Anime as Avatar: Electracy and Identity in Japanese Media

Abstract

Both Gregory Ulmer’s electracy and Katherine Hayles’ interpretation of posthumanism connect in ways that inform upon the systems that influence the modern world. Examining these two concepts as well as the way they are explored in anime will provide a clearer picture of this relationship. I intend to examine the Isekai subgenre of anime as both cultural expression and acknowledgement of our struggle to understand and contextualize these new electrate facets of our modern identity. By relying on these series, I will be able to explore the birth and growth of the Isekai subgenre and its evolution into an effort to grapple with the complicated issue of modern identity formation, and the anxiety that comes along with it. Ultimately, these anime are a culmination of a tradition of Japanese media and its trend of digital-personal exploration.