Frankenstein, Akira, and Beyond

1
Frankenstein, Akira, and Beyond
The Ebb and Flow of Cultural Exchange
Presented By Jackie Bernstein Jarreau Bowen
Scott Lanum Kevin McLean
2
Tradition of Storytelling

• Ancient folklore first recorded in early 8th
  century
• Poetry
• Visual storytelling
• Meiji Period
• Manga develops from newspaper comics

3
Emergence of Anime

• Cartoonists experiment with animation (1914)
• First feature film Momotaro (1918)
• Various animation styles
• Small industry
• Inspiration from American market

4
World War II

• Western influence
• Military theme develops (1930s)
• Propaganda films made during the war
• U.S. bans media with military themes

5
Comparison Between Mary Shelleys Frankenstein
and Akira
There was non among the myriads of men that
existed who would pity or assist me and should I
feel kindness towards my enemies?  No from that
moment I declared everlasting war against the
species, and, more than all, against him who had
formed me and sent me forth to this
insupportable misery. (Frankenstein, chapter
16)
Katsuhuro Otomos Akira, scene 23
6
What are the Parallelisms?

• The Trinity of Transgression
• --The Creator, the Transgressor, and the
  Memory Bearer

• The Creation of a Monster
• -- In both Akira and Frankenstein, the
  monster created is the result of a quest to
  harness the power of science to positively effect
  mankind

• Central Conflicts
• -- A battle between the monster and the
  humanity found within the monster, as well as a
  battle between the monster and society

• Similar Conclusions
• -- Both Frankenstein and the power of Akira are
  not meant for our current plane of existence

7
Akiras Influences in the West

• Natural Born Killers
• The Matrix
• Remakes of Akira (by WB) for Modern Audience

8
Reflections on Society

• Message of the Dangers of Technology
• Reflections on Power and Control

9
In Other Medium

• Ghost in the Shell
• Dark Horse Comics

Miscellaneous

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science (Marc
  Davis Lecture on Animation)

10
Thank You
ThAnK yOu
THANK YOU FELICIA!!! YOURE THE BEST!!
ThAnK yOu
Thank You
11
Works Consulted
Website http//www.tapanime.com/info/history.htm
l, last updated on 21 January 2003.Website
http//www.kanzaki.com/jinfo/jliterature.html,
last updated on 21 November 2003.Website
http//ny.essortment.com/historymanga_rqyz.htm,
last updated on 12 October 2003. Website
http//www.dnp.co.jp/museum/nmp/nmp_i/articles/man
ga/manga1.html, last updated on 13 November
2003.
Website http//www.armchairempire.com/AnimeRevie
ws/akira2001.htm, last updated on August 16,
2003.   Website http//www.houseofseoul.com/anim
e/anihist.html, last updated on 19 October
2003. http//www.japan-guide.com/e/e2124.html
  Website http//www.dnp.co.jp/museum/nmp/nmp_i
/articles/manga/manga4-1.html, last updated on
26 November 2003.   Website http//az.essortment
.com/historyjapanes_rdck.htm, last updated on 4
April 2003.     Website http//www.ludd.luth.se/
users/jingoo/oldanime/akira/bilder.html, last
updated on 7 August 2003.      
12
Works Consulted, Continued
Online Collection http//orbita.starmedia.com/mar
ionette_gallery/personajes/la_banda_de_Kaneda/kane
da/akira248.jpg, last updated on 30 October
2003. Website http//orbita.starmedia.com/marion
ette_gallery/personajes/la_banda_de_Kaneda/tetsuo/
akira154.jpg, last updated on 17 November
2003. Website Scarum, Harum. "Preaching the
Post-Enlightment Judgement Day to a Fictional
Congregation From Coleridge's Rime of the
Ancient Mariner to AKIRA. http//members.tripo
d.com/gila42/index- 12.html, last updated on 25
Nov 2003. Napier, Susan J. "Anime from Akira to
Princess Mononoke Experiencing Contemporary
Japanese Animation." New York Pelgrave
2000. Sibbald, Vanessa. "'The Matrix' film
history 101." The Mercury News. 9 May
2003. Vallen, Mark. "A Night At The
Academy-Anime Comes Of Age." The Black Moon. 18
Nov 2001.
13
Works Consulted, Continued
Website http//orgs.unt.edu/sec6/gfx/motoko1.gif
, last updated on 2 December 2002. Shelley,
Mary. Frankenstein. Puffin Publishing. New
York. 1818. Otomo, Kamaturo. Akira. Anitech.
Tokyo. 1987. Lee, Felicia. Consultant.
November 2003.