15 August

Study of Re:CREATORS 8: Lecture 2 continued

Lecture 2 continued

Re: CREATORS Episode 2 Opening
New characters, works and media are introduced
More information about Meteora gained
Some complaints about the lecture environment
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318367153997795328

Image of a girl wearing glasses is suddenly inserted. This functions as a foreshadowing.
Altair’s identity is not revealed yet. It is not clarified what media or work she is depicted in.
Most of the characters are presented in the opening.
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318407916265746432

As for the effect of the opening that hints at the thematic structure of the work, please see the following article on the anime Madlax.
https://www.academia.edu/119096414/The_Hypernatural_and_Supernatural_in_Madlax_Disrupted_Genre_Concepts_Manipulation_of_Perspectives_Intuition_Fictionality_and_Implicate_Order_in_Anime

The opening is concluded with Sota’s glasses.
“In this world, media exists that describes her and me.”
Media: TV, radio, newspapers, anime, manga, games, novels
“It even describes extremely personal experiences.”
Selesia and Meteora have had a talk about their situation.
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318412409875279873

“My name is Meteora Osterreich.”
“I am a librarian at the Library of a Thousand Miles… Kunst Wunderkammer, at the end of the Last Tableland.”

take note: Japanese homonym
“Banri” is not the “Great Wall of China”, that means “one thousand leagues”
Here “Banri” must mean “All the laws”, “one thousand reasons of knowledge”

The title of the Game: “Avalken of Reminisce”
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318414060367482880

It was just before the last stage of the game. Sota has played it and saved the area.
“I was lucky I was able to bring it to this world. It was easy to understand this world. The lay of the land… history, biological distribution… laws of physics…political structure and thought… We must be thankful to our Creator.”
“We will think of you as our initial base… and begin our search from there.”
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318476422940217345

“It wasn’t my intention to contribute to your entertainment, and I didn't realize that’s what I was doing.”
Meteora’s particular way of thinking and character is revealed.
“I’m a little dull when it comes to the subtleties of human emotions.”
“I might have sounded a little harsh.”
In this anime, very nice translation is achieved. I have created an interactive English-Japanese learning text based on this anime, to be studied together with foreign English teachers.
https://www.academia.edu/40240913/Workshoptext_Recreators_Study_of_anime_subtitle

https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318838139658514432

Current unimaginative English classes undermine the flexible understanding for the language.

Sota acknowledges her as his favorite character in the game.
“The sage of the End of the World. The Seeker of a Thousand Miles.”
To be modified to “The Seeker of a Thousand truths”
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318838613602283521

Meteora’s magic is the art of understanding everything by integrating all means without being constrained by the restricted framework of the system of science.
“It was easy to understand this world. The lay of the land… history, biological distribution… laws of physics…political structure and thought… We must be thankful to our Creator.”
It seems the creator of Meteora’s world did a good job.
“We will think of you as our initial base… and begin our search from there.”
Meteora’s correct judgement in selecting means for effective action.
“You know a lot about me, right?” “You knew about me too. Information should go in both directions.”
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318839143833636864

“Cooperation must be a barter. Please.”
“Can you do something about this room?”
“I used Restoration Magic. Please, wait around one hour for the room to be restored.”
“However, how much my magic affects this world is still unknown.”
Unknown relationship between the principle of magic and the axes that constitute the world is implied. In the background of the conversation, various aspects of the fictional reality are projected.
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318840403060088832

“I’ll do something about it…. To get ready for whatever happens next, I’m going to tell you my thoughts on this matter.”
It seems Meteora’s restoration magic didn’t work instantly. But she has more to think about.
Where are the three of them walking?
The arcade is SUNROAD. Maybe they are walking in Kichijoji Town.
The shop name is “YcDonald’s.”
“We exist in this world because we are described in stories. I have several hypotheses. Our world and this world used to be independent… but started to resonate with each other.”
Meteora starts to talk about the many-worlds interpretation, which has been introduced in quantum mechanics.
Correspondence between multiple fictional worlds and the real world is the main subject of Re: CREATORS. As to the correspondence and interference between possible worlds, the game Muv-Luv Alternative has afforded an interesting instance.
Please refer to the article below for farther discussion of this topic.
https://www.academia.edu/122192043/Game_Study_Muv_Luv_Alternative_Translated

https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318840730308075525

The fictional structure depicting the superposition of plural possible worlds.
It has been introduced in various ways as a subject of several anime and games.
Consider the ontological phases of the world and characters depicted in it.

