Forum - View topicMaster/Slave relationships in anime
|
|
| Author | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Eruanna
 Posts: 451 Location: Canada |
|
||
|
First of all, Id like to specify that Im not talking about hentai.
But Iv noticed a few animes that have a theme of domination and/or bondage and slavery, be it subtle or more promenent. Specificly, titles like DearS, which are fanservice ridden and lacking in real plot, but also more serious titles like Loveless, Descendants of Darkness and even to some extent more gruesom titles like Hellsing. Subserviance pops up alot of places, and I thought it would be interesting to see what various peoples opinions of it are. Do you find it an interesting theme? Offensive? It is interesting, but when I find these themes in fictional settings I tend to mostly be attracted to it. I must admit probably the main reason I actually liked the series Loveless was because of it. But the concept of slavery, when I read hisorical novels, or films, like Roots for instance (if anyone has heard of that live action mini series about black slaves in the US) it makes me so mad and offends me to no end. But this hippocritical distinction between the two is something I cant explain. Thoughts? Also, what are some possible reasons for the theme cropping up, in anime more often then in other entertainment mediums? |
|||
|
|||
HitokiriShadow
 Posts: 6251 |
|
||
Because anime is really good at catering to fetishes. And sometimes it makes new ones. When the master/slave thing is used for comedy or is in a title that is mainly a comedy (like, say, He is My Master), it usually doesn't bother me. If its more serious, it really depends on how it is portrayed. DearS had a number of issues, but the slavery thing kind of bugged me though it was mitigated by the whole alien thing and the fact than Ren was Chii 1.1. |
|||
|
|||
DuelLadyS
 Posts: 1705 Location: WA state |
|
||
|
There's a difference between being dragged forcibly from you homeland across an ocean, having someone pay for you, then force you to do whatever nasty work they have lined up simply becuase they "own" you (completely backed by the government, making escape all but impossible), and allowing yourself to be used in such a way by someone (sometimes begrudingly, but always willingly.)
I think that's the key difference in anime slave-ish situations... the way it's presented, you always have the feeling that the submissive party does have the option to leave, but chooses to stay. And there's often something fasincating about watching these people to see why they stay, and if they ever grow a spine. 
I'm sure if there was an anime where some spaceship went out, rounded up a bunch of aliens with green skin and attannae, shuttled 'em back to earth to pass out amongst rich people who made 'em do housework and beat the runaways senseless after the police returned them... well, that'd be one @#$%ing big can of worms to open. |
|||
|
|||
|
ryokoalways
Posts: 562 |
|
||
|
I wouldnt really use the term slave, but rather servant, because slave denotes negativity only, while servant is a fanservice element on many levels, aside from being an element of the story. Another show that may come to mind is Fate.
Regardless though, if the series is able to use the element effectively, then there is no problem. However, like you said, there are series that put certain type of people in situations that are just down right offensive. |
|||
|
|||
|
fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
|
||
|
I haven't seen too many anime series with this kind of situation, but like ryokoalways points out it seems to be more of a servant type of thing than a slave type of thing. Way I see it is one is something you're forced into and the other you do at your own free will. It looks like in the case of Hellsing spoiler[Seras really had no choice on the issue, she would have died otherwise, but she is not forced to do anything on the crazy end. Granted she has to take some difficult missions, but that's just part of her job.] One anime I've seen where characters literally refer to themselves as slaves would be the Mouse anime. A loose reference to Lupin, but the girls that serve their master can't seem to get "enough" if you know what I mean
|
|||
|
|||
|
Eruanna
Posts: 451 Location: Canada |
|
||
|
In the case of Hellsing, I was not only refering to spoiler[Alucard/Seras but also Integra/Alucard, as there was a more heavy theme between the two of them of master and servant/slave then there was between Alucard and Seras. ]
|
|||
|
|||
|
Kelly
Posts: 868 Location: New York City |
|
||
As far as that goes, spoiler[the Faustian situation is a whole other story. It's terrifyingly obvious that a devil/demon/etc. is submitting for only one reason. Alucard did not "save" Seras out of the goodness of his heart, and I got chills at the end of Hellsing because of the implication of what Integra's decision is eventually going to be - and I don't think she's going to get the best end of the bargain.] Other than that, the only examples I've seen are Chrno Crusade, which I'm not far enough into yet to comment one way or another,spoiler[ the episodes involving enforced labor ] in Wolf's Rain and Trinity Blood which speak for themselves and Last Exile spoiler[in which it's made clear that Luciola is technically Dio's slave although the actual word is never used. This is a very complicated situation in which they're also genuinely best friends (although Dio says some things they both know he doesn't mean with eventually devestating emotional consequences to himself) and Dio turns out to be in a much worse situation than Luciola himself. Although Dio never releases him from service when he knows his time is running out - and it's painfully obvious at that point that Luciola wouldn't leave him even if he did - it's very hard to blame him for clinging to the one person he knows would literally do anything for him in light of what he knows is about to happen to him.] |
|||
|
|||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group