How Anime Affect Us Psychologically

Running head: PERSONA OF ANIME
Persona of Anime: A Depth Psychological Approach to the Persona and Individuation
A dissertation submitted
by
Danielle Jackson
to
Pacifica Graduate Institute
in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the
degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in
Depth Psychology
with emphasis in
Jungian and Archetypal Studies
This dissertation has been

accepted for the faculty of
Pacifica Graduate Institute by:
Dr. Susan Rowland, Chair
Dr. Ana Mozol, Reader
Dr. Jenny Bavidge, External Reader

ProQuest Number: 10637564

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THE PERSONA OF ANIME ii
May 12, 2017
Copyright by
Danielle Jackson
2017
THE PERSONA OF ANIME iii
Abstract
Persona of Anime: A Depth Psychological Approach to the Persona and Individuation
by
Danielle Jackson
The persona is an essential part of personality development that allows individuals to
exhibit conventionally acceptable behaviors and to adapt them as necessary in social
situations. The Jungian concept of the persona is underrepresented in depth
psychological studies and so merits more development. This research aims to answer
how the persona affects character development and individuation journeys through the
narratives of Japanese anime. Also included was the exploration of the archetypal
presence of Dionysus. Using a hermeneutic analysis of four anime series, both the
protagonists and antagonists were explored at length. Additionally, pivotal fighting
scenes were considered to demonstrate persona development or dissolution. Through the
process of the research, I found that analysis of villains yielded more results in regard to
the persona. Findings indicate that Dionysian myth is often apparent within anime,
despite its cultural dissonance. A broader understanding of the persona could have an
influence on the field of media studies as a way of exploring narrative within and outside
a specific tradition. Findings also indicate that the depth psychology concept of the
persona may also be more complex than initially thought; specifically, it may be a
multilayered structure, rather than a singular one. Persona identification turns individual
characters into a vessel for unconscious contents. Further analysis of persona
identification can be a tool to help make inferences about the personal and collective
unconscious.
THE PERSONA OF ANIME iv
Keywords: persona, individuation, Dionysus, anime, inflation, persona
identification
THE PERSONA OF ANIME v
Acknowledgements
To the administrators of the McNair scholar program, I thank you for believing in
me and helping me get into grad school. I would also like to take the opportunity to
thank Pacifica Graduate Institute for offering such a fulfilling program. The
specialization of Jungian and Archetypal studies is what I dreamed my education would
be about. Words cannot even begin to articulate what having a program like this means
to me, so I simply say thank you. I also would like to offer my gratitude to my parents
for unconditional love and support. To the rest of my family and friends, your
unwavering love and support was integral to helping me get through this. Shannon, thank
you for being a sounding board for my ideas and offering wonderful advice. I would like
to thank Dr. Bertetta for introducing me to the world of Jung and Hillman and teaching
me that I had more to offer than I realized. I would like to thank my committee for
lending their time and expertise to help me through this work. A special thanks to Dr.
Rowland for having a great balance with encouragement, nurturing, and guidance. Thank
you for helping me find my voice. To my cohort, I can only thank you for being the
beautiful people you are. Ryan, my academic soulmate, I appreciate our talks as they
guided me through some difficult terrain. To my employer, SHOP LC, the ability to
attend school with your support has been a tremendous gift. A big thank you to my
supervisor Alex for personally going beyond her duties to make sure that I stayed on
track with this personal goal. To anyone else who has been a part of my journey, no
matter how big or small, your contribution was priceless and I thank you.
THE PERSONA OF ANIME vi
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................1
Introduction to Research Topic ................................................................................3
Researcher’s Relation to the Topic ..........................................................................6
Relevance of the Topic for Depth Psychology ......................................................11
Definition of Terms................................................................................................12
Statement of the Research Problem and Question .................................................20
Chapter 2. Review of Literature and Procedures ..............................................................22
Literature Relevant to the Topic ............................................................................22
Literature Relevant to the Researcher’s Theoretical Approach .............................36
Origins of Dionysus and the framework of the archetypal approach ....................36
Literature on anime. ...............................................................................................42
Literature on Jungian film studies..........................................................................47
Anima and Animus in Film....................................................................................54
The Need for Research on the Topic in Depth Psychology ...................................58
Methodology and Procedures ................................................................................59
Research approach .....................................................................................59
Research methodology ...............................................................................60
Research procedures ..................................................................................63
Ethical considerations ................................................................................64
Limitations .............................................................................................................65
Chapter 3. Revolutionary Girl Utena ................................................................................67
Origins: The Princess and the Prince .....................................................................68

THE PERSONA OF ANIME vii
The Battle Within: Conflicts With the Animus .....................................................72
Who is the Rose Bride?: Character Analysis of Anthy..........................................77
Who is the Rose Prince?: Character Analysis of Akio ..........................................84
Reclaiming the Soul: Final Meeting with the Animus...........................................91
Chapter 4. Full Metal Alchemist .......................................................................................98
Full Metal Alchemist Origins ................................................................................99
Secrets of the Gate: Evoking the Archetypes Through Ritual .............................107
Character Analysis of Father and the Homunculi ................................................111
Origins of Father. .................................................................................................111
Origins of the Homunculi. .......................................................................114
Character analysis: Sloth..........................................................................115
Character analysis: Lust ...........................................................................117
Character analysis: Envy..........................................................................119
Character analysis: Gluttony ....................................................................122
Character analysis: Wrath ........................................................................123
Character analysis: Pride..........................................................................126
Character analysis: Greed .......................................................................126
Father and Dionysus ................................................................................127
Chapter 5. Sailor Moon ...................................................................................................132
Sailor Moon in Western Culture ..........................................................................132
Character Analysis: Who is Serena–Serenity? ....................................................135
Character Analysis: Sailor Galaxia Origins and the Final Battle ........................148
Who is Chaos? .........................................................................................159

THE PERSONA OF ANIME viii
The last battle ...........................................................................................163
Chapter 6. Dragon Ball Z ................................................................................................168
Character Analysis of Goku .................................................................................170
Lack of persona ........................................................................................174
Goku’s similarity to Dionysus .................................................................178
Character Analysis of Vegeta ..............................................................................179
Vegeta’s death: The beginning of transformation ...................................184
Rebirth and death: Regressive restoration of the persona ........................190
Character Analysis of Frieza ................................................................................193
The Legendary Transformation: Observations of the Super Saiyan ....................197
Final Thoughts .....................................................................................................199
Chapter 7. Presentation of Findings and Conclusions ....................................................202
Power and Persona ...............................................................................................203
Persona and Control .............................................................................................205
Persona as a Defense Mechanism ........................................................................207
The Layers of the Persona....................................................................................208
Dionysus and the Persona ....................................................................................210
Conclusions ..........................................................................................................212
References ........................................................................................................................216
The style used throughout this dissertation is in accordance with the Publication Manual
of the American Psychological Association (6th edition, 2009), and Pacifica Graduate
Institute’s Dissertation Handbook (2016–2017).
THE PERSONA OF ANIME 1
Chapter 1
Introduction
Japanese anime has risen in popularity in recent years in Western culture,
particularly the United States. The increase in popularity indicates to me that the
Western psyche has been touched by this phenomenon. I find it interesting that a
Japanese art form has piqued the Western imagination. Anime is not your average
American children’s cartoon show. Most anime is oriented toward adult audiences. In
addition, it is not uncommon for an anime to be oriented toward both young and older
audiences. Anime is a genre where multiple issues are addressed, such as growing pains,
adolescence, finding and losing love, and identity, just to name a few. On the darker end
of the spectrum, anime addresses issues of violence, deviant sexual behavior, and many
other shadow aspects of the human experience. The variety of genres is one reason I feel
that anime has had the ability to reach across cultural barriers and catch the Western
imagination. According to principles of depth psychology, the psyche speaks in images
and symbols. Anime itself is an image, and this sheds light as to why so many are drawn
to this art form. This work takes a closer look at some of today’s popular animes to
analyze their central themes.
Although the storylines may differ, the underlying thematic story is largely the
same. In some shape or form, each character seeks completion; however, most anime do
not have fairytale endings. An example that popular Western culture has become
accustomed to is the popular hero myth in which the hero and/or heroine saves the day,
gets the girl and/or boy and they all live happily ever after with the villain having been
defeated and the damsel in distress having been rescued. The endings of these stories
built on the foundation of the heroic archetype are always happy with everything fitting
neatly in place. Culture influences what type of ending is desirable. Overall, the goal of
the perfect ending is persona-driven since the emphasis is on outside appearances. The
persona is the aspect of personality that is presented to the outside world that embodies
characteristics deemed acceptable by society (Johnson, 1991, p. 3). I do not blame
filmmakers and directors for taking this route. The persona is what is rewarded within
our culture. In contrast most animes do not have “happy” endings in comparison to their
American counterparts.
I would like to further clarify what I mean when referring to the typical
Hollywood or fairytale ending. I am not referring to Campbell’s (2004) hero’s journey
which does, in contrast to Hollywood endings, have historic and archetypal roots
associated with it. I am referring to more stereotypical storylines with no deeper meaning
than simply existing to appease the ego. Protagonists in Japanese anime usually come
from difficult circumstances. There also tends to be frequent death of parents, friends,
mentors, and lovers; or there may be a large amount of general loss of relationships and
breakups. Rather than happy endings, the viewer is confronted with the death and rebirth
motif consistently—not castles and sunsets or some romantic notion of eternal love.
Relationships are lost, people die, and circumstances often do not turn out as expected.
The current intrigue with anime in the West indicates that there is something deeper
going on within the Western psyche. I would go as far as to say there is a cultural shift in
favor of the real over the imaginary or ideal occurring as anime endings are opposite of
Western fairytale endings. Lam (2007) explained very well the core lessons of anime:
They teach that sacrifice for others is more important than individual happiness,
that to grow in strength and wisdom one must find something more precious to
protect and love than one’s self, that there is an inherent beauty in sadness and
spiritual growth to be had in suffering, and that honor and loyalty and duty
sometimes far outweigh romantic love. (para. 23)
Suffering is a common theme in anime, whether it be for love, beliefs, or for family. One
could argue Nam’s statement indicates that anime exists to teach us to manage the
suffering that comes with everyday living.
Frankl (2006) suggested, “If there is meaning in life at all, then there must be
meaning in suffering” (p. 67). The movement of our culture indicates that fairytales are
no longer comforting because they are lacking meaning. Perhaps the intrigue with anime
may have to do with a search for meaning. The struggle with identity (persona) is a
persistent theme in anime that caught my attention. Often the role the character identifies
with sets the backdrop for why they are embarking on their adventure in the first place. I
explore why this happens in my research; however, I plan to turn inward to the
unconscious to find some answers using popular anime characters as my guide.
Introduction to Research Topic
The Oxford English Dictionary (2014) defined anime as,
A genre of Japanese or Japanese-style animated film or television entertainment,
characterized by a distinctive visual style involving stylized action sequences and
usually featuring characters with distinctive large, staring eyes, and typically
having a science-fiction or fantasy theme, sometimes including violent or sexually
explicit material; a film or television programme of this genre.

The term anime distinguishes it from American animation. Anime has its origins in
Japanese art and historical folk tales. In the early 1900s, the moving animation we are
more familiar with emerged (Miyao, 2002, p. 194). In Frames of Anime, Hu (2010)
mentioned the industrialization of Japan as a catalyst for the development of anime.
More specifically, Hu referred to the post World War II (WWII) economic growth Japan
experienced. Some of the changes included educational and agricultural reform, and
there were more investments in factories and manufacturing. In short, Japan was playing
“catch-up” with the rest of the world after the loss of life and wealth in WWII. For many
people, industrialization meant changing the very foundation of their lives. Changes that
were occurring could not be articulated with their current writing system. Creativity and
art became an outlet to work through cultural wounding (Hu, 2010). For example, the
real life trauma of Hiroshima and Nagasaki would later influence Astroboy, which can be
considered the first contemporary anime.
In my search for materials, I found many sources of information about anime as a
genre. Other sources of information included discussion of anime in relation to Japanese
culture. I struggled to find research that approached anime from a Jungian or archetypal
perspective. Internet searches would bring me to dozens of informal fan sites with fans
(both American and Japanese) who are familiar with Jung’s work. One thing I did learn
from this searching is that the interest in Jung’s work and how it applies to anime is
present. Due to the lack of depth psychological research on anime, I feel this is rich
ground for further inquiry. Anime is saturated with archetypal imagery, which makes it
ideal to study through a depth psychological lens. Another benefit of researching anime
is that the archetypal symbols come from another culture. Being that I am not Japanese
and not familiar with their symbolism, any imagery I am confronted with maintains an
element of mystery to it. For Jung (1921/1971, p. 474), symbols maintain meaning just
as long as there is an unknown element to them. The focus of this research was on the
images and symbols themselves, rather than preconceived notions I may have or
conventional notions that may be present in existing literature in order to stay as close
and true to the images as possible. In addition, utilizing the depth psychological
approach allowed for the images to be treated as symbols of the Other, which coincides
well with Jung’s perspective on image.
Anime has continued to grow in popularity in Western culture. Evidence of the
growth can be seen in conventions that occur all across the nation. I have worked for
Ikkicon, an anime convention based in Austin, Texas for a few years. The growing
popularity of this genre is not a fleeting curiosity of Westerners. Although Jungian film
studies has also grown as an area of study, anime as a medium is largely
underrepresented in this field. Examining anime films and television shows with a
Jungian lens provides insight to the archetypes that are manifesting within the work.
Another basis for this research was that Jung’s concept of the persona is also
largely underrepresented in depth psychology research. On a personal level, the concept
of the persona is something I have been interested in for several years. One thing I
noticed in some of my favorite anime shows is that the many of the protagonists are
persona-driven rather than ego-driven. As I watched more shows, the same dynamic was
present regardless of genre. The persona is curious part of the psyche that is one of the
few concepts that is observable even by those outside of the depth psychological
community. Furthering research on the persona can potentially reach deeper into the
mainstream community because of the familiarity of the concept. Furthermore, the
persona is a concept whose meaning can be easily translated into mainstream terms. A
broader understanding of the persona could have influence on the field of media studies
and more specifically other anime scholars.
Researcher’s Relation to the Topic
As an only child, I had to find ways to entertain myself. Isolation mixed with an
extroverted disposition led to a pretty active imagination to combat intense loneliness. I
was also fortunate to have a large extended family, which helped ease the pain of
isolation. Artistic talent I inherited from my mother helped give me comfort. As I grew
older, I found it harder to make time to draw. I began watching anime to help me wind
down my day after school. Sailor Moon, which is a popular magical girl anime, was a
daily aspect of my routine.
The magical girl genre typically involves an adolescent female who is endowed
with supernatural powers over which she has little to no control. Personal growth and
maturing allows her to gain control in both her civilian and magical life. New
responsibility comes with her newfound strength, and she is tasked with saving someone
or something from a powerful foe. Magical girl anime is most often a coming-of-age
story. The majority of the cast also tends to be of adolescent age. This situation provides
an advantage as viewers get to see coming of age from a variety of viewpoints. Usually
the protagonist is struggling between having a personal life and her newfound magic
powers or heroic role. No coming-of-age story would be complete without a dash of
adolescent struggle in each episode. The turmoil experienced by characters is very
similar to Jung’s (1921/1971) concept of individuation which he describes as he

suggested, “a process of psychological differentiation, having for its goal the
development of the individual personality” (p. 448). I found myself drawn to anime as I
was struggling with academic responsibilities while still maintaining a personal life.
Anime is typically a modern reenactment of the myths of antiquity. For example,
Sailor Moon has its roots in both Eastern folktales and Greek Myth. The main
protagonist’s Japanese name, Usagi Tsukino, means “Rabbit of the moon,” which refers
to a Eastern folktale of the Moon Rabbit (Gelfand, 2012). Her origins also indicate she is
a descendant of the Greek moon goddess Selene (Encyclopedia Mythica, 2002).
Although I was not familiar with myth at the time, I felt that the show touched on
something deeper than just coming of age. Thresholds are consistent throughout our lives
and I think the images of anime give exposure to some of the more significant events;
graduating high school, going to college, getting married, and starting a career are just a
few examples. Sailor Moon provided an escape from everyday responsibilities. I was
able to project my own struggles onto another 14-year-old girl. I watched her go through
life transitions remaining stationary from the safety of my room.
As I transitioned from adolescence to adulthood, I still found new ways to relate
to the main character and her struggle. Gradually, my interest in the outside world faded
and I resonated more with the images on my screen than with the people and images
around me. Although I am an extrovert by nature, I found social interactions difficult due
to personal insecurities with my appearance. Also as much as I enjoyed talking I often
had problems articulating myself clearly. Saying something “stupid” is a common
insecurity of extroverts, for this reason it was much easier not to say anything. There was
considerable effort to ensure I looked “normal” or “okay” in order to avoid difficult

conversations. It was much easier to let my persona of the carefree confident woman I
wished I was do the talking. Instead of my creativity (i.e., artwork and makeup) being a
freeing experience like it used to be, it became the glue to my persona. Maintaining this
persona took a considerable amount of time in my daily routine. I would wake up very
early and spend sometimes hours perfecting my makeup. If I felt that it was not right, I
would do it again until I felt it was. This ritual repeated daily because I could not stand to
look at myself “bare.” The idea of vulnerability was something that made me fearful and
my makeup felt like my armor.
As an undergraduate student, the opportunity to volunteer at an anime convention
presented itself 3 years in a row. It was there that I first witnessed a large group of
people with the same interests. For the first time, I did not feel like the odd one out. For
example, people appeared more comfortable in costumes than they were in regular dress.
Self-identified introverts were singing, dancing, and prowling around in handmade
costumes! I found myself wondering what this all meant. I began to wonder if the
persona is an aspect of the personality that has the potential for authenticity amidst the
superficiality. This experience also led me to wonder if the persona has a healing
function within psychological development. The act of shedding off one’s everyday
persona gave way to something that I had never seen before. In retrospect, I
acknowledge it is completely possible what I witnessed was an adaptation of their
persona.
I would, however, argue that I felt a sense of authenticity when I was around these
people beyond the superficiality of an everyday persona. The quiet girl in class was
suddenly beaming with confidence and talking nonstop. The “nerdy” guy had women
flocking to him. It was not until I became a student at Pacifica that I realized there was
something profound about these shows that I was witnessing. Conflicts around identity
and persona are very common in anime. This particular trend seemed to present itself
regardless of the genre that I was watching.
Before I came to Pacifica, I was introduced to Jung’s work while at community
college. Initially, I did not care for him or the idea of this unknown nebulous thing called
the unconscious. At that time, I made up my mind I wanted to be on the other end of the
spectrum and far away from the unconscious. My first psychology class at St. Edwards
University turned out to be a depth psychology class in disguise that was taught by a
Pacifica alumni. After that first depth psychology class I wanted to learn more about the
persona. Throughout my research I struggled to find substantial material on this concept.
My difficulties lead me to wonder, “Did Jung have some complex?!” Hundreds of depth
psychological works are devoted to the Self, Shadow, and individuation, just to name a
few. One could argue the persona is the aspect of the psyche that seems to be viewed as
inferior (Hopcke, 1995, p. 88). Jung’s own introversion probably contributed to this
view.
The persona is the aspect of our personality that is presented to the outside world
and Jung’s interests were in the inner world. It is understandable why Jung did not place
much emphasis on the concept of the persona. The persona is the polished spokesperson
of a personality. Johnson (1991) described the persona as one’s “psychological clothing”
(p. 3). In such a large body of work, Jung’s comments amounted to a few pages with
sparse remarks sprinkled throughout his texts. This was astounding to me, considering
the depth and vast amount of work Jung produced in his lifetime. Perhaps I was missing
something; after all, I was only an undergrad at the time.
I have been reflecting on this topic for the past few years. Throughout my
coursework at Pacifica, my interests have changed several times. However, the concept
of the persona has stuck with me and has remained a theme in the majority of my
writings. My persona has been carefully constructed to depict a certain image due to
psychological wounding I have experienced in past romantic relationships. Additionally,
wounding experienced as a child has influenced my need for an impeccable persona. In
the midst of personal turmoil, the persona became the glue to my psyche. How ironic
that a “fake” aspect of my psyche is what held everything together. If this is the case,
then how fake can it be? After all, the pain of psychological turmoil is all too real. Much
like the characters in the animes that I hold so dear, I still struggle with maintaining my
persona while staying true to my Self. The Self can be described as the true center of the
psyche as a whole (Jung, 1951/1968, p. 41). My own struggles made me acutely aware
of the problem the persona can present. Within anime, I saw the characters going
through the same struggle with persona and identity. As I continued watching, I began to
realize that perhaps anime was an avenue for me to better understand the struggle with
the persona. More specifically, I wanted to see if anime could help me understand the
positive and negative effects of identifying with the persona as one’s identity. Most of
what I had read about the persona had a negative connation as well, so I was wondering if
there are positive aspects of the persona that have yet to be explored.
Relevance of the Topic for Depth Psychology
The persona is a unique aspect of personality as it can be observed in the outside
world and in social interactions. We can only infer things about the unconscious from
our conscious viewpoint. In addition to this, most people are familiar with what a
persona is, even if they are not familiar with depth psychology. Most have a persona
they use in social interactions, usually they have several for different situations. One
valuable life skill is being aware which persona is appropriate for the situation at hand
(Hauke & Hockley, 2011, p. 132). The familiarity of this concept is relevant to many
people. To go inward, we can start from the persona on the outside. In this way, anime
protagonists’ personas give voice to the depths. Primordial images rise from the
cauldron and pull us inward through the mask. According to Hillman (1992), in ancient
times creativity was “perceived through the persona” (p. 46). Therefore, the persona or
mask had a very important function for the individual. One way of conceptualizing the
persona is as a mask that protects one’s true face (ego). Anime characters usually take
on or develop a new persona in anticipation of whatever task with which they are
confronted. Sometimes they may take on a new persona to reinvent themselves, or a new
persona may be taken on to protect a psychological wound from an earlier traumatic
event. In some cases, the adopted persona is beneficial; in other situations, it is
responsible for a character’s downfall.
I feel through the study of the persona we can learn more about the psyche
because it gives us an image to learn from. The images in this instance will be the
protagonists from the animes. In turn, this may give new insights regarding the
archetypes since they cannot manifest directly into conscious view. With the help of an
image as a vessel, the archetypes can manifest into our awareness. I feel that it is very
important to explore any archetypal figures behind the concept of the persona because
we can learn about them through the mask.
Film studies has grown as an academic discipline. Jungian writing on
interpreting cinematic images has also grown as in recent years (Hauke & Hockley,
2011, p. 11). Jungian film studies goes beyond simply trying to interpret the images on
the screen. According to Hockley (2001), Jung’s approach to image can be understood
in three different types of images. First, there is the image presented to the viewer; the
second image comes from the viewer’s interpretation; and lastly, there is the image that
comes from the viewer’s unconscious, which Hockley called the third image (p. 132).
What I am really interested in is the third image Hockley described. Jungian film studies
are becoming rich with research, but very little work has been done with anime.
Japanese anime has become a very lucrative industry in Western culture and further
examination could prove to be helpful in understanding the unconscious shift within
Western society.
Definition of Terms
There are some terms that need to be defined before moving forward. I would
like to begin with one of the most recognizable aspect of personality, the ego. The ego is
the conscious part of one’s personality. “Anyone who has any ego-consciousness at all
takes it for granted that he knows himself. But the ego knows only its own contents, not
the unconscious and its contents” (Jung, 1957/1970, p. 249). Although the ego likes to
act as the center of consciousness, the true center of consciousness is the Self, which will
be defined shortly. A healthy ego can relate with other aspects of the psyche without
identifying with them. The ego is involved in a person’s everyday life and every
conscious action. The ego is stubborn and self-righteous and is not an easy thing to
change; it is its own problem. Differentiating the ego from other aspects of the psyche is
part of the individuation process which will also be defined.
The Self can be defined as the center of the psyche. Jung (1951/1968) indicated,
“the self is not only the centre, but also the whole circumference which embraces both
conscious and unconscious; it is the centre of this totality” (p. 41). Although the ego
would like to think it is the center of consciousness, the Self is the true center. The
process of individuation involves de-centering the ego so the Self can take its rightful
place within the psyche. Although the ego would like to consider itself to be the center of
consciousness, from Jung’s perspective it is actually subordinate to the Self. According
to Edinger (1973), “the Self as the center and totality of the psyche which is able to
reconcile all opposites can be considered as the organ of acceptance” (p. 40). The ego
actually gets its strength from the Self. Even so, the ego is a necessary aspect of the
psyche that even has the ability to change and influence the Self. However, “the self, in
its efforts at self-realization reaches out beyond the ego-personality on all sides” (Jung,
1955-1956/1976, p. 545).
What the persona looks like depends on whether or not it is in a healthy state.
Ideally, the persona exhibits socially acceptable behaviors while letting bits of the true
self shine through. In less than optimal situations the persona can be a caricature of
perfection. Jung indicated the persona is not the true Self. Rather, the persona is who we
and others think that we are (Jung, 1928/1969, p. 123). What we can gather from these
statements is that the persona is the mask we put on in societal situations to both protect
our ego and act in ways acceptable by our culture.
Persona identification occurs when an individual’s ego begins relating exclusively
with their persona and not to the Self, which is the true center of the psyche (Hopcke,
1995, p. 30). As a result, an individual’s orientation moves from the inner unconscious
world to the outer world, leaving the psyche out of balance. After this occurs, a person
begins to believe that their persona is their identity (ego) and this can further affect
personality development. Aside from a loss of identity, a feeling of emptiness is likely to
be experienced as well. The sense of identity becomes linked with social roles in their
lives.
From the perspective of archetypal psychology, a new development of depth
psychology pioneered by Hillman, persona identification differs from Jung’s
interpretation. For Hillman (1992), when a loss of identity occurs due to persona
identification, what we are bearing witness to is an individual becoming a vessel for an
archetypal figure. As stated previously, archetypes need a vessel to come into conscious
view. Hillman stated, “persona here no longer means outward show, a staged
performance that hides a true self; it now is the true self in its archetypal enactment” (p.
46). The mask of the persona provides the means to be in relation with the Gods, as it
provides power. The act of taking up the mask of the persona and not removing it
effectively removes a person’s identity (ego). Persona identification is a sacrifice of ego
and “the person in suicide and personal tragedy for the sake of the personality image
which the public requires someone to carry for it” (Hillman, 1992, p. 46). In short, these
individuals become more like a vessel as they are providing an image for the archetypal
figures to manifest themselves. The sacrifice of the ego makes for an unstable person
with no sense of self outside of the persona they have adapted for the sake of others.
Such a sacrifice tends to go unnoticed by the individual until an event happens that makes
removal of the persona necessary. When they attempt to remove the persona, they are
often plagued with a variety of psychic issues. Understandably so, this would make a
person resistant to wanting to make changes.
Jung defined individuation as “a process of psychological differentiation, having
for its goal the development of the individual personality” (Sharp & Jung, 1991, p. 38).
The individuation process removes the ego from the center of consciousness in order for
the Self to be realized. This process allows for the ego to resonate with the Self,
facilitating a healthier and more balanced relationship within the psyche. Individuation
can occur on both an individual and collective level. This definition leads to the next
term to be reviewed, which is the collective unconscious. In The Collected Works
(volume 8), Jung (1931/1969) described the collective unconscious as something that
“contains the whole spiritual heritage of mankind’s evolution, born anew in the brain
structure of every individual” (p. 158). The collective unconscious is a repository of all
of the unconscious psychic material of man through generations. Ideas that are imprinted
in our cultures come from the collective unconscious.
Archetypes are housed within the collective unconscious and they have influence
on both individual and collective levels. They can be defined as the primordial psychic
structures that govern instinctual drives and behaviors (Jung, 1943/1966, p. 65). “The
archetypes are the unconscious images of the instincts themselves, in other words, that
they are patterns of instinctual behavior” (Jung, 1954/1968 p. 44). Archetypes

themselves are unseen until they take the form of an image to come into conscious view.
An archetypal image is the form that an archetype may take within our dreams, fantasies,
and myths. These images are symbols that represent contents within the collective
unconscious that are influence by the ego’s historical experience. Archetypal images are,
therefore, both collective and historical in nature and their influence does permeate down
to the individual. At both levels, these images are embodied with the energy of the
original archetype.
Johnson (1991) defined the shadow very clearly: “It is the despised quarter of our
being” (pp. 4–5). This aspect of one’s personality is unconscious and contains
characteristics of which one does not feel comfortable taking ownership. Anything that
deviates from societal norms will be attributed to the shadow. The exact contents of the
shadow depend on the individual. Therefore, it is possible for a culture to have a
collective shadow as well. The shadow is a dark aspect of personality, but it is not
necessarily evil. Rather it is the unconscious, unpolished, and repressed contents of the
psyche.
Repression of personality traits fosters development of both the persona and the
shadow. The reason for this is because the shadow itself is composed of those
characteristics of which an individual does not want to take ownership. Jung is clear that
the shadow is simply dark and not inherently evil. Although unwanted and discarded, the
shadow follows us much like our real shadows. The shadow is informed by culture as is
the persona. Therefore, the shadow will vary from culture to culture, just as it does from
person to person. Becoming conscious of the shadow “involves recognizing the dark[er]
aspects of the personality” (Jung, 1951/1968, p. 8). In childhood, a person begins sorting
out characteristics that are acceptable from the unacceptable characteristics that have to
be hidden away (Johnson, 1991, p. 6). As unappealing as this sorting out characteristics
may sound, the process itself is necessary for ego formation.
An aspect of the psyche that is closely associated with the shadow are complexes.
According to Jung (1928/1969) a complex “is a constellation of psychic contents
dynamically conditioned by the energetic value” (p. 12). The psychic contents are
usually emotionally charged and center on an archetype. Jung indicated that complexes
can manifest themselves and disturb conscious thought and even influence a person’s
actions unconsciously; like the shadow, they have a high degree of autonomy. Jung
(1928/1969) went as far to say that “complexes are . . . the living units of the
unconscious psyche” and through their appearances in conscious view, we have
learned of the existence of the unconscious (p. 101). Another way to describe a
complex is an idea that may be considered a “hot button” issue for someone that may
provoke a strong emotional reaction. For example, if someone has an imposter
complex, he or she is unable to internalize and take ownership of personal success.
Rather than attributing success to skill or talent, one may feel that he or she was
simply lucky and feel he or she is a fraud (Jung, 1928/1969). Complexes can go
beyond the individual level and can actually affect a whole culture. As with personal
complexes, traumatic events can be an influence if a culture has a psychically
charged response to a situation. For the Japanese, the bombing of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki inevitably had an effect as the trauma affected the entire culture (Singer &
Kimbles, 2004). This is just one example of a traumatic situation that may have
contributed to the development of cultural complexes for the Japanese.

If we consider anime as a medium of art, then Jung’s views on different types of
art are important to emphasize as well. For Jung, there were two types of art,
psychological art and visionary art. According to Jung, psychological art was introverted
in nature while visionary art was considered extraverted (Berk, 2012, p. 88). Introversion
and extraversion are terms that generally describe a person’s personality disposition. An
introverted individual reaches inward to get his or her energy; on the other hand,
extraverted individuals get their energy from social interactions. When Jung was
referring to this type of art, he was usually referencing literary work. Examples that Jung
gave are Goethe’s Faust 1 as an example of psychological (introverted ) art, while he
considered Faust II to be visionary (extraverted) art (Berk, 2012, p. 88).
According to Jung, signs are psychic images that typically have meaning given by
culture. A sign has a very clear meaning and there is no mystery to it. An image or
expression that stands for a known concept remains a sign and is never a symbol
(Jung, 1921/1971, p. 473). Symbols have an element that is still unknown and it
embodies archetypal energy. “The symbol is alive only so long as it is pregnant with
meaning. But once its meaning has been born out of it . . . then the symbol is dead” (p.
474). Once the meaning that has been attributed to the symbol has become fixed, this is
the point where it becomes a sign.
For Hillman the image and return to imaginative thinking is his focus in
archetypal psychology: “Symbols may be an element of an image, but there can be
images without any symbol at all” (1977, p. 66). Symbols are aspects within the image
or part of the dream. They often occur in multiples and can take different guises. For
example, a staff and a sword are two different things, but one interpretation would label
these objects as phallic in nature. According to Hillman, symbols transition into images
once meaning is attributed to them (p. 62). In this aspect, Hillman and Jung have similar
views. For Hillman, treating the entire dream as an image returns an element of mystery
to it to add meaning (p. 68). In addition, Hillman indicated that if we assume that
everything present within the image is necessary, then all we need to know is already
within the image (p. 68). If all we have is the image and we allow the image to speak to
us, it can allow preconceived notions not to distract from what the image has to offer.
“We want to go to the image without the defense of symbols” (Hillman, 1977, p. 68).
Another concept of Hillman’s that I would like to elaborate on is the polytheistic
psyche. Compared to Hillman, Jung’s perspective could be considered monotheistic
because of the concept of individuation in which the overall goal is to reach wholeness.
Jung still indicated there are several archetypes that influence the psyche. From
Hillman’s perspective, assimilating unconscious contents is not the goal. The archetypes
do not belong to us. That would effectively remove meaning from the different aspects
of the psyche by assimilating everything. The goal would be to come to know and respect
the relationships within our psyche as they are. The polytheistic perspective does “accept
the multiplicity of voices . . . without insisting upon unifying them into one figure”
(Hillman, 1997, p. 2432 Kindle Location). The polytheistic perspective is used to find
value in the diversity of the psyche. Rather than individuation, Hillman (1997) spoke of
soul-making, which is the practice of not only deepening the connection with oneself, but
with others, archetypes, and the world around the individual. Only understanding the
human aspect of soul diminishes the value of soul-making for Hillman. “Soul-making is
also distinct from improving personality” (Hillman, 1975, p. 189). Soul-making is not
focused on personal improvement of oneself only. Conversely, individuation is a process
that is oriented toward improvement of one’s individual personality. It is important to
note these differences because this work does specifically review the individuation
process more extensively versus soul-making.
Statement of the Research Problem and Question
The persona is an interesting problem in the depth psychological community as
limited research is available on the concept at this time. Arguably, this concept is
observable and most of the general public are familiar with what is meant by the concept
even if they lack knowledge of depth psychology. Considering that the persona has the
ability to both facilitate and stifle personality development, I felt this so-called
“superficial” personality trait was worth examining further. Some may wonder what
causes someone to sacrifice their sense of identity (ego) for something that is socially
constructed (persona) and possibly not real. Viewing climactic battles within anime
brought two things to my attention. The protagonist typically does not defeat his or her
foe with weaponry or armor as it is. Instead, victory usually happens when the main
character becomes vulnerable and his or her weaponry is shed, or they become victorious
by shedding their current persona and accepting a newer, more powerful one. In either
scenario, one thing remains the same: they win only when the current persona is shed. I
have learned that psychological armor does not stand a chance against the unconscious,
and I notice the same theme in anime (Johnson, 1991). Therefore, my research question
is the following: Through exploration of Japanese anime, in what ways is the depth
psychological theory of the persona beneficial and/or detrimental to the main character’s
individuation journey? Furthermore, what specific archetypal presence or presences is
represented by the persona in anime?

