An analyzation of Japanese Sci-Fi and how it relates to that of the Bushido
*The following Article is my final research paper for my Samurai class
For countless decades the concept of the future has encapsulated people's imagination as to what may be achievable in our lifetime. It's this concept of distant worlds and technologies fueling an idea or standard to live up to, in the hopes that we may one day accomplish this goal. Many of these elements or concepts are evident in aspects of various science fiction media. Even just in the specific subset of Japanese Science Fiction, we uncover an entire world or esoteric point of view that sees to stem from the common ideology that the future holds something for us all. From various forms of media far removed from the sometimes rigid and traditional views of the samurai, an argument can be gleaned that there is a common relation between the evolution of the concepts of Japanese sci-fi and that of the possible samurai ideals. Mediums evolve and and paradigms shift, all leaving these common held views of the present time to change with them. Using popular mediums such as film and television, one could make the argument that you can trace this evolution of ideas across the wide myriad of years that have followed. While Some earlier examples that will be talked about such as Akira (1988) may have bleeker visions of the future, an overall theme of change and transformation can be seen such as in later mediums like the video game series Metal Gear Solid, or the anime Cowboy Bebop. The pursuit of a near polished future of can sometimes create an unachievable standard that we may try to work toward, Not much unlike the unwritten code of conduct for the ancient samurai known as Bushido. This all beginning to shape a vision of how sometimes culture relates to that of what is portrayed through the medium of science fiction, as well as the many ideals held so long ago.
Akira was released in 1988 and represents one of the earlier examples of Japanese science fiction to break into the popular mainstream of the west. The aesthetic of the film takes of a gritty post apocalyptic cyberpunk esque world (semi-reminiscent of popular western stories in the vein of Blade Runner from 6 years prior.) The general zeitgeist in Japan however was heavily influenced by the nuclear scare of the time. Coming off of the events in Nagasaki and Hiroshima at the end of WW2, coupled with the growing nuclear world scare of the Cold War at the time, the general fear of what the future may hold was a regular commodity. This becomes very evident in how the future is expressed in both narrative and composition in films such as Akira. As stated in the animation blog by Jacqueline Ristola, Akira “draws from post-WWII Japanese consciousness and exhibits nuclear anxieties in their true potential, from crowded alleys filled with detritus to sewers with rotting rats.” The entire film then becomes a commentary on the dangers of scientific study unchecked. As Jacqueline goes on to say, the film “examines and embraces the messiness that is science and, more broadly, human existence” (Ristola). While these narrative elements may come to represent the darker side of science, the visuals themselves also take on a more foreboding aesthetic.
Instead of sprawling futuristic cityscapes which one might come to expect in science fiction, we are greeted with muted and dark images of a Neo-Tokyo. The increase of gang violence portrayed in the film mixed with practices of experimental science portrays a world view heavily rooted in that of fear towards what may come. Another popular point discussed by film analysts is that of the film’s dialogue. As Betrice Yambrach posits, the conversations portray “the inner debate among the government. Though they know about the danger in dealing with Akira's power, the government and the Doctor's desire to control and harness it leads to a continuation of research, despite the risks” (Yambrach). The role of science in the diegesis of the film is not a positive one. As Yambrach goes on to say, “By visually mirroring the events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Ōtomo [the director] uses Tetsuo's graphic transformation as a way to teach the audience that those same disasters.” As she goes on to say, “ because [the disasters] are man-made, [they] can repeat themselves if the boundaries of science are not approached with caution and respect” (Yambrach). This becomes the general outlook of science’s role throughout the era. However, as the decades went on, a tenuous change came towards the view of technology's role in everyday life. Coming off of the 80s, the main cultural view of technology and science as a whole in Japan began to shift. Science Fiction in the 90s became less of a cautionary tale and more of a distant hope of what might soon be. Elements of danger are still present, but we begin to see the over all zeitgeist shift to that of a kind of ‘cautionary optimism.’ Technology as well in Japan finally began to outpace American standards and the country as a whole began to further embrace the trend. While arguments can still be made about the effects of science and technology from the past, the general theme of the decade became one of progress towards the future. I believe one of the few mediums that represents this notion best is that of the 1998 anime series Cowboy Bebop.
