Introductory seminar: “Under the Influence: Asian Film Traditions and Hollywood”
Deadline for submission: October 11th, 2004

Organic Mirrors
Reflections on and by Characters’ Bodies in Shojo Manga “Angel Sanctuary”

by

Heike Stindt

MA: Germanistik/Anglistik/Angewandte Sprachwissenschaft (FB 3)
Summer Term 2004

Contents

I. Introduction 3

II. Male Character Concepts 4

A. Incestuous messiah: Setsuna 4
B. “Am I beautiful?”: Rosiel 7
C. Devoted from head to toe: Katan 9

III. Female Character Concepts 10

A. Adolescent concerns: Kurai 10
B. 87-58-85 and a bleeding heart: Alexiel 13
C. Veiled disgrace: Layla – Sevothtarte 15

IV. Sexless Character Concepts 16

A. Joys of motherhood: Seraphita (Adam Kadamon) 16
B. Boundless transgression: Belial (“Mad Hatter”) 17

V. Conclusion 18

Endnotes 21

Bibliography 24

I. Introduction

Although products of a highly commercialised entertainment industry, Japan’s manga are still rooted in a tradition of refined figurative self-reflection. Especially theatrical practice with its multiple forms of expression affected manga in a way that it began to feature the human body as the most flexible symbol of both physical and psychical concerns. “In Japanese […] comics this protean transforming body is sometimes grotesque […], sometimes alluring […], but always memorable. […] In this fantastic mode, ranging from science fiction to occult pornography, the body interrogates the dominant constructions of identity in modern society – be they gender-based or even human species-based.” (Napier, 37)

Under such a heading different subgenres of manga developed their own distinctive techniques of presenting bodies.

The shojo¹ genre, in the beginning exclusively aimed at adolescent girls, acquired its characteristic motifs and style in the seventies when conquered rapidly by draughtswomen who made it a successful domain on the Japanese comic market. Female protagonists were then alternated with so-called bishonen, sensitive young men of feminine beauty deviating from sexual and social norms by entering into romanticised homoerotic relationships. Androgyny, nonconformity and role reversals, which went back particularly to Kabuki and Takarazuka theatre², became omnipresent in shojo manga. Great emphasis was placed on physical beauty which did therefore not fall victim to stylisation as it was the case in other genres. Plot ceased to be the centre of interest and gave way to detailed illustrations of inner conflict and personal development for which the human body often constituted the visible equivalent. From this, manga critics also frequently drew conclusions about the inner life of the meanwhile grown main target group, actually girls and young women in their teens or early twenties.

At the end of the eighties, magazines publishing shojo manga went through a crisis resulting from an overuse of common topics. Thereupon artists turned away from the tragic dream or past worlds most of the stories had been set in and began to devote themselves to cheerful depictions of relatively ordinary characters in ordinary surroundings, which meant, at the same time, a convergence towards shonen³ manga. As a consequence, genre limitations became blurred so that boys began to read girls’ manga as well and the other way round. Although, within the shojo genre, the main emphasis actually remained on character development, the presentation of an interesting plot became almost as essential. Since then, the mixing has continued.

First edited between 1994 and 2000 in the girls’ magazine Hana to Yume, Kaori Yuki’s manga Angel Sanctuary (Tenshi Kinryou Ku) is one representative of the younger, more heterogeneous generation of shojo manga. On the one hand, it features a sixteen-year-old nonbishonen male hero, but on the other hand recalls the atmospheric fantasy settings of earlier times conveying a “sense of melodrama” (Levi, 22) and thus reacting to certain escapist motifs⁴ (cp. Székely, 32).

Beside this, the body has however retained its outstanding symbolic significance so that this paper will attempt to answer the question: How are bodies in shojo manga Angel Sanctuary integrated into the character concepts as both the trigger for and mirror of inner, interpersonal and social conflicts and which attitudes towards physicality and social roles do thus become revealed?

II. Male character concepts

A. Incestuous messiah: Setsuna

The Tokyo student Setsuna Mudo constitutes a typical contemporary Shojo-manga protagonist inasmuch as he gets into a situation in which he is confronted with a second self or identity sharing his body (cp. Roedel, 131) and, moreover, with his own deviant desires (cp. Székely, 32).

As far as his outward appearance is concerned, Setsuna, albeit generally lacking bishonen attributes, can be described as a handsome boy. He is a slender, short-haired blond with a frank-looking face and not too small, bright eyes, which actually predestines him to girls’ favour, that of both the girls within the story and the female readers (cp. Vol. 11, epilogue). With regard to his nature, one can state that on the one hand he is sincere⁵, resolute⁶, brave⁷, loyal⁸, humorous⁹, emotional¹⁰ and vulnerable¹¹, but on the other hand sometimes very insensitive¹², thoughtless¹³, slow-witted¹⁴ and slightly arrogant¹⁵ so that he has to be regarded as a complex character capable of development.

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1 According to Susan J. Napier “Shojo literally means ’little female’ and originally referred to girls around the ages of 12 and 13.“ (118)

2 In exact opposition to the exclusively male ensemble of Kabuki, the younger Takarazuka employs only actresses (cp. Levi, 11; Roedel, 134).

3 These are aimed at boys.

4 As already mentioned before, the main purpose of most manga is to entertain their readership. This should also be kept in mind when looking at the character concepts.

5 He is incapable of pretending to the ”Anima Mundi” that he is a classic messiah.

6 He is irrevocably determined to fetch Sara back after her death and does not give up his project until he finally succeeds.

7 He risks his life when he lets Nanatsusaya run his body through so that he can go to Hades in order to find Sara’s soul.

8 He does not hesitate to cure his friend Kira/Nanatsusaya in spite of Seraphita’s, an authority’s, warning.

9 In Hades, he and Kato have quite amusing exchanges of words.

10 He cries when Kato stays behind in Hades.

11 After Kira’s claim that he has exclusively been interested in Alexiel, Setsuna is about to commit suicide and can only be restrained by Zaphikel.

12 He says to Kurai that he regards her as a younger brother (“KLEINER BRUDER“, Vol. 8).

13 Without thinking he exposes Zaphikel to Sevothtarte.

14 He does not at all comprehend Kurai’s attempt to seduce him.

15 First, he does not involve his friends in his decision-making.