Chapter 2
Review of Literature and Procedures
In the spirit of the hermeneutic approach, this research includes scrutinizing texts.
The texts in the literature review are explored more in depth in the main body of the
work. However, Jung and Hillman both have key works that serve as a foundation for the
research itself. This review is split into four categories. The first category covers some
works regarding personality development and the structure of the psyche from a Jungian
perspective. Literature Relevant to the Topic covers the development of the persona. The
category of Literature Relevant to the Researcher’s Theoretical Approach addresses the
archetypal figure Dionysus behind the persona. In addition, Hillman’s archetypal
perspective is explored. The third category covers existing research on anime with some
historical background. The final category is an exploration of literature related to film
studies. The four animes that are examined within the dissertation are: Dragon Ball Z,
Revolutionary Girl Utena, Sailor Moon, and Full Metal Alchemist. The animes
mentioned came out in 1996, 1995, 1997, and 2010 respectively.
Literature Relevant to the Topic
Although the extent of the psyche is unknown, one way to conceptualize it would
be as a complex structure with many layers; the two main parts being consciousness and
the unconscious. Stevens (2001), one of Britain’s Jungian analysts, envisioned the
psyche as a sphere (p. 48). Like a star, the core is hidden underneath nebulous,
unconscious contents. Underneath all that psychic matter, we find the core that houses
the Self, which is the true center of one’s personal psyche. Archetypal figures are also
present near the core. Complexes and the shadow compose the next layer after the
archetypes. From the Jungian viewpoint, there is also the anima–animus which would
compose the next layer (Stevens, 2001, p. 48). The animus is the inner masculine aspect
of a woman’s psyche. The anima is the inner feminine aspect of a man’s psyche. The
anima–animus functions as both a complex and an archetype (Sharp & Jung, 1991).
Archetypes are the archaic psychic structures that influence our behaviors and our
instinctual drives (Stevens, 2001, p. 48). They are the most ancient and enduring aspects
of the psyche. Complexes, on the other hand, are “personifications of the archetypes,
they are the means through which archetypes manifest themselves in the personal
psyche” (Stevens, 2001, p. 48). The archetypes cannot make themselves known directly.
Therefore, complexes are avenues by which the archetypes get our attention. So far,
there is the Self, archetypes, shadow, complexes, and the anima–animus. Finally, the
thinnest layer of the sphere is consciousness, which includes the ego and last, but not
least, the persona.
Compared to other aspects of the psyche, the persona is relatively small. Keeping
this in mind, it could lead one to wonder how the persona is so troublesome at times.
Jung’s Collected Works does offer some important details regarding the persona.
Therefore, I open this literature review by examining what Jung really had to say
regarding this concept. The major references of the persona by Jung are reviewed in the
coming paragraphs. According to Hopcke (1995), this concept was coined by Jung
during his early work and after his split with Freud. Jung’s work demonstrates the
persona’s role in personality development. According to Jung (1931/1969), “the persona
is that which in reality one is not, but which oneself as well as others think one is” (p.
123). Not only is the persona who we think we are, but the persona also reflects who we
want to be and how we want others to perceive us. Neumann (1994), a Jungian analyst,
was in agreement with Jung’s perspective on the persona, and saw the development of the
persona as a universal necessity. This would mean that regardless of cultural
background, the persona has some significance across all cultures:
The persona, the mask, what one passes for and what one appears to be, in
contrast to one’s real individual nature, corresponds to one’s adaptation to the
requirements of age, of one’s personal environment, and of the community. The
persona is the cloak and the shell, the armor and the uniform, behind which and
within which the individual conceals himself from himself, often enough, as well
as from the world. (pp. 37–38)
The persona not only conceals, but it also protects.
In Psychological Types, Jung (1921/1971) outlined the persona’s relation to the
soul (p. 463). It should be noted that the terms psyche and soul were, at times, used
interchangeably by Jung. However, in his “Definitions,” he made a distinction between
the two, which lays down the foundation for him to define persona more clearly: “By
soul, on the other hand, I understand a clearly demarcated functional complex that can
best be described as a ‘personality’” (p. 463). According to Jung (1921/1971), the psyche
is both consciousness and unconsciousness combined. The soul on the other hand, is
related to specific structures within the psyche such as the anima and animus of an
individual (p. 463). Jung identified the anima–animus as the complement to the persona.
For clarity, when I am referencing masculine or feminine, I am not talking about
biological sex, but rather the archetypal energies within an individual’s psyche. It is
worth mentioning the archetypal masculine and feminine are foundational to the anima–
animus concept from a Jungian perspective. Although I am less concerned with
biological sex, it does have a factor in Jung’s perspective concerning which archetype is
attributed to an individual. The persona is a complex that originates from our need to
adapt to cultural standards, and although ego traits may be present within the persona,
there is still a distinct difference between the two (Jung, 1921/1971, p. 465). Personality
traits that are considered unacceptable end up repressed into the shadow and the more
complex a person’s shadow is, the more layers there are to their persona. Jung
(1928/1966) clearly discusses the function of the persona in his essay, “The Relations
Between the Ego and the Unconscious,” which can be found in volume 7 of the Collected
Works. In this essay, Jung described the persona as a survival skill: “The construction of
a collectively suitable persona means a formidable concession to the external world, a
genuine self-sacrifice which drives the ego straight into identification with the persona”
(p. 193). What can be gathered from this statement is that the persona has a dual nature
and building a strong persona involves sacrificing one’s sense of self for what society
deems acceptable.
Although the persona’s development is informed by culture, it is not entirely
collective in nature, rather the persona is a compromise between an individual’s ego and
societal expectations (Jung, 1928/1966, p. 192). Although his perspective seems to have
a negative connotation, Jung did not neglect the importance of the persona, his main
argument indicates the persona is a mediator between the ego and the outside world. The
mask of the persona offers protection and “provides the individual with a container, a
protective covering for his or her inner self” (Jung & Storr, 1983 p. 89). The previous
statement offers a way to look beyond the superficial aspect of the persona and shows its
usefulness. Positive and negative aspects of the persona could lead one to believe that
Jung had a strong sense of opposing views and I am inclined to agree. These oppositions
are key to Jung’s understanding of the way the psyche works.
As mentioned previously, each aspect of the psyche has its counterpart and the
persona is no exception. On one end, adopting a persona is a sacrifice of one’s
individuality. Alternatively, persona dissolution can be a catalyst for psychic growth and
would mean assimilation of unconscious contents, which facilitates the individuation
process (Jung, 1928/1966, p. 193). Additionally, over identification with the persona can
cause psychological problems. Western culture makes it easy to identify with our life
roles, we live in a culture in which someone is validated by what they do and not
necessarily who they are. As a consequence, an innate need for survival can be a driver
for persona identification as it is ultimately what we get rewarded for in society (Jung,
1931/1969, pp. 122–123). Positive reinforcement increases the likelihood of repeated
behavior, and being rewarded for the persona is one reason why some have an unhealthy
identification with it.
In The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, Jung (1954/1968) again
touched on the psyche manifesting into conscious view: “Whoever looks into the mirror
of the water will see first of all his own face . . . the face we never show to the world
because we cover it with persona, the mask of the actor” (p. 20). Mentioning the actor in
this statement is suggestive of the arts. Jung’s (1954/1968) statements are consistent with
the idea that the persona is a survival mechanism of personality. As mentioned
previously, comments on the persona are sprinkled throughout Jung’s work; however,
once his ideas formed after his split with Freud, his theories remained fairly consistent
(Hopcke, 1995), and in his later years when he is referencing the persona, it is usually
rather brief.
The following work may seem out of place, but the shadow is a complement to
the persona. One cannot analyze and dissect one concept without acknowledging the
other. Johnson (1991), a Jungian analyst, explored the concept of shadow in depth in his
work Owning Your Own Shadow. Johnson was able to make Jung more accessible for
the average reader. This work was focused on one aspect of the individuation process,
shadow integration. Johnson defined persona as “our psychological clothing [that]
mediates between our true selves and our environment” (p. 3). Healthy individuals have
the ability to differentiate between their true selves (ego) and the persona. Although the
shadow is not the main focus, one can infer things about the persona through the shadow
since they are complement of one another.
Repression is what fosters the development of both the persona and the shadow.
The shadow is composed of everything that one does not like about one’s self. Jung
named the ignored part of our personality the shadow for several reasons. First, “there is
something inevitably shady about it” since it is hidden from conscious view (Stevens,
2001, p. 64). The more repressed the shadow is, the more autonomy it has and with
continued repression, the darker it becomes. Continual repression can result in shadow
projections and judging others as the ego does not want to take ownership of those
characteristics. Repression stifles development as it does not allow traits to be
recognized as one’s own. The shadow is arguably misunderstood as the idea of darkness
is associated with evil. “But the shadow is merely somewhat inferior, primitive,
unadapted, and awkward; not wholly bad” (Jung & Storr, 1999, p. 90). What we dislike
about ourselves ends up influencing the development of our persona (Johnson, 1991, pp.
4–5). The shadow develops through repression; therefore, by examining the development
of the shadow, we also learn about the development of the persona. Shadow integration
would mean persona dissolution to a certain degree. Therefore, Johnson’s work will be
useful when examining the struggles of the anime characters concerning the role of the
persona.
Hudson (1978) examined the concept of the persona in relation to defense
mechanisms. At the time, not much research had been done specifically on Jung’s
concept of the persona. Hudson opted to cover some topics that he felt needed further
development. The areas of suggested study included developmental aspects, persona
identification, persona as resistance, and some clinical examples were given. Hudson’s
view coincides with Jung’s perspective that persona identification can have a negative
impact on the psyche. Hudson focused more on the types of neurosis that can manifest
with persona identification. The persona is adopted to help us interact with the outside
world. Another reason we adopt a persona is to help alleviate anxiety in social
interactions. Hudson also stated that persona identification “will lead to more anxiety
and more severe pathology” (p. 57).
The etymology of pathology means “the language of suffering,” and psychology
can be defined as “the study of the soul” (Dictionary.com, n.d.). Keeping these
definitions in consideration, another meaning for psychopathology is the study of the
language of the soul’s suffering. In some instances, the persona as a defense mechanism
is protection against one’s own pathology (Hudson, 1978). Problems with the persona
are common in Cluster B personality disorders such a narcissistic personality disorder or

histrionic personality disorder. The broad definition of these disorders implies that a
patient is exhibiting dramatic, erratic, and emotional behavior in very “exaggerated
presentation” (Barlow & Durand, 2008, p. 443). Presentation in this instance would
involve social interactions, which will involve the persona.
Hudson (1978) mentioned that schizophrenic individuals often engage in persona
identification as defense mechanism and further, that it is not uncommon for persona
identification to precede a psychological breakdown. Typically, once the mask of the
persona is removed, a psychological breakdown can occur. Persona dissolution can have
multiple effects and is not without its problems. The ego is vulnerable and unconscious
contents can easily make their way into conscious view mores easily. These occurrences
are examples of negative things to which Jung alluded. In the case of persona
identification, one could assume the ego is the culprit for inducing psychological issues.
However, the unconscious coming into conscious view in an uncontrolled way is the true
danger of persona identification. Hudson’s work is important because it highlights how
the persona can exacerbate problems in psychological disorders. The problems range
from social interactions with others to a complete breakdown of how one perceives his or
her reality. Although psychological neurosis is not my focus in this dissertation,
Hudson’s work demonstrates how this aspect of the personality can have real concrete
implications on a person’s psyche. In short, there is power in the mask of the persona to
both heal and hurt.
Winnicott (1965) was a pediatrician and psychoanalyst best known for his
contributions to object relations theory. He was still a depth psychologist in his own right,
and Winnicott developed his own approach rather than following Jungian or Freudian
ideas. For the sake of this review, his work is included in the Jungian section. Winnicott
introduced the terms true self and false self. From his perspective, the false self is
actually a defense mechanism, and the purpose of this defense mechanism is to protect
the “true self” (Winnicott, 1965, p. 142). By this definition, the false self is actually very
similar to the concept of the persona. The true self is similar to Jung’s concept of the
ego, which is our sense of “I” and the conscious aspect of our psyche (ego). The false
self is the product of poor ego development. Traumatic or abusive situations can be the
catalyst for false self formation. The false self is not necessarily how we perceive
ourselves, but rather what others perceive us to be (Winnicott, 1965, p. 142). The false
self is composed of socially acceptable behaviors; as a result, the false self allows a
person to interact with others according to societal expectations. Most people are still
aware of their true self and do not identify with the false self. Due to poor ego
development, the false self can become the identity of an individual. As a result, we are
left with rigid personalities of which the orientation is fixed on the outside world. The
result is a person who identifies who they are by what they do.
Whitmont (1969), who was a Jungian analyst, coined the term pseudoego to
describe issues that can happen due to lack of ego development. This term is important
because an underdeveloped ego can be the culprit to a variety of psychic disturbances.
One type of issue includes a superficial and empty personality. This result shares
similarities to Jung’s concept of persona identification. A strong, differentiated ego is
important so it is not consumed by other aspects of the psyche. When the ego fails to
differentiate itself from the persona, what results is a pseudoego (Whitmont, 1969, p.
156). An individual’s orientation moves from the inner to the outer world, leaving the
psyche out of balance. After this occurs, one begins to believe that his or her persona is
one’s identity (ego) and this can further effect personality development. Aside from a
loss of identity, a feeling of emptiness is likely to be experienced as well. The sense of
identity becomes linked with a particular social role in one’s life.
The pseudoego is a fragile structure and is not flexible and permeable as a healthy
persona would be (Whitmont, 1969, p. 157). Such a rigid orientation makes for an
unhappy and unbalanced person. The irritability experienced by one who has a
pseudoego facilitates shadow projections. Projection involves not taking ownership of
one’s own shadow characteristics, but rather ascribing those same traits to someone else
(Johnson, 1993). Usually, the fragility of the pseudoego does not become apparent until
an event happens beyond their control. For example, a change in careers can force
someone to confront the images with which their ego has identified. As with persona
identification a pseudoego faces constant pressure within. A pseudoego holds a natural
tension of opposites between the conscious and unconscious world. The inherent
weakness of a pseduoego makes it vulnerable to unconscious contents (shadow,
complexes) coming into conscious view in an amplified manner. Constant pressure from
within the psyche and from outside world can blur the lines between reality and psychosis
(Whitmont, 1969, p. 157).
Jung’s perspective on the persona was also held by von Franz (1980), a famed
Jungian analyst who worked closely with Jung and continued his legacy. Von Franz did
extensive work with fairytales. She added to the concept of the persona by mentioning
the persona manifests in more ways than just a mask. She demonstrated this with her
interpretation of a story involving a girl who wore 10 shirts. According to von Franz,
clothing is psychologically significant in two main ways: “In one way they belong to the
persona, the mask we share the world. . . . In olden days there was a definite dress for
every specific occupation and the whole basic attitude towards life was manifested in the
persona” (p. 90). She went on to say that the clothing is meant to hide the truth which, in
this case, would be ego. Like Jung, von Franz saw the persona as a mask that one could
hide behind (p. 90).
Draper (1987), a behavioral psychologist, wrote about the relationship between
H.G. Wells’s work and Jung’s theories. Most notably, Draper honed in on the role of the
persona in personality development of the characters in Wells’s work. Jungian concepts
captivated Wells and found their way into his work. In addition to this, Draper also
spoke of the conflicting views Jung and Wells had about the persona. For example,
Wells saw positive aspects of the persona and felt embracing the persona would lead to a
higher state of consciousness while for Jung, persona dissolution is part of the
individuation process. I feel that Jung’s work does indicate he realized the importance of
the persona, although Draper pointed out that Jung did not necessarily view the persona
in a positive light (Draper, 1987, p. 440). Wells, on the other hand, recognized that the
persona went beyond the superficial aspect of our personality. For Wells, the persona
was really what an individual ideally wanted to be like.
Wells saw benefit to identifying with the persona and attempting to adapt that
aspect of one’s personality (Draper, 1987, p. 440). In other words, if one believes one is
person x and identifies with the image, one can truly become more like that image. This
idea sounds pleasing considering the (healthy) persona is a polished version of the ego.
Wells’s perspective is significant because rather than the ego being the driving force of
the protagonist, the persona is that force. I find this prospect parallels well with the
anime genre as it also tends to be persona-driven. Wells’s work shows the influence of
Jungian concepts on the arts in the 20th century. The persona and the need to maintain
this image is often the catalyst for transformation within the characters. Draper (1987)
made an excellent point that shows the positive aspects of inflation: “By identifying
themselves with mankind . . . individuals could start to raise themselves from their petty
greeds and vanities to work for the greater good” (p. 440). This point is explored further
in the main body of the research.
The above-mentioned quote implies persona identification can allow some people
to think beyond themselves and to do something for the collective. This viewpoint is
very different from the Western perspective, which is oriented toward individuality. If
someone identifies with the persona, the orientation of his or her personality would be
aimed toward the collective. In the Sailor Moon anime, the main character Usagi fights
on behalf of others. As the series progresses, she begins identifying more with her role as
a Sailor guardian and her personal sacrifice of her ordinary life allows her to fight for the
greater good. Her continual sacrifices keep the Earth from being taken over time and
time again and she becomes the savior of Earth. Her desire to be Sailor Moon (persona)
is the driving force behind her heroic actions. This is one example of how persona
identification can have potentially positive effects on the collective. I think Draper’s
(1987) supposition can be true if the collective influence happens to be something
positive. Otherwise, if a person is bombarded with negativity (which is not uncommon
from the unconscious), I have doubts whether they can make a positive contribution for
the sake of the greater good. Even so, Draper’s work highlights positive aspects of
persona identification. Although they diverge on their views of the persona, Jung and
Wells both saw that persona identification and/or inflation can have negative impact on
personality development. Negative outcomes include: grandiosity, as well as exaggerated
skewed personality (Draper, 1987, p. 440).
Craig (1994) wrote about the persona in the teaching profession, and agreed with
Jung that persona identification has implications on personality development. The
implication of persona identification goes beyond a lack of knowing and cultivating the
true Self. Craig demonstrated his argument “to identify solely with the masks we wear is
to live in illusion, for the masks are labels” (Craig, 1994, p. 189). In other words, the
roles of our personas are purely social. Our personas may give glimpses into our egos,
but they do not give a glimpse into the Self. Furthermore, Craig brought another issue to
the reader’s attention, namely, that when one identifies with the persona, the individual is
usually unconscious of this issue. Most professions seem to foster the need for the
creation of a persona. Craig’s work complements Draper’s (1987) perspective that there
can actually be positive aspects of inflation and/or identification. With that being said,
overall, Craig (1994) viewed persona identification as having more negative outcomes
that positive ones. His perspective coincides with Jung in most aspects. Lastly, Craig
identified ways to overcome persona identification. Genuineness is the key to
overcoming the superficiality of the persona. Although it places one in a vulnerable
position, genuineness is a way to overcome the persona (Craig, 1994). Exploration of
vulnerability and genuineness is valuable to the present research because many climactic
moments within anime are centered on vulnerability of the protagonist and the removal of
the persona.
Leary and Allen (2011) reviewed how individuals cultivate their personas to aid
them in social interaction; to be more specific, individuals shape their personas to control
how people perceive them. How we are perceived has implications in multiple aspects of
our lives (Leary & Allen, 2011). Leary and Allen also identified a gap in research on the
persona. Research does exist on behaviors people exhibit while maintaining a persona;
however, little (if any) research is available addressing how important one may feel about
maintaining the persona (Leary & Allen, 2011). The importance placed on the persona
will influence the degree of difficulty one has breaking from its influence. Persona
dissolution is one way to get in touch with the self, but the degree of vulnerability is
uncomfortable for most and not worth the risk. “People who are high in public self-
consciousness seem to use more distinct personae” in comparison to others (Leary &
Allen, 2011, p. 1194). The persona is more than a mask; it showcases one’s ability to
adapt. I would go as far as to describe the persona as a survival mechanism. Leary and
Allen also honed in on the fear of vulnerability as a driving factor in maintaining the
persona. In addition, the need for approval from society is also a driving factor. Leary
and Allen supported the idea of how the persona can stifle personality development and,
more specifically, the fear of vulnerability and rejection keep individuals in their persona
roles.
This literature informs us of several things. The persona develops out of necessity
for social interactions (Hudson, 1978). It is a protective barrier for the ego, which allows
certain aspects of ourselves to shine through (Jung & Storr, 1983). Persona identification
can skew personality development; however, persona identification can also have
positive aspects (Draper, 1987). Lastly, the shadow also plays a significant role in
persona development (Johnson, 1991). These particular works serve as the foundation
for exploring the archetypal influences behind the concept of the persona.
Literature Relevant to the Researcher’s Theoretical Approach
The previously mentioned literature indicates that the persona is an aspect of the
psyche that functions as a mask that conceals and protects the ego. From Jung’s
(1921/1971) perspective, persona also referred to the masks that ancient actors wore (p.
463). Dionysus is an archetypal figure that is associated with wine, fertility, and theatre.
His associations with theatre imply he is related to the persona. In Greek theatre, actors
wore masks to signal to the audience the role they are playing (Hopcke, 1995, p. 201). A
persona is essentially a psychological mask that conceals the identity of the wearer. A
literal mask serves the same function, and there is power in the mask. His associations
with theatre is what initially led me to look at Dionysus as a possible archetype that has
influence in anime. Aside from his associations with theatre, Dionysus’s own myth has
aspects of hiding one’s true face much like a persona does. On more than one occasion
Dionysus is hidden from view of others to keep him safe. The following texts are being
referenced to illuminate the background of Dionysus from both a Jungian and archetypal
viewpoint. The first section is focused on the origins of Dionysus and the framework of
the archetypal approach. The second section is focused on texts on film theory and the
emergence of Jungian film studies. The final section covers the history of anime and its
relations to Jung’s concept of the persona.
Origins of Dionysus and the Framework of the Archetypal Approach
Otto’s (1965) work, Dionysus: Myth and Cult, has been used to explore the
origins of the mad God. Being the son of Zeus, one might assume Dionysus made an
appearance in history long after the original Greek deities did, but Otto’s work indicates
he believed he was much older. Furthermore, the arrival of Dionysus in history signified
a shift in Greek consciousness away from Apollonic thought to the more emotional and
instinctual Dionysian thought (Otto, 1965, p. 53). Otto stated that Dionysian cults are
considered “age-old . . . in Delphi the worship of Dionysus could be considered older
than that of Apollo” (p. 53).
Dionysus’s origins have different variations as with most of the other Gods,
common themes include death and rebirth. The version I will focus on is the one in
which Zeus disguised himself and impregnated Semele, who was a mortal woman. Zeus
was known for his infidelity, and understandably it infuriated his wife Hera.
Consequently, she went as far as to disguise herself and make statements that placed
doubts in Semele’s mind about her divine lover. Due to Hera’s actions, Semele requested
Zeus appear to her undisguised to prove that he was a God. Once he appeared to her, one
of his lightning bolts hit Semele and she burned to death. It turns out that Hera neglected
to tell Semele that humans could not look at an undisguised God without dying (Otto,
1965, p. 65). After her death, Zeus removed the baby from her body and placed
Dionysus within himself until he was ready to be reborn (Otto, 1965, p. 65). “Thus, the
‘twice-born one’ has already, before his entry into the world, outgrown everything that is
mortal” (p. 65). Having a mortal mother meant that even before his birth, Dionysus
embodied a tension of opposites and although not a complete God, he was still divine in
nature. His conception and initial birth tied him to the human realm as well as to Mt.
Olympus (Otto, 1965, p. 73). Additionally, his parentage suggests Dionysus may be
closer to humans than the other Gods, which further suggests that he is closer to us
psychologically (Otto, 1965, p. 73).
Hillman (1997) and his archetypal approach further illuminates the understanding
of Dionysus. In Archetypal Psychology: A Brief Account, Hillman stated he developed
archetypal psychology with the “intention of moving beyond . . . the consulting room of
psychotherapy . . . [and into] the culture of Western imagination” (p. 9). Hillman used
the word archetypal because his psychology is not only for clinicians, but also for culture
as a whole. The archetypes exist beyond the “consulting room” and live in the world
beyond the confines of our imaginations (Hillman, 1997, p. 9). Hillman’s approach is
important because it can be used to look at concepts from a collective standpoint. Anime
has a multitude of genres, therefore only utilizing one style of analysis would not be
sufficient. Hillman’s polytheistic approach to analysis allows us to view the concept of
the persona from multiple perspectives (Hillman, 1997). According to Hillman, there is
not even a need for integration or completion; rather, many archetypal figures can be
honored for their place in the psyche and the tension that they create is what facilitates
growth. The aim of utilizing both Jung’s and Hillman’s perspectives is to find the
common threads within anime a whole.
Hillman’s (1992) The Myth of Analysis has three essays to review psychological
creativity, psychological language, and psychological femininity. Part three is most
pertinent to this research as Hillman spoke about Dionysus at length. Dionysus is an
example of a union between primordial masculine and feminine energies within one
individual and as the Greek god of fertility, he has strong associations with the feminine
and rebirth (Hillman, 1992, pp. 258–259). Hillman argued that a return to Dionysian
consciousness is in order, that returning to the image will offer meaning. Currently,
Western culture is oriented toward an Apollonian (intellectual) frame of thinking. This
frame of thought is useful in the external world; however, it does not necessarily facilitate
a reconnection with imagination that Hillman called for. In order to reconnect to
imagination, a return to Dionysian consciousness is in order which would mean
connecting to the instinctual parts of the psyche. A return to the image will facilitate
revisioning Dionysus. Hillman’s critique on Jung actually complements what Jung had
to say in the Collected Works regarding the persona. Hillman’s comments on Dionysus
take the idea of the persona acting as a container for psyche to a collective level.
Hillman (1995) also discussed Dionysus in Kinds of Power and one style of
power he highlighted is control. As I mentioned previously, I noticed anime characters
unable to defeat their enemy’s when “armored up” and their attempts to take control of
the situation end up mostly failing. Essentially, trying to defeat a foe is an attempt to
assert control over the foe. However, relinquishing control ultimately is what would
allow the protagonists to defeat their enemies. Hillman stated the power of Dionysian
energy is due to the lack of control. The very idea of control places a limitation on power
versus amplifying it (Hillman, 1995, p. 109). Also limiting archetypal energy does not
allow for the full extent of that power to be used. Hillman argued that the loss of control
can be empowering rather than confining or stifling. The loss of control “has come to
mean wild and helpless, and thus powerless” (Hillman, 1995, p. 112). This work
addresses the fear that a protagonist can experience in their power struggle. When a
character is open and vulnerable, this is when they can become a vessel for power.
Hopcke’s (1995) work Persona illuminates the concept through its historical roots
in Greek myth and theatre. In addition, Hopcke included an excellent section outlining
Jung’s thoughts on the persona and blended Jungian thought with archetypal thought in
his thorough analysis of the concept: “The term persona is really a very appropriate
expression for this, for originally it meant the mask once worn by actors to indicate the
role they played” (p. 13). Symbolically, the mask itself is a sacred object that provided a
connection with the gods. In Greek theatre, the actual mask was used to signal to the
audience who the actor was portraying (Hopcke, 1995, p. 201). Hopcke also reiterated
the importance of the persona in the individuation process. In questioning one’s
unconscious contents the breakdown of the persona is a common occurrence (Hopcke,
1995, p. 14). While removal of the persona or false self may be seen as good thing, it is
not that simple. Hopcke touched on this very well; there is a tension of opposites when it
comes to maintaining the persona. The persona is indeed a mask, but it also acts as a
barrier for the ego and a filter for the unconscious. One could argue that Hopcke has
attempted to shed light on the positive aspects of the persona that have been overlooked.
In addition, exploring origins of the concept in history provides a good backdrop for
exploring the archetypal figure of Dionysus.
In Facing the Gods Hillman (1980) reviewed Jung’s writings on Dionysus
through his Collected Works. Within the introduction a few main points are addressed.
First, Hillman implied that in Western culture, masculine is favored over the feminine in
archetypal dynamics (Hillman, 1980, 1992). As a result, our views on the unconscious
are more oriented toward the Apollonic rather than the Dionysian. The dominance of the
Apollonic perspective has created a distorted view of the Dionysian. The Dionysian is
regarded as an inferior perspective mainly due to the hysterical feminine, an uncontrolled
power of this archetypal figure (Hillman, 1980, p. 151). The untamed Dionysus gains his
power from his lack of restraint. Revisioning Dionysus and realizing that his untamed
nature is where his power comes from can create a shift in consciousness that could help
repair the dismembered God. Through the development of psychology, we have
symbolically dismembered archetypal figures and labeled them for the sake of Apollonic
thought.
Hillman (1980) indicated that Jung was inspired by Nietzsche when formulating
his thoughts on Dionysus (p. 151), and it turns out the terms Apollonic and Dionysian are
terms that were popularized by Nietzsche in his work The Birth of Tragedy. Jung’s
writings on Dionysus are scattered throughout his Collected Works. Hillman’s
assessment of Jung’s writing indicate that Dionysus was not actually a central focus
within his research (p. 153). This is not to say Jung had no interest in Dionysus. Rather
the God has been “given ample attention by Jung’s earlier contemporaries” (Hillman,
1980, p. 153). Hillman also indicated that Jung’s research on schizophrenia versus
hysteria is what gave him insights about the psyche. In turn, Jung’s contributions in
mythology and depth psychology are not oriented to Dionysus, but rather they are
oriented toward Hermes (Hillman, 1980, p. 154). Even so, Jung’s bond with Nietzsche’s
work remained present within his writing.
The literature in the section highlights several things. The birth of Dionysus
signified a shift in Greek consciousness away from Apollonic thought (Otto, 1965).
Dionysus origins and parentage make him an archetypal figure that is easy to relate to
(Otto, 1965). Hillman’s (1997) polytheistic approach removes the need for integration;
rather, the tension within the psyche can be a catalyst for growth. A return to Dionysian
thought would involve return to the instinctual (unconscious) aspect of the psyche
(Hillman, 1992). Dionysus strength lays in lack of restraint control limits his power
(Hillman, 1995). The persona potentially has a significant role in the individuation
process (Hopcke, 1995). Dionyian myth is paralleled in each of the animes that are
discussed in this present study. Lastly, Apollonic thought has turned us away from
Dionysian thought. One could argue that as a result, Dionysian thought historically has
been viewed in a negative light.
Literature on Anime
For further clarity, when I speak of anime I am talking about Japanese animation
within the past 30 years. “The term anime, a common post-war Japanese abbreviation for
the word ‘animation,’ is now widely used to distinguish Japanese animation from other
forms” (Miyao, 2002, p. 191). The origins of anime go back hundreds of years. Anime
had its origins in visual media called utshushi-e which were similar to projected pictures.
The popularity of this art form was during the Edo period around 1800 (Miyao, 2002, p.
191). Before moving images on film were possible, animation was static artwork that
was manipulated to look like it was moving. Between 1916 and 1923, anime emerged as
a cinematic art form (Miyao, 2002, p. 194). This time frame actually coincides well with
the film movement in general of the early 1900s.
In Frames of Anime, Hu (2010) investigated the historical context of the
emergence of anime. More importantly, Hu provided a cultural context on the
significance of anime and what it means in relation to Japanese culture. Although
Japanese culture is not my main focus, the influence of Japanese culture cannot be
overlooked since they are the originators of this art form. Understanding the historical
context of anime influenced interpretations on the animes that were analyzed in the body
of this research. Hu argued that the growth of manga (Japanese comics) and anime may
be a collective response to the industrialization of Japan (Hu, 2010, p. 16).
Industrialization pushed the barriers of the Japanese language. During this period it
became evident that the current kanji symbols they had were not adapted to the new
modernized society Japan had become (Hu, 2010, p. 101). Hu argued that animation is a
visual language and that anime gave meaning to phenomena that Japan did not even have
kanji symbols to express (p. 16). Hu’s stance has similarities to Hillman’s symbolic
perspective.
According to Hillman (1977), the psyche communicates with images. Looking at
the concept of anime, the actual words communicated between the characters are only
one aspect of the entire image. Symbols often occur repeatedly and can take different
guises. Japanese language is an excellent example of Hillman’s view because one kanji
symbol can have a multitude of meanings depending on the context. Symbols can have
historical and cultural significance. Approaching a phenomenon from the symbolic
perspective takes apart the image in an attempt to find meaning (Hillman, 1977, p. 69).
On one end, this perspective is helpful because one gains a deeper understanding of the
aspect of the image that is being analyzed; conversely, understanding of the image as a
whole becomes limited. I feel this is worth mentioning because Hu (2010) spent a
considerable amount of time detailing the struggle experienced by the Japanese when
developing their language and making new kanji symbols. The Japanese struggle with
language was also a struggle with image.

Before the first anime series was created, there were founding fathers in the
animation movement. Hu (2010) indicated that the founding fathers were Shimokawa
Oūten, Kōuchi Junichi, and Kitayama Seitarō (p. 60). Coincidentally, each of these
founders created their first film in the same year: 1917. Although each of them had
different backgrounds, the contributions of these individuals as well as their apprentices
became the catalyst for anime (Hu, 2010, p. 60). Hu’s work implies that struggles with
industrialization and struggles with reforming their language in the midst of an evolving
culture are some the factors that contributed to the creation of Japanese animation.
Animation continued to struggle through a culture that experienced considerable
trauma in WWII. This cultural wounding would give birth to the first anime television
show called Astro Boy. This series aired between 1963 and 1966 (Steiff & Tamplin,
2010, p. 440). The main character is a robot that is powered by atomic energy. The
emergence of this anime sheds light on the cultural shadow involving excitement and fear
toward the power of atomic energy. Astro Boy is considered to be the first contemporary
anime. It is important, however, to acknowledge that the origins of anime (Japanese art)
as a whole goes back to the 1800s.
Drazen’s (2014) work Anime Explosion! is an excellent reference material for
anime history as well as central themes that are common within anime. Themes include
religion, spirituality, and adolescence just to name a few. Like Hu’s (2010) work, Drazen
also provided some historical context about anime as well as details about other pioneers
within the anime industry. Osamu Tetzuka spent 40 years as a cartoonist and was a
pioneering manga artist (Drazen, 2014). He was the creator of Astro Boy, the first
Japanese anime. As mentioned previously, Astro Boy touched on the cultural trauma of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In addition to this, Astro Boy also touched on issues of civil
rights and equality within the anime itself. When the show aired in the U.S. between
1963 and 1964, America was in a civil rights struggle of its own (Drazen, 2014). The
timing of the series impacted how anime was received in the US at the time. Oppressed
individuals may have sympathized with the struggles experienced by the protagonist.
The 60s were a time of growth and expansion for television. Drazen (2014) pointed out
that around this time, broadcasters had more of a willingness to try different things.
“Anime were especially welcome because of their lack of ethnic specificity” (p. 345
Kindle Location). Even if the character is Japanese, they were not drawn that way. One
can conclude the previously mentioned circumstances made it a simpler process for
American audiences to connect with the anime.
The appearance of the characters made it easy to rework the series to appeal to an
American audience. Storylines could be adjusted, names of characters could be changed
in order to be within American standards (Drazen, 2014, p. 361 Kindle location). It was
not until the early 80s that the second wave of anime came to American airwaves. By
this time, the growth of television and channels increased the availability of airtime for
new shows to air. Series like Voltron and Robotech hit American airwaves and were well
received (Drazen, 2014, p. 392 Kindle Location). Series such as these challenged the
stereotypical notion of the classic superhero and sidekick archetypes. In these types of
anime, each member had something different to offer to the team. If one member was out
of commission, the overall strength of the team diminished. The surge of anime in the
1980s coincides well with Hillman’s polytheistic perspective. The team may have a lead
member, but each member is necessary for the success of the team. The tension that is
experienced between team members helps facilitates growth. As a result, the members
reach a higher level of existence with the aid of one another. This approach challenges
the notion of what facilitates growth within a team (Drazen, 2014). This point is
elaborated further in the body of this research.
Anime and Philosophy, edited by Steiff and Tamplin (2010), includes several
works with examination of anime from a variety of different disciplines. One essay in
particular, by Benjamin Chandlers, includes analysis of the archetypes of Japanese
culture. Once again, I would mention Japanese culture is not the focus of this research.
However, as a Westerner, I am sure there are many significant things I miss in an anime
due to not being familiar with an image that is archetypally significant in Japanese
culture. This anime utilized to demonstrate this example is Full Metal Alchemist, which
follows the adventures of brothers Edward and Alphonse Elrick. In order to recover what
they had lost in a botched alchemical transmutation the brothers have devoted their lives
to the study of alchemy (Steiff & Tamplin, 2010, pp. 131–132). Each of them lost
something different, but they share a common goal. Further, “as a pair of heroes they
function as what they label a dual-hero, the quintessential Japanese heroic archetype that
embodies the fundamental principle at heart of Japanese philosophical thought” (pp. 131–
132).
Steiff and Tamplin’s (2010) work is important as it demonstrates the fundamental
difference between the superhero sidekick dynamic versus the dual-hero archetype.
Steiff and Tamplin also provided a foundation for analyzing Full Metal Alchemist in the
main body of the work. The concept of the dual hero is also something I explore in
relation to the Dionysus and the persona. Dionysus is the product of masculine and
feminine primordially untied (Hillman, 1992). For this reason, the dual-hero archetype
appears to be more appropriate in relation to Dionysus versus the superhero sidekick
archetype. Anime and Philosophy is an excellent work because its focus is on a variety of
animes not only the most popular one’s (Steiff & Tamplin, 2010). In a world of monsters
and magic are characters struggling with the important questions in life that we all come
and face at one point. Anime is a genre of art that had reached across cultures and has
become very popular in ours. That in itself is interesting! Morality, heroism, meaning,
emptiness, the soul, and identity are just a few of the lessons that lie at the core of many
of these works.
Literature on Jungian Film Studies
Hauke and Hockley (2011) brought together analysts and academics in the work
Jung and Film II and together, each of these writers contributed expertise on media and
film. Below I have reviewed a few of these essays in an attempt to create a better
understanding of what Jungian film studies encompasses. Furthermore, I am hoping the
review of the following literature will bridge some of the gaps between Jungian theory
and popular films. This includes films which some Jungians may not see as particularly
overflowing with meaning.
In his essay “Jungian Film Studies,” Fredrickson argued that when we are too
dependent on narrative films, other areas of opportunity are overlooked. The examples
he gives of such missed areas are art cinema, documentaries, personal films, and
animation. According to Frederickson, these modes are “where much of the richest
material for Jungian hermeneutics rises” (as cited in Hauke & Hockley, 2011, p. 99). At
the same time, each of these four subjects are rarely taught, or they get lumped in with a
cultural studies course, or are simply overlooked. Frederickson argued that not tapping
into this type of research does not allow for the full range of Jungian studies to be
explored (p. 99). Frederickson also argued that animation is relatively absent in Jungian
film studies (p. 100). I find that interesting considering the primary language of the
unconscious is images and symbols. Frederickson expressed concern over emphasis on
traditional narrative films and went on to say that traditional films are often mistaken as
representing the entire genre as a whole (p. 99). According to Frederickson, a task of
Jungian studies is to work against the “corruption of consciousness,” which is a term
coined by philosopher R. G. Collingwood (1958, p. 101). According to Collingwood, art
“must be prophetic”; it must have the ability to connect the audience with their own
personal secrets (p. 336). Films that lack meaning beyond the superficial would not have
the capability to connect to the audience on such a deep level. In turn, what audiences
are connecting with are dead images that lack meaning, which causes a corruption in our
conscious world. Frederickson pointed out that the corruption can occur on both
conscious and unconscious levels (p. 102). In addition, this corruption can also occur at
both individual and cultural levels.
Another important point addressed in Frederickson’s work is the power of the
symbol. A symbol will remain as long as there is something unknown about its meaning.
According to Frederickson, it is inevitable that a symbol will eventually transform into a
sign. Even as a powerful symbol transitions into a sign it is “still capable of gripping us
in its afterglow. This last stage is of particular relevance to the presence of archetypal
imagery in popular film” (Hauke & Hockley, 2011, p. 104). A symbol dies when the
mystery it has been given meaning by culture (Jung, 1921/1971, p. 474). The transition
from a symbol to a sign seems inevitable as society instinctually wants to interpret,
understand, and add meaning to something that is unknown. Although the psyche speaks
to us in symbols, we still need to attribute meaning at both the individual and cultural
levels to digest what we are bearing witness to. Aside from symbols turning into signs,
there is an additional reason that deeper meaning seems to have been lost to popular
films.
Frederickson indicated that at some level, the viewer is in a state of distraction (as
cited in Hauke & Hockley, 2011, p. 106). A distracted mind does not allow for deep
connection with the film. When a distracted mind encounters archetypal imagery, the
interaction has little or no psychological effect on the person. The experiences have little
value and may lead the viewer to believe that archetypal imagery can be encountered
without significant effects to the psyche (as cited in Hauke & Hockley, 2011, p. 106).
Even if something is not within conscious view, it does not mean anything is not
happening. At a late time when the viewer is paying attention to an archetypally
significant image they may be caught off guard at the psychological impact that the
image can have. Ignored and repressed contents gain autonomy as time progresses and
the psyche protests when it lack balance (Hollis, 2010). The distracted mind is a
playground for the growth of shadow and complexes and if an individual thinks
encountering unconscious contents may not have any effects, I do not think they are
likely to respect the power and strength of the unconscious in their lives. In the face of
distracted minds, this leads to the question of how to connect with viewers on an
archetypal level that is psychologically significant. That is not an easy task as people are
quick to project, deflect, or ignore things that make them uncomfortable. The fascination
with mainstream films is unlikely to fade. Rather than disliking the lack of depth some of
these films may have, there are other mediums of film that have yet to be explored in
greater depth. Frederickson went further to say that Jungians are in service to something
deeper than the popular films that are presented. Therefore, rather than focusing on the
mainstream unexplored media can provide insights and depth.
In his work Cinematic Projections, Hockley (2001) analyzed the relationship
between analytical psychology and film theory. Jungian psychology is a psychology of
images (Hockley, 2001, p. 1). Hockley argued that now more than ever, we are in age in
which we are constantly surrounded and bombarded with images. For these reasons,
Hockley indicated the shift in our culture adds additional importance to Jungian theory.
Our need to relate to images and resonate with them is part of what makes film so
desirable. Films allow us to engage in projection, which typically has a negative
connotation. However, both negative and positive characteristics are present in the
unconscious and thus both positive and negative projections occur. When we project
unconscious contents, “it is neatly laid on someone or something else so we do not have
to take responsibility for it” (Johnson, 1991, p. 31). In the context of film, projection can
allow us to resonate with the characters and this adds meaning to what we individually
get out of the film.
In Jung and Film II, Hauke and Hockley (2011) discussed the presence of the
shadow and the Other in film. As a reminder, the shadow is the darker aspects of
personality that become repressed and neglected. These are the aspects of personality of
which one does not feel comfortable taking ownership. Why are we concerned with the
shadow in film? While the persona can be a catalyst for transformation within
protagonists, so can the shadow. Furthermore, a confrontation with darkness (shadow) is
a standard in film and overcoming the conflict is typically what the film is centered
around. Hauke raised a good point in that the types of film genres that are popular can
give insight to both the cultural and individual shadow.
Film is a buffer that allows an individual to not directly take ownership of shadow
traits while still being engaged with them. The examples Hauke and Hockley (2011)
gave include Western culture’s fascination with vampire and gangster films (p. 110). At
their core, both genres are about being outcasts because they deviate from the norm. “The
vampire and the gangster are both about being rejected. Although they appear to be
human, what they embody is outside the human sphere, lacking the very humanity that
defines us” (p. 111). Hauke and Hockley (2011) went on to say that these films inform
us about the collective shadow of our culture. In addition, as much as we like to set
ourselves apart from the criminal world, the underbelly of culture does have an influence
on urban culture as a whole (p. 111).
Jung’s perspective on cinema was not always positive. Hauke and Hockley
(2011) demonstrated this using some of Jung’s dialogue from The Red Book from one of
his active imagination exercises. The connection we have with these particular genres of
horror and vampire films is described by Hauke and Hockley (2011) as a “visceral thrill
of fear” as we identify with these characters (p. 114). Aggression and unbridled sexuality
all of a sudden become permissible and acceptable because that character is not a person,
instead it is a monster with a humanoid appearance. On the other hand, newer vampire
films show a different side in which the line between human and monster is blurred.
Suddenly, it becomes evident that maybe we are not so different; all of a sudden, the
shadow now has a face. The vampire Eli from the film Let the Right One In is one
example of a vampire that does not fit the stereotypical mold of what we would expect.
Despite her innocent looking form, in order for her to interact with the protagonist Oskar,
she has to be invited in. Darkness simply does not wander into our lives; a conscious
effort to interact with it has to be made (Hauke & Hockley, 2011, p. 116). I find Hauke
and Hockley’s point important because it touches on the significance of shadow
integration in personality development. Persona dissolution means shadow integration.
Therefore, assimilating shadow contents is a precursor to persona dissolution. However,
as Let the Right One In demonstrates, one has to consciously invite the darkness in.
Otherwise, we find shadow popping up in other aspects of our lives unwillingly in the
form of psychic disturbances. In these circumstances, the ego will rush to quiet the
disturbance through repression and not taking ownership of those traits.
The struggle of good versus evil from Jung’s perspective could be considered a
struggle with the shadow, but it is a necessary struggle that we cannot avoid. Bick’s
(1990) work, Outatime, is of interest because she dissected the adolescent struggle
through film. To be more specific, she demonstrated the adolescent struggle in the
popular 80s film, Back to the Future (Gale, Cannon, & Zemeckis, 1985). Freud’s
(1908/1909) work makes an appearance as Bick explored Oedipal conflicts present
within the film. The initial section of the film introduces us to the main character Marty,
who is an adolescent teen unhappy in his current situation. He displays a variety of
egocentric, irresponsible behaviors typical of young adults. In addition, he is caught up
in his persona as a McFly. As the storyline progresses, we see maturation in the
protagonist gradually cultivating a healthier persona and coming into his own personality
as he has to fix the messes he made in the past. This work is useful in that it is related to
an anime chosen for the present study, Revolutionary Girl Utena. This anime is about an
adolescent girl on the cusp of adulthood attempting to establish her identity as a prince.
Utena’s journey is an example of a coming-of-age story. Stories of transition are
common in the anime world. A young woman’s struggle to follow her dream in a
patriarchal society speaks to something deeper than coming of age.
In Film After Jung Singh (2009) reviewed the medium of film through an
analytical lens. The book has two main parts. The initial part of the text is an exploration
of the film as an art form and its impact on the audience. In addition to this, Singh
provided some historical background on the emergence of film theory and film making.
The second half of the book is an application of Jungian concepts to film theory. The
narrator, the audience, myths, and heroes, are just a few topics that are examined more
deeply. The movie theatre is a place where for the duration of the film, the audience
loses their individuality and becomes engulfed in the world of the narrator or the
protagonist. Ricciotto Canudo published a manifesto in France titled The Birth of a Sixth
Art in 1911 (Singh, 2009, p. 26). In this instance, the sixth art that is being referenced is
cinema. At this time film was beginning to be viewed as a serious art form that
mimicked real life events and experiences.
Film theories started to take form in the 1940s. Andre Bazin, a renowned French
film critic, initially started writing about film in the 1940s. He popularized auteur theory
which indicates that the director’s films are a personal reflection of their creative vision
(Dictionary.com, n.d.). For Bazin, films that were aesthetically pleasing had a director
who was more concerned with exploring or investigating the characters reality rather than
creating it (Singh, 2009, p. 33). A pleasing film had the ability to mimic reality. Victor
Perkins (1993), a renowned British film critic and scholar, did his foundational work
Film as Film in the 70s utilizing work from Bazin and other early film theorists (Singh,
2009, p. 26). From the beginning, there has been a push to accept film as an art form in
its own right, and what of film makers? One could argue early film makers wanted to
find ways to mesmerize the audience and draw them inward.
Anima and Animus in Film
As previously stated, I do not want to make gender the main focus. However, it is
also something that I cannot entirely overlook. At minimum, I would like to note
struggles with the anima and animus are present in each of the series that are reviewed in
later chapters. Just as each of the characters has a struggle with their personas, there is an
inevitable struggle with societal constructs regarding biological sex and gender
presentation (Singh, 2009, p. 127). To be more specific, I am referring to societal
expectations of how a young man or woman is supposed to behave. The personas of each
of these characters in the chosen animes are usually the opposite of societal expectations.
Singh (2009) devoted an entire chapter to exploring gender identification and gender
representation. He argued that although the contrasexuality (anima and animus)
archetype is one of Jung’s least understood concepts, it is one of the most used concepts
in filmmaking. Singh also argued that there is a lack of balance in cinema in regard to
masculinity and femininity. There is a general acceptance of hyper-masculine male lead
characters while the voice of the feminine is lost. When a female does make an
appearance, she is often the bearer of an anima projection or an objectified, sexy symbol
or even worse, she is a damsel in distress who needs to be saved. I am inclined to agree
partially with Singh, although in recent years, more films are coming out with strong
female leads. Nevertheless, Singh provided important points regarding masculinity and
femininity. What does this disparity do to the female viewer? And what does this gap do
for presence of the feminine within our culture? Is this lack of balance cheapening the
possible meaning the film may have to offer? These are just a few of the questions that
must be pondered when interacting with film. The points are very important as the lead
characters from Full Metal Alchemist, Sailor Moon, and Revolutionary Girl Utena are all
adolescents struggling with the anima and animus, respectively. Acknowledgement that
there is a disparity with masculine and feminine representation in film gives a limitation
to consider when the films are being analyzed.
What exactly did Jung have to say about the anima and the animus? Furthermore,
what role do these figures play in film? As a reminder, the anima–animus are the aspects
of a person’s unconscious that are opposite of their gender. Anima projections are often a
source of conflict for female characters in film. Carrying such a burden effectively
obliterates the humanity of the woman. A woman who “leads her life as the man’s
‘anima’” is taking a large risk “and consequently can forfeit her individual life”
(Neumann, 1994, p. 21). We are often left with a character devoid of an identity of her
own. A character identifying with a projection will have no depth beyond that projection.
The need to identify with these projections can result in a carefully constructed persona to
make these projections true.
Male characters struggle as well with their anima and what it means to their
masculinity. Many Jungians and Jungian critics would argue that Jung is a little biased in
his views of the anima and I am inclined to agree. After all, one cannot be a hyper-
masculine warrior by identifying with the feminine energy of the anima. “When animus
and anima meet, the animus draws his sword of power and the anima ejects her poison of
illusion and seduction. The outcome need not always be negative, since the two are
equally likely to fall in love” (Jung, 1951/1968, p. 15). In the statement above, anima is
labeled as a seductress while the animus is a warrior. Labeling the anima as a seductress
is an example of fixed gender attitudes when describing the feminine. Nevertheless,
Jung’s statement indicates that meeting the anima–animus can also lead to romantic
interest in addition to conflict. Romance like this occurs in film consistently; romantic
situations can also give rise to conflict. In short, struggles with the anima–animus can
have a strong effect on the persona a character develops to deal with their situation. In
other words, if one is a victim of a projection, there is the likelihood that one also has a
skewed and false persona. Although there is an air of superficiality with the persona,
ideally a healthy persona is a polished version of one’s personality.
Waddell’s (2006) work, Mis/Takes, steps away from traditional film analysis in
favor of applying Jungian and post Jungian ideas to today’s popular shows. In this book,
Waddell discussed the function of symbols in cinema as well as presented an alternative
viewpoint on identity issues. She examined films and television programs such as
Memento, The Others, and The X-Files, just to name a few. In addition, Waddell
analyzed some archetypes such as the trickster and the Self. Notably Waddell explored
the tension-filled relationship between the trickster archetype and the persona (p. 45).
Waddell argued the appearance of the trickster will quickly reveal “the brittle nature of
the persona” when it is unstable or unbalanced (p. 45). She also indicated that the
trickster’s purpose is to agitate and challenge the stability of identity within a character.
According to Waddell, a poorly developed static persona is an attempt at controlling the
uncontrollable (p. 47). The very idea of control is controlling in itself as it places a
limitation on something that is meant to be flexible and permeable (Hillman, 1995, p.
110). The result of a static persona would lead to a skewed personality that is oriented
solely toward the outside world. While utilizing Jungian theory to analyze films
Waddell makes connections in such a way that it eases understanding of Jungian
concepts.
In Myth, Mind and the Screen, Izod (2002) applied Jungian theory to film
analysis. For Izod, the primary purpose of the depth psychological perspective is
examining the interior life of the individual. Gaining an understanding of film images
through a Jungian lens can allow for new insights to take form. Izod began the initial
chapter with a question of how cinema can create a disturbance within the psyche (p.
15). He indicated that emotion is the road to the viewer’s psyche. Even when keeping
this in consideration, Izod argued that film scholars have given little attention to emotion
in their writings. I find his comment interesting since the unconscious disturbances tend
to come into conscious view in the form of emotions. Strong emotions give unconscious
contents something to hold onto since they cannot manifest themselves directly. One
reason emotions cause disruption in order to keep their personality from becoming
skewed and unbalanced.
According to Izod (2002), for a viewer to take imagery inward there is a
possibility they may be relating to the material in a narcissistic way. He supported this
statement by referencing Heinz Kohut, the founder of self psychology. Kohut’s
approach transformed the practice of psychotherapy by stressing the need for the
therapist to have empathy with their patients. Kohut also felt it was important to make a
legitimate connection with the patients. If people felt their needs were not met as a
child, they need some way to cope. In some cases an individual may find comfort within
themselves, which essentially is narcissistic (Kohut, Tolpin, & Tolpin, 1996). In relation
to film theory, Kohut’s perspectives would indicate that it is important for a director to
establish a legitimate connection with the audience in order to have an impact. As with
any behavior, there is both a positive and negative. Kohut et al. stated engaging in the
persona can be used to cover up emptiness (p. 16).
Izod (2002) addressed a gap in Jung’s anima–animus theory. Since Jung was a
man, his experience with the animus figure would essentially be limited. Jung’s
thoughts and feelings on the anima were very detailed from his personal experience as
well as research he did (p. 65). However Jung does not quite have as much information
about the animus. I would argue a lack of personal interaction with the animus may give
insight as to why this aspect of Jung’s theory was not as well-developed. In addition,
Izod argued the time period Jung’s ideas were formed also may of have an influence on
the formation of this concept. Addressing the gap in Jung’s concept of the animus is
important to note because of the animes that I examined, two of them have female
protagonists.
The Need for Research on the Topic in Depth Psychology
The texts chosen for this research serve to lay down the foundation of how Jung
and Hillman viewed the persona. The texts also illuminate the role the persona plays in
personality development. In contrast, the texts also demonstrate some of the problems
the persona poses. Jung’s work on personality development serves as a foundation of

