Youth Cyborg

Martine 2022-03-25 09:01:23

I happened to be reading Brian Ruh's article "The Robots from Takkun's Head: Cyborg Adolescence in FLCL", make a short summary, and count it as a reading note.

Citing Donna Haraway's cyborg theory, Ruh classifies puberty symptoms in the FLCL as a type of cyborg, saying the classification is inappropriate because cyborgs themselves are hybrids across species categories, half human, half machine, half beast, Irregular and out of common sense, this postmodern splicing that breaks a single identity is very consistent with the violent and chaotic monstrosity of adolescence. Boys and girls are little monsters, just see the teachers in our school jokingly calling students monkeys in private.

A cyborg is not necessarily a physical mechanical device, the thinking mode of today's society has been unknowingly guided by technology. Compared with the older generation, teenagers are more accepting and integrating with technology. Electronic products such as mobile phones, tablets, computers and other electronic products are inseparable all day long, and everyone is a cyborg. Haraway said: "Technology is not an intermediary, an intermediary between the human body and the external world. On the contrary, technology is an organ, a partner that shares the interests of mankind, a Merleau-Ponty-esque 'inward folding of the body'" (250). The TV robot that grew out of Naota's forehead appeared in the form of a gospel angel under the lens of Mimi's camera, and was called a god. The TV gentleman's name is Canti, the god of black flames in the game console, alluding to the little girl's habit of arson. God/human/machine are integrated here. In the director's tidbits, Tsurumaki Kazuya said that Japanese cultural habits refer to the things they rely on as gods. Sadako who crawled out of the TV can be a ghost, and a mechanical monster born by being internalized by a human body can naturally become a god. "Cruel な Angel の よ う に, juvenile よ myth に な れ"---- This is a catchy classic lyrics by EVA fans. As a technological creation of angel/human-machine hybrid, teenagers are keen to become a myth.

The road to becoming a god is not easy to take. Brian Ruh wisely pointed out that the word cybernetics is derived from the Greek word for driver (139), which is reminiscent of the huge humanoid weapon in EVA, which can only be manipulated by fourteen-year-old children. All kinds of anxiety and confusion about existence in youth, in EVA are all kinds of heavy struggle and thinking, in FLCL it is a ridiculous and exaggerated comedy presentation. Naota continued to fight against the new robot that grew out of his head. In order to fight against the vacuum cleaner robot in the second episode, TV Jun's screen quickly flashed the Chinese characters for "adult" (upside-down characters), and swallowed the boy to evolve into a more powerful weapon. After retiring, Naotai was swollen out of the body like feces (151-152). Spiral poop is actually the taste of adults, the experience of growing up is so disgusting, even if it is wrapped in Lover packaging, it can't hide the filth, if it is not a little psychedelic, a little rock, a little stupid, a little cool (foolycoolydruglyrockly??? I I can't break it down), how to survive the bleak youth?

Naota always faces different cyborgs in each episode, the TV guy in episode 1, the vacuum cleaner guy in episode 2, the monster guy coming out of the monitor's head in episode 3, and the massage of dad's head in episode 4. Sir. Infatuation with older women, uncontrollable urge to kill fathers, children want to become adults, adults are still confused, Never Knows Best, no one knows what the most correct and mature path is, this is the never-ending youth battlefield.

bibliography

Haraway, Donna. When Species Meet. University of Minnesota Press, 2008.

Ruh, Brian. “The Robots from Takkun's Head: Cyborg Adolescence in FLCL.” In Cinema Anime: Critical Engagements with Japanese Animation. Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.

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Extended Reading
  • Meredith 2022-04-21 09:03:48

    Sister control, juvenile shou, huge robot and beautiful girl, this is a bad taste called GAINAX. The restlessness of Pillows' original soundtrack is very good, and the atmosphere of the picture is impeccable, but the plot is more jumping than the picture, which is slightly unacceptable after just watching Q.

  • Autumn 2022-04-24 07:01:25

    Turbulent, crazy, unreasonable youth and love

FLCL quotes

  • Haruko: It's Manhattan style, see? Little Prince Curry goes to New York. Mild, for kids.

    Naota: Uaaahhh, it's spicy, I don't care if it goes to New York!

  • Amarao: That high school girl looked kinda sad. Seems like a little kindness might help, but you'd need some maturity to treat her that way.