AniBlog

Oh.......................................................

So Hetalia. A wildly, incredibly popular series among fujoshis and lovers of cute boys. Or maybe countries during WWII I don't know. Admittedly, I have watched this before, more out of curiosity than anything. How was this anime going to portray countries as humans I wondered? Surely not...no, no yeah. Surely. A lot of stereotyping. Now I don't think stereotypes are inherently bad and are very commonly used in comedy. As long as it is understood that stereotypes are just that, stereotypes, and not facts.

There are just a couple things that bother me about this series. Firstly, when I watched this initially, I was still watching anime in English. Now, when you have an anime portraying countries as people and they're speaking in English, what do you get? Very, VERY interesting attempts at accents. I get that English voice actors basically get recycled over and over throughout many dubs, but hearing my beloved Todd Haberkorn attempt an Italian accent hurt.

Secondly and mostly to be honest, is the timeframe of this anime. This would've been more enjoyable had it not taken place during WWII. Germany, Japan, and Italy are just silly goofy guys and we all know that was very much not the case during this time. The anime is also overly energetic and exaggerated, which is the complete opposite tone a WWII based anime should have. There is some conflict between the Allies and the Axis Powers, but again it is really not appropriate...The show as a whole kind of glosses over WWII and makes for a weird atmosphere.

That doesn't mean that the anime is all bad; it definitely has its funny moments and if you look at it with a satirical lens you may enjoy it more. I was not particularly offended by anything in this anime but to be fair, there are little to no Hispanic/Latin countries portrayed. Overall, the concept is not absolutely horrible but there are much better ways the story could've been written. 5/10.

Oh also...last blog post...

It's been a pleasure gang. I'll try not to overanalyze every anime I watch from now on! (this will be difficult).

peace.

Arguably one of the most popular and critically acclaimed anime movies of all time, Your Name is a must-watch. It is the first standalone, non-series-related anime movie I had ever watched way back when I first got into anime. This movie is absolutely stunning: the visuals, the music, the storyline, and the emotion of the film really got me. This story transcends time and space, so realistically I was a little confused on my first watch. However, I've watched it many times since, and the message becomes clearer each time.

Your Name is a love story with a twist. It tells of two high school students, Taki and Mitsuha who begin to randomly swap bodies for no apparent reason. Unlike Taki, who is a boy dwelling in Tokyo, Mitsuha hails from the rural town of Itomori. They are initially confused about the occurrence but they easily adapt by leaving notes behind for each other to utilize in their different lives.

Taki and Mitsuha eventually get closer as they develop feelings towards one another despite never having met physically. Then, there is a twist in the plot when Taki discovers that Mitsuha and her town were destroyed by a comet three years before. Through this realization, Taki embarks on a desperate mission to save Mitsuha and her town which surpasses barriers such as time and destiny.

Urban and rural lives are set against each other in the movie, which brings out the enormous gap between lifestyles, morals and difficulties faced by inhabitants of these places. Mitsuha’s yearning for urban life’s excitement is contrasted with Taki’s battle against the fast paced Tokyo life, thereby giving a wider comment about Japan’s countryside-urban differentiation.

Body swapping also symbolizes empathy and comprehension. By living each other's lives, Taki and Mitsuha come to appreciate better their respective struggles and dreams thus emphasizing on using someone else's shoes to bridge the gaps that separate us most of the time.

Again, love this movie and always recommend it everyone, even those who don't watch anime. 10/10.

Studio Ghibli strikes again! Such good movies all around. This film was really good. It follows the story of Princess Nausicaa and her living in a post apocalyptic world, where the remaining members of humanity are fighting to survive in the Toxic Jungle filled with monstrous insects. Nausicaa is the princess of the Valley of the Wind, a kingdom on the edge of the Toxic Jungle. The bugs inhabiting the Toxic Jungle are called Ohmu, and Nausicaa has a unique ability to communicate with the Ohmu and has an understanding of the ecology. She finds out that the Toxic Jungle is actually a result of all of the human integration and disruption by past wars, as the Toxic Jungle is helping to cleanse or purify the world again. A militaristic entity wants to destroy the Toxic Jungle, and Nausicaa actively opposes this, claiming it will only cause the cycle to be repeated. This movie has a powerful commentary about environmentalism and the consequences of himan action through domination of nature instead of coexistence. The environment in the movie, specifically being the Toxic Jungle, is shown to be both a source of life as well a formidable force when it is being threatened. This is an obvious commentary about how humans treat today's world. Pollution, deforestation, climate change, and other environmental issues show human's lack of sympathy for nature and soon everything will be lost if we continue this way. The military force in the movie is meant to showcase humanity's actions through continuous destruction of the Toxic Jungle. Thankfully, Nausicaa serves as a light of hope who promotes diplomacy, empathy, and harmony. She and the movie get us to reflect on our own relationships with nature and how we can change our outlook, potentially saving future generations from having the same issues or worse. I give this movie a 9/10.

