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What can Japanese anime do to overcome divisions in society? - An interview with an anime director Mr. Kawamori and screenwriter Mr. Onogi

Earth Light Project


This article is a summary of an online event on 27 March 2021 titled “What can Japanese anime do to overcome divisions in society?”


Even if divided in some ways, our thoughts can transcend any boundaries. Anime world proves it by moving people’s hearts.
What does anime have to offer in the current divided world?

We invited two special guests from the forefront of Japanese anime world, anime director Mr. Shoji Kawamori and screenwriter Mr. Hiroshi Onogi. The first runner-up in the Miss contest at the University of Tokyo Ms. Misato Okada joined us as a facilitator as well.

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This article by Daiki Sugiyama, the other facilitator of the event and a member of the Earth Light Project Events-Planning Department, extracts the juiciest essence of the talk.

Macross - Settlement beyond simple dualism


Macross is one of the most famous works by Mr. Kawamori. The Macross series deliberately deviates from common mecha animes, opening up a new ground in the genre.
In the franchise, the war is fought with idol songs in the background, not with thundering music.
Clashes break out not only between countries, but also among three individuals.

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These characteristics reflect Mr. Kawamori’s belief that the world cannot be simply divided into the good and the evil. The franchise, he says, tried to depict a more complicated world as entertainment.


Gegege no Kitaro - A division generates stories

Mr. Onogi writes scripts for Gegege no Kitaro franchise. Its stories revolve around a division between humans and Yokai (a Japanese equivalent of "ghost", "phantom" or "strange apparition").


The main character Kitaro (a Yokai) meets a human girl who can see him, crossing the boundaries between the two.
In between the two different worlds, Mr. Onogi remarks, stands Nezumi-Otoko (Rat Man). Though being a Yokai, he cunningly lives through the human world, keeping a balance over the boundary.

The differences among humans might not be as great as those between humans and Yokai. However, hatred or ill words can easily generate divisions among us. 

Mr. Onogi’s scripts suggest how to overcome such divisions.

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The two guests have eagerly tried to describe complicated things in an enjoyable manner.
They modestly hope that the audience will someday recall and reflect on their works after having fun watching them. That, I felt, was their professionalism.

Earth Maiden Arjuna - A story that couldn’t be broadcast nowadays?

Mr. Kawamori and Onogi created Earth Maiden Arjuna together.

“Having reviewed the series before the interview, it feels like a miracle that we could create and broadcast this then,” says Mr. Onogi.

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A single question, “What if an ordinary girl suddenly acquired the ability to feel the earth?,” was the starting point of the work.
In investigating the actual situation regarding environmental problems, the pair spent a lot of time and effort revising the plot, receiving a lot of criticism.

The director and writer agree that describing both the protagonists and their opponents is the largest joy of creation.
They believe it essential for creators to keep their objective viewpoint; they should not identify themselves with one side or the other.

That very attitude might be required in today’s divided society.

What can Japan do as a leading country in anime?


Mr. Onogi and Kawamori point out various factors that could have contributed to the worldwide spread of Japanese anime.


・Since Anime characters look different from real-life humans, they can easily transcend cultural gaps.
・Teenagers all over the world tend to be fond of anime.
・Spiritual backgrounds in Japan (e.g. the concept of a myriad of gods in Shinto) can easily be accepted.

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Towards the end of the dialogue, it was mentioned that anime has flip-books as its origin.
Each picture in a flip book is different from each other, but when connected with others, they generate a smooth motion. In contrast, live-action cameras have to cut into pieces the movements of their subjects.
Humans perceive a series of divided pictures as flowing movements.
In that sense, healing divisions might be an innate skill of anime.

An Extra Session of the Dialogue on 2 April

From 22:30 (JST/UTC+9) on 2 April, an encore interview with Mr. Kawamori and Onogi is going to be broadcast on Zoom.

Anyone can join the Zoom Meeting for free by filling out the form below. We all look forward to your participation and would really appreciate it if you could share this event with people around you who might be interested.
Entry form: https://forms.gle/bL2i2do6yKN624bW7


An Affinity between Narratives and Flames

Mr. Onogi kindly sent us a word of cheer to our activities at Earth Light Project.

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“Culture is formed by narrating from generation to generation. Making fire used to be difficult in ancient times. That was part of the reason why it has united groups.”

Our project to create a narrative of the world’s unity by flames received powerful support.

The whole world gazes at a flame, talking and singing together, and the wishes are launched into space.
On 4 April, our student-launched project will host an event titled Candle Night “Imagine.” By sending an entry form on the page described below, you can join an online candle night with people from all over the world. We would love to have you in the event!
https://earth-light-project.org/en/

Thank you very much for your kind support of our project!

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