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HOT! BLOODED! - The Rock Lee Story (Naruto)
“I want to show I can be a splendid ninja even if I don’t have ninjutsu or genjutsu. I want to prove it to the whole world!”
For those who believe that they have do not have the talents to achieve certain types of success, let me tell you an insightful tale. A tale where one enthusiastic young man must conquer multiple odds to reach his goal. It was a goal which required certain talents the young man did not possess. Despite his lack of talent, the young man presses on with nothing but unbridled enthusiasm and a passion to crush it. This is story of Naruto’s Rock Lee, a ninja who relies on his strong spirit to fight and more importantly, a stern reminder about keeping your passion going even through tough times.
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In Russia, Anime (Supposedly) Kills You.
As a psychology enthusiast, this news really bothers me. Over the past couple of weeks, six Russian teenagers committed suicide. The thing was that these kids had the good life. So what happened? A well-renowned Russian child psychologist named Olga Makhovskaya, blames anime in an article published by “The Voice of Russia”.
Now why would she blame anime? One fact is that the teens had a history of watching anime. Olga proclaims that anime characters talk about death like it’s the greatest thing ever. She also says that the Japanese make a big deal about death. Olga even goes on to say that anime destroys the borderline between reality and fantasy and teens won’t be able to tell things apart because of that.
First off, what kind of anime is this psychologist talking about? Does she think that all the kids who died watched the entire run of Neon Genesis Evangelion and/or Puella Magi Madoka Magica? Even if they did, I doubt they wanted to kill themselves after watching those series. Another problem I have with Olga is she starts off with this statement, “Of course anime by itself cannot be the cause of teenage suicides” and then she goes off talking like it IS the cause. She also lost so much credibility to me when she said that anime destroys teens’ perceptions of reality. Isn’t extensive research supposed to be a huge requirement for a job as a psychologist?
You can read the article about the supposed link between anime and teen suicide in Russia here. Just another sad example of the West failing to understand anime and blaming serious problems on entertainment.
Perhaps what Olga should do is watch this amazing video of how anime inspires.
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“Kimi ni Todoke” - The Crown Jewel of Shoujo Manga
With 2011 nearing its end, it’s usually a good time to see what manga series sold well and had people talking this year. One of these titles happens to be the number-one selling shoujo manga title at the moment, Karuho Shiina’s “Kimi ni Todoke”. The title has done very well on the Oricon best-selling manga charts in Japan in the past and 2011 was no exception. It was ranked #9, having sold 4+ million copies. Volumes 13 and 14 of the series were ranked #6 and #7 on the Oricon 2011 best-selling manga volumes chart. If you’ve heard of Kimi ni Todoke and have not read it, you’re probably wondering what makes this title different from all the other shoujo manga titles out there. While the plot is typical of a normal shoujo manga, Kimi ni Todoke goes beyond the cliches that plague shoujo manga and portrays a realistic look at how high school life is really like.
To start off, I want to let everyone know that I normally do not read shoujo manga. However, I read Kimi ni Todoke and love it. Sawako Kuronoma was a character that I grew to enjoy following. You see girls like her in real life. Her character development throughout the story is something to behold. While her romance with Shota Kazehaya is an important part of the story, Sawako’s attempts to change her shy nature reflects the struggle that certain teens may have to go through to gain acceptance. It’s hard to hate a character like Sawako, as she has a heart of gold underneath her awkwardness.
Speaking of the romance between Sawako/Kazehaya, it’s a slow and gradual build that pays off in the end. The story just doesn’t end there. In fact, it’s only beginning as you get to see the two of them getting used to being around each other more often than before. Most stories end with the girl getting the boy. In this case, the girl has the boy and the story continues to highlight the adventures of the girl as she continues to live life. This gets even more readers to follow the series (which is apparently the case with Volumes 13 and 14 selling well) as this is something that isn’t usually seen in most shoujo manga. While the build-up was going on, you get to see the growth of Sawako as a person (which makes readers appreciate her even more) and more insight on her friends.
