Existentialist Super Hero - Anpanman by Takashi Yanase
I’ve been reflecting on the theme song from the super hero anime I grew up with. The hero’s name is Anpanman, translated as “bean bun man” - his face is made of a sweet bread with a red bean filling. He doesn’t possess the super powers that most super heroes do (although he can fly!), his main power is kindness and selflessness.
Anpanman’s adventures involve him helping other characters in need. Most of the other characters are food based too, like Onigiri man (rice ball man) and they get bullied by Anpanman’s nemesis, “Baikinman” (bacteria man).
If any of his pals are starving, Anpanman simply tears off part of his face and feeds it to them. There were episodes where his face was seriously mangled from tearing off too many bits, but the baker would always bake him a new face.
I know this all sounds a bit twisted for a kid’s program, but the animation style is so cute you don’t notice the darker undertones. The same goes for the theme song, which is super upbeat and “kawaii!” but if you listen to the lyrics, they are very existentialist.
I’ve translated the Anpanman theme song lyrics into English here:
WORLD WAR 2 INFLUENCE ON MANGA AND ANIME
The background of Anpanman’s creator provides some insight into the deeper themes - Takashi Yanase faced starvation countless times during the second world war, which made him fantasise about eating an anpan. He created the Anpanman story book in 1973 which got turned into an anime series in 1979. Many of us grew up with it, as it still airs on TV regularly, even years after Takashi Yanase’s passing in 2013.
Here’s a photo of me with my grandma and her siblings, who have all passed away but continue to inspire me in the same way Anpanman does. They came from a wealthy family who lost everything during the war. My grandma in particular was forced into a life of debt through no fault of her own, yet she’s one of the most fun and kindest people I’ve known. I never heard her complain, even though she had every reason to. She showed me that real strength is kindness and the determination to live a fun life with a hardworking attitude and playful spirit.
I will save writing about this in depth for another blog post, but the Japanese have always used the “kawaii” (cute) aesthetic for conveying deeper and important messages. The power of kawaii drawings and design to subtly persuade the viewer can be seen in everything from consumer goods to public messaging.
It’s incredibly effective to use a playful but polished aesthetic when visually communicating messages in a friendly manner, and I love seeing more examples of this in Western design too.
Anpanman’s kindness, lust for life and playful spirit continues to inspire me - I hope he’s inspired you too!
About Natalie Ex Design Studio
Hello, my name is Nat. I’m a qualified and experienced Illustrator and Graphic Designer in Melbourne. I have a Bachelor of Visual Communication Design and over 18 years of industry experience in illustration, graphic design and digital marketing.
The trademark Natalie Ex aesthetic is a playful and polished clean line style, inspired by my half Japanese upbringing.