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drstonetrivia · 7 months

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Chapter 7 Trivia

A-Hakone we will go, A-Hakone we will go, Heigh-ho, the volcan-o, A-Hakone we will go.

Senku seems determined to break all the pots even if, to me, it doesn't match up with what his goals are.

However I'm imagining whoever Tsukasa revived next was using pots crafted by Tsukasa's hand. (If they decided to remake any)

~80km, or about 17 hours of walking (at about 5km/hr), basically as the crow flies. Taiju could run it in 5 hours, going at 16 km/hr. They stop for one night and probably do the trip in two days.

The Tokyo <-> Hakone route becomes pretty important down the road.

With Senku's crude sextant, he just lines the sights up with the sun and reads the angle that way. A proper sextant has mirrors, so you adjust the angle until the horizon and sun are aligned in the view piece.

If we assume the sun rises at 5:30AM (it's currently around springtime), then 35,970 seconds later is 10 hours later, making it about 3:30PM.

Modern buildings simply aren't built to last thousands of years. Needs change, and thus things are only built to last ~100 years, so it makes sense that there's nothing left.

If you wanted to build something to last 3,700 years, check out the Great Pyramids for inspiration!

Interestingly, skyscrapers may last longer because of the amount of glass in them and the strength of the concrete. This is probably why Roppongi hills is still identifiable but people's houses aren't.

Obviously this doesn't account for severe natural disasters.

If they're in Kamakura, they did not go as the crow flies, and the whole trip becomes 94km (20 hours of walking).

Fun fact: if you visit the Great Buddha, you can peek inside the hollow structure from the back.

Bronze can last an incredibly long time. the Antikythera Mechanism survived for around 2000 years despite the seawater thanks to bronze's resistance to corrosion. Like Senku says, bronze will also leach copper into the soil, which can kill plants if there's a high amount present.

Prunus yedoensis is one of the most widely planted cherry cultivars, and they're all clones of the same plant. This works by grafting a branch onto another tree, making the "top half" a cherry tree, or alternatively just using cuttings.

The tree itself has a short lifespan.

These are Japanese Horsetail, better known as tsukushi. They're similar to asparagus in appearance and taste, but have hollow stems.

Senku needs one hand on his stick to check stability, so he holds his shoes in one hand. Yuzuriha can hold her shoes in both hands. Taiju needs both hands to hold all their stuff, so his are tucked into his belt.

I thought it was a nice detail :)

Nitric acid burns skin, so I assume RF would too, but Yuzuriha is saying it's cold? Is she talking about the stone feeling cold? If that part of her foot is fully stone, how is she walking if she can't bend her toes? Is it just a stone layer on top of skin?

I've got questions.

Detective Tsukasa is on the case! He seems to have some basic tracking knowledge, but more impressively he can predict Senku's moves very accurately using both his knowledge of science and possibly fighter's instincts. Senku doesn't stand a chance…

Hakone is in a volcanic region with lots of natural onsen and a view of Mt. Fuji to the northwest. This scene resembles Owakudani - a geothermic area north of Mt. Hakone, along the Hakone ropeway route.

Owakudani natural hot springs seem to range in temperature between 36.3 and 96.0°C. There's no telling what the exact temperature of the pool they chose is, but Senku obviously can't take the heat.

Senku uses the terms "gunpowder" and "black powder" interchangably. This isn't technically incorrect, as up until recently they were the same thing. Nowadays, we also have smokeless powder that can be used for the same purpose.

(Also, if you don't recognise the tune at the beginning of the thread it's "A-Hunting We Will Go", a folk song/nursery rhyme.)

Finally, several of these were taken directly from Caleb Cook's trivia, so credit where it's due.

