Straight whaling propaganda.

May 3, 2020 9:19 PM

Offline

Jun 2013

I went into this hoping it’d either provide a bit of wry commentary on the moral implications of the whaling industry or at least make the dragons so fantastical that the obvious comparisons to whaling were just a side effect rather than the main course.

Instead I got what feels like a straight up celebration of Japan’s long and unpleasant history with whaling. Considering Japan has for years ignored the whaling ban in favor of false “research” and recently gave up pretending to follow the ban altogether, it leaves a sour taste.

I mean...

[spoiler below]

The emotional climax is her telling baby dragon to live so she can eat it? REALLY?

May 7, 2020 8:54 AM

WolfStarisme

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Jun 2009

At least it stays true to the manga in that regard?

May 7, 2020 12:26 PM

removed-user

Offline

Jul 2018

562456

Stop being a child. Honestly, if you disliked the anime because of this, you certainly never met a farmer or someone that lives out of livestock. This is real life, they live out of killing those creatures, it's harsh and most of the times involves that "feeding you to kill you" kind of thing. A lot of anime depicts psychopats, murder, rape, and that doesn't make them less interesting. In the same way, Drifting Dragons depicts the life of those who hunt to survive, and that's it.

May 8, 2020 4:41 PM

Jordanious77

Offline

Oct 2014

100% agree. Everything about this anime just shouts pro-whaling propaganda BS.

One of the first lines in the show is "Dragons are endangered and a pretty peaceful species" which led me to think there would be a moral aspect to it.
But nah, the show is straight up just about glorifying hunting endangered species. The ships look exactly like whaling ships, the dragons look like whales, they even hunt and cut them up in the same way. I guess to market the show better they couldn't just straight up have a show about pirates hunting whales.

They even go into great detail about the uses of wh.. Dragon oil, dragon blubber and what the meat tastes like. Funnily enough, they're all used for the exact same things whale oil, blubber and meat is. DW, the stupid people like @aragusuku will just tell you it's a coincidence that they're glorifying the act of hunting dragons.

The anime isn't about how hunting dragons is a good thing, no ofc not. Can't be propaganda, not from Japan!!
--
Also: @Aragusuku "If you dont like a show for this you're a child", you're an issue I have with this community. The show glorifying the act of "dragon" hunting, celebrating it, drooling over it, enjoy every part of it. Theres no moral realism, theres no philosophy or moral questioning.
it's just straight up propaganda. It's a terrible show.

This anime came out right around the time the Japanese whaling industry were trying to get support for commercial whale hunting. (it had been illegal for 30 odd years because they were endangered). people were celebrating the ability to hunt them commercially again, not that it ever stopped them.

If a show did the same thing about murder it would be just as crude. Name 1 show that glorifies murder or rape in the same way this show does in regards to Dragon hunting?

And don't try an argue that Dragons in this weren't intentional replacements to whales, not even you're that dumb.

Jordanious77May 8, 2020 5:24 PM

This is an official MAL signature. Monogatari is the best anime. Thank you for your time.

May 14, 2020 5:21 AM

Psyhcogunniboy

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Mar 2020

I agree that it could be seen as whaling proaganda anime. But i was still able to enjoy the anime as it is a fantasy and a work of fiction. I thought their world was really interesting and I hope there is another season.

May 14, 2020 5:26 AM

Psyhcogunniboy

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Mar 2020

You went into it hopeing it would be a certain kind of story fitting your world view on a modern day problem. Probably why you didnt like it. Although that could have been a good watch. Watch heart of the sea if you havnt i think you woulf like that movie.

May 14, 2020 5:28 AM

Theo1899

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Jun 2016

13434

I'm sold. That sounds super interesting to me.

MEA·MENTVLA·INGENS·EST

May 14, 2020 5:34 PM

GinjiAnanoGB

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May 2020

I'm not one to usually care about the real world connections in anime and I'm not the activist type by any means. I think hunting for food is natural and healthy for the environment and long as it's done responsibility and sustainably but unless I'm off the mark this show definitely comes off a little shallow, the main characters are narrow minded and pig headed. I don't know if the original managa was intended to be propaganda but it sure feels like it could be taken that way.

Just as entertainment I'd give this one a 6/10 less if you want a show that's any more then cave man level introspective.

May 20, 2020 12:20 AM

LMN118

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Oct 2019

To be honest I had thought the same, but no it just a straight up butcher fest. For a small amount of working people butchering endangered animals when most of the population doesn't even want to eat it.

To be fair though, between blatant lolicons, sorry I mean closet pedos, a fascination of facism and in particular the Nazis and of course history revisionism I think whaling is the least of animes issues.

