Forum - View topicNieA_7 Discussion *SPOILERS.*
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varmintx
 Posts: 1200 Location: Covington, KY |
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I was shocked, despite its age, to find there aren't any discussion threads for the show, at least not according to my search for "niea." So, I thought I would make one. Rather then beginning with my own opinions, I'll ask questions which might help get the brain juices flowing for those of you who saw it a long time ago.
spoiler[1. What's the significance of NieA not having an antenna? Why could she hear the mothership while the other aliens apparently could not? 2. Why did Mayuko not go to the Gocon? 3. Why does NieA disappear, then just suddenly show up again? 4. Is there a connection between the fireflies of Mayuka's story about her father and the mothership's disappearance? 5. Why does the show leave the fate of the bathhouse, as well as other plot threads, in the air? Would anything change if you knew for sure if it closed or not? 6. Is there any significance to the show ending the way it began with NieA blowing up the roof? ] If you have other things you would like to comment on, other questions or would like to show how much of an idiot I am by actually finding a discussion thread about the show (not one about the desire for a second season) feel free to post what ever you want. |
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indrik
 Posts: 365 Location: yonder |
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It's been a while since I watched this, but it's one of my favorites. I may be sketchy on some details. I tend to take a more philosophical approach to it than some folks think is necessary, so... there it is. Read on at your own peril.
I wonder if NieA actually existed- she seems to be kind of an invisible friend, since the only people who seem to interact with her are (some of) the other aliens and Mayuko. I wonder if she's kind of a construct to help Mayuko deal with losing her parents, trying to get through school and work, and essentially grow up very fast. From that point of view, she doesn't have an antenna because she's not really an alien, she's part of Mayuko. I think the fate of the bathhouse, and really most of the plot points, are secondary to Mayuko coming to grips with life being what it is and getting ready to move on into adulthood. You kind of have the NieA as a representation of the lost childhood, coming and going as she pleases, eating whatever she wants, acting on impulse with the perpetual blush, played against the woman who's running the bath house, who works and worries all the time, as a representation of what Mayuko's in for. If I remember right, the mothership didn't crash, it just kind of showed up one day, bringing all the aliens with it. I think it disappeared, and NieA along with it, because Mayuko didn't need, or maybe realized she couldn't use, the crutch of having NieA to deflect her problems. As to the literal story based why, eh... I dunno either. But the fireflies are one of those things that show up as a symbol of change and moving on, the end of summer, so yes, I think that was deliberate. I don't think there's any real significance to NieA blowing up the roof at the end outside of the idea that things kind of go on regardless, and Mayuko has found her peace with everything going on around her and her new and upcoming responsibilities. Kind of saying, everything's gonna be all right. |
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varmintx
Posts: 1200 Location: Covington, KY |
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I'm sorry if I wasn't clear enough, but I made questions about specifics of the show just to help remind people because it is an old show. My intention was to start a "philosophical" discussion, or more precisely what the artists' point-of-view is. I don't care that much about the "literal story" either.
NieA interacts with others, so she exists, but I think you're right about her representing Mayuka's childhood or at least she is the antithesis of Mayuka's current situation and thus reminds Mayuka that she did not have that childhood. This obviously leads to your other comments about Mayuka entering adulthood. I'll wait to see if anyone else posts to comment on the rest. |
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DKL
 Posts: 1945 Location: California, USA |
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spoiler[I think it’s because she’s an “Under.” It’s kinda like a ranking system… and that this is the most obvious sign that people (aliens, I mean) are “under” if they don’t have antennas. Which means that people (aliens) can tell you’re ranking just by looking at you. As for her hearing the mothership... I think it was supposed to be a coincidence. ALSO, there was a focus on the fact that, even though she didn't have an antenna, she was somehow able to hear the mother ship's call, while others couldn't. This was the final conflict for NieA, in that, she was somehow special even though all her life, she made herself out to be an "under." Like... uhh.... "how come I can hear this? what does this say about my real place in the world?" Or something like that.]
spoiler[You mean why she didn’t go out with those girls? She was too worried that she didn’t have flashy enough clothes to go out with them; she was concern over the fact that she was poor and very ordinary-looking.]
spoiler[I think she went out looking to confirm if the mother ship had really gone or not… or to reflect on life... or both... At least, that’s how I remember it (I’m not sure).]
