Sci-Fi Satire

We started off the class with Idiocracy, I've heard of it before but never seen it.  It was funny but a bit scary at the same time; sometimes I think our society is headed in that direction...which is terrifying.  I just think our generation doesn't care about the important things in life and their morals are very skewed.  Some people can't even cook packaged Ramen...HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW TO COOK RAMEN???  The people of Idiocracy probably wouldn't know how to cook it either...

I really loved The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.  We have all these "How To" books out there, but it's funny when the subject is something we've never experience/will never experience.  I've always loved outer-space; I use to want to become an astronomer, and I still haven't given up on my dream of traveling to outer-space.  The idea of exploring galaxies, encountering different creatures, and not having earth to return to is both an exciting and terrifying concept.  I told myself I wouldn't bring up anime this time, but I can't not bring up Space Dandy!  The anime studio was definitely inspired by Hitchhiker's Guide.  The anime is about Dandy, an alien hunter, and his space travels.  He has two comrades, Nya (a cat-like alien), and his personal cleaning robot, QT.  They spend their days attempting to catch rare aliens to make ends meet, usually failing, and going to the space bar called Boobies...a bar filled with cute waitresses who are quite dumb and have nice "boobies".  They show is really funny- watch it!

In Class Assignment

What do you think the world would be like in five years?

Lots of debt...I'll be in debt.  Too many kids will be glued to their electronics. 

What do you think the world would be like in ten years?

Dirty, out of resources, hot, seriously screwed...and still in debt
 
What do you think the world would be like in twenty years?


  Debt...lots of extinct animals and no more ice...lots of war...we are screwed

What do you think the world would be like in fifty years?

I really don't want to imagine that far ahead...hopefully I will have payed off my dead at least...?

Oryx and Crake

Oryx and Crake was perphaps one of the most confusing stories ever.  Sometimes I thought, is this real life?  Is this our time?  Is this the future? Is this another universe?  Certain demeanors were familiar and certain things seemed barbaric and alien to me.  Jimmy seemed pretty human...at least he had a human boys name...and he was interested in born and girls (specifically Oryx).  Crake is in a relationship with Oryx before Jimmy though...love triangles man.  

Anyways, a disease breaks out after Jimmy began working for Crake.  Crake doesn't like the Crakers, and he becomes enraged when he sees Jimmy locked up with them and Oryx.  He slits Oryx's throat, thus causing Jimmy to shoot Crake.  Jimmy then becomes responsible for taking care of the Crakers.

It was the weirdest story ever.  And I pictured the Crakers as little moon people sheep made out of cheese.

...I can't think of any anime that this is similar to this story for once. 

The Aquatic Uncle was probably even more weird though.  Long story short, lil' dino-kun fell in love with furry-chan and then he introduced furry-chan to his uncle, aquatic-ojiisan.  Furry-chan falls in loe with aqautic-ojiisan and leaves dino-kun.  The end. 

Both stories were so anime in terms of the love triangles and yandere feelings...but the subjects were so different from the norm that it was hard to truly envision the story in my head.

SciFi and Diverse Positions

This weeks reading gave me the heebie jeebies.  Dawn was about a woman who essentially becomes an experiment for these people.  Constantly being woken up, being experimented on, and then being put to sleep for a while again...the cycle constantly continued.  They treated her like a slave- refusing to even give her clothing.  She would wake up and scars on her, not knowing where or how she got them...or what they did.  It was awful...and it reminded me of society's terrible past.

In class, we read Blood Child which was a super weird story and the end was borderline bestiality to me...I mean, I know she could talk and was kinda like a "human"...but he body sounded like a tentacle insect and their morals were so skewed and barbaric that it just seemed wrong.  HE DID IT WITH A WEIRD INSECT THING! Grossness aside though, I thought I was going to read a "normal" story until they were talking about how they were drinking eggs and getting drunk off of them.  I was fine with the idea of men giving birth, but I didn't like the idea of it being larva...and it kinda exploding men almost.  It was gross...so gross man.

P.S. I brought this anime up in class, but this weeks theme reminded me of Suisei no Gargantia!  You find out in the end that the aliens humanity had been fighting for hundreds of years was actually humans who chose to evolve so that they could survive the end of the world and relocate to outer-space.

Mythic Fiction

Neil Gaiman has always been one of my favorite authors...I have most of his books, my favorite being Neverwhere!  A lot of his books have some symbol of innocence in it, and an event that causes its corruption.  All of us had some of our innocence corrupted one way or another while we were growing up.  I know I lost some of mine when the Twin Towers were brought down.  I saw people jumping from the building, choosing that death over burning inside the towers.  I knew that I knew some of those people; they were neighbors, parents of my classmates, family friends...it was horrifying.  I was only in 3rd grade, but I knew what was going on.

