Like other art forms, manga and anime also seem to allow for more subversiveness since they are not “serious” media in the elite’s eyes. Gender equality/identity in anime can be more progressive than in the real world (especially compared to traditional societies of East Asia), albeit often still constrained by the male gaze. There’s generally a rejection of authority figures in anime that you don’t quite see in Japan as much. In anime, kids, rebels, pirates, gangs, etc., can get power and exercise it more responsibly than the status quo authorities. Meanwhile live action entertainment is usually more inoffensive to traditionalists. There might be ONE strong female character, but not a whole cast of them. And the good guys usually work for law and order (detectives, samurai, etc.).
I’m going to take the juxtaposition of this post and your recent post on the radicalism of 60s students in Japan as an excuse to ask about a hypothesis i’ve long wondered about. I hope you’ll forgive the tangent.
Namely: animators who came out of that milieu were familiar with cod-Marx and through that had heard odds and ends about Hegel, and the World Spirit driving History. This, in turn, fed into some of the apocalyptic anime. In particular, *Evangelion’s* Human Complementation Project was Hegelian (though probably grabbing the symbolism along with Cabbalah, Christianity, and a big dose of Freud just “because it was cool”).
The first wave of postwar animators -- especially the Seventies, with "Galaxy Express" and "Gundam" and all of that -- were definitely politicized, because the principals were at least indirectly connected to the protest movements, even if they didn't protest themselves.
But the wave of animators who came after them never experienced that history directly and were more interested in anime in and of itself than in politics. Anno is a perfect example, a superfan turned pro whose entire identity revolves around anime and live-action shows. His references to anime are deep; his references to politics are often quite garbled. Yet his portrayal of an abused, alienated boy in the form of Shinji deeply resonated with young Japanese in the Lost Decades, so you can't call him apolitical, either. It's an interesting question as to if he's really channeling philosophy or just picking and choosing what feels cool.
I'd actually love to read somebody write a PhD on that topic:
"My research examines how protest movements across divergent political contexts appropriate the narrative of rebellion in One Piece, particularly its struggle against an oligarchic ‘World Government.’ By comparing interpretations in authoritarian regimes in XYZ with those in fragile democracies in the West, the study investigates how a single cultural text can generate varied forms of dissent, solidarity, and symbolic resistance across global settings."
I doubt it. In fact, I doubt Oda, who of course write/draws ONE PIECE, thinks much about the broader political implications his work has taken on abroad.
It's probably for the best. It wouldn't be good for his headspace if he did. Look at JK Rowling and Elon Musk. They mistook interest in their IP as a general interest in their opinions and politics. I think that was folly.
The Koby/Luffy paradox is that both men are great friends, and they both share the same vision for a safer, happier, more just world that is free of corruption and authoritarianism. However! They differ in the methods to achieve that end. Koby is a more realistic hero because he is a reformer, attempting to change the system from within. Luffy, is more of a raw revolutionary who is ready to bring the old corrupt system crashing down entirely in order to build something new in its place. Like all populists, Luffy won't be the one who sticks around to do the building work. He'll sail off into the sunset seeking his next adventure, forever remembered as a hero. Koby will be the one left with the rebuilding, and because he is a dedicated Marine, it means that the brave new world may resemble the old world too much for the true-believers to go along with.
Like other art forms, manga and anime also seem to allow for more subversiveness since they are not “serious” media in the elite’s eyes. Gender equality/identity in anime can be more progressive than in the real world (especially compared to traditional societies of East Asia), albeit often still constrained by the male gaze. There’s generally a rejection of authority figures in anime that you don’t quite see in Japan as much. In anime, kids, rebels, pirates, gangs, etc., can get power and exercise it more responsibly than the status quo authorities. Meanwhile live action entertainment is usually more inoffensive to traditionalists. There might be ONE strong female character, but not a whole cast of them. And the good guys usually work for law and order (detectives, samurai, etc.).
Or if not law and order, upholding some kind of "lost" traditional values (yakuza films spring to mind.)
Fascinating trend, Matt.
I’m going to take the juxtaposition of this post and your recent post on the radicalism of 60s students in Japan as an excuse to ask about a hypothesis i’ve long wondered about. I hope you’ll forgive the tangent.
Namely: animators who came out of that milieu were familiar with cod-Marx and through that had heard odds and ends about Hegel, and the World Spirit driving History. This, in turn, fed into some of the apocalyptic anime. In particular, *Evangelion’s* Human Complementation Project was Hegelian (though probably grabbing the symbolism along with Cabbalah, Christianity, and a big dose of Freud just “because it was cool”).
The first wave of postwar animators -- especially the Seventies, with "Galaxy Express" and "Gundam" and all of that -- were definitely politicized, because the principals were at least indirectly connected to the protest movements, even if they didn't protest themselves.
But the wave of animators who came after them never experienced that history directly and were more interested in anime in and of itself than in politics. Anno is a perfect example, a superfan turned pro whose entire identity revolves around anime and live-action shows. His references to anime are deep; his references to politics are often quite garbled. Yet his portrayal of an abused, alienated boy in the form of Shinji deeply resonated with young Japanese in the Lost Decades, so you can't call him apolitical, either. It's an interesting question as to if he's really channeling philosophy or just picking and choosing what feels cool.
I'd actually love to read somebody write a PhD on that topic:
"My research examines how protest movements across divergent political contexts appropriate the narrative of rebellion in One Piece, particularly its struggle against an oligarchic ‘World Government.’ By comparing interpretations in authoritarian regimes in XYZ with those in fragile democracies in the West, the study investigates how a single cultural text can generate varied forms of dissent, solidarity, and symbolic resistance across global settings."
I’m so happy you wrote about but this, but are fans annd anctivists aware of the Luffy/Koby Paradox?
I doubt it. In fact, I doubt Oda, who of course write/draws ONE PIECE, thinks much about the broader political implications his work has taken on abroad.
It's probably for the best. It wouldn't be good for his headspace if he did. Look at JK Rowling and Elon Musk. They mistook interest in their IP as a general interest in their opinions and politics. I think that was folly.
The Koby/Luffy paradox is that both men are great friends, and they both share the same vision for a safer, happier, more just world that is free of corruption and authoritarianism. However! They differ in the methods to achieve that end. Koby is a more realistic hero because he is a reformer, attempting to change the system from within. Luffy, is more of a raw revolutionary who is ready to bring the old corrupt system crashing down entirely in order to build something new in its place. Like all populists, Luffy won't be the one who sticks around to do the building work. He'll sail off into the sunset seeking his next adventure, forever remembered as a hero. Koby will be the one left with the rebuilding, and because he is a dedicated Marine, it means that the brave new world may resemble the old world too much for the true-believers to go along with.