Big in Japan
February 6, 2006 5:50 PM   Subscribe

Who is the most exalted personage in Japanese (fictional) robotdom?

I had a previous question related to this here and am now breaking things down more specifically. I am interested in the phenomenon of bodily physical transformation in popular culture, fiction and mythology. I have been able to do quite a bit of reading about my main man Cuchulainn in the Tain Bo Cuailnge. I'd like to begin to get a grasp of a particular, archetypal Japanese machine-man (although it does not have to be male).

Some possible recommendations of figures to examine could be Optimus Prime, Mazinger-Z, Astro Boy, etc. I'm looking for a widely recognizable (by Japanese ((and possibly Korean or other Southeast Asian)) folks and those exposed to Japanese popular culture) representative figure. The recommendation ultimately should be representative of the phenomenon of techno-representation itself, and bonus points for embodiment of the mixed awe, desire and dread that goes into these forms. In Tim Brisko's book Super #1 Robot, the introduction presents a thesis of the origins of the Japanese human-robot construct as emblematic of the postwar reconstruction effort through technological supremacy. So, the robot embodies both the utopic possibilities of technological advancement (the big brother protector robot) mixed with the horrible awareness of the destructive wake of events like the bombing of Hiroshima (the city-destroying robot and monster).

No suggestion too geeky nor too scholarly! Initially, despite my qualifications above, I'd like to cast a wide net.

So, who is the Spider-man of Japanese robot culture?
posted by Slothrop to Media & Arts (9 answers total)
 
I'm thinking Astro Boy.

Of course, UltraMan is big as well. Both started within 3 years of each other.

Or Gigantor. Also 1963.

Jeez, so many ... let's just go with Astro Boy.
posted by grabbingsand at 6:06 PM on February 6, 2006


I'll throw my hat in the the ring for Tetsuwan Atom (Astro Boy) as well. The comic started ten years or so before the television series, early 50's.

Osamu Tezuka, Atom's creator, was trained as a physician, and keenly aware of the "utopic possibilities of technological advancement" as well as the potential for technological destruction. He was also, you know, a teenager during the war. Oh, and he happens to be occasionally referred to as manga no kami-sama, the god of comics, and is the originator of the typical Japanese comic style. Ask some Japanese folks, they'll probably agree that Atom is the "archetypal Japanese machine-man."

I mean sure, Ultraman, Tetsujin28, etc etc... Atom has more staying power in popular culture, I think, than the rest of them. He's got an everyman thing going for him, too. So, you know. Spiderman.

oh crap, did I just geek out?

Anyway Slothrop, even though it's a bit dated at this point, "Inside the Robot Kingdom" by Frederik L. Schodt (published by Kodansha in 1988) is decent light reading, and might point you in some interesting directions.
posted by drumcorpse at 6:51 PM on February 6, 2006


Doraemon.
posted by planetkyoto at 8:06 PM on February 6, 2006


This may be oversimplifying, but a lot of modern references (within Japan, at least), seem to look very similar to the RX-78-2 Gundam from the original Mobile Suit Gundam series.
posted by Hot Like Your 12V Wire at 8:06 PM on February 6, 2006


Tetsuwan Atom is THE most popular robot in Japanese culture, next to Doraemon. But they're both so old now (the former began in 1951, the latter in 1969) that I'm sure countless studies have already been done using them as examples. And Ultraman, also from the '60s, isn't really a "robot," but an alien from the "M-78 nebula." : )

That said, a much more recent example might be Saishu-heiki Kanojo (Saikano), which was pretty popular (3.5m copies sold, according to the Japanese Wikipedia) several years ago, and the live-action (not animation) movie based on it is showing right now. The protagonist is a teenage girl who transforms into a weapon powerful enough to eliminate entire cities.
posted by misozaki at 8:21 PM on February 6, 2006


Tetsuwan Atom has definitely ascended to the level of icon. Like Elvis, he's instantly recognizable and his image is widely appropriated in other pop-culture artifacts...but you're not likely to go out to see one of his movies. The same is true for Ultraman, to a lesser extent.
posted by adamrice at 8:34 PM on February 6, 2006


Astroboy is the Japanese Mighty Mouse. Everyone in Japan recognizes the character immediately. Also very well known outside Japan. He's an icon.

Also, the influence of Tezuka's style on Japanese animation cannot be overestimated.

Doraemon is the Japanese Snoopy. Immediately recognizable by anyone in Japan, not so much outside the country.
posted by SPrintF at 9:03 PM on February 6, 2006


The Robotech SDF-1 comes to mind....

Here is one example. There are many others.
posted by TeamBilly at 8:18 AM on February 7, 2006


I really want to say Ultraman because he's super cool, but Astroboy has a far more compelling creation story that would seem to relate more to your thesis...

(What is Ultraman's creation story anyway? Hmm. The fact that he can only stay on earth for 3 minutes before his energy is sapped is a really interesting idea that you could run with...)
posted by ibeji at 10:14 AM on February 8, 2006


« Older InDesign to PDF = text with jaggies   |   I totally got why bob & doug mckenzie were... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.