Zekkōmon, ぜっこーもん!The technique used by Obocchama-kun, passed down to Amata!
Obocchama-kun is an anime from the late 80s, written by Kobayashi Yoshinori, who is famous for a right wing manga Gōmanism Manifesto. It’s about an eccentric rich elementary school kid. His head has a unicorn bone, and he uses it to thrust enemy’s butt. The technique is called zekkōmon. Zekkou (絶交) is “I’m through with you.” Koumon (肛門) is “anus.” So combine together, Zekkōmon. But Amata uses it against Mikono, a pure innocent girl. Thus, Mikono gets really pissed off, and Amata apologizes to her in a form of 平身低頭覇 (heishinteitouha), aka, dogeza (土下座). Throw himself on the ground.
___
It’s very weird, the school is divided by the wall, aka “Berlin Wall.” But it’s not based on ideology, capitalism or communism, democracy or totalitarianism, but on sex: men or women. It’s strictly forbidden for a man and a woman to unite, or gattai (合体). As a dude, I totally feel that, that as long as I’m a dude, I can never mingle with girls. Their school is probably run by the Skoptsy. But Amata and his friend conspire and dig the tunnel and make it to the women side. But there is Mikono! What a coincidence! And then, zekkōmon! “You ended up digging her butt too.”
Yeah, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! If not, then we will dig the tunnel! That is the will to power! Aquarion Evol is indeed very Nietzschean!
Libido, power of thrusting, sexual references are what makes this anime really cheesy, but I love it. This anime is all about that! I didn’t even bother watching the first season because it was really dumb. But this season, I may watch it till the end. It’s just too dumb to quit watching. I was laughing so hard, this kind of vulgar joke really hits me right on. And at the same time, very cathartic as a kimo-ota/NEET/hikikomori. Yeah, I’m vulgar after all. But French, supposedly the most beautiful language, indeed came from vulgar Latin, so yes, it’s self-evident that vulgarism creates the most beautiful! So, I am the most beautiful! Vulgar is beautiful! 卑しきものはみなうつくし!
Thus, Amata just earned the title of shinshi (gentleman). Yes, hentai-shinshi (変態紳士 “pervert gentleman”)! The title given to Tachibana of Amagami!
The Freudianism and the sexual metaphors of this show are so over the top, it’s actually really amusing. I laughed when they were talking about “forbidden unions.” Aquarion EVOL is one of the most outlandish things I’ve seen this season, and it actually began really, really well in its romantic first scene before it got into…stranger territory. Its ridiculousness is what makes it fun though!
What really struck me was that screenwriter Mari Okada is responsible for both the story planning and the writing of this show, not Shoji Kawamori. Okada is the writer behind Ano Hana, Hanasaku Iroha, and Fractale, and she has a bit of a mixed record (Fractale was disappointing, and some episodes of Hanasaku were clumsy), though some of her work is very good. (She wrote half of Toradora‘s adaptation. Her original work Ano Hana is excellent, though did you know she was going to originally turn it into an ecchi comedy? Thankfully the director stopped her!).
The Yoko Kanno music is really helping keep the show going, too.
LOL, totally! I know you gonna like it, Mike! Forbidden unions! When a teacher scolds “Harenchina! (Shame!)” it reminds me of Elmer Gantry. Gossiping girls are so cute. Christianity is certainly a moe element, mission-kei school, a hotbed for yuri! I so wanted to go to mission-kei school back in Japan. I’m so in love with that romantic scene that I watched more than 10 times already. Mikono-chan…her hairstyle, exposing her nape, very pure, we defiled vulgar otakus definitely need her innocence to save us. We found our Sonya in her! I have to get a job at a movie theatre!
I didn’t know! These editors have to be fired! Yes, Fractale was a blunder, but I liked Hanasaku, girls interaction, especially Nakochi, an oppai girl, and folklore behind Bonbori fest. AnoHana got too seishun-mono (70’s youth genre) at the end, especially when they scream together at the sunset. So old school. Very Showa. Come on, it’s Heisei already! I would’ve loved it even more if it was an ecchi comedy like Evol. Or at least romantic comedy.
Yes, Kanno Yoko’s BGM is so right on when they’re in raptures over a forbidden union!
I find it interesting that yuri stories or things with yuri overtones take place in Catholic schools. Are Catholic schools basically one of the few places where single-sex education still exists in Japan? It pretty much is here in the US, since almost all public schools are mixed-gender now. There are a few women’s colleges that historically have been that way (Smith, etc), but no non-religious high schools AFAIK. And yes, I really do love the opening scene of Aquarion EVOL. I was hoping for more like that!
We’re going to have to disagree about Ano Hana there! It was pretty melodramatic sometimes, and the crying WAS a bit too much at the end, but the character development was overall excellent. I didn’t know that it was supposed to be reminiscent of old 1970s youth dramas, though and was deliberately being old-fashioned. That’s a cultural layer I’d never pick up, I feel more enlightened now 🙂
That’s exactly right. Mission-kei schools (including protestants) are single-sex mostly. But the birth-rate is dwindling, so some schools are forced to be co-ed, like these recent fanservy shows like Makenki. Yeah, reminds me of Wellesley College, where Julia Roberts was an art teacher, an alma mater of Madame Secretary of State. Cool that you also love the OP!
My female otaku friend from Japan also pointed out that it somehow turned into an old youth drama. I like iyashikei, but at the same time, I like to see some romantic comedy elements in it. Well, that’s just my moe bias. Yes, I agree, it was overall a good show.