Student movement and friendship: Sakamichi No Apollon

Sakamichi No Apollon ep 8-9 were just awesome. Jun-nii the playboy became a fuuten, a Japanese term for “hippie” during the 60s. Yes, the most famous fuuten from Japan is “Tora the fuuten.” Or フーテンの寅 (Fuuten No Tora).

reading Yoshimoto Takaaki

Jun-nii moved to Tokyo to study at a university, and joined the leftist student movement. His best friend in the movement was reading Yoshimoto Takaaki. Yoshimoto was a Marxist philosopher, trying to merge Marx’s sociology with Freud’s libidology. Yes, I’d taken girls’ rejections as a rejection from the entire Japanese community, and that became a driving force to move to America. So, I’m more Freudian than Yoshimotoist. By the way, Yoshimoto’s daughter is a famous novelist, Yoshimoto Banana.

Rebel with a cause.

And the blackboard was written “造反有理 (zouhan-yuuri),” a quote from Mao. “Rebel with a cause.” I used to join the student movement, so I personally feel emotionally close to Jun-nii as my comrade. By the way, Rebel Without a Cause is 造反無理 (zouhan-muri). So, I’m more to James Dean! That’s why as a rebel I visited the Griffith Park Observatory.

However, he was disillusioned with the student movement, due to his comrade’s fatal injury as a trumpet player. So, he came back to Nagasaki, drunk, long-haired, resorting to drug abuse, Hyminal. He was also repudiated by his parents. Yes, that was his lowest point in his life.

That’s when Yurika showed up and followed him around like a stalker. She wanted to seal the deal. She wanted to avoid omiai (arranged marriage). During the 60s, omiai was still dominant. But around the late 60s, renai-kekkon (romantic marriage) became the mainstream. So yes, Yurika and Jun-nii’s elopement reflected the time period, probably 67-68. The same goes for Tora-san. His little sister Sakura didn’t get married by arrangement, but married by romance. That was 1969.

The last part of the episode, when Yurika said, “You only kissed me and you didn’t go further, so I knew you really cared about me.” But I don’t get why Yurika’s mother was talking about seeing a gynecologist. I thought she got knocked up and had to do abortion. So, she wasn’t actually pregnant then. They didn’t actually have secross (“sex” in otaku jargon).

Otakus are virgin-maniacs, so they went euphoric when they learned that Yurika didn’t actually have sex with Jun-nii. But I doubt she was a virgin before her affair with Jun-nii. When she was forced down at Jun-nii’s apartment, she was calm and instead exposed his real intention. “You do this just to make me run away from you.” Only “used” girls can say that kind of stuff. So, she’s not “brand new” at all. No way.

Anyway, Jun-nii shouldn’t have taken Yurika with him. Jun-nii was planning a new life in Tokyo, so he wanted to leave everything behind. But the past, Yurika, still haunts him. But who can refuse her in that given situation?

On the other hand, Sentarou faced NTR. His crush, Yurika, was stolen and conquered by Jun-nii. But Sentarou can still look up to Jun-nii? If I was Sentarou, I would completely repudiate Jun-nii. But, musician’s life is full of NTR? Miles Davis’ wife was NTRed by Jim Hendrix. George Harrison’s wife was NTRed by Eric Clapton. Maybe that’s why Sentarou and Jun-nii are still friends, because NTR is pretty common among musicians.

Well, I’m an otaku rather than a musician then, because I can’t stand NTR. How many NTRs have I gone through? The girls I loved were all NTRed. Japan was full of NTR. That’s how I lost friends in Japan. How can you face your friend if he stole your girl? Of course, she wasn’t my girlfriend, so he had every right to smooth-talk her. I mean, there is no law prohibiting NTR as long as all parties are unmarried. Legally nothing wrong, but still, damaging friendship. Yes, totally slap in the face.

So, this episode, I found that pretty amazing. Oh yeah, Sentarou goes to a Catholic church with Ricchan every Sunday, so “turn your other cheek.” No wonder Sentarou didn’t end friendship with Jun-nii, but instead jammed Miles’ Four together! A cuckold’s tune. NTR music.

I rather listen to Friendship Birthday by Sea☆A.

Author: Monsieur LaMoe

A refugee from Japan. Live in NAFTA. Get hooked on Moe. Moe is opium? Twitter: @MonsieurLamoe

4 thoughts on “Student movement and friendship: Sakamichi No Apollon

    1. My 17 years old otaku life is bittersweet. Romance is schadenfreude, someone gets happy while someone gets hurt. I pretty much identified myself with Sen-chan in these episodes.

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