May 28, 2020 11:06 PM

#10

Zuggernaut

Offline

Jul 2017

You don't even have to go into this show with any set expectations, I just stumbled upon this on Netflix and thought Monster Hunter meets Food Wars. The whaling comparison is so incredibly blatant and distracting I couldn't take the show seriously anymore. It makes no sense to give justifications like "they're a dangerous threat" then proceed to depict dragons as normal animals while all human harm has been self-inflicted as a result of their actions.
Honestly, what are they trying to get at? They don't make the dragons monster-like, savage beasts but rather victims for being absolutely delicious, massive creatures that can be hunted..
Or maybe the message is simply nothing is special until they're gone, rip mammoths and moas

ZuggernautMay 28, 2020 11:12 PM

Jun 3, 2020 3:09 PM

#11

MajesticRat

Offline

Oct 2013

I got the same feeling while watching - dragon hunting seems like direct whaling allegory.

Even tho I like the story, characters and some visuals, anime left me feel really conflicted.

I see moral aspects of that whole hunting thing. Characters were gloryfying hunting but I always felt bad for dragons.

It was just shown that *maybe* its not ok to kill them - but never told directly. In first ep one dragon is a mother who wants to take revenge on hunters for killing her son. Later on it was mentioned that the dragon in the town is scared and is suffering. (I wanted to cry for that poor thing) Baby dragon in last episodes.

I was waiting that show will move towards morality topic and will start questioning things. (I was actually pretty sure that this will be the main plot of the story)

I hope it will be the case in future seasons.

Jun 11, 2020 1:38 AM

#12

Cbiskit

Offline

Mar 2020

I had the same thought just seconds into this. Such a blatant prop piece, or the creator really has a hardon for the whaling industry. I especially like how much the dragons were reduced to an inexpressive space blob creature, makes it extra easy not to empathize with an eyeless, faceless blob that’s just scary teeth. One of my other first thoughts was how unsustainable the work they do is. Dragons are dangerous and fucking with towns so they can’t be left unchecked, and the drakers take advantage of this, but you also can’t kill them all or there’s no Drakers anymore

Jun 16, 2020 7:58 PM

#13

Flori-senpai

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Jun 2020

Sorry in advance for my English level, not english speaker.

About the Anime: interesting plot, great art design, not very ugly CGI (in fact I'm more used to it as in every season there is one show using this technology, I'm starting to even enjoying it), the soundtrack is not impressive but effective, and most of the characters have quiet charisma (good work from Japanesse seiyuu).

Then, speaking about the moral issue for whaling.

I'm sure than 90% of people who takes this fact at heart is not vegan, so killing whales is bad but killing whatever other sort of animal for feeding is okay (like all the issue about animal cruelty with porks, chikens, and whatever else). Hypocrites...

Also, the majority complaining about this I'm sure that they laugh at animes about pedophilia, assassination, enjoy war animes inspired in world wars where their gramps and great-gramps suffered in order to survive (fighting or just being collateral). Hypocrites...

Anime is culture, such as museum exposition or a philosophical text. Is good and necessary to show things morally questionable, and most important IS FICTION!

Finally, I just watched the anime, now I'm starting the manga. First because I enjoyed the show, and secondly because could be great to find out that the show is not a spokon shōnen to show how fun is playing volleyball (in this case whaling), while maybe is truly about the morality about whaling and at the end the characters change their minds about what they are doing. If that was the case would be great to shut up a bunch of mouths who just prejudge the anime's first season.

And if finally is about whaling and having fun while doing it, then it's OK, because it's fiction. Don't be so picky and if you want to be picky then at least don't be a hypocrite.

My respect to those who truly can be picky to this anime. For example my friend Laura who loves Anime but is vegan and can truly hate the first impression of this show as she is activist at Sea Shepherd (the marine branch of Greenpeace) so she spend the most of the time in a ship around the world fighting for her ideals 24/7 and heading home a couple weeks per year.

Ps. Although licensed by Netflix to be worldwide, remember that every otaku product (manga,anime, etc) is made from Japanese for Japanese. They think that if you as foreigner like it, then it's okay, more money, but they generally take care only about what Japanese customers think. So maybe, Japanese people in general don't accept whaling but they at leat understand that this show is CULTURE and FICTION. If not I don't understand how can get an Anime adaptation, as the manga has to sell well first.

Jun 16, 2020 8:21 PM

#14

KreatorX

Offline

May 2013

1739

Flori-senpai said:
Sorry in advance for my English level, not english speaker.

