom don't have access to the healthcare they need in order to fully recover from the crash, so David's mom ends up dying. This leads David to resort to the dangerous cybernetic enhancement and causing him to slowly descend into cyberpsychosis. As much as I hate to say it, this kind of lack of healthcare for all parallels real life, because of our capitalistic government and society. Overall it was a great re watch and on top of the themes and topics presented, the visual and audio elements of the anime were incredibly detailed. The story detailing a tragic tale of a lower-class kid just trying to survive and get justice for his mom was incredibly captivating.

[jpt1311-blog]

Perfect Blue

What in the world was that movie... I have never had an animated movie confuse me but also hold my attention as much as this one has recently. I am really questioning as to how this movie plays into being appropriate for the class setting, but then again, I get reminded that we’ve watched many wars related and some kind of twisted shows. This movie was a trip because at one point I wasn't sure if what I was watching was really happening or if it was a part of a scene that was being shot or if it was a dream that one of the characters was having it.  It wasn't until the end of the movie when we found out that Rumi had dissociative identity disorder and was truly the one that was responsible for so many of the things that Mima had to go through, from experiencing the murders and even talking to the weird Me-Mania dude. As somebody who has battled with mental health and understands how dangerous it can be for somebody to go through life not really knowing what they have or being misidentified as to what they have, I felt for Rumi because it's almost as if there wasn't any kind of real support or understanding into what They were going through until the end of the movie. I think that if Rumi might have had a different kind of support and people that they were able to lean on that they would maybe not have done some of these terrible things and would have potentially been able to live in a much more fulfilling way. Overall, the movie was pretty intriguing. I personally wouldn't watch it again or recommend it to other people but it was something that I can say I have seen now lol.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

Yeah, I'll definitely agree that this movie was absolute insane. Mima's battle with mental health after facing backlash and harassment from the general public was intense and confusing in a lot of sections, but from a storytelling perspective I think it was compelling in a sense.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

Perfect Blue

Wow, that movie was definitely interesting to say the least. It covered a lot of disturbing and unsettling themes such as psychopathy, paranoia, and sexual assault. Despite this, it definitely told an encapsulating story of a young ex-idol girl who just wanted to pursue a different career path. Mima went through SO much because of societal stigma from her leaving her J-pop idol group. People kept labeling her as a different "Mima" or not the "real Mima" which led to her developing paranoia and seeing hallucinations. In order to pursue her acting career, she takes on some intense roles that definitely cause detrimental effects on her mental health. These affect her even more so than the societal stigma that she faces upon career change. She has to act out as the victim of a rape in a scene and to finish the film she discovers that her character kills her sister and takes her identity due to dissociative identity disorder. This parallels future events in the movie where Mima's obsessive fan "Me-Mania" attempts to rape and kill Mima after being instructed to do so by the "real" Mima. Mima eventually finds out that her manager Rumi was the one behind most of Mima's mental suffering. This is due, in part, to Rumi assuming a second personality: the "real" Mima. Rumi then tries to kill Mima before eventually hallucinating some truck's lights as stage lights. Rumi is almost killed before Mima saves her, causing Mima's hallucinations to disappear, oddly enough. I think this parallels Mima finally coming to terms with the fact that she is real, despite what everyone else says about her public image being different from what she was in the past. Overall, it was a peculiar movie, but I don't think I would personally recommend it to others lol.

[bleachenjoyer]

4/16 - Sensoron

I was excited to read Sensoron today. Even though I enjoy anime, I am much more of a manga reader these days - additionally, as someone who is at least marginally interested in history, I found the prospect of a revisionist-history Japanese perspective after World War 2 a very compelling premise. As I went through this work, I found it to bring up some interesting points, but overall it almost seems like a rambling from a bitter conspiracy theorist who just wants to see WW2-era Japan in a more positive light than it deserves.

I found the overall work of Sensoron to be, as mentioned earlier, a great example of revisionism and, at times, flat-out misinformation. Given what the author was trying to communicate, about how 'Japan was treated unfairly' and 'the Allies did bad stuff too' clearly attempts to downplay the atrocities committed by the nation during the war. Instead of taking an objective standpoint and accepting that, while the Allies did do some morally questionable things during the war, Japan is guilty of the same, the author attempts to frame the West as the REAL bad guys, and the root of a grand array of problems in modern Japanese society.

