William Tsutsui discusses how Tokyo is the destination for apocalypse monster films. Multiple perspectives are identified within the text—positive, negative, and neutral alike. One perspective that I agreed to the most was a rather pessimistic point of view, which explains that there are so many Japanese monster films due to the unsolved tensions, fears, feelings of vulnerability, all resulting in a shared history of trauma. However, this perspective argues that the apocalyptic pop-culture has re-imagined Japan’s gravely distorted history by repressing memories of violence and averting its eyes from reality. This creates historical amnesia. Although there are other perspectives that suggest the unexpected positive effects of such films, I agree more with this perspective that it is an action of averting from the reality of trauma and unresolved fears rather than a positive transformation of the tragic history of Tokyo.
Hae Gi Choi 3035451193
Excellent reading response of Tsuitsui’s commentary on the Japanese monster film genre – especially in choosing to address one specific point on “historical amnesia,” which was done eloquently in your writing.