Mason

Serial Experiments Lain (EP 1, 4, 7, 12)

I thought the show was interesting, but I don't know if I liked it. I was in a bad mood when I watched it, and I still am, so maybe I didn't see things right.

One thing I did noticed throughout the show were people's eyes. I don't know if it's artistic styling like if the animators/artist got lazy or intentional, but some eyes were very un-human. Lain's is a good example. Her pupils were super constricted and the lines that point towards or away from the pupils made her eyes seem fake, and not because it's a fiction, but it just made her seem unreal. Even in episode 1 before anything began, she did not look normal, but I guess that might have foreshadowed her origins.

The Wired scenes reminds me of 2000s movies that featured the Internet with the grainy screen qualities and the deep dramatic computer voices at the introduction scenes in each episode.

Also I wanted to point out that ominous shadow in Lain's neighborhood street. I thought it was ominous because it looked like a shadow from the houses or electric pole but the sahdign wasn't a dull grey but it had things in it that supposed to be either a void or a pool of dark things.

Anyway, I have no clue what went on in Lain's mind, but I know she's supposed to have traveled between the Wired and the real world. When she explains things, I don't know where or how she came up with the stuff. It almost sounds like she figured it out, but it didn't say how.

I am curious about what is said and found about the Wired. I know it basically refers to the Internet and its infinite possibilities. Even now we are still finding new ways to use it and open new avenues within the Internet for people to discover. But like computers, the Internet is a man-made construct. The things it cannot do are what we allow or have not found.

But that's the point of the Wired. It suggests that what people don't know already exists, you just need to find it. Instead of treating it as a manmade construct, it is an independent dimension that can only be accessed by devices (phones and computers, or the anime calls them Navis). And a Navi doesn't connect you to some location on your selected Internet. It connects you to your Wired self. Or at least for Lain, it did. I don't know what other people do since they are supposed to be "applications." Are they applications from the Wired that are opened as humans in the real world or the other way around?

I also don't know if it ever explained what the Knights were, or how the Wired or Lain is connected to the suicides, like the very first one at the beginning of the show.

I know the episode skipping probably skewed my opinion of the show, but I don't really have much of an opinion for this show. The confusion probably gives it complexity, but even in episode 12 I am still not sure what anything means.

-04/23/24

Oh boy and I though Perfect Blue was confusing...

I do wanna applaud the director for doing a great job blurring the point between dream and reality to the extent he did because a whole driving plot point is being in other people's dreams BUT maybe I just lack the aptitude for deeper psychological themes because I was so incredibly lost.

With Perfect Blue you do get the same sort of dazed questioning what's going on feeling but it's not so jarring to where you struggle to understand like I felt this movie was.

If you subscribe to the Freudian ideology where dreams are repressed wishes that reveal more about a person, the idea of a device being developed that allows you to see someone else's dreams as a way of helping them could be groundbreaking however as was shown in this I feel the kind of invasiveness of this could only lead to bigger consequences in the future.

I didn't really like the way Dr. Chiba was fat shaming Tokita and also wasn't a huge fan of how she kept blaming him for EVERYTHING. Furthermore, I found the scene where Paprika is like ripped open to reveal Dr. Chiba on the inside- was really oddly sexual and uncomfy. In a lot of the odd dream sequences there were dolls or other child-like items so having these random groping scenes or someone getting shot repeatedly was a weird juxtaposition. As for like deeper analyzable themes I'm struggling a bit on that so I'm looking forward to hearing others thoughts in class.

In episode 15, we can see Squealer and his species worry about becoming extinct and therefore try to exploit the queen. They knew they were smart and believed that they deserve some power, yet the queen had so much and ruled over them unfavorably. I feel like this represents governments/powers throughout history: the government exploits or neglects its citizens and, therefore, the citizens retaliate, protest, etc. at the power's expense. The citizens come together to build power and make changes to the government/power. Squealer and his species worked together, forming a union, and tried to negotiate, yet they ended up trapping her and still exploit her for the benefit of the colony. This is similar to when the newly formed government reduces the power of the leader, making them instead a public figure (kind of like the president or prime minister). Then we see things like war prisoners, enslavement, imperialism/colonialism in episode 21, which we see in history during an overthrow of rule as well. In the last episode, the Squealer talks about how change is necessary, which I do think is true, but that the sacrifices would have been worth it if they had won, which I disagree with: in the end, people lost their lives. War and violence are the problem (I can see why Squealer thought they needed to resort to it, especially when they tried to propose equal rights, but to continually hurt the Queen and other species? That does not seem very moral). In the end, it is quite a morally grey area when you consider all things, though.

