EARTH IN MY WINDOW
Takashi Murakami ALE iranslated by Linda Hoaglund)
Little Boy 1. ‘Little Boys Figure fa.1
Howl and Sophie, from Howl’s Moving Castle The ONTO scent of summeris a kamikaze [divine wind] MDE OUVOLEY J4t-3 BOs Wie LTC pm 2004 “Avanished future dreams of tomorrow Animated film; director: MARARM RASRCRit ©296 Niwa -GHODOT Hayao Miyazaki Gleaming wings, a terrified profile HOW RARER Feigning blissful ignorance when weall know ASABLT BARMOTHSE An historic first, a midsummer memory eRHO BBORUH Don't ever forget, proudly beaming BRBWNT BB® Struttinglike a star; can you soar through the big summer sky? AF-FROT HOKLBAS AW? “That you may never have a second chance BOWES =ScmURE We really hope,we'reall praying REMSk HABTHSTSE
int ever forget, by the way, we're BNBWT SRHICRS Japanese, too, for better or worse BRAEE WUNsmus ‘Swingit from your hands, proudly underthe big summer sky FOFERS EC BOKPMERH Farewell to arms, under the midsummer sky Figure 1a.2 RELA5if BBOee Enola Gay ts smile in a corner of the room RVELES LID-94 BROMT Pato: onve € Staley, National Air und Space Museum 10's that staring, who's that hiding there? Sithecnian instnution(1 9-4 CDSEATWS TTICMNTUSOMLM? £EnkKTORLT
Ae Bee Bier (Kieell, "Enola Gay,” 2004; lyrics and music (FEISS - 94) HERRHEE byTakefumi Tsujimura)*
perianioot JABRAC 20044)" 3,ons
AMPLY. ABORT On August6, 1945, for the first time in actual warfare, 19454F8A6H. MABOHOL CHALE over Little Boys an atomic bomb, nicknamed “Little Boy,” exploded SW RICHA ORFAAR the city of Hiroshima(pl. 6). Three days later, on August (pl. 6)TOR AYESNAHZ DADATS| 9, a second atomic bomb, nicknamed “Fat Man,”hit Mi" Fatman 210 ADSE3THAL SEONTS) Nagasaki. Together, the two bombskilled more than (REE the after- ROBRBURIEMATT APT HORE thousand people; when survivors afflicted by rises to SSSUCHRROS OE effects of the bombsare included, the figure LY VOOROBE some 370 thousand.Afterthe tragic explosive-destruc- Wo HBHORICA tive-Whiteout! of the bombs, only burned-out rubble AoRERRAGABOBICRRICROE vacant EDtee GEORGE OR\ remained: wasteland upon wasteland, utterly (CRD of BEBAERAFERL, SFICSLIA land. After the blinding white light, a conflagration of pitch- L feo orange ... and then, instantaneously,a torrent SERED rained black rubble and mangled body parts actually 2005.HOOF.BNOBA, Palle. on the people on the ground. UPUBARICEMRSTHIERAIVTS. Shortly thereafter, Japan surrendered unconditionally, ET DBDLWHEMRICSBORD bringing the fifteen-year Pacific Warto an end. RUREDOA, BBSOWESS ES, Japanis RYT APONIWYREALORELG 2005. Sixty years after the war. Contemporary BARAOEROLOMBRHESHER Figure 1a.3 at peace. AF4 FORBAMEICDBWWIYI George Orwell But everyone wholives in Japan knows—something 1984 (cover) AVY Y AYOXMDICERIRESECOME "19B4,(8i8) is wrong, Still, it's not worth a second thought. Young OEPIAT YA—-RERO, butchered; piles of cash donations, scattered MERAH) sic, 1990) girls ne 108 EATU—e ip (USA), recklessly on foreign soil; the quest for catharsis to through volunteerism; a brazen media prepared LNB.E UTBS swallow press restrictions in support of economic AAHRORRDS growth. The doorways of passably comfortable @OwxltSuperflat. with HASMBSEMSKLE. TATHBR one-room apartments, adorned meaninglessly security RTH. amulet stickers from SECOM,a private company. Safe and sound,hysteria. So THT CIEL, PPWUIbeMA Japan 7 Japan may bethe future of the world. And now, FHROKETVNSHCRAOMBORS VILA TITOBMSIIE IT CRS BES is Superflat. is St. HSTCOBRPE. From social mores to art and culture, everything MPLS Ya—P-A—F z IVAWANIB4 super two-dimensional. Oks BRM?NCSFNA-KE7HSE that IDEARC INY E-THL ONT ELCE Kawaii (cute) culture has become a living entity the SERS.EROLRM pervades everything. With a population heedless of HORSES THAIBRO'RES WUCBEOT cost of embracing immaturity, the nation is in the throes may LORReHOLE SLE. of a dilemma: a preoccupation with anti-aging body. RAEBOZOE. PXUNOMERHEN conquer not only the humanheart, but also the HeelRITALTORR It is a utopian society as fully regulated as the RIEL CES SAMICSDMD science-fiction world George Orwell envisioned ZORROMBOH nearly SRSA MNBWEAKY).t0 in 1984: comfortable, happy, fashionable—a world KS. for < TOIT. HRPM BLS EIEML devoid of discriminatory impulses. A place BREE LT. AYE A—-F— people unable to comprehendthe moral coordinates PORBTAERME rebus for [CAZU—VFSESICMIIOIAYE of right and wrong as anything other than a ENS DIY E DEAE “| feel good.” SRWMBLIT.
Figure 1a.4 The Seven Samurai CADE
Film; director: Akira ‘©1964 Toho Cin, Ltd Kurosawa Al Rights Rapered
These monotonousruins of a nation-state, which SUCRMICRACARORICES—HO
arrived on the heels of an American puppet government, ROME, ENS EFMDY ICRROWRE have beenperfectly realized in the nameofcapitalism. DLEMNEBETHES. Those who inhabit this vacant crucible spin in endless, TDPATHSUE PSII — inarticulate circles. In order to solve the puzzle KRERMERR< Co TORUAVSLE SM Japanese culture today, let us view it through BICRIDSLEHROALSMRLT individual windows, whether images, songs, or some DC SRBEDICAMI< FE.TEDHS expression or behavior, as though screening them on a EBA)OBRER, SEMA WHSIM computer. Guided by the fragmentof a soul visible at the BUC. SHSTICHSL EOI, RRE instant those windows coalesce as one, we will draw FRURS SHEROISROURSET IE. the futurea little closer. FROBMORICBFEMBRI SESICR Whenkawaii, hetare (loser), and yurui(looseor lethar- ASHRFRAOEME ORE IC BSA gic) characters smile wanly or stare vacantly, people Ald Little Boys ="5 3b pRFHZOK around the world should recognize a gradually fusing, Reo happy heart. It should be possible to find the kernels ‘of our future by examining how indigenous Japanese 2. HREOF, AAORB
imagery and aesthetics changed and accelerated after PAEHORMADS)(RIPE he war, solidifying into their current forms, 195445) (d. WANEBAC.2HOE ‘We Japanesestill embody “Little Boy,” nicknamed, Y NERS Lie. SM2Z7RORMATE. HH) the atomic bombitself, after a nasty childhood taunt. DOBRA SREBSRMOMAEL. ZO ARUBA IE BBR LeMRC lk Ge RF . Japanese Film in the Sixty Years After the War FRERRBFR SRB. TXVATUX— kira Kurosawa’s undisputed masterpiece, The Seven PENBEENNICRBWT 7 UBBW.T rai (1954), a lengthy entertainment running three OffGils 4OGRE EBMS Ices S, its and twenty-seven minutes, was released nine MELIEUPUALAOWEERERELL ars after the war, and becamea record-breaking hit Tio F—VISAM OES SIR. BLA, japan. Upon its release, long lines snaked outside RSH. ORR ARTMCWSETSIL rs in Japan, and the film rapidly achieved inter- F—-ORMRE MSBOLE MHCEE itional popularity; it won the Venice Film Festival's OPEDRAFUO RCHTHEE rer Lion in the same year. Remade abroad,it has SS.EABRR, EERESOUOTH countless Japaneseandinternationalfans. With DES SMABBEMS BOK D I.
Figure ta.5 its relentless pursuit of realism, the film broke Re FMORBMERTTRA CPMRRZ How! and Sophie flying, from Howl's Moving Castle new ground among samurai films, dealing with such FDIC TWEABRAK EST. BOS (AP1LOm His latest film, Howl's Moving Castle (in current NIWERES felease), is overwhelmingly AMEBOATWSSLW popular. This film should WHEY Provide a snapshot 74 —EXCRABWEMS. of what Japanese people ZL want TRAEOME today. Let us analyze WICMET SZ, several ofits key components, TORY I 4 —lt, MORAL The young protagonist, Sophie, ERE is eighteen years old, Itis BRVCRUEHUSh cOmOeBIcwE the dawn of the twentieth century, an era of RASBNTLKS ‘unsurpassed BBROR< nationalism, somewhere Bokvr in a faintly TTBAR Alsatian corner DENS NGILOM < Sih of the world. Soldiersofthe KY realm head AD. AROYAOREMUTEAAROS ut to battle, One day, Sophie encounters a beautiful young wizard, BORK BS.NILPRORZOVL Figure 1a.6 Howl, Fleeing from an unknown pursuer, PML, BODAB Howl monsterized, from Howl's ‘the young man flies CHSROBRAILY 2 > Moving Castle up into the sky carrying ODLOM<0 Sophie, TES EMTHWERAEREHO ‘who ‘Pmiceemac Ly Fok, promptlyfalls in love with him. SS bIC, DEMERS 2004 Thatnight, LODORDD EARL the Witch of the Waste Inw, Animated film; director: Hayao casts a spell FOBMBECHSLENIC © 204 Nara -Gnooor Miyazaki on Sophie, o-AEOe transforming her into a ninety-year-old RCSRAEWORB E AT woman. Homeless, Sophie wanders WERAAD into Howl's dreaded SMHS moving WIbRVHT.-AcHkEtE castle, where she takes up residence as an TRMOE aged housekeeper, NILEIMCCRO disguising her true identity. BAKERTHIET As Sophie embraces her SIDI. LL, FB strange new life in the NEACBE. DENY Castle with Howl, his apprentice I 4 ERE LEN Markl, and Calcifer (a ‘fire demon DitBReFESOAHH who keepsthe castle in Motion), CdS W TMK she opens @< her heart SSERERS, UDUMBORK to them, acknowledging their de mutual bonds, MENS and TERS Ste SIICMANTLEM, realizes that she is happy. Meanwhile, Howl, who NIMES has always OWISYORME pursued a solitary existence, EUTL evading his ES. Figure ta.7 Wizardly obligations Sophie traveling to engagein war, also changes. back in time to NINOFREERCRUE How's childhood, from Even as he grows haggard BRAORR Howl's Moving Castle from nightly exposure to CPLOm 10: protagonist's quest for the meaning of life, which APP-V OY ROFOF2-9 mirrors the same quest of contemporary Japanese.It BIC TOPMOLI UACRIGS, BRR also incorporates Miyazaki's corrosive yet genuine GPRSHSBisMBSScTHSS.UMU struggle through personal traumassuffered during the EOE. FEDE BRAN Y YayOMe Pacific War. Gradually, Miyazaki has transformed Wynne SORAEBESTSRRY EX y L-YOR Jones’s story into a self-deprecating portrait of BH. ZONES 2C.BROBACSORR himself, concluding that if he mustlive in a land WBLUI-FAXY ARBC Ss TWSOE of complete defeat, which has chosen apolitical ROSHTWSRHOMETDSOMPXY involvement in war, he has no choice but to keep ABRHOOY y FTWSHEOK making movies. WR< Mo TWS A Hollywood producer reading the screenplay in advance might well have had misgivings about financ- TOMBROT—ViS=TE.AWHE ing How/'s mammoth production costs, But Miyazaki BARTHD EARERPAMNSSILS has created the ultimate entertainment for present- ADPBBLTLES SLTHHOBED day Japan, with a powerfully cumulative structure, PAID D E—BOAMICS OME CHTRE sequences ofintense passion, vivid renderings of ENTULEDTWSHADEB, DEDBS a contemporary Japanese ethos, and a voracious ORMREOWN.DA, Ale—ACHE appetite for relentless volleys of “messages.” Miyazaki STWRAHITS 3 —Y ROE knowsbetter than anyone that the Japanese audience HELTSEDEE, CWSER.EUTEIB, hungersfor a narrative structure alien to the logic of LA YUTEPYFIA SYFORO Fle Americanfilms. FROEAROAMOHOMGCORRE HEFREEDS SIRO THK OME Thefilm has three major themes.First, waris untenable, DDOMAB. and no matter howrighteousits cause, breaks down WROBAAMES (CBRLTVSBMA the humanspirit; the fact that war begins and ends at (NIIOMS MI CESTH a TW S HHA the capricious whim of a handful of people is cause for PCSBWVETFOWS.< SRMBARA despair. In other words, war is ultimately meaningless. ECT FIFBHICMBLTWNSHC SWE Second, no one canlive alone. The film stresses our BMLTHS. LALRRERDNAURR essential need for community, even if it is only a pseudo- ERASHAWRARERABISAME, family. Third, reality lies somewhere between “aging” BICHT SES OKEERUII,ABER and “anti-aging.” The film offers a prescription for the TTRTOBV.THICMATRACBOM human heart by acknowledging the process of matu- BRLOBAHAREPEARGRBE ration and aging inherentto the span of humanlife. {ELTWSSET SD PRGHORA All of the problems confronted by the Japanese EUTEMMEHA\OFREATORA, today are present in Howl's Moving Castle. Take war, MBPEReDam—MELTL YF which by all rights should concern us. Even the most ORMBEMBRALSNS KI AR WEP obtuse Japanese recognize that we support the war in RRICBSSEVTWISMATENSOR Iraq. Yet the average person cannot afford to get RICBCX T4 PAI—LBoTLED involved. Wefeel helpless to changethe situation and ARORBLOAMEBICERSRTE guilty for living in safety, yet no one takes any action, LamecoTk OSLO RMA Then there are the string of recent natural disasters, HER TTWSOR, the murders of young girls and other outrageous crimes, NO IVIEBAKOP, BSERK THEME the normalization of young “shut-ins," and the meaning- {EL THTK ETMSMITH[eldBRR less continuity of family; finally, our headlong rush DTHSEMORT LIOR. TOBROR toward an aging society,filled with anxiety. BB OAMRIED ENEBOD,BE This paradox of an old woman and younggirl who Mo TW\S.EOBIS, EOKEATERS occupy one body, this portrayal of the concomitant PMRRE IERCHS LIEN 104 coordinates of age, is about to unfold in the real world. ULESEBORRDSRSBAKOS The superimposition of Miyazaki himself, now a white- ISO—Rs hyCHE SDD F< BX Maned media star, onto this image allows the CHRERETS REMMISRTISB audience immediate accessto hardship, opening them D> TAPES BALE. EORADE up to sympathy. BRChIIVEBS1 YIU1—CHTt In the fires of war, Howl loses sight of himself and WiMATHER 1 FANX—TtHtoOm becomes a monster. He can only escape by returning to WEDSEB HL. SUCHOMLic the pastto find himself again. He knows how grim his GRRROALMERABLELS EAR chances are. Howl's dilemma is based on Miyazaki’s OPCBL C16 LIN ILORRRAE ‘own childhood experiences of escaping Tokyo and the KOBUGB,-RARNS DZS TSK tavages of war for the countryside during World War RBA FIUCTHSBRCBEAENS Il, Miyazaki has candidly discussed the guilt and trauma BC MBLESGRAARBCBRELTW that he felt over his family's refusal, as they escaped DTLES PO. FHKENORBORE Tokyo by truck,to help other families begging rides BO CMSORMBRE SMMC FOFAKL along the way for their children. In addition, he is TUSECSEBALS. UMLAESBSEN haunted by the shattered dreams ofhis youth, when RICRICIES Nie RRBE BOLAD) heacted on