Ultraman: Rising ━ Identity

ੈ✩‧₊˚ Just feeling sad and crying over the fact that this movie goes into identity and how I was able to understand Ken's character.

"Where's the Japanese version of this guy?"

I remember my sister asking me what this meant, and all I could do was let out a little sigh. I also remembered how Kenji got asked how he would adjust to "Japanese Baseball," with Ken responding with "Baseball is baseball, man." which could have a deeper meaning (I'll explain later) or the little montage when we see Kenji just being so tired and screwing up at Baseball and a fan yelling, "Go back to America." Or how the announcer commented on Kenji saying that "Japanese baseball was just too much for Ken." For/In Japan, he isn't Japanese, but American, all because he spent more than half his life in America, ignoring the fact that he was born (and raised until 6) in Japan.

However, in an interview with Ami, Ken mentioned how he was made fun of for how he looked, talked, and for what he ate. Signaling how he was racially discriminated in America, and all he could do was "give them something else to talk about," which was his success. They wouldn't talk about his looks, nor how he spoke, or what he ate or came from. Instead, they would talk about how great of a Baseball athlete he is, they wouldn't see him as Japanese or American, but as a Baseball Player; Ken Sato.

But not only does this film go into racial identity but also self-discovery/self-identity. Ken tries to balance his life out by trying to mix both his life as a Baseball player and Ultraman. And as we know, it doesn't go well in the beginning. Having built a persona around Ken Sato, the baseball player, and Ultraman (the one his father was) Ken is really struggling trying to find himself. We end up learning that Ken is a man who enjoys his career as a Baseball player, we also learn that, although successful, he had to try and reach that success like any other. We also learn that Kenji is still trapped in the past, a child with unsolved issues.

At the end of the film, Kenji is able to embrace his persona as Ultraman, adding it to his identity. Because at the end of the day, just like Ken said, "Baseball is baseball," and "ken is and will always just be ken."

camp swap thing

An idea I had about how Jason would have handled Thalia dying and her tree being poisoned if he’d been Greek. Enjoy!

Jason tucks his knees to his chest, fingers picking at the scab from where he cut his leg racing Annabeth. He scoots backwards, shifting his weight until the bark digs into his back. The press of the roots on either side of him is a gentle weight that let’s him breath. Camp is gone, somewhere on the other side of the hill that he can’t see or hear. Here it’s only him, his thoughts, and his sister.

“Luke said I did a good job today.” Jason’s muttered words break the silence of the hill. “He said I could be the best swordsman in camp soon. I just need to get a little bigger.” He glances at his arms, studying the faint white scars that stand out against the tanned skin. “I think you’d be proud of me. I don’t let Annabeth get into fights but I don’t let anyone be mean to her either.”

He waits, his words drifting off into the rustle of the wind through the branches. He holds his breath, listening for a creak or a groan or anything. He waits until his lungs burn as much as his eyes do before sucking in a shaky breath.

Jason stares at the dirt beneath his shoes, at the scattered needles and pinecones, at the empty hill stretched out before him.

“I miss you Thalia. I- I hate being in that cabin. I hate being alone. Please- I- I don’t want to go back there.” He blinks, pushing back on the pain that ripples up through his chest, bubbling into something that settles over his eyes and in his lungs.

The first soft, broken sob breaks from him and he clamps down on it. Luke’s voice echoes in his head, the voice that says that Thalia is gone, the voice that tells him it’s the god’s fault.

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hulyenl

1 year ago

that scene in tlo where thalia tells percy he can't start feeling sorry for luke bc luke made his choices. and thalia reveals that the reason they couldn't make it to camp in time for all of them to make it to camp was bc luke kept picking fights. and annabeth never saw this as wrong bc luke was her hero. so thalia had to pick up the pieces. and percy thinking both that luke was put in a cruel position and that luke was putting others in a cruel position. and percy is the only character who understood both sides of luke bc annabeth sees only the best of him and thalia sees only the worst. and that's why percy is the prophecy kid and the one who gives luke the knife. bc annabeth had spent the entire series essentially giving luke the knife when he didn't deserve it. and thalia was never going to give luke the knife. but percy is the only one who can see exactly when luke deserves the knife.

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hulyenl

6 years ago

HOW THE FUCK IS THIS FRIENDLY!?

Friendly Reminders

Nico had a life before the Lotus Hotel

Hazel was 13 when she died

Clarisse’s weapon has been dubbed “Lamer” by literally everyone at Camp Half-blood

Sally was trapped in the Underworld for over ten days

Leo ran away from multiple foster homes

Piper had to steal a car to get her father’s attention

Thalia has lost Jason twice, but this time he’s not coming back

Nico sometimes accidentally refers to Hazel as Bianca

Athena told Annabeth that she meant nothing to her

Tyson was attacked by a sphinx

Percy loves blue food because his mom was trying to prove a point to his abusive stepfather, not because it’s his favorite color

Percy had to sneak food from Gabe or else he wouldn’t eat

Calypso was trapped on and island for thousands of years, with no one except for the people who would become stranded there, who would also eventually leave her alone again

Every time Apollo looks at a Laurel wreath or a hyacinth he is reminded of someone that he loved who he couldn’t save

Hades is trying to make up for the way he treated Nico in PJO

Frank’s mother and grandmother are dead

Nico almost starved in an airtight jar full of poisonous gas with only pomegranate seeds to keep him going

Will became a counselor at the age of thirteen

Rachel has a life other than being the oracle

Rachel has done incredible things, she’s not a bad character for kissing Percy

Octavian launched himself into his own death

Nico felt like Octavian’s death was his fault

Reyna’s father was abusive toward her and Hylla

Hecate was afraid of Hazel’s powers

Nico probably has an Italian accent