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Kawaii: Anime, Propaganda, and Soft Power Politics.
🕑 Added 2024-06-15 18:57:22 +0000 UTCIn modern international politics, it is just as important to win hearts and minds, in one's own country and abroad, as it is to have power by force of arms. We call this power over hearts and minds: the power to sway people by persuasion rather than by force, soft power.
And no country on Earth has mastered the art of soft power through cultural media quite like Japan has. In this video, we'll explore the roots of Japan's soft power initiatives: how modern anime taps into pre-war orientalism, how war-time propaganda birthed the modern anime industry, how the Japanese government utilized soft power cultural diplomacy to manipulate the world's perception of it, and much more!
You are not immune to propaganda. It's OK, neither am I! But with a little awareness, we can at least inoculate ourselves against its effects.
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A little early for all of you Patrons, and presented ad-free! Thank you, as always, for your incredible support. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about this one: it was a tremendous effort, and honestly, it might require a follow-up in the future.
Moony
Comments
Nyssa
Listen, it’s been a month now and I’m still thinking about how effortlessly you worked the lyrics of “Zombie” into your argument. Infuriatingly good.
Thomas Goldenstein Leirner
Excellent work! Really like your approach, taking socio historical context into account is what truly brings out the meaning and implications of a given subject. Id LOVE to see your take on the history of east asian progressive movements and its impact (or its absence?) on media. Sincerely, A Fan from São Paulo, BR
Harmony
Not to take away from the video, but I was curious, what cover/version of bad apple plays at about 48:46? Edit: I just finished the video, but this comment was originally made while I was still watching it. I feel oddly called out (in a good way) that, although I grew up on Transformers, I have no clue what the new movies/shows are on at this point, and yet I instantly recognized Bad Apple.
