42
In Japan, cicadas are symbolic of summer, and possibly symbolize reincarnation as well, based on summer being the time when the cicada comes out to sing.[1]
As per their role in anime, according to Wikipedia,
The songs of the cicada are often used in Japanese film and television to indicate the scene is taking place in the summer.
— Cicada, Wikipedia
I ...
38
The Elfen Lied OP Code
This original analysis is built on previous works by Anime Afterglow, 莉露兜 and 知日部屋. For the meaning of Kaede's hand gesture that was once popular in manga, see What's the significance of the 'w' finger position in Elfen Lied and In the opening of the Elfen Lied anime why does Nyu/Lucy have her fingers positioned in a certain way? All ...
14
I grew up in an area that was close to sea level (a bit further south than Japan) and in the Spring and Summer I recall hearing cicadas just about every time I went outside. I suspect the effect in anime is to improve immersion or accurately reflect the reality of the situation that the anime is trying to portray.
13
Those chairs are a direct reference to Bokurano, understanding which actually adds depth to the scene (if you've seen Bokurano).
Bokurano huge spoilers:
12
According to a tweet from @anime_photokano (the official Photokano twitter account):
「フォトカノ」EDアニメーションのイントロで映る花ですが、順にリンドウ、ガーベラ、ヒマワリ、シロツメクサ、タンポポ、コスモス、スイートピーです（どの花がどのヒロインに対応しているかは以降のカットでご確認を）。本編でも、花のカットの使われ方にご注目ください！ #photokano
Loosely translated,
Regarding the flowers at the beginning of the Photokano ED - in order, they are Japanese gentian, gerbera, ...
10
It's likely to be a homage to the work of El Greco, who used this hand symbol in his various works.
Like this one titled The Gentleman with His Hand at His Breast
or Christ Carrying the Cross
The meaning of this gesture is subject to much debate...
Some hypothesis indicate that:
The hand gesture is a secret sign indicating that the gentleman is a Marrano -...
7
While the anime is never explicit about it's visual intentions, there are some potential implications for these two paintings:
Most obviously, they both feature naked or semi-naked women, quite appropriate for an anime named "Lesbian Bear Storm"!
More subtly, in both paintings the women are in a 'primal' state, whether in the wilds of the jungle, or leading ...
6
Steins;Gate sort of uses the many-worlds time travel theory referenced by John Titor. There are many discrete worldlines, like parallel universes. When Okarin leaps to the past, he is moving from one worldline to another; his actions do not affect the future in the worldline he leaped from, only the future of the one he is currently in. The worldlines exist ...
6
I believe this refers to the saying "like a moth to a flame".
The saying indicates that something/someone is irresistibly attractive (not necessarily as in human attraction), but that it will ultimately lead to downfall. Remember, at the end, the flame engulfs the moth, and it dies.
So, Bradley and Mustang are fighting for peace/freedom/a good future. They ...
4
That's the currency symbol for the Yen, the Japanese currency.
The Wikipedia article you have linked to in your question has this to say:
Maris' obsession with money is demonstrated by her hair ornaments, in the shape of the symbol for Yen (Japanese money).
4
This is primarily a homage to Freddy Mercury, most notably the one song with the same name as the title of the series.
Freddy Mercury also owned many cats and had a very close relationship with them on top of being influences for his works. It's a very fitting tribute.
4
It has something to do with the term Mother Ocean, the fact that Japanese islands are made of several volcanoes linked together, their work ethics and custom.
Mother Ocean
Mother Ocean is a term used to refer to the fact that all lives on earth starts from the sea/ocean as described in Nagi no Asukara. Even after leaving the sea and becoming land creature, ...
4
Fun Facts About Sebastian Michaelis' Symbol written by aneir on DeviantArt stated:
Fact 2: Pentagram
The Pentagram is a five-sided star, usually made with a single continuous line, with the points equally spaced. It is often depicted within a circle. This is one of several geometric star designs representing the mysteries of creation and redemption, ...
3
It's a peach. As Aki Tanaka commented, this is a reference to the story of Momotaro, in which an old woman finds a peach floating down a river. When she and her husband attempt to eat it, they find a boy inside.
3
I don't know if this story was the basis of the appearance of the moth but I know a story about it from our country Philippines. I don't know if this story is already known around the world but it was a story told by the mother of our national hero Jose Rizal.
