Provisional Introduction:
For this essay I want to discuss and highlight the depictions of heroes and relate this to how they are depicted in animation. In particular how heroes have diverted from how they are usually portrayed, such as anti-heroes who would have aspects about them that might not be morally right and/or not what a hero would normally do (e.g. vengeful). Also, the stereotypes heroes are usually depicted as and/or designed to look like, such as body types and personality types (e.g. handsome muscular male hero and glamorous female hero).
Chapter 2: What is a hero?
The book by Joseph Campbell, 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces', lists many aspects which are typical for a hero story. One of these is "The Call to Adventure" (pg 41) telling us how heroes usually begin their adventure when a certain event or opportunity places them on a journey outside of their normal lives. "Whether small or great, and no matter what the stage or grade of life, the call rings up the curtain" (pg 42).
This corresponds to one of the many hero aspects listed by Vladimir Propp's book, 'Morphology of the Folktale'. This being "The Hero Leaves Home" (pg 39) describing how the hero leaves the comfort of their normal lives to an 'unknown world' which is the same case for "The Call to Adventure".
Another hero aspect described in Joseph Campbell's book is "Supernatural Aid" (pg 57). It tells us how the hero is either granted something like a magical item or power and/or a helper such as an old man to guide and teach the naïve hero. "First encounter of the hero-journey is with a protective figure (often a little old crone or old man) who provides the adventurer with amulets against the dragon forces he is about to pass" (pg 57).
"The hero to whom such a helper appears is typically one who has responded to the call" (pg 61)
This corresponds to another hero aspect listed by Vladimir Propp's book, "The hero is tested, interrogated, attacked, etc., which prepares the way for his receiving either a magical agent or helper" (pg 39). As well as describing how the hero undergoes tests and obstacles, which is described by Campbell's quote "against the dragon forces" (i.e. the hero's enemies), this aspect also describes how an item or person is allocated to help the hero. "Protective figure" and "helper" correspond as well as "amulets" and "magical agent".
"The Crossing of the First Threshold" (pg 64) is another hero aspect described in Joseph Campbell's book. This aspect tell us how the hero continues forth to begin the adventure he or she chose or has been chosen to embark on. "With the personifications of his destiny to guide and aid him, the hero goes forward in his adventure" (pg 64).
This can also correspond again with the quote "The Hero Leaves Home" from Vladimir Propp as it implies the hero crosses the threshold from his home towards the adventure.
Another hero aspect "The Belly of The Whale" (pg 74) described in Joseph Cambell's book tells how once beyond the "threshold" the hero may encounter being defeated or assumed to have died. "The hero, instead of conquering or conciliating the power of the threshold, is swallowed into the unkown, and would appear to have died" (pg 74)
Vladimir Propp's book quote "A difficult task is proposed to the hero" (pg 60) could potentially relate to "The Belly of The Whale" concept. Instead of overcoming what beyond the "threshold" has in store the hero encounters an obstacle he or she can't overcome and is therefore defeated. Hence this is "a difficult task proposed to the hero" he or she must figure out how to overcome to continue his or her adventure.
Finally, "The Road of Trials" (pg 81) is a hero aspect from Joseph Campbell's book which describes the tests and obstacles presented to the hero during his or her adventure. Whether these are trials he or she can overcome or is defeated only to later on become strong enough to overcome the trials. "Once having traversed the threshold, the hero moves in a dream landscape of curiously fluid, ambiguous forms, where he must survive a succession of trials" (pg 81).
Again this applies to Vladimir Propp's book quote "A difficult task is proposed to the hero" as they describe how the hero encounters trials or difficult tasks for them to overcome and survive.
References from Joseph Campbell's 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces':
- Apis in the form of a bull (pg 43)
- Isis in the form of a hawk (pg 45)
- The Rock That Crush, the Reeds That Cut (pg 58)
- Virgil leading Dante (pg 60)
- Odysseus and the Sirens (pg 65)
- Baal with Thunderbolt (pg 71)
- Saturn Swallowing His Children (pg 75)
- Threshold Guardians, Bearing Thunderbolts (pg 76)
- The Return of Jason (pg 79)
- The Temptation of St. Anthony (pg 80)
Examples of Heroes:
From heroes such as Superman, Captain America, Deadpool to Monkey D. Luffy, whether they are heroes or anti-heroes, they follow similar aspects of a hero's journey and/or aspects of their morals, personality and actions that define them as the hero of their stories. Superman leaves his home planet as a baby and arrives on our planet as his "call to adventure" in much the same way as Luffy leaves his home village to voyage across the unknown and unpredictable waters of his world's sea. They both learn, grow and become stronger while overcoming obstacles and impossible odds.
However, where Luffy differs from the usual depiction of Superman is how he acts selfishly (as pointed out to him by his own crew members) and, being a pirate, he is also technically a criminal and therefore an anti-hero. The only reason why at times he is perceived as the hero is because he detests oppression as freedom is not only what he desires but what he desires for everyone. Otherwise he's just out for himself or the friends he makes. This makes a hero more interesting as he is not perfect, making him more relatable to real world people. Likewise for a recent version of Superman in the series 'Injustice' has him kill the Joker which we wouldn't think the typical symbol of justice would do, making him less perfect.
This is why there has been a rise in more unconventional heroes, they are more interesting.
An example is 'One Punch Man' (Manga 2009, Anime 2015) which entails the story of an all powerful human who can defeat enemies in one punch named Saitama. The aspect that makes him completely different and almost contradicts the aspects of a hero is that the story is more about him after he has reached his potential. The only aspect that may correspond to him is the Vladimir Propp quote "a difficult task in proposed to the hero" since Saitama desires to find someone who can match his power which so far seems impossible.
'One Punch Man' parodies the question of the hero getting stronger and once they are at their highest potential and achieved their goal what is next? The series makes the point he has nothing else to gain by getting stronger and nothing new to learn (or rather is reluctant to learn something new).
Even he himself is not only the hero but is also the "helper" or teacher to less powerful characters who learn from the knowledge he has gained.
Saitama's appearance itself parodies or pokes fun at typical depictions of heroes. He wears a very Superman lookalike, colourful, more simplistic, goofy looking onesie complete with flowing cape. His normal appearance is simplistic and dull as opposed to typical heroes like Superman who have to look incredibly handsome with a huge muscular body. Saitama is even bald so he doesn't have nice hair like Superman or the extreme long spikey hair other main characters in manga/anime have.
In appearance he relates to the average person, that anyone can be a hero despite how you look.
From the same author of 'One Punch Man', Shigeo Kageyama (aka Mob) from 'Mob Psycho 100' (Manga 2012, Anime 2016) is also an unconventional hero in certain aspects. The aspect he goes against is that his mentor (Reigen), whom typically should be the one to provide and help the hero, doesn't provide much besides teaching Shigeo to use his psychic powers for a good cause. On top of that Shigeo's mentor doesn't have any special physic powers himself to provide any help at all. He lies about having said psychic powers for the sake of looking like Shigeo's superior and is sometimes the one who is misguided compared to Shigeo. It provides this aspect where the student and teacher are more like partners who provide what the other lacks.
In a certain way Superman and his adoptive father worked in this way. Superman with the overwhelming power while his adoptive father teaches him morals and not to misuse his powers.
Also Shigeo shares the same simplistic dull appearance like Saitama.
