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Anime Challenge Day 11/ Favorite Mecha

-Aquarion

-Eureka 7

-Code Geass 

The Ethos and Pathos of Aquarion Logos

Aquarion Logos has a lot to say about what we say and how we say it. We encounter words daily and it's how we communicate. This is a show combines sociology and mecha action to create a giant love letter to the written language and logophilia.

Our heroes are all members of the verbalism club, a covert group that operates inside a cafe. Their mission is to fight the M.J.B.K, monsters of the week with the power to corrupt and erase concepts out of existence. These monsters are given life by a man named sougon, someone who feels that words will lead to humanity's Downfall.

The show is just as much about the Mecha violence as it is about sociology. Logos loves to examine how people interact with each other and what outcomes arise from said interactions. Aquarion's philosophy comes from the philosophical concept of logos and the Japanese concept of kotodama. Logos is often defined as reason and discourse. Words are used to provide order and structured knowledge to society and it's absence leads to discord. That's exactly what happens when the mbjk attacks. They ruin humanity's main tool of communication and cause chaos in its wake. Ironically, part of the show's lore involves an ancient war between the truth tribe and the word tribe. The truth tribe opposed the word tribe because words can easily be used to spread lies.  Logos as a philosophical concept embodies logic and reason but this show emphasizes how words can have the opposite effect. It was a lack of communication due to the truth tribe not understanding the written word which augmented both side's hostility.

Kotodama( soul of language) is the mystical belief that words can induce magical effects on people and objects. Ever notice how every battle anime and tokusatsu show has the characters shout out their attacks? It probably links back to kotodama. The mbjk are metaphysical embodiments of certain words/concepts. An early Monster is the embodiment of fire, causing inextinguishable flames to break out in Japan and causes mass flame wars online. The effects of the mbjk attacks are based on Japanese wordplay and metaphoric thinking. 

Sogon's hatred for words is comparable to the hatred of nature the villains of captain planet share. It's comical when taken at face value but it presents a well-developed argument to be had. Words can be used as tools as destruction and far too often do we use them as such. There's a cavalcade of cyberbullying, verbal abuse and hate speech cases every day. Some people can destroy others with words alone. The purpose of the verbalism club is to combat this dilemma by stressing how words can be used to form strong bonds and enlighten others. This is highlighted by the career choices of the main characters. Kokone is an aspiring actress, Hayato wants to be a politician,Tsutomu wants do be a comedian and Karen wants to be a pop star. All of these are professions which require strong speaking skills and making use of language.

On a side note, Aquarion Logos is one of the strongest mechas in all of fiction. It can kill conceptual beings with raw power and even killed the physical embodiment of nothingness, the same mbjk that almost erased the entire earth and, potentially, the universe, out of existence. It has a stronger form called Aquarion Logos Genesis which embodies the concept of definition and holds the power of infinity. It is at the very least universal in power on top of the concept destruction hax.

In a country where illiteracy and texting addiction is on the rise, maybe America could use a verbalism club. It would be a cool mesh of creative writing, reading, and even a little acting. There are so many problems that could be avoided if more people understood the importance of language. Make verbalism a part of your life by always reading and writing. 

                 Sources

https://www.britannica.com/topic/logos The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Logos.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 21 May 2012, www.britannica.com/topic/logos.

https://jpninfo.com/37451  “Kotodama: Do You Believe in the Power of Words?” Japan Info, jpninfo.com/37451.