Menu

Psychological

yuri kuma arashi review

Yuri Kuma Arashi

/ , , , , / , , , / 0 Comments

Alternate Titles: Yuri Kuma, Love Bullet Yuri Kuma

Review by Chiaki

Embark on a bizarre, seemingly nonsensical visual journey and come out on the other side with a depth of commentary rooted in symbolism.

Here’s the problem with symbolism: everyone can see something different, or nothing at all. It’s that frustrating debate that happens around art that I’m reminded of the age old “if a tree falls.” If the audience doesn’t understand the symbolism, does that make it not real? If the audience sees symbolism that the creator didn’t intend does that make it superficial?

There’s no one answer to these questions. Personally, I think that the truth lies somewhere between the artist’s interpretation and the audience’s reception. I think that the artist can make thoughtful decisions and that has as much merit as what people see in it.

So, let’s start there. Yuri Kuma is directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara who was also behind Revolutionary Girl Utena and Mawaru Penguindrum. Looking at his body of work, he’s a creator who has something to say about love, sexuality, and the world society constructs for those things along with how that world intersects with the individual’s world.

That alone is kind of bold, when you think about it. A Japanese man talking about sexuality and the system in a very frank and real way. Yuri Kuma fits in snugly with this body of work, contributing its own perspective – unsurprisingly given the title – focusing on lesbians.

The story is part fantasy, part fairy tale, part insanity, in equal measure. It takes place in a world where “bears” and “humans” are at odds and they are separated by the “wall of severance.” Sworn enemies, they fight whenever they come into contact with each other.  Our heroine, Kureha, lost her mother to a bear attack. However, as bears cross the wall an infiltrate her all-girls school she ends up learning deeper truths about her past and the society.

The thing I think most anime viewers will struggle with when it comes to Yuri Kuma is the same thing that I think the same barrier almost all of Ikuharas’s work has. Where many anime thrive on plot, or characters, Yuri Kuma thrives on ideas, messages, and metaphor. The story and its players are vessels for the message Ikuhara wants to give, so approaching Yuri Kuma from a “plot” perspective is almost a disservice to Ikuhara’s work.

The central conflict evolves from believing in love despite the pressures to be invisible and conform in society. At the start of the series we’re presented with the following:

“Can’t Follow Societal Cues = Evil = Bear”

And then the classroom continues their discussion on how people who don’t follow societies rules are caught up in the “invisible storm” that we later find out is quite literally everyone else. The Invisible Storm serves two functions as presented in the anime. The first is to force people to be invisible once more through force. The second is to strengthen the community:

“The ritual of banding together to exclude someone makes the invisible connection called “us” feel real to them.”

The classroom takes place in the “human world” so I initially interpreted this to be “straight” and the bears to be “lesbians” but I don’t think this is quite what Ikuhara was intending. The reason why I changed this is because of the lone 3 male characters presented in the anime. There is a “bear court” that operates on behalf of the wall of severance and the “goddess” that oversees this world. They have the names of “sexy” “cool” and “beauty.” Throughout the anime they call characters into question and ask them “if their love is real.”

There are two things I see this court representing. The first is the male gaze. They’re passing judgment on the characters and offer commentary on how something that is “sexy” is approved – much like how men view homosexual women in society.

The other thing I think this court represents that changed my opinion of what the bears represented is specifically the media. By being a part of the wall of severance they’re keeping the bears and the humans apart and judging their interactions. Looking at it from this perspective, I begin to think that they represent the male gaze as told through the media on the perspective of lesbians and how they’re portrayed: that lesbians are either aggressive and sexual (bears) or almost completely devoid of passionate interaction and are “innocent” (humans).

“Only one thing is certain — Desire. Love is a savage emotion. To love someone is to rule them. To want to become one with them so badly that you consume them.”

Operating under this, the ending becomes clearer as it is two people who break this mold and define their love. Through this lens we can see that the “story” (and story meaning Ikuhara conveying his message) has a complete flow and reaches a satisfying conclusion.

