#FreeAgnes #OpinionArticle #Interview #LegalHigh #PsychoPass #Dojinshi #Platform
Notes from a Distant Past: An Interview with Agnes Chow
In 2017, when Agnes Chow was interviewed by Hong Kong anime and manga review dōjinshi Platform (プラットホーム), she said the following words:
//Reporter: Living in this era, we are facing fast-changing environments. For readers who love anime, manga, idols and other Japanese subcultures, how do they make good use of the skills they gained from pursuing their interests when they face different social and political issues?
Agnes Chow: For me, anime and manga are the same as film and literature works, they represent things that the authors wanted to express. Why do Japanese people watch works like Legal High and PSYCHO-PASS that are critical of the social system, but cannot realise that these stories and oppressions actually happen in reality? I remember asking Toru Kurata sensei from Japan before, and he replied that it was because most Japanese people thought that stories are stories and reality is reality, all separate and different. In addition, nowadays Japanese people are generally apolitical. It is difficult for them to draw and imagine the link between reality and stories.
So in my perspective, when watching a work, imagination is very important. Imagination is the connection between the work and reality. Reflecting on relationships, society and the world through the works is the whole point of anime and manga appreciation. To be honest, I am not doing too well on this either and I need more time to hone it (smile).
In 2017, Hong Kong will be facing more political events: the judicial review of lawmakers, the chief executive election and the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover. In this turbulent era, it is time to think about how we link the critiques in these works to the real society.//
Revisiting these words from 3 years ago now, everything seems like a distant past. “More political events”, “20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover”, “turbulent era” – at the time, who would have felt things were turbulent? 3 years ago, with this same magazine, I was just happily writing away with my friends, never once imagining what this era’s turbulence would look like.
Then, in 2019, the anti-extradition law amendment bill movement broke out. And then, Hong Kongers received the “mission of our time”. And then, the Hong Kong national security law was “passed” on 30th June 2020. On the same day, through her Twitter account with 45 million followers, Agnes Chow posted what was probably her last tweet, as a farewell.
On 10th August 2020, Agnes Chow was arrested for alleged offences against the “party’s security law”.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/444209758986030/posts/4217032908370344/ #Aug10
#ToruKurata #Anime #Manga #Japan
Notes from a Distant Past: An Interview with Agnes Chow
In 2017, when Agnes Chow was interviewed by Hong Kong anime and manga review dōjinshi Platform (プラットホーム), she said the following words:
//Reporter: Living in this era, we are facing fast-changing environments. For readers who love anime, manga, idols and other Japanese subcultures, how do they make good use of the skills they gained from pursuing their interests when they face different social and political issues?
Agnes Chow: For me, anime and manga are the same as film and literature works, they represent things that the authors wanted to express. Why do Japanese people watch works like Legal High and PSYCHO-PASS that are critical of the social system, but cannot realise that these stories and oppressions actually happen in reality? I remember asking Toru Kurata sensei from Japan before, and he replied that it was because most Japanese people thought that stories are stories and reality is reality, all separate and different. In addition, nowadays Japanese people are generally apolitical. It is difficult for them to draw and imagine the link between reality and stories.
So in my perspective, when watching a work, imagination is very important. Imagination is the connection between the work and reality. Reflecting on relationships, society and the world through the works is the whole point of anime and manga appreciation. To be honest, I am not doing too well on this either and I need more time to hone it (smile).
In 2017, Hong Kong will be facing more political events: the judicial review of lawmakers, the chief executive election and the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover. In this turbulent era, it is time to think about how we link the critiques in these works to the real society.//
Revisiting these words from 3 years ago now, everything seems like a distant past. “More political events”, “20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover”, “turbulent era” – at the time, who would have felt things were turbulent? 3 years ago, with this same magazine, I was just happily writing away with my friends, never once imagining what this era’s turbulence would look like.
Then, in 2019, the anti-extradition law amendment bill movement broke out. And then, Hong Kongers received the “mission of our time”. And then, the Hong Kong national security law was “passed” on 30th June 2020. On the same day, through her Twitter account with 45 million followers, Agnes Chow posted what was probably her last tweet, as a farewell.
On 10th August 2020, Agnes Chow was arrested for alleged offences against the “party’s security law”.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/444209758986030/posts/4217032908370344/ #Aug10
#ToruKurata #Anime #Manga #Japan