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as with any science, the physics of anime are a continually
evolving field. There are many things that are no doubt
being discovered or have yet to be explained by anime
fans. Now that we've looked at some established physics
trends in anime, we're going to look at something unexplained
in the science of anime - that of a phenomenon called
"Hammerspace", so named after Ranma 1/2's
Akane Tendo and her ability to summon hammers and mallets
- kind of like the ladies in the picture on the left.
Hammerspace is an interesting occurrence that spans
many anime, mostly comedic ones and has yet to be explained
in any conclusive way as to the cause behind it.
The
Hammerspace phenomenon is basically the ability for
anime characters to be able to pull objects out of thin
air, without any evidence of having said objects anywhere
on their person. As the namesake says, this was first
observed as a regular occurrence with Akane Tendo, who
had an uncanny ability to have a mallet or hammer appear
in her hand whenever she wanted to beat up her fiance,
Ranma. The hammers appearing in the ladies' hands above
are also similarly summoned. Hammerspace is the designated
name for the mysterious place or dimension where these
hidden objects reside. And hammers aren't the only things
present in this invisible pocket dimension. Personal
belongings, common objects such as tables, tea kettles
and even weapons have been known to be pulled from this
mysterious and still unknown space. Anime fans have
been for years at a loss as to how Hammerspace has happened.
And close observations of this strange occurrence have
yielded no results as to what is behind it or what causes
it to happen. Try
watching your favorite anime next time and see how many
times objects seem to be pulled into existence from
thin air by your favorite characters. You'd be surprised
at how many times it happens.
Let's
look at a typical example. Here is the process of Katsuhito
from Tenchi Muyo pulling a sword out from seemingly
nowhere (there was no evidence of a large wooden sword
in his clothes before this scene, either).
Sure,
your first reaction might be "he had it hidden
down his back or in a sheath somewhere", but this
isn't the case. Katsuhito is wearing clothing that would
definitely show if he had a sword tucked away on his
back somewhere. Moreover, in the next scene, you see
his grandson Tenchi pull out a sword as well - from
a school uniform that is definitely not loose enough
to hide a weapon without visible evidence. The fact
that Katsuhito was able to pull a sword out means that
he had it somewhere. But where? This is the mystery
that is Hammerspace. Somehow, he accessed a hidden dimension
somewhere and got what he needed. How this is, or why
it happens are still mysteries left unexplained. Even
more maddening is the fact that anime characters don't
seem to make such a big deal out of this - and in fact,
many of them access Hammerspace unknowingly, merely
concentrating on what they need to get at the time.
Maybe you have an explanation, but I sure as hell don't.
Now
we've looked at the way physics works in anime, from
the explainable to the mysterious, let's take a look
behind the physics of anime and see some of the real
reasons for the things that happen. We'll end the class
with a more realistic look at the scientific wonders
of anime and see why things are as they are. It's most
definitely a lot easier to explain than in the real
world, that's for sure.
>>Go
to Lesson 5 - Behind
the Physics and Beyond
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