Social (In) justice and dystopian (Im) morals in the attack on titan anime (2013-2023)
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Date
2024
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University of Oum El Bouaghi
Abstract
Anime is watched by a wide range of people and so, it transcends its entertainment nature. As with any cultural/artistic medium, it could be a host of different ideologies and discuss timeless themes related to human nature and social structures such as social justice and morals. Attack on Titan, a four-season Japanese anime, that premiered in 2013 and concluded in 2023 has gained immense popularity around the globe, and presents rich material for analyzing the aforementioned themes. The anime revolves around the journey of Eren Yeager and his comrades toward justice-making against the oppressive system established by the Marleyans. To unfold the hidden nature of the power dynamics of the oppressor and its ideology, the study appeals to Marxist criticism. Likewise, the Marxist theory is employed to discuss Yeager’s vision of the utopian society; which he blindly believes to be achieved through immoral acts. Here, in a dystopian context, the thin line that blurs morals and immorals, and social justice and social injustice needs to be drawn up. In the end, the viewer finds out that Yeager turns into another oppressor, and this takes the viewer to the starting point of the narrative. So, the research aims to demonstrate the cyclical nature of the power dynamics (oppressor/oppressed) leading to an eternal crisis about justice and morals. The fruit of this research is that war is inevitable. Immorality will eventually progress, always leading to the same outcome thus, facing evil by evil is never the solution as portrayed by the narrative in Attack on Titan.