"Untitled" from Bosse-de-Nage's eponymous Album

A wall of sound greets you. Steady percussion gives way entirely to something vicious yet disjointed. Howling vocals leap into the piece to create a sonic maelstrom. Then Bosse-de-Nage switches gears and the guitars become fuzzy in a manner reminiscent of grunge driving the song forward. Aptly named "untitled", the music here is violent like a true force of nature. Subtle changes occur but blend together to obscure the effect - akin to how the sounds of nature evolve gradually (though generally less noisy). The chanting/howling fusion continues across the wall with unrelenting fury. The piece keeps going as the sound fades out, creating tension between the main body and the song ending. Like a force of nature, the song comes to pass with a warning of return rather than disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Story the (Overtly Blunt) Satire

Two characters. One boy and one girl, the usual trajectory. They fall in love over the course of a few days due to destiny or fate. The boy, every bit the image of the brilliant and obsessive male audience members who drive sales and breath their likeness into art, is stoic yet charming, a perfectly logical person, though he does dabble in emotions - rather, he is a self-insert for the audience.

Something must happen, for a story cannot end at the beginning of a budding romance. Finally, one of the characters initiates the relationship, obfuscating who played the dominant role for stories require mystery. Their amorous ways become sacrosanct in their eyes.

They go on a date to the zoo, then the aquarium, and of course the beach (umi da!). And even a gigantic shopping mall. As time progresses, a moment of revelation occurs where the girl tells the boy about her darkly traumatic past, for that is how a true romance story goes. While driving in a car, her parents crashed into a tree and flipped over, thus killing her parents automatically and scarring her psychologically (though fortunately without physical wounds).

The boy understands the sorrow but suggests stoically that she simply move on. Such a stoic (oblivious) protagonist provides the best self-insert. His rationality is the key factor in their romance in his perspective. He truly loves her but with a strong component of logic to prevent emotion from taking over. Holding emotion at bay as to let logic remain dominant always is the key principle. That is why he cannot comprehend her emotions but acts like he does - switching off feeling is so simple. But the hackneyed happily ever after can't live on because of that lack of emotional resolution. Just as the unemotional but brilliant and obsessive male audience members seem to like it: with people just like themselves.

Shimako from Rewrite and All Those Other Disabilities

Significant spoilers into Rewrite are described below.


Shimako, a character introduced rather late into Rewrite, stands out drastically from her peers. She is an average-sized eight year old girl with green hair but her appearance itself is not particularly strange (shown below). Her primary oddity? Not being able to speak.

Shimako is both shy and outward-directed: her inability to speak combines with her lack of social awareness to paint Shimako as strange and difficult to understand.When Kotarou first meets Shimako, he angers her with a greeting she perceived as far too friendly; the next time, Kotarou scares her by greeting her in a more introverted and disconnected manner. Despite these obvious lacks in emotional connection, Shimako continues to walk up to Kotarou curiously, something she only does with him.This behavior is more befitting, as Kotarou mentions, of a three year old yet Shimako also cannot speak. I was apparently late in talking by about a year but I managed to achieve age-appropriate skills eventually. Shimako, on the other hand, is clearly developmentally disabled when viewed from society's perspective because she is delayed in behavior and speech. Being this way is not "wrong" but it is often discriminated against. Each age level has certain biological and behavior norms requiring a person to act appropriately according to one's age.


Shimako is thus excluded from normal company. Though Kotarou believes she could integrate successfully into society, this belief is shallowly based on her ability to quickly react to situations. In particular, Kotarou had this thought when he had to chase Shimako, who had escaped into the hallway where she was not supposed to go. That said, even though Shimako clearly has an aid in the form of Tsukuno and other apparent disparities, Kotarou makes his best efforts to not treat Shimako differently. This habit is vital because of the tendency to assign disabled persons to particular stereotypes or attitudes is dehumanizing. After all, Shimako's inability to talk and her abnormal behavior do not make her subhuman. Kota, though he has some misguided notions initially, manages to treat Shimako as he would anyone else. Actions such as playing board games with her highlight this fact. Even when he makes mistakes, such as when his patting Shimako leads to her throwing a tantrum, Kotarou adapts and remembers for the future. Her mere inclusion in Rewrite is itself empowering because so many works of art focus on "normal" people. I really appreciate Shimako as a character.

