Konshuu Volume 61, Issue 1

KONSHUU VOL. 60 #3 STYLE

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KONSHUU | Volume 60, Issue 3

SAMUEL KIM

3rd Year, Philosophy Writer

After 100 hours in 4 weeks of playing I’m gonna finish Persona 5 tomorrow, already miss it a ton

Welcome To The Velvet Room The Persona series has already been showered with praise when it comes to style and aesthetic, with its newest entry Persona 5 being near universally applauded for just about everything when it comes to style, down to its music, to character, and even its menu transitions. But one thing common to the entries in the Persona series, including the ones before 5, is the Velvet Room. The Velvet Room is emblematic of what makes Persona so distinct and memorable.

In the series, each story introduces the Velvet Room at the beginning. The protagonist is brought to a blue room, depending on the entry in the series it's in an elevator, or a jail, or even a limo, where they are met with a mysterious long nosed man and a female attendant dressed in all blue.

Taking some very clear inspiration from Twin Peaks’ Red Room, the Velvet Room is described as a place described as somewhere outside space-time, in between dream and reality, almost as if it's outside the plot itself. With one of the most beautiful OSTs playing in the background (seriously, look up Aria of the Soul if you haven’t), the Velvet Room has this untranslatable atmosphere, of course by design. The lack of windows or doors leading to anywhere else, the monochrome blue color palette which refuses to adapt whichever color scheme the rest of the story takes, (whether it's Persona 5’s bold black and red or Persona 4’s with its sunny yellows), and the cryptic dialogue of its denizens makes the Velvet Room never feel comfortable despite it being apart of every Persona entry and also somewhere you’ll spend much time in. I literally get lost in it for hours, just listening to the soundtrack in this one tiny room.

However, at its core, the Velvet Room is actually just a plot device where the protagonist fuses Personas to create stronger ones and level up. That’s all the Velvet Room really is when in regard to function, it could be summed up as a fun, creative spin on its power system. But everything on top of that function makes the Velvet Room act as not just a device but as an essential addition to the Persona series.

This is why Persona is constantly praised when it comes to style. A lesser series would under explain the protagonist’s

power to fuse to personas, and leave it as a simple feature of the power system. Or they would over explain it and try too hard to integrate it into the story, giving unnecessary bits of lore and worldbuilding for the sake of worldbuilding.

But the Velvet Room works because it serves its base purpose as an explanation or mechanic in the plot that allows for the protagonist to get stronger, while also stimulating the imagination through mystery. This is what style is and why it is important. The Velvet Room’s design, music, and atmosphere is not fluff with no substance, but it’s also not overbearingly integral to the main story (at least, not in the past games before 5). You could imagine it replaced it out of the plot without the rest of the main plotline events suffering, which is the point because it's supposed to feel not just outside of, but almost above the plot itself. But in actuality the Velvet Room is irreplacable because of its style through its atmosphere and design, not because of its purpose as a power system mechanic. Just as the Velvet Room bridges the gap between dream and reality, it also smoothly transitions its function and style. The Persona series’ aesthetics succeed for this reason, through design choices like the flashy menus and the Velvet Room it successfully makes what should be mundane become exciting. And when you reflect on it, this is what the Persona series is known for, think on the high school setting or social link system. The Velvet Room is another aspect of why Persona’s presentation and style makes it special.

KONSHUU | Volume 60, Issue 3

The J-Drama That Wasn’t Zankyou no Terror is an anime that, in many ways, stands unique amongst its contemporaries. Many (including myself) will bring up the anime’s beautiful and eerie music or aesthetics when discussing its outstanding individual pieces, and while this is certainly a valid and worthy point of praise, focusing on those parts alone does the anime a disservice by ignoring a key aspect of Zankyou no Terror’s style and construction that makes it so captivating: its dramatic pacing and direction.

While obviously made and presented in the medium of a one-cour anime television series, the style of storytelling all throughout Zankyou no Terror is evocative of hallmark live-action dramas. While comparisons to movies like 2005’s V for Vendetta may perhaps be obvious due to plot similarities, Zankyou no Terror uses dramatic standards of action, setup, slow-burn exposition, and intrigue to heighten its quality in ways not unlike those of live-action dramas.

The anime takes inspiration from all over popular dramatic media, from 1979’s The Man Who Stole the Sun, to 1971’s Dirty Harry. This may not be surprising to those familiar with Zankyou no Terror’s director, Shinichirō Watanabe, who continually shapes and breaks anime’s status quo through a combination of Western and Eastern storytelling conventions to tell bizarrely profound stories. The aforementioned soundtrack and art direction work in tandem with this, due to the similarly prolific staff members who worked on the anime’s separate yet cohesive elements. All of this leads to the viewing experience of Zankyou no Terror feeling more like one is watching an innovative and original “work of animation” than a prosaic and typical “anime.”

