Konshuu Volume 56, Issue 8

KONSHUU

Death Note Art By Jen Zhao

vol. 56 #8

Gothic

L

KONSHUU | Volume 56, Issue 8

THIS ISSUE’S FEATURED SERIES! MANGA RECOMMENDATION

BY MITCHELL MADAYAG

Berserk

A gimme of a recommendation, yet it cannot be stated how much influence Miura’s lifework, Berserk, has had on the anime, manga, and video games that followed the beginning of its serialization. As a prime example of gothic medieval horror, Berserk is inspiring as you follow Guts’s journey of overcoming trauma and adversity. In addition to gorgeous artwork that improves with each chapter, Berserk is a must read for all manga enjoyers.

2018-2019

By Yuushin Kuroki 4 volumes, 37 chapters

ANIME RECOMMENDATION

BY MITCHELL MADAYAG

One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island

Spring 2005, Toei Animation Directed by Mamoru Hosoda 1 Movie

Not inherently reflective of gothic fiction in anime, the sixth One Piece film doesn’t really fit the core themes of the series, yet it is fascinating for being uniquely creepy.

The film flip flops between unsettling moments and gag scenes as it leads into an insane finale. Watch to experience an eerie One Piece adventure that could even give Thriller Bark a scare.

KONSHUU | Volume 56, Issue 8

A REVIEW OF YU YU HAKUSHO’S CHAPTER BLACK ARC TONY T.

Managing Editor

3rd Year, Economics and Data Science

I don’t like writing reviews but here’s a review of something I like.

Yu Yu Hakusho is a fantastic battle shounen story. The first arc, while clearly the vestige of a completely different series in its far more episodic plots, works well as an introduction to the central cast members, their eccentricities, and the world itself. It shifts rather smoothly into the second and perhaps most iconic arc. The Dark Tournament is fantastic in its emulation of the formula that Dragon Ball’s Tenkaichi Budokai arcs functioned, while also developing a concurrent sideplot that fleshed out the setting as something far more complex than it initially seems.

The series’ conclusion, the Three Kings storyline, is admittedly a bit stilted in how it abruptly ends, but the abnormal pacing is something that admittedly gives it some charm for me. It concludes the series’ plotlines, particularly that of protagonist Urameshi Yuusuke coming of age, rather well; the bizarre way in which the events play out may not necessarily be amazing storytelling, but it does somewhat fit the series.

While I enjoy the entirety of Yu Yu Hakusho, the portion that I find generally stands out is the Chapter Black arc of the story.

Especially in the West, modern battle shounen seem to always be marketed on how they stand out from the rest of the genre, with almost every lauded title described as being somehow subversive or deconstructive. If it were released today, Yu Yu Hakusho’s Chapter Black arc would likely be evidence used to prove this point. Heck, I don’t really keep up with mainstream discourse on anime, this argument may already be in play. I feel that these types of discussions hold little merit and in actuality serve to hurt the medium of animation from achieving further acclaim as a form of art. Still, I find that the Chapter Black storyline embodies most of Yu Yu Hakusho’s strengths in a concise package, perhaps more so in its animated adaptation.

In contrast to the prior arc, Chapter Black’s antagonist is something slightly less physical. Don’t get me wrong, the arc still ultimately comes down to protagonist Urameshi Yusuke fighting against an antagonistic force. But in comparison to the Dark Tournament’s Toguro, whose presence as a villain was at least slightly down to his intimidating muscular frame, Chapter Black’s Sensui Shinobu serves as an antagonist in a more abstract sense. That is, while Sensui is ultimately a villain who fights against Yuusuke, the existence of the titular Chapter

Black itself twists the narrative with a unique plot device that I find somewhat interesting conceptually. Beyond that, Sensui’s existence as a parallel to the protagonist is more overt than the similar dynamic with Toguro and ultimately is similar in showing a twisted mirror image of a Yuusuke who walks down the wrong path, but I think the point is far better delivered. In effect, Sensui could be seen as one polar extreme in a spectrum with Toguro being on the other side, with Yuusuke’s final state at the end of the series being something of a middle ground.

The finale of the arc is perhaps the most divisive, with Yuusuke’s rather abrupt transformation into a previously unseen demonic state often being derided as a cheap deus ex machina. From the perspective of worldbuilding, this might hold water, but from a storytelling perspective, I find that it actually enhances the themes of the story as it plays upon the wider narrative focus on Yuusuke’s growth and providing an even more internal obstacle for him to overcome. It ties to the dynamic between Yuusuke and Sensui and also transitions the story to the Three Kings arc in a somewhat unorthodox yet still satisfying manner.

