Animation & The Philosophy of Nihilism John Wyatt College

Initially, animation wasn’t meant to undertake deeply philosophical issues, especially ones that are inherently pessimistic. However, there are animations that have shown a great promise in taking on issues in society, both local and global issues. This paper will attempt to argue that Akira and Angel’s Egg are two very similar movies in terms of philosophy. It will do so by demonstrating their support for the philosophy of nothingness and point out how highly critical they are of the ideals of religion and societal-standard. It will especially focus on the growth of adolescents in society, and how society fails them; eventually leading to their destruction.

Story-wise, Akira and Angel’s Egg may not seem similar. But their inclusion of adolescent protagonists and their suffering is a shared theme in the movies. In Akira, Tetsuo is used as a metaphor which projects the anger, confusion and injustice adolescents may feel due to the unfairness of society. It also shares, imperatively, no suggestion of salvation from the problems that plague society. In her writings, Susan Napier discusses the feelings of despair and entrapment, commonly associated with adolescence. She argues that Akira has a nihilistic narrative, detached from...