History Astro Boy, created by Osamu Tezuka, known as the “father of manga”, is known as the first true cartoon that embodied the aesthetics that would later be known as anime. About a boy robot and his adventures, Tezuka was trying to show a world where man and technology coexist. Tezuka’s art was inspired by Walt Disney and Max Fleischer, and his themes were inspired by the atom bomb droppings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
Definitions Anime: Japanese style of animation Manga: Japanese style comic book Mania: Someone with fanatical enthusiasm for a particular subject Otaku: Literally, “your home”; obsessed fans, primarily of anime and manga
Key Artists Osamu Tezuka Leiji Matsumoto Isao Takahata Shigeru Komatsuzaki
Where are we?
Key Works Astro Boy Space Battleship Yamato Grave of the Fireflies
Why?
At a bomb test site.
We’re anime characters and we were brought here to Show our worth.
Osamu Tezuka and his characters
Japanese artist Shigeru Komatsuzaki left a legacy with his graphic depictions of war in his paintings. The paintings reminded the older generation of war and dread, while the newer generation, bombarded by war documentaries at the dawn of the TV age, fantasized of commanding an immense military force. Leiji Matsumoto, inspired by these “war pictures”, created the anime Space Battleship Yamato, launching the Anime boom of the 1970s. Space Battleship Yamato, based on the name of the Japanese battleship and Japan’s last hope in World War II, was instrumental in the rise of otaku subculture, as it dealt with radiation, sympathized with the antagonists, and discussed overpopulation issues.
You see, anime stories originate from the history of Japan and the aftermath of nuclear destruction.
These type of Japanese animations explore Japan’s faults in the Pacific War, while incorporating a positive message of changing values to peace; using machinery for joy instead of for war.
This makes it easy for generations of fans looking for a brighter future with a keen interest in technology to fall in love with this style and their themes, a part of otaku culture. A painting by Shigeru Komatsuzaki
This obsession with otaku, known as mania, is usually harmless, with fans proudly decorating their rooms and backpacks with their favorite characters. However, sometimes it gets worse.
Space Battleship Yamato
Over time there have been domestic terrorist groups in Japan that used anime to lure in members.
That is why we appeared on this island where we await destruction.
But WE won’t let that happen!
Aum Shinrikyo’s Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo Subway on March 20, 1996, was the most serious attack to occur in Japan since the end of World War II. A domestic terrorist attack, the cult released sarin gas in several main lines of the Tokyo Metro, killing thirteen people, and injuring thousands. The group looked to attack trains passing through Kasumigaseki and Nagatacho, home to the Japanese government, in attempt to overthrow the government, and insteall group leader Shoko Asahara as the “emperor” of Japan. Aum Shinrikyo was inspired by anime, using an anime film for their recruitment efforts. Space Battleship Yamato in particular influenced the cult, naming their own air purifiers for the attack “Cosmo Cleaners”, a direct reference from the show. The media and the public turned against otaku subculture at this point.
After one of these groups carried out a Sarin gas attack on the Toyko subway in 1995, the media and parts of the public in Japan turned against Anime.
Shoko Asahara
But I thoUght the people of Japan love us. surley a few bad eggs couldn’t cause this?
That’s true. entire regions of cities are dedicated to collecting and trading manga, or japanese comics, and manga newspapers.Are the top 2 and 3 most subcribed newspapers in the country.
Shonen Jump, a weekly manga newspaper with a circulation of 6.5 million, is Japan’s second most subscribed newspaper nationally. To put this in perspective, Japan’s largest daily newspaper, Yomiuri Newspaper, has a circulation of 10 million.
Akihabara, a region of Tokyo dominated by otaku
Technology
Definitions Mecha: A robot-based genre; initially used to sell toy robots, but began incorporating messages of anti-war Figure: Pronounced figyua in Japanese; plastic representations of popular characters
We have their power on our side. Here we have Shin. He’s your everyday manga fan.
Key Artists Hideaki Anno Yoshiyuki Tomino Mitsuteru Yokoyama
Key Works Neon Genesis Evangelion Mobile Suit Gundam Tetsujin 28-go
Hi...
At the end of World War II, many Japanese children were left without a home. In the postwar subculture that proliferated from the 1960’s onward, Japanese art rarely adressed this topic, but anime did. Grave of the Fireflies is a 1988 anime film by Isao Takahata, about two children orphaned by the Kobe firebombings of March 17, 1945, as they lose their struggle for survival. Takahata states that this meant to invoke sympathy in young manga readers who feel isolated from society. Neon Genesis Evangelion is an anime by GAINAX Studios that hit the same year as Aum Shrinkyo’s attack, and went on to be a massive hit. The anime is about a group of 14-year old orphaned protagonists endowed with unique powers being called into duty, like the schoolcildren mobilized to labor at factories during World War II.
