Armed Girls Machiavellism: Moé with Kenjutsu Characteristics

Busou Shoujo Machiavellism was not a very good show (the manga is somewhat better, imo) but sometimes, even mediocre media can present something interesting and worth examination.
This video was made as part of the Pause and Select NOVID challenge, the details of which can be found here:
• November Anime KZbin...
And hey, no shade to those of you who really enjoyed the show - it’s okay to like things - if it ever got a second season I’d probably watch it.
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Sources:
Bennett, Alexander C. The Cultural Politics of Proprietorship: The Socio-historical Evolution of Japanese Swordsmanship and its Correlation with Cultural Nationalism. PhD. Doctoral Dissertation. University of Canterbury, Cultures and Linguistics (JAPA), 2012.
Galbraith, Patrick W. The Moé Manifesto: An Insider’s Look at the Worlds of Manga, Anime and Gaming. Tuttle, Vermont, 2014.
Hall, David. A. The Encyclopedia of Japanese Martial Arts. Kodansha USA, New York, 2012
Hurst III, G. Cameron. Armed Martial Arts of Japan: Swordsmanship and Archery. Yale University Press, New Haven, 1998.
Miliaresis, Grigoris A. “Hyoho Taisha-ryu: The best under heaven in the West”. BudoJapan.com., budojapan.com/feature-article... (accessed Nov. 1, 2020)
My Anime List. “Busou Shoujo Machiavellism”. n.d. (accessed Nov. 1, 2020) myanimelist.net/anime/33475/B...
Öztürk, Ö.Burcu. “Interview: Kohei Shiozawa, The teacher of “Yakumaru-Jigen-Ryu". Ö.Burcu Öztürk. www.authorburcu.com/2020/03/in... (accessed Nov.1, 2020)
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Footage:
Strike Witches (2008)
Sword Art Online (2012)
Akame Ga Kill (2014)
Kill la Kill (2013)
Fairy Tail (2014)
Armed Girls Machiavellism (2017)
Bamboo Blade (2007)
Kiss Him Not Me (2016)
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Clips:
Elite High school kendo club training : Takachiho high school vol.1 / 名門高千穂高校 剣道部の稽古 vol.1
• Elite High school kend...
Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu Kenjutsu - 42nd Japanese Kobudo Demonstration (2019)
• Tenshin Shoden Katori ...
Kashima Shinden Jiki Shinkage Ryu Kenjutsu - Iwasa Masaru - Meiji Jingu Reisai 2017
• Kashima Shinden Jiki S...
Baldini Best Flick
• baldini best flick
Hyoho Taisha Ryu - Uehara Eriko - Meiji Jingu Kobudo Demonstration 2019 [FHD 60fps]
• Hyoho Taisha Ryu - Ue...
平成30年度全国警察選手権大会　公開演武　警視流木太刀形（1～10本）　2018年9月25日（金）日本武道館-rUSCPRK-utc_ 14
• 平成30年度全国警察選手権大会　公開演武　警...
薬丸自顕流　野外演武 Yakumaru Jigen-ryu
• 薬丸自顕流　野外演武 Yakumaru Ji...
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Music:
Til Death Us Part - Aakash Gandhi
Shadowing - Corbyn Kites
Honey - Corbyn Kites
Staycation - Corbyn Kites
Over Drive - Corbyn Kites
Instant Crush - Corbyn Kites

[@Flugmorph]

what a great video, very informative but still entertaining!

[@StudyofSwords]

Hey, glad you liked it.

[@WackaMei]

I'm happy you decided to pitch in to the November challenge. Your editing, voice and the subject matter you cover is all interesting and I wish you the best 🌸

[@StudyofSwords]

Thanks a lot! I actually wasn't going to participate, as I thought my production schedule wouldn't allow it, but I guess it worked out.

[@FROZENbender]

loved this show. and great video

[@StudyofSwords]

Nice.

[@bytemarx8520]

This was really interesting. I don't watch a lot of anime but I have to admit, you did a great job of analysing this one and coaxing out the deeper themes from the text

[@StudyofSwords]

Thanks. If you do want to watch more anime, don't waste your time with BSM, you can do better.

[@bytemarx8520]

@@StudyofSwords I really wouldn't know where to start but i'll keep that mind

[@deviscristiano8858]

Great video, subscribed~

[@StudyofSwords]

Thanks a lot. Currently a lot of my content is video game focused but I'll be pivoting to more anime content in the new year. Cheers.

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

This is such a cool topic and analysis! I really appreciate how you took a text you don't even think is really that good and used it as a jumping-off point for a fascinating discussion. You go in-depth with your research and sword knowledge, but you keep it simple and go at a great pace for people (like me!) who haven't seen the series and don't know much (or anything!) about the topic of sword combat. Great stuff! :D EDIT: On an unrelated note, I saw you've made a video on the use of swordplay in Steven Universe. I haven't watched the video yet, but it's got me curious: do you think you'd have much to say about sword combat in Revolutionary Girl Utena? Utena is a significant influence on SU, and I'm asking out of selfish motivation too, because it's a series near and dear to my heart - yet I've never really dived all that deep into its portrayal of fencing and duels.

[@StudyofSwords]

First off, thanks a lot for the kind words. Second yes, Revolutionary Girl Utena is one of the shows I plan on making a video(s) on, since so much of it revolves around the duellists (I already have a thumbnail made). I basically have one more video related to a project I'm wrapping up and then I'm pivoting to overt weeb/anitube content in the new year. It's not first in the production chute but it's deffinetly there.

[@snakeeyedreams8181]

@@StudyofSwords Awesome! I'll definitely check it out when it's ready!

[@Miraihi]

While I probably won't give this series a try even after your video (Sorry ==), I had no idea about Yagyuu Shinkage-ryuu. So, this is the fighting style of one and only Yagyuu Juubei Mitsuyoshi, huh? That's pretty cool that there are still practitioners to this day. Yagyuu Ninja Scroll is an awesome manga by Segawa Masaki (Adaptation of Yamada Fuutaro's novel of the same name, published in 1962). Though it's extremely violent and hard to recommend, but I still consider it to be pretty progressive, maybe even feminist in some way. I'd love to recommend the original novel, but it has never been translated.

[@StudyofSwords]

Ah, Can't say I blame you, it's not very good ( but the manga is better). Interestingly enough, shortly after Sekigahara Munenori (the son of the founder) started his own lineage as the tutor to several of the Tokugawa shoguns, but this lineage died out. The current one is the Owari line. Ninja Scroll is a classic, that blend of ultra violent mid 90's with a certain depth of character and pathos.

[@Miraihi]

@@StudyofSwords Yeah, just to make sure that we are on the same page - I meant this manga: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Yagyu_Ninja_Scrolls

[@StudyofSwords]

@@Miraihi ha ha oops. No, I was thinking of something else. '^_^