Following a small group of bounty hunters as they venture around the galaxy, the series became a landmark and a television staple for a myriad of reasons. A fusion of innovations and cutting edge ideas were poured into the shows content and from there it created a world centered around the distant possibilities that may be achievable. However the characters themselves are not fully optimistic as they traverse this world. The show’s protagonist, Spike Spiegel, holds a long history shrouded in mystery relating to a futuristic Yakuza gang called the Red Dragons. Other common plots lines follow environmental terrorists, exiled war veterans, and countless other side effects of a world far expanded into the stars. Each episode is ended on the quote, “See you space cowboy,” referencing how the viewer will return for the next episode. However on the final episode the line is changed to, “You’re gonna carry that weight.” One could say this is a commentary on how we must all deal with our own problems in the end, however Vice news writer James Charisma posits that its actually a direct message to the viewer on how we each “confront the troubling legacies of our own.” He goes on to say that, “There’s no showdown with the mob for us to face, but plenty of issues to take on, from the consequences of allowing easy access to guns, to military veterans that have gone neglected, to ignoring growing environmental dangers” (Charisma). The show with this mindset takes on the view that while some elements of technology and science can be beneficial, there also lies a large number of real world threats as well.
A great many of the themes and narrative story arcs in the show reflect the feeling of the world at the time. Mainly a large amount of unrest stemming from the over tension from various conflicts and terrorist acts around the globe. However, aside from being a commentary on various aspects of things occuring in the world, the crew themselves come to represent the new generation at the time. As Gunseli Yalcinkaya mentions, “Their money struggles are painfully relatable to those who have experienced freelance struggles. Young and broke, the crew onboard the Bebop are self-employed — their lives are structured around securing bounties...” (Yalcinkaya). The late 90s into the early 2000s saw a new age of younger generations attempting to find their place in the world. The struggle of finding both a your own place and career in the world reflect the conflict that many younger graduates possibly felt. This medium became a new mode of address that shifted the somewhat past restraint towards science and technology to a new worldview heavily continuous of the very real conflicts around it (both abroad and domestic). An overall feeling of hesitancy toward technology begins to shift to this so called cautious optimism, causing us to evaluate our own situation and where we ourselves stand. All of this building until the very last line of the show, “You’re gonna carry that weight,” and as one writer said, “whether Watanabe [the shows creator] is referring to our past traumas, the importance of friendship, or just simply the legacy of the show, it is a mantra that sticks with you for a long time afterwards” (Yalcinkaya).
Coming fully into the mid-2000s, we see in a natural progression the shift from a cautious view of technology to a full embrace of its potential. This itself becoming a full reversal of the more hesitant view of the 80s which viewers saw in films like Akira. I believe one of the flagship examples that best represents this concept of embracing technology is that of the Metal Gear Solid franchise. A video game series spanning decades, the series follows several espionage missions around the world, each with their own set of unique and futuristic obstacles. Specific games from the franchise such as Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for example, find themselves based around real world conflicts such as the Cold War, or the conflict in the middle East during later instalments. Each game in the series however fully embraces a wide array of futuristic and high tech gadgets, or sometimes even vehicles and suits of armor. As stated by Technology writer Ewen Hosie, “The series offers a glimpse at an alt-history that is reflected more than anything in the games' outlandish gadgets, which are often inspired by real-life technology” (Hosie). The games seem to once again return to this common theme of representing the world that they were created in. As stated prior by Ewen Hosie, while some of the gadgets are outlandish, a lot are based of real things. One specific example from Metal Gear Solid 3 being the “Shagohod.” To elaborate, “the Shagohod is a massive mobile missile launch platform designed by the Soviets in Metal Gear Solid 3. Its unusual propulsion system, drawn not by wheels or caterpillar tracks but massive screws, was inspired by a Russian all-terrain vehicle called the Shnekohod” (Hosie). This real life Russian counterpart is only one in a number of examples throughout the series of how technology is represented in the world.