One thing I think the author did not intend to showcase (but does) is the mental gymnastics that he has to go through in order to justify Japan and delegitimize the West. I thought the entire first sequence about the trials and the subsequent Western involvement in Japan was far-fetched, with elements of truth buried in it - but as soon as the author started accusing photos displaying Japanese war crimes as fake, comparing them to UFOs and ghosts, the argument lost any shred of legitimacy. Through these perspectives, Sensoron communicates a perspective that is unhinged at best and deliberately deceptive at worst.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

Definitely agree with what you said about how the author tries REALLY hard to justify Japan's actions, despite the fact that both sides committed some horrifying actions. It reminds me of how some countries, including the U.S., sometimes tries to cover up their misdeeds in history by "rewriting" the history textbooks, which is kind of similar to what is done in this manga. While it's not in school books, this kind of propaganda definitely has an impact on how the citizens of a country will perceive their nation.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

Sensoron

I'll be completely honest, this was I think my first ever manga I've ever read. I'm much more of an anime watcher because I like moving pictures, music and sound design a lot. Anyway, back on topic, this manga was really interesting in that it covered a lot of concepts that occurred post World War II events and presented Japan in a positive light. Arguably, in a more positive light than Japan was actually supposed to be in. The manga kind of presents the events post World War II in a way that "rewrites" history, in order to make Japan be seen as a "good guy" in the grand scheme of things. It seems like it was trying to downplay the events that happened and sort of victimize Japan. This is kind of similar to what we see in Hetalia: Axis Powers, where the character of Japan is portrayed as a character that doesn't really participate in the major historical events that occurred in World War II. The author presents a major bias when depicting these events, rather than attempting to portray the events from an objective point of view. The manga tries to present Japan as the victims and the West and Allied powers as the "bad guys", despite the fact that both sides did some horrible things during the war.

Many of the arguments that the author tried to use to justify the actions of Japan during the war sounded a lot like a conspiracy theorist to be completely honest. Comparing some of the events to alien and supernatural sightings was a little strange, and basically made the argument lose a lot of its credibility. Overall, it was an interesting read, and it definitely makes me want to indulge in more manga from my favorite anime. Not because of the topics presented, but just because of the visual storytelling that can only really be done through manga panels. It was an interesting read!

[projectmcblog]

Your name

I think this anime is a top contender for my favorite anime of the semester.

The storytelling and visuals were beautiful… especially the ending! The ending had me HOOKED… it could have ended so many times and I would have had a totally different reaction to each end. I had to keep checking the time thingy to make sure the movie wasn’t ending just yet.

While watching the anime I felt like there were heavy themes of tradition and modernization.

Mitsuha lives a more traditional lifestyle, being raised in a small town where everyone knows everyone. Mitsuha feels trapped and wishes that she could live in the more modernized Tokyo. In Itomori, tradition is upheld in the form of a festival that happens every year. Mitsuha’s grandmother explains the traditional ideals, saying: “The meaning of our festivals became unknown and only the form live on. But even if words are lost, tradition should be handed down.” This is a very conservative way of thinking, in the sense that traditions (like the festival) are kept to conserve the culture of the past, even though modern-day partakers don’t even understand the significance.

On the flip side, Taki is living a modernized life in the big city of Tokyo. He gets to go to a big high school and works as a waiter in a restaurant. He has endless opportunities in the big city and isn’t constrained like Mitsuha is in her small town. More interestingly, Mitsuha specifically wishes to be a boy living in Tokyo when yelling out her frustrations, while Taki never expressed any disdain towards his city lifestyle.

These parallels could represent the conservative ideas of femininity and masculinity, being that the feminine role follows and respects tradition (ex. Traditional housewife and caretaker), while the masculine role is freer to adapt with modernization.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

I liked your discussion about the parallels between the conservative ideas of tradition and the ideas of femininity and masculinity. It's interesting to see the connections between the two. Like you mentioned, the traditional feminine role is usually stuck as the caretaker of the house and/or children, while the traditional male role typically has more opportunity to pursue their life as they please.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

Your Name

This is one of the most beautifully animated and artistic pieces I think I've ever watched. I've had this movie on my list of things to watch for such a long time and I don't know what took me so long to sit down and watch it!

The show centers around tradition and the straying away from tradition to a more modern lifestyle. One of the main characters Mitsuha was raised in a small town similar to a Gemeinschaft I feel. Despite this intimate lifestyle, she wishes to move to Tokyo, as it is much more modern than her small village. Her grandmother is very conservative and tries to keep the traditions through the small town's festivals. In doing so, the grandmother tries to preserve the traditions of the village, but even she realizes that with the modernization of human culture, the people who partake in the tradition sometimes don't even know what they're celebrating or upholding.

