The imperfect self-rescue
In the famous novel The Golden Demon, the story of Kanichi and Omiya takes place on the beach of Atami. Kanichi kicks his fiancee, Omiya, to the ground because she betrays him by marrying another wealthier man. The statues depict Omiya on the ground after the violent aggression, begging Kanichi not to leave. Omiya is punished for her desire in this male-centric story. She becomes unholy and immoral because she disappoints the ‘good man’ by not fulfilling the socially constructed ‘expectation.’ She is sinful and polluted by her desire for a wealthier life. She reminds me of the evil magic girls I saw as a kid in the cartoon, who turned sour when they had desire. These ‘bad’ magic girls are ‘rescued’(defeated) by the good girls gifted with magic because they are pure and simple. The magic and good fortune only choose those girls if they are proven to be pure and good. Not only in these modern cartoons for kids, women are often praised for their purity throughout history: the white wedding dress, the virginity, and the daily unconditional sacrifice for family. In this pawn shop, the visitors are asked to prove their purity to obtain the magic stick. How can someone’s purity be proven? Can purity even be proved? What would Omiya do? How can she be emancipated from patriarchal judgment with her desire?
Participated in the Atami Art Grant 2024