Reflections on Listening to Band Discographies Chronologically

For a while now I have been listening to bands by going through all of their studio albums in release order. Now I have not performed this band with every band I think of and sometimes I have stopped indefinitely for no real reason. Though a time investment is required,  this activity streamlines moving through music. This approach to music allows one to appreciate evolution in whatever for that may take. Some bands change every album, such as Dir en grey who encompass punk, nu metal, and some experimental thing. Some bands are consistent for a while, then change, such as Gojira who evolved from traditional death metal to something more unique and heartfelt but also as a result heavier.

Even if the change is not obvious, listening to a discography chronologically can unearth those differences. Many bands simply refuse to keep in a constant (sub-)genre, meaning that any "sampling" of their music performed may simply be wrong. Thus, one album by some bands may not be enough to understand their music. At the same time, the best songs and albums seem to become more readily apparent - at least contenders can be identified more easily. One exception is HIM who basically only has one good album (the one with "Rip out) because everything else is a diluted alternative version.

This approach to listening is also valuable for providing stimulus to contextualize the music with other music, especially music made by other groups and artists. There is an indirect benefit as well: one feels driven to listen through discographies by other musicians and expand one's musical taste. One of my bad listening habits is essentially not finishing albums or focusing only on one album or a few songs after my first listen. Listen through discographies allows me to pay attention to a body of music, not simply bits and pieces.

As a whole, my enjoyment of listening to music has increased because of my greater familiarity with it. I can also jump between genres more fluidly now. Though this approach requires time and effort, it is for the most part worthwhile. Now that I think about it, going from Gojira (death metal) to ClariS (J-pop) was quite the jump but I was not unfazed. (Mainly because I listened to Rilo Kiley (indie rock) in between but even then.)

Akane Senri's Sorrow

 

Figure 1. Akane Senri walking in a black dress surrounded by an entourage.

Akane Senri. A fierce devotee of reason and logic and denier of supernatural occurrences. The Occult Club’s fearless but uninterested leader. At times, an avid gamer…to the point of avoiding school. Or so Akane appears, as presented earlier in Rewrite. Though she can be seen as all of these things, Akane Senri’s appearance in the above image casts doubt on all those identities and creates a new one. Though life is presented in the image through the presence of multiple women, one man, and some greenery, the scene is clearly close to dead. The emphasis is placed directly on people wearing some dark, lifeless color that has no strong color contrast. The framing suggests broad daylight while minimizing its importance; thus the scene may appear dark even amongst sunlight. Though a number of colors are present, the light dynamics clearly favor realistic uses of darkness – that is to say, not simply drowning everything in shadows. The attention is drawn away from the other people because they have no facial features of note asides from noses. 

Thus, the perspective singles out Akane as the person of focus. Her slightly lowered eyelids and almost-neutral yet barely frowning expression convey clear discontentment; a serious atmosphere is thus perpetuated by her arms resting by her sides. Akane’s dark dress signifies a funeral – clearly the whole scene then becomes elegiac, with the procession being akin to that of transporting a coffin. One technique that creates further desolation is the creation of a wind: Akane’s black dress, navy blue ribbons and straw hair billow towards the right, as if facing a wind from the left. She moves against an unknown resistance that seems to target only her; at least, that conclusion is the most logical. As a whole, Akane Senri is moving past this obstacle protected by a group of people but she and only she is singled out. Then her expression can be perceived as quite sad, indicating that she feels to bear a heavy burden only she can carry. Whatever awaits her, she is not enthralled but simply saddened. Thus this image manages to capture Akane’s emotions without directly announcing them, paving the way for one to learn more about her backstory. Rather, her suffering that other people cannot hope to understand or alleviate.

In this image, the straw-haired girl can be seen as a woman that jumps out straight from archetypes and mythology. Truly, she is a mythic holy woman who is carried above by her followers. Akane calls to mind the heads of maternal societies that are no longer in favor across the world; in some cultures, she would be called a Head Priestess because of her gothic black dress. Here I am reminded again of Tombs of Atuan by Ursula Le Guin which echoes a similar story about a teenaged girl being assigned a high position in a maternal society. This process is not carried on by strictly lineage but by selection which in theory is a more egalitarian approach. But the person assigned to such a role of holy woman or selected for ascension to the role is not necessarily empowered – in this case, Akane’s dismal expression clearly reflects her desire to not be in this role at all. When viewed in light of this archetype of the holy woman, the scene is cast as not elegiac strictly but lachrymose. Akane is chosen for the holy role but she would rather not carry such a high role because of the immense burden. Thus the archetype is, if not obliterated, then reduced and contorted to allow for her pain.