End of Evangelion portrays the aftermath of the events in the original series. NERV is under fire and Shinji is still battling with indecision and self-hatred. The thing that most stood out to me in this film, and likely to many other people because of how controversial it is, would be the masturbation scene. Shinji visits Asuka while she is in the hospital and in a coma. He sits next to her and just masturbates to her unconscious body. It's strange and relatively simple act but it says so much about Shinji in this moment in time. It shows that he is mentally and emotionally broken as he battles with feelings of isolation and abandonment. He is still trying to come to terms with his position in society and his self worth. This is also a commentary on Shinji's attempt at hegemonic masculinity. He treats Asuka as an object for his sexual desire, as is typical of hegemonic masculinity. This traditional masculinity promotes emotional suppression and assertion of dominance. Him masturbating to Asuka in this way may be him trying to take control and assert dominance in a situation he feels only he can dictate. This is especially so because of how powerless he feels at this very moment, so doing this might grant him some control over himself. However, once he finishes, he claims that he is pathetic. This also shows that his inability to cope with his emotions in a healthy manner makes him only continue to launch himself into a deeper despair and self hatred. He acknowledges the fault in his actions but we see him continue his hegemonic actions throughout the film. Specifically so later when he gets into a fight with Asuka; he tries to display more hegemonic masculinity behaviors by being aggressive with Asuka, even choking her. This movie was pretty good and I felt helped explain Shinji's character even further. I give it a 7/10.

This is a continuation of the previous post on Neon Genesis Evangelion, further exploring the themes of Shinji's masculinity and psychological themes in episodes 8, 16, 24, 26 (so mainly the later/ending episodes).

We are introduced to a new character later in the series named Asuka, and she is essentially a contrast to Shinji. Despite being a girl, she is strong and has no issue with committing violent acts. She is very good at piloting her Eva and in some ways represents the type of masculinity that Shinji fails to be in the eyes of everyone. Asuka also breaks typical gender norms in this way, as she portrays more of how young boys are typically expected to act and the interests they are supposed to have when they "come of age". She serves as a reminder to Shinji that no matter how much he is trying to learn and fit into his role as a violent fighter, he is still below her.

There is a shift in his behavior during one of the fights, where he displays an unusual amount of confidence. Asuka continues to make fun of him as usual, yet Shinji responds in a haughty, superiority complex-esque manner, saying he will show her how fighting is really done. I guess this was sort of his breaking point in the series. He tries to be confident but things don't go according to plan; he reverts to his meek state after some traumatizing experiences within the Eva during the fight. So that didn't last too long. The experience and realization that he will never be able to display this masculinity and project violence launch him into a sort of depression, as he associates his masculinity with his Eva's performance and whether or not society sees him as valuable. This half of the show is better in my opinion so I will give it an 8/10.

It is not surprising at all that we had to watch this anime: it's honestly like a rite of passage among avid anime watchers. I watched this a very long time ago and was severely confused. I think most people feel it to be either a masterpiece or a convoluted mess upon watching it for the first time. However, there is a lot of commentary to be explored in this anime. This blog post will focus on the first couple of episodes.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a mecha anime paired with some heavy psychological undertones. It follows a boy named Shinji Ikari and the unfortunate situation he's found himself in: as the pilot of an Eva, which is a giant robot that is controlled by a human. Shinji is by no means a typical representation of "manliness", which is an interesting contrast to him being expected to pilot this Eva and commit acts of violence. The Evas are meant to be weapons used to fight these otherworldly beings called Angels. Shinji's father is the one who created and worked on these massive robots and essentially threw Shinji into the middle of it by demanding he pilot one despite Shinji's clear disinterest and honest incapability. He initially refuses to pilot the Eva, but then sees a girl named Rei be wounded from a fight and decides he might as well fight, so women don't have to be doing it instead. While fighting, you can see he is not great at it and has no concept of violence, even towards these Angel beings who threaten the Earth.

In terms of masculinity I think it's pretty clear that Shinji is not seen as "manly" by typical gender norms. He does not care for violence or fighting or robots. His classmates envy him for living this extravagantly cool, metal lifestyle, but Shinji is not interested in such things. It's very cool to see this genre of anime tackle issues such as these in its commentary. I give this anime a 7/10.

