A POSTHUMAN ANALYSIS OF KILL LA KILL

A THESIS

Presented to the University Honors Program

California State University, Long Beach

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the

University Honors Program Certificate

William Vasquez

Fall 2016

iii

ABSTRACT

A POSTHUMAN ANALYSIS OF KILL LA KILL

By

William Vasquez

December 2016

This paper examines a modern anime titled Kill la Kill, though the theoretical framework

established by Donna Haraway in her work “A Cyborg Manifesto”. It will also examine the

anime with the idea of the male gaze explained by John Berger in “Ways of Seeing” and with

precedents set by scholars who have studied anime that are foundational in the medium. Using

these theories this paper will establish Kill la Kill as not only feminist but a work that is complex

and holds many implications socially. The end goal of this paper is to have an in-depth analysis

of an anime that connects and broadens its ideas to fill the research gap made by a lack of

modern anime analysis. Donna Haraway’s Cyborg theory provides a powerful lens through

which to view modern texts and opens up a myriad of possible interpretations that are worth

exploring.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT...……………………………………………………………………………… iii

LITERATURE REVIEW.……..…………………………………………………………… 1

KILL LA KILL AS CYBORG.……………………………………………………………… 8

WORKS CITED…..…………………………………...…………………………………… 37

1

Literature Review

In John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” he examines the male gaze, the idea that the female

form exists in society to be viewed and observed by men. This concept posits that women are

forced to concern themselves much more deeply with appearances than men do, due to the focus

placed on women as a spectacle. Berger writes “a woman’s presence expresses her own attitude

to herself, and defines what can and cannot be done to her.” (Berger 46). This statement puts

into words the very real truth of existing as a woman in society.

It is the inescapable truth that women across the world are judged on their appearance as

an extension and representation of their character. Berger’s writing underscores perfectly that the

female form is seen as just as much a part of the female identity as is their personality or

morality. This idea is further emphasized when Berger writes “The surveyor of woman in herself

is male: the surveyed female. Thus she turns herself into an object,” (Berger 47). It is this

objectification that is the crux of the issue that Berger explores. But it is not simply a societal

issue, this issue takes new light when viewed through a literary lens. Each and every character in

a story is, by definition, an artificial construct of the author. This means that there exist countless

female characters created by the minds of men. There is nothing inherently wrong with male

authors creating female characters just as there is nothing inherently wrong with the opposite.

However there runs the risk of misrepresentation due to a lack of understanding. If the male gaze

is so prevalent in society, it logically follows that in many cases, female creations of male

authors will have problematic characteristics that lead to poorly portrayed women.

It is true that views on women have changed, at least in some places. However, as Berger

writes “the essential way of seeing women, the essential use to which their images are put, has

not changed. Women are depicted in a quite different way from men – not because the feminine

2

is different from the masculine – but because the ‘ideal’ spectator is always assumed to be male

and the image of the woman is designed to flatter him.” (Berger 64). This raises troubling

possibilities for the reader of any given text. The question then becomes, how much is a female

character affected by the idea of the male gaze and how has the portrayal of the character shifted

to conform to a societal ideal? These questions are important to consider whenever reading a

text, but are critical when preforming a gender based analysis of a text, especially one with not

only written characters, but drawn ones as well.

Further discussing the idea of the limiting nature of the modern female experience is

Donna Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto. In it she discusses how modern feminism has, in a way

done massive harm to the empowerment of women in general, by labelling women as women

above all else. She writes that “White women, including social feminists, discovered (that is,

were forced kicking and screaming to notice) the non-innocence of the category ‘woman’. That

consciousness changes the geography of all previous categories; it denatures them as heat

denatures a fragile protein.” (Haraway 321). In a sense, it cites womanhood as a partial

oppressor of women. However, what is important to understand about this argument is not that it

is a denouncement of feminism but only of the current driving ideological force behind it. The

unifying banner of womanhood is in effect, too totalizing; in the midst of the struggle for

progress the goal has, to a certain extent, been lost. Her use of the phrase denature is key, in this

sense it is explaining that labelling all women as women removes any other identity that they

may possess, and that through the struggle for all women, the fight for each individual woman is

lost. Women are not a singular nor are they uniform, and attempting to reduce them to such, even

as a form of empowerment ignores all other concerns they may hold.

3

Another important idea presented by Haraway is the idea that development in modern

society has led to the reduction of humanity through the growth of machinery. She writes “Late

twentieth-century machines have made thoroughly ambiguous the difference between natural and

artificial, mind and body, self-developing and externally designed, and many other distinctions

that used to apply to organisms and machines. Our machines are disturbingly lively, and we

ourselves frighteningly inert.” (Haraway 317) In writing this she makes clear the idea that

machines have come to closely resemble life. They, in their own way, grow and develop and

have processes so cleanly functioning as to appear organic. The effect Haraway seeks from this

realization is not that machines be feared, but that the very understanding of life and of nature

that mankind holds as sacrosanct be redefined.

The ultimate expression of Haraway’s theory is not that mankind is insignificant, nor is it

that machines will replace mankind. Instead she writes “From one perspective, a cyborg world is

about the final imposition of a grid of control on the planet, about the final abstraction embodied

in a Star Wars apocalypse... From another perspective, a cyborg world might be about lived

social and bodily realities in which people are not afraid of their joint kinship with animals and

machines, not afraid of permanently partial identities and contradictory standpoints” (Haraway

318), Haraway seeks to expound upon the virtues of a world accepting of its varied nature, one in

which the individual can coexist among a complex web of interconnecting identities and

concepts without risk of losing itself.

Haraway advocates coexistence between contrary ideas. She stands behind the idea that

this paradoxical coexistence does in fact have its benefits, she writes “The political struggle is to

see from both perspectives at once because each reveal both dominations and possibilities

unimaginable from the other vantage point.” (Haraway 318). Haraway’s ideal world is one in

4

which not only multifaceted, complex identities exist but also a world in which conflicting

viewpoints can be accepted and understood so that they may be used to find new and powerful

ways to interpret the world.

Haraway’s writings are all meant to build to the significant conclusion that the ideas that

she puts forth, of contradictory and yet coexisting viewpoints, can be used to create an ideal

society. Haraway’s ideal society is “committed to building a political form that actually manages

to hold together witches, engineers, elders, perverts, Christians, mothers and Leninists long

enough to disarm the state” (Haraway 318). An ultimate coming together and unification of

disparate ideas and identities in order create a more inclusive and relevant society is what

Haraway ultimately demands. The current social model cannot stand and must be replaced with

one that is able to include, not just in thought but in function, the many varied identities present

today, and that it is only through this unity that the current stagnant social perceptions and

tenants can be truly, functionally replaced.

Foundationally, each text cited thus-far is essential for a feminist literary analysis of a

modern work, however more specified work such as that of Christopher Bolton in his article

“The Mecha’s Blind Spot: “Patlabor 2” and the Phenomenology of Anime” is necessary to

properly apply this framework. Bolton spends the first few pages of the article examining the

nature of the “cyborg” in anime as well as the nature of machine and human interaction. He

writes “the trope of a body that is both enhanced and invaded by technology is a staple in

anime.” (Bolton 454). This idea, of technology and humanity and their hybridization is an idea

that some of Anime’s most famous and celebrated works examine.

Bolton cites Ghost in the Shell, a 1995 anime, as the prime example of this examination,

writing that it is “an evocative and sophisticated visual exploration of body, gender and

5

technology” (Bolton 454). His choice of anime is spot on, as it is the perfect example of a work

examining the relationship of the body and the self, and the disconnect between the two after the

addition of technology.

In fact, this anime choice by Bolton is doubly apt in that not only does it relate to the

conflict between self and technology but also of the nature of the male gaze. In the anime, the

protagonist Mokoto Kusanagi is a cyborg woman with “exaggerated female proportions common

to many anime heroines” (Bolton 454). This character is the female construction of an author

who is in turn, inhabiting a constructed female body, made to appeal to men both in the world of

her story and to the viewer as well. And yet as Jane Park writes Kusanagi is “simultaneously

feminine and masculine, strong and vulnerable” (Park 63). In a sense Kusanagi is in fact the

epitome of the observed female.

