Over Analyzing Anime

Segment 3: Themes and Symbolisms 

One of the main themes of Danmachi is found family. 

• Hestia and Bell 
• Bell and Welf
• Bell and Lily

Another theme is What is means to be a true hero? 

• Rescuing Haruhime
• Saving the intelligent monster Wiene

Sup! How’s everyone doing tonight!? Good? Well, you’ll have to be good, because this is a pre-recorded podcast and my, like, two listeners- and that’s being generous- can’t respond. ANYWAY, you are listening to Over-Analyzing Anime, the podcast with your host Hannah Pietras.

In this episode of Over-Analyzing Anime we will discuss the themes and symbolisms within the anime, get ready for this one, we’ll be here all week, Danjon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Daro Ka, or, because we all like to breath, better known as Danmachi, or in english, because that title is iconic- why are overly long titles such a fad in Japan right now?- “Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?”

The city of Orario is the center of the world, due to the Tower of Babel, the behemoth building designed to contain the fount of Orio’s wealth: The Dungeon. Beneath Babel’s stone walls, the labyrinth of the Dungeon births monsters from its depths, made of magic stones that can be harvested to craft magic items and other coveted items, as well as be exchanged for the world’s currency. The brave souls that traverse the Dungeon’s belly, in order to pave a new frontier for humanity and to collect these magic stones by killing monsters, are called Adventurers. Adventurers gain their power from the Gods, who departed from heaven to the lower worlds in search of entertainment, choosing to forgo their heavenly powers to enjoy the perils of the earthly realm to its fullest. The God’s compete with one another to see which of their adventurers, their children as they call them, who fight under the banner of the god who unlocked their falna- their status, which includes ability scores, their level, and special skills- is the strongest and achievements and glory they can bring them with all the possibility of death. 

The story follows one Bell Cranel, a fourteen year old boy who dreams of becoming a hero like the ones in the fairytales that his grandfather read to him and having a chance encounter with a girl(preferably by saving her life from a vicious monster, causing her to fall in love with his heroic figure). But Bell quickly learns that he’s out of his depth when a Minotaur escapes from the lower floors and Bell is cornered, prepared for the end. It is in that moment that in the scenario that Bell often daydreamed about, the roles are reversed, and it is Bell who is the Damsel in Distress in need of rescueing, as the one Sword Princess, Aiz Wallenstein- first class adventurer, one of the few levels five that exist in the whole world, and holder of the world record for leveling up to level two from level one in the shortest amount of time- spares him from death and slaughters the beast. Bell is instantly smitten, but discovers that until he becomes strong enough, he will never stand a chance at being at her side. This the story of how Bell became a hero of legends. 

• Hestia: The greek goddess of hearth and home.
• Freya: (Old Norse, Freyja, “Lady”)is a renowned goddess of Norse Mythology. Freya was famous for fondness for love, beauty, and fine material possessions, but she’s more than a seeker of passionate thrills, she’s the archetype for volva, seers and sorcessess who practiced seidr, who went from town to town, exchanging their acts of shamanism for lodging, food, and other such resources, and Freya is credited with bringing Seidr to humanity.
• Loki: The trickster god of Norse mythology. 
• Role-playing Games.

 Hello everybody! And welcome to fifteen minutes of time killing. You are listening Over-Analyzing Anime the podcast with your host and anime enjoyer, who can't call themselves a connoisseur for having never watched Berserk, Hannah Pietras  

In this episode of Over-Analyzing Anime the Podcast we will discuss: the themes and symbolisms within the anime Noragami. 

In times of dire, sometimes you'll see a strange phone number scrawled in red. And should the desperate choose to call,  the Yato-god will answer, ready for your wish to be heard- for the cheap price of five yen, of course. 

Yato dreams of being a "God of Fortune '' and having one million worshipers, but without a shrine, he's practically unknown- a god without a name. He spends his days as a "self proclaimed delivery god", doing odd jobs here and there and executing "ayakashi '', malevolent spirits that feed off of darkness and corrupt the good in human's hearts. But after his shinki- human souls that when gifted a name by a god, can transform into weapons- gets fed up with Yato's compulsive behavior and sleeping on the steps of another, more famous gods shrine in the cold at night, quits, Yato finds himself unarmed, and must find a new shinki before ayakashi come prowling. 

But just as things seem grim for the delivery god, fortune comes his way in the form of  middle schooler, Hiyori Iki, a young girl with the ability to see phantoms and spirits, who "supposedly"saves Yato from being hit by a truck, taking the blow for him. Hiyori miraculously survives, but finds that her soul has been shaken loose, allowing her to leave her body as a half ayakashi. Yato charges her five yen to change back, but is unable to fix her condition unless he finds a new shinki. Hiyori agrees to help him, and things finally seem to be looking up for the minor god. 

