Abstract
This paper analyzes the role of the fighting women in Japanese anime near the end of the twentieth century. It argues that these female heroes are not just shōjo (‘young girls’) who represent Japan the nation, nor are they mere projections of otaku desire, or token women included to attract female fans. Rather than that, I maintain that these female heroes are what could be described as “cyborg goddesses,” who offer an escape from the present’s dilemmas. An analysis of whom and what they are saving reveals a desire to return to an idealized Japanese past, while representing contemporary predicaments and concerns about the future. These heroes embody a form of “honorific individualism” (Ikegami 1995), based on a strong sense of individuality, and they have the potential to generate change by challenging the conformist status quo
Abstract
本稿では、20世紀末の日本のアニメにおける戦う女性の役割を分析する。これらのヒロインたちは、ただ単に日本国家を代表する「少女」、また、単なるオタク欲望の投影、あるいは女性ファンを引き付けるための女性像ではないことを示すものである。むしろそれよりも、これらのヒロインたちが今日的なジレンマからの逃避を提供する「サイボーグ女神」として表現されると考える。彼女たちが誰もしくは何を救済しているのかという分析からは、現代の苦境と将来への懸念を表しつつ、理想化された日本の過去に戻りたいという願望が暗示される。これらのヒロインたちは、強い個性に基づき、「名誉ある個人主義」(Ikegami 1995)を具現化する。そして、彼らは現状への順応主義に挑戦することで、変化を生成する可能性がある。
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