20CB: The Real World Cult that Friend is Based On
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- Friend, the main villain of 20th Century Boys, is he really so farfetched?
Today we look at the inspiration behind Friend. The real world context that built a lot of Friend's early plans in the manga. The story of a rising cult in Japan that tried to gain power in the 80's and 90's. Some history that, either intentionally or not, would have inspired Urasawa to take the story in certain directions.
Warnings for both Spoilers and discussions of Mature Content.
Other Links:
Some other looks at this history that are quite good:
• Japan's Most Dangerous...
• Aum Shinrikyo: A Chro...
Or if you're after some more unsettling Urasawa content:
• Another Monster: The S...
Cheer, Cheer. 
Развлечения
Fun fact: Both Japan and Korea removed trash bins from subway stations and other public enclosed places after this. They were replaced with transparent plastic bag hangers in Korea.
@Miss Vivi I think that might be from the 20th Century Boys live action movies
They still have them at 7/11 and at some police boxes.
It mostly just downtown Tokyo and Yokohama where they removed these.
Another scary part is that Aum Shinrikyo had materials to produce enough sarin to kill millions. They also planted cyanide bombs near ventilation systems and if it succeeded, it would've killed 10 000 commuters.
I finished reading 20th century boys today and I did think about aum shinrikiyo when I read the early chapters of it but I wasn't sure if it was just my brain making random connections again. Very good video
There is no way you are this underrated man keep up the good work
Thanks so much!
This was very interesting. Thank you for the information and kind words at the end.
This cult also inspired aspects of Death Note's inspiration as well, according to another yt video like yours
well made video man, truly eerie stuff
Love your 20th CB videos !
Thanks! Really appreciate it!
Oh my God! I didn't know this! This video was very very interesting!!! Thank you for covering this. Now we know where Friend was based on and I actually did not think his character was influenced by someone in real life. Great content, keep it up!
Thanks Valentine! I'd never come across this piece of history until I started digging into 20th Century Boys. Crazy to see how many parallels there are!
Yooo
Super interesting video! Keep up the great work SeaGee!
You're the best Josh!
Idk if this is also a "lost" piece or if its just coincidence but i remember clearly from news a few years ago saying that a party with a name very near as the party name used on the series/manga, sadly i didn't found the article where i read the information, but i remember my spine getting frozen just by reading the news... and now seeing this video i'm wondering if maybe the party isn't formed also by remaining members of the faction mentioned here
some members of Aum Shinrikyo sway their bodies like worms. Some cult members in mob psycho move similarly. In cawboy bebop they touch on the subject of sect as well. It would be interesting an article like animes, mangas approach the subject.
also earthbound
great way to end the video G. i’m not trying to get up my own ass here, but this mangaka is brilliant and very deliberate with his art, so i’m going to take a shot at analysis. i believe the mangaka created 20CB as a piece of art and popular media, and in addition was an attempt to inoculate the current generation of young adults in japan to prevent them from following down the same path as the members of the death cult.
one of the reasons that the cult grew so rapidly was due to the despair and atomization that many young people felt as they grew up in a japan in the midst of the financial collapse. the “lost decade” of japan’s economic collapse refers to the years from 1991-2001, which includes the real ramping up era of the cult.
the total lack of control over their own material conditions was preyed upon by the cult. by abandoning their connection to the uncaring and unfulfilling reality, they were able to move from isolation into community. they were given permission to abandon a world which obfuscates all of the mechanisms of power, and in turn join a world where the rules were clearly laid out, punishment was defined, and their commitment was noticed or rewarded.
the years between 2001 - 2007, japan’s GDP growth rate ranked well below that of most other “industrialized nations”
by early 2006, it was apparent that globally, there was a major economic change that was in motion. in 2007, the GFC hit and led another “lost decade” for Japan.
if you trace the original run of the manga, it began in 1999 and ended in 2006. in 2007, urasawa released 21CB in january, and in february the GFC was underway.
i don’t think this is the explicit intention of the mangaka, although tbh he’s one of the most deliberate and auteur creators i’ve encountered. I think that one of the purposes of these series was to create heroes that resist against the comfortable solution of sublimating into group think. in my opinion, urasawa tried to use his art to affect change in a subtle and compassionate way in order to show his readers that they aren’t alone and that they are stronger than they know.
Zac I have been dying for people to take looks at 20th Century Boys like this. There is such a lack of people looking deeper into this series. That was a great read, thank you! I actually just binged through Squid Game this weekend so I'm definitely thinking more about how financial institutions (like Korea's debt crisis) influence our culture and art.
