Logical and Emotional Arguments in The Cove

The 2009 film The Cove, directed by Louie Psihoyos, documents the struggle to end the annual slaughter of dolphins for their meat that takes place in Taiji, Japan.  The documentary provides multiple pieces of evidence to highlight the multiple ways in which this slaughter is immoral.  Not only do the filmmakers argue that dolphins are intelligent creatures that should not be treated as common farm-stock, they also claim that the fisherman and others involved in the trade are immoral because the meat is highly contaminated with mercury, yet still they expose the general pubic to this poison.  The town of Taiji and supporters of the dolphin harvest argue that it is a longstanding Japanese tradition and an integral part of the culture’s heritage.

Street art in Taiji proclaiming their love of dolphins.

When we as viewers are first introduced to the town of Taiji, it looks from the outside as though it is a town that loves dolphins. There are statues and murals and all kinds of art all over the city dedicated to marine mammals.  Numerous boats are constantly entering and exiting the harbor with their orca-shaped facades taking tourists out to sea to catch a glimpse of some amazing creature.  The city is hoe to the Taiji Whale Museum, where spectators can enjoy regular dolphin shows by trained dolphins in captivity (ironically while enjoying a dolphin meat snack).  All of this seems a bit over the top, almost as if the town is overcompensating for something.  It’s almost as if they know the annual slaughter they are famous for is inherently wrong, so they create this false appearance not only to show outsiders they really do love these beings, but also to try ease their own guilty conscience.

A Tokyo resident reacts to learning of the slaughter.

The fisherman’s and Japan’s representative at the International Whaling Commission’s most used argument in favor of continuing this harvest is the notion that this slaughter is an integral and irreplaceable part of Japanese tradition and culture.  These people do not believe that they should be forced to change their ways just because the perceptions and the ideas of the rest of the world have changed over time.  They believe that it is perfectly ok to put dolphin meat on the mark despite the fact that it is contaminated with dangerously high levels of mercury.  They even felt even felt it was such an integral part of the culture that a program was started to serve the contaminated meat in school lunches.  Despite the effort that the dolphin hunting industry goes to to try to convince itself that this is true, the filmmakers quickly prove them false.  In a group of interviews performed on the streets of Tokyo, people are shocked to find that not only are numerous dolphins killed in Taiji each year, they’re horrified to find that dolphin meat is consumed regularly.

A wounded dolphin trying to escape its inevitable death.

The other argument used by the industry to defend the practice of dolphin slaughter is that it is done humanely by piercing the dolphin through the spine, resulting in an instantaneous death.  One of the ultimate goals of the filmmakers is to capture on film how the slaughter, which takes place in a hidden cove that is iaolated from the general public, is conducted.  The film culminates with the slaughter finally being caught on film, and it is made very clear that it is in no way humane no way humane.  The dolphins are shown to continue swimming even after being struck with long spears by the fisherman multiple and being left to slowly bleed out.  But perhaps the most moving moment in the film occurs before we are aware of exactly what takes place within the hidden cove.  At an earlier point in the film, one of the captured dolphins escapes from the cove after being struck by the fisherman. The wounded creature swims towards the shore where the film crew is standing, and struggles to stay afloat.  A large amount of blood is clearly visible pouring from a wound on the side of the animal, and the dolphin eventually sinks when it runs out of energy.  This is probably the most obvious rebuttal to the notion that the slaughter is in some way humane.

The goal of the filmmakers in The Cove is to show that the Taiji dolphin slaughter is wrong in numerous way, and they accomplish this by appealing to both the viewer’s sense of logic and emotion.  They communicate a clear view on their opinion of the slaughter and support their view in numerous ways.  The Cove presents a very convincing argument and effectively stirs a sense of action in the audience.

