The European Middle Ages through the prism of Contemporary Japanese Literature: a study of Vinland Saga, Spice & Wolf and l’Éclipse

Abstract

Between Texts and Images: Mutual Images of Japan and Europe Mutual Images is a peer reviewed journal established in 2016 by the scholarly and non-profit association Mutual Images, officially registered under French law (Loi 1901). This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. It is registered under the

Representations of Europe in Japanese anime: An overview of case studies and theoretical frameworks

“…MUTUAL IMAGES ‖ ISSUE 8 ‖ SPRING 2020 analysed thus far have been used to understand the variety of hybrid and eclectic non-Japanese settings and characters in different plot constructs and genres, most of which built through elements from the European/American cultural baggages and their historical periods. Having this framework in mind, there exist a range of studies focussed on the analysis of the Middle Ages' settings and their, fantasised, presumably "gothic" imaginary, typical of the fantasy and isekai genres (see for example Chappuis, 2008;Griffith, 2009;Iguchi, 2010;Danesin, 2016Danesin, , 2017, which also present representations of an either vague or more precise Christianity with its iconography, or other religions (see Drazen, 2003Drazen, , 2017Suter, 2009;Barkman, 2010;Mousavi, 2014); or on the subgenre of vampires, as a result of a re-interpretation of the horror genre (see Browning and Wayne, 2008;Denison, 2010: 155-63); and, at a lesser extent, works that analyse the adaptations of classical Greco-Roman myths or history and the ancient world in anime series (see Chappuis, 2008;Bryce, 2012: 377-94).…”

“…It is from these methodologies that, for example, representations of the Victorian Industrial London or nineteenth century Paris have been analysed in the steampunk genre, adopted as a potential aesthetic and thematic element, or the recreation of historical events and periods such as the Middle Ages in Vinland Saga (see for example Lamarre, 2009: 47-59;Iguchi, 2010;Danesin, 2016, among others). From Miyazaki's films like Laputa, Kurenai no buta, and Howl, Ōtomo Katsuhiro's works such as Steamboy (2004) or some scenes from Kawasaki Hirotsugu's Spriggan (1998), to tv anime series such as Fushigi umi no Nadia, nineteenth century Europe is taken as a scenario to develop stories that reflect the rise of technological modernity and militarism in order to transmit a critique regarding misuse of the human progress and the fatal consequences that these actions could cause (Lamarre, 2009: 47-59;Serracant, 2017: 54-7, 90-2, 104-7) Atsushi both refer to Vinland Saga, which exemplifies the use of both a deep historical reading (in terms of documentation and Norse literature) and trips to Iceland by the creator, in order to offer a fictional but also refined depiction of Nordic cultures, their accounts and costumes, which can exert an appeal among Japanese audiences (Iguchi, 2010: 65-70;Danesin, 2016Danesin, : 101-7, 2017).…”

“…In fact, this tendency to focus and delimit the study is what has happened with the academic articles and works that have addressed our question following these interests and methodologies. An example of this trend is found in the publications developed around the figure of Miyazaki Hayao and Studio Ghibli, such as the ones written by HelenMcCarthy (2002McCarthy ( [1999) or PauSerracant (2017), and more recently the case of the historical manga-anime series Vinland Saga (2005), where MaximeDanesin (2016Danesin ( , 2017 has analysed how Yukimura Makoto adapted different Norse narratives and European Middle Age history in order to offer a particular depiction of the Vikings' era.…”

“…As we will see in the following sections, there are also different Japanese anime and manga series and films-e.g. in Moero Arthur: Hakuba no ōji (1980), and more contemporary cases in the manga and anime series Vinland Saga, among others-that offer a more historically (or sometimes literarily) accurate depiction of some European Middle Age settings, usually recurring to literary sources or historical accounts (see Iguchi, 2010;Danesin, 2016). 4 For example, and as we have briefly introduced in the previous note, the isekai series and their settings would perhaps correspond to a devirtualisation of Germanic myths, folks, and other literary sources, which, combined with some cross-medial strategies, especially connected with the RPG video game industry (defined by franchises such as Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy, among others), could have established a genuinely appeal towards the adoption of these imageries among their Japanese creators.…”