Okay… let me try to explain this in the most none abstract way possible (I’m not good at that). spoiler[The thing about the fireflies is… I can’t remember right now. BUT, I’m a little aware that the disappearance of the mother ship and NieA’s sudden disappearance was linked up by the director. You see, for the longest time, Mayuko has had NieA around and she has gotten use to this. But when she suddenly disappeared, she felt empty for some reason; this is somehow related to the mother ship’s disappearance (on an “idea” level) in that it’s been there for the longest time, but it suddenly disappeared.] Yeah… if you think about it like that, it makes sense.
spoiler[Because… well, so it can be open ended and that you know that life goes on even if we are not there to see it.]
spoiler[If the show started like that, it’d be funny for it to end like that.] =========== Okay… yeah… this was a really good way to go about asking things given that it was very specific and very clear; good thread. I wish I could've been more help, but it's been a while since I saw this and I literally can't remember some stuff anymore. BUT... the adulthood thing, I'm not so sure about it given that I thought the series was more about dealing with being... you know, poor. Also, there's this theme of fitting in culture or something... but yeah, there's those social issue thingies. A nice little contrast though is that, while Mayuko is poor, she actually doesn't have to deal with the same social problems that NieA faces (in that there is this kinda invisible social structure the aliens have which seems to be more maginified than what the humans have *well, humans in Japan, at least*). Okay... let me put it this way: Mayuko is always worried about stuff (being poor), even though she doesn't really have to worry about it. On the other hand, NieA actually faces this social caste thingy, but doesn't really care about it. ... Yeah, I think that's how I remember it. I like Takuya Sato (the dude who directed)... does an excellent (and surprisingly more understated) job with Strawberry Marshmallow... At least... I think it was him. |
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indrik
Posts: 365 Location: yonder |
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^^;
Does she? Like I said, it's been a while, but I don't remember any of the adults talking to her. I remember them asking about her, but not talking to her. I might have inserted that into my own brain to make it fit my own interpretation, though. Like when they went looking for oil in the alien crater, I thought she was along, and ate all the food, but that the other adult (the handyman guy) didn't actually talk to NieA. This sounds like an excuse to go watch it again. |
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varmintx
Posts: 1200 Location: Covington, KY |
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Yes, go watch it again. It's only 13 episodes, so everyone go watch it again. This forum needs at least one good NieA discussion.
Takuya Sato did the script and is one of the directors, but Tomokazu Tokoro is the chief director. I got this show because of his work on Haibane-Renmei. |
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DKL
Posts: 1945 Location: California, USA |
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Wait a minute... I'm pretty sure it said he supervised the thing on the DVD...
Yeah, I'm not sure. ... Okay, just checked... yeah, it says on the back of the DVD case that he directed and wrote the thing. I dunno... that's what it says on the DVD. |
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HellKorn
Posts: 1669 Location: Columbus, OH |
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spoiler[It's a sense of "othering" with her not having an antenna like the other aliens; tagging her as someone "unworthy" or "under" them (couldn't resist the pun). It basically tackles a slight issue on race, I guess.]
spoiler[DKL already answered it, but for backing him up it was simply because she felt she wasn't appealing or attractive enough to hang out with them.]
spoiler[NieA apparently found the answers that she was looking for.]
It's been a few good months since I've watched it, so I'm afraid I can't give you an answer there.
[/spoiler]It's a slice-of-life anime and it wasn't ever about solving the big questions in life, to say the least. Basically things will continue to go on in spite of what you do, so make best with the time you have now and enjoy yourself.[/spoiler]
spoiler[You ever hear of bringing things full circle? Ya know, matching up one event at the beginning of the story to the end? There you go.]
You forget that other aliens talked and physically interacted with NieA (man, those meetings were absolutely delightful), so she certainly does exist. As for any other points I'd like to bring up, I found it interesting how there was also commentary on spoiler[the growing lack of desire and attention to Japan's tradition. For example, the bathhouse is about as traditional as you can get nowadays, and for much of the series they struggled to bring in costumers. This was a theme also brought up and focused on in other ABe-character-designed shown, Serial Experiments Lain, though not as clear and well done as NieA_7, in my opinion.] |
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varmintx
Posts: 1200 Location: Covington, KY |
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Okay, so starting with questions wasn’t the greatest idea in the world; it’s my first discussion thread, so give me a mulligan. I've given the thread some time to sit; since it looks like no one else is going to post, I'll give my critique. I have broken them up into different themes, but notice that they’re all connected. I have some events in the show representing more than one thing.
