Otaku Ryōhō - Geek Therapy - Page 3 of 4

The Concept of Pain

May 6, 2020 · Discuss on the Geek Therapy Forum

Gian starts this round wanting to talk about how pain is represented conceptually in anime. He draws inspiration from Kiznaiver, an anime in which kids are forcibly connected by physical and emotional pain. Josue presents Bofuri an anime about a girl who makes herself impervious to pain in a virtual reality massively multiplayer online game. They talk about how Bofuri serves as a good reference point for conversations about tolerance and growth. Gian brings the topic of how shared pain or shared trauma can both bring us together an bring us apart. Then they talk about the representation of pain and illness in anime and the subjectivity of pain.

Talking Points: Pain, Tolerance, Resilience, Growth, Sickness, Pain scales, Subjective Pain experiences, medical treatment of pain, pain neuroscience, nearsightedness, illness.

Anime Mentioned: My Hero Academia, Kiznaiver, Bofuri, Dr. Stone, Samurai Champloo, Cells at Work.

Non-anime Mentions: Trauma Center: Under the Knife, Lifesigns: Surgical Unit (The more accurate Surgery DS game)

Contact Us:

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

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Science Fiction: The Future Is Anime

April 22, 2020 · Discuss on the Geek Therapy Forum

Josué brings up the topic of Science Fiction and Gian discovers how much he loves science fiction. Each of them takes turns talking about their favorite science fiction animes and why they love the concepts that they present. Gian begins with a mention of his favorite Slice-of-Life Sci-Fi anime and Josue talks about his love for anime that deals in the interface between humans and technology and the degree to which we see that blending process. They continue talking about Science fiction that both build worlds out of simple rules and science fiction that performs a single fascinating thought experiment.

Talking Points: Science Fiction, Technology, Time Travel, Empathy, Pain, AI, Digital Consciousness, Transhumanism, Connection with Technology, Political Fiction, Slice-Of-Life, Mecha, Psychology, MMOs, Schools, Genetics, Science

Anime Mentioned: Orange, Kiznaiver, Ghost In The Shell, Psycho-Pass, Space Brothers, Neon Genesis Evangelion, .Hack//, Assassination Classroom, Planets, Gundam, Bofuri, Dr. Stone, Naausica, Blue Gender

Non-Anime Mentions: Avengers: Endgame, .Hack// Video game trilogies, Kaijuu

Contact Us:

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josué Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Judgment: Ethical and otherwise

April 8, 2020 · Discuss on the Geek Therapy Forum

Gian brought the topic of Judgment using the anime “Death Parade” to illustrate how difficult it is to impose judgments on others. The conversation moves across various anime in which the concept of judgment as punishment is applied as well as anime in which the concept of judgment as an assessment is applied. Josué and Gian disagree on the definitions of Judgement that they employed throughout the conversation highlighting the complexity of the philosophical discussion. They talk about curses as forms of judgments in Dororo and Ranma as well as the judgment component of breaking natural laws in full metal alchemist. The discussion then pivots in on about ethical decision making and codes of ethics.

Talking Points: Religious Judgement, Murder, Ethical Dilemmas, Morality, Principles, Virtues, Code of Ethics, The Trolley Problem, Legal issues, Institutional codes of ethics.

Anime Mentioned: Death Parade, Death Note, Ranma 1/2, Psycho-Pass, Dororo, Dragon Ball Z/Super, Princess Mononoke, Full metal alchemist.

Contact Us:

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Death & The Afterlives

March 24, 2020 · Discuss on the Geek Therapy Forum

Gian and Josué talk about death & the afterlives using Dragon Ball Z as illustration. What happens after we die? The question yields more questions than answers. The hosts talk about their personal beliefs and how those beliefs influence how they go about their lives. As the conversations develop, they explore religious diversity and how it affects our collective view of death. They end up playing a game where they rewrite Dragon Ball replacing its “death & afterlives lore” with our own to find out how that would change the story.

Talking Points: Religion, Spirituality, Jung, Death, Afterlives, Philosophical Materialism, Reincarnation, Christianity, Shinto, Buddhism,

Anime Mentioned: Dragon Ball Z/ Dragon Ball GT/ Dragon Ball Super

Contact Us:

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Email | RSS | More

Deafness, Accessibility, and Language

March 11, 2020 · Discuss on the Geek Therapy Forum

Round #3: Gian chooses to talk about Language, Accessibility of Language and Deafness using the 2016 Kyoto Animation movie, A Silent Voice. He is quickly taken aback by Josué’s unexpectedly extensive history with Sign Language and the Deaf Community. They discuss the themes discussed in the movie as well as whether the movie is truly about deafness or about something else altogether. Gian wildly deviates from the Ryoho format to geek out about the movie and the themes it explores.

Talking Points: Accessibility, Deafness, Language, Defining Disability, Hearing Aids, Suicidal Ideation, Suicide, Trauma, Chronic Mental Illness, Deaf Community, Sign Language, Bullying, Resilience, Redemption, Empathy.

Anime Mentioned: A Silent Voice, Azumanga Daioh

Non-Anime Mentions: Lost in Translation

Reference Links:

National Association of the Deaf

Contact Us:

Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord

Follow Gian Ramos on twitter @Psychogonically

Follow Josue Cardona on twitter @JosueACardona

Follow the Geek Therapy Network on twitter @Geektherapy

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Email | RSS | More

Cultural Exchange & Global Anime Culture

February 26, 2020 · Discuss on the Geek Therapy Forum

Round #2: Josué presents the topic of Japanese Culture and how anime functions (and sometimes fails to function) as a window into a culture that we would otherwise have no exposure to. He begins the discussion talking about informational boxes in the anime Excel Saga that would explain jokes that lacked context for western audiences. They then discuss their doubts on whether they have a correct idea of what Japanese culture is like. Gian proceeds to talk about his experience as a tourist in Japan and his perception of how expectations built around anime measured up to his lived experience. They talk about the common mistakes often made when translating Japanese culture into American Culture (Such as the false analogy of Northern and Southern Japan to Northern and Southern US). The conversation then deviates to Japanese spirituality, Yokai culture and the impact of anime on Japanese culture.

Talking Points: Japanese Culture, Japan Travel, Language Barriers, Osaka, Cultural Exchange, Translation and Interpretation of Japanese Language and Culture, Japanese Style, Public Transport in Japan, Japanese Mascots, Cultural Displays of Affection, Japanese Holidays: Christmas, Valentines’ day, White Day.

Anime Mentioned: Excell Saga, Fruits Basket, Azumanga Daioh, Full Metal Alchemist

Non-Anime Mentions: Death Stranding, Terrace House, Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light, Yokai Watch

Reference Links:
Terrace House- https://www.netflix.com/title/81077065

Dad of Light: https://www.netflix.com/title/80178543

The Book of Yokai: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Yokai-Mysterious-Creatures-Japanese/dp/0520271025