The reading material introduces different reasons for the emergence of the apocalyptic imagination in Japanese culture. The mainstream views are Japan’s historical vulnerability to disaster and the lingering trauma of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is also argued that the peculiar beauty of destruction aesthetics can bring a psychological function that alleviates anxiety through distraction and normalizes those phycological unbearable. From my perspective, I agree with the opinion that postwar imagination is a commemoration of loss and a kind of therapy. Compared with the pessimism and nihilism generated from the reflection on history, wars and nuclear weapons, the imagination of the apocalypse reflects more on people’s positive mentality and expectations for the future. Most monsters in the movie will eventually be defeated, while cities and civilizations are rapidly reconstructed from the ruins. A strand of optimism is present through the faith in science and warmth, and comradeship described in the film.
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Good summary. I wonder what are the downsides of the apocalyptic movies?