What’s interesting is that the series also appeals to male readers as well. It could be said that Kazehaya is the reason why males seem to enjoy the series. While he is the token popular guy in school, Kazehaya is pure-hearted and was actually interested in Sawako from the start. He has struggled at times to figure out Sawako’s romantic intentions and even admitted to having faults of his own. Kazehaya is definitely one guy that readers can hang out and have a real conversation with. Young Japanese males do have trouble dealing with feelings of love at times. Sometimes, men prefer not to speak about their feelings in words and let their actions tell the story.
Another thing that Kimi ni Todoke focuses on very well is the love between friends, not just the love between couples. The friendship between Sawako, Chizuru Yoshida, and Ayane Yano is a friendship that many of us desire. All three girls are very different, but they are very accepting of each other. If you ask me, the bond between Sawako, Chizu, and Ayane reminds me so much of the bonds that the Straw Hat Pirates of One Piece have with each other.
Kimi ni Todoke seems to encourage hope to others that no matter how different you are to people, you will always be accepted and loved by people who will want to know you. High school life can be harsh, since being different can lead to being looked down upon. How do unique individuals find others who will appreciate them for who they are? The answer is to just continue to be themselves and things will slowly fall into place. Relationships don’t get built overnight, so you have to be patient and resilient. When Kazehaya saw Sawako’s inner beauty and began to inspire her, things got better gradually for our heroine.
High school is definitely a moment in life that many people treasure. It is perhaps the one time where people begin to grow physically and emotionally. Kimi ni Todoke is a manga that focuses on that precious time and how it affects teenagers. We can all relate to the scenarios that the characters in the story face.
Speaking of the characters, Kimi ni Todoke is a clear reminder that great characterization can make or break a manga series. Even a simple story can turn out to be great with the right amount of characterization.
Let’s continue to give our blessings to Sawako and Kazehaya, shall we?
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Superiority = Inferiority (Shion Izumi - GANTZ)
If there’s one thing that makes Hiroya Oku’s GANTZ highly entertaining, it’s the various number of personalities that partake in the deadly alien missions. You got your wholesome characters and you have your morally corrupt ones. One crazy character in particular is the rival character to Kei Kurono, Shion Izumi. He is a extremely troubled youth who only seems to find solace & peace when hunting aliens. When Izumi was out of the game, he resorted to violent means to thrust himself back in. His character is a reflection of emotionally-disturbed youths who aren’t raised properly and/or have been disappointed in society.
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Why Another Introverted Character? Enma Kozato (REBORN!)
With the “Shimon Family” manga arc going underway in the hit series, Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, I wanted to take a look at the main antagonist for this storyline, Enma Kozato. He is an interesting character because almost all his traits are virtually similar to the main character, Tsunayoshi “Tsuna” Sawada. Both are introverted characters, though Tsuna is growing out of it. What is the point of another introverted character in this series? Why a “clone” of the main character? What is Akira Amano hoping to achieve with Enma? Maybe to highlight the fact that a better understanding of introverts should be considered when interacting with one.
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Yukari Takeba (Persona 3)
To commemorate the release of Persona 3 Portable for the Sony PlayStation Portable in the United States, I’m going to take a look at one of the lead female protagonists from P3, Yukari Takeba. She is a headstrong girl who keeps to herself a lot and has a lot of emotional baggage. What makes her interesting to me is her character development in “The Answer” (a followup story in P3: FES). She went from headstrong to immature in the swift of an eye.
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Death Note’s Cultural Impact
“JUST AS PLANNED!”
For some reason, I finally found out that the popular psychological series, Death Note, was almost banned in Albuquerque, New Mexico because some kids were found possessing “Death Note” books this past May. The funny thing was that this wasn’t the first case of “Death Note” fever, but there were multiple cases where many school students across the U.S. got disciplined for possessing a “Death Note”. Even someone put Justin Bieber’s name on a Death Note! It seriously makes you wonder what the hell is wrong with people these days.