Bishamon, also called Bishamonten: is a japanese war god who is a member of the Shichi-fuku-jin(The Seven Gods of Luck, a collective group of deities from India, Japan, and China respectively who bless their worshippers with good luck and fortune all year. This includes the warrior Hindu-Buddhist deity Daikokuten(who in Japan is transformed into a god of Wealth and prosperity. His virtue is fortune),Benzaiten(Hindu goddess of water, who in Japan is the Goddess of Arts and Knowledge. Her virtue is Joy,) Fukurokuju(brought from China's Taoist-Buddhist religion and the God of Wealth, Happiness,and Longevity whose virtue is longevity. Hotei, god of Happiness and Abundance, and who was apparently based on the Chinese merchant Budaishi who virtue is Happiness, and Jirojin, god of Wisdom and virtue of Wisdom). He is identified with the Four Heavenly Kings, and is the Buddhist guardian of the north and the leader of Yaksha(a broad class of nature spirits connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and the wilderness with a broad range of characteristics),  known Vaisravana or Píshāméntiān in China. Vaiszravana is also associated with the The Twenty Devas, a group , Buddhist dharmapala(defenders of religious law) who protect  the Dharma, the Buddhist doctrine which is the universal truth common to all individuals at one time, and is used to represent how everything in the world is connected, as proclaimed by Buddha. Kubera in Hinduism, king of the Yakshas, and god of wealth who is correlated with earth, mountains, all treasures such as minerals and jewels that lie underground, and riches in general.   Bishamon is always displayed as decked in full armor,standing over one or two demons(symbolizing the defeat over evil), and carrying a spear and miniature pagoda( a hindu or Buddhist temple or sacred building, typically a many tiered tower) He his the guardian of the righteous and is the Buddhist patron of warriors, as well as the defense against evil. He is the lord of wealth and treasure, and also one of the Shitenno- a group of four gods who protect the four cardinal directions(the dragon,.  His virtue is dignity. 

Shinki: The name of the vessel is in Chinese, while the name of the Shinki is Japanese. 

Binbougami(in the shinto religion, kami is multie-spanning term in that it includes gods, spirits, deified mortals,ancestors, natural phenomena, and supernatural powers. Kami have power over people's everyday lives and are thus worshiped, given offerings, seeked help from, and impetus for their skills in divination. Kami's are associated with nature and known nationally, but a lot of kami's are localized to small rural communities, and each family has its own ancestral kami, because within the religion, when people die, they become kami.  Kami transcends the cognitive ability of humans. Truth manifests itself through observation of the world around you and undergoes transformation in infinite varieties in time and space.The Sun Goddess Amaterasu is considered one of the most important kami)  : A god or a kami who inhabits a human being or his house to bring misery and poverty. Generally, Binogami appears as a skinny, dirty old man, who employs both uchiwa(a handheld fan) and kendama(a traditional japanese toy. It consists of a handle(ken) and a pair of cups(sarado) and a ball(tama) that are all connected together by a string) in his hands and wears one broken geta(traditional japanese sandals) on his foot. As a kami, Binbougami cannot be killed, but a story in the Niigata Prefecture states that you when you light an irori- a traditional japanese sunken hearth fired with charcoal- on omisoka- the japanese traditional celebration on the last day of the year, traditionally celebrated on the final day of the twelfth lunar month- it will ward away Binbougami and attract fuku no kami(the kami of good luck) . It is also said that the hospitality of the inhabitants will turn Binbougami into fuku no kami. 

Ebisu: the patron of fisherman and tradesmen. He is portrayed as a fat, bearded, smiling fisherman, most of the time carrying a rod in one hand and a tai(sea bream-a red snapper- a symbol of good luck)and wearing court clothes or hunting clothes. He is a popular Shinto deity with those in the food industry(the indigenous religious beliefs and practices in Japan and which literally translates as the "the way of the kami), and the only deity native to Japan. Some Shinto shrines Ebisu is correlated with Hiru-ko(generally translated to leech child) who is the son of the creator couple Izanami and Izanagi, who discarded him for having no bones by setting him adrift in a reed boat. Ebisu is also sometimes affiliated with Koto-shiro-nushi("Sign Master") , a son of the mythological hero Okuninushi and is analogous with happiness because of the role he once played as pacifier in a quarrel between earthly and heavenly realms.  His virtue is honesty. 

The main themes of Noragami are connected to the writings of Shintoism. 

Noragami obviously draws heavy inspiration from both Shintoism and Buddhism with the selection of gods plucked from both major religions in Japan portrayed, but is also referenced in its main attributes. In Shinto there is no absolute right or wrong(unlike a majority of monothesistic religions which have specific commandments) and nobody is perfect. Shinto places humans on the definite side of good and states that it's human nature to do good and that any evil done in the world has its roots in evil spirits. Shinto rituals are performed to keep away evil spirits by purification, prayers, and offering to kami. 