Grave of the Fireflies live action poster
The protagonist of Neon Genesis Evangelion being abandoned
Shin has grown a special connection with anime and manga. You see, he was raised without parents, like many children after the Pacific War, and portrayed in Anime. He’s very quiet, but he’s been brilliant, and has a wild imagination and interest intechnology. He’s been working on his father’s robot.
The Japanese love to create robots; not only in manga and anime, but real, physical robots. They view robots as extentions of themselves. These robots were partially inspired by Astro Boy, and in part inspired the anime Mobile Suit Gundam (1979), which paved the way for robot or “mecha” anime’s, leading up to Neon Genesis Evangelion. Gundam was so popular because it questioned the meaning of fighting, and gave the enemy a righteous cause. Gundam turned the mecha genre from a promotional tool to sell toy robots, to a genre with deeper meaning. The robots in the anime are made to look like ultimate weapons. Over time, robots in animes began to look much more organic and like animals.
My father used this for conquest. He used this to invade his enemies. It led to his death. I’ll be using this to defend my city. To defend my friends. Mobile Suit Gundam
Neon Genesis Evangelion
And I’m installing the shield.
Honda Robot
I just removed the gun.
Great job SHin. We’ll be needing you soon.
Cute
Definitions Kawaii: A genre of cute characters and related products Yuru Chara: A group of characters made for the government by local artists to promote their regions specialties and events; literally “loose characters” Tokusatsu: A genre of special effects using costumes and small sets
The current Japanese Constitution, known as the “Peace Constitution”, was promulgated on November 3, 1946. Drafted by General Douglas MacArthur, Article 9 of the document explicitly renounced war “as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.” This American-made constitution prevented the nation from taking an aggressive stance, thus putting the Japanese people in a mindset of dependency. It is this childlike role that Japan willingly complied with that may have led to the uprise of “kawaii” or cute culture. Although the constitution is still intact, it has been reinterpreted to allow Japan to fight in the current situation in Iraq.
Key Artists Yuko Shimizu Sanrio Ken Sugimori
Key Works Hello Kitty Pokemon My Neighbor Totoro
Not only do fans support us. Even the government uses anime.
A poster with the words of Article 9
The Japanese government using Yuru Chara to promote different regions shows how popular the genre is. The characters coming to life in form of actors in costumes is very much like the genre of tokusatsu in which the Japanese would use costumes and sets as a form of special effects. One of the earliest tokusatsu films is Godzilla from 1954, directed by Inoshiro Honda; Japan’s first and most famous monster movie. In the film, Godzilla was awoken from a hydrogen bomb test, and proceeds to terrorize the city of Japan. The dread of nuclear holocaust is apparent in this film, which went on to influence otaku culture. Another popular tokusatsu work that is popular in otaku culture is Ultraman from 1966, about an alien posing as a human, to defend the human race.
The government has even created an entire collection of anime characters to promote regional specialties, organizations, and events all throughout Japan. These mascots, known as Yuru Chara, are brought to life in costumes.
By creating these local icons, the Japanese are following the same ancient Shinto tradition a myriad of gods into “characters”.
These characters along with others are made to be commercially viable, and so are irrefutably "cute", or kawaii.
Godzilla
HelLo!!!!!!
Oh, hey there little fella. I didn’t see you there.
Unlike other characters that have a similar fanbase, kawaii characters do not have dramatic storylines, which convey a sense of lethargy to their audience. Lives are only given to these characters in public events. The characters are “spaced out with peace”, standing for the Japanese themselves. Once having everything blown away in a flash, an infantile culture gained strength under a puppet national infrastructure. What emerged was a culture frozen in its infacy. The kawaii characters fit in so well with an otaku’s groundless, optimistic attitude toward the future, as there is no deceit in their lethargic smiles. The characters are also made with short limbs and beady eyes as markers of an introvert, like many anime fans are.
Yep! And I’ll be here on your shoulder so in case you get too tired to move on I’ll make sure you do!!
Yuru Chara These cute or "kawaii" characters are dominant becuase they allow a moment of softness in an otherwise tough atmosphere.
