Blog-IT-o ergo sum

	6/23/2004

Astro Boy vs. Gaia - Fun with Global Politics through Anime

evilgaia If you are 40 something you might remember the really first Japanese anime shows to hit the United States back in the 60's; Astro Boy and Kimba in the US / Mighty Atom and Leo in the original Japanese. (Kimba is the one that Disney ripped off for the Lion King and was sued over.)

We were alerted by Machiko's friend Akiko that at the massive Kyoto Station entertainment and shopping complex there was a special exhibition going on to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Atom. His creator Tezuka, Osamu grew up in the Kyoto area during WWII.

There were photo ops with characters, numerous trademarked gifts of course and a 15-minute "new" Atom anime. Like so many things that seem to get mixed up or confused in being converted to a Japanese worldview, I found the movie clip fascinating. The basic plot is this:

Sometime in a post-apocalyptic future a young boy running from hunter robots stumbles into the Metro (Tokyo) Museum. During the chase the still intact holding chamber with Mighty Atom the robot boy entombed within is knocked over and he is brought out of his sleep mode just in time to save the young boy from his pursuers. The young boy takes Atom onboard to his grandfather's secret submarine hideout. There, Atom learns the fate of mankind; In approximately what is the near future for us today scientists (working under government grants) created a grand central computer, which was given the passwords to control all the computers on the planet. This was being done to make the world more peaceful and environmentally friendly of course but something (shock) goes dreadfully wrong.

The central computer known as Gaia (no coincidence there I am sure) comes to the conclusion that mankind is the greatest threat to the environment and decides to use the world's automated factories to build a robot army to subdue humans with. We are treated to a quick historical series of anime stills with SS looking robots herding families into buses followed by depictions of rockets full of humans being launched off into space...destination unspecified. (BTW -along the way in this process Gaia projects "herself" to humans as a hot looking anime babe. You can catch of shot of her in the movie promo above next to Atom.)

Luckily for us, Grandfather who was the director of the Ministry of Science which created Gaia has developed a heart circuit for Gaia (similar to the one he developed in building Atom "long-ago" in 2003). The circuit will give Gaia the ability to empathize with humans and love them. (Where can I get one of these?)

With Atom's help busting up a few dozens robot guards to get through to her lair, Grandfather gains an audience with Gaia where he pleads with her to take the circuit and repent. "And while you are thinking, oh, by the way did I mention the self-destruct program I wrote into you as a precaution for a showdown time such as this. If you don't accept my offer it will activate and destroy you, the entire world's computer network and most of what is left of the planet along with it."

Gaia laughs her evil laugh, stamps the circuit into pieces and chooses self-destruction. Things start to blow up and that is when Atom wakes up from his nightmare. Its 2020 or so again and Grandfather has just walked into the room to rouse Atom from his sleep so that he will not be late for the big celebration being planned for the first start up of the new grand central computer Gaia --- dun dun da!

Now, Tezuka Productions that put this movie short out does have marketing agreements with Sony Pictures so I don't know who exactly came up with the idea of casting a female computer named Gaia as the greatest threat to human life on the planet, but as a member of The John Birch Society I applaud them for their insight intended or not. You would not see Ted Turner who helped his then wife Jane Fonda create the Captain Planet -Gaia hagiography/cartoon approving this one. Come to think of it maybe this is Sony stepping in to tweak the nose of someone at Time-Warner.

Seeing Gaia depicted as a evil entity to be avoided was a highlight of my trip. Though the scriptwriter may be only saying Gaia needs to be designed more carefully, I give the anime a thumbs up.

In case you think I am overstepping on interpretation here let me mention briefly a few key metaphors in the Japanese Gozilla series to highlight the liberties Japanese scriptwriters have used in interpreting global politics:

Godzilla - fearsome creature from out of the ocean that comes at first to destroy Japan but later becomes Japan's ally in fighting off other monsters...though often clumsily and at great cost to Japanese infrastructure. Strong consensus we are talking Godzilla = USA. (Interesting that Godzilla has been killed off a couple of times but has always made it back even if only as Gozilla Junior.)

Ghidorah - arch rival of Godzilla. Depicted as dragon like creature - metaphor for China?

UNGCC - United Nations Godzilla Countermeasures Center. Entity charged with keeping Godzilla tamed and in check. No interpretation required.

8:01:07 PM

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Love Beer?

lovebeer

Sapporo draft is the Japanese beer that I love. I would have enjoyed more of it if not for the almost uniform across the land cost of $5 a mug. I am sure the traditional sake brewers have some impact on this just as the green tea growers do on the $4 cups of coffee with no refills.

(Note: at $12 a six pack in grocery stores, beer is definitely not an index to use for determining the yen/dollar rate.)

4:55:45 PM

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Drawback to unconditional surrender

welfaresign

You have to point Americans to the welfare hall.

That is a rare Ford van you see there.

4:46:30 PM

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