The Allure of ClariS (the duo)

Today I embarked on a grand journey, or something dramatic like that. Not too long ago I was listening to death metal outfit Gojira, which allowed me to expand as a listener and fear for my hearing simultaneously. Today I listened to ClariS' discography, which consists of the three albums Birthday (below), Second Story, and Party Time.I decided to do this band's music, though they are actually a duo, because they are quite well known. Having several of their songs as opening or ending themes to various anime shows (Nisemonogatari, Nisekoi, and Oreimo, among others), ClariS is a very popular J-pop band. I have heard and liked some of their songs, so I decided I should hear their output in context. To be ehonest, I expected standard fare upbeat pop music merged with mild electronics for most of the albums; J-Pop as a style seems to structurally favor filler pop music. Trying them out, however, I was quite enthralled, something that simply cannot happen with dead variety.Though ClariS can make really catchy and uptempo songs, they are also talented with slower pieces including balladesque songs. I enjoyed my first true encounter with J-pop. (Hush - Babymetal does not really count because it's fusion to the extreme.) None of the songs ever felt like a chore to finish, something I cannot say for many bands. I think that ClariS' ability to make a diverse set of songs that are fun yet emotional makes them very strong. Their approach to making music never stagnates, even though one would expect the freshness to fade after the first two hours (albums). My personal favorite song was "Irony," which features a rather layered sound for a ClariS song. Somehow it feels the most urgent and pulling. I cannot pinpoint a clearer reason other than the singing, which feels just a touch sadder than the usual ClariS vocals. The members of ClariS - Clara and Alice, though now it's Karen and Clara - are younger than I am, which really makes me wonder what I'm doing with my life. (Even more than usual.)


Figure 1. The album cover of Birthday  by ClariS. The single "Irony" is the second track on this album. 

Poem Attempt #2

I know the first poem in this lineage was about something ELSE but I thought I would try again. One of these poems will make me proud! I know it! Maybe I really just don't understand the source material though. I've started to find poetry so terribly difficult but maybe someday I'll get it again. One of my friends suggested I keep trying until I feel satisfied, so I think I will do that.

I named this piece "Chocolate Dragon."

Milk-chocolate-colored skin
spanning one who is small;
though short in stature,
she is a dragon
apt to douse her foes in golden flames.

Nanaka from Myself;Yourself and Repressed Love

Well, I’m back to talking about this show. “But you said It was mediocre last post!” the reader may say/think/murmur. My rebuttal is that you can have interesting ideas even when the execution is botched. After all, I have to give Dogakobo some credit: they have made some rather fun shows the past few years. Myself;Yourself is unironically – which may itself present a great irony, if the reader enjoys such semantics – recommend as a romance, a decision I find odd. The perceived quality of a work of art can always be debated but I am going to completely set such issues aside. As I pointed out in my impressions on the show pilot, there is a very strange dynamic between Nanaka and Sana. I was wondering what sort of implications we can draw from their relationship. Myself;Yourself paints love as rather creepy in that Nanaka considers Sana highly while having a very cold and distant relationship with him. Usually, love is focused on as being warm and excellent, but as I said in another post, we tend to only care for a certain kind of fantastical love. Besides, how could love be creepy?

Episode 2 clarifies the events that begin Episode 1 – the flashback. Nanaka is the girl who plays violin for Sana at what seems to have been his farewell party. Sana left his town five years ago and is finally now returning, as evidenced by the first episode being named “Nostalgic Place. ” Clearly the two characters are especially close as children, dwarfing their relationship to the other three characters in the childhood friendship circle. Before leaving, as I already said, Sana gave Nanaka a bracelet. And back to the present. The purple-haired girl seemingly spies on Sana throughout the episode. Yet when Sana says “nice to meet you to her,” she slaps him violently and walks away with a cold and downtrodden expression.  These two actions are clearly contradictory, at least upon superficial viewing.  

Her undying love for him is clearly carried on, which makes her slapping him puzzling. Though such a term is both harsh and misogynistic, Nanaka is a “cold bitch” who is uncaring  when viewed in light of this latter action. Many media often transform complex women into “cold bitches” (c.b.) who expect people to magically understand their emotions without any assistance. That is why this term is fitting – because of its offensiveness, not in spite. This perception being in media is damaging. In a similar manner, Sana is left to wonder what he did wrong. But Nanaka is not simply a c.b. She flashes him the bracelet and Sana remembers barely; here her intent was to somehow show her undying love but also the disappointment that she felt. Even after five years, Nanaka appears to feel the same way about Sana, though he has forgotten his feelings for her. Such love is very creepy,  which is evidenced by her steadfastness. Even being a c.b. w.r.t. the frosty expressions she wears (as shown above), Nanaka is on some level completely incapable of expressing his true emotions; textbook tsundere.

