// FMP & Thesis – #2

Taking the feedback from the first draft and reconsidering my initial sentiments to the subject, I decided to take a few steps back from the research, filter out the interesting-yet-unimportant aspects and focused on a few keywords. This helped me to map out what exactly I was interested in writing about, and how the array of research I had performed can help to pull everything together. It ultimately looked less about observing transhumanist notions within a children’s show, and more about analysing the element of “Henshin” and how the gadgets demonstrate it so.

 

 

Whilst the focus of the thesis became more and more clear, it was also apparent that I did not have enough research in this particular direction (having previously focused on the transhumanist side of things). Thus I further explored and researched relevant areas that felt related to this niche subject. The keyword that helped to develop the thesis further was “Enchantment”, supplemented by:

• The writings of Anne Allison, who provided the foundation for some of the main critical insights into Tokusatsu for this thesis
• The writings of Bruno Bettelheim and the idea of Enchantment, which was also referenced by Allison in her writings
• David Rose and his pursuit of Enchanted Objects, for a more IxD related form of Enchantment
• This particular study of Enchantment in HCi

 

 

It also helped that whilst I do not possess any of the Tokusatsu toy merchandises which this thesis analyses (nor do I have the purchasing power to buy them), many video reviews and demonstrations online had helped to demonstrate their playability and the interactions which I found enchanting. It also helped that the show’s production companies are more and more willing to utilise youtube as a side-material platform, publishing videos that both promote the show and the toy in the form of special episodes.

 

 

After taking in further research on Enchantment and finding new directions, ideas and theories to supplement the thesis, a new brainstorm was made to map out everything. This time it took a bit more space than an A4 sheet.

 

 

Over the last few weeks of the summer period, the whirlpool of ideas, keywords and analysis slowly formed together and paved way for the thesis. Focusing on Enchantment and how it mingles with the aspect of Henshin, combined with short, yet detailed examples featured within some of the shows, the second draft managed to be kept just under the 5000 word limit, offering a brief yet (supposedly) interesting insight. The second draft was finished and submitted at the beginning of the final term.