Now looking at another one of the main characters: Taki. He lives in the much more modern Tokyo, compared to Mitsuha's living situation. He has the privilege to go to a large high school and even has a job as a waiter. All of Mitsuha's wishes and wants are realized in Taki's lifestyle in Tokyo. This somewhat parallels real life in that some cultures have traditions, whether they be rooted in religion or their ethnicity, that many people continue to uphold even if they don't know the exact reason as to why they do so. There have definitely been "traditions" that I grew up with, such as not eating meat on Fridays or receiving red envelopes for new years, that I had no idea the reason we participated in them. Mitsuha has similar experiences with the festivals that some people don't realize the reason for holding the festivals other than to keep tradition. It's an interesting commentary on what exactly makes a tradition so special if the meaning of it is lost with time.

[jpt1311-blog]

Hetalia: Axis Powers (1-19)

Hetalia axis powers was for lack of a better word something. It quite literally follows exactly as the title suggests which is a good thing, however it was very misleading from the cover photo of the anime because it seemed like it was going to be some happy cutesy anime but no it was about World War One and two. This anime centered around the axis powers and the allied powers and kind of approached talking about the different countries within each power in a satirical type of view. The main themes that I took from this anime was the idea of stereotypes across countries, as the episodes assigned to us and even the rest of them as they were kinda short so I watched them, were making these overgeneralized views of the countries during the times of the war. For example it showed the United states as some stuck up wanna be superhero that skates by and doesn't really put in an effort to get to the end goal. Another example is it portraying Germany as a determined and hardworking and positive person when in reality Germany was quite literally the worst place to be as the entirety of the country and the government were antisemitic and racist, on top of that the Holocaust was happening in the time frame of this anime. It really kind of annoyed me how it was portraying Germany in the show because one of the main causing factors of World War Two was Germany and the Nazi regime and everything that they were doing, and to portray America as some happy go lucky wannabe superhero just didn't sit right with me. It makes complete sense that there would be controversy surrounding this show from many of the countries populations that were described as things they weren't because for a show that is accessible to a large majority of the population it doesn't portray countries in the correct light.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

I definitely agree that the portrayal of Germany, despite the country being one of the main causes of World War II, was a little unsettling and overall kind of insensitive in my opinion. It was just really weird seeing Germany being portrayed in this satirical setting of the World War events as a positive figure in the show.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

Hetalia: Axis Powers

I'll be honest I was a little worried when I saw that we had to watch 19 episodes, but then I saw they were all 5 minutes long so I was a little relieved. Anyway, about the actual show, it was... interesting I suppose. The topics covered in the anime are quite literal, a satirical/ironic setting of the events that occurred during World War I and World War II. The show specifically covers the axis powers and the allied powers along with the stereotypes that came with the specific countries embodied in human form. The show highlights these stereotypes through the personalities of the personified countries. The US is an egotistical hero that doesn't really do much hard work to get to their final goal. There were other countries that were portrayed in a way that seems almost the complete opposite from how I learned in my high school history classes. One of the main victims of this is Germany, and how they were portrayed as a very driven and optimistic person. From what I learned and know about Germany during both World Wars... they weren't exactly considered role models, especially during World War II because of... well you know. Also, Japan's actions as an Axis Power seems to be downplayed in this anime. The show's portrayal of the character of Japan is very low-key and kind of makes it seem like Japan had very little involvement in the events of the World Wars, which is very much the opposite of what I remember from my history classes. The concept of personifying different countries in a cute, satirical setting was interesting, but the almost blatant (or maybe subconsciously) inaccurate depictions of the countries and their stereotypes and involvement in the wars was a little unsettling. Overall, it was definitely a strange watch, but definitely discussion and education worthy in my opinion.

[gurleend287]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (cut scene)

Although I don't frequently watch or play video games, that was an intriguing watch. A story-rich game with interesting characters, gorgeous scenery, and a distinctive fighting system is Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The issues that were covered throughout the narrative, though, were what I thought to be most fascinating about this game. These topics not only relate to the game's setting but also to contemporary social problems.

The idea of identity is one of the game's most important themes. Rex, the protagonist, is on a quest to learn who he really is and what he is here for. As we look for our position in the world and work to understand who we are as people, many individuals can connect to this in our own lives. The game, however, explores this topic further by highlighting how our identity may be impacted by circumstances outside of our control, such as our surroundings and the people we spend time with. This is especially true in today's culture, when the pressure to live up to expectations and conventions may affect our sense of self and prevent us from being uniquely ourselves.

