Fortunately, some anime and manga depict mentally-ill characters in leading roles, depicting them sympathetically and asking the audience to root for and care about them. A complex topic and really interesting discussion. Thank you for this piece. Characters With Mental Illness. While the plot doesn’t deal overtly in themes of mental illness, Lain, the protagonist, exhibits a form of dissociative identity disorder that is intrinsic to the show’s transhumanist elements, (which I won’t elaborate on, so as to avoid spoilers). 2190-2196. This article is what made me fulfilled. Basically I was a Tom boy and I really dressed like a boy mostly and acted somewhat like one (I still do lol), but I in no way had gender dysphoria, I was a girl and I didn’t feel any disconnection to my gender. Thank you for this brilliantly-written and informative article. The character Mao, from Code Geass, falls into this category. Great article. A silent voice got to me. Tanya is a sociopath. While it’s doubtful this was the creator’s main intent, sometimes just seeing characters navigate through trials of a psychological nature can be reassuring for those viewers who struggle with mental illness on a daily basis. “Mental illness stigma: Concepts, consequences, and initiatives to reduce stigma.” European Psychiatry, vol. I’m so glad I called a suicide hotline and was put in a mental health facility. I’m not entirely sure about the argument you are presenting as fundamentally as soon as supernatural elements are an aspect of reality in fictional texts, although experiences could align to real world ailments they lose the relevance of that comparison. Interestingly enough, anime characters who fit these stereotypes rarely show clear signs of diagnosable mental illnesses, and their problems are just as likely to be due to supernatural elements as anything that could lead to mental illness in real life. Great topic! Most, if not all, people with mental illness in Japan are connected to a plethora of negative connotation. It’s one hell of a ride from start to finish. yes…yes…YES!!!!!!!!!!! I love how you went in depth with your analysis of the character’s various mental illnesses. One prominent example of this is the horror manga series Deadman Wonderland, which features no fewer than four characters who appear to suffer from particular mental illnesses. Stress-related disorders are either causes of, or caused by, stress and anxiety; often both. 3, no. Any of these stereotypes has the potential to harm people with mental illness by separating them out from other people and preventing them from exercising their own self-determination. And of course there’s being unable to get a diagnosis; a friend of mine who suffers from seasonal depression was never taken to a medical professional because her parents were convinced that she was “just being over dramatic.” She had to look up the symptoms online to figure out what was going on. She doesn’t value people aspeople, but she DOES value them… As assets and resources. Browse Movies That Feature Characters Dealing with Mental Illness Finding Dory. I agree fully. How has no one mentioned the Monogatari series in this comment thread? Examples of these disorders include obsessive-compulsive disorder 3, post-traumatic stress disorder 4, and dissociative disorder 5. I had to literally calm myself down for 10 minutes. It is a relatable case even for those who don’t have the illness as being embarrassed in public is a fear for almost everyone. Poignant father-son drama deals with heavy themes. Akira: An Analysis of the A-Bomb and Japanese Animation, The Persistent Allure of Victorian Literature, Sonic the Hedgehog Movie Sequel Reveals Fitting Title Ahead of April 2022 Premiere, ‘To Your Eternity’ Anime Premiere Scheduled, Akiba's Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed Game Launches for PS4, Switch, PC in West This Summer, Save on Niche Favorites, Big Names in the PlayStation Store Big in Japan Sale, PSO2 Will Be on the Epic Games Store Next Week, HBO’s In Treatment Season 4 Sets May Premiere Date, RANKED: Every Upcoming 2021 Live-Action Superhero TV Show and Movie, Netflix Acquires Brian Jacques’ Redwall for Film & TV Adaptations, Genkaku Azuma: Anatomy of a Tragic Villain, The Character Development of Hikigaya Hachiman in OreGairu, In Defense of the Deadman Wonderland Anime. I don’t feel so ashamed or alone. Carrie Mathison. If they lived among us and were judged the way you and I are, they would be in major trouble. Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 54% I think it is a tricky area to discuss and that you did it in a respectful manner. I’m pleased to have been able to help in the editorial process, and your works cited section will give me plenty more reading. Hopefully someday we’ll all learn to except each other as who we are. Shinji’s example shows that mentally-ill anime characters don’t have to be villains or victims. Also I never read Soul Eater Not. Nagi also dresses strangely, wearing a long-sleeve shirt, jacket, and scarf, even though the prison he’s in is implied to be warm and most of the other characters dress for warm weather. It’s funny how you mentioned Death the Kid because I love him as a character. 33 Fantastic Films Whose Main Characters Have Mental Disorders. In this manga, Siddhartha, the man who ultimately became the Buddha, shows a number of signs associated with depression. The mental representation in recent cartoons is amazing. Koe no Katachi: basically the entire cast suffers from one mental issue or another, but the main leads Shoko and Shoya suffer from depression and guilt, and it’s handled brilliantly. The life of a hero can be a complicated thing. Although common, mental illness is not the norm, so characters with such disorders, especially psychoses, are imbued with “otherness.” The writer must provide a way for the reader to relate to the character despite the illness and because of it. The Artifice is an online magazine that covers a wide spectrum of art forms. In the manga Goodnight Punpun, just about everyone is.. mentally disturbed. There are other characters in the hospital that also suffer from various mental illnesses. Glad you started seeking help! I must say, you have completely changed my mind. Minority representation is subjecting a character to a premeditated agenda rather than it being genuine story writing. Another problematic way to portray mental illness is to treat it as something humorous, or not that big of a deal. The scene that best illustrates this point is one where she taunts Revy, the show’s anti-heroine, by claiming that she and Revy are the same. These characters have a dissociative identity disorder that causes them to switch identities sometimes. Retrieved 5 July 2019 from www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/schizophrenia/#.XR9rL-hKiM8, “What is BPD?” Mind, January 2018. When most people think of mentally-ill antagonists, they assume that the mental illness is the cause of their problems. Cinderella has Dependent Personality Disorder and Anna from Frozen has a case for ADHD just to name a few. Until I watched a silent voice. However, others do a fantastic job of calling attention to numerous mental-health issues in Japan and the wider world. The Little Mermaid has quite the wealth of treasures in her room and has developed a deep obsession for them to the point of even giving them nicknames like her “dingle-hopper”, the fork. It doesn’t tell you about the person’s character. Stigma happens when some person is viewed as an “other.” A person who is considered an "other" is denied full social acceptance. Again, these behaviors are played for laughs and treated as harmless personality quirks, even though untreated ADHD can be deadly 10. Much less why the audience should care about them. Nevertheless, he still founded a religion that has millions of adherents all over the world. 3-Gatsu no Lion) is one of the most striking and genuine depictions of what it is like to live with depression, at least, in my opinion. The difference is quite striking. For example, boys are more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls. I know Maka and Soul was the main characters so they would use her but I wish the creator spent more time With Kid and the sisters. Mentally-ill and insane characters have a long and storied history in anime and manga. Because of this, people that suffer from mental illness are painted in the worst ways possible — one of these ways being in one of the most culturally recognized forms of media: anime. Many issues of Moon Knight comics involved the hero not only battling psychopathic villains, but also his own psyche. Retrieved from www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673614616846?via%3Dihub, “What Are Dissociative Disorders?” Reviewed by Wang, P., MD, Dr.PH. O’Hara lacks the natural love of self so she seeks it from  external sources. The main character Araragi shows plenty of signs of depression, lack of self worth, anxiety, and maybe also ADD.