In William M. Tsutsui’s writing “Oh No, There Goes Tokyo”, he explained why a lot of anime handled the post-war Japan situation. For instance, in Rodan which giant pteranodons obliterated Fukuoka, is a product of the nuclear trauma that exists in post-war Japan. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – along with the firebombings of Tokyo – were traumatic experiences for the Japanese people. From Akira to Neon Genesis Evangelion, from Grave of the Fireflies to Patlabor, the symbols of the nuclear war are expressed in various ways. Orphaned kids, radiation sickness, a loss of national independence, the destruction of nature, the catastrophic consequences of a real life nuclear war, has almost become a unique characteristics of anime and manga. However, along with the theme of death, these anime also always come with the theme of reborn. For instance, in Neon Genesis Evangelion, humans built a new Tokyo underground city after the attacks from aliens called “Angels”. In Space Cruiser Yamato, the famous Japanese WWII warship was rebuilt into a powerful spaceship and traveled through space saving planet Earth from radiation poisoning. The visuals of the film allude to images of a post-nuclear world, and those indirect references of some wartime features serve only to intensify its feeling of reality. No matter is it the rebuild of cities or is it the futuristic technologies, it is always more than mechanics. It is about the the perseverance of mankind and its ability to begin anew, symbolizing the wishes of post-war generations for a better future, which is also what “akira” means in Japanese. As William has also mentioned in his writing, anime and manga are a kind of “visual and ideological shorthand” for the “postwar inevitability of growth and change”.
No one would like to watch the scenes of the war they have experienced again. However, they also need something to heal their pain, for them to find resonance, and most importantly, to give them hope and energy to move on. These desires shaped the anime and manga we see today: the use imaginative backgrounds and villains, creating heroes who save the human race from destruction, and the cycle of destruction and reconstruction of not only the cities, but also the daily life of the people. The post-war trauma is the cause of the rise of these anime, but now it has become a mean of telling a larger story. For Evangelion, apart from the fighting and mechanics, it raised the hypothesis that humans’ growing desire in developing technology would only eventually leads to the end of the whole human race. For Patlabor，apart from questioning technology, it discussed the effectiveness of bureaucracy, as well as corruption and the conflicts between policy setting and implementation. For Akira, it showcased the powerlessness of individuals under the system, also investigated the change of one’s emotion when facing the end of the world. For Attack on Titan, it discussed the idea of sacrifice and explored different humanities when humans faced the important juncture of life an death. To me, what makes anime and manga so fascinating is that they always investigate into something deeper or darker. Something that we all subconsciously are aware of but are seldom discussed. Something that is true but we choose to ignore. The imaginative feature of anime has given itself so much potential in exploring these issues and topics. As Tatsumi Takayuki said, anime has transformed itself into a kind of black comedy. I believe the war, the A-bomb tragedy, the hard times after the war, have all pushed anime to explore more sensitive or bitter themes.
Chik Chun Hei Charlie （3035581247）