Gloss.

By some strange and cruel twist of fate, and despite a deluge of delicious words like ‘blaxploitation’ and ‘gentrisone’ from our readers, good old Impz managed to pull ‘Britney’ out of the hat…

…Okay, so it actually wasn’t that bad. With some serious mind-stretching, I managed to glean a bit of insight from America’s favorite self-destructive starlet. My apologies to Impz and all of our readers for my tardiness. The images took a damn long time to dig up, but in retrospect, I think it was well worth the effort.

The tragedy of Britney Spears had the media by the balls for a while, long enough that anyone with any semblance of regular exposure to United States pop culture could not have possibly missed the entire multi-year saga. For most, the word ‘Britney’ unfailingly conjures to mind various images and soundbytes featuring her personal struggles, poor life choices and plummeting career. And few of these images more vividly captures her descent into piteousness than this:

Ungloss.

Bald Brit-Brit is Ms. Spears at her lowest. The media gobbled up every little bit of her desperate episode, parading ridiculous photos of her newfound anti-hairstyle and calling her all types of crazy. Few stopped to ask why she went under the razor, and even fewer paused to contemplate the deeper significance and symbolism behind the act… To the ‘untrained’ eye, Britney Spears shaving her head amounts to little more than a pop princess having a drug-induced hissy fit.

Fortunately, the wonderful world of anime has an explanation.

Alright, I’ll admit that I can’t recall a single anime character that shaved herself completely bald. Yet in anime (bear with me here!), hair-cutting is a rather common symbol of new beginnings and personal change. It wouldn’t be entirely unreasonable to suggest that Britney’s haircut was part of her haphazard struggle to break free from her old self, even if it ultimately failed to produce any significant changes in her life.

Before I continue, let me emphasize that this entry is NOT some ludicrous attempt to restore Britney’s dignity, or to use anime’s oft-quixotic dramatization to re-glamorize Britney (just ask Extrange — there is enough of that going on already.) This is purely for (Impzie’s) entertainment.

That being said, join me for a brief exploration of the recurring theme of hair-cutting in anime. My selection of titles is limited to anime I’m familiar with, but feel free to give some other examples!

(Warning: spoilers abound.)

 

Laputa - Castle in the Sky

What better way to start this off than with a classic? After escaping from an airship at the beginning of the story, Sheeta eventually finds herself back in the clutches of power-hungry Colonel Muska. His ultimate objective is to use her to locate and unlock the magical power of the ancient, floating kingdom of Laputa, for his own selfish ends.

A tiny, blue gemstone is the key to controlling Laputa’s power. When Sheeta snatches it and tries to throw it away, Muska corners her and holds her at gunpoint, shooting off each of her braids as a warning and demanding that she reveal the location of the gem.

One of the beautiful things about anime is that once certain symbols have been established, animators often use very creative means to integrate them into their stories. Sheeta’s bullet-haircut is a symbol of her resolve to stand against Muska and thwart his plan for control. I also think it represents her newfound freedom from her past ties to the kingdom of Laputa. With Pazu by her side, she realizes she no longer has to sacrifice herself as atonement for her ancestry.

 

D-Gray Man

Fast-forward to the present, and we find that the tradition has not weakened. D-Gray Man is another example of an anime that giftwraps the symbolic haircut in a unique situation. The Dark Order’s hunt for General Cross Marian eventually leads the Exorcists into grueling, open water battle, as they struggle to make their way to Edo (Japan) by boat.

As though the massive legion of Level 2 akuma above the ship were not enough to thrust the party into dire circumstances, the first Level 3 steps onto the scene. Lenalee makes a stand.

With Exorcist Allen Walker on the sideline and a several Exorcists dead, Lenalee realizes that the voyage to Japan is their last chance to triumph over the Noah Clan (the Earl of Millennium and his grey-faced cronies.) She nearly sacrifices her life to destroy Eshii (the Level 3 akuma), burning her hair off in the reentry-like friction of her attack.

Lenalee’s haircut marks several transitions — from being a caretaker to being cared for (she is temporarily injured), from being partially determined to fully determined in her cause (even at the cost of her life), and from being a character of secondary importance to one of central importance in the story (she is revealed to be a potential possessor of the “Heart”.)

 

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Nia Teppelin’s haircut is a combination of circumstances and scissors. Soon after Nia joins the Dai-Gurren Brigade (and before she has an opportunity to gain Yoko’s trust) Beastman General Adiane shows up in her Gunmen and takes Nia hostage, revealing her true identity as the daughter of the Spiral King. Yoko surprises the crew — rather than ’shooting the hostage’, she snipes through Nia’s lovely golden locks to get a shot at Adiane .

