The Role of Visual Comic Stories and Animation in Portraying the Concept of National Identity in Japan in a Comparative Study with Iran

Ever since the beginning of the 20th century comic stories have been used as a powerful tool in shaping the identity and aligning the ideas and thoughts of the Japanese people. Benefiting from clever and sophisticated techniques in their narratives along with their ability to stimulate the patriotic feelings of the nation, these artworks soon became an important means to propagate and promote national and governmental ideologies. During the Second World War, comic stories and animations were specifically used for encouraging the youth to conscript in the army, strengthening the national unity, justifying the acts of Japanese army in China and Korea, and even spreading fake news about the battlefield. Similarly, in the post-war years, comic stories (Manga) and Japanese commercial animation known as “Anime”, acted as effective tools in healing the wounds of the defeat and the aftermath of atomic bombings. This research aims to investigate the presumed power of these visual narrative media and define the extent of their influence in the Japanese society by conducting a historical survey on the emergence and development of Manga and Anime. Accordingly, a comparative study method is used to evaluate the role of Iranian animations in shaping the concept of national identity.