Momotarō: The Boy Who Lived (as a national hero)

Momotarō is one of Japan’s most influential fictional characters. Momotarō, or “peach-boy” in Japanese, has been the figurehead of many children’s cartoons, folk stories and the undisputed face of war propaganda in Japan. Existing once as a playful tale told to children, Momotarō became a doctrine attached to World War II propaganda. Nevertheless, Japanese propaganda remained very humble and true to the original story, using various elements from the story to recreate a sense of national pride. One such element is food. In Iwaya Sazanami’s Momotarō, an accurate retelling of the original folktale, there is a clear indication of how food acts as a unifier throughout the story. Unity was not only needed during the war, but was also imperative to locals who suffered from the Minamata disease, as seen in the 1971 Tsuchimoto Noriaki documentary. This essay focuses on the unity achieved through food across the different Japanese mediums, exploring how different narratives in both literary and visual texts dictate the symbolic or material nature of food.

The most apparent reference to food seen in Momotarō is in the boy’s very name. Momotarō, otherwise known as the peach-boy, could easily be interpreted as a symbol of sustenance and longevity. The whole notion of a ripe peach making its way down the river into the hands of a poor old lady strengthens the relation of peaches to longevity. In a way, it hints to youth and the continuity of life. Furthermore, Momotarō arrives from a distant land (personally, this seems very similar to the story of Moses, even though the stories are not to be associated) and his origins are purposely vague for various reasons. One reason is that it helps the public associate with Momotarō himself. Rather than belong to a certain area or people, Momotarō is given to the public through the ambiguity of his origin. In essence, since Momotarō belongs to no one, he belongs to everyone. This idea is resonated in the victims of Minamata who seek justice for the atrocities they have been subject to.

Like Momotarō, the people of Minamata, as documented by the Tsuchimoto film, unite against the exploitative business that has plagued their land. The Tsuchimoto documentary does justice to the people of Minamata, revealing how devastated they were by the spread of the disease. It was only after being ravaged for numerous years that the locals decided that enough was enough. They formed a large group of people that went to Osaka in order to fight the greedy capitalists, and used Momotarō as a unifying anchor. Their efforts, thoughts and principles were all brought together in order to achieve a greater good, with the Momotaro’s public picture holding it all together.  Hence, Momotarō unified these people under a sense of resistance. People were fighting for their rights to life, health and well-being, just as Momotarō fought the “Oni” who plagued the land.

Although Momotarō existing as the peach-boy is a symbol in itself, there are other examples of the importance of food. The most distinct and memorable of these is the millet dumplings that are seen in Momotarō tales across a plethora of Japanese mediums. Whether it is literary, as depicted in Sazanami’s text, or seen through Seo Mitsuyo’s anime: Momotaro’s Sea Eagles (1943), there is an unarguable importance to the millet dumplings. Beginning with the text, Momotarō uses his precious millet dumplings to sanction the relationship amongst the animals he meets along his journey. As described in the story, he gives each animal half a dumpling. This is a clear example of how food is a symbol of camaraderie, and unifies Momotarō and his animal friends under one common goal. In some ways, Mitsuyo’s anime echoes this idea. In one memorable scene, an anthropomorphic monkey refuses to board the plane until he secures his millet dumplings. These dumplings are then consumed moments before the battle ensues, revealing a sense nationalistic pride associated with this type of food.

Essentially, what the millet dumplings reveal is that food symbolizes a sense of unity for the Japanese people. In Momotarō, it brought Momotarō, a dog, a monkey and a swallow together. For children, talking monkeys and birds are sort of magical, and keep children occupied from the underlying message. A message that was at the center of Japanese propaganda and was the central power to the people of Minamata, it was the idea of unity. It was the understanding that different species could align themselves under a common goal, as the Japanese people would need to do if they were to succeed. It did not matter where you were from or who you were. There was a greater good, a vision larger than any single individual, and only in the unity of the Japanese people could it be achieved.