Even with her hair in tatters, the deed is not yet complete — Nia asks Yoko to give her a clean haircut after the incident is finished, sealing their bond of trust and confirming Yoko’s unconditional acceptance of Nia as a new member of the Brigade.

 

Claymore

Although there is no actual scene where Clare’s hair is shown being cut or removed, it is still obvious that her hair is much shorter (and a different color) as Claymore than it was when she was still a normal human.

Clare’s change in appearance marks an obvious transition. She becomes a Claymore to exact revenge on the Awakened Being Priscilla for murdering the Claymore Teresa of the Faint Smile, her first and closest friend. Blond hair color and silver eyes are two distinctive characteristics shared by all Claymores.

 

Eureka Seven

Eureka Seven is a double-header, a rare example of TWO characters cutting their hair in the same series. And why not? After all, this is a tale where nearly all of the characters grow and change a great deal over the course of the plot.

Eureka’s story is easily the more tumultuous of the two, so it is no surprise that her shortened hair is the result of a difficult predicament. Wanting to suppress her blossoming emotions and rectify her relationship with the Nirvash, Eureka removes Renton’s Compac drive from the cockpit. The Nirvash responds to her wishes by carrying her into a nearby mine, where she begins to re-merge with a Scab Coralian colony. Before the process is complete, a panicked Renton extracts her from the goo and returns her to the Gekko. Back on the Gekko’s medical bay, the sticky substance is removed from her body along with much of her hair.

Eureka’s purpose as an emissary of the Coralian race is to make contact with humans so that a peaceful co-existence can be achieved. So, throughout the series, Eureka gradually learns what it means to be human and to experience the myriad emotions that color the human existence. Eureka’s return to the Gekko after her close encounter with the Coralian colony in the mine heralds her deepening relationship with Renton and her courageous resolution to truly ‘become’ a human being.

Interpersonal relationships are a central element in Eureka Seven. Talho cuts her hair and changes her ‘image’ she when she decides to relax and stop competing for Holland’s attention. Her haircut also indicates a shift in attitude (toward one more appropriate of a soldier), in anticipation of the impending battle.

For the last four examples, let’s take a look at titles in which the characters make a conscious choice to cut their own hair.

 

xxxHOLiC & xxxHOLiC: Kei

Due to its episodic nature, the two examples of hair-cutting in xxxHOLiC warrant very little explanation. What you see is what you get. Note that the Kohane arc was abridged and modified for the animation. I do not recall her cutting her hair in the manga.

Above, a young girl makes a decision to break free from the suffocating influence of her twin sister’s opinions, embracing her own uniqueness (physically and mentally.) Below, Kohane turns over a new leaf, ending her career as a psychic and removing herself from the abusive situation that her mother’s emotional distress had created.

 

Elfen Lied

‘Conscious choice’ may have been a hasty choice of words. Lucy’s half-witted alter-ego Nyuu may be conscious, but she is completely unaware of the change that has taken place as she puts the scissors to work.

Throughout Elfen Lied, this red-haired girl straddles two separate personalities — the bloodthirsty, vector-swinging Diclonious Lucy, and the air-headed, inexcusably moe Nyuu. While Lucy already has a past relationship with Kouta, Nyuu develops a new relationship with him after he discovers her naked on the beach and takes her into his home.

Toward the end of the series, Nyuu cuts her hair in order to imitate Kouta’s deceased sister. ‘Masquerading’ as his sister, she forgives him for not being able to save her, hoping to release him from his guilt and sadness over her death. This rather heavy-handed symbolism alludes to the fact that the separate personalities of Lucy and Nyuu have begun to reintegrate, eventually putting Lucy in a position to express her regrets to Kouta and reconcile her gruesome past.

 

Master of Mosquiton

How about another throwback before I wrap things up? Master of Mosquiton is about vampire-obsessed Inaho Hitoembore’s goofy, no-brainer escapade to find the mythcial “O-Part,” a magical relic that is said to grant immortality to the person that discovers it.

A flashback in episode 4 briefly touches on Inaho’s fateful decision to leave home in search of O-Part, just as her grandmother had done a generation prior.

 

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

I’ve saved the best for last!

ALL HAIL HARUHI-SAMA!

Kyon’s very first conversation with Haruhi is about her hair. When she arrives the next day with her hair cut, it is in part to let us know that Kyon and Haruhi have officially made contact, and that the wheels of fate have been set into motion. It’s pretty serious business for Haruhi-sama to step down from her throne and socialize with anyone other than a time traveler, esper or alien.

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That’s all I’ve got! Now it’s your turn.

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