Ask John: Why are Unemotional Characters Popular?

Question:
I was wondering if you knew why unemotional anime characters, like Rei from Evangelion, Ruri from Nadesico, and to some degree, Heero Yui (when he’s not laughing maniacally) of Gundam Wing, are so popular?

Answer:
I don’t want to put my foot in my mouth and try to discuss a possible reflection of un-emotional, anti-social, introverted anime characters to real Japanese youngsters, but undoubtedly there must be some basis for characters like this in real Japanese teens and young people. The Asahi on-line newspaper recently published an article about reclusive Japanese people, in fact, supporting the idea that anti-social, introverted anime characters are not a fictional breed, but have some basis in real Japanese culture.

I think there are several reasons why un-emotional anime characters are popular. Especially in the case of Rei Ayanami, her silence and aloofness are mysterious and intriguing. Similar to Boba Fett from Star Wars, Rei seems so controlled that she seems to be constantly withholding her true strength and power. Her mystery allows the viewer to project any degree of strength or vulnerability onto her. The mystery of such a cipher makes Rei Ayanami at once beautiful and terrifying.

Furthermore, in the same way Star Trek’s Vulcans are so popular, characters that minimize their emotions have a greater capacity for objective, logical reasoning. Essentially, they seem smarter than the average person. This applies especially to Ruri Hoshino, who constantly refers to everyone around her as “baka,” idiots. As fantasy, it’s nice to role-play and imagine oneself as so smart and intellectually superior to everyone else that one can be aloof and unemotional.

Another explanation comes from the archetype of the “Byronic Hero,” the literary character type popularized by Lord Byron’s Manfred: the man who is greater than other men because of his greater responsibilities, deeper sorrows and depth of vision. Rei Ayanami and Hiro Yui both perfectly fit the bill of characters that seem to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. They feel more passionately than normal people, therefore take great pains to conceal themselves and shut themselves off from their fellow man. The degree of their personal suffering makes them almost god-like in fortitude. They are the subject of awe and wonder because they are such greater beings than we.

Finally comes the “Terminator-syndrome,” for lack of a better description. There’s an undeniable appeal to being totally removed from the stress and influence of the world. These unemotional anime characters, like Jim Cameron’s Terminator, seem machine-like, totally unfazed by the turmoil around them. They suffer no fear or anxiety or sadness, essentially none of the common frailties of the average person. How many people wouldn’t occasionally like to feel a similar sense of ultimate security and confidence?