again another incredible video, the amount of research and writing you did is incredible and I've been craving a discussion on collectivism in blue lock.
You are forgetting that the world cup was in 2023, which combined with the author actively making his characters do what the Japanese national team did. Drew more attention to blue lock
I'm really happy to hear that! I definitely get a kick out of going against the grain with how I discuss Blue Lock so it's nice that there's an audience for it haha
Cool video i listened while doing chores it lade it easier One thing though, that popping sound effect is really reaaally loud i hope you tone it down Other than thqt great vid keep it up ❤
Hey thanks for letting me know, and sorry about the sound effect. Will definitely tone that down in the future. I swear it didn't sound bad during the editing process so idk what happened there. Either way, glad you enjoyed the video! Nothing beats hour-long videos when doing chores haha
As an american, I see the system and thus people's behavior be too selfish. I know other people carry the same resentment of the system but what can you do in that environment. Blue lock says that the dated stereotypes, systems, and attitudes of a collectivist Japan are holding back it's potential. And people's resentment of those outdated systems and attitudes are making blue lock even more popular. Everyone has their own personal beliefs, but the environment restricts what you are allowed to express without punishment.
Hey, thanks for the reply! I really hope the video didn't give off the impression that I think Blue Lock is in any way 'bad' for pushing back against cultural stereotypes (especially ones that have, both historically and in the present day, been promoted for less savoury purposes), because that at least wasn't what I was trying to get across. This project came about from genuine curiosity about what Blue Lock's success says about the socio-cultural context in which it emerged, and the video ended up as long as it did because I learned a lot of things that really made me re-examine many of my (rather naive) assumptions about Japanese cultural attitudes. So for Japanese readers who find themselves relating their personal experiences to those of the Blue Lock characters, I hope that they feel empowered by the story and perhaps even see in Blue Lock an alternative to advocate for positive change in their society! I remember coming across a tweet from a Georgian (the country, not the US State) Blue Lock fan saying exactly that: she connects with Blue Lock because she recognises in it the struggles she's faced as a woman in her home country, and that left quite a strong impression on me. It's definitely a very different response than my own, western European perspective. I have to admit that I feel a slight bit of unease about Blue Lock's messenging, but that mainly arises because I see folks from similar backgrounds to mine co-opting Blue Lock's narrative and situating it into a very different cultural context - and I'm not quite convinced that western Europe or North America would be better off with even more individualism, personally (certainly not since COVID). Anyways, apologies for the way too long comment here, hope you enjoyed the video!
@@suzelsmanga I totally agree. I don't think it came across that you were saying Blue Lock is bad for fighting stereotypes. Any critique wasn't malicious clearly. I think Blue Lock's most relatable struggle is that most people feel the need to be humble or hide their ambitiousness for fear of judgement. Blue Lock creates an environment where it's celebrated and demanded that you talk the talk and walk the walk.
I too am not super educated on the science(give me 5 years to get a psych degree) but I am from ‘Murica. Anyway I think this idea that while individuals in Japan are “egoistic” they they believe there is a structure of collectivism somewhat parallels the situation in the United States. The “American Dream” is taught to most people from a young age, however in America many people feel as thought that dream is a lie due to social issues and as such many young Americans (millennials and earlier members of Gen Z) are more prone to a collectivist approach. I think this is also a reason why Blue Lock(and anime in general to be honest) is popular amongst Americans. Most Shonen Anime/Manga is very egoistic. Probably none to the extent of Blue Lock but I think a lot of it is more individualistic than main stream western media. But idk I might be wrong
I sadly didn't have the time to dive into the US side of the stats, but I suspect you're right there. My impression, at least, is that the US is kinda the reverse of Japan: its national myths (the American dream, also Americans being settlers/cowboys who made a living among rugged wildernis) very much promote the idea that the US is a place where an individual has the power to carve out their own destiny. But as you said, that's just as much a myth as Japanese collectivism, and just like in Japan, lots of people in the US are finding that it isn't quite lining up with their experiences