This isn’t the first major Death Note-related incident to happen. Back in 2007, the series was practically banned in China because it was “poisonous” to all Chinese young people everywhere. There was also an incident in Belgium where someone was murdered in a gruesome fashion. There were notes around the victim that stated “I was Kira”, in reference to Death Note. The “Manga Murder” (termed by the Belgian press) was recently solved.
Back to the situation in Albuquerque, one parent stated the reason for a Death Note ban was because:
“Killing is just not something we should put out there for our kids to read in this way.”
What about the Bible? DO YOU REALIZE HOW VIOLENT THAT BOOK IS? It’s ok for kids to read something that hints at graphic violence while it’s not ok for kids to read something that isn’t entirely violent at all? What is the PROPER way to read about “killing”?
Also, the Death Note is NOT REAL. Since when does reading a book influence someone to kill somebody? These days, I’m sure a lot of people who kill others don’t do these things from reading books. Reading doesn’t seem to be too popular among young people these days (in America, at least).
The problem is no one pays attention until something serious happens. People just freaking procrastinate until it bites them in the ass. Even something that seems harmless can lead to HUGE repercussions in the future. I also think that conservatives really don’t appreciate dark humor. Even in China, the students in China just wrote names down in their “Death Notes” for fun and even said that “everyone knows it’s not real”. What did China have to worry about? They heavily emphasize education better than most countries. Of course, it’s hard to trust the opinions of children since their cognitive development is growing.
Which leads me to this: you can’t expect children to think for themselves all the time. You can also say that parents don’t think as well. What’s a good solution? Reach out to those parents and children. There should be more of an investment by libraries to help educate everyone. Libraries do make a difference in people’s lives. Also, thinking is different from acting. Just because you think evil thoughts doesn’t NECESSARILY mean that you will carry them out. Some people know better. Don’t punish people for thinking. Instead, just listen to why they’re thinking that way and understand where they’re coming from. Hell, there are a few people I wish suffered, but I’m not going to actually make them suffer because it will hurt people around me & I have more important things to worry about.
I think Death Note is one of the more unique franchises I have seen and the popularity it has amassed is astounding. Of course, I have met some really crazy fans and I believe that some of these fans shouldn’t be watching that series. Any responsible adult should understand that every child will go through phases of confusion & tribulations. Most of us were like that once. Why can’t we use our youth experiences to help define other children’s lives in a balanced way?
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Kazuma Mikura from Air Gear
Well, it’s about time I did an entry on one of my personal favorite characters, Kazuma “Kazu” Mikura from the series, Air Gear.
For those who don’t know who Kazu is, he is a recurring & major character and the 2nd-in-command of Kogarasumaru, a Air Treck-riding team trying to win the Gram Scale Tournament. Kazu is your typical teenager, hanging out with friends and having fun. He is somewhat timid and introverted, but as of late, he’s beginning to show a lot of confidence since he is the incumbent Flame King of the Flame Road.
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Sasuke Uchiha - Naruto
I’m gonna start things off with a bang with a feature on one of Shonen Jump’s most popular characters, Uchiha Sasuke from Masashi Kishiomoto’s “Naruto”!
Where should I start when it comes to Sasuke? (WARNING: Massive spoilers ahead for those who aren’t up-to-date with the Naruto manga) Hmmm, let’s see: he’s angry, depressed, & somewhat antisocial. Sasuke is one of the last members of the Uchiha clan, a once-prominent ninja clan in the village of Konoha. He originally was a protagonist along with the main character, Uzumaki Naruto. As the story moves on, Sasuke eventually jumps over to the dark side by associating himself with terrorist ninjas to further his own ambitions. Along the way, he runs into his brother, Uchiha Itachi. Itachi is a runaway ninja who actually killed Sasuke’s parents at a young age and the ENTIRE Uchiha clan. In essence, he basically was the source of Sasuke’s rage. They eventually have a final confrontation, where Itachi ends up being killed by Sasuke himself. Sasuke then learns the truth about Itachi and the destruction of the Uchiha clan from Madara Uchiha, another survivor of the Uchiha clan & a major antagonist. After learning that Itachi actually loved him, Sasuke now focuses his goal on one thing & one thing only: the complete destruction of Konoha.