“This is the result that manifested from someone’s thoughts.”
“These events were described within a fictional story in this world. That is one way to explain things.”
Meteora’s theory on fictionality
The function of consciousness and its correspondence in possible worlds.

https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318841071363764224

A fiction is one of the possible worlds that resonates with others.
Carl Gustav Jung’s Collective Unconscious
Consciousness may perceive multiple possible worlds.
Collective Consciousness is shared by multiple beings.

Meteora strives to gather information about the world she is now in, through eating.
“You eat so much.” A difficult line to translate. Implied meaning must be reflected.
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318841371218726913

“I think it’s due to the large amount of information in this world. My world also had enough information to construct worlds. But all of the information in this world is multilayered. Even trivial pieces of information… are so complex that they can’t be represented by a single number. A difference of several orders of magnitude. The enormous amount of information in this world… gives birth to new worlds as manifestation of possibilities.”

Despite the fact that direct communication of information is not permitted, common ideas sometimes emerge as if they were shared.
The shops on the path of the three walking along may be identified.
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318841609035808768

Meteora talks on of the information that constitute the world, walking on the road full of information.
UFO Catcher?　When information is labeled with words, it becomes meaningful for individual consciousness. The meaning is private, not fixed but changeable according to experience. Information is multifaceted as an individual’s mental image. It is an issue of phenomenology, called “qualia”.
“Are you saying these things determine our world? How stupid!”
Stuffed animal characters and strange image pictured on the wall are creating peculiar qualia.
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318842064612683778

“…but it’s nothing more than your displeasure at discovering your reason for existence. And the being that summoned you here the other night….”
Meteora is able to calmly accept the “reality” of her existence unlike Selesia who is strongly offended discovering hers.
A mural painting facing the parking lot. Can it be identified?
Manga titles lined up in the bookstore issued in 2017 when the anime was aired.
“She didn’t provide me a lot of information… but in order to get me to cooperate with her, she told me about her own plans”
“When I appeared in this world, just like she appeared in front of you…”
https://x.com/mackuro3/status/1318842320893079553

“When I appeared in this world”
Here, “Genkai” is translated “Appear”, “Appear in Present World”.
It can be also translated “materialize” or “manifest”
Kichijoji?　Inogashira Park?　Inogashira Zoo?
“If people from the story worlds knew about this world, …it’s natural that they would feel resentful and scared.”
“She proposed that we should try to exert influence over the Creators… and get them to try to remake our worlds.”
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318842903649685504

“It’s not a bad proposal. If it was possible to criticise my Creators… I have a few criticism of my own.”
It must be Inogashira pond. At the end of it, there is a small shrine like this.

“Normally, the worlds that were born as possibilities created by imagination… would exist as independent worlds from the moment they split off from this world… without any cause-and-effect relationship.”

“She transcended the yoke of her world… even though we are not supposed to even be able to recognize its existence. And then by breaking through to the land of the gods, the starting point of all worlds…”
A “Yoke” was originally used as restraint for animals such as bulls and horses. It often means the unsurpassable condition imposed on us.
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318843379258552320

“This land of the Gods, which is the starting point of all worlds.”
Japanese word “Ranshou”is translated as “starting point”
Difficult long word does not fit well in English

“… she succeeded in making the story worlds and the land of the gods collide.”
“The age of gods”, “the age of men” and “the age of creators”
“Made them collide? Don’t you mean she connected them?”
“Collide. It’s not a mistake of words. That’s what she told me in her own words. But as for what that means…. Anyway, she’s hiding her true intentions somewhere else. I think your decision not to team up with her was correct.”
“Well, that might be part of the story made by someone else somewhere.”
“I do not disagree. Actually, I think the possibility is high.”
Meteora accepts fictional worlds created by men’s imagination as genuine possible worlds.

Delicate nuances are very cleverly translated in the subtitle of Re:CREATORS.

Study of Subtitle of Re:CREATORS
https://www.academia.edu/40240913/Workshoptext_Recreators_Study_of_anime_subtitle

The collision between the real world and the fictional worlds was carried out as a means to achieve the objective of Altair.

Meteora’s theory of fictional worlds.
A comprehensive cosmology that includes the functions of consciousness

Possible worlds created by imagination

The function of man’s consciousness
https://x.com/mackuro3/status/1318843978234490880

Arguments of possible worlds in Modal Logics.