All of this being said, you have to be in the mood for an Ikuhara show. And many people aren’t and don’t want to look into these things, or won’t see them. Personally (the final official score is an aggregation of my score and Kazuo’s) I give this anime 4.5/5

[starrater]

aku no hana

Aku no Hana

/ , , , , / , , , / 0 Comments

Where to start with this one… So much to say so I suppose it’s best to just stick to the format…

Alternate Title:

Flowers of Evil

Plot: 

The story centers around Takao Kasuga, a book-worm and generally quiet boy with his small circle of friends and normal social problems that come with shyness surrounding a girl in his class – Nanako Saeki – that he likes.  Likes, may be a little bit of a general term.  He considers her his muse, his angel, perfection embodied, which likely doesn’t help with crippling shyness when it comes to actually talking to her.  One day he forgets his book in the classroom  and goes back to get it and sees Saeki’s gym bag on the floor.  Despite knowing that he shouldn’t do it, he ends up being compelled to touch and look inside the bag, holding Saeki’s gym clothes.  After being startled by a noise he runs out of the room in a mad dash, gym clothes in hand.

The following day the class is a turmoil of whispers and frantic worries about the new “pervert” and “crazy man” who is stealing gym clothes and Kasuga shrinks deeper into his chair.  His last shred of hope is crushed when the class outcast, the weird girl, and delinquent Sawa Nakamura confronts him telling him that she knows what he is, a true pervert, and that she knows about the stolen gym clothes.

Sawa and Kasuga enter into a, blackmail enforced, “contract.”  She explains she wanted to see a true deviant in this boring town and that she will break down his walls to make him flourish as one.

Source:

Aku no Hana is based off an original manga that started running in 2009.  It currently has 8 volumes and is unfinished.  It was written by Shouzou Oshimi.  Oshimi did the story and art for the manga Boku wa Mari no Naka and Drifting Net Cafe.  This anime is currently the only other adaptation for Aku no Hana.

Director:

The director Hiroshi Nagahama has a few other substantial credits to his name.  Including work on Kimi ni Todoke, Revolutionary Girl Utena: the Movie, School Rumble, Now and Then Here and There, and Mushi-Shi.  However, all his work previously excluding Mushi-Shi has been working storyboard.  Mushi-Shi was his first directorial credit.

Studio:

The anime was produced by studio Zexcs who have produced a huge list of titles including, My-HiME, Mushi-shi, Sister Princess, Umi Monogatari, and a fair bit of other things.

Music: 

The music is, intentionally as far as I can tell, sparse throughout the show.  What music is there is incredibly basic and is repeated.  It completely works for the feeling of the show and images, however it is not something that will be winning any awards for its music.  The ending theme is also nearly downright bad IMHO, but again, it’s nails-on-chalkboard esque feeling seems to fit every episode and that overall unnerving feeling the show gives.

Animation:

The animation must be mentioned.  Zexcs used an animation technique called rotoscoping.  This is a process where the animation is drawn over frame by frame over live action footage.

As a result the characters have a very natural movement and even subtle movements of lips, eyes, hands, and hair is captured.  The world is incredibly detailed and everything has a very muted realistic tone.

However, some things are just awful, like water, and make the whole thing look really cheap.

Overall I liked the look of the rotoscoping but I’ve seen some people complain compared to the manga’s animation style.  I think for the realistic feeling of the show it works but it definitely has aspects that will make you hate it.

Review:

Finally, we’re finally here…  If I were to sum up this anime in a singular line it would be, a psychological train wreck that you can’t look away from.

The show starts out to center around the gym clothes but that is only for the first 3-4 episodes that they are the focal point.  The focus eventually shifts to Nakamura and Kasuga and his rapidly failing mental state as a result of her handiwork.  This show is entirely focused on the interpersonal relationships between the characters and psychological stability is the central point.

The only character who I can say is crazy from the onset is Nakamura.  However, Kasuga, and even Saeki has their own share of problems that are only aggravated by their proximity and manipulations of Nakamura.  Kasuga’s insecurities and crippling shyness is made worse by his developing dependence on Nakamura.  Even Saeki’s problems that were previously unseen begin to come out, such as a need for validation.

Overall the pacing of the show is very slow, every episode accomplishes something.  But it works up to two main climaxes, one at the end, and one in the middle at episode 7.  The one at episode 7 is particularly significant as it shows Kasuga’s main break in his mental state.  However, the one at the end – as it should be – is the most significant because it shows where the show will go in the future.

Speaking of the ending, it leaves much to be desired in that it has a minor conclusion/wrap-up of this season but it literally does a “part one of two” splash page.  And, after being compelled to watch the manga, the show is about to really start.  The entire first episode was simply a set up for where the characters are come the second season.

But, the second season may never come!  Which this combined with the anime overall slowness makes it unworthy of a super high score, despite having some things really, really well done.

A pleasurably painful show to watch.

[starrater]

Load More