The concept of power and its corrupting impact is another major subject. Jin, the main antagonist, is motivated by a thirst for vengeance and will stop at nothing to get the power he feels is necessary to carry it out. This is a reflection of the distorting impact of power, which permeates many facets of contemporary life. The drive for power may cause people to act in ways that are destructive to other people and the environment, from politicians to business executives.

The idea of hope and its capacity to motivate change are also discussed. Characters in the game encounter several challenges that appear insurmountable, yet they never give up. They are motivated to continue fighting by this hope, which also encourages others to support their cause. This is a strong lesson for us to remember as we navigate the many difficulties our planet faces today, from social injustice to environmental deterioration. Remembering that optimism may spur good change and motivate us to seek for a brighter future even in the midst of hardship is crucial. The world we live in and the difficulties our civilization faces are reflected in

Xenoblade Chronicles 2, in conclusion. It offers insightful understandings of these issues and their applicability to many people's lives through its investigation of identity, power, and hope.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

I liked how you discussed Jin's storyline and how his quest for revenge blinded him to seek power, no matter what. It's interesting to think about, since Jin suffered so much due to humanity's faults, and despite Rex and others trying their best to get him on the right side, he still strives for power to seek his revenge.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

This game had such cinematic cutscenes and animations on top of very interesting topics discussed through its visual storytelling. One of the main topics in the series is the topic of environmental issues caused by the titans, the creatures that humans symbiotically live with, are slowly dying out, and therefore causing a decline of habitable land. These issues are caused by Amalthus disproportionately distributed the blades to the people. He is cleansing the blades so that they can resonate easier with humans, but in doing so, he is resetting the blade's life cycles. This prevents them from fully evolving into titans, thus the habitable land decline. This sort of topic parallels some of the ideas discussed in Cobb's paper about the era of Anthropocene. Humans, both in the game and in real life, have such a large influence on the world. In the game, Amalthus and other people that wish to destroy the world heavily influence how the land and titans are made. Comparatively, humanity in the real world has heavy influence on the atmosphere and the world's climate due to the massive factory production and its release of fossil fuels.

Another topic that I found interesting in the series was the topic of rebirth and death and how they tackled these ideas in the game. Like I mentioned before, the blades, after a certain amount of rebirths with different drivers, will eventually evolve into titans. The process of the blades' rebirth leads to them completely losing their memories from their previous lives, however. This causes some of the blades in Rex's party to question why they have to go through that pain of forgetting their previous memories. This topic is interesting because it presents the concept of immortality in a way that is almost more painful than death alone. They are essentially dying and coming back to life with no recollection of their previous memories, which is incredibly saddening to think about. The concepts presented in this series are done in an interesting way, and in a way that is engaging for the viewer and player.

[angel-is-not-creative]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

I loved the environmental aspect of this movie, and I think that is what differentiates this movie significantly from other war-type movies we have watched in the past.

I really enjoyed Nausicaa as a protagonist and I think that she is constantly able to think rationally and do what is best for her Valley. It's refreshing to see how much she cares for the nature around her and how she puts effort into caring for the creatures and growing plants of her own.

As a princess, she does not have to do all the things she does, like journey out into the Sea of Decay, she could just give orders from the comfort of a tower, but instead, she puts in a great deal of effort to protect her valley. She is willing to put herself into dangerous situations for the sake of the people she is governing.

At the surface level, Nausicaa might seem like a naive pacifist, but in reality, she is fully aware of the violence of the world and is able to make violent decisions when it is necessary. She finds no joy in these actions but understands that she needs to do them, however, she never does so unnecessarily and will always result in another form of conflict resolution first.

In the end, Nausicaa is able to end the rage not by an act of violence, but by sacrificing her life to the creatures. She was more than willing to give up her life to save the valley, and to make sure the humans stopped fighting the creatures. Because of her kindness in the past to the creatures, she is brought back to life, bringing hope of human survival in any circumstance.

(a little short this time around but just you wait til next Monday)

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

I liked your commentary on the specific pacifism and problems with violence that is mentioned in the movie! I also believe that one of the main points in the movie, like you mentioned, was the environmental issues. The whole flipped perspective of nature doing things that are poisoning humanity rather than humanity doing things that would poison nature is an interesting and ironic concept that I think Miyazaki does a great job at portraying in the film.