A lot of our characters have come from war, so these cute characters exist by their side to distract us from these thoughts while incorporating the same animation styles. They are also marketing gems.
Face it, I’m irrestistable!
What was that?!
M O BO
Since Japan has been a testing ground for an American-style capitalist economy, they have experienced many high peaks. Kawaii characters and their products make up a good part of the marketplace. Akihabara, a region in Tokyo, is full of stores of kawaii characters, along with other otaku products. The most successful company that produces kawaii products is Sanrio, who created the internationally popular character Hello Kitty. Sanrio earns over $1 billion dollars annually.
Kiddy Land, a popular kawaii chain store
Fighting Many animes discuss fighting, and what should be worth fighting for. Hayao Miyazaki, director of many classic anime films including Spirited Away (2001), the highest-grossing film in Japanese screen history, makes many of his films about this theme. His movie Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) features a wizard who is evaded his obligations to partake in war until he fell in love with a woman he wanted to protect. It doesn’t take long for the wizard to break down into an evil fighting machine, showing how war breaks down the human spirit. The wizard is saved and turns good again as he travels to the past and rediscovers himself. This is based on Miyazaki’s own childhood experiences of escaping Tokyo during World War II. Like Osamu Tezuka, Miyazaki’s art is absed on Walt Disney, however the body parts are more realistic to match the more mature themes.
A drawing of Hayao Miyazaki and many of his characters
Key Artists Akira Toriyama Hayao Miyazaki
Key Works Dragon Ball Howl’s Moving Castle Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
What are you two doing? We need to be working together!
We are. We’re training.
Dragonbot, come here! I’ll be flying with dragon. IF I see any incoming bombs, It’ll have to face us!
Ha! Even if we make it, I’m only working TOgether to get through this. Afterwords, I am going to prove to him that I’m the better fighter. I’m going to destroy him.
Shonen Jump, the manga newspaper, has a philosophy of “friendship, struggle, and victory.” The characters in Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball focus on young martial artists as they fight, win, lose, learn lessons, and fight some more, as enemies become friends. The characters can still fight even after death, allowing the manga to run for over 520 installments. This allowed a peak in a never ending form of entertainment.
Why can’t you just stop fighting? You’re so immature!
Shonen Jump Weekly
I need to fight him. I need to win. I need it for my honor.
Post-Apocalypse
Key Artists Katsuhiro Otomo Kazuo Tomizawa Kenji Yanobe
Key Works Akira Mobile Suit Gundam Neon Genesis Evangelion Silent Mobius Ghost in the Shell
I have to get out of here. They’ve kept me here for weeks.
Sure. They’ve given me a cozy home here. It’s easy to get... comfortable. And I’m safe here underground. I’m starting to feel strange.
But what I want is my freedom.
A very large amount of manga and anime use the story element of planetary bombs falling to earth and exploding in blinding white light, followed by brilliant red. To accomplish this, many narratives being in the catastrophic aftermath of an atomic explosion. This is because of a longing for some fundamental human power to awaken when huanity is backed into a corner. A popular post-apocalyptic anime is Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira (1988). His innovation to the art style was mechanically cropped images to create a floatless atmosphere. Each panel in his 9-year serial manga was an individual piece of art.
A panel from Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira
Agh... What is this? Why do I feel so weird?
AHHH
HHH
M O O
B
An art installation by Katsuhiro Otomo
Hey! I can’t Let You Go!
Why do you want this? Huh? You’re just as much of a prisoner as me down here, on this island. All you do is follow orders.
I can’t let you go. It’s my duty.
BOOM These powers are strong. And so is my desire for freedom.
Many of these post-apocalyptic stories deal with a government trying to take control in the chaotic aftermath, while the protagonists try and fight for freedom. This is a cry of freedom from a defeated Japan, its own constitution legislated by another nation after the war. Although the United States brought freedom and democracy to Japan, these anime question if this was really a gift. At the end of Akira, the destroyed city rebuilds itself in front of the protagonists; the reconstruction of skyscrapers representing a movement from dystopia to utopia. Otomo was heavily influenced by Tezuka, and references Astro Boy and the manga grammar that was created from it, making Akira a meta-manga.
Bishojo Bishojo is a type of character that is scene in many manga and comics. Bishojo means “beautiful young girl”. Although many shows are made up of Bishojo characters, the term Bishojo in reference to the genre itself is demeaning, implying the shows are made only to market character products. Instead these shows are called harem. After Aum Shinrikyo’s attack changed the otaku scene, interests shifted from science fiction to “moe”, which are styles of characters.
