AMNESIA IN ANIME: UNEXCEPTIONAL OR UNFORGETTABLE?

RAHM JETHANI - Managing Editor, 1st Year, Undeclared

...I forgot what I wanted to say.

Within anime and manga, amnesia is a heavily utilized trope. It has seen so much usage that it has developed a negative association with cheap storytelling and underwhelming plot twists, despite it being used for the opposite effect. However, despite the commonality of this trope, it appears time and time again. This may be for a few reasons, although the most common usage is for an amnesiac protagonist to serve as a way for information to be conveyed to the audience while maintaining immersion.

An example of this type of storytelling occurs in 07-Ghost, where the amnesiac Teito Klein is introduced to a fantastical world with completely different rules than our own. Through him, the audience is diegetically shown how the world of 07-Ghost functions. Within the anime (and more throughout the manga), Teito recovers his memory, which recontextualizes his presence in the world. This is done carefully so as to not overwhelm the audience, and it efficiently builds a strong connection between the viewers and the show. This type of amnesia in anime and manga is probably the most inoffensive yet boring type.

Some anime try to put a spin on the amnesia trope, whether through creative nonlinear storytelling, or through prolonging its effect on the plot to create a profound climax. An example of the latter type working effectively is presented within Angel Beats! It starts off with our amnesiac protagonist, Yuzuru Otonashi, waking up in the afterlife. Like with Teito, the audience sees through Otonashi’s eyes how the world works. All of this is the same.

An important difference between this show compared to others, however, is the handling of how Otonashi’s memories are revealed. Many shows, such as Code Geass R2, handle the revelation of a character’s memories very poorly, often feeling like filler content or an afterthought. In the case of Angel Beats!, something unusual is done. Otonashi’s memories are revealed just around halfway through the show, and while they certainly influence the story, the big emotional impact of his past hits hard in the last episode. This is effectively a sort of memory reveal in terms of its function, but the unique position of these characters having died allows the writers to create memorable moments, culminating in an unforgettable finale.

Amnesia within stories is inherently going to create nonlinear moments through flashbacks. So, what can make these flashbacks engaging without breaking the flow of the narrative? To find that answer, there is perhaps no better example than the Pandora Hearts manga (as the anime was discontinued).

Pandora Hearts explores amnesia wonderfully through its plot twists. What makes them effective is in what is recontextualized. Or, more importantly, who.

Pandora Hearts, summarized briefly, is about a boy and a girl – Oz and Alice – who are trying to discover the meaning behind supernatural events that have overtaken their lives. Alice has amnesia, and in a sense, Oz does as well. The story introduces many characters who, through Alice’s and Oz’s flashbacks, are revealed to be more deeply involved than initially thought. No one in this story is who they appear, and this makes the recollection of memories so crucial. So many stories use amnesia to reveal plot twists that change the narrative, but by using it to fundamentally change multiple characters’ natures, more excitement and tension can be invoked (this must be carefully done, though). Pandora Hearts masterfully uses amnesia as a plot device, and the way it’s used is able to keep the nonlinear nature of flashbacks interesting.

While amnesia is super common in anime and manga, it can be used to create amazing moments if done right. So many do amnesia wrong, but exceptional outliers can hopefully encourage better storytelling within the medium. Since this trope has no signs of slowing down, the best thing to do is to utilize it differently than any series before to create an unforgettable masterpiece.