A Japanese Cult Made This Manga...and it's terrifying

[@314rft]

You know what's scary? My dad was on at least 1, if not 2, of the affected subway lines on the day of the Sarin Gas attack. If he didn't sleep in that day due to having a day off but instead went during rush hour, he could've actually died. And since I was born after the attack, then I could've never existed.

[@nosiebangchan]

Godam

[@namelessking111]

Sheesh, he was one step away from erasing your existance in this timeline.

[@314rft]

@@namelessking111 Yes, yes he was. If my dad went on that train during morning rush hour, he could've actually died.

[@Furina5OO]

​@@314rftjeez, that's scary to know, i bet you must be grateful

[@314rft]

​@@Furina5OO Interestingly, my dad didn't even know about the attack until that afternoon, when my mom made a long distance call from the US (in the 90s) crying her eyes out trying to make sure he was okay. So, my mom, in the US, knew before my dad, who was on the very subway that was affected only an hour before he even got on. Really goes to show how important the Tokyo subway is and how keeping it running is Japan's top priority.

[@IriaChannel]

To be clear, it's not a "banned" manga. It's simply not sold or distributed. If it were "banned', purchasing it would be a crime.

[@alexdhamp]

Unless you bought it somehow outside of Japan.

[@Nyandertall]

​@@alexdhampI think it would also be a crime wouldn't it? Like somehow piracy

[@alexdhamp]

@NyanDaGOAT Depends on the circumstances... For example, whether or not it was exported out of Japan before or after it was banned and in the hands of a foreign collector before Aki bought it. Even if it was after, only one breaking the law would be the one selling it to Aki.

[@noxart2410]

Thanks for specifying because I was uncomfortable with the fact she bought it and owned one if it was supposed to be destroyed/banned

[@KlaxontheImpailr]

Maybe it depends on the country?

[@bad733]

It's crazy the amount of reach they had to bring in animators and artists to work on it, because I refuse to believe that they just had enough people who did those jobs who already were part of the cult.

[@Veganismisawesome]

She already said that.

[@Makoto778]

They had enough people to figure out how to produce sarin gas, run a chemical & biological weapons facility, etc.... Kinda scary that they managed to get so big.

[@Simply.Vantastic]

reminescent of Jehovah's Witnesses... luckily they at least arent using chemical weapons

[@thehangmansdaughter1120]

@@Makoto778 Exactly! Compared to finding members who understood chemical and biological engineering well enough to produce chemical weapons, finding someone who can draw seems fairly easy to me.

[@CoolMagmar]

@@Simply.Vantastic Or that Google cult that I think stayed untouched even after human traffic allegations, just to make things clear it wasn't created inside Google it was for what I remember was that the management of one section was in a cult and he started only contracting cult members to the point that to work there or you become a cult member or you got fired

[@DarkFrozenDepths]

"this feels like a collectors item, and not in a good way" Well I mean, it is a piece of history. Bad or good, it's still history and people should know.

[@SabiChan8]

Agreed

[@hinkle3634]

Man remember when ppl wanted to destroy mt rushmore 😂

[@vasto8013]

Always a good day when detective aki is on the case

[@nazupazu135]

YESIRRRRRT

[@randomguypostanimeupdates6703]

I miss detective aki man those old times a

[@randomuaena2859]

YESSIR

[@Anticaat]

@@big4headedGangster there's a reason why episodes take so long. in my opinion, each episode is phenomenal with the research that goes into these circumstances as well as translate them! to top it off, she makes her videos highly entertaining with a noir-esque feel. i miss detective aki but it is always such a lovely welcome when she does upload

[@leviathan6071]

Right, it’s so entertaining.

[@PhillyCh3zSt3ak]

One fun fact is that in both Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 6 the cult is parodied. Knowing about the cult for a while before playing these games made for a surreal experience when doing those substories.

[@rvmin_]

Kiwami also had a substory where the cult came back, quoting a "Goroma Jima" (Majima) who laid a serious beatdown to the one who started the cult

[@PhillyCh3zSt3ak]

@@rvmin_ I must have missed that substory.

[@Spooderman-sq5uj]

Another fun fact: these gas attacks were eventually what inspired the Resident Evil games. Particularly the Umbrella Corporation

[@Lightspeeds]

​@@Spooderman-sq5ujMaybe for the sequels, but the original was in development when the sarin gas attacks happened.

[@itsDjjayyArt]

​@@Spooderman-sq5ujoh really

[@LoliLover36669]

It amazes me how Japan is either super peaceful where you can just leave your stuff and no Japanese would steal them, or they would have so extreme criminals like these. There's no in between

[@Bibimbapski]

Facts. When I lived in Japan, I encountered a few cults in Shibuya, Shinjiuku, Fukuoka, Akihabara, etc. I've met some of the best people there but the cult members were no different from religious zealots and cultists from other countries. I mean, they are cults for a reason after all. They genuinely believe their religion/cult is what we should all believe in.

[@D4rthsunny]

yep... no country should be idealized... otherwise you get florida...

[@yogayuliandana8958]

Well that's cults, they are everywhere...

[@Red-32]

Its bc skills always demanded high not mid so always extreme performance

[@D4rthsunny]

@@yogayuliandana8958 mhm... and people are people regardless of where we are in the world. Cult leaders will prey on vulnerable people, too. We all should know this, correct?