The main narrator loses his innocence starting with the death of his cat, and then when he sees the corpse of the man in his dad's car.

The ending gave me a huge shock- he realized he had done this many times before, and had in fact, "died" of sorts before.  It's almost like he is in this constantly repeating world loop. The Higurashi no Naku koro Ni series has a similar theme; the characters all die, and then in the next episode they are alive again.  You soon learn that this has been happening for years and years, and the only way to escape this loop is by remembering that these events have happened before, realizing you are stuck in a loop, and avoiding death...it was a really gory, scary anime. 

Cyber Punk and Steam Punk

Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of cyber/steam punk anymore because it's so overused in the game industry.  However, the one thing I do like about it is that this genre generally has strong, independent women (instead of a damsel in distress).  What I wanted to highlight was two titles that fell under the cyber/steam punk category, but didn't have strong female protagonists.  Chobits was an anime about personal computers that had the form of a human, essentially a robot.  Chii is childlike, weak, clingy, frilly, and can't say more than chiiii~....It was a terrible anime.  They wanted to incorporate a cyber punk idea, but made it lame cyber frill.  The next title I want to talk about it Bioshock Infinite.  It's one of my favorite video games ever, but I don't like the female protagonist very much.  Elizabeth is does have her strong moments, but quite often she would have her "no~ I'm running away! Come find me and save me!" moments, which did not aid to the character at all.  Considering how steam punk inspired the environment was, it would have been nice if they kept the strong heroin theme.

Multi-Verse

While this came off as similar to Space Opera (due to the content) I feel it can apply even to stories that take place on earth.  In Steins;Gate, Okabe and Daru create a cell-phone, microwave time machine.  At first no one believes him, and he doesn't believe it himself.  But then when he sees his phone has texts messages from the future, warning him of Kurisu's death...and he sees the death himself, he realizes that he time traveled.  The story continues, the experiments increase, and they get noticed by the government.  Time and time again he travels between different "world lines", searching for a universe where no one dies. 

The idea that there are other world lines is both interesting and terrifying to me.

Space Opera

While I did grow up watching Star Wars, I never watched Star Trek or any of those other movies though.  It wasn't because I didn't like the genre, because I actually really love outer-space.  It just wasn't what my parents were watching. 

Apparently though, I have watched a ton of space opera's because all of the space/mech animes I've watched contain the mono-myth narrative, a common pattern in space operas.  Neon Genesis Evangelion, Kakumeki Valvrave, and Susei no Gargantia are just a few animes that definitely fall under the space opera genre.  For Shinji, his journey is initiated when he is chosen to pilot mechs that combat these monsters called Angels (call to adventure).  For Haruto, he realizes that he loves the girl enough to sacrifice his life for her and continue fighting, even if she thinks he is a monster and hates him (death/abyss/atonement).  And for Red, it's when he realizes that he has made earth his new home, that he loves Emi, and doesn't want to leave (gift of the goddess/return).

Harry Potter

I really wanted to put a lot of time into this week's reading (more than usual) because this was my first time reading any of Harry Potter (please don't judge me...my boyfriend was mortified to find out I never read the books).  I've heard so much about the series that I couldn't come into it unbiased. The first few chapters of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone match up really well with this week's prompt; Harry is a young adult who is having obvious difficulty navigating life with his monstrous adopted family. His aunt, uncle, and cousin all partake in abuse that would be sufficient to have Harry taken away by CPS if it were ever reported and Harry has no choice but to cowtow to their evil. He is depicted as a kind martyr, always taking the high road despite incessant attacks on his person.  Honestly, it was frustrating to read; I wanted him to stand up for himself!

Eventually Harry has a symbolic 'magic puberty' when he is pushed to his limit at the zoo. All at once his entire life is turned on its head when he casts his first spell.  Only he can communicate with the snake- and for the first time (though however "small" it may seem) he strikes back at his aunt, uncle, and cousin.  There's a lot less negative repercussion for doing so than the goody-two-shoes image he was built up to have would indicate, though. Soon it becomes clear that this is the turning point for Harry and his life is about to include a lot more magic when he is taken away by a friendly giant on a flying motorcycle.