Beyond that, the surface level production elements that I also appreciate in Yu Yu Hakusho are strongest in the Chapter Black arc, with a somewhat dark atmosphere being played up far more. In particular, the animated adaptation consistently looks great with fantastic shot composition and lighting choices. Shinbou Akiyuki of Studio Shaft fame has his fingerprints through several of this story arc’s episodes and his attention to detail when it comes to developing a gothic tone to the visual storytelling is a major component of its success as an adaptation.

As a whole, the Chapter Black arc of Yu Yu Hakusho is somewhat unorthodox in several elements of its storytelling in a manner not unlike author Togashi Yoshihiro’s unique tendencies as a creative. Its story presents its themes in a unique manner that evokes a complex set of emotions. Its particular focus on the wider coming of age narrative is interesting as the arc’s existence is perhaps the fundamental part of what makes Yu Yu Hakusho’s presentation of this common arc something that is actually unique. All of this is tied together with strong production values that mix in aspects that most battle shounen excel at with certain slightly avant garde elements which makes it rather unique in a genre that is more often than not rather homogenous.

KONSHUU | Volume 56, Issue 8

LE PORTRAIT DE PETITE COSSETTE: ART, OBSESSION, AND GOTHIC LOLITA BLAKE MORRISON

Writer

3rd Year, English and Japanese

Sorry Akiyuki Shinbo, but no amount of your patented extreme close-up and dutch angle shots with added head tilt can save Mayori Sekijima’s shoddy script

SPOILERS FOR LE PORTRAIT DE PETITE COSSETTE Published in 1764, The Castle of Otranto by Henry Walpole is generally considered to be the first Gothic novel and was even identified as such by Walpole himself with the subtitle “A Gothic Story” that he appended to the novel’s second edition. However, the use of “gothic” as a stylistic marker did not originate in literature but rather in the 17th century as a term for non-classical/medieval architecture. Going back even further, the original denotation of “gothic” was simply “Of, pertaining to, or concerned with the Goths or their language.” Of course, most people don’t think of the Visigoths, the Ostrogoths, or the fall of the Roman Empire when they hear “gothic” in this day and age. To us, “gothic” is a stylistic term first and foremost, whether for architecture, clothing, music, or stories. Centuries after the architectural and literary meanings of “gothic” came into currency, the term “gothic lolita” was coined to describe the gothic variety of Victorian-inspired frilly dresses called “lolita” fashion that became popular in Japan in the 80s and 90s (the relation to Vladimir Nabokov’s novel isn’t supposed to be direct, thankfully). This brings us to Le Portrait de Petite Cossette, also known as Cossette no Shouzou, often described as a gothic horror anime but is better described as a gothic lolita horror anime. Cossette no Shouzou is three episode original OVA released in 2004 that was produced by the now defunct studio Daume, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, best known for directing the Monogatari series, and written by Mayori Sekiji, best known for writing the scripts of quite a lot of anime that aren’t that well known (but he did write the scripts for three Initial D movies in the 2010s). I can’t comment on Sekiji’s recent writing as I haven’t seen anything he’s written other than Cossette, but even Shinbo’s idiosyncratic directing style that is always at least cool to look at even if a bit affected at times could not save the overly expository dialogue and thinly developed characters of Cossette no Shouzou.

Cossette no Shouzou is a gothic horror anime that isn’t nearly as horrifying as it is interesting to look at. Although there are plenty of interesting shots in all of Cossette’s three episodes which make for an engrossing atmosphere, the intrigue of the story largely wears off after the first episode, which basically explains the broad strokes of the plot that the next two episodes rehash. To recap, Cossette is about an incredibly dull fine arts major, Eiri Kurahashi, who works at an antique store and one day discovers an ornate glass through which he can see a girl invariably dressed in gothic lolita fashion, the titular Cossette.