I'm currently working on a big 20th Century Boys Spoiler analysis and was curious if you'd let me include your comment in there? If so, I'll clip it and show it to you once it's done so you can give a final approval. I'd love to add it to the themes discussion. No worries at all if you'd rather not 👍
@@SeaGee yeah of course you can use it, and no worries on getting approval from me, you’re a great writer and i’d prefer to hear your own analysis with whatever bits and pieces you’d like to use from my comment.
your comment about squid game reminded me of one last, and probably the most important piece that impact both of those works.
japan, and korea to even greater extent, are countries that america destroyed and then occupied and rebuilt into vassal states serving the interests of empire.
if you look into the materiality of why america dropped the bombs on hiroshima and nagasaki, it wasn’t to “end the war” it was a way of trying to contain the ussr and the existential threat to capital and america’s growing global, hegemonic rule that communism posed.
japan sustained heavy damage to their infrastructure and industry, and was used as a proving ground for some of the economic/industrial psychos like shewhart and demming to test their new models of continual improvement (and therefore the continued expectation of higher profits) of industrial processes.
unsurprisingly, this expectation of seemingly infinite growth during the “japanese economic miracle” of the 1950s to early 1990s is the main factor that led to the “lost decade” of japan’s financial collapse.
both koreas were completely leveled in the 1950-1953 war, killing 4 million people. korea was even more heavily occupied by the us as an attempt to “counter” communism in china.
as opposed to japan, the entire korean industrial and civilian infrastructure was completely destroyed. the hyper exploitative industry, lack of labor protections and immense wealth inequality that exemplify modern south korea are a perfect reflection of america completely rebuilding the country.
i included all of this because it’s essential to view the conditions
within the context of american global hegemony, that led to the atomization, isolation, and disengagement of young people in japan.
ultimately, the choice that people faced was which cult to join. the existing cult of capitalism - profit, isolation, and clear exploitation. the new cult led by man who “transcended” this frame work, and obscured its exploitative nature with its esoteric practices.
i think urasawa’s work is exemplary because it shows protagonists who are never certain what’s happening and are constantly in a state of self inquiry. they never are gokus or luffys, they aren’t comfortable thinking that they are absolutely correct, or that they will always win. i think the lesson he imparts isn’t to be paranoid and fearful.
the lesson is that a true hero is one who can be wrong, can fail, and be completely terrified. and despite all of that, they choose to experience these painful feelings inherent to materiality rather than allowing themselves to feel safe and warm within an inoperable ideology.
also i haven’t read it in 7 years, but i’m calling my shot; billy bat is capitalism.
Legend, will definitely be adding some of your points in. When I eventually get that part finished I'll chuck a link in here.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts Zac, that made a really interesting read! I think the idea of a national framework (whether financial, political, etc.) that either demands acceptance or polarises you towards these fringe groups or cults is honestly really creepy. This was the history that Urasawa was living in while writing this series so it would make sense for it to bleed through. We still see it in a lot of countries nowadays which makes 20th Century Boys pretty timeless in a sense.
I know someone else pointed out in the Billy Bat videos that they didn't enjoy it because it felt very anti-america so you might have an angle there
@Zac McDonough Finally got this part finished:
ruclips.net/video/Kkm8xHpm1Fw/видео.html
Let me know what you think. Happy to change stuff if you'd like
Thank you.
1:58 what is the music?
I know for sure it has some inspiration from aum shinrikyo is the very end scene of 20th 2 last hope, compare with the one they do in commuter train.
weren't they also the inspiration for that one blue cult in earthbound?
whats the music in the beginning from?
Bump
It's: Temple of the Lake from CrossCode
I think the manga is more of a commentary on cult culture in Japan due to lack of established religions in general.
Very interesting, I wonder if urasawa was directly affected by this cult at some point
I'm curious too. Considering what they were up to, I hope not!
Must be affected
I didn't know it was base on a real cult in japan.
You said Matsumoto was in 1984. Oops....
10:06 !
Is this official? I think more like the modern world today is already a cult...
one of if not the diddliest teerist incident in Japan
If you want more info Count Dankula did vid on fat anime Jesus.
Well there's a new channel to binge. Thanks! Haven't come across this guy before
@@SeaGee I think you you'll dig it. Just look up Count Dank Mad Lads.
@Electronic Corgi Awesome, I'll do just that!
Sounds like the MAGA Right in modern times, perhaps another masterpiece will be born from another critical point in history.
This vdo is underrated
why do you keep yapping about a subject and what it entails without even giving the name of the thing you're talking about ? you kept yapping about a cult without fking naming it. why ?