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“Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.” -Steve Jobs
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.” -The Dalai Lama
There are two asides I need to make before I do this recommendation:
Number 1.
When I was watching the classic modern romance movie, “The Notebook”, with Nymph. I remember asking her what she liked best about the movie. She said it was that it was a love triangle, that where the difficulty of the character deciding, was that she was torn between two really good men.
Number 2.
Many of you have learned that in traditional Japanese art, the person is presented as less than the landscape. It is awe of nature that is the point of the piece. The person is not the point.
The story begins with two high school sweethearts. They are two introverts that have been friends since childhood.
Both are shy about their feelings. Both absolutely love the other. In time, they will be a couple that will most likely be married for life.
They are on the long slow path that defined so many Japanese men and women for centuries. They are two humble people slowly working out their terror at expressing their true feelings.
This is not a historical anime however. This is one where something very cold and very invasive is about to happen artificially.
These young people are about to enter a testing phase. Each has been selected by people who control their futures to go into an involuntary psychological experiment, if they wish to graduate. There is no choice, if you want a diploma and a future.
As the comedian Jon Stewart once said, “But this is the problem with science. Science is incredible, but they don’t know when to stop and no one in the room with those cats ever goes, ‘I don’t know if we should do that.’ They’re like, ‘curiosity killed the cat, so let’s kill 10,000 cats to find out why.’”
When it comes to this set up, something is interesting. I am really amused by the huge amount of people on the internet that think that things like this do not or did not happen.
I was a psychology major. Let’s get real about this.
First, most likely to deal with the declining birthrates of not only Japan, but the entire western world, there is a lot of money out there to research solutions to this issue. The funding and the motive exist. It has for quite some time.
Second, this means that these people believe that research would not go so far as to mess with people on this level. Oh, you sweet summer children, let us talk.
Let us first talk about the fact this is a Pavlov’s dog style experiment done on human beings, using cameras, isolation, reward bells, other rewards, other punishments, and forced intimacy. It is classical conditioning.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_conditioning
wiki quote
Pavlov's research
The best-known and most thorough early work on classical conditioning was done by Ivan Pavlov, although Edwin Twitmyer published some related findings a year earlier.[10] During his research on the physiology of digestion in dogs, Pavlov developed a procedure that enabled him to study the digestive processes of animals over long periods of time. He redirected the animal's digestive fluids outside the body, where they could be measured. Pavlov noticed that his dogs began to salivate in the presence of the technician who normally fed them, rather than simply salivating in the presence of food. Pavlov called the dogs' anticipatory salivation "psychic secretion". Putting these informal observations to an experimental test, Pavlov presented a stimulus (e.g. the sound of a metronome) and then gave the dog food; after a few repetitions, the dogs started to salivate in response to the stimulus. Pavlov concluded that if a particular stimulus in the dog's surroundings was present when the dog was given food then that stimulus could become associated with food and cause salivation on its own.
The students are subjected to a bell and point system to encourage certain way. Further, this is a grade necessary for them to graduate, so negative encouragement is there.
There is a competitive ranking against other couples that is also a part of the experiment to increase worth and social pressure preconditioned into the children of that society to try and outscore their peers. Their futures are at stake.
If you don’t believe that biological and psychological experiments just like this are carried out by universities and governments, may I direct your attention to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgewood_Arsenal_human_experiments
wiki quote
From 1948 to 1975, the U.S. Army Chemical Corps conducted classified human subject research at the Edgewood Arsenal facility in Maryland. The purpose was to evaluate the impact of low-dose chemical warfare agents on military personnel and to test protective clothing, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines. A small portion of these studies were directed at psychochemical warfare and grouped under the prosaic title of the "Medical Research Volunteer Program" (1956–1975). The MRVP was also driven by intelligence requirements and the need for new and more effective interrogation techniques.
Overall, about 7,000 soldiers took part in these experiments that involved exposures to more than 250 different chemicals, according to the Department of Defense (DoD). Some of the volunteers exhibited symptoms at the time of exposure to these agents but long-term follow-up was not planned as part of the DoD studies.[1] The experiments were abruptly terminated by the Army in late 1975 amidst an atmosphere of scandal and recrimination as lawmakers accused researchers of questionable ethics. Many official government reports and civilian lawsuits followed in the wake of the controversy.