The Ice Age – or Cold War, whichever is preferred – is characterized by her glaring when she catches Sana’s eye. Fiery or frosty with no inbetween. Sana sitting next to her during the class representative meeting the audiovisual room does not close this distance; she answers coldly to everything he says until their conversation is smothered in a blizzard. If Nanaka is truly in love with Sana, why does this outcome repeat itself again and again? The answer is rather simple if love is decoupled from a fantastical socialized image: repressing her emotions over these years has lead to a breakdown in her ability to talk to Sana while at the same time strengthening those emotions. Thus, Nanaka’s emotions aren’t simply c.b. but with Sana as a partial cause. Loving someone in such a manner is “creepy” in light of societal standards, which makes the pain worse in a negative feedback loop. Thus Nanaka has the most negative responses when her love is seemingly be trampled on – Sana forgetting her, or Sana with another girl. 

One complicating factor that seems to make the situation much more worse is Sana’s forgotten affection for her. He plays the song she wrote for him on violin on piano while Nanaka eavesdropped in episode 2, which is appropriately titled “Precious Melody.” His ability to half-remember suggests that a strong emotion is buried deep inside. Nanaka’s facial expression – which only the viewer can see – reveals that she is happy, something Sana never can see. Her inability to seem as something beyond a c.b. to Sana must also play a role in a negative feedback; the coldness is thus a way of saying that she fears that her love may never truly amount to anything. Such is the creepy love that is unacceptable, except to the person who feels that emotion. Despite this strong emotion, Nanaka feels bound to holding him back because she feels her emotions have become unworthy.

What I have seen in this show thus far matches my own personal experiences and knowledge: love is not considered to even exist in this form. Love features warmth or at least its semblance, not coldness and distance. But some like Nanaka may consider their own love to have become creepy and worthless, facilitating creating such a dysfunctional relationship. They cannot accept their feelings and cannot simply bestow upon the person who matters so very much to them with warm affection; or they believe their feelings cannot go somewhere, so they resort to this method.  What a painful existence such a person must feel, having their warm emotions gain a valence of frost and be forced to bear that imbalance. That contrast between the warmth of love and the coldness they feel in the presence of their love is thus seemingly insurmountable.

The Physiology and Philosophy Underlying Earth's Stronger Gravitational Pull Than Mar's Pull

A few days ago, I realized, while watching an episode of Aldnoah.Zero, that particular aspects of the society I live in may make my condition more difficult to cope with - a disguised Princess Asseylum (left) says that the Vers Princess (herself, in other words) felt sick due to Earth's strong gravity. Being from Mars, she is more acclimated to its weaker gravity - Earth has a gravitational acceleration of 9.81 m/s^2 while Mars only has an acceleration of 3.75 m/s^2, resulting in a much weaker gravitational force. Thus less weight. I never thought about how Earth's strong pull may result in sickness or restrict motion but in my experience such an outcome is obvious. Many people feel very downwardly compelled. My ability to walk would likely be much closer to "normal" if presented with less gravity to impede my motion. Walking requires a lot of energy for me due to joint contractures and my muscles having to resist the pull of gravity. Many times when I feel so weak that I would like to stop walking, I am convinced that I must sink my legs onto the ground and simply give into Earth's strong gravitational pull. Perambulating in my experience leads to this perception of gravity becoming steadily stronger, despite remaining constant in strength. But what would happen if I was on Mars? For one, my muscles would likely become weaker due to lessened exertion required, though my bones would likely stagnate in amount of inertia. (Bones become tougher due to muscles pulling on them to create motion.) Perhaps the tradeoff in motion would not make for much of an improvement. I would be rid of that nagging sensation that I am trying too hard to fight both gravity and my slightly limited range of motion for my hip, knees, and ankles. That persistent physiological suggestion that my knees should buckle and I should collapse downwards. In that sense, every time I walk would be much easier, which would surely provide some amount of relief.  I don't think I'll get to operate in a weaker- or zero-gravity environment, but I found this topic interesting.

