Blog #6 - Reflection over Aoi Tori and Swing Girls
One issue that seems to be rather prevalent between these two movies is the idea of bullying. It appears more so in Aoi Tori, and focuses more on it's effects, but it can also be seen in Swing Girls. I think that there is less of a care for "telling somebody how it is", which contradicts the definition of aimai; which means to not speak your mind (the nail that sticks up gets hammered down). The example that best fits this from Swing Girls is when the teacher who was taking lessons was completely made fun of by the little boy who was also practicing. In Aoi Tori, the act of bullying is a much more powerful one; the act has already happened and the audience has to sit through the aftermath and the recovery.
I think there is an extreme fear of not fitting in with the group. Bullies usually have a group that stick up for each other because it is easier to feel included than excluded. Due to gamabari, the fear of failure and to not be accepted is sometimes so great that one will do anything to fit in. Noguchi's willing to have friends and the things he'd do (steal chips) was an act of gamabari. Going through middle school, I was slightly overweight. If I can remember correctly, I was called "fat fuck" on the daily. I tried to not let it get to me, but it instilled a ideal inside of me that being a little chubby was wrong, so I changed my eating habits. It eventually led to self-starvation and a loss of weight.
Although bullying may not be visible to anyone's eye off hand, it is always an internal struggle that is not always thought about.
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