I didn't get much farther than his midnight escape from the clutches of the Dursleys but I know from the movies and from Harry Potter obsessed friends that he goes on to grow up and battle evil at magic school. I'm sure it gets more complex and deals with every part of growing up through a fantasy lens but at least here at the beginning it all seems very straightforward: Harry is a powerless orphan who learns to suffer in silence until he comes of age and learns to stand up for himself and call out the evils of those who torment him.


(For once, I didn't talk about anime.  I am proud of myself.)

Rich Fantasy

I've always been a huge fan of fantasy RPG games...I'm also a Game Art and Design major so you can understand why I'm in this major.  One of the latest, most successful fantasy RPG games that I've played is Skyrim.  You can be humans, elves, lizard-like people, cat-like people, turn into a vampire or a werewolf depending on which guild you joined, etc...you could be a lot of different things in this world, but no matter what race you picked, you were a dragon-borne...YOU CAN SLAY DRAGONS..I was too scared to slay dragons to be honest though.  Dragons are huge!  How am I supposed to take on something so huge? I CAN'T FLY OR BREATH FIRE!  But I am dragon-borne, and so I FUS and ROH and DAH them out of the sky...I miss playing that game...anyways, time to relate it to the text!

My brother and mother watched the entire Lord of The Ring series when I was little, and I had absolutely no idea what was going on in those movies.  Seeing the hobbit part 1 last year and the hobbit part 2 this year (as a "young adult") was really exciting though!  I felt the world and story were very compelling (and the environments were beautiful from a GADs perspective).  I had completely forgotten about the LotR series, and I really loved the stories.  I want to go back and watch all the Lord of The Ring movies so that The Hobbit makes even more sense to me though!

I think one of the most important parts to mention about Tolkien's writing and why it's so successful is because of the characters and storylines he makes.  Readers are able to escape to a fantasy world full of mythical creatures and become a strong warrior who just journeys.  It's a life we shall never live nor experience.  Not only that, but I think he also uses his characters to teach moral lessons- lessons of never giving up, never running away just because something is new or different, and to accept what life throws at you.  His stories aren't sugarplums and candy canes- people die.  But I think people gravitate to these stories more partially because of that- humans naturally seek thrill.  So, if you are seeking thrill, Tolkien's books will certainly grant you that.  On an end note, I think that's why video games are so great and why I went into this major.  Video games let players escape to a fantasy world where they can empower themselves and experience another life they normally would never get to live!

...man, I wish I had my PS3 at school so I could play some Skyrim!

Witches

 
Incoming list of a handul of animes that I've watched that feature magical girls/witches: Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Card Captor Sakura, Soul Eater, Strike Witches, Witch Craft Works....actually let's stop there.  Witch Craft Works in a new anime this season and I really love it for a multitude of reasons...but the greatest reason being that they play off of historical facts.  The ending theme features the "bad" witches in different types of torture scenarios that witches were killed in during the old times.  I feel like these witches, as well as the ones from other animes (and american moves like Buffy the Teenage Witch) are stereotypes of witches.  They are all young, cute, and have the typical "witch" garb. 

 I felt Aunt Mariah was more of an archetype than a stereotype (especially upon comparing them to the witches in the anime I watch).  The witches just seemed more "traditional"- they varied in special skills even; some witches could time-shift and some could transform.  I find these witches to be much more believable as "witches".  I think the present day witches found in media are more of just magical girls than anything else...which is a lot less cool sounding. 

The New Weird

When Cabin in the Woods came out, I recall being unable to see it- everyone raved about it on facebook and I just rolled my eyes and said " just focus on your work, Allie".  I bought the movie over the weekend and finally got to see it.  I don't know if I felt the same way as everyone else honestly...the movie made me feel...weird.  It kept to a lot of the same story elements that most horror movies cover (ex: The jock/promiscuous girl die first/the people having sex die first).  Later in the story they begin to almost mock the horror stereotypes (ex: zombies...redneck zombies).  By the end I felt they were completely making fun of it upon showing all the glass cases with different types of monsters and ghouls.  Wasn't there even a unicorn?  Any who, sometimes I was scared and sometimes I laughed.  The movie definitely played with my emotions to say the least. 

As for the ending, I don't know how I felt about it.  I was overjoyed that a character finally "solved" the mystery- but then I was upset that they died (and that the rest of the world was going to die from the giant god guy). 

J-Horror

If it wasn't obvious from my first post...I'm a huge fan of Japan.  Literally, I love all things Japan.  So this weeks reading was really relative to me!

I tried reading Murakami's book but honestly it was too slow and too long for me...If I wasn't in school right now I would have been able to get through it.