First Impressions on Portal's Seepia

I went ahead and listened to the album Seepia by Portal (shown below) - they are this weird avant-garde death metal band that throws in black metal influences. They are rather highly regarded so I thought that I should try them out.  Below are my first impressions as I listened:


Figure 1. Album Cover of Seepia by Portal

I started the album and was immediately met with a fuzzy, evil sound that gave way to a furious, punishing wave of sound. If I picked a genre to describe them with, I would say death metal but with a scarier atmosphere; horror metal, maybe. The gargantuan nature of the music made it so menacing. Definitely an album to drop the volume a little bit or even a lot. Somehow the opener which shocked me so made me want more. One vital element of the music was the extreme speed and tightness that offers very little breathing room. The vocals were layered at a slightly lower volume, creating a very eerie atmosphere where the lyrics are indistinguishable from the onslaught. Here the ending of a song offers that brief respite before continuing on. This album definitely has cool song titles though, especially the very metal "Vessel of Balon." If it seems like this post is a whirlwind, I should point out that this album is one. I thought that the Secret as an intense band but Portal outmaneuvers them rather easily. Surviving until the penultimate piece "Antiquate" was honestly quite surprising - now I am met with a piece that starts with crackly, fuzzy synthesizer that sounds rather volcanic but without punishing guitar. This piece breaks up the ruthlessness and allows peace for a brief period of time. By the time I reach the closer, I am quite besieged with fatigue that is only partially alleviated by "Antiquate." "The Endmills," however, just fails on some level; here the style has become rote, despite the brief refuge offered. Where would I be without the samples of weird sounds used artificially to break up the distortion? Clearly this is the answer! Except I don't get it. This album = 0.5*(this is rather good)+ 0.5*(what am I even listening to?). I survived this whole album somehow but only because I took a few breaks. I am not sure if I want to return but that was certainly quite a trip.

Deliverance - "By The Pain I See In Others" by Opeth

Figure 1. Album Cover of Deliverance by Opeth

Compressed sound is followed by guitar feedback, before the compression is relieved; the buildup leads into a fierce but steady metal introduction. The intermittent growling vocals are carried by the fluid and dynamic music that switches pattern frequently. Opeth progresses into a semi-acoustic section that bridges more vitriolic sections. The vocals transition in volume to fit the music but remain fiery, allowing the song to never falter in momentum. "By The Pain I See In Others" defies metal tradition by never hammering the same riff endlessly or devolving into a piece devoted to sheer technical skill. Its fluidity captures and reflects human emotion, diverting it from mere sound; here Opeth resonates with a negative feeling that encompasses them all, not simply rage. Though the style is mainly death metal, it cannot be firmly placed into that domain. In some ways, the piece falls under the reign of the black king. Unmistakable jazz influences complicate matters.An especially unique part of the song features a semi-acoustic song supported by electric piano, which creates a slightly uneven and therefore creepy atmosphere; this approach harkens back to progressive rock. Opeth then returns to a refrain of sorts maintaining a partial song structure. Clearly the architecture is loose enough to defy expectation while making compelling music. Acoustic guitar expands the sonic palette beyond an aural attack. After pounding the listener for ten minutes, Opeth resorts to eerie yet clean synthesizers in lieu of a continued metal assault. Suddenly a high-pitched but reverbed sound appears, leading into echoey singing in a chant-like manner. The last segment is quite disjointed, contributing to an eerie atmosphere. "By The Pain I See In Others" is well worth its 14 minutes.

Amaburi and Intimate Characterization

Isuzu Sento from Amagi Brilliant Park is a pretty interesting character. In the very first episode, she whips out her magical gun at high school and threatens Seiya Kanie under the pretense of making him go on a date with her. Anime viewers are too savvy to believe such lies, especially when KyoAni magic is involved. She introduces him to the show’s namesake of Amagi Brilliant Park, a decrepit amusement park that surely would disgust Disney. (I will probably return to this subject next month so excuse the brevity.) Kanie-kun is appointed as a manager of the park by Princess Latifa. Currently the park is in danger of closing down and can only be saved by manager Kanie-kun. Our introduction to this character alone suggests that she is someone who clearly falls out of the norm that she is expected to uphold. She breaks both gender roles and one’s proper place in society. She’s quick to violence in one sense but she’s also someone who is quite tough. Or so she seems. Sento is rather deadpan and indifferent around her cast members but she does have a very soft tender side, which ties in well with her loyalty. Despite her toughness through a lot of the series, Sento is revealed as her most vulnerable in Episode 6. Call it Sento’s Ep if you’d like. 