Unity was a central theme across the different texts and narrative platforms seen in both Momotarō and Tsuchimoto Minamata documentary, yet one other theme was equally important. And this was the idea of a struggle between good and bad. For Momotarō, it was the peach-boy’s valiant quest alongside his animal friends to defeat the evil “oni”. In Minamata, it was the plagued victims against the gluttonous businessmen. This idea of good vs. bad was not only central to the propaganda itself, but in allowing the people of Japan to associate with Momotarō. It allowed the story to be “open-source”, or subject to the interpretation of the audience. This helps make association easy, because all that is needed is a figment of good vs. bad, which could be interpreted into each and every one of the above situations.

Regardless of the theme, the method of interpretation is equally important. Let’s take Minamata for example, a documentary which used a combination of expository and participatory filmmaking techniques. This approach was important in juxtaposing the sickly people with the newly built factories and profits. It helps the audience identify with the people, as they are subject to interviews by the director. In addition, almost nobody will argue that the “voice-overs” commonly used in expository filmmaking are not important factors in creating sympathy to either side. This could be easily contrasted to Mitsuyo’s anime, where a very different medium in the form of anime is used. Yet as was the case with Minamata, there is a distinct effort by Mitsuyo to help the audience relate to the characters. There was a clear indication that the Japanese were the good guys, most of which was indicated through hyperbole, as one side was almost angelical in their good, and the other demonical in their evil. What this meant for Momotarō was that he transcended his literal characterization, meaning that Momotarō could be anybody, can come from anywhere, but he remained a symbol of good and hope.

In conclusion, it is safe to say that food works as a unifier in various mediums and across a multitude of Japanese stories. Whether it is through the classic tale of Momotarō, the war propaganda, or the symbolism underpinning Minamata, there is distinct omnipresence of unity. Moreover, unity was always in the face of an oppressive injustice, hence asserting the importance of good in the face of bad. In a way, this suggests that unity can only be achieved in the face of a greater evil, in an attempt to achieve the greater good. Ultimately, hardly anyone could argue the importance of Momotarō to the Japanese people, in fact, I have grown quite fond of Peach-boy myself.

Black and White, Good and Bad

Anime in Japan has been and is still currently used to teach children lessons by showing them a set of cute characters illustrating a lesson in a fun story. Current animated television shows or movies might teach basic lessons such as perseverance or honesty, but Mitsuyo Seo, director of Momotaro’s Sea Eagle, an animated film from nearly sixty years ago, aimed to teach the children of Japan about war and about how it was acceptable and good for Japan. The film dramatizes a system of national ideology by using cute animal soldiers commanded by the great Momotaro to represent the Japanese army and this army goes out to destroy the fat, clumsy demons which represent the American army.

The system of national ideology that the film sets out to dramatize for young viewers is at its most basic, a system of good and bad and the good have to defeat the bad, and in this case the Japanese, or Momotaro’s army, must defeat the American, or demon army. The oversimplification of war makes it easier for children to understand. This film is an effective war propaganda film for children, specifically Japanese children, because the film uses the character Momotaro, who is from a well-known folktale of the same name that every child in Japan is told. Automatically Momotaro’s army’s opponent is the enemy and there are no questions asked.

To appeal to younger viewers, animation is a good method as the characters can be shown just as the creator wants them to be portrayed. In this film, the Japanese soldiers are portrayed as cute and playful, but they are also smart and efficient soldiers. The viewers see how quickly and efficiently the animals get ready for battle. Even during battle, for example, the monkeys know exactly what to do to form the chain to fet off and on the planes. They never stumble and when they do make mistakes, such as when one monkey’s tail gets stuck in a window of a plane that is about to blow up, he is saved by one of his friends.

Monkeys efficiently making a climbing chain

In contrast to these cute and cuddly, but still efficient, animal soldiers, the demon soldiers, who are supposed to represent the American army, are fat and clumsy and there seems to be no sense of organization. Even if Momotaro wasn’t used as the commander of the animal army, the film makes it easy for the young viewers to see this contrast and automatically label the animals as the good force and that they must defeat the demons. By making the demons clumsy and stupid, they become laughable and pathetic characters that children would not want to relate to and cause young viewers to have an even stronger attraction to the animals.