It was Jose Rizal's Mother who told him about the story of the moth. One night, her mother ...
3
James wrote,
Steins;Gate sort of uses the many-worlds time travel theory referenced by John Titor. There are many discrete worldlines, like parallel universes. When Okarin leaps to the past, he is moving from one worldline to another; his actions do not affect the future in the worldline he leaped from, only the future of the one he is currently in. The ...
2
The movie is symbolic of Tokyo in a post world war environment, which is obvious from the first few minutes. Note, though, how it starts with a massive nuclear explosion, forcing Japan to start over and rebuild. Over the next thirty years, Tokyo becomes a hub of technological advancement, and a breeding ground for new businesses and capitalist opportunities. ...
2
Madoka's mother is drinking from a faceted glass and what your screenshot shows are two edges of it and the Michelangelo's painting behind the glass. The dialogue between two women doesn't really correspond with the painting's theme, as far as I'm concerned.
The painting seems to be part of the entourage of the bar. With studio Shaft in charge of ...
2
As I haven't read the Japanese edition, and don't have a copy laying around to reference with. I can't say it with 100% certainty. But it seems to be a play of words.
Mugem Mamiya (無限 間宮) Infinite Momentum
Kudan Kumiko (件 久美子) Matter Forever
Touge Miroku (峠 みろく) pass (to) Maitreya
Which would turn the sentence into
This world may be bizarre, but it has ...
2
I guess you could describe this as calligraphic. I don't know enough to say whether this is what a calligrapher would consider genuine art vs. just being writing with bold and swishy brush strokes.
This writing doesn't "symbolize" anything, though - it's just the lyrics of the first verse of the OP theme as they're being sung.
混ぜんな mazen na
危険な kiken-na
...
2
The easiest answer is:
Cat burglar (i.e. thief etc). Makes sense for an anime about swindlers.
It could also be a suitable comment on the phrase "Great Pretender." Have you ever heard that cats roam for miles away from their house when they are not at home? They could lead a double life and you might never know. At least 1 cat in my life has done ...
2
No, you're right, that is absolutely the double integral sign. There's a trend of indicating follow-on seasons of shows with indicators like random punctuation marks or letters (see, e.g. this question about Nisekoi: or this one about Dragon Ball Z), and this is almost normal by comparison since it does actually look a bit like a stylised II rather than, for ...
1
I know this is random but this is how I interpreted it. Cats are constantly showing up in the show: from Edamura's connection with his mom, to Laurent and Dorothy having a cat in the ending credit. When you stop and watch the ending credit in detail, you can see a woman with a bob haircut with pink underneath. This woman is Dorothy (she'll appear in season ...
1
"A normal zip or cable tie is borrowed. A participant firmly cables the performers two thumbs together, making it impossible for the performer's hands to separate" (wonderwizards.com).
So my understanding is that by pinning the thumbs together, separating the hands becomes impossible and thus, minimal hand movements restrict leverage to pull on the ...
1
The numbers of the shells used in the show were 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19, along with a shell that was unnumbered.
The Outlaw Star Wikia has a nice page all about Caster shells.
Caster shells are numbered by the wizards who create them. Their numbers appear to define the varied effects of each shell. Shells that are numbered #4, #9, and #13 are the ...
1
I'm a native Hebrew speaker, and "Yesod" (יסוד) literally means foundation or an element (like the table of elements). I'm not an expert when it come to Judaism (FYI that's because not all Jews are religious, Judaism is also a nationality), but in the Kabbalah Yesod is one the ten "Sfirot" (plural, ספירות). "Sfira" (singular, ספירה) literally means a count ...
1
Temozarela is based off of the dark god Tchernobog from the Monolith game Blood, which the author admits is his inspiration for the basic setting of priest.
1
The Centaur, in Greek mythology, is a creature related to both basal instincts and wisdom (lust, or in the context, perverseness). They are connected to the god Dionisius, god of carnal desires (sexual drive) and carousing.
From Monstruous.com:
The wicked centaurs are the antithesis of the knight and the horseman. Instead of mastering or taming their ...
1
That episode was . . . weird, as weird as when Nanami became a cow.
Anyway, my interpretation of it was based on the fact that the episode "Nanami's Egg" falls into the Akio Ohtori Saga. This is roughly two thirds of the Apocalypse Saga. The content is more sexually suggestive in this saga: scenes involving Akio's car seemed to always be sexually suggestive,...
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