Reading Response: William M. Tsutsui

The virtual end of the world happens far more often in Tokyo than anywhere else, whether it’s a monster (Godzilla) or a disaster, like an earthquake or an atomic bomb. The surprising popularity of this disaster culture in Japan may have something to do with Japan’s ‘history vulnerability’.

Disaster is a wound that is hard to heal but is brought up repeatedly in the film because this fantasy will normalize and naturalize the unbearable things. These movies often have happy endings, which compare with relatively realistic. Furthermore, there is no denying that people may sometimes indulge in the aesthetics of destruction. That’s probably why black comedy is so popular.

Meanwhile, the damage done to the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is undeniable, however, if we only look at it from the perspective of the victims and ignore its role as the aggressor, it will be the embodiment of historical amnesia.

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1 thought on “Reading Response: William M. Tsutsui

  1. Sammie says:

    It is interesting that you brought in the idea of black comedy. Perhaps you can make a clearer connection between that and the previous point on the aesthetics of destruction. Also, do you think that the disaster film genre adequately addresses your point on historical nuances?

    Reply

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