 |
| "It's been said that the world is already at its end. But I like this world." |
I suppose post-apocalyptic worlds are a common setting in fiction, or at least not a rarity. It is a world that allows for a great area of imagination, yet also very grounded in reality. With the advent of nuclear weapons, the world has virtually been holding its breath for the moment when one slip of judgment would tumble the first domino piece and end the world, as we know it, in mere minutes. Indeed, when these worlds are portrayed in movies and such, I cannot but remind myself that such a fate may well be within my lifetime. It seems so far, yet so close.
Perhaps it is precisely because of this sense of "intimacy" that I find such stories inspiring, and in some sense romantic. In this post I will be examining two examples I have recently encountered: Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou (Girls' Last Tour, SSR) and So Ra No Wo To (Sound of the Sky, SnW). As I am in general averse to horror and violence, I find these two rather "mild" depictions of the post-apocalyptic world more amenable to my viewing: If anything the post apocalyptic world will surely be more akin to the world of, say, Fallout than what is seen here. Despite the apparent optimism, perhaps the "romantic" aspect of the message is more clearly expressed, and not obscured by the dismal violence for the sake of shock value.
SSR is, as its name suggests, a tale of a pair of girls' journey. Rather than a day trip over the weekend, the girls travel over the post-apocalyptic wasteland, scavenging for food and fuel while trying to reach the highest level of the city. SnW, on the other hand, tells the story of the 1121st platoon in Helvetia, one of the nation states that exist after a great war that destroyed most of the present civilization. It is centred on Sorami Kanata, a new recruit that joined the army to learn to play the trumpet, but should more appropriately be described as a collection of the stories of Seize, the border of Helvetia. The two worlds differ quite a bit, in terms of the degree of destruction, the amount of futurism, the remaining population etc., but nonetheless both share some similarities in themes and motifs related to the post-apocalyptic setting. (and also being great anime)
Motif: Regression of Technology
A prominent feature of the post-apocalyptic world in these two shows is the description of "technology": The Takemikazuchi in SnW, and various examples in SSR from sentient AI-armed robots, tanks, weapons, down to cameras and radios.
This is more prominent in SSR, as a major feature of the show is the viewing of the world from the girls. To us, the post-apocalyptic world is a strange one, a mix between lifestyle long ago and remnants of the technology we see today. This leads onto another recurring motif, the process of "re-learning." Whether it be the girls in SSR revisiting technology we are used to today, or glass workers trying to reconstruct the height of optical technology in SnW, somehow a feeling of nostalgia strikes soundly, even though we witness a world in the future.
A large amount of depiction revolves around instruments of war, technology that were used to kill. The irony behind how humans, even at the brink of destruction, cling onto the technology that brought about this waste is shown clearly in this setting. The last bit of technology we want to hold onto is not something that helps us survive, but to make surviving harder. Even in the world where there are only a handful of humans left, a gun is a necessity. Perhaps this addiction to mutual destruction is why our world is doomed to end.
Motif: Beauty in the Desolate
I remarked on how contrast plays a pivotal role in the narrative in Planetarian, another anime set in the post-apocalyptic world. Indeed, contrast is so fundamental to this very setting, that it basically is the reason why we bother with fantasizing within this setting at all, dare I say. And in the desolate, lifeless, utterly destroyed world, the little bits of beauty shines bright as a jewel.
Every being to some extent must be attracted to beauty. This is especially true for me who considers truth as a pursuit of beauty. The task of surviving in the wasteland does not stop Yuuri and Chito to stop and appreciate a bit of music from the rain hitting their helmets, or marvel at the artwork of the past they know so little about. In a sense, the curiosity of Chito is a pursuit of beauty unto itself: the quest for a unifying, ordered theory for how people existed. How did people use to feed themselves? How did they communicate with each other? How did they honour the deceased?