how the concept of the persona emerged and Hillman’s work encompassed archetypal
origins of this concept. In the spirit of the hermeneutic approach, Hillman’s work allows
the readers to inform themselves on the persona by circling around different aspects of it.
The main argument from Jung that most are familiar with is that the persona is a false and
superficial aspect of the personality. As the readings in this review have demonstrated,
that is only part of his argument. There is a deeper layer to the mask; my hope is a more
detailed analysis of anime films uncovers this. Depth psychological theorists
acknowledge the problem of the persona in personality development. Identifying the
persona is commonplace because Western culture is oriented toward rewarding the
persona. On one end, it is an aspect of the psyche that helps others adapt to cultural
norms and function within society. On the other end, individuals run the risk of
identifying with the image of the persona and having no depth to their personality. This
tension of opposites is something I delve into further using Jung and Hillman’s work to
inform my observations. With the exception of Hopcke’s (1995) work, it is clear there is
a gap on how exactly to deal with the problem of the persona in a cultural setting versus a
clinical setting. Jung and Hillman both had much to say in regard to how to deal with the
persona in a clinical setting. I explore how this translates when utilizing Jung and
Hillman’s work to analyze the chosen animes in this study.
Methodology and Procedures
Research approach. In order to examine the concept of the persona in anime,
some hermeneutical analysis was necessary. The analysis was focused on the role the
persona plays in each anime. My analysis did not only include the protagonist; if there
are supporting characters that appear to be persona-driven, they have also been analyzed.
A minimum of two characters were reviewed in each anime due to the dual-hero
archetype. I have used both Jung and Hillman’s work together and compared texts; the
hope was to gain a deeper understanding of the persona at the archetypal level. The
animes I chose have pivotal scenes when the protagonist is fighting and not succeeding.
Special attention was paid to battles with primary villains and I was less concerned with
side villains or smaller battles. Side villains are an extension of the main antagonist as
they share the same goals. For this reason, I was concerned with the villains that
threatened the foundation of the characters world rather than smaller battles. These are
the key scenes that have been searched for similarities. According to Jung, archetypes
cannot manifest directly; they need a vessel to come into conscious view. An image
(such as anime) provides an excellent avenue for the archetypes to make themselves
known. This approach helped when exploring which archetypal figure was present
within the animes.
Research methodology. According to R. E. Palmer (1969), the term
“‘hermeneutics’ itself dates only from the seventeenth century” (p. 35). R. E. Palmer
outlined the major definitions of this term:
Hermeneutics has been interpreted . . . as (1) the theory of biblical exegesis; (2)
general philological methodology; (3) the science of all linguistic understanding;
(4) the methodological foundation of Geisteswissenschaften; (5) phenomenology
of existence and of existential understanding; and (6) the systems of
interpretation, both recollective and iconoclastic, used by man to reach the
meaning behind myths and symbols. (p. 33)

In addition to the these definitions, hermeneutics has been used as more than a
methodological approach. The approaches include methodological hermeneutics,
ontological hermeneutics, and critical hermeneutics (Messer, Sass, & Woolfolk, 1988). I
begin this section with some brief definitions. “Methodological hermeneutics refers to
those approaches whose specific aim is to reform, broaden, and humanize the social
sciences” (Messer et al., 1988, p. 4). The goal is changing the current way of thinking
toward something. “Ontological hermeneutics refers to the philosophy of understanding
that begins in the writings of Heidegger . . . [it] views understanding as a fundamental
mode of being-in-the-world” (Messer et al., 1988, p. 4). From his perspective, the
interpretation of texts also reveals the social context in which they were formed.
Understanding the context in which the work arose can even give a deeper understanding
of the author. Lastly, critical hermeneutics refers to work that actively criticizes a current
ideology from social, economic, and historical setting (Messer et al., 1988, p. 4).
Friedrich Schleiermacher’s work is where methodological hermeneutics has its
origins. His work would later inform Wilhelm Dilthey (Messer et al., 1988, p. 6). R. E.
Palmer (1969) stated, “Schleiermacher has the distinction of having reconceived
hermeneutics as a ‘science’ or ‘art’ of understanding” texts (p. 40). The result became
known as general hermeneutics, which came to encompass a variety of texts for
interpretation; not only theological texts. Schleiermacher’s approach to hermeneutics has
a heavy focus on the interpreter. Schleiermacher indicated that typical interpretive
methods have failed to reveal deeper meaning (Messer et al., 1988, p. 6). Simply reading
the text is not sufficient because what a text contains (actual words) and what a text
means (meaning) are two different things. Therefore, it is important for the interpreter to
be able to understand the historical context that the writing came from as well as the
meaning of the words in front of him or her. This is especially troublesome with English
since it is a constantly evolving language. Other limitations are that I am examining an
art form that originated not only in a different culture, but in a different language as well.
The hermeneutic approach is not an exact science and it is not a straightforward
approach. Rather, the phenomenon is examined in smaller chunks, or different layers in
relation to the whole. In turn, this allows a new interpretation to take form.
Schleiermacher also developed the hermeneutic circle. The circular approach
indicates that “understanding inevitably involves reference to that which is already
known it operates in a circular, dialectical fashion” (Messer et al., 1988, p. 7). One
example that Messer et al. (1988) used in describing the hermeneutic circle is how we
understand sentences. Each word has meaning separately, but what we understand
ultimately comes from interpreting the sentence as whole. As for anime, each image and
character may have their own meaning, but how they interact with the environment and
with each other is what informs interpretations. Understanding the parts of an image can
give a greater understanding to the whole (Messer et al., 1988, p. 7). Our understanding
of the whole is informed by what we know by the parts. “In the hermeneutic circle, our
prejudgments are corrected in view of the text, the understanding of which leads to new
prejudgments” (Moustakas, 1994, p. 10). The dynamic of moving back and forth
between understanding individual parts in comparison to the whole is the heart of the
hermeneutic circle. Although I picked pivotal scenes in an anime, how the character
arrived to that point is just as important as the scene being analyzed in the context of the
whole film.
The most common definition used to describe hermeneutics was originally used to
interpret theological and sacred texts. “Hermeneutic science involves the art of reading a
text so that the intention and meaning behind appearances are fully understood”
(Moustakas, 1994, p. 9). We have taken hermeneutic approaches to texts for centuries
“the operation of textual exegesis and theories of interpretation—religious, literary,
legal—date back to antiquity” (R. E. Palmer, 1969, p. 35). However, hermeneutics has
evolved to encompass more. Now, it is not uncommon for hermeneutic approaches to be
taken into media or film in which the moving images become the text.
“Dilthey (1976) accepted Schliermacher’s general outline of hermeneutics,
however historical context was also necessary for an informed interpretation”
(Moustakas, 1994, p. 8). Keeping the historical perspective in mind does make for a
better, rounded approach. Relationships with art, science, and history are primary aspects
of this methodology (Moustakas, 1994, p. 9). The hermeneutic circle is a tool that was
utilized in this dissertation. Using this approach indicates that every interpretation that
one makes is actually in itself based on an interpretation. Any conclusions that one
makes brings one back to the starting point; in this case the starting point is the concept
of the persona. Illuminating the background of the concept of the persona is what
informed my interpretations.
Research procedures. What we know about the unconscious can only be
inferred. I cannot directly “see” the persona; however, I am able to indirectly observe a
phenomena if I have an image or a vessel. Jung’s work was initially used to lay down the
foundation of the concept of the persona and its role in personality development. I feel
the only way to really understand the problem of the persona is to be able to understand
its origins in our lives. An archetypal approach has also contributed to understanding the
historical and cultural context of the concept of the persona and the archetype Dionysus.
The words from the texts themselves are important, and the social and cultural context of
how the concept of the persona emerged is also important. Examining etymological
definitions of the term persona gives insights to which archetypal figures may be behind
the persona. Hillman’s work was utilized to give an archetypal background to the
concepts explored. Each anime I chose was utilized to view the persona from different
angles.
Ethical considerations. I did not use human participants in my research so there
are no ethical considerations involving participants. The nature of this research
encompassed utilizing texts in order to explore the research question. It was important
for me to be mindful of my responses (which are subjective) in interpreting the texts and
anime films. I acknowledge inherent bias in some of my interpretations since anime is
important to me. To provide an in-depth analysis, I chose only four animes. Although
fewer anime films allowed for a more in-depth analysis, this is still only a small sample
of thousands of films. Any findings are only applicable to a certain genre of anime rather
than anime as a whole. Therefore, the goal became to find a common thread within the
anime industry with these findings. Keeping this in consideration was important to
specify why a particular anime was chosen in the body of the dissertation. It was also
important to consider that a separate culture from my own was examined. It is imperative
to show the utmost respect to their work and avoid things such as stereotyping and
generalizing. Although anime characters may be drawn to look like Westerners, they are
still moving images that represent Japanese culture. Any shadow material encountered
has the possibility of being culturally collective in nature and influenced by real-life
trauma (e.g., Hiroshima and Nagasaki). Again, circumstances surrounded by the
collective shadow call for cultural sensitivity in regard to shadow material. The texts
used are objects in themselves and should be respected as such. In addition, the authors
and their intentions should also be considered and respected during the analysis.
Limitations
Japanese anime is created by a different culture than my own; therefore, many of
the symbols and themes are oriented toward Japanese culture and may not be symbolic to
me. In addition, there is the possibility of subtle meaning of character dialogue being lost
in interpretation. Subtitled anime allowed for the original words to be present in
Japanese with English translations. As with any language, some words do not translate
directly to English. Therefore, the person doing the subbing (subtitling) makes a decision
based on the context of the scene. This always leaves room for the possibility of
misinterpretation. From personal experience, I have found subbing to still be closer to
preserving the original meaning of the anime.
Dubbing an anime with American voice actors can change the whole meaning of
the episode. A great example of this is the Sailor Moon character, Zoisite. When the
show came to America, the character was voiced by a female voice actress. I would later
find out as an adult and watching episodes again subtitled that the character was actually
a man with slightly feminine facial features. In retrospect, I realize the change was
probably made as America was trying to tailor the show to a younger audience. With that
being said, it changed the entire meaning of the show for that character. Dubbed anime
has to translate meaning to the English-speaking viewer. In addition, the dialogue has to
make sense in the scene as it is. This is just an example of the limitations of dubbing. As
a Westerner, I cannot give an interpretation based on Japanese culture. Therefore, any
findings and observations were from a Western perspective. In addition, my findings
may not be applicable beyond Western culture.

Chapter 3
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Regardless of genre, coming of age is a key theme within anime. Revolutionary
Girl Utena is one example of a coming-of-age anime (Moriyama, Matsukjra, Ohtsuki, &
Ikuhara, 2001). The main protagonist’s surname Tenjou means ceiling (Nakao, 1997, p.
237). This is fitting because Utena Tenjou rises above some difficult situations as we are
about to learn. For clarity purposes, there are two animes that I will reference in this
analysis. First, there is the anime series, Revolutionary Girl Utena, which comprises 39
episodes. Second is the Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie, which is a condensed
version of the series with some slight differences (Moriyama et al., 2001). The focus of
the analysis is on the main protagonist and supporting characters. However, certain
aspects of the movie may not make sense unless the context of the original anime is
presented. Where applicable episodes of the anime are referenced to amplify what I
observed in the film adaptation.
Initial examination could lead one to assume that the tale of Utena Tenjou is just
another “magical girl” anime which happens to be a very popular genre, or one may feel
that Utena is simply another heroic tale and coming-of-age story. Although Utena does
parallel the magical girl genre in many ways, I feel classifying this film as such overlooks
its significance. Adolescence is a pivotal time and it is very important for psychological
development. Magical girl anime usually presents the struggles of an adolescent girl
trying to become the woman that she is meant to be. Utena’s plight resonates with
viewers because transition is universally experienced. Other life experiences such as
violence, romance, and sexuality are also present within the film. As the film progresses,
unconscious manifestations come into the audience’s view. The purpose of this chapter
is to explore the research questions presented previously:
Through exploration of Japanese anime, in what ways is persona beneficial and/or
detrimental to the main character’s individuation journey?
Furthermore, what specific archetypal presence or presences is represented by the
persona in anime?
After rewatching the film in preparation for the research, it is my opinion much of
Utena’s suffering stems from relations with her animus. For this reason, the anima and
animus concepts are also explored in relation to the princely persona Utena has adopted.
Origins: The Princess and the Prince
This section covering discussion of Utena’s childhood is from the series and not
the film (Ikuhara, 1997). I have included the entirety of the introduction to demonstrate
the narrative feel of Utena’s story:
Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a little princess, and she was very
sad, for her mother and father had died. Before the princess appeared a traveling
prince, riding upon a white horse. He had a regal bearing and a kind smile. The
prince wrapped the princess in a rose-scented embrace and gently wiped the tears
from her eyes. “Little one,” he said, “growing up alone in such deep sorrow,
never lose that strength or nobility, even when you are a young lady. I give you
this [ring] to remember this day. We will meet again. This ring will lead you to
me one day.” Perhaps the ring the prince gave her was an engagement ring. This
was all well and good, but so impressed was she by him that the princess vowed
to become a prince herself one day. But was that really such a good idea?
(Moriyama et al., 2001, 01:38-02:40)
As the story is being narrated, rather than seeing Utena’s face, her skin has the
appearance of a silhouette donning royal clothing. This silhouette helps the viewer
associate Utena’s identity with her attire and the narrative in the background. The story
has a theatrical feel and gives one the impression of viewing a performance. According
to Conforti (2005), “Theatre is imagination is psyche, and a world where the god of our
ancient myths live on” (p. 55). Von Franz (1980) noted that aside from masks being a
representation of the persona, clothing can serve the same purpose (p. 90). Clothing
shields the ego and covers the truth. The traumatic loss of her parents sends Utena into a
deep depression and she lies down in a coffin to die. Although she did not actually die,
the loss of her parents represented the death of her innocence. It was only after her
psychological death that the prince on the white horse came. Her weakness from her
psychological trauma attracted the prince to her. His face and exposed skin is also
obscured, but his white princely garments are visible and illuminated with light. With
some encouragement and some kind words he took away Utena’s sadness and told her
that they would meet again. The experience had such an impact that her “urge for action”
was kindled and she decided that she too would one day become a prince (Moriyama et
al., 2001; Whitmont, 1969). Once that decision was made, the protagonist’s struggle with
the persona had begun. The introduction provides preparation for the viewer to enter the
fairytale of Ohtori Academy. Utena’s resolve to become a prince renewed her in a way
to give her new purpose and she became reborn. Although in this instance, I would say
that she is “twice born” as was the archetypal figure, Dionysus (Otto, 1965, p. 65).
According to Jung (1921/1971, p. 463), the term persona initially referred to
masks that ancient actors wore to indicate the role that they played. Placement of the
mask indicated that the actors were no longer who they were, but rather, they had taken
on the face of the character they are representing. Although not a mask, the silhouetted
figure’s clothing still would be considered persona because the clothing is concealing the
true form of the wearer (von Franz, 1980, p. 90). In addition, in this scene, emphasis is
placed on the clothing by making it bright and even illuminated. As mentioned
previously, Dionysus has associations with wine, fertility, theatre, and chaos. The
association with theater implies that Dionysus and the persona are related to one another.
The retelling of Utena’s origins has a theatrical nature to it. I would argue that a
Dionysian energy is present within this scene. To take it further, Dionysus and Utena
have similarities in their origins as both of them were born twice. Dionysus had a mortal
and divine birth, and in a sense, so did Utena when she became the prince. Her
embodiment of the image of the prince provides a vessel for the archetypal figure of
Dionysus to emerge in her life. Her fulfillment of becoming the prince was not only a
psychologically significant event, but also an archetypal reenactment of putting back
together the dismembered god. Utena’s psychological story is reminiscent of Dionysus’s
dismemberment when he was an infant. Although he had many incarnations, in one of
them, his parents are Zeus and Persephone (Nilsson, 1964, p. 217). He was torn apart by
the Titans when he was lured away from his parents. Through his rebirth Dionysus
would grow to into his full godhood; therefore, dismemberment was the key to his
regeneration and completion. Similarly, for Utena, to step into her adulthood her psyche
would have to be torn apart and rebuilt. Facing difficult memories and coming to terms
with the true happenings of her life were what was needed for her transformation.
When the film commences, the viewer is presented with an image of church bells
ringing as if they are announcing Utena’s arrival. One could argue this scene implies
viewers are entering a spiritually and/or psychologically significant plane. The camera
then pans out to give a view of the mechanistic Ohtori Academy. Immediately, viewers
are thrust into the fantasy as the school moves like the cogs of a machine. The academy
is a living structure, always moving and changing its form. At the same time, it is a
building, which would imply that it is a stationary object. From the beginning, it is
evident that the viewers are witnessing a world where everything is not necessarily what
is seems. Ikuhara, the director of the film, indicated that this scene also serves to convey
to the viewers that they are about to enter a strange world (Moriyama et al., 2001).
Shortly after, a teenaged Utena appears wearing a boy’s uniform and a masculine haircut.
It appears she has taken her vow to become a prince very seriously to the point she has
adjusted her gender presentation. Any femininity of her form is covered—she even goes
as far as to bind her breasts. In von Franz’s (1980) perspective, her style of dress is
indicative of her suiting up with the armor of the persona (p. 90). This is an interesting
parallel as Dionysus dressed as a woman (López-Pedraza, 2000, p. 82). In addition, as a
child Dionysus was dressed as a girl for protection to keep him hidden (López-Pedraza,
2000). Although Utena did not deny being female, it was not necessarily something that
she went out of her way to reveal to anyone.
As Utena is touring the campus, she spots a young man in the distance. We later
find out his name is Touga. She follows him to a secluded area of the campus, but then
loses sight of him. Suddenly, it begins to rain and he appears before her almost seemingly
out of thin air. It turns out that Touga was a childhood sweetheart of Utena’s and they
had not seen each other for several years. The reunion is bittersweet because it turns out
now they will shortly become rivals for the prize of the academy, the Rose Bride. This
scene may lead one to wonder what could be the trigger for his sudden manifestation.
Also, where did the unexpected rain come from? There was not a cloud in the sky before
Utena saw Touga. Director of the film Ikuhara indicated this scene is pivotal because it
introduces the viewer to a significant character (Moriyama et al., 2001). He also
indicated that this scene is significant as it presents a series of appearances with Touga in
conjunction with water. The implication is that Touga’s relationship with water is deeper
that it initially appears. As the film continues it become clear that nothing is what it
appears at the academy.
The Battle Within: Conflicts with the Animus
The sudden manifestation of Touga foreshadows the struggle to come. When this
context is added to the situation, Utena’s hostility toward Touga becomes easier to
understand. Regardless of the energy of the meeting, interactions with the animus tend to
have animosity (Whitmont, 1969, p. 206). When presented with situations that risk
disturbing equilibrium, the ego usually responds negatively in an attempt to regain
control. According to Hollis (2010), the ego is rather timid and does not like psychic
disturbances (p. 9). This is especially true for interactions that require the ego to look
beyond itself. However, “when we are off track, psyche protests” (Hollis, 2010, p. 9). I
would argue the manifestation of Touga is one of these “protests” because of how
unsettling his presence is to Utena. On one hand, she was smitten upon seeing him for
the first time at the academy. The interaction between the anima and the animus is a
powerful thing.
According to Jung (1951/1968), when the anima and animus are confronted with
on another conflict is likely to ensue (p. 15). Whether Utena likes it or not, she is
inexplicably drawn to Touga. The meeting of these two will inevitably create conflict,
and this initial interaction foreshadows the battle to come. Once she realizes that he is at
the school to duel and not necessarily for her, it amplifies her frustration. Although the
ego itself is only one aspect of the psyche, it still has one of the largest influences on
behaviors. Hollis (2010) indicated in his description of the ego that since “Nervous
Nellie” likes to problem-solve, the result is usually a slew of maladaptive behaviors.
Hollis’s (2010) point is demonstrated when Utena responds to Touga with anger toward
him from disappearing from her life when they were children. Rather than deal with the
emotions she reacted by “erecting psychological barriers” for protection (Jung & von
Franz, 1968, p. 17). There is also a more practical concern: Touga’s presence disturbs
the stability of the persona Utena has created, because he knows who she really is. He is
the one person who can destroy all that she has created before her journey even begins.
Although Utena met the prince as a child, he left shortly after meeting with her.
After the death of her parents, Touga became a significant male influence in her life.
With his disappearance, a void was created with Utena’s animus. I would argue her
animus became the warped caricature of a princely persona to compensate. She took
things a step further by identifying with the persona of the prince and trying to make that
her identity. Her behavior is an example of what Hopcke (1995) described as persona
identification. The negative effects of persona identification are not initially evident
considering her emulation of the ideal prince was something that was celebrated. The
persona is not who we are at the core of our being. In ideal situations, a persona is a
polished image of the ego and, in other circumstances, the persona is a façade. In a
balanced individual, aspects of a person’s ego would still shine through the persona. By
all appearances Utena looks to be a prince. Nevertheless, royal attire only serves as a
distraction to psychological imbalance between ego, persona, and animus.
Although necessary for personality development, the persona presents a dilemma.
In order to function in society, the construction of a persona is a necessity. Societal
expectations dictate the development of the persona. A considerable sacrifice of the Self
occurs with persona development (Jung, 1928/1966, p. 193). As a result, an individual’s
ego will begin to identify with the persona rather than resonating with it. What we are
left with is an identity oriented toward collective expectations with a layer of
superficiality (Jung, 1928/1966, p. 193). In the case of Utena, she is sacrificing her
femininity and sense of identity to embody the ideal prince. I found it interesting that she
felt she had to abandon her femininity, but as the movie progresses, it becomes clear that
the patriarchal order of the academy does not support femininity. The idea that she can
be successful outside of the role of the prince does not even appear to be an option to
Utena. The prince became a means for survival and offered new possibilities.
Returning to the opening scene with Utena and Touga, one is able to view gender
constraints imposed on the feminine firsthand. If the prince embodies what is desirable
then it does not seem too strange that Utena would strive for that and make it her persona.
Although she feels empowered, Utena is faced with the dilemma of the princely persona
being desirable only for a man. Her issue with the academy is the accepted norm that a
biological woman cannot be a prince in their world. Interestingly enough, as long as they
have a rose signet ring, which is the mark of the duelist, females are allowed to
participate in the duels. They are, however, not given the same respect as that of their
male counterparts. Additionally, the expectation is still that a prince needs to be male.
This is evident when we hear Touga, Juri, and other characters accusing Utena of
“playing prince” (Moriyama et al., 2001).
Attempting to become the prince brings a variety of issues. Although becoming
the prince of the academy is the objective, playing prince takes on a negative connotation
for a female. At the same time, duelists are not allowed to be feminine either. Biological
sex and gender presentation are two different things and it does not appear to be
acknowledged. In the world of Ohtori Academy, they are both one and the same. Utena
is aware of limitations imposed by the patriarchal order. Her awareness makes the
students at Ohtori Academy uncomfortable. Utena also appears to be having problems
reconciling the drive to be prince while still maintaining her femininity. She is under the
impression she has to give up her femininity to succeed as the prince. The struggle with
the animus is commonplace in the magical girl genre. In an ideal world, embracing the
animus aspect of one’s psyche should not mean losing femininity. The balancing act of
masculine and feminine is proving to be more difficult than Utena may have thought. She
lives in a society that attritubute princely traits as something masculine. In orderto
embody these characteristics it seems unlikely not to sacrifice some femininity in the
process. This leads to the question of what constitutes femininity. Ohtori is the
embodiment of a patriarchal order and Utena is transitioning into a woman in a society
that scorns her very existence. She is, however, still identifying with the image of the
prince to the point that personality is lacking balance or depth. Her reliance on the power
of the prince has been beneficial in ways and has provided her strength. Hillman’s
(1995) teaching indicates the power that she is getting is restrictive at best (p. 109).
Adding a limitation to archetypal energy can actually stifle the flow of power that is
represents. This leads to the question of what is exactly good about being a prince to
begin with?
The hero–prince archetype is very common in modern fairytales, literature, and
film in which the prince saves the “damsel in distress.” The word prince has Latin
origins meaning “first” or “chief,”; therefore, the prince is a privileged individual
(Dictionary.com, n.d.). The journey to become prince is the journey to become the hero.
The idea of privilege and recognition for one’s abilities are a strong motivator for Utena.
However, it appears that only the positive aspects of this privilege are being taken into
account. Power involves sacrifice, and in this instance, the sacrifice is her sense of Self.
A prince at Ohtori Academy is an embodiment of hyper-masculine violence and
marginalizing the feminine for the power to bring a revolution.
After her encounter with Touga, we find Utena standing in front of a garden of
red roses. Amidst the flowers was a lone white rose which came to a bloom. The
journey to the academy starts off with Utena relatively innocent and naïve about the
happenings around her. For this reason, white is a fitting color for the rose, given the
context. The rose comes bearing a gift, her own rose signet ring. Ikuhara indicated that
this particular scene was symbolic of the prince (Moriyama et al., 2001). From a Jungian
perspective, the acceptance of the ring could be seen as acceptance of the task of
individuation. The ring itself is a circular object which could be viewed as a

representation of the Self. It is with this same ring–Self that she would embark on her
journey to becoming the prince. She came to the academy with a fragmented personality,
and I wonder if the journey of the prince was intended to help put her back together. In
the context of the film, the ring is a contract with the other duelists and with world’s end.
World’s end means to give up everything to become the prince, it is the end of
individuality. World’s end also could signify the end of childhood to begin the transition
into adulthood. And lastly world’s end is also another name for the Rose Prince. Utena’s
acceptance of the ring is also a contract with the prince; he has, however, changed quite a
bit since they met last. After the scene, Utena finds her way to a rose-filled arena and
encounters a girl named Anthy who is tending to the roses. They exchange pleasantries
and it becomes evident there is something odd about Anthy because she expresses fear
when she sees Utena’s rose signet ring. Anthy’s fear of the ring leads me to question its
true purpose. I do still think that the ring is a physical manifestation of accepting the task
of individuation. The ring is also a contract with the prince; in other words, it is a
contract with the persona. Before Utena can learn more, she is thrust into a battle after
witnessing Anthy being abused by her current fiancé. At that point, Anthy’s identity as
the Rose Bride as revealed. Her body housed what the characters refer to as the key to
revolutionizing the world.
Who is the Rose Bride?: Character Analysis of Anthy
Anthy’s identity as the Rose Bride is representative of several things. Viewers
may be divided on whether Anthy is good or evil since she seems to lack any free will of
her own. Anthy’s individual role and social role are all tied in with the idea of being the
Rose Bride. Her own brother has called her a witch for the secrets she keeps. Anthy’s
disposition serves as a way to force viewers into introspective thought. Her actions also
do not make it inherently clear what her intentions are. I would argue that she is both.
She is capable of beautiful moments of compassion while at the same time, she is equally
capable of being calculating, passive-aggressive, and will betray anyone if she deems it
necessary. Utena views Anthy in a more positive light; as someone who has had fate
forced upon her (Moriyama et al., 2001). Despite Anthy’s quiet demeanor, there are a
few things that we do know about her. The darker aspects of her personality are masked
by her submissiveness and her obedience to her fiancé. Good as the Rose Bride she is
tied to her fiancé and exercises no free will of her own. The noble prince Utena met as a
child happens to be Anthy’s brother, the Rose Prince–Dios. When they were children
Anthy sealed the Rose Prince away from the public because all of the saving of others
that the Rose Prince was doing was actually killing him. As a result, he was left
exhausted and ill from saving everyone’s daughters. In the spirit of the selfless prince, he
sacrificed his wellbeing for the good of others. By taking him away from the public,
Anthy was accused of being a witch. Thus began her persecution and her imprisonment
in the role of the Rose Bride. In the world of Ohtori Academy, there is not a lot a gray
area for women: they are either princesses or witches. By becoming the Rose Bride she
could restore her brother to his former glory and avoid being labeled as a witch.
Typically, women who are not submissive are the ones labeled as witches.
Although the public thought that she was being selfish, she had several reasons
for hiding the Rose Prince. In retrospect, Anthy reacted as would any concerned sister.
From her perspective, “it was wrong for him to do all the saving . . . when clearly, their
daughters could have very well saved themselves” (Spiral Artist, n.d.). On the other
hand, she may have felt that he was her prince and had no interest in sharing him with the
damsels in distress. This would leave the question of what really happened in this
situation. The reality of the situation is that the Rose Prince presented to the world was
not real but just a projection. Anthy was attempting to protect his secret that he could not
save everyone and in truth there was not anything magical about him. Anthy’s admiration
for her brother deified him into something that he was not, and this projection was shared
by the townspeople. Once the magic wore off and the prince reverted to his true form,
her projection withdrew (Moriyama et al., 2001). With the withdrawal of projections, the
prince died and the mortal came back into conscious view.
The prince was simply an ideal to strive for, but not possible to maintain
indefinitely. The true form of the Rose Prince is a gentleman named Akio and he is the
one who set up the dueling at the academy. The purpose of these duels was Akio’s
attempt to gain back the power he lost by creating a world in which absolute power was
attainable. Perhaps it was guilt, or maybe it was witnessing her brother’s fall from grace,
nevertheless, Anthy sacrificed herself by becoming a Rose Bride to aid in her brother’s
cause to get the prince back.
What I find most disturbing is she actually volunteered for this role willingly and
was not forced, as others may have thought. She knew this role would involve a lot of
sacrifice and pain, but she still made the decision to become the Rose Bride. Her actions
speak to the strength of wanting to be able to identify with projections even at the cost of
a lot of pain. She wanted to do this in order to gain love and acceptance from others.
The need for love and acceptance is something that people can relate to. In addition, her
action speaks volumes of how much she really loved her brother. Unfortunately, the
presence of projections seemed to turn her love into something dark and unhealthy. The
presence of character like Anthy may be uncomfortable and even upsetting for female
viewers. The concern is understandable, considering she deliberately became a classic
damsel in distress. She is the marginalized and repressed woman and her presence forces
viewers to confront cultural standards about treatment of the feminine. Her role and
purpose are exactly what Utena wants to avoid and fights against. Anthy is giving voice
to the struggle of the feminine in the environment of the patriarchal order. Nevertheless,
Anthy perpetuates the image of the Rose Prince which, in turn, reinforces the patriarchy
at Ohtori Academy. Another reason that Anthy may make viewers uncomfortable is that
her presence confronts viewers with double standards. For example, when her brother
Akio commits deviant and manipulative behavior, he is not scrutinized in the same way.
However, when Anthy commits less than desirable behaviors, she is labeled as a witch
and is persecuted immediately. At a superficial level, Anthy seems furthest from what
one would define as a feminine icon. She is passive, always smiling, and lets others use
her as they please.
Like Utena and Akio, Anthy struggles with her own identity as she struggles to
maintain the image of the Rose Bride and her desire to be free. According to Whitmont
(1969), when the ego fails to differentiate itself from the persona it becomes a pseudoego
(p. 156). The result is a skewed personality that is oriented toward the collective.
Anthy’s ego identifies with the persona to the extent that her personality lacks balance or
development. Anthy’s pseudoego has caused a disconnect between the sacred and the
mask of the persona. From Hillman’s (1992) perspective, the persona–mask has both an
individual and collective aspect to it. The pseudoego that Anthy formed leads to a loss of
individual identity (Whitmont, 1969). Without the protection of a healthy ego and
persona, she became a vessel for both conscious and unconscious contents. Anthy’s
plight is similar to Akio’s because she identifies with the projections around her. Her
actions end up deifying her and symbolically stripping her of her humanity. She is no
longer allowed to be human. Because the persona is informed by culture, societal
expectations led her to believe acceptance of the current order was the answer. Hillman
(1992) indicated when a loss of identity happens the individual can become a vessel for
an archetypal figure. Becoming an image allows the archetype to come into conscious
view. In addition, becoming the image is a death of identity for the sake of what society
deems acceptable (Hillman, 1992, p. 46).
Although she appears to be an ordinary teenager, Anthy has access to a great deal
of power. Her body houses the prince’s weapon called “the sword of Dios.” The literal
translation of this name would mean the sword of God. This weapon is the power for
which the dueling students are fighting. The sword makes its appearance at Utena’s first
duel. Utena initially begins fighting with a makeshift sword and begins to lose the battle.
Unexpectedly, Anthy saves Utena from losing the battle by allowing her to use the sword
of Dios. As it protrudes from Anthy’s chest, Utena draws it and transforms into a prince.
After her transformation, she won the battle and Anthy became her bride. A sword is a
common phallic symbol of destruction and strength. By possessing the Rose Bride,
Utena became the possessor of the phallus, but only for a short period of time.
Unless the sword is being used in battle, it cannot exist outside of Anthy. The
sword of God needs a vessel. This little detail caught my attention because I imagine the
power of a God to be limitless. In this instance, human beings are interacting with the
power so it does need a physical vessel to come forth. The Rose Bride is a difficult role
when given this context. Not only does Anthy carry the anima of the fallen prince and
the shadow of society, she also houses the most powerful weapon in existence within
herself. Therefore, we see here how a womb is necessary to contain the power of the
phallus. When we consider all of this chaos, where on earth would an individual
personality exactly fit in? Regardless of duels set in place, both the masculine and
feminine energies are integral aspects for success and this is why the Rose Bride became
necessary. Without a prince to use her weapon, her powers are not complete. One could
argue Anthy’s ability to house the sword addresses the need of integration within the
society. So often we witness fairytales involving men placing their anima projections on
princesses. The reality is they need to reconnect with the anima, not objectify women.
However, the animus is also calling and there is a need to reconnect with its feminine
counterparts. The sword is a phallus, but the sword is also persona. Without the sword,
Utena is no longer a prince and Anthy is no longer the Rose Bride.
The existence of Anthy’s character addresses contradictions within societal
norms; for example, Anthy appears to be submissive, passive, weak, and illogical. On
the other hand, her ability to house the sword of Dios is indicative of her innate power
and abilities. I feel there is another reason that the Rose Bride may make viewers
uncomfortable: not only does Anthy force viewers to confront their standards, she also
embodies Shadow characteristics. Her persona identification gives her a strong
archetypal presence. She also gives voice to the marginalized woman and reveals that
acceptance is the only way oppression and suffering can continue.

