Magic as Metaphor in Anime: A Critical Study

221 Pages·2009·1.01 MB·English

by  Dani Cavallaro

Magic as Metaphor
in Anime
ALSO BY DANI CAVALLARO
AND FROM MCFARLAND
Anime and the Visual Novel: Narrative Structure,
Design and Play at the Crossroads of Animation
and Computer Games(2010)
Anime and Memory: Aesthetic, Cultural and
Thematic Perspectives(2009)
The Art of Studio Gainax: Experimentation, Style and
Innovation at the Leading Edge of Anime(2009)
Anime Intersections: Tradition and Innovation in
Theme and Technique(2007)
The Animé Art of Hayao Miyazaki(2006)
The Cinema of Mamoru Oshii: Fantasy,
Technology and Politics(2006)
Magic as Metaphor
in Anime
A Critical Study
DANI CAVALLARO
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
Cavallaro, Dani.
Magic as metaphor in Anime : a critical study / Dani Cavallaro.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7864-4744-2
softcover : 50# alkaline paper
¡. Magic in motion pictures. 2. Metaphor in motion pictures.
3. Animated films. I. Title.
NC1766.5.M34C38 2010
791.43'34—dc22 2009049614
British Library cataloguing data are available
©2010 Dani Cavallaro. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
Cover art ©2010 ATOMix/Shutterstock
Manufactured in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 6¡¡, Je›erson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
To Paddy,
with love and gratitude
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Contents
Preface 1
Chapter 1: The Frame of Reference 3
Chapter 2: Magic Contracts 18
Chapter 3: Magic Missions 53
Chapter 4: Magic Natures 85
Chapter 5: Magic Bildungsromans 117
Chapter 6: Magic Destinies 152
Filmography 191
Chapter Notes 203
Bibliography 205
Index 209
vii
Myth is often contrasted with reality. Myths flourish in the
absence of precise knowledge. Thus in the past Western man
believed in the existence of the Isles of the Blest, the Northwest Passage,
and Terra Australis. Now he no longer does. Myths are not, however,
a thing of the past, for human understanding remains limited.
Political myths today are as common as weeds.... The knowledge we
have as individuals and as members of a particular society
remains very limited, selective, and biased by
the passions of living.—Yi-Fu Tuan, 2008
Preface
Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature
and you will find that, behind all the discernible concatenations, there
remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable.—Albert Einstein
The world is its own magic.—Shunryu Suzuki
Anime has engaged assiduously with themes, symbols and narrative
strategies drawn from the realm of magic since its inception as an art form.
Some shows have deployed magic to chronicle out-of-this-world occurrences
that preclude explanation by the laws of nature, science or logic. Others have
resorted to magic as the backbone of mythical domains (sometimes based on
documented legends) and the quests unfolding therein. Others still have
focused on the imbrication of magic with mysteries and secrets in order to
weave yarns centered on patterns of investigation and resolution akin to detec-
tive stories. Characters endowed with special powers and manahave featured
recurrently in all of these typologies. Many of the elements found in such
productions are still in evidence in contemporary anime but in recent years,
the medium has increasingly turned to magic specifically as a metaphor for
the exploration of a range of cultural, philosophical and psychological con-
cerns. Some earlier anime harbored metaphorical potentialities insofar as they
did not tackle magic merely as an end in itself—i.e., a repertoire of motifs
designed to yield spectacle and entertainment per se—but rather as a vehi-
cle through which they could engage with wide-ranging preoccupations. For
example, Sailor Moon (1992–1997) used magic largely to foster the advance-
ment of inveterately Japanese ethical values, such as the paramount impor-
tance of perseverance and hard work, while Fushigi Yuugi (a.k.a. Mysterious
Play, 1995–1996) employed it as a lens through which the here-and-now
could be assessed by ironic contrast with alternate realities, and Cardcaptor
Sakura (1998–2000), relatedly, harnessed it to the portrayal of the tension
between playfully innocent fantasy domains and real-world imperatives.
However, recent titles signal a substantial intensification of the metaphor-
ical proclivity, in consonance with anime’s increasing tendency to articulate
subtly nuanced psychological dramas, pilgrimages of self-discovery and, fun-
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