The fact that anime characters are not simply written by their creators but are also drawn

poses interesting feminist implications. If a female character, whose personality is artificially

crafted by a man can theoretically be a problematic character, what problems could arise if the

same character is not just written but physically designed as well? The implications are such that

a conscientious and thorough reader should carefully consider both the textual and visual

appearance of characters in anime, so as not to miss possibly important details to a textual

interpretation.

Another major genre that Bolton discusses is the Mecha genre. This genre is

characterized by the presence of “towering humanoid robots piloted by human operators” and

“have occupied a place in anime for thirty years” (Bolton 454) Bolton discusses the deeper

themes of Mecha anime through an early example of the genre. Bolton analysis of the anime

Patlabor provides valuable insight into a common and powerful theme in anime that “Even with

6

the labor’s advanced sensors – laser scanners, infrared imaging, radio communications, and night

vision are all prominently depicted - the pilot and the films viewer never quite connect with

what is going on outside.” (Bolton 455). The obvious theme is that technology cannot truly

enhance the human experience, but instead replaces something absolutely fundamental. Within

this theme there is the idea that mankind will lose itself to the technological body being used.

That within the binary of the machine and the man, the man is not the dominant component.

Much like with the earlier cyborg focus, the fear of mankind being replaced by its technological

trappings is expressed very vividly in this production.

The concept of the individual being consumed by the machine, as discussed by Bolton

and by Haraway, hold obvious connections. Bolton’s analysis clearly taps into the idea of a

totalizing force that Haraway discusses, and shows that anime has a long tradition of

representing the fear of a loss of humanity. However, Haraway’s writings, move past the idea of

fear that Bolton discusses, favoring instead an exploration of the possibilities attainable through

the combination of man and machine. Though her original work discusses a societal issue and

examines not literature but reality, the logic she applies to her social writing proves, through

Bolton, an effective theoretical framework.

Bolton’s uneasiness with the combination of man and machine does connect to Donna

Haraway in a different way. Bolton discusses the overshadowing of humanity by machines and

the Mecha in Patlabor represent this well. The machines in the anime are mechanical tools meant

to be used by mankind, but in reality, end up dwarfing and engulfing the pilots entirely, cutting

off their senses and diminishing the direct connection they have with the world around them.

This analysis is analogous to Haraway’s interpretation of the totalizing effects of feminism. The

7

identity of each individual woman is overshadowed by Feminism, which like the mecha in

Patlabor initially served to enable and empower.

The idea of cyborgs in anime is nothing new, in fact anime provides a powerful medium

for exploring the implications of the sci fi cyborg. Anime such as Evangelion and Ghost in the

Shell explore these ideas, albeit in different ways. Authors such as (Park) and (Orbaugh) have

done analysis and like Bolton have applied Haraway’s Cyborg to that analysis. One particularly

insightful piece of analysis that is commonly made is that Haraway “explains some of the fears

and hopes that most fundamentally characterize cyborg narrative” (Orbaugh 436). This

perspective shows how authors have attempted to apply the lens of Haraway’s Cyborg to anime.

However, Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto does not perfectly apply to these anime, as the anime

treat the idea of their cyborgs with no small measure of discomfort.

Though Haraway is a useful tool for cyborg analysis, anime like Evangelion and Ghost in

the Shell still do not fully mesh with her ultimately cyborg positive writing. Sharalyn Orbaugh,

in her analysis of Neon Genesis Evangelion, likened the thematic treatment of cyborgs to

Haraway stating “Haraway echoes this anxiety, warning against the increasing and

undifferentiated permeability of the body,” (Orbaugh 448), going on to quote Haraway’s warning

against the possible negatives of the Cyborg. There is no question that Neon Genesis Evangelion

is not a show entirely comfortable with the cyborgs, the cyborgs contained within both

Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell are not fully integrated and still seem like disparate parts and

so do not truly reflect the idea of Cyborg that Haraway develops. Therefore, it is little wonder

that the more negative portions of Haraway’s writing resonates strongly with this analysis.

However, Haraway is ultimately Cyborg positive and so this use of “The Cyborg Manifesto” is

not entirely effective. This is not to say that the analysis is in any way invalid or flawed, merely

8

that the full potential application of Haraway’s Cyborg is not realized when applied to these

earlier anime.

Kill la Kill as Cyborg

Kill la Kill is an anime created directed by acclaimed director Hiroyuki Imaishi and

produced by Studio Trigger. It a story told in two parts. Each of the two parts has distinct

differences and it is those differences that provide meaning and drive the story. The protagonist

of the story is Ryūko and for the duration of the first part of the story, she seeks to find her

father’s killer and avenge him. This leads her into direct conflict with the second protagonist of

the story Satsuki Kiryūin. Ryūko is a rebellious and rash character driven by emotion and

passion while Satsuki is much more dignified and stern. Ryūko’s rebellious nature puts her in

direct conflict with Satsuki as Satsuki is the student council president of Honouji Academy.

Satsuki runs her academy with absolute authority, anyone who defies her is punished or even

executed and there are no repercussions for her harsh actions.

She maintains power by rewarding loyal students with Goku Uniforms, which are

specially crafted uniforms made partially from an alien substance known as Life Fibers. A Goku

uniform enhances physical characteristics and abilities of the wearer, often granting them special

powers based on their individual personality. In order to combat these powerful uniforms Ryūko

wears a Kamui, which is a uniform made entirely out of life fibers and is much more powerful.

Ryūko and Satsuki both repeatedly clash with one another using their Kamui and Ryūko also

often finds herself fighting students of the academy. Eventually it is revealed that Life Fibers are

dangerous entities that seek the death of mankind. These malign Life Fibers use a clothing

company known as REVOCS to spread across the globe. Revocs is run by Satsuki’s mother who

is revealed to be the true antagonist when Satsuki betrays her.

9

This betrayal is driven by the desire to free mankind from the oppression of the Life

Fibers, and it signals the start of the second part of the show. This second part is different from

the first in that Satsuki and Ryūko are forced to come to terms with the reality that they are allies

against a greater foe. Furthermore, Ryūko and Satsuki discover that they are siblings and share

Ragyō as a mother. This connection as well as the realization that they are not so disparate of

individuals leads them to work together to eventually defeat Ragyō. Understanding the plot of

Kill la Kill is important because not only does the show create meaning from symbolism and

metaphor, but from the conflicts that arise between characters.

Life Fibers in Kill la Kill are fundamentally tied into almost every aspect of the show. In

order to properly analyze the text one must be able to understand the Life Fibers, their

significance and their relationship to each significant character. In terms of the show, Life Fibers

are an organism that uplifted humanity for the sole purpose of parasitism. They took humanity

out of its natural state, forced them into unnatural behavior and then manipulated them into being

a source of food and energy. This manipulative and parasitic nature informs on most of the

symbolism in the text.

The Life Fibers are essentially puppet masters; they exist in the shadows and use their

proxies to manipulate the growth and development of mankind leading it towards a “preferable”

outcome for the Fibers. The Fibers manipulated humans into believing that clothing was a

necessity. Once the Fibers had cemented clothing as significant aspect of human society, they

began to exploit that significance. The proxy through which this control is exercised is a

megacorporation known as REVOCS that designs and produces clothing across the globe. This

company’s absolute control of the clothing market as well as the fact that it is a front for the

control of the Life Fibers, is deeply symbolic. The Life Fibers begin to symbolize control, not

10

just of appearance but of human identity. Physical appearance becomes a decision forced on the

individual and not one made by the individual. Identity is relegated to the decision of a

monolithic being with its own designs.