Obvious parallels to Noragami in that ayakashi amplify humanity's darkest nature and they must be killed by a god to purify the afflicted. Kami likeYato take an offering(a five yen coin)  while kami like Bishamon are invocated to defeat Ayakashi by the will of humans-  she will continue to be reborn as long as humans wish for it- and a gods and heaven's power grows during time of conflict and strife with the help of prayer. This is also best exemplified in Ebisu, who desired to make the world a better place by using the masks(and then later seeking the Word, brushes ingrained with Izanami's spirit that can be used to control ayakashi like puppets and name them as if they were Shinki). 

Shinto is most readily observed in the social life of the Japanese people, their way of thinking and acting and their values rather than in some official doctrine. 

 Buddhism-Shinto Amalgamation.Emphasis of Makoto no kokoro(heart of truth) and magokoro(true heart). Sincere attitude of people doing their best work or in their relationship with others, and the ultimate wellspring of life is in one's awareness of the divine.  Magokoro constitutes a productive life, in order to achieve communion with Kami. But this sacred nature rarely reveals itself,and purification symbolically removes the dust from someone's mind and impurities that cover one's inner mind. Yuki being unable to accept his death(taking money from an old man for fixing his tires even though Yato only charges about five yen, pickpocketing a watch when he realizes that as a ghost, most people have trouble seeing him unless he calls himself to attention because they're on the threshold of Nirvana and then will be easily forgotten afterwards,  and blighting his master,,therefore causing Yukine to need an ablution and admit to his sins. Yuki uses his power as Yato's guide to make Yato a better person and god of fortune.

In Shinto, kami's will is said to produce a mystical power that gains protection, cooperation, and approval of all other Kami. Bishamon and Yato being at odds with one another, but every god that has a shrine being forced to pledge allegiance to Heaven in order to prevent dissent.  

Humans keep growing and developing. Shinto adheres to a cyclical approach, in which there is a constant recurrence of historical patterns. Bishamon knows that only humans can cultivate and becomes sad that they´re only playing house with the new ha clan because a god is unable to love and must obey their nature. 

Another theme is coping with abuse and recovering by surrounding yourself with people who care for you. This is best displayed in Yato, who was born from the wish of "His Father", who hates Heaven and feels that it's an insult for Heaven to wear a human face if they're just gonna act like the mountains and rivers and sit back and allow people to suffer. He made Yato "cull the heard"- murder innocent people in order to weaken Heaven's power from the lack of prayer- and even made Yato tell the Gods Greatest Secret(their Shinki's name before died- causing Sakura, the first person to ever trully care for him and who was teaching Yato to be a better person, to become an ayakashi. Father would even sick his own masked ayakashi on him. But after meeting Yukine and Hiyori, Yato is able to gain the courage to release Nora(and separate himself from Father's influence)  and kill Father- even though he was afraid that if Father died he'd also disappear. 

Music Credits:   List the artist and song name

• @theHVSPN

Greetings, from the void. You are listening to Over-Analyzing Anime, the podcast with your host and certified  loser Hannah Pietras.

In this episode of Over-Analyzing Anime  the Podcast we discuss: the themes and symbols within the anime Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun or if you're a pleb, in english, Toilet Bound Hanako-kun.

Have you heard the rumor? Kamome Academy is home to Seven School Mysterous, one of them being the enigmatic Hanako-san, a spirit that is said to occupy the third stall of the third floor girl's bathroom in the old school building. To summon her, you must knock on the bathroom stall three times and call out if she is there; if you successfully summon her, she'll grant one wish, in exchange for something you hold dear. Despite the warnings, Yashiro Nene, an occult-loving high school girl, knocks on the bathroom door and waits with baited breath for an answer. And an answer she gets, but Hanako-san is nothing like she expects! Hanako-san is actually Hanako-kun! And because of a wish gone wrong, Yashiro becomes Hanako-kun assistant, entangling herself more and more with the world of the supernatural. 

Rumor might have its roots in the notoriously poor lighting of elementary school bathrooms. 

She can be summoned the same way as within the manga, calling out to you with a "I'm here, or I'm done", but in an innocent, sometimes scared girl's voice as the stall door cracks open a sliver when you ask if she's there or finished(it varies). 

Some people say that they have opened the bathroom stall at Hanako-san's confirmation of her presence and have encountered an eight headed lizard, ravenous for human flesh. Children have also said that Hanako-san is a young girl with a scar across her face wearing a old-fashioned red skirt or dress and a bob haircut. Others have claimed they've seen paranormal activity in the bathroom where Hanako-san is said to reside: the random opening and closing of stall doors and the bathroom faucets dripping blood instead of water. 

