Akira and Ranma 1/2: The Monstrous Adolescent

In Susan Napier’s Akira and Ranma ½ focuses on the forms of the representation of the adolescent body, specifically through Japanese Anime. Napier uses two particular characters, Tetuso from the Anime film Akira and Ranma from the anime series Ranma 1/2, to convey her ideas regarding the development and changes in the body and ones perception/feelings during adolescence. Various “in between states” are discussed in the reading.

Napier describes that while Tetuso is seen as powerful and even monstrous anime character, he lacks of self confidence and compared to his companion Kaneda often feels like a weak unaccomplished outcast, feelings often felt by the average adolescent. Going further, these ideas of self doubt and ambivalence are mirrored with Japan’s national identity in the late 1980s when Akira was released. Although Japan was gaining world power and as a result feared by many other nations, the country basked in this new found power, while also fearing it. Tetuso’s lack of self-confidence is also highlighted when he is unable to start and control his companion, Kaneda’s motorcycle. Napier describes this also as a coded way of showing his lack of male power or dominance, which he later gains through a frenzied ride as he develops monstrous qualities towards the end of the film through the birth of intimidating mutations which displays one of the main themes: metamorphosis. Ultimately, Napier describes Tetuso’s anti-heroism as “a form of all-out adolescent resistance to an increasingly meaningless world in which oppressive authority figures administer the rules simply to continue in power.” Tetuso is also described as going through in-between states regarding gender when he “implodes into a grotesque scene of birth” crossing gender boundaries and exemplifying the genre of “Body Horror” displaying an adolescent’s feeling of being vengeful, as well as frightened in ones own opinion as well as the opinion of others.

Ranma ½, unlike Akira, focuses mainly on gender roles and the metamorphoses from male female. Due to a random curse Ranma is forced to interchangeably morph between male and female. Napier describes the series essentially deals with creating gender identity at both a public and individual level, although compared to Akira it is set in a much more comedic tone. The series essentially shows Ranma trying to find his personal gender identity as a consequence of adolescence while also touching on public ideas regarding gender norms. For example, while the norm of a character in a fantasy story changing from female to male is seen as empowering Ranma’s transformation is clearly negative and humiliating, while changing from male to female results in the ultimately humiliation and loss of power.

Essentially I did not find this reading particularly difficult although it did include many different perspectives on Japanese anime and human adolescence. I found this information interesting mainly because I most likely would have never noticed the mentioned ideas, although I never watch anime, I found it interesting how many layers and codes were comprised in these works. The emphasis on coding and layering of information as well as ideas of phallic imagery and male the apparent male dominance (especially in relation the Tetuso) reminded me of the Adorno, Hall, and Mulvey readings which emphasized how closely related our class readings are even though at times they seem far fetched, or unrelated to each other.