[@Tyrconnell]

As best i know the current situation with Aum is this: They split into two groups. The main one is called 'Aleph'. They have about 1600 members and 13 facilities in Japan. They appear on internet talks and events, but there have been arrests for incidents involving trying to sell cult lectures as 'yoga classes' and attempting to make out the sarin gas attack as a government conspiracy. The second group is called 'Hikari no wa' (Circle of Light). It claims around 60 members and seems to be mainly concerned with trying to keep the compensation payments to gas attack victims going (which Aleph has defaulted on) and deprogramming members of Aleph. Both organisations are under close surveillance, though the US took Hikari off its terrorist list last year. I highly recommend a pair of documentaries, 'A' and 'A2' made by Tatsuya Mori in 1998 & 2001 showing the events around Aum following the attack.

[@domsta455]

There’s one more splinter group, albeit very small, called “Yamada-ra no Shuudan” or “Yamada’s group,” a very small but an even more pious version of Aleph who don’t keep their devotion towards Asahara a secret.

[@Imaginationink1862]

It is scary to think that someone believed this.

[@LoliLover36669]

Well when you're on your lowest point anything would be better than nothing

[@LoliLover36669]

It's still horrible though

[@ez_is_bloo]

Yet a lot of beliefs like these are still popular.

[@kalielik]

desperate people might reach out to anything

[@Fatcat-ss6nh]

Everyone has to be drunk on something.

[@Hispandinavian]

I'm old enough to remember when they were all over the news. I watched a horror movie called Japanese hell. There's a scene where Shoko Asahara is being brutally tortured in their depiction of Hell.

[@itsDjjayyArt]

Yikes

[@c.s9614]

I’m Highschool in America we got visited by a Japanese class 2 times while I was there, one year I was the only one given a book that was very cultish, science of happiness was the name I think, and the next year everyone else got books from these students when they visited, and since I had already gotten this book I knew that in it it tells about a cultish leader who was the reincarnation of Christ and they had anime stuff too, and I felt bad but I brought the book to the main office and snitched and everyone got their books taken away, I never knew if what I did was bad or good, but it is so odd and the fact this cult Aki is talking about also has anime / Manga to promote it.

[@c.s9614]

Happy Science!! That’s the name!

[@plague_doctor0237]

Cults will use any method to spread their ideas and gain followers, manga is something a lot of young people are into, thus ending up becoming one of the best mediums for propaganda

[@superzwiebel]

Oh gawd, Happy Science!! Honestly, I'm pretty sure it's good that you snitched, actually. I looked them up one time after finding this absolutely wild book of theirs claiming to have quotes on coronavirus from the spirits of Buddha (who wouldn't have left behind a spirit cause he literally found complete liberation from the cycle of birth and death??) and... John Lennon (?!?!?!?!) amongst others. Turns out they have a political wing that denies historical events like the Nanjing massacre and the comfort women issue and they also sold obviously scam-tastic 'spiritual vaccines' for coronavirus 😬 And that's probably far from everything that's wrong with them! Definitely not a group to be getting involved with.

[@joshuajefferson3504]

Since you snitched you better watch your back from now on.😐

[@guitarsaremyfriendzzz7077]

@@joshuajefferson3504 sadly this is true about this cult.

[@NonkelGans]

No matter how dark it's history, this manga is still an important piece. It shows how deviant and manipulative this cult was and it should be preserved. It's much like Third Reich items, it was not our finest moment as humankind in history but the items left over tell us part of the story, no matter how gruesome that story is. The cult is defunct now but what they did will be forever etched in the history of Japan. Sarin itself is not terribly difficult to produce granted you can get the necessary chemicals (which luckily will sound alarm bells if purchased in large quantities these days). Productions however is tremendously dangerous. To give a example on how dangerous, back in the mid 1930's the Germans set up a factory to produce Tabun (a nerve gas 10 times less toxic than Sarin), before the actually production was ever undertaken about 300 serious accidents happened in this factory, the worst being several workers who were drenched with Tabun when they removed a pipe that still contained some Tabun. Despite being in full protective gear they were all dead before the rescue crew could get them out of their suits. Sarin is 10 times more toxic and those who worked on the Tabun factory were trained professionals, the fact that the cult members did not kill themselves while making it is a miracle on itself. As a trained chemist and employed in a pharmaceutical company I would never even attempt to make a product this dangerous, not even if it was part of my job. I simply don't have a death wish. No sane person would ever want to produce products like Tabun, Sarin, Soman and so many other nerve agents. The deadly exposure levels are so low that there is no room for any slip-up, and even when you survive you will most likely be crippled for life.

[@SpectreZ3R0_VODs]

The scary part was they were actually able to create shell corporations and basically have a proper facility to produce it in Japan and AUS. They apparently tested it out in a facility in Australia before testing it Nagano about two months before the Tokyo attacks, the police had already been onto them because of the Nagano incident but they couldn't gather sufficient evidence of previous uses of the toxin before the attacks on the subway happened. :(

[@Dice-Z]

The problem is when you have experienced and talented chemists, engineers, or other STEM graduate joining causes like these. Same thing happens with gangs, cartels and such. It's easy to view them as just a bunch of chaotic hooligans but they are not to be underestimated. Some of the people that get recruited (or often join of their own volition) to violent causes are extremely skilled at what they do. It's a waste of talent, and a scary thing to think about. They usually don't bother with anything but "high profile missions", but some dangerous groups can have some of the best hackers in the world for example, which can make them extremely threatening, and easily able to go after an individual though they rarely ever waste their time doing so. Some mafias have historically been able to achieve incredible feats of social networking/engineering and militarizing. It sure fucking doesn't help when corrupt government people are helping them.