The chemical agents tested on volunteers included chemical warfare agents and other related agents:[1]
Anticholinesterase nerve agents (VX, sarin) and common organophosphorus(OP) and carbamate pesticides
Mustard agents
Nerve agent antidotes including atropine and scopolamine
Nerve agent reactivators, e.g. the common OP antidote 2-PAM chloride
Psychoactive agents including LSD, PCP, cannabinoids, and BZ
Irritants and riot control agents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MKUltra
wiki quote
Project MKUltra (or MK-Ultra)[a] was an illegal human experimentation program designed and undertaken by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and intended to develop procedures and identify drugs that could be used during interrogations to weaken people and force confessions through brainwashing and psychological torture.[1][2] It began in 1953 and was halted in 1973. MKUltra used numerous methods to manipulate its subjects' mental states and brain functions, such as the covert administration of high doses of psychoactive drugs (especially LSD) and other chemicals without the subjects' consent, electroshocks,[3] hypnosis,[4][5] sensory deprivation, isolation, verbal and sexual abuse, and other forms of torture.[6][7]”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_subject_research
wiki quote
Human subject research is systematic, scientific investigation that can be either interventional (a "trial") or observational (no "test article") and involves human beings as research subjects, commonly known as test subjects. Human subject research can be either medical (clinical) research or non-medical (e.g., social science) research.[1] Systematic investigation incorporates both the collection and analysis of data in order to answer a specific question. Medical human subject research often involves analysis of biological specimens, epidemiological and behavioral studies and medical chart review studies.[1] (A specific, and especially heavily regulated, type of medical human subject research is the "clinical trial", in which drugs, vaccines and medical devices are evaluated.) On the other hand, human subject research in the social sciences often involves surveys which consist of questions to a particular group of people. Survey methodology includes questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups.
Human subject research is used in various fields, including research into advanced biology, clinical medicine, nursing, psychology, sociology, political science, and anthropology. As research has become formalized, the academic community has developed formal definitions of "human subject research", largely in response to abuses of human subjects.
I could post a lot more but if you read deep into the Human subject research page you will find no lack of examples and horror stories. So, let us get back to the anime in focus here.
You have the young shy couple in a gently unfolding relationship that is as old as time in the land of the Rising Sun. You also have the class prince and the class princess, who appear to not yet be in a relationship.
Each is assigned "randomly" with people in a marriage practical. This is part of the wider justification is that it is to teach people how to get along later in life.
The shy boy ends up with the class princess. They have nothing in common. He is a handheld gaming nerd. She is a part of the fashion subset known as Gyaru, which means she has an atypical Japanese appearance and a very modern slang. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyaru
The shy girl ends up with the class prince. They are both high scoring academics and he’s also an exceptional athlete.
These “Random” pairings come with a clause that high performers can switch partners. This is further enforcing a need for high points if you want out of the current situation. If you want to switch, you must be in the top ten of graduating couples via scientific scoring, determined multiple times through the experiment.
The story then evolves into an adult romantic comedy. It is often verbally subtle. It is often visually not so subtle.
That fits though. As a beach kid, I knew those times.
The retreating from people you would never be with, even if your heart was racing, was part of my experience. It was that of my friends as well.
This is a time in people’s lives where people are not always so focused on Mr. or Ms. Right. Rather, due to hormones and lack of experience, they tend to focus more on Mr. or Ms. Right Now.
Even so, most of us don't chase every situation in our youth where our emotions get the best of us for a moment. If we did, most of us would have had very different lives that might not have been as positive.
People who openly lie, like so many did in my own high school and college experience, to give off an impression they are far more worldly and experienced than they are, these people are now lab rats for a study. The camera is on.
To me, the camera and the forced situations became a metaphor for modern society against traditional values. It is our modern clinical world, against the things that once made us timeless as human beings sharing the most important human experiences.
I will not spoil the ending. I will however say this, there is a three minute race to a shrine. It is one of the most uplifting metaphors I have seen in media in a very long time.
In a moment of enlightenment, two good people now know what matters most to them. They openly race to the shrine to ask the heavens for help. What goes on in the background is everything at stake to both of them.
Whether or not it is decided on that day, both know they are competing against the other. It isn’t done in malice or hate.
The good part is that one will win. The tragedy is that one will lose. Both are finally giving it their all.
What they compete for is what the modern western world has lost sight of for decades. It is something simple. It is also the most important thing most people go to the grave either embracing or regretting.
Would it be worth watching the entire anime even if you didn’t like it, just to understand and feel the full context of that three minute race, when it happens? Yes, yes it really would.
It is the picture of the man against the mountain. The man is most of western humanity. The mountain is what most of us have lost sight of. The journey is completely worth the three minutes of awe, even if you didn't like the ride.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_Than_a_Married_Couple,_But_Not_Lovers
wiki quote:
High school student Jirō Yakuin is an introvert who would rather keep to himself and play video games than interact with others. He has unrequited feelings for his childhood friend, Shiori Sakurazaka, but the school has implemented a couples training (夫婦実習, Fūfu jisshū) program, which has the students develop social skills on interacting with a partner as if they were married, and they are judged heavily on how well they work together through monitoring. Despite hoping to be paired with Shiori, Jiro is instead paired with Akari Watanabe, a gyaru who finds Jiro repulsive and who would rather be paired with the popular school idol, Minami Tenjin. Learning that if they attain enough points, their current partners can be switched, both Jiro and Akari agree to put their differences aside and work together.
