Ask John: How do Viewers Appreciate Psychological Anime?

Question:
How do you interpret anime labeled “psychological torment” as its genre? Anime of said genre usually project a viewing experience that is atypical to your everyday anime. Often they throw truck loads of symbolism and emotional energy at the audience such that I just simply don’t know what to do with it all. Take, for example, Gasaraki or Lain. These titles are considered real masterpieces. And yet, after watching them, I fail to fully grasp what the author was trying to say. How do you appreciate/engage/enjoy anime in the psychological torment genre? And can anime in the psychological torment genre be qualified objectively, since they seem to evade all traditional means by which an ordinary character driven story can be evaluated?

Answer:
I’ve personally never heard the genre label “psychological torment” before, and I don’t believe that it’s really an accurate or useful label. Genre labels normally describe the content of the work, but I have the impression that your use of the description “psychological torment” is aimed at anime which confuse or challenge the viewer. Regardless of labels, I understand that you’re referring to dense, psychologically and philosophically complex anime like Serial Experiments Lain, Evangelion, Gasaraki, Boogiepop Phantom, Perfect Blue, Angel’s Egg, Nekojiruso, and other such titles that often leave us confused and uncertain. The very fact that these stories have the power to captivate us, taunt us, and force us to interpret them is precisely what makes them so enjoyable and impressive. These stories often aren’t conventional, easily defined narratives, but they can still be judged by many of the same standards applied to more conventional anime. And these programs can be evaluated against a theoretical, objective standard.

Angel’s Egg is an ideal example of how experimental and esoteric anime can be appreciated and evaluated. Angel’s Egg director Mamoru Oshii himself has stated that even he doesn’t exactly know what the film is about or what it means. The simple narrative about a small girl with a large egg in an empty, apocalyptic world, and the mysterious soldier she meets is obviously definable considering that I’ve done just that. But the meaning of the film’s abundant symbolism, exactly what happens during the film’s enigmatic climax, and what everything in the film means is a riddle – a mysterious haze of imagery and impressions. Despite the fact that the movie overtly seems to make no sense and have no obvious meaning or purpose, it’s still widely acknowledged as a masterpiece. Angel’s Egg is effective because there’s more to film than just narrative. The fluid, hand crafted animation quality of the film; its haunting visual beauty; its languid pace and pervasive atmosphere all transport the viewer away from the realm of mundane reality. The movie is literally fascinating because it’s so mysterious and ethereal. Despite the fact that the movie doesn’t seemingly make sense, it’s a wondrous experience to participate in.

Films like these are judged by their art. Works like Ergo Proxy and Texhnolyze attempt to break into the company of respected outré anime, but Ergo Proxy and Texhnolyze aren’t masterpieces because they’re too pretentious. Works like these too obviously try to obfuscate themselves. Their oddity is contrived and manipulated instead of natural and artistic. Intuitive viewers and critics recognize the difference, which results in these attempted enigmatic shows not being held in as high regard as acknowledged artistic classics. Lain and Gasaraki may both be challenging and interesting, but relative quality is determined by considerations including animation quality, visual design, atmosphere, impact on the viewer, and how convincing and competent the production seems and feels. It’s a natural instinct to expect and desire a logical, comprehensible narrative and meaning in a story, but there’s also enjoyment to be found in film that leaves the viewer anchorless and helplessly immersed. Sometimes the climax or the meaning of an anime isn’t the most important aspect of the work, or the element which should have the most significance to the viewer. Sometimes the journey is more fulfilling than the destination.