[@annabelconstantine1241]

Maybe the knew someone and brought it like that. It cam get into the suitcase by itself

[@raymondl9320]

Yea about the no cult member casualty part, there were. Lots of them. Shocking right I know. Heard somewhere else those poor bastards were just buried somewhere by the cultists. You can look this up.

[@urarakaochaco3848]

this is quite literally a cult classic

[@discojamlore]

🥁

[@MargaretRodriguez9GenY]

👍Dad joke worthy.

[@underthecoveragent1653]

Badum tss

[@That_One_MF_0]

Now we congratulate you, please wave to the crowd

[@forastero54321]

You win.

[@scottyfpv5651]

The crazy thing about aum shinrikyo is they made the sarin gas themselves. There were actually chemists who were involved with the cult.

[@itsDjjayyArt]

Damn what was the go-to plan what was the end goal

[@mikequinlivan8842]

@@itsDjjayyArtnuclear war. The USSR had dissolved, and most of the countries that had been part of Union were desperate for money. Aum bought an attack helicopter from Azerbaijan, the recipe for Sarin, a couple AK-47s (guns were super tough to sneak into Japan). The second or third in command of Aum went and priced out getting a nuclear bomb. Came back with a few prices; one was 15 million. And, considering the cult had access to roughly One Billion dollars in capital, they could have bought a bomb. And honestly, were super close to doing exactly that.

[@falloutthewindowcrazy7608]

​@@mikequinlivan8842a hero trollge: trying to destroy my job? I'ma do a mlg move and sabotage your stupid idea those people are under my protection (I dunno if I made a joke that roasted the silly fools) uhm? ......... We gonna edit that out

[@rebelminxy8516]

I applaude Aki for covering this. Honestly, take what you see here as a warning to avoid ever being in a cult. I was born and raised in one, and trust me, they know how to keep you hooked in. Thankfully, I left, and it took me years to truly break free from the mindset I had, but it was worth it. Cults tend to reach out at your most vulnerable state of mind, just like this trash of a manga shows. Using things like illnesses, loneliness, and the sense of a community (aka love bombing) to pull you in. If you get culty vibes, RUN!

[@inspiteofshame]

So happy you got out. That's badass. Best of luck to you

[@discojamlore]

I’m so glad you’re free and safe ❤️ Unraveling that mindset takes so much badassery

[@Mat14651]

I want to say I'm happy for you getting out of this cult. And I of course don't want to seem cultish with my message. So do with it what you want but. To everyone reading this Jesus can help with whatever problems, hardships, and issues you have. Please I'm not asking you to become a Christian or to give up your life because that's wrong or this is wrong. NO I'm just asking you please consider Jesus. He rescued me from my pit and he can yours. Jesus Christ, son of God, died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day After he went to his tweleve disciples and many others before ascending into heaven eternally triumphant over all his enemies and making it so that there is now no condemnation for sin to all those who believe, but only everlasting joy. To all reading this christ is the way the truth and the life

[@randomgirlgtxq6421]

never been in a cult but have seen documentaries. agrees with: IF YOU GET CULTY VIBES, RUN! run far, far away. avoid them !

[@PrincessPinkHeart2702]

I’m sorry but please explain what qualifies as ‘culty vibes’ I’m not joking I generally want to know.

[@AdoboGaijin]

i just found out about this channel, and it's such a nice content!! i'm also a filipino living in japan.. and i've been looking for contents about this cult cause my ex gf told me about it.. she used to be bullied when she was young (cause her name's Shoko)..her classmates used to sing to her that cult's theme song.. anyway.. i'm so happy that i have found this content on this channel.. and happy to find a fellow filipino here in japan. :)

[@nisaqosaj21]

For those interested to know more details about this cult or the victims and those who survived and how it all happened I reccommend checking out a book that Haruki Murakami wrote for it interviewing the surviving victims of the train attack... it's a life changing book, honestly. I highly recommend it. "Underground" by Haruki Murakami.

[@SpectreZ3R0_VODs]

I've read this book and cried. Some of the interviews are so heartbreaking, the book does a great job of helping give the victim's perspective.

[@nisaqosaj21]

@SpectreZ3R0_vt it is truly an amazing book, I only read it halfway through and had to put it on pause for a while because as a psychology student and someone with high empathy levels it was getting to me a bit too much emotionally. However, I'm sure I'll soon pick it up again and finish it because it was a truly amazing book. Sad but amazing!

[@nosiebangchan]

She went over that in the full video on the cult

[@randobeantv7712]

As someone who's learned about a lot of cults, this one is the one that scares me the most. It's insane to me how similar cult tactics are so much the same throughout the world. Prey on the weak and once they join don't let them leave once they're in.

[@bethbuckley8888]

Clearly you haven't understood the cults controlling the world if this is the one that scares you most.

[@CyberNeo-Taoist]

Thank you for covering this, Aki. As someone who is fascinated by any and all history as well as the human condition, I always appreciate and respect anyone who is willing to talk about historical events that are uncomfortable and difficult to have conversations about in a no BS kind of way. As a U.S. citizen my country is currently having to contend with a violently bigoted/fascist political cult and it's both heart breaking and frustrating to see that this cult is gaining power and influence

[@merchernel123]

I appreciate your channel. It has the old YT feel of being interesting and educational and your voice and demeanor is genuine. Thank you for not using a "voice", for not being a content copycat and for putting the effort you hardly see these days. Nice work.

