Channels, Fall 2016

Channels • 2016 • Volume 1 • Number 1 Page 155 beautiful, the scene depicts the predictable demise of three clumsy warriors whose highest claim to aesthetic value is their combination of the cute with the monstrous. Further, the anime emphasizes that the hero team was in fact the aggressors. To all appearances, the ogre-baby does nothing more monstrous than cluttering the landscape with his own ugly presence and his baby-sized molehills. For this reason, the death of the heroes seems appropriate within the world of the anime and causes no regret in the viewers. Finally, Yoshiko finishes the story with the apparent friendship between the sparkle girl and the monster-baby, as though to suggest that the baby has value and purpose within the world of the anime, despite the jarring disparity of style and symbolism between the characters. In this way, Yoshiko creates an altered or annotated cultural narrative that suggests a valuable interplay between cultural elements. The sense that even the uncomfortable interplay of social forces can be valuable or even fun sets the artists apart from others in the film more than any other aspect of their character. By juxtaposing the comfortable with the frightening or the innovative with the mundane, they each acknowledge a wider range of options in their attempts to relate to society and cope with the monstrous. Their responsibility to observe and interpret cultural uncertainty helps to explain the unusual, countercultural decisions that shape their lives, as evidenced by their tendency to assimilate elements of Japanese popular culture and their willingness seek out or create innovative solutions to challenges in their own lives. Seen in this light, Ikki’s decision to inhabit the stereotype of a manga otaku makes sense as a means of expressing his own goals, values, and insecurities through new media and genuinely appreciating the excitement and energy offered by contemporary popular art forms. Yoshiko’s decision to pursue a career outside the home while continuing her job as an involved and supportive mother to Hajime and Sachiko actually represents a challenging and creative synthesis of two different responsibilities to the people around her. Akira’s decision to abandon dignity and embody the perception and generosity necessary to unite people despite the tensions of isolation and doubt becomes just as much a work of art and creativity as his secret animation project. By identifying the genuinely valuable aspects of their culture and working towards balance and synthesis in their own lives, artists gain the authority and responsibility to interpret cultural tensions for others and advocate for a more fulfilling view of life and society. Conclusion Ishii demonstrates the artists’ role of mediating between others and their culture through the interaction between non-artists and completed works of art revealed in the piece. By seeing their own doubts and triumphs in completed art, both artists and non-artists receive hope and stability through their connection to the new narrative, and begin to restore the lost connection between individuals and society. Akira acknowledges the power of artistic communication as a relief from the monstrous by offering his family a parting gift of art before his death. When the Harunos open a series of four sketchbooks, they discover that Akira’s playful observation throughout the film was specifically aimed at identifying and alleviating the monstrous for each of them. Sachiko’s book is straightforward: in it, a flip- through animation depicts Sachiko completing her backflip. Hajime’s book shows Hajime