Waiting for the End of the World: Apocalyptic Identity

Abstract

Princess ononke’s vision of natural disaster is a distinctive one, but its emphasis on apocalypse is certainly not unique in Japanese animation. Indeed, perhaps one of the most striking features of anime is its fascination with the theme of apocalypse. From Akira’s unforgettable vision of the mammoth black crater that was once Tokyo to Neon Genesis Evangelion’s bleak rendering of social and psychological disintegration, images of mass destruction suffuse contemporary anime. While some, such as Princess Mononoke, hold out a promise of potential betterment alongside their vision of collapse, many others tend to dwell on destruction and loss. Destructive or hopeful, these anime seem to strike a responsive chord in the Japanese audience. In fact, it might be suggested that the apocalyptic mode, often combined with the elegiac or even the festival, is not simply a major part of anime but is also deeply ingrained within the contemporary Japanese national identity.