Author Tract: Difference between revisions
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* ''[[Earth Maiden Arjuna]]'' starts out as a fast-paced mature [[Magical Girl]] series. Then it quickly veers into ''very'' heavy-handed ecological preaching. Tolerable, because the animation is freaking sweet, because Theresa is really [[Badass]] and because Juna's transformation is [[Rule of Cool|damn cool]], but the storyline is still [[Anvilicious]] to the point of being distracting, and full to the brim of ''very'' [[Did Not Do the Research|bad science]] about why [[Science Is Bad]].
* Another Shoji Kawamori piece, ''[[Macross Zero]]'', mixes spectacular mecha battles with the seemingly-opposite message that ''all'' warfare is inherently evil. It's set on an island that's a mostly-primitive Eden, inhabited by [[Noble Savage|innocents]]. The [[Magical Native American|shaman/priestess]] freaks out over the arrival of UN forces to defend the island, saying they're possessed by evil spirits that are prophesied to destroy everything. {{spoiler|For the first half, this is played as "silly superstitious witch doctor". But by the end, you realize that she's ''[[Cassandra Truth|absolutely right]]''. The island paradise gets tac-nuked into a wasteland, and only her [[Heroic Sacrifice]] keeps the entire world from being obliterated.}}
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]''. [[War Is Hell|War is bad, m'kay?]] But then, it IS based off of [[World War II]].
{{quote|''You soldiers can decide to live and die by any rules you want, commandant. You can play any games you want, but civilians shouldn't have to lose their lives as a result.''}}
* [[Osamu Tezuka]] did this occasionally, but he usually managed to pull it off ''well''. For instance, in ''[[Black Jack]]'', Tezuka often criticizes the current state of the medical establishment, lent some weight by the fact that he was trained as a doctor before becoming a manga artist. It rarely feels heavy handed, though because of its wonderful characterization (Black Jack himself is a [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]] with a convoluted [[Backstory]]) and the title character's amazing demonstrations of surgical skill that go [[Beyond the Impossible]]. His science fiction stories, including ''[[Astro Boy (manga)|Astro Boy]]'', often discuss the dehumanizing effects of modern society technology, but counterpoint it by showing all the good that can come of modern technology. ''Karma'', the 4th (or 5th, depending on the localization) volume of the ''Phoenix'' series, is largely built around Buddhist themes, discussing Karma and reincarnation at length and lamenting the corruption of the Buddhist faith by political interests, but it is widely considered to be Tezuka's greatest masterpiece. The later ([[Author Existence Failure|and sadly, final]]) ''Phoenix'' story ''Sun'' does something similar with Shinto.▼
▲* [[Osamu Tezuka]] did this occasionally, but he usually managed to pull it off ''well''. For instance, in ''[[Black Jack]]'', Tezuka often criticizes the current state of the medical establishment, lent some weight by the fact that he was trained as a doctor before becoming a manga artist. It rarely feels heavy handed, though because of its wonderful characterization (Black Jack himself is a [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]] with a convoluted [[Backstory]]) and the title character's amazing demonstrations of surgical skill that go [[Beyond the Impossible]]. His science fiction stories, including ''[[Astro Boy (manga)|Astro Boy]]'' often discuss the dehumanizing effects of modern society technology, but counterpoint it by showing all the good that can come of modern technology. ''Karma'', the 4th (or 5th, depending on the localization) volume of ''Phoenix'' series is largely built around Buddhist themes, discussing Karma and reincarnation at length and lamenting the corruption of the Buddhist faith by political interests, but it is widely considered to be Tezuka's greatest masterpiece. The later ([[Author Existence Failure|and sadly, final]]) ''Phoenix'' story ''Sun'' does something similar with Shinto.
** Tezuka's science fiction book ''[[Apollo's Song]]'' did the same as ''[[Astro Boy (manga)|Astro Boy]]'', but touched on the nature of love and romance (not to mention Greek Mythology) as well.