Ps. Although licensed by Netflix to be worldwide, remember that every otaku product (manga,anime, etc) is made from Japanese for Japanese. They think that if you as foreigner like it, then it's okay, more money, but they generally take care only about what Japanese customers think. So maybe, Japanese people in general don't accept whaling but they at leat understand that this show is CULTURE and FICTION. If not I don't understand how can get an Anime adaptation, as the manga has to sell well first.

Your efforts and energy are wasted on people who are incapable of understanding these words.

Aug 2, 2020 7:18 PM

#15

Darkdaxter

Offline

Mar 2016

207

They butcher and use animal products like whales? You mean like ALL animals?

I agree that this was a very shallow show, but the cast were by no means portrayed as morally good. You just got to know them as people and so empathized with them. I don't understand this push people have for every character to be morally righteous. I mean for one thing, morality is subjective. If we grew up in Alaskan tribes 300 years ago, sending most of our men/boys out spear-fishing (where many often died), I'm sure we would feel differently about hunting. In a hundred years or so, I'm sure many aspects of our current societies will be considered immoral.

Also, they specifically said 1 species of dragon was endangered, not ALL of them. Don't get me wrong, there was a lot of missed potential in avoiding these discussions, but at the same time I did appreciate the "USE EVERYTHING" mentality.

And I also hate the mentality that if someone puts out a bad message, that EVERYONE is going to fall for it. Even if that were truly the developer's intentions, people can and will make up their own minds. There's plenty of messages out there about how so many of our food practices are awful. I doubt that watching this will revitalize the whaling industry. I mean there are plenty of other anime with vegan theming. Do those not influence people?

May 4, 2022 7:43 PM

#16

Himawari9

Offline

Aug 2017

645

What part of this is whaling propaganda? And who said dragons aren't dangerous? In the later arcs, they will show that dragons are really dangerous. Mika's entire family died due to a dragon attacked their passenger ship. Vannie's hometown is attacked by a dragon that created a poisonous mist and many people went into coma because of the the mist. A new character got burned badly when he was a child after a dragon attacked the ship he was on with his family.

Jun 2, 2022 9:04 PM

#17

removed-user

Offline

Jul 2018

562456

Himawari9 said:
What part of this is whaling propaganda? And who said dragons aren't dangerous? In the later arcs, they will show that dragons are really dangerous. Mika's entire family died due to a dragon attacked their passenger ship. Vannie's hometown is attacked by a dragon that created a poisonous mist and many people went into coma because of the the mist. A new character got burned badly when he was a child after a dragon attacked the ship he was on with his family.

Great to see there are still humans with half a brain out there.

But you gotta understand one thing: those people didn't like the show because it was bad, they just didn't wanna like it to begin with. It's always funny to see double-standard people seething over minor issues in order to feed their own ego.

Jun 8, 2022 10:26 AM

#18

slightycognizant

Offline

Nov 2020

246

I think it is quite important to point out that the anime adaptation ends at chapter 17. Yes, in later arcs, the manga will show that the dragons they are hunting are quite dangerous to humans and often these methods of hunting are necessary to curbing such a threat but (iirc) you aren't necessarily provided that form of context in the content that the adaptation covers.

I would agree with them that there are common parallels to whale hunting but as you read the manga itself, it becomes less and less "valid".

Aragusuku said:

Great to see there are still humans with half a brain out there.

But you gotta understand one thing: those people didn't like the show because it was bad, they just didn't wanna like it to begin with. It's always funny to see double-standard people seething over minor issues in order to feed their own ego.

I am going to be more charitable for a second and say that they probably did come into it thinking they would like it but the connotations with real world issues might have put them off from liking it. Arguably, it is just something that put them off and they wanted to ask for a second opinion. Nothing that necessarily screams "malice" to me. But on the other hand, what the fuck is with all these sleeper accounts making their first post in this thread for some reason.

Man, the only reason I am even in this 2-year-old thread is because I didn't even know there was an adaptation for manga I needed to update.

I lurk a lot.

FGO NA Friend Code: 520,393,874

Jan 22, 2023 4:27 AM

#19

BiggKab

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Oct 2017

293

I concur, propaganda to the fullest.

Jul 10, 2023 7:12 AM

#20

spectre699

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Jan 2022

Flori-senpai said:
Then, speaking about the moral issue for whaling.

I'm sure than 90% of people who takes this fact at heart is not vegan, so killing whales is bad but killing whatever other sort of animal for feeding is okay (like all the issue about animal cruelty with porks, chikens, and whatever else). Hypocrites...

You're comparing whaling to livestock animals? whaling is different, they're endangered unlike the animals we eat, which we can easily breed.

Aug 12, 2023 10:25 PM

#21

Vecko

Offline

Mar 2016

242

Whale is delicious. Stay mad

NANACHO FOR PRESIDENT

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Straight whaling propaganda.

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