Simms - The Supernatural and The Samurai

Kagero

Ninja Scroll had a much bigger focus on the supernatural than the previous film. In this story, those who possessed any magical or supernatural powers were the antagonists, especially seen in the ninja team: Devils of Kimon. Magic in Ninja Scroll was not used with good intentions. Those with supernatural powers also represented certain vices, such as greed, lust, and jealousy. I think these ties in with the Shinto belief that deities, or kami, could even be human emotions or abstract concepts. It was interesting to see Japanese history and mythology that was reflected. 

I also felt as if the samurai and ninjas in the film weren’t really given the chance to be their own people, which led to some of the rebellion seen in some of the characters. Jubei had to go against his clan when his lord and companions betrayed him. Everything the ninjas and samurai did was under the orders of someone else. A team of Mochizuki Koga ninjas are murdered and their lord did not go to any great lengths to avenge them. Kagero was sent on a dangerous mission by the leader of her clan, and in the end nothing was done to assist her. It sort of shows that the main characters of the film have others above them that don’t put much worth in the lives of their followers.

Even though, the Shogun of the Dark is never seen onscreen, he still plays a pivotal role in the story. The Devils of Kimon are apparently committing their crimes under his order. His rank allows him to have many people under his command, so instead of getting involved in the missions himself he can be the ringleader of everything. There is a sense of mystery kept around the Shogun through the majority of the film.

I definitely think that women played a bigger and more powerful role in Ninja Scroll than in Akira. I think that there was a better balance. It wasn’t just Jubei saving Kagero throughout the movie; she saved him in many instances. Kagero had character development and a purpose to the story just like the other male leads. 

Simms - Akira's Effect on Neo-Tokyo

The movie Akira follows the theme that a corrupt city is made that way by the people who manage it. It plays on the fear that the government is involved in projects that have the potential to harm those that they are supposed to be governing. The citizens in Neo-Tokyo don’t seem to feel the need to follow a government that cannot do its duty to the people. There are no respectable political figures in the movie, and even the military is treading on dangerous ground that has the potential to harm more than just one person. The military’s genetic experiments within the story were led by individuals who did not seem to care that their work was hurting the people that they were testing them on and that necessary precautions must be taken when an experiment is being pushed that far. Then there are also the ethical ramifications. Even if Tetsuo would have agreed to the experiments, would it have been right to put that much power in the hands of a child?

I feel as if Tetsuo’s final transformation reflects how power has the ability to corrupt a person completely. Tetsuo was unstable before the experiments began and the consuming power didn’t do anything to improve that state. The power that he was given not only changed his personality, but it also had a very damaging effect on him physically. In the end, he’s completely unrecognizable from the person he was in the beginning of the film.

I think that one of the most interesting things about the character Akira was the different reactions that he inspired from the people in Neo-Tokyo. Akira was kept a mystery for most of the movie so the only explanation of what he was is hinted throughout the film by other characters, and even then the viewers are not given a complete clarification. The government saw Akira as something that should be feared, experimented on, and considered dangerous. They created Akira, but at the same time they were the ones that tore him apart. However, the citizens within Tokyo seemed to see Akira as a savior from a corrupt government. To them, Akira is a sign of rebellion that can be used to support their cause. 

Akira?

Simms - Introduction

I'm Destiny Simms, a Psychology major here at Loyola. I’m considering continuing my studies after Loyola in a counseling program. I work in the office for the Department of Languages and Cultures and plan on trying to stay there for my work study. I've moved around Louisiana most of my childhood but I spent most of it in New Orleans. I have way too many books to read and my desk in my dorm room is covered in them, but at the moment I'm reading the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes. I've been to Disney World fifteen times because my family loves going there and I don’t think that it will stop any time soon. Other than those vacations my family sometimes travels to different states throughout the United States. One of my ambitions in life is to have the chance to travel to different countries and learn as much as I can. I think other cultures can be fascinating and I would love to learn about the languages in those countries. I’m hoping that while I’m at Loyola I have the chance to study abroad more than once. I have a sister who is ten years younger than me and is still confused about why I’m going to college. I started watching anime as a first year in high school because a friend of mine finally convinced me to watch one, and soon I was hooked. The first one I watched was Death Note and I thought it was amazing. However, my favorite anime and manga series of all time would have to be Full Metal Alchemist.  I thought the characters in it were interesting and the storyline was really complex and entertaining. I ended up attending the anime convention that took place in New Orleans and I really enjoyed it. I hope that I can find a way to attend the one that is taking place this upcoming fall. Since I got to Loyola I really haven’t had the time to watch anime as much as I use to, so I hope this class gives me the chance to watch more. 

Lan Fan