At the episode beginning, Kanie-kun wishes to hold a recruitment fair to garner support for Amaburi to prevent the park from closing down. Later that night, Sento has a dream which she finds rather disturbing: Kanie-kun is covered (left) with three girls who were (supposedly) recruited. Sento responds at first with moderate anger but seems to dwindled to shock and dismay (below); this response is understandable because she begins to feel unnecessary. A lot of this episode surrounds this issue of her new insecurity.

 

At some point, the episode becomes almost voyeuristic. The audiences of shows, whether they are American live-action shows or Japanese anime, are voyeurs; the viewer can peer into the world of the character and be protected from an interaction in return. This exchange is not necessarily intentional and for many people it is not but that relationship is important to consider in art. But voyeurism can be seen as intrusive and disempowering, especially if the audience is simply hungry for learning about the characters. Something such as watching a character taking a bath or dressing/undressing can be construed as voyeuristic and thus creepy, which makes the viewer seem malevolent (or something). When making a work of art, the group or individual response shouldn’t just have someone changing for no apparent reason. But that is quite ubiquitous. Such an occurrence is usually there to appeal to people’s base nature instead of some artistic purpose. For that reason I’m also against the vast majority of sex scenes. These events are chances for characterization that cannot be portrayed through other means. I think that KyoAni’s attention to detail in this scene enhances how we view Sento’s personality as opposed to an appeal to base desires. The scene features intimate characterization, not voyeurism. By that I mean using scenes where characters are  exposed (emotionally) to drive characterization, rather than simply having such scenes for viewer enjoyment.

Yes, I wanted to analyze this short scene that KyoAni included that serves only one purpose: to focus solely on Sento. Because this scene depicts her in varying levels of undress, the balance between voyeurism and characterization should be analyzed.  In the image, Sento (left) is bathing, an action that is rather routine but her expression suggests something extra-ordinary. In particular, she is worried over the dream that she had this morning. Her downcast eyes reflect her discontentment – this can be best explained by Sento musing over her feelings of not being useful to Kanie-kun or Amaburi as a whole. Here Sento is literally and symbolically exposed, which allows the viewer to see her in an intimate light. Thus, KyoAni showing Sento bathing allows for a more intimate characterization than is possible when Sento is with the other cast members. The framing of this image differentiates characterization from voyeurism; here only her head and shoulders are shown, which limits the portrayal mainly to her face while still allowing for closeness. As the scene progresses, Sento’s dismay can be more clearly visualized, even though she hides her emotions to other people.

KyoAni opts to depict segments of Sento changing, filling up the screen with such images. Such a depiction tends to be sexual in nature, even though clothes – including lingerie – and the human body are not overtly sexual. Rather, these are sexualized through how society constructs sexuality – such objects are somehow involved (or “de-involved” with regards to clothing) with sexual activity. This notion is highly relevant  because otherwise this scene could be mistakenly interpreted as sexual or erotic, rather than compassionate.

Sento dons her brassiere (left). Though this image itself presents little information, the preceding images give context that allow us to imagine how Sento feels, even in this image. It follows logically from Sento taking a bath – Sento getting dressed. Though her face is not visible, the action is clearly methodical and pensive. Such slowness is not immediately apparent but at least some delay is observed.  Specifically, her fingers make motion beyond that which is strictly necessary for the task; this fidgetiness suggests that she is still troubled over the dream she had. This action is a direct contrast to what would happen in a “sexually-charged” scene: she would either be taking her brassiere off or someone would accidentally walk in while she was changing. Such would likely be blatant voyeurism. Again, this portrayal of Sento as exposed allows the viewer to empathize with her, instead of appealing to base desires.

Sento donning her underwear (right) is performed similarly but without slightly frantic fingers. Performing this action can garner empathy because it pairs what Sento does privately to how she feels when such emotions cannot be proudly displayed.  Clearly so much is on her mind that getting dressed is merely going through the motions. At the same time, one can refute a claim of voyeurism by pointing out that only her legs, arms, and underwear are shown, which creates a different image than simply showing the whole person. The person’s facial expression can be imagined to be the same as the one who wore in the bathtub. Then lipstick is applied followed by self-analysis using a mirror.