Most people are unsure of Hanako's exact alignment, but most people think that she pulls her victims into the toilet. How exactly you die when you hear Hanako-san's voice also varies. The Yamagata Prefecture says that when you hear Hanako-san's bone-chilling voice, you will die at the talons of a three-headed lizard. Different prefectures believe different things that appear out of the toilet, like a head, a bloody hand, or a large white hand. 

According to legends, the only way to defeat Hanako-san is to have perfect grades, but this where the legend splits a bit, with some saying that you must present Hanako a perfect grade on am exam instead. While others attest that Hanako is impossible to overcome once you've lured her out. 

There are also apparently rumors that Hanako-san plays in the school yard as well as the bathroom, and if you scrape your knee in the school yard, you'll be cursed with a fungal infection by her that'll spread and mushrooms will begin to fester throughout your body. Teacher's use this part of the myth to prevent students from playing outside without permission. 

The themes of Toilet Bound Hanako are enhanced by symbolism that displays the fragility of life and being bound by the laws of fate, as well as the feelings of hopelessness and despair that a set in stone reality can produce within us and the actions we take to cope with these feelings. 

Hanako: A 13 year old boy named Yugi Amane who became supernatural after killing his twin brother Tsusaka. He is in love with Nene

He was born in the 1960s around the time of the moon landing. It is implied within the manga in a flashback and and through inference based on Tsusaka’s personality, that Tsusaka was abusing Amane, and his science teacher, Tsuchigomori, often had to patch up the bruises along his arms caused by Amane’s brother and wrap his cuts in bandages after school

The moon: Represents an implausible dream. 

The moon rock: Giving up on that dream. Relinquishing yourself to someone else. The moment when fate changed. Hanako’s ability to alter fate is portrayed as a costly exchange and not worth it’s weight, for Hanako is burdened by the weight of taking a life, the life of his own twin no less, and Hanako grapples with the idea of redemption even being possible for past misdeeds. In addition, despite Hanako refashioning destiny itself, he is unable to achieve what he truly wants most in the world: for Yashiro Nene, the girl he loves, to live beyond the age of fifteen

Tsuchigomori is not only Amane’s middle school teacher, but also the fifth school mystery who has dominion as the curator of the 4pm Book Stacks- a secret library that only appears at 4pm that houses books containing all the students that have come to Kamome Academy since its founding’s pasts, presents, and futures. 

It is revealed by the first school mystery, The Clock Keepers, three supernaturals who govern the past, present, and future respectively within Kamome Academy, that Yashiro is destined to die soon. This is divulged after The Clock Keeper who governs the future, Mirai, touches Yashiro in order to turn her time forward and transform her into an old lady- which she’s been doing to everyone within the school ever since she escaped from the careful guard of The Clock Keeper’s of the present and past, determined to make the students ``hotter,” in her words. But when Mirai attempts to turn Yashiro’s time forward, it is revealed that Yashiro HAS no more time to turn forward and she is trapped within a non permanent non existence for the time being; and  Hanako unveils the rationale for why Yashiro possessed the ability to see Hanako in the first place: because she toed the line between the spirit realm and the land of the living. Hanako made Yashiro his assistant so that he could make sure she made the best out of the time she had left

Hanako traps Nene in the picture world to extend her lifespan.  It isn’t exactly what Hanako wants for Yashiro, he’s willing to settle for containing Yashiro within this fictional world in order for her to live the fulfilling high school life she’s always wanted, where she won’t have to worry about her impending demise and can exist in idealized limbo. Hanako wishes that everything could stay the same as it is, enjoying the time he spends with Yashiro and Kou, but the picture world represents how even if we can’t deny fate, we’ll delay or throw it off our tracks as much as possible, for as long as possible, no matter how futile those actions may seem. 

Mitsuba's greatest wish is to be alive again, since his most profound being only wants to make friends- something that’s an impossible venture as a ghost who few can see. Mitsuba uses the picture world in order to pretend to be alive and a part of Kou’s school life; even though this world is but a fabrication, Mitsuba insists that they can make it real if Kou just stays long enough. This all a ghost like him could hope for, the best he can do. 

Kou: The weakest Minamoto, no one takes him seriously when he says that he'll save Nene. . 

Another idea about fate that’s emphasized in Toilet Bound Hanako is intertwined destiny’s.  Nene accidentally travels into the past and meets a young Amane Yugi in 1964.

• @theHVSPN

The Over-Analyzing Anime Podcast is all about breaking down the elements found within anime. Each episode includes a summary of the episode, potential inspiration of the show, overall themes, characterization, and the symbols found within!