An examination of the REVOCS “board meetings” serves to further demonstrate the

symbolic significance of both the Life Fibers and their proxies. Instead of a secret lair or some

sort of shadowy scheme, each meeting is a fashion show, an eerie demonstration of the new

“products”. The shareholders and members of REVOCS watch with awe as their glorious and

fashionable leader Ragyō declares what is to be, what clothes are to be worn, and what horrific

fate mankind has in store at the hands of their overlords. These shareholders, each identical in

appearance hang on her every word and follow her every command. For the members of

REVOCS the Fibers are not simply entities who grant orders, but instead deities that are to be

worshiped and sacrificed to. As the hunger of the Fiber’s grow, each member of the shareholders

yearns to be consumed. Indeed, many of them express pleasure bordering on sexual in nature at

their consumption. This serves to highlight the idea that this dominance the reductive effects on

its victims is not necessarily either easily perceived nor perceived as a negative.

The control exercised by the fibers is control of the way in which each individual appears

to one another. The agency of any individual to control his or her appearance is surrendered to

the Life Fibers and is done so without realization. This establishes the fibers as a symbol of the

influential nature of the idea of body image in society. The Fibers’ nearly invisible, yet absolute,

control as well as the emphasis on clothing and physical appearance underscore the subtle but

very real way in which the value placed upon an individual based on their appearance is outside

of that individual’s control and is clearly and unarguably a figurative representation of the male

gaze.

11

The ultimate purpose and goal of the Life Fibers is to control and feed off of mankind.

This feeding is both literal and figurative. The weapon that REVOCS develops to fulfil the wish

of its masters is a “fashion line” of suits that absorb and cocoon humans, feeding off of their

energy and imprisoning them. The physical appearance of a consumed human is one that is

completely sublimated human, with their body nearly invisible within the cocoon of fiber that

surrounds them. Each person consumed becomes indistinguishable and their identity and any

defining personality traits are lost. Furthermore, physically they are all reduced to the same

stature. The meaning here is clear, to submit to the control of an authority that defines and

dictates the identity of its subjects removes all semblance of individuality and “denatures” those

that fall victim to this totalizing authority. This symbolic and literal consumption harkens back to

Bolton’s article that discusses the loss of individuality in Patlabor as well as Haraway’s idea of a

reductive and totalizing social force. In this case, the consumption and loss of humanity to

technology is represented by the monolithic and domineering Life Fibers.

Appearance play crucial roles, each character has a thematic color and outfit that defines

them, as well as a hairstyle and attitude that demonstrates and highlights their personality and

individuality. With the consumption of each character, these attributes are lost, however the

destruction of identity goes further. Kill la Kill is a show of extremes: extreme dialogue, extreme

music, extreme animation, and when the forces of REVOCS and the Fibers begin to assert

absolute control, the colors become muted, the mood dulled, the volume reduced, even the music

loses its extreme nature. The world itself is dulled by the destruction of the individual. It is only

by ripping away the cocoons from the characters that the former nature of the show returns. With

each familiar face returned, with each act of defiance and rebellion, the fantastic nature inherent

in the shows presentation resumes. The viewer is left with no doubt that the rejection of the Life

12

Fibers is positive and so Kill la Kill emphasizes the importance of identity and the rejection of a

totalizing social force.

The cocooning and consumption of mankind is meant to allow more Life Fibers to be

born and for their will to be spread. They are essentially breaking down the individual,

sublimating free will and expression and using that consumption to create a uniform and singular

existence. This is directly addressing the idea of a force or social ideology that acts as a reductive

force and “denatures” those that are subject to it (Haraway). The Life Fibers stand as a testament

to the very real pressures that are placed on every member of a society to conform and to subject

themselves to the will of the whole. Kill la Kill emphasizes time and again that to fight this

conformity, there is no price not worth paying, and that no methods of expressing one’s self are

wrong. This demand to express individuality and to distance oneself from easy and simple

essentialist categorization mirrors the ideas that Haraway expresses, and paves the way for

understanding Kill la Kill as a Cyborg text.

Ragyō serves as the medium through which the viewer is able to understand the Life

Fibers. Though they are the antagonist of the show they have no voice and cannot speak for

themselves. Ragyō plays the role of their voice, translating into understandable and human

concepts the desires of the Fibers. It is through this connection that the significance of the Life

Fibers is explored. In popular culture an alien force bent on the consumption of mankind is a

well explored plot point (Alien by Ridley Scott, The Thing by John Carpenter), however, putting

a human as the face of this alien force allows for more complexity of meaning. The

implementation of Ragyō as the face of this evil, while she also maintains her humanity enforces

the idea that the goals of the Life Fibers have human aspects. The absolute hunger for destruction

held by the Life Fibers is attained through the homogenization of mankind and the removal of

13

the individual and Ragyō is the human personification of this hunger. Therefore, the methods and

means by which she seeks to attain her goals are implied to have the eventual consequences of

the destruction of the individual.

Ragyō attempts human experimentation to create a more “perfect” human which is a

realization of the antithesis of Haraway’s Cyborg. Both Satsuki and Ryūko are Ragyō's children

and she used them as test subjects to create Life Fiber – human hybrids. Although she is in a

sense a hybrid herself, she considers her hybridization imperfect and so she used her children in

an attempt to create a “perfect” being. The significance of this is that from her perspective, her

children exist merely as objects and not as individuals, with their worth determined by their

ability to integrate life fibers. Additionally, this hybridity is not a Cyborg unity, it is the

suppression of their humanity for the benefit of the Life Fibers and not any form of cooperation.

Their humanity and individuality are aspects that need to be overcome and not characteristics to

be appreciated. Ragyō seeks to create the perfect being, that is in this case one without any

resemblance to the Cyborg. Ragyō and by extension the life fibers are therefore symbolic of the

very antithesis of everything Haraway’s Cyborg represents.

Though Ragyō represents the Life Fibers, there is another character deeply tied to the

Life Fibers. Senketsu is entirely made from Life Fibers and is a type of clothing known as a

Kamui. However, he differs radically from both the the Goku uniforms of the students at

Honouji Academy and Junketsu, the other Kamui in the show. This difference lies in the fact that

he has an important modification; his crafting process included introducing Ryūko’s blood. This

resulted in a close and powerful connection to Ryūko, one that does not exist between other

Kamui wearers and their clothing. This bond manifests in many different ways, but first and

foremost is her ability to communicate with Senketsu. Senketsu can and does speak often, but his

14

words are only heard by Ryūko, try as they might, Mako, Satsuki and even Ragyō are unable to

hear any words spoken by him. This serves to underscore the deeply connected nature of the

relationship between Ryūko and Senketsu as well as separate Senketsu from the rest of the Life

Fibers. He is the only example of clothing throughout the show, that demonstrates the ability to

speak to a human.

His first interactions with Ryūko are indicative of this difference, and though the viewer

is unaware of Life Fibers at the outset, this does not diminish the significance of their first

meeting. Senketsu’s initial interaction with Ryūko is rather aggressive as he forces himself upon

her. She initially resists and attempts to reject him but he declares “when you put me on, no

when I am worn by you, I grant you power” (If Only I Had Thorns Like a Thistle). This wording

becomes a cornerstone in the philosophy of Kill la Kill. As mentioned earlier Ragyō believes

humans exist for the sake of clothing, and yet Senketsu speaks of his relationship with Ryūko in

the manner of a partnership. He specifically says “I am worn by you”, placing her on equal

footing with him in the pairing, and his statement that “I grant you power” further shows that he

are partners (If Only I Had Thorns Like a Thistle). This contrasts drastically with the parasitic

and violent life fibers seen throughout the show and indicates that Senketsu and his relationship

with Ryūko are unique.