Though the viewer knows the level of effort Sento has put into her appearance for today, she shows a very worried expression (left) looking into the mirror – furrowed eyebrows, slightly open mouth, dismayed eyes, and a drop of sweat indicating nervousness.  Having completed her morning routine, Sento has a moment to reflect again and reencounter her unease; she then lowers her head in defeat (below). Clearly Kanie-kun must view her as worthless, so he must hire more people and replace her.

Though the individual elements have been discussed, the overall trajectory is the most important part of this scene. A scene must create a transition from one part of the episode to another. By showing Sento bathing and then subsequently dressing, the viewer can both see how bothered she is and also how much effort she puts into her appearance. Clearly this action goes above and beyond falling out of bed due to oversleeping.  Thus, through this scene, the viewer can see Sento in a distinct light – her frustration is so powerful, it seems to drown out her efforts. The following claim is subjective but she looks rather nice. Yet that alone is not enough to convince her that she is truly needed at Amaburi, a place she undoubtedly considers her home. This moment of vulnerability that she feels carries the viewer through the remainder of the episode, which focuses on Sento’s metaphorical exposure. Thus Sento’s humanity can be clearly seen – otherwise her indifferent expression would never have been questioned and her personality undeveloped. By the end of the episode, Sento has become a very good character.

Works Cited
Amagi Brilliant Park. Kyoto Animation. 2014. Dir. Yasuhiro Takemoto.

Grisaia and Motherhood (Today's Actual Post)

Note; Spoilers of Le Fruit de Grisaia be here

Today I wanted to discuss a topic not brought up often when we discuss art, which leads to assumptions that are potentially disempowering. I wanted to first share the quotation shown below.

According to Laura Haas in From Mouse to Mermaid, “In Maternal Thinking, Sara Ruddick suggests that because of their parental roles, women who are also mothers think and act from a particular (but not unified) maternal standpoint. Considering motherhood from a cultural perspective adds the complexity that a “mother” does not construct her identity in a vacuum, nor is she alone responsible for its construction. Cultural myths and everyday situations and associations become part of what it means to be a mother” (Haas, 193).

Motherhood is culturally constructed to be a particular way; and yes, this does depend on the particular culture. At the same time, the mother is frequently erased in many works of art. Anime, for example, often removes the role of the mother (and father too in many cases). There are a lot of absent mothers either due to being dead or simply not being there. Anime is not the only medium susceptible to this trend – the Disney movies have been shown to erase the mother’s role and often make fathers ineffective and worthless. (Think Belle’s father in Beauty and the Beast or the Sultan in Aladdin). In our society – well, the American one I have grown up in – motherhood itself is de-emphasized, especially in art which has such a dearth of mothers. The mother not being present can be taken for granted, resulting in the distortion of representations of family.

Haas also says “I would like to suggest that the media’s repeated erasure of the mother’s place and her origins is a kind of ideological dominance accomplished in the unconscious (as well as the conscious) level, and that this symbolic murder is just as violent and even more frequently portrayed” (Haas, 195). 

This act of excluding mothers is in fact symbolic murder, as Haas says, not simply a mere erasure. If I was pressed for a strong instance of motherhood, I…could actually do it, but not without serious reflection on my part. Mothers simply aren’t emphasized, especially not in that role. One example, though admittedly a bit unconventional, is Akari (depicted to the left) who acts as Miuna’s mom in the show Nagi no Asukara. At first, Miuna[1] (right) refused to accept Akari, who dates her father in the show. To the point that Miuna and her friend told Akari to get lost. Akari’s strength as a surrogate mother comes from her persistent efforts to gain acceptance from Miuna, despite these difficulties; ultimately Akari succeeds. Akiko, mother of Nayuki in the show Kanon, also places great emphasis on supporting her daughter regardless of the hardships faced. When Akiko is badly injured, Nayuki sinks into a deep depression, reflecting the strength of their mother-daughter bond. Motherhood can then be both quite powerful and is very worthy of analysis – it extends beyond being a vehicle for characterization.

In Frontwing’s visual novel Le Fruit De Grisaia[2], the character Sachi (shown to the left) is forced to solve a difficult dilemma involving her mother. Growing up, Sachi had a very positive relationship with her parents. As time went on, her parents grew busier and busier until the family became cold and distant. On Sachi’s 6^th birthday, her parents try to make amends by throwing Sachi a small birthday party; to their surprise, she runs away out of resentment. They manage to find Sachi but they are struck by a car while crossing the street. Both are injured, with her father dying and her mother falling into a deep coma which still persists. I will simplify the biomedical ethics involved by saying that, though her mother is not responding, her life should still be valued. As a result, Sachi became someone who followed orders explicitly, despite common sense, in order to become what she calls a “good girl.” Her experiences with her fellow classmate Kazami Yuuji has led her to recently question her responsibilities. Now Sachi wishes to make amends through whatever means she can – you know, that archetypal hero’s quest.  As a result of her life experiences, Sachi struggles with thinking for herself, which makes her dilemma tougher.

