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@wishful-thinking-scrapbook
Week 6: Wishful Thinking
Examples which deny the sanctity of straightness, especially homophobic straightness, by instating LGBTQ content into narrative circumstance
Examples that also include a view to queering the audience by expanding awareness of a universal queer possibility / desirability / cool factor.
Built off understanding of “The Hours and Times,” directed by Christopher Munch, and four assigned readings
Four Assigned Readings
“’What Never Was Has Ended’: Bach, Bergman, and the Beatles in Christopher Munch’s ‘The Hours and Times’” by Carlo Cenciarelli
“Rolling Stone Review (1992): The Hours and Time,” by Peter Travers
“Working Class Homo,” by Michael D. Klemm
“Brow Beat: Did John Lennon Have an Affair with Brian Epstein?” by Forrest Wickman
Choices of Queer Representation Themes
New Paradigms of Desire
Consumption Practices of Queer Texts
Validation of Queer Lifestyles via Media Portrayal
Construction of Sexual Identities - Commodified or Authentic - via Pop Culture Inclusion.
Denying the Sanctity of Straightness
Blooming into You denies the sanctity of straightness, especially homophobic straightness, through the past relationship of Sayaka Saeki and an older girl from middle school. The two’s relationship depicts the struggles queer individuals face, such as their sexuality being dismissed as being “just a phase,” and serving as an experiment for straight-baiting individuals. Many of whom turn around and use homophobia, out of fear, to minimize their queer experience and preserve their straightness, just as the older girl does to Sayaka and their past relationship through claims such as they can’t be in a relationship because, “They aren’t kids anymore.”
Scum’s Wish denies the sanctity of straightness through the relationship of Hanabi Yasuraoka and Sanae Ebato. We see how outside forces such as loneliness, heartbreak, and a craving for physical connection could lead a ‘straight individual’ to pursue queer desires, in order to fill a void. Overall, the two’s relationship showcases the exploration of sexuality and the blurring of lines between friends, while also depicting the potential flexible nature of straightness.
2019:8 — The Hours and Times
(1991 - Christopher Munch) **
I only came here to get away with you. We could have gone to the fucking North Pole for all I care. — THE HOURS AND TIMES (1991) dir. Christopher Münch
“I made allowances. I’m always making allowances for other people. Just once I should like to feel as if I wasn’t making allowances. I suspect Cynthia and I have far more in common than we realise.”
“Cynthia’s my wife. The mother of my child.”
“And where does that leave me? “Poor old Eppy, always getting himself into trouble, the least I can do is offer him a shoulder to rest his filthy head on…” - is that what you think?”
“Don’t pretend to know what I think.”
The Hours and Times
Directed by Christopher Munch • 1991 • United States Starring David Angus, Ian Hart
This much is known: in April 1963, John Lennon and Beatles manager Brian Epstein, the mastermind behind the band’s meteoric rise, travelled to Barcelona for an extended weekend getaway. What happened there is a matter of speculation that director Christopher Munch explores to the fullest in his bold, thought-provoking debut. Riffing on the real-life bond shared by the two vastly different men—one a worldly gay sophisticate, the other a rough-around-the-edges rocker on the cusp of superstardom—the recently restored THE HOURS AND TIMES probes the intricacies of friendship, love, and sex with nuance and piercing insight.
Blurring the Lines - Kuzu no Honkai/Scum’s Wish
Plot Summary:
Kuzu no Honkai, or Scum’s Wish centers around two high school students Hanabi Yasuraoka, and Mugi Awaya. Hanabi Yasuraoka has been in love with Narumi Kanai, her older childhood friend who is now her homeroom teacher, for a long time. Mugi Awaya is in love with Akane Minagawa, the new music teacher who was his tutor when he was in middle school. Soon after becoming Hanabi’s homeroom teacher, Hanabi notices that Narumi is in love with the new music teacher, Akane, and not her. Soon after, Hanabi meets Mugi and the two decide to make a pact and begin a fake relationship to satisfy each other's loneliness from their respective unrequited loves, both sexually and emotionally, by becoming replacements of their crushes. Their pact ends either if one of them falls in love with the other, or if their unrequited love is returned from the people they are in love with.
