Sathyajith Shaji Manthanth

A student of history and social sciences who also has an interest in understanding how we as beings wonder and wander in a mortal world.

Contributor I

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Latest Articles

Latest Topics

7

Ambigous Endings

I'd figure that an analysis on ambiguous ends in literature seems to warrant some serious thought.I'd like somebody to write about the psychology related to an open-ended plot..Movies could do as well.Anime is also an option

  • Do you have specific works in mind? Choosing some might help anchor the topic. – Stephanie M. 7 years ago
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  • Before We Go is a great movie with an ambiguous ending. – Munjeera 7 years ago
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  • Like the ending in Kidnapped or David Copperfield? – RedFlame2000 7 years ago
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  • Looks good under the topic of writing as the discussion could be the value of an ambiguous ending using various examples of how it works in various mediums. – Munjeera 7 years ago
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  • Before We Go is a Chris Evans movie about two people who meet in New York. He is on his way to connect us with the love of his life who has become an old flame and she is deciding to end her marriage. I can't say the ending because it will be a spoiler but the ending is ambiguous. Unusual for a romantic comedy. – Munjeera 7 years ago
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  • An ambiguous ending to a novel will undoubtedly leave open the window to future renditions. Even in a happy-ending scenario, there is potential for reversal of fortune (leading to another compilation). There is always the possibility that the reader massaged the original plot into a flavor consistent to their unique palate; one the author could conceivably exploit into several more chapters, or sequels. An unresolved ending builds the kind of tension and momentum that brings loyal readership back to the watering hole, so to speak. That is not to say that critics won't take notice either, for ambiguity fuels their ire as well. – lofreire 7 years ago
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  • Damn! You beat me to it. I was going to suggest a very similar topic. On a personal note, I rather enjoy ambiguous endings or those that credit the audience with enough intelligence to work things out for themselves. We are all too often given spoon-fed answers that discourage us from thinking...and we are a thinking species after all! – Amyus 7 years ago
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  • Are ambiguous endings sometimes done so as to leave the way open for a sequel? Or it can be a sci-fi device... – JudyPeters 7 years ago
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6

The Depiction of Nazis in Anime

The NSDAP under Hitler is rightfully considered to be one of the most terrible regimes in modern history. Thus, it is unsurprising that regimes like the Nazis are depicted throughout mediums including anime notably Amnestris in Full Metal Alchemist, the Empire in the Saga of Tanya the Evil, Gamilas in Star Blazers and the Principality of Zeon in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. Are these regimes merely similar in form (with titles such as Fuhrer, Supreme Leader or uniforms mimicking the SS ? Or are they similar in essence as well with regards to ideology? It would also be interesting to examine the depictions of characters in Adolf Hitlers mold both in these anime and others.

  • You could also mention the Nazis from Hellsing:Ultimate. The Major especially...that speech he gives where he says "Friends, I LOVE war" is chilling. – OkaNaimo0819 4 years ago
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  • I second looking into Hellsing Ultimate because the depiction of their ideology is interesting and a little mixed, especially when going against the Hellsing Organization (Anglican England) and the Catholic Church. Though they are depicted as unambiguously evil, which makes sense, it seems like their motives are more about war (the Major's speech) and defeating Alucard rather than perpetuating fascism and anti-Semitism/the killing of specific groups, which aren't brought up much with the exception of mentioning the teeth and items stolen from Jewish people killed in the camps. I'd be interested to see how it compares to other animes. – Emily Deibler 4 years ago
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  • I feel like some of the fondness for Nazis in anime is an attempt to deflect attention away from war crimes perpetrated by the Japanese during World War II. In other words, they're fine talking about atrocities committed by others as long as they don't have to fess up to their own. – Debs 4 years ago
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The Military in Anime

Japan has an ambivalent relationship with the military with the necessity of militarisation due to its proximity to hostile powers and trying to master its dark militaristic past as a colonial power.Many popular anime such as Full Metal Alchemist and Code Geass depict the military as either conspiratorial or incompetent continuing in the tradition of Miyazaki's movies . On the other hand we have series such as GATE and Star Blazers which are filled to the brim with military characters who are fighting the good fight. Analyse the accuracy of the military tactics, strategy and organizational structure in anime. Does this accuracy increase or decrease with the military's position in D&D Alignment Axis ?

