Steampunk Anime - Part IV

A slideshow of my panel on "Steampunk Anime: Scientific Romances in the Land of the Rising Sun" for Calgary, Alberta, Canada's OtaFest 2009 anime festival. Part four discusses Japanese Scientific Romances from the 19th and early 20th centuries and their modern heirs in Night on the Galactic Railroad, Galaxy Express 999, Escaflowne and Simoun.

For more, visit my weblog at http://voyagesextraordinaires.blogspot.com

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• steampunk
• otafest
• 2009
• anime
• calgary
• alberta
• atragon
• night
• on
• the
• galactic
• railroad
• galaxy
• express
• 999
• escaflowne
• simoun

[QwoPhasaArius]

This whole thing was a disaster. What have they accomplished? We're not some Western saviors coming to the rescue, "cleansing" out all the "evil". Are you saying it's the thought that counts? We meant good? It's inexcusable. One problem has just been replaced with another, and we're the cause this time.

[CoryTheRaven]

@QwoPhasaArius "Are you saying it's the thought that counts? We meant good?"

That's not what I said. You're still reading the situation in partisan terms where you're either for America or for the terrorists, or in this case, being anti-America by downplaying the threat of terrorism.

What I said is that a pacifist position with integrity is critical of BOTH. It recognizes and condemns BOTH war and terrorism without downplaying the horror of either.

[QwoPhasaArius]

The whole fucking world is just sitting there watching this "war on terror" take place. We're sitting through one of the most controversial war campaigns in all of history, and people lap up all the bullshit America is spilling. Terror? Don't make me laugh! WE'RE the ones doing the terrorising.

[CoryTheRaven]

@QwoPhasaArius: There is a fine line to challenging the War on Terror without losing sight of the fact that terrorism and Islamist extremism is very real. To deny that reality is every bit as partisan as ignorant flying the American flag. To hold a pacifist ideology with integrity, one must stand up to condemn both, equally.

[solidsnake2234]

Well you do see a bit of WWII in Matsumoto's GE999. Two episodes, one being a reference to the Battle of El Alamein (1942), and the other was a flashback from the Buddhist Monk showing him as a US Infantryman during the Battle of the Bulge (1944)

[QwoPhasaArius]

I seem to be having a hard time getting my point across. Apologies, my communication skills are obviously lacking, so we can just leave it there.

[QwoPhasaArius]

We can point the fingers at the extremists all we like, but THAT'S not going to change anything. However, WE can! But look at what we're doing instead! It's not a case of who's worse, or who's more at fault, don't misunderstand me.

[QwoPhasaArius]

We're in in a great position of power, but we only abuse it. As the voice of supposed reason and intelligence, I have every reason to be more critical of us. And I say "we" and "us" because every nation in the west has a role to play; that's the people. Everyone is responsible in part.

[QwoPhasaArius]

@CoryTheRaven I do recognise both. I also recognise that war is not the solution to terrorism, they actually both go hand-in-hand. Other moves need to be employed to correct such horrendous societies, and no, killing people doesn't do that I'm afraid. We have the potential to play a large part in leading to the solution, but we're doing the exact opposite.

[QwoPhasaArius]

@CoryTheRaven Of course. But it was clear from the very start that this would be no "solution" to the problem. It's done little good to justify the many lives taken on both sides, soldier and civilian. And to what ends? The situation has not changed, they're getting nowhere (in fact, many out on the field have even reported it's gotten worse in their area). The poor soldiers are fed up and the public want answers.

[CoryTheRaven]

@QwoPhasaArius: My family were amongst the 15 million Germans ethnically cleansed from the former Prussia after WWII by the Allies. I grew up on stories from the civilian side in war (after all, there are only two sides: the military and the civilians) which, coupled with my being Christian, turned me to pacifism.