Gaudiy Mirai no Yokokuhen

I hate fans. There is something genuinely repulsive about them, and the idolatry of those fanatics will always be very disturbing to me. Every time I watch sports, I am bewildered to see how invested the audience is in the outcome of the match—it seems that their lives depend on it. And when I look at those bland faces that seem devoid of any thoughts (the opening scenes with Legrandin come to mind), I wonder how I am supposed to be part of the same species. Why can't people simply enjoy something without turning it into a cult? It seems that the golden calves have ... never been so widespread in our history.

In this excessively bad-looking propaganda video (that can hardly be called an anime), the viewer is invited to identify with corporate slaves who have convinced themselves that they have found salvation in a hobby (idols, wrestling, and horse racing—out of all possible hobbies) that coincidentally predates on their wallets or—in the case of wrestling—is a parody of gladiator fights which only shows our twisted nature. It seems that liking something is the best thing that you can do in life (「好き」って最高だ "'Suki'tte saikou da"), which is an utterly laughable premise for one's life should not be devoted to the consumption of entertainment but to creative endeavours (be they intellectual or not): playing harmonica will always be superior to watching cartoons. As it seems that the entirety of mankind has been entrapped by this appalling mindset, a meteorite threatens to destroy the world. However, the fans, who only live to protect what they love (not their loved ones), manage to repel the doomsday thanks to the power of friendship. The initial slogan ("Suki'tte saikou da") turns into「好き」こそ最高 ("Suki koso saikou") which emphasises (koso) the idea that the ultimate way (saikou) to derive strength in life is one's love (suki) for silly "hobbies"... It would have made more sense if the characters were artists and scholars instead of people who have become addicted to gambling and shrill voices.

The story makes no sense, the art is atrocious (reminiscent of the one of "Utsu Musume Sayuri" for its grotesque character design), the animation is non-existent, the characters represent everything that is wrong with humanity today (in terms of character development, a depressed person is preferable to an entertainment addict, for the former still has a chance to stand against consumerism), and the whole underlying idea to "enhance" the experience of fans to change the world is absurd. No, the world will not turn into a better place if people keep secluding themselves from others while indulging in mindless entertainment, and "amplifying" the feelings of the ones who are losing themselves in a passive existence will only amplify their sense of alienation (the fact that the fans fight to protect their hobbies instead of their families and friends shows it easily). One can be certain that a company that pursues such goals does not have our best interests in mind (which should have been obvious from the start). And the idea that everyone is capable of innovation is the same old lie that everyone is an artist—"Not everyone is an artist, but everyone is a f****** critic" (Marcel Duchamp). It deceives us into thinking that out of someone's miserable life, a God-given spark of genius might suddenly save it from "complete triviality" (G. H. Hardy). If a "fan nation" came to life, it would be a country of barely sentient beings who would be reduced to mere consumers (which would be ideal for greedy corporations), not a country of free men and women who would strive to make the world a better place. Forget about "Hametsu no Mars," "Pupa," and "Ex-Arm," for this deceitful anime that appeals to our base instincts (sloth, mainly) has set a new standard for nonsensical writing, visually offensive art, and epilepsy-inducing animation. Anime can and should be art, the kind of art that deserves its name and elevates us, but the bleak future depicted in this trailer is to this lofty ideal what a Monkey D. Luffy NFT is to a painting of Velázquez.