@@suzelsmanga the whole topic kind of reminds me of another manga. it's a small indie manga that's not too popular called Death Note. from my understanding the manga is to some extent a commentary on the whole death cult thing going on at the time. Apparently Japanese youth then were part of a lost generation with not as much work being there as was promised. and because of that many of those youth turned to death cults, as they offered a savior. I think that represents a sort of Faux individualism, since it feels as if you're fighting against the world as well as an emphasis on an individual savior, which America is also somewhat trending towards. that may also somewhat explain the discrepancy between peoples beliefs in japan and how they feel everyone else is, since they may(emphasis on may) believe themselves to be more individualistic than they actually are. After all it can be difficult to admit you're reliant on something outside yourself
Death Note, that name sounds vaguely familiar 🤔 (in all seriousness, I think I came across that and some other political readings of Death Note, really interesting stuff!) I actually came across a pretty interesting 2021 paper by Hirofumi Hashimoto that I didn't include in the video, about the relationship between individualism/collectivism and age in Japan. I would have expected that younger Japanese people would be more individualistic than their elders given the increasing stranglehold of globalism/capitalism, but the opposite seems to be the case. The argument is basically that younger people have less resources and thereby have to lean on others more for material support, whereas older folks are more likely to get by on their own - and that, in turn, apparently has a much stronger influence on their worldview than a narrative of 'western' individual subsuming 'traditional Japanese' collectivism. Btw if you are interested in the confluence of Japanese media and the socio-economic reality of Japanese society, I also highly recommand this extraordinarily good video on Moon Channel about Why you always kill God in JRPGs. That channel is one of my biggest inspirations atm!
I always viewed it as the exact opposite. Most American media is about one dude saving the day while shonen is about the power of friend ship. Sure, there is usually one most powerful friend who is usually the MC but in comparison to American media where super man just has superman and spider man just has spider man anime and manga is very collectivist. This is also why I think it's more popular then most cartoons and comics, in the age of the "loneliness epidemic" a show about making friends and getting cool powers is a lot more appealing then having cool powers and being a loner.
Oooh I'm curious what you're thinking of! I generally like following my own curiosity, so I won't make any guarantees, but I'm more than happy to hear you out. My two criteria for making a video are that the topic has to be interesting to me and that it has to offer a fresh perspective, be something that, at least to my knowledge, hasn't been discussed elsewhere
@@suzelsmanga Hey! Thanks so much for responding, your thoughtfulness is wonderful. My idea is to examine Blue lock's portrayal of masculinity, love, and homoeroticism within blue lock and the relationships depicted. There would be a gender studies lens into Dominant/Submissive relationships. In my experience, sports teams are a hyper-masculine environment and usually a very homophobic one. At the same time, so many "sexual" things occur either in the game or in the locker room as "bonding mechanisms" (hazing and such). Blue lock clearly has queer overtones, and they follow that Dominant/Submissive relationship. And across the world and history there are societies that allow same-sex relationships, but only if they follow that dominant/submissive relationship that is perceived as a "norm". Okay that's my rough thought, I know it might not be comfortable for some people to talk about it, and I don't know if this subject matter would be okay for youtube. I'm glad I could share my thought and I'm very grateful to share it with you!
* furiously takes notes * I honestly love this! It had actually already been thinking that it'd be really worth while to say something meaningful about Blue Lock and queerness in a way that goes beyond a dismissive 'it's just fanservice for silly teenage girls', but I was stuck on how to even approach the topic. This is very much up my alley in any case, thanks so much for the ideas!
@@suzelsmanga I'm really glad you like the idea! No worries if this isn't possible, but I've been interested in exploring video essay stuff, and--after you're done with the other videos--if you'd want to chat about the research on this I'd be super interested if time permits.
@@reilly913 Sounds good, I'm definitely interested in following up on this. Was thinking that it might be a great video to drop in June (Pride month) so that'd give us a bit of time as well. In any case, I'll get in touch once I finish my Euphonium stuff and get back to Blue Lock.
I don't think there's anything wrong about how militeristic Blue Lock makes soccer seem. Sports essentially simulate warfare and most people do take that much pride in their teams. So its not that strange to see Ego indulge in it.
Unless you actually care about the wellbeing of the players and actually want to curate a nucleus that can stay for while instead of burning the candle at both ends.
@suzelsmanga I don't have anything against the section; I'm not a sports fan. I just wanted to give my opinion since that's the behavior and line of thought I've seen in others.
Blue lock is an environment where people are allowed to express what they otherwise wouldn't be able to express in the normal Japanese system. It's like fight club but less satirical and even more in the closet.