his belief that ideology could change the EB UP UACSSCORRE world. The heroic sight of Howl, transformed intoa (AR < SMMC T SBCHIRA CHEREE ‘Kamikaze-like flying fighter amidst a landscape remi- OTE SF. (COMBO TEAMORHAY— Figure 1a.8 niscent of firebombed Tokyo, is rendered real by the VILECHS)oARADESBRIATH Akira Toriyama Dragon Ball, vol. 1 fact that Howl indeed has no goal. (cover) The gradualtrans- HO TWSRICNS SKRICHLTOBR, PES To mJ s981 SiR) formation of a gentle, charming man into a demon as he KEMSRROHRADBWES 1985 FRE Book (publisher: Shieisha) is draggedinto battle may be construed © 108 Bed Stacie as a powerful } BREBATNIMOFRBRAY 74 protest against the meaninglessness of war, cloaked AERSENSIe OR inthe guise of a children’s fairytale. The Seven Samurai BISReNeYVictRAS brouight relevance throughrealism to postwar Japanese; PROOF AECMSEOCRDS wi Miyazaki achieves empathy with contemporary audi- Sle. UD LEDICEOUREL ‘ences not by approaching realism (there are no scenes SREP BRMAMERERE DDL. ‘ofhuman deathin the film), but by spinning a children's RPORBRE ESICHEHAUS.ELT fantasy. Howl's Moving Castle responds to the fears REATOBBAA OBWBICHB,HBL, of death that beset Japanese, both young and old. DD < oENMSOARMBATWSRB Thefantastic, nearly religious scene in which Sophie DE. traverses time and space to enter Howl's childhood foretells our invitation to the netherworld beyond death; 3. BRSSFE EE, ithalf suggests karmic reincarnation. AT e -VYHORBACK SIRE Sixty years after the war, the vestigial phantomsthat BUSAPWY ZA SHARESBWIST Miyazaki failed to conquer in his youth still trap this VY PACMEATBAESSHMEH SC filmmaker, goading him to portraythe folly of war. And Wicds{bTIMED y HIEpy, “audiences are moved by Miyazaki's personal dilemma, BRK BROBKX Dy —HMORTAR with which they empathize and find resonance. This is ASHI] OOOGE(TIME)CHSTE DSB. the movie Japan wants now. VYABORTRMEOKE SPBRMANLS, RERURO(K SIUteoeee 4. Death and Narrative Merge Figure 1a.9 SS SRTMWERT LT ic. 1984S Akira Toriyama The catharsis in Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball, the quin- Gokd (right) fighting an Opponent, from O54ECO 122MCLS2055. 4 REDA Dragon Ball (complete edition), vol. 32 (page 58) fessential mainstream manga,is a climax that never SV YIATE 2 too BATAORISA200028 RID R—MsESRRIZH ED . Dragon Ball was the engine that drove Shénen (MEMSBS, (58m) RECCRH 26005 BR. SE SZAFLE- 2004 Wimp, a weekly teen manga magazine with a circula- PIA-VAVIC SRBC SRO. F—Lie Book(publisher: Shdeisha) tion of 6.5 million. To put this in perspective, Yomiuri HBS.V—-FVYI(AOBRI BS RD Newspaper, Japan's largestdaily, has a circulation of 10 enkeo million. Dragon Ball ran to some 520 installments over BISEDIEDE LELTEY—KPSMR twelve years from 1984 to 1995. The mightiest popular Bo ENDER T.KF-RERE WIBBO mangaofits day, it had sold over 126 million manga HeERETSIVAT 1 YayCOBRA paperbacks by 2000. It goes without saying that Dragon AK-V-OMAICBD 2 THIS REE Ball spin-offs abound, including an animated TV ADie5 PBN L BUEL. ELCFO.BS series, movies, and games. Vast quantities of Dragon TSPELey TGSRiBD, BA Ball characters and merchandise have been produced. ORNS ADWSSRALMRESSRE Dragon Ball began with a heartwarming story (C—RICMO EMS. S SIAMRAMEB before shifting into an action series built around the SLAVPYEOBWIECBALTHTEMe warrior tournaments of the Peerless Martial Arts ETERSBAL.BBNREOTYIL Association (Tenka Ichi Buddkai). The protagonists HORT UTC ARFRMBRBORR fight, win, lose, and learn lessons, then return to fight PMEMUSH. AT SBMLICE VIR again in an endless cycle, The tenets of the Shonen (Co CLES ERE BIC HEL. SBUB Figure 1a.10 “friendship, struggle, and victory,” SCRLEHSPIONY hE OMIT. Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba Jumpphilosophy, Last scene of Tomorrow's Joe intensify the momentbattling warriors become friends. ZOFRS. EADSEMH CLICKEE lSELKOVa-aFAhy—y evolved into a battle against aliens SAMBORERACES SCWS SRD 1973 (original manga publication) DragonBall then Manga; reproduced from Ashita no J6, vol. 12, intent on world domination, expanding its narrative BENEMHAOETERISAE published by Kodansha Manga Bunko(2000) © -Asae Tehama ja Chiba AU Rights Reserwe. scale, which increasingly inflates the top warriors and ROUTES TS.MBMBAB their challengers. The colossal popularity of the MERA CMRI SRRS. ARORZOT series so extendeditslife that acrobatic devices were THECH SEABICMO DIT SNSEWD continually employed to keep the narrative alive, BARRBA OSOMET EL PINE. FER evadingthepitfalls of routine characters and plots. The 106 Figure ta.11 ‘Osamu Tezuka From New Treasure Island "eeeRILD 1947 (original manga publication) Manga; reproduced from Shin takarajima: Tezuka Osamu manga zenshii 281 (Complete works of OsamuTezuka, vol. 281), published Kodansha (1984), pages 8-9 by RH. TORREDBLEU PY F4—-ORRAKOMNG ALP CHO, EB AVRTASREN E45 3 HERTHS. ARHRUMOYY Hid. VYHVIRK OFLALie RHOSS BAY b other work emblematic of manga’s heyday, Katsuhiro BOKESAK—U—OTRPPIxy 10's Akira(pl. 18), reflects an alternate approach to aviNet - 59 9—OR-ZAS, F4XI ombining elementsoftraditional manga narrative. DPMPESSSCR, PMOBMEEAM WAVYADEM LED TWeo KROMME A, FROLELEE LED Figure 1a,12 Kamui Fujiwara HCsRHO.ROUCES ORIEL EH Chocolate Panic,vol, 2 (cover) Osamu Tezuka,the first manga master,laid out the HMREBEc li. 7LYSetBMLEA "Fall—h-Moy oomRHR) sential narrative conventions of postwar manga. VEIDEXA-AIICMOMSHBA ‘Though influenced by Disney's animation techniques, BAGZAEMLIL Eo EOMBIEZh— Tezuka devised his own manga grammar, employing a Jb RRANTHO. BEMBERUE progression of film-like shot breakdowns and character HE. SILOONC BED L PREBE poses. His approach drew manyfollowers, creating the BACTSKROBMEBRALI OF foundation for postwar manga. SIL-EN=YAIOESICBOMSTIE Otomo's innovation, in turn, lay in the frozen still- OEBRACSREIVET CMRISY ness of his visual compositions, which offer stark YARSESS. YROWAY YY HAOLRT uum, Vienna contrast to Tezuka's dynamic images. Otomo’s manga SHRI-LYPSHHRHAPs framesare stylized and exaggerated, and his mechan- SLHESSICSEART ORMMERAR * ically clipped images create a weightless atmosphere. SENDA. BSHOU 7 UALOMEOR, His narratives echo this quality: there's nevera final BONO.DED BEMBSQVET payoff. They're anecdotal feints, always sidestepping CHEK BEY SITETSEMSERR any denouement. Other mangaartists, such as Kamui BWEWUSETCHS. Fujiwara, the Otomo devotee behind Chocolate Panic, EME KE ORBEO—ATH DEKR beganto premise their work on an exaggeratedfailure Bald. RDORE b 2 CBSRU to deliver a finale. In the world of four-frame manga, EMO PHS.€LCRENEEEACBT the trend toward a non-narrative structure—foundin UTE < (BB)19824)CBWT. FARY the work of Kdji Aihara, Sensha Yoshida, Sekaiichi ZABHEHAhL-ALEFREBAL, Asakura, and Mikio Igarashi—may be construed as a SP—X—Y a (LBP ILH)(19874) response to an extreme realism. Otomo, one of the ThE. VYACHRULTWIED YU Xe pioneersof this technique, abandonedit after several BOREE AT. FRMBILTETIA ‘Serializations, eventually adopting a filmic idiom. He PIA-Y AYNRRORED< 5S, Figure ta.14 Katsuhiro Otomo incorporated cinematic conventions of suspense in A ECPAALAIWA. LALAL-ABHE Kanedaandhis biker gang racing Child’s Dream (1982), and in the short animated film OPMICHLTEABHBEHBIO through NeoTokyo, from Akira, vol. 6 (pages 432-33) The Order to Stop Construction, he took the “frozen- HEBASKIES CRNTH K< 0 "PHSROBE still” compositions he had mastered through mangato RAREDCREFSRB ICS j(432-337) EOP ERIS (AKIRA) IE. 1993 the next level. As if to reverse Tezuka's movement KROBHRE LTO. KP Book (publisher: Kodansh =X ©Mash-RomCo, Lid, Taiyo. Al ih Towards Disney-style animation, Otomo developed a BYERELTOF YU PERBOMELI | Vaguely mechanical yet supple animation technique. AKIRA)0% YiORISAME EO With these deliberate strategies his career evolved, BaPICAZORBPIX-YavaRwes heading towards the epic film that would define an era. BothiCAA— MER L. MEORAAER This film was Akira. MSCICGATAMMK SVBEER Akira set Otomo's career as a mangacreator and an Ho RFGRMNTSASORETHD ES| ahimator in stone. During the nine-year period over SELCHS MHMRAOBROT1 FIL. Which he serialized the manga, he also adaptedit as E-9—- FV a-FONANWOBOER ‘an animated feature film. In an era permeated by the EBROMBAAMEDD DAT.MKAKO looming end of the century, Otomo,entranced by the RARE Ob OSBSH LeoF—VIEWER Motion of the death of narrative, set out to resurrect BOMMORE)TH 2K lk THE. PIX— ®pic storytelling. Pushing the limits of his visual Ya viPmlcBWTSEOF—VICB UE Figure 1a,15 Katsuhiro Otomo Kaneda screaming, “Akira lives on in our minds!” from Akira, vol. 6 (page 422) Ire aBORL DPS TREMMOPEESTI Epsseeea422z) 1993 Book(publisher: Kodanshi Figure 1a.16 Katsuhiro Otomo “Greater Tokyo Empire Akira” banner, from Akira, vol. 6 (page 415) FP $5BERS D RHETT + 50141 5F) 1993 Book (publisher:oyeKodansha)Ad Rights Reserve genius, Otomo rendered an exploding city in infinite CHAPIAX-YVAYRLORREBSENS, OELPL detail. He captured the very apocalypse of postwar BOCHSOSRREBMET 99-9 Japan with a force akin to that of Pieter Bruegel’s The F—VPF-VEWIEP—9—-C- FFBORIS Towerof Babel. Choosing “post-apocalyptic human e¥a-—FY y7O(2001 BWT WM eo awakening” as his theme, Otomo employed every FARY—YICMO YBN—BB LICR experiment and innovation in the service of bringing ZOP=A—Y a BERSTSF—VM his film to the zenith of Japanese animation. Inevitably, VYAOBREE Z DA LAETYHRRAKIRAD given this theme, he wound up with a final scene DUALCRco VACHS. reminiscent of Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick's (AH SRRBSHWBY ARS TCHS, EWSS 2001: A Space Odyssey. PPBROVY Tio FV FI I—WRST Once the animation production was winding down RISERL and Otomobeganwriting the final manga chapter, his BOMBERWTS OKFETS.Lm VC IOE theme shifted. It was this shift that made Akira, the UXROPREE OBPEBT. 47 FIV —WEEOURE serial manga, so revolutionary. DORERUS. According to prevailing wisdom, Tezuka's mangais MRISREEDOSERTHS.EUTY oKPRERRLAT semiotically structured, with characters acting as BERASTS CU IIA signifiers to guide narrative. Otomo’s work,in which CW.SLTET ICH S—DOER. SBOBATRIO. each frame is an individual image, rejected that [CSV YARPE approach. Otomo defined a method in which it is the PEOAREMU SHOPERRRECES, characters that cementthe constructionoftheir world, XIVYHEALED ERATOLED SRT even as they guide the narrative. And he added (AKIRA)BOSOSRERTHS another element, using manga to critique manga. (dR LOFRAHIUS. Lt Instead of defining a closed narrative circle, he strove EMBSRMT+ FROBIER 110 to devise a “meta-manga.” ARRSHCRTSRBBIC ED> Let us consider the ending of Akira, volume6. First, THIALE, Otomo closesthe narrative cycle, United Nations forces have arrived amid the "SORE > CT HERORD evident SHTH 211; destruction of Neo Tokyo soon after Akira’s "SURWRISARE< Bo T8< tL Deh €xplosion, prompting Kaneda to scream, DEORESAFE aES, "PHSISEEMBEOICES THEI Take your guns and get the hell out of our country! We'll keep all the damned aid you've brought. But BARRESHESHTLECRMEBA anything beyond that, and you're interfering with DBRAOMO, sovereign affairs. SSMS GWT, BSETRUW. BO Akira lives on in our minds! MGSBCsBBew, "KERPEP+S, DREVSMATRBKEOBDOT A cry for freedom from a defeated Japan, its own AAABHOME VSMAULEBWSR, constitution legislated by another nation after the war. SOFRARAKE AMTSHOES THS, Don't touch me, let me be independent. We don’t CCE CMMBON—bhCHS.LALTE feed your U.N. or any other help. The image of Kaneda DSVYAORL WARESBHKA—Yps and the others waving a “Greater Tokyo Empire Akira” WES. flag, with noneof the conviction that accompanied bran- RRN—YOBXN—YM, EARTH dishments SE of the former imperial flag of Japan, seems EBA? CHME LICELROme to mock our current “Japanese Nation of Children.” But RELTWS EZ Td, AMOEBAX this is where the story ends, giving way to layouts that —JOPTHBENTH< PESALELT conceal new possibilities for manga. RATAC EBUR LIE OD. 74 LAD A few pages before the end, Kaneda and the other AVERGESICAKOY P/LBRORSE protagonists race around ruined skyscrapers on MIMD < BBSTIcKRotW< & eat motorbikes, even as the skyscrapers rebuild themselves RECH< BRANTH< RARROELE before our eyes. The city, destroyed by Akira and Tetsuo, FIRREPMBA-KEPALTU YS noiselessly returns to its former state, rendered in YIOXKORVUAMCMHEHAZOV painstaking detail with Otomo's characteristic realism. VREBBL. ACF—VOPRRRKA) The reconstruction of Neo Tokyo's skyscrapers embod- SAE LEEREOUY OAate OBR ies a movement from dystopia to utopia. The link to RBN-LICBSTS, Tezuka, who,inspired by Fritz Lange's Metropolis, PEIOLYILLMAFL—ENKERO penned an eponymous mangaand created Astro Boy CBO ADUCHSERARAOAY—Ya, around a similar theme, appears unexpectedly in these WBBAORKTSEAAESOBHAD last pages. Rias—Vewo, ELBEOY—ytls Otomo paid private homage to Tezuka, placing a RERABRL ie VY ARKEDEONOE personal message to the master next to rubble spray- BITDNKEOLE, painted with Akira's emblem. PROPERRDET b Ls), BORE BEL By the end of the story, the protagonists’ bid for ENTCERMOLAILY freedom OBITSEK has become the central theme, and the self- OBESEBORAOOHY KORA fesurrecting buildings form direct reference to Tezuka's SPL a Tetsuwan Atomu, literally means “Mighty Atom”— UPYALVYHSHSEOOY RH a robot named Atom might have seemed appropriate ENSD-HRHICBPCTEDNSEME as a defender of justice who embodied the bright KRISAKIRAOPTP3TOUTUS, future. To consider that his nameis identical to the Vy Hild DAWES, SMOPMTAFEELE force of the atomic bomb, and that the