** Some of his stories that focus on nature, like ''[[Kimba the White Lion]]'', tend to have a [[Green Aesop]], but Tezuka tends to make it play back-burner to other aesops about family and sacrifice.
* ''[[Team Medical Dragon]]'' was written by Akira Nagai, a practicing doctor
** The issue with the looks is somewhat taken care of in the live-action version, with the antagonists having a fair amount of attractive people, and Dr. Asada being the only one pointed out to be good-looking.
* ''[[Only Yesterday]]'' sometimes comes across as a tract about the importance of Japanese farming. It avoids being irritating through the sheer quality of the animation and storytelling—and it helps that the monologues are sometimes being interrupted by the character saying that he is getting too serious.
* Most of [[Hayao Miyazaki]]'s movies have at least one segment that preaches the importance of respecting and preserving nature. That is, if the plot itself isn't already completely built around the [[Aesop]].
** Interestingly enough, Miyazaki often protests that he does not make films with the intent of sending messages, he just makes them to entertain and [[Money, Dear Boy|for profit]]. Fans have a hard time believing that, given that his [https://web.archive.org/web/20081206090310/http://www.ghibliworld.com/news.html#3103_02 criticisms about capitalism and globalization] seemingly put a lie to that notion.
* Another [[Studio Ghibli]] movie, ''[[Grave of the Fireflies]]'' has a different [[Aesop]] altogether. Did you know that [[
** The
▲* Another [[Studio Ghibli]] movie, ''[[Grave of the Fireflies]]'' has a different [[Aesop]] altogether. Did you know that [[Captain Obvious|war is bad?]] Well, this movie goes out of its way to show you that [[War Is Hell]]. That is, if you can see that [[Tear Jerker|through all the tears]].
* ''[[Code Geass]]'' has been (and still is) accused of being an anti-American Author Tract by director/co-creator Goro Taniguchi. When asked about the subject, [[Word of God|his response]] was "I know some authors have political messages in their works, but that wasn't my intention; I just wanted to tell an entertaining story
▲** The [[War Is Hell]] message is made even more effective by the fact that this is not a film about those fighting in the war, it is a film about the '''civilians''' who must suffer for the sake of it.
**
**
▲* ''[[Code Geass]]'' has been (and still is) accused of being an anti-American Author Tract by director/co-creator Goro Taniguchi. When asked about the subject, [[Word of God|his response]] was "I know some authors have political messages in their works, but that wasn't my intention; I just wanted to tell an entertaining story." Later, when asked again, he responded [[Sarcasm Mode|"You mean America and Britannia are exactly alike? I had no idea!"]]
* Having been inspired by its creator's battle with depression, ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' (particularly the [[Gainax Ending|ending]] - [[The Movie|both of them]]) contains numerous sequences containing in-depth discussions of the human condition and concludes with a lengthy expose on the thought process that leads the main character to overcome his own depression, go on living and {{spoiler|reject the
▲** After which said continent effectively became Britannia. But if there's a critique of imperialism in it, Britannia's imperialism resembled the British and various European empires' rather than American-style globalization.
▲** In the English dub, at least, there are actually some parallels between the Black Rebellion and the American Revolution: the Brittanian Emperor says "all men are not created equal" while America's Declaration of Independence began by saying "all men ''are'' created equal", and the new nation Zero forms to fight Brittania is called "the United States of Japan".
▲* Having been inspired by its creator's battle with depression, ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' (particularly the [[Gainax Ending|ending]] - [[The Movie|both of them]]) contains numerous sequences containing in-depth discussions of the human condition and concludes with a lengthy expose on the thought process that leads the main character to overcome his own depression, go on living and reject the {{spoiler|[[Assimilation Plot]] he finds himself a part of}}. Whether this makes the series impassioned and sincere or pretentious and pedantic depends heavily on who you ask.
* [[Masashi Kishimoto]] really, ''really'' wants you to know that [[Naruto|revenge]] is bad, kids.
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