I have watched all of the original Naruto series and am in the process of watching Naruto Shippuden. It is truly a great series; Naruto's character development and growth really shine through. However there is an underlying theme of discrimination that is handled differently than how it should be in a real-world situation.

In the original Naruto series, Naruto is a young boy whose parents died shortly after he was born, leaving him orphaned. He was born with the spirit of the Nine-Tailed Fox within him; because of this, he was almost immediately deemed as an outcast from society. Kids his age make fun of him or avoid him, while even grown adults shun him. Naruto had no choice in the matter yet still gets treated like an outcast because of his difference. He dreams of being Hokage, the village leader, in order to gain the respect from his fellow townspeople. It is sad to see that Naruto tries to work so hard to earn the favor of people who clearly do not care about him. Naruto has to change himself in order for people to accept him, which is not what should be done in a real-world scenario. However, it is not uncommon for shonen anime to portray the main character in this way; it just stands out way more in Naruto. When we move from Naruto to Naruto Shippuden, a lot of time has passed, and Naruto has matured significantly. He worked very hard and endured many challenges. He is surrounded by people who trust him and love him for who he is. The townspeople who used to shun him now cheer for him because he saved their lives. Don't get me wrong, it's always great to see a character get stronger and push forward, but within its underlying context lies the social pressures that are placed on those with differences to fit in. I give this anime an 8/10.

A Silent Voice was one of the first anime movies I had ever watched, along with Your Name and Weathering With You. I really love this movie even now and I was happy to rewatch it for the billionth time.

A Silent Voice follows a boy named Ishida who used to bully his classmate, Nishimiya, when they were young. Nishimiya, being deaf, was made a target almost immediately for Ishida and his friends. It got so bad that Nishimiya ended up transferring to a different school specifically for deaf and hearing-impaired students. Ishida then gets bullied himself by those he considered to be his friends and others, and begins to experience the social isolation that Nishimiya did. Years go by and Ishida feels heavy guilt and regret for his actions; he decides to find Nishimiya again, apologize, and try to become friends with her. They spend the rest of the movie going through ups and downs, and Ishida learns to open up to others again.

I think this anime does a really good job of showing how, as a society, it is important for us to work on accommodating those with disabilities, not having those with disabilities try to accommodate themselves so society will accept them. Nishimiya does not change who she is at all throughout the film really, she's still good old Nishimiya who tries her best to communicate and make friends. Ishida demonstrates this change by trying to learn sign language in order to communicate with Nishimiya. Not only does Ishida attempt to reconnect with Nishimiya, but others accommodate her as well and go out of their way to talk to her and make her feel included. Again, I like that the highlight of the movie is really about Ishida's redemption and showcasing the implications of bullying while also showing that Nishimiya owes nothing to society for being deaf. I give this anime a 9/10.

This anime was absolutely beautiful. The visuals, the music, the message, everything. I was a bit skeptical because of the wolfman human girl trope being a little out there, but it was done really well. It was emotionally packed all the way through, but also had some especially powerful moments that moved me heavily.

This anime was about a woman, Hana, who falls in love with a wolf man whose name we never learn. Hana falls pregnant and they have two adorable kids, a daughter named Yuki and a son named Ame. They are half human half wolf. Sadly, the wolfman dies while out hunting for food, and Hana is left to raise her too half breed kids all on her own.

What I found to be the most prominent theme of this anime was identity and a sense of belonging. We can also see the lack of accommodation for mixed culture. Hana tries to raise her kids in the city but is unable to, realizing this when one of her kids gets sick and she doesn't know whether to take them to the doctor or the veterinarian. Hana, Yuki, and Ame move out of the city into the countryside; Hana tells her kids that now they can grow up with the freedom to choose how they want to live.

What was interesting to me was the way Yuki started out being more in tune with her wolf side to then wanting to be completely human; meanwhile, the opposite was true of Ame, wanting to be more human as a child and then wanting to embrace his wolf side fully. One of the most powerful scenes in the movie revolves around this conflict of identity, where Yuki wants Ame to be more human, and Ame wants Yuki to be more wolf like. They get into a huge argument, verbally and physically, drawing them further apart. Hana knows she gave them the freedom to choose, however, she probably didn't expect them to fully abandon the other half of themselves. There is no real resolution to the conflict of identity in this film. Yes, Yuki and Ame end up picking their lifestyles and abandoning their other half, but it's not really the message I would've wanted to send. It would've been nice if they were able to accept both halves of themselves, but then again we know that this is not always the case for everyone and is actually quite realistic.

I really enjoyed this anime, though I don't know if I'd watch it again because it made me feel so many emotions (similarly to Grave of the Fireflies). I give it a 9/10.