[@DonaldRilea]

I confess that I laughed when I heard parts of tracks 2 & 3 on the CD, because they sounded to me, as did all of the tracks, like standard New Age music of the period when it was made. Overall, I found the video interesting because it examined a pair of items left behind by Aum Shinrikyo, as many cults, political movements, and other such groups often do, and thank you for doing that.

[@Caldella]

Yeah, I used to get a lot of New Age type albums for driving - they were usually only $1 at secondhand sales, and the chill nature of them helped me decompress and focus on the road. These tunes easily could've come from one of the cheesier ones. But Aki is right, it doesn't feel as calm and meditative when you know what the people behind it did.

[@DonaldRilea]

@@Caldella But, of course, and for good reason, as when one listens to music, etc, associated with horrible historical and current movements and people, I think.

[@galaxy_kitten95]

@@CaldellaYeah, and no cap, my chest started to tighten a bit just from listening to the tracks. Nothing but uneasiness while knowing full well that this came from an infamous Japanese cult..

[@KwispyZ]

Track 3 reminds me of video game music of older RPGs for some reason. Like a menu or save screen bgm

[@r.coachman3499]

@@KwispyZ NGL I felt that way about a few of these tracks too, even if it’s tainted by who used it.

[@clearhero7487]

She pulled out the manga and I just gasped..oh god how insane, it just looks so normal. Like its haunted . Also the Japanese KZbinr who physically goes to them is so gut wrenching and scary. I hope he just stays safe,but also knowing how many people are saying no. This will stop.

[@suzybwoo3550]

who’s the japanese youtuber that she’s talking about ? i’m curious

[@Vmuraward]

@@suzybwoo3550that’s what i’m trying to find out 😭

[@Sune691]

@@suzybwoo3550tbh I want to see one of his vid

[@Whitewingdevil]

While I don't think of myself as someone who seeks out crime stories, it's interesting getting a peek into the history of another country. As uncomfortable as stories like this can be, it can give valuable insight into the darker parts of humanity.

[@discojamlore]

I’ve devoured so much US true crime over the years (I’m from the US). I’ve dipped into some Euro true crime and really only found a few unique stories. Recently, I’ve dove into Japanese cases and they’ve been far more interesting than other international cases.

[@Dice-Z]

I don't seek them out but i don't avoid them.

[@helenn6551]

The music at the end sounds less like the sort used for meditation(which is usually softer and has less changes) and more like the sort played in a movie to say some spiritual experience is happening. Which, if it is the music they played, is probably what it is. The mind is an incredible thing and if you're primed to think you're about to have some grand experience, you will come out feeling like you did

[@ArkomiKitty]

I love how you know you're audience well enough to know that we need the spoon feeding portion

[@shivi5561]

As an Indian I hate it when our culture gets twisted and used for wrong by all these cults

[@kocholawis1851]

What You think of hare krishnas?

[@nosiebangchan]

How?

[@Dice-Z]

@@nosiebangchan Buddhist sects. Many of those in Asia. That being said they don't just "get the idea" by looking at India and being like "wow cool, let's make it my cult". Their comment is misleading because Buddhism has been imported to other parts of Asia for such a long time, and evolved into such different branches, that saying "they are using our culture!" is simply erroneous. That'd be almost like if someone called themselves "The New Jesus" and you had someone from Iraq saying "i hate when people use my culture for their cult!". Sure you both originate from the same religion and have similar religious figures, but you're muslims and they are a sect/cult that branched out from christianism while cherry picking a couple things from other religions.

[@taekooksdaisies1345]

Truee

[@shivi5561]

@@Dice-Z dude she legit said it incorporated Hinduism into it. I very well know the difference between Hinduism and Buddhism. There are so many cults, especially western ones that simply twist and turn Hindu philosophy and practices into some strange, obsessive thing.

[@kannachu4]

its sad seeing how people can get to such a desperate point, in which they feel the need to live and thrive within these cults.

[@neonnwave1]

One has to wonder if Aki would/could get in trouble with Japanese authorities for purchasing something that is banned and showing it to the internet. I hope not.

[@kyuketsuki_462]

This was always one of the more interesting and terrifying true life stories Ik. This makes me wonder. The more this cult and things about it go around due to popularity, could they possibly still be around, but now be a more underground community 😳

[@LyraPyxisVT]

Most likely

[@demonknight5617]

They’re still around to this day actually. There was a rumor I read somewhere that they’re going to make a big comeback because this cult is still at large.

[@LyraPyxisVT]

@demonknight5617 Oh God, well I hope that doesn't happen since the Japanese gov is on top of them 24/7, but if they manage to make a big comeback, I hope Japan is ready

[@demonknight5617]

@@LyraPyxisVT Honestly, me too. It’s still a rumor, but it is very likely because the members have not rested/calmed down ever since their leader’s execution.

[@LyraPyxisVT]

@@demonknight5617 ya very true, I'm just hoping cause Japan's gov is on them there's no possible way for them to do so, but if they managed, I'm gonna be surprised

[@aquroyadreadmore]

Okay so major sound geek here. Those “meditation” tracks are binaural beats; they rely on infrasound and dynamic frequencies to induce euphoria like states. Technically speaking they have the ability to hot-wire the brain. And it doesn’t just stop at causing euphoria binaural beats can also be used to simulate the effects of drugs and alcohol. They can also be quite addictive with long term exposure. If that CD was in fact produced by that cult it honestly just further proves how sinister it truly was.