An otaku age group exists, where older otaku were fascinated with science fiction, and interests gradually turned to moe anime and bishojo games. How this evolution took place is a topic of debate among otaku that goes on to this day. However, it is noted that otaku seem to be interested in images of beautiful young girls because society finds it strange, and otaku have an urge for the unnacceptable, indulging in their shy behaviors. A gender gap exists as well, with women enjoying the cute designs of bishojo, while certain men exert distorted sexual thoughts onto the characters, which is a problem for other male fans who enjoy bishojo because it reminds them of protecting the innocent, and of fatherhood. Artist Ohshima Yuki captures this dilemma in his bishojo figures. One example is his figure “Shinyokohama Arina in Akihabara” (2004), as a young girl straddles the city of Akihabara, Japan’s center of otaku.
Definitions Bishojo: :”beautiful young girls”, a genre of anime, manga, and games Moe: :Literally “bursting into bud”, a rarefied pseudo-love for certain fictional characters and their related embodiments Dame: “no good”, “unacceptable”, “hopeless”, or “inept”
Key Artists Naoko Takeuchi Mahomi Kunikata Ohshima Yuki
Oh, there you are! Is there anyone else we’re missing?
Key Works Sailor Moon Mahoromatic Shinyokohama Arina in Akihabara The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Hey! Forget about me?
Oh of course! Saila here is part of the “bishojo” or “beautiful girl” SCENE.
In the 1980's, otaku dreamt of employing supernatural powers and technology to create a new, better world after an apocalypse. Ever since Aum Shinrikyo's subway attack in 1995, this fantasy in which otaku would be heroes was shattered. After this collapse, otaku interests steadily shifted to "moe", which is a strong interest in a particular style of character, and how they are drawn.
Bishojo is one type of character that caught on in particular, in a culure that embraces cute characters, attracting fans from young girls to men in their thirties longing for fatherhood.
Shinyokohama Arina in Akihabara
We all need to work together. It’s coming soon. What Do I have to do?
“Dame” is a story device used in manga and anime in which pathetic, unnacceptable behavior is apparent in the protagonists. This goes along with otaku’s bashful behavior. When Neon Genesis Evangelion came out in 1995, everyone fell in love with dame as the main character doesn’t try harder to solve his problems. Dame is based on classic Japanese literature, jun-bungaku (pure literature), which was also about the unacceptable.
You'll figure it out. You're a product of the histories and lessons of the Japanese. You will know what to do when it comes to saving us.
A poster for jun-bungaku
It’s here! It’s coming!
Hey You GUys!
NO!!
wait! I’m here to help! I don’t want anymore prisoners. I don’t want any more war.
Okay. Let’s do this.
Heroism
Definitions Uyiko-e: literally, “pictures of the floating world� Nihonga: modern exponent of traditional Japanese painting
Key Artists Akira Toriyama Noboru Tsubaki Aya Takano
Key Works Princess Mononoke Spirited Away Dragonball Z
Themes of heroism and sacrifice are prevalent throughout anime. Wanting to use technology and robots for the good of mankind, otaku fans, tinged with the nostalgia of destruction and starting society over, fantasize about being heroes in a new world where they help rebuild society. In this world of heroes, enemies become friends to work together to maintain peace in a once broken society.
AH
! ! H H H H H H H
No. It isn't enough. We're so close but its not enough.
We’ve branded tough themes for any age group to enjoy, helping to comfort and educate Japanese children at a young age of their country’s history with war and nuclear destruction.
I can do this!
It can't be. I know we have the power. Ever since the franchise Pokemon helped bring Anime to other countries in 1997, we have been in the mainstream eyes. And with director HAyao Miyazaki winning awards for his anime films from the past decade, the art form has started to become appreciated by critics.
I’m not afraid of you, bomb. You’ve been a part of us before, but we learned. And here we are, using technology to protect ourselves from you. All we need is... mY HOPE and good nature.
Japanese artist Takashi Murakami has noted all of the connections made between nuclear annihilation and anime. All of the research for his theories are compiled in the book for his exhibition, “Little Boy: The Arts of Japan’s Exploding Subculture”, connecting postwar Japanese psyche to anime and modern day otaku culture. A famous series of images Murakami has made is Time Bokan, named after the anime. In the anime, the villians plan would fail in the end as they would be destroyed in a mushroom cloud explosion. Children learned not to fear this image, but to love it, as the villians returned each week without injury. By exaggerating and stylizing this mushroom cloud, Murakami self-mockingly portrays the confounding tendency of Japanese culture to find cuteness in an icon of war.
