Animeted World

“Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don’t know why. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.” 

-American Psycho (2000)

I would like to attach a disclaimer, that the analysis of this film as well as the informational link(s) I have provided surrounds sensitive content that may be graphic, upsetting or offensive.

Perfect Blue is regarded as an anime classic, from the creative genius of Satoshi Kon. I’ve only seen one other Kon film, his Tokyo Godfathers. It’d be painfully obvious to say that the two films are as different as two films could be, showing off this director’s range. I would like to watch more Kon films in the future. I can see why Perfect Blue is so well regarded, but it is definitely not a movie I should have started at 1:30 a.m.. 

Perfect Blue tells the story of Mima Kirigoe, a pop idol that is looking to move her career in a more serious direction, with acting. Her very last concert is practically ruined by rude fans, and this starts the film off by drawing towards it’s central message, as the movie makes a biting critique of fandom and celebrity cultures. 

Throughout the film, we see that Mima’s fans have no respect for her autonomy. We see this in various scenes, where her overwhelmingly male fan base makes remarks about what she’s doing with her career, and expect her to constantly keep the pop idol persona they’ve fallen in love with throughout her life. They don’t respect her enough to respect her boundaries, lining up outside of her apartment building, first thing in the morning. When Mima ignores them, they complain that acting has turned her snobby. They don’t bother to think about the fact that Mima may be going through something, or even simply doesn’t like people doing this to her. They make these complaints in front of her because they don’t care about her welfare, and they don’t respect her as a human being– Mima is just a source of entertainment, and they expect her to be entertaining 24/7. 

The elephant in the room of this movie is the character of Me-Mania, who is representative of this harmful fan base on an extreme scale. While other fans mercilessly criticize her, Me-Mania brings this onto another frightening level, stalking her and attempting to rape her. Although he seems exaggerated, the very caricature of a creepy stalker, people like Me-Mania are all too real, and are a blight on the film and musical arts. In the United States, Natalie Portman has come forward to say that the first fan mail she ever received, at age thirteen (13), was a man telling her about his fantasies of raping her.  

Despite this mistreatment, Mima is brave enough to continue her career. However, her dedicated service to others comes at her own detriment. There are multiple times that she could have stood up for herself or contacted authorities from what she was experiencing, but she did not, out of fear, ranging from the simple fear of being a bother to fear of herself losing her grip on reality. This is something that is relevant to both Japanese and American societies, as women are less likely to report problems, less likely to ask for raises, etc., because of the societal roles that have been pressured upon them. As a result of the pressure from society and fans, we see Mima’s breaking point, when she starts to lose touch with reality. This is her TV show’s rape scene. Even though her co-worker was very respectful, saying he was sorry to be in such an uncomfortable position, Mima was not nearly an experienced enough actress to be putting herself in that sort of situation, even if she was in no real danger. The only one that truly recognized this was another woman, Rumi. However, Rumi didn’t even stop what was happening, it was too late. 

The film isn’t quite clear, as we see things from Mima’s distorted perspective. The pressure set upon her doesn’t cease, as not only Mima, but those around her, become increasingly delusional. Me-Mania has already been discussed, but his terror almost pales in comparison to that of Rumi. I was most surprised by this, as Rumi was the only one I trusted to help Mima in the film. However, at the film’s climax, it is revealed that Rumi has been having delusions of being the “real Mima”, and has actually been the one writing the “Mima’s Room” webpage. She had exploited Me-Mania’s vulnerability to pull him into this delusion as well. Rumi had committed the murders, and even tried to kill Mima as well. 

These four episodes of Death Parade were… interesting. It wasn’t what I expected it to be, but it’s still a pretty unique concept.

These episodes definitely focused on human emotions, but I was slightly confused. The black-haired girl (Chiyuki) in episode 2 argues to Decim that Machiko actually loved her husband and was just trying to lessen his guilt. I thought this demonstrates how complex human emotions are. Machiko is willing to go the extreme, lying and destroying her relationship just to protect Machiko. In episode 11, Chiyuki admits that it is difficult for humans to understand each other, stating that she herself couldn’t understand why she is upset after her injury. Again, this seem to point towards the complexity of human emotions. In episode 9 however, we saw how the game itself intensified Shimada’s need for revenge. Chiyuki points out to Decim that people aren’t that complex and their emotions are easily influenced. To me this seems to contradict the whole idea of human emotions being complex.

Chiyuki being with Decim leads him to question his judgements. The former questions the latter’s ability to understand human emotions, stating that he was never alive. I thought this is a fair point. If it is difficult for humans to understand emotions, how can someone who was never alive do any better? Considering how Decim’s wrongly judged Machiko and Takashi due to his inability to understand emotions, is it really fair for him to remain as an arbiter?

“War is cruel. It doesn’t choose sides.” Well said, Roland. I’m not sure where to even start with this, however I do have a note for Dixie: do you enjoy my tears?