Ryūko’s struggle to accept Senketsu’s revealing form becomes central to developing the

overall thematic concerns of the text. The form he takes is extremely revealing and Ryūko is

highly against wearing such a provocative outfit. She attempts to wear robes to hide her body

and is gawked at by onlookers. She is literally drooled over by Mako’s father and Mako’s

brother describes her as “dressed up like a hooker” (So Sexy She Might Pass Out). These

interactions embarrass Ryūko and that embarrassment causes her to view herself in the same way

15

that others view her. She rejects the form Senketsu takes and is constantly blushing and

protesting throughout the scenes in which she wears him. Each time she has an outburst or

protests his appearance, he warns her that her outbursts are costing her blood. Essentially, the

more she rejects him, the more he must feed to stay active. Her inability to accept Senketsu is a

limiting factor for her power early on. Her embarrassment limits her ability to realize her full

potential.

This rejection of Senketsu is not a failure from Ryūko, but instead serves to exemplify the

damaging effects of the Male Gaze. Ryūko is subconsciously doing just what Berger described,

and is viewing herself through the perspective of an observer. Her reluctance to accept herself

and her difficulty in doing so are how the show emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance

and the rejection of the practice of valuing oneself based on the views of others.

This conflict between her appearance and her acceptance of Senketsu comes to a head in

episode 3 in which she has her first major confrontation with Satsuki. This scene, is perhaps one

of the most significant in the entire anime, as it demonstrates the key driving principles of both

Ryūko and Satsuki, as well as outlines a major thematic point that is present in every episode to

come.

Immediate contrasts are drawn between Satsuki and Ryūko and it is through those

contrasts that Ryūko, and the show as a whole, can be further understood. The first and most

immediate difference between the two characters is their transformations. Satsuki’s Kamui is

named Junketsu meaning purity and upon Satsuki declaring Junketsu’s name Ryūko challenges

“didn’t know there was anything pure about you” to which Satsuki responds “allow me to show

you” (Junketsu). This is followed by a dramatic transformation sequence accompanied by

Satsuki’s thematic music. It is visually stunning and when accompanied by music, is portrayed as

16

a show of dominance and power. These visuals, combined with Satsuki claiming to be

“showing” Ryūko her purity demonstrate that her Kamui is an extension of her identity. Ryūko,

upon witnessing Satsuki’s glorious transformation responds with a transformation of her own.

This transformation is pitiful in comparison to Satsuki’s. Ryūko does not have a dramatic

sequence, instead there is a brief flash and she is transformed. Where Satsuki stood defiant and

proud after her transformation, Ryūko is hunched over and embarrassed. The gap in the level of

confidence between the two, while in their Kamui and with their flesh exposed is dramatic.

The emphasis on Ryūko’s inferior confidence is not the only visual point being

emphasized by the differences in their transformations. Upon transforming Satsuki is met, by

onlookers, with awe and reverence, she stands almost naked and yet not a single sexual remark

or inappropriate look is directed her way. Her transformation is, just as she claimed, pure. Ryūko

on the other hand is met with jeers. The crowd, which stood rigid and in formation for Satsuki,

becomes a clamoring mess. Onlookers drool and climb over one another to get a glimpse of

Ryūko’s body. Ryūko is clearly ashamed and resents these stares, while to Satsuki it seems the

crowd simply is nott there. The difference is clear, Lady Satsuki is superior and stands above

Ryūko, untouched by those around her, while Ryūko is held down by her own self-consciousness

and her involuntary adherence to the idea of the male gaze.

Upon engaging in battle Ryūko’s inferiority to Lady Satsuki is made abundantly clear.

Tossed around the battlefield like a ragdoll, it is all Ryūko can do to survive. It only takes

seconds for Satsuki to figure out just how superior her ability to use her Kamui is. She taunts

Ryūko “You’re nothing, just a lump of mindless flesh squeezed into a Kamui… I am nothing

like you, I have mastered the art of wearing my Kamui, of wearing Junketsu” (Junketsu). This is

the crux of Ryūko’s problem laid bare by her enemy. Ryūko is not wearing her Kamui, is not

17

embracing the aspects of her identity that it represents, nor has she even begun to understand it.

Satsuki is wearing Junketsu effortlessly, she has embraced what her Kamui represents and is

utilizing it to glorious effect, while Ryūko still struggles to come to terms with her body and its

relation to Senketsu.

This difference is highlighted even further in Ryūko and Senketsu’s dialogue. He

admonishes her for not truly wearing him to which she replies “I’m wearing you right now aint I,

you’re guzzling my blood, I’m dying of embarrassment and lookin’ like a ho, god what more do

you want from me!?!” (Junketsu). Her focus, in the midst of battle is still on her image. She is

being soundly beaten by Satsuki and yet the foremost thought in her head is how she appears.

This dialogue is accompanied by the image of Ryūko’s body being reflected back to her by bits

of broken glass. She is surrounded by her image and cannot stop observing herself. She is unable

to understand, in the way Satsuki already does, that the power of her Kamui, of her identity, lies

in her acceptance of it and of herself. Senketsu is a part of her, her blood runs through it and

fuels it, she and it are intended to be a unified body and she is unable to see and accept what that

means, it is because of this that Satsuki is superior to her.

Satsuki, queen of the monologue, makes one final declaration before attempting to

execute Ryūko. This declaration perfectly describes Satsuki’s philosophy and highlights the

difference between her and Ryūko, she declares “to unleash the most power this is the form a

Kamui must take. You cling to the puritanical views of the masses proving just how inferior you

are, but I won’t be ashamed if it means I can fulfill my ambitions I will bear my breasts for all to

see. I will do whatever it takes because my actions are utterly pure” (Junketsu). The ends justify

the means for Lady Satsuki, and she has absolute faith in herself and her judgement, which

means that, to her, any measures taken to fulfill her ambitions are obviously justified. Therefore,

18

she has no doubt, and no reluctance in wearing such a revealing outfit. She is resolute and

steadfast in all of her decisions and in being so firm she is able to utilize her Kamui, because she

believes that her actions just like Junketsu’s name, are pure. She has accepted Junketsu as part of

her identity and gained immeasurably from doing so.

Ryūko is able to understand herself after Satsuki’s dialogue, and with a little help from

her friend and helper girl Mako. She attempts one final transformation, and it matches the one

performed by Satsuki in every way. Upon transforming Ryūko exclaims “I didn’t realize it but I

was rejecting you out of embarrassment… the more I pulled away the more blood you needed to

get closer to me” (Junketsu). Everything that had been holding Ryūko back is thrown off, and

she realizes how she should be interacting with Senketsu. She acknowledges her rejection of him

and in doing so is able to accept him. By doing so she is able to accept herself fully. Senketsu

was made with her genetic material, with her blood, and because of that he and Ryūko are meant

to exist together, he is an extension of her, and her of him. By accepting Senketsu she is fully

accepting a part of herself. Just as Satsuki identified Junketsu with the purity of her actions and

was able to utilize him, Ryūko becomes one with Senketsu and is able to fully express the power

that is only realized when she is wearing him and he is being worn by her.

This realization by both girls is the most significant moment in the early portion of the

anime, and remains unarguably crucial throughout the remainder of the show. They both are able

to accept themselves, and in that acceptance, gain power. This is Kill la Kill subverting Berger’s

idea of the male gaze. It is a rejection of the power that the male gaze theoretically should have

over the female form. It is Kill la Kill declaring loudly, and in its own distinct and over the top

voice, that the only limits on ones’ own power are the limits they allow others to place on

themselves and that a fully realized individual is something that the masses have no sway over.

19

In this seven-minute fight scene, Kill la Kill is able to fully articulate that the ideas self-worth

and individuality are where strength and value are drawn from. Not only does this initial conflict

demonstrate a rejection of the male gaze but it also serves as the introduction to Kill la Kill’s

discussion of Cyborg.

The nature of the relationship between Ryūko and Senketsu is a functioning example of

Donna Haraway’s Cyborg. Ryūko is clearly one with Senketsu, they share blood and genetic

material and so it is clear that they are in unity both in body and purpose. This union is dubbed

“Life Fiber Synchronization” and its name and use are present in every episode of the show. This

synchronization comes to define Ryūko and Senketsu’s relationship. After her revelation in the

fight with Satsuki she is able to synchronize and draw power from her unity with Senketsu. They

develop a friendship, their power increases and they are able to cooperate with greater success.