[@Dice-Z]

Sound designer here, i call bullshit. Right now it is pseudoscience that any kind of soundwave could do anything substancial to your brain. And they certainly didn't have a technology we don't possess right now back then. Don't spread misinformation or make up definitions. Binaural beats are nothing more than two sounds that cause a slight auditory illusion of them creating another sound. Most "Binaural Beat" videos have no binaural beats, just relaxing music. There's been reported cases of certain sounds being linked to seizures in epileptic people, absolutely nothing else. Otherwise the worst a specific sound can do is be discomforting. Your claim is on the same level as magic crystals.

[@johndoe-xf2ih]

What a load of bull

[@TheSapphireLeo]

​​@@johndoe-xf2ihDone those on here, for free, and are good, if you like spiritual stuff and are not afraid, but should also be aware once you awaken you will need to confront your traumas and not to be used to just bypass the fears, only and in staying grounded in all states of awareness and in awareness of other people?

[@DrachenGothik666]

@@TheSapphireLeo You sound like a cult-member prattling on about "awakenings" & "states of awareness". What a load of drivel.

[@DrachenGothik666]

Binaural beats don't do shit. Every binaural beats type of "music" I've heard has been so awful (such as the drek on this Aum CD), it turned me off of ever bothering with it. Terrible stuff sounds like it was made on crap midi on an old computer from the 90's. Robotic & bleepy-boopy, high-pitched irritations for my ears. Yuck.

[@haramichiyo]

So I knew about this cult and I knew about the anime, I've watched a few videos from other creators years ago, but I didn't know about the manga. Topics like this are fascinating, disturbing, but fascinating. Thanks for updating my knowledge a little more

[@polari7658]

Guys guys, before I read this manga, I was having intense stomach pains, feeling faint, and my mouth began salivating at the thought of food. I sat down with some popcorn and read the manga, and now I’m cured🥰.

[@princesspikachu3915]

Popcorn cures all. 🎉

[@jorgepacheco9845]

There was a song written about the Tokyo Subaway Sarin Attack. It's called Before The Poison. It was written and sung by Marianne Faithfull. Look it up. It's pretty creepy. 😨

[@longtsun8286]

The cult's "meditation music" literally sounds like elevator music. I'm more likely to fall asleep while listening, than to "clear my mind" as practitioners state one should for meditation. Thank you for the info.

[@missmadness6935]

that sound track would drive ANYONE INSANE AND THINK THEIR GOD...good lord I felt like I went from teen to old man to toddler to dead all in a heart beat

[@save_hyrule]

this is the thing with japan being idolized. (im japanese, i am am a ‘cult’ survivor. from the womb to age 8. i moved to suburbs of nikko japan. i left to america at age 11. there is NO inbetween at all. i feel safer in japan than america but only some spots in japan.) not everything is cute and happy in japan. especially when you get into the deep deep history of cults and mafia based gangs in japan. you HAVE to be vigilant about where you are in japan.

[@mariamart_0]

Exactly, we need to stop idolizing Japan because of the kawaii-desu ga culture. Gyaru-Gaika culture is the epitome of kawaii mess and Western style culture. There has been the idea is that, there has been used in the idea of having that have been used to not recognize the cultural fact is to be not being used for not denying the existence and possibility in the idea of this country having gangs and cults. Sarin Gas Attack was so infamous in all of Japan and many Japanese like to call the cultist people to be Gaijin or Gaikujin (foreigner) for destroying the peace of their city and a lack of respect for Japanese social norms and Japanese social hierarchy and values.

[@Zeitgeist6]

There's 2 interesting documentaries called A and A2 about Aum where they follow members around and get in depth interviews with them. They get shown around their premises as well. Interesting watch.

[@albertvermeule5844]

Frederik L. Schodt had a section about aum manga in his book Dreamland Japan. In it he tells about his attempts to locate some and learns that there is still a aum owned store that sells them (this is all after the gas attack and a court order to disband the cult). He describes the trip from the nearest station to the store as quite bizar because of the warning banners against the cult. The shop itself looked very nice and exactly like any store based around one theme and when he left he was questioned by 2 police officers who despite what had happend, couldn't just enter the store. Bizar story.

[@DrachenGothik666]

*Bizarre.

[@williamcrowe2576]

This cult leader seems like the kind of person who'd make Jim Jones and David Koresh look like amateurs.

[@shoeski9399]

True but still behind the giants like L Ron Hubbard and whoever created Q- Anon.

[@mmyr8ado.360]

​@@shoeski9399 I get Ron Hubbard, but Q-anon? The latter is decentralized, and it's the case of people digging too deep on 4chan posts. Might as well add Anonymoys to the list.

[@mmmky3204]

So i googled the name 'happy science'(as given by someone in the comments) and yes it has website and yes they are very much 'alive' as much as their religious beliefs And they have anime as well, I've watched few minutes from that, and the quality is so better, clean and crisp which made me very surprised lmao💀

[@laotree8224]

They are more terrifying to me because they are still very active, (with a temple in my neighborhood, even) and although their belief system as a whole is pretty fringe, they overlap with a lot of other right wing nationalist groups and they have a political party that actually holds seats in local and national lawmaking bodies. And as you say, their production values are fairly high. They even have their own idol group, and the name sounds pleasant enough that some people do get fooled, and get sucked into their war-crime denying ultranationalist nonsense.