Characters: Hanabi Yasuraoka
Hanabi Yasuraoka is a high school student who has a crush on her homeroom teacher, neighbor, and childhood friend Narumi Kanai. She begins an unhealthy relationship with another high school student, Mugi Awaya, where both parties play the role of replacement for the other’s object of affection. Throughout the series, we see Hanabi use other people’s affection as a coping mechanism to fill the loneliness she has inside from being unable to confess and have her feelings reciprocated by Narumi. For example, outside of her relationship with Mugi, in several moments of weakness, she crosses the line of friendship with her friend Ecchan despite not having feelings for her in order to cope with heartbreak.
Sanae Ebato
Sanae Ebato, also referred to as “Ecchan” by Hanabi, is a fellow high school student, classmate, and friend to Hanabi. Sanae Ebato also has feelings for her friend Hanabi, even after having formed a relationship with Mugi Awaya.
Relationship:
In episode three, entitled “Show Me Love (Not A Dream),” we learn the backstory of how the two met and started their friendship. While on the same train heading to their entrance exams, Sanae was being harassed by a man. Noticing Sanae’s discomfort, Hanabi took a photo of the man harassing Sanae, successfully saving Sanae from the man who was trying to sexually assault her. After the incident and off the train. Hanabi refused to let go of Sanae’s hand. Hanabi comforted Sanae, telling her she didn’t have to be strong when she said, “Don’t hold back. It was scary, wasn’t it?” Soon after, the two realized they attended the same school and became close friends ever since. Their meeting was also the same moment in which Sanae developed a crush for Hanabi. Sanae previously believed that she hated men, as she never had a crush before, but after meeting Hanabi, she developed a crush for the first time and stated that Hanabi gave her world color.
In the same episode, after Hanabi tells Sanae that she is dating Mugi, Sanae becomes suspicious of the two’s relationship. She overhears on campus in a conversation with Hanabi, Mugi, and another female character named Moca, Moca claiming that Hanabi is using Mugi. This makes Sanae question the authenticity of Hanabi and Mugi’s relationship, and also makes Sanae wonder if Hanabi is actually the one who is being used. One day after school, Hanabi asks if Sanae has a crush on anyone. Sanae doesn’t share who, but Hanabi deduces that Sanae does in fact have a crush on someone. Hanabi then suddenly invites Sanae over for a sleepover, partially to spite an earlier conversation with Mugi who claimed Hanabi didn’t have many friends who were girls. While at the sleepover, Hanabi and Sanae share a bed for the night and Hanabi asks Sanae again about who she has a crush on. Sanae, unable to hide her feelings any longer, responds by kissing Hanabi, nonverbally confessing her feelings for Hanabi. Sanae then proceeds to brings up her suspicions of Hanabi and Mugi’s relationship, having a hunch that the two’s relationships isn’t authentic, and also hoping it gives Sanae an opportunity with Hanabi romantically. Hanabi affirms Sanae’s suspicions were correct by sharing the truth of her and Mugi’s relationship, that she is only with Mugi because the person she likes doesn’t like her back. Sanae presses forward, asking Hanabi why she can’t be her replacement instead of Mugi, and asking if it is because Sanae is a girl. Hanabi almost gives in to Sanae, before denying Sanae’s earlier claim and further stating she can’t allow Sanae to be her replacement because she can’t use her friend. Now grounded back into reality, Hanabi decides to end their sleepover early.
As the series progresses, their relationship only continues to blur more and more. For example, in episode four, “Bad Apple,” after witnessing her crush Narumi confess to Akane, Hanabi is distraught and heartbroken. Unable to break the news to Mugi, and seeking a distraction from her pain, Hanabi runs into Sanae and the two end up back at Sanae’s house, paralleling their earlier sleepover, but this time following through. On her way home, Hanabi envisions her younger self scolding her for having manipulated and used Sanae’s love for comfort.
The two’s relationship eventually ends on a shared vacation. Sanae invites Hanabi on a solo vacation to a villa. However, upon arriving to the villa, Sanae’s cousin Atsuya is already there. He confronts Sanae one-on-one about her relationship with Hanabi, stating that Sanae knows Hanabi doesn’t have feelings for her aside from as a friend, and continuing things as they are is just preventing the inevitable deterioration of their relationship, as Atsuya points out, he knows Sanae is trying to just preserve their last moments as being more than friends. Atsuya also has a one-on-one conversation with Hanabi, asking her who she really likes, and elaborating that Hanabi needs to decide on her feelings for Sanae before the end of the trip.
