AnimeOne Naruto scripts

[LunaticCat]

nice topic for a thesis, I think
may I ask what your course is called? Japanology?

[Velorien]

Modern Japanese Studies, to be precise.

Yeah, I'm looking for exact wording so I can analyse it directly. Basically, there's this Japanese concept called ikigai (生きがい), which roughly means "that which makes life worth living", and it can roughly be divided up into "pursuing your own dream" ("jikojitsugen" or "self-realisation") and "becoming one with a group and working for its benefit" ("ittaikan" or "sense of unity"). "Naruto" has a really interesting dynamic between these two directions - for example, how Naruto's dream of becoming the Hokage has both personal and group aspects (he starts out wanting to be the strongest, but also to be acknowledged by the village), whereas Sasuke becomes more of an antagonist the more he renounces group bonds and pursues his own goal. I'm going to try and relate all this to the problems real Japanese young people are experiencing (like the double bind of being disillusioned with traditional values of corporate employment, but at the same time being denied the chance to strike out on their own).

Thanks for the IRC tip - I'll try and catch them there.