Ask John: Why is Evolution Such a Prevalent Theme in Anime?

Question:
I’ve come to realize how frequent an evolution theme is in anime. Often characters may be trying to evolve to the next level, or trying to stop monsters or villains from evolving to another stage. Characters with above average abilities are often said to be the next type of human. This occurs in many series, either as a positive, negative or neutral twist, either in the foreground or the background of the plot. What is the fascination with evolution and how is it viewed differently than in the US?

Answer:
The theme of growth, progression or evolution is one very deeply interconnected with the essence of anime and Asian culture itself. Evolution is also a very Japanese characteristic of anime that’s often overlooked or unrecognized by Western viewers. The themes of coming of age and loss of innocence, aging and growing are common to all literature because these are universal human situations. In anime we see these themes in various forms ranging from the struggle to figuratively break out of the shell of adolescence and into adulthood symbolized by Utena, to the literal evolution of Pokemon, to the transformations of Dragonball Z villains, to the machine bodies of Galaxy Express, to the “Newtypes” of Gundam. The prevalence of such situations in anime may possibly be accounted for by Asian and particularly Japanese spirituality.

Growth is a natural process of living things. Unlike the western world, which deforested land in favor of human progress, Asia and Japan has traditionally always maintained a respect for nature, as proven by the traditional Japanese garden and elevation of bonsai and flower arranging to the level of art. Japan and Asia also has a long history of acknowledging and respecting natural spirits and animal gods such as the cat and the transforming fox. Such respect for nature may be said to have engendered a respect for natural growth and evolution. Furthermore, Asian religion, particularly Buddhism, suggests that humans should continually strive to better themselves and become more pure and more communal with the cosmos and all living things. The Asian concept of karma suggests that living things are continually reborn after death, as higher or lower beings depending on their actions in a previous life. The goal of this evolution is to eventually reach a state of grace and cosmic enlightenment. Western religion simply emphasizes a single life and afterlife rather than a steady progressive circular cycle. This may explain why themes of evolution and growth are so much more prevalent in anime than in typical Western literature.

Also intertwined in this theme of evolution is the Asian precept of personal advancement witnessed in both education and the martial arts. While western culture seems to imply that one is superior by virtue of birth into the society, Asian culture places a great deal of emphasis on personal evolution and empowerment, most easily identified through examples such as training to become a peerless martial artist, or the Japanese educational system which urges students to master essentially everything. While the American dream is to willingly better oneself in order to achieve greater fame and fortune, the Asian ideal is to better oneself as a cultural and spiritual mandate. The Asian theory is that one should become more powerful for the sake of mental, physical and spiritual purity and fortitude more so than to achieve influence or wealth, thus while Western personal empowerment is an individual decision, Asian personal evolution is seen as a requirement. So, evolution is simply an intrinsic characteristic of Asian culture in a much more influential and substantial way than it is in Western culture. Evolution appears in anime, then, as a natural representation of this omnipresent Asian characteristic.