OBACHAN'S SCRIBBLES

Sunday, November 28, 2004

HENSHIN!! (Transformation)

When I came across this post by watson in my bloghopping the other day, I almost jumped up and shouted. OMG, aren’t they gorenja, our familiar henshin heroes!!?? Yes, I had heard that gorenja series was aired in other countries with a slightly different title. I never expected, however, to witness such popularity among kids in another country as described in his post.

When I was a kid, I really loved those henshin series on TV. In such series, usually cyborg heroes live their everyday life as regular people, but once an evil attempt is found, they transform into cyborgs and beat bad guys or kaiju(monsters). How I wished that I was a cyborg who is on a special mission of saving the world from an evil organization!

My life as a kid was pretty much burdened with inferiority complex. I was never popular at school and there was nothing that I was particularly good at. My parents kept me giving messages that I was nobody unless I make great achievements at school. A burning desire was always kept inside of me to be “somebody” --- someone special and outstanding in some way. To me at that time, the best way seemed to be living a life of a cyborg heroin. “No one knows who I really am. I’m just pretending like a regular kid, but the truth is, I am …” Yes, the classic, “Clark Kent who is actually Superman” kind of pattern. 　Boy, looks like there’s an universally attractive magic in this kind of thinking --- something that puts bandaid on self esteem when it’s hurt from knowing “I’m nothing important” in real life. Honestly I went through the telephone directly many times looking for an organization that would give me an operation and turn me into a cyborg. I definitely wanted to be someone else but me.

Looking back, I’m surprised how much I was always struggling between what I really was and the way others see me, and how badly I sought help in fantasy life. This could be something everyone goes through more or less. Maybe that’s one of the reason why that transformation theme is still popular among kids (and maybe adult amime lovers, too). I don’t even remember how my desire to be a cyborg faded away, and now as a regular obachan, I’m saving the earth by recycling cans and bottles. I still don’t mind transforming into something half-human to be on a secret mission, though ---- if it’s only once in a while : )
posted by obachan, 11/28/2004 01:32:00 PM

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