THE OTAKU LIFESTYLE: EXAMINING SOUNDTRACKS IN THE ANIME CANON A THESIS IN Musicology Presented to the Faculty of the University of Missouri-Kansas City in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF MUSIC by MICHELLE JURKIEWICZ B.M., University of Central Missouri, 2014 Kansas City, Missouri 2019 © 2019 MICHELLE JURKIEWICZ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THE OTAKU LIFESTYLE: EXAMINING SOUNDTRACKS IN THE ANIME CANON Michelle Jurkiewicz, Candidate for the Master of Music Degree University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2019 ABSTRACT Japanese animation, or anime, has been popular around the globe for the last sixty years. Anime has its own fan culture in the United States known as otaku, or the obsessive lifestyle surrounding manga and anime, which has resulted in American production companies creating their own “anime.” Japanese filmmakers do not regard anime simply as a cartoon, but instead realize it as genre of film, such as action or comedy. However, Japanese anime is not only dynamic and influential because of its storylines, characters, and themes, but also for its purposeful choices in music. Since the first anime Astro Boy and through films such as Akira, Japanese animation companies combine their history from the past century with modern or “westernized” music. Unlike cartoon films produced by Disney or Pixar, Japanese anime do not use music to mimic the actions on-screen; instead, music heightens and deepens the plot and emotions. This concept is practiced in live-action feature films, and although anime consists of hand-drawn and computer-generated cartoons, Japanese directors and animators create a “film” experience with their dramatic choice of music. iii This thesis examines three anime—Death Note, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Cowboy Bebop—for their respective choices in music. Each of these series uses a different genre of music, such as sacred classical music, Western classical music, jazz, hip-hop, and J-pop, to evoke emotion and enhance the drama. Westernization and the U.S. Occupation of Japan influenced each of the genres, with each composer in their respective anime combining Western and Japanese musical characteristics. Only by exploring the music of anime can we really understand its role in anime’s artistic power and the reasons for the lasting impact of the otaku lifestyle in the Western world. iv The faculty listed below, appointed by the Dean of the Conservatory of Music and Dance and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences have examined a thesis titled “The Otaku Lifestyle: Examining Soundtracks in the Anime Canon,” presented by Michelle Jurkiewicz, candidate for the Master of Music degree, and certify that in their opinion it is worthy of acceptance Supervisory Committee S. Andrew Granade, Ph.D., Committee Chair Music Studies Division Sarah Tyrrell, Ph.D. Music Studies Division Gary Ebersole, Ph.D. Department of History v CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................ iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................................. viii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION The Otaku Lifestyle ........................................................................................................... 1 Review of Literature .......................................................................................................... 5 II. MUSIC AND CULTURE Western Classical Music .................................................................................................... 10 Popular Music in Japan ..................................................................................................... 16 Jazz in Japan ....................................................................................................................... 26 III. ANIME A Brief History of Manga ................................................................................................. 32 From the Page to the Screen ............................................................................................ 36 Music in Anime .................................................................................................................. 39 IV. DEATH NOTE Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 47 Plot ....................................................................................................................................... 50 Title Music .......................................................................................................................... 51 Kyrie .................................................................................................................................... 54 Low of Solipsism ............................................................................................................... 61 Requiem .............................................................................................................................. 66 Teleology of Death ............................................................................................................ 67 vi Death Note Theme ........................................................................................................... 69 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 72 V. NEON GENESIS EVANGELION Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 75 Plot ....................................................................................................................................... 76 Title Music .......................................................................................................................... 77 Western Classical Music .................................................................................................... 79 Komm Süsser Tod ............................................................................................................ 89 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 91 VI. COWBOY BEBOP Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 93 Plot ....................................................................................................................................... 94 Title Music .......................................................................................................................... 95 Examining the Soundtrack ............................................................................................... 98 Memory ............................................................................................................................... 102 Faye ...................................................................................................................................... 106 Musical Parodies ................................................................................................................ 110 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 114 VII. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 116 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................. 120 VITA ........................................................................................................................................................ 127 vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To my family and friends: thank you for your constant words of encouragement and continuous support. [And, to Joe: thank you for staying up with me for so many years and letting me borrow your DVDs during my research.] To Jim: thank you for simply being there. To Stuart Hinds: thank you for your wisdom and relentless [and helpful] ragging on finishing this document. To the countless animators, writers, and composers: thank you for pursuing your passions and creating stories that, still to this day, obsessively make me fan-girl over. And, lastly to Dr. Granade: thank you for supporting my research endeavors. Your passion for teaching and guidance are what made me want to pursue a degree in Musicology. viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The Otaku Lifestyle It takes an idiot to do something cool. That’s why it is cool. -Haruhara Haruko, FLCL (2000-2001) Growing up in an Asian-American household provided wonderful, enriching aspects of both cultures, though I primarily identified with my mother’s Asian culture. I have fond memories of my brother and me staying up well past our bedtime and, against our mother’s wishes, watching the anime Cowboy Bebop on Cartoon Network’s late-night sister syndication Adult Swim with the volume all the way down. Although we could not hear the dialogue, the visuals of Cowboy Bebop remained with me, showing that more than the cliché cartoons of Nickelodeon and Disney existed. From then on, I was surrounded by sagas of a far distant past, stories containing oversized robots, and tales of harmless creatures roaming the Earth, looking for everlasting friendship. When I entered high school, I realized that