bomb dropped ZSKRIMRUT WMSEe VY HICSS on Hiroshima was nicknamed “Little Boy,” is to under- VUHOMD< UTXI VY ACAKIRA) stand the tortuously twisted road that led from war to DSFERL Teo recovery. Otomo referencesthis journey, critiquing the BSBROOLRAMDSOFRMEOF Shdnen Jump-style popular manga culture of the 1980s public discourse until the late 1980s. Sciencefictionis intimately linked to ofaku culture. The creators of such olaku-favored genres as “robot anime" and tokusatsu (Special effects) films drew heavily on science fiction; the anime classic Mobile Suit Gundam, for example, Wasinspired by Robert Heinlein's 1959 novel, Starship Troopers. (In particular, the cover illustration of the “powered suit" created by Studio Nue for the Japanese edition of the book may be considered the direct ancestor of Gundam's robot design.) Before the full emergenceof ofaku culture, fans of tokusatsu and anime TV series created for children could further satisfy their appetites only by turning to science fiction. DAICONwastheir event. The legendary DAICON animations were created by Toshio Okada, Yasuhiro Takeda, Hideaki Anno, Hiroyuki Yamaga, and Takami Akai (amongothers), who were then college students in the Osaka area. After concluding their activities as amateurs, the group later formed the anime studio Gainax, which made its I-KA-YOMRIABATHO, EORE Figure 1a.17 Studio Nue fame with Neon Genesis Evangelion, the bible for con- RAVI LcBISORY hTH4 VO Frontispiece for Robert Heinlein, temporary otaku,in 1995, twelve years after DAICON IV. CWoTSMETidal, Migida rE < EW Starship Troapers (publisher: Hayakawa Shobd) ONS MAYS The DAICONanimations reveal two characteristics SROFIBRO Se VIDDHEIE NT Rh3 fete Ft 1977 that appeal to ofaku. First, they contain abundant IEDR, PIX ERCHALOOBSE Original drawing (designed by Kazutaka Miyatake) feferences to elements of the subculture that would HIMOSFLORDok. cbBALS. © Stugia Nue C0, 138 later be called ofaku culture, including Godzilla and DAICONISEA BERDTAY KES fee Space Battleship Yamato. Second, even though these EULTEE TEMAS NEMO 7 4 ILLId, hand-drawn, 8mm animefilms are extremely short at PRESBA, RMR MESSRS LUPE.oR five minutes each, they demonstrate an extraordinary HERG E, USMKOLEOARAH artistic and technical level that exceeds expectations KDE Nie RIC PVF aPELTOR for independentfilms: not only is the quality of the WMERACRS id, TADPIX—Ya rH animation high, but the DAICON animators were able HERHGAINAXOBE X VIN— LD AE to integrate the picture and the music seamlessly and DKON FIHRP=X HHLT deploy such sophisticated techniques as multiple FUTFUAVIEMPES SM ENZO exposures far more skillfully than “professionals.” DAICONIVA‘Tt 1 24SHAS 1995 Indeed, the DAICON animators’ relentless pursuit of FOBTCHS. quality and sophistication prompted the evolution RS MYBSFAROLBICHINE L ee of science-fiction-based subculture into full-fledged PH Cd Ble SIC PE-NF SHRANK otaku culture. DHokoET(AYS)OCSHMMVb) So, what exactly was DA/CON IV Opening Animation? BEMBISYTHILF p—e LDA Is worth explaining the flow of the film in detail, Dok ROBIE < AMF y—-PAFLER because the work embodies every otaku paradigm. ATMELTWIST EEL TFHERT DAICONIV begins with an introduction derived from HEEIFICEDMOBS U 7+ ILA CHESHe DAICONII/, its forerunner, The soundtrack, performed PIATHOBHS, AERBOME LSD by Kitard, who helped define the New Age sound, (ORR LIBRROA UT + MST ES Is very much of its time. The Jet VTOL ship from BODES CO PERBHKSOMETI —y Fic Ultraman's Science Patrol slowly descends out of the BWC 7OOME SRMLTVS. FAT Figure 1a.18 SFEMMDSRRCRROAMEATUT Science-fiction author Frederik Pohl conversing with conventioneers, from Official After Report BEDIAVF 4 —RMEADTEDOD of 22nd Japan SF Convention DAICONIV (page 4) TOP*WAERAE LTSFERNT TA, "22S FASDAICON WV ARPII—LA— bad DWT SSFERTL FY y 2 -7h-)L8, (4) Fv —AMte5 BE K MILANO RRO: eB Wie, CbBASOEK. Tlk(DAICON IV OPENING ANIMATION EMRE SWORE DION. TCDS ANEBN LESES blue sky toward earth, as an elementary-schoolgirl, TIKBE Figure 14.20 Drawings for DA/CON IV Opening Animation DAICON IV A—7a=y9-F=x-Yay DKON KA-1YF 1983 Pencil on paper 24.2 x 26.8 cm each Collection of DAICON Film Animation directors: Takami Akai (left) and Hideaki © DAICON FimAnno (right) he girl with the backpack from the introduction has DAICON® 7OFa—Y—-OMMAARE ‘grown up into a BunnyGirl. Every last science- RRA> TUS. Mo <0 emRBIAE fantasy TV and movie character makes an MENDAICONS AFHORA.YAO ance: Astron, Jamira, Zarab Seijin, King Joe, Y9 Ya YODAICON Illkz Z CHS, Y EEILOROFANAM Seabozu, TwinTail, Gesura, Dada, and Saturn. The Bunny BOS PIF Girl jumps into a throng of Metron Seijin. She races EMRLTWS.BVLBSDSSFI S79 —KbMEH past Gyango, Red King, Baltan Seijin, Takkong, Pole Y-RFLERBOS Seijin, Z-Ton, Mephilus Seijin, and Seagoras, tossing THDTHTHD, LBBS.7—-APAY a—Ih them all aside. Without warning, she's in a light-saber PSIBA YI IIAI AK duel with Darth Vader, while Storm Trooperssit in the KIA YTMWFRI SNS background,their legs folded under them. The Death KOYEAORNORERURY TIVE Star is enshrined in one corner. Atopa cliff, aliens who ZOKEXYALL YREY BY RYAIAIR have seized the Discovery from 2001: A Space Odyssey PIAYARMBA -Fe— kick up a fuss. The Dynaman robot crushes the girl. BA. Y-AFAOPEENS IY Y-AN—-F-E When a swordflies at her out of nowhere, Bunny Girl AMMAIRIT TRIE. WER v YN Fo RS THE hops on it like a surfer. Just then, Jedi-tei Ya Ida DIT KY-AILTOF TVS launchesinto a Japanese comedyroutine with C-3PO Ak—-Lb gIL-N-PEBLTR BOE and Chewbaccain the audience. There’s Nazoh from ESBICMTA- AYRE. ANNU BEB Gekko Kamen (Moonlight Mask) and a Pira Seijin with (2001 FFHOMIOT4 VP YRRNTWTUSIFFT anametagreading “Tar6 the Blaster” (Bakuhatsu Taro) ALA ETMSE on his chest. BunnyGirlis still surfing on her sword YVOORMKOFERRINT. 4 OE when she runs into a formation of Ultrahawk1's. Then SRCRATS SAND—-7 the Yamato and the Arcadia appear, along with an SICMURS. FOTSUAEWFRBEO SlcléC—3P0CF exploding Valkyrie VF from Macross. An awesome midair BRNTHNnTsO. Y—. Bale le <8 battle unfolds in an otaku coffee shop (no doubt the ay Ao BROT filmmakers’ favorite hangout). Bunny Girl now travels DAM OZALEFWeIFBARMOV— ARTS IVE IM into an extra-dimensional world. We see Captain D4 YERUSN=—. SIVVEE PLATA America, Robin, Batman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman —J1 SOMME —ENSMBC KE ... the list goes on. Flying into space are the Thunderbird, SB MRHTS/ULEV CAI 7 aTIE-Fighter, and the Millennium Falcon. Rider, Jumborg PEBSTSBREDP(E EHECWSHW.REEE A, the Shooting Star, nurses, the giant Ohmu from ZOFORE)CF TTYPAUA Nausicaa, Nausicaa herself, Lynne Minmay, Mazinger RIERASN VA IIT Z, KoolSeijin, Cutie Honey, and othersare there. Having DEYN Y KR AANLI LY YIN K madeit through ofaku-land, BunnyGirl relinquishes her YWFHICROK SII sword, It splits into seven parts, whichfly through the TED P41 9—.FPWAY tA, EBTIAL sky spewingflamesin seven colors. At the foot of Mt. YIR-TA. RES, FA -F Fuji are Mogera, the Yamato, Mothra, the Atragon, White YHA, VIYA-Z.I-NWBA << DIRTe Base, and Thunderbird 5. All of a sudden, an atomic- = Sete, te < HERE MISCARICHIN. FEOR bomb-grade explosion hits an unpopulated city. After HRIEDR BLUME the blast, there's a flurry of cherry-blossom petals. iti LODLEMUAS. MIT AA-2ZF Successive upheavals of the earth give birth to VLE EAD BRS UTRANSAER new worlds. As the beam launched by the DA/CON FN KSB. RM E EHH traverses the sky, lush greenery sprouts and grows. ROKBAMRS MAORISEMO TH L EF Robby the Robot, ObaQ, Doraemon, the Five Rangers, ANSRAR (CL 45 and other characters—too many to count—converge: filtt. DAICONSORHE—LEIBS Hakaider, Atman, Maria from Metropolis, Metaluna PMEWES.E-.ANQ KE FASA, Mutant, the Robot Gunslinger from Westworld, Captain LYSy—o& SICMAMNBWIELOA Dice, Robocon, Derek Wildstar (Susumu Kodai), the 5I9—-KEBIALI—.P-bIAX HYVYARKY Creature, Ming the Merciless, X-Seijin, Lum, Kanegon, PAPWHSA-P Vb. AweHRASe Char Aznable, Cobra, Gekko Kamen,Inspector Zenigata, 94AR ORIY FRAT Mr. Spock, KemurSeijin, Anne, BandelSeijin, Superman, XBASAB PA NRIYI 116 ‘Soran the Space Boy, Cornelius, Invisible Man, Hell AREBEER TA9—-AKYITL Ambassador, Doruge, Fighters, Boss Borot, the Robot WASP YR NYFIBA. ANDY, Santohei, Speed Racer (G6 Mifune), Big X, Space Ace, VIAA-#AUPABABAR, HALE, E Triton, 009, Tetsujin 28, Electric Man, Metalinom, Hack, ULF. BRARAR Y bh Oy KES, Bart, Giant Robot, Gaban, V3, Lupin III, Apollo Geist, SMB, Ey 7X. PBI—Z. bY hY.009, ‘Bat, Barom One, King Joe. The sun rises, the camera RA2BS. BRAY YXY VI-BNY IAIN zooms out to the solar system, and The End. Shet PY Ram Fey V3OILY SH. PROATAR NY bh NOAL AY With every last possible science-fiction (otaku-style) FI a—~oKBDFRO. ABRICZ-APD ‘character from around the world—and throughout KUTILYEY—-I9Q, time—present and accountedfor, the film is obviously amammoth laborof love. By stuffing their film with all MO S SASRBOSFH (Ste < A) ‘of the beloved creatures that inspired them, the DI9 -WEBL. ELTENSEENEM creators displayed a level of passion incommensurate BUTWSMERBISLSRMAGIER. with a work created as the opening event of an HOFEBICC ST. HTL EHEREO E amateur competition. There is the thrill of navigating FR-YaVERIWERREBD oelt the border between parody and art. More than twenty SUNTPVFaPR-ADAYAY YA Figure 14.21 years after the original screening, this film deserves YOA-FIYF-ANRY Portrait of Hideaki Anno on the cover of EMSIDE Quick Japan, vol. 10 (Ohta Publishing Co., 1996) ‘enewed respectfor the energy involved in fashioning CHIEN CEBABNY YayMOF HERAR—bL—b (FQuick Japang Vol,10 2BdiAR] 996%sae) “a work of such astounding perfection. Andyet, as if 4EP-hOMRET OMSRBBK ©0ntPubisting Co this achievementwerenotsufficientin itself, in the last WEREARIESSIAIL— lt. O1N Scene of DA/CON IV Opening Animation, the funda- Yh 4BD520KFBR OESMOTOR “mental metaphor for any Japanesecreator, the atomic MICSS.-M. 409A VF 4 -KAIBS ‘bomb—our symbol of “destruction and rebirth"— SEWCSEED MB BRAT UI—-9—-BS explodes in an unexpected way. HO MBSAKT—-—Y, RROXI TDP — Hi After the sequence in which Bunny Girl flies around {DAICON IV OPENING ANIMATION)S2 tirelessly, everything is destroyed by (what can only be KUT. PURE BE ORME LTR construed as) an atomic bomb. In the ensuing whirl- SHECRHENS. wind, petals from Japan's national flower, the cherry K-H-NBOROF MAURERCRO blossom, engulf everything in a blastofpink; the streets BSY-F7LYAOK RFR c LBA become scorched earth, mountains are burnt bare, and DDR) CINTHRBENS.FORAOH the whole world becomes a wasteland. Amidst this lEBAROBE LOTUSDRE)YD devastation, Spaceship DA/CON, symbolizing otaku, BOMKECSICBRICAMO Midhete floats in midair emitting a powerful beam—the beam of {EL WISTS, REMARKS.EO, science-fiction fans. The world revives, gianttrees rise BRICEDATWRBIS ORM. FHM ina flash, and Mother Earth is once again bedecked in DAICONS DSHENSRABE—L, > green. Characters from the world of sciencefiction KOWSFI PYOR-LMEHENS.EL gather on the restored planetto celebrate. THREE L BARDSBECHD S FEL, In accordance with the rubrics of otaku taste, all KMSRTHDNSSFI-I EOE SF of the characters are happy, their chests puffed up F—-KBISBE LICAMICRW, BUEBD proudly at the light of hope. Characters who have 685. fever occupied the same screen gradually interact BEM EWSBRO FE CEBAMISH with each other and assemble in the final mob EINY C—ICBBOKAD > TERI T “Scene—a perfect encapsulation of the science- WVSOR RMA UBBIC ABLEW+ fiction conference's message. VI7I—-ALM RBICBU IAW,BED In this film, the animators discovered an affirmation EAFY—YCOWBICAT SZ. EOS behind total annihilation that had nothing to do with EDEER. TC OSFABOX Y L—-VCHB O1e0 of the atomic bomb.This is why ZORATARR EOD SRPTTA vueameare yan the politics or ideology they were able to portray the end of the world, without D¥-CRMROET STMENERED hesitation, as a kind of revolution, and follow it with a RiCHENCSOMRHENTHSMS “blizzard” of cherry-blossom petals. Hideaki Anno, who TEMSBMS <. KSTRHCHSHO later directed Neon Genesis Evangelion, created the ADICHREBRL < TRRORIC EA, explosion scene,andit is almost painful to watch his OMSK MRBERDLCKOTIBWDY, Ferme, pathological obsession with it, as an atomic whirlwind HY —Y EBLOKELT destroys the city. PYFUAVICREST SHER.GOR At first glance, this scenario for Japan’s recovery CHURE TR < UTHK YYNOME froman atomic bomb seemsoffhand, but the creators’ PVCST SBLSNS. UAM, compelling message is deeply felt in the urgency of AAORRETDSBEKCOUT the production values.In a way, ofaku sensibilities have BR. /-F YF ICRONTWSREOMB Figure 1a.22 Haruo Minami much in common with those of American hippies in LIEPAUF4—OMPICHPELIEAT YTS “Hello from the Countries of the World: IWS, Expo '70 Theme Song the 1970s. A lifestyle that seems to turn its back on OMREX yL-JERUF ROMA fcBile the world is founded on a nearly groundless obsession BSBBice < OBIETORO?XUA H&DRIBRRTVY: 1967 with peace and happiness, tremendous curiosity for VEY E-OZNEBU SMS 2. BEN 7-inch single; SN-464 (cover) the internal world of the self, extreme sentimentality, BESRORMIRRMGEOENSRE and keen sensitivity, all of which contribute to BPRUL SSOAMERAOBIARG, futuristic creation. BERLY FAY I VALERIEAR The fact that Japan's IT industry is built on otaku is ANRAME ED LIFTS. also significant, as it suggests a parallel between the BAOITERE Se < E-FILMRATW hippie movementandotaku culture. One indication of SRS. Cy C—-b-TAY hORNCOR the filmmakers’ obsession with quality and concept QERIMES SBBAMT Y bE. TOF was their use of a then-rare personal computer, which AWLDGAKY—YCIA VFAELT enabled them to calculate planetary orbits and thus AYUAFAPWBTEDD ELT ABR design the solar system that appears in the last scene. MEMSHORDE. MRELTEBL The complexity of this design process offers further PoteN—-VFWAYKa—F—-TOBEH evidenceof the filmmakers’ obsession with realism. OHRATTEDNTNS. ENICBI CH Surprisingly,it turns out that the ultimate dream of HewsMee7OvAS. VPUALE otaku aesthetics, scrupulous yet fanatically obsessed WISRSRTKDN ERSBATRIE. with reality, is a happy party, a peaceful festival. LPL. Ble < OFOBB. UD LER (UPUF4 THD TRBMMZAT 5. The Adult Empire Strikes Back Wield, BIVEHICZBORD FHGRE Beste. EWDRIE. Hello, hello, from the Western countries Hello, hello, from the Eastern countries 5. AbFeHOER Hello, hello, people from all over the world Hello, hello, in the land of cherry blossoms TAKS TAS BO Hello, hello, to the realm of the moon" 1970#D CASI Hello, hello, we fly away from earth TAKS TAKS PEELED Hello, hello, the dreams of the world Hello, hello, on a green hill TAKS TAKSIt AOFES Say hello in 1970 TAS TAKS WRECKS Hello, hello, let's shake hands ZAKS TAKS HROBAN 118 Figure 1.23 Taré Okamoto’s Tower of the Sun recreated at 20th Century Expo,from Crayon Shinchan Storm-Brewing Méretsu! Adult Empire Strikes Back OVAYLAB SA MEIRSE-LY! AheREID 3OM).