Chapter Eleven. Contesting Traumatic War Narratives: Space Battleship Yamato And Mobile Suit Gundam

2010/01/01 by William Ashbaugh · 1 voice · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Asian Culture and Media Studies #Japanese History and Culture

paper · doi:10.1163/ej.9789004182981.i-362.80

openalex publication_date 2010/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

This chapter examines two of the most popular Japanese science fiction anime films- Space Battleship Yamato , heavily influenced visually and in conception and tone by Matsumoto, and Kidō senshi Gandamu I (Mobile Suit Gundam I, 1981), created by Tomino Yoshiyuki-to show how these two ideologically charged narratives allegorically refight the War. Both films are condensations of television programs that originally appealed to males, particularly those in elementary school through high school: Yamato is one movie created out of twenty-six episodes, and Gundam , three movies drawn from forty-three episodes. The chapter also examines how the films are best understood and appreciated as conflicting allegorical representations of the War. Keywords: Kidō senshi Gandamu I ; Space Battleship Yamato ; War

Cited by

• Prosthetic Kokoro

Discussions

• And now that the new Gundam series is - on a screen near you - doing what I do. ...bring to your attention the *surprisingly few* English-language scholarly publications on Gundam. Like this - a cha [bsky, 2 points, 0 comments]

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