The obvious example of beauty used within SnW is obviously music, but I will leave that to the next section. Another example would be the overarching legendary tale of the relic buried underwater, the story of the fire maidens. Surely upon seeing a giant fossil of the remains underwater, one would have a reaction similar to Kanata's: What stories have been told about this mysterious relic? The festivities surrounding the very tale, the reenactment of the tale through the real-life bastion maidens, the pious gratitude towards these figures of legend... all point towards the beauty, that of having a simpler mind, to put down suspicion and doubt, to enjoy a time of festivities with each other and thank the protectors of the town.
A large amount of depiction revolves around instruments of war, technology that were used to kill. The irony behind how humans, even at the brink of destruction, cling onto the technology that brought about this waste is shown clearly in this setting. The last bit of technology we want to hold onto is not something that helps us survive, but to make surviving harder. Even in the world where there are only a handful of humans left, a gun is a necessity. Perhaps this addiction to mutual destruction is why our world is doomed to end.
Motif: Beauty in the Desolate
I remarked on how contrast plays a pivotal role in the narrative in Planetarian, another anime set in the post-apocalyptic world. Indeed, contrast is so fundamental to this very setting, that it basically is the reason why we bother with fantasizing within this setting at all, dare I say. And in the desolate, lifeless, utterly destroyed world, the little bits of beauty shines bright as a jewel.
Every being to some extent must be attracted to beauty. This is especially true for me who considers truth as a pursuit of beauty. The task of surviving in the wasteland does not stop Yuuri and Chito to stop and appreciate a bit of music from the rain hitting their helmets, or marvel at the artwork of the past they know so little about. In a sense, the curiosity of Chito is a pursuit of beauty unto itself: the quest for a unifying, ordered theory for how people existed. How did people use to feed themselves? How did they communicate with each other? How did they honour the deceased?
The obvious example of beauty used within SnW is obviously music, but I will leave that to the next section. Another example would be the overarching legendary tale of the relic buried underwater, the story of the fire maidens. Surely upon seeing a giant fossil of the remains underwater, one would have a reaction similar to Kanata's: What stories have been told about this mysterious relic? The festivities surrounding the very tale, the reenactment of the tale through the real-life bastion maidens, the pious gratitude towards these figures of legend... all point towards the beauty, that of having a simpler mind, to put down suspicion and doubt, to enjoy a time of festivities with each other and thank the protectors of the town.
In the brink of humanity, in a desolate wasteland, perhaps there is beauty to be found.
Motif: "Lost"
The girls in SSR are on a journey with a destination, but without a route. Their short term goal is to find food to sustain themselves, but they are in an eternal state of search. SnW dedicates a segment to Rio wandering around the town, in addition to the entire exposition linked by Kanata being lost on her way to the bastion.
Where are we headed? We are no oracles, and predicting the future is such a non-trivial task you could earn a handsome amount to be able to do something like that. Imagine then a world such as the one pertaining to this discussion. Perhaps then the answer is "to ruins," a rather obvious one. But is that the whole story? Can we find a way out of the barrenness? Despite seeming to have no other path in front of them, with nothing but destruction and lifeless empty land, the main characters keep on treading though, hoping that some other path will show.
Motif: Music
Some say that music is a language. Certainly, it is an art that transcends simple scientific analysis of patterns. That certain sounds can evoke certain emotions is one thing we take for granted, but explicitly discovered by Chito in SSR. It turns out that having raindrops hit their helmets produces specific vibrations, and for some reason, a relaxing feeling is generated.
The trumpet was used as an instrument to send signals between comrades in SnW. Thus, it is an instrument of war, a call to arms. However, can we even call that music? Some assembly of sounds are regarded as music, and some are not. Even if the sound comes from a musical instrument, it might not be regarded as music, or at least good music. Good music is human. It carries emotions common to everyone, fundamental to human nature, crystallizing non-verbal expressions into tractable, concrete sensations. It is beautiful, and I feel that the performance of Amazing Grace within this show is the zenith of this definition. In a battlefield filled with clamorous noises, the clashing of metal weapons, the screams of agony, the cries of mourning... the melody of Amazing Grace resonates, far beyond the horizon, signalling that the war shall continue no more. Princess Ilyia, the ambassador of peace from Helvetia to Roma, played this over the battlefield, just as Kanata played this just in time to stop the sides from breaking the unstable armistice, until Rio came with the message of peace.
