[sudo-discuss] Japanese versus American Hero archetypes

[Romy Ilano]

http://roboheart.com/2012/02/12/japanese-vs-american-hero-archetypes/

No this isn’t about who would win in a fight between Superman and Goku.
Specifically this is about a particular mainstream Japanese hero character
I see over and over again in Shonen action based Anime / Manga and how it
compares to mainstream American super heroes. Of course I don’t mean to say
there aren’t characters on both sides that break the mold, only that the
type I describe seems interestingly prevalent in modern mainstream media.

*Growth Mindset*
*For me, the biggest difference is that Japanese super powers are based
around a growth mindset. The hero must train hard to unlock his hidden
potential.* Even if he is the chosen one of some kind or come from another
planet, it doesn’t come for free, it takes hard work. Most American super
heroes were born with their powers or gained it all at once through some
happenstance beyond their control. They will usually go through an awkward
period of learning how their powers work, but it will be more about
discovery than training.

The most obvious direct explanation for this difference is the cultural
importance of martial arts in Japan and other Asian countries, as well as a
more strict work ethic. Most of the super powers imagined are centered
around martial arts and notion of building Chi. Many Anime have their own
names for this force. Chakara, Haki, Nen, Raetsu or Spirit Force, just to
name a few. These forces are brought out through training and will power.
Characters are at their most powerful when put in desperate situations and
they are forced into a fit of rage, protecting the ones they love. I might
suggest that American superpowers are looked at like property, or even like
winning the lottery. Japanese powers are more like the inextricable essence
of a person, perhaps not unlike a Samurai referring to his sword as an
extension of his soul.

*Magic VS Science*
Japanese powers seem more often based in magic, the powerful life force
inside us all. That or at least the laws of the universe are different from
our own. For example, “Full Metal Alchemist” takes place in a world where
alchemy really works. American powers are way more often science related,
and rooted in our own universe, or at least a universe that is very similar
to our own. Unfortunately those powers are often based on unrealistically
huge breakthroughs and severe mishaps, since that’s the only way to go from
the ordinary world to something so amazing. Also the scientific
explanations are usually so flimsy they may as well be magic. The fact that
these Manga superheroes likely exist in an alternate world yet American
ones are grounded in this one, is interesting to me. I wonder if this means
that Manga superpower stories are a deeper form of escapism. Even if
American heroes take part in a world unknown to us, it usually is supposed
to exist in parallel, somewhere under our noses, hidden from the notice of
us ordinary people.

*Dynamic Power Ups*
The ability to power up when they need to defeat a stronger opponent isn’t
in and of itself isn’t unique, but some Japanese characters take this to a
whole new level. Some even quantify their power ups by calling them gears
or levels. The prime example is Dragon Ball Z. The idea that you can turn
these various states of power at will like shifting gears on a car isn’t
something I can ever remember seeing in an American character, with the
exception of when a character somehow borrows or steals another characters
powers for a particular fight.

*Intuition*
This Japanese hero is not very bright, but somehow always does the right
thing when it matters. They are ruled by powerful and accurate intuition.
As in the way of the Samurai, all decisions are made in the space of seven
breaths, or much less. Because of this their decisions sometimes seem rash
to those around them, though over time people grow to have faith in them.
American heroes will often struggle with the right thing to do. Also, the
main hero in Manga always seems to have simple powers, simple attacks,
compared to the other characters in that world anyway. He may sometimes use
them in a clever way, it is much more likely for the villain to have
complicated or tricky powers. I think it’s somehow related to honor, that
simple powers befit an honest hero.

*Care Free Attitude*
This is related to their intuition I think. These Manga heroes tend not to
spend a lot of time worrying, and may even seem careless. They have been
know to randomly fall asleep at inopportune moments, and accidentally say
the wrong thing at the wrong time. They have an innocence about them. After
all they usually are teenagers. This quality may also be related with the
way of the Samurai, treating matters of grate importance lightly and small
matters with the utmost seriousness.