[@Kreepie11]

I remember doing my own little rabbit-hole research a few months ago on this cult. Scary stuff. I hope the victims have found their peace. If you're worried that you've had interactions with a cult, remember the B.I.T.E. model they use (Behavior control, Information control, Thought control, Emotional control) Also... I actually don't really mind the meditation music. 😅 It's pretty cheery and synthy compared to other stuff I've heard.

[@DrachenGothik666]

That "music" was some of the most awful crud I've heard in years. Bet it was made on a crappy midi program on a shit computer in the 90's. The shit sounds robotic, too high-pitched for meditation. It would drive me nuts to listen to that garbage. I pity your ears if you thought that drek was "cheery".

[@bethbuckley8888]

You just basically described my government.

[@YourBacklog]

Imagine listening to "on hold" music and realizing it was used by an evil cult for meditation

[@save_hyrule]

these are commonly used music genre for cults.

[@TarisLuna]

That dermatisis thing is (if I translated it correctly) something babies often have on their head typically called cradel cap. In babies it usually subsided on its own and for older kids and adults it's easily treated with medicated creams / solutions.

[@rubenalvarez6830]

I think this is the reason why Japan don't have waste baskets or trash cans allover the cities like Tokyo. This cult was bad news because they had such a large influence and outlet. They were also responsible for a set of disappearances/murders. It is crazy how much influence they had.

[@rubenalvarez6830]

Home grown Terrorism!!

[@ami9747]

AKI’S BACK ON THE CASE!!

[@tre_treanim]

Ikr

[@sylvanstrength7520]

Considering cults and their leaders are a special interest of mine, this is such a good video! I especially love your message of caution and how the answers are inside yourself. The meditation music sounds like an old video game soundtrack lol

[@comicaldays]

gave me a bit of yume nikki vibes ngl

[@Lovesick.Sagebrush]

what's your pfp from?

[@GTDA27]

This was really quite interesting to learn to stay away from bad people and cults thank you

[@angelhurtado55]

I mean… you are the one MAKING A VIDEO about it, you are the one who HAS to tell me about the cult I never knew before I clicked your video, that is WHY I did it!

[@chevgage6210]

The drugged kid thing sounds wild but wouldn't have sounded super wild back then. It was something people were scared of. Even danganronpa uses this trope in ultra despair girls. People at the time would have thought that sounded legit because of the rumors that parents out there juiced their kids to get them to perform in school and such. Nowadays that sounds unbelievable but it wouldn't have back then. Anyone who thought they had a hardass parent that wasn't doing as well in school as they should have might have been attracted to that messaging.

[@Deneteus]

Parents actually were drugging their kids during this time. It happened all the time in Japan and the US. There are kids still being kidnapped and drugged and sent to camps and mental institutions by parents.

[@save_hyrule]

i as a japanese cult survivor hate that danganronpa has use that trope and almost cultural trauma for their games for profit as well as nazi imagery.

[@chibiredhead7082]

Doesn't sound too different from kids now getting a ton of Ritalin that they might not need and honey booboo drinking red bull mixed with mountain dew for performance enhancement.

[@awegahn]

Way back when I studied Japanese, I also wrote my thesis on "Japanese beliefs and ideologies". I made a survey 2003-2004 over 200 people asking which religions they felt they adhered to and also listed 20 virtues and let them numerally value their opinion of their importance. Naturally "Aum Shinrikyo" never came up. Buddhism slightly outweighed Shintoism, and then there were a few Christians, some mentioned Confucianism interestingly. There is much more to say on the matter, especially "New religions" were plentiful and gathered quite a following - at the time "Sokka Gakkai" was the largest new religion in Japan (8 million members then). I believe that Aum Shinrikyo definitely had an impact on Japanese beliefs. The 20 year old survey put Japanese atheism and non-religious affinity to a self valued 13% and 19% respectively. (100% being complete commitment and trust 0% being none at all) Buddhism 42%, Science 35% and Shinto 26% all came out higher (yes, I included science too :). Equally though a good 17% trust was put into spiritualism. Which makes me wonder why skepticism towards spirituality is so common in anime and manga? In anime and manga there is often a clear mistrust towards spirituality and especially the concept of God. God or the divine is often vilified in anime. One wonders how much Aum Shinrikyo had to do with this? Or is it only a ploy to instigate plot and drama? I wonder if the values have changed much? Japan is known for keeping its traditions and values. Maybe not much have changed?

[@warrirornunluv801]

I wonder how the artists feel when they wrote that manga? And also, some guy took it upon himself to troll and/or harass past cult members for lolz? Either he's insane...or he's a hero.

[@Martyn-1337]

I wonder who that guy is and where can i find his videos.

[@tic857]

probably hoping that the paycheck would last a few months of groceries

[@Dice-Z]

I wonder about the ethic of it. On one hand, someone who participates in a cult is often a victim aswell. They might have fallen for predatory psychological tactics, but may now be disillusioned. On the other hand it doesn't excuse them belonging to such a horrific cult, and they may be inexcusably terrible people for life, depending on their involvement with the more tragic criminal and predatory acts of the cult.

[@johndoe-xf2ih]

​@@Dice-Zyeah what the guy is doing is evil, majority of cult followers are brainwashed. I just imagine that after the sarin gas attack alot of these people would know the cult for what it really is and wish they weren't associated with it, now comes the vigilante adding gas to the fire

[@zoethelool]

It's kinda scary to know that they had people all over the world. I live in Germany, and so the part where there was an address in Germany of the cult gave me a really weird feeling.

