Every once in a while I think this manga is a bit too heavy-handed with its themes but then immediately they bring it back and give it real stakes. Like the conversation with Ourigo, it seemed like a really bizarre abstract problem, but then Coustas brings it back to a real level. Though I’m still dubious as to the ultimate message.
Witch Hat Atelier - Vol. 8 Ch. 43
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Dadgar working as mercenary be like
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Orugio could've just made the flame any colour other than the default reddish-orange, and the problem would've been solved.
@topley
As someone who's worked in consumer electronics manufacturing, I don't agree that Ourigo's conversation is even remotely a "really bizarre abstract problem". In fact if anything it's pretty much a direct parallel to discussions mass manufacturers and regulators have been having for decades. There is a ton of thought that's gone into everyday stuff people take for granted to try to ensure that it's fail-safe, not fail-deadly. That it's hard for children or even tinkerers to accidentally electrocute themselves or cause other damage, that a moment of forgetfulness by an elderly person isn't deadly, etc. When talking Big Numbers, at the scale of millions to hundreds of millions, normal common sense often breaks down and small probability events and situations begin adding up to real numbers.
Magic in this series is a pretty clear stand-in for technology. We've already got capabilities approaching some of the magic we see here, and in the next few decades can expect to have more. That brings ever greater risks and rewards to grapple with. Breakthroughs in genetic tech for a current example offer frankly stunning potential advancement against infectious diseases, the new mRNA techniques used for covid-19 can apply to a ton of others and in the future could allow incredibly rapid responses to new pandemics and existing scourges. Yet genetic tech could also be used to create some pretty nasty new diseases too. Pretty much every powerful new tech these days is multiple-use, offering both consumer and military applications. Most classic extreme example of all of course being nuclear tech, which has been very important for power and medicine (and will be vital for major space efforts long term) but also allowed potentially civilization-ending weapons.
A small part of what makes the series so compelling (great characters, art and so on certainly key) is that there are real tradeoffs here and both sides have genuine points.
As someone who's worked in consumer electronics manufacturing, I don't agree that Ourigo's conversation is even remotely a "really bizarre abstract problem". In fact if anything it's pretty much a direct parallel to discussions mass manufacturers and regulators have been having for decades. There is a ton of thought that's gone into everyday stuff people take for granted to try to ensure that it's fail-safe, not fail-deadly. That it's hard for children or even tinkerers to accidentally electrocute themselves or cause other damage, that a moment of forgetfulness by an elderly person isn't deadly, etc. When talking Big Numbers, at the scale of millions to hundreds of millions, normal common sense often breaks down and small probability events and situations begin adding up to real numbers.
Magic in this series is a pretty clear stand-in for technology. We've already got capabilities approaching some of the magic we see here, and in the next few decades can expect to have more. That brings ever greater risks and rewards to grapple with. Breakthroughs in genetic tech for a current example offer frankly stunning potential advancement against infectious diseases, the new mRNA techniques used for covid-19 can apply to a ton of others and in the future could allow incredibly rapid responses to new pandemics and existing scourges. Yet genetic tech could also be used to create some pretty nasty new diseases too. Pretty much every powerful new tech these days is multiple-use, offering both consumer and military applications. Most classic extreme example of all of course being nuclear tech, which has been very important for power and medicine (and will be vital for major space efforts long term) but also allowed potentially civilization-ending weapons.
A small part of what makes the series so compelling (great characters, art and so on certainly key) is that there are real tradeoffs here and both sides have genuine points.
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@zanonyn Except what the manga is saying is the same as: "we shouldn't have electricity in people's houses, because some tiny percentage of children will end up dying from it (despite our best efforts to prevent that)"
Obviously that's absurd. Yes we should try to protect children, but "protecting children" doesn't mean "permanently sealing away useful things so that nobody can use them, because some parents are bad". Instead we (as a society) just punish bad parents (it's called child negligence, and it's illegal).
The "protect the children" hysteria seems to be a uniquely Anglo thing, Europeans have no problem allowing their kids to roam freely without constantly worrying about their safety. And European houses have tiny tiny narrow stairways, but they don't worry about their children falling down them.
Obviously that's absurd. Yes we should try to protect children, but "protecting children" doesn't mean "permanently sealing away useful things so that nobody can use them, because some parents are bad". Instead we (as a society) just punish bad parents (it's called child negligence, and it's illegal).
The "protect the children" hysteria seems to be a uniquely Anglo thing, Europeans have no problem allowing their kids to roam freely without constantly worrying about their safety. And European houses have tiny tiny narrow stairways, but they don't worry about their children falling down them.
No, that is not what the manga is saying. What the manga is saying is more along the lines of "we should be careful of toys that some children might swallow even if most of them won't" or "power outlets should be designed to be hard to leave live" which are all real debates. Per earlier post, maybe the answer would even be as simple as "change it so the fire is blue or purple" or some other completely unnatural color. Or put it in a lamp and have it still be hot enough to scald. But there are real design considerations when doing mass market products particularly ones that involve kids.
Yeah, strawmen are usually absurd.
See, when you go off on a huge rant because you were triggered about basic safety considerations that we take IRL worldwide (Europeans absolutely do this too) as part of a balance with useful functionality you end up looking kind of dumb.
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Murphy and statistics people just don't think they exist, but they really, really do. I like how this serious is such a great metaphor for technology. A hammer is a hammer but a ICBM is a dangerous waste of money and creating do it yourself DNA splicing should probably get a second thought.
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Thanks for the update!
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Thank you scanlation team for the top notch editing and TLs, this manga deserves you.