Eiri ends up repeatedly drawing this girl that only he can see, becoming more and more obsessed with her. Given that Eiri is the main character of the story even if Cossette is its poster-portrait girl, I expected the story to delve deeper into Eiri’s psychology. Unfortunately, Sekiji’s

script doesn’t delve into much other than the standard artist’s dilemma of the anxiety of influence and the implication that Eiri’s artistic obsessions leave him romantically and sexually repressed in his relationships to the women around him, of whom there are surprisingly quite a few who are clearly interested in him. Eiri eventually discovers a portrait of Cossette and has a supernatural vision in which her spirit reveals that he is the reincarnation of Marcello Orlando, the man who murdered her who was also her fiance and the one who painted that portrait of her. Eiri unwittingly agrees to let Cossette’s evidently vengeful spirit exact revenge against him, a revenge which takes place over several drawn out surrealist dream sequences filled with gloomy churches, skeletons, crucifixions, and other familiarly gothic imagery along with hilariously excessive amount of blood. Although I didn’t enjoy this anime, I have to admit that the supernatural premise and visuals of Cossette fit nicely in the gothic tradition that The Castle of Otranto began with a giant helmet that appears out of nowhere to crush an aging lord’s only son. The hallmark of gothic narrative, which is practically synonymous with gothic horror, is the inexplicable, the supernatural, but Cossette makes the fatal error of revealing most of its supernatural elements in its first episode and dedicating far too much of its following run-time to Cossette exposition dumping, explaining clearly and monotonously what has already been implied by the visual storytelling. Cossette coming to the “genius” revelation that Eiri isn’t actually responsible for her death after he has repeatedly said this very thing to her without eliciting any reaction from her was a particular low point in the writing.

Admittedly, I found the ending of Cossette somewhat satisfying. The reveal that the apparition of Cossette haunting Eiri is not the spirit of the person herself but of the portraits that Marcello did of her and Eiri’s subsequent decision to destroy the portraits of her both felt uncontrived and fittingly climactic, although I would have preferred these developments to have occurred earlier in the story, which would have cut out much of the needless rehashing of how tragic Cossette’s backstory is that the second and third episodes indulge in. Even if Eiri is a paper-thin character who can be summarized as “young artist obsessed with the portraits of a gothic lolita girl,” his resolution to break out from under the shadow of the art that has obsessed him is a compelling metaphor for any artist struggling with their influences.

But by the time Cossette reaches this compelling albeit predictable thesis, it’s already over. I won’t deny that the visual direction by Akiyuki Shinbou is stellar. I particularly enjoyed the use of tracking shots and the effort put into the animation of objects, backgrounds, and odd perspective shifts even if the character animation was usually either stiff or completely absent sans the mouth-flaps. Mayori Sekijima’s script, however, needed several more drafts in order to do the visuals justice.

In particular, further exploration of Eiri’s pathologies that lead to his obsession with Cossette in the first place would have easily elevated the script. People who are really into the gothic horror aesthetic or Akiyuki Shinbou’s directorial style will enjoy this anime much more than I did, but for me the lackluster writing holds it back from being another original anime whose abundance of style fails to hide its dearth of substance.

KONSHUU | Volume 56, Issue 8

XXXHOLIC IS A HIDDEN GEM. JOSÉ CUEVAS

Writer

6th Year, Intended Nuclear Engineering and Philosophy

By the way, it’s pronounced “Holic” — the “xxx” part is silent, kind of like Hunter x Hunter. xxxHOLiC is an incredibly deep anime that handles many complex subject matters with its unique brand of comedy, supernatural elements, and most of all, style. I think it's closest to, say, the beginning parts of Yu Yu Hakusho or Bleach in this regard, although it stays solidly in that state throughout, unlike those other shows which switched to more traditional shounen tropes later on. In this regard, I have to commend the series for sticking to its original concept and not deviating as it is emblematic of the creatives’ sense of integrity for not compromising in their artistic endeavors to, say, a corporation or something. xxxHOLiC is a series lacking much tethering it to the rest of Japanese anime, other than the base style of its designs and some tropes.

Handled by CLAMP, the legendary manga artists who brought you the influential classic Cardcaptor Sakura and the character designs behind the seminal masterpiece that is Code Geass, xxxHOLiC exudes their unique sense of art. Oozing in a sort of gothic world, xxxHOLiC mixes what could potentially be an alienating setting with a far more traditionally understood one, that of a Japanese high school. In this way, the authors maintain a balance between elements that are artistically fulfilling and those that are widely consumable. This is to the series’ benefit. After all, one could make the deepest, most insightful, work of art to ever be conceived. If its reach is limited with few understanding the creator’s main intentions, what’s the point?

