- divide between modernity/westernization and tradition comes through the use of societal issues commonly associated with the American middle-class
- e.g., the role of divorce and how it affects both Jun and Takumi
- formally this manifests through the fairy tale imagery (fairy tales themselves being associated with Eurocentricism)
- the prince is established as an Aryan figure: tall, blonde hair, big nose
- the princess is feminized in an "oriental" manner through a western lens: petite, black-haired, no defining features
- love hotels are kind of a Japanese phenomenon and the one Jun stumbles upon is modeled after a western-style castle
- this initially establishes modernity/the west as a kind of dividing force -- one that destroys a solidified domestic structure
- it probably bears some importance to note that Anthem of the Heart decides to go with Over the Rainbow/The Wizard of Oz for its central framework -- The Wicked Witch of the West and all
- classical music with Japanese lyrics attached make an obvious case for this argument
- as does the American indie style derivative of Naoko Yamada, esp that scene with the nice indie folk song with English lyrics
- the initial ire one could read from the fairy tale imagery becomes much more positive and hybridizing in nature when one considers the last few points and how the film plays out
- to wit, modernity and the west are conflated with the perceived "east," reinforced formally by Takumi's family home
- the home itself is a site of safety and acceptance due to the music room seeming out-of-place with the rest of the house
- modernity is established as a global phenomenon rather than one imposed on foreign bodies by a western imperial patriarchy

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