Espiritu's
Liyuu — TRUE FOOL LOVE
Anime «More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers.» opening theme
What percent of love can be called true love?
The sin, your late maturation is tic-tac between intellect and fantasy.
Set the tension, the fine rain in sunny weather.
An extremely uncompromising girlish heart is zigzag.
It’s cute and incomparable like a temple bell.What percent of love can be called true love?
Hold me tightly, so that I can fall asleep peacefully.
The daydreams are like a fiction.
Kiss me, to break the silence in this drama.
Your indecision hangs in the air.
My heart is so restless.
It’s beating so unpredictably.It’s true fool love! Hold me tight!
Take courage, my darling.
Not only whether I’ll be happy and whether I’ll have fun, in general everything depends on you.
Once more smile, twice more chime.
Look at me, darling.
I let you indulge in dreams.
The fortune predicts us good luck, good luck, good luck.Pretending to be offended, I’ll sing with the help of tears
My true feelings to such a vulnerable you.
Keeping a forced balance, what if you’re just cunning?
Where did your cowardice go? Why are you not afraid to act?What percent of love can be called true love?
Your ignorance exceeds mathematical expectation.
The moon, shine something true in the two of us.
You ignore the limits of your imagination.
You feel cramped in this unprotected sky.
Where we’re going is still a secret.
My heartbeat may speed up more.
This is the so-called the pleasant noise.It’s real fool world, no exceptions.
You’re in a bind, darling.
You have nowhere else to run away, so let’s go to our future.
A secret smile, the chime of the fate…
The dreams are sometimes so capricious.
Wake me up with your voice.
The fortune predicts us good luck, good luck, good luck.Let’s true love! Hold me tight!
Take courage, my darling.
Not only whether I’ll be happy and whether I’ll have fun, in general everything depends on you.
Once more smile, twice more chime.
Look at me, darling.
Notice my pure love!
More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers. - Ending | Stuck on You
https://animeliryca.com/nowlu-stuck-on-you/
Anime «More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers.» ending theme
I wish I could fall in love with the present,
That deceived me on a cosmic scale.
In the middle of the deep night
Walking at the same speed
The hands of the clock stop
Under the influence of a weak curse.The answer eludes me all the time.
If I’ll just want to start over,
It won’t be so blurry too?
I want to know where my heart is.That someday this will end
I understand too.
The signals for a quarrel,
I need to turn them over, not fold them.
I hate such fragmentary things.I wish I could fall in love with the present,
That deceived me on a cosmic scale.
In the middle of the deep night
Walking at the same speed
The hands of the clock stop, they are under a weak curse.
Whatever you sing, whatever you eat,
I want to talk to you about this.
How many more days like this do we have?
I want you to remember me
Again and again.It’s my fault,
That a stagnant air
Caught in my throat
And turned into needles.
Now I’ll never forget
This moment.It’s your fault,
That my fragile heart
Is beating faster.I wish I could fall in love with the present,
That deceived me on a cosmic scale.
In the middle of the deep night
Walking at the same speed
The hands of the clock stop, they are under a weak curse.
Whatever you sing, whatever you eat,
I want to talk to you about this.
How many more days like this do we have?
I want you to remember me
Again and again.
I've seen huge amount of hate online for the characters of Jiro and Shiori. Oddly, this comes from people who claim to love Japanese Culture.
I think it is worth mentioning, that the way that both of them act and second guess themselves is not uncommon. This is especially true in Japan.
https://youtube.com/shorts/jYfGGRwigJI?si=dYuOhHbsJC089znP
https://www.gymboglobal.jp/en-column/331-1
partial quote:
What is “Good Child Syndrome”? What are its causes and how can parents prevent it from happening?In today’s stressful society, not only adults but even children feel stress and pressure. Depending on his/her environment, this stress and pressure can put a heavy burden on a child’s mind. In recent years, concerns about “good child syndrome” have been increasing. Let’s look at the symptoms, causes, characteristics, and preventive measures of “good child syndrome”.
What is “good child syndrome”?
As the name implies, “good child syndrome” refers to a child who tries to be good as his/her parents envision. At first glance, this type of child may seem to be smart and hands-free. However, when children try too hard to meet the expectations of others and hold in their feelings it can have negative effects on their growth and development.
What are the symptoms of “good child syndrome”?