I think there is also commentary on patriarchy. The Robber Fly colony thinks that the queen's only job should be childbirth, while the "smart" ones should have the power. The queens are stuck inside (domestic duties, trapped in the house) while the men (I think) are free to roam and rule. This also reminds me of Japanese history. There were queens with power an extremely long time ago in Japan, like Queen Himiko, that people at first accepted as ruler; however, men soon believed they deserved the power, labeling women that ruled as evil (people believed that Queen Himiko had magical powers that she used for evil purposes as well), resulting in men ruling Japan. Then, they use violence, blaming the Goat Moths for shooting an arrow when they used violence first. This represents the common opinion that men often resort to violence more compared to women, like starting something as small as fights or as big as war.

Now, something that I find quite disturbing is how kids ended up having a child?! Like I think they are 14? Definitely an interesting plot by the storywriter - I wonder what the idea was behind that?

I think that overall, this anime is a commentary on power, whether its a ruler, and man and woman, magical powers, or the responsibility that comes with it.

Not gonna lie, I didn’t really enjoy Shin Sekai Yori. I don’t think it was a bad anime, I just think I personally don’t have the brain capacity for it. So much information is thrown at you and I made the mistake of trying to fold laundry and watch the show at the same time, LOL. From what I gathered, we follow the young Saki Watanabe as she finally gains her powers and moves on to an academy meant for people who possess psychic abilities. She joins group 1, with the members being Reiko, Satoru, Maria, Mamoru, and Shun. 

I think the episode that stuck out most to me was episode 4. They encounter a thing called the Minoshiro, which reveals the answer to any question they ask. It ends up being a fake Minoshiro, in which a guy comes to destroy for them. However, they learn a lot of useful and saddening information from them. They learn about society from the Dark Ages and their own society, and the creation of Ogres and Karmic beings. They also learn information on the population of those with PK, such as only 0.3% of the population obtain PK and there were movements to eradicate them, some even leading to war. It made me feel sorry for these kids, they are absorbing so much information at such a young age, and given a lot of responsibility for holding this type of power. A lot is to be said about the development and destruction of certain societies and eras. It went from embracing PK powers to suppressing anyone who has them, leading to what they called the Dark Ages. Then it progresses back into acceptance or practice of PK powers into the present time in this anime. Episode 4 contained a big chunk of the history of this universe, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I feel like this show tried to implement many themes but I could not really catch myself developing any of my own thoughts. I think our next round of episodes will help me get a clearer idea of the message of this anime, but right now I feel like my mind is convoluted with the huge information dumps, especially in episode 4. One thing I did notice is the question of what it means to be human and to be treated as human. This goes for the rat people, Queerats, and all other beings in this universe. Even the existence as humans obtaining PK is called into question. So what makes one human, and what is the ethics of treating one as one? 

Today I got to watch four more episodes of Eden of the East including the series finale. Personally, I felt that the anime ending was a little abrupt, I don't know if there were problems with the studio or the creator when this was being finished, but it sort of felt like the original Bleach manga ending where there were tons of loose ends and a lackluster finish.

I did however enjoy learning and interpreting some of the messages in this anime. I feel that the way they were implemented was clever. For instance, one of the messages focused on arguing the idea of downsizing Japan by getting rid of the useless and those who wouldn't give up their own rights to better the overall nation. I felt that this message was very cleverly displayed throughout the anime. After all, one group of these useless people who they wanted to get rid of, the NEETS, ended up being instrumental showing ingenuity and quick thinking in a stressful situation when they collaborated as a group to intercept the missiles that were bearing down on them and the mall.

This directly confronts and contradicts some of the extremists in modern day Japan who believe that Japan has to downsize to only those who would put it back to its Imperial era roots, as they believe this was the best version of Japan. I touched on this in my last paper, which was focused on Zipang and its messages against the extremist values of Imperial Japan as I believe that while it is a minority, it is still a dangerous minority, and I believe that addressing it through this was a smart way to disprove their ideas. Overall, I feel that Eden of the East was a good watch with a solid overall message.

Eden of the East

THIS WAS SO COOL. This is the best representation of America in anime that I've ever seen. It doesn't just feel like a weird reflection of America, it feels genuine. Even down to the squirrels and crows. The opening scene was insane too, really good hook into the show. I didn't think I'd laugh so hard when she asked him if he as cold and he was just like "yeah". Also obviously happy about the great black characters and American characters that actually have American voice actors. Little things like that help sell the setting. It's almost kind of surreal, since I'm not used to such relatively accurate portrayal of America in anime. Seeing anime tropes and acting in an unmistakably American setting is a strange experience. Also, I said "taxi driver?" as soon as Akira did the pose, so I ended up saying it at the same time as him, which was also really funny.

I do struggle to find what to talk about in this post themes-wise unfortunately. The show is really interesting, and it's clear there's some commentary on terrorism with the missile attacks and whatnot, but I can't find anything significant to mention. I look forward to hearing about what people think in class though.