They, throughout the show, develop a greater synchronization. Ryūko and Senketsu begin as two

distinct beings, however through the course of their relationship grow in synchronicity and more

closely resemble Haraway’s ideal Cyborg.

The unity present in the relationship between Ryūko and Senketsu is a perfect working

example of Haraway’s cyborg. Ryūko is a human and Senketsu is made from Life Fibers, these

are two disparate and contrary existences that are able to coexist and realize possibilities

previously unattainable for them. They are Haraway’s theory in motion, a radical pairing that is

extreme and unlikely and yet still unquestionably effective. It challenges the status quo of the

world and poses a threat to the authoritarian ruler ship of the Life Fibers.

Satsuki’s use of Junketsu poses an opposite and yet still equally Cyborg method of

Kamui use. Where Ryūko uses Life Fiber Synchronize, Satsuki utilizes “Life Fiber Override”

(Junketsu). She overrides Junketsu’s hunger and animalistic savagery in a way that is utterly

20

unique to her. She operates without the same ease that Ryūko does, each battle especially is

tiring for her. However, her perseverance and resolute determination allow her to overcome this

handicap. Satsuki allows no obstacle to stand in her way, does whatever is necessary to achieve

her goal and does so without mercy or hesitation. She is always in absolute control of herself no

matter the circumstance. These traits define her and define her relationship with Junketsu. He

like Senketsu is representative of his wearer’s identity and with Life Fiber Override Satsuki is

able to interact with Junketsu in a way that unique to her makes them unquestionably Cyborg.

This understanding can be taken a step further. The symbolic nature of Senketsu and

Junketsu, that they represent the identities of their wearers is yet another aspect of Haraway’s

Cyborg. The blurring of lines between clothing and wearer, identity and individual, and the

power derived from the blurring of those lines speaks out in favor of Haraway’s radical ideas.

Both Ryūko and Satsuki have bridged the massive gap between human and life fiber, and have

done so in their own unique ways: Ryūko through Synchronization and Satsuki through

Override. In doing so they have brought together radically different existences in order to grow,

and they have also become cyborgs within themselves. By internalizing their own body image,

their own sexuality and their own individuality, they have moved beyond the “puritanical views

of the masses” and have begun to evolve past, what Haraway argues are, outdated social models

(Junketsu). Moving beyond the relationships between Kamui and wearer and looking at the

interactions between characters progresses this Cyborg interpretation.

The fight against the Elite Four is, to Ryūko, a struggle to reconcile her identity with her

enemies. When paired with Senketsu she is unarguably powerful, but paired with Goku

Uniforms, so too are her enemies. As explored earlier each uniform is both a source of power

and represents the identity of the wearer. Each battle against the Elite Four drives her to change

21

her Kamui, to evolve it in order to counter the strengths and weaknesses of her opponent’s outfit.

While this does force her to grow, it is also dangerously close to the initial battle against Satsuki,

and she risks losing herself in the struggle to adapt. In effect by forcing herself beyond her

natural evolution she loses sight of who she is. Her struggle to match the strength of the other

uniforms and therefore the ideology of others causes her to lose her sense of identity. Who she is,

is consumed by what she strives to become. And though she gains the strength to defeat those

around her in the end the cost is too great

Through her struggle to adapt, her focus shifts from truly working together with Senketsu

to using his power to achieve victory. She loses synchronization, and the consequences of doing

so are dire. She becomes “swallowed by the power of her Kamui” (Spit Your Sadness Away).

Unity is something fundamental to Ryūko, Senketsu and their characters, upon losing this unity

they lose what makes them who they are. Both Senketsu and Ryūko mutate, becoming a

malformed beast with twisted limbs and jutting teeth, neither Ryūko, nor Senketsu resemble their

original appearances. What they become is highly unnatural and is literally a twisted and

macabre caricature of what they ought to be. Even her Life Fiber Synchronization becomes

twisted, with the fibers portrayed in the sequence becoming a tangled web that covers the screen.

Not a single piece of Ryūko’s appearance remains untouched by the twisting corruption.

The pair also loses what is perhaps their most unique and valuable asset. They become

unable to communicate. Senketsu is overwhelmed by the rage coursing through Ryūko and loses

himself to his hunger for blood, while at the same time Ryūko’s mouth is filled with Life Fibers.

Together they become a twisted Life Fiber monstrosity, but not one that is unified. The tumult of

emotions in Ryūko that drives Senketsu berserk is an unbalancing of their relationship. Ryūko

forces Senketsu to take the dominant role in their partnership, but in doing so he loses himself

22

and the Life Fibers within him end up taking control. The end result of this is a being overridden

by life fibers, and though they share a body, they cannot communicate and therefore are separate

and broken. Ryūko becomes Senketsu’s prey as he is forcibly reverted to his more parasitic

nature. This event represents the fears that Bolton acknowledges, the idea that the artificial can

consume the human, however, as the scene unfolds, these fears are confronted and dismissed by

Haraway’s Cyborg.

In a mirror of the earlier conflict for identity that Ryūko struggles with, it is Satsuki and

Mako that break the unnatural state of confusion that Ryūko is in. Instrumental in this return to

sense and unity is Mako. She sees the monster that Ryūko has become and declares “I’ll set you

straight… I’ll get you back” (Spit Your Sadness Away). The language here is very specific,

Ryūko is not just confused, she is gone. Mako acknowledges, albeit indirectly, that the change in

Ryūko is so drastic and absolute that she is simply not there. The sheer absurdity and desperation

of Mako in the face of Ryūko’s rampage is enough to bring her back. Ryūko’s love for Mako,

and Mako’s ability to understand Ryūko are able to carry the day and ensure victory. Mako is the

key to this and by being so instrumental in the reunification of Ryūko and Senketsu, becomes

inexorably linked into the idea of their synchronization. Mako was there to help facilitate

Ryūko’s initial understanding for the need to connect to Senketsu and she helped mend the

broken relationship between them when they lost their way. In doing so, the duo of Senketsu and

Ryūko widens to include Mako.

This idea, of other individuals constituting a greater whole is not unique to Ryūko; Lady

Satsuki shares this characteristic in the form of her Elite Four. By portraying each encounter

between Ryūko and a student council leader as a fight that pits one ‘set of clothing against

another’ and having these clothes symbolize the core identity of the wearer, these fights

23

represent a struggle of wills. Each wearer is using the powers granted to them by their uniforms,

their identity, to fight. In the case of the Elite Four however the fact that each of their uniforms

comes from lady Satsuki demonstrates that though the power is wielded by them, each of their

strengths and motivations stem from her. And therefore, they are extensions of her. Nonon

Jakuzure expresses this idea when, in battle with Ryūko she declares “this is my power new girl,

the others can’t hold up a baton to what I’m cable of” “I take that back, my Goku uniform is your

power Lady Satsuki” (I’m Not Your Cute Woman). The Elite Four live and fight for Satsuki and

they do so with the very symbols of their identity. This is further emphasized by the fact that the

Goku uniforms that represent them are not only made by Satsuki but granted to The Elite Four

by her. She is literally bestowing upon them their identity. Where Ryūko and Mako are friends

and their power is derived thusly, Satsuki and her Elite Four hold a more intense and rigid

relationship, but in the end the result is the same.

As the show progresses, the ideas within evolve. The web of connections between

characters becomes more complex and nuanced, and so the thematic nature of the show expands.

The idea begins to present itself that it is not just ones’ own bodily self that determines identity,

but that friendships, loyalty, and interpersonal relationships can also influence one’s sense of

individuality and do so in a way that is not corruptive. Mako frees Ryūko from her rage fueled

transformation, and the Elite Four act as an extension of Lady Satsuki’s will. However, this

raises the question, if Ryūko and Mako’s relationship is founded on friendship and mutual

caring, how does that inform upon the way Satsuki and the Elite Four relate. Satsuki is

undeniably dominant in their relationship and “friendship” would hardly be the proper term to

define the way in which they interact.