£Y OWES NKMEAMOCKIBOM), 2001 Anime film (FitabastaSHIN-El Aniation-TV Asahi Hello, hello, everyone's smiling cAKbI Cheb HEDOET Hello, hello, from the bottom of their hearts 197T0#OD TAS Hello, hello, the world will be one CAS ZAKS BEELLS Hello, hello,in the country of Japan Say hello in 1970 cAI TABI RABIRNS Hello,hello, let's shake hands TAKS TAS DOTTMS Hello, hello, let's shake hands cAKb TABit PREOTE (Haruo Minami, “Hello from the Countries of the World: TAB TABI BAORT Expo '70 Theme Song,” 1967; lyrics by Yoko Shimada, 197040 cheb is Music by Hachidai Nakamura)** TAKS TAKS BEELES cAS TABI RFEELES The 1970 World Exposition in Osaka was a national (SRB HROBDSTAISIA BRAS symbol beloved by first-generation ofaku (born from the WHEAT -VYY7, +R- RMF fet: late 1950s to late 1960s). “Progress and Harmony of PAAK 196745)" Mankind” was its theme. Expo '70 inspired Japanese Children to dream ofa futurefree of national borders in BHR< (1950F REE ENDS which the notion of “progress for the future” could 196OFRHEFENI SWE TCT) METSA conquer even human strife. This convergence of BOBORMO—DICEXPO'70ARARS artifacts, suggesting a tranquil and peaceful world with BVGS.F—Vid AMOES C BA. human progress represented by technology and space EXPO'70T4HBORAOFHIES ABE development, madeit possible to believe in the future. WIKBOAKS. MSR <. APMORMS For the Japanese,their hearts newly healed from post- "RRADKE OZO EF CHNEROMAS wartrauma, this was the perfect scenario for the future. BARE DEEAGRBE LickMett Figure 1a.24 Shinnosuke from Crayon Shinchan Storm-Brewing For the children, the scenario was “real.”Yet that future REXAHIALPFHMKC AMOR M6Gretsu! Adult Empire Strikes Back has never arrived—their dreams were shattered. And SEEM LIPFLORAICAROOE WLAYLASPA MEULRE-LY! AbtHO BMLDOUADTIN they grew into adults, unable to relinquish those dreams. EEETWOMRORNRTDA> 2001 The film Crayon Shinchan Storm-Brewing Méretsu! Anime film CMSNTREBRAC2 T. REBAR © Yoshio UsiFutabanhisSHINEL Animations TV Asan Adult Empire Strikes Back stole the hearts ofthis first DYFUAK see ENFREBICE DT otaku generation. The work recreated the atmosphere RMOJYIUAELTRITWHOEL of Expo ‘70 while ironically rendering future-less, TCEDRRESBAT WWRS OBST Hr 119 contemporary Japan in a nutshell. BRON. EL CHHSNEWEEKAE Let me explain the story. TED Teo The Crayon Shinchanfranchiseoriginated in the long- (QLAYLABSA MEMRE-LY! lived “shtick” manga series by Yoshito Usui, which ran AbhFPHROVR) CWSREMTABHE in Weekly Manga Action (a magazine for young adults) Nostalgia Extract. His trials run live on television, and the (SFZOTAICREIARA. ET ICIS TACfe Sight of Shinnosuke desperately living a reallife shocks EXPO'70RTRO AAN30% (8 (1955-6444) D the adults back to their senses. The level on the Nostalgia HEDEEDHO DITOBPRBEED Meter plummets, thwarting Yesterday Once More's plot. ULBKAR SMW eo RRUSE L RIT Te WAICRSEAREMIETSREBOEKA TE Otaky understand Yesterday Once More, and they find BS LAOTHEAMEH LEVEAS OR Shinnosuke's parents compelling. At this point in time, DULFAZORI YBHENESELTWS otaku culture spans three generations, including the FI-ORENEREUT WK FORT grandchildren of the first otaku. Whether or not otaku LERMESH. WEEMRICEESLAOT have grandkids, they remain just as dedicated to FOBICKASIAREBCTUK 0 MB gathering otaku information and collecting otaku DUX—F—jOKI-lSFAY HISAR merchandise. But it is also true that the aims of a c#RD 2 feo Figure 12.25 secret society like Yesterday Once More are empathetic Carpenters to, if not overtly synchronized with, the terrorist activ- Ble < SWRILAIF4 IYAEP KC Now & Then, including “Yesterday Once More” "HEAP VYR-EP MRBOP ities of Aum Shinriky6, WIL, the recognized otaku cult that SEROREL LAS PAOMRICSEUP OOPY REY) 1973 accomplished the 1995 Sarin attacks on the Tokyo UF4—-ERCSERMURS (original LP release) BICKECE CD (cover) subway. Otaku have always held excessive beliefin their OTHUROBE< DPS U—-KCHBLT dreams, and have continued to trust that their fantasies WSSROWE 5 Ata MELE < HSA would come true, This has only heightenedtheir bitter- SPIE < NR. TYAPH FLOWSRIC ness upon the betrayal of their dreams. But whatis the EULGINEBATWB 0A,WELT objectof their bitterness? Plain truth dictates that they AIFA DYREP ACS OOSCHS fe th should direct that bitterness at themselves, a fact that PRY UYT OESRE LEBES AH they probably comprehend, Although they won't plan €b5bNS7VARBROTOMERES their own revolution, they won't give up on the idea of MTHS. ETDYU POLTW autopian future, If only—they desperately dream—they BEEBAS HEX SBEMAE UOT were allowed to express their honest feelings in the FAS. —@ RBG AIRE O18 Ulfee world of anime. Whenthey 4° indeed find such expression, RI SNERHLKEMICH LTORE they heartily applaud it yet sigh in deep resignation, for BOD.ENMADCS ARIAT SNSN they knowit's just an empty fantasy. Peculiarly, the SCHSBKBRGERTH) OBER stories-within-stories structure of Adult Empire Strikes FEL TUBURTAB. BD TORBEN Back also allows them to see through themselves as BISHTTEBUA MEW TRROD fevelers in their impossible predicament. In this, we KEPRROKDICEB.HHTP= glimpse the reality fraught with despair that awaited A-YavOUROPE I} CEEBAOO otaku after DAICONIV. MRELTRUWE WSMVSER b —U-KBFERD. £UTRVEOBER 6. Memories of the Atomic Bomb (CLS ERD S. LAL ARICEA IL CBs CWS RDS FIBRES S(ILA Behold, a gaze that admits no rayof light VUAS SA MEMRE-LY 1A overcome bytreachery's grief BOPM)OANFOMBBICDAICON VOX Behold, above our skeptical laughter OF BORK EISBSBATE. a sword of rage poisedto strike 6. ROR Everyliving creature yearns to gnaw our bones, eyes glint in vengeance,urging us to suicide RE-BOREAMALTLES God's creation rebuffs our assimilation BU SNTELHIC The gentler our nature the deeper its rage SCOLMERSEMADAE Whenthat rage has erased MBOREXKSHOPECES every last kindness, all is for nought FWSRSTMCeAbOe Come,let us sing now, the Ode to Joy KASESEBLIDEALT Oh, clouds drifting in a clear blue sky BLEKOEEBOSAZVEO Bird calls in forest and field EOBON—IORLESH My heart delighted, brimming with joy ALAC SRD Our bright smiling faces exchanging looks SHSCERESREORE (Kenji Endo, “Ode to Joy,” 1972; lyrics by Kenji Endé [last verse by Téichir Iwasa], music by Ludwig van MNSAERIBS Beethoven)* ANSARA OPC EADIE NEBL < REIN The boomin Japanese science-fiction/fantasy anime RRIRSORSERH was engenderedby two works:SpaceBattleship Yamato (HRA) REOW, F-BRRRSE and Mobile Suit Gundam(pls. 27, 30). Both works share 3e—BE fffa-LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Figure 1a.26 a narrative genesis in a post-atomic world. And both are 1972%)* Katsuhiro Otomo fundamental to the birth of ofaku culture. Akira, vol. 1 (cover) "745 EERE) In Space Battleship Yamato, enemy aliens from the SFI PYF I—-RCARP =X F—-hORR 1984 Gamilon empire attack the earth. The Gamilons launch EBSERMIGSAFBREVIS Book (publisher: Kodansha) a planetary bomb from a great distance, a bomb UCBAY YL) (pls. 27, 30).c0= designed to accelerate radiation contamination and ER HICMBOME D (SRRTROBR expedite their colonization of the planet. The land is RESERIC LTS. EUTHREMALT, deforested and the oceansrun dry. BES ALF y -EMESURRE BORE Mobile Suit Gundamopenswith a plan to drop a space MACTSEBS. colony on the earth. In orderto alleviate overpopula- (FRWEV Vb)CSRORSEADR tion, space colonies have beencreated at the Lagrange HASSAMSOMRE RTS. BORA Points, places where the gravitational fields of the earth SMREICRE SNS HSMMSIAL and the moonare neutralized. One of the colonies, which DBELBWE DICMARSREES CS calls itself the Principality of Zeon, declares its inde- HBTHIREICRE LBSENTUS. pendencefrom the Earth Federation and declares war. —AVADBLAY TL)OMBILAN—-Z Launching a sneakattack, they take a space colony out DO=—-#FROSMRECBCTRENS of its orbit and drop it onto the earth. Billions die in the HES. ADMBAMICNUTSO, FHLMO attack, both on the space colony and at the terrestrial WERE AOBAPMACAS—AIO=—-B point of impact, and the earth's collision with the #BR. EOIN =—O—-9D, 974 EBA massive projectile precipitates climate change. Earth, VRBE BRO MEERUTR once the mother planet, enters a nuclear winter and “£8 RpsTS.Hele LTAN— becomesall but uninhabitable. AADO=—THMICBPSE, TOMBS Planetary bombs, or space colonies falling to earth DT. AN=-HRESFROMERA and exploding in blinding white light followed by BARETHES B. Ki. ABEOSEM brilliant red, were all common story elementsin the 5) SHC LERRBMIC EO. ARSSTH manga and anime of the time. So many of these SiR id MOSNGRURICE 2 TLEV IR narratives begin in the catastrophic aftermath of an UCHERRUETIER < Ro TLE DTW, atomic explosion. EWSREK. There is a longing for some fundamental human BERR A2N\—AIO=——AWMe Be power to awaken when humanity is backed into a UCR Lic BRON > AGH. h< Rom corner. Hayao Miyazaki’s original manga and animated BERS. MHOVYHA.PIXAOBBLOW 122 ‘film, Nausicaa oftheValley of the Wind, also begins in a ELEULTHEAMBMTH OESSER ‘World that has suffered a man-madeapocalypse.This RNCBRADAIAZLNIOPDS OMB “istrue of Otomo’s Akira as well. ORMIADED (CHS. ‘Wefeel an abiding sense of righteous indignation ESV 0 AERGIC. RELTRUA atthe use of atomic bombstobring the Pacific War to HOBANDER. SIROAUYFIL- Vy @ close. We level cheap shots at the Japanese HEP=A-Y3WHBOROFIYANEA ‘government, which placed Japanin thatfinal scenario AMGRAROUAD5MBDWE SKBB ‘and then concealed the truth about the bombs’ FECAKIRA) LY FE. effects. We feel complex emotions towards the BURT IC KOAFERSREAORDS ‘Americans who thrust the terror of nuclear annihila- OBR. S53ele LOWRSSRE Wot Wa ‘tion upon Japan. Addedto this is our own cowardly SRRLitt& BABAADYTt.RURO Sy ‘tage for accepting media control as a necessaryevil. All BRNARE ARICBE LIEP XV AICHE of Figure 1a.27 this simmered in the Japanese consciousness as COMMEAF4PIYhKA-Went Fishmans r ‘dogmawithout direction. When these contexts emerged, LEW. ZOMADRECROAENTLE Something in the Air, including “Slow Days” ROOF AMROPIERS HY TY _ the message reached its audience in the guise of SMICH LTO BPA SAORRIEBO. CD (cover) ‘children's programming; becausereality was portrayed ENSDMTEBORWUKTV ERO TARA (Courtesy Univaril Music Kk through anime, Japan finally discovered genuine OPICMBWT WieTS UCREDEB Lic ‘tespectforits creators. RE. FRAGORRE UTHERARAY In Japanese elementary schools, we do not learn L—IMBE. PIXBOY PILCH SRT. that our country has been managed in an incomplete, RIFE5 CM LTOEBSRREE LTO tentative fashion ever since the loss of the war. Nor do RBAUDTHTRECEBS. We seriously grapple with the issue as adults. RADWELLTHRE LU CRESE But everyone recognizes the discomfort generated WCBEMCMBSNTTWSENS TEM by this unnatural state of affairs. Japan is well PERTAMSRASHA.ELTRA Lie established as a nation unable to address its bad ELTHRMICHAS LBW. LOL. ZO blood. Butat least the truth survives, alive and well, in BASICHS AEDMOBSRU TIS.0 stories told to children, Perhapsit's fair to say that TEDE SAMILTSARE ARES the unique sympathies we label as otaku were born DRE. CORTETE OREMTHBED the moment Japan comprehended the sincerity of HBLOPCRIWNTISHALSORE thesestorytellers. TEBEDERM ICRBle < & BSR WYYNADTOWENECEBALS. 