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  • Charles (CJ) Yow

Monster in the Mecha: The Female “Double Bind” in Mobile Fighter G Gundam


Gundam Franchises

I’ve been an anime fan since I was young; from the early days of Toonami, through the late-night marathons on Adult Swim, to seeking out fan-subbed series because I just couldn’t wait for them to come to America, anime has always captured my imagination and interest. Though one might consider anime (or Japanese animation) simply cartoons, I find that exploring anime from a critical perspective to be both rewarding and insightful! Since its inception in 1963, anime has significantly influenced both eastern and western audiences in terms of art, merchandising, pop culture, and the way we tell stories that grapple with social issues—especially gender. The art form is generally separated into two major gendered categories: shojo titles for girls, and shonen for boys. Shonen titles are mostly concerned with action and adventure, with shows like Dragonball Z, Bleach, or Naruto. And though not exclusively so, the science fiction genre is a mainstay of the shonen anime world, led by its flagship franchise: Bandai and Sunrise’s Gundam series. Gundam, which centers around giant fighting robots or mobile suits, is a monolith in terms of product, boasting over 40 different anime titles, almost twice as many manga or comic book series, and a huge toy and model-making empire. In many ways, Gundam has become the face of Japanese anime culture, considering that a life-size, 59-foot tall replica of the RX-78-2 Gundam (below left), from the original 1979 anime, stood in Tokyo from 2009-2017, and was only recently replaced with the taller Unicorn Gundam (below right) from the 2016 series.

Gundam display in Tokyo

However, Gundam’s treatment of female characters throughout its 40-year history is, in many ways, troubling. Though the franchise has its share of strong female characters, these women are often relegated to supportive roles. Rarely are they permitted to successfully pilot the coveted and powerful Gundam mobile suits; yet, when they do, it is often at the cost of their humanity. In this way, female pilots in the Gundam franchise are stuck in what Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar would call the female “double bind,” where they may either remain the likable, often romantically pursued support partner, or be skilled Gundam pilots and become monstrous and inhuman. Critics such as Christine Mains or David M. Higgins argue, rightly, that the science fiction genre is often a space to “recuperate” those sorts of stereotypes—and a great deal of sci-fi anime does just that. Unfortunately, the Gundam series is significantly behind the curve.

The original Gundam anime, Mobile Suit Gundam (1979), follows Amuro Ray, a young man who finds himself piloting the very first Gundam and, after literally flipping through the manual for a split second, begins to singlehandedly turn the tide of war. Amuro is accompanied in his adventure by Fraw Bow, his childhood friend and perpetual love interest. Fraw Bow is the quintessential support character who nurses Amuro’s easily bruised ego and provides periodic inspirational speeches. For example, when Amuro loses a pivotal battle in the series, he dramatically promises to never pilot the Gundam again. Fraw Bow, in an effort to snap him back to his senses, exclaims, “The Gundam has a piloting manual, right? I’ll pilot the Gundam!” In response, Amuro tenderly puts his hands on her shoulders and shakes his head, saying, “Fraw, there’s no way you could pilot the Gundam. It’s painful but…I am a man, after all.” While one might argue that this backhanded sexism was simply a product of its time, Amuro’s words continue to haunt the franchise’s treatment of women almost 40 years later.

From 1979 to the end of the spring anime season in 2016, the Gundam franchise has had 39 individual titles, including full series, films, and OVA (direct to DVD mini-series). In my research, I have found a total of 155 unique Gundam mobile suits from those series—which does not include upgraded versions of themselves—and roughly the same number of pilots. Of those 155 Gundam pilots, 19 of them of women, a mere 12 percent, and only eight of them are primary pilots in mainstream series—the others being either backups or in OVA mini-series or movies (which are sometimes non-canonical). Of those eight, six of them are in some way inhuman or monstrous—meaning they are either cyborgs, artificially enhanced with detriment to their humanity, or in other ways driven insane and lose their grip on themselves. This leaves only two female Gundam pilots who are able to retain their humanity and be a pilot like the overwhelming majority of their male counterparts. Thus, the Gundam franchise positions its female characters in a double bind—where to perform on par with male pilots, female pilots must more often than not give up some form of their humanity, or else be relegated to the sidelines.

Of those six women, who lose themselves in exchange for piloting a Gundam, Allenby Beardsly from the 1994 Mobile Fighter G Gundam perfectly embodies the issue with the franchise’s treatment of female Gundam pilots. Though G Gundam is widely considered to be the black sheep of the family—its plot is far less realistic than its siblings and the tropes used within are overblown—I find that elements within the show are boiled down to clichés and symbols which reveal the troubling clockwork ticking away beneath the entire franchise.