Tension, in particular, is a tool that Zankyou no Terror always seems to structure its plot points around in order to ensure maximum emotional impact. Dramatic writing principles like Chekhov's gun, red herrings, and foreshad-

RAHM JETHANI

3rd Year, Japanese Writer

They made it into a stage play though.

owing are used masterfully to increase and decrease intensity and strain, and are used sparingly enough to where a viewer’s attention is easily retained (aided by Zankyou no Terror’s very low eleven-episode runtime). The first scene of the anime, showing Nine and Twelve stealing something dangerous, is only paid off in the final episodes, but the mystery and strikingness of the scene create and sustain tension. Likewise, the brilliance viewers come to expect of Nine and Twelve’s Sphinx riddles is turned on its head when Five is introduced, touting her intellect as her most dangerous weapon. Having Nine and Twelve perceive her as a threat builds on the viewer’s pre-established knowledge of their capabilities, leading to even more tension.

In a last example, having a character like Lisa whose development is based upon a single aspect – that being her feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness – creates drama in the ferris wheel scene, where viewers are made to feel emotional over the idea of whether or not Lisa will be able to continue living to find meaning. Scenes like these are able to balance hopelessness with extreme tension to create profound and memorable moments rarely seen in anime or animation in general.

Zankyou no Terror lends itself well to the formula of live-action drama, and the fact that it hasn’t been adapted into one is frankly both surprising and disappointing. The homages the anime makes to tropes, scenes, and dramatic concepts from live-action television dramas all contribute to the idea that an adaptation would fit extremely well into that particular medium. However, ultimately, the fact that Zankyou no Terror was able to use these kinds of dramatic techniques, not inherently useful to anime as a medium, in order to further its own quality speaks volumes to the brilliance of its pacing and direction.

KONSHUU | Volume 60, Issue 3

Kara no Kyoukai Feels Like It Was Written 100 Years Ago (and That's a Good Thing) I think that, when discussing the brilliance of Kara no Kyoukai (alternatively known as The Garden of Sinners), the most crucial definition to keep in mind is that of “narrative,” which is, by definition, a spoken or written account of connected events. This definition is important because, as those who have watched the movies know, Kara no Kyoukai’s narrative does not follow a typically linear or traditionally sequential set of plot points, as is expected of nearly every conventional story. Instead, Kara no Kyoukai stylizes its own plot through nonlinearity and through playing around with chronology. In this way, Kara no Kyoukai is able to create striking emotions that feel beautiful yet disturbing through their uncanniness, moments invoking dramatic irony and foreshadowing at the same time, and other such complex experiences only possible through its choice of stylistic plot presentation.

Nonlinearity, as a storytelling technique, is risky. It has and always will have the issue of creating a high barrier of entry to those not initially hooked by its style or separate elements. However, Kara no Kyoukai’s use of a non-chronological narrative is essential to understanding and feeling the experience meant to be delivered, due to its nature mirroring the philosophical themes embedded within Kara no Kyoukai. The series is built on the existential states and conflicts of and with identity, life, death, existence, and causality – concepts that are inherently non-linear in terms

of feeling. Kara no Kyoukai is, in this way, quite similar to the modernist stories that pioneered our current literary understanding of the nonlinear and associative narrative styles, such as Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, and Joyce’s Ulysses. By structuring the narrative in a way that forces the viewer to piece together events, Kara no Kyoukai aims to mimic within the viewer the fragmented way in which the characters themselves perceive and process their realities. This interplay between form and content makes the mere act of watching and engaging with Kara no Kyoukai not just an emotional experience, but an intellectual one as well, as the process invites the viewers to actively engage with the material than to just passively consume it.

KONSHUU | Volume 60, Issue 3

ANJE CHIMURA

6th Year (yes, really), Philosophy & Media Studies Writer

Narrative Scope or: Why I Learned to Stop Worrying and Enjoy Kara no Kyoukai

Moreover, the associative aspect of the storytelling emphasizes the idea that time and memory are not absolute, and like the mind itself, they are subjective and fluid. Each movie builds upon the next in a fashion not unlike puzzle pieces, offering glimpses into the characters’ lives at different points in time. By focusing on why events unfold the way they do and how they interconnect, instead of solely "what happens next," Kara no Kyoukai demands to be reflected and, in so doing, felt by the viewer’s own conscious.

