Christopher C Hoitash

Kill la Nietzsche: An Examination of the Anime Kill la Kill Part One: He Who Fights Monsters Outline: I. Introduction A. Intro to Nietzsche 1. Thesis B. Intro to Kill la Kill Part One II. Fighting Monsters A. Ryuko 1. Courtier B. Mako III. Gazing A. Satsuki B. Tsumugu Summary: an examination of one of the tenants of Nietzschean philosophy and how it relates to the anime series Kill la Kill. Written for the fun of it, and hopefully the first of several such studies. "He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." — Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil1 Friedrich Nietzsche was a nineteenth century philosopher whose work has been analyzed and critiqued in many fields and circles –not just philosophy. There is much to appreciate about the man’s work, and perhaps much to malign. Nietzsche’s philosophy has been mistranslated, misconstrued, and twisted as much as it has been interpreted. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, his work remains as viable as it did a century ago. To prove this, I am working to demonstrate the contemporary use of his philosophy by interpreting one of its tenants through a contemporary medium: anime. Specifically, I will be comparing a specific tenant of Nietzchean philosophy –the above quote- to several characters of the anime Kill la Kill, specially the first twelve episodes, which aired in the Fall 2013 Anime Season. Before I continue, I would like to state two things. One, this study will contain MAJOR spoilers for several episodes, so, if you wish to remain spoiler free, you have been warned. For the curious, the show can be legally streamed for free from sites such as Crunchyroll and Hulu. Two, I am not a philosopher by training, but, by critiquing and analyzing my research, I hope to invigorate the field of philosophy, Nietzschean philosophy in particular, and demonstrate its utility in the present. So while this work is not traditional in its origins or sources, I do hope it will be reviewed and critiqued seriously, as a legitimate addition to the field of philosophy. Moving on, this study will examine the process of becoming a monster in the process of fighting monsters, or more metaphorically, becoming that which you have fought against. To do this I will examine two characters from the show; Ryuko Matoi and Mako Mankanshoku.2 Before we begin, a brief, partial summary of the series Kill la Kill. Produced in 2013 by Studio Trigger, the series follows a female high school student named Ryuko Matoi on her quest for answers regarding the death of her estranged father.3 Six months before the series began, her father was brutally murdered. Taking the murder weapon –half of an incredibly large pair of scissors- as her own, Ryuko wanders the land in search of answers about her father’s demise.4 This search takes her to Honnouji Academy, a high school controlled by the Student Council President, Satsuki Kiryuin, and the rest of the Student Council. As stated by the previously referenced web page, “When Ryuko shows up searching for the person who killed her father, she immediately suspects that Kiryuin knows something and declares war.”5 This world is not like our own, however. Honnouji Academy is a meritocratic dictatorship; the stronger you are, the better off you and your family are. The merit system at Honnouji is divided through the use of special school uniforms called Goku uniforms. These uniforms use special threads called life fibers to grant the wearer inhuman powers. The uniforms are ranked by the percentage of Life Fibers present in the clothing –a One-Star uniform, granted to the masses of underlings who have proven themselves marginally useful to those above them, are made of ten percent Life Fibers. Two-Star uniforms, granted to Club Presidents, are composed of twenty percent Life Fibers. Three-Star uniforms, composed obviously of thirty percent Life Fibers, are granted only to the members of the Student Council, though Satsuki later offers one as a reward for defeating Ryuko.6 The vast majority of students have no uniform, and they and their families live in the slums as a result, unless they can prove themselves worthy of a uniform of their own.7 To go beyond 30% Life Fibers makes the uniforms too unstable for use. However, there is a notable exception to this –two, actually. In the ruins of her father’s laboratory, Ryuko finds a sentient school uniform known as a Kamui. The appropriately named Senketsu is capable of granting Ryuko incredible power, but it must feed on its wearer’s blood to do so.8 Kamui are made entirely of Life Fibers, and absorb those contained by Goku Uniforms. Ryuko uses this power, along with her Scissor Blade, to fight her way to getting answers from Satsuki, who also possesses a Kamui and states she knows what happened to Ryuko’s father, and why.9 There, now that the exposition is out of the way, we can get to the actual research. On her way to learning the truth about her father and the ensuing action sequences, Ryuko meets an energetic and eccentric No-Star student named Mako Mankanshoku. Mako is best described by another character in the series: “This one has resolve, too. That, or she’s an idiot.”10 An extremely positive person with the attention span of a puppy on amphetamines, Mako is Ryuko’s best friend, who provides a calming influence along with well-timed –though terribly convoluted– advice.11 Mako is an excellent metaphorical example of Nietzsche’s statement regarding fighting a monster. In the