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    The Politics of the Shire

    The author of the Lord of the Rings JRR Tolkien was a traditionalist conservative shaped by both his Catholic beliefs as well as the Anglo-American tradition of conservatism, often traced back to Edmund Burke. Analyze the impacts of his worldview on the polities of the Free Peoples in general and the Shire in particular. A focus on the traditional order of the Shire and its transformation into a planned economy under "Sharkey" would be a good starting point for an article.

    • I've always found the Shire a fascinating place. Tolkien's image of a lush, peaceful, and unmechanized countryside is very fitting for his story, where the industry/mechanization of war threatens much of middle-earth . It also benefit to look at Tolkien's own experience in WW1 at the brutal Battle of the Somme. Tolkien had a brutal/horrible experience, confronting the terrors of modern mechanized warfare. – Sean Gadus 4 years ago
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    • His interaction with linguistics of Germano-Nordic languages may be a topic worth pursuing here too, as he was studying this while writing Lord of the Rings. – J.D. Jankowski 4 years ago
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    The Trolley Problem in The Gone Girl Movie

    The 2008 neo-noir movie puts to light a conflict over different types of ethics; deontological and consequentialist wherein Patrick has to choose between doing the right thing by convention (returning the child to the mother) as opposed to ensuring the child's welfare by allowing the benevolent kidnapper to keep the child. An examination of this moral dilemma in terms of ethics and philosophy would make for interesting reading.

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      The Depiction of Religion In Anime

      Religion is an important orienting concept for societies so it is not surprising that anime has often dealt with it in many different forms. An article examining religion in Attack n Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist and D Gray Man would help provide for exciting reading. One could look at either the depiction of the organisation or religious themes within them.

      • That would be an interesting article. Especially in how Christianity is portrayed (or referenced). – OkaNaimo0819 5 years ago
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      • You might add Avatar: The Last Airbender to that list. Hindu and Buddhist concepts are all over that, not to mention the usage of the elements (I'm not sure what religion that's tied to exactly, but I have seen it in a lot of fantasy/anime-type literature and movies). – Stephanie M. 4 years ago
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      Thematic Analysis of The Death Cure

      There seems to be a lack of critical analysis with regards to the Maze Runner theories, especially with regards to the religious, sociological and political perspectives.

      • This seems too short. It needs to be expanded regarding what theories and what would be addressed. – Joseph Cernik 6 years ago
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      • This will include an analysis of the Biblical references present in the Maze Runner as well as forming a theory of the YA Cycle – RedFlame2000 6 years ago
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      Latest Comments

      I think we are constantly playing out the aftermath of the Romantic moment in all forms of art.

      Alienation in Simon and Garfunkel's Music

      Thank you for that insight. In fact, I feel many mecha anime have undertones of that like Valvrave

      Fafner in the Azure: Identity, Community, and Alienation

      That’s pretty ironic isn’t it ?

      Welcome to Night Vale: More Conservative Than It Seems

      Good to know that I was able to do that.

      Fafner in the Azure: Identity, Community, and Alienation

      Big fan of his in some ways, but Aristotle was right on the money sometimes.

      The Giver: Memory, Meaning and Belonging

      Yes the pacing was very ill thought-out. They should have stuck with Tow Ubukuta from the beginning.

      Fafner in the Azure: Identity, Community, and Alienation

      Yeah, all the pilots are pretty insufficient characters. The second gen is way better.

      Fafner in the Azure: Identity, Community, and Alienation

      Yes, that can be a problem.They redid it a bit for Exodus, which was a definite improvement.

      Fafner in the Azure: Identity, Community, and Alienation