The main protagonist Snake comes into contact with a number of these scenarios such as soldiers with cybernetic prosthetics, all terrain tanks, and more. This over abundance of technology littered throughout the game series itself becomes a representation of how the general view of science and technology has shifted from 20 years prior. It’s this emergence of new ideas being weaved into the narrative that becomes the new catalyst for how stories are told and construed. After the the start of the new millenium, a viewer would be hard pressed find any story not containing some element of technology in at least some aspect. Its this over saturation that shows the new embrace of things to come. An concept showing just how over the years an idea can become idolized and shift from its more critical roots. As stated earlier however, this path laid out by the representation of technology is not much unlike that of something deep into Japan’s traditional past - The Bushido code of the samurai.
Much like the Western depiction of the cowboy, it would be hard for someone to talk about anything in the Japanese Medium without relating it to the traditional values of the samurai. The progression of science-fiction themes and the aspects of technology are not much unlike that of how the traditional values of the samurai were depicted during their progression. As it states directly in the sacred texts, “Bushido, then, is the code of moral principles”. It is the literal framework in which all traditional warriors must align themselves. The number one characteristic within this code then becoming honor. As it goes on to say later in the texts, “The sense of honour, implying a vivid consciousness of personal dignity and worth, could not fail to characterise the samurai, born and bred to value the duties and privileges of their profession” (Nitobe). The concept of honor is as prevalent in the samurai mythos as anything else. It is depicted as a key source of motivation for the protagonist in a large number of Samurai films, and paints an image of just how far many of these characters will go in order to save their honor. What this then begins to show throughout the progression of many samurai films is just how hard it is to actually achieve this goal of unfalable honor, and thus many of the films themselves begin to become a critique of the very concept itself. Early films like Humanity and Paper Balloon, or Hara-Kiri show how the pursuit of honor can become a trap for the very samurai themselves leading to a degree of self deception in their world view. It becomes an almost sisyphean task to constantly pursue such a life as the samurai, and for many it only leads to their own downfall. As commented in the very texts themselves, “It must be admitted that very few attained this sublime height of magnanimity, patience and forgiveness” (Nitobe). This concept is not much unlike the technological critique that was portrayed in Akira, or the world view demonstrated in elements of Cowboy Bebop’s narrative. The early films of the samurai genre become a grim critique in the similar vein that early films of the sci-fi genre do the same. It is not until years later that we begin to see a shift in outlook for both genres.
It isn't until later films like Twilight Samurai or Anime adaptations like Rurouni Kenshin that we see the samurai class begin to become idolized. It's less about the endless pursuit of the goal (and the many possible failures), but now about the status and symbol itself. This is similar to the manner in which technology came to be represented in the Metal Gear series. In Twilight Samurai we see that there are other ways to have a sense of honor than just being a good warrior in the traditional sense. The samurai itself becomes more of a coded symbol for honor much like how the gunslinger came to represent self reliance in the Wild West. It's this concept that shows how over time the idea itself became the end goal, and less about the concept of actually achieving such a life as the one the samurai led.
To say all samurai films or science-fiction films are inevitably a critique of their very own genres is not a straightforward question to find an answer. While the standards set by these distant futures and technologies may create a gap between what is actually achievable and what is currently present, they themself are not intrinsically negative in their world view. Earlier cinematic examples such as Akira may show signs of a hesitation towards the futures to come but later mediums (such as in video games or TV) show a new embrace to the concepts. A similar idea can be said about the samurai genre as well. While earlier films may have been a bleak commentary on the kind of dynamic such a pursuit of honor could create, later films came to embrace the notion that there could be samurai stories without being wholly negative. Conclusively the idea of whether these distant futures and machines are negative is subjective to the ones who create them. We each hold our own notions about what should be achieved in our lifetime, and whether that leads to a self fulfilled life of honor and duty or not, the true message is that it's the pursuit of each of our ideal selves that's really what’s important. However whether or not you decide for the journey to be a positive or negative experience is ultimately your own.