7.An Endless Summer Vacation 7. RDSBWURKH Oh summersunsetpastthe view in the slow days Orange days, orange sky in the slow days Oh SummerSunset Past The View In The Slow Days The long, long summervacation never seemsto end Orange Days, Orange Sky In The Slow | dream of becoming someoneelse, with the face of Days my childhood Ri Rw Rhkals BO0ZS THOS Ohyeah, one faint memory upon another Wate Ohyeah, they determine who we are HAKGS BERS FROGORETS Oh summersunset, orange circle in the sunset sky oh Yeah Build WK R< MaBent That too-smooth color, packed with drama, story told oh Yeah RSEROHWEOTS too often Oh Summer Sunset SHIH ALY YE Oh yeah, | can't get to feeling naive ULEEMES Oh yeah, life's not that big a deal BSNDEok BOSEK BFOWWSO fe In the everyday with nothing lost, wefeelfine From beyond the horizon, the same sound as always oh Yeah +4—-TRRHSRADICEBSBY oh Yeah A£PAVERSOL PAW Spending these days like I'm bored Gotta give these days a hard time,too PSCMSBWBAl RISBAVEFSO!S (Fishmans, “Slow Days,” 1996; lyrics and music TRFRO ZS .S BCMLEMTS 7F- by Shinji Sato)* TABBAE KSESICMTUTUS The first atomic bomb hit on August6,at the height of COBH COBATKHDWS summer. The war was over. Summeris the season when (7497 aVYA'SLOW DAYS; the story ends and hell begins. Peace was immediately femitrih meee =19965F)* transformed by a unique sense of time. The blinding white light of the sun and thelight of the atomic bomb RB BRORE, 8AGAICBSicoEUTH coalesced, delineating the beginning and end of PSDOK Bid. MBAR. ELT the narrative. HWRORMARWE SSMEOE. FAERIE Postwar Japanese narrative themes jumble SUGAR cRSUisk.Robe summer vacations together with leukemia; manytell KEOXKE RROKDEEL, TAMBOR stories of doomedlove.This still holds true today, as CIDTWSo proven by the enormous success of the 2004 movie RAROMBOT—VicisSkacam Crying Out Love fromthe Center of the World, based on BOEEL. EOPCORBMEMSEH a novel by Kydichi Katayama that sold an incredible EBACE AACAC2004ic BIR Figure 1a.28 Mushroom cloud of the hydrogen bomb "Bravo," detonated at Bikini Atoll on March 1, 1954 195435 =UCHRS tteake 'JoR-04/ 3B 124 three million copies upon publication. Indeed, the story Figure 12.29 The ship Daigo Fukurya Maruat begins with a heroine who has leukemia. Daigo Fukurya Maru Exhibition Hall, Tokyo The protagonist, PARSARTMICRRS Sakutar6 (named after the poet tie FAEA, (Courtesy Daigo FunuryMaru Eahibtion Hal Sakuitard Hagiwara), is a high-school junior in a fegional city. The story opens with the death of his girlfriend, Aki. Saku and Aki's friendship goes back to middle school, but they first become romantically involved as sophomores. In the second semester of his junior year, Saku learns that Aki has leukemia. Her parents ask Saku to take their daughter to Australia When she recovers. Saku buys tickets and sneaks Aki out of the hospital on her birthday; they celebrate with ‘acake on the train to the airport. Aki collapses at the airport, and Saku cries out for help. Aki is rushed back to the hospital, only to die. Several years later, the adult Saku returns to his hometown with his new lover. The high-school campus is rife with memories of Aki. Amida flurry of cherry blossoms, Saku quietly scatters Aki's ashes from a glass bottle, which he has kept Ey hESARET IS REED300BREED since her death. EVPECHROPDTHES IRTH. TOP Art critic Noi Sawaragi has studied the frequent YIMWEUP UF 4-6 KACEOTY appearance of leukemia as a motif in tragic love MAMAORETROD LTS. Stories, noting, “It derives from the radioactive fallout EARLY T EAR (Ble) ld ABI in the aftermath of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the KECBRIES (A MAERORRMBALD Marshall Islands hydrogen bomb tests.” SMa TWS), Meals P+ (RHE) EWS LOR Sawaragi and | were both born in 1962. We were born ADEM SUES. PLEBRD SRATHD into the period of Japan's rapid economic growth, not EUTBR-FEOR, (bo SO ERHEELT atime of remarkable social tumult. Our generation BRLBOLYIEPSVI SMBoOLe coincides with the first otaku generation.(For the record, PEMAMBTHSTCEMSBRR CS Sawaragi is not an ofaku.) Deeply influenced by TV WIE S—MICA-AKDU Pico TML media at the dawn of the TV age, we have been dubbed WEPOMRD SMEN, 7 lk7 + OBE “The TV generation.” The transition from black and BicabetCREFTY hEFRRDSik White to color, JFK’s assassination, the Vietnam War, the GHLEPEERBECORHOHTT—*F moon landing, and archival footage of World WarII: THERUET S. LETHNSP*.MA we've been deluged by these images. And we've CHMIFTRAW CBESTSUIRICE wondered, why does Japan have a military if we've aban- UUENSMP + dEBEEKAI doned war?The reason remainedin limbo. Because any TED SFLUBEA CBPEORIA child, seeing that archival war footage, must have asked DIEWOBEDFROTIIY KH ldteoR his parents, “Why did we lose the war?” “Whatare the BOPCWISNE RAFIANTHOT Self Defense Forces?" Our parents would have cited WPFORAEBDICE <6 the atomic bombs and disparities in economic power, C3 LEESONOBKGANBEO Anmilitary based on equivocation, parents stuck trying RE AMHTPRREAPRS SHIRE to explain the contradictions between the Peace WIADRROD ESRIE DP Y—Y v IVBS ICD Constitution and the Self Defense Forces: everything OAMRBICEALTWSAR Ei bB 2 ho in Japan is ambiguous. Our generation swallowed its MACSAFOLENE, 19625. 458 profound frustration at the rift betweenreality and the BROOCHATHR< BERRA information available in the media,andit festered inside SARHAOHCES NIELTRA OTHE us. This created our pathological obsessionwith real- (kB 126 War amounted to three megatons. Imagine an BARLIALE—DS. ES5RSKRRR Eree explosion five times that powerful unleashed in an EBCEOTCUCPAY Ald SFMRB instant upon a coral reef protected only by beauti- AUT ic. cid. RAB (Fission) & ful, emerald green waters. But the terror of Bravo WAS (Fusion), %3B (Fission) ONC Bo lay not only in its destructive force. The mushroom CTEBMSCRM L. ARBs VIEL cloudit generated rose into the stratosphere, scat- BED Vibbhiecws.FLT, tering its massive radioactive materialinto the jet FOURLC. RRO“LHET SFRT stream, where it circulated over the world... SIEVE COREBIRD EAT Ve In fact, Japan's Pacific coastline experienced OU KEIFIR—(ENELTHEDEH heavily radioactive rains in Bravo's wake. In May TeBBILE) TH 3 feo 1954, Japan reported a Geiger count rate of 86 ENC DS IR TDR—OBURA 15 X HT thousand counts per minute per liter of rainwater. hYEWS Old, BREILTUS. — BIE (pp. 332-36) SSC BECDESAKRSCRONE SNTOINTKRE SALTS. EXHKY The Japanese were exposed to radiation from the FLAVESBWEWS CORESORE atomic bomb blasts and then again through hydrogen RLWIXDSIVE FY —Y OweFS bomb tests. A blast of pure white light, a summer MEO—FSC BASIC L THT DIOTH eternally seared, That orange-coloredcircle, leukemia, BlNES. FIR—OBHA BRD HElt and summer vacation. My own consolation, a still THEEOLAM LIEBAREY ABS endless summer vacation. The unending pain, the ROB ECHL. SERSENKSEO Figure 1a.31 The Wings of Honneamise festering, seeks to break out of this dilemma. RAEMAEYxy b RICOTHR = im AAPSAZOR EER L Pele T7E. (FRBR) 1987 Video of anime film 8, The Beast that Shouted Loveat the Heart of BR, TOWFORRDS AASHORK (cover offirst edition, released in May 1987) (@BANDAI VISUALIGAINAX the World SEEHSS THR BONERA'S O fal The creators of DAICON IV Opening Animation would HAIRCEDy KILBEOH come to occupy a central place in the current anime TH-AIYACABKRFMERAKTE world. The key members of the DAICON group opened DBASNTS. (332-3684 0) the science-fiction store General Products, which was professionally incorporated as Gainax in 1984 upon BA BRARIORCMR L. ELTES protluction of the feature-length anime The Wings of —EBWAFHLOKIBRRCSBURL Teo Honneamise(releasedin 1987). Neon Genesis Evangelion Ho ASCHORN.ABICMENT SHEE. (pl. 33), written and directed by Hideaki Anno and Ail. LUCHA BAOLOORABK produced by Gainax, is the landmark otaku anime BEERS CV) RbOSEMMREUB film, which marked the most brilliant moment of FHS BS, FREIDERE ICR LIT otaku subculture. TWH Evangelion became an explosive hit immediately after the twenty-six original episodes werefirst 8. HROPDCPTEMAED, broadcast on television in 1995-96. Caught up in the (DAICON IV OPENING ANIMATION) €fé cult-like fervor surrounding the work, fans willingly DEAT IT ERALTRED P= X— accepted the controversial and irregular release of the YVAYVRAOPEEB > TSMEOP subsequentfilm: unable to complete it on time, Gainax AYIN—BSFY 3S YFORRGIWIOVIY feleased an unfinished version to theaters in March ZS. SSC 1O84FI(EVERB AK 1997 and released the final version a few monthslater PF SAOR)(1 987A) & WS HERBS as a different film. This phenomenon points to the FoMPCATHyPAEWSTFOOP=IX complicit relationship by then formed in the world of Ya vilFRte Zs bik. EOHTH animation between the creators and the audience, which YOARLED SIE S PIX ORBLE LT tecognized Evangelion as an instant entertainment DIAVIIAN RDREAM:BSH classic. The original TV series and the subsequent teLr yFUAY)(pl. 33). & ‘THE BIGGEST NEW COLLECTION YET OF SCIENCE FICTION: HAREANBlsiSOt feature films attracted not only anime fans but also FLE-YU—Als1995-06F226%CHB young culture-lovers and anime veterans who had out- FL CRRMMIA ORC EO ARE grownotaku obsessions. Evangelion is an unsurpassed PIBRNEAREEL. EOAILET 4—Ik milestone in the history of ofaku culture. (ceFEARGDS 2A BSA IC FEEATE IC The storyis set in 2015,fifteen years after the Second DT AEMORR EMBER. Ms ABE Impact, a deadly cataclysm of global magnitude that SRMRIE EC LTAMTSEWSW originated in Antarctica. The new city of Tokyo 3 is DBRRESBRL ce. O HlaB suddenly attacked by “Angels,” unidentified enemies MAOKLARMT S LELYI-F(X that take various forms including gigantic creatures hORBERMURSFIAT — XRFIC and a computervirus. NERV, a special U.N. agency RCWETEERALI MBMeSDET chargedwith fighting the invaders, deploys Evangelions, FEROPIAD PVECES. BEMIEA all-purpose humanoid weapons piloted by three SBS ERRURAT IY ORES TH specially chosen fourteen-year-old kids (Shinji, Rei, OTAWBESEAMHECBSECH and Asuka). 128 EDBIRPARE FS EWS EROLS le Beast that ShoutedA/at the Heart of the World.” DUTHAIEIS MATIN EVNS HES (The use of katakana, a Japanesesyllabic script, for {CORBIS (AIS)S(PILED-YU—Z), the word aj allows the term to carry the double mean- ELTUPLNYOAYIMDIERTZZ ing of homonyms “love” and “I.") Both the title and DOMBREMAD. concept are borrowed from Harlan Ellison's eponymous EULTHMBROIAKY—YikF LEME Science-fiction novel. In a contestpitting the audience OMS ETS ORODLBMS HALE Hic {teaders), who are normally on the receiving end of EK PIA-YaVORRAEHRS CS. ‘entertainment, against the author's vision, who can fly FLERRREOS 41 hIHHROMO TS her? How far can the audience both compel and PLEWUATEI SOI. PX VU NOCOHROSF low the director's vision? With Evangelion, the FRN- FY LURAY OMS ("SB ORI ‘director Annoraised a challenge to works that refused WEBACIT HILERCHCBE SITA toallow audiences any escape from the reality of their FEISS OID) ONBRED. 9F KIL AY own self-consciousness. EThOSACHS.LYI—-FIXVLER The subtitle to the film version's final sequence also BLTWSRA (RS) & FBOX-VOR alludes to science fiction, referencing the film Charly FES ADE NIE IAIC IAL. DUT (based on Daniel Keyes's Flowersfor Algernon), which RSNSM.EHSDE RAMA)MABE ‘Was released in Japan as Magokoro o kimi ni (My heart BREASERGURED5 OUEHS Figure 12.33 10 you). Evangelion also incorporated references and (ROPEEREDIS CUSFRERR, Charly HCCSEB elements, such as the “Spear of Longinus” and “AT BUERRRBROU TIT bILIC SSRI 1968 (Absolute Terror) Field,” that were freely adapted VERDA 51S. Y= Film poster LILROSE © 1088 Cinema Reteasiog Cor from Judeo-Christian religious mysticism, psychology, ANGI P ILS 9 —S DCEREBELR biology, and a wide range of sources.Their juxtaposi- BCE CT SEBIC) (RB(Charly)) e5/Aoth tion with robots and anime provoked widespread eS OVER ADB PATI 4 IL BRE, speculation and much deeper readings. This simula- AIV=FVUAbRNPBER, DEPOEY tion-based approach stood Japanese anime's Fis ETSRDS 3 |BLO y be fundamental disregard for dramatic themesonits head. FIAOHCHBCMNASFRMMAO Butultimately, by arousing sympathyin its audience, WEURE RAYEUT< TH, itlaid bare a true otaku heart. RANG ESYOEMEDEBE LAWAAD Itis the final scene of the film version. When Shinji PI ABMSPFiCMokyiav—Yyay comesto he has been asleep, naked. Rei, also naked, WEFECEHS.UMLEDRAICESB ‘straddles him, her hand poised to melt and fuse BCORBORMie < ODOAMENR ‘with Shinji's torso. The Humanity Complementation FS. Program will ensurethat all humans liquefy, fuse, and HBROBROY—Y.RND< CSECR ‘become one. The giant crucified on the cross deep TWSYYYLELTMERCKHoT beneath the special agency NERV is recognized as Bo LIOFIEYY YOMICBIABARL Lillith, and all humansare destined to merge with her, SSEUTWSMEMBEINTOAMA ultimately fusing into one. Lillith was the biblical BOREL. BAU T—DIEB TUS TEM ‘Adam'sfirst wife, but the children born of their union, BRA ILI OMTRK +ERORICRT lilin, were regarded as demons; they represent WEBAEU UATHSESEHZOU UAE humanity in the film. FATOMAIABS LT WE, BMF Iz BUTATWUS TECHS. BRMCUURE Shinji: "Am | dead?” EVA RKROPEORRRBICPILOR Rei: “No, everything's just becoming one. MORE UTRMSENTVUSFEEMPIL This is exactly the world you dreamedof.” OMICEENKFHIEU UY ENS ZORR Shinji: “But this is different. This isn’t it.” CENTHO PROPTAIL UYTH Rei: “If you wish for others to exist, once again, SEMBSNTWS, Figure ta.34 Shinji and Rei merging, fromThe End of Evangelion camrtne MBM Air/KOTSS BE) koty 4O8H: 1997 Anime film the walls of your heartwill pull you away from yy uv FTHRISFEATED ? 