“Who is that woman? I don’t really want to say this, but which world did she come from?”
“She didn’t say anything, and didn’t give even the slightest indication. If we at least knew her name, we could start from there…”
If you are able to specify the name, you can search it on the internet. They don’t know that her name is Altair yet. Sota also has no idea what the identity of the girl in the military uniform is.
“I’ve seen a lot of stories, but I’ve never seen a character like that.”
“But she seemed to know about you.”
“Discovering her true goals would help us to return to our own worlds.”
Japanese word “Kakou to naru” would be translated in very long word in English. Please refer to the study of subtitle of Re:CREATORS.
“However, before that…. I have a goal I want to achieve… no matter what.”
Sota searches for Avalken of Reminisce by “Mauchly”.
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318844847705387008

“How convenient. Our controllers have a similar function.”
“Even my Magic Book can do easy things like that.”
Both Selesia and Meteora are familiar with the search system.
“Even though the magic for restoring the room didn’t work?”
Selesia’s line indicates that Meteora cleaned up the room with a broom. Why Meteora’s restoration magic was not successful?
Search result of the Creator’s company is shown: “Titan Digital Soft Co., Ltd. Shibuya-ku Nakamuradai”

“How do you plan to get there?”
“Fly?”
“I want to avoid actions that would disturb the laws of physics. I would go by train or bus. Or I would appreciate it if I could borrow a bicycle.”

“Butterfly Effect” is referred to by Meteora. Possible interferences brought in from other world that may cause disorder, is implied. May be that was the reason why Meteora’s restoration magic did not work.

“I wasn’t talking about that. Normally, you don’t go meet people you have no relationship with.”
According to Sota, it is not the issue how they should go there. Sota’s concern is elsewhere.
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318845086742925313


“You need a good reason to meet someone.”
“The so-called land of gods have no empathy. Hey, can you search for my Creator… with that?”
Sota searches for the creator of Fogelschvalier.

“How would you feel if you were put on display… and watched 24 hours a day without you knowing?”
“So these people are our Creators. What should I do? Shall I go pay them a visit to say hi? I’m starting to feel like that’s a good idea.”
“Sota, do you like games, like my world… and anime, like Selesia’s?”
“Sota, are you the Creator of a world somewhere?”
Sota himself is an aspiring creator.
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318845624633077760

All the subject of consciousness can be some kind of creator.
“The things here, I feel like they’re references for that purpose.”
“But I haven’t drawn anything recently.”
“If you stop training, the skills you acquired will get rusy fast. Your unborn world… is waiting for you… so that it can join the millions of stories in existence… like the stars in a galaxy. Continue your training.”

Acknowledging the significance of being the creator of fictional structures as the reason for one’s existence, Meteora encourages Sota to pursue his study. It seems Meteora’s world is oriented in metaphysical explorations, different from the real world where creative aspirations are deemed just for entertainment.

“I see. That’s right. For an individual…”
Meteora discovers the original author of Vogelchevalier. His name is Takashi Matsubara, and the character is illustrated by Marine.

Screen shifts to the creator Mr. Matsubara. Matsubara finds a post sent from Selesia.
Assuming one of the cosplayers, Selesia invites Mr. Matsubara to her shooting site.
Attached picture must be one actually taken on her, because she has a rather wry face.
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318845981631246336

Posing as a cosplayed fan, Selesia lures out the original creator Matsubara.

Sunshine 60 Observation Deck
“I wonder if he’s really going to come.”
“That is unknown. But compared to a company, the probability is higher… since we identified an individual. And I read several interviews about Mr. Matsubara. He’s an unscrupulous person with a lot of curiosity.”
“As for me… I would like to think that my creator isn’t such a careless and stupid person.”
“He’s here.”
“A careless and stupid person.”
“I won’t deny that he seems stupid.”

“At first, I thought that picture was Photoshopped, wow.”
“Are you a foreigner? No, you are not. Are you mixed?”

Japanese word “Half” is translated “Mixed”. Collision of concepts is indicated in the difference between languages.
Japanese word “Kora=collage” is translated “Photoshop”.
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318846388801687552

“Anyway, your cloths… just like a costume from a movie. You’re exactly like I imagined. So much that it’s a little scary.”
“I bet that’s for sure. Because I am real…. I don’t look like the real thing, I am the real thing.”

End of the second lecture.
https://twitter.com/mackuro3/status/1318846562638819329