#trivia #dr stone #chapters #7

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samasmith23 · 11 months

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Evangelion: You Can (Not) Marathon — (Part 4)

Neon Genesis Evangelion, “Episode 4: Rain, After Running Away/Hedgehog's Dilemma”

Continuing my Evangelion re-watch marathon with NGE, "Episode 4: Rain, After Running Away/Hedgehog's Dilemma"! For my thoughts on the previous episode, click the link to the post below:

With that out of the way, let's dig in! I’m especially excited to revisit this episode as this was always one of my personal favorite episodes from the series!

I love Misato’s dialogue when she reacts to seeing Shinji’s room completely empty with only his ID card and a letter on his desk: “*Sigh...* He’s run away… I’m not surprised…”

Even without reading the goodbye letter, Misato immediately realizes what is going on because she and Shinji truly are similar when it comes to their loneliness and desire to run away from the rest of the world.

This whole montage of Shinji wandering aimlessly back-&-forth around Tokyo-3 and the Japanese countryside perfectly encapsulates the major reason why this episode in particular has always stood out among my personal favorites: namely it’s ability to effectively communicate so much information about Shinji’s character primarily through visual storytelling and with little to no dialogue!

Elements like Shinji going back-&-forth on the looped train station while repeatedly listening to tracks 25 & 26 on his cassette radio convey Shinji’s lack of motivation and finding escapism through repetition, the scene of him witnessing two people kiss in the movie theater (the film is a dramatized retelling of Second Impact funnily enough) highlight Shinji’s simultaneous desire for and aversion towards having intimate relationships and physical contact with others, the pink-filter scene of Shinji feeling overwhelmed by the sight of Toyko-3 and subsequent leaving to the countryside represents Shinji’s fear of the pressure of responsibility and desire to run away from pain, while him coincidentally encountering Tokyo-3 again on the mountainside is reminiscent of Shinji’s inability to truly run away as he keeps coming back to piloting the EVA in order to find some purpose in life, and the image of Shinji sitting by the cliffside is reflective of his suicidal ideation since the landscape is visually based off the real-life Owakudani area which is sadly well-known for its high suicide rates.

Interestingly though, series' creator Hideaki Anno has stated before that a defining feature of Shinji's character is that, "he is a boy who doesn't even have the courage to kill himself."

And it is here where I feel its appropriate to address a major elephant in the room when it comes to analyzing anything Evangelion-related. Specifically, in addition to being reflective of Anno's own personal struggles with depression, EVA as a series simultaneously functions as a meta-critique of the Japanese otaku subculture. For those who aren't aware, "otaku" essentially somewhat functions as a Japanese synonym for a nerd or geek with obsessive interests. In his essay "おたく / Otaku / Geek," Morikawa Kaichirō argues that "contemporary usage of the word otaku [originating] in an essay titled 'A Study of Otaku' that appeared in the June 1983 edition of Manga Burikko, an erotic manga magazine [by] Nakamori Akio (1)." Following the infamous 1989 otaku murders in which an anime fan named Tstusmo Miyazaki killed 4 young girls, Kaichirō elaborates that otaku evolved into a pejorative shorthand for "person who has retreated into a fantasy world, unable to tell the difference between reality and illusion, and is sexually attracted to small children (8)."

Concerning Evangelion, both Anno and the other founding members of Studio Gainax were pioneering members of otaku subculture within the anime industry, but during the production of his previous anime, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Anno fell into a four-year-long struggle with severe depression and became increasingly introspective and critical about the certain elements of otaku lifestyle which he grew to hate about himself and others. While Anno today openly embraces the more positive aspects of his otaku identity, during the mid-to-late 90s Anno's clinical depression and growing disenchantment with otaku significantly influenced the overall narrative and themes of the franchise. This is supported by an interview from the 1997 Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion Pamphlet with assistant-director Kazuya Tsurumaki, who described Shinji's "distant, awkward communication" with the rest of the series' cast functioning as a parable for otaku IRL.

Now with that major aside out of the way, let's resume the analysis of the episode!

