Sawa Nakamura and Aiko Tanaka: The Darkness of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl
*Warning: Major Spoilers for Aku no Hana and Oyasumi Punpun.*
Trigger Warning: Abuse, Suicide
Nakamura and Aiko are two incredibly interesting and complex characters. On the surface, these two are vastly different, yet their roles in their respective manga are actually quite similar. Both characters primarily appear in the beginning and end of their works, with a prolonged absence in the middle. Their interactions with the protagonist become a major factor in his decisions, actions, and relationships. They shape the protagonist’s psyche, setting the tone of the entire manga. Aiko and Nakamura, even in absence, have a strong influence over the events and trajectory of the story. In fact, they are both responsible for beginning the protagonist’s psychological journey.
The very purpose of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG) is male character development. Typically, the MPDG enters the life of a male main character to inspire him and give him a new outlook on life. In Oyasumi Punpun and Aku no Hana, this trope is subverted and explored. In both manga, a damaged ‘Manic Pixie’ enters the life of the MC. They begin an idealized and toxic romance, which is tragically cut short by a betrayal. Instead of being inspired or enriched, the protagonist is sent into a mental spiral of despair, regret, and self loathing. In both stories, the event of betrayal is incredibly impactful to the main character. For Punpun, failing his promise of taking Aiko to Kagoshima was a strong source of shame, crippling his self esteem and enforcing the idea that he is ultimately a coward. For Kasuga, being pushed off the platform by Nakamura becomes a source of confusion and self doubt. He is plagued with the question of why she did this for years. As Punpun and Kasuga live without their respective love interests, they begin to wear rose colored glasses and their view of the past relationship becomes distorted. Enter idealization.
The absence of Aiko and Nakamura from their stories, and the unfortunate fact that we know so little about them as characters, ties into this theme of MPDG. While a facet of MPDG is “mystery”, it’s also notable because this speaks to the fact that they are not truly being seen by their protagonists. We don’t know about the character because that part is not considered “important”. That’s not their purpose in the story. Whether they are there or not makes little difference because their all consuming influence remains.
It’s important to remember that we are seeing these characters from the male character’s point of view. Thus, they are heavily idealized. Punpun views Aiko, not as a complete human being, not as the depressed and lonely abuse survivor she is, but as a goal for him to strive towards. She represents a mental hurdle for him: fulfilling his promise to her will relieve his immense guilt and prove once and for all that he is not a coward. This goal is more important to him than Aiko herself. After her death, he carries her body around and talks to her, which is very telling. It doesn’t matter if she hears him or reacts; she just has to be there.
As for Kasuga, his relationship to Nakamura is slightly different. He definitely possesses a semblance of understanding Nakamura and her pain, but their relationship still hinges on idealism and escapist fantasies, much like with Punpun and Aiko. Initially, Kasuga sees Nakamura as a release valve; someone to rebel with; she’s exciting and different. Eventually, Nakamura becomes someone for him to appease, with increasingly dangerous acts. He starts to see her as someone only he can understand, only he can help. In chapter one of Aku no Hana, Kasuga places his initial crush, Saeki, on a pedestal: “she is my muse, my femme fatale.” Later, in chapter 29, when Saeki states that Nakamura is “just another girl”, he reacts violently, restraining her and putting his hand over her mouth. He has gone full circle; from putting Saeki on a pedestal, to removing her from that pedestal and placing Nakamura on it. But by placing her on a pedestal, by reducing her to someone he can save, by allowing her to represent this ideal of rebellion and freedom, he fails to see the real Nakamura.
Of course, both of these relationships are ultimately toxic, dangerous, and power imbalanced. Aiko, viewing Punpun as a savior, uses him to escape her abusive home. Punpun takes out his rage on Aiko, who he grows to hate, seeing her as a badge of his failures and cowardice. He hits her, uses her for sex, berates her, and even fights violently with her in public. Eventually, after finally achieving his symbolic goal of taking her to Kagoshima, he attempts to murder her and then himself. Taking her to Kagoshima has been his goal, his all consuming fixation for so long, that once the goal is reached there is nothing left. Aiko is no longer needed.
For Kasuga and Nakamura, the power imbalance is in the other direction. Nakamura manipulates and forces Kasuga into a number of risky and criminal activities, even threatening or humiliating him when he fails to comply. Kasuga is blindly loyal to her, as “the only one who can save her”. They begin a sort of folie a deux, denouncing everyone else in their town as “brainwashed shit eaters”. This destructive relationship ends in a public double suicide attempt. In the end, after her long absence, Kasuga reunites with Nakamura. She has changed, both physically and mentally. When Kasuga questions her about those past actions, she simply rolls her eyes. She is not the same person who stood on the platform with him. The person he had been dreaming about and fixating on no longer exists.
Ultimately, Nakamura and Aiko were never truly understood. Both felt the loneliness of being relegated to a specific role, of being on a pedestal. After fulfilling their role to the protagonist, of providing his character development, they are no longer needed. Tragically, for Aiko this means death; in the face of choosing between being murdered at the hands of Punpun or being forced to live alone, she ends her life. As for Nakamura, thankfully she is able to move on and find peace in her solitude and her new life. Her last words to Kasuga are “Don’t come back again. You’re a normal person now.”
blakekathryn
kianamaiart
titsay
germansingergirl
pixelskylines
turnnoffyourmind
prguitarman
stormborns
