Ask John: Why Are Disabled Characters More Common in Guro?

Question:
I was wondering why are ero guro stories almost the only place to see stories that have disabled characters in lead roles? Is it because it would disrupt any other anime genre’s flow and to not be realistic?

Answer:
I’m not especially familiar with the guro manga genre, so I’ll have to present some broad, generalized theories about it. Mentally and physically handicapped characters are not limited to just appearances in “ero guro” (“erotic grotesque”) manga stories, but their nature may make them more attractive protagonists for that genre.

Handicapped characters do appear in conventional manga and anime, usually as supporting characters. A few examples include blind Rena Rune of Aquarion, Kasimasi’s Yasuna Kamiizumi, who suffers from a debilitating disorder involving her sight, and wheelchair bound Shuuko Suzuhara of Angelic Layer and Mashiro Kazahana from My Hime. Handicapped protagonists more commonly appear in anime and manga aimed at conveying an inspirational or moral message rather than straightforward entertainment anime. Examples include the physically disabled Momoko in the 2003 anime movie Momoko, Kaeru no Uta ga Kikoeru yo, the physically and mentally disabled young boy, Dai, in the 2007 anime film Dai-chan, Daisuki, and the autistic Hikaru of Keiko Tobe’s award winning manga Hikari to Tomo ni. In fact, the judge commentary from Keiko Tobe’s 2004 Excellence Award from the Japan Media Arts Festival for “Hikari no Tomo ni” states, “It has long been felt that the subject of disability was not suited to the medium of manga, the potential for discrimination that might hurt and disgust the readership was supposed to be too great.”

Disabled characters infrequently appear in mainstream manga and anime as a matter of tact, and also because conventional anime are supposed to allow viewers to imagine themselves in character roles. Viewers may appreciate the narrative depth provided by the inclusion of handicapped characters that overcome their disabilities, but primary characters are supposed to be characters that viewers can wish to emulate, or characters that viewers can laugh at. As a matter of objective fact, physically or mentally handicapped characters don’t ideally suit either role.

However, the purpose of guro manga is to shock, offend, and arouse sensations of revulsion and pity. Handicapped characters are ideal protagonists for the “grotesque” genre because handicapped characters arouse natural pity. Furthermore, readers may instinctively relate the themes of mutation, disease, deformity, sadism, and masochism commonplace to the guro genre with the subconscious impression that handicapped characters are somehow incomplete. In effect, handicapped characters are ideal protagonists for guro manga because their physical or mental disabilities naturally inspire the instinctive reactions that guro manga seeks to induce. The inclusion of handicapped characters in guro manga heightens the grotesque, pitiful, and offensive sensibility that guro manga wishes to create.

I sincerely hope that I’ve not caused any offense with this response. My intent was to answer this question as objectively as possible, without disparaging mentally or physically handicapped people in any way.