*Strength From Friendship*
Unlike a lot of American heroes, they are not usually tormented loners,
forbidden from personal relationships. Often their friends and family have
lesser powers themselves. They focus very heavily on being able to protect
their loved ones, but often have faith in them to take care of themselves.
American superheroes always seem to be carrying around a grate weight on
their shoulders, like their power is burden. Anime / Manga characters
usually seem to treasure their strength, their ability to protect people.
For them, the ones they love ARE their strength, instead of their weakness.
They often reach a new level of power up through the rage of a loved one
being threatened or hurt. The American superhero is surrounded by ordinary
humans. They are infinitely more capable than everyone around them, so they
are infinitely more responsible and isolated. It also makes me wonder if
the American mindset is that it’s only worth having power if it is far far
greater power than anyone else. The Japanese hero is surrounded by other
super powered people. They don’t start at the top. There are always more
powerful people who drive them to advance and become the best.

*Enormous Appetite*
I really have no Idea about this one, but quite a few of these Manga heroes
seem to be able to eat an absurd amount of food. I guess they need the
energy to fuel all those power ups. The most extreme examples of this are
Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, and more recently Toriko, which is largely based
around eating.

*Purity
*This isn’t necessarily a difference, but the Manga heroes seem to be very
pure hearted and noble even if they seem brash on the outside. Plenty of
American Supers are noble, but there seems to be slight distinction in my
mind. American heroes are either totally super noble like Superman or
Captain America, or they have some kind of character flaw that they must
overcome to rise to the heroes call. Their Japanese counterparts flaws
aren’t usually flaws at all. They don’t get in the way of them being a
hero, they are part of their personality and may actually make them better
at what they do. They don’t seem to be in conflict with themselves. Their
apparent character flaws are a product of their innocence instead of their
corruption or weakness. Again this may have a lot to do with their
relatively young age.**

I can’t really say what this all adds up to, or even why I felt compelled
to TRY and quantify it, only that I think it is interesting to see the
kinds of fictional characters that our very different cultures idolize. I
enjoy superheroes on both sides of this analysis, but I find that they
access different feelings. I think the Manga hero archetype is a more
joyful and passionate, where as the American one is more about wish
fulfillment, with a bit of “Careful what you wish for.” thrown in.**

*Update:*  Just responding to some comments on
reddit<http://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/pnps8/japanese_vs_american_hero_archetypes/?sort=new>that
there should be more specific American comics references. I admit it
is a bit one sided in that regard, but I kind of figured if you’re reading
this in English you probably know more than you care too already about
popular American superheroes from the many Hollywood movies of late. Maybe
that was a mistake. This wasn’t supposed to be an unbiased essay, just some
observations I made that were interesting to me. I do have more interest in
Anime in recent years, but I’m definitely not trying to convince anyone of
anything. I don’t have an agenda, I don’t think. I’m not trying to bend
facts to suite an argument, however I will fully concede to the possibility
that I may be seeing patterns where there are none, or looking too deeply
in too narrow a spot. Humans are particularly good at this in general. In
the end I’m just surprised people actually wanted more information on this.
I always assume people will find these posts long winded. Anyway, criticism
taken.

*Update 2:* Okay, I don’t think I have the patience to expand this into a
full essay with citations equally on both sides. I did adjust a few minor
phrases to be a BIT more specific and disclaimatory, if that is even a
word. So I will just list below the particular hero characters I was
referencing between the lines. Apply what you know, maybe that will clear
this up a little. Not every point I TRY to make applies entirely to each
character, but hopefully they hold generally true. Generalizations
definitely aren’t the only thing important in an analysis, but at least
initially, they can be the only way to see a pattern. Of course I know they
can also be used for evil. With great generalization come great
responsibility. Now, I don’t want to think about this ever again.

* Japan*
Goku – DBZ, obviously, really seems like the precursor to the next 5.
Monkey D Luffy – One Piece
Natsu – Fairy Tail
Gon – HunterXHunter
Naruto, Shippudden or otherwise
Toriko
Elric Brothers – Full Metal Alchemist, mainly just to exemplify an
alternate world with different rules. Not as many similarities to the
others.

*USA*
Superman
Spiderman
Ironman
Captain America
Thor
Green Lantern
Batman, probably the most growth mindset oriented of the group
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://sudoroom.org/pipermail/sudo-discuss/attachments/20130527/adbeeb16/attachment.html>