(Because visual novels are built around answering choices, the player is given choices and must pick one to progress.) Sachi is given what I consider to be the most powerful choice in the visual novel: she must choose between killing her mother or killing herself. Few people would be able to easily pick a choice and defend their option (excluding answers such as “I don’t care” or “what the hell, I’ll pick that one”). Personally I was surprised and dismayed but I knew that I needed to think about what to answer. 

Both choices would provide closure in one form but both are ultimately self-defeating. Killing the cause of a cycle does not necessarily end a cycle, as one can learn from analysis of institutional oppression and simply having experience in the real world. (In this case the cycle would simply be feeling self-confidence and self-comfort then feeling unsure and breaking that feeling before returning to it again.) If deeply entrenched enough, then removing the cause will be ineffective. Suicide severs one’s ties to the world and other people; at the same time, no more recourse can be taken. This act could only act as resolution if one is genuinely devoted enough to one’s ideals and faith that they have done everything they can; otherwise, suicide cannot possibly answer Sachi’s dilemma or offer any kind of atonement. 

In this case, suicide provides no real resolution, even if she is adamant about performing the action as means of atonement. Sachi believes that the death of her parents is her fault, which in her mind justifies suicide as absolving herself. This decision ultimately, in her mind, rests with “what would a good girl do?” But killing oneself cannot fall under being a “good girl,” though Sachi has no obligation to simply follow society’s gender rules either. Rather, she would emotionally harm those who genuinely care about her while gaining no real resolution.

At the same time, Sachi can potentially end her mother’s life, which would again remove a source of her troubles but not eliminate them. Though Sachi’s mother is in a coma and thus “not alive”, her status as mother is significant. In mainstream culture, the mother is metaphorically murdered through erasure but here Sachi has the option to literally commit murder. This action would therefore act to usurp this importance of motherhood while overturning an important part of her life. Despite media matricide, Sachi’s mom played an important role in Sachi’s life by offering encouragement in her early years. Her mom was blocked by playing a more extensive role by becoming busy with work and by entering a coma. Motherhood is not simply giving birth – in fact this critieria should probably not even be there. Akari, for example, is not Miuna’s biological mother though she fulfills the role. Likewise, someone who does not identify as a woman can also act as a mother. The bond shared between child and mother matters much more. Sachi’s relationship with her mom, though weakened by the present situation, remains important, as evidenced by the fact that her life revolves around her guilt. In particular, she was Sachi’s mother during the critical years of her development. 

(Visual novels often have a “good” or “bad” ending depending on the choice picked.) Sachi learns, near the end of her route, about the efforts her parents made for her on the day they were fatally wounded. Pictures of Sachi were mounted on the wall in frames accompanied with positive notes  clearly loaded with love and affection; her parents used the opportunity to tell Sachi that they were proud of her, though she was not able to witness this scene until many years had passed. Thus her parents were able to show their devotion to their daughter despite so few years of service. Clearly Sachi should not kill her mother due to the positive experiences felt and because the action would be self-defeating.

Sachi is then driven to question the validity of either option, instead opting to learn how her parents truly felt. By visiting that which they had left behind, Sachi was able to gain atonement by learning how important she was to her parents; she also realized that the accident was not her fault, though she blamed herself.  Thus Sachi feels absolved of her guilt and healed of her trauma. Because of the complex ethics involved, I really enjoyed this choice. At the same time, Sachi’s opting to not kill her mother acts to dismantle the ubiquitous media matricide and highlights the strength of motherhood as a concept.

---

[1] Miuna means beautiful sea.

[2] Literally translated as The Fruit of Grisaia

Works Cited

Le Fruit de Grisaia. Frontwing. 2011. 

Haas, Lynda. "Eighty-Six the Mother: Murder, Matricide, and Good Mothers."

From Mouse to Mermaid: The Politics of Film, Gender, and Culture. Ed.  Elizabeth Bell, Lynda Haas, and Laura Sells. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1995. 193-209. Print. 

 
Safebooru.com. Web. Accessed 18 Jan 2015.