Class/Race The aliens have a regimented caste system. The aliens in the show are modeled after different races: Chinese, Indian and American. Humans obviously have a class system as well. Mayuka is poor and cannot afford the nice clothes and electronics that her friend Chiaki has. She can’t go to the Go-Con because of the pressure of not being in that social class. NieA and Mayuka are at the bottom of their class systems. Mayuka cares about her status, NieA doesn't. Between the two, a certain balance is made, but more on that later. The idea of class distinction comes to a head when Mayuka tries to report NieA's disappearance, and she is informed that due to her status, NieA doesn't legally exist. Also, though it is just getting started at the beginning of the show, you get to see the European-themed restaurant already start to prosper by the show’s end. On the other hand, the traditional Japanese bathhouse is in decline. It doesn’t really matter if it closes completely or not, it will never be as significant as it once was. Given the ethnocentricity of the Japanese, these are rather important things to consider. There could also be some commentary about lazy, spoiled Americans vs. the hard-working Japanese, but being an American, I’m going to be lazy and just ignore that. Reality vs. Fantasy There is juxtaposition between the off-the-wall aliens and the somber Mayuka. Her life is very relatable for most—working hard, talking with friends and generally eking out a meager existence. When NieA is around however, things get crazy. The precocious alien is a reminder of how mundane her life is. This is a source of frustration, but when NieA disappears, it leaves this emptiness in her life. Notice how things are much more toned-down during those episodes, and then in the last episode, wackiness ensues yet again culminating in the (re)destruction of the roof. Though the aliens are around, they don’t actually make that much of a difference. I think what the point is, fantasy, in what ever form from book to TV to just day dreams, are important, but they are not what put food on the table. But without them, life is much too dark to enjoy. You have to find a balance, and hope your dreams don’t take the roof off over your head. The loss of childhood, mortality and the passage of time Mayuka learned about mortality at an early age with her father telling her about the fireflies not lasting very long, and then of course, her father dying. His watch that she keeps is a reminder that time continues to slip by. It is because of this that Mayuka works so hard, and starts to feel time slipping away. The other characters start commenting on how Mayuka’s attitude changes throughout the show. NieA says Mayuka’s grumpy, the store owners and the restaurant owners say she’s depressed. It is only after NieA comes back that she snaps out of it. Again, there is a necessary balance, and NieA provides that balance. You can’t get completely consumed by the everyday struggle, nor can you be a spoiled, little brat that constantly goofs off and doesn’t have a care in the world. In conjunction with this, the watch losing it’s time is trying to tell her that it isn’t necessary to always be moving forward; it’s telling her she can stop and eat an ice cream while sitting by a fountain. All things come to an end, the fireflies, the mothership and us—we’re only here a short time and then we’re just gone. This is what Mayuka learns: to treasure what she has, the people that she knows. She learns not to take them for granted, to not be cruel, like with the fireflies, because they to can, at any moment, be gone. By the end of the show, a balance is obtained. Despite the passing of things: the fireflies, her father and the mothership, life goes on. Each of them leaving their marks: Mayuka’s memory, the watch and NieA. It is in the remnants that others leave behind that one can take solace. |
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Ardlien
 Posts: 59 |
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Another sizeable bump. I just finished this series and felt it was worth some thought.
spoiler[I think there's some credibility in indrik's idea that NieA is a kind of imaginary friend. While there are some instances where other people talk about/to NieA, I did wonder occasionally whether her disappearance was showing that she hadn't been there at all. When first introduced to Chiaki, Mayuko is heading to school with her somber persona, being followed eventually with what could be seen as her inner child. She hides NieA away from Chiaki (under a pile of garbage) until NieA is accepted by Chiaki. I get the feeling that this could be showing Matuko's insecurity as well as having the more literal plot with NieA being a physical presence.] Even though the series is generally a comedy, it does deal with some pretty serious themes. spoiler[poverty, loneliness, and depression being the ones that come to mind.] It has an interesting mix of the bizarre and the mundane, treating itself as a slice of life rather than an epic drama. spoiler[In part, I think the quiet tone, and repeated scenes of everyday chores amplify the darker emotions in the series. It's during NieA's disappearance that the underlying sadness of the characters really comes through and affects the show] spoiler[Poverty: Mayuko is short on cash, but seems to be able to manage the two jobs and studying. The only real negatives to her poverty come through in the perceived judgements that other people make of her. The insults traded between NieA and Mayuko are typically along the lines of "freeloader", "under_7", "bum" versus "cheap" "poor" "cram student". Keeping in mind that NieA could possibly represent another side to Mayuko, these seem to be the things that Mayuko is ashamed of, being part of a percieved lower class, having failed to get into college earlier, and I'm not sure but I don't recall her paying rent. The other instance of her poverty being an obstacle is the Go-Con, where she assumes she would be unacceptable without spending money on clothes/haircut. The characters besides Mayuko and NieA all seem to respect Mayuko for working so hard, rather than putting her in some lower class.] spoiler[Loneliness: During the game tournament episode there is talk of bath houses being places to socialize, and there is even a direct mention of it healing the loneliness of modern life (I'm not sure of the exact wording). After this is brought up, it becomes more and more obvious that that is the bath house's current purpose for the staff there. To me it was most powerfully conveyed during the storm, where it shows the owner, the boiler room guy, the old lady and Mayuko one after the other in their separate job/houses. It was only then that I realised how solitary Mayuko's life is without NieA, and thinking of her as a kind of imaginary friend definitely darkens the mood in that scene.] I think the opening song needs to be mentioned here. I really didn't like it, and I didn't see the reason for that type of voice. Apart from that and the animation which occasionally looked (ironically?) on the cheap side, the series is well worth a look. |
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