Momotaro’s Sea Eagle uses the story of Momotaro and animation to oversimplify war into terms that children can recognize and understand. Momotaro is identifiable and his animal army is cute and fun to watch while the demons are easy to ridicule, making it easy for young viewers to label what as good and bad.

Fluffy Friends for War

Momotarō is a well-known folktale in Japan that is generally told to the young as the story of a boy born from a peach becomes a warrior sent to destroy evil demons with the aid of animal servants. The act of passing down this tale has survived many years, resulting in numerous changes to the story as well as transitions in media. From its verbal beginnings to visual illustrations and finally to animation, the folklore of Momotarō has been able to survive and influence the younger generation. The animated version of Momotarō was utilized by the Japanese naval forces to expose the youth to war against Americans and gain the support of the future generations. Aside from the familiarity of the folktale with children, the use of animation to appeal to the youth proved to be an effective plan of action as the fantasy of the folklore could be brought to life in moving pictures that give the children a new form of connection with Momotarō while subliminally connecting Japanese military with the justice of Momotarōand the opposing forces with demons in the eyes of the Japanese youth.

The cute animal soldiers show compassion towards a sea eagle.

 In order for the military to successfully brainwash the Japanese youth to favor war and support the Japanese government, several aspects of the animated version of Momotarō had to appeal to children in order to gain their trust and not shy them away. Momotarō’s Sea Eagle opens with a shot of the ship run by a crew of rabbits, dogs, and birds. The animals are not drawn to be the fierce warriors that they are as their features are made to exaggerate their cuteness. The depiction of soldiers as cute animals dampens the tension of the war as well as creates characters that children care for. Scenes involve humor, while the actual fighting shows no physical damage on the “demons” with no blood or gore. The omission of blood and extremely violent scenes enables the animation to retain the cartoon feel to appeal to children. For example, Momotarō’sforces attack Oni Island and destroy many ships while one sailor frantically avoids the destruction and surrenders. This scene incorporates comedy to appeal to children and withholds actual violence of war.

The sailor fashions a white flag to concede defeat.

The animated version of Momotarō becomes a dramatization of national ideology directed towards children as evidenced by the correlation of Japanese military forces with the animal soldiers and the demons with American naval forces. The Japanese government pushes the idea that the Americans are demons that the heavenly Japanese military must defeat in order to bring justice. At one point, a lone sailor shakes the star and stripes off his flag to turn it into a white flag accepting defeat. Young viewers are subject to this depiction of Americans humorously surrendering, while the cute animals place bombs in planes and fire torpedoes at ships, causing massive casualties for the demons. Having the cute animals carry out the violent deeds rather than Momotarō himself lessens the violence of war and gains the support of children for the Japanese government.

 

Animals and Machines Finding Their Place in the Human World

The relationship between humans and animals is well-established in Momotaro’s Sea Eagle; Momotaro, the human, is clearly in charge of all the animal soldiers but the animals do not show resentment and happily perform their duties. However the relationship between humans and machines is unstable in Astro Boy and a main aspect of the film is Astro Boy, a machine, figuring out his place in a world dominated by humans.

Momotaro’s Sea Eagle shows a stable relationship between humans and animals and the relationship never comes under pressure throughout the film. The animals under Momotaro’s jurisdiction are most likely honored to serve under the great Momotaro. In return for their respect, Momotaro does not abuse his authority. He expects them to perform a successful attack on Demon Island, and the animal soldiers do not disappoint.

