OddballGentleman

OddballGentleman

I think animes are too often overlooked as works of artistic & literary merit. Therefore, I write primarily about anime with a strong focus on rhetorical & literary an

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    Latest Articles

    Latest Topics

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    Virtual Reality in Anime

    I know that there are a number of VR anime out there; Accel World, .Hack, and Sword Art Online are probably the most well known. I’ve not seen a lot of VR anime, but it strikes me that there are many commonalities among them, first and foremost getting stuck inside them. It would be interesting to look at VR in Anime as a trend and a genre, and to explore how it reflects Japanese cultural perceptions of VR. It could also be interesting to draw a parallel or contrast to Western cultural perceptions on the same subject.

    • If you're going to do a comparison to western takes on the trope, one YA novel I heartily recommend is "Heir Apparent". – Winter 9 years ago
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    • I've actually read "Heir Apparent", although it was a few years ago now. That also draws upon the idea of being stuck in a virtual reality game. It's certainly worth the read. Another good comparison to make, though maybe a tad obvious, would be to the Matrix. – OddballGentleman 9 years ago
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    • Comparing movies such as "Inception" and "The Matrix Trilogy" with anime such as "Paprika" and "The Animatrix" would be an idea. Although this could also become a topic on VR portrayed in live action movies versus anime. – Quill 9 years ago
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    • The latest one is Overlord. I quite like it. It is about VR where the main gets stuck in the game and all the NPCs get come to life and start moving and thinking by their own liked. I personally quite enjoy anime that revolve around VRs. (ps, SAO II after the GGO arc, it got TOOOOOO bad... imo) – mekakushimegane 9 years ago
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    Latest Comments

    OddballGentleman

    I’m pretty sure you actually have it right. The point of this show is to challenge our underlying assumptions about ethics. Kogami is out for revenge, and to many he seems justified because Makishima killed his friend in cold blood and completely did not regret it. Most of us would agree that Makishima was wrong to do this, but a deeper look suggests that maybe Makishima is justified in his killings because of the result he is trying to achieve, the liberation of society from Sybil. Although, whether that is a desirable result is also up for debate.
    I do agree that it would have been nice to have Kogami stand for a little more than revenge in the end of the season 1, but I’m not sure it would have worked any other way. That was Kogami’s role, and while it is a little unsatisfying, it maintains the thematic integrity of the show.

    Psycho-Pass: The Ethics of an "Ideal" Society
    OddballGentleman

    Thank you for your comments! I think one of the reasons I really liked this story as a dystopia is because of its consistency in how dispassionate the Sybil System is. It is a system that does not care about the individuals but cares a lot about society as a whole. There is a lack of animosity in system that I appreciate.

    Psycho-Pass: The Ethics of an "Ideal" Society
    OddballGentleman

    Thank you for your comments.
    To explain my connection of Kogami with Hammurabi’s Code, which I maybe didn’t articulate quite as I intended: Kogami personally rejects Sybil’s utilitarian justice in the context of his own actions. Basically, he decides that those rules do not apply to him. However, I would agree that he does not desire or advocate for Hammurabi’s ideals of justice in society, which is why he continues to act as an enforcer. He makes no rebellion against the system when it comes to others; when it is him, though, he ignores it.

    Psycho-Pass: The Ethics of an "Ideal" Society
    OddballGentleman

    He wouldn’t be a worthwhile villain if you didn’t. Although, if you approve of his methods, then that might be cause for concern.

    Psycho-Pass: The Ethics of an "Ideal" Society
    OddballGentleman

    Personally, my favourite is the opening to Steins;Gate. However, I think Future Diary and Pumpkin Scissors deserve a mention for their openings.

    Psycho-Pass: The Ethics of an "Ideal" Society
    OddballGentleman

    It is similar to 1984, but I think there’s one pretty clear difference; in Psycho-Pass, there is genuine moral ambiguity around the justification of the system, because the vast majority is happy under it, whereas the society of 1984 is clearly just selfish and terrible. Psycho-Pass raises questions while 1984 just makes a point.

    Psycho-Pass: The Ethics of an "Ideal" Society
    OddballGentleman

    I think the show suffers from being too technical, in that each of the characters is first and foremost a literary device, and only secondarily a character. In order for each character to have the most effect as a device, their characters were maybe simplified and made more generic than is really good. However, if one can look past that by focusing on the society and the philosophical issues, I think it’s not a huge problem.
    I totally agree about Makishima though. That guy really makes the show.

    Psycho-Pass: The Ethics of an "Ideal" Society
    OddballGentleman

    I’ve never seen minority report, but considering how often the two are compared, I believe that they are reasonably similar in certain respects.

    Psycho-Pass: The Ethics of an "Ideal" Society