@Blackadder, Japan is ranked 110th for gender equality, so I believe my wife when she tells me EVERYTHING is sexist about Japan. There are strictly Islamic states that rank better.
Look at CNN today. There's a story about a pop idol apologizing for being assaulted by two men, who were given her address by her colleague for that purpose. No arrests.
Gundam essentially depicts an Earth v's space colonies struggle that is an analogy for western colonialism. There are good and bad individuals on both sides, and both sides commit war crimes. This is a common theme amongst Japanese war crime deniers; 'everyone did it anyway'.
Worth noting is that former enemies who commit war crimes are 'let off' when they later ally with the 'good guys', which is representative (although unintentionally) of The Reverse Course that the US followed in Japan after the start of the Cold War.
Also, the 'hero' Char (an adult male) has several err, romantic relationships with very underage girls. What message is that sending out?
Yamato, well, it's a nonstop joke of Japanese nationalism. Of course, the only thing that can save mankind is a refloated WWII battleship turned spaceship named after the prehistoric Japanese state!
Remember, it was a contemporary of the original Star Trek, which featured an international crew on a mission of peace, whereas Yamato features a Japanese crew on a mission of war. This most likely reflects Vietnam War era Japanese society chaffing at the constraints placed on it by the 'peace constitution' that we gave them after they lost the war, and the perceived emasculation of national pride. Whereas Star Trek more accurately reflects the 1960's brotherhood of man peace and love movement as a reaction to US involvement in Vietnam.
(Just to head off any rebuttals at the pass, the japanese occupation of China killed about the same number of people as Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Every month. For almost 14 years. So yeah, they deserved 'emasculation'.).
Look at CNN today. There's a story about a pop idol apologizing for being assaulted by two men, who were given her address by her colleague for that purpose. No arrests.
Gundam essentially depicts an Earth v's space colonies struggle that is an analogy for western colonialism. There are good and bad individuals on both sides, and both sides commit war crimes. This is a common theme amongst Japanese war crime deniers; 'everyone did it anyway'.
Worth noting is that former enemies who commit war crimes are 'let off' when they later ally with the 'good guys', which is representative (although unintentionally) of The Reverse Course that the US followed in Japan after the start of the Cold War.
Also, the 'hero' Char (an adult male) has several err, romantic relationships with very underage girls. What message is that sending out?
Yamato, well, it's a nonstop joke of Japanese nationalism. Of course, the only thing that can save mankind is a refloated WWII battleship turned spaceship named after the prehistoric Japanese state!
Remember, it was a contemporary of the original Star Trek, which featured an international crew on a mission of peace, whereas Yamato features a Japanese crew on a mission of war. This most likely reflects Vietnam War era Japanese society chaffing at the constraints placed on it by the 'peace constitution' that we gave them after they lost the war, and the perceived emasculation of national pride. Whereas Star Trek more accurately reflects the 1960's brotherhood of man peace and love movement as a reaction to US involvement in Vietnam.
(Just to head off any rebuttals at the pass, the japanese occupation of China killed about the same number of people as Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Every month. For almost 14 years. So yeah, they deserved 'emasculation'.).