24

On the surface, it would appear that Satsuki and her evil mother are remarkably similar,

however this is not the case, they are remarkable different. This difference can be most

immediately understood through examining the way in which both Ragyō and Satsuki fit into

Haraway’s idea of Cyborg. The nature of their relationship is clarified by the application of

Haraway’s idea of a Cyborg. Though Satsuki holds a dominant position in the interpersonal

relationships between her and the Elite Four, each member of this relationship is still a willing

participant. They swear their loyalty to her and act as a unified force, in doing so they become

Cyborg. They are a meeting of varied identities and achieve a harmonious interaction that though

different in form, achieves the same purpose as the relationship between Mako, Ryūko and

Senketsu. With the exploration of the relationships between Mako and Ryūko as well as Satsuki

and the Elite Four, Kill la Kill delves further into Haraway’s ideology and continually develops a

more nuanced realization of the Cyborg model.

The eventual revelation that Satsuki is in fact a double agent not only surprises the other

characters but the viewer as well, causing a shift in the way that much of the show is understood.

No longer a villain, but an ally that shares in Ryūko’s goals, Satsuki’s actions are cast in a new

light. After crucifying her mother, she declares “I did not build Honouji Academy for you but to

destroy you” finally revealing the true purpose for all of her work creating the academy and

training the students as soldiers (Into the Night). This revelation does little however to

immediately justify the actions taken by Satsuki and the actions of the students under her

command. Though Satsuki opposes the life fibers and the destruction of humanity, on the surface

her methods are strikingly similar to those of her mother and so the question must be asked, what

differentiates Satsuki from Ragyō and why is this difference significant.

25

Satsuki insists that the masses are weak, and scum, and in doing so paints with too broad

a brush. She is committing a generalization that is strikingly similar to the one committed by

Ragyō. Though she is a Cyborg, at this point she is flawed one.

To understand Ragyō is to understand that she fits the model of Cyborg, not at all. She

is best described as a “totalizing” force. Her aims are to subjugate humanity for the Life Fibers.

There is no room for individuality nor is there respect for freedom or difference as she declares

“the only things that can be called beautiful are the things that earn my approval” (Tell Me

Why). Her words and actions define her as something entirely different than the Cyborg. She and

the life fibers that she worships are the antithesis of the Cyborg idea. Her quest to subjugate the

world around her as opposed to understand and coexist within it puts her firmly and absolutely

outside of the realm of Cyborg.

Furthermore, there is a fundamental difference between those that follow Satsuki and

those that follow her mother. Those that serve Ragyō are either sociopaths that, like Ragyō,

worship the Life Fibers or are forced into servitude via the power of the fibers. On the other

hand, Satsuki has a cadre of supporters who each follow her for their own reasons and have their

individuality not only respected but utilized. The Goku uniforms that grant powers to each of her

followers are made from the very Life Fibers she seeks to destroy and so in a way she is

appropriating their power, but in a more important way as they not only grant power but manifest

as a representation of their wearer’s identity. Satsuki simultaneously is integrating facets of her

opponent’s strength and using it to gain the most out of her follower’s uniqueness, she

recognizes that she and her academy are strong through unity declaring “we are neither scum,

nor are we weak” (Into the Night). Satsuki’s use of “we” as opposed to Ragyō’s focus on herself

is where the crux of their difference lies. Satsuki is Cyborg while Ragyō is a totalizing force.

26

However, this unity is not complete as Satsuki views those beneath her as pawns to be utilized

instead of partners.

Though apparently similar in practice to Ragyō, Satsuki has a few key factors that when

closely examined, drastically distance her from her mother. The viciousness of the practices that

Satsuki employed in order to keep her academy in line and to strengthen her troops cannot be

denied. However, her motivations were not the same as those that drove Ragyō. Ragyō’s end

goal is the subjugation of mankind. Satsuki on the other hand seeks freedom and salvation.

Though many of her actions early on in the series are reprehensible her goal is the survival of

humanity and the world as a whole. She recognizes the inferiority of her position and is willing

to take drastic measures to even the odds. This use of the tactics of her fundamentally opposed

enemy makes her a Cyborg in the ideological sense. She is able to, as Haraway puts it, “see from

both perspectives at once because each reveal both dominations and possibilities unimaginable

from the other vantage point.” (Haraway 318). By appropriating the ruthless tactics of her mother

while maintaining goals and objectives beneficial to mankind Satsuki represents a complex

embodiment of Haraway’s Cyborg ideal. This representation however is not a complete one as

her ideology and methods still only recognize her subordinates as just that.

Revelations in this episode abound, and they are not for Satsuki alone. Ryūko is shown

that she is not only Ragyō’s daughter but a human infused with Life Fibers. This realization is

especially impactful on Ryūko as it comes at the same time that she realizes that Nui and Ragyō

are similar hybrids. Neither Ragyō nor Nui follow anything resembling normal human biological

rules and are portrayed as absolutely unnatural. This awful abnormality serves to highlight just

how awful Ragyō and her ilk are, and so to share such fundamental characteristics with them

causes Ryūko to have a drastic shift in her understanding of herself.

27

This shift in the fundamental understanding of her very existence causes a significant

identity crisis. Key aspects of her character begin to unravel. She loses all connection with

Senketsu as her new understanding of herself drives her to despair and she declares “I’ll never

wear you again… just looking at you pisses me off… I’m not human I never was, I’m a

goddamn Life Fiber monster” (Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head). She becomes unable to

distinguish herself from the Life Fibers that she hates and so her anger is projected onto not only

Ragyō, but onto herself and Senketsu as well. Her existence as a Cyborg in sync with herself,

Senketsu and even her friends is utterly destroyed as she is no longer able to truly grasp who and

what she is. This rejection of Senketsu is the best way understand the significance of this despair.

While wearing Senketsu she feels wonderful, the farther she gets from this state the less

at peace with herself she is. It is the unity between her and Senketsu that is her natural and best

state, and as her confidence falters she loses her identity. This is why her transformation is called

Life Fiber Synchronization, it is the closeness that she gains with Senketsu and the strength that

that closeness brings. Her Cyborg identity is tied to this synchronization, her unity with Senketsu

is unique and in many ways what defines her is this ability to exist so harmoniously with him. It

is the loss of this bond that reveals its true significance.

Ragyō responds to the weakened bond between the two and their faltering sense of self

by attempting to override Ryūko’s identity entirely. If wearing Senketsu is Ryūko’s best state

then wearing a different Kamui, a different identity, would be the exact opposite. Ragyō forces

Junketsu onto Ryūko in what can only be described as a rape going so far as to forcibly stitch

Junketsu into her very skin. This violation of her body and the act of forcing her to wear a Kamui

other than Senketsu is the ultimate desecration of Ryūko. The Kamui transformation that she

undergoes while wearing Junketsu is Life Fiber Override. Time and again Satsuki had used this

28

transformation in order to override the destructive nature of the Life Fiber being that is Junketsu,

but in Ryūko’s case Junketsu is the one doing the overriding. The Life Fiber Override becomes

quite literal as the person Ryūko had been is utterly consumed and what remains is another of

Ragyō’s perverse puppets.

This subjugation of Ryūko serves not only to demonstrate just how utterly wrong wearing

a Kamui other than Senketsu is, but also to demonstrate the insidious and disgusting nature of

Ragyō. Ryūko’s relationship with Senketsu, their synchronicity, was how Ryūko had come to

understand not only herself, but those around her and how she was able to accept herself. She

was a Cyborg because of this synchronicity and taking this away from Ryūko fully demonstrates

how Ragyō and therefore Life Fibers stand in absolute opposition to the idea of a Cyborg

identity. Their desire for control and destruction leave no room for individuality, synchronicity

or growth. To them there is only the false unification of the totalizing force that Haraway warns

against.