The series is set in the far distant future, much more so than other Gundam titles. The plot revolves around the Gundam Fights, where every four years each country selects a single Gundam fighter representative to enter a tournament; and whichever country’s fighter takes the crown, that country rules the planet for four years. The series follows Domon Kashu (below left) of Neo Japan, piloting the Burning Gundam, and his mechanic and love interest, Rain Mikamura (below left). Despite being somewhat feisty, Rain, like Fraw Bow, is kept on the sidelines despite her capabilities; and in exchange for this supportive position, she remains desirable throughout the series. Allenby (below right), however, is equally alluring and desirable. But whenever she takes the helm of her mobile suit, she transforms into a mindless monster. Rain and Allenby succinctly represent the two extremes of the “double bind” found throughout the franchise.

Domon Kashu & Rain Mikamura (left) and Allenby Beardsley (right)

Allenby first appears in episode 30, conveniently titled “Beautiful Fighter! Dangerous Allenby!” Within the first minute of the episode, her Nobel Gundam (which is hyper-feminized) soundly defeats Neo Russia’s fighter in mere seconds, a nearly impossible feat. After the fight, Domon takes on Allenby in a Gundam Fight-style simulator arcade game. As Allenby slowly removes her arcade helmet, with sweat glistening across her face, the music turns to harp chords and the camera pans across a group of slack-jawed, heart-eyed male spectators.

Allenby and male spectators

From this first instance, we see Allenby as highly alluring, not only because of her beautiful figure, but also her skill in combat. Though, notably, she is an alluring fighter in simulation only. In the game, she goes punch for punch with Domon until the two overload and explode the simulator, positioning them as total equals. Afterward, Domon wistfully watches as Allenby leaves, clearly enthralled.

Allenby’s next scene takes place in a laboratory, where she is hooked up to numerous machines and lorded over by a menacing looking male scientist who scolds her for being so frivolous with her “abilities.” We soon learn that Allenby, orphaned as a child, was taken in by the Neo Sweden military with “the sole purpose to become a Gundam fighter.” After hearing this, Domon gloomily responds, “I can’t believe it… Same as me…,” as his backstory is eerily similar. With this revelation, the series positions the two again as equals—however, Allenby’s upbringing included extensive experimentation and scientific enhancements to make her a deadly fighter when in the Gundam.

At the start of Domon and Allenby’s official Gundam Fight, Allenby tells the scientists not to interfere as she wants a “true” match between her and Domon. They ignore her and turn on the “Control System,” which sends red sparks throughout Allenby’s cockpit, causing her to scream out in pain. Her eyes turn a glowing red and her hair stands on end—similarly, her Gundam turns red and its hair floats up menacingly.

Allenby becomes “an invincible Berserker”

The scientist explains that she has turned into “an invincible Berserker” and she proceeds to mercilessly attack Domon’s Gundam. Being thus transformed, Allenby drops her quippy dialog and simply screams and yells, though with a masculine under-growl or echo to her voice. This Berserker mode highlights Allenby’s masculine qualities, specifically her prowess in battle, but at the cost of her sanity and control. Domon describes Allenby’s aggressiveness as “cold fists” devoid of any “soul.” In order to defeat Berserker Allenby, Domon engages his own “Hyper Mode” (right) (which bears a striking artistic similarity to Allenby’s Berserker mode (left), yet he is glowing yellow and a halo appears behind him) and talks her down from her Berserker state.

Allenby’s Berserker mode (left) & Domon's “Hyper Mode” (right)

At Domon’s words, Allenby collapses into his arms, damsel-like, while smooth jazz plays softly in the background.

Allenby is set up as equal to Domon in history, capability, and strength. However, when she boards her Gundam, the male scientist twists her skill into the monstrous Berserk Mode, a dark foil to Domon’s angelic Hyper Mode, and she is rendered monstrous. And while representations in the franchise’s other series are not as extreme as they are in G Gundam, they are nevertheless present (Four Murasama from Zeta Gundam and Marida Cruz from Gundam Unicorn, especially). This problematic depiction of powerful female characters comes from arguably the most popular franchise in the science fiction anime genre, as it positions its female characters with two diametrically opposed choices: either be a support gal/love interest, or exhibit strength and capability at the cost of your humanity. Such a significant and influential franchise should not punish its female characters for wanting to pilot the ever-important Gundam, as it demonstrates to its viewership (who, remember, are mostly boys) that men are the only ones who have the inner strength and control required of the greatest weapons in the universe. It is my hope that this polarizing view changes as the Gundam franchise reaches its 40th anniversary this year and as our own cultural perception of powerful and capable women change for the better.

 
Charles (CJ) Yow

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Charles (CJ) Yow is a PhD candidate in children’s literature at the University of Southern Mississippi. His entry on the anime Tenchi Muyo! is forthcoming in the edited collection Aliens in Popular Culture in early 2019. In addition to his literary studies on mother figures in Victorian children’s literature, CJ has written and presented on various forms of animation, including anime and Disney films.

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