3 everyone else. A new terror of others will begin.” Lt WABTROE DIEMSTWSE = Shinji: “That's fine.” C4 SBREOBATEEREDEE LE YYSTCS. TNS, MSMS CBS) Shinji removes his hand from Rei’s torso and shakes L4 "HrDFEES-BZOld BON! her hand. Shinji chooses a world in which a barrier BRETONAL S5EMT DO. Ele. th, separates him from others. He notices the others again. BRM CKS HK Those who have already fused begin to reappear in YYWW es individual silhouettes as each person regains his individuality. On the beach, Shinji is strangling Asuka. YYOBDS FES SRWT L- Asuka caresseshis cheek with her injured right hand. BEETS. BPCHAC EMCOME As hereleaseshis grip, Shinji weeps and a tear lands PRE VY VABRLEOK thee BI on Asuka’s cheek. Asukablurts out, “That's disgusting.” BYYI MBS LTWIEAR OBB “The End" appears in a corner of the frame, and HAD, ARSE FeCRE L TU) < oS abruptly, the film is over. PAADBERDTWSYY DP AAld DQUEARTY Y YOMERTS. > yy Shinji longs for the self that has split away from him EMOTWSHED SOT. REMF. Cl to acknowledge his remaining self. He would like for TERDTZDOBo PF ADDEE 3 ED: his neighbors to acknowledge him as well. And so he Wito "RH5 B10 LU CHIBIA 5 Ic rejects total fusion with Rei; but he's wary of the pain RFD TRAORT. that accompaniesinteraction with others. Should he let himself becomethe objectof another's love? Alone YYVEROMARLTTWISSS—AO! with Asuka, the only person left who may understand BS. COPEEDD 2 TRUHR: him, Shinji tries to kill her. But as he strangles her, (EBASBD>TRUMELT EOD! Asukaextendsher hand to him. She strokes his cheek. BREBELEO“R. LUCHOIS Skin touches skin. Primitive communication, ambitions THY AVICMADTES Wc SA NTE derailed, Even though he attempts tokill her, Shinji DPRICZSODED. YY VIP AH? wants Asukato understandhis real intention: that what QOWRE CLTOMAESB LICE E,! he really seeks is simply himself. But he also knows SEFS.LALBEROTRIRMN,7. that this is impossible. Seeing this pathetic side of YY VICFEBLBNS BOWE 130 Shinji, Asuka mirrors the response of society. She VORERTSME MDBNASTU asserts that she finds Shinji, who is only capable of SF 47BIAS 2-7-Yary.BHETOM self-involved communication, “disgusting.” Ho VY Vs BBOTRORR OEY IED Inthe last scene of Katayama's novel Crying Out Love BSERULSTRVEFTSMRE BESE from the Centerof the World, the protagonist, Saku, has UEPADILTRL. ULEHS grown up. With a new lover in tow, he returns to a high- BEECHSHSTAD>TS. FABRA school campus drenched in memories of his dead lover. UWL Y TERT, PAARROU PUT 4 He is not in the least concerned that his new lover nei- 22S 6. ARNIS a=7—-Yayl ther knows he lost Aki to leukemia nor appreciates his DERBY Y Ye RESBV CRT S Memories of the dead girl. In fact, his driving purpose Ofte. is to reaffirm an enduring sentimentality that he has FLR-OCRRODDTBESIWIOD reserved entirely for himself, and it is this that triggers AKY—YTCEARYTMKACB ORLY sympathy in the reader. BALHE ULIEDITOBAP FORBULD In Evangelion, Shinji would fulfill his desire to WrEWOBEOFROIS IY KH complete a solitary journey of the heart by murdering Figure 1a.35 TsutomuMiyazaki’s room, 1989 131 able challenge facing Japan, Our relief at finally putting EBNHAORH. FPAHDERSS Cee the trauma of the war behind us was brief, for we PEKSCMHTWS. immediately were confronted by our inability to FRNA LIVERSHCHOBRENS| devise an independent future. Japan is now enmeshed AIDC UAIE WEARBET ORANG in the search for what it means to have a self. ie< ORATHVRATEBSOR. On the other hand,in his “journey to self-abandon- HSER EBORBORSCbH0K3 ment,” Miura Jun, the man who coined the term yuru VIEMECS MOBBMRL OMMSS chara, asks whetheror notthereis a self worth search- RADORMPREHH THS.KSPCE ing for; the more such paradoxes emerge, the more a BOKDIVEROMA TED. CBO meaningless "journey of self-discovery,” which offers ROW. ZOLEANCED LiF SnwmyL? no apparent or ultimate independence, becomesthe YOR, "Fh DRE ARSSRLTSRF theme of Japan. HIRD TH So EDF. EBESHRTNS WiNGSOM 9. Otaku EWSABE"DS4 + FiOASHTRAS! It is impossible to avoid otaku in any discussion of Uppls BAe < LOR eCWS 7AYs contemporary Japaneseculture. Although some otaku ATRLTW SoS LIF —VARM prize themselves as “genetic” ofaku, all are ultimately AUSSIE MRM ic lt Be TORTI defined by their relentless references to a humiliated 7). SRR IS BSR L ORs A RAD? self. Though obsessed with personal taste and -VERITWS. individualism, otaku can cultivate friendships based on shared interests. They excel at radicalizing insular 9. BiE< information. They thoroughly reject those who stray SORAMILEMSRIC SKS eR outside the boundaries of sharedinterests. (SABRE TH SURF LAID Tie Ky Japanese society has consistently ridiculed otaku BSsFEBO EF SHK to raise cult funds, Aum Shinrikyd could be character- FeBle< MERRAAR LBA. Be fantasy, fueled by gargantuan information stores, WATE. Bie < BHC Ss AHLF integrated research, and the otaku quest for Eros. As TES ROTRTWSo a result, although their world has begun to overlap with "Sie < RBIS.BAI SDS CEB reality and otaku have gradually begun to merge with RST. SoA. the mainstream, they remain unable to shed theair of FLA YI-BRI KPT EIBS the grotesque. AFAVYV-OPCHS HOBMMELOAZAEL BRORBOBERS< BOWL, UT 10. Seven-Eleven OURS LTS BHELERB BARETORRESEMIT, LO ANODE Just one more, one morecall fromyou and we can BELVIVie BS50S6'RE come meet me, now TABATWWODRSBUGNE EARS | want to make up with you, one moretime, DCHBIEMBUP LBW over Kahlua-milk BORDRSAILT SL Mo ieA< ho Th Girls are so fragile, which is why they need to be ét protected, as much as possible Sis SME N-RYY —SROSUNERY But I've never been able to be that kind of man, I'm sorry SWVLWERBZRY I'll do my best I want to grow the teeny-tiny guts of a defeated athlete BAGAPPOTA AAATRHSE UZ TSBWTH Figure 1a.37 Store model for Seven-Eleven Japan 4 LYRE 134 _ We're both stuck in our stupid little pride PBBOUEWAL 63—-E ALFTLOT You treated me to Kahlua-milk on my birthday When | had onetheother day, it made me want to cry ROFST DBVGAR KPSHTTHIT BEDE THB Let's get off the phone and meet in Roppongi, RUGESR Bloest FABBCBNTR come meet me, now EWt SHABEW IWant to make up with you, one more time, over MA sTHEE SMHS RM OAR-Y Kahlua-milk VYBEWES 25 PRES ICD It fey (Yasuyuki Okamura, “Kahlua-Milk,” 1990; lyrics and music by Yasuyuki Okamura)* MOVEAFITEDSOSBAW RIHET WS At the height of the bubble economy, from the mid- BERK ‘modicum of joy. No need to party-hearty every day of FIIYAvVEDORROBLOAMBEL BROby7-Sa—-Yo yr vARE LC eRe REDARTOS <7 bICRRE TSEOp ‘youtlife. No one wasstarving, no one was that bored. If BWoARKOPFRMSES ESIC, HO PIC BA banks.=O—ME LU CEWT SBank Bandicko7 IL ICBM)id. NtCHM S THD ‘you were hungry, you'd go to the conveniencestore. RHIC In LETECLOBDNAD. NFIVEHODLD FAL AILF SIL7) €OR SEOMB TH 5. MPEF—ALIL, the mood to shop, you'd go to Don Quijote. And soon, ORRU. AREMEMICS SHUCSRRH YAROKLYHa—-PUTSS CMERTT &. BROMILOMMMIEP oe the basis of everyday life depended on convenience @ Rico t UCEORREMHAREDE MCHRICTERT SREBHMOT. ‘stores and discount shops. The local convenience store Let SERRA T ABSAED is now a significant factor in apartment-hunting. ETCETBEVOKCH. HDES THANS Seven-Eleven currently dominates the convenience- BRO BICSBAMtrs pABS Store market. The chain openedits first store in 1974 RSMESR)MASMRHS, ENE as a Japanese incarnation of American Southland ECHRMAMoe SAYER.MEL Corporation's 7-Eleven. Employing distinctly Japanese TEMPO RY ER-FAGIELTESE distribution strategies—including completely comput- MOBBIYEXREYAARP EBRYS erized inventory controls, meticulous replenishment YTDRSBCEWEPABBReG of perishable goods via nine deliveries per day, and SDAVENMAKE GENRE. the elimination of warehouses—Seven-Eleven currently BED IY CHOBETY-1 LIVE. controls 10,303 of Japan's 37,691 convenience stores, PAUAOVIADY KHO'7-ELEVEN|O boasting the highest gross sales in the country, an BARE LTIO744 IC BISEMATy, annual total of more than 23 billion yen (nearly 222 AY Ea—-FICkSMELEHAT COBB, million dollars), —AAHORBC LSRNROZ OMDB The nextrevolutionaryretail outlet to settle into the CEMRSRORRGEARTO Urban landscape was Don Quijote.It offers a unique MCAARICHSAYELLYAAKPSATE “condensed array” retail space that suggests you've 691 EHOS 51 A303EME SH. 0 ET “Wandered into an Asian bazaar. Brand-name goods, Mb2K3F431 At hy FEBS. 185 electronics, and apparel are displayed in an environ- FOROSRNRY aYTELTHRCE ment reminiscentofa tropical jungle, which customers MLIEOM, KY FR-F THS.PIPO can “explore” as they shop. It is the thrill of wandering ICSF -WACRRUNT MEK S18 SO"ERT into a maze. Don Quijote's forty thousand products vary EWS BORED FFy Kin, BAR, PI constantly, and it is the only place in the world where LIVIEE DABBHO DY FILO ESIC Louis Vuitton bags can be seen next to toilet paper. NENTBEEOREIRLEMSRUM The stores are open day and night, but the quintes- ET SRB \CORE. MAGt Oe sential Don Quijote experience unfolds late at night: (SICBHEL LT D4 RYERTLYRA peak sales hours fall between 10 p.m. and midnight. —N—-DAET SBS. TOESCOME Unlike the late-night markets of conveniencestores, B30 where customers make purchasesto satisfy immedi- BROWTWSDS, BY FR-TATBU ate needs, young people flock to Don Quijote nightly S 1 ERET SOURR. 69 CbRHSHM in order to “kill time” in a new kind of urban amuse- BERPEO 10RD S AROTHSUF ment, like mothsto a flashlight. TEY-TY bh CH. WHELNSOMFE The capitalist economy has become the world’s ASsAVYEHLYA-AbP Elsies, Sl philosophy.It proliferates becauseit offers the image SRLSMROM LWP Sa-KAYREL ee of a society wherelife is easy and no one starves. TC. SiREDETICRE SMO £35 ICHBORE Miura Jun's Yuru Chara Show Pleasure motivates everything. People create environ- 2T<4. peels ie ee ments spurred by their own desires. In Japan today, #RidHAERRRAC RO. t0 DVD (cover) we've nearly perfected living environment based on AISLOBS UAW. MARWHREES consumer supremacythat’s very comfortable, easy, and BCHS. MCT TR THRICBELTSR nearly stress-free. EE RRETNTOBA CTHS. Al BROM If you have a convenience store,you'll be fine. For BICGMSNTRREEO LIS. BEREE a little entertainment, check out Don Quijote. Your ERTE ORAS, MBG. AKLALABE scenario for a happy society free of starvation is RUBS. SORACBSAEREICRIT now complete. KCTS AYERPSNSBEO TS.YLOL ” 11. Yuru Chara YI-FAWEEY-FR-FMABE Japan is a treasure trove of kawaii characters: Hello OBBBYIUAITEM LIE. if Kitty, Pokémon, Doraemon, TarePanda (“Drooping ue Panda”), and Anpanman("“Bean-Paste Bread Man")— 11. O47 the list goes on and on. By now,kawaii has even entered BADDUW4 7 97 9-ORME FT 4 if the global vocabulary. BeAMTEY, KGAA, NEN? ie These characters, which first won popularity with YIN LY EBACE RAR KawaiiBle iw children, either were spun off from manga and anime or HRB BICS BTS were corporateicons; all were regarded as promotional DITFRIESBOARERIEA YY II9— » products. At this point, countless characters are BIE. VYAPPIXAORERG OO generated exclusively for merchandising, supported HOP(AYELTHBL, FOE-Yayy by a flood of specialty magazines featuring such AThLOMERME UTRONT WE. LAL products. Kawaii characters, upheld by a global FISMOD 5S Y—F VY IF AZ CVRADE market, are now in riotous proliferation. OEICSNS+579 —DRIES Today, with the character boom at its height, one HEntsO BHNO++F79—EROM branch of these creatures has already fallen by the CLOOSMBSMLBELTUSDW wayside. Miura Jun, the multitalented popularillustra- FDI IMAL N-GIEL—-T YO tor and creator of up-to-the-minute slang—averitable BHLESCSES IC ACRAOREZUT subculture king with links to the ofaku world—has WSo delved into this hopeless, stranded population, infus- FP DRBORK, X4 YVARU-—LDB5E ing it with newfound significance and reinventing its ENB6 S47 79 9—SHiXCMALTWS. members as yuru chara(pl. 32). EDTENEA Y FORPSSSICESLE The Japaneseterm yurui suggests a sense of loose- SSBWOPICRBRERIIT HLARMS fess and lethargy. Combine the abbreviation yuru, from ERED. ENMART IARL—-F—-TH ‘Yurui, with chara, from “characters,” to form yuru chara. ORTAERRICLHU TH TA ILF > —- Miura first coined the term to describe the characters FYUTICU THIS RCS YU YR Y Created independently by regional municipalities and WFILYE ADS UHAD' OSE YF tourist boards. He justifies their existence from an (pl. 32) 25 animistic point of view, employing his own rhetoric, MA LIERRERDT'DS)DS=0S but it is possible to evaluate them from another WFP DHF SI I—SBELIDSW perspective:art criticism and appreciation. VIDI—-\ERBLT WSF HP BEWSOH Like wabi and sabi, synonyms for Japaneseaesthetic D5 OG, AAT HARAAPRHKBS sensibilities, yurui evades ready translation. The best EDM BIE Le. PIS AANBAADS. way to comprehendthe termis to place it along the HD SISRGO ORKCEOPFPERREBA extended lineage of words such as aware(sensitivity OD MORADS. DEO RANE ES HE of subjective emotion) and okashi (emotional attrac- FSUBMSORASWRS. tion), which appeal to human emotion. BRABHEORAMTHS DU: SUID A prime candidatefor a historical precedent is /n EDIE. MSWBDOGRRL VB the Cool of the Evening, by Kusumi Morikage, an ink RIED. —B71 Y kTSRW. FOODS aitist of the Edo period (1615-1868). According to the ni PPEDLIEWsEMRICRASES art critic Nobuo Tsuji, author of The Lineageof the OFMOURLCB< TETHS5. Extraordinary (1970), EPICMERD SESTARKOKSH ARTAAMRDAES. TO Many [nature scenes] are passive and drenchedin BOfra lc DWV CIAOHells (197022) OB an admiring, empathic tone, as though infused with HCHORMPMROUME LSE. a sense of aware, We mustnot, however, overlook the fact that, among Japanese depictions of nature, TSOMMBAMIMICHS Nie ETH although all stem from the same roots of emotional SNE, RAT KERSREBAORTE empathy towards nature, there are those that stand BULCSOMSD DICKS TEM. BRE apart by projecting active feeling towards theliveli- HOBABSOZNICBRAOENA Figure 1a.40 ness and energy of nature. This distinguishes the SWBACWUS RTENS CURDS Anpanman PUNDIT Spirit of aware from the spirit of okashi, as observed TURNS, BROSHRPIAIL —le 1988 by Yoshie Okazaki, delineating works infused with aC LCRBSRIOR Character created by Takashi Yanase CWS AT 7, YANASE/FROEBELKAN-TRSANTY the cheerfulness of a heart opentoits subject. (The MANGEe RI—HNSSTESRUL History of Japanese Art 7; How to Look at Japanese THES BV. Eid. MMBROWS 1H Art, wanami Shoten, 1992, p. 21) ANNESSEM LION FEDSRAR. AF ICN LBDNEMESIS Nic We maythus discover the inevitability of yuru/ within the BOEWSTEBSESS.