Zipang P2

It was very hard to piece together a thought process considering the jump for today's assigned episodes, but I will do my best here. Also, I cannot distinguish the characters, despite the art style differences (Tin-Tin eyes vs anime eyes).

After the Mirai was attacked by American planes, the leader's resolve was clearly broken. You can't blame his mistakes on him because pretty much anyone today has never experienced WWII. While there were wars, none were World Wars. Japan after WWII had not experienced true battles, so the scare tactic to frighten with minimal violence was not enough. Even though I'm sure they knew about Japanese kamikazes and suicide missions, I don't think they connected the soldiers of this era had the "die trying" mindset.

Also, we got to understand what the title means to the anime/manga. While yesterday's presenter told the origins of the word "Zipang," hearing it from the characters was just as important. "Zipang" is "Japan" but the original name before it became Japan. Sort of like how "Peking" (if you are unfamiliar, perhaps Chinese food lovers can tell you about the importance and cultural significance of Peking roasted duck.) referred to the capital of China before it became "Beijing." While Western languages do not usually pronounce the words accurately (every language pronounces foreign words a little off, so it's kind of, not really, fair; looking at you, "bao-buns", "lo mein-noodles", "matcha-tea", etc.), how the show interprets Zipang is quite sentimental. Instead of becoming a country shaped by the Imperialist Japanese who do not have the country's best interest or by foreign forces post-war occupation, Zipang refers to a nation governed for the people's lives by people making informed choices in their lives. In a way, it definitely speaks against the State by encouraging a self-governed population, but Kusaba's vision is executed by dark hero's methods that continue to involve killing or manipulating people. In other words, he is acting very un-Jesus-like here.

Tin-Tin eyes, ok?

ZIPANG!

This show was really interesting. I really liked the intro and the outro too.

Can I just say that the premise of this show resembles an episode of The Twilight Zone? The entire time I was watching the first and third episodes, I was thinking "Rod Sterling would probably write a premise like this". It feels like the kind of story you'd find in a novel or a short story rather than an anime, and I find that intriguing.

The show allows modern Japanese soldiers to confront their past in a literal sense, both personally through the lieutenant and also by being transported to the Showa era in the middle of the war. While we've already seen many works that deal with World War 2, this one feels so much more direct. It feels like it's not only putting Japan's nationalistic, totalitarian past on full display, but it's connecting it directly to the modern audience through modern soldiers who struggle to reconcile their motivations with that past.

Kusaka feels like he will become a driving force in the narrative. His presence alone, just like the soldier said when he first boarded, changes everything. He is what anchors them to the era; Him and all his nationalistic pride, strictness, and hope for Japan's future power. It's why he's on the cover too. He's the symbol of Japan in that era.

When they finally arrive to Singapore and they're at the party/ball(?) Kusaka says that the wants to change the 21st century (something that is already happening, as he points out later). This is after he learns of the future peace in Japan and its lack of military power and whatnot. He wants Japan to be a militaristic superpower like the empire dreams of rather than the relatively peaceful country it eventually becomes. Obviously, the modern soldiers have a contrary opinion.

I thought the anime “Welcome to the N.H.K” was interesting and explored relevant themes to today’s society like otaku subculture and escapism through anime, video games, etc. "Welcome to the N.H.K" is a thought-provoking anime adaptation that is based on the novel by Tatsuhiko Takimoto and offers a compelling narrative that resonates with today’s population on multiple levels. "Welcome to the N.H.K" follows the story of Tatsuhiro Satou, a young man who struggles with social withdrawal and conspiracy theories. Through his encounters with Misaki Nakahara, a girl on a mission to save him from his isolated existence, and his friend Yamazaki, an aspiring game designer, Satou's journey becomes an exploration of self-discovery and the pursuit of redemption. "Welcome to the N.H.K" offers valuable insights into the otaku subculture and the role of escapism in modern society. The term "otaku" refers to individuals with obsessive interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, and other aspects of Japanese pop culture. While the term was once stigmatized, it has since been embraced by enthusiasts who find solace and community within the subculture. Within "Welcome to the N.H.K," the protagonist, Satou, embodies the characteristics of an otaku. He is deeply immersed in video games, anime, and internet culture, using them as a means of escaping from the challenges of the real world. Escapism, in the context of the series, refers to the tendency of individuals to retreat into fantasy worlds or virtual realities to avoid facing the difficulties of everyday life. For Satou and other characters in the series, their obsession with anime, video games, and internet forums serves as a coping mechanism for dealing with feelings of loneliness, inadequacy, and social anxiety. Instead of confronting their problems head-on, they immerse themselves in fictional worlds where they can feel a sense of belonging and control. The series portrays escapism not only as a form of entertainment but also as a double-edged sword. While indulging in fantasies may provide temporary relief from life's challenges, it can also exacerbate feelings of isolation and hinder personal growth. Satou's journey throughout the series involves coming to terms with his reliance on escapism and learning to face reality with courage.