A deeper look into Anthy’s origins gives some further insight on how she came to
be. The fairytale of Utena’s beginning underwent some embellishment. In the 34th
episode entitled “Seal of the Rose,” Utena’s memories are explored in more depth and it
is revealed that Anthy was present the same day Utena met the Rose Prince. Witnessing
her suffering as the Rose Bride is actually what prompted Utena to say that she would
become a prince to save Anthy. She only did this after the prince indicated that he was
personally unable to save Anthy (Ikuhara, 1997). Rather, she can only be saved by a
prince in whom she believes. The Rose Prince’s statement seems to indicate this was
around the time that Anthy saw her brother’s humanity. She no longer believed in him
and actually perpetuated her own suffering.
What is revealed in this episode indicates that suffering had been a part of
Anthy’s life for the majority of her childhood. Underneath the calm and quiet demeanor
is a woman who is constantly in pain, both physically and psychologically. This is while
bearing the anima of her brother, the shadow of society, and housing a weapon of
destruction. The general core lessons of anime tend to lean toward sacrifice and suffering
being more important that individual happiness to begin with (Lam, 2007). If we keep
this in consideration, then it becomes clearer that her role is to teach the viewer about
suffering and sacrifice at a collective level. Her plight is actually one of the core lessons
anime aims to teach viewers. If this is the case, then why is she detested by so many
characters? Based on the Dios assessment, the primary driver for Anthy’s decision to
seal away the prince was for love rather than for selfish reasons. This scene also reveals
that Anthy considered the prince to be hers alone, rather than belonging to all the
townspeople. On a personal level, I question if such a sacrifice is even worth it. She
sentenced herself to an eternity of suffering and she lost her prince anyway. She became
deified like the prince over rather human emotions of jealously, love, and concern. Her
role then became that of a woman who is constantly meant to suffer for the betterment of
others. With the prince gone, she was only left with her suffering.
The Anthy that we meet at the Ohtori Academy is firmly established in her role as
the Rose Bride. Her sacrifice continues to define who she is and she has no hope of
abandoning her role as the Rose Bride because she feels it is her rightful punishment.
The main point I am trying to convey is that regardless of appearances, Anthy is in a
constant place of suffering. Anthy admits to being manipulative to further her brother’s
agenda. Since she is embodying the energy of an archetype, she feels no remorse for her
actions. Archetypes are not governed by the same principles as are people: they are
neither moral nor immoral, they simply exist. Therefore, if manipulating a situation
benefits the prince, then that is what must be done. Her heart is broken from the loss of
her original prince and her body is broken from the hatred of society. Her general lack
of emotions is indicative of her psychological state; she is empty. Her emptiness is why
I lean toward the argument that Anthy has a pseudoego. She has a poorly developed
ego, and this provided fertile ground for persona identification.
Who is the Rose Prince?: Character Analysis of Akio
He has many names: the Rose Prince, Dios, World’s end, and Akio, but who is
Akio, really? For one thing, he is the closest thing to an antagonist within the film. One
interesting thing about Akio is that the viewer is not given any history of his origins.
When initially presented, he is already the Rose Prince who had the appearance of an
adolescent teen. In the absence of actual parents, the meaning of his name may have
something to offer. The first portion of his name, Aki, means fall, autumn, and vacancy
(Nakao, 1997, p. 6). The letter o as a noun translates to king (Nakao, 1997, p. 172).
Although fall pertains to seasons, taken literally, his name would indicate that he is a
fallen or empty king. According to P. J. Palmer (2000), fall is a transitional period and
the precursor to the death we experience in winter (p. 98). It can either be a time for
preparation and reflection, or others may be distracted by the beauty of the transition.
When we fear the dark that we demand light around the clock, there can be only
one result: artificial light that is glaring and graceless, and, beyond its border a
darkness that grows even more terrifying as we try to hold it off. (p. 100)
I would argue artificial in the quote is referencing persona. When we try so hard to push
away undesirable aspects of ourselves we end up with an artificial personality at best.
The border (unconscious) surrounding our psychological world only becomes darker the
more that it is ignored. Holding onto persona only serves to be the catalyst for
transformation and growth of the shadow. Johnson (1991) indicated the more the shadow
is ignored, the more autonomy it has within the psyche. The shadow is hidden from
conscious view so a person is unaware of the havoc inside of his or her psyche.
Circumstances change significantly when the shadow makes an appearance into
conscious view.
This leads to the question of what we can learn from the Rose Prince’s fall from
grace in relation to the persona. The Rose Prince, Dios, and Akio are all the same person;
just in different stages of his life. Akio identified with the projections around him and
pushed himself to the brink of death to embody the ideal of the prince. Rather than
resonating with the persona of the prince, he attempted to make that his identity. He gave
up living his life as a human being and became a walking archetype just as his sister
would later do. He allowed many complexities of the human condition to be repressed
away in order to embody an ideological extreme. Such power does not come without a
price: “From a certain point of view, life has its Sadeian ways, tying us, limiting us,
forcing us to give up freedoms in order to have certain of its treasures” (Moore, 1990, p.
127). His treasure was the love and admiration of his people as well as his sister. His
freedom was removed when he made the decision to identify with the image of the
prince. From that point forward, he belonged to the people of his town. In other words,
he belonged to the collective. Identification with the image all but obliterated his
humanity as his identity became linked with societal expectations. This means fighting
enemies, protecting damsels, and being selfless in every action he takes. He does all of
this without a request for anything in return, but can a human being really live a selfless
existence at all times? Akio seemed to think so, and that left him thinking he needed no
one to take care of him. As a reminder, the archetypes are the archaic structures that
govern instincts and behaviors (Stevens, 2001, p. 48). They can be thought of as the
prototypical patterns for our behaviors. Even with changes within our culture, archetypes
are enduring and they come in a variety of guises. If this is true, then any deviation made
from the archetype of the hero–prince would mean he is no longer embodying that
archetype. The moment his humanity became evident, he ceased to be the Rose Prince.
His value as a prince is based on his ability to maintain the archetype.
As a human, failure was inevitable and this whole process most likely left him
feeling vulnerable, ashamed, and even remorseful for not being able to fulfill
expectations. “These brutal and relentless emotions poison the atmosphere, and they
hang around in spite of all variety of techniques for getting rid of them” (Moore, 1990, p.
126). Again, in order to embody the ideal, these feelings were repressed so he could
continue the work of the prince. Continual repression of undesirable traits only serves to
feed the shadow of one’s psyche (Johnson, 1991). Evidence of what the damaged
repression has done becomes evident after the Rose Prince fades away.
When pushed to the brink, his choices were very limited: die or accept his
humanity and fall from grace. Regardless of the outcome his “glaring light” inevitably
was put out (P. J. Palmer, 2000, p. 100). This is because society was more concerned
with his ability to save them, rather than who he was at the core of his being. After his
inevitable failure, he is no longer deified and what is left is only Akio. In a sense, the fall
of the Rose Prince and the rise of Akio was a death of sorts. The transition back to Akio
was the death of an illusion. Akio is everything that this prince is not; he is selfish, dark,
and impure. At one point, the Rose Prince–Dios was the solution for this problem. The
selflessness that was the main driver behind the existence of Dios becomes the driver for
Akio’s selfishness and darkness. The darkness that consumes Akio not only describes his
personality, but it also describes what archetype he has now become. Dios was the
embodiment of the selfless prince. Akio is the opposite of Dios, he is a manifestation of
the dark tyrannical ruler. Rather than being taken advantage of by the public, he takes
advantage of them. The “End of the World” that is referenced within the anime could
also be viewed as the boundaries to his kingdom (Moriyama et al., 2001). Rather than
acting on the good of the people, Akio acts on his desires and has no qualms about
manipulating situations. These less-than-desirable characteristics described above serve
as a reminder of why Dios fell to begin with. Any personality traits that deviate outside
of the norm—whether good or bad—is attributed to shadow (Johnson, 1993). For this
reason, negative characteristics became locked away through Dios’s repression. Dios
was not only a walking archetype, but he also acted stereotypically in his role of the
Prince. One could argue that in order for Dios to become the King, he was destined to
become the descent into darkness which was actually a necessary transition. His dark
characteristics were only exacerbated by his repression of shadow traits. Had the
transition been a little more graceful, perhaps viewers would have met a more a balanced
King.
Although Akio presents himself as an adult and headmaster of the academy,
psychologically, one could argue he is around the same level of the students. He is never
held accountable for his actions, whether they are right or wrong. He is aware of
consequences of taking certain actions, but it does not seem to faze him. He is ruled by
selfishness instead of selflessness so he does what he pleases. Archetypes are not
governed by one’s sense of morality. For this reason, Akio will act in his best interest
even if others may see it as morally wrong. I think this may shed light on why, in some
instances, Akio acts the way he does. Poor ego development is only the tip of the iceberg
and does not even begin to describe Akio’s depravity.
Returning to the film, after Utena’s victory Anthy becomes engaged to her,
though the engagement is more symbolic than anything else. Being engaged simply
indicates that as long as Utena keeps winning duels, Anthy will be tied to her. This
engagement should not be confused with more traditional notions of engagement. Utena
is not pleased with Anthy and exclaims, “I have no need for the Rose Bride!” to her
(Moriyama et al., 2001,25:23). Her hostility toward Anthy is understandable as this

confrontation is similar to when she met with Touga. Her union with Anthy is a
confrontation between the ego and the shadow and attempts to avoid confrontation are
futile because now Anthy belongs to her. Utena faces resistance from the other students
and ends up fighting several duels to defend the very woman that she claims to have no
need for. Although Anthy proved to be an asset to Utena’s objectives, that did not stop
her from fighting the pull of becoming emotionally attached to Anthy. Shadow
integration, at some point, means persona dissolution. I consider Utena’s fear of perona
dissolution as the reason that she tried to keep herself emotionally distanced from Anthy.
After winning the duel later that night, Utena notices Anthy walking around the
campus and decides to follow her. They end up at the Rose Garden and again Anthy is
tending to her roses. An argument ensues and Utena ends up accusing Anthy of making
Touga act strangely to her. Utena recounts the promises he made to her about dancing
among the stars and always being together. It is at that point that Utena first begins to
realize the prince most likely is not real. She ends up falling asleep in Anthy’s lap, too
emotionally exhausted to even go back to her room. Shortly after that Anthy gets up and
destroys the irrigation system and ends up flooding the rose garden. Initially, it is not
clear what is happening until the viewers see the reflections of the night sky. Utena
realizes that even with all the suffering she has gone through, Anthy does have interest in
her happiness and they end up dancing with one another. As they are dancing, their
reflections in the water are that of the prince and the Rose Bride. This dance is an
exchange of energies in the moment that Utena accepts Anthy as she is, even if she
dislikes it. In this moment, the characters are embodying the very energy of Dionysus,
who was, as Hillman (1992) discussed, the masculine (prince) and feminine (bride)
primordially united. Unacceptable traits are traditionally attributed to the Shadow.
However, once these traits are accepted, they become part of consciousness. After their
acceptance of one another, Utena was able to transcend the barriers that stopped her.
The final duel was a defining moment for Utena as she became possessed by the
prince (animus) to win her duel. At this moment her transformation is at a pivotal point.
After her final victory, a castle drops down from the sky, and viewers later find out that
the unusual structure is the castle of eternity. In that moment, the illusions of the
academy are finally revealed and it becomes evident that the school is not connected to
the real world. The Academy is only real for those who believe it to be. The structure
itself is strong, like the order of the Academy. In addition, this ominous structure hid in
plain sight; it turns out that it was always there in the background. I would argue the
castle is representative of the unconscious. The outside of the structure could also be
representation of a collective persona.
At this point, the cracks in the foundation of the Academy are beginning to show
and the fantasy starts to fall apart. First, the prince is both literally and psychologically
dead. The water from the irrigation system reveals Akio’s body has been found and was
buried under some roses. It turns out he was buried in the Rose Garden that Anthy
tended. Anthy’s truth is revealed in a short clip. It turns out that Akio routinely drugged
her and sexually abused her. Being a walking archetype left Akio with a lot of trauma.
One of the ways he attempted to drown his sorrow was with alcohol. It was in an
intoxicated state he would drug and sexually assault his sister. In a drunken state, he fell
off the roof the building once he realized that Anthy was, in fact, awake during his
assaults. The startling reality was that she let him assault her. She confesses to being
awake, but indicates to him that because he is her prince, he can do with her as he
pleases. Now in a heightened distressed state, he was looking for his car keys and
proceeds to stab Anthy in the chest before stumbling and falling off the balcony. This
interaction and her injuries left her heartless. Your interpretation of this all from a depth
psychological perspective would be good—there is a great deal to consider
Reclaiming the Soul: Final Meeting with the Animus
After the appearance of the castle, viewers witness Utena searching the school to
find Anthy. Rather than finding her, she finds Touga in an elevator. As the elevator
begins to descend, Utena and Touga begin to talk. He begins by questioning her and
asking if she realizes the significance of the duels in which she participated. Then he
tells her that “there is no prince in the flesh”: he never existed in the first place
(Moriyama et al., 2001, 57:23). His words are haunting as Utena made the same
statement that the prince did not exist before her dance with Anthy. The duels existed
solely for the purpose of maintaining the image of the Prince. Akio’s creation of the
duels only serves to perpetuate the image that he longs to get back. Anthy’s role as the
Rose Bride was also for that purpose. She would take the hatred of society so the image
of the prince could live on. With hopes of becoming a prince shattered, Utena finally
comes to grips with her persona identification. The truth of the world around her is
finally clear; it is all a cultural construct. Furthermore, it was only real because she and
so many others believed it to be. Participation in the duels would only perpetuate the
fantasy of the Academy. Ohtori Academy is actually persona.
The true story of her childhood comes flooding back and that fairytale turns out
not to be so sweet. Utena was never a princess. Rather, she was a young girl in a deep
depression contemplating suicide after being orphaned at such a young age. Interesting I
was wondering at the archetype of the orphan in all this She did meet the Rose Prince and
he did tell her to stay strong, but other details of her story were embellished. Perhaps this
was her Psyche’s way of helping her deal with the trauma. Nevertheless, the event was
the catalyst for the split in her personality and the need to become the prince began.
During this scene, we find out that Touga drowned as a child trying to save someone else.
The reason he disappeared is because he no longer existed. However, remnants of him
lived on, but he was only a ghost. The realization of the truth, again, was a catalyst for
Utena to finally separate the ego from the princely persona. The elevator begins to fill
with water because a separation from the persona would inevitably mean a separation
from Touga.
The split in her personality drowned out Touga as he drowned in his youth.
Before he departs, he asks her to come with him, but she decides to stay because if she
left with him she would not be able to go to the outside world and step out of the fantasy.
After her refusal, he bids her farewell and swims away into the darkness. Any
apprehension from integrating her animus is washed away by the elevator. After the
elevator stops, she steps out at and is actually at the Rose Garden where she and Anthy
first met. Her descent into the depths brought her to a higher state of mind. In addition,
Utena was finally able to accept the truth of her past and the truth of the prince.
Anthy is waiting for her in her Rose Bride attire and indicates that Utena has
become the prince of the Academy. Her dream finally came true. However, the power of
the prince is contingent upon remaining at the Academy and maintaining the façade. Just
as Anthy attempts to give Utena the sword, she refuses and states, “Let’s go to the outside
world” (Moriyama et al., 2001, 01:01:38-01:01:41). Her confrontation with Touga and
her acceptance of the fantasy around her drove her to seek freedom. There is no need for
the phallic instruments when one can be the phallus (Lacan, 1998). Shortly after stating
what her intentions are, a car wash springs up in front of her and transforms Utena’s body
into a vehicle. Her body now matches with her mindset and she has the ability to venture
onward beyond the school. Initially, I found the appearance of a carwash in the rose
garden to be odd and out of place. Taken literally, she becomes the vehicle for her
departure. In an interesting twist, the place that she was trying to escape actually gave
her a way for freedom.
This scene is significant for both Utena (ego) and Anthy (Shadow) because they
need each other to leave together. Initially, Utena came to the Academy to become a
prince, but now it is clear the prince is not real. Anthy initially wanted to perpetuate the
fantasy of the prince, but it was costing her individuality. Yes this is so often true of the
animus projected If Anthy wanted to leave the Academy she had to save herself and not
depend on a prince to do it for her. After Utena’s vehicle transformation completes,
Anthy stares in amazement. It turns out that Utena’s rose signet ring had become the key
to the vehicle. Although the ring initially bound her to the persona, the realization of who
she was transformed it into a key. Suddenly, the platform they are on begins to lower.
Utena cannot take Anthy with her until she too confronts her unconscious. At this point,
Utena steps back as the protagonist and the spotlight is on Anthy to make her
transformation back into a human being. Again the audience is confronted with the idea
of choice, which is something that is important in the individuation process. Acceptance

is the only way to perpetuate suffering. Anthy resolves to remove the mask of the Rose
Bride and begins making her way out of the Academy.
This scene is important for a few reasons. Aside from signifying the beginning of
Anthy’s transformation, Utena has also relinquished control entirely to Anthy at this
point. She did so with good reason, in order to leave the Academy, she would have to
relinquish the power she had gained to utilize its full potential. The removal of control is
what allows her to become the vehicle (literally) for her and Anthy’s escape. Finally,
rather than working against each other, they are now working together. This scene does
not appear to be about integration of psychic contents. Rather, it showcases the
importance of the protagonist and supporting characters as they are. This approach
coincides with Hillman’s (1997) polytheistic perspective regarding the psyche.
According to Hillman (1995), the power of Dionysian energy lies in the lack of
restraint and control. The concept of control places limitations on power because power
contains control (Hillman, 1995). The archetypal energy cannot flow freely when
limitations are placed on it. Allowing Anthy (Shadow) to take the driver’s seat was
Utena’s way of taking a step back in Dionysian thought and consciousness. She would
only be able to achieve this by returning to the more instinctual (unconscious) aspect of
the psyche, which is what Anthy represented for her (Hillman, 1992). Utena’s
vulnerability allowed her to transcend the constraints of the princely persona. From a
polytheistic perspective, acknowledgment of the autonomy of the psyche is the key to
psychic growth (Hillman, 1997). This was only achieved, however, because the psyche
was allowed to be itself. The act of relinquishing control allowed for Dionysus to have
his role with Utena’s psyche.

Anthy meets a dark highway that has several obstacles that are trying to stop her.
All the signs are telling her it is dangerous and to go back. She is being beckoned back to
the Academy, but she resolves to continue forward. As she continues driving, the castle
of eternity can be seen in the distance. The monolithic structure is a moving illusion
shining brightly. While beautiful on the outside, the structure rides on thousands of
wheels. In this view, the upper portion of the castle can be representative of
consciousness and the patriarchal order. Good The underbelly of this structure can be
representative of the unconscious. The structure eventually obstructs Anthy from
proceeding forward, but she quickly realizes that the exit is underneath the structure. In
order to achieve true freedom from psychic bondage, the unconscious would have to be
met head-on. The opportunity to turn back had passed, she had made the decision to quit
running from who she is. Once she did again make the choice to continue, the
appearance of the vehicle changes into a more phallic shape. This makeover makes it
easier to penetrate the structure. The further she goes, the more difficult it is to navigate
the inside of the structure. The closer she gets, she finds it easier to maneuver around.
Eventually, she does manage to make it out the other side. However, she still has
a final confrontation waiting for her, the Rose Prince–Akio. He is beckoning her to come
back to the Academy. He exclaims, “It’s easy you just need to be a corpse” (Moriyama
et al., 2001, 01:16:33). Maintaining the order of the academy would mean dying inside,
which is what she did as the Rose Bride. He also made statements that women are not
capable of changing the way things are: They are destined to be princesses who need to
be saved and nothing more. Anthy vocalizes her rejection of Akio as her prince and
makes her decision to continue forward. At that moment, Utena and Anthy both break
through the final barrier and the castle of eternity fades away in a shower of roses. This
is lovely As they emerge from the final barrier they are nude, which would be indicative
of the shedding of the persona of the Prince and the Rose Bride. As they are riding away
there is a flashback of the Academy, which shows that all of the students turned out to be
straw dolls. Two of the dolls had nametags on them. Closer inspection reveals that the
nametags read Utena and Anthy. They left their innocence and the world of childhood
behind.
Revolutionary Girl Utena goes beyond coming of age. The revolution that each
character sought did not really exist. After all, how can one revolutionize a world that is
not real? The revolution was an evolution from adolescence into adulthood. A
movement from fantasy to reality Anime is an image and therefore, it has the ability to
speak the psyche. The images allow archetypal figures a means to communicate with us.
The Rose Bride and the Prince force viewers to confront societal expectations of the
masculine and the feminine. Societal constraints can stifle psychological development.
Unrealistic expectations lead to skewed personalities and unbalanced personas. One can
save a person, but one cannot free him or her; ultimately, the person will have to make
that decision.
Utena’s story demonstrates how the persona has the ability to permeate all aspects
of a person’s life. In the face of trauma, the persona became a protection from being
consumed by psychic wounds. Identification with the persona allows for people to
further repress shadow contents (Johnson, 1991). At the same time, this makes an
individual more susceptible to the unconscious. In Anthy’s case, the need for love and
acceptance can cause one to take on a persona that does not belong to him or her, but
rather to society. Even worse, a person’s sense of identity can completely disappear and
he or she becomes nothing more than a vessel for the unconscious (Hillman, 1992). The
plight of the Rose Bride is like a living death, a sacrifice for the sake of others. The
persona is the aspect of personality that we interact with the most when out in the world.
For this reason, it is the aspect of our personality that is rewarded (Jung, 1931/1969, pp.
122–123). Although image is important as it can teach us about the psyche, a certain
degree of balance is necessary. Otherwise, we risk going to extremes. The final lesson
of Utena, Anthy, and Akio is that change is possible. The persona is necessary, but it
does not have to be the driving force behind all behaviors. Also, the persona is not
necessarily one thing: it can be an object, structure, or even an entire person.

Chapter 4
Full Metal Alchemist
The purpose of this chapter is to examine the anime Full Metal Alchemist (FMA)
from both Jungian and archetypal perspectives. To give some clarity, there are two FMA
animes as well as a manga (Japanese comic). The initial series has its own unique
storyline and is not based on the manga. The second series is titled Full Metal Alchemist:
Brotherhood and is more closely related to the original storyline (from the manga?).
Because FMA Brotherhood follows the manga storyline more closely,ok I feel it is closer
to the creator’s original intention. Where appropriate, I reference the original series to
give context; however, the primary analysis is on the Brotherhood series and its
characters. It is worth noting that in this chapter, more attention is given to the villain of
the series, who would be considered the shadow in Jungian terms. The shadow is
complementary to the persona; therefore, any insights gained would be beneficial
information in learning more about the concepts (Hopcke, 1995).
The story centers on the practice of alchemy. The practice of alchemy in FMA
has some similarities with historical rituals. Alchemy largely began as the practice of
attempting to transmute materials (most often metals) into gold or into a philosopher’s
stone (Collins English Dictionary, n.d.). The philosopher’s stone is a substance capable
of transcending the traditional limitations of alchemy; the stone is a universal solvent for
spiritual and/or psychological problems (Collins English Dictionary, n.d.). This
definition by no means encompasses all of what alchemy means, but it does convey the
general message of what this practice is about. Alchemic rituals facilitate transformation
within the psyche of alchemists who attempt to transmute materials. According to Jung,
the process of alchemy provides a ritual for individuation and transformation of one’s
psyche. However, it should be noted that Jung’s perspective is one of many and there is a
multitude of ways for alchemy to be understood. Consistently, the alchemy in FMA
shows it is indeed transformative on both physical and psychological levels. However,
the alchemy in the FMA world also has a shadow side as each ritual has some sort of cost
to the parties involved.
Full Metal Alchemist Origins
FMA demonstrates a variety of Jungian concepts at work. The FMA world exists
on an alternate timeline where alchemy was pursed rather than the traditional sciences
that we know today. Therefore, rather than alchemy being the precursor to the modern
sciences, it became the dominant framework of how the world was perceived. The main
protagonists are Edward and Alphonse Elric, who have recently lost their mother, Trisha,
to an unnamed illness. Their father had left years before for what he described as
“work.” Essentially, the Elric brothers were being raised by a single parent.
Understandably, they were devastated at Trisha’s death as she was the only stable
parental relationship they had. To make matters worse, they are both very young at the
time of Trisha’s death. In an act of desperation, they turned to alchemy to try and bring
her back to life. This action would be the first of many mistakes. Although they
inherited a talent for alchemy from their father, they are by no means experts at the craft.
In addition, many of the alchemic texts left by their father were very advanced and
beyond their understanding. Even taking these variables into account, the brothers
wanted to attempt this ritual under the premise that humans are simply composed of
chemical compounds. Therefore, if they have the right formula and measurements they
should be able to successfully revive her. Half of their premise is correct, human beings
are organic creatures, and our bodies are made of elements. Nevertheless, there is no
formula for a human spirit. From a more practical perspective, it is not clear how Trisha
died, her body could have some type of unknown damage. Spirituality and religion set
aside, there was also no guarantee that bringing her body back would make her the same
person psychologically.
The alchemy they are attempting is called human transmutation, it is considered a
forbidden art form. Up to this point, no one has been successful at a human
transmutation. If, by some stroke of luck, someone does come out of the process alive,
usually, he or she is maimed by the process. A successful human transmutation would
have some disturbing implications that a human soul had a price. Even though no one
has completed a human transmutation, this leads to the question of what drives people to
keep trying? In the alchemical world, there is a principle that governs all transmutation:
“Alchemy is a science . . . to create, something of equal value must be lost” (Glass &
McFarland, 2009, 01:00-01:30). To bring something into existence, something must be
sacrificed; it is the price of the knowledge the alchemist gains. I find that the principle
has similarities to the individuation process.
According to Jung (1921/1971), the individuation process involves the ego getting
in touch with the Self and resonating with it; in addition, the individuation process fosters
the development of the true personality and not a superficial one (p. 448). Working
through the individuation process involves a high degree of sacrifice. The ego steps back
as the dominant force of the psyche so the Self can be realized. This does not, however,
mean that the ego is completely removed from the picture. The ego and persona still
remain the conscious part of the psyche. The conscious aspects of psyche merely gets
expanded as unconscious contents are integrated. Once a person has learned something
significant about oneself, he or she cannot forget it, even if it happens to be something
unpleasant. The price of self-awareness is sometimes being uncomfortable with less
desirable aspects of oneself.
Despite the inherent risks and lack of knowledge about human transmutation, the
brothers move forward with the ritual. One could argue it is the need to reunite with their
mother that was the main driving force behind their behavior. Others may find it a little
arrogant, even if it was unintentional, to believe they could stop the unrelenting force of
death. While performing the ritual, initially things seem to be going as planned. Edward
soon is horrified as his brother Alphonse begins to disintegrate before his eyes. Their
ritual space transforms into a large eye. At this time, the viewers are exposed to “The
Gate of Truth” for the first time. The camera pans out to an endless white void with
nothing but a gate inside of it. Once Edward gets his bearings, he realizes he is in the
presence of an ethereal being (Truth) who questions how our protagonist has made to this
location (Self) so soon. Shortly after Edward is put into the Gate again; only this time, he
is flooded with knowledge of the world. He is exposed to the past, present, and even
visions of the future. Just as the secret of human transmutation was about to be revealed
to him he woke up back in his world, missing a leg and bleeding profusely. Alphonse
was still nowhere to be found. To make matters even worse Trisha’s remains became a
breathing, twisted, grotesque mass of organic matter, rather than a person. Although it
was living, it did not appear to possess self-awareness. Determined to not also lose his
brother in this ritual, Edward instinctively realized that he had to sacrifice something else
in hope of getting his brother back. He quickly drew symbols on his arm and managed to
attach his brother’s soul to a suit of armor that happened to be in the room. We later
learn that this attachment is temporary and that eventually Alphonse’s soul will go back
to the Gate to meet his body.
These events were the catalyst for the characters to begin their journey toward
becoming whole again. The loss experienced by our protagonists is harsh, to say the
least. However, the trauma of the events was necessary to get the message across that
coming face to face with the Self prematurely will change a person. A human being is
composed of a soul, not only its elements. Because the characters did not acknowledge
this when they attempted human transmutation, the alchemy rebounded on them. In a
Jungian lens, this would be the Self putting the ego back in its proper place. The
subtleties and complexities of personality mean there is always something unknown.
There is nothing that one can exchange for someone’s soul (personality), and this is why
human transmutation is never able to be completed successfully. There is always
something within the unconscious that is unknown. No matter how much preparation an
alchemist makes, there is always going to be something that is unaccounted for.
The events can leave the viewer wondering what could have been a driving force
for their behavior. They were not alchemists, yet they were attempting to perform
transmutations. There is the obvious situation of wanting to reunite with their mother.
Additionally, there is the other matter of the persona and the role it plays in all of this.
They are adolescent boys, their father is gone, their mother is dead, and it is the early
1900s. The stigma of being orphans would have made them outcasts in society. The
persona is modeled after culture and aims to coincide which what society considers
normal and acceptable (Johnson, 1991). Without having their mother, they simply would
have not fit in. Maintaining public image is a struggle that most can relate to. It is not
abnormal for individuals to have multiple personas for different situations. In an attempt
to repair their public persona, they privately took on the identity of the alchemists. This
action allowed them a way out and allowed them to save face after the failure of the
ritual. Alchemy was socially acceptable in their culture, so becoming alchemists allowed
them a way to remain a part of society even if they were orphans.
Panning back to the characters, after the failure of the ritual, Edward is confronted
by Truth, who gives the following introduction: “I am what you call the Earth. Or
perhaps the universe or perhaps God, or perhaps truth, or perhaps all or perhaps one, and
I am also you” (Glass & McFarland, 2009, 08:47-08:54). Truth’s introduction makes it
evident that Edward has fallen into a sacred space. Truth goes on to say, “Welcome fool
who does not know his place . . . isn’t this what you wanted? I shall show you the truth”
(Glass & McFarland, 2009, 09:00-09:15). Given Truth’s statements one could argue that
from a Jungian perspective, this character would be an embodiment of the Self. Because
of the historical knowledge inside the Gate, Truth’s statements suggest it is from the
collective unconscious rather than only the personal unconscious. Truth is comprised of
this knowledge, and it has manifested in the form of the Self.
The interaction with Edward and Truth showcases a few things; most notably, the
struggle of resonating with the Self and avoiding ego inflation, which is a symptom of
persona identification. From a Jungian perspective, persona identification occurs when
the ego relates to the persona to the extent that it fuses with the ego (Hopcke, 1995, p.
30). Again, ego inflation is when the ego begins to identify with the Self, which can lead
to grandiosity and being consumed by the unconscious. Since both concepts are
occurring with several FMA characters, I think a better descriptive would be persona
inflation. This occurs specifically when someone is suffering from persona identification
and ego inflation at the same time. The search for a deeper meaning in one’s existence is
an ongoing battle.
Edward’s confrontation with the being Truth parallels a lot ancient myths; for
example, the struggles between the biblical character Job, Yahweh, and Satan. Other
examples would be the Sumerian tale depicting Inanna and Ereshkigal’s confrontation as
well as the Hindu epic when Arjuna meets Krishna in the fullness of his godhood. To
facilitate the process of individuation, the ego must realize its position within the psyche.
This task proved difficult for characters such as the Elric brothers and Job who exhibited
persona inflation. Job, Inanna, Edward, and Arjuna’s actions seem to indicate that they
know the Self, but rather than resonating with the Self, the ego identified with it. When
this occurs, the Self will do what is needed to put the ego into its proper place. One
example of this is when Yahweh begins questioning Job about creation itself: “Have you
entered in the sources of the sea, or walked about in the depths of the abyss?” (Job 38:16,
Revised Standard Version). Yahweh was asking if the unfathomable can be understood
by the human ego. Although Job knew little of the unconscious, he had no problem
identifying with it. The assumption that Job knew what Yahweh wanted made Job unfit
to be in the presence of the unconscious. Similarly, by attempting human transmutation,
the Elric brothers were unfit to be in the presence of Truth. The action of the
transmutation itself made a statement to Truth, and the Elric brothers felt that because of
alchemy they were above the laws of the Self. Truth’s thrusting Edward into the Gate
was its own form of divine demonstration. The overwhelming experience left Edward
begging for it to stop. Edward’s discomfort demonstrates the ego is not equipped to face
the full reality of the unconscious. In cases of inflation as with Elric brothers, if one is
not careful, the ego can be consumed by the Self. According to Jung (1951/1968), “it
must be reckoned a psychic catastrophe when the ego is assimilated by the self. The
image of wholeness then remains the unconscious” (p. 24).
In the moment that the secret of human transmutation was to be revealed, Edward
was back in the presence of Truth. The horrifying reality of the Gate is revealed as
Edward is informed that a toll must be paid by anyone who crosses the sacred threshold.
Edward loses his arm and leg while Alphonse loses his entire body and any hope of
seeing his mother. The individuation processes involves assimilation of unconscious
contents. The knowledge gained from the unconscious must be accepted in its entirety
this involves both the good and the bad. The tolls exacted by Truth are a sobering
reminder that advancement of knowledge always has a cost. The truth of Truth is that the
toll will leave alchemist forever changed. The persona of the alchemist led the Elric
brothers to this point. Outwardly, the negativity of the events could lead one to view the
persona in a negative light. Admittedly, they did not take up this identity completely
until the loss of their mother. However, the identity of the alchemist and resonating with
it in a healthier way is what would be the catalyst for transformation for the brothers.
Thus begins the journey of the Elric brothers, the dual heroes.
What exactly is a dual hero? A notable difference with Japanese heroes is that
they tend to bring together individuals to form one entity, reality, and universe. Steiff
and Tamplin (2010) indicated Japanese culture and mythology are the reasoning for this
twist in the hero archetype that is not seen in Western culture. For example, Japanese
creation myth starts with “two Gods Izanami—(‘Female-Who-Invites’) and Izanagi
(‘Male-Who-Invites’)—come together to create the world” (Steiff & Tamplin, 2010, p.
257). In Christian creation myths, the making of the world was an act of separation and
distinction, rather than unification. Although the dual heroes can function separately and
have their own strong points, they work best together. What unites them is that they
share the same goal. This is not simply an instance of characters having similar ideals.
In the case of the dual hero characters who equally want to achieve their objective, the
shared purpose they have is what places the Elric brothers into this category (Steiff &
Tamplin, 2010, p. 249).
In this case, the Elric brothers are seeking redemption for their transgressions of
human transmutation (Steiff & Tamplin, 2010, p. 247). The redemption they seek would
also allow for the restoration of their bodies. Lastly, they have the goal of wanting to
move toward healing and acceptance about the death of their mother. There is also the
matter of strained relationship with their father. In Western culture, the heroes may be
part of a group, but there is more emphasis on the individual characters themselves (Steiff
& Tamplin, 2010, p. 248). The group is secondary to their persona and is not an integral
aspect of their identity. There is usually a clearly defined leader and internal conflict is
usually linked to some type of power struggle. Because the dual hero shares the same
purpose, the conflict experienced is usually related to the mutual goal and not necessarily
between each other. The dual hero is an identity (persona) and an archetype specific to
Japanese anime. One thing that sets the Elric brothers apart is that their heroic archetype
itself is alchemic in nature (Steiff & Tamplin, 2010, p. 249). Multiple elements compose
the archetype of the dual hero just like an alchemic process is composed of multiple
variables and rituals. They are student heroes, redemption seekers, and dual heroes, all
encompassed in one form (Steiff & Tamplin, 2010, p. 249). Aside from the
aforementioned roles, they also are adolescents transitioning from childhood into
adulthood. For these reasons, I think it is fair to state they are a fusion because of the
roles they embody. The innate unity of the dual hero archetype also makes it Dionysian
in nature. Like Dionysus, the Elric brothers embody a union of elements to make a new
form. What makes the union Dionysian in nature is the coupling of opposing concepts
(Hillman, 1995). An example would be the Elric brothers seeking redemption for their
human transmutation failure through the use of alchemy. Another example includes the
use of alchemy to save others while simultaneously burning souls and causing further
death. Although the elements of the dual hero are clear and distinct on their own, they
are at their strongest when they are together and moving unified toward the shared goal.
Secrets of the Gate: Evoking the Archetypes Through Ritual
The dismemberment of the Elric brothers is reminiscent of Dionysus’s
dismemberment when he was an infant. In one of his incarnations Dionysus was the son
of Zeus and Persephone (Nilsson, 1964, p. 217). He is lured away and torn apart by the
Titans. As with other incarnations, he would ultimately be reborn again to realize his true
godhood. Dionysus’s dismemberment and regeneration is what ultimately led to his
completion. In the case of the Elric brothers, the dismemberment and regeneration of
their bodies happened to be literal, but this leads to the question of how this would relate
to the persona. The stripping of an old persona and taking up a new one is commonplace
in heroic tales and the anime genre is no exception. The persona of the alchemist that the
brothers took up after Trisha’s death was not healthy, it was inflexible. In order to move
forward in their personal transformations, they would need a healthier, balanced persona.
The Elric brothers were lured away in a sense; they attempted to step away from the
reality of the loss of their mother. A positive outcome of this trauma could have been the
protagonists using the power of alchemy to move toward healing and to get in touch with
the Self and resonate with it. Although ultimately, this does occur, this does not happen
until much later in their journey. In preparation for this human transmutation ritual they
immersed themselves in alchemical texts. Although they inherited a talent for alchemy,
they were unable to relate to the material; instead, they became possessed by it (von
Franz, 1980, p. 78). This possession fed their belief that they could perform this ritual
successfully. Possession is also responsible for why rationality did not prevail and stop
them. From the von Franz (1980) perspective, the brothers appeared to be possessed by
the knowledge of the alchemical texts. Because the texts are representative of (limited)
knowledge of the unconscious, I think it is fair to say the texts were representative of an
aspect of the Self. The Elric brothers’ immersion into alchemy drove their persona to
identify with the texts (Self) rather than resonating with it. Initially, through the persona
of the alchemist they identify with the Self without ever really knowing much about it
(von Franz, 1980, p. 78). Again, through the narrative of anime, we are seeing an
example of what persona inflation can do to someone. At this point, the only thing that
would bring them back to their senses would be something equally drastic as the alchemy
they were attempting. One could only hope regaining the wholeness of their bodies
would also help the fragmentation of their minds. It took the dismemberment of their
bodies to become redemption seekers. The Self forced the persona back in its proper
place.
The abundance of knowledge within the Gate parallels well with Jung’s concept
of the collective unconscious because the information within it is not only related to one
person. As with the collective unconscious, the Gate contains the psychic material and
spiritual knowledge of mankind in the FMA world (Jung, 1954/1968, p. 158).
Furthermore, through Edward’s visions, the viewer gets to see knowledge beyond the
FMA world, too. Edward is one of few characters to have multiple confrontations with
the Gate and survive them all. One of his more memorable confrontations in the original
FMA series involved Edward being transported into our world. It turns out that our
world is what is on the other side of the Gate. Edward is thrust into the heart of WWII
Germany; defenseless and with no alchemical powers. Another startling truth becomes
apparent: when people die in this war-torn world, they become energy for alchemists to
use on the other side. Nevertheless, it does shed some light on the immensity of
knowledge within the Gate. When they pass through it, their knowledge, thoughts, and
memories become part of the collective.
From the protagonists’ experiences, one can gather that human transmutation is
the most common way for an individual to reach the Gate other than through death. As
we have seen, it almost always goes awry, and top things off a toll must be paid to pass
back into the world of the living. The toll varies, but is always a significant loss that is
specific to that person. We know what happens to the alchemists during a human
transmutation, but what about the deceased? Although incomplete, the subjects of human
transmutations at times survive. Although their appearance is initially distorted and

grotesque, the creatures can take on humanoid features and become self-aware again
when nurtured. Even though they are shells, they also maintain some of the memories of
their former life. Through the progression of the series, the viewers learn that these
incomplete artificial beings are called homunculi, which is a term used frequently in
Renaissance alchemy. A homunculus can be defined as “an artificially made dwarf,
supposedly produced in a flask by an alchemist” (Dictionary.com, n.d.). The initial FMA
series is where homunculi grow from failed human transmutations. Their creation differs
in the FMA Brotherhood series. Aside from the main protagonist, Father, seven
additional homunculi exist within the series and they are named after the seven deadly
sins. Their names suit their disposition, and each of the homunculi embody the sin they
are named after. Why name these humanoids after personality characteristics? A brief
examination of what these traits can represent in culture may give some insight.
The seven deadly sins are characteristics deemed as unacceptable behaviors by
societal standards. Johnson (1991) stated that socially unacceptable characteristics are
attributed to the Shadow. By Johnson’s (1991) standards, the homunculi are physical
manifestations of shadowy unconscious contents. Unconscious contents need a vessel of
some sort to manifest themselves. Each homunculus serves as a vessel for aspects of
human nature that is deemed socially unacceptable or are considered Shadow. The
characteristics and emotions of lust, greed, envy, gluttony, pride, wrath, and sloth have a
collective nature to them. They embody the Shadow on a collective level. Repression of
undesirable characteristics leads to shadow contents festering and gaining a higher degree
of autonomy. The existence of these characters demonstrates how unconscious contents
become autonomous and take on its own life.