This structure transforms the on-screen narrative into a philosophical and metaphysical experience, where the past, present, and future all bleed into one another, using the artistic expression within Kara no Kyoukai to echo the often transient and dreamlike quality of human memory and perception.

The potency of this effect cannot go understated. This storytelling style creates moments of poignant tension, where the audience can see the threads of fate weaving into inevitable tragedies or moments of catharsis before the characters do. Because of this property possessed by Kara no Kyoukai’s plot, each scene is able to have a much deeper emotional resonance, as viewers are gradually made aware of the fragile, cruel interplay between choice and inevitability that defines so much of the series' thematic core. Although this may be obvious, presenting the story this way also aligns the audience with the main character, Shiki. Shiki is often an embodiment of Kara no Kyoukai’s focalization, presented through her fractured identities and conflicting natures. The disjointed storytelling style reflects this schism, which allows for the audience to experience the disorientation and complexity of Shiki's psyche in a much more thorough way than a traditional narrative: through firsthand immersion.

In my opinion, Kara no Kyoukai's nonlinear style acts as a strongly profound presentation of its already unique story, through elevating its own themes and characters. Through its embrace of the chaotic and unpredictable, it transforms its narrative into one with much more weight, significance, and meaning, to those who stick through with it. Although this approach demands more from its audience, the reward is an immeasurable enjoyment from an unforgettable series.Moreover, the associative aspect of the storytelling emphasizes the idea that time and memory are not absolute, and like the mind itself, they are subjective and fluid.

Each movie builds upon the next in a fashion not unlike puzzle pieces, offering glimpses into the characters’ lives at different points in time. By focusing on why events unfold the way they do and how they interconnect, instead of solely "what happens next," Kara no Kyoukai demands to be reflected and, in so doing, felt by the viewer’s own conscious. This structure transforms the on-screen narrative into a philosophical and metaphysical experience, where the past, present, and future all bleed into one another, using the artistic expression within Kara no Kyoukai to echo the often transient and dreamlike quality of human memory and perception.

KONSHUU | Volume 60, Issue 3

The Character Design of Sakura Haruno Sakura Haruno might be one of the most hated characters in Naruto. However, while fans often disagree over her fighting prowess and her treatment of other characters, the one thing most fans can agree on is that Sakura’s visual aesthetic stands out - especially in the Naruto anime, where her color palette has striking effects. Whether you like Sakura or dislike her, Sakura’s physical appearance is an example of character design done well.

Masashi Kishimoto designed Sakura to be the token “pretty girl” of the Hidden Leaf Village. Despite not being good at drawing women - Kishimoto’s own words - Kishimoto was delighted with Sakura’s final design. He cites Sakura’s slender figure, angular face, and bright eyes as evidence of a job well done. In the manga, Sakura is often depicted with long, slender arms and legs, spiky hair, and her classic red dress outfit. Even though the manga isn’t in color, Kishimoto manages to make Sakura’s character design stand out by giving her brighter eyes and a spiky hairstyle. Aside from Naruto, Sakura is one of the few characters in the manga to have an eye that is completely unshaded, save for a very dark pupil that emphasizes the brightness of the iris.

Studio Pierrot, the company responsible for animating Naruto, introduced a new art style when they created the anime. Looking at Kishimoto’s design and Studio Pierrot’s design, we can see that Studio Pierrot’s art style creates characters with lower placed noses and mouths, which elongates the face, as well as larger eyes, which gives a more dollish, doe-like appearance compared to the bright eyed appearance of characters portrayed in Kishimoto’s art style. The result is that anime characters in the Boruto animated series have a more calm, complacent expression

in their natural resting state, which, depending on viewer’s preferences, could be a good or bad thing. This change in style is true for all characters, including Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto (whose change in appearance angered many fans).

KONSHUU | Volume 60, Issue 3

LU HE

2nd Year, English Writer

How to create a character who stands out

For Sakura, this mild facial expression is contrasted by her vivid coloring. In the anime specifically, her bright colors call back to the bright, angular appearance that was introduced to her character in the manga. Sakura’s pink hair and green eyes are perhaps the most important part of her character design, since they are unique to her throughout the entire series and because the colors themselves are applied well. Since Sakura’s name means cherry blossom, it’s only appropriate that she resembles a cherry blossom in appearance. Cherry blossoms bloom in the spring, and not only does her bright pink hair resemble the petals of a cherry blossom, her green eyes also remind viewers of tree leaves and springtime. Anyone trying to replicate the appearance of Sakura will find that animators used an intense pink hue on her hair that is a pure tint of red, without any gray being used to tone down the color. For her eyes, Studio Pierrot used a contrasting pale jade green on the opposite side of the color wheel, with a similar level of intensity. In art theory, a complementary color scheme like pink and green naturally creates an interesting visual effect that stands out and has the perfect amount of harmony.