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Another great Studio Ghibli movie. The animation of the whole movie was beautifully done while also commenting on the issues of global warming and climate change. Miyazaki highlights his worry for these issues through the events in this movie. There is a poisonous jungle that is affecting humanity similar to how in modern society, big corporations and companies are using fossil fuels which causes a heavy pollution crisis. The movie highlights a change in the tides where humans are now the victims of climate change and pollution rather than nature itself. Nature is literally fighting back humanity, which shows a different perspective to humans. It uses the simple saying, "Put yourself into another's shoes" in the most literal way.

Miyazaki then introduces the character of Nausicaa, who is meant to be the mediator between nature and humanity. She shows that she values all life and realizes the significance of creating balance between nature and humanity. She wishes to find some way for nature to coexist with humanity, in a way that is beneficial for both parties. The movie also has characters like Princess Kushana, who leads the Tolmekian army, and plans to destroy the jungle in order to stop the negative effects they are causing. This highlights the rather brash nature of humanity to want to destroy anything that they deem a risk to their power. I think Miyazaki touches on this to show that addressing the environmental crisis in a militant way, only leads to negative consequences in the long run, and that humanity should find a way to peacefully resolve the climate change issue.

Overall, this movie was a fun watch. Its commentary on the flipped perspective of nature taking its "revenge" on humanity is done in a way that is easily understandable and digestible. It presents an ironic tale to show the hypocrisy in humanity when it comes to things that only benefit themselves, but may harm others.

[projectmcblog]

DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SWAMPCON VOLUNTEER (NOT CLICKBAIT)

I started the day bright and early at noon with a healthy bowl of cinnamon toast crunch. My spectacular time management skills had me arriving at the Graham hall parking at 1:50. Luckily, I found a parking spot on the ground floor with only 10 minutes left to spare till my shift! I met up with Cynthia, and we leisurely walked towards the Reitz Union as our shift time grew closer and closer. The Swampcon Staff assigned us to do Registration (conveniently located under the breezeway) and we made it with a minute to spare where we met up with Tyler and Aston. Things were slow when we arrived, so the previous volunteers showed us the ropes and explained what we would do during our shift. They even made a list for us in case we forgot anything. Our tasks included waivers, tickets, and prop weapons, after which the guests would be sent to SAI for UFID checks or the orange shirt people for bag checks

[literally ingrained in my mind I had to say it so many times]

At first, I was nervous to be interacting with so many different people, but my excellent customer service skills kicked in and it got a little easier. I saw a bunch of cool costumes and even recognized some characters from the anime we’ve watched and from other media I've seen. My favorite was a person who dressed up as Todd Chavez from Bojack Horseman. Apparently, there was a rare Kirito sighting, but I missed him and could only longingly watch as his head bobbed off into the Reitz forest. At a regular shmegular job I'm usually watching the clock to see when I can clock out, but during volunteering, the time went by so fast! I was originally supposed to work from 2 pm to 3 pm but ended up staying later because things got so hectic and I didn’t want to leave the other volunteers stranded. When I finally was able to clock out, the real fun began… I entered SWAMPCON!!

It was like stepping into another universe. There were lots of people mingling and walking around, dressed in various attires. I saw cafe maids, furries, cosplayers… It was like the media myself and millions of other people had come to life. After such a hectic shift a break was much needed, so we went to the ~exclusive~ volunteer break room. After hydrating and munching on some snacks we made our way around artist alley and the vendor hall. It was really cool seeing all of these talented people who came out to show and sell their work. Walking through the hall and alley I heard various squeals and screams of excitement as guests would find a trinket from their favorite piece of media and would geek over it.

My favorite panel was definitely K-pop random dancing. Before this class, I didn’t know much about anime at all, but I was pretty active in the K-pop sphere. It was nice being able to sing along to songs and watching people running to the center of the room to dance when they knew a song!

Incorporating what we’ve learned, there was strong Otaku culture at swampcon. This entire event was made around connecting various communities and creating a safe space to enjoy media and create and participate in art inspired by said media. This was an eye-opener, as when I was growing up anime was shamed, and was something you kept to yourself. But now, seeing all this media being presented in such an enjoyable way for viewers made the experience well worth it. Will definitely be returning and who knows? I might do some cosplay next time :D

[twenty-eight-stabwounds]

Best barely functional registration volunteer duo ever! We scraped by through our shift, but it was such a fun time, both during volunteering and when we just browsed the venues. The fact that SwampCon can act as such a cool, safe space for people to share their love for different media is great.