Character Analysis of Father and the Homunculi
Origins of Father
The origins of the homunculi differ in the 2009 Brotherhood FMA adaptation.
Rather than coming from failed transmutations, they are part homunculus who identified
himself as Father. Before investigating further, I would like to take an opportunity to
elaborate on Father’s origins. In the ancient civilization of Xerxes, an ancient alchemist
somehow managed to successfully contain a portion of the Gate within a flask. This
same alchemist also happened to be a high-ranking official who owned several nameless
slaves. To give life to the dark matter, the blood of Slave Number 23 was used. The
chemical reaction between the blood and the dark matter gave birth to the homunculus
who called himself “Father.” He was a sentient being with drives and desires like anyone
else; however, his initial form had limitations that were difficult for him to cope with.
This struggle with wanting to be free would be the driving force behind the majority of
his decision making. Just to give context to this situation, first he spends his existence
inside of the Gate, now he is trapped within an enclosed space for a second time.
Although now living and free from the Gate, his form could only be contained within a
flask. If he were to venture out into the world, he would not be able to maintain his form.
If we keep his circumstances mind, his primary drives to become free make sense.
Number 23 gave him life, so Father befriended him and even gave him a name to show
his gratitude. Number 23 became known as Van Hohenheim from that day onward. To
be given a name allowed Van Hohenheim to develop a sense of identity. In turn, this
would allow him to have a persona beyond that of being a slave.

Father’s knowledge of the Gate allowed him to educate Hohenheim. He taught
him to read, write, and perform alchemy. The King of Xerxes often asked Father about
his knowledge from the Gate. One day, he asked Father to give him the key to eternal
life. Father saw this moment as his opportunity to finally escape his flask. He instructed
the King to construct a tremendous transmutation circle. Once the circle was activated,
all of the 1 million souls of Xerxes were sacrificed and absorbed into Father and
Hohenheim who happened to be holding the flask during the ritual. The ritual made them
functionally immortal as long as they had souls to keep their bodies living. In the case of
Father, the souls allowed him to construct a body to house his form. Considering the
average lifespan of a person they both could potentially live millions of years! This ritual
also had other implications.
Father explained to Hohenheim that they had essentially become living
philosopher’s stones. They did not need the aid of a transmutation circle to perform
alchemy. The philosopher’s stone allows the wielder to ignore the principles of
equivalent exchange while amplifying their alchemy. In short, they can perform
transmutations that they could not in normal circumstances. Also, they could perform
alchemy at will. It is understandable why the stone is something that is sought after by
alchemists. Unbeknownst to the majority of alchemists, in this version of alchemy, the
ingredient to make a philosopher’s stone happens to be human souls. Each time the stone
is used souls are “burned” as fuel for the transmutation. With each use the stone becomes
a little weaker as it has fewer souls attached to it. This would also indicate that every
transmutation with a philosopher’s stone is simultaneous death and creation.

Father gave Hohenheim immortality for helping him and giving him life from the
flask. Because Father has Hohenheim’s blood they are essentially a part of one another.
Hohenheim claims he was unaware about Father’s intentions and they ended up parting
ways shortly after the ritual. Even if he was not aware, because they are part of one
another, I think it is possible for them to share some of the same desires. Hohenheim did
not want to be a slave for his entire existence. Helping Father (shadow) ultimately led to
his freedom, too. It is not uncommon for the unconscious to make its way into conscious
view when something needs to be expressed. In this instance, it was Hohenheim and his
desire to no longer be a slave. In that type of environment, it was most likely not
appropriate to talk about or express a desire for freedom. If Father (shadow) expressed it,
then Hohenheim (persona) would not have to take ownership of it. Being confronted
with shadow makes people uncomfortable. Now that Hohenheim was free, it allowed
him to step away from the shadow so he can live through his new identity–persona.
With his newfound life, Father’s first order of business was aimed at making
himself as perfect as possible. On a personal level, I find this interesting because he was
already as close to perfect as he could get, even with human attributes. He came straight
from the unconscious: his initial form was pure and untainted psychic energy. From what
I can tell, he initially was not sentient, he simply existed within the Gate as a part of the
unconscious. Perhaps his experience in the Gate may have contributed to his need to be
aesthetically perfect. Maybe he simply wanted to forget any reminders of his ordeal.
Hohenheim’s blood gave him human emotions. Perhaps Father was the shadow aspects
of Hohenheim’s personality in a humanoid body. Or maybe it was the other way around
and Hohenheim tainted Father’s archetypal perfection and the shadow developed from
there. Either explanation is plausible, and the narrative is done in such a way that it may
not be inherently clear. I am more inclined to think that Father is both Hohenheim’s
shadow and a collective shadow that happens to be an autonomous being. Father and his
dislike for human emotion and imperfection would be the catalyst for several events
within the series.
Origins of the Homunculi. Father is the creator of the remaining homunculi
within the FMA Brotherhood series. From his perspective, emotions make him imperfect
as it affects his judgment in accomplishing his mission. In the pursuit of perfection, he
purged himself of his emotions that he felt were detrimental and created the additional
homunculi. Because they came from his form, he considered the homunculi to be his
children. The very emotions he aimed to rid himself of end up becoming his makeshift
family as they were the only ones who could really understand him. Each homunculi
have their own philosopher’s stone and are essentially immortal unless their stone is
destroyed and all of the souls are burned up. The process of purging gave all of the
emotions a strong psychic charge and they took on their own shadow life. Each of the
homunculis stand for a certain aspect of Father’s personality. Their personalities were
primarily oriented toward the emotion they were named after. For this reason, they often
have unbalanced personalities that are more oriented toward the shadow.
Father succeeded in ridding himself of the “archetypal beauty” that was within
himself from the beginning (Johnson, 1993, p. 89). To be more specific, Father’s biggest
flaw is his inability to realize that innately, he was fine the way he was. In his instance,
persona had a detrimental effect of his development because he aimed for the image of
perfection. He put everything into becoming the persona. The action of fragmenting his
psyche is what left him feeling empty, not being trapped within the flask. The psyche
(flask) is a truth that cannot be ignored. His purging left him empty and devoid of
meaning. Every desire he ridded himself of teaches us about the human condition. Each
homunculus also gives insight on Father’s personality at a deeper level. I would like to
take a moment to give attention to each homunculus. Each of them are separate beings
with their own sense of identity. However, they are part of Father’s psyche, for this
reason they are a another part of his character analysis. Any development these
characters make would also mean growth for Father. He may be the Shadow character of
the series, but he still has a personality and a sense of identity, too. I also want to clarify
that the homunculi each have layers to their personalities just like Father does. They are
part of his shadow and his persona.
Character analysis: Sloth. The character Sloth does not get much development
because he spent most of his time in the background working. In FMA Brotherhood, he
is a very large humanoid male with extraordinary strength. Ironically, he has super speed
as well as super strength, but has no inclination to use it unless he is directly threatened.
In addition, due to his lack of training, he often cannot control how quickly he moves and
which direction he goes. Interestingly, his work of digging the transmutation circles is
one of the most important aspects of Father’s plan to consume God. This
underrepresented (repressed) character happens to be behind what is arguably the most
significant act in the FMA world. Yet Sloth appears to have the least amount of drive to
do anything; even existing appears to be troublesome to him. Nevertheless, Sloth’s
efforts would allow Father to turn the city into a giant transmutations circle like he did
with ancient Xerxes. His death came from his polar opposite, Lieutenant Armstrong,
who is a tenacious fighter. Sloth’s lack of persona is what hurt his personality
development. Without the protection of the persona, his ego had little protection over his
own personal shadow. When faced with a threat to equilibrium, the psyche protests
(Hollis, 2010, p. 9). Sloth’s disengaged disposition is a form of protest against the
immensity of the unused potential he possessed. In truth, he is probably one the more
transparent parts of Father’s personality. Sloth made little development because he chose
not to; he became crippled by his potential and power. What Sloth does demonstrate is
what not acting on potential looks like. Johnson (1991) stated anything that deviates
from the norm is attributed to the shadow (p. 7). By using this same reasoning, one can
deduce this would apply to both extremely positive and negative characteristics. Johnson
(1991) stated, “Some of the pure gold of our personality is relegated to the shadow” (p.
7). The lack of willingness Sloth has to use his potential shows the type of power that
someone could be missing. His super speed and super strength is reminiscent of the raw
and untamed power of Dionysus. Like Dionysus, Sloth’s energy lies in the very lack of
control while utilizing his power (Hillman, 1995). Because Sloth has little control over
his power, he views it as a bother and a hindrance, making it a negative thing for him. As
a reminder, the idea of control places limitations on potential power by containing it
(Hillman, 1995). His brute speed and strength radiated with archetypal energy. In
addition to wasted potential, Sloth serves as an example of what the loss of “archetypal
beauty” looks like (Johnson, 1991, p. 89). His bothersome strength and power were the
exact traits that were excellent about him. His lack of willingness to use it turned his
strength into a weakness wasting the potential power he could gain from these traits.
Character analysis: Lust. Lust is interesting in the sense that she exhibits her
sin a little differently than did her siblings. Rather than overtly acting lustful toward the
other characters, she is actually reserved in her demeanor. She has a cruel streak and was
awfully manipulative toward those around her. Through her actions and demeanor, she
evokes lust and/or passion in others through use of sexuality and manipulation.
Personally, I do not think it was a mistake that a voluptuous female humanoid was chosen
for the form of lust. Singh (2009) indicated that when the feminine does make an
appearance in film, more often than not, it is in the form of an objectified sex symbol (p.
127). This does not always occur in the first appearance; it usually occurs when a female
antagonist is present. With this in mind, her outside appearance seems fitting. Singh’s
perspective suggests it is important to note that the only homunculous whose gender
presentation is clearly female is Lust. Although FMA does have several strong female
characters, the shadow of sexuality and femininity is still embodied by the only female
homunculi. In the anime genre there is little balance with the female characters, they are
either extraordinarily strong, or relatively weak. Any sexuality they do exude is usually
in a negative context. Another observation I made is that female villains tend to be more
voluptuous and curvy in their shape versus their hero counterparts. This observation
seems to be present more in this magical girl genre. Lust has an hourglass curvy shape
compared to the other female characters in the series. The shadow with female sexuality
is more apparent in female villains such as Lust.
A more positive outlook would indicate characters such as Lust exist to bridge the
gap of sexuality and strength. Lust demonstrates strength and sexuality in one vessel, she
is a union of opposites in the FMA world. She is strong and unapologetic for the
sexuality she exudes. From Hillman’s (1992) perspective, Lust also exists because
archetypal power has the presence of both masculine and feminine energies (p. 258).
More specifically Dionysus is the union of the archetypal masculine and feminine
energies in one vessel (Hillman, 1992, p. 258). The intentional creation of Lust marked
an important stage in Father’s individuation. Although the feminine is still
underrepresented in his forms, even embracing the feminine at all was a step in the right
direction.
Although a formidable adversary, she dies relatively early in the series. She is
killed by General Roy Mustang, who could be considered the ladies’ man of the series.
He also aspires to be the king of his nation. Mustang is a flame alchemist who
incinerated Lust continuously until her death. Death by fire is a little ironic considering
the associations with fire and passion. Let us also not forget the origin myth when
Dionysus first birth came through fire (Otto, 1965). Lust perished at the hands of a
passionate upcoming leader. Her lessons come in her death; viewers see the price of such
passion when Mustang loses his eyesight. The vision and future he had for his nation
were going to be unseen by him. Father himself lusted for knowledge and wanted to
know everything like God. The length of the extent he was willing to go to for this
knowledge turned a reasonable desire into something perverse. Father’s Lust is also
evident in his attempt to become God at the cost of millions of deaths. What is the point
of such transcendence if there is nothing left in your wake? It is not until later that the
viewer sees the cost of his lust in becoming one with God. The power of everything
proved to be different than he thought.

Character analysis: Envy. Envy is an androgynous looking creature able to take
the form of anyone they choose. Despite the appearance, I go with the assumption that
Envy is male because characters use male pronouns when referring to him. Envy
changed appearances, often never seeming satisfied with the way that he appeared. This
behavior seems to indicate a struggle with identity and/or persona and what mask to
present to the outside world. For the persona to be balanced and flexible, it needs to be
acknowledged as merely as aspect of the psyche, not a person’s actual identity (Jung,
1928/1966, p. 157; Singh, 2009, p. 45). For Envy, persona is everything, his identity is
centered around image and his ability to create anyone that he wanted. Another point of
interest is that when Envy does settle on a form, he chooses an androgynous one. As
Dionysus is masculine and feminine in one form, I think androgyny is a personification
of the Dionysian archetype. Envy is an example of what Dionysus looks like. To be
more specific, encompassing elements from both masculine and feminine traits is
Dionysian in nature. Although Envy is male, his feminine energy adds an emotional
intensity that otherwise he would lack. Envy’s androgyny implies that Father does see an
importance in the feminine even if it is a little imbalanced when compared to the
additional homunculus.
Envy’s shape-shifting ability is used to infiltrate multiple organizations around
him. In the spirit of envy, he appeared to want to be like everyone else and never really
himself. Envy’s disposition is particularly cruel and he enjoys inflicting psychological
pain on others. For example, Envy was notorious for shape shifting into someone’s loved
one before killing them. This would ensure that last image etched into his victim’s mind
would be their loved one murdering them. Envy was birthed with the purpose of creating
havoc amongst the characters. He would be the one that started the Ishvalan war that
caused genocide in the FMA world. His true form was revealed by General Roy Mustang
when Envy’s outer shell (persona) was burned away by Mustang’s flame alchemy.
Again, the viewer is presented with imagery of fire, death, and rebirth. Once his true
form was revealed, Envy would commit suicide when he was confronted by Edward
about his jealously toward humans. Admitting he was envious of humans and their
relationships was both painful and humiliating. Envy’s death holds some significance
because it gives insight to Father’s desires to have the strength and tenacity of mankind.
I would go further to say that Father wanted to be even better, so the next step for him
would be to become a God. He is, however, too proud to admit his jealousy to anyone.
This is a well-guarded secret in his psyche. Envy decided that he would rather commit
suicide than face the reality of his jealousy. This leads to the question, what if the suicide
of Envy was viewed through a different lens?
I would argue the act of suicide is a deliberate move toward persona dissolution.
Hillman (1976) argued that the act of suicide is the soul’s instinctual drive for
transformation. The persona cannot exist without an ego, after all, that is what it is
modeled from. The death of the ego is an extreme way to achieve persona dissolution.
Father’s case was unique as he was a victim of persona inflation. His persona was
identifying with the Self. When his persona fell apart after being confronted with his
envy, this left his psyche out of balance and oriented toward the unconscious. This
moment is similar to when a narcissistic bubble bursts (Goldstein, 1995). All of a sudden
Envy has to deal with the realization that he is not as important as he thought he was. No
ego or persona means no filter for unconscious contents. Envy had to bring about change,
he needed a way out. Suicide just happens to be the most extreme way a soul would push
for transformation. Psychological growth is a series deaths and rebirths; examples
include death of ideas, beliefs, and perspectives. Hillman (1976) indicated that “the soul
favors the death experience to usher in change” (p. 68). Viewing suicide from this
perspective indicates that the instinctual drive for transformation is a form of Self-
preservation (Hillman, 1976, p. 68). The Self will not hesitate to act when there is an
imbalance in the psyche. Viewing the suicidal drive as need for transformation is very
powerful as it implies it is an instinctual impulse for a wounded, imbalanced psyche.
Death is not the end in this case, but rather a movement to a different reality.
Father split himself up for several reasons. He had the intention of reaching
perfection. In addition, he was disassociating from his “Otherness,” not wanting to take
ownership of the undesirable characteristics. The homunculi were part of his “becoming”
in his pursuit of fulfillment of his soul. The series of deaths brought him closer to
acknowledgement of his persona inflation. He is well aware that the homunculi come
from him and his desires; he just has no intention of taking ownership of them unless it is
beneficial to him. There are examples of this when he recalls the first Greed to return
back to him. When life ends, we “move from becoming to being” (Hillman, 1976, p. 68).
Envy was indeed humiliated and emotionally distressed before he took his life. It is not
my intention to take away from the raw emotion and vulnerability that Envy expressed
before taking his life. Hillman’s perspective shows that everything is not necessarily
what it seems. Envy made a conscious decision to move into another archetypal field.
His death also allowed him to go back to Father’s psyche for integration.
Character analysis: Gluttony. Gluttony is a bald, short, and obese humanoid.
Gluttony enjoys consuming humans, and he especially likes eating women. His appetite
for women suggests ongoing problems with the feminine and the shadow within the
series. His general disposition is more childlike and he does not exhibit a high level of
thought process. One reason could be that hunger itself is a more instinctual and
primitive drive. Higher thought processes do not hold as much importance unless basic
needs are met. He is only concerned with eating, so his actions are true to his name. In
the hierarchy of his siblings, he takes orders rather than giving them. He does not seem
to have any dislike toward humans although this may simply be because he enjoys eating
them so much. His appearance is deceptive for a few reasons. The viewer later finds out
Gluttony and his endless stomach is actually a false gateway of truth. He was a failed
experiment at trying to access the Gate at any time without the need for human
transmutation. Father was trying to bypass the need of human transmutation to access the
power of God and the knowledge of the Gate. In short, he wanted to make a shortcut. He
did not want to have to do the work to gain power from the unconscious.
This experience of being a false Gate left Gluttony with this gaping void that he is
constantly trying to fill. He dies when he is absorbed (eaten) by the homunculus Pride.
This death is notable because Gluttony was not killed by one of the protagonists. His
destruction by his own hand seems to indicate a shift in Father’s consciousness and
toward individuation. Father was destroying a part of his illusion of perfection on his
own. Father’s attempt to understand the idea of power essentially limits it (Hillman,
1995). By absorbing Gluttony and not simply killing him, he is reclaiming that aspect of
his personality as his own so he is able to gain more power. Along with the suicide of
Envy, the ownership of Gluttony is a turning point in Father’s psychological
development. With each death, the realization that reclaiming his children will give him
power is becoming more clear.
Character analysis: Wrath. Wrath, who is also known as King Bradley, is a
unique homunculus because he initially was a human being. The existence of Wrath is a
literal demonstration of what can happen when the persona is dissolved. According to
Hopcke (1995), Jung indicated a possibility of three negative outcomes with persona
dissolution. Negative outcomes include paranoia and psychosis, lack of social
adaptation, and “regressive restoration of the persona” (Hopcke, 1995, p. 15). Our
antagonist experiences each of these things to varying degrees. Who is King Bradley
exactly? He was born and placed in a program that was led by Father with the intention
of finding the one who would become the ruler of Amestris. This move would allow
Father to control the human world without being seen by others. Bradley existed for the
sole purpose of being a candidate for the next king. His entire life was spent being
conditioned and competing against others in the bid to be chosen. Every aspect of his life
was planned and he stated many times that he did not have choices in how his life was
supposed to be. As a young man he was injected with a philosopher’s stone full of angry
souls from Father. Of all the candidates subjected to this treatment, he was the only one
to survive. Each of these souls fought one another inside of his body until only one was
left. It is never clear whether or not the soul that survived the experience was the initial
soul he was born with or one of the wrathful ones. Once the remaining soul was left, he
was transformed into a homunculus by this experience and became the living incarnation
of wrath.
Like the persona, Wrath has aspects of fragility about him. Because he only has
one soul, he still ages like a human being would. This allows him to mesh in with the
population without suspicion. This also means that he is capable of being injured and
killed since he does not have multiple souls within him to regenerate from. He would
become the King of Amestris and lead everyone according to Father’s demands. Wrath
is a shell, yet he still maintains many of his human attributes, but he is solely consumed
with the identity of the King. Wrath demonstrates what the one-sidedness of persona
identification looks like. When one continuously tries to fight off shadowy
characteristics and orient the identity toward the persona, this is how you get characters
like Bradley (P. J. Palmer, 2000, p. 98). His fragility is what probably drove Wrath to
continue to hone his skills to ensure that he can defend himself. He would die at the
hands of an Ishvalan man named Scar, who carried considerable anger at the genocide of
his people which was ordered by King Bradley. Scar’s rage is what took down Wrath.
Bradley was ruthless and brutal in his time as King. He made no apologies for the
atrocities he committed as he felt that they were for the greater good of his mission with
Father. He made it clear he did not believe in God or any higher power. According to
him, what kind of higher power would allow such atrocities as war and violence to exist?
His perspective seems to diverge from Father’s in this aspect. Father believes in God and
aims to become one with him by consuming him. Perhaps the contradiction stems from
Wrath originally being human or, maybe, Wrath denies God because of his own personal
struggles of having a relationship with Truth.
With Wrath’s death, Father’s anger was returned back to him. Perhaps this death
could offer some insight on how Father feels about God. What kind of God would not
allow him to be free? Being free from his flask was all that he wanted, or that is at least
what he claims. Perhaps this is why Wrath was so angry with God, his life was also
much like the prison of the flask. A free life would allow him to gain the knowledge of
the world. The creation of Bradley was with the intention of removing wrathful souls
from within him. However, all Father did was ensure that the angriest spirit was what
returned to him after King Bradley died. Repressed unconscious materials begin to fester
the longer that they are ignored. Continual repression only darkens the shadow (Johnson,
1991). Therefore, repressed psychic materials have the possibility of having a high level
of volatility because of the emotional charge they are carrying. The existence of Wrath
allows for a special opportunity to view persona. Traditionally, persona is the social
mask one wears that is a more polished version of oneself. The persona is a compromise,
and Wrath was that mediating force that allowed Father to immerse himself in society
while protecting his true identity (Jung, 1928/1966, p. 192). Father’s persona is unique
because it happens to be an entire person. His persona also was the public face of Father
as the ruler King Bradley. He was flexible, strong, and could adapt like a healthy persona
would. In short, he embodied everything that Father was not. The persona itself is part
of the thin layer of consciousness which makes it just as fragile as it is strong. As a
partial human being, Wrath also had an aura of fragility about him since he was able to be
injured and killed more easily. The death of Wrath was the catalyst to the chain of events
that would lead to Father’s downfall.
Character analysis: Pride. Pride is the first and most powerful of Father’s
children. Currently, he is hiding within the body of King Bradley’s biological son, using
him as a host. Pride is unique in that he cannot exist without a host to sustain him.
Because Pride is the first of Father’s children, it could be implied that Pride is his greatest
sin. From there, all of his other siblings were born. He also feels that homunculi are
superior to human beings and does not hesitate to berate other characters on how weak
they are. Similar to Envy, he abuses humans and is very cruel in his fights. When faced
with death, he attempted to try to escape into Edward’s body effectively throwing away
the pride he held so dear. Edward managed to pull the homunculi from his container—
King Bradley’s son. In turn, this allowed Pride’s former host to have a second chance at
life. Ironically, Pride continues his life in the form of one the very beings that he
proclaimed to despise because of their weakness.
Character analysis: Greed. Greed can rearrange carbon molecules in his body
to make his skin hard as diamonds. He has died more than once so he has had multiple
forms. His first death involved being dipped in lava. During his death, Father asks
Greed to rejoin his soul (Glass & McFarland, 2009). As his name implies, he was very
avaricious in nature and never appeared to be content with anything. However, compared
to the other homunculi he gets to have a moment of redemption. His final death occurred
because he sacrificed himself for the greater good of the other characters. Greed did have
an opportunity to learn more about himself as an individual in his rebirth. At one point,
Greed did not have anything else to fight for but himself. Not having something to fight
for most likely only served to maintain his greedy persona. His second birth allowed him
to see the perspective of humans. His human host also probably contributed to his
change of disposition. His human experience allowed him to feel compassion and
empathy for others that he did not possess before. Therefore, when presented with an
opportunity to help others, sacrificing was not an issue for him because he had something
to fight for. His greedy nature in this instance was the catalyst for his redemption.
Draper (1987) indicated there are potential benefits persona identification. In some
instances, it can lead one to take action for the greater good and rise above “petty greeds
and vanities” (Draper, 1987, p. 440). Greed’s sacrifice teaches one that the persona can
be the driving force for transformative, positive behavior. Greed’s sacrifice was a form
of suicide and serves as another example of the soul’s impulse toward transformation
through death. Through the drive for destruction, rebirth, and renewal one again finds
parallels with Dionysian myth. Not all instances of persona identification are detrimental
to personality development. The story of Greed demonstrates some of the redeeming
aspects of the persona. In each death, the homunculi drop the façade and reveal what is
the true driving force behind their behavior. More often than not, it turns out to be
something that involves a degree of vulnerability.
Father and Dionysus. Father provides an example of what becomes of a victim
of persona inflation. Rather than resonating with the Self, he began to identify with it.
As mentioned previously, the Self will not hesitate to crush the ego in these
circumstances. Toward the end of the battle with Father, Van Hohenheim explains to
him why he feels so empty: “Sure, excessive appetites will ruin a person, but at the same
time, each of those feelings are imperative if one is to understand humanity” (Glass &
McFarland, 2009). In short, the creation of the homunculi had the exact opposite effect
of what Father wanted. Father also demonstrates to viewers what repression of
personality traits does. He lusted for the knowledge of the world although he came from
it. Pride makes him think he is superior to humans and that their emotions make them
weak. Greed causes him to continue to seek power even after was already strong.
Gluttony drives him to continue to consume souls although he has thousands at his
disposal already. He envied families so he fragmented his psyche to make his own. He
used others to complete tasks for him rather that doing it himself. He also exhibits anger
toward Truth for containing him and not allowing him to remain free from the Gate.
According to Johnson (1991), refusal to accept darker aspects of personality make it
fester and grow (p. 26). The continual repression gave them a high degree of autonomy.
This is why some of the homunculi acted beyond his control.
The creation of the homunculi was a deliberate act of repression. According to
López-Pedraza (2000), “An awareness of Dionysus is only possible through repression”
(p. 26). The source of Father’s power lies in the very thing he detests most about himself.
“To evoke Dionysus scares up a flight of shadows” (Hillman, 1995, p. 112). The raw and
untamed nature of the homunculi embody exactly what Dionysus symbolizes. There are
many downsides to the creation of the homunculi. However, Father’s inherent perfection
would have not been revealed had he not done so. The key to his growth would have
been in taking acceptance of his shadowy contents in their entirety. He acknowledges the
homunculi are part of him, but does not accept them in their entirety. His actions made a
void within him that he tried to fill by consuming God. The energy of the archetypes can
be used, but cannot be owned. Father’s transgression was trying to hold onto the
archetypal energy of God (Self) for too long. Father (ego) did not honor the Dionysian
ritual of death and rebirth. The fragmentation of his psyche rendered him incapable of
doing so consciously. His creations took control in this department and honored the
Dionysian in ways Father was not comfortable doing. Attempting to grasp onto Dionysus
indefinitely will exacerbate the excessiveness of his behavior. The Persona is meant to
be a protective barrier for the ego, but when the persona and ego have become one, that
barrier no longer exists; it becomes permeable to a slew of unconscious contents
(Hillman, 1995). In turn, Father was at the mercy of the unconscious in everything that
he did.
After completing his second ritual, Father succeeded in consuming God and
temporarily gains immense power. With the collected efforts of the Homunculi, and the
sacrifice of Greed, Father was finally defeated. The loss brings him back to one place he
does not want to be, back in the presence of Truth. Father asks Truth why he would not
become one with him. Further, he asked what the problem was in thirsting for
knowledge. Truth’s answer is not what one may expect: “It’s because you didn’t believe
in yourself” (Glass & McFarland, 2009, 07:02). The process of creating the homunculi
meant Father was rejecting himself as he was. In turn, the result of his actions was also a
rejection of Truth (Self). Although he was too late, Father finally did become aware of
his persona inflation and sought to make things right. Unfortunately, he ended up being
sent right back into the Gate. The rise and fall of Father serves as a reminder that what
others often seek in the outside world is already present within themselves. Each
homunculus amplifies problems that both the persona and shadow can cause in
personality development. We witness ego inflation, persona identification, persona
inflation, shadow integration, persona dissolution, and even redemption in some
instances. The imperfections Father aimed to disassociate from were the same emotions
that would facilitate his individuation journey.

Father’s demise leads to the question of what happened to our redemption
seekers? At the end of the battle with Father, Edward is left wondering how he will get
his brother back. In the midst of the fight, Alphonse sacrificed himself to give Edward
his arm back. This action gave Edward the strength to defeat their foe. After running
through his options, Edward realizes that he needs to see Truth one more time. He does
so by doing a transmutation on himself. Edward notes that this will be his final
transmutation. Truth is surprised to see Edward and with a gleaming smile asks “What
price will you pay?” Interestingly enough Edward makes the decision to sacrifice his
own personal Gate of Truth which contains all of his knowledge and abilities related to
alchemy. The sacrifice means that the ability to do alchemy will be lost forever. The
sacrifice of his Gate was intentional persona dissolution. Truth laughs and smiles: “That
is the correct answer.” The sacrifice of his gate was Edward’s way of acknowledging his
arrogance (ego inflation) about thinking that alchemy had all the answers. Also, the
concept of even having one’s own Gate places a limitation of the knowledge of the
unconscious. In giving up his limited knowledge of the unconscious, he gained much
more. Alchemy was not needed to make him whole again. This is the moment that he
submits himself to the powers of the unconscious. The loss of his alchemy would mean
having to depend on his own personal growth to advance, which is what individuation is
about. Edward’s sacrifice is another example of how persona can be the driving force for
fighting for the greater good of others (Draper, 1987).
Through consciously making a decision to dissolve his persona, Edward was able
to grow and still save his brother, thus preserving the archetype of the dual hero that they
both embody. This sacrifice allowed the brothers to come back from the Gate whole
rather than being maimed as they were the last time. Their redemptive tale serves as an
example of both positive and negative aspects of the persona in personality development.
Although superficial in nature, the persona has redeeming and transformational qualities;
for example, the persona having the capability to be a driving force fighting on behalf of
others (Draper, 1987) or taking on a new persona in order to begin the individuation
process. A supporting character such as Wrath can demonstrate a persona being an
entirely different individual rather than just social mask. The remaining homunculi
demonstrated the relationship between persona and shadow and how they complement
and antagonize one another. The homunculi also demonstrate what willingly dissolving
the persona looks like. At the same time, they also demonstrate what dissolution forcibly
occurring from the Self looks like Lastly, FMA demonstrates the transformational instinct
for which persona dissolution can be the catalyst.

Chapter 5
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon in Western Culture
The example of the anime FMA in the previous chapter showed that persona
dissolution can be a trigger for a transformative experience. The key to experience is
whether or not the dissolution happens forcibly or willingly. Context will determine
whether or not the experience is a positive or a negative one for the individual. The Elric
brothers’ journey is similar to the Dionysian myth of dismemberment and rebirth.
Healing from their initial dismemberment was made possible through their newfound
personas as alchemists. Ultimately, giving up that same persona allowed the characters
complete the journey of getting their bodies back. Examination of the protagonist,
Edward, demonstrates positive aspects of persona dissolution and persona identification
(Draper, 1987). Through the villain, Father, I observed that persona inflation can trigger
grandiosity in someone and cause an imbalance in their orientation. To be more specific,
their identities become oriented toward the collective. Finally, there was an exploration
of the relationship with persona and shadow as complements to each other and how that
can relate to one’s individuation journey. This chapter includes an exploration of the
concept of the persona through the magical girl genre of anime. The subject of this
particular chapter is Sailor Moon (SM), one of the more popular animes in the Western
world. Before beginning the chapter, following is a brief recap of what the magical girl
genre encompasses.
The magical girl genre features girls who are either born with an innate power or
granted special powers right around the time they would normally begin experiencing
puberty. Common themes for magical girls include importance of family, friends,
responsibility, and heroism. The protagonist often has to deal with her emerging identity
as a heroine while still going through the general struggles of an adolescent girl. The
genre contains subgenres, which include magical witches, warriors, and shapeshifters.
By no means does this list encompass all subgenres in the magical girl genre, but is
intended to provide a framework of where SM fits in.
The focus here is on SM, which would fall under the magical warrior category.
Although not the first, SM is one of the most well-known magical girl animes in the
Western world. Along with Dragonball Z, SM is one of the animes that really brought
anime to the Western world in the 90s. The original manga was written by Takeuchi
(1992–1997). SM was the first anime that I ever watched as a child. In 2014, a reboot of
the series called Sailor Moon: Crystal (SMC) started and was simulcast in both Japan and
America. SMC is similar to FMA: Brotherhood in that the reboot shares more
similarities to the original story line of the manga. Even the animation seems to have
been adjusted to mirror the manga counterparts more accurately. SM has similarities
with Revolutionary Girl Utena through the exploration of the ideas of gender and gender
presentation. For the time period of the original anime (early 90s), exploration of
nontraditional gender roles in an animation was fairly transgressive. However, once the
series made its way to the United States, some characters had adjustments made to make
them more friendly for children. One example would include lovers Malachite and
Zoicyte, and Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. Adjustments included making Sailor
Uranus and Sailor Neptune cousins and adjusting Zoicyte’s gender to female. This was
made possible due to Zoicyte’s traditionally feminine features. In the case of Sailor
Uranus and Sailor Neptune, this change was made possible through adjusting dialogue in
dubbing. In turn, this allowed for the true nature of the relationships to be disguised.
This theme is nothing new in anime; however, SM has popularity in the Western world
that many other animes would never have.
Aside from coming of age, SM explores the topics of sexuality, romance,
darkness, power, and, of course, the Jungian notion of the persona. SM also differs from
American counterparts as it is not always oriented toward destroying evil doers. On a
personal level, I find what makes protagonist Usagi especially likeable is her ability to
see redeeming qualities in people. Even in circumstances when it seems someone cannot
be saved, Usagi has the ability to see past the shadow. She continues to believe in them
even when they cannot believe in themselves. In several instances, Usagi’s genuine
kindness for others helps put several villains on the path of redemption and healing rather
than their death.
The original SM series has 200 episodes and is split into five eras called arcs or
sagas (Takeuchi, 1992–1997). The arcs are Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon R, Sailor Moon S,
Sailor Moon SS, and Sailor Stars. Respective enemies of each Saga are the Dark
Kingdom, Black Moon, Death Busters, Dead Moon Circus, and Sailor Galaxia. Each era
demonstrates some growth within the cast such as the unlocking of new powers and
abilities. Additionally, new sagas usually ushered in a more powerful villain, and the cast
has to gain some new power in order the vanquish the enemy of the arc. The villains
shared the same goal of wanting to control the world, and each one simply had different
methods in how they would attempt to obtain their objectives. Examples include Queen
Beryl who tried to steal energy to revive her master, or the Black Moon clan who aimed
to drain the Earth of all of it resources (Arisako & Takuya, 1996–1997). Later, one
learns that almost all the villains are linked together in one way or another. Although
SMC is truer to the manga, it is still relatively new and is currently ongoing. For this
reason, SMC does not offer as much material as does the original SM series. Therefore,
any material examined will be taken from the original anime, SM.
Character Analysis: Who is Serena–Serenity?
Usagi Tsukino (Serena is her US name) is the main protagonist of the SM series.
The SM series appears to be influenced by ancient myth; more specially, the
protagonist’s roots are in ancient Greek and Eastern folktales. The main protagonist’s
Japanese name roughly translates to “Rabbit of the Moon.” Her name is a reference to an
Eastern folktale of the Moon Rabbit (Gelfand, 2012). Usagi is not her first identity, she
is a reincarnation and a descendent of the moon goddess Selene (Encyclopedia Mythica,
2002). Although the series itself had some creative changes once it reached Western
audiences, her origin story did carry on when the series was brought to the United States.
Her mother Queen Serenity I also identified herself as a descendant of the mood
goodness Selene. The beginning of the anime starts off with Usagi as a 14-year-old girl
finding out that she is a Sailor Guardian. Through the series, she gradually realizes that
she is destined to become the matriarch of the future Tokyo (Arisako & Takuya, 1996–
1997). By the time of the final saga, she is 16-years-old and has entered her first year in
high school. Through progression of the series, the viewer finds that she is also the
leader of the sailor soldiers. With each episode, she slowly begins to take ownership of
her identity as being the princess of the moon, Sailor Moon, and the eventual queen of
Tokyo, Neo Queen Serenity.