[@lilahdx]

Have you heard of the book by X Japan vocalist Toshi, "Brainwashed: My Comeback from 12 Years of Hell"? If not that might interest you, it goes into detail about how he was involved in an insane cult "Home of Heart" which is why he left the band for a period of time, super interesting. I haven't seen anyone cover this on KZbin :C

[@imamareza6591]

I think Sakura Stardust talked about the artist you mentioned, idk if you saw the video about it or not. I think the video's called "Japan's Most Controversial Band" if you're interested to check it out.

[@Wyrdwad]

As imamareza said, Sakura Stardust did talk about this a bit -- but what's more, it was also gone into in great detail in the documentary movie "We Are X" from 2016, which WAS released on DVD and blu-ray in English as well.

[@lilahdx]

@@imamareza6591 I did not, interesting thanks :D

[@IVEmeritus]

I've watched We Are X many times with my mom (she and I are fans). It was so sad learning that this happened to Toshi and that he wasn't the same after escaping. Can't imagine the amount of trauma with how extreme that sect is. Having been raised in a cult, I despise them and how they harm people.

[@laikapupkino1767]

Aum Shinrikyo didn't just "somehow get their hands on" that sarin nerve gas- they refined it in their well equipped secret laboratory. They also had an elaborate machine shop where (since they couldn't just buy them at Crazy Larry's Guns Galore like we do here in the States) they were manufacturing automatic rifles. One type of person they were particularly interested in recruiting was SCIENTISTS, undoubtedly for something evil. Shoko Asahara was doing his best to become a full-fledged James Bond Villain; Like Auric Goldfinger or Elon Musk.

[@sherlockwho5714]

I remember the attack in 95. There was news here in the US about it even. So more power to the Japanese to remind these people of what they did

[@AnonAdderlan]

You'd have thought they'd change the battery in their smoke alarm before recording the album though.

[@sbTrogdor]

The cd reminds me of when you get a new phone and you shuffle through all the ringtones you have available lol

[@SkullAdmiralWalnuthead]

Hey man, I read that book and it cured my addiction to reading, don’t knock it til you try it.

[@MasterBeowulf]

It's funny you talk about the things they say they can fix, and mention blindness, cause Shoko Asahara was blind in one eye and mostly blind in the other. his magic powers couldn't cure that! some powers there buddy

[@NullVoid-rm7jm]

This is sad. I'm surprised how dark it actually feels to see some of those comic pages. God bless Japan ❤ Japan is the absolute greatest country ever.

[@geoffwalker9210]

I'm glad that the Subway Attack is still remembered and people have not forgotten what AUM did. I know Japan has a real problem with cults, and the attack kind of put a kibosh on them being very out in peoples faces, but they're still there. I do love how heroic and angelic Shoko Asahara is made to look. Real A+ cult leader stuff.

[@CausticMedeim]

The music CD legit sounds like tracks of the Omori soundtrack. xD The hell?! Like, they'd all fit really well.

[@Broken_Princess_H]

Tracks 2 & 4 sounded like someone needed to replace the batteries in their smoke detectors.

[@YoBen100]

Japanese cult: "We have manga." Scientology: "We have South Park."

[@LowSelf-EsteemLord]

You DID NOT.

[@DrachenGothik666]

@@LowSelf-EsteemLord South Park had a number of people involved in it that were Scientologists, which is possibly why the writers picked on the cult to much. One member of the cast (voice actor for Chef) eventually left because South Park kept picking on Scientology. Sadly, that voice-actor's life was all but ruined by Scientology, even though he left the cast when they asked him to.

[@hinkle3634]

My friend's mom converted to scientology for a hot minute. Everything SP depicted is true about them 😂😭

[@damirk3]

In 2016 Montenegrian police arrested some members of Aum Shinrikyo in Montenegro whats really disturbing knowing that people who are okay with sarin gassing people just living near you.

[@Martyn-1337]

did they got extradited?

[@damirk3]

@@Martyn-1337 they were just expelled

[@lloydnorval1989]

You've just earned yourself a subscriber, my friend! My favourite things are anime (specifically Dragon Ball Z, I'm a typical nerd in that sense), manga, paranormal stuff, stuff about cults, spirituality and just basic KZbin rabbit holes :)

[@TheSapphireLeo]

Same!

[@snowqueen_8958]

Art is subjective but sometimes it's scary.....and disturbing

[@creelcreepypasta9414]

why does the music sound like something you would hear in an indie game? Honestly, Its disturbing to hear

[@margaretkaraba8161]

Those tracks, if someone's giving instructions or suggestions, the music is driving in the words - so to speak. It's musical assisted brainwashing (the music is around the frequency of certain brainwaves). Scientific American magazine has a blog with an entry that talks about it (I forget what it's called, sorry).

[@Dice-Z]

No. Pseudoscience. Brainwashing through sound is not a thing that exists (yet).

[@meanjeanmcqueen6171]

Oh, it absolutely is a "collectors item". I'm surprised it was so cheap. Disturbing, but it would be very cool to have.

[@Dice-Z]

In the same way some people collect murderer and crime scene items... augh lol.

[@meanjeanmcqueen6171]

@@Dice-Z we're all a little weird and intrigued by the macabre, lol.

[@sams_attatchment]

It’s kind of ironic that the parents “drug” the kid in the manga and then that incident happened like a year later-

[@miscalotastuff733]

As someone who came out of a cult the mindset is hard to get out of.

[@aurea.]