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me!"
This song is more than a Christian hymn. In the post-apocalyptic world, in a war-torn wasteland, survival often means hurting others, even if we don't know them at all. Upon hearing these phrases, could one still hold his weapon so dearly?
Where we are going
Where do we go from here, with all these symbols? Do they have any meaning at all? Indeed, in a post-apocalyptic world, is there a meaning to music? Is there a meaning to technology? Is there a meaning to go to war?
Does it mean anything to live?
This is a world of despair, hopelessness (絶望). Humanity has declined, and the zenith of civilization is no more. We no longer understood what we had discovered before, and have been reverted to scavengers of the remaining little resources, especially evident in SSR. Just as a discovered traitorous spy would commit suicide before his being caught, the motivation to simply leave the world is very strong. Yet why does Chito and Yuuri keep on journeying until they find the highest level? Why is Chito interested in recording and learning about history at all? Why does the 1121st platoon feel that it is important to stand between the gunfire from both sides, risking their safety to protect the peace of this world about to end? Why does Rio want to journey into the wasteland, to dream of the unknown?
Maybe there isn't a meaning, and that is the point. I have always sourced my inspiration from absurdist philosophy: to find a meaning out of the nihilistic mess that is the world, to define oneself alone, to create one's own world. That is the goal of life. That is the meaning, and this setting really challenges the extreme of this tenet. Kanazawa in SSR attempted to define his life by mapping out all of the wasteland, level by level; Ishii constructed an airplane from rediscovered knowledge on aerospace engineering, and that was her life. Yet, in one feel swoop, fate herself snatched both of their meanings right away. In one split second, all of what they had was gone. This is the true nature of the post-apocalyptic world.
Yet, Ishii smiled as she descended, feeling content.
"Let's get along with despair!"
An immortal quote from Yuuri indeed. It may not mean anything to construct anything, knowing it could collapse spontaneously in any moment, but perhaps the meaning lies not in the results of the construction, but the process.
Motif: "Lost"
The girls in SSR are on a journey with a destination, but without a route. Their short term goal is to find food to sustain themselves, but they are in an eternal state of search. SnW dedicates a segment to Rio wandering around the town, in addition to the entire exposition linked by Kanata being lost on her way to the bastion.
Where are we headed? We are no oracles, and predicting the future is such a non-trivial task you could earn a handsome amount to be able to do something like that. Imagine then a world such as the one pertaining to this discussion. Perhaps then the answer is "to ruins," a rather obvious one. But is that the whole story? Can we find a way out of the barrenness? Despite seeming to have no other path in front of them, with nothing but destruction and lifeless empty land, the main characters keep on treading though, hoping that some other path will show.
Motif: Music
Some say that music is a language. Certainly, it is an art that transcends simple scientific analysis of patterns. That certain sounds can evoke certain emotions is one thing we take for granted, but explicitly discovered by Chito in SSR. It turns out that having raindrops hit their helmets produces specific vibrations, and for some reason, a relaxing feeling is generated.
The trumpet was used as an instrument to send signals between comrades in SnW. Thus, it is an instrument of war, a call to arms. However, can we even call that music? Some assembly of sounds are regarded as music, and some are not. Even if the sound comes from a musical instrument, it might not be regarded as music, or at least good music. Good music is human. It carries emotions common to everyone, fundamental to human nature, crystallizing non-verbal expressions into tractable, concrete sensations. It is beautiful, and I feel that the performance of Amazing Grace within this show is the zenith of this definition. In a battlefield filled with clamorous noises, the clashing of metal weapons, the screams of agony, the cries of mourning... the melody of Amazing Grace resonates, far beyond the horizon, signalling that the war shall continue no more. Princess Ilyia, the ambassador of peace from Helvetia to Roma, played this over the battlefield, just as Kanata played this just in time to stop the sides from breaking the unstable armistice, until Rio came with the message of peace.
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me!"
