Whilst the series "Chainsaw Man" has much in common with other shounen action series, it also appears to be trying to make some sort of spiritual point. The frequent invocation of devils and the Four Horsemen, for instance, seems to be drawn from Christian theology. It is also possible to read Denji as a Christ figure (whose friendship with others causes them to become better versions of themselves) and Makima as a Satanic figure (who wants to bend the entire world to her will).
On the other hand, Christianity does not appear to be the only influence in "Chainsaw Man." For instance, Denji may be less a Christ figure per se than a generic "savior" figure, similar to Neo from "The Matrix," who has his roots in multiple religious traditions. Moreover, there are actually some interesting parallels between Makima and the way certain atheists understand the God of the Bible: namely, as a sort of controlling, wicked stepfather.
What spiritual dimensions can be found in the characters and setting of "Chainsaw Man?" Is there any influence of traditional Japanese spirituality, such as Shintoism or Buddhism, and if so, what does it consist of? Are any of the spiritual references in the series deliberate, or are they purely aesthetic?
In general, it is worth mentioning Rousseau’s concept of the proud savage and, in general, how a person develops higher and higher needs; this plays a very important role in the anime itself and in the issue of spirituality of mysticism too. – MagnoliaDunbridge3 months ago
The successful manga Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba is about what if one person (the main character Light Yagami) could kill anyone they wish by simply writing down a name.
Since that's how the Death Note works, *spoilers* it isn't surprising that Light loses not only his life but also any compassion he had towards the people he personally knew, including his own family.
As a result, the story of Death Note shares possible connections to the philosophy of nihilism by Friedrich Nietzsche.
Analyze those connections in the Death Note manga to nihilism's definition and practice. Include also how Death Note has been mistaken like nihilism (link) as something to literally follow in real life (link)
Please note that this topic doesn't focus on the Death Note anime/show but the original Death Note manga only (i.e. where Light was told early on that there is nothing after death by his Death Note's shinigami owner.) Therefore, that aspect of the Death Note manga connects back to nihilism as an example since nihilistic belief is also about there being no afterlife.
I would point out that the show does point out that Light does end up changing things because the crime rate went down tremendously. SO, I wouldn't say 'attempt to change life never works.' To relate an Anime to a Philosopher, we need actual evidence of the philosopher. – SpectreWriter9 years ago
In regards to your first link, I would be wary of it. He makes mention of Nietzsche's famous quote, "God is dead!" but he does not give context to it, or even make mention-- for those who have not read, The Gay Science-- where the quote comes from. The quote comes from section 125 in The Gay Science and the section is italicized, The Madman. For your sake I'll quote it, The Madman.-- Have you ever heard of the madman who on a bright morning lighted a lantern and ran to the market-place calling out unceasingly: "I seek God! I seek God!"-- As there were many people standing about who did not believe in God, he caused a great deal of amusement. Why! is he lost? said one. Has he strayed away like a child? said another. Or does he keep himself hidden? Is he afraid of us? Has he taken a sea-voyage? Has he emigrated?--the people cried out laughingly, all in a hubbub. The insane man jumped into their midst and transfixed them with his glances. "Where is God gone?" he called out. "I mean to tell you! We have killed him,--you and I! We are all his murderers! but how have we done it? How were we able to drink up the sea? Who gave earth from its sun? Whither does it now move? Whither do we move? Away from all suns? Do we not dash on unceasingly? Backwards, sideways, forwards, in all directions? Is there still an above and below? Do we not stray, as through infinite nothingness? Does not empty space breath upon us? Has it not become colder? Does not night come on continually, darker and darker? Shall we not have to light lanterns in the morning? Dow we not hear the noise of the grave-diggers who are burying God? Do we not smell the divine putrefaction?--for even God putrefy! God is dead! God remains dead! And we have killed him! How shall we console our selves, the most murderous of all murderers? The holiest and the mightiest that the world has hitherto possessed, has bled to death under our knife,--who will wipe the blood from us?.... That is most of the section. For a better knowledge of Nihilism and Nietzsche in general, I refer to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Not only is it free, but every article provides citations to tell you where this idea came from and why they are citing it. It might even be interesting, in staying with the Nietzsche vein, to think about the possibility that either Light or L are the Übermensch (Overman or superman in German). – garland419 years ago
Another thing people should take into account is how the anime deconstructs the notion of justice and how more terrifying it is to look at when seeing it is more based on power rather than actual morality, which is itself more relative than people realize. – Vicious2377 months ago
Taking a look at manga, the most striking feature is the art style of the mangaka. It's often quite impressive to see how some mangaka are able to put up with weekly/monthly publications while still keeping their art consistent. One aspect of manga, or any graphic novel, that is often overlooked is how a page is paneled, or laid out. Good paneling is striking, and it elevates what is being depicted in the art. I think of Tatsuki Fujimoto, author of Chainsaw Man. Despite only having a limited number of pages a week for part one's run, he wasn't afraid to dedicate so many panels to the mundane, which is ultimately the core of Chainsaw Man.
