Show Notes

This week, we recap, review, and analyze Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (機動戦士Ζガンダム) episode 9 - "A New Bond" (新しい絆), discuss our first impressions, and provide commentary and research on autism - it's history in Japan and the world, the understanding and perception of autism in 1985, and what exactly Kamille and the writers mean when Kamille calls himself an "autistic child."

PLUS - additional nuance to the word 絆 (kizuna) from the episode title.

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- Jisho.org page on jiheishou/自閉症.

- A very readable history of autism science.

- Web page of the Autism Society Japan (Japanese).

- Autism Society Japan forum thread discussing Kamille's autism / Tomino's use of autism generally (Japanese).

- Bruno Bettelheim Wikipedia page.

- "Refrigerator mother" theory.

- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) page on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

- Entry from the Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders on "Japan and Autism":

Kurita, Hiroshi. “Japan and Autism.” Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders, SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PU, 2019, pp. 1–6.

- Excellent overview of the history of the autism diagnosis, and the development of the concept of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

- Article from the Tokyo Autism Society webpage on "What is Asperger's syndrome?"/「アスペルガー症候群を知っていますか？」 Addresses behaviors and common misconceptions. (webpage is mostly in Japanese but this article is in English)

- Example of 1980's epidemiological autism research:

“Epidemiology of infantile autism in southern Ibaraki, Japan: Differences in prevalence in birth cohorts” Tanoue, Y., Oda, S., Asano, F. et al. J Autism Dev Disord (1988) 18: 155. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02211943

- Japanese Wikipedia page about autism (specifically addresses common misconceptions and historical controversies in Japan ).

- Spectrum News article about Lorna Wing, the autism researcher who proposed ASD (autism spectrum disorder) as a model.

- Japanese Wikipedia page for 絆 (kizuna).

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