I haven’t watched the full series, but from what was assigned, I see a lot of emphasis on finding meaning and purpose for oneself, generally through providing solace to others. Violet utilizes her war background to empathize with those affected by the war as well, while at the same time working to become more than just a soldier. Growing up in a town of war veterans, I’ve seen the extreme importance of finding life after war, and just how difficult it can be. It can especially be tough without a solid support system, as we’ve seen when Violet was essentially alone in the hospital for over a hundred days. Kids have it even harder; Violet was raised for war and combat, civilian life was never a reality she lived. To then have to find a “use” for oneself, bearing the traumas of war–I couldn’t imagine it. “They never left the battlefield” can be all too real.

“Nationalism is both a vital medicine and a dangerous drug.” 

-Geoffrey Blainey 

I would like to attach a disclaimer, that the informational links I have provided throughout this piece (in bold) all contain sensitive content that may be graphic, upsetting or offensive. 

     Kobayashi’s Sensoron was definitely a piece that I was blind-sided by, despite the forewarning I received. As an American, Kobayashi’s opinion is not one we see very often, especially not in the mainstream. It goes without saying, however, that this would be different in Japan, as they are significantly more sensitive and conservative on the topic of the Pacific Theater of the Second World War. I won’t focus on my opinion of his argument, but rather what the piece had to say and how it went about saying it. 

     The manga concerned itself quite a bit with the 1937 Rape of Nanking, or what the author called the Nanking Massacre. This is of course one of the more sensitive topics of history, in the early stages of World War II. Many people are aware of the unspeakable crimes that occurred there, with even officials representing Nazi Germany believing the actions were entirely out of line. Kobayashi, however, takes a controversial stance, attacking this version of history in Sensoron. The author gives an ample amount of evidence to support his idea, some of which is quite compelling, and presents it in a manner that is very persuasive. Were this a less atrocious sector of history, I may have agreed with him, but the intensity of the issue is the only thing that makes me hesitate. 

As well as his thoroughly researched evidence, Kobayashi’s art style speaks a lot of his piece as well. He begins in an exaggerated, cartoonish style as things begin lightly; this style becomes more realistic as subject matter becomes more serious. However, the more realistic art style only seems to be used with points that support Kobayashi’s stance. Japanese writers who did not see a massacre (Ishikawa Tatsuzo, Oya Soichi, and more), as well as Judge Pal of India, who ruled Japanese war criminals not guilty, were all portrayed as realistic and respectable. One could deduce that the art style Kobayashi uses coordinates to how intelligent the subject is, as well as how you much Kobayashi wants the reader to respect them. In between styles we see American officials such as General Douglas MacArthur. Although he is drawn somewhat realistically, he is still portrayed with cartoonish sound effects and an impossibly large pile of papers. In Kobayashi’s view, Douglas Macarthur (representative of Americans in general) did “scam” the Japanese in American favor, but he was intelligent enough to do this in order to uphold his own country’s wishes, something that Kobayashi may respect since he is of the nationalist persuasion. On the bottom are non-Japanese people that make claims against them, as well as Japanese who are “foolish” enough to believe these claims. These people are portrayed as stubby and sniveling, and very childlike. This serves his argument, but is somewhat biting, in many cases coming across as almost racist to Chinese and Korean people. 

Whether intentional or not, this piece definitely functions as a mouthpiece for Kobayashi’s feelings about his generation witnessing the collapse of the grand narrative. He describes “war guilt” being pushed upon him throughout his life, and he is reactionary to it. Thus, he is looking for an artistic expression of this discontentment, one he can use to feel he is contributing to his cause by convincing others of it. This reminds me of a peculiar far-right expression of similar discontentment that the rapid changes of the twentieth century have brought on in the West, known as “Fashwave”, a white-supremacist branded subset of the harmless aesthetic “Vaporwave” (please be aware that the link attached contains sensitive imagery that may offend or upset some viewers). I wouldn’t stick Kobayashi in the same box with genuine, fringe racial supremacists, as his beliefs seem to be very different, but it is interesting how similar these forms of expression are in telling similar feelings. In this comparison, it is also interesting to note that Fashwave is made typically by young men that are discontent with their mainstream society, as Kobayashi is a young man that was discontent with his mainstream society. Thus, there could be a deduction to be made about the changing roles of men in the last century, as the “honor” described by Gellner has become arbitrary in the last century. Since World War I, war has no longer been seen as a brave and honorable thing to do, but rather as the tragedy it truly is. As the new generations begin to cope with this, discontentment arises, ranging from controversial (Kobayashi) to downright extremist (fashwave creators). 

     It seems that in his lashing out against individualism, Kobayashi feels empty handed with the society he is a part of, and thus is pursuing the simulacrum of pre-war Japanese society, of the notorious, essentialist idea of the nationalist Japanese identity and mindset, which he glorifies. I agree with Kobayashi to an extent, as far as his opinion of individualism bordering on egotistical in modern societies goes, as our disconnection to each other as a nation can bring forth weaknesses that can be dangerous. 

