Your Name / Hetalia: Axis Powers / Sensoron: Module 11
Throughout Your Name, the power dynamics attached to sex is shown through the anime. The secondary part of the film presents the issue more evidently but Mitsuhaâs initial statement wishing she was a man in an entirely opposite environment than she was represents an issue that many people of the female sex may face. Mitsuha yells this sentiment because of the power dynamics placed onto sex, causing her to wish she was on the opposite side of the power spectrum. This is a prevalent issue today where people feel disheartened by situations that are based on bias and or sexism, placing a priority or superiority with males. This is where Your Name does a good job representing the issues of power dynamics associated with sex. By how people are reluctant to listen to Mitsuha when she is trying to protect the people of Itomori from disaster. This is a real world issue that many women have, where they are not taken as seriously because they are a woman. I feel as though if it was Taki trying to convince the people of Itomori then there would not have been as much friction between the people and Taki. Aside from the issues of sex and power dynamics associated with gender, Your Name also presents an unrest from the younger generation that is prevalent in today's world. Mitsuhaâs resentment for the life that she was born in due to the cultural pressures and or expectations on her that is colliding with her desire to become part of society. Mitsuha residing in the rural village in a way is similar to how some people in America who live in the suburbs and or rural areas dream of places like New York, the prime of society. Mitsuha from Your Name reminds me of this sentiment.Â
Then Hetalia and Sensoron represent the fine line of caricature, stereotypes, and the extent of rhetoric. Both the anime and manga provide caricature as a way to poke fun at an idea, however both take a different approach to caricature to portray story. Sensoron represents the issue with media and pushing peoples opinion to an idea that is not exactly factual, but persuading people to view a group in a more negative light. Hetalia utilizes caricature to bridge connections and provide comedic relief to a topic that has lots of political tension attached to it. Both represent the issues with how rhetoric is used globally, in how it can manipulate or sooth popular opinion. Another thing to mention is that in Hetalia, all the characters were male, a subtle detail that gives some perspective of what the ideal representation of each country was.
Hey! I think you did a really good job explaining how the power dynamics within Your name, were expressed. For example, when you stated how Mitsuhaâs desire to become a man in a complete different environment is a strong example of how society treats specific genders. I think by highlighting this point, it shows that while these animes may display ideas of nationalism, it also does display traditional gender stereotypes as well. l I think this was a very unique perspective since I didnât really focus on that when I wrote my blog and I didnât seem to pick up on it while watching the anime. I also like how you mention how Sensoron represents stereotypes because I also noticed how the workplace culture was so heavily leaned into within the anime, and it was more so the traditional ideas you would see within a workplace. Again, I like how you tie these two together, especially when putting it in the context of manipulating opinions. I think it shows how media can truly play an influential role on how a person perceives characteristics of culture and further displays how the depiction of global cultures in media is important.















