Buzz
1. Terrorism
Entering the new century, the world grapples with terrorism - a complex and challenging issue stemming from conflicts of ideology, ethnicity, and religion. Zankyou no Terror paints a picture of a possible future Japan, where terrorism shifts from the Western hemisphere to the Eastern hemisphere, posing imminent dangers and threats to the lives of civilians.
2. Youth and the Unforgiving Futures
Lisa once contemplated suicide. She was weary of the academic life, exhausted by her emotionally unstable mother, worn out by herself and the world. Fate led her into the midst of Sphinx's first terrorist attack, forcing her to become an accomplice or face death. Lisa acquiesced, despite the choices being neither easy nor voluntary. The details depicted the stagnant life of a portion of Japan's youth, tasked with meeting numerous expectations and not afforded the liberty to choose their own path. This is also evidenced by the increasing signs of teenage rebellion in the society of Phu Tang.
3. The scourge of school violence
This is a prevalent issue in Japanese schools. The targets of bullying incidents are often timid, introverted students who struggle to communicate with the community or simply their existence poses a threat to certain students. Lisa, the girl in Zankyou no Terror, is also a victim of the scourge of school violence. She is constantly teased and ridiculed, her belongings thrown into the pool, and she has to eat lunch in the public restroom to avoid bullies.
4. The surge of nuclear energy
Japan is a country devastated by nuclear weapons, and the aftermath of this event still permeates through each character in Zankyou no Terror. Inspector Shibazaki was born from the generation directly affected by the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The first and final weapons used by Sphinx to threaten humanity are nuclear bombs secretly manufactured by the government. Additionally, the details of the bomb being destroyed outside of Earth and causing no radiation effects to the city are highly regarded. The underlying message is quite clear: Nuclear energy should be utilized for peaceful purposes.
5. Human emotions and instincts restrained
To truly understand this, we need to delve into the character of Twelve - a member of the Sphinx group. He is portrayed as a warm-hearted young man, with a bright face and a sunny smile. Considering his painful past at the Facility, his personality should have resembled Nine's - cold, ruthless, and faithful to the desire for revenge. But Twelve is a terrorist with a deeply human nature. He may speak harsh words, but his heart always leans towards Lisa; in the highest moments of the film, he betrays Nine and goes to save Lisa, even though he knows it's a trap. Nevertheless, he is just a teenager with all the thoughts of adolescence, knowing love, feeling touched, and struggling with conscience. But can all of that be accepted? His role in this game is that of a terrorist, not a romantic. For a while, Twelve received dissent from viewers, but for me personally, he is the most humane character in the film and deserves respect.
6. Ambitions of post-war reform
Japan is a country of unity and pride. The defeat in World War II left an unhealable wound in the nation's heart. The government spared no effort to rebuild the country from ruins, and they succeeded. Japan rose from the ashes with miraculous development, becoming a powerhouse on the world stage. In Zankyou no Terror, this is portrayed through the Facility - an experimental area on children to produce exceptional individuals for that cause. Nine and Twelve are the only surviving experiments because they escaped from the Facility; they possess extraordinary intelligence but at the cost of a lifespan of only 20 years.
7. Harsh and constrictive politics
This is a courageous decision by the producers to bring Japan's domestic and foreign issues into an animated series. Internally, the Japanese government faces issues similar to other nations, such as power struggles or ambiguities within the cabinet. Externally, the failure in World War II placed Japan in a perpetually binding relationship with the United States. The death of Sphinx at the end of the series also serves to criticize the shortcomings in this complex diplomatic relationship.