In Astro Boy, the relationship between humans and machines is strained and not well-established. Humans like the robot circus owner clearly believe that robots are inferior and that they are just property that he can use for his show and make money. Initially Dr. Tenma treats Astro Boy like he would have his human son, but when he realizes that Astro Boy could not grow like a human, this difference disturbed the professor enough so that he rejects the robot boy completely and sells him off. However, even with these people who thought robots were just property and were not at the level of humans, there were people who thought differently, like Dr. Ochanomizu who wanted to have Astro Boy freed from the circus. When he tries to convince the crowd at the robot circus that the robots are being treated cruelly, the audience is not affected at all and just sees Dr. Ochanomizu as an annoyance and disruption to the show. It appears as if people like Professor Ochanomizu are a minority, but at the end of the film, the government passes the Robot Human Rights, which grants robots the same rights as humans, and Dr. Ochanomizu claims that people all over the world wanted it, showing that the humans who cared about robots as equals were not an insignificant minority.

Robots overjoyed with their new rights

The solid relationship between Momotaro and his animal soldiers allows Momotaro’s army to perform like a well-oiled machine with everyone knowing their place and performing their expected actions proficiently. Not only that, but they also seem to be happy and satisfied with their roles; therefore the relationship between humans and animals in Momotaro’s Sea Eagle will probably not be changing. In Astro Boy, it is apparent that many of the robots are unhappy especially if they have abusive owners, but the viewers see the robots’ joy when the government announces the new law that grants them equal rights. However, even with this new law, there are most likely people who do not agree, like the robot circus owner, and it is quite possible that they cause problems in the future.  The relationship between humans and machines is not yet stable, but it is working progressively.

Humans Vs. Animals and Machines

The animated films Momotaro’s Sea Eagle and Astro Boy depict worlds of harmony between humans, and either machines or animals. As though it may appear that the humans play the dominant roles with in each black and white cartoons, the reality is humans are not as independent as they seem.

In the very first episode of the Astro Boy series, humans serve as the higher, ranked class in society. They are so superior one of them believes he is capable of cheating death.  When Dr. Tenma discovers his son has been in a fatal car accident he believes he can reincarnate his beloved son into an immortal robot.

Dr. Tenma loving his new and improved robot son

Once Dr. Tenma gets his wish, he is invincible for he can now rely on his robot to replace his son and bring him happiness for the rest of his life. When Astro Boy is born he is still treated as if he was his human form, Tobio. Astro Boy’s father reteaches him everything he needs to know to be an ordinary human Boy. However, Astro Boy not only learns quickly but also surpasses the I.Q. of any human being.

Even though Dr. Tenma views Astro Boy as his son he is still dependent on the robot to fill a void in his life. When Dr. Tenma realizes that Astro Boy never grows like a normal child he also realizes that he is not even close to being human. Even though Dr. Tenma has freed himself from the dependence he is not the only one who is dependent on Astro Boy. When sold to the robot circus, the ringleader becomes dependent on Astro boy in order to make money and to save his life from a fire.  In the end, the machine is the hero of the story and is relied on, by mankind, to save the day

In the World War II propaganda film Momotaro’s Sea Eagle, cute little animals are used as pawns for war and for the benefits of their military leader, Momotaro.  Not only is he literally higher ranked above the animals he also shows his dominance in the way he responds to his military. When the animals eagerly await orders from their leader, Momotaro does not show any interest or concern for the animals. It is as if the animals do not faze him and are too low of a class to be of any concern to Momotaro. When the animals interact with Momotaro it is to receive orders of their mission or how successful the mission was in the end. Momotaro also consistently has a stern look on his face and gives the animals the minimum amount of attention through his directions.

Momotaro showing his dominance through his orders

However, the existence of Momotaro is dependent on his furry friends. If it were not for the animals, Momotaro would not be as powerful as he seems to be. There would not be a military to fight against the demons and successfully take over “Demon Island” without the animals.  Momotaro is seen only giving orders, not actually fighting the battle with the animals. If he did not have his army, he would be left helpless, would not be able to conquer the demons, and would have no one to support him.

The amount of power someone has is the amount people are will to give him. Without the animals Momotaro loses the dominance he demands for and the fleet he reigns over. The humans in Astro Boy would also be left helpless and would not be able to function without machines. It may seem humans are the dominant ones in both films, however, if they are looked at more closely the humans are the ones who are dependent of others.