Happiness is a vampire manga by Shūzō Oshimi. While on the surface it is a supernatural story it delves quite readily into not just other genre conventions such as science fiction body horror and coming of age romance, but examinations on the very concept of humanity, the nature and purpose of suffering and if meaning can ever truly be garnered from horror.
The protagonist is spared from death on the whim, his friend and his friend's lover, not to mention her family, are much less fortunate. The protagonist and his love interest are subjected to grotesque trials for 50 years only for them to escape and resolve to live apart from humans, which begs the question, both textually and metatexually, what was the purpose of this?
I think the edits I made didn't process which is unfortunate. To clarify, Nihilism in the common understanding, is the belief that nothing in life matters, that nothing is really real. Within the plot of Happiness the Protagonist is subject to trials and tribulations that don't reveal a greater understand of the world to him within his story, his suffering doesn't better or worsen the world around him. Metatextually, the world of Happiness is similar and dissimilar to the real world, there are horrific science experiments done on people throughout human history that never yielded any medical insight. Suffering for the sake of suffering being all that was produce. What purpose does it serve to feature such a dispiriting element to the story when the ending amounts to, the main character being again isolated from humanity with the one who turned him into a vampire? – Sunni Ago2 years ago
A digestible yet philosophical dissection of Happiness would be an incredible read, especially if one takes the time to draw real world parallels--it is difficult NOT to feel nihilistic in this day and age, and tapping into that very real feeling of listlessness, one that inspired the concept of nihilism in the first place, and connecting it with the narrative of Happiness would underscore the humanity (both conceptually and literally) the series appears to be examining. – alliegardenia2 years ago
Japanese manga in particular has cultivated a global fanbase while pushing creative boundaries regarding representation. Pioneers like Takemiya Keiko and Yamaguchi Ryoko crafted yuri narratives in the 1970s that tenderly portrayed girl-girl affection, cultivating an early queered fandom. Meanwhile, boys' love genres like shonen and yaoi emerged independently, generating unprecedented gay male visibility. Works like Junjo Romantica continue building international audiences by frankly engaging queer themes formerly taboo.
It would prove illuminating to analyze narrative and stylistic choices within such genres, tracing artistic evolutions alongside shifting sociopolitical climates. For instance, one could investigate changing visual vocabularies surrounding gender non-conformity and transitions in works like Wandering Son or My Brother's Husband (Satonaka, 2015; Kizu, 2019). How do illustrations of intersectional identity negotiate complex subjectivities in sensitive yet nuanced ways?
Considering cross-cultural reception and fandom practices could reveal much about globalizing queerness. Platforms like Tumblr incubated vibrant transnational online communities thriving on manga appropriations and translations. Exploring community formations through this digital lens may untangle dynamics of inclusion, gatekeeping and cultural exchange that broaden representation's reach.