It takes the combined effort of Satsuki, Mako and Senketsu to bring Ryūko back to her

normal state of being, and in doing so the show again expands and finally realizes a fully Cyborg

ideal. Ryūko, fully consumed by Junketsu is shown hallucinating scenes of hollow happiness.

She is in a wedding dress marrying a body made from life fibers, a body without substance or

life, all the while the scene itself is bordered by the sinister Life Fibers. When Mako confronts

Ryūko in this hallucination she does so with the help of Satsuki and Senketsu. Mako gives

Ryūko the choice to either free herself from Junketsu’s grip or “kill me and quit being Ryūko”

(Incomplete). This quote, by stupid Mako, is surprisingly insightful. At this point every

corruption has been forced upon Ryūko by Ragyō and Ryūko has yet to truly choose to be

29

subjugated by the fibers. Doing so would mean killing Mako and destroying Senketsu, whom, as

has been discussed already, are parts of the Cyborg Ryūko.

Ryūko ultimately rejects Junketsu and Ragyō, choosing instead to regain her former self

and in doing so is able to realize that her existence as a hybrid does not preclude her existence as

a human nor as a part of a larger community of friends. In a herculean feat of strength, she rips

off Junketsu roaring “get this thing offa me… I want it off… I’m taking it off even if it kills

me… it’s the only way I can wear Senketsu again” (Incomplete). In doing so she realizes that

Ragyō and the life fibers promise pleasure and bliss but that these promises are all hollow and

meant to allow the Life Fibers to exploit their victim. In the end, she accepts that though her

body contains Life Fibers, they need not define her. Through the help of her friends reaches a

point in which she is not afraid of herself and her body and is “not afraid of permanently partial

identities and contradictory standpoints” (Haraway 318). She is a Cyborg once more but now,

like Satsuki she is conscious of it.

Her new relationship with Satsuki, Mako, and Senketsu is deeper than before and this

depth of understanding and closeness completes Ryūko’s character. As stated before, her

synchronicity with Senketsu defines her Cyborg identity but now that she has reaffirmed it and

Senketsu has been worn by those closest to her, that relationship has expanded, Ryūko says “He

feels different now cuz hes got Satsuki’s and Mako’s blood flowing through him, he feels way

better and way warmer than that monster Junketsu ever did” (Tell Me How You Feel). Senketsu

has the blood of Satsuki, Mako and is worn by Ryūko, they are all now unified within the

relationship between Ryūko and Senketsu. What was once a figurative Cyborg is now quite

literal. The identities, blood and very essence of everyone close to Ryūko is taking an active role

in her Synchronization. They are no longer just her friends as she declares “these guys are

30

something else something better I don’t know what it’s called but Mako and Senketsu are more

than friends” (Tell Me How You Feel). Though she does not know what to call the relationship

they have its clear that the relationship is the true realization of a Cyborg identity.

With this evolution and development comes a greater disgust and rejection of Ragyō and

the wrongness that she represents. Ryūko is able to understand finally why she stands against

Ragyō “I’m surrounded by people that actually give a damn about me and they’re all batshit

crazy ... You assholes just wanna give the planet up to the life fibers you wanna make it so

everyone is cut from the same cloth… I won’t let it happen cuz this world is better off with

batshit crazy people than you” (Tell Me How You Feel). This idea of “batshit crazy people” is

her way of expressing the differences that define her friends and how those differences make

them unique and wonderful. She rejects the notion that the Life Fibers seek the destruction of

this ideal and firmly rejects Ragyō.

With Satsuki’s rescue and Ryūko’s reaffirmation of identity the two are whole again and

are left to reconcile, a difficult task considering the fundamental differences in their nature.

Ryūko initially seeks retribution for Satsuki’s actions, but is unable to lay a hand on her due to

the interference of the Elite Four. Their declaration that they are a part of her leads Ryūko to

realize a common ground, one that redefines the relationship between the two characters, just as

she described Mako and Senketsu as batshit crazy she says “You guys are all freakin nuts… you

got batshit crazy people protecting you just like I do” (Tell Me How You Feel). This realization,

that those around Satsuki are not so different than her, Mako, and Senketsu serves as the initial

bridge that closes the gap between the two.

Satsuki, for her part, is able to realize how and why she has failed, and her perception of

herself changes and develops. She says “In the end I was using the same methods as Ragyō I

31

should have known I could never win that way” (Tell Me How You Feel). With this she realizes

that although her goals were pure her methodology was too similar to her mother, and by

realizing this, is able to shift her view of those around her. Her ultimate declaration at the

conclusion of this touching reconciliation is “I understand now people are not cut form the same

cloth and no matter how odd they may seem; their differences make this world beautiful. This

world is worth protecting and I’d be honored to share the task with you.” (Tell Me How You

Feel). In doing so she places herself on the same level as Ryūko, going so far as to bow to her.

The realization that she is simply another person in the grand scheme of the world and that her

goals and ambitions can and should be reconcilable with those around her is enlightening. She,

by virtue of being willing to finally accept others as both equals and allies not just subordinates,

becomes a true Cyborg. Furthermore, the peace made between Ryūko and Satsuki signals the

creation of a unified body, one that is unafraid to include opposites and contradictions, a true

Haraway Cyborg.

To create understanding, (be it of identity, unity or synchronicity), through conflict has

been the driving idea behind Kill la Kill throughout the show. The ultimate realization of this

being the final contest between the totalizing and dominating life fibers and the Cyborg union

that Ryūko and Satsuki represent. Clad in their Kamui and Goku uniforms Ryūko and Satsuki’s

group fully represent this multifaceted ideal while Ragyō is in all ways the opposite. Clad in her

ultimate Life Fiber monstrosity Shinra Koketsu her only visible human characteristics are her

face and hands while her body is obscured and distorted. Her twisted relationship with the life

fibers now shows on her physical form, as they have consumed her identity so to do they

consume her very human appearance leaving only a ravening abomination representative of the

dominating nature of the life fibers.

32

The appearance of Shinra Koketsu is not the only characteristic that represents the

totalizing and dominant Life Fibers but the power it wields as well. Ragyō declares that “Shinra

Koketsu was designed to be the master of all Life Fibers” and that “Those that rebel against it

tremble in fear and are rendered powerless” dubbing this Absolute Submission (Past the Infinite

Darkness). The ultimate power of Shinra Koketsu, which is the ultimate expression of Life

Fibers, is to remove the power from all those around her, forcing them to submit. The

significance of this cannot be overstated. Each life fiber uniform and piece of clothing so far has

been in some way, a manifestation of the identity of the wearer and in this case Shinra Koketsu is

purely about the domination of the human form and the forced submission of those around it all

the while, fueled by consumption of human bodies. In this way, it is perfectly representative not

only of Ragyō but the Life Fibers that have utterly consumed her.

Though apparently absolute in its dominance, Ragyō’s opposition, in the form of Ryūko

and Senketsu, are able to defy the “Absolute Submission” due to their unique nature and

relationship. Ryūko finally aware and accepting of who and what she is declares “I aint human

and I aint clothes either I’m something in the middle… looks like I’m something your absolute

submission shit don’t work on” while Senketsu declares “I am neither clothing nor human just

like Ryūko” (Past the Infinite Darkness). This unified declaration is significant on a multitude of

levels. Firstly, Senketsu is no longer just heard by Ryūko but by Satsuki and the others as well,

he is as he says no simple Life Fiber being, but a fully realized individual capable of

communication and able to be understood by others. Secondly Ryūko is finally able to not only

accept herself but truly defy her mother and the Life Fibers it is this defiance that allows her to

free the others from the submission forced upon them by Ragyō. Her strength is their strength

and through unity they are able to defy the Life Fibers together as one.