Human Hegemony and Privilege

In Momotaro’s Sea Eagle, Momotaro is an only human being character on the Japanese side and others are animals, rabbits, dogs, birds and monkeys. These animals are fighting against demons under the direction of Momotaro who is a leader figure and makes orders. In Astro Boy, Dr. Tenma treats Atom, a machine, as an object after realizing that Atom does not work as a real human being, his son. Both in Momotaro’s Sea Eagle and Astro Boy, human beings actually depend on powers and forces of animals and robots but humans are also depicted as a hegemonic and a privileged figure to animals and robots. Social hierarchy is constructed, humans and animals and humans and robots have an unequal relationship in two films.

In Momotaro’s Sea Eagle, Momotaro is directing animals and just gives orders to them. Through animals’ behavior on the ship and attitude toward fighting, we can see a captain-soldiers relationship but also a master-servant relationship between Momotaro and animals. It is obvious in Japanese that Momotaro talks like a boss or a higher hierarchal person to the animals. These animals are loyal to Momotaro and go fighting with no questions or doubts. With a human hegemony and privilege, Momotaro stays on the ship during animals are attacking demons and risking themselves. When Momotaro announces that one plane did not come back, animals look sad or worried but Momotaro is just speaking unemotionally like he does not care about them. In this film, a hierarchal relationship of humans and animals are depicted by their attitude and behavior, and Momotaroconsciously acts with the human hegemony and privilege.

Momotaro giving a direction to animals as a captain

In Astro Boy, human beings abuse their hegemony and privilege over robots as machines. Even though robots gain civil rights in end of the film, they are used as just an object by human beings until then. Robots have feelings but since they are owned by humans as a property, they are not seen as equal to the humans and cannot object to their owner. In this film, human beings and robots also have a master-servant relationship and they have socially different statuses. Dr. Tenma treats Atom like his son and cherishes him with his love, but once he realizes that Atom cannot be an actual human being since a robot does not grow up and have human aesthetics, he sells Atom to a circus. The action of buying and selling between Dr. Tenma and the circus owner and the action of the circus owner’s forcing robots to work until they run out of power represent the human hegemony and privilege. Robot’s gaining civil rights at the end reminds me that African American gained their civil rights in the U.S. after the long term of slavery and discrimination. The relationship of human beings and robots might seem the same as the one of European American and African Americanback in old days.

Humans First; Animals and Technology Second

In both Momotarō’s Sea Eagle and Astro Boy, humans are seen with limited capabilities.  Both pieces of early Japanese anime depict humans in settings where they interact with either animals or technology.  In both of these cases, however, humans play dominant roles.  Although both films display the inadequacies of humans, they contrarily illustrate the power they hold over non-human objects.  Additionally, animals and technology are personified with human-like qualities which allow for their contention with humans, despite their inferiority to them.  Momotarō’s Sea Eagle depicts a group of well-trained animal soldiers and Astro Boy tells the story of good samaritan robot that is capable of expressing emotions.  Both of these anime-style films reflect the hierarchal relationship between humans and technology and animals.

Astro Boy is discerned with his metal heart, despite not being human he expresses emotion (a human quality).

Momotarō’s Sea Eagle is a World War II propaganda film that features the Japanese folklore character “Momotaro” as the human leader of a group of monkey-like soldiers that are organizing the Pearl Harbor attacks.  These animal soldiers display many human characteristics, such as pulling pranks on one another.  Perhaps the most human-like quality the possess is their well disciplined and highly trained behavior when in the midst of combat.  Contrarily, the American soldiers that reside at “Demon Island” (what Pearl Harbor is referred to) are seen as clumsy and unknowledgeable regarding technology.  The spry monkeys display advanced knowledge of technology, as they are able to conduct an attack using planes and torpedoes.  The advanced monkeys, clumsy Americans, and war technology that resonate much better with the monkeys than the American human soldiers reveal a triad relationship between humans, animals and technology.  This relationship illustrates that the animals have surpassed their counterpart humans, yet they still obey the orders of their human leader, Momotaro.  This creates an interesting web between the hierarchy of humans, animals and technology which is further seen in Astro Boy.

