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notes on Kaiji
[re: 116] Show vascillates frequently between Marxist and Durkheimian perspectives. Does solidarity triumph over economy? Vice versa? The answer is probably an ethical one, seeing as though, in this case, solidarity and economy are largely irreconcilable.
Stars constitute a semiotic terrain that appropriates the heretofore fictive commodity of money. Thus Tonegawa was very clever in establishing a hegemonic semiotic microcosm which individuals could not free themselves from, only realizing at the very end that what they were after in the very first place was cash with a greater exchange-value, not stars, which were totally constructed with no exchange-value outside the ship.
If Tonegawa was a real bastard, he could have just denied restricted rock paper scissors the prize cash, precisely because he set up a fictive semiotic terrain.
But both Marx and Durkheim have at the base of their theories the will to survive (species being, human nature, transforming nature, etc.). Kaiji is weird in this sense…stealing the rings, sending that guy to his doom, yet using the spoils to free Ishida. He always contradicts himself.
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Ishida catching his balance is SYMBOLIC of x, y, z (agency, hope, etc.)
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Kaiji found out later that, given Tonegawa’s cheating, Kaiji actually had the upper hand all along: Kaiji held the power and Tonegawa was dependent upon him, but the power dynamics and illusionary sense of equality just strengthen Tonegawa’s hegemony.
Kaiji uses Tonegawa’s power against him.
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An apparent outlier to observed ‘nature’ or assumed imperatives eh?
There may be overriding imperatives at play:
Identity-related, the actor must act consistent with self identity (i.e. I will do the right thing, I am honorable despite appearances, etc.). Not being able to stay consistent is a ‘threat’ to survival.
It may just be a useful explanation for altruism, just a thought.
I’ve never watched Kaiji before, but with names relating to Communistic history, is this show about Communism? Or is it seriously about a guy who only gambles? Or am I way off?
[...] 117]Situation: someone’s life is in danger, but saving this one person puts into jeopardy the [...]
ghost: but Kaiji isn’t consistent at all. He constantly goes from “$$$!” to “no, human life is more important”. In a micro-sociological perspective, well, I can’t see how identity plays into this off the top of my head.
Aizen: While Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto it’s a general misconception that communist writing took up the bulk of his time; he focused mainly on capitalism (though I don’t remember Kaiji discussing communism as a central theme). At any rate IKnight summed up the show well: “Kaiji might be about resolve, or capitalism, or trust, or moral responsibility, or moral courage, or being trapped.”
I don’t know what to say about Kaiji’s inconsistency, but I imagine Kaiji’s inconsistent because he’s a human, rather than a system of economic philosophy.
@ Aizen: Give the show a try. It has the punchiest, most in-your-face OP ever, for a start.
ik: Given the psychological and poststructural developments of the 20th century, the term “human” has upset the classical political economists, but if you put aside theories that speak of humans at the micro level, then a human basically is just simply another cog in the machine, an articulation/manifestation of a systematic philosophy.
The show does play around a lot with agency and the power of individuals, but one reason why it doesn’t upset Marx/Durkheim is because the show doesn’t play around with the things that those theorists didn’t take into account; race, gender, sexuality (even with a room full of gay men?), nationality, etc. [see, I should have written a full post!]
“Show vascillates frequently between Marxist and Durkheimian perspectives.”
I almost jumped out of my chair since I thought that was Aizen writing.
And I’ve always thought of Kaiji as having a basic premise and being rooted in the nature of humanity rather than economics.
@Omisyth: I wish my vocabulary was that big + had a bigger knowledge of Soviet history.
@IKnight: I might just do that. Probably will start that when the new season of Anime starts.