I did fully read Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn and chose Yuki-onna because it was the most relevant story to my interests.  I've watched anime for my entire life, studied the language and culture since high school, and always had an avid interest in the idea of yokai.  Yokai are depicted in a variety of ways, protectors, mischief-makers, and death bringers.  I chose to read Yuki-onna because I've always found that specific yokai to be incredibly interesting.  Women in Japanese culture have been depicted as submissive for years (not until recently have women stopped being housewives.  There is a term in japan called "nadeshiko" which basically describes the woman.  A woman who is pure, feminine, submissive, and beautiful.  Essentially, a beautiful, perfect housewife.  While Yuki-onna's are known to have an ethereal  beauty, they are one of the few yokais that are depicted mostly as evil.  She is the antithesis of a  nadeshiko.  And often at times, depicted with succubus like quality- freezing men through sex/ a kiss.  Kwaidan's Yuki-onna was a bit more "romantic" though.

I think Yuki really does love her husband, and she clearly loves her kids.  She definitely is much more like a "nadeshiko" in this film, despite being a yukionna.  However, her yokai-like qualities shine through at the end just as they did at the beginning.  While she spares his life (a rare thing for her type to do) she easily leaves her husband and ultimately threatens to kill him if he doesn't take care of their children properly- a harshness that is a bit over the top for a human, but natural for a yukionna.  

Vampires: Nosferatu and Vampire Knight

My only movie/television exposure I had to vampires previous to this class was Interview with a Vampire, a few snipets of Nosferatu, and...don't laugh....an anime series called Vampire Knight.  When the Twilight series came out, I avoided it at all costs.  I wanted to have nothing to do with it.  I never even gave it a chance (never read the book or saw the movie).  I know a lot of girls and women liked the series, but from an outsiders perspective, it seemed like it was only being glorified because of the "attractive" male leads.  It's really hard for me to compare Nosferatu with Twilight since I've never seen Twilight, so I'll compare it to Vampire Knight. Vampire Knight...is probably like Twilight I'm guessing.  It's a romance anime- the male leads are attractive and strong...I definitely had crushes on them when I watched this is middle school.  However, unlike Bella from Twilight, the female lead is strong, independent, and unwilling to be swayed by her love interest.  I believe Bella was essentially a submissive and masochistic girl who did not successfully beat teen-pregnancy (doesn't sound like a good female role model to me).  But, nonetheless, Vampire Knight still sexualizes vampires.  Nosferatu, an original vampire movie is nothing of the sort....well there is that hot lady but she didn't really matter.  In fact, I had no interest in her.  Nosferatu was all I focused on- he was weird, creepy, funny- full of much more interest than the girl who was only there to be the "ditzy, hot female".

In Class Assignment

List Gothic Things:
Gargoyles
Castles (stone, ornate)
Gloomy Atmosphere (storms)
Fashion (dark colors, long dresses and sleeves, corsets, ruffles, european inspired)
Dark Color Palettes
Occult
Crows
Horror
Romanticism
Mystery
Candles
Dramatical (In film)
Night
Tension
Superstition
Family Curses and Prophecies
Submissive roles for females in film
Family Tragedy
Destiny
Mysterious Noises (music, footsteps)
Shadows
Laughter
Sublime (sense of aliveness)

Gothic Lolita and anime in Japan

Gothic lolita fashion is a highly exaggerated form of gothic in our contemporary culture.  The clothes are usually dark, complex with fine details, and give off a mysterious vice.  Much of the clothing is inspire by Victorians and Elizabethans.  Despite what it may sound like, it was popular not because of the mysterious allure, but the modesty of the outfits.  The goal silhouette was that of a cupcake,  hence the hoop skirts, lace, and ruffles.  Popular accents of this style of clothing is petticoats, corsets, stockings, and headdresses.
This clothing style, Lolita, rose in the 1970s, and soon it developed a handful of subcategories such as hime-lolita, classic lolita, and punk lolita are just some.
Gothic lolita is my favorite of the styles and has remained popular sine the rise of this fashion.  It's dark, yet innocent silhouette is beautiful and haunting.  I think part of what's so interesting about fashion in Japan is that they keep fashion from different centuries alive...it's part of a subculture.

Another example of gothic in contemporary culture (specifically in Japan) is anime.  There are a lot of shows that star a female protagonist in gothic lolita garb...but they don't have to be in lolita garb to be gothic- many stories are gothic,  or have a horror story.  Part of the goth culture encompasses the mystery/horror/occult.  xxxHolic is an anime and manga series that came out in 2003 and ended in 2010.  It was widely popular.