So yes, the secret is out. I am not writing as much as I did last week. Last week, I spent hours and hours of energy covering two different Tomino Mecha shows, so this is a bit of a recovery week with shorter articles. Yeah, that is just how things work out that time to avoid some burn out. This prompt itself is a little bit longer, but it covers a concept that I tried to shop around to larger anime websites and it never made it through. That’s ok, I will post it myself because I have a platform to do it. 86 is a decent series that has a lot of heavy things to discuss in it. This is one of them because this is the first thing I thought about when 86 came out and I can’t stop thinking about it. Can’t wait for the 2nd cour to appear in the fall even if it’s not the best show ever. Sometimes, it’s ok for shows to just be ok.
So, what is 86? 86 is a mecha anime focused on a nation of silver haired people, called San Magnolia, forcing its minority, called 86, to fight out against a nation of AI and insisting that the minority are not people so no casualties ever make it to the news recordings. The show itself focuses on the life of the young women named Lena as she learns about how far the depths of how far her and San Magnolia’s racism goes while also featuring a group of 86 called Spearhead under the command of Shin or The Under Taker facing the AI head on. Spearhead feels the horrid affects of this war while Lena sees and feels nothing at first. This is her learning not to say words that feels good, but actually doing something about the situation that is a distance away from her the best she can.
While the situation in 86 is hyper focused on two groups of people for its drama and ease of story telling, it’s very much relatable in our modern world. Today’s world is connected by the internet and it’s done in a way where anyone that surfs the internet can know about something bad happening across the globe, but we can’t do anything about it. There is an inherent horror of today’s anonymous world. Always knowing something bad is happening to people who don’t deserve it thanks to some horrid people. The death of George Floyd was posted all over the internet when it happened. Police breaking through the lines of peaceful BLM protests to cause injury or planting damage that will be blamed on protesters. That’s only a small example of the injustices and crimes that can be seen instantly.
So, what can we do about the situation we are in? What can we as people do to make the world a better place even at a computer screen or living out our lives? Even if the situation is much more complex then Lena’s situation, which is complex too but not as all over the place, sometimes we need to become better people ourselves and follow Lena’s example a little a bit. Start living with the ideals that we say instead of just saying them to sound good online. Be open, be accepting, and send donations to groups of people who need it. One person doing small things is just a drop in the ocean, but lots of people doing small things can lead to some very good and important changes for all of us.
That’s all I wanted to say. I admit that it’s really easy just to say these things and this is definitely a practice what you preach kind of situation, but I think it’s worth trying to improve yourself and the world around you even if it’s at a distance. Thanks for stopping by today for yet another ramble.
Mechanical Anime Reviews 
“Police breaking through the lines of peaceful BLM protests to cause injury or planting damage that will be blamed on protesters.”
Anyone who has seen the footage of BLM’s riots knows what a bunch of crock that is. Police are not attacking “protestors,” they are desperately fighting to defend themselves and the community from oncoming hordes of rioters. Police are not running rampant and destroying their own cities, vandalizing and looting their own stores, and assaulting, raping, and murdering their own people. That is the work of BLM and Antifa, and not only has it been going on for years but the preponderance of evidence in video, photo, and the testimony of countless victims would convince anyone objective as to who is to blame for it. BLM is not, and has never been, peaceful. It is a rabid horde of savages – black and white alike – that leaves nothing but destruction, bodies, and grief in its wake, and all in the name of violent criminals. Or did I miss it when they rioted, or “protested,” on behalf of Jaslyn Adams, a seven-year-old black girl who was murdered at a McDonald’s by a black criminal?
Now, that disagreement aside, I do agree with doing what good you can where you are, living the ideals of freedom, justice, and equality instead of just preaching about them in order to look good. I agree with supporting trustworthy groups who are honestly striving to do what they can to remedy the wrongs of the world. And I agree, many people doing the little bit of good they can will add up, and as long as we are all striving to do what is right, I believe we will get through these dark times and come out OK on the other side.
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Racism done well
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