Representations of hybridity as a whole in apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic anime

owlwink

Hey I'm doing some work on this topic and was just wondering if anyone has anything to say. Are there underlying connotations towards the notion of hybridity in contemporary society. e.g. Tesuo's transformation begins when he interacts with a grey (black and white hybridised) child. Do such blatant representations on a surface level mask the 'comfortable audience'. Other anime I was thinking of looking at is the first part of Violence Jack and the first part of the urotsukidoji american trilogy. huh

eoin5

I'm not sure if I follow you fully but I'm guessing that most of those type of animes are set in the future in big citys where racial mixing and catastrophe has diluted all the older cultures and stirred up the gene pool. As a result it has left room for new cultures to grow. It also helps if you have a lot of a certain paint left over

o1s1n

owlwink wrote: »

Hey I'm doing some work on this topic and was just wondering if anyone has anything to say. Are there underlying connotations towards the notion of hybridity in contemporary society. e.g. Tesuo's transformation begins when he interacts with a grey (black and white hybridised) child. Do such blatant representations on a surface level mask the 'comfortable audience'. Other anime I was thinking of looking at is the first part of Violence Jack and the first part of the urotsukidoji american trilogy. huh

A hybrid would be a mix of two things. The 'gray kids' in Akira are espers, not hybrids. And they're actually blue (I have a cel to prove it - http://akiracels.rubberslug.com/gallery/inv_info.asp?ItemID=165120)

As a matter of interest, why are you focusing on hybrids in apocalyptic/post apocalyptic anime? It goes far beyond that. Or is there something I'm not getting?

owlwink

o1s1n wrote: »

A hybrid would be a mix of two things. The 'gray kids' in Akira are espers, not hybrids. And they're actually blue (I have a cel to prove it - http://akiracels.rubberslug.com/gallery/inv_info.asp?ItemID=165120)

As a matter of interest, why are you focusing on hybrids in apocalyptic/post apocalyptic anime? It goes far beyond that. Or is there something I'm not getting?

Firstly man thanks for the heads up on that about the espers in Akira, will have to re look at my approach on that level.

I'm not primarily looking at hybrids, I just wanted to get some views about it off people. I'm primarily looking at abjection and transformation and applying these to apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic anime to see if there are any hidden representations of hybridity within them. Reasons why specifically apocalyptic based worlds is really just because I find them most interesting with Japan's atomic and earthquake history. A culture that has experienced the end of the world in a sense a few times over is very interesting to look at, specifically when a connection with the other seems to lie at the heart of many of the anime's. Are there underlying representations of the karmic death and rebirth relationship that both the body and earth have with hybridisation on a contemporary level?

the dying earth
assimilation of body and earth.
technological and biological synthesis
highly sexual content.................
Many of these things also seem to surface with the blending with the other

Any ideas on this?????

by the by this is theoretical, I'm not saying anything is or isn't. Just one possible interpretaion..........

owlwink

eoin5 wrote: »

I'm not sure if I follow you fully but I'm guessing that most of those type of animes are set in the future in big citys where racial mixing and catastrophe has diluted all the older cultures and stirred up the gene pool. As a result it has left room for new cultures to grow. It also helps if you have a lot of a certain paint left over

Red and White paint tend to do the job;)

o1s1n

owlwink wrote: »

Firstly man thanks for the heads up on that about the espers in Akira, will have to re look at my approach on that level.

I'm not primarily looking at hybrids, I just wanted to get some views about it off people. I'm primarily looking at abjection and transformation and applying these to apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic anime to see if there are any hidden representations of hybridity within them. Reasons why specifically apocalyptic based worlds is really just because I find them most interesting with Japan's atomic and earthquake history. A culture that has experienced the end of the world in a sense a few times over is very interesting to look at, specifically when a connection with the other seems to lie at the heart of many of the anime's. Are there underlying representations of the karmic death and rebirth relationship that both the body and earth have with hybridisation on a contemporary level?

the dying earth
assimilation of body and earth.
technological and biological synthesis
highly sexual content.................
Many of these things also seem to surface with the blending with the other

Any ideas on this?????

by the by this is theoretical, I'm not saying anything is or isn't. Just one possible interpretaion..........

I like what you're saying about karmic death and rebirth relationship/ earth /hybridization. It's pretty interesting actually. I never thought of it from the hybrid aspect.