33

Ryūko and Senketsu are not alone in this attack on Ragyō, Satsuki and Ryūko stand side

by side to attack their mother and are truly unified. As Ryūko and Senketsu declare in a single

voice that they are “Neither human nor clothing this is what it means to be Life Fiber

Synchronized” they move as one with Satsuki to deliver a devastating blow to Ragyō (Past The

Infinite Darkness). The image of Satsuki and Ryūko garbed in Senketsu and Junketsu, side by

side each holding one half of their scissor blades is a powerful one that represents the Cyborg

that they have created. From their early battle viciously fought over a petty grudge to their

cooperation in this final fight Ryūko and Satsuki have managed to not only grow as individuals,

but to develop relationships, bonds and connections that tie them together on a level that is more

than simple friendship.

The final expression of Ragyō’s power is to consume Nui and the primordial life fiber,

growing to a massive and disgusting size. She likens herself to a god and seeks the end of the

world demanding that Shinra Koketsu “take your true form and cover the entire planet” (Past the

Infinite Darkness). Her arrogance and hubris, the arrogance and hubris of the Life Fibers, is fully

demonstrated as it actively consumes and absorbs each and every human being. This “true form”

is one that demands the complete and total submission of all life and is the apotheosis of the Life

Fibers. In this climactic moment, they are a truly totalizing force that reduces all those it touches

to indistinguishable components. The true form of the Life Fibers is the absolute antithesis of a

Cyborg; it leaves no room for identity no room for compromise and no room for the unification

of anything.

Ryūko’s apotheosis is entirely the opposite of Ragyō’s, she does not consume those

around her but absorbs them, allowing them all to exist within her. She declares “I’m putting on

all of your Goku uniforms so we can go kick her ass together” (Past the Infinite Darkness). There

34

is no consumption and no removal of identity. Within Ryūko exists all the power of each Goku

uniform and of Junketsu as well. She becomes a Cyborg both literally and figuratively. This form

allows her to hold together a multitude of identities in order to defeat the totalizing idea of the

dominant Life Fibers. “We’re not human or clothing and yet at the same time we are human and

clothing we are everything” (Past the Infinite Darkness). This is a perfect visual and textual

representation of Haraway’s idea of “a political form that actually manages to hold together

witches, engineers, elders, perverts, Christians, mothers and Leninists long enough to disarm the

state” (Haraway 318). This is the brilliance of the final battle of Kill la Kill. It portrays the

struggle between absolute homogenization and absolute unity, with Ryūko acting the role of

Haraway’s Cyborg.

What lends power to Kill la Kill as a text is not simply that it models Haraway’s Cyborg

but how it models that ideal. The show confronts a multitude of concepts: sexuality, identity,

body image, the nature of humanity, and the value of coexistence and does so in such a way that

is Cyborg. These ideas are brought together as the show progresses and culminate in Ryūko and

Ragyō’s final confrontation. As each idea or concept is acknowledged it is integrated into the

characters and becomes part of a greater whole. Kill la Kill is the Cyborg ideal that it seeks to

portray, within it exists a system of ideas that stand in harmony, and it contains characters and

ideas that while apparently contradictory still function congruently.

This process of acknowledgment and integration begins with the consideration of

sexuality and the way in which the battle between Ryūko and Satsuki resolves. After coming to

terms with her body and the way in which she is viewed the show continues to portray the both

Satsuki and Ryūko in their skimpy Kamui. In effect, it forces the viewer to come to the same

level of acceptance as Ryūko. She accepts her body and so to must the viewer. The sexual

35

portrayal of the characters becomes the new norm, no longer is Ryūko a spectacle, her sexuality

and her identity are factors of the show that must be accepted and are thereby integrated into the

viewers understanding of the character. This is at once an acknowledgement of the male gaze, an

acceptance that the female form exists as an observed form, and at the same time a rejection and

refutation of it. Though the female body may be sexual and may be observed, it does not wholly

identify the subject being portrayed. By forcing the viewer to accept the sexual appearance of the

characters while that very sexualized portrayal empowers the characters, Kill la Kill takes on two

contrary positions in a way that can and must be defined as Cyborg.

Where cyborg anime of the past have handled the cyborg with a sense of caution and

trepidation, Kill la Kill succeeds in moving past the fear of an integration of man and machine

and in doing so takes the thematic concerns of the cyborg addressed by Park, Orbaugh and

Bolton and evolves them. Though Kill la Kill shifts from technology to clothing, the cyborg

themes are still apparent. Kill la Kill actively acknowledges the fear of a loss of humanity

initially addressed by other writers through the scenes in which Ryūko and others are consumed

by Life Fibers, while simultaneously representing the ideal Cyborg model that allows for those

fears to be overcome through Ryūko.

Ryūko is the tool that Kill la Kill uses to demonstrate its evolved cyborg model. Through

Ryūko’s initial struggles to accept her body she is able to understand that her sexuality and her

identity as a person are not contrary. Her reconciliation with Satsuki demonstrates Haraway’s

concept that different perspectives may work best when in cooperation. Her identity crisis and

eventual peace with her own cyborg body serves to demonstrate to the viewer that the fear of

human hybridity is unfounded and only poses a threat when rejected out of fear. The final battle

represents the idea that this cooperation is not just beneficial but ideal. By doing all of this Kill la

36

Kill achieves what the other anime before it do not, a true examination of the idea of the cyborg

through to its end. Haraway’s “Cyborg Manifesto” was unable to be fully applied to other anime

because their discussion of a cyborg not was fully developed. This anime sought to question the

nature of the cyborg while never truly being comfortable with it, Kill la Kill however, portrays

the cyborg as the goal at the end of a long struggle, and as the ideal model for both self and

identity as well as for society as a whole. This portrayal is a much deeper exploration of the idea

of a cyborg and provides a much more complete depiction of the ideal Cyborg that Haraway

initially portrayed.

37

Works Cited

Berger, John, Sven Blomberg, Chris Fox, Michael Dibb, and Richard Hollis. Ways of Seeing.

British Broadcasting, 1972. Print.

Bolton, Christopher. "The Mecha's Blind Spot: "Patlabor 2" and the Phenomenology of

Anime." Science Fiction Studies, vol. 29, no. 3, 2002., pp. 453-474.

Donna Haraway, "Cyborg Manifesto." The Cultural Studies Reader, 3rd ed., complied by Simon

During, Routledge, 2007, pp. 314-336.

If Only I Had Thorns Like a Thistle." Kill la Kill, written by Kazuki Nakashima, directed by

Hiroyuki Imaishi, Studio Trigger, 2013.

I’m Not Your Cute Woman." Kill la Kill, written by Kazuki Nakashima, directed by Hiroyuki

Imaishi, Studio Trigger, 2013.

Incomplete." Kill la Kill, written by Kazuki Nakashima, directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, Studio

Trigger, 2014.

Into the Night." Kill la Kill, written by Kazuki Nakashima, directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, Studio

Trigger, 2014.

Junketsu." Kill la Kill, written by Kazuki Nakashima, directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, Studio

Trigger, 2013.

Orbaugh, Sharalyn. "Sex and the Single Cyborg: Japanese Popular Culture Experiments in

Subjectivity."Science Fiction Studies, vol. 29, no. 3, 2002., pp. 436-452.

Park, Jane C. H. "Stylistic Crossings: Cyberpunk Impulses in Anime." World Literature Today,

vol. 79, no. 3, 2005., pp. 60-63.

Past the Infinite Darkness." Kill la Kill, written by Kazuki Nakashima, directed by Hiroyuki

Imaishi, Studio Trigger, 2014.

38

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head." Kill la Kill, written by Kazuki Nakashima, directed by

Hiroyuki Imaishi, Studio Trigger, 2014.

So Sexy She Might Pass Out." Kill la Kill, written by Kazuki Nakashima, directed by Hiroyuki

Imaishi, Studio Trigger, 2013.

Spit Your Sadness Away." Kill la Kill, written by Kazuki Nakashima, directed by Hiroyuki

Imaishi, Studio Trigger, 2013.

Tell Me How You Feel." Kill la Kill, written by Kazuki Nakashima, directed by Hiroyuki

Imaishi, Studio Trigger, 2014.

Tell Me Why." Kill la Kill, written by Kazuki Nakashima, directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, Studio

Trigger, 2014.