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.
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| 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.
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| 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?
I really liked reading your blog this week. The way you talked about Tetsuo was humors and really well put. It was like sitting there having a conversation with you. The picture you chose of Tetsuo sitting in the chair was pretty cool, but also kind of scary.
ReplyDeleteOn the topic of Mima and the internet you are absolutely right. The internet could “mess up someone mentally.” Most of the time if you see something in a movie it just applies to movies, but not in this case. Using the internet can really make some people lose who they are, it kind of sad to think about it.
You made a really good point when you compared all three movies at the end. People need to learn where the line between human and technology lies. They also need to understand the risks of crossing that line. Once crossed, it may be difficult to go back to the way things were.
Raquel Derganz Baker
Hey John,
ReplyDeleteNice blog, I really got the sense that you understood the movies we have seen and the common themes brought up throughout them. It is great to know that despite not signing up for this class and being one of the only ones without experience in the anime field, you still showed enthusiasm when discussing and watching these movies. Hopefully your view of anime has been changed for the better. Anyways, I would like to mention that I agree that the internet can definitely change a person but the main cause was the constant baragge of memory fragmented things she encountered. Do you think that memory can be fragmented in such a way to cause a person to change entirely, leaving no trace of their former self behind? Cool stuff to think about. Nice job relating all the films and leaving the blog reader with questions that cannot truly be answered. Overall though, (sorry I tend to ask this a lot) did you enjoy the film Ghost in the shell? You seemed to have shown different emotions toward the film considering the powerful music it contained. Speaking of music, next blog you make you should try and analyze the music considering the majority of our class if unexperienced and/or not as knowledgeable about that topic. Lastly I'd like to say, have a great MardiGras break. -Dee