Usagi’s identity crisis involves being deified by those around her. Consistently,
characters make comments about how she is the only one that can save the world. In
other instances, comments may be made that indicate she is the only one that can stop a
villain. I find this interesting because most of Usagi’s victories occur with help from her
teammates. At times the help may be more indirect, but they are still making
contributions. Usagi’s strength lies in being able to become a vessel for the power of
others and using it to attack whoever her enemy is. Through the series there are routine
instances of her fellow soldiers risking their lives to protect her at all costs. The
implication here is that she has more value as compared to the other soldiers.
From what I can tell, there appears to be several projections taken to an extreme.
According to Jung (1952/1969), people make assumptions that the way we view people is
actually the way we are (p. 507). However, our projections are unique just like our
perceptions of reality are. In instances of projections, we are not comfortable with taking
ownership of those traits, so we project them onto someone, or something, else. I do not
think the characters do this intentionally, projection itself is an unconscious process that
we are not aware of unless we engage in introspection. Jung (1952/1969) stated, “A
person whom I perceive mainly through my projections is an imago or, alternatively, a
carrier of imagos or symbols” (p. 507). By projections, I am suggesting that routinely
attributes of hope and strength are attributed to Sailor Moon. Through this process, she
has become a light of hope for many by her willingness to carry these projections. This
leads to the question of what kind of effect so many projections can have on someone and
the development of their persona?

Initially it appeared that Usagi does not appear to identify with those projections
too much (Arisako & Takuya, 1996–1997). As the series progresses and the stakes
become higher, one can see her identifying more often with the projections placed upon
her. I find that this usually occurs in climatic battles against the arch villain. Sailor
Moon will often encourage herself and remind herself that many others believe in and
depend on her. With this reasoning, she begins to believe she is strong and possesses the
strength to defeat the foe in front of her. She feels that she is not more important than
anyone else and that all life is valuable. She routinely makes equally extreme sacrifices
for the sake of her friends and family. What type of person can be bombarded with so
many projections and manage to maintain some sense of identity that was not superficial
at best? The short answer is that to a certain extent it is not something that is easy. Her
actions indicate that she identifies with the projections she is bombarded with.
I found Usagi’s plight similar to the experience of falling in love. I make this
connection because of the strength of the projections she faces. When we fall in love
with someone, we see the most sacred parts of ourselves within that person. Naturally,
we become drawn to that person and always want to be around them. Projection typically
has a negative connotation. The shadow does, however, contain both positive and
negative characteristics. For this reason, what is projected on her is actually the most
positive and sacred parts of the other characters. Being the leader of the sailor guardians
places Usagi in a position to become the bearer of projections (Johnson, 1991, p. 31).
Usagi’s identification with the projections around her drives her ego into relation with her
persona as a sailor soldier. Throughout the series, Usagi tries to find the balance between
who she is and who everyone else wants her to be. This negotiation between ego and
persona is not uncommon during personality development.
By the final season Usagi has achieved her most powerful form yet, Eternal Sailor
Moon (Arisako & Takuya, 1996–1997). The change is signaled by a change in uniform
and the addition of wings. Initially, she could not achieve the form alone and needed the
assistance of her fellow soldiers. However, when thrown into a particularly stressful
situation, she did achieve the transformation on her own. The driving force behind this
incident was the fear of losing her boyfriend, Mamoru. He had been captured and
brainwashed by the villain named Nehelania. Very often, Usagi expresses not wanting to
let anyone down. Her preoccupation with making sure that those around her are happy is
an example of instances where Usagi identifies with the projections around her (Arisako
& Takuya, 1996–1997). At times this can be positive, but in other instances she
sacrifices, her own happiness for the sake of others. She then obliterates her own
humanity to live up to these lofty expectations. To live up to these expectations, she
crafts a persona that can bear this projection. Her victories do not typically occur with
swords or weaponry. Rather she implements attacks of a purifying nature using the
Imperium Silver Crystal that was passed down to her from her mother. In addition, I
notice she usually places herself in a vulnerable position to be able to use the crystal to its
full potential.
In the first season of SM, Usagi Tsukino discovers her identity as a sailor
guardian at 14 years old. This season is focused on Usagi beginning to understand her
powers. The season is also dedicated to Usagi’s allies, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars,
Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus discovering their powers as well. In addition, the origin
story of the fall of the Moon Kingdom and their past lives are also revealed (Takeuchi,
1992–1997). The main antagonist of this season is Queen Beryl, who is the ruler of the
Dark Kingdom. Queen Beryl is revealed to be the enemy that originally destroyed the
Moon Kingdom of the past. She is a powerful sorceress who gets her power from Queen
Metalia, a malevolent entity from space. Beryl is human and appears to serve as a vessel
for Metalia’s power and will. Given her nature and powers, Metalia appears to be a
manifestation of the unconscious, specifically the shadow (Johnson, 1991). Metalia was
sealed away for thousands of years, both psychologically and literally. Queen Metalia
was repressed from the world much like the shadow is. Queen Beryl’s relationship with
Metalia seems to be the driving force behind considerable conflict. Metalia appears to
know Beryl’s weakness and desires. Although they are described as separate beings,
their relationship makes me inclined to think that they are part of each other, or at least,
they have become part of one another through their relationship. The darkness in Beryl’s
heart is initially what awoke queen Metalia. Beryl receives Metalia’s power through the
jewelry that she wears; removal of the jewelry would result in her death.
I would like to take a moment to address Queen Beryl’s jewelry. The question I
aim to answer is if there were any other consequences of Beryl accepting the jewelry.
According to von Franz (1980), clothing is one of persona’s ways of manifesting itself (p.
90). By accepting the jewelry from Metalia, Beryl agreed to accept the persona that came
with it. The cost of accepting this persona was her life. Acceptance indicates she also
agreed to give up her sense of identity as the jewelry was not removable. Beryl’s jewelry
appears to be an outward manifestation of what persona identification can look like. I
would argue this because the jewelry became an inseparable part of her. Rather than
serving as protection for Beryl, the persona ended up becoming a weakness, although in
an initial examination of Beryl, it appears that the jewelry has given her a great deal of
power. The power is, however, restrictive because it comes with such a heavy price.
Hence the reasoning why its removal would lead to physical and psychological death.
Beryl made a conscious decision to become a vessel for Queen Metalia. This action
would mean a loss of her will and she becomes a servant to the unconscious. Persona
identification is a sacrifice of ego for an image (Hillman, 1992, p. 46). In Beryl’s case,
persona identification was a sacrifice of ego for power which did come with its own
image. Beryl’s jealousy was what initially plunged her into darkness as it provided the
perfect vessel for Queen Metalia to grab onto. The negativity of this emotion was perfect
for the shadow to come forth.
In the anime and manga Queen Beryl’s depictions slightly differ. Nevertheless,
the overarching theme appears to be the same. Queen Beryl was in love with the prince
of Earth, Endymion (later to be reincarnated as Mamoru, Usagi’s boyfriend); however, he
did not feel the same way. In both their past and present lives, he rejected her twice
because he was in love with Serenity (Usagi), the moon princess, and his devotion never
faded. Beryl was jealous of the Moon Kingdom and so was Queen Metalia; in turn, the
two queens led an attack that destroyed the kingdom. The original Queen Serenity used
her powers to seal away Queen Beryl and her minions. She also used her powers to
reincarnate Serenity, Endymion, and the other sailor scouts in the future on Earth
(Takeuchi, 1992–1997).
In the present day, Usagi is facing her foes of the past that are attempting to
resurrect Queen Metalia so she can take over the Earth. After successfully defeating
Beryl’s generals Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoicyte, and Kunzite, preparations begin for the final
confrontation with Queen Beryl. At this point, Usagi has had all of her memories of the
past restored, and she is aware that she is also the princess Serenity of Moon Kingdom.
She also has recovered the Silver Moon crystal which is the same powerful artifact her
mother used to seal away her enemy years ago. The crystal hid in plain sight as it was
within Usagi all along. Sadly, her boyfriend Mamoru was brainwashed by Queen Beryl
and kidnapped so she could keep him at her lair.
I would argue that regaining her memories allowed Usagi to reconstruct her
persona to make it a little more balanced. Her new persona now was embodied with
more of her true self. Remembering repressed memories is similar to becoming
conscious of unconscious materials. From the persona that she had dissolved, a new one
came forth. Jung indicated that persona dissolution is a necessity for individuation to
take place (Jung, 1928/1966). I am not implying at this time that Sailor Moon has
individuated. I do, however, think she made significant psychological growth in the
dissolution of her old persona. The change in her persona had to happen for her to gain
more power and insight about herself. The persona is modeled after the ego, and Usagi’s
ego changed when she regained her memories. Because this occurred, her new persona is
a melding of the person she was in the past and who she is in the present moment.
According to Hopke (1995), the more obvious function of the mask–persona is that is
“eliminates the wearer’s previous identity and creates a wholly new one both on a
physical as well as a more symbolic level” (p. 189). In this statement, Hopke was
discussing the significance of masks in ritual and how they can be transformative. Rituals
in the case of SM being transformation into their sailor scout personas.

I feel this statement was fitting as becoming a Sailor Soldier requires
transformation. They must transform every single time they want to use their powers. I
would argue the transformation of Sailor Scouts and the ritual of changing into costume
is the equivalent of putting on a mask–persona. This is a willing action that is done
whenever they decided a transformation is necessary. Usagi’s willingness to take on the
persona(s) of being Sailor Moon–Princess Serenity allowed her to gain immense power
which could explain why the Silver Crystal came back to her. The mask is a powerful
tool that can lead to transcendence. The memories of Serenity were the catalyst for the
formation of a new and more powerful Sailor Moon. It is with this newfound power that
Usagi and her allies make the decision to go after Queen Beryl at her base. One could
argue Usagi’s situation with her various personas are like Queen Beryl’s plight.
However, the main difference between the two is that Usagi still has flexibility with her
persona. It is not a permanent fixture, and she is not always embodying that identity.
Furthermore, her persona is modeled after her ego, so aspects of her identity are still
present in her actions she takes as Sailor Moon.
Upon arrival at the base, Sailor Moon is separated from her friends and they end
up being killed by some of Queen Beryl’s henchmen (Takeuchi, 1992–1997). Queen
Beryl sends a brainwashed Mamoru to kill Sailor Moon. Luckily, before he harmed her,
his memories as Endymion were restored. Unfortunately, he died protecting Sailor Moon
from Queen Beryl although he did manage to mortally wound Beryl in the fight. Before
her death, Queen Beryl asks Queen Metalia for more power. Her wish is granted and the
two end up fusing together to form a new powerful being. At this point, any remnants of
separation between the two queens disappear. Beryl becomes consumed by the
unconscious and loses any remaining aspects of her humanity. Sailor Moon transforms
into Princess Serenity and uses the Silver Crystal to fight. Although her friends were
gone, they came in spirit form to help her. During the initial parts of the battle, Queen
Beryl appears to have the upper hand. This battle demonstrates the conflict with the
persona and unconscious. It is easy to get overpowered by the unconscious if one is not
careful, and that is what almost happened to Sailor Moon. Aside from assistance from
her friends, her need to uphold the persona is part of what gave her power to defeat Beryl.
This marks the end of the initial season. Queen Beryl was destroyed, and each of the
Sailor Scouts ended up being reincarnated again (Takeuchi, 1992–1997). The lessons
from this arc demonstrate that there is a possibility of having a balanced persona that
reflects aspects of one’s true self. On the other hand, if one is not careful, like Queen
Beryl, one can also be consumed by the unconscious.
Sailor Moon R is the second major arc of SM. Much of this arc is spent on
showing Chibi-Usa’s development, as explained further in this discussion. Even so, there
are a few core issues that Usagi must work through. One struggle that Usagi begins
working through is the realization of her future. She is only 14 years old when she meets
her future daughter. Understandably, the prospect of becoming the future monarch of the
world is a little overwhelming. Currently, she is still in the stages of accepting her role as
Sailor Moon again and restoring her persona (Takeuchi, 1992–1997). Through all of this,
she still has the normal struggles of being a teenage girl. The Sailor Moon R arc contains
two storylines. The first storyline consists of aliens named Ann and Allen, who steal
energy from human beings with the intention of feeding their master called the Doom
Tree. Since their reincarnation, the Sailor Scouts have forgotten all their memories. This
initial storyline serves to give the Sailor Scouts back their memories while fighting a new
enemy.
The second storyline introduces the viewers to the Black Moon Clan. As their
name suggests, they are opposite of Usagi’s moon family. Even the crescent symbols on
their foreheads are black and upside down in opposition to Usagi’s moon crescent. They
are led by Prince Diamond and his family. He seeks counsel from Wiseman who is also
known as the Doom Phantom. The prince does not have this awareness initially when
meeting Wiseman. It turns out Wiseman is an incarnation of the force Chaos or rather, he
was influenced by Chaos and became consumed by it. Viewers are also introduced to
Chibi-Usa, who is from the future. She has travelled to the past with the intention of
getting help from Sailor Moon and her friends. More specifically, she wanted to get the
Silver Crystal of the past to help her Mother Neo Queen Serenity. In this season, it is
shown that eventually Sailor Moon will take the throne as Neo Queen Serenity and be the
ruler of the modern world. This would indicate that Chibi-Usa is, in fact, Usagi and
Mamoru’s future daughter. Chibi-Usa also happens to be from the 30th century. When
Usagi becomes queen, she uses the power of the Silver Crystal to cleanse the people of
Tokyo. One result from this cleansing is that citizens of the new Crystal Tokyo are now
endowed with extended lifespans. The power of the silver crystal is what makes Chibi-
Usa’s existence possible several hundred years in the future.
The Black Moon Clan are also revealed to be outcasts from the time when Crystal
Tokyo initially formed. They were individuals that refused to be cleansed and were
exiled. The act of making these individuals outcasts caused a civil war in Crystal Tokyo.
The war was so great Neo Queen Serenity herself was involved in the fighting. There is a
lack of balance in the world of Crystal Tokyo. Neo Queen Serenity felt the need to
remove all remnants of darkness from her world (Takeuchi, 1992–1997). I would argue
that Neo Queen Serenity’s actions are similar to when an individual represses shadow
contents (Johnson, 1991). She happened to do so on a much larger scale because being in
a place of power made this possible. When someone actively engages in the act of
repression, there is something about the themselves that makes them uncomfortable.
These individuals who refused to be cleansed deviated from the new social norm that Neo
Queen Serenity made. For this reason, they were outcast and relegated to the shadow
(Johnson, 1991). Although she had the power to destroy them, she did not. Perhaps deep
down she knew what she was doing was wrong? However, if they stayed there, this
would mean that she would have to take ownership of these people. Their presence
conflicts with the appearance of Crystal Tokyo. The city itself was persona, the residents
were persona, she turned everything into persona; and the Black Moon family did not fit
in with her image.
Conflicts with appearance or image usually indicate possible issues with the
persona. A lack of balance can lead to a skewed psyche. A utopian world like Crystal
Tokyo is a physical manifestation of Queen Serenity’s psyche. This idyllic city is
constructed as a crystal to protect the residents from outside forces. Crystals are strong
structures. The strength of the city speaks to the strength of her persona; it lacked
flexibility and was not permeable, or at least not easily permeable. The structure of
crystal Tokyo is problematic because flexibility is a necessity for a balanced persona
(Jung, 1928/1966, p. 157; Singh, 2009, p. 45). By exiling the Black Moon family, Queen
Serenity unknowingly was the catalyst of the conflict to come. The results of her actions
are seen when they come back and attack even harder. These events are similar to when
repressed shadow contents come into conscious view. In this instance, the persona and
the need to maintain it was detrimental for Queen Serenity. I found myself wondering
what happened. As Sailor Moon, she was much more flexible. Viewers have to keep in
mind that hundreds of years had passed, allowing plenty of time for the shadow to creep
back up.
The attempt at becoming a shadowless society is a symptom of persona
identification from Queen Serenity (Sedgwick, 2001, p. 21). Sailor Moon being part of
this story is helpful for Queen Serenity because her past self is able to learn and grow
through this conflict. They are the same person, anything that Sailor Moon learns will
become part of Queen Serenity's memories and psyche. At the final battle with
Wiseman, Sailor Moon initially took him on alone. Her actions mirror the first major
battle she had with Queen Beryl. Although she was holding him back, she was unable to
overcome him. Chibi-Usa came and helped and through their combined efforts, they
defeated him. Sailor Moon’s acceptance of help broke the cycle of the need for
perfection for Queen Serenity. This, in turn, allowed the persona to stop stifling her
development. Her action also allowed her persona to stop stifling the development of
those around her.
According to Sedgwick (2001), “A therapist who is relating to a patient through a
persona . . . essentially engages the patient with a false self” (p. 37). In Sedgwick’s
opinion, this means that interactions are superficial at best. Although Sailor Moon–
Queen Serenity is not a therapist, she is a healer—that is the nature of her powers. Not
having balance in how she identifies in her role distances her from others. At times, her
persona inhibits people being able to relate to her because she seems so untouchable. The
Sailor Moon R arc was a time in the series that allowed persona restoration, dissolution,
and additional restoration. Sailor Moon’s plight also serves as a reminder of the duality
of the persona in personality development, even though in season one she seemed to have
things under control. This particular season brings to light possible pitfalls of the
persona. The need for flexibility in the persona is also explored. Lastly, when in a
position of power, a healthy persona is that much more important as it can also effect the
development of those around oneself.
The final season of the SM series is referred to as the Sailor Stars saga. This
particular saga did not air in the United States until very recently. The final season is not
showing on regular television; rather, this final season is now available on Hulu.
Initially, Toei animation never got the licensing situated to release this final season in
America in the early 90s. However, there were a few other concerns that also most likely
inhibited the season from being released the United States. A few of the main characters
in this season do not embody traditional gender roles; more specifically their bodies
morph from male form to female form. However, I hesitate to use the word
transgendered as they do not have any dysphoria with their bodies. Furthermore, the
characters indicate that their male forms have only been taken while they have been on
Earth. When they transform, their bodies turn back female like the rest of the Sailor
Scouts. As mentioned previously, when anime in general comes into America, it is not
uncommon for episodes to be adjusted to make them easier to present to younger
viewers. Cartoons in Western culture are oriented toward children. Anime as a film
medium, in general, is actually not oriented to children at all. However, this delay in
making it to America had a positive outcome on the final SM saga. It is on Hulu versus
normal television, in turn, the storyline maintained its original integrity. I would also
think shifts in Western consciousness toward LGBT communities also may have had
something to do with the rest of the show finally making it to America. Some of the
issue that the earlier seasons are plagued with, such as mistranslations, changing of
characters’ genders, and omitting parts of the storyline are not an issue anymore. For
example, the final season portrays LGBT characters openly.
Character Analysis: Sailor Galaxia Origins and the Final Battle
The villain of this season is Sailor Galaxia. She is not just any soldier; she is the
legendary warrior that defeated Chaos, according to legend. At first glance, I felt that her
title is lofty and had a degree of prestige. Her name also gives a good indication of the
kind of power she has. Up to this point, each Sailor Soldier presides over a planet; for
example, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars, just to name a couple (Arisako & Takuya,
1996–1997). Because her name is Galaxia, the implication is that she presides over the
galaxy. Etymological definitions indicate the word galaxy has its roots in the Greek term
Galaxias, which means “Milky Circle” (Dictionary.com, n.d.). Coincidentally, Galaxia
has a preoccupation with wanting to control the entire Milky Way galaxy. By all
accounts, she actually is the strongest Sailor Soldier in the galaxy even before she fell
under the influence of Chaos. Her power is true to her name as she personally destroyed
hundreds of planets and murdered countless people with relative ease. In the midst of all
of this, she also gained control of many galaxies as she made her way to Earth.
The first question I found myself asking was who was Galaxia, psychologically
speaking? I also wondered about any archetypes that may have influenced this character.
Up to this point in the series (i.e., over 160 episodes), there is no mention of who Galaxia
is and where she came from. The only thing that is clear is that Galaxia is the main
antagonist of the Sailor Star saga (Arisako & Takuya, 1996–1997). Before she made an
appearance, she was the driving force behind all other minor villains within this season.
Her origins are relatively vague: there is no mention of her family or childhood in the
anime or the manga. Viewers are presented with minor details given in the form of
flashbacks. Galaxia was from a desolate planet for which she expressed disdain—
perhaps the conditions of her planet were very harsh. She wandered aimlessly until she
discovered her power as a Sailor Soldier. She is very old, but remains youthful and
ageless thanks to her powers. She fought in the sailor wars against Chaos. Galaxia felt
that Chaos was the origin of all evil that was responsible for all the troubles of the world.
Therefore, she sealed Chaos inside of herself in hopes of saving the galaxy (Arisako &
Takuya, 1996–1997). After she had done this, she knew that she had made a grave
mistake as she could feel Chaos beginning to get stronger and slowly overtake her.
Her identity as a Sailor Soldier ultimately drove her to her decision-making. At
the time, she felt she had no one else to turn to and that there was no other way. Perhaps
growing up in solitude had something to do with the way she felt. It should be noted,
however, there was no mention that there were no other soldiers available. So it is very
possible that she did have others willing to help her. Galaxia took it upon herself to seal
Chaos as she felt there was no other option. She did possess enough self-awareness to
realize that she could not hold onto Chaos forever and that eventually her body would not
be able to hold it in. Why did she bother if she knew the risks of such an action? Her
actions were similar to Anthy of Revolutionary Girl Utena taking on the role of the Rose
Bride, knowing full well it was not something one could maintain forever. Perhaps
Galaxia was tired of the cycle of consistent fighting? From what viewers were told,
fighting with Chaos is a never-ending battle. Once an enemy is vanquished, another one
is there to take their place.
Sailor Soldiers are reincarnated after death, and the cycle has continued
throughout time. Their star seeds shine forever, which allows them to maintain their
sailor guardian roles as they are reincarnated through the ages. The simplest way to
describe a star seed would be as a person’s inner essence or soul. The identity of a Sailor
Soldier is centralized around the idea of being a protector, a defender against evil. This
leads to another question of whether or not Chaos was really something that was evil to
begin with? Anything will fester and turn dark with continual repression (Johnson,
1991). Even potentially good traits can take on a darker tone when they are repressed.
Galaxia made her decision to seal away Chaos to both save the galaxy and maintain her
persona as a Sailor Soldier. She made the decision based on what she felt was for the
greater good of others (Draper, 1987). Not even she was prepared for the implication of
such a large sacrifice.
Before she felt Chaos overtake her mind and body, she made the heart-wrenching
decision to send her starseed across the galaxy in hopes someone would welcome her true
Self warmly. From both a Jungian and archetypal perspective, I feel that a star seed is
representative of the Soul–Self. My reasoning for this viewpoint is because under normal
circumstances when a person loses their star seed, their physical body dies and ceases to
exist. Additionally, when lacking a star seed, a person goes into psychological
breakdown as there is nothing to anchor his or her personal psyche safely. Galaxia knew
ultimately the only thing that would be able to stop her corrupted mind was her Self.
This moment is significant for a few reasons. First, she had enough self-awareness to
know she was going to be consumed by Chaos. The Self will do what is necessary to
protect itself from attacking forces; even fragmenting one’s psyche is not out of
consideration if it ultimately means preservation of the Self. Psyche’s response to trauma
can vary depending on the severity. A common reaction in the face of trauma is
removing itself from where the trauma occurred (Kalsched, 1996, p. 438 Kindle
location). In Galaxia’s case, she sends her Self away to preserve its integrity. Trauma
can cause an otherwise healthy ego to dissociate itself to minimize the psychological
damage the event can cause (Kalsched, 1996, p. 438 Kindle location). This moment is
also important as again it demonstrates the importance of her persona–identity as a sailor
guardian overrode anything, even her own life.
Despite her extraordinary powers, Galaxia’s personality appeared to make her
vulnerable to persona identification. Galaxia indicated that she spent her time alone
before her powers were awakened. Lack of socialization and possibly even a family
structure was probably problematic for her ego development. The basic things we learn
about social interactions come from family. During crucial times in her psychological
development, Galaxia was most likely alone. Therefore, this would mean she did not get
any feedback from anyone about how to behave and interact in the world appropriately.
If we consider her responsibilities as a sailor guardian of saving the world, this makes
things even more problematic! I would argue the ego of the strongest soldier in the
galaxy would not be consumed so easily unless it was inherently weak in the first place.
Whitmont’s (1969) concept of the pseudoego describes what can occur with poor ego
development (p. 156). The development of a pseudoego occurs when the ego cannot
properly differentiate itself from the persona. At this point, they are still separate,
blurring of the boundaries may occur and signify the beginning of a problem. Once the
boundaries between the two diminish, an individual begins to believing that the persona
is their identity (ego), that is when the pseudoego is born (Whitmont, 1969, p. 157). A
notable trait of the pseudoego is its inherent susceptibility to the unconscious. It is
basically a poor barrier and is not structurally strong. This would make Galaxia an
excellent candidate for both persona identification and persona inflation, due to weak ego
development.
To be a sailor guardian and maintain that persona was worth giving up her soul.
When Galaxia sent her Self into the galaxy, she did so hoping the most treasured part of
herself was safe from the grip of Chaos. Her decision, however, left her body without a
soul, so she became a vessel for the unconscious and her life force then was completely
replaced by the archetypal energy of Chaos (Hillman, 1995, p. 46). The act of hiding
aspects of herself from herself is an interesting example of repression (Johnson, 1991, p.
4). Normally, repression of characteristics is due to not wanting to acknowledge them.
In Galaxia’s case, she knew how valuable her hope and/or Self was, and for this reason
she took the extreme measures to protect it. Galaxia’s sacrifice is an extreme example of
what persona identification can lead to. Although separated from her, the Self did not
die, so I think this also gives context for why she continues to exist even as a soulless
shell. Her body was also maintained and sustained by Chaos through the centuries.
Persona identification mixed with archetypal possession leads to persona inflation. This
persona inflation was especially damaging as it was not her Self with which she was
identifying. Rather, she was identifying with the contents of the collective unconscious.
This takes irrationality and grandiosity to a very disturbing level, to say the least. Even
though I have argued the Self was what triggered this decision, Galaxia still consciously
had to make the choice to do it. The importance of the persona and the preservation of
the Self overrode any logic; but then again, the dedication to the image of persona
probably made the choice a little easier. This moment of sacrifice comprises the makings
of the greatest antagonist that Sailor Moon would ever see (Arisako & Takuya, 1996–
1997; Hillman, 1992, p. 46).
I have chosen to examine the villain from this saga as she demonstrates issues
with persona inflation, persona identification, and persona dissolution. Also, because she
is possessed by Chaos, she is arguably closer to the unconscious because of her
psychological condition. As Chaos is considered the source of evil in the anime, it seems
evident that it has a collective component to it. It should be noted that chaos itself is not
inherently negative (Dictionary.com, n.d.). Something that is unknown is not inherently
evil, it is simply unconscious. When anything is repressed it can take on its own “shadow
life” if given enough time to fester (Johnson, 1991, p. 4). Unfortunately, there seems to
be a pattern of repression being for an extended period of time. This action, of course,
leads to the unconscious contents taking on a darker energy. Definitions of chaos
indicate disorder or confusion. Etymological origins of the word chaos serve to define
this term as a “gaping void” or “the void at the beginning of creation” (Dictionary.com,
n.d.).
Without being overly literal, this leads me to wonder who or what Sailor Galaxia
was really fighting. The void indicates something primordial and archetypal in nature.
The aforementioned definitions lead me to believe that what the Sailor Soldiers of the
past may have been confronting were manifestations of the unconscious, or perhaps the
villains they were facing were possessed by the unconscious. The word void conveys
emptiness, or nothingness, so perhaps Galaxia was fighting against her own emptiness
and loneliness. Nevertheless, chaos is the primordial void that is a manifestation of
nothingness and also where creation began (Dictionary.com, n.d.). It is understandable
that Galaxia was driven to near insanity by attempting to contain Chaos within herself.
As she alone was a powerful force, she could contain it for some time; however, she was
unable to avoid the inevitable corruption that occurs from repression. The otherwise
neutral source of Chaos then warped her mind into wanting to take over the galaxy. It
should be noted, however, that the idea of taking over everything probably did not come
from Chaos itself. Rather, Galaxia’s own loneliness and anger at her plight were most
likely amplified due to her fragmented mind. If Chaos had any motivation, it may have
been to find Galaxia’s Self that she hid away from Chaos.
Unlike Usagi and the other Sailor Scouts, Galaxia did not have an identity outside
of being a Sailor Soldier once she realized that she possessed those powers. She was not
a student; from what is known, she was not raised by any traditional family. Therefore,
she had no responsibilities outside of being a soldier. In addition, the fighting against
Chaos did not allow her to even step away from her role of Sailor Galaxia as it was
constant. She consistently engaged in the persona of a Sailor Soldier not necessarily by
choice, but out of necessity for survival and defense from the onslaught of enemies. The
persona is both a survival and defense mechanism between the ego and the outside world
(Hudson, 1978; Jung & Storr, 1983, p. 89). I would argue each of these factors would be
the catalyst to place Galaxia’s ego in alignment with her persona. Although the intentions
are good, she unknowingly caused more harm through her destructive behaviors. Also, in
this case of persona identification, a person loses his or her true sense of identity as the
ego merges with the persona. Individuals in this predicament are fine, if their social role
is not changed (Hopcke, 1995), but when presented with any situation that has the
possibility of effecting their persona, they will often retaliate with some type of
aggression. In Galaxia’s case, she destroys planets.
From an archetypal perspective (Hillman, 1992), although there are similarities,
persona identification takes on a different meaning. When a loss of identity occurs from
persona identification, the individual is making a sacrifice. More specifically, we are
witnessing someone becoming a vessel for unconscious contents (Hillman, 1992, p. 46).
Galaxia’s situation fits with Hillman’s perspective as she did become a vessel for Chaos
and she intentionally became a vessel for Chaos for the greater good of others. No one
required her to do this. Galaxia felt her duty to protect the world called for to her lay
down her life. The persona allows an individual to be in relation with the Gods. For
example, Galaxia’s persona allowed her to be in relation with the archetypal force of
Chaos. Although very powerful on her own, becoming a vessel for Chaos allowed
Galaxia to have the power of the unconscious at her disposal. Engaging with the persona
is part of our daily lives, but it is not something that is meant to replace ego. Resonating
with the persona (in a healthy way) can grant a person power of the archetype in limited
quantities. This power ideally is for a limited amount of time; it is not something that is
meant to be a permanent situation. The act of persona identification grants an individual
power, but it is a costly affair as it requires sacrifice of the ego. Hillman (1992)
described this sacrifice as a form of suicide (p. 46). As mentioned previously, Hillman
(1976) indicated that suicide is the soul’s instinctual drive for transformation (p. 68).
Galaxia’s mind was under assault by an onslaught of unconscious contents. Her persona
identification may have been her own way of attempting to assert control in a bleak
situation.
After taking Chaos within herself, Galaxia became consumed by it. As a result,
she became obsessed with the idea of power. She traveled through the galaxy stealing
star seeds from the Sailor Soldiers of those planets until nothing was left in her wake
(Arisako & Takuya, 1996–1997). In the spirit of chaos she kept the star seeds to disrupt
the reincarnation cycle of fellow Sailor Soldiers. Chaos kept her alive, so she toured the
galaxy, destroying it for hundreds of years. That is, of course, until she found the planet
Earth. At this point Chaos and Galaxia are nearly one and the same. The darkness in her
own heart was amplified by the energy of Chaos. Although remnants of hope may
remain, they are so deeply hidden with her unconscious, Galaxia is crippled in the sense
that she cannot make her own decisions anymore.
I would like to take a moment to explore Galaxia’s appearance in more depth. Up
to this point, the Sailor Soldier’s uniforms are similar to a school girl’s outfit. Each
character has different color palettes to correspond with their planets, but the overall
prototype of the outfit is the same. Although the images are limited to flashbacks, from
what is known, Galaxia put on a gold uniform when fighting Chaos (Arisako & Takuya,
1996–1997). This uniform did not have all of the school uniform decorations, but the
similarities were still apparent. However, once she had sealed Chaos within herself,
Galaxia wore metal body armor instead. No other soldier, including those with uniform
variations, has this type of appearance. Galaxia wears solid gold armor with a matching
golden headdress that holds in her ankle-length hair. After she took Chaos within herself
there is only one occasion where viewers witness her removing her armor and headdress
in private. Even then, her true form was masked with shadows so no one could see her
clearly.
I find that moment significant because fear of vulnerability is often a driving force
for maintaining persona (Leary & Allen, 2011, p. 1034). Her unwillingness to take off
her armor shows how she went to great lengths to maintain her role. I would argue she
does this as Galaxia only has one persona (Leary & Allen, 2011, p. 1034). This could
explain why we never see her without her armor. The other notable change that I would
to bring attention to is that her armor takes on a more structured solid appearance as well.
It has sharp angles in places where one would normally see curves of her body, for
example. In some ways, her new armor blurred her femininity. For Jung, one place that
gold holds significance is in relation to alchemy. Alchemy began as a practice of
transmuting materials into gold or into a philosopher’s stone. From Jung’s perspective,
the ritual of alchemy provided a tool for individuation and the transformation of one’s
psyche. The transformation of her armor is an outward manifestation of the changes that
occurred within her psyche. However, Galaxia is far from being individuated, so
perhaps, there is another reason why she wears gold. Johnson (1991) discussed that gold
within our psyches can be relegated to our unconscious through repression (p. 7).
Anything that deviates from societal norms is relegated to shadow, and this applies to
both positive and negative characteristics.

Slowly, any remaining bits of Galaxia’s humanity are becoming obliterated by
Chaos. The golden armor serves as a symbol of this shift. In addition, I also think her
armor is an indication of how her identity has become oriented toward the collective.
According to Jung (1916/1966), “By definition we have to say of the persona’s contents
what we have said for the impersonal unconscious namely, that they are collective” (p.
281). The persona rises from cultural expectations of which behaviors are permissible
and which are not; therefore, culture is what determines how a persona develops. Culture
has a collective component to it and this would mean the same for the persona.
Jung (1916/1966) further stated, “One is simply acting a role through which the
collective psyche speaks” (p. 281). Jung (1916/1966) made this statement when referring
to the act of taking up the persona. Clothing is also another way that persona manifests
itself (von Franz, 1980, p. 90). Clothing belongs to the persona as it is another
manifestation of the mask it is meant to hide and protect the ego (Jung & von Franz,
1968, p. 350). The final possibility I would like to mention is that Galaxia’s armor may
have served as a container for unconscious contents, to prevent them from spilling forth.
I am, however, more inclined to think that the golden armor implies her plunge into the
unconscious since that is where the gold of the psyche tends to be before the
individuation process. This very idea of containment is something that I think is
significant. The idea of containment of archetypal energy is the exact thing that
facilitated Galaxia in becoming a vessel for unconscious contents. To be perceived by
consciousness, an archetype will need a vessel to bring itself into view (von Franz, 1980).
What better vessel than the strongest warrior in the Galaxy?

Who is Chaos? From Jung’s perspective, one main purpose of the individuation
process is to begin assimilation of unconscious contents. In turn, this would expand the
consciousness of an individual so that one would gain a deeper understanding of oneself
and of the unconscious. Hillman’s (1997) archetypal perspective indicates attempts at
forced integration acts against the archetypes and is not beneficial for psychological
development. Attempting to integrate everything inside oneself is like trying to fit a
square into a circle. This is not to say integration of unconscious materials is necessarily
a bad thing. I feel the idea of integration implies that the unconscious has some type of
boundaries. So how can one integrate something that has no boundaries from what is
known about it? Jung (1921/1971) had an answer for this though: the individuation
process is a constant process of becoming because it is never over. This would
accommodate for the fact that the unconscious can never be known in its entirety. From
what is known, the unconscious is always changing and this is especially true at a
collective level.
From a collective standpoint, the concept of the persona has a multitude of
meanings that could all equally have some truth to them depending on the specific
situation. In short, there is not necessarily one true answer. Hillman’s (1997)
polytheistic approach indicates an acknowledgement of the archetypes within our psyche
and having acceptance and respect for their position would be a more beneficial approach
to psychological development (Hillman, 1997, p. 2432 Kindle Location). I think his
approach is also beneficial when addressing concepts of the persona as it has a
multiplicity of possibilities on its own. Certain relationships in the psyche exist for a
reason, and they should be accepted and respected for how they are. The
acknowledgement of the relationship itself would still be a positive move in personality
development. In Galaxia’s case, acceptance of the existence of Chaos as it was would
have allowed her to avoid considerable psychological turmoil, and the destruction of
countless planets would have never occurred. Other antagonists would have continued to
appear, in turn, this would have still allowed Galaxia to become strong and to achieve
growth in her role as a sailor guardian.
Galaxia felt that integrating her personal goals, drives, and desires with the
collective (Chaos) was the only way to save the galaxy from destruction. This leads to
the question of whether the universe actually needed to be saved from Chaos. Although
unpleasant to fight it, is there actually something inherently wrong with the archaic
primordial energy of chaos? Integration is not the way to resonate with archetypes
according to Hillman (1994, p. 55). Archetypes have a presence in the physical, social,
and spiritual worlds, not only within the unconscious and their primary purpose is to
govern the psyche and behaviors, but not to be contained by an individual psyche. The
archetypes are not governed by rules of morality; they are amoral and not inherently evil,
they simply exist. Humankind attributes positivity and negative tones to the unconscious.
However, when mixing archaic psychic material with a human being who has his or her
own set of problems, it is a recipe for some type of psychosis, to say the least.
Rather than trying to understand her symptoms of psychological fragmentation,
Galaxia went further downward into the depths of chaos. Galaxia no longer had an ego
due to her persona identification as a Sailor Soldier. In this instance, persona
identification impeded her development. Removal of the ego and only having the
persona as the conscious aspect of herself allowed the unconscious within her to be
unchecked. The existence of both ego and persona are important as they can act as a
filter for unconscious contents. When they fused into one, Galaxia’s sense of identity
solely became that of a soldier and a conqueror. Her persona identification made it
relatively easy for her persona to be aligned with the collective (Hopcke, 1995; Jung,
1943/1966, p. 93). This context provides some insight on why perhaps her reasonable
goals of peace turned into lofty ideas of controlling the entire galaxy. The archetypes
reside in the collective unconscious as well as the personal one. When one’s disposition
is aligned with the collective, one’s ideas and beliefs will also be anchored in the
collective and will want to spread (Jung, 1943/1966, p. 93). In Galaxia’s case, she ended
up destroying an entire solar system as she–Chaos wanted to shape the galaxy in her own
image.
One symptom of persona identification is a feeling of emptiness due to lacking an
actual sense of identity. Galaxia herself already had a sense of loneliness and emptiness
from her experiences of wandering alone on her home planet. I would argue her
emptiness became amplified as she gave into the void of Chaos. The collection of star
seeds seems fitting when viewed from this context. She was a lonely soul, so she began
to surround herself with the souls of others. These were not just any souls; they were
souls of fellow soldiers that would always shine and because they always shone, the souls
would never leave her. From another perspective, the collection of Sailor Soldiers’ star
seeds could be viewed as a collecting persona. The more star seeds she collected, the
stronger Galaxia became.
A closer look into Galaxia’s psychosis is the key to gaining insights to what
archetypal figure was the driving force behind this destructive behavior. Madness has
associations with hysteria, which was an umbrella term used for a multitude of
psychological disorders (Dictionary.com, 2017). Historically, hysteria was attributed to
women specifically by the Greeks to explain their excessive emotionality
(Dictionary.com, n.d.). More specifically, the excessive emotionality was attributed to a
wandering uterus. However, I would argue that excessive emotionality is still something
that is viewed as typical feminine behavior. Why is this important? The archetypal
figure that has associations with persona, feminine, theatre, and madness (hysteria) is
Dionysus. Galaxia’s madness is not only a result of her persona identification, but also
appears to be an outcome of failing to resonate with Dionysus in a healthy way. Wine,
drunkenness, and ecstasy also have associations with Dionysus. His very essence is a
union of polar opposites as can be seen in some of the personality traits listed above. Just
as he is nurturing and life-giving in one sense, on the other side Dionysus is also wild and
unrestrained. He is “ruled by theatre and drama . . . and was associated with hysteria”
(Hillman, 1995, p. 113).
I would argue the attempts to control the energy of Chaos in this anime was an
attempt to master Dionysus. Attempts at controlling this unruly archetype only
exacerbated less than desirable behaviors (Hillman, 1995, pp. 113–115). Furthermore,
“staying in control and not letting go of control both in ourselves and in organizations”
can also be viewed as an attempt to master Dionysus (Hillman, 1995, p. 115). Galaxia
had failed to acknowledge that every light casts a shadow. She started with the best of
intentions, but her lack of understanding led to catastrophic results. One cannot master
Dionysus, or any god for that matter. This is why evoking his presence can stir shadows
(Hillman, 1995, p. 266).