This song is more than a Christian hymn. In the post-apocalyptic world, in a war-torn wasteland, survival often means hurting others, even if we don't know them at all. Upon hearing these phrases, could one still hold his weapon so dearly?
Where we are going
Where do we go from here, with all these symbols? Do they have any meaning at all? Indeed, in a post-apocalyptic world, is there a meaning to music? Is there a meaning to technology? Is there a meaning to go to war?
Does it mean anything to live?
This is a world of despair, hopelessness (絶望). Humanity has declined, and the zenith of civilization is no more. We no longer understood what we had discovered before, and have been reverted to scavengers of the remaining little resources, especially evident in SSR. Just as a discovered traitorous spy would commit suicide before his being caught, the motivation to simply leave the world is very strong. Yet why does Chito and Yuuri keep on journeying until they find the highest level? Why is Chito interested in recording and learning about history at all? Why does the 1121st platoon feel that it is important to stand between the gunfire from both sides, risking their safety to protect the peace of this world about to end? Why does Rio want to journey into the wasteland, to dream of the unknown?
Maybe there isn't a meaning, and that is the point. I have always sourced my inspiration from absurdist philosophy: to find a meaning out of the nihilistic mess that is the world, to define oneself alone, to create one's own world. That is the goal of life. That is the meaning, and this setting really challenges the extreme of this tenet. Kanazawa in SSR attempted to define his life by mapping out all of the wasteland, level by level; Ishii constructed an airplane from rediscovered knowledge on aerospace engineering, and that was her life. Yet, in one feel swoop, fate herself snatched both of their meanings right away. In one split second, all of what they had was gone. This is the true nature of the post-apocalyptic world.
Yet, Ishii smiled as she descended, feeling content.
"Let's get along with despair!"
An immortal quote from Yuuri indeed. It may not mean anything to construct anything, knowing it could collapse spontaneously in any moment, but perhaps the meaning lies not in the results of the construction, but the process.
 |
| "Let's go, to the place where our dreams lie, even if the world ends. Until that time, our future lies ahead." |
Insert Song Discussion 22: Watashi no Koe [Kokoro ga Sakebitagattterunda (Anthem of the Heart)] by Jun Naruse (Inori Minase) [1]
" 'Good morning', 'Hello'
'Greetings', 'How are you?'.
All these exchanges
I now realized how much I loved them."
As humans, we are granted with the most advanced brain out of all living things, the ability to think. Coupled with that is the power to express ourselves, through speech, and numerous sophisticated languages to help us achieve that. Yet, does this power come with a cost? Do we always want to speak out what we think?
For most, it is so easy to speak: to just open our mouth and let our thoughts pour out. Even people who never learnt to write or read must have learnt how to speak since early childhood. Yet, it is so difficult to take what we spoke back. Perhaps we can say that we didn't really mean what we said, but the very words that came out, in fractions of a second, have already made an unmistakably permanent mark on the listener's mind. Things written down can be erased, or covered by correction tape; things printed out can be destroyed, yet every individual possesses such a unique voice, that is virtually impossible to completely erase what is spoken, for every word is engraved, with a clear signature, on whoever heard it. Mere sentences, depending on context, could hurt, ruin, or even kill.
Given the dangers of speech, should we still speak? Is the blessing of speech really a curse?
Jun Naruse decided that she would never speak ever again, following her revealing an affair of her father, unintentionally causing her parents' divorce. Her decision manifested as an imaginary "egg" which literally zipped her mouth shut, inflicting a curse on her such that she cannot speak without serious stomach cramps. Even when insulted, or having strong emotions to express, she refrained from speaking, and internalized all sorts of damage silently. Stubbornly refusing to speak, she caused plenty of distress to her mother, who gradually became frustrated with Jun due to her shame from the rumours of neighbours.
Jun knows all the reasons not to speak, better than everyone else. She blamed herself for tearing her family apart (reinforced by her mother's blames), and thus, when the baseball team insulted Tasaki, having injured himself at the heat of the competitive season yet still bossing around the team as a captain, Jun screamed out to stop them, for you can never take words back.