Astro Boy tells the story of Tobio, a boy that died in a car accident, whose father then recreates him as a robot.  His father spoils his newly recreated son and yearns to give him everything he can.  The robot, now named Astro Boy, appreciates this and expresses compassion towards his father.  The relationship between this robot boy and his father resemble a typical father-son relationship, which further personifies Astro Boy as a human being.  When Astro Boy’s father realizes his son is incapable of growing older, he dismisses him.  Astro Boy enters a new world filled with robots, where his new owner forces him and other robots to fight each other in a ring surrounded by a human audience.  Again, humans are seen as the superior characters, where they enjoy the demeaning process of robots fighting each other.   Throughout the episode, Astro Boy’s great powers are revealed.  He is extremely smart and brave, and saves several humans from a building fire.  Similar to Momotarō’s Sea Eagle, Astro Boy has far more capabilities and is more advanced than the human characters, yet the humans ultimately still remain in a superior role where they dictate the behavior and actions of the animals and technology-based characters.  This exhibits a potential dimension of their relationship, and that’s that since humans shaped the demeanor of the animal and robot characters, it seems they inherit an authority position over their creatures.

The spry monkeys line up for their leader, Momotaro, after finishing their attack.

Paper 2: Humans Stand on Top

Momotarō’s Sea Eagle depicts humans as a higher being than animals, while Astro Boy portrays humans as a higher being than technology in their respective films. The humans use them to complete their purpose, but act as though they still stand equal to them. In Momotarō’s Sea Eagle, Momotaro uses animals to fight in the war against demons while he does nothing, but continues to be their comrades. In Astroboy, Dr. Tenma builds Astro Boy for the purpose of reviving his dead son, when that fails, he’s sold to the circus so the ringmaster uses him to make a profit, while Professor Ochanomizu fights for Astro Boy’s rights as well as all other robots.

In Momotarō’s Sea Eagle, Momotaro shows his superiority with his rank as leader of the army, divinity from the original story, and by being the only human in the film. The animals represent the Japanese soldiers, less superior to their beliefs in a divine being such as Momotaro. In one scene, Momotaro displays his superiority, as he stands idle while his comrades fight in the bombing of Demon Island. During the battle against the ogres, he commands his fleet but does not join them in battle. Instead, he watches and waits on the battleship for news of their feat. Though Momotaro has a stoic face throughout the film, Mitsuyo Seo is able to show his worry by adding scenes of Momotaro waiting between scenes where his fleet are bombing Demon Island, when Momotaro uses his binoculars to look for his fleet to come back from their mission. This scene expresses the idea that, though he is superior to him, he still worries for his comrades. His monkeys happily fight on Demon Island for Momotaro and for Japan, a sign of true patriotism; because of Momotaro and his comrades’ patriotic nature, the monkeys have no qualms about obeying Momotaro and their lower positions.

Momotaro waiting on the ship for news of his fleet.

In Astro Boy, Dr. Umatarō Tenma shows his superiority over robots by playing god and creating Astro; an idea that shows that without humans, robots would not exist. He creates Astro, using him to replace his deceased son Tobio. Astro is a robot born to be a child with emotions and free to decide his life. Dr. Tenma first loves Astro, but grows frustrated at the flaws of technology: the inability to grow like a normal human boy. Knowing Astro will never be normal, Dr. Tenma abandons his father-son relationship with Astro, seeing him as failed technology and useless. He mistreats Astro as an object and sells him to the circus, another act of superiority because he believes he has the right to sell Astro, even though the robot possesses human emotions just like him. Caccitore, the circus ringmaster who bought Astro, views all robots as objects to be used for personal gain and shows his superiority by “taming” the robots of his circus. He deems himself superior to his robots, believing robots were built to serve their masters, humans, which allows him to mistreat his robots to make a profit, starving them of electricity, and discarding them when they stop attracting customers. Dr. Tenma and Caccitore both disregard Astro’s feelings, causing Astro to doubt and defy their orders. Professor Ochanomizu, on the other hand, acts as friends to all robots, believing in equality for all. He defeats the Caccitore in a scene where he turns on the television screen to show robots rejoicing over the news that robots now have the same rights as any other human. The scene where Professor Ochanomizu shows Caccitore the news and Caccitore’s expression of shock and defeat emphasize the professor’s victory and belief that, though robots are nothing but machinery, they contain the same emotions and people, thus robots stand equal to humans. As a friend, Astro feels the professor treat him well, causing no conflict between the two.

