Anime as a "Mode of Expression"

[Kaitou]

Anime itself is very similar to literature in the sense that it is (arguably) a "mode of expression". Recently, in the past 10-20 years, apart from being "entertaining" like "popular novels", some anime movies and series have steadily and increasingly gained their prestige as being "profoundly philosophical". However, there remains some doubts about its philosophical profundity. Originally, like literature, those anime series were created to entertain, not to influence philosophically-minded watchers. So why has this change taken place?

An early pioneer of "traditional" anime, Miyazaki did not seem to develop philosophical themes in his anime movies until his very recent animes. Take for instance one of his earliest animes, "Castle in the Sky", and its plot. The plot is, Christopher Booker would say, very "basic": it's about an adventure of a boy and a girl to discover a truth and eventually to defeat some "evil force". In the end, they return soundly home and live happily afterwards. One would perhaps classify this plot into the "voyage and return" or "defeat the monster" category that perhaps itself arised from commonplace mythology and folktale. (Indeed, the story in "Castle in the Sky" is as trite as any other well-known adventure tales one's grandfather used to recount to one when one was young).

Things get more philosophical and profound, and also perhaps more difficult to understand, in Miyazaki's later animes. In "Howl's Moving Castle", the theme of love, of sadness, of one's past, of war and its effects on people get more complicated than just an "adventure". It can perhaps be considered an "expedition" of Howl and the girl he loves: they are on their quest to find their ultimate selves. Also, it should be taken into notice the development of animeary (same as literary) features in this anime: metaphor of Calcifer, the fire-servant, being the warm heart of Howl as it escapes him and lives an independent life of its own. Never before did Miyazaki develop such a profound, haunting, and living (as Calcifer is a live fire - perfect symbolic representation of a heart) metaphor.

Several "neo-modern" (post-1990) anime series such as "Full Metal Alchemist", "Inuyasha" and "Rurouni Kenshin" possess in themselves a charm never seen before in their predecessors (but this is not to say that no single pre-1990 anime is charming). One is perhaps left with more reminiscence and reflections that these anime series provide than any other famous animes before 1990 (when, it seems, philosophy has not firmly entered the literary-like realm of anime).

"Rurouni Kenshin", started in the 1990s, philosophical as well as psychological in nature, attempts to instill in the anime watcher a certain strong sense of regrets, remorse of one's past, and of the will to live. If this anime series was just a story of a swordsman who wanders around helping other people with his sword, it would not be as profound as it is. Instead, repeatedly, throughout the entire series, the themes of regrets, remose of one's past, and of the will to live continue to haunt the anime watcher. However, it could be argued that, like other literary novels, this is perhaps not as groundshakingly philosophical: one can still classify it as a "romantic, finding oneself" sort of anime.

Proceeding in time, we meet yet another serious anime, "Inuyasha", started in 2000. At first it may even seem less philosophical than "Rurouni Kenshin", but if one is patient enough to watch it thoroughly to its most recent episodes (the anime series has not yet ended), one can perhaps appreciate the complexity of its plot. It is almost a reflection over love, hatred, and the quest to truth instead of a simple "defeating the monster" story. It is also very literary: it tells the struggle between one's different selves (Inuyasha, in this case, who is half-human, half-demon) and of one's endeavour to surpass all evil.

Nevertheless, despite these literary and philosophical themes, some elements of humour were incorporated into the best of animes. Also some subplots, some never-ending plot complications, and some mysteries. Why, then, if anime is indeed a "mode of expression", and the anime artist wishes to deliver to the anime watcher a certain message, be it philosophical, psychological, personal, etc., does s/he have to integrate these elements into his/her art? Is the goal here to prolong a series in order to hook more anime watchers and therefore earn more money? (This reminds of Dickens, by the way, who did not usually write books but instead periodical series of his works). Here are some criticisms of such practice, specifically of the "Inuyasha" series.

Out of the three anime series mentioned, "Full Metal Alchemist", started in 2002, is perhaps the most philosophical minded and focused. It tells a story of two boys on their quest for the "Philosophers' Stone", or in other words, the Truth. Ironically, what Truth they discover contradict the belief they once thought to be a step from the Truth: The Principle of Equivalent Exchange, which states that in order to gain something, something else of equal value must be lost. (Isn't it interesting to see some scientific theme incorporated into anime as well? This reminds of the Law of Conservation of Mass and Energy in physics and chemistry. Interestingly, alchemy is considered a versatile "science" in the series, and perhaps the series could tell you better than I how this is the case).

(For those who have watched the series:

What is alchemy? What makes one an alchemist? Is everything in the world just composition of different materials, and therefore can be broken, re-grouped, and recombined to form new materials? If that so, what makes us humans other than our bodies, that which can be broken, re-grouped, and recombined? How meaningless is it that we humans are just recombinable matters?

What is the Principle of Equivalent Exchange? Why in order to obtain something, something else of equal value must be lost? (does this sound like the Conservation of Energy in chemistry)? Is this principle true? What can the Philosophers' Stone accomplish? Can it break the principle of equivalent exchange?

The series raises many questions. It was almost amazing to me that it spoke of "the other side of the gate", in which a completely non-alchemical world (you can't do alchemy there) exists. This world has familiar names to us: London, Munich, and in this world people die of war, hunger, etc. to supply the energy needed for alchemical transmutations in the alchemical world. So, alchemy is not equivalent exchange after all, is it? To recombine matters to form A from B, one needs the energy, which is death of others in another world, necessary to perform transmutations. So is it not true that everything in the universe is imbalance, and is ready to shatter at any moment if there aren't sacrifices to support some "chosen things"? That makes me think whether there are the "chosen" and the "sacrificèd", which form our universe.)

This gradual development in the story plot and other features (excluding art, as we are focusing more on the literary-like features of anime, though feel free to discuss anime art as a means of "support for the mode of expression") induces one to ask these questions: Have philosophical themes been incorporated in anime in order that anime be more interesting and hooking and better-selling? Or is anime used to better express philosophy and what words can't seemingly flesh out? Is it a true "mode of expression", which I would say free of commercial influence, or is it simply a commercial vehicle? Also consider what I asked at the beginning of my post: why has this change taken place?