Personal and social identities are things that can be changed or become corrupted, and this is shown in the anime films Akira, Perfect Blue, and Ghost in the Shell. Each film contains a character, a main character, which loses sight of who they are and take on a completely different persona because of advancements made in technology.
In Akira, Tetsuo is experimented on, and ends up receiving these unnatural super abilities, and begins to gain power. Before this happened he was just a typical guy in a motorcycle gang and was the quiet one always being taken care of. Once he gains these powers, he instantly starts to change and go mad with power. He is no longer Tetsuo, because he is now some power hungry man on the loose. This power causes him to lose control of himself, and thus, loses his identity.
In Akira, Tetsuo is experimented on, and ends up receiving these unnatural super abilities, and begins to gain power. Before this happened he was just a typical guy in a motorcycle gang and was the quiet one always being taken care of. Once he gains these powers, he instantly starts to change and go mad with power. He is no longer Tetsuo, because he is now some power hungry man on the loose. This power causes him to lose control of himself, and thus, loses his identity.
Image from Fused Film |
Mima in Perfect Blue is an example of how technology did not affect her physically, but mentally. She is an actor who lets the media and the internet change her life, and she no longer knows what is real or fake. It’s very interesting because technology we have today, like the internet, can mess up someone mentally and really make them question who they are, which is exactly what it did to Mima.
Ghost in the Shell is a film where the main character, Kusanagi, is a cyborg and loses the feeling of what it really means to be human. She has been changed so much that she is almost completely robotic and because of this, she no longer remembers what it feels like to be human and questions whether or not she even is one. It is another example of how technology can affect the way somebody sees themselves and how it changes ones view of their own identity. Here, Kusanagi doesn’t necessarily change her view of herself, but questions if it is even the same anymore.
Image From Cyber Punk Review |
Each of these films shows that the relationship between humans and technology has a very thin line. Once this line has been crossed, it can really affect ones identity and they way someone sees their identity as well. Where is the line crossed? When does becoming too tuned in with technology turn into becoming one with it? Or even becoming a part of technology entirely?