Eventually the two have a conversation in the rain at the villa. Sanae confesses that she already made up her mind before the vacation occurred, that if Hanabi didn’t look at her in a romantic way by the end of the trip, Sanae would decide to end their friendship. Hanabi refuses, claiming to still want to be friends, and that she doesn’t want Sanae to end up alone. Sanae initially snaps at Hanabi, claiming that it’s impossible to continue on as friends after what they’ve done. However, Sanae eventually compromises, stating that it will take time for her to go back to being just friends again with Hanabi. The two seal their conversation with one final kiss, both not wanting the moment to end, however both knowing it’s best to end their relationship as being more than friends here.
At the end of the series, after some time has passed, Sanae and Hanabi meet again. This time, Sanae has cut her hair to a short length, signifying the passing of time, end to their past non-platonic relationship, and the start of something new for the two. It is implied at the end of the series, that the two do in fact become friends again and remain as so.
Conclusion:
Scum’s Wish explores new paradigms of desire through the character Hanabi Yasuraoka. Through Hanabi, we see how a character’s own loneliness, emptiness, and heartbreak due to unrequited feelings can drive a person to desire physical connection from others as a coping mechanism, despite not loving the other person involved in return. Scum’s Wish showcases consumption practices of queer texts, by depicting straight-baiting, and the blurred lines of sexuality and desire an individual can experience. Scum’s Wish depicts the validation of queer lifestyles via media portrayal through the character development of Sanae Ebato. We see Sanae realize her sexuality through meeting Hanabi, but we also see her able to let go of potentially having a relationship with Hanabi, who doesn’t appear to be queer by the end of the show, which shows Sanae’s personal growth, as she is no longer allowing herself to be a replacement or queer experiment for Hanabi. The concepts of both realizing one’s sexuality through a first crush, and acting as an experiment for a ‘straight’ individual parallels the real experiences queer individuals face. Scum’s Wish showcases the construction of sexual identities via pop culture inclusion through the relationship of Sanae and Hanabi, as both individuals experiment and discover their feelings, or lack of feelings, for one another.
"It was my first experience with a homosexual that I was conscious was homosexual. He had admitted it to me. We had this holiday together because Cyn was pregnant, and I went to Spain and there were lots of funny stories. We used to sit in a cafe in Torremolinos looking at all the boys and I'd say, 'Do you like that one, do you like this one?' I was rather enjoying the experience, thinking like a writer all the time: I am experiencing this, you know."
John Lennon, Playboy Interview (1980)
"I was on holiday with Brian Epstein in Spain, where the rumours went around that he and I were having a love affair. Well, it was almost a love affair, but not quite. It was never consummated. But it was a pretty intense relationship."
John Lennon, Playboy Interview (1980)
Kuzu no Honkai is great, but mostly I love it because it indulges in self-destructive, self-loathing, self-depreciating analysis of the main characters that remind me of myself. It’s great, read it.
Thoughts on Kuzu no Honkai eps3-4
So in these episodes we follow Hanabi’s thought process, and we begin to see Hanabi’s descent.
She starts of criticizing the girl in her class for running from responsibility. In not knowing which guy to choose, the girl was running from the responsibility of telling them which one she liked. At first Hanabi mocks this, since she knows she is singularly minded toward Kanai. But later, she realizes that in being too much of a coward to tell Kanai she loved him, she was running from responsibility of choice, too. In not choosing one guy, the girl will lose both. And in not choosing Kanai, Hanabi lost him.
Hanabi begins her day after her sleepover mulling over her encounter with Ecchan. She wonders whether she’s disgusted by Ecchan’s feelings, as Hanabi was with the guy in episode 1, but decides that due to her emotional bond with Ecchan, Ecchan’s love is heavy instead.
Hanabi now has to face that she is doing to Ecchan what Kanai is doing to her. In rejecting Ecchan, Hanabi is causing her pain. On her way from the grocery store Hanabi runs into Moca, and realizes that she is stealing Mugi from Moca, too. Hanabi is causing Moca pain as well.