Jun Naruse decided that she would never speak ever again, following her revealing an affair of her father, unintentionally causing her parents' divorce. Her decision manifested as an imaginary "egg" which literally zipped her mouth shut, inflicting a curse on her such that she cannot speak without serious stomach cramps. Even when insulted, or having strong emotions to express, she refrained from speaking, and internalized all sorts of damage silently. Stubbornly refusing to speak, she caused plenty of distress to her mother, who gradually became frustrated with Jun due to her shame from the rumours of neighbours.
Jun knows all the reasons not to speak, better than everyone else. She blamed herself for tearing her family apart (reinforced by her mother's blames), and thus, when the baseball team insulted Tasaki, having injured himself at the heat of the competitive season yet still bossing around the team as a captain, Jun screamed out to stop them, for you can never take words back.
 |
Not being able to speak does not mean that no thoughts are generated. On the contrary, so much unspoken words get stuck in the brain that it starts to suffocate, desperately wanting to be expressed. Perhaps this is why, upon hearing about the ability for music to convey meaning, Jun jumped onto the idea of composing a musical for the community performance, and miraculously singing did not cause her stomach to cramp. Indeed, we don't speak like we normally do in songs, or poems. Rather, we use a great deal of artistic devices, to create euphemisms, yet in the process elucidating the matter at hand even better than plain words. However, having shut herself in for years, eventually she became aware of herself, and abandoned the crew on the day of the performance.
For she knew, once she expresses what she thinks, she will just hurt more people. She knew this so well, that she decided to shut her voice deep within her heart forever.
If speech is such potent of a poison, should we speak at all? Or should we just well up all the feelings we have, all the dark secrets we hold?
"Every being cries out silently to be read differently," wrote Simone Weil in Gravity and Grace, and indeed, as it turns out, even if we stop speaking out loud, we somehow find a need, a primitive urge, to express ourselves, because speech is our best way to change how people view us. I really like the contrast established in this quote, the desperate loudness of "crying out", yet qualified immediately afterwards by the word "silently".
Every being cries out, to be read differently. Not "whisper", "argue", "persuade", but "cry out". Indeed, the process of expressing oneself is sometimes ugly, even offensive, violent and rude. It is an outburst, but isn't this exactly the nature of emotions? It is exactly this violence, spontaneity and lack of logic that defines emotions such as happiness, melancholy, appreciation, disgust, hatred, and, most importantly, love. From this births the beauty that is art and music.
So speak out earnestly. Even if the words turn out to be embarrassing, even if they may hurt others. Because if these are your true feelings, somehow something beautiful will spawn from it.
If speech is such potent of a poison, should we speak at all? Or should we just well up all the feelings we have, all the dark secrets we hold?
"Every being cries out silently to be read differently," wrote Simone Weil in Gravity and Grace, and indeed, as it turns out, even if we stop speaking out loud, we somehow find a need, a primitive urge, to express ourselves, because speech is our best way to change how people view us. I really like the contrast established in this quote, the desperate loudness of "crying out", yet qualified immediately afterwards by the word "silently".
Every being cries out, to be read differently. Not "whisper", "argue", "persuade", but "cry out". Indeed, the process of expressing oneself is sometimes ugly, even offensive, violent and rude. It is an outburst, but isn't this exactly the nature of emotions? It is exactly this violence, spontaneity and lack of logic that defines emotions such as happiness, melancholy, appreciation, disgust, hatred, and, most importantly, love. From this births the beauty that is art and music.
So speak out earnestly. Even if the words turn out to be embarrassing, even if they may hurt others. Because if these are your true feelings, somehow something beautiful will spawn from it.
“I had agonized so much over [this] project, but in the end it saved me.” -Mari Okada, script writer of Kokosake. [2]
[1]: As anyone (most, apparently) with a British background should be able to tell, this song is based on Greensleeves, also known as "the song that plays in the listening part of the local examination of Hong Kong", which is why it is also dubbed "the nightmare of Hong Kong students."
[2]: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2017-09-06/how-mari-okada-went-from-shut-in-to-anime-director/.120417