(FARRMHO trajectory of Japanesehistory. RA SRAAAMORNIER In addition, the transition from kawaii to yurui 1992421849) feflects a significant degree of sexual incapacity, or a sense of impotence. There are no dramatic stories EBBSS SARORLORNOP(C linked to these characters, which convey only a sense SRRERABET. of lethargy to their audience. Embodying only oppor- MAT DDIM S OSWICWESE Figure ta.441 tunism by default,lives are bestowed on these creatures CORBI ENBHR. DEO 1 VIR TarePanda fetuith te inthe service of effervescent public events. Each sports RAMAWECRRULTWSERBALS BT 1999 expressions “spaced-out with peace.” Yuru chara stand WSEADHRAULTLES. MS¥¥ SieBield, Character created by Hikaru Suemasa in for the Japanese themselves: once everything had KFVFYIBEBLRY.SSORE been blown awayin a flash, an infantile and impotent SEBOBMEOH.WRE1NY LODE culture gained strength under the rubric of an ERBARNT LIcBe LTS, unfounded, puppet national infrastructure. What PSX rv SEARABOL.MbMsot emerged wasa culture frozenin its infancy, earlier than TRERU, LOLORETOMARRE adolescence or even childhood. ROEMIRAE L ARMED ERO: Kawaii and yurui characters sprout from this soil. -avirtual reality box, The box is made by placing a AEBA V—YOSS BREDBEL vertical mirror inside a cardboard box with its lid EWHORROMES EMRTESASIC IN removed. The front of the box has two holes in it, FRUPUFA RYFAEDSK aheo through which the patient inserts her “good hand” ERE LEBR—IVBOR INCREMR (Say, the right one) and her phantom hand (the BUCS OE. BOEBIKANIISD, left one). BEGECHSUUESOF(ELAS Since the mirror is in the middle of the box, the P/CMOF(EFIEELTO. ‘fight hand is now on the right side of the mirror and BUSHORABINCITCCHSEOCBE the phantom is on theleft side. SHOMICMRISAICS ‘The patient is then asked to view the reflection of ECCRA, Mico KEREEOR ‘the normal hand in the mirror and to moveit around ERT.ELTENEDULBDL. BUTW slightly until the reflection appears to be super SHOFOUBICBRSESICLTCK EE ‘imposed ontothefelt position of her phantom hand. WEKDE. CSTSE, RRAWWIESO She has thus created the illusion of observing two FCEOMRERTUDEBORNGH hands, whenin fact she is only seeing the mirror ORERRHMCBSS 5 cpsee) — feflection of her intact hand. If she now sends A-TRAK IOMBE LTHNSKESAMIE motor commands to both arms to make mirror PFE ice < £5 BM—ORRERE, symmetric movements,as if she were conducting BASMRRSBWTWSDEBSZ an orchestra or clapping, she of course “sees” ELGGRAOMIS, DOFASIC her phantom moving as well. Her brain receives TELSBWTWS EUSHRORRT 1 confirming visual feedbackthat the phantom hand WENY 2 2BIMS. ‘is moving correctly in response to her command. CHSRRLORINS 3 RN Will this help restore voluntary control over her AY hO-/LERRELSOIRUIVES “paralyzed phantom? (p. 46)* 3h? (8149) ‘Inthe documentary, the male patient puts his hand in RIC LTF LEOHTC, EOBEOBHIATO he box. After the experiment, he says that his phan- RIC FEANS.CORBET SNC! OB 139 tom limb is cured, that the pain has gone. He also says DSB feMADR < Bot cesBRUE that if he repeats the therapy process by putting his BBOUN-F eILU PUT 4 —hy Alle hand in the virtual reality box, his pain will again FEMNTIINEY E485 CRANE recede. He claims thatfictitious information gained DREDS CHBoMEMSIC PHANTOMS IN from an illusion eliminates the trauma of the accident. OBACHRABO KFIVEDORUTHO. THEBRAIN EWSOK. Continuing with Dr. Ramachandran's case study, VF PY ES VBLOLM—bh ORE. VS. RAMACHANDRAN, M.D.,-PHLD., Three more weeks passed until one day Philip called AND SANDRA BLAKESLEE me, very excited and agitated. ZNMSESIC=MMT. 74 TN FOREWORD BY OLIVER SACKS, M.D “Doctor,” he exclaimed, “it's gone!” BRRADD > Tico “What's gone?”(I thought maybe he had lost the OES MELTHULATIE. mirror box.) See CID ELIE Hs “My phantom is gone.” MICS 3 T ? 1 (FARE) “What are you talking about?” FLODORTTko +FRO GUNSD “You know, my phantom arm, which | had for ten BUATTMORESEAMSHoh years.It doesn’t exist anymore. All | have is my phan- BoTWSATS !| 5 (FRR) TORRIA,. 74 yTORRIARAIW Figure ta.43 tomfingers and palm dangling from my shoulder!”... machandran and Sandra Blakeslee NBWESBMI 1 — KyFS, Phantomsin the Brain (cover) Tak ta ty OD waeRAR) The experiment suggests that when Philip’s right KMWWSESH, BOMARMIEEW 1998/1999 (paperback) parietal lobe was presented with conflicting CESBRLEOKRODK— Book (publisher: William Morrow) iby VS, Ramachandran, W.0, Phi. signals—visual feedbacktelling him that his arm is BOBRERMLIETLEMLTUSBD Sandra Bakelae moving again while his musclesaretelling him the Tet. GOBEROGRICHLTSID armis not there—his mind resorted to a form of CIRESMIABWEER S LDEM STE denial. The only way his beleaguered brain could Of. (84-8549) deal with this bizarre sensory conflict was to say, “To hell with it, there is no arm!"(pp. 49-50)* WEE BRARSVF vy RSVBLOSE (CRCBH 71 yFORRMRRICROT a We Japaneseexist in a state exceedingly similar to WTWSoDEO. AOMAYH > TWN, i DULBROKBEREIAOMDBESNS, a‘e Philip's physical condition. In other words, we don't have both arms, yet we imagine that wefeel the pres- ENDDBBORDEN ES LEWRE (CSE L BWR ZNAGORVROHO. g ence of two normal limbs. None of us recognize that 8 one is a phantom. Wefeel pain in an arm that FPBWOEAEM O IRS BES UTS ™ry doesn't actually exist. The fingers of that nonexistent HSEHEDIS AL), HASADSBU, =e arm throb with pain. It's impossible to get rid ofit, NIWADE 2 fete PBENVIRO 37: 3 becauseno one understands why or how. At the height (CH OBEFASE < ONEMN, AGRE 33% of the bubble economy, hoping to eliminate our lost HSPs. LMLBBSHABMDED BHORB(SMERESBMILAOMEL, Es arm, we held drunken orgies, the equivalent of ortho- pedic surgery. But our pain persisted. Its source was AFFRSRRAOBRRGRR KC Ene our forced remediation to Westernization and our ORTH S.TE OBERCRELTE predicamentas a nation situated in the ambiguous WoBIAD VF eV RE DVELORS 74) environmentthatfollowed defeatin the Pacific War. YIDES ICMRARORACHT In other words, our country was not functioning TRICO. normally. Like Dr. Ramachandran’s patient, Philip, BAARTNETHES CMRGESRD Japan has continued to operate with a phantom arm ELTEIee * Passages ae aut om ps 4-50 im Phantoms inthe ran by ¥-S. Rarenendran, MD, PRD. ae Sandra Bats throughout the postwar era. ZMUSEEDRDRWBEBOKEE opiight 18 by Ra Until now, Japan has rejected otaku profoundly. DokBPESORRA REE GANT 140 Why? Because Japan didn’t want to acknowledgeits BSCBRLE ‘Our experiences,this prescription for self-medicated 13, Oy b lizens of a castrated nation-state, may well be BAAGORY bh MiEADEFN-—Y ara Ipropriated in the future world as an exemplary model RBC.EHSLYHAPPAIXCBESTH fehabilitation. RHUEFSRICSWDLTWS.FORMER AP hAEMRTAYSL) (pl. 30L TENTSHECOORY b+ PI xX— 141 13. Robots YavORECHS. The Japanese are unusually driven to create robots. Diy KEWS BATA, 192084 LILF And not just in manga and anime—they are also vay OPO y tAROM y b Bee infatuated with actually making them. This fascination BHIOPTCABA METEMC UCM stems from Astro Boy and Mobile Suit Gundam, and CHA SH, 19264 ic ld(x KOMUA)CH the myriad worksof robot animethat followed. HOOK y hAEHB. 1950FICTTY Karl Capekfirst coined the word “robot”to describe DPVETHSHLBNEO My baTE an artificial human in his 1920 play, RUR Rossum's Ry b= RRR i208 Lie. FEOBHISIE, Universal Robots. \n 1926, Metropolis featured a female VYHOVLAh OFAROGRMT bh robot, and in 1950, Isaac Asimovestablished the "three DP ELKPO®CHBYE CEMEE laws of robotics”in the science-fiction novel /, Robot. RAT SoMROME ICH WFROBB? The following year, manga maestro OsamuTezukafirst COL-FAY b SMACBROBWBA beganto serialize Astro Boy in the magazine Shonen ABMECSDOTATIPPEDES let (Boys), underthe title Atom Ambassador. Tezuka, ever SOUED De alert to cutting-edge foreign culture, clearly had a flash BAVYH-PIXDS5—TORRAG of inspiration about how to transplant the overseas A288)(19634) OB HRSRAOBIN movementto impoverished postwar Japan. RU fom a Manga- or anime-inspired dream—took our WSOMSOORY KIYTAhAeAA breath away. SHTHMSNTWSOY KAYFAK The general public's interest in robots is also CREAR < FRTRCROTWSOALA femarkable; more than fifty robot contests are now BOBRRBGETHSNH K ABEBRT S, ld in Japan over the course of a year. The most MORAY2.CORBICE BK famous of them, known as RoboCon,has evolved into BSPTI/ OD-KESENFREDER ‘an annual event broadcast on NHK (Japan's public D-DEULTHILENTWNSREHS. ‘broadcast network). This event, which inspired a fea- 1988SORSSNFR 2ROSMERD ture film, now comprises an early step on the career DicME DE ORAY)BSSRGA paths of technology-minded high-schoolstudents. ASHRAM. ASRABMSAYAT 4 y Figure 1a.44 OsamuTezuka ~ RoboCon began in 1988 with a dozen technicalhigh SVE LTORMMMSMIMES Hh ETH Episode 6: “Denkd Ningen" (Flashlight man), schools, Since then, the competition has been FHERUTRTWS.MSAKA ys2005 from Astro Bo) CRB RAED RE BEAR, ‘enhanced through restructuring and subdivision into a C18H. AFORKIAV 4B ERAS. 1963 fange of competitive categories, from Kosen RoboCon HMMlt SSBF Ss OfM126F— TV animeserie: 0 Tate PridctinieMua "(for students of kot6 senmon gakké,ortechnical high LODA5625F—LMNFREBSRWTEBA schools), Daigaku RoboCon(for daigaku [university] BA. KFMMASMAB73ZF—LOS5, students in Japan), ABU RoboCon (Asia-Pacific Robot SMESCRSN20F—-AMRAEAH Contest, for university/college/polytechnical students CCRSRBROMRATNSHA-ILF YITATHRENS. Eke. SHN1 B2500KOREROSS from seven countries). This year marks the eighteenth 200KTERORMAORE LTORY “and fourteenth anniversaries of Késen RoboConand KIYFARABAENTWS, “Daigaku RoboCon,respectively. In Kosen RoboCon, SS WsERMICKYYOORY h7Oy 126 tech-schoo! teamswill compete in preliminary IIb SBEoC OBRDS ARO ‘Contests, with 25 making it to the finals; whereas in BRO My bPEELTITS BSE igaku RoboCon,73 university teams will submit ENENORBBS. AVET HcCBIWT ‘ideas on paper, and 20 will be selected to proceed to DBKEOCHS SD. TOMER (SHO finals. The final competitionswill be broadcast on THE NBENSEDCES 30 primetime television. FEDEBREMREKSEMITOYIOb In addition to RoboCon, two thousand of Japan's EKIDPIFL HAYSLERDRBIS 12 500 junior high schools hold robotics contests as tebe ‘part of their technical curricula. (PEL)MKA2ZBS)(SMSOSIZOR Seen in this context, it is no surprise that Honda's KOLRUWEF—-IHSMELESELT project provoked such a commotion. With Honda's CORIARADBORRLH 2 fe. (BM announcement, a robot-production craze hit Japanese BLAYILSEOUPLERBELTO porations. No doubteachfirm will develop programs Oy bh SMUEORTEARIEHHO ‘tune withits individual corporate philosophy,butit is BREASOLASHHEMUDIS. ficult to imagine this mania in any other country. TAMIZEST EIAMOMBISAD> T The founders of these corporations, who dreamed WS. CMEORERASS. ‘of Astro Boy, fund these initiatives, and the Gundam Figure 12.45 eration implements them. EMFICEUSBAMSARICADS AH ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) ‘Astro Boy and Tetsujin 28 were born directly of the %RlS—BMTda < MHERITI< AT -$ se taw experience of war to become the impetus for FTRRBEA LC MENT ie 1 Otte, RR Humanoid robot created by Honda Motors Japanese dreams. Mobile Suit Gundam portrayed BAITEV CEDMEME OK. that obots as ever-more-real weapons.Its protagonist 2OHRIEASEXTRUIERO WKY ponders the meaning of war, the meaningoflife. DAES TWS DIT CHEMELT The brain specialist Dr. Takeshi Yor6 believes that WIETSMC OUPIAD ERTL ES. Figure 14.46 Scene from /dea Competition: National Robot Contest for Technical High Schoolers 2004, finals in Tokyo PAFPRR- SSSIP Oy KAYFAh2004RTHLERS) human ambition has shifted towards the creation EMPBld FORMCS BAIE bh of “humans.” DTWSISO UPBMOREE WSCERISUNEELEARN The flow of biological science from past to future (S$, EOBEWIOS ITD HBATS T.4 runs notin a straight line, but rather in a spiral. In EOSIWTWS. E35, Rh the nineteenth century, experimental embryology IETSDEWAIS. AISABIE TE focused on newts—amphibians. The twentieth Oo ("SHA120004 1 AS101K century saw shift to chickens and now mice.This trajectory ultimately points to humans. Although Ony htAAMOMRFTTHODET biologists still insist that they aren't working ICRA BRAC 2 CRERRL- towards humans,but instead in a different direc- OROBBSOIE. tion, any objective review of history reveals that the path has turned, and is aimed in a human 14, =a-947 direction, Yes, what humanswill ultimately create REGIANTWSAROOKY bP? are humans. (from Kokoku hihyo [Advertising Ya yORRE(RDBLAYTL)A4E criticism], January 2000, p. 101) RE LICRE. AHI y BY Pdi HS. Iia=7-YavRenoek Humans regard robots as extensions of themselves CUAYILIRERBOR.