Once Galaxia came to Earth, she was intent on collecting the remaining “true”
star seeds so she would be able to finally have dominion over the entire Galaxy. She also
wanted to destroy the light of hope. In the final episodes of the season, the situation
continues to escalate and she has almost collected all of the star seeds that she would
need. She even almost took Sailor Moon’s star seed. However, in the nick of time,
Galaxia’s Self revealed itself and saved Sailor Moon. It turns out that her Self that
Galaxia sent away long ago gained a degree of autonomy. Viewers witness this as her
Self physically changes itself and takes the form of a little girl called Chibi Chibi
(Arisako & Takuya, 1996–1997; Johnson, 1991). I would argue her Self did this to allow
it to be perceived in the conscious world. The truth became apparent: the very thing
Galaxia thought that she hid away was right there waiting for her to come to her senses.
As soon as it became apparent who Chibi Chibi was, Galaxia attempted to kill her. After
the death of many soldiers, finally, the battle between Galaxia and Sailor Moon began.
This is, however, not before Galaxia plunged the world into the depths of chaos. The sky
was dark, black, and lightning was striking everywhere. Everything became engulfed by
darkness. Such strong imagery conveys the sense of being in an archetypal field. Chaos
no longer was dwelling in her unconscious and began leaking into the outside world. All
the repression and internal conflict had finally reached a boiling point. Galaxia’s final
transformation demonstrates “to refuse the dark side of one’s nature is to store up or
accumulate darkness”; it simply festers and grows (Johnson, 1991, p. 26).
The last battle. In the final battle, Chaos finally overtakes Galaxia and her
shining golden armor takes on a black hue. She also begins talking in the third person as
Chaos has completely taken control. The ultimate sacrifice appears to be complete; at
this point, there is no ego or persona, but simply the unconscious completely untamed
(Hillman, 1995). One could argue that Galaxia’s plunge into the depths of Chaos
demonstrates why having a healthy persona is important. Had she been more balanced,
she would not have been so susceptible to the unconscious. However, it should be noted
that this change was hundreds of years in the making. I feel this indicates that there is an
area of opportunity for healing from persona identification at multiple levels. In an
interesting twist, Chibi Chibi reveals herself to Sailor Moon and helps her fight Galaxia
(Arisako & Takuya, 1996–1997).
And what of Sailor Moon at this point, what about her perspective? In short,
Usagi is against a wall. All her friends have been killed with the exception of the three
Starlights who are fellow soldiers from a faraway galaxy. They have placed their faith in
her and begin fighting on her behalf (Arisako & Takuya, 1996–1997). Also, to top things
off, she has found out that her boyfriend Mamoru was also among those killed.
Understandably, she is in a highly distressed state as the foundation of her persona as a
sailor guardian is removed ruthlessly. The role of a sailor guardian is to protect and
defend. However, with everyone gone, it appears that she did not have anyone else for
whom to fight. Usagi is frantically trying to talk Galaxia down and to stop the cycle of
violence, but her efforts are fruitless at this point. Usagi even tries to purify Galaxia with
her Moon Rod, which Galaxia destroys by cutting it (Arisako & Takuya, 1996–1997).
Chibi Chibi steps in and reveals herself to be the light of hope that everyone was
searching for, and indicated to Usagi that Galaxia is no longer the good soldier she once
was, she was possessed and had to be stopped. At that point, Chibi Chibi transforms into
a sword and asks Usagi to fight. Usagi then takes on the image of Princess Serenity and
gains wings. This response is common; the persona will enlarge in the face of conflict to
protect the ego. Also, depending on how armored up the persona becomes, I think this
indicates some weakness in the ego. Even so, there is power in the persona when the
energy is channeled versus being held inside (Hopcke, 1995). Usagi does not want to
fight anymore and is protesting that there must be another way. The idea of harmony, in
general, is something that is important in Japanese culture (Steiff & Tamplin, 2010).
Perhaps this may be some of the driving force behind Usagi’s insistence on quelling the
conflict. I would argue she does have a genuine interest in helping Galaxia get better.
When she heard the entire story of Galaxia’s plight, Usagi was brought to tears. Usagi
had the awareness that conflict with the unconscious would not yield any solutions.
Resonating with the unconscious could have a positive impact instead.
Understandably, Usagi tries to relate with Galaxia under the premise that they
share the same role as sailor guardians to no avail (Arisako & Takuya, 1996–1997).
Once Galaxia is completely controlled by Chaos, Usagi makes the decision that she will
not fight the unconscious anymore. On the contrary, she is going to embrace it warmly.
Her duties as a sailor guardian drive her to make a considerable sacrifice. She sheds her
clothing and weaponry and is nude in front of the possessed Galaxia. Sailor Moon’s star
seed begins to protrude from her chest and shine brightly. She then flies toward Galaxia
and she reaches out her hand to her and they touch. At that moment Galaxia’s armor
cracks and shatters and her own inner light expels Chaos from her body.
This fight is significant for a few reasons. The battle between Usagi and Galaxia
was an outward manifestation of Galaxia’s turmoil within herself. Galaxia had no
interest in facing the pain and loneliness she felt from her upbringing. Although she was
under the influence of Chaos, again, an archetype needs a vessel to spring forth. Her
feelings of loneliness, anger, sadness, disappointment, and many other emotions belonged
to her. The frustration at unfulfilled desires are part of what made her susceptible to
Chaos. Chaos was not the driving force behind finding the light of hope—it was her.
Her mind and body were drawn back to each other, and with the help of Sailor Moon,
they could unify again (Arisako & Takuya, 1996–1997). In turn, Galaxia came back to
her senses and could start the path of atoning for her transgressions while under the
influence of Chaos. Shedding of the persona and her armor freed Galaxia from
archetypal possession. Once the ego came back into conscious view, she could engage
with the persona in a healthy way again.
Issues with the persona is in many cases a conflict with balance. Leaning too
much into the unconscious or the conscious world tended to cause conflict with the
characters. Usagi demonstrates that the concept of the persona can be stifling to her as
well as those around her, such as when those around feel powerless and project their
hopes and desires onto her consistently. Usagi also demonstrates the need to uphold a
persona can be both detrimental and helpful to personality development depending on the
context (Draper, 1987; Takeuchi, 1992–1997), such as when she was still a sailor scout
reconstructing her persona after regaining memories of her past life. Combining the
memories of her old persona with her emerging one allowed her to become stronger.
Other examples include when Neo Queen Serenity banished and ostracized people from
her kingdom that refused to be cleansed. In this instance, conscious repression became
the catalyst for the conflicts to come. The conflict would not have been possible had it
not been for Neo Queen Serenity’s need to repress all shadow from her psyche. Usagi
stripping herself bare serves as a reminder resonating with the unconscious ultimately
yields more power than identifying with it through persona exclusively (Arisako &
Takuya, 1996–1997). Usagi and Galaxia both provide examples of how a flexible
persona is just as important as its ability to be removed (Jung, 1928/1966, p. 157; Singh,
2009, p. 45). Galaxia’s corruption and redemption are examples of how persona
identification can morph easily into something more serious, given the right
circumstances. Risks include being victims of persona inflation, archetypal possession,
physical death, and ultimately, ego death. Struggles with the persona in the SM series
further emphasize the importance placed on balance and harmony in Japanese culture
(Steiff & Tamplin, 2010). I think the medium of anime allows for the persona, which is
commonly deemed superficial, to be viewed from a different perspective. Viewers often
witness this when characters consistently make sacrifices for the greater good of others
even while actively engaging in the persona. This is not something that we witness often
in Western film, as more emphasis is placed on individuality. Lastly, as Japanese culture
places emphasis on the collective rather than the individual, I think anime also allows for
the collective aspect of the persona to be explored more easily.

Chapter 6
Dragon Ball Z
Like SM, Dragon Ball Z (DBZ) is an anime that has a prominent place in Western
culture. SM captivated children with tales of love, friendship, and female empowerment
with the presence of a strong female protagonist. DBZ has a similar effect with tales of
perseverance, struggle, discipline, and inner power. Although DBZ has wide appeal, it
appears to be tailored to a male audience. For this reason, I would argue there is more of
a masculine energy in DBZ. Exploration of this series is helpful in gaining insights on
the persona as it complements SM’s exploration of femininity and its relation to power.
For this reason, the exploration of DBZ can illuminate the struggle with persona from a
more masculine perspective. The DBZ story centers around objects called the Dragon
Balls and the protagonist’s adventures around them. The Dragon Balls are seven crystal
orbs with stars inside of them that correspond to their numbers (Toriyama & Jones,
2008). These objects have the power to summon an eternal dragon named Shenron. The
Dragon Balls were created by Kami, who is a member of the alien race called
Namekians. Kami is the current guardian of Earth at the start of the series. There are
multiple sets of Dragon Balls that each have varying limitations.
The DBZ series has three different sets of Dragon Balls that are encountered
through the storyline. Each set of balls appears to summon their own dragon. Once the
dragon is summoned, he will be able to grant the user any wish he desires with some
limitations. Shenron is the dragon with which the DBZ characters have the most
interactions. He appears to be equivalent to a God, due to the power that he possesses.
He only appears when the Dragon Balls are gathered together and cannot be summoned
otherwise. He stays long enough to grant the wish and quickly disappears once his work
is done. One characteristic that I noticed is that Shenron does not care if the wish is good
or evil. If the wish falls into the realm of possibility, then he will grant it (Toriyama &
Jones, 2008). For example, in the latest DBZ movie, Resurrection F, one of the most
murderous villains in the series’ history was revived by Shenron (FUNimation
Productions, 2003).
Shenron’s indifference to the nature of the wish leads me to believe that he is
example of an archetypal figure. My reasoning for this is that the archetypes are not
governed by the same sense of morality as are human beings. He is not inherently good
or evil, he simply exists in a realm beyond the DBZ universe. Even when he is not
summoned, his influence and presence still governs the behaviors of the DBZ characters.
Influence on instincts and behaviors are part of the characteristics of an archetype (Jung,
1943/1966, p. 65). The balls act as a vessel for his manifestation. Once the balls are
used, they turn to stone and are scattered across the Earth until they can be gathered
again. The potential power that these balls wield is the driving force behind many of the
villains in the DBZ universe. By the same token, the balls also are the driving force
behind a lot of the protagonist’s decisions. Often, storyline progression depends on being
able to summon Shenron. One of the more common wishes that are made is the revival
of those who may have died because of a specific villain. For this reason, death within
the DBZ series is not always something that is permanent. The treatment of death in
DBZ is something that is notable as it is not necessarily viewed as something bad. On the
contrary, life continues in the afterlife and significant plot events often happen there as
well. Death is more of a transitional experience into a different archetypal field (Hillman,
1976). Now that the introduction of the Dragon Balls and their purpose has been
presented I will move forward with the analysis of the protagonist Goku.
Character Analysis of Goku
Goku’s journey from Dragon Ball to DBZ anime is a classic story of growth from
adolescence into adulthood. His story and transformations began when he was a little
boy in the first Dragon Ball series (Toriyama & Jones, 2003). By the time the DBZ
series has started, he is already an adult with his wife and young son named Gohan
(Toriyama & Jones, 2008). The DBZ series demonstrates how he balances fatherhood,
marriage, and his need for growth and adventure. He enjoys fighting and pushing his
limits simply for the experience. He also believes in fighting fairly and honorably and
does not resort to dirty tactics. He does not seem to view himself as a hero, rather, he is
more concerned with the safety of the Earth and his loved ones. According to DBZ
creator Toriyama, Goku is based off the Monkey King Sun WuKong. This character is
from a classic Chinese novel titled Journey to the West (Wu, Jenner, & Shi, 2003). Upon
learning who Goku is based on explained so much about his character. The character of
the Monkey King is representative of the wild, untamed spirit of humankind. He is
unchained, unfocused, and easily distracted by new ideas and happenings (Wu et al.,
2003). This fits Goku’s disposition down to the core of his personality. Although he
loves his family, he is ultimately an adventurer who has never settled with being a
mediocre version of himself. This gives context as to why he goes to such great lengths
to train, grow, and have adventures.
Moreover, there are general similarities to Goku and the Monkey King. One of
the most important aspects of Goku’s development is his acknowledgement and

acceptance of his Saiyan heritage. The Saiyans are a race of humanoid aliens from the
planet Vegeta. One of the characteristics that can differentiate a Saiyan from humans is
that they have a tail similar to that of a monkey. This distinguishing characteristic not
only identifies a Saiyan, but also has the ability to greatly amplify their power. The tail
allows for a transformation into a great ape monster called an ozaroo that is significantly
stronger than when they are in their humanoid form (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). This
transformation is not without drawbacks; with the exception of one character, everyone
else loses their logic to the primitive mind, and they simply become destructive beasts.
The nature of the transformation is an example of how the power of the archetypes is not
necessarily something that can be tamed (Hillman, 1992); or if the archetype can be
tamed, it is only for the short term. In this instance, the term would be the duration of the
transformation. The tail is a literal manifestation of primitive power within a Saiyan and
the potential for its destructiveness. If they lose their tails, it is not to say that they do not
have the ability to be powerful. However, they will no longer be able to access the
primitive power within themselves quite as easily. In times of stress, danger, and in
certain transformations the tail may grow back.
Goku was disciplined and trained in martial arts practices for many years.
Although Goku trained for variety of reasons, most notably, he wanted to become
stronger and he liked learning new things. He clearly displayed an aptitude for martial
arts even from a young age. He demonstrates his aptitude consistently throughout the
Dragon Ball and DBZ series. One of the more prominent examples of his abilities
occurred in the initial series of Dragon Ball when he first learned his signature attack, the
Kamehameha wave (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). What is amazing about this feat is that he
learned this move very quickly. This powerful technique was pioneered by one of his
teachers, Master Roshi, who indicates that it took him 50 years to learn the technique.
Through simple observation, Goku managed to learn the move within a few seconds and
on his first try.
In the Dragon Ball series, Goku did manage to make tremendous strides.
Nevertheless, he was only able to take his development so far. I would argue one reason
for this was because he did not quite understand where his power came from. It is hard to
train and grow something of which you are not conscious. Goku’s situation is suggestive
of some of the struggles one can experience during the individuation process. Remnants
of his dormant power would usually manifest itself during stressful events. Just as
quickly as the powers would manifest, they would disappear. Goku often could not
explain exactly where the power came from when questioned. He was fortunate to have
wonderful teachers to give him a strong framework in martial arts. His teachers did not,
however, have the capacity to truly understand the extent of what kind of power he could
wield, either. For this reason, their teachings were only able to take Goku so far. Their
lack of knowledge about his power also proved to be harmful on some occasions. For
example, Goku’s adoptive grandfather was accidently crushed to death by Goku as a boy
during one of his transformations into an ozaroo (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). The nature
of the transformation blurs the memories of the person so Goku was unaware he is the
one who killed his grandfather. Goku would not become aware of this truth until he met
a fellow Saiyan named Vegeta and saw him transform. There are many significant
moments that propelled Goku into new transformations. The initial turning point of
Goku’s development would come at the beginning of the DBZ series with the arrival of
Raditz.
The first arc of DBZ (which is known as the Saiyan arc) introduces the origins of
Goku, which were previously a mystery. The initial villain of the arc, Raditz, revealed
that Goku was not only his brother, he was a member of the Saiyan race. Goku’s real
name is also revealed to be Kakarot, and he was sent to the planet Earth as a baby with
the mission to destroy the planet (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). Initially Raditz is confused
as to why the mission to destroy the Earth was not completed. Master Roshi was able to
fill in the gaps about what had happened. The mission was compromised because Goku
hit his head as a child. The trauma of the injury was the equivalent of giving Goku a
blank slate. This event prohibited Goku from destroying Earth as he had forgotten what
he was supposed to do. From that day forward, Kakarot no longer existed and Goku was
born. Through his life, he remained a kind-hearted person who did not enjoy senseless
violence.
He was young enough when the injury occurred that he had no recollection of his
former self. The news comes as a shock to Goku; he initially denies his heritage and
feels no familial bond with Raditz. Rather, he is repulsed at how Raditz relished in
violence. The obvious difficulties with the situation is Goku having to face the fact that
he is not who he necessarily thought he was. This type of situation is commonplace
when the shadow begins to first manifest into conscious view. The Saiyans are an
aggressive and violent race, so it is understandable why Goku may not have initially
wanted to take ownership of his heritage to begin with. If he did so, this would also mean
taking ownership of the darker aspects of what it meant to be a Saiyan. This realization
conflicted with his beliefs about himself. The path of acceptance is one of Goku’s
greatest areas of opportunity and something that he continually struggled with through
the series. I would argue this struggle with self-acceptance with being a Saiyan meant
acceptance of his own shadow (Johnson, 1991). The introduction of the Saiyans was also
an opportunity for shadow contents to be brought into conscious view. Reconciliation
with his shadow contents would also mean dissolution of his current persona and the
construction of a new one. When new psychic contents come into conscious view, unless
someone engages in deliberate repression, they inevitably will end up changing
somehow.
Lack of persona. However, Goku’s situation seems to be a little different than
that of most protagonists. Up to this point, all the protagonists in the previous chapters
appear to have some struggle with persona identification. Examples include Utena’s
struggle with the persona of the prince, or Usagi’s struggle to balance her heroic persona
with her normal life. Persona identification occurs when the ego begins relating to the
persona in an unhealthy way (Hopcke, 1995, p. 30). To be more specific, a person will
begin to believe his or her actual identity is the persona rather than the ego. In the case of
Goku, rather than having issues with persona identification, he appears on the other side
of the spectrum. He does not depend too much on his persona because he was lacking
one (Hopcke, 1995), or more specifically, it was underdeveloped due to his disconnect
from his heritage. His underdeveloped persona appears to be due to his lack of real
identity. A lack of personal history and context often left Goku out of place in his world.
I do acknowledge it is possible to build a formidable persona even with a false self.
However, what appears to set Goku apart from others is his sense of genuineness.
I would note that Goku did not appear to be distressed about his persona or his
ego, for that matter. On the contrary, his lack of persona development left him with an
air of childlike innocence and naïvety (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). According to Hopcke
(1995), if one is not encouraged or pushed to develop a persona, then a person may not be
necessarily be distressed about not having one (p. 60). Hopcke indicated a lack of
persona can result in a childlike disposition (p. 60). His childlike demeanor went well
with Goku’s sense of adventure and appreciation for freedom. He was generally
oblivious about his surroundings. In addition, he often lacked manners and was
unfamiliar with most social customs. One example includes when he promised to marry
his wife when they were children, even though he did not know what marriage was at the
time (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). Then, when she confronted him about it when they were
adults he went ahead and married her because he had promised to do so. He did not
appear to show any real understanding of the significance of what marriage is meant to
be. I would note that he did not appear to do these things intentionally; he simply did not
understand social customs. This behavior is telling as the persona exists to help a person
exhibit socially acceptable behaviors within his or her culture (Jung, 1928/1966, p. 193).
I would also argue that the persona would help someone navigate through social customs.
Goku’s inability to navigate through customs were a source of comedic relief. On a more
serious note, scenarios like the one described above also show that Goku was socially
awkward. To have a persona is essentially taking on a responsibility to serve as a good
representation of socially acceptable behaviors.
A lack of persona did have some positive outcomes for Goku. For example, Goku
is very genuine in his interactions with others and he never was deceitful to anyone. He
is genuine to a fault, always sees the good in people, and is always clear about his
intentions even if it was detrimental to him. His ability to see the good in others parallels
Sailor Moon’s ability to do the same. Goku did not appear to show any discomfort at his
lack of persona until he was presented with the facts about his Saiyan heritage from
Raditz. The response is understandable as the ego usually does not have an awareness of
the shadow. Also, the ego does not like to disturb the equilibrium of the psyche (Hollis,
2010, p. 9). Goku’s denial of his heritage provides a defense against the troubling
knowledge that he was a Saiyan. Acknowledgement of shadow contents would definitely
throw things off balance, at least initially. In an ideal situation, the persona can act as a
defense mechanism against psychological intrusion protecting the ego (Hudson, 1978;
Jung & Storr, 1983, p. 89). Without the protective layer of the persona, Goku was
especially susceptible to struggles with the unconscious. This adds another layer of
significance to the impact that Raditz’s visit may have had on Goku’s psyche.
Goku’s rejection of his Saiyan heritage is a classic example of repression of
shadow traits (Johnson, 1991). He did so to his detriment because his Saiyan heritage
explained so much about his power and from where it originated. For example, Goku has
a love for fighting, which is a Saiyan trait. He especially loves the fight if his foe is very
strong so that he can test his limits. The arrival of the Saiyans was the catalyst for Goku
becoming even stronger. Had they not arrived, Goku may not have learned about the
possibilities of his powers. The arrival of the Saiyans also introduced the concept of
power level to the DBZ universe (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). In turn, this gave tangible
and measurable proof of the growth within Goku and the supporting cast. Raditz proved
to be strong and Goku ended up having to enlist the help of another enemy of his,
Piccolo. They temporarily became allies and killed Raditz together. As a result, Goku
ended up sacrificing himself in the process and went to the afterlife. Goku sacrificed
himself as no one else on Earth had the power to stop Raditz. The safety of those around
him took precedence over everything, including his life. Goku’s sacrifice is one of many
he makes within the series. I would argue this sacrifice is an example of the soul’s
instinctual drive toward transformation (Hillman, 1976). As a reminder, suicide is an
extreme manifestation of the soul’s instinctual drive toward transformation (Hillman,
1976). With his death, Goku was able to go to the afterlife and train in preparation for
the arrival of more Saiyans that were on their way to Earth. This type of training was only
available in the afterlife; therefore, Goku’s death was a necessity to transcend his
limitations (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). Raditz’s appearance was short-lived, but was
arguably one of the more significant events in the DBZ universe. He forced Goku to
move forward in his path to discovering more about who he is.
Once the awareness of his Saiyan heritage came to light, Goku’s power began
increasing exponentially. In turn, Goku could harness his power into to something that
the world had never seen. The existence of Raditz and Vegeta (who has yet to be
discussed) demonstrates that bringing unconscious contents into conscious view are often
a catalyst for transformative happenings. One may wonder how this relates to persona?
To even incorporate new ideas and concepts Goku had to change the image he had of
himself. The change in his image would have to involve acceptance of his Saiyan
heritage and reclamation of his archetypal roots. Again, Goku is in the interesting
position of lacking a strong persona (Hopcke, 1995). For this reason, he did not really
have anything to build upon. His situation can be viewed in both a positive and negative
perspective. On a positive note, he did not have preconceived notions that could get in
the way of his persona development. Goku had a clean slate to build upon. On a negative
note, a newly constructed persona may not necessarily be structurally strong in the
beginning. The construction of a persona does involve some degree of sacrifice of
individuality (Jung, 1928/1966, p. 192). Goku would inevitably change once he
constructed a persona. Goku’s psyche was attempting to do something that can take an
average person years to do. A newly constructed persona can still be susceptible to
unconscious contents. According to Hopcke (1995), the cure for lack of persona is to
increase a person’s awareness of themselves so they can begin forging a persona (p. 59).
This is something that will usually require the assistance of an outside force. In more
practical situations, this could be in the form of a counselor. In Goku’s case, his
awareness of himself came once the Saiyans came to Earth. After the arrival of Vegeta,
the next major villain whom Goku would face would be Frieza, the villain who murdered
his people. (I discuss Frieza in more detail after the character analysis of Vegeta.)
Goku’s similarity to Dionysus. There is another observation I made while
examining the character of Goku. His origins appear to have similarities to the
archetypal figure of Dionysus. One of the names of Dionysus is the “twice born one”
because he had both a mortal and divine birth (Otto, 1965). Goku was born a Saiyan and
lost that identity when he injured himself. His amnesia and the emergence of the person
who would be known as Goku made it to where he is literally twice born. Although this
is a general observation, I think it possibly sheds light on the depth of Goku’s power. In
order to transcend any limitations, Goku has subjected himself to training, danger, critical
injury, and even death. Examples include when he sacrificed himself to defeat Raditz
and when he sacrificed himself against another key villain named Cell. After each of
these occurrences, Goku came back stronger every time. As the aforementioned
situations demonstrate, Goku has gone through an array of rebirths through the Dragon
Ball series. It is only through these cycles of death and rebirth that he was able to
transcend to his next objective. Goku’s power flows from within. His lack of persona
benefitted him for a while as it does not filter anything. Even when he did adopt a
persona, he did not allow it unbalance his personality. Like Dionysus Goku’s power
comes from his lack of restraint (Hillman, 1980, p. 151). The result makes Goku a force
to be reckoned with. On the other hand, Goku is a hero to whom we can relate to because
although he had an aptitude for fighting he did not just magically grow strong overnight.
He trained, he practiced, and he acknowledge limitations when he had them. He also
confronted foes even if they were stronger than he was. His lack of persona identification
also allowed him to fight without the fear of losing or needing to maintain a certain image
(Toriyama & Jones, 2008). His humble disposition allowed for him to avoid becoming
arrogant or fall into persona identification even as he became stronger.
Goku did not, however, achieve his power solely through his own efforts, he had
a lot of help. One of the most influential figures in Goku’s life is Vegeta, the Saiyan
prince who would become one his greatest allies (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). The
introduction of Vegeta allowed for Goku to achieve his greatest transformation, turning
into a Super Saiyan.
Character Analysis of Vegeta
Vegeta’s story is quite different from Goku’s as he was raised as a Saiyan in a
world of violence and continual struggle. The kindheartedness of Goku is something that
would have gotten Vegeta killed. Understandably, Vegeta is a very different character
than is Goku. During his introduction, viewers discover that Vegeta is the “prince of all
Saiyans” as he puts it. Although he technically is, the lofty title does nothing for him as
the Saiyan race is almost completely extinct (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). He was spared
destruction because he was away on a mission when his planet was destroyed by Frieza.
In a terrible twist, Vegeta ended up serving the person who murdered his people as well
as his father. He initially did not know that it was Frieza who killed his people.
Regardless, once he did find out he was not nearly strong enough to be able to defeat
Frieza. The experiences have left Vegeta very bitter about how his people were treated.
His life experiences have also left him very violent, brutish, and angry all the time. He is
the eldest son of King Vegeta, who was the ruler of the Saiyan race before it fell
(Toriyama & Jones, 2008). When viewers first meet Vegeta, he is the embodiment of a
hyper-masculine, violent, ruthless man. In addition, he is very egotistical, arrogant, loves
fighting, and is full of pride. His pride is the most important thing to him and has proven
to be his downfall on a variety of occasions. In short, he is the opposite of Goku in
almost every way. Unlike Goku, he embodies the struggle with persona identification
that many face. Although he spends a lot of time boasting about himself, clearly Vegeta
is very proud of his ancestry. In addition, he is proud of being part of the royal family.
Like Goku, Vegeta’s flaw proves to be a key element in his personality development.
This same pride that often hinders him is also the key to considerable transformation
within him as well. Although he starts off as a villain, he would later transition into an
anti-hero (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). Ultimately, he would make a transition into a more
balanced hero as the series progresses.

While Goku had the problem of lacking persona, Vegeta is quite the opposite. He
is the embodiment of persona identification down to his core. Although pride can be a
positive attribute, he takes it to such an extreme that is often blinds his judgement, such
as when he lets a prominent villain power himself up before fighting him, then almost
gets pummeled to death (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). I must also mention that before the
villain powered up, Vegeta did possess the power to destroy him. However, from
Vegeta’s standpoint, he would not have been able to be proud of himself unless he had
known he defeated his enemies at their strongest. Scenarios like this were commonplace
for Vegeta, and in many instances, it was very detrimental for him. When Vegeta is first
introduced, he is coming to Earth with the intention of getting the dragon balls so he can
gain immortality. He feels immortality would allow him to become the strongest warrior
in the universe. At that point, he would be able to take on Frieza and avenge his people.
However, until that time came, he would have to continue to serve Frieza for his own
safety. Not long after his arrival on Earth he meets with Goku, whom he regards with
contempt. Vegeta believes in hierarchy and views Goku (Kakarot) as a low class Saiyan
who is weak. Viewers may wonder why Vegeta would feel that way about someone who
at this point he had never met. Author Padula (2012) offered great insights in regard to
power levels and how they are measured. I think his insights also may shed some light
on Vegeta’s struggle with persona identification.
As mentioned previously, the arrival of Raditz brought the concept of power
levels into the DBZ world. The way that the powers were measured were through
devices called “scouters” (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). The device was worn similar to
glasses over one eye and could be pointed at an opponent to get an assessment of his
power. Although these devices were not always part of Saiyan culture, they became part
of it under the interplanetary ruler Frieza. Vegeta grew up in a world where the internal
value of a person was ultimately determined by an external device (Padula, 2012). The
device is a lens, and I think this indicates outwardly that we are only getting one
perspective. There is an inherent problem with only viewing the external aspects of the
world because it does not consider hidden or internal potential. The concept of power
level also places limitations on what a person may think is possible for them to achieve.
When Saiyans were born, their power levels are measured. Goku had a very low power
level as a baby, while Vegeta was very strong. This information further solidified
Vegeta’s perspective that he was an elite member of the Saiyan race while Goku was low
class and weak. Also, Vegeta was rewarded for his strength rather than any internal
aspects about himself (Jung, 1931/1969, pp. 122–123). The idea of power levels gives
Vegeta a very black-and-white, fixed view on reality. Static perspectives can make
fertile ground for persona-related issues. Having a fixed perspective allowed for his
persona to flourish and revel in the knowledge that he was an elite. If a situation does not
call for adjusting one’s perspective, ideally the persona itself would also remain stagnant.
The comfort of the scouter and power levels gave Vegeta’s persona something tangible to
latch onto. The ability to measure power levels removed the need for introspective
thought about strength or ability. The Saiyan world was about the external, which I
would argue is about persona.
Vegeta’s orientation toward the external parallels well with Winnicott’s (1965)
concepts of the true self and the false self (p. 142). If compared with Jungian terms, true
self and false self are similar to the ego and persona. The true self is similar to ego as it is
our concept of identity. The true self is who a person is underneath any social masks,
while the false self is how we are perceived by others rather than how we may see
ourselves (Winnicott, 1965, p. 142). The false self is related to outward social
presentation just as is the persona. Poor ego development can foster the creation of the
false self. It functions as a defense mechanism to protect the true self. I think it is
important to bring these terms into the conversation when discussing Vegeta as they
describe his disposition very well. The false self forms in instances of poor ego
development. Vegeta’s traumatic childhood is an example of where and how poor ego
development can occur. The false self is a mechanism to protect the true self (Winnicott,
1965, p. 142). In this case, it functions similarly to the persona in how it shields the ego
from the outside world. When a person identifies with the false self, the orientation of
their personality is fixed to the external world. The false self is how others perceive us
rather than how we perceive ourselves (Winnicott, 1965, p. 142). Therefore, when one
identifies with the false self, one is solely relating to how others see him or her.
Regardless of personal goals and dreams, if the world states one is a warrior, then that is
what one is going to do. Vegeta is an example of what happens when one does not have
a choice.
Vegeta views Goku as a low-class Saiyan, yet he refuses to use his Earth name
and insists on calling him Kakarot. Although this is a minor action, I think it speaks to
how important the Saiyan pride and culture is for Vegeta. Although he had no respect for
him, Goku was still a Saiyan. He would call Goku Kakarot through the entirety of the
series, only using his Earth name once (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). At the time of his
arrival, he was much stronger than Goku as he was more in touch the Saiyan heritage.
Despite this advantage, he ended up being defeated by Goku and his friends. Vegeta’s
pride was hurt, knowing he was defeated by a fellow Saiyan who, at this point, was not
very much in touch with his heritage. One of the purposes of the Saiyan saga was to
introduce a rival character into the series. Goku’s old nemesis Piccolo went through so
many changes, they were no longer rivals. Therefore, they did not complement one
another in the same way. The addition of Vegeta into the series made the perfect rival for
Goku, and it would last almost through DBZ and the spin-off series Dragon Ball GT.
The next time Goku and Vegeta meet is on planet Namek. This arc is referred to as the
Frieza saga. Like the initial arc, this series of episodes fosters a great deal of
development with the DBZ characters. In the case of Goku, he is stepping into his
identity as a Saiyan. Vegeta, on the other hand, begins to question who he has become
through the conflict of emotions that he experiences.
Vegeta’s death: The beginning of transformation. With the presence of the
Dragon Balls, death is not necessarily permanent in the DBZ series. Reviving the dead
does have general stipulations. To be more specific, the person to be revived must not
have died of natural causes—the death needs to be wrongful or accidental. As long as
these guidelines are met, they are able to be revived by the dragon balls. Vegeta has been
revived on two occasions. His first death was at the hands of Frieza and his second death
was a suicide as he sacrificed himself to try and stop a different villain named Majin Buu
(Toriyama & Jones, 2008). According to Hillman (1976), death (particularly suicide) is
an outward manifestation of the soul’s need to move into another archetypal field. As a
result, death can usher in a transformative experience, and there seems to be no exception
in DBZ (Hillman, 1976, p. 68). Like the homunculus Envy in FMA, on multiple
occasions the viewers witness sacrificial and/or suicidal acts by Vegeta and other
characters. The actions of the characters speak to the impulse toward transformation.
Suicidal actions are a movement toward persona dissolution (Hillman, 1976). The
persona is modeled after the ego; death of the ego would also mean the same for the
persona. According to Hillman (1976), the experience of death can be used to bring forth
change (p. 68).
One of the more significant deaths I will discuss in further detail is when Frieza
mortally wounded Vegeta. Before the wound was inflicted, Vegeta was already unable to
defend himself as he was beaten fairly badly. Vegeta had deluded himself into believing
that he had become a Super Saiyan. Part of his delusion came from when his power grew
exponentially after recovering from his battle on Earth. According to Vegeta, whenever a
Saiyan has a near-death experience, they become stronger once they heals (Toriyama &
Jones, 2008). Therefore, each fight he survives he becomes stronger. Although this was
the case, he still did not have a fraction of the power necessary to defeat Frieza. This is
not the first or the last time that Vegeta’s arrogance led him to believe that he was much
stronger than he was. This led me to the question of what unspoken desire could be
driving his behavior aside from pride?
Like most villains, Vegeta seems to be suffering from a case of persona
identification. In the previous chapters Akio, Father, and Sailor Galaxia all exhibited
aspects of persona identification. In the DBZ universe there is Raditz, Vegeta, Frieza,
Cell, Majin Buu, and those are just a few villains that appear to have this issue. The
trauma of Vegeta’s childhood could possibly be the culprit. Violent behavior was
rewarded and encouraged in Saiyan culture. If one was not a capable warrior, one was
not accepted by the group. Vegeta witnessed what being ostracized looked like firsthand.
For example, Vegeta has a brother named Tarble, who did not have an aptitude for
fighting. Due to his lack of fighting ability, he was exiled to a faraway planet by his own
father King Vegeta (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). This action reinforced the expectation
that a Saiyan was to be a warrior and nothing else. If one’s value is tied to one’s power
level, I can imagine that experience was also dehumanizing. Not only did they have to be
good warriors, they also needed to be powerful to survive their harsh upbringing. I think
witnessing Tarble being exiled caused some anxiety within Vegeta. I do not think the
anxiety stemmed from caring for his brother; rather, Vegeta wanted to ensure that he was
viewed as good enough so he would not also be exiled.
Being rewarded for his persona contributed to Vegeta’s narcissism (Jung,
1931/1969, pp. 122–123). Although Vegeta would never say it, acceptance was important
to him. If someone is rewarded for something, they are more likely to repeat the
behavior. Between the combination of positive reinforcement from culture for violent
behavior and traumatic experiences of familial loss, this was an ideal situation for
persona identification. The loss of his people occurred when he was a teen, which is a
time of significant development. The need for survival drove his ego into identification
with his persona of the warrior prince (Hopcke, 1995, p. 30). Thus, his entire identity
became that of the Saiyan prince. Given the context of Vegeta’s plight, it is
understandable why his defeat on planet Earth was so painful. He did not just lose a
battle, he temporarily loss a central part of his identity which is centered within his pride.
He also suffered the physical loss of his tail, which is an important aspect of the Saiyan
identity (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). I would argue that Vegeta’s Saiyan pride was so
much a part of his personality that it was a major component to his persona.
Persona identification is problematic for multiple reasons. One of the more
common issues surrounding persona identification is the possibility of a skewed,
imbalanced personality. Another outcome of persona identification is grandiosity and
resonating with unconscious contents in an unhealthy way. By his behavior, this appears
to be one of Vegeta’s problems at this point in his development. Also, his persona
appeared to function as a defense mechanism against his general insecurities about being
viewed as weak rather than as powerful and strong. According to Hudson (1978), one
function of the persona is to alleviate anxiety during social interactions (p. 57). Engaging
in persona identification can exacerbate any anxiety an individual is trying to avoid. This
is because persona identification can set up expectations of how someone is supposed to
behave all the time and, in turn, this can make any neurosis worse. Persona identification
creates a rigid personality that lacks flexibility. The initial purpose of the persona
becomes lost when persona identification occurs as it renders someone unable to adapt in
social situations. The harder Vegeta tried to cover up his insecurities, the further he
retreated into his persona identification of the warrior prince.
Vegeta’s persona identification is especially sad as it is clear that he carries a lot
of trauma with him. He carries his insecurities as well as the legacy of the Saiyan race
with him. Although there was Goku, he did not have the connection to his origins like
Vegeta did. Goku also did not grow up a Saiyan; rather, he was raised on Earth. Viewers
then begin to gain insight on why Vegeta may have behaved like he was the last true
Saiyan. He was the last to have a direct connection to the culture. Through his persona,
he carries his culture with him. Vegeta has made a considerable sacrifice of his
individuality to be the bearer of the Saiyan legacy.
Before his first death in episode 86, Vegeta proceeds to tell Goku more about his
heritage and how the Saiyans fell. Had he not spoken further there was a possibility of
survival from his wounds. This leads to the question of why he kept expelling energy,
knowing it would hasten his death. This is the same character who ruthlessly tried to kill
Goku and his friends. I would argue it was a combination of his Saiyan pride and his
prince–warrior persona that were significant factors behind this decision-making. The
combination of the two prompted him to begin to tell the truth. Not only did Vegeta have
to come to terms with the loss of his people, he also had to confront his psychic wounds
at the same time. At this point, he has lost his tail, his scouter, and the battle with his
oppressor. He has lost the physical manifestations of his persona. I would argue these
physical losses were the beginning of an internal shift. With his last breaths and tears
streaming down his face the ruthless persona finally falls to the side as he reveals
everything to Goku.
Vegeta begins telling Goku to abandon his emotions as they will get him killed
(Toriyama & Jones, 2008). When the realization comes that he is going to die, the tone
of the conversation begins to shift. Vegeta then begs Goku to kill Frieza to avenge the
Saiyan race. Vegeta tells Goku “He took me from my father when I was just a little boy.
He made do whatever he wanted and said he would kill my father if I didn’t. I did
everything he asked, but he killed him anyway along with everyone else” (Toriyama &
Jones, 2008, 18:37-18:45). His final words seem to imply that he could have been a
kinder person, or perhaps this was Vegeta’s way of saying that he did not want to be the
person that he was. In addition, this comment also implies that Vegeta did not
necessarily want to do everything that Frieza was making him do. Taking on the persona
of being a ruthless warrior and numbing his emotions (except anger) protected Vegeta
from his situation. In Vegeta’s case, the persona was a survival mechanism in a bleak
situation. His survival depended on him being the warrior that he was.
Another thing about this scene that was particularly powerful was when Vegeta
began to cry. Surprisingly he does this openly and willingly exposed himself while he
was at his weakest in front of his enemies. Yes At the same time, it takes being on the
brink of death for Vegeta to put himself in a vulnerable and raw state. There are the
practical reasons for his tears, he was in pain from his wounds. Then there is the matter
of the emotional pain as he wanted the Dragonballs so he could defeat Frieza. His
attempt was thwarted because he was not strong enough and this was not the first time it
has happened. Again, his insecurity of not being strong enough reared its ugly head.
Unfortunately, in this instance his fear was true. On another note, I think he was angry at
the outcome of his fight. He spent his entire life in service to someone who destroyed his
entire race. To make matters worse, he had no choice when it came to serving Frieza.
Vegeta’s tears are pain, anger, and frustration rolled into one titular moment. Even after
becoming significantly stronger, he was still helpless against Frieza. Vegeta wanted to be
strong and good representation of his bloodline. He is so hateful and cruel because he is
angry, and not necessarily because he was a bad person. He tries and pushes his limits
and it still was not enough. I can only imagine how painful it is to continuously feel that
one is not enough. Lastly, the reality finally hit Vegeta that he would not be the one to
defeat Frieza. The whole situation ended up being more than he could take. Moments
before his death, he must put his valued pride aside and begged Goku, the one person he
resents for being stronger than him, to avenge their people. This moment was the
beginning of a significant shift in Vegeta’s psyche. He is later revived once the dragon
balls are gathered and he is teleported to Earth as Goku continues to fight Frieza
(Toriyama & Jones, 2008).
Rebirth and death: Regressive restoration of the persona. Vegeta would die
for a second time against a different villain. At this point in his life, he had married and
had a son and chose to remain on Earth. Vegeta had relinquished himself to a regular
home life and even stopped trying to compete with Goku for a short time. Whether he
liked it or not, his death at Namek inevitably changed him. He still had a high degree of
pride, but the persona of the ruthless Saiyan prince did not have the same influence that it
once did; however, I would argue that he still carried the legacy of the Saiyan race with
him. A new villain named Majin Buu came to Earth and proved to be stronger than any
other villain Goku and his friends had faced (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). The prospect of
fighting lit a fire within Vegeta once more. He was, however, faced with the dilemma of
still being significantly weaker than Goku. No matter how hard Vegeta trained, it always
seemed that Goku was light years ahead of him. Once again, the insecurities that his
persona was hiding came to the surface and obscured his judgement. Majin Buu was
controlled by an evil sorcerer who had the power to control others. In addition, while
someone was under his control, his magic would amplify a person’s powers.
Unbeknownst to the rest of the cast, Vegeta saw the introduction of Majin Buu as an
opportunity to get stronger and finally surpass Goku.

