CRITICAL REIMAGINATIONS OF HISTORY AND POLITICS IN LEIJI MATSUMOTO’S UCHUU SENKAN YAMATO

• Autor(a) principal: Martino, Luis Mauro Sa
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista GEMInIS
• Texto Completo: https://www.revistageminis.ufscar.br/index.php/geminis/article/view/508
• topic: Fact-checking; Coronavírus; Jornalismo; Fact-checking; Coronavirus; Journalism

This paper outlines some of the representations of war and politics in Japanese anime Uchuu Senkan Yamato, by Leiji Matsumoto, first aired in 1977, and broadcasted in Brazil in the 1980s by TV Manchete as “Patrulha Estelar”. The anime, a space-opera scientific ficcion, shows the adventures of a Japanese 2nd World War ship, the Yamato, refitted in the 23rd century as a spaceship to save the Earth from alien threats. Grounded on the narrative analysis of all the 77 anime episodes, this paper argues that: (1) there is an subtle and imaginative reinterpretation of History, particularly of the 2nd World War, with the Yamato joining the “allies” side; (2) There are several critical references to current social issues, as militarism, consumerism and materialism, as opposite to values such as friendship and mutual understanding. These elements are discussed against the background of japanese pop culture studies.