I think this scene answers my previous question about why exactly Shinji suddenly decided to disobey orders during the fight with the Angel Shamshel in the previous episode: Namely, after realizing that perfectly obeying orders like a robot got him nowhere, Shinji simply stopped giving a crap and was determined to just kill the Angel even if it meant he himself would get killed in the process. It further feeds into to the previous cliffside imagery which alluded to Shinji’s suicidal tendencies and his lack of any true desire to live unless he can be of use to someone else. It just goes to show how empty and hollow one's existence can feel when consumed by severe depression and self-imposed isolation. A true Hedgehog's Dilemma...

Also, while Spike Spencer’s “yes” replies to Misato can feel a tad bit sarcastic here, he does perfectly nail Shinji’s nihilism in this scene!

As much as I rag on Kensuke in the ADV dub for his crappy voice acting, I do love how he serves as somewhat of a foil to Shinji during the scene where Kensuke’s childishly pretending to be a military soldier before camping out with a wandering Shinji. While Shinji is a stand-in for the introverted depressed otaku (which is reflective of Anno’s own mental state during the production of NGE), Kensuke reflects the more nerdy escapist otaku who’s so overly immersed in their fandom passions that they blind themselves from the ongoings of the real world.

This contrast is best conveyed when Kensuke ignorantly states how jealous he is of Shinji for both being able to pilot EVA and live under the care of an attractive older woman like Misato, whereas Shinji reflects the harsh reality and emotional struggles that a 14-year-old effectively serving as a child soldier would endure. It’s likely no accident that Kensuke was cosplaying as a soldier during this scene, especially since the previous interaction between Misato & Ritsuko about the former’s concern for the mental health of the EVA pilots was juxtaposed with the latter coldly examining Rei’s physical health so that she could fulfill her duty as a cog in NERV’s military industrial complex. Ironically, the same industrial complex which Kensuke idolizes is the one which causes Shinji & Rei pain.

Also, we get another bit of foreshadowing about the EVA’s harboring the souls of the pilot’s dead mother’s as Kensuke reveals that just like Shinji he too lacks a mother.

Misato’s angry reaction to Shinji stating that he’ll continue to pilot the EVA solely because it’s what’s expected of him and that he doesn’t want to place the burden of responsibility on Rei is… interesting. On the one hand Misato is exposing her limitations at being an efficient parental-figure/guardian to Shinji by letting the military commander side of her personality override her nurturing side by coldly scolding Shinji and telling him to leave if that’s going to be his attitude going forward. But on the other hand, I can’t help but completely agree with Misato’s rationale here since if Shinji’s going to continue piloting, then he should do so only if he legitimately wants to or is doing so to discover his own purpose in life, rather than doing so simply out of detached obligation or an aimless desire to gain validation from others. In this regard, piloting the EVA is metaphorical for growing up versus running away, something which Misato herself has and still struggles with.

And that’s why Misato's so harsh on Shinji here. It's because she knows exactly what he’s going through. But while Misato does legitimately want what’s best for him (which is why she feels that him quitting might be better for his mental health), she’s unable to express it in a tactful manner since Shinji in this scenario represents the part of Misato that she hates about herself.

Regarding the scene where Toji requests Shinji to hit him as recompense for him previously hitting Shinji back in Episode 3, I never noticed this before but Toji's request is actually reflective of his struggles with toxic masculinity. I mentioned before that Toji heavily fits into the archetype of the traditional school jock. And although he does subvert many of the traits associated with said-archetype (namely through developing a sense of regret for his previous bullying of Shinji and even empathizing and befriending him), Toji still embodies several attitudes associated with toxic masculinity through his belief of resolving conflict through physical violence. Whether it be him punching Shinji out of anger for EVA Unit-01 accidentally hospitalizing his younger sister, or Toji insisting that Shinji punch him back in order to “let bygones be bygones” between them.

In this regard, Toji is also experiencing his own form of the Hedgehog’s Dilemma which Shinji & Misato also deal with, since he struggles with expressing his feelings of empathy to others and relies on a tough-exterior and communicating primarily through physical pain.