=a—9 4: and alter-egos. For the Japanese,in particular, robots FAMEDRLAY SLNCBW TC, Bi are the avant-garde of self-portraiture, poised to TERBETHD. T OLBAS RB becomereality. FRCSCH, MESHLIDSP— €35| DROEBAKGIVTY VERSE 14. New Type BaOK. Mobile Suit Gundam (pl. 30) defined the current BSSESAO0MRY bh -PIXCLTOR trajectory of Japanese robot anime. The detailed PML. EWS MEFMONRTSHS histories, mechanical images,realistic portrayals of BRCH ote MEBS TE. ORM,I humans, and references to abortive communication ORUDUTDAGTEDN, MRC b EBNHS found in subsequentworksin the genreall take Gundam EWSRESMRORBEKEERDEAH as their standard. "New Type”signifies a conceptual YILIAMOORY ke P=X-Y a vish Dera first forged by Gundam, a framework so BREDA b—U—CERXNEBALOF ful that it continues to stimulate new works and OLARMEPRATHESE51DUS drive the anime world twenty-five years after Gundam's BRERA TH oe. SEBCOMY h- PH initial broadcast. A-VYVarvishtsb eSHMMLEORY course, Gundam also rewrote the book on robot hERSEOOFOE—Yavy—ILtHO, ime. Its reevaluation of the axiomatic meaning or BOIEOOIF VA LORBENBMDIOL. pose of fighting an enemy, and provision of a FTMAYILOBB BEbRSl—BE text that gave the enemy a righteous cause,startled BUT undam's original audience. Prior to Gundam, robot BSHERSFROP= A-—Y a vhs ime had served up moralistic stories featuring a HRIOTCPIXAC LTOUPERY mecha" (mechanical) protagonist and his nemesis, —hSCS. RMP KAIOXEY h CHE 0 Were engagedin pro-wrestling-style battles with WALIERTOlROP=XREBIILTW ictics intended to attract children. Originally, robot SAME SRBLicTHMITT 3. nme Was simply a promotional tool devised by toy BOC H. 0OAKS5,. CHETIO Companiesto sell their robots, and all storylines were Wit, RERAMEEBRPI XRKEOBA KBEMESY Effin TUKOK BHieR7O SMNIR PIXBRERUTSF LEP 198: Book (publisher: Tokuma Shoten Co., Ltd.) SADBIAVTSEDOK< SBCHSOBE Production company, Mushi Pro, which expanded BRERBL Wie. ComCESBEMAD erations after Astro Boy's huge success. The com- WOBBLE BAT=XOUP VALOR any is knownfor nurturing the animators who went SRVeBeSDIETUTAMPILIR on to lead the anime world. In addition to Tomino, Mushi DDRIIVPBEehitaTAFL)SOMT to fostered a veritable who's-who of the giants of DAUT4—-FLEPIACSBIAYTVY contemporary anime: Rintar6, Gisaburé Sugii, Osamu ELTEM. BBOPIXANDUPUZLOl ezaki, and Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. After leaving Mushi WOERUTI Pro, Tomino madehis way in the anime world.In his ETICB> CRHICF + VADBAODHY be “autobiography, he describeshis efforts to validate his PLAYA YOEBRTHY RETA existence as an animator by drawing storyboards for YILIEDIEDREOERPOMERLT anime, including such high-end programs as Heidi, OAYETh. Ent=a-94 ICH dK irl of the Alps and Marco, producedbyIsao Takahata, CORSEROBLAYSLASEASA who laid the foundationsfor realism in Japanese anime Rit 2001 F)icMkoTHSe, {along with Hayao Miyazaki). All the while, Tomino was earching for his own form of animerealism. SHiCRA(REE FRc WS HAO ‘Opportunity came in the form of an offer to direct RFRMAERE SHTWS)OBBVARAL ‘several robot animefilms, culminating with Gundam DPKEBRT SOM —1a—-91 7BMT its long-awaited New Type conception. The BSo encyclopedic handbook Gundam Officials (Kédansha, ASENIC HTL WBADIDE |) describes the defining elements of this concept: BOTH. MAORBSo THHCWS. q LWARBME FCAee. ABE Thecore of Zeonism, the greatest philosophyofthis THICMELE RH UNADSORERT. century [“Universal Century,” the periodization BSSSREWSLACECER TUS employed in Gundam], is the New Type theory. The EOCRDER BWBRACRKRRERDE human race has a subliminal adaptability to new FDS 5.7 ORDISAIC, ADMOR environments, and whencivilization advancesto the BREE EODBICL. RRS < BMOR point of colonizing space environments, our race PERMIT STCEMRET S.Ct will devise a new, specially adapted human form. LMMksTHDNSADERT [This form] will possess clairvoyance and the YAY IAIWAEDES BEAR requisite environmental cognizancefor survival in a-FA AEMA. the vast region we know as the cosmos.Its powers =a—-F AF TFALSSMOBAE? will also enable smoother human communication, STEED BBOLSGRBSY allowing [these humans] to perceive the totality of Sai7-YavewHeReesar things without any misunderstanding. Historical SNCMBREOTEC ANS. Ct imperative dictates this. ORRNOMAR—a—9-4 FHA Zeon Daikun christened this race “New Type.” SYAMER ETHEL S ANS Because New Types understandthingsin totality, 2TH Ha-FA AK Ko CHM St they communicate in modesthat far surpass the BABORE IC 4s THESNL Figure 12.48 restricted channels of language. This results in an Epis cHIESNS SL, aR Amuro Ray from Mobile Suit Gundam expansion of cognition not limited to New Types,but MIC KSOREFELBEWIKE (episode 1) CROLLFLSA O'PAD-L 1, extending to all humanity. Thus, New Type society Dsaiy-YarvickotTRRSt 1979 will function by human consensus, and will correct BORA C. SHICHSMIERHOS ©TVSOTSUanimeAGENCY-SUNRISEseries any individual errors immediately, eliminating the Wia—-9 4 FORBERBENS.| improprieties of mutual misunderstandings. The 54R49) composite, common consciousness born of this expanded communicationandits attendantintellec- ABMERBEFHICE THITST EL tual capacity is the essence of New Type.(pp. 533-34) EARICHWT. FRERICMDTSA MUWASA—F—-YavOoORvNA,2 Thus described is an evolutionary process in which BRtRee< COAWICHOGSE a new human race—a race adaptedto life in space, REAAOHRA]RHECHS a race that devises a new form of communication AS a=7—-YaVORREEM HF Te that facilitates understanding without language— DBPRRORALE 2 TUBSEWS: emerges as a by-product of our expansion into space BBCEWC AONOBOBRE agER and the future. SHS.AWORBEALEEV 2 The notion that aborted communication causes BICEHSEDIC.MOTREAF—#H intertribal warfare and prejudice is an enduring theme; VEBREN UTERDRP SAT it appearsin the biblical account of the Tower of Babel, BUPHRPREDELSMICHLTC sims in which God garbles human language to bring the YVEAMOBCH ORBITASA tower's construction to a halt. Our dependence on a RIBGLI 7 TU: language thatis inadequate for communicating our in- CESSAMMHBs. COLa— tentions and needs, and the resulting strife, prejudice, TERORE B < HORMSHUI and misunderstandings, pose obstacles that humanity SRRAYILMR LEAS a=7- strives to overcome. VIRGINSSENDBATHB: Later, in Neon Genesis Evangelion, Hideaki Anno outlined his Human Complementation Program, VS AVF VY EDVELOOED! offering a tragic denouementfor the New Type model. OCHSBRoI—-9 4 TEOERE In a sense, this was Anno’s reply to Gundam'svision of USEMHES. UTP VERB (Say expanded communication. Syndrome) ICD WTORRTHS.4 9 HERBCd MRMBE SEGAO, V.S. Ramachandran's description of Savant Syndrome SBRPACRCMARESRLAL possess astounding memories; they are capable CCTHAIKANSLEMBSOEGT accurately reproducing music or landscapes to which PYPREOMSSWSANITA Ee have been exposed. BRISTWH EWS BREE LE, (PRE) I PY OBECS HAVANA PREEEROBic ko ‘Consider the possibility that savants suffer early THISTSBARRAS] AMIN, brain damage before or shortly after birth... Is it EOESSRNEA SHOBRT. ‘possible that their brains undergo some form of WRKNSS< OAAHSWEEHCBY remapping as seen in phantom limb patients? Does FSHMERUMS ESICM2T KAS the prenatal or neonatal injury lead to unusual Biches TWSPASBEMKS < Bo fewiring? In savants, one part of the brain may for TWS—-OES IMD? (PRIBDOKES Shotard from Tetsujin 26 (episode 70) ome obscure reasonreceive a greater than average D2 BICIRS E BFORAMHE 21ICR GRA2BB)B70K4 0 REAR, ‘input or some other equivalent impetus to become BOCA < THIEN L Fe 1008 TV anime series ‘denser and larger—a huge angular gyrus, for exam- GOOFS MMESLHS.cCOMOK CC HiKARL-PRODUCTION-EIKEN .. An angular gyrus doubled in size could lead BOBMELDL'RSMASROM not to a mere doubling of mathematical ability but REFRCTCMMI STCSOHWKS. @ logarithmic or hundred-fold increase. You can AURADREPERPEREIUD.E ‘imagine an explosion of talent resulting from this ATAMOREE BTISES. (251-52 simple but “anomalous” increase in brain volume. B&D) ‘The same argument might hold for drawing, music, language, indeed any humantrait. (p. 196)* BSHESORASWiPICRML. =a — FA TICSARCHMRNE 3 EARLY wuro Ray, Tomino's protagonist, is a shy, antisocial AD L4FREMOGEATCHRESO ew Type who awakens to war.It is inevitable that EXBOBHREDOTEAL. EUTHE vans who are born and dwell in low-gravity space, SEAMS MRETERNADEAME LL ith radiation levels that far surpass those on earth, BEDS Bs TLPDSNECTHS.EAGR be fundamentally different from humans born and HICBWTIA—P 7 FIHRFSCWSR ed onthis planet. For the Japanese, the hopethat EICBBERWETOSMEDS OKT ‘New Type will emerge in this environment is an DVEWAKARADY PF UF 4—DSBS itability, born of the confluence of reality and HLToESIED TE stwar trauma. 15. FH 15. Children PCSSICRERESRLCRKOE have always searched for a setting to believe in. ENA 3HAUBRAEICESSICRS tainly our home, the country in which we were born AME. UD Late BIRRE BS RIC id raised, should qualify as something we can count TIDED 2 Teo Katsuhiro Otomo Army test subject ho. 28, n. But for us, such trust has always been conditional. Ehid—lc UTE OIIRLUT LES ER from Akira, vol. 2 (page 298) We probably owethis to our experienceofnativesoil EHORKBDSEBREEOXYIUT4— 17% Se.& O°P—S—ORBEZES | (298) 985, ‘as something that can be reduced to nothing in a flash; MEMR2TLKDIOTHSS.EUT Book(publisher: Kodansha) © MastenCo. Ld, Teel Rights Resa: is has dulled our instinct for building foundations. HAORMSEERIMSRT. ides, it is clear that our society is hardly founded on CP bb)EFABGAREESAMOMES solute justice. CLTEENKEFRHOORY ho SULT Astro Boy is a child-type robot invented as a compan- B2IORRMEOBHRRORRE LTO ORY KBRRAZBS ERTS peaceful future, A little boy named Shétaré pilots DILTEABBR EWSFH. PDI. PRA2851 sujin 28, an amalgam of robots symbolizing weapons DS ESHNE2BEWSRBBE LTOI—-K id the B-29, which evokes the terror of firebombed PUNCHOFHe CGHBBLAY TLIO ted fom 198 Wont Phahons in the Sie Pap. Se eee yo. Akira is a child whose experimental subject code PLO-+L4lb=a-94 PEWSBART 147 number, 28, is derived from Jetsujin 28. Amuro Ray finds S0VGMSROTELMBslatSnk himself on the battlefield as a young boy, even though HEME IP YT UA YOU Is, he belongsto a super-race, the New Types.Shinji, from RY KADY YZ ORSEROMABEOI Neon Genesis Evangelion, is a youngster capable of ALT—YaYRBBWYECE DAG synchronizing himself with a robot, but he is hopeless DEMBOUVURIEYX EF tho FROEE when it comes to verbal communication. Nobita, the WEWUDHSAENSRIANE. TH protagonist of Doraemon, is a young loser. All are DPlTEORMERE LintSOn.2 children who wantto stay children against the will of BEARERYA, PIAODRNTHH 9k. society. How are they to maintain their worlds? Postwar ADA a=F—-YavREERVA mangaand animeare defined by this dilemma. HEMRL.SLTACRMHRSLA Robotsare refined to a level at which they compen- CHAELTSNEOMRY hes. ELH sate for the inadequacy of human communication, BAORSEORY hicFRMILTS SV Figure 1a.51 kicell expand humancapabilities, and even possessself-con- aI FERBKEDGEORIFIYF Earth in My Window, including “Enola Gay" and “Earth in My Window" sciousness. With the aid of such robots, humans can WISRATES S.RAF SoA FELD 74 BMERDPLICRHR) evolve into superhuman New Types. People themselves NSS a-F—-YaryEtUTBEt 2004 become a black hole:life in death, transformation, DFROFEDDWUPMICRUBESN, CD (cover! ne. VEN-300) repeated mutation. Thought stops and the child never ENTHO< HSUEHSHS BMT, grows up. Suckedin by kawaii, you lose initiative, or Ry heREBON—bt+—-EFS.LA laugh at your own lethargy and take a robot for a real- EOHTASHE L. FLWARAE Et world partner. And yet, amidstit all, people awaken and THK evolve toward a new humanity. HoteRRS 152 Te RRS Nie RELI A flash, all is gone. We have been protected, borne RH3RS Boe DANE UTERELI sickness, becomerich, and lost everything, Our hearts HAT. ELCHETWS have been broken, comforted, and captivated. And now, BEBISFROSSRERIESSLIM we wait for death. OE. We have no choice but to prepare for death as EDAWERREREVSS TRMEH children. DAISIES TRieo This is the bizarre reality we have inhabited since the atomic bombsfell and we tasted defeat. RENERRLBWVARALM ORF ERONE, FOYT +P EMBL wes. The coming future, the near future. The pursuit of TCUOPBMAREE 18 5 IEAMIS WING aggressive economic growth inevitably requires that NOBET 6. BRRRAKE RERL ae we pioneer newfrontiers. And so the human race must BECORKEDOVM FZ 322 eventually emigrate to space. How will the human body tOR. BEF STCNSORY bw and heart survive an environment in which high WOOF + I79—-KbSHESAARIE 2282 levels of radiation pierce our bodies? Lik AZMORSAaUise. BF Then, we Japanesewill have developed the robots HicHSsCROKE. 22325 to protect us, the philosophies to guide us, and the characters to comfortus. In that flash, we found a way 16, BCH to glimpsea future in which the conceptsof time and space have warped. SBHAIOVEP MHLOEY IW MIRAEIUA 16. Earth in My Window MS75er BL ‘Smoking Arabia, stalwart Poland RBTHATFOREEM ‘And Japan, always dreaming BUTAIRDSREO ‘Where did you come from BDCRTOl RY LUBOR eaving that centipede scar HORICBD USD FORERRGO Reflected in the window, your familiar face WO7LA=+P MUROO-Y await the day you come to Earth FRBSRACHS Phoenicia in the sea, far-eyed Rome ROPXUA BBs ye ‘China, whohas finishedits letter BICEC MEANT Y Sleeping America, starry-skied India WIDMNEORTCHERS Spain, who reminds me of you RACESMMARDAS ‘Someday green shoots in the rubble Bro< RIT BORICAVEL ES At dawn, where shall we set outfor? ABTHALT EDRERISHD ‘On the beachat dusk, let us meet our dreams KREBMIEROE BOLBWHES Kissing under a tree, | await the day Mn his TEA BORICBHARS BWICRT Olt BD LWNBOR Whenthelargebird takes flight and murmurs on a stone MORRIE MED IZD FORERSHD The overflowing mysteries drift like clouds (FILRIC HERR, PERE aR «ATHE Reflected in the window, your familiar face 20044)" await the day you come to Earth (kicell, “Earth in My Window,” 2004; lyrics and music TBICHRIOPXY ARE. ABWIES by Takefumi Tsujimura)* RMS. RSPX VAARSAASERCET. ‘Earth in My Window, night in America. Japanis ays dreaming, FE ALES TNS. ELTRELE TUS. While America sleeps, Japan has been daydreaming. FS TAMEMEBWT.BEORELL HFS. EUTRRICWY BE, SHCBRE jfeetings, you arealive.|, too, am alive. BOREHRSRBICHAEHiEREE Inscribe thetrajectory, the arc of our lives, and warp FEL Tia U HATO WD L ANAM LIDS. coordinates of time and space.Finally, take your ELTWDPELREL.BSOBORMICP DS ace in the future, signify equivalent meanings. The Th Be HULERIED OMB SW. 5 a-F— YayERO BULIERT IC. BHC LR BRS SFT. BCRENS a TH. ENS SES SBREROMURIECHD THHE Evolution and progress are not our only dreams. After TRICRURE ARICABA Te Wo interminable mutation, a deformed abomination,a face ous with scars, there is still meaning in life. Our re may be repulsive, but | want the future to know * Used by panmlaso ot JASRAG meaning ofourlives, License no 8030-01 149,