Manga provides a rich unconventional text through which to interrogate identity categories' fluidity. I hope unpacking its stylised disruptions alongside real-world activist campaigns against increasing intolerance proves a thought-provoking avenue for collaborative study.
Analyse the advent of "fast media" that has become so popular in recent years – especially in fast moving societies like South Korea. I live in South Korea, and one thing I have noticed is when I get on the subway people are scrolling EXTREMELY fast as they engage in a media called "Webtoon (웹툰)". This media is like a comic book that has been specifically designed for fast digestion and optimised for access on a mobile phone. You could write an article that explores why people are interested in this kind of media (Webtoons, Youtube Shorts, TikTok etc). How does this type of media differ from longer and "slower" forms of media? (E.g. Books, traditional ways of engaging in media like with a TV or at home). You could even briefly discuss the effect this "fast" media has on the brain or mental health (stress, instant gratification and high dopamine). It doesn't have to be only on South Korea, I'm just emersed in the unique culture and think there is enough for a case study (Think about high work hours, education system – Hagwons, generally a fast-paced society etc).
This is a super interesting topic and I think that an exploration of media literacy could work super well with this, and expand it to a global scale. – finnkanedom2 years ago
I love this idea! I'm definitely interested in how fast media impacts our attention span and the endless cycle of wanting faster content. It may also be worth looking at how our desire for on-the-go media is propelling this. – A.H.2 years ago
Love this idea. And the same fast media has been the very core of Chinese web fiction where word-count and length was the focus and writers were taught to speed up to the pace to maintain a sense of excitement. Personally, I believe this is the result of our shortened attention span and cognitive processing power as a result from the prevailing social media. Naturally, we are leaning toward short-form content (as they are less challenging to consume) versus traditional, long-form content, or content with higher professionalism and complexity. – Xiao1 year ago
Very interested in this! There is an essay by Xueting Christine Ni called "Net Novels and the 'She Era': How Internet Novels Opened the Door for Female Readers and Writers in China" which might be a useful reference to explore the economic and gendered conditions of content creation that favour these shorter, free (or very affordable) forms of publication. – clairegranum1 year ago
Though I am personally unfamiliar with the larger catalog of examples available, there seems to be a hit-or-miss quality to Manga transitioning to live-action shows and movies. It seems on average the live-action shows that are not action based are able to capture the essence of the original work. As an example, Netflix's "The Makanai" is based on a Japanese manga named Maiko-san chi no makanai-san, first published in 2016 by Aiko Koyama and has been praised for its accurate representation. In contrast, Oldboy and Dragonball flopped both with critics and the original fans. Is the ability to transition these works to screen dependent on the source genre, the director/script, or on trying to reshape it to appeal to a western audience? It seems the more gentle, low-risk mangas succeed in adaptations whereas action mangas fall short. Is this a cultural failing or an industry failing? And if they were adapted more accurately, would they succeed to a global audience?
Shooting the shaggy dog refers to a bleak ending at the end of a drawn out story. Doing so can create a sense of realism as seen in movies like Chinatown but can also create a sense of apathy in the audience if every turn makes the world worse and the the stories conclusion is just more of that.
For the writer, the Manga Gilgamesh is a pure example of shooting the shaggy dog. The plot is a world of darkness and depravity and the story's conclusion leaves off with the question what was all of the suffering for? What was the purpose of the story if the ending doesn't just drive home the point that the world is bad, but makes it clear that it can never be good?
Okay, nice, but you left me hanging. I understand your frustration with the story and the trope, but what's the thesis of your article? Are you trying to say the trope should die because it's not redeemable? Or, is there something of value in the trope and the types of stories in which we find it? Or are you going for something else entirely? Consider these questions, and consider exploring other stories as examples. A Series of Unfortunate Events immediately popped into my head. – Stephanie M.2 years ago