Part of the circumstances that led to Sasuke’s personality is primarily because of society enforcing their wills among people. In a sense, certain countries/families/groups have those guidelines too. That you have to do this, you have to do that. Honor is prized above anything else. The Uchiha clan was known to be a powerful clan. You had to do well in everything, though Konoha also enforced the same ideals. Kids go through that pressure a lot in certain societies. It is tough for a child to be bred in an strict environment at times. Sasuke was the “strongest ninja” in the beginning, but as the story went on, Naruto began to outclass him in every way. He began to be obsessed with becoming strong because of the pressure of being a Uchiha. You can compare that to when a parent compares you to another child. You get sad and feel as if you really disappointed them. As a result, you become desperate to live up to their standards.
Itachi decided to kill the entire Uchiha clan in order to prevent an all-out war between Madara & Konoha. He did not kill Sasuke however, due to the fact that he couldn’t bring himself to kill him. Itachi told Sasuke to hate him & despise him and by that way, he can become stronger. As a result, Sasuke begun to develop feelings of doubt and insecurity. He probably wondered “Why me?”, “How could this have happened?”, etc. That led to Sasuke living completely the opposite of how he wanted to live. Instead of being driven by happiness, he became driven by hate. Sasuke began to ignore the people around him, including Naruto, Sakura (a female classmate), and Kakashi (his original ninja master). You can say he was probably scared of losing them the same way he lost his parents. The fear of attachment can bring people down and can cause them to be outcasts.
Unfortunately now, he’s become a complete lunatic, placing destruction over his own life. Who can you blame for his new outlook? Itachi? Well, he was under orders. But he didn’t give the best motivational advice in the world. There are other ways to become strong. Madara, for manipulating Sasuke to the point that blind revenge is the answer? It’s hard to say that Sasuke can’t blame himself in this situation due to the circumstances. However, there is one thing I do like to note.
In the beginning, Sasuke began to like being around Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. He began to develop feelings of friendship before slowly plunging himself into darkness. In the most recent chapter of Naruto, Sasuke sees a vision of his former Konoha classmates laughing. He makes note of this saying, “THEY’RE LAUGHING BECAUSE THEY KNOW NOTHING!” It’s a frustration that a lot of depressed people go through. They tend to interpret most positive situations into negative situations for unknown reasons. I mean, Itachi WANTED Sasuke to kill him because he knew he was such a terrible brother & person for what he did. When he learned the truth about Itachi, Sasuke should’ve realized that a huge weight was lift off his shoulders, but instead, he focused his rage at somewhere else instead of really thinking things through. Thanks to Madara, he was manipulated even further. Sasuke earlier had doubts about Itachi’s motives, so why didn’t he question Madara’s motives (even Madara directly told Sasuke that Itachi did not want Madara & Sasuke to get in contact with each other)? Simple. It’s easier to blame the entire source behind it all: Konoha. Sasuke’s hot-headed pride allowed Madara to get into his mind and manipulate him ever further.
Being hot-headed is a common flaw that we human beings sometimes have. We tend to let rage get the best of us. Sasuke’s the best example of it. It has made him make bad decisions and bad alliances with people he shouldn’t be hanging around with. Did anyone really comfort him after the whole Clan died? No one took initiative whatsoever. It highlights the harsh reality of the ninja world. Their cruel & harsh standards have created a monster. The real world today, we can create monsters out of people through what what we perceive as normal and righteous. People want to be noticed while forgetting about others and leaving them to dry. In return, those who are neglected go through a spiral of chaos that they may never recover from.
Well, I hope you like my first entry. Feel free to comment with CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Seriously, no weeaboo/otaku talk. I want this to be as serious. Feel free to point out anything I may have missed or any other observations about Sasuke. SEE YA!