Glad you made it out

[@ttsese]

Title literally translates as "transcend beyond god powers" 天耳通 divine hearing, one of the six supernormal Buddhist powers

[@caesumisrude]

i love the synthesized music lmaoo it feels like straight out of the moomins???

[@roguerangerroger]

I love the leader become pathetic at the end of his facade. He went to pretend to be all crazy to giving up😂

[@Martyn-1337]

as per reports, he lost all hope and just waited for his death. To the point he refused to bathe or even go to the toilet. He relieved himself on his pants. Guards became caregivers for his shenanigans.

[@lawnsmcnugget]

I remember doing a history project on Aum Shinrikyo in high school. Not only did they spread their message to Russia and have their own weapons and such they also spread as far as Australia having installed themselves in a old sheep station named Banjawarn where they were ordering chemicals and had been spotted wearing gas masks and moving around containers of chemicals and such. There is a very good article that goes over Banjawarn station on ABC news named 'Welcome to Banjawarn, the outback station once home to a Japanese doomsday cult'. Its scary to think just how widespread they got, many believe they were just operating in Japan but their operation was on a whole other level. Especially considering they were inquiring Russia on the price of nuclear weapons and constructing their own chemical weapons.

[@SmokeyMcb]

That cult is of their father the devil who was a murderer from the beginning.

[@tinytron]

does anyone know who aki is talking about when she says that a person is going to the cult members houses ? i wanna see that

[@LoveBunn]

Honestly, same here

[@shravan4409]

Yeah even I want to know

[@thecatwithrainbowteeth]

Why do the most horrendous crimes i know come from Japan besides American Serial Killers. For example, the cannibal, or Unit 731, or really dangerous cults and crimes.

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

I swear I've heard the track "Kanrio" as a suggested song on my weekly Spotify recommended list. Maybe under a different name? Either way, I didn't like it, lol. Also, that ending part (before the music) regarding mystical powers and genetic "believe in your inner power" bullcrap makes me think of this hilariously dark Key & Peele skit, in which Peele is an overly ecstatic and emotional basketball player and his team just won the championship. As Key, a reporter, is interviewing him, Peele begins to spout the usual "You can do anything! If you believe in yourself, you can be anything!" stuff you usually hear with overcoming adversity stories. Things take a turn though when he then says "You can fly! Little kids, you can LITERALLY fly! Go up on your roof and jump off because you. Can. Fly!!" To which Key has to let the viewers know that, no, you literally cannot fly. Peele responds, "Man, bump that negativity! You can do anything! You can even turn into a car! Boys and girls, ages 8 through 12, turn into a car and have a friend drive you on the freeway! YOU ARE IMMORTAL!" And then in the next instant, they jump forward to a press conference Peele is giving regarding the inevitable deaths caused by his irresponsible claims 😅.

[@chaoticgacha]

As someone who lived around that area most of their childhood, i was not expecting the greenhills roast and......you're not wrong AHAHAHAHAHA

[@GreatSmithanon]

Count Dankula has an absolutely fantastic video on Shoko Asahara, the leader of Aum Shinrikyo. It's a wild ride.

[@dystopyxrose]

The thing I can’t get over Is that cult leader guy himself was half blind…. And continued to be half blind…….. And like everyone just accepted that Christ himself??? Allowed himself to continue to be half blind????

[@lottetower448]

💕👏❤️✨ keep the good work up Aki, we love your videos

[@elgritton]

the artwork is like superbook

[@LemonSherbetCandy]

The 'meditation' music reminds me a lot of old video games like Terranigma.

[@GameFuMaster]

the music sounds like something out of a JRPG lol

[@Windsguidance]

Aki this is irrelevant to the video but please do an eyeliner tutorial. I have NO idea how o handle eyeliner with my eye crease! Yours looks perfect!

[@youdonotcare]

2:31 minor correction, the title says 超越神力 (chouetsu shinryoku) which would mean "Transcendental Divine Power"

[@l_z1478]

Thanks

[@SaikiiiT-T]

Glad that Detective Aki is back :))

[@molson0]

ngl I was vibing to those tracks at the end

[@Nymphonomicon]

This anime is vaguely familiar to me. Back in the day, there was a popular MAD set to Maximum the Hormone's song 「F」that included images of real world despots, news footage of tragedies, and very brief clips from said anime. I think you can still find a reupload on youtube.

[@jotaro2105]

Makes sense to the fact that MtH made that song not only as a tribute to Frieza and DBZ but also as a big F*ck U! to the cult, most especially to Shoko Asahara.

[@seconddriver1725]

Soooo thats what inspired those "please hold, your call is important" ring tones came from.

[@PrettyDeadNightmare]

Wow. Had no idea this was a thing

[@oldfashionedboots2774]

Why is nobody talking about how absolutely goofy that music at the end is

[@Goblin_Ghost39]

Been going down the scientology rabbit hole lately (mainly listening to the Fair Game podcast) and the similarities in mindsets are concerning

[@RayMak]

This is very scary

[@daniellord-vera6987]

theres a cult thats like them called happy science its kinda like scientology in japan and also like aum cult

[@Malkaking]

because of this cult there is a lack of garbage bins every where when you need them....its really one of my pet peeves

[@donney3389]

I really enjoy the Detective Aki Series

[@MagDAlineTheWillOfDrawer]

i hate to confirm it to myself regarding to their CDs but i hate how low-key catchy it is 😭

[@comicaldays]

me too but i currently can't track down the disc or where she even found it.