Anime has been a huge part of my life, responsible in many ways from my recovery from crippling mental illness and parental abuse. Even though I’m not quite the otaku that I used to be and wouldn’t be able to name any popular Vtuber (and am still not used to releases being in “seasons”…) I still love and cherish the artform.
I’ve brought various series to my therapist many times in our work together, and I’ve seen her struggle to understand the art and values of a culture quite alien to her. But the use of media as a healing modality is not new – in fact, it dates back many years.
Bibliotherapy is essentially using books to heal. People are encouraged to draw upon the experiences of fictional characters to better understand themselves and their problems. When is the last time that you read a book – or watched a movie, or anime – and you really felt a kinship with one of the characters? It went beyond a feeling of “oh, I understand” Perhaps it was more like “that’s me! that’s it! That’s what I am feeling!”
Those feelings and identifications can be fertile ground for healing and understanding. A related field is graphic medicine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_medicine) All of these tap into the healer’s maxim – you need to feel to heal.
I would respectfully submit that anime can be used in this vein as well. So, Exhibit A – Neon Genesis Evangelion.
NGE’s impact on the landscape of anime cannot be understated, and at this point in time – almost 3 decades after it’s initial air date – doesn’t really need explanation. The psychological depth of the work and how it deals with mental illness is a landmark in the development of the artform.
Early on in its lifespan in the West, many an anime magazine has asked why Shinji was such a wimp. Why are the characters so messed up? In the many years since it’s inception, there have been some that have tried to answer that question.
https://comicbook.com/anime/news/neon-genesis-evangelion-therapist-weighs-in-treatment-for-shinji-ikari-anime/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/science-and-philosophy/202003/neon-genesis-evangelion-and-the-meaning-of-life
For a more thorough and robust look, this article goes deeper.
Mental health is still unfortunately a taboo subject in some of the world, especially Asia, and works like NGE could help in broaching issues that are not often discussed. Hideaki Anno’s own struggle with depression that culminated in his creation of the series is quite well-known.
Perhaps what helped me the most in the series was seeing my own life writ large on the screen. I was a young Asian teenager with depression, a dysfunctional family as well as my own latent and unacknowledged bisexuality. Watching NGE was a watershed moment for me…wait. Cartoon characters can be depressed? Can have dysfunctional families? Can be bisexual?
This wasn’t Disney (Either then or now!) that was for sure. While Disney and Pixar are touching on some of these topics in their later work, I do believe that in this respect, anime did get there first.
While NGE is probably (and rightfully) the animated work most associated and known for its depiction of mental illness, there are other ones that generally fly a little under the radar – and so I hope to bring them to your attention.
Kodomo no Omocha (Child’s Toy) is a more understated look at another taboo subject – parental abuse and neglect. Hayama “acts out” (to use psychological language) in school because he’s neglected at home, and is part of an extremely unhelpful family dynamic (no spoilers!)
The main character’s later attempts to befriend him and get him out of his shell do eventually shed light on exactly why he might behave the way that he does – and remind us that abuse and neglect of any kind rarely exist in a vacuum. The abusers are in a sense also victims – these actions, while still inexcusable, are seen in a different light as the series progresses, and reconciliation is also shown to be possible.
What does a series about a rough-riding biker chick have to do with this touchy subject? While it’s not the main focus on the narrative by far, Michiko to Hatchin does actually have a very graphic and realistic portrayal of child abuse right in its first episode. It’s heavy going to watch, but the way Hana deals with her situation is a reminder of the grim reality of an abused child.
And sometimes it’s the series that you don’t think that will help that do. One scene from Read or Die the TV stands out for me – when Anita goes into shock from seeing something that triggers a traumatic memory. Michelle simply stands in front of her and tells her that she’s here right now – not in the past, and she’s safe. Sometimes the simplest of interventions are the best, and the older sister’s words serve to snap her out of the dark memory and into the present. Trauma is healed right here, in the now – informing the psyche and the nerves that the danger is past and life is ready to be lived once more.
In short, I’ve found that what works is seeing the characters you know struggle to understand and overcome many of the things we face in our lives. When we can see it outside of ourselves, we gain perspective. We can keep the work as far or as close as we desire – diving deep into it to experience troubling emotions in safety, or zooming out to understand it from a different angle. The characters and shows that we know and all will always be there for us – to inspire, educate and help us understand worlds both real and fictional.
What shows and series have spoken to you? How has anime touched your heart?