But still, while CLAMP’s balance between the gothic mysteries and typical Japanese high school allows for some leeway in terms of creativity, that isn’t to say that xxxHOLiC is in any way passe with its themes. In fact, while xxxHOLiC is episodic and thus does not have the capacity to wholly go full out in defining deep concepts, the majority of those one-off episodes feature numerous commentaries on the meaning of various intricacies fundamental to life. It’s a series that radically changes depending on your stage in life and in of itself has the capacity to redefine how you view things. This is all brilliantly interwoven with humorous dialogue between the main characters as they all stand out from one another. One could perhaps consider some of the characters a bit too defined in tropes, but they make up for it by providing relatable anchors for the wackier supernatural ideas from a more human perspective; different viewers will likely see themselves within different members of the cast. In effect, xxxHOLiC’s writing manages to be poignant in its commentary of the human experience whilst simultaneously being grounded enough so as to not alienate your casual viewer.

Of course, none of this means much without the impeccable style that xxxHOLiC possesses. The world itself benefits massively from technological advances in animation from the turn of the century – it’s a show that could not possibly work in the nineties from a visual standpoint. Every setting has a mysterious vibe to it emphasized by the way they’re shown on screen as well as the music and the voice acting that complement it well. Indeed, one of the most standout elements of the series is definitely the mise en scène. With a dark gothic atmosphere directly beside a bright cheery academic setting, xxxHOLiC is an anime series that I’d recommend with glowing praise. There’s a real sense of eastern supernaturalism that meshes well with the series’ goth vibes which is all the more emphasized with great production. It’s a thoroughly underrated hidden gem that deserves more mainstream attention, though. For a first time viewer, though, I specifically suggest the film, xxxHolic: A Midsummer Night's Dream, as it’s extremely interesting, not to mention super trippy with the way the film shows some things. As a whole, the series is completely overlooked, so I highly recommend everyone and anyone to check it out. Beyond many fun crossovers with other CLAMP works that are crucial to understand the shared universes, xxxHOLiC definitely contains the same magic that makes some of its creators’ best works so stellar.

KONSHUU | Volume 56, Issue 8

Staff Picks:

GOTHIC DRESSED CHARACTERS RIKKA TAKANASHI

MISA AMANE

CHUUNIBYOU DEMO KOI GA SHITAI!

DEATH NOTE

MITCHELL MADAYAG

LIONEL V.

“Banishment This World!”

“Long live Misa-Misa!”

MISAKI'S MAIN DOLL

PERONA ANOTHER

ALEXANDRE HAIOUN-PERDRIX The embodiment of Misaki’s mind, herself that of the series – does that make it the embodiment of the series as well?

BEATRICE

ONE PIECE

JOSÉ CUEVAS yo she's so cute

CELESTIA LUDENBERG UMINEKO NO NAKU KORO NI

DANGANRONPA

TONY T. I actually like a certain character from the third novel even more but that’d spoil things and people have told me to stop doing that.

MIRANDA ZHANG I just love her design so much

KONSHUU | Volume 56, Issue 8

MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR MITCHELL MADAYAG

Editor-In-Chief

3rd year, Japanese and Economics

Oh my Haruhi. We’ve reached the end.

Dear Reader, Thank you for taking the time to read our Gothic Issue, which is the last issue that will be published for Volume 56. As the 36th issue of Konshuu released under my supervision, the Gothic Issue brings a quiet end to my final term as Cal Animage Alpha’s Konshuu Head/Editor-in-Chief. It may not be as lengthy as our usual 12-page editions, but the shortness of it is rather nostalgic of the smaller monthly issues we made back when I first joined the club in Fall 2020. It has been a great honor to lead and manage the Konshuu department for four semesters straight, a treasured experience I will be forever thankful for. While I am a bit sad to relinquish a routine that I had grown so accustomed to, I am quite content with what I’ve done for both the department and the club as a whole. I’d like to take this opportunity to briefly reflect on my time spent as Editor-in-Chief before I end with some parting words.

To be honest, the prospect of becoming Editor-in-Chief did not cross my mind at all during my first semester in CAA. Not only was I still adjusting to the workload of college courses for the first time, but I was having fun being a simple writer for Konshuu. However, I didn’t actually have much writing experience pertaining to Japanese pop culture prior to joining the club, so the magazine opened a great opportunity to help develop these skills. Although I still struggle with diction and run-on sentences, I’m satisfied with how far I’ve come with improving my writing style. My development is especially clear as I look back at my very weak debut in Volume 52, Issue 2 (read if you’re curious, but it’s not pretty). To date, I’ve managed to accumulate 19 articles under my belt, which is not exactly the most impressive number for someone who has been in Konshuu for 2.5 years, but I’m glad I was able to find time to continue writing even after I later went on to become Editor-in-Chief.

