Derganz Baker- Demons, Ninjas, and Love Oh My!

The Ninja Scroll is a Robin Hood tale of sorts. There is a young wondering hero who helps disparate oppressed citizens and expects little in return. Our hero is a young leaderless samurai named Jubei.  For a samurai to have no shougne was rare. We learn later on, via flashback, why Jubei is alone.  He was pinned against his friends and ended up killing them and his shogune. Tokugawa Shogunate would not have liked that because samurai had to be loyal to their lord.

If this is going to be a good story it has to have a villain and a love interest. First, let us talk about the villain of the movie, demons. The demons are called The Eight Demons of Kimon and they are under the rule of the Shogune of the Dark. The characters of the movie never say who that is, but by their reactions throughout the movie the audience gets a sense of his power. The leader of the Demons of Kimon is a demon named Genma, who is coincidently Jubei’s mortal enemy. Genma’s second in command is a demon named Yurimaur; his “power” is an electric string which he uses to kill others and communicate with Genma.

The other demons shown are: Benisato, the women who controls snakes; Zakuro, who sets up explosive traps; Shijima, who controls the shadows; Utsutus Mujuro, the blind swordsman; Tessia, who kills the Kagero Clan and can turn his skin into rock; and Mushizo, who controls hornets.  Tessia is the first demon the audience encounters.  A group called the Kagero Clan is sent to investigate a town suspected of being killed by an epidemic. On their way to the town the clan meets the Tessia. Tessia kills all but two; Hanza who loses his arms; and Kagero, who Tessia tries to rape. Then enters Jubei, who saves Kagero and the love begins.

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Kagero goes off to tell her superior what has happened and Jubei runs into a government spy named Dakua. Dakua poisons Jubei so he will join him on a quest to find out what the demons are up to and to stop them. Kagero comes back and joins the men on the quest as ordered by her superior. While battling villains and trying to save Japan Jubei and Kagero fall in love. But sadly their love and never be. Kagero is cursed, she is full of poison and any man that tries to sleep with her will die. We later learn that the only thing that can save Jubei is to sleep with Kagero, but he doesn’t because he cares about her. In the end good defeats evil. The only casualty is Kagero who was stabbed by Genma. Before dying she kisses Jubei saving his life. The last thing we see is Jubei walking into the sunset, with Kagero’s headband tied to his sword.

Derganz Baker, Raquel - AKIRA

The Japanese military and government played a large role in the movie Akira. These two major powers controlled the media in Japan.  One example of this occurs when Tetsuo was destroying the city. There was a wall of broken televisions but there was one in the middle that worked. The only working television picked up a news podcast. The news reporter was reporting the story from a helicopter with other helicopters lingering in the background. The man made an effort to tell the people of the city about what was going on but then said that the government was making them shut down. Shutting down the news cast shows that at the time Japanese people had little or no rights and were not aware of what their government was doing.

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The Japanese government in the movie was harsh and secretive. The government was preforming genetic experiments on children.  The children, which were small green and shriveled, had natural telekinetic powers. Scientists were trying to control the children’s supernatural powers buy using drugs. One of the children, a little girl named Kiyoko, explains that everyone has a certain power inside and that it depends on how you use it. This means that Tetsuo, the focus of the movie, already had the supernatural power and that running into the little boy just brought the powers to the surface. The scientist kept Tetsuo in a small room alone and never fully explained what was going on with his body. I feel that if the scientist would have sat down and talked to him Tetsuo might not have gone on a rampage of mass destruction leaving rubble and bodies in his wake.  

Another important focus of the movie, and an important part of Japanese history, was the rebellion of the youth against the war. Throughout the movie people participated in riots that normally ended in tragedy. Citizens were being beaten and attacked with tear gas by their military. At one part the audience is shown a peaceful protest. People are standing around, listening to a man chant. One man panted in red the word Akira, in Japanese of course, on the ground. Even thought it was peaceful the military still came in and broke up the protest by beating innocent people. This shows the true brutality of the time.

The big question of the movie is, “Who is Akira?”  I interpreted Akira as a mysterious force of immense power. The word to me symbolizes hope and fear. The people in the movie believed that Akira could save them from impending doom. Then on the other side the military is afraid of Akira’s great power.  I believe that Akira is a power that cannot be controlled or fully understood.

Derganz Baker, Raquel -My Life

My name is Raquel Derganz Baker from Ocean Springs MS. Something interesting about my life is that I have been to a little over 16 different countries.  My first place I went to was Canada for a French class with my mom. My mother and I love to travel. It’s fun going to countries that neither of us has been to. For my high school graduation gift my mother took me to Australia. It was by far my favorite trip out of them all. We were there for about 3 weeks. I got to hug a kola and feed kangaroos. I will never forget that trip.

I would say that my second favorite trip was the one we took a few years ago. We went to Italy, London and Germany. In London I got to see my favorite play WICKED!!! It was awesome. Then a few days later outside the theater my mother got her foot run over by a car. She was fine, but it did put a damper on the rest of our trip.  But being the determined travelers we were we kept on with our trip. I had to push my mother in a wheelchair through a train station.  The rest of the trip she was on crutches. To this day her foot isn’t completely healed.

For me traveling isn’t just about going to different countries, it’s about spending time with my mom.  Ever since my dad dies it’s just been the two of us. My mother and I are very close, but we don’t seem to spend too much time together. She has the normal 9 to 5 job and I always had school and sports. Now being in college I feel like we see less of each other so I try and come home more. She says I worry about her too much. But I can’t help but worry. I told her when I go off to college I was going to get her a dog or a life alert necklace. She doesn’t want either but she doesn’t really have that much of a choice.