Takashi Murakami’s “Time Bokan - Pink’
The phrase otaku has a negative connotation in Japan because of the association with Aum Shinrikyo and related events, but the storytelling and style that make up anime and manga are just as popular as ever in Japan, and more popular than ever in the international scene. In America, otaku holds a different connotation, as a sort of pride in one’s knowledge of the subculture.
Destruction The atom bomb “Little Boy” was dropped on Hiroshima by America on August 6th, 1945, at 8:15 AM, in a successful effort to end World War II. Nagasaki was bombed 3 days later by the atom bomb entitled “Fat Man”. The survivors gave their own nickname to the bob, known as “Pika-don”, in reference to the intense flash of light (pika) and sound of the blast (don) it produced. By the end of the year, an estimated 140 thousand died of bomb-related causes. The cities have recovered, but the bombs have left a permanent scar on Japanese history. Pikadon symbolizes the visual, aural, and other sensory imprints that were made on the Japanese psyche, which may have led to otaku and kawaii subcultures.
Key Artists: Katsuhiro Otomo Toshio Okada Yasuhiro Takeda Hideaki Anno Hiroyuki Yamaga Takami Akai
Key Works: Akira DAICON III opening animation DAICON IV opening animation Godzilla
!
NO
NO
!
A photograph of Hiroshima after the bombing
Many anime’s depict a large nuclear explosion as an explosion of blinding white light. This type of explosion is prevalent in a very large amount of important animes. DAICON, a Japanese science fiction convention that breeded otaku, featured opening animations that would go on to be landmark anime shorts. They featured abundant references to elements of otaku subculture, such as Godzilla and Space Battleship Yamato, while demonstrating an extraordinary artistic and technical talent. In the end of the DAICON IV opening animation, the fundemental metaphor of the atomic bomb, a symbol of destruction and rebirth, explodes in an unexpected way. As the explosion destroys everything, a beam powered by tons of otaku characters goes off and brings life back to the world.
!
NO
NO
!
An explosion still from the Akira anime
An explosion drawing from the Akira manga
An explosion still from the DAICON IV opening animation
Wait! What’s HAPPENING?!
An explosion still from Dragon Ball
Reconstruction
Key Artists Takashi Murakami Hideaki Anno Toshio Okada
Key Works Time Bokan series DAICON IV opening animation Neon Genesis Evangeilion
Although otaku are fascinated with dame, the unacceptable, and with the depiction of destruction, in the end of most animes comes a glimmer of hope towards a better future. This shows that even though otaku are interested in the unacceptable, they view themselves as the good guys. At the end of the anime masterpiece Neon Genesis Evangelion, focus is on the protagonist and his painful search for what his life means as a person and as a part of his society. When he finally accepts his fate in society, he becomes comfortable with himself, and the ruined world around him turns into a beautiful world of life. This is based on director Hideaki Anno’s own psychological dilemmas, and epitomizes the difficult obstacles faced by postwar Japan, a nation that had recovered from the trauma of war only to find that it had to rediscover itself. Certain parts of the otaku subculture are viewed down on by parts of society, but the subculture has grown so large into the mainstream national and international scene that otaku blend in seamlessly. The critical acclaim of anime films in the past decade along with the spread of the culture to the rest of the world cemented anime’s place in the world as a legitimate form of storytelling.
They’re... They’re OTAKU characters! TONS OF THEM!
We DID IT! HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WOULD BE OKAY?
The bomb is only technology. It’s only bad if we put it to bad use. My good human nature overpowered the bomb, and instead, it was used for good!
Hey, YOu!
Great work out there. So, you don’t want to fight anymore?
A panel from the end of Akira of people rebuilding the city
A panel from the end of Akira of the rebuilt city
No I don’t. I realized that I was fighting for selfish reasons; for my own ego. Instead, I should be fighting to defend my friends. To defend us all. An otaku beam bringing life back into the world in the DAICON IV opening animation
Yeah! Lets do it! Lets keep helping our friends! When we work together, we can overcome anything.
And So, the JAPANESE STYLE characters, using good nature, overcame the struggle against nuclear chaos. The characters went on to continue their stories, telling the TALES OF A japan that has rebuilt itself, touching the lives of children and adults across the world.
THE END
The protagonist of Neon Genesis Evangelion brings life back to the earth after he finds his place in the world