Dr. Tenma loving his new robot son.

Frustrated with Astro, Dr. Tenma sells Astro to Caccitore.

Caccitore punishing Astro for disobeying.

Robots rejoicing over their new rights.

Moving Towards a Virtual World

In the broad spectrum of visual entertainment targeting a younger audience, the personification of nonhuman entities is a frequent and recurring motif. As evident in popular forms of media entertainment aimed towards children, such as cartoons and anime, the application of human feelings and actions to animals or inanimate characters has successfully established a large fan base.

For example, in the Japanese propaganda film, Momotaro’s Sea Eagles, a multitude of charming, floppy-eared animals serve as patriotic soldiers preparing for an attack. Likewise, in the Japanese anime series, Astro Boy, the protagonist is a captivating crime-fighting robot with large, glassy eyes. In both Momotaro’s Sea Eagles and Astro Boy, the use of cute and lovable nonhuman characters successfully appeals to a large audience, while simultaneously emphasizing the contrasting relationships that these characters have established with humans.

Similar to the original folk tale, the group of animals consisting of a monkey, dog, and bird, in Momotaro’s Sea Eagles, comes together under the authority of Momotaro to raid Ogre Island. Although the animals represent the Japanese pilots that attacked Pearl Harbor, the film’s use of a multitude of animals directed by one central human leader demonstrates the unequal relationship between humans and animals. As the plot of the film unravels, the protagonist, Momotaro, safely remains on the ship while all the animals risk their lives by obediently loading onto fighter pilots and carrying out an air strike on Ogre Island.

Momotaro safely on the ship, watching the animals return from Ogre Island

As evident through the subservience of the animals to Momotaro, the film highlights the concept of human superiority over animals. The film’s depiction of the inequality in status between Momotaro and his crew of animals reflects society’s perception of animals as inferior creatures that have been domesticated and utilized to better human welfare.

While Momotaro’s Sea Eagles emphasizes human superiority over animals, the Japanese anime series Astro Boy demonstrates the growth of human fascination and dependence on machines and technology. In the pilot episode of the anime series, Astro Boy is introduced when a scientist creates him to replace his recently deceased son. Although the scientist proceeds to abandon the robot for lacking human traits and characteristics, the perspective of machinery and technology quickly shifts when Astro Boy utilizes his technologically advanced innovations including incredible strength and the ability to fly, to save a large group of people from a catastrophic fire.

Several robots accompany Astro Boy in saving the humans from a fire

This initial rescue sets up the premise for the rest of the series, creating an image of Astro Boy as a futuristic hero and role model for Japanese youth. By establishing the protagonist of the series as a technologically forward and lovable character who courageously fights crime, the series ultimately serves to reflect the modern growth of human fascination and dependence on technology.

As evident in Momotaro’s Sea Eagles and Astro Boy, human relationships with animals and technology are highly dynamic. Presently, humans are shifting away from animals, perceiving them as inferior creatures available for manipulation and exploitation to better human welfare. On the other side of the spectrum, humans are increasingly gravitating towards the technological world. This shift away from animals towards machines and technology ultimately reflects the concept that in this modern day and age, the global growth of technological innovation has spurred a dramatic transition from reality to an obsession with the virtual world.