Since both colors are on the opposite sides of the color wheel, they clash with each other, but also balance each other out. For this reason, Sakura’s color scheme doesn’t just suit her name, it also naturally creates a striking visual contrast that makes Sakura’s character design unique.

Sakura often stands out visually among her peers because of this choice in character design. When viewers recreate drawings and fanart of characters from Naruto, it’s often easiest to tell who Sakura is because of her unique blend of colors and signature red outfit. This is character design done right: regardless of fans’ opinions toward Sakura as a character, her design is eye- catching and unique from other characters’ designs, and that’s how authors visually create a character who is memorable and doesn’t lose their traits throughout multiple recreations.

KONSHUU | Volume 60, Issue 3

Color style in Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines It's a little disheartening that after five weeks of being on the weekly CAA showing polls, Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines still has yet to be picked. I haven’t watched a love comedy in a while, but I’m deeply impressed by this one.

The story of three “losing heroines” who were rejected by their loves, and their youth drama with the self-proclaimed “background character” Nukumizu, is fascinating. There is much to say about this anime, like the technique used in Yanami’s ending theme and how it blends fantasy with reality (the city of Toyohashi). But I’d like to focus on some details about color style in this anime.

Blue, typically representing melancholy, is the primary color for this anime, as we can see from the poster: half of it consists of the beautiful sky. But why would this anime full of excitement and energy choose blue, a cold color, to be that significant?

To answer this, we need to mention another losing heroine, Komari, whose hair is red. As a warm color, red is typically eye-catching. In spite of that, she’s shy, more keen to hide herself from others instead. It’s because of this that the production team deliberately lowered the saturation of Komari’s hair color to align with her character design. Only as we gradually delve into her inner world in later episodes do we see through the original warmth and passion of red, as shown in Komari’s ending theme. Yanami, on the other hand, is the most lively and impressive character in this story. For similar effects, her hair is set to be dark blue.

It unconsciously creates a sense of restraint, ensuring that the emotion can get softened when it comes to crucial scenes related to her, a typically outgoing girl. Such an arrangement of color balances different characters’ aura, and I think it’s incredibly well done.

Slight spoilers for Makeine.

KONSHUU | Volume 60, Issue 3

However, let’s not forget that blue symbolizes sadness and calmness. Sometimes, being outgoing could be a way to hide deep sadness and escape from reality. In fact, Yanami might be the most sensitive and fragile character among all three heroines. Eating, a happy event in general, is an essential element for Yanami’s characteristic design in this anime. It’s hilarious that the official website calculated how many calories Yanami ate in each episode. But to Yanami, it’s not all like that. After seeing her childhood friend, whom she always loved, getting taken away by her classmate, she needs a way to release such pressure and sadness. The other two losing heroines’ methods are running or writing, while Yanami chooses to eat. Yanami gets hurt like everyone else in that situation, as only Nukumizu can see when she cries on the roof in Episode 1. She’s actually more serious about friendship and love than she behaves.

That’s why she could understand the feelings of Komari and Lemon, the other two losing heroines, and offer help in a light-hearted but proper way. She hardly gets angry, reflecting the calmness of blue. The only time she became upset was when Nukumizu wanted to stay away from her due to other classmates’ gossip, as she felt her friendship was insulted by him. Yanami is kind and warm; she never hesitates to help Nukumizu, even in times of tension, and she unites everyone and holds a successful school festival. She is the best possible friend you could ever have, knowing the margin of involvement in others’ business.

Like the light blue sky, we can develop a sense of belonging from her. Maybe that’s also why the whole anime maintains a low color saturation and brightness, creating a relaxing visual experience for us. It’s exactly what we feel in these 12 episodes with Yanami.

I don’t want to further spoil everyone. Still, there’s one claim that I want to make: If you can understand Yanami, you will know the idea for the whole anime - a serious discussion about relationships between people and life. I want to end this article with the lyrics of LOVE 2000, Yanami’s ending theme: “Where does love come from? I asked my own heart. I’m not interested in fakes. I only want to focus on the real thing. I’ve been looking for you all along.” No matter how many times they might fall, let’s hope all losing heroines can find their true love!

Zeyang Zhu 1st Year, Japanese Writer

Please play “LOVE 2000 - Anna Yanami” in the background while reading this article.

VOLUME 60, ISSUE 3 FEBRUARY 17, 2025

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