Forum - View topicNEWS: Director Miyazaki Criticizes Prime Minister Asō
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vashfanatic
 Posts: 3489 Location: Back stateside |
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These are two separate criticisms: 1) That the leader of a country shouldn't make his hobbies a part of his public persona, and that using anime and manga as a means of PR for Japan is a bad idea (it is, seriously; you're not going to get a real depiction of any society from its entertainment). 2) PM Aso is a nationalist, who has gone on the record saying positive things about the occupation of Korea and Taiwan, etc. (Nationalism is not the same thing patriotism) And yeah, Miyazaki's kind of a Luddite, if by that you mean that he considers industrialism and warfare to be destructive to nature and society, and that if we all went back to living simpler lives, we'd be happier and healthier. Not so bad an idea, really... |
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Mohawk52
 Posts: 8202 Location: England, UK |
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GATSU
Posts: 15306 |
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Mohawk:
Tell that to the Boomers who voted Nixon, Reagan, and Bush II. 
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Chiaki777
 Posts: 65 Location: Bay Area, California |
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They're both moralist nut bags, so I can't really say much on either of them.
All I say is, Japanese youth could use a sense of nationalism, and regrading Miyazaki's comments on the war, we're no longer in the 1930s. A healthy promotion of both nationalism and peace should be healthy. Further stating, Aso makes selling media a major ploy in his campaigns, that's fine, for if we blamed him for using popular media, we'd be blaming Obama for using the Internet to the fullest extent to gather support. Aso's conservative and xenophobic public policy is what should be under fire, not his otaku habits. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15306 |
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Chiaki:
The problem is nationalists don't want peace. 
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vashfanatic
Posts: 3489 Location: Back stateside |
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Exactly! There's a difference between nationalism and patriotism. Pride in your country is one thing; overlooking its history to paint a pretty picture is another. Forget about war crimes committed overseas, what the Japanese themselves went through in WW2 can never happen again. |
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Tyrenol
Posts: 398 Location: Northern California |
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Wow! That was quick!
A well known animation director calls out a prime minister, and someone calls him a "communist." And last I checked, the last "communist" became the president of the United States. Did NOBODY spent time in Russia and China before saying that? Back to business: I think Hayao's right in (inadvertantly) saying that it's a wrong idea to "nationalize" anime and manga. I been through the dark side of this stagnated and redundant "larson Larson LARSON" of an industry. The last thing we need is for PM Aso to have his grubby political hands on it. With that being said; Hayao still needs to make peace with his son. And Funimation should license, dub, and release Strike Witches. (Negima Spring & Summer Special. They have no excuse.) |
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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YOU most certainly didn't if you have the balls to say that. Well, at least I know which side of the political ticket said this one
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yojimboray
Posts: 108 |
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What's up with all the attacks on Miyazaki? He is absolutely right- Do you really want your country's leader telling the world how much he adores comic books? I enjoy manga and anime but if you want to be taken seriously in the adult world, you don't try to discuss the latest Naruto storyline with your boss or associates!
Lastly, I think it's courageous for Miyazaki to call out his own country for taking nationalism too far- he is old enough to have witnessed the consequences of what happened the last time ultra-nationalism went unchecked. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15306 |
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yojimbo:
Well...
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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So did my grandma but she has moved on in life. I don't know how this is going too far. Since when can a leader not talk about his hobbies? And what's wrong with promoting it? They're not shoving it down anybody's throats, gee whiz. It's actually a pretty good time to promote it now, especially with the economy going the way it is. |
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yojimboray
Posts: 108 |
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The manga bickering... not a big deal. In fact, I think it's kind of entertaining. But the nationalism stuff is pretty serious. It is not a good thing if Japan forgets or ignores the pain it inflicted and the pain it endured 65 years ago. |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Also, there is a point where talking about/promoting your hobby goes so far as to seem like pandering. It's debatable whether that's the case here but it is certainly possible.
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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I tend to disagree with that. If people aren't willing to move on and hold grudges forever for something that was committed over half a century ago, then they move back to the same spot as when the war just ended. I'm not saying that we should forget the war entirely, but some of these people have taken things about the war entirely out of context. I'm not one who can say about the experiences of it, but I know several people who were there. They have moved on. |
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mufurc
 Posts: 612 |
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Getting stuck in the past is not a good thing but forgetting what happened along with its significance is not any bettter. In case of Japan, yes, they shouldn't get bogged down in what happened half a century ago, but they shouldn't just wave it away either, saying that it was a long time ago and it's not relevant anymore. Especially with people, even pretty high ranked people trying to whitewash the past. It's important that people know the truth, learn from it and deal with it and then move on. |
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