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Apr 17, 2023 9:38 PM
#1
| What do you all think of Droopy-Eared Bananyas ideals/values? Especially in modern society where topics are widely debated, where do you think Droopy-Eared Bananya would lay on some political issues? Just some topics I am throwing out here but maybe: Systemic racism in America, Abortion Laws, Homelessness crisis, Housing Crisis, Economic Issues/systems, political leaders, or revolutionaries themselves. I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this. |
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Apr 17, 2023 10:14 PM
#2
| Personally, I think Droopy-Eared Bananya would be more libertarian and against law enforcement while also leaning toward socialism. Bananya as a show on the surface appears to be a children's show about cats and bananas however its depth and meaning go further than that. Director Kyou Yatate constantly pushes a sense of society and friendliness toward each other in Bananya creating a feeling of equal standing in society. This can somewhat correlate to ideas of socialism that often push for a sense of community rather than privatized organizations in control of society. Yatate pushes these ideas not only for a sense of friendliness in the show but also to remove aspects of social hierarchy. Societies with social hierarchies often foster toxic communities and feelings of hate against one another. To my understanding, Yatate did not want to send a message like that to Bananya's audience, thus a sense of community and friendliness was pushed to ultimately show we need one another. In episode 3 of Bananya and The Curious Bunch, Droopy-Eared Bananya is featured as a guest. Nearing the end of the episode Bananya and Droopy-Eared Bananya go through an encounter with Police Bananya and Sheriff Bananya. In this encounter, Sheriff Bananya lassos Bananya and Droopy-Eared Bananya in an act of violence. Acting completely out of line, Sheriff Bananya displays their incompetence as a sheriff. Using unnecessary force and physical touch without consent, both Police Bananya and Sheriff Bananya traumatize Droopy-Eared Bananya, without a probable cause of any crime at that. This scene not only commentates on contemporary society's troubles with police brutality, but it also brings up a previous point on the social hierarchy. Thinking Sheriff Bananya and Police Bananya are higher and more powerful than the rest of the Bananyas, they abuse their power and ultimately end up harming the citizens they must protect. After this scene, I was sure Droopy-Eared Bananya would be wary of law enforcement and other individuals that may be having a power trip, thus leaning toward a libertarian side. However, this scene also brings up a big component of law enforcement that is not seen too much today. After law enforcement violated Bananya and Droopy-Eared Bananya's rights, they quickly apologized for their wrong deed. I cannot tell if this is my personal bias coming through or just the absurdity of law enforcement these days (or a mix of both), but law enforcement when proven wrong at either traffic stops or other civilian encounters fail to show humility and admit fault, often pushing to find another reason to stop civilians, an obvious power trip. Yatate, and Bananya as a whole, prove once again how deep and interesting this short and cute anime can get. From social hierarchies that plague our society to law enforcement and how we should approach mistakes, Bananya reflects upon the ideas and values our society holds. post-scriptum for some context: I am American so police brutality is a common theme in society, I am wondering if you guys saw some other connections to other societies or cultures? Would love to see and hear a different perspective on this! |
Apr 17, 2023 11:22 PM
#3
| I think Lukellare said: is a social critique of the imbalance of power between genders. As a proclaimed "cute" bananya, Droopy-Eared Bananya is harassed by multiple characters within the show, as she is touched without being asked first. This may refer to the casual nature of sexual abuse and harassment in society, which is also present in America. I think this directly relates back to your point about Yatate's development of the "community", which I believe is simply a façade for the ugly belly of all societies. One cause of these are from the creation of social hierarchies, and ours, (also from America here), stems from mostly Christian beliefs, which traditionally (not all today) place men before women, which allows for the development of power struggles between genders in contemporary America. episode 3 of Bananya and The Curious Bunch If this "community" was truly without social hierachy, I feel that this harassment would not be as present, and the simple presence of a Police Bananya and Sherriff Bananya creates a contradictory message to your interpretation of "community", since some individuals are placed above others. Lukellareother civilian encounters fail to show humility and admit fault, Following the pattern I described above, conflict is created because of possible police power trip, and I am not willing to simply accept their apology for their misuse of power (battery??) because they only see the "cuteness" of Droopy-Eared Bananya. This draws a strong correlation between Droopy-Eared Bananya's physical appearance and the reason that they actually apologize, which admittedly does subvert some gender roles, with men in power showing humility to women. HOWEVER, who knows what brutality would have occurred had Droopy-Eared Bananya not been with Bananya.In another sense, the fact that they lasso Droopy-Eared Bananya for her "cuteness", is another global issue in which men take advantage of their social status to prey upon women. I think Yatate's criticism of this global issue is very brave, as some Japanese politicians see no issue with allowing this advantage being portrayed and glorified within other smut novels and mangas/animes. I completely agree with your point about how interesting Bananya can be analyzed with these social lenses. I am hoping to nominate this show on the IB prescribed reading list so students across the world can explore this art. |
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