by Stuart Chuang
People of all ages love the cartoon character, Doraemon—a robot cat from the 22nd century with a four-dimensional magic pocket. For many, the technological gadgets in that magic pocket, including “Bamboo-copters” and the “Anywhere-door,” appear to be the most appealing elements in the cartoon. These gadgets somehow symbolize mankind’s new omnipotence, which is the result not only of technological advancement but a certain kind of religion of rationality. Yet, for Doraemon’s creator, Fujiko F. Fujio, it appears doubtful whether human beings can really enjoy the unprecedented gratification of their wishes. His work seems to suggest that happiness lies in the renunciation of an idealized future. While technological advancement might be able to fulfill certain dreams, it is also true that it can bring about unbounded human violence. We can see this in the fourth Doraemon film, Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil (1983). This film is set against the duel between two undersea federations, Mu in the Pacific Ocean and Atlantis in Bermuda. These two federations thrive while people on earth still live in the Stone Age. Yet, while the two federations enjoy the peak of civilization, they soon become indulged in territorial contests. Fatal weapons are therefore invented, which only leads to more and more aggression. As the aggression is unlimited, so is the boundless thirst for revenge. And trauma is thus caused. It is true that technological advancement does bless the undersea world with high civilization. Nevertheless, that bliss is overtaken by trauma, which dooms the people to paranoia. In order to ward off this paranoia, strict national boundaries are adopted. Atlantis encircles the Bermuda Triangle with explosive walls, while Mu sentences to death anyone who tries to step out of its territory. The segregation between the two federations, between the self and the other, thus becomes deepened. Each federation seems successfully to ward off violent revenge from the other. Yet, as it wards off the aggressiveness of the other party, it also represses its own aggressiveness as well as its own bloody history. Blind to the violence within the self, the two federations are doomed never to work it through. A future built upon religion offers no better prospect. The idealizations offered by religious promises, like technological advancement, are double-edged: the preservation of goodness often cannot dispense with violence towards the unwanted qualities both in the self and in others (which, however, are not necessarily evil). We can see this process in the story of the robot kingdom that assaults the earth in Nobita and the Steel Troops (1986). The residents regard themselves as privileged by God to rule over the universe, who has forsaken human beings because of their greed and aggression. Nevertheless, the privileges of the few exploit both their own slaves and, later, human beings on earth. This is why the earth is attacked. But this, too, has its price. It is true that by fighting against mankind, the robots can ward off their own hatred and greed towards other races. Yet, their ability to love is also split off. They lose the ability to perceive the kindness outside their own race and outside what their reasoning can comprehend. To regain mercy, these robots must learn to accept the unknown. This seems to be what Lilulu, a robot spy, goes through as she interacts with Doraemon and the other characters. While doing her duty on earth, Lilulu suffers a severe injury. She is rescued and taken care of by Shizuka, who, however, she has attacked and keeps attacking. Shizuka thus personalizes, in Lilulu’s case, the “irrational” love that is incomprehensible to the robots’ reasoning. With the entrance of Shizuka’s kind-heartedness, Lilulu’s capacity for love is reborn. Though this identification with a “baser race” disturbs the former idealization, it enables her to feel compassion for other races, which she has never felt before. Technological advancement does elevate mankind to new omnipotence, but positive omnipotence (like high civilization) is easily inundated by a destructive omnipotence. Religious promises do help envision a future of privilege, but this future can only be achieved when certain human emotions are split off. It seems that renunciation of an idealized future is inevitable, if happiness is to last. Though this de-idealization may bring various discontents, it also brings in love unknown to the ego. This at least allows human experience to be enriched, and life to be more complete. As important as the amazing gadgets in Doraemon’s pocket is the fact that he is blue. Doraemon is originally yellow in color yet becomes blue because he is too frightened when his ears are accidentally bitten off. And according to his creator, Doraemon’s blue is the color of tears. Being blue, he seems to carry all the while the imperfection of his robot life. And perhaps we are meant to think of our own imperfections when we, too, become disappointed by the omnipotence of his amazing gadgets. a
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May 2024
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