Midway through spring of 2021, the position for Konshuu Head unexpectedly opened up. By then, I had grown attached to the club with all the interesting officers and members, as well as the various fun events despite them being online, so I felt strongly in helping CAA further. I also figured out a decent rhythm in college, so that was no longer an issue. Recognizing this time of need, I ultimately decided to run with the primary objective to maintain the flow of our publication for the rest of the semester. It was a decision that I’ll never regret. The election was close, but you should know the result by now. My main goal as Konshuu Head was to encourage fun while sustaining productivity, and being flexible but disciplined with everyone. As I had aimed for, Volume 53 wrapped up nicely with seven whole issues that were even produced during summer break.

I could credit the experience, which I acquired through managing my high school’s anime club, as what aided me in leading the Konshuu department through the end of quarantine, but really it was the patience I received from my fellow officers as I took on this great role all of a sudden.Things were looking even better as CAA would be able to finally return to Berkeley soil the following semester.

After one of the greatest First General Meetings in Fall 2021, the club quickly grew, and as a result, Konshuu did as well. Issues became longer and were published more frequently. New page ideas became staple parts of the magazine, and many new individuals got to show off their talent through Konshuu. In addition to writing the occasional article, I had to take it upon myself to help with the layout as things got busier. I even had the chance to display my stellar art skills in a few special issues. Being back in-person, there were just so many more opportunities open that I don’t where to start with my favorite moments. Conducting interviews was a great way to meet many promising people for the club. Helping bring bigger projects to life like the 2022 anthology and the Anime Destiny pamphlet were definitely a highlight. Organizing the club’s first post-COVID retreat was also quite the learning experience. I’d spend almost everyday planning upcoming meetings, sending out reminders, working on my own pages, and I was enjoying it all.

Admittedly, I don’t believe I personally did much to revolutionize Konshuu at all. It’s one of the reasons why the Managing Editor position was created as they could help me more with the “Editor-in-Chief work” while I concentrate on the “Konshuu Head Work.”

Because of that, I sort of consider myself to be more like the pillar of the Konshuu department that kept things going smoothly all semester long. But in reality, I couldn’t have done it without the previous systems put in place by the Konshuu Heads that preceded me. Not that this was all necessarily a bad thing, just that the same mindset that had motivated me to run for Editor-in-Chief in the first place blinded me from fulfilling most of the responsibilities I held within my term. It was a weakness of mine that I regret never trying to overcome, yet I’m grateful that I was reelected three more times due to the immense support of my peers. I really can’t thank enough all the wonderful people who I worked on Konshuu with, as getting to meet these like-minded individuals who wished to partake in this passion project was a dream I never imagined would come true back in high school.

I guess it’s expected that personal messages like this close with words of inspiration or sentimentality, but I don’t really think I could draw either of these two emotions from my experiences as Konshuu Head without it sounding super cliche. If anything, I guess writing this was more for my sake as I got to reminisce about these past five fun semesters. Not to mention, we did need to get one last page filled to complete this issue, but that’s arguably less important. Yet, there’s so much more to talk about—so many stories to tell—that one page of text isn’t nearly enough to convey how remarkable this journey was while it lasted. I’d like to spend the rest of my time here in Berkeley focusing on other commitments and hobbies, but I’ll be sticking around in the shadows as a humble layout editor at the very least. I still have to wrap up some unfinished business with training the next Editor-in-Chief and working on the 2023 anthology, so this won’t be the last time you hear from me.

Be sure to check out Ellya’s awesome artwork on the back cover on your way out.

Best regards, Mitchell Maximillian Manalac Madayag Konshuu Editor-In-Chief (Spring 2021—Fall 2023)

VOLUME 56, ISSUE 8 JANUARY 12, 2023

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STAFF

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Mitchell Madayag

Mio Kurosaka

Tony T.

Skylar Li

Irene Kao

Sharrel Narsico

Catherine Chen

Willow Otaka

Sophia Xue

Alexandre Haïoun-Perdrix

Miranda Zhang

Blake Morrison

Catherine Rha

Felix L.

Ellya Kim

Jose Cuevas

Heaven Jones

Max R.

Jasmine Zhang

Max Rothman

Jen Zhao

Nicholas Wonosaputra

Kai Wu

Rahm Jethani

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Misa Amane

Death Note Art By Ellya Kim