Side note, in my first analysis I talked a little about how Hanabi focused on the pain of her unrequited love, while Mugi acknowledged the pleasure of love. I still stand by what I said, and I think it comes into play a little bit.
Anyway, episode four.
Hanabi again lements that she lost Kanai. She ran from telling him the truth, and she has lost hope in attaining him: “It’s too late.” Hanabi almost goes to Mugi’s house, but then stops. She realizes that she does not want to use Mugi’s feelings of pain. Instead, Hanabi uses Ecchan’s pleasure.
When Hanabi sees Ecchan she exclaims, “Please forgive me for not knowing. I don’t understand the significance of this. I can’t understand for you.” Hanabi wants forgiveness for causing Ecchan pain, and claims that she doesn’t know what the significance of having relations with her will be. Directly after, Hanabi admits to herself that she does know the significance- Hanabi knows she is using Ecchan, and that it is not okay. This is a little repetitive, but Hanabi has moved on from using people’s pain. Instead, she’s going to use people’s pleasure, in order to feel that at least she isn’t causing the pain of unrequited love that she knows so well.
I found it a little interesting that while Ecchan and Hanabi hug, Hanabi mentions, “I can’t see your face like this.” She also says it in regards to Mugi during one of their physical encounters: “oh good, he can’t see my face like this.” However, with Mugi, Hanabi is trying to hide her identity and fulfill Mugi’s desires. With Ecchan, however, Hanabi sounds disappointed and scared. She doesn’t know what Ecchan is thinking, and she doesn’t understand Ecchan, either.
So there’s possibly a little controversy about this but I’m going to come right out. Both Ecchan and Hanabi are using each other. During their encounter, Ecchan first coldly reminds Hanabi that she used Mugi. Then she notices that Hanabi is about to cry, verbally offers her a way out of their physical relationship, but then immediately admits to herself that she knows Hanabi can’t refuse her. Ecchan wants to take Hanabi’s “warmth” to sustain herself.
But there’s a part of Ecchan, too, that hopes Hanabi will return her feelings. Ecchan attempts to take charge of her destiny by desperately trying to create love between her and Hanabi. Hanabi isn’t opposed to girls necessarily, so in Ecchan’s eyes, there’s technically a chance. She tries to coerce Hanabi that what she experiences is love: “Can’t you feel my warmth? …That’s what love is.” This isn’t a cute or loving relationship. In my opinion, Hanabi and Mugi’s relationship was more healthy (not wonderful, not necessarily even healthy, but MORE healthy), as neither cared for the other. But here, Ecchan is utilizing Hanabi’s platonic love, and Hanabi is using Ecchan’s romantic feelings. This relationship is flawed from the start, and I think this will only hurt more feelings.
Mugi laments that he feels like a toy for adolescents, but is trapped in a cycle where his “type” are those who will use him. Mugi turns a blind eye toward the flaws of his crushes, puts them on a pedestal, allows them to use him, and then is dismayed when he discovers that he has been their toy. Mugi’s flashback occurs when he and Hanabi are in bed together, perhaps symbolizing that his love for Minagawa-Sensei is like his love for the middle school girl, or perhaps that Mugi feels that Hanabi is using him. This thought might come into play in episode 5, as we see in the preview that Hanabi and Mugi loose their connection.
And lastly, we have Hanabi’s “If I’m no match for her now, then I’ll change however I have to.”
Can’t wait to see where this goes!
クズの本懐 (Kuzu no Honkai | Scum’s Wish): E06 Icons!
the return of ecchan, and the beginning of a new hanabi reblog/like if you want to use these, or if you just feel like it! the icons are higher resolution this time yay (Previous sets: OP+E01 | E02 | E03 | E04 | E05 | E07 | E08 | E09-1 | E09-2)
クズの本懐 (Kuzu no Honkai | Scum’s Wish): E09 Icons, Part 1!
this episode has so much ecchan that i needed to split this into two parts (part 2 here!) reblog/like if you want to use these, or if you just feel like it! (Previous sets: OP+E01 | E02 | E03 | E04 | E05 | E06 | E07 | E08 | E09-2)
I want all of you to feel the feeling that I felt during this scene. (which is pain)
That was my first love…Up until then, I just assumed that I just hated men, or that I wasn’t really interested in romance. You’re the one who made me realize, Hanabi.