Children with “good child syndrome” are not selfish and do not say what they want to do or share their opinions. This is because they are afraid that they will be disliked by adults if they express their true feelings or give up.Sometimes, they are unable to have their own ideas and cannot decide what to do without listening to their parents’ opinions. They are also not good at expressing their feelings freely. Unlike other children, children with “good child syndrome” do not go through a rebellious phase during which they rebel against their parents and surrounding environment. Without the experience of a normal childhood, children with “good child syndrome” may grow up to become an “adult child” who has difficulty living normally.What causes “good child syndrome”?
Excessive expectations and desires of parents are the number one cause of “good child syndrome”. When parents impose their values and proactively make all choices for their child this causes their child to slowly lose his/her independence. It is important for parents to give their child choices and value his/her opinion.
On the other side of that, let's that a closer look at the price paid by some of the characters choosing to be Gyaru. Socially, there is a really high price that can be paid for liking Western fashion, the way many Westerners like Japanese fashion or Anime. If you look deeper into it, it'll be clear why Akari has very real self esteem crashes from time to time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyaru
The term for gyaru was introduced in Japan by the American jeans company Lee, who introduced a new line of jeans to their brand Wrangler. When the women's jeans line 'GALS' was released in the 1970s; the term had been quickly used outside of its original branding and was adopted to describe the gyaru fashion by 1972.[5] Gyaru subculture was at its peak during the Heisei era. It had a large influence on Japanese fashion and its economy, its international economy, and its global soft power across the world through Cool Japan such as in Southeast Asia.[6][7][8] Multiple gyaru brands branched out before eventually declining due to financial instability and changes in its target demographic.[9][10][11] The term's usage peaked in the early 2000s and has since declined.[12][13][14]
This decline[15] has been attributed to shifts in the magazine industry,[16][17] the exaggeration of the style within its use and progression,[18] western media,[19][20] and government policies.[21] The meaning of the term gyaru was later applied to a slightly older demographic whose apparent lack of interest in work or marriage resulted in these women being regarded as childish or hussies.[22][23][24] Due to its past and its present connotation, it is now used almost interchangeably with kogyaru; as the name of kogyaru and its history are intertwined with the gyaru fashion subculture. Even though Japanese citizens have observed gyaru's birth, impact, and decline, citizens have stated to have never had the intention of imitating the American style of daily apparel or of wanting to resemble it.[25] But some Japanese disagree with this belief.[26]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kogal
Kogal (コギャル, kogyaru) is a Japanese fashion culture (a type of gyaru fashion[1][2]) that involves girls wearing an outfit based on Japanese school uniforms (or their actual uniforms). The girls may also wear loose socks and scarves, and have dyed hair.[3][4] The word kogal is anglicized from kogyaru, a contraction of kōkōsei gyaru ("high school gal").
Aside from the miniskirt or microskirt, and the loose socks, kogals favor platform boots, makeup, and Burberry check scarves, and accessories considered kawaii or cute on bags and phones.[5] They may also dye their hair brown and get artificial suntans. They have a distinctive slang peppered with English words. They are often, but not necessarily, enrolled students. Centers of kogal culture include the Harajuku and Shibuya districts of Tokyo, in particular Shibuya's 109 Building. Pop singer Namie Amuro promoted the style. Kogals are avid users of photo booths, with most visiting at least once a week, according to non-scientific polls.[6]
Etymology
The word kogal is a contraction of kōkōsei gyaru (高校生ギャル, "high school gal").[7] It originated as a code used by disco bouncers to distinguish adults from minors.[7] The term is not used by the girls it refers to. They call themselves gyaru (ギャル),[8] a Japanese pronunciation of the English word "gal".[7] The term gyaru was first popularized in 1972 by a television ad for a brand of jeans.[9] In the 1980s, a gyaru was a fashionably dressed woman.[9] When written 子, ko means "young woman," so kogyaru is sometimes understood in the sense of "young gal".[10]
Character
Kogals have been accused of conspicuous consumption, living off their parents and enjo-kosai (amateur prostitution/dating service).[11] It is unclear how many girls were actually involved in prostitution.[12] Critics decry their materialism as reflecting a larger psychological or spiritual emptiness in modern Japanese life. Some kogals support their lifestyle with allowances from wealthy parents, living a "parasite single" existence that grates against traditional principles of duty and industry.[13] Though brand-name accessories are part of the kogal look, many kogal may buy these cheaply as knock-off versions of a high-brand item from stalls in back-alley markets like ura Harajuku.[14][15] Some feminists "saw the young women as cleverly negotiating their own position in a male patriarchal world."[16]
50 Naruto's
More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers Amv Paris
Miao-chan AMV's
More than a Married Couple but not Lovers「AMV」Shiori x Jiro 2002
Miao-chan AMV's
Fuufu Ijou Koibito Miman「AMV」Akari x Jirou What The Hell
RHETT AMV's 夢
More than a married couple, but not lovers.「AMV」Misfits ᴴᴰ
