Make-Up!: The Mythic Narrative and Transformation as a Mechanism for Personal and Spiritual Growth in Magical Girl (Mahō Shōjo) Anime by N’Donna Rashi Russell B.A. (Hons.), University of Victoria, 2015 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Pacific and Asian Studies ©N’Donna Russell, 2017 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE Make-Up!: The Mythic Narrative and Transformation as a Mechanism for Personal and Spiritual Growth in Magical Girl (Mahō Shōjo) Anime by N’Donna Rashi Russell B.A (Hons)., University of Victoria, 2015 Supervisory Committee Dr. M. Cody Poulton, Supervisor (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Dr. Michael Bodden, Committee Member (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) iii ABSTRACT Supervisory Committee Dr. M. Cody Poulton (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Dr. Michael Bodden (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) The mahō shōjo or “magical girl”, genre of Japanese animation and manga has maintained a steady, prolific presence for nearly fifty years. Magical Girl series for the most part feature a female protagonist who is between the ages of nine and fourteen - not a little girl but not yet a woman. She is either born with or bestowed upon the ability to transform into a magical alter-ego and must save the world from a clear and present enemy. The magical girl must to work to balance her “normal life” – domestic obligations, educational obligations, and interpersonal relationships – with her duty to protect the world. I will argue that the "transformation" of an ordinary girl into a magical girl heroine is a mechanism of personal and spiritual growth within a liminal space that provides the heroine and the female fans who read these series with the tools needed to grow in a supportive community. I will build a framework using Joseph Campbell’s mythic narrative and Vladimir Propp’s folktale morphology to illustrate how the narrative pushes the heroine to grow and mature in a way that honors her individual self. Furthermore, I will illustrate how female fans disseminate these works as consumers, creators, and producers. Magical girl series, particularly ones marketed to school girl audiences, are published in manga magazines that encourage engagement between the readers and artists while initiating young readers into the world of manga. iv Table of Contents Supervisory Committee .................................................................................................................. ii Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ vi List of Illustrations ....................................................................................................................... viii Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... ix Author’s Note...................................................................................................................................x Chapter One: What’s Up! An Introduction to Magical Girl Anime.........................................1 The Shōjo and the Mahō Shōjo ...................................................................................................6 Conceptualizing the Idea of Space and Place within Shōjo Manga and Shōjo Bunka ..............13 Chapter Two: Make-Up! A Structural Analysis of the Magical Girl Narrative ..................20 Magical Girl Series: A Structuralist Perspective .......................................................................20 The Heroine’s Journey in the Magical Girl Narrative ...............................................................23 Coding Girls’ Culture: The Power of the Shōjo ........................................................................28 A Magical Compact: Coding Physical Transformation in the Magical Girl Narrative ............33 Shōjo vs Majō: Coding the Struggle Between the Heroine and Her Foe...................................36 Becoming the Goddess: The Heroine as the Goddess and Male Partner as Ardent Follower ...39 The Journey, Not the Destination, Concluding Remarks ..........................................................42 Chapter Three: Rise Up! A Textual Analysis of Magical Girl Narratives .............................44 The Morphology of Magical Girl Series ....................................................................................45 The Morphology of Magical Girl Narratives: A Series of Actions ...........................................46 Part One – The Blueprint for Transformation: Tezuka’s Ribon no Kishi .................................53 Separation: A Princess with Two Hearts ...............................................................................54 Initiation: The Rise of the Princess Knight ............................................................................56 Return: Happily Ever After – An Acceptance of Self ...........................................................59 Part Two – Fighting for Love and Justice: Takeuchi’s Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn ...................62 v Separation: The Crybaby with Odangos in Her Hair ........................................................64 Initiation: The Champion of Love and Justice in a Sailor Suit .........................................66 Return: In the Name of the Moon .....................................................................................69 Part Three: The Battle for Love and Hearts – Anno’s Sugar Sugar Rune ...............................72 Separation: Of Hellfire and Bubbly Soda, the Battle for Hearts .......................................74 Initiation: Princess of the Ogres ........................................................................................77 Return: To Become Queen or to Gain Something Better .................................................80 Concluding Remarks .........................................................................................................82 Chapter Four: Stand Up! A Case for the Magical Girl Narrative ......................................84 The Critical Shōjo: Engagement with English-Language Criticism of Magical Girl Narratives ...................................................................................................................................88 Arms Held High: Magical Girls, Empowered Readers, and Creative Producers ......................92 The Shōjo Who Heeds the Call to Adventure ....................................................................94 The Shōjo Who Consumes Strength ..................................................................................99 The Shōjo’s Call to Battle: Weaponized Femininity .......................................................104 The Shōjo Who Reproduces Transformative Magic ........................................................107 Conclusory Remarks ................................................................................................................111 Chapter Five – The Road Up Ahead: Conclusion...............................................................115 Bibliography ...........................................................................................................................121 Appendix: Back Cover ..........................................................................................................128 vi Acknowledgements To Dr. Cody Poulton, who offered me many insights into my project and encouragement to keep going despite periods of stagnation and frustration. Knowing that I had someone who understood the trials and tribulations of being a single parent AND an academic was very comforting. Thank you for being my editing superstar! I don’t think I could have successfully written my thesis and received the SSHRC award without you! To Dr. Timothy Iles, my undergraduate honors thesis supervisor. Because of your approval, I am on this journey. You provided me so much insight when I had trouble writing this thesis. You've always been kind and encouraging and I really appreciate that. To Alice Lee and Rita Langford-Kimmett for answering my frantic questions and keeping me in line. To the staff at Tsukino-Con, especially panel coordinator Chris Gensey. It’s because you gave my “magical girl panel” idea a chance that I’m here doing the things I’m doing now. Thank you for supporting my mission. To Paige Lavoie, Merri Christianson, and Natasha Tucker – my Magical Girl Sister Circle. Because I met all of you, I realized how important this research was. And when I presented with you, I gained further insight into my work. You are the best! To Sarah Vu, Ryan Danrumple and his wife Aekyung – thank you for being kind to me and my son, looking after him as I presented my research out-of-town. Your support has helped me to grow as a person and as a researcher. Thank you for supporting me as I pursued my dreams. To Nellita Love, my sister from another Mister, I am in awe of you. You supported me and pushed me toward excellence,