Have you a copy of Anime: From Akira to Howl's Moving Castle by Susan J. Napier? There's some really interesting theory in it which touches on transformation and metamorphosis.

I just submitted a thesis based on similar issues in anime. But from a more Belief/religion based view. That book was a godsend.

owlwink

Hey man I'll check that book out though I think it may be one of the ones I have looked at already (obviously not too intensely) Yeah I'm thinking of using that for my thesis. I'm in third year now, just have to propose my idea for next year soon and wanted to see if anyone had ideas. I like the sound of your thesis, I'll touch on things about religion, mainly in a historical overview, though I really want to frame it in the represenations of both the body and the earth. Post modernism and post structuralism will no doubt hold my hand on the way. Still a complete working idea. Body earth synthesis is quite interesting though, especially in relation to contemporary perceptions of hybridity......

o1s1n

owlwink wrote: »

Hey man I'll check that book out though I think it may be one of the ones I have looked at already (obviously not too intensely) Yeah I'm thinking of using that for my thesis. I'm in third year now, just have to propose my idea for next year soon and wanted to see if anyone had ideas. I like the sound of your thesis, I'll touch on things about religion, mainly in a historical overview, though I really want to frame it in the represenations of both the body and the earth. Post modernism and post structuralism will no doubt hold my hand on the way. Still a complete working idea. Body earth synthesis is quite interesting though, especially in relation to contemporary perceptions of hybridity......

As a matter of interest, what course are you submitting the thesis for? I take it either design based/fine art?

That's not a bad start if you're currently in 3rd year. This time last year I knew I was going to write something concerning religion in anime, but hadn't a clue what. Thankfully it got a lot more detailed once I began writing it

owlwink

English, Media and Cultural Studies in IADT

o1s1n

Ah right, I was way off... :eek:

Another book I have here that you should check out -

Anime Explosion! The What? why? & wow! of Japanese Animation.

Chapter 16 might be of some use to you. Birth and Death and Rebirth: Reincarnation in Anime.

Good luck with it anyway. Strangely enough, I found writing mine quite enjoyable. Wasn't the headache I'd predicted.

tread_softly

o1s1n wrote: »

Anime Explosion! The What? why? & wow! of Japanese Animation.

fab book



mine's signed by alkaline trio

but anyway!

i'm also in my final year of college, but i'm doing media studies so chose to do a practical dissertation instead of a written one as the idea of 10,000 words took a few years off my life. if you're doing it on something you're genuinely interested in then it shouldn't be a problem.

trying to grasp your idea....

have you looked at evangelion at all?

the post apocalyptic requirements are satisfied (the second impact) and you could look to the Evas and the First, Second and Third Children for the hybridisation?

for something that was (initially) created to protect earth and her citizens it has the ability to mentally incapacitate it's pilots; those who must synchronise and assimilate with this mechanical organism. (my take on part of it anyway!)

also, i know it's not technically anime, but consider Final Fantasy VII.

Sephiroth is comprised of Jenova cells, a virus that is the biggest threat to the planet. The planet is using it's Lifestream to heal the wound at the Northern Crater. Sephiroth is encased in Mako there and is planning to summon Meteor to cause ultimate damage, the plan being to absorb the huge surge Lifestream that the planet will send to heal itself. Therefore, Sephiroth wishes to twist the power of it and cause the opposite effect; destroy Gaia and use it as a vessel.

Well, i've probably completely misunderstood what you were trying to get across but how and ever, that's my 2 cents!

owlwink

Hey man thanks. Alot of those ideas I was throwing around in my head. Particularly the ones surrounding Final Fantasy : Advent Children. Personally I wanted to stay away from evengellion due to the scope of it possibly drowning other representations. Although I conceed. Maybe it is worth a look.

I'll have to check that Anime Explosion book out............huh

Hadesdominion

i only the start so dont get me wrong if i change the subject
so your talking about hybridity.
so does that count as someting with neither sex?
in Trigun Maximum, the charactor zazie the beast (fan-named 'The Ambassador') changed his/her sex numerous times everytime he died, as he/she was a insect/human hybrid. check it out... in numerous episodes of trigun maximum
this has confused many fans such my self..

owlwink

Kinda looking at it more from the side of cultural assimilation. Interresting point though. Must check out.