Bento Radio Season 2 Episode 10 Brand New Animal
Podcast Notes:
In this episode of Bento Radio, host Alex delves into the intersection of anime and real-world issues, focusing on the Netflix series "Brand New Animal" (BNA), produced by Studio Trigger and directed by Yoh Yoshinari. Alex begins with updates about attending Anime NYC as press and highlights the show's presence on YouTube (the Bento Radio channel for full videos), a new centralized hub for his podcast, writings about anime and media, and webcomics, as well as Blue Sky. The conversation then shifts to a detailed plot synopsis of BNA, provided by a lovely assistant, setting the stage for a deeper discussion about themes of identity, discrimination, and coexistence. Drawing from recent controversial advertisements, specifically the American Eagle ad starring Sydney Sweeney and a Dunkin' Donuts ad, and shifting cultural attitudes, Alex shares personal reflections as a physically disabled and biracial individual. He elaborates on how societal perceptions and biases impact his daily life, discussing negative comments about his body received on YouTube, being perceived differently as a childhood cancer survivor, and the complexities of being biracial (half black, half white), often seen as "not white" by white people but "black" by black people, and the importance of self-definition. Through the lens of BNA and other anime like "Jobless Reincarnation" (Mushoku Tensei), which illustrates manipulated fear and the origins of hatred, and "Static Shock," which explores undoing societal harms and racial freedom, Alex explores how media can both mirror and critique issues of racism, bigotry, and the struggle for acceptance. The episode thoughtfully addresses the complexities of representation, the dangers of prejudice, and the importance of creating inclusive spaces—both fictional and real, exemplified by Anima City as an "imperfect solution" for Beastmen. Alex discusses BNA's specific focus on mixed-race identity, featuring characters like Michiru (a tanuki) and Nazuna (a kitsune/fox spirit) whose transformative abilities symbolize non-finite identity, and Shirou Ogami (a white wolf) who embodies the consequences of human cruelty and the cycle of hatred. He connects these themes to real-world conflicts (e.g., the Israel/Gaza conflict) and the broader need to break cycles of bigotry, also critiquing problematic media like "Tanya the Evil" for glorifying an "evil" character in a Nazi Germany-like setting. He contrasts this with Trigger's earlier work "Kill la Kill," which also explored societal repression through fashion. Alex’s narrative is candid and insightful, making this episode a compelling listen for anyone interested in how anime can illuminate broader social conversations.