And interestingly, this examination of toxic masculinity isn’t just limited to Toji’s character, but also too Misato’s as well since in previous episodes she scolded Shinji for “not acting like a boy” whenever he acted distant or reserved. And these harmful perceptions of “traditional” masculinity are something which Misato overcomes by the end of this episode when she realizes that the Hedgehog’s Dilemma is causing both Shinji and herself to shielding their true feelings by allowing themselves to be hurt and to hurt others. This is why Misato comes to regret her previous scolding of Shinji, and rushes to see him goodbye at the train station.

Also, I love how Misato’s realization of the harm the Hedgehog’s Dilema causes both her and Shinji is contrasted against one of Shinji’s most famous line’s in the entire series, exposing the true depths of his depression and self-loathing to Toji: “I'm the one who deserved to be hit! Not You! I'm a coward! I'm dishonest! I'm sneaky! And a wimp!”

This final moment where Misato apparently arrives too late at the train station only to see that Shinji never actually got on (once again running away in a sense…), and the two stare at each other for a full minute across the station before calling back to their lines from Episode 2 (specifically when Shinji first arrived at Misato's apartment...), is yet another perfect example of communicating so much information and character development with very little to almost no dialogue! It’s at this moment Shinji finally realized that Misato does legitimately care about him as a parent/guardian-figure and was more than just his commanding officer expecting him to solely follow orders. And Misato finally realized that she needs to not hide her motherly affection for Shinji and start showing him legitimate support, instead of trying to shield her own loneliness through both her gruff military exterior and messy home life.

The duality between Shinji & Misato's respective Hedgehog Dilemma's comes full circle by the end of the episode. As Anno himself once clarified in a written statement for the July 1995 edition of Neon Genesis Evangelion Vol. 1:

"[Shinji] tries to live in a closed world where his behavior dooms him, and he has abandoned the attempt to understand himself. A cowardly young man who feels that his father has abandoned him, and so he has convinced himself that he is a completely unnecessary person, so much so that he cannot even commit suicide. And there is a 29-year-old woman who lives life so lightly as to barely allow the possibility of a human touch. She protects herself by having suface level relationships, and running away. Both are extremely afraid of being hurt. Both are unsuitable-lacking the positive attitude-for what people call heroes of an adventure. But in any case, they are the heroes of this story."

Well, that was NGE, "Episode 4: Rain, After Running Away/Hedgehog's Dilemma", and even after all this time this one still stands as one of my personal favorite episodes from the entire series! Even as far back as Episode 4, Anno was relying heavily on visual storytelling techniques which heavily distinguished EVA from your conventional giant-robot anime series! And that’s a huge factor why even upon rewatch this episode still holds up phenomenally well among the earlier episodes!

Funnily enough though, this episode was actually almost never produced and is the only one out of all 26 episodes in which Anno possesses neither a writing nor co-writing credit. According to the Platinum Booklet - Episode Commentaries, Episode 4 was originally absent from the original plot outlines for the series, stating that,

"In actuality, this episode was once omitted in terms of the series composition and it was planned that what is now Episode Five would come after Episode Three. But as production progressed, staff members voiced their opinion that perhaps there was a need to depict Shinji’s relationship with the people around him after Episode Three, and thus, this episode was made, greatly changing the contents from what had originally been conceived. Because of this, the script for this episode written after the script for Episode Five had already been finalized. This is the one and only episode of all the TV and movie episodes in which Director Anno did not have a direct hand in the plot and script."

All I can say is, thank goodness that this episode does exist. Regardless of whether or not Anno himself was directly involved with the writing process for this specific episode, you can feel his influence all throughout its runtime. Overall, definitely a strong contender for one of the best entries in the original series!

Next time... Episode 5 and our first real glimpse into the enigma known as Rei Ayanami!

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