process of trying to better her life and that of her friend and family, she becomes that which her best friend has been fighting for seven episodes. Hoping to better the lives of Mako’s family –who have taken her in while she fights her war against Satsuki’s regime- Ryuko decides to form a Fight Club, making Mako Club President to handle all the paperwork, while Ryuko handles the club’s main activity: beating the snot out of all the other Club Presidents gunning for Ryuko to earn a Three-Star uniform.12 Ryuko is naturally very successful at said snot-beating, and, as a result of the meritocratic system of the Academy, Ryuko’s success in the “Club” becomes Mako’s, whose family’s status rises more and more.13 Upset by the disruptions this causes in Mako’s family dynamic, Ryuko resigns from the Fight Club. Mako’s response: don a newly provided Two-Star uniform and beat the snot out of Ryuko to ensure her family’s newfound status remains intact.14 Ryuko is forced to fight someone who has become what she’s been fighting for the majority of the series up to that point. This action also relates to the second, more often ignored portion of the above mentioned quote: when you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss gazes back. Before examining the gaze of the Abyss, we must first define it. Since the term is rather vague, it is safe to presume that it can be used metaphorically, much like the term monster can be used metaphorically. As a metaphor, then, it has a wide range of applications. This study will examine another metaphor for the term later on. For the time being, since the “monster” that Mako has become is a Club President fighting her best friend to earn a better position in the meritocratic system of Honnouji, in this instance, the “Abyss” is in fact the system put in place by Satsuki. Intent on fighting Satsuki’s system to get to her for answers –per an agreement between Ryuko and Satsuki- Ryuko establishes her own student club to better fight the system. In doing so, she uses the system to fight it. Unfortunately, the system is designed to bring out both the best and worst in people: success means wealth, which feeds greed. Those who become successful in the system become slaves to it. It is only through the bond of friendship between Ryuko and Mako that the two are able to end their fight, reconcile as friends, and return to the slums.15 Having defeated the metaphorical monster, the next opposition is the literal one. During her quest for answers, Ryuko comes face to face with her father’s killer: Nui Harime, the Grand Courtier of one of the Kiryuin’s conglomerate companies.16 Wielding the other Scissor Blade, the ensuing battle between her and Ryuko drives Ryuko into a frenzy. Driven into a rage, Ryuko loses her cool and ends up consumed by her Kamui. In the process she is transformed into a literal monster; a grotesque beast of vengeance that would destroy itself from blood loss in its literal blood-fueled rage.17 This time the Abyss is not the system created by Satsuki, for it was not her system that created this monster. What consumed Ryuko was revenge under the guise of her desire for answers regarding her father’s death. Her emotions and force of will that had seen her through the various battles and tribulations she had undertaken over twelve episodes, had been stirring within her. While she used them to move forward, they were there, churning and waiting. In a sense, while she looked to her emotions for support, her emotions looked back, altering her blood –the blood that fueled Senketsu- and thus turned her into a monster. On the other hand, since Ryuko’s blood is what turned Senketsu against her, perhaps the true Abyss is her blood. While she used it to fuel her Kamui, the Kamui reacted to her blood, noting when certain emotions caused it to change.18 Or maybe the Abyss here is Senketsu itself, gazing into Ryuko while she gazes at it and uses its power. It is worth noting that, much like Ryuko’s friendship brought Mako back from her change, Mako’s friendship –and a few thumps to the head- managed to bring back Ryuko from her monstrous state.19 While defining the Abyss can be difficult, the term is vague enough that it is both relatively easy, and sometimes frustrating to define. Some might argue that that cheapens the meaning of Nietzsche’s words. I argue that it in fact widens his philosophy’s utility, as I have endeavored to demonstrate with this study. Becoming that which you have fought and gazing into the Abyss, whatever the Abyss may be, are still relevant tenants of Nietzsche’s philosophy, and perhaps the two are needed for one to become that which he has fought in the first place. Hopefully this work has proven the contemporary use of such philosophical beliefs. How accurate or sound my work has been, I leave to more knowledgeable scholars to ponder. References: “Anime: Kill la Kill”. Tvtropes.org. December 23 2013. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Anime/KillLaKill. “Characters: Kill la Kill”. Tvtropes.org. January 1, 2014. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/KillLaKill. Kill la Kill. Episode One. http://www.crunchyroll.com/kill-la-kill/episode-1-if-only-i-had-thorns-like-a-thistle-644301. Kill la Kill. Episode Seven. http://www.hulu.com/watch/558982#i0,p4,d0. Kill la Kill. Episode Twelve. http://www.hulu.com/watch/574921. “Main: He Who Fights Monsters” Tvtropes page. tvtropes.org. January 4, 2014. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HeWhoFightsMonsters.