Your Name is up there as one of my favorite films of all time. Makoto Shinkai’s art style stands out as some of best that anime has to offer, which help contribute to the film being the highest grossing anime film of all time. 

One major aspect of the film is the ideological juxtaposition between tradition and modernity. The first way the film explores this conflict is by making Mitsuha and Taki polar examples of these concepts. Mitsuha is the presented as the pinnacle of the traditional lifestyle through her role as a Shinto priestess. She takes care of her family’s shrine and participates in her family’s traditional ritual, the kuchikamikaze. On the other hand, Taki represents the aspects of life unique to modernity. He is college student studying architecture, while working part time as a waiter. His choice to study architecture is purposeful, as this career path is symbolic towards the creation of new buildings for the modern era. Throughout the film, Mitsuha and Taki begin to embrace both lifestyles throughout their body swapping misadventures. Taki learns to appreciate the past and traditions, while Mitsuha enjoys the city lifestyle. At the end of the day, the film does not present an answer concerning these juxtaposed ideologies, but rather treats both sides as something that should be balanced. 

This theme of balance between the two is a metaphor for the success of modern Japanese culture. In Japan, western technology and ideology are perceived as modern after the United States helped Japan recover post-WWII. Modern Japanese culture is unique because it was able to strike a balance between maintaining the traditions of the past, while adopting many aspects of modern life. An example of this would be Tokyo as it is renown for it’s modernity. There are plenty of soaring skyscrapers in Tokyo, but ancient shrines are also scattered across the city. Some of these shrines are just as popular as other modern places to visit like Skytree. Overall, Your Name illustrates that balance needs to continue to be maintained between tradition and modernity.

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

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

 I was very much surprised by this piece of media. Yes, the animation was very rugged and was not really aesthetically appealing but I got used to it. The plot really drove me along and it felt like I really got a feel for the entire series. I also think the overall environmental message was extremely important and related heavily to “The Drama of the Anthropocene” article that we needed to read.

The series seemed well thought out and what made it even cooler was that it was a video game. It seems even in this alternate world, human nature didn’t change. Even with the recreation of life all the way from the beginning, human beings didn’t change. I think this is a message from the series in itself. That human ambition,greed,courage, and love will continue as that is the human condition. The article, however, ponders where this places us in the world. Are we above nature? Or are we a part of it? This is the drama of the anthropocene.

As the article says, there is no way to stop our slow demise without first examining our position in relation to nature. Xenoblade chronicles provided a similar scenario to our own except in a setting divorced from history or political ideals. It is set in a world that is decaying just like ours. We see that it is the mixture of technology, human ambition, and the belief that we are external to nature that has led to the fall of the old world in the animation. This is a strong message of the bad connotation of these elements.

The main character, Rex, in the show comes up with a solution, to find Elysium. This place is the embodiment of nature. When he finally reaches the place where Elysium was said to be, it is riddled with the “hubris of humanity.” It seems that technology was the root of this new world but also would be its demise in the form of Malos. The solution that this animation is to destroy our old view of science and progress being synonymous. This idea is symbolized by the destruction of the world tree along with both Malos and Pyra, the tools that were used to create this world. Only this way are they truly able to find elysium.

           I think one thing that this documentary was able to show was how dedicated people are and how they have a sense of belonging in the community when they participate in events like these. Genshiken was also able to show how the people who participated in comic fest felt a sense of relief knowing that people there also liked the same stuff and that they were not going to be judge for their likings. From the accounts of the people in the documentary, they seem to feel a sense of community and belonging when they cosplay or when they interact with other people at events.

           I was also able to see cosplay through a different light. I always perceived cosplaying as just dressing up as your favorite character, however the mentality that people had at the convention seemed to vary from gaining attention to a very competitive mindset. There is a very competitive atmosphere to have the best cosplay outfit in order to win competitions and also gain trophies to show that they are novice competitors but instead that they are professionals at it.

           Part two of the documentary was also able to show how people dedicate their time to their cosplaying and tedious it is to make a costume. It amazes me how people dedicate much of their time and passion to creating an outfit. It also gave me a glimpse of how creative it can be, the main woman that part two revolved around had to learn to sow, paint, and do other things in order to create a very realistic cosplay outfit. I think I never realized how arts and crafty cosplaying can get and how it can be a creative outlet for many people. I was amazed by some of the costumes that many of the people had on and could only think about that most of it was self-made.

           Another interesting thing that the documentary uncovered was the usage of the term otaku and whether people consider themselves one or not. I honestly hadn’t heard the term until I got into this class and hence really never considered whether I was one or not. We even see it throughout the beginning of the documentary when people are asked if they are otaku, their answers vary from yes to no to I have no idea. I think the negative connotation of the word being associated to the word causes some confusion with whether people want to be associated with the word or not. However, one man perfectly describes that the people at the convention might not all be otaku’s, yet they all are fans of the Japanese culture and to the consumption of goods that come from Japan.