Comments on: Soranowoto, Imperial Japan, and Kokoro

By: Shii

Shii — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:42:18 +0000

I disagree strongly, this entire show was quite good. The later episodes reflect all the virtues I saw in the early ones.

By: shobon

shobon — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:20:02 +0000

omo: Now that it’s over, I think we know that all of the speculation was just speculation. Surprised by how mediocre this show ended up being.

By: Omonomono » Mai Mai Miracle is WOAAAH

Omonomono » Mai Mai Miracle is WOAAAH — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 05:53:48 +0000

[...] to watch Mai Mai Miracle. I am actually not exaggerating at all; the film is all about that inaka-crap. For the record, I probably don’t qualify for either, so maybe this is just over-reaction or [...]

By: omo

omo — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 04:45:03 +0000

shobon: I don’t think he’s wrong about Kureha yet.

I revisited this post after seeing Mai Mai Miracle. I hope the connection makes sense to you. inc. trackback.

By: Suburbanbanshee

Suburbanbanshee — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:48:16 +0000

Should note that Miyazaki’s family is fairly important in Japanese history, as the first Japanese doctor to learn 1800′s Western medicine was his great-great-grandfather (or similar). Some of the very noted anime and manga guys come from families that were Not Approved by the thought police back in the thirties and forties. So… nationalistic, not so much. Patriotic, yes.

Anime in the seventies and eighties was much more peace peace peace, even on the most violent shows. Even as a little kid, I could tell they were still trying to keep the Bomb away. Shows got a lot more confident about fighting battles with amazing weaponry (as opposed to running the sorrowful music while blowing things up), when the Iron Curtain went down.

Space Battleship Yamato is an interesting case, though. The guy who thought it up really was very nationalist (not as creepy as Mishima by a long shot, though who is?). His idea was to basically refight WWII, yes. But by the time it got turned into an anime, people were into Japanese patriotism because Japan was making money off the rest of the world; and this blended fairly gracefully with Japanese pacifism opposing nuclear war and demanding world peace. So the idea of a Japan-helmed Star Trek or Star Wars, exploring the galaxy and saving the Earth instead of taking over, was what they liked. (That’s why it converted relatively gracefully over here into a sort of all-nations Star Trek-style anime, as Starblazers, with only hints of the Japanese nationalism peeking through.)

By: shobon

shobon — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:02:07 +0000

I’m assuming you realize this now as well, but you’re wrong about Kureha. Your assertions were (and are) definitely valid, but for lack of a better phrase you “read into it” too much. Sora no Woto might be mildly intellectual, but Kureha as a character is totally generic. Maybe, your analysis is the core of what every character that’s exactly like Kureha is trying to be, but I highly highly doubt it. With that said, I heartily enjoy your over-analysis, and urge you to do more of this in the future.

PS: What are you doing nowadays shii?

By: chuck

chuck — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:54:20 +0000

Also:
Cute Japanese and European teenage girls, wearing Wehrmacht uniforms, exploring a Japanese school in a Spanish town full of French people who make glassware on Switzerland’s French border, following a Shinto-Christian religion with a miko-nun, treating tropical diseases only children get, accepting yen as currency while not being able to read kanji, celebrating Spanish traditions mixed with Chinese New Years legends, shooting at African owls – that try to keep them away from schoolgirl ghosts – with German rifles, while piloting a multi legged, demon slaying, weather reporting, stealth and sniper mode capable, AMAZING GRACE SINGING, engrish speaking, 200mm coil gun firing “son of the god of fire” supertank from the past (aka Tank-kun).

By: chuck

chuck — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:51:48 +0000

the buildings may look a lot like Old Home, But they are exactly like the ones in Cuenca, Spain

By: vucubcaquix

vucubcaquix — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:35:12 +0000

These are the most fascinating comments I’ve ever read.

By: Duneyrr

Duneyrr — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:01:31 +0000

Thank you for the fascinating read. Unfortunately, I don’t have much to add except for the fact that “Amazing Grace” isn’t American in origin, but English–the lyrics were written by the Englishman John Newton, who at one time worked in the slave-trading industry. Of course, the melody of the hymn was taken from “New Britain,” which was written by an American.

Keep in mind, though, that the song might have been chosen more for its lyrics rather than its connection to Christianity or the United States.

“Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
We have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.”

And then there’s the verse that was added to the song by African-American communities:

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise,
Than when we first begun.”