To further complicate things Vegeta purposely allowed himself to fall under the
sorcerer’s spell in order to become a Super Saiyan 2. Viewers also learn that in order to
fall under the evil sorcerer’s spell, a person had to possess darkness within their heart so
it could be amplified. This would indicate that Vegeta had unresolved issues that he had
not addressed; more specifically, repression of shadow characteristics finally took their
toll. In turn, the situation created a perfect opportunity for the shadow to take hold.
When shadow contents are repressed, they fester and grow (Johnson, 1991, p. 26).
Vegeta’s jealousy made for fertile ground for feelings of anger and resentment.
Therefore, the unresolved conflicts provided more than enough fuel for him to be
controlled and overcome by his own Shadow. Rather than confront his weaknesses, his
ego falls back into the persona of the Saiyan prince.
Vegeta’s decision to allow himself to be controlled brings up some important
questions. How is it that he fell so quickly into persona identification again? How is it
possible to die and be reborn without significantly changing in some way? I think the
short answers to these questions are that he did not want to accept the changes he
experienced. In the moment he allowed himself to be controlled, the persona no longer
functioned as a protective barrier. Rather, the persona becomes the vessel for
unconscious contents to come into conscious view. Vegeta’s plight in this instance
demonstrates how problematic persona identification can be. When the ego and the
persona fuse together a person is more susceptible to unconscious contents. From
Hillman’s (1992) perspective, persona identification is ultimately a sacrifice to become a
vessel for archetypal figures. When engaged in persona identification, the persona is no
longer just a social mask, it becomes an archetypal reenactment (Hillman, 1992, p. 46).
In an instant, Vegeta’s inner work that occurred seems to go to waste as he became
consumed by the unconscious for the sake of power. Goku attempted to reason with
Vegeta that this was not the solution to his dilemmas with his insecurities. Goku even
pointed out that Vegeta had never asked for help up until this point because his pride
would not let him. Unfortunately, Goku’s pleas fell on deaf ears and Vegeta continued to
fight with him. In the process of fighting, Goku dies at the hands of Majin Buu. With his
rival gone, Vegeta seems to have come to his senses. He opts to make things right
through a sacrificial attack against Majin Buu to kill him (Toriyama & Jones, 2008).
This sacrifice is an example of when the persona has a positive impact on
character development. For the first time in his life, Vegeta sacrifices himself for the
sake of others (Draper, 1987). Another notable moment about this event is that before
this sacrifice Vegeta seems to make peace with the fact that he is not as strong as Goku.
His mindset finally shifted on focusing to be the strongest version of himself rather than
being stronger than Goku. It finally began to make sense why Goku was stronger. Goku
fought for the sake of becoming stronger, Vegeta fought to validate himself (Padula,
2012, p. 29). After his death, Vegeta reverted back to himself yet he maintained the
power boost he had achieved while in his evil form. Because he did not lose the power
that he gained, I would argue that Vegeta assimilated some unconscious contents during
this conflict. The acceptance of the darkness that existed within his heart allowed for a
healthier, more balanced persona to come forth.
An examination of this same situation from Jung’s perspective may offer some
additional insights. According to Jung (1928/1966), one way a person may react to
unconscious contents coming into conscious view is regressive restoration of the persona
(p. 164). In short, a person attempts to restore his or her old persona before the
psychologically significant event that changed them happened. In Vegeta’s case, this
would be the persona of the ruthless warrior prince who was not inhibited by emotional
bonds. Vegeta confirms this is what he was attempting to do when he tells Goku he
wants to be the way he was before (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). If Vegeta fully adopted
what he learned from his death, it would mean that he would have to accept that Goku is
stronger than he is. Furthermore, due to Goku’s innate talent for fighting he would
always be ahead of Vegeta. Vegeta would also have to accept that he cannot be the sole
bearer of the Saiyan legacy, which is perhaps the most painful thing of all given his pride.
If we view this even through a Jungian perspective, Vegeta’s temporary plummet back
into the darkness of his heart was an attempt to resurrect the persona of the Saiyan prince.
His previous brushes with persona identification made it relatively easy for this to
happen. Although he made a significant effort, Vegeta was not able to forget what he
learned about himself. He also was unable to push away the growth that he experienced
through his death, resurrection, and family. If he had been successful, I do not think he
would have sacrificed himself. The story of Vegeta demonstrates both the positive and
negative impact the persona can have on personality development. Slowly, Vegeta would
begin to realize that softening his heart was the best thing he could have done for his
power. Then and only then would he no longer be a slave to his persona identification.
Character Analysis of Frieza
Although he is not the focus, it is difficult to understand some of the significant
events in DBZ without examining Frieza, arguably one of the most significant villains of
the DBZ saga. Before setting his sights on immortality and dominating the universe, he
worked in planetary trade (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). He would first send Saiyans to
planets so they could kill all its inhabitants. Once that was completed, he would then sell
the same planets to other alien races for profit. Frieza’s actions were the catalyst for the
destruction of the Saiyan race. Lastly, his actions would cause the creation of a Super
Saiyan, which is something that he greatly feared.
Not much of Frieza’s backstory is known, so he has an air of mystery about him.
His alien race is never named and neither is his home planet. At the time of his formal
introduction into the series there was no one who could rival his power. Frieza is one of
the few people in the universe of whom even Vegeta was openly fearful. Although the
Saiyans were formidable, Frieza had no problem using them for his endeavors because he
was still significantly stronger than they were. He also is very intelligent and has a
strategic and tactical mind. When his intellect failed, he always had the option of using
brute force since no one could oppose him. Things were going well until Frieza became
aware that Saiyans continually become stronger the more they fight. Since the Saiyans
were fighting constantly to take over planets, their strength continually grew. Paranoia
overcame Frieza and he felt he could be overthrown if the Saiyans teamed up against
him. His paranoia was amplified when he had heard the legend of the Super Saiyan
being born every millennium (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). Allegedly, a Super Saiyan is a
being with extraordinary strength and immeasurable power. To protect his own interests
Frieza destroyed the planet and its inhabitants with a powerful energy blast. He then
blamed the destruction of the planet on a meteor storm so the remaining Saiyans would
stay loyal to him.

Frieza is an interesting villain because there does not seem to be a clear
underlying reason for his evil. He does have the fear of being overthrown, but that is an
understandable concern for a ruler to have. Whenever asked by characters, he admits that
he commits atrocious acts because he likes to do it. I think this is the most unsettling
thing about Frieza for the viewer. He does not care for relationships or love, and he lacks
the ability to show compassion. Any merciful acts that he does commit are only done in
the interest of personal gain. He is also one of the few villains that appears to be
unredeemable. As mentioned previously, Goku has a knack for seeing the good in
people. Even so, when he tried to extend mercy to Frieza, rather than accept the mercy
Frieza attempts to kill Goku a final time. Frieza shares similarities with the character
Father from FMA. Like Father, Frieza has a sense of grandiosity about himself due to his
power. His persona identification morphs into persona inflation as he becomes stronger.
This is the point where Frieza set his sights on immortality. As he was already
exceptionally strong, this fueled his notion that he was undefeatable. His persona was
that of a ruler; therefore, anything that crossed his path was swiftly crushed so as not to
disturb his reality. Frieza is the embodiment of what happens when one is consumed by
the need for power and his delusion was that control meant power. From Hillman’s
(1995) perspective, the very idea of control places a limitation on power versus
amplifying it (p. 109). Frieza’s entire existence and mindset is based on the idea of
control, and the need for control never allows for the opportunity to transcend his
limitations.
For example, Frieza has three distinct forms that he takes. He claims his base
form allows him to conserve power without expending too much energy. Apart from the
narrative itself, I suggest that these forms exist as literal manifestations of persona. In
other words, his transformations are layers of his persona. Although Frieza suffers from
persona identification, he does understand the principle of shedding psychic layers to
gain access to more power. I find it interesting that a character that understands the
principles of shedding the persona is still so attached to it. His attachment proves to be
his downfall. Also, there is one other problem that Frieza did not foresee. Although his
final form is formidable, it is seldom used. The final form is fraught with limitations
even though it is strong. A more practical reason for this is due to the lack of challenges
Frieza has had in his life. According to Frieza, he had never trained before as he was
born naturally strong. His environment did not facilitate a need for him to train his body
or his mind. Frieza never bothered to engage in any kind of introspective thought
processes because he did not have to. He lived in the persona of the ruler because he
remained unopposed (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). Things did not change until he met
Goku. At this point, he had never been face to face with his limitations because he had
never fought anyone who was on par with him.
Then the unexpected happens and Frieza’s actions end up creating a Super
Saiyan. After murdering Goku’s best friend in front of him, the trauma of the event
spurred the transformation (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). A battle of immense proportions
ensues that pushes Frieza in ways that he never had experienced. His self-image of being
the strongest was challenged by someone he feels is beneath him. There is also some
irony to the fact that the person that is besting him in battle happens to be a Saiyan.
Frieza went through great lengths to avoid this type of confrontation, but little did he
know his actions directly impacted everything up until that point.

The Legendary Transformation: Observations of the Super Saiyan
In Episode 96, Goku makes one of his more iconic speeches to Frieza after
becoming a Super Saiyan. Although I feel subtitles accurately convey the original
meaning in the anime more clearly, DBZ was introduced to the Western world through
dubbing. One of the more prominent companies that does a large amount of dubbing is
FUNimation. I think it is important to convey this information as they are not the only
company that has produced dubbing for Western audiences. Therefore, each translation
does convey a slightly different message. The examples that I would like to compare are
FUNimation and VizMedia. The FUNimation speech is as follows:
I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for
peace. I am protector of the innocent. I am the light in the darkness. I am truth.
Ally to good! Nightmare to you! (Toriyama & Jones, 2008, 21:36-22:14)
Although this language does convey Goku’s love for others effectively, I would argue
that the aforementioned statements do not fit entirely with his current transformation. At
same time, Goku does appear to step outside of himself in this transformation. He has
become a force, a vessel for the immense power of a Super Saiyan. He is no longer
simply Goku of Earth. Goku’s words in this translation have parallels to statements Jesus
has made. Christ often referred to himself as the light of the world. In one example, he
stated “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but
will have the light of life” (John 8:12, New International Version). Goku’s statements
mirror Christ’s statements about being an embodiment of hope for the weak of the world.
I think the previous statements indicate that Goku acknowledges that the Super Saiyan
transformation is no ordinary power. Goku’s statements are also something with which
some Western audiences can resonate.
I would argue that VizMedia’s take on the language of this moment seems to
convey the raw emotions that Goku is processing more effectively. After all, Goku’s best
friend was murdered in front of him moments earlier (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). Goku’s
transformation is an outward manifestation of willfully reclaiming his Saiyan heritage.
For this reason, I will be referencing the following dialogue instead: “I'm the Saiyan who
came all the way from Earth with the sole purpose of defeating you. The legendary
warrior, with a pure heart awakened by rage. Son Goku . . . the Super Saiyan!”
(Toriyama & Jones, 2008, 21:36-22:14). To become a Super Saiyan is one of the most
pivotal moments in Goku’s life. Not long before this Goku did not even know about his
origins, yet he is now making a historical transformation that had not been seen for 1,000
years. The transformation into a Super Saiyan is born from sadness, rage, and despair.
A person must be exposed to trauma for a breakthrough such as this to occur.
Simply being powerful is not enough to transform into a Super Saiyan. If that were the
case, then Vegeta would have been able to transform more easily. Furthermore, the
Saiyan often initially struggles with maintaining a sense of self while in the grip of such
immense power. They are more prone to emotions like impatience, anger, and rage. This
is another reason why I feel VizMedia’s translation of this moment more accurately
conveys the emotion of the moment.
This leads to the question of what all of this means for Goku. What exactly has
he become and where is the persona in all of this? As mentioned previously, Goku has
the problem of lacking persona due to loss of identity and memories as a child. Preverbal
trauma psychically gave Goku a blank slate, but it completely disconnected him from his
heritage. The transformation into the Super Saiyan marked a distinct moment in time that
Goku settled into identity and began the formation of a persona (Toriyama & Jones,
2008). Given his carefree and childlike disposition, that makes this moment even more
significant for both Goku and the Saiyan race. Goku was not a number, his power level
was not the determining factor is his identity (Padula, 2012). He did not have to choose
between being a Saiyan and being Goku; rather, he had the ability to do both. This initial
transformation is just the beginning of the tremendous growth that Goku would continue
to experience.
Final Thoughts
Through Vegeta, Goku, and Frieza, viewers witness three distinct scenarios that
demonstrate what may happen when there is an imbalance in the persona. Lack of
persona, persona identification, and persona inflation all can have a negative impact on
personality development. In Goku’s case, there was a clear lack of strong identity
formation. Although Goku had an aptitude for fighting for most of his young life, he was
unable to tap into the extraordinary potential within himself. This is, of course, until he
took steps in reclaiming his Saiyan heritage. Although the persona itself has some
superficiality to it, ideally it is supposed to be a more socially acceptable part of us. The
persona is supposed to protect the ego, not consume it or totally hide it. The persona and
ego are supposed to work in conjunction with one another so a person can function in
social situations. I think one key to having a healthy persona is ensuring that it is flexible
and, most of all, removable (Jung, 1928/1966, p. 157; Singh, 2009, p. 45). From
Hillman’s (1992) perspective, the persona can be a tool that allows for an individual to be
in relation with the archetypes (p. 46). Goku’s transformation into a Super Saiyan is a
perfect example of this point. Although the form is powerful, it is not something that is
permanent. Once the user completes the task at hand, he returns into his normal form
(Toriyama & Jones, 2008). However, once this form is achieved, it can be tapped into
again and again. If respect for the power granted is present, the user maintains control of
his or her actions while in this form. Goku’s approach allowed him to not only master
the Super Saiyan form, but also to take it beyond anything that anyone had seen. If we
relate this to the persona, the same principles can apply. As long as there is
acknowledgement the persona is merely an aspect of personality, the power it provides
can be used without repercussions. Resonating with the archetypes is where the power
comes from, not in trying to constrain them. As soon as we step into the realm of
believing our persona is who we are, this is when psychosis can strike. This leads me to
speak on Vegeta and his persona identification.
Vegeta’s trauma absolutely had an impact on the formation of his personality.
Although his persona identification impeded his development, in many ways it protected
him from his environment. With time, Vegeta would eventually gain the Super Saiyan
form himself. His transformation came at a high price. He first had to experience being
beaten by Goku, someone he perceived to be weaker and lower class (Toriyama & Jones,
2008). Vegeta was still full of persona identification and pride, then he experienced
death by the one person he hated most. Finally, with his death he shed the persona that
kept him safe, but also kept him prisoner in the role of the Saiyan Prince. Vegeta’s
transformation took a lot of inner work. It was continual and never finished. If we
related this to Jung, Vegeta’s story demonstrates the work that the individuation process
takes. The psychological differentiation that the individuation process fosters can only
happen when we confront our beliefs about ourselves and begin breaking them down
(Sharp & Jung, 1991, p. 38). Vegeta’s defeats and even his deaths were necessary
situations that needed to occur for the relationship with the persona to become healthy
again. I would argue Vegeta’s characters is relatable because his struggle parallels that of
many during the individuation process. Vegeta is an example of how the relationship
with the persona can be pivotal in personality development. Breaking the cycle of
persona identification is possible; it is just an ongoing process.
Lastly is Frieza, who arguably had the most difficult outcome. Someone can only
delve so far into persona identification before it turns into something dark. Like Sailor
Galaxia from SM, or Father from FMA, the right set of circumstances leads to an
unbalanced, skewed personality. Through the narrative of anime, viewers witness
through Frieza how a case of persona identification can morph into persona inflation.
Like Galaxia and Father, Frieza was already very powerful before any psychosis affected
him. The narrative of Frieza appears to be bringing to viewers’ attention a possible
underlying theme between power and issues with persona. Villains like Frieza are
important as they bring into conscious view shadowy contents of which other characters
within the anime may not take ownership (Johnson, 1991). Frieza is evil because he likes
to be, and that in itself is unsettling for some. The final point that I think Frieza brings to
conscious view is that the persona can have layers. The persona may be a small part of
the conscious experience, but to underestimate the strength of the structure can
exacerbate efforts to dismantle and rebuild it.

Chapter 7
Presentation of Findings and Conclusions
The intention of this research was to answer the following research questions:
Through exploration of Japanese anime, in what ways is the depth psychological theory
of the persona beneficial and/or detrimental to the main character’s individuation
journey? Furthermore, what specific archetypal presence or presences is represented by
the persona in anime? To answer these questions, I explored four anime series. Each
was from a different genre to make findings more applicable to anime genre as a whole. I
approached the research by examining the role of the persona with the protagonists as
well as specific villains. The methodology taken in this approach was a hermeneutic
analysis. Texts from primarily Jung and Hillman were my guide in construction of
arguments. The images of the anime also served as text for analysis and examination.
Aside from character analysis, I gave climactic battles closer examination.
As the research continued, the villains seemed to have more depth than I
expected. Therefore, as I wrote, my research changed to give more attention to the
villains than I had initially anticipated. The villains’ relationship with the shadow and the
darker aspects of the psyche gave more insights to me than only reviewing protagonists.
Overall, I think this adjustment was beneficial to the overall research. A few underlying
themes about the persona and personality development came through this research. The
first theme was the exploration of the relationship of the persona and power. Each villain
appears to embody this theme well. The second theme that came forth was the
relationship between control and the persona. One example that comes to mind is Sailor
Galaxia and her attempts to control Chaos. Although control and power have some
similarities, there are a few differences. When I am talking about control, I am
referencing the need to control power, emotions, characters, and archetypal figures.
Third, there is relationship between trauma and persona development. More specifically,
the persona often can be used as a survival mechanism. Vegeta is one example of a
character that used the persona as a means of survival.
Another point that I had not considered was that the persona could have layers.
To be more clear, I am not referencing when a person happens to have multiple personas.
Rather, I would argue that the concept of the persona is multilayered just as the rest of the
psyche is conceptualized to be. One example of this is Frieza and his multiple
transformations to access more power. A final theme that came to the forefront was the
relationship of Dionysian myth with the characters within each anime. Examples include
the Rose Prince being reborn as Akio in Revolutionary Girl Utena, or Father from FMA
being reborn in a humanoid form.
Power and Persona
The first major point that I would like to elaborate on is the relationship between
power and persona. To be more specific, the relationship between power and persona
identification–inflation. In each of the animes explored, protagonists and villains all
demonstrated some aspect of persona identification. The only exception I encountered
was Goku from the DBZ series who had the issue of lacking persona. In Revolutionary
Girl Utena, the relationship between trauma and persona formation was also explored.
Power, persona, and trauma appear to be connected from what I have observed. The
trauma experienced by Utena led to feelings of helplessness. The persona of the prince
allotted her a degree of power that she did not think that she possessed on her own.
Utena is also a story of transition from adolescence into adulthood. It demonstrates a
young woman’s struggle in a patriarchal order. Utena was a young woman trying to take
what power was hers through the persona–image of the prince. Other areas of
opportunity for Utena include learning to relate to the animus in a healthy way while
maintaining her femininity. This conflict was demonstrated through her relationship with
Touga. Her struggles with the animus were a symptom of her persona identification as
well as some repression of traumatic events (Moriyama et al., 2001). Due to her
experiences, Utena did not see power in the feminine. Her perspective of the feminine
led to the other extreme of orienting her persona toward the masculine. She achieved this
through the image of the prince. The persona permeated through all aspects of Utena’s
life and served as her protection against trauma. It also allowed for further repression of
shadow contents (Johnson, 1991).
At the same time, this identification with the persona of the prince made her more
susceptible to the power of the unconscious. Although Utena claimed she had no need
for the Rose Bride, being engaged to Anthy allowed Utena to have the power in both a
literal and symbolic sense. The center of Ohtori Academy was around the idea of
becoming the prince of that world. In a more literal sense, the Rose Bride was the living
vessel for the sword of Dios, which was a powerful phallic object. Possessing the Rose
Bride meant possessing the phallus. The possession of the Rose Bride and the holy
sword demonstrate how culture rewards the persona within the series.
Continuing the theme of power, Anthy took on the persona of the Rose Bride as
both a sacrificial role and a means to control those around her. She became a vessel for
the unconscious willingly in order to protect the idea of the Rose Prince (Hillman, 1992;
Moriyama et al., 2001). If she became the Rose Bride then the persona of the Rose
Prince could continue existing. In turn, this would allow her to hide the truth about the
death of the Rose Prince. Although her role allotted her a great deal of power, the cost
was her individuality. Lastly, there is the example of the Rose Prince who died
maintaining his persona. He so badly wanted to save others that he did so at the cost of
his health. The power gained from the persona did not allow for him to have his
humanity. His light and dark aspects of his personality were split and we are left with the
fallen king Akio (Moriyama et al., 2001). He embodies the emptiness that can occur
when persona identification is taken to an extreme. Yet even as the fallen king, Akio had
power over the academy by perpetuating the idea that becoming a prince. What each of
these characters have in common is the power associated with the personas that they
upheld. Although each had differing reasons for upholding the personas, the underlying
theme was the same. Because their personas were rewarded, it was difficult to abandon
their persona identification. As long as the persona was maintained constantly, they did
not have to deal with the trauma that drove each of them into their current states.
Persona and Control
The second theme I noticed was the relationship between control and the persona,
or to be more specific, the need to control their environment. This can mean control of
oneself, others, and archetypal powers. Similar to the previous theme, control, power,
and persona are related to one another. Although I am addressing the themes separately,
I cannot mention one without the other. The mask of the persona provides a way to be in
relation to the archetypes. Given the right set of circumstances, the persona can give a
great deal of power to a person. The power granted can be intoxicating to some. It then
becomes more understandable why some would rather wear the mask of the persona
because of the power and rewards that it provides. There is, however, an underlying
problem. The power provided by the persona is supposed to a temporary thing. The
longer the persona is kept up, the greater likelihood someone will experience persona
identification. In the more serious scenarios we have the issue of persona inflation. In
the SM series, the villain Galaxia demonstrates how the idea of control can actually be
detrimental to personality development.
First, the very idea of control implies there is a limitation to the power of the
archetypes. That thought is essentially stifling and limiting as the barriers of the
unconscious are unknown. Therefore, any power gained through attempting to control
archetypal energy is restrictive (Hillman, 1995). The power of the archetype comes
through the persona, which is something that does have limitations. In the case of
Galaxia, although her intentions were noble, the idea of controlling the archetypal energy
of Chaos is a recipe for psychosis. To attempt to contain something as vast as chaos
within the vessel of the persona is problematic for a variety of reasons. Galaxia’s
situation is special as she was already very powerful on her own. Her power allowed her
to put up a good fight against the unconscious. It did not, however, make her immune to
the realities of the unconscious. Her power allowed for her to maintain self-awareness
for a certain period of time. Eventually, Chaos would leak into her psyche and she
slowly became corrupted (Arisako & Takuya, 1996–1997). The need to maintain the
persona of a Sailor Soldier drove Galaxia to her risky decision in the first place.
Unbeknownst to her, she would become a tool and a vessel for the primordial power of
Chaos. Her humanity became essentially obliterated through her persona identification.
When persona identification occurs, the ego no longer exists in a healthy state. Instead,
the ego and the persona fuse together into a mask that can no longer be removed
(Hopcke, 1995, p. 30). The sense of control slips away as a person becomes a vessel for
unconscious contents as Galaxia did. With no filter against unconscious contents,
Galaxia became the very thing that she tried to avoid through her personal sacrifice. Her
attempt to master and control Chaos was an attempt to master the archetype. Her belief
that this was possible is how and why she failed. The idea of control is stifling to
personality development as it makes for a rigid personality. Lack of flexibility in one’s
personality makes the individuation process very difficult. The act of relinquishing
control and not retreating too far into the persona allows for archetypal energy to flow
freely. It is in these moments that the protagonists cast away their attachment to the
persona that allows them to achieve transcendence over the conflicts at hand.
Persona as a Defense Mechanism
The third theme that came through this research was the persona serving as a
defense mechanism against trauma. Revolutionary Girl Utena demonstrates this point
well. Utena’s princely persona resulted after the trauma of becoming orphaned while
relatively young. Another example of trauma as a catalyst for persona identification
occurring is with Vegeta from the DBZ series. Vegeta faced considerable trauma in his
childhood. Most notably he lost his family, his culture, and all he was left with was his
pride. To add insult to injury, although he was strong, his strength paled in comparison
to the one responsible for the majority of his personal losses. The type of environment he
lived in necessitated that he be a strong and ruthless warrior (Toriyama & Jones, 2008).
Furthermore, his value as a person was attributed solely to his power rather than who he
was as a person. In short, what was outside (persona) mattered more than anything
internal. Repression of emotions became necessary for survival. Over and over again he
is rewarded for his violence, anger, and obedience to the warrior way of life. His persona
is what was rewarded, rather than who he really was. The situations necessitated drastic
actions on his part for the sake of survival. Vegeta’s narrative is an example of someone
who may initially unwillingly engage in persona identification out of a need for survival.
In his case, it meant being able to thrive both socially and emotionally in the chaotic
environment of war and battle.
The Layers of the Persona
Another emerging theme that came from this research was the possibility of the
persona having layers. I do not dispute that the persona is a smaller part of the psyche.
Our conscious world pales in comparison to the vastness of the personal and collective
unconscious. The size of the persona may contribute to perspectives that it is not a very
complex aspect of the psyche. Through examination of Full Metal Alchemist:
Brotherhood, viewers were able to see that the persona can actually have layers. Not
only are multiple personas a possibility, but each of them may have inherent complexity.
I found this theme between the animes was most pronounced through the characters of
Father and Frieza.
Father’s situation is interesting as he acquired this complex persona by his own
will. He originally came from the void of the unconscious. He was made flesh with the
blood of Slave Number 23, who would later become Hohenheim, the biological father of
the series protagonists (Glass & McFarland, 2009). Father purged himself of
characteristics that he felt were not acceptable. One could argue what he really ended up
doing was bringing his shadow contents into conscious view. These traits he purged
would become the homunculi, who had a high degree of autonomy (Glass & McFarland,
2009). I would argue what he saw as purging was fragmenting his psyche and attempting
to repress his shadow (Johnson, 1991, p. 26). The creation of the homunculi unwittingly
brought the shadow to the forefront of his life.
What viewers learn about the homunculi allowed for further insights into Father’s
persona. Each homunculi harbored something that he wanted to keep hidden from the
world much like a persona does. They served as a mask to aspects of his personality of
which he did not care to take ownership. Contrary to hiding these aspects of his
personality, he puts everything outside of himself for the entire world to see. In another
twist, he is aware the homunculi are a part of him and has no problem admitting it when
asked. Throughout the series, he consciously consumes them when he feels ready to take
them back within himself (Glass & McFarland, 2009). The individuation process was
initially stifled when Father split up his psyche. Further examination, however, seems to
indicate that the creation of the homunculi ultimately did allow for Father to deconstruct
a very complex persona. He had thousands of souls within himself, so it is
understandable why it may have had so much complexity. The dismemberment of the
persona also shares parallels with Dionysus, death, and rebirth. What proved to be
Father’s downfall was the grandiosity he felt when he began to relate to the Self rather
than resonating with it. He became consumed by his persona identification, which
ultimately would morph into the more damaging persona inflation.
In DBZ, the interplanetary ruler Frieza also exposed viewers to a layered persona
through his transformations (Toriyama & Jones, 2008). With each new form he took, he
would tap into more power while simultaneously revealing more about himself. Frieza
understood the principles of using the persona to channel extraordinary power. He was in
a similar position to antagonists Father and Galaxia as he was already naturally an
extremely powerful person. His natural gift got Frieza whatever he wanted without a
high degree of effort. To further complicate matters, his rigid persona did not often allow
for him to change and transform often. He was not put into a situation for which
introspective processes were necessary. Frieza’s lack of introspective behaviors would
contribute to his downfall. Although he created his other transformations, they each had
limitations. These limitations became painfully clear to him as he was fighting Goku,
who is someone that Frieza previously thought was beneath him. One of the biggest
lessons from Frieza is that one must do the work to grow. The individuation process is
not possible without a high degree of effort. In turn, this would involve acknowledgement
of the persona as an aspect of personality rather than one’s sole identity. Frieza had a
gift, and an extraordinary amount of power. Due to not challenging himself, he never
really got to test where his power could take him. The mask of the persona was
comfortable for him, but it ended up constraining him. Even if one has a high degree of
awareness in one aspect of one’s psyche, inevitably there is another area that could use
some illumination.
Dionysus and the Persona
Dionysian myth and parallels were present through the exploration of each of
these anime. The concept of the persona is Dionysian in nature due to his associations
with theatre. The mask of the persona was an object that allowed someone to be in
relation with the Gods (Hopcke, 1995, p. 201). Within the narrative of these animes,
parallels between the images and Dionysus’s origins are present consistently. For
example, Dionysus is known as the “twice born one” (Otto, 1965, p. 65). This title
references his origins in being born from both a mortal woman, and again from the God
Zeus. Each anime examined has at least one character, if not many, that have
experienced some form of rebirth. Examples include the Rose Prince dying and being
reborn as Akio in Revolutionary Girl Utena, or the Elric brothers’ experience of losing
and regaining their bodies in FMA.
Other parallels that were present were that of dismemberment (Nilsson, 1964, p.
217). Again, the Elric brothers serve as a great example through their literal and
psychological dismemberment through their failed alchemical ritual (Glass & McFarland,
2009). Sailor Galaxia of SM fragmented her personality with the intention to save her
Self from the archetypal force of Chaos. She ripped her psyche apart in hopes of
preserving her Self from the influence of Chaos.
The wild and untamed nature of Dionysus are also present (Hillman, 1980, p.
151). Goku’s transformation into a Super Saiyan exhibits how a powerful (and
temporary) state can be achieved through resonating with archetypes in a healthy way.
Although anguish and pain spurred his transformation, he only maintained this state when
the threat of Frieza was present. His reclamation of his heritage and construction of a
persona allowed for exponential power to be at his disposal. There are, however, always
two sides to a story. To evoke Dionysus inevitably stirs up shadow contents (Hillman,
1995, p. 266). The Super Saiyan transformation was volatile, to say the least. A high
degree of effort had to occur before this form could be mastered. Additionally, it often
took traumatic events for the protagonist to transcend into a new form.
Conclusions
Through this research, I am pleased that I could begin answering the questions
about the persona’s impact on personality development and individuation. The aspect of
the persona does not have equal representation in the depth psychological world as so
other concepts, and this became very clear as I was gathering texts to begin this research.
The lack of literature indicates that this concept has numerous areas that can be explored
through further research, such as further exploration of Dionysus and his relationship to
the persona or exploring the possibilities of multiple layers within the persona itself.
Another thing that I noticed is that the persona is often viewed as a one-
dimensional concept. I have found that a multitude of factors contribute to persona
formation, but most research may only focus on one thing. I think to get a deeper
understanding of the persona, multiple variables will have to be viewed at once.
However, I must be transparent in that even more questions have come to mind as I have
gone through this writing process. My own personal struggles with image and persona
are what were the catalyst for this research to begin with. During the process of this
writing, the struggle has continued at varying levels. Deep and introspective thought
about the characters inevitably led to some thoughts and findings about myself and what
persona means for me. As expected when delving into the unconscious, my psyche did
not escape unscathed. I have come to realize that my relationship with persona and my
personal image is an area of opportunity for me. Through explorations of my persona, I
was better able to identify aspects about myself that I did not care to take ownership of;
therefore, this will continue to be an ongoing process. Nevertheless, I have gratitude for
this research as it has opened the door to several learning opportunities that I can look
further into personally and academically; for example, a deeper exploration of Dionysus
and his role in the anime medium.
Additionally, further study of additional anime may also yield insights. Even in
this moment the world of anime is shifting. Technological advances allow Western
viewers to see anime as soon as it is released in Japan. This is something that has only
been available in recent years. A great example of this is the new anime, Dragon Ball
Super, which is now being simulcast live in the United States. Animes that are a staple in
Western culture are now being redone. The impact of these changes is tremendous as
older audiences can see the myths of their childhood revisioned. Not only that, the
retellings are much closer to the original storylines produced in the mangas from which
they were inspired.
On the other end of the spectrum, new audiences are introduced to the retold
stories. It is my hope this shift allows for the stories to be told as the authors intended
rather than reedited and watered down as the Western world has done in the past. The
emergence of streaming services like Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Netflix also allow easier
accessibility to these shows and makes them available to wider audiences.
The persona is a lot of things. It is a social mask, defense mechanism, and a
vessel for archetypes, just to name a few attributes (Draper, 1987, p. 440; Hudson, 1978,
p. 57; Jung, 1928/1966, p. 192). It is also a structure that I would argue has layers and
complexities that merit further study. I do not dispute the inherent superficiality of the
persona. I do, however, argue that this is merely one layer of what encompasses the
persona. In comparison to other aspects of the psyche, one could argue that it is easily
observable as it is a conscious aspect of the psyche. However, its roots are in the
unconscious. This is where the learning opportunity is present, in the roots of the
persona. Any lessons learned about the persona can allow us to infer things about the
unconscious. On one level, the persona is meant to exhibit socially acceptable behavior.
On another level, aspects we do not like about ourselves end up influencing the
development of the persona and growing our shadows (Johnson, 1991, pp. 4–5).
I would argue that unpacking the contents of the persona can be a start to
understanding aspects of our personal unconscious. To be more specific, persona
dissolution can begin the process of assimilation of unconscious contents. The result
would be taking steps in the individuation process. The individuation process is
complex, and persona dissolution would be only one of many things that must happen to
make steps in the process. The persona still has an important function in the psyche as it
protects the ego (Jung, 1921/1971, p. 463). Therefore, after persona dissolution occurs, a
healthy restoration would need to follow. The hope would be that a healthy persona
would allow one to resonate with the archetypes in such a way that it diminishes the
possibility of persona identification or inflation. In turn, we can learn about the unseen
(unconscious) through what is observable in daily life.
Lastly, there is a lot that we can learn from those who have fallen victim to
persona identification. It is a sacrifice that often goes unnoticed by others. This is again
because society rewards the persona rather than the ego (Jung, 1931/1969, pp. 122–123).
To become persona means to become a vessel for the image. Persona identification is a
sacrifice of ego and “the person in suicide and personal tragedy for the sake of the
personality image which the public requires someone to carry for it” (Hillman, 1992, p.
46). The identity of these individuals no longer belongs to themselves, rather they now
belong to the collective. The result is an individual whose personality is oriented toward
the outside world. What we now are bearing witness to is a projection on a much larger
scale because they are carrying the image of what is socially acceptable in culture. If we
can look past the superficiality of the persona, I think this would yield more insights
about the unconscious and ourselves.

References
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Running head: PERSONA OF ANIME

Persona of Anime: A Depth Psychological Approach to the Persona and Individuation

Pacifica Graduate Institute

Jungian and Archetypal Studies

This dissertation has been

Dr. Susan Rowland, Chair

Dr. Ana Mozol, Reader

Dr. Jenny Bavidge, External Reader

May 12, 2017

Persona of Anime: A Depth Psychological Approach to the Persona and Individuation

The persona is an essential part of personality development that allows individuals to

exhibit conventionally acceptable behaviors and to adapt them as necessary in social

situations. The Jungian concept of the persona is underrepresented in depth

protagonists and antagonists were explored at length. Additionally, pivotal fighting

scenes were considered to demonstrate persona development or dissolution. Through the

characters into a vessel for unconscious contents. Further analysis of persona

Keywords: persona, individuation, Dionysus, anime, inflation, persona

specialization of Jungian and Archetypal studies is what I dreamed my education would

Chapter 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................1

Introduction to Research Topic ................................................................................3

Researcher’s Relation to the Topic ..........................................................................6

Relevance of the Topic for Depth Psychology ......................................................11

Statement of the Research Problem and Question .................................................20

Chapter 2. Review of Literature and Procedures ..............................................................22

Literature Relevant to the Topic ............................................................................22

Literature Relevant to the Researcher’s Theoretical Approach .............................36

Origins of Dionysus and the framework of the archetypal approach ....................36

Literature on anime. ...............................................................................................42

Literature on Jungian film studies..........................................................................47

Anima and Animus in Film....................................................................................54

The Need for Research on the Topic in Depth Psychology ...................................58

Methodology and Procedures ................................................................................59

Research approach .....................................................................................59

Research methodology ...............................................................................60

Research procedures ..................................................................................63

Ethical considerations ................................................................................64

Chapter 3. Revolutionary Girl Utena ................................................................................67

Origins: The Princess and the Prince .....................................................................68

The Battle Within: Conflicts With the Animus .....................................................72

Who is the Rose Bride?: Character Analysis of Anthy..........................................77

Who is the Rose Prince?: Character Analysis of Akio ..........................................84

Reclaiming the Soul: Final Meeting with the Animus...........................................91

Chapter 4. Full Metal Alchemist .......................................................................................98

Full Metal Alchemist Origins ................................................................................99

Secrets of the Gate: Evoking the Archetypes Through Ritual .............................107

Character Analysis of Father and the Homunculi ................................................111

Origins of Father. .................................................................................................111

Origins of the Homunculi. .......................................................................114

Character analysis: Sloth..........................................................................115

Character analysis: Lust ...........................................................................117

Character analysis: Envy..........................................................................119

Character analysis: Gluttony ....................................................................122

Character analysis: Wrath ........................................................................123

Character analysis: Pride..........................................................................126

Character analysis: Greed .......................................................................126

Father and Dionysus ................................................................................127

Chapter 5. Sailor Moon ...................................................................................................132

Sailor Moon in Western Culture ..........................................................................132

Character Analysis: Who is Serena–Serenity? ....................................................135

Who is Chaos? .........................................................................................159

The last battle ...........................................................................................163

Chapter 6. Dragon Ball Z ................................................................................................168

Character Analysis of Goku .................................................................................170

Lack of persona ........................................................................................174