ShySnek wrote:
Shugo Chara. I didn't know much about anime genres when I learned about them. And it wasn't really for me.
Then there is also Abunai Sisters: Koko & Mika. If you value your eyes and ears, please, don't watch it.
Clearly, you have never appreciated the art of rewatching and intaking the finer details of a work, a classic trademark of an individual with low intelligence. I understand that the Abunai Sisters' plotline and lore may detract viewers with its stupidity on the surface. Still, for those erudite and tasteful, it is a complex show that immensely surpasses those crafted by the mainstream "greats".
Modelling the fine Kano sisters, those too afraid to explore the lore's depths will assume the existence of only two beings, emblemised through Koko and Mika throughout the show. However, upon further research, there proves the existence of a third Kano sister, hidden and left to rot in the crevasse of slivering unknowns. Thus, I can guarantee that your insight into not only this show but into life is incredibly minimal. So much that no creature should ever attend to your decrepit opinions and voice.
Onto the intricate web of social commentary, this masterful show offers a unique perspective on the intertwining of exponential publicity and waning privacy. In its first episode, Abunai Sisters addresses significant issues facing models and those in public view, notably, how society expects female models and entertainers to behave. Koko (a moniker for Kyoko specifically for Abunai Sisters to protect her privacy) and Mika express their disdain for their current societal position in the first scene of episode one. Mika states that "The beach is all set up for [them]", implying that the sisters lack privacy and that their lives have been set out for them by the patriarchal males who created a demand for models within society. The feminist interpretation of this line is that Mika is signalling how women are seen as inferior and cannot set up their own vacations. The feminist view is further supported by the role of women in Japanese society; inferiors to males who have to work just as hard but are presented with fewer benefits solely due to their gender and traditional role as the housewife. Japanese women are often pressured into looking visually appealing (and often erotic) by business heads and corporations to the point where it becomes conditioned behaviour. Mika displays this conditioning by holding up her "sexy swimsuit". However, Koko, perhaps more affected than Mika by the eroticising of women, exclaims that "[She] could never wear one of those. A celebrity should be swimming in her birthday suit." This dialogue between the two is troubling from a feminist perspective because it shows how some women are used to the constant sexualisation of women and have no qualms performing particular actions (such as displaying their naked bodies) for the men who have influence over their careers. The feminist analyses are further supported by the "Abunai Emergency Alarm" (meaning Danger Emergency Alarm or Trouble Emergency Alarm when translated to English) taking the form of the jiggling of their breasts. This shows how the jiggling of breasts, often a part of sexual acts, is dangerous or harmful to the women involved under the context of societal pressure or blackmail in the form of holding a promotion or job back unless sexual acts are performed.
Through Koko and Mika's dialogue Abunai Sisters is able to address more societal issues than just the perception of females and makes several important references to the Japanese work-focused society. In an allusion to Japan's work-focused society, Koko, being an intelligent and perceptive woman, points out to her sister that they "[hadn't] had a vacation in so long". Japan has a serious issue with overworking, as it leads to a non-negligible amount of unfortunate and preventable deaths. As a result of these deaths from overwork, many Japanese companies force their employees to take breaks. Some companies have a mandatory vacation, possibly including Koko and Mika's agency, though the general consensus is that taking breaks and vacations makes the individual seem uncommitted to their career, hence the reluctance by Japanese people, including Koko and Mika, to take said vacations. When Koko and Mika defeat the shark, they exclaim they "were supposed to be on vacation", showing the audience that even when Japanese people do take their mandatory vacation they are still unable to avoid the constant stress of work. Matsumoto, who appears late into the episode, represents the public's view of models and women in public view. His primary interest is in taking photographs of the Kano Sisters' breasts for his own desire, and it is later revealed that he works for somebody else, acting as an arm for the corporate pressure on women to provide sex in order for business benefits. Matsumoto also strongly resembles a paparazzi figure, showing that businesses have little regard for the privacy of women. This links directly to the theme of women in public view and how they are perceived, showing how the mistreatment of women and disregard for the woman's mental well-being is a common issue in all forms of Japanese society.
One of the major themes of Abunai Sisters, as well as Kyoko's autobiography and other published works, is sexuality, which is explored throughout this anime with both positive and negative euphemisms, metaphors and visual signals. Kyoko and Mika Kano, being icons of popular culture, are constantly in the spotlight and are thus forced by their lifestyle to become comfortable with their sexuality. The visual signs of sexuality are quite noticeable, with the sisters' revealing outfits highlighting their cleavage, thighs, and buttocks, and the jiggling of breasts with the "Abunai Emergency Alarm". These particular visual designs were decided upon by Production IG due to their focus on making Koko and Mika visually appealing, as well as visually expressing how the real-life Kyoko and Mika are comfortable with who they are and what they do in the bedroom. However, there are negative connotations explored with metaphors and euphemisms. The shark represents the male lust for women, and how it can be dangerous for women to let down their guard when confronted by aroused males wishing to take advantage of them. Mika's observation that "It's so huge", referring to the shark, has phallic connotations, acknowledging how some males pride themselves on the size of their manhood. The machine gun that appears in the shark's mouth is a visual euphemism for the male climax during sexual acts and demonstrates how these "shark" males only care about pleasuring themselves rather than their female companions. Mika is shown shaking a bottle of some alcoholic beverage, which bears a resemblance, intentionally, to the manual genital stimulation of a phallus, accompanied by verbal noises indicating her own arousal. Koko says "Shake it harder", representing the voice of traditional society for the woman to meet the man's needs, but this is in contrast to Mika's actions which show that she is more than willing to find pleasure alongside a male companion. Mika's defeat of the shark shows the victory of equality over male dominance, and that a mutually beneficial relationship is healthier for the mental well-being of both males and females. This message of both genders meeting each other's needs is consistent with the Kano Sisters' beliefs regarding sex, as described in their published books.
Abunai Sisters addresses and explains how Japanese society is difficult for women to live in due to many factors, such as the societal pressures on women to be subservient, especially regarding sex, and the constant pressures of work. Kyoko and Mika Kano's beliefs regarding the female role in a relationship are presented through metaphors, most notably the appearance and defeat of the shark. Abunai Sisters is a unique social commentary because it addresses female concerns with Japanese work-focused society, the feminist outlook on the world that promotes the equality of genders, and exposes the mistreatment of women from the business circles and from paparazzi who have no concern for women’s privacy. Hence, exemplified through the hidden treatment of the secret third Kano sister, Harue, the harrowing consequences of outright misogyny and a lack of privacy emerges through both the lives of extravagant female celebrities, feeble girls and housewives of the mundane in all realms.
