Here you'll find an essay I wrote for an English class. We had to relate something from the pop culture with a notion called "myth and heroes". I though it was a good idea to analyse Anpanman by BTS. I hope you'll like it as much as my teacher did.
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The different notions we are studying are argued through historical facts, major events that have marked history, but very good examples can also be drawn from pop culture. Traditionally, we have defined a hero as a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In mythology and folklore it's a person of superhuman qualities and often semi-divine origin, in particular one whose exploits were the subjects of ancient Greek myths. Indeed. Most of the time a hero is linked to a myth. This one tells a story, it explains something mysterious, can inspires people and rally them, illustrates moral values and emphasizes a particular person, fact, thing to give it more power. Beyond those definitions, this notion transcends cultures and generations. In 2018, a song untitled Anpanman and released by BTS, a Korean band, in which they compare themselves to the Anpanman japanese character, the world's weakest superhero. That's why we may simply wonder: Nowadays, do all heroes wear a cape ? We'll first look at the myth behind the character, then we'll explore the reasons why they identify themselves with this superhero, and finally, we'll discuss about the group and how they may be part of a heroic myth.
Anpanman is a character created in 1969 by Takashi Yanase, a Japanese author of children's stories. He is now one of the most popular anime characters in Japan, produced by NTV (Nippon Television Network Corporation). Anpanman's head is a bun, called anpan and filled with anko, a sweet red bean paste used as a base for traditional Japanese confectionery. This TV show was also very popular in Korea in the 1990s.
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The original character sacrificed himself to feed hungry people. His two attacking strokes are the An-punch and the An-kick. Its weak point is the water in which it decomposes, and anything dirty. He can only regain his strength with a head freshly cooked by Jam Ojisan (his father). We can thus understand that he is not endowed with great physical strengths like the traditional superheroes of marvel or DC comics. However, this does not stop him and he continues to aspire to his greatest desire: saving the world. He represents a deeply kind character and has inspired millions of children in Asia. He conveys great moral values: it's not strength that makes you a superhero. As a result, by having this character and his story in mind, BTS' song becomes more meaningful.
At the first listening, even more if we don't speak Korean, we retain from this music that it is catchy, joyful and fun. That's the desired atmosphere, but the meaning of the lyrics is deeper than that. Indeed, we can see a parallel between childhood (the innocence we show at such a young age) and adolescence / adulthood (what we understand to be possible, and the loss of a great childhood dream). First, let's focus on the first one. The first verse starts with J-hope who sings "I've dreamed of becoming a superhero like Superman / I ran with all my strength, jumping high up in the sky / I'm not afraid of little things like bruising my knees / An innocent fantasies of my childhood". He really exposes a classic child's dream, when we think that everything is possible, that we can rule the world and have superpowers. It's an innocent child's behaviour, but he never stopped dreaming about, at least, conquering people's heart and helping them. This idea is pursued by Suga in the second verse with the lyrics "But mom, I really need to do it / Who's gonna do it if it isn't me ?". Here, it is this continuation of the dream that is very well described. A great motivation driven by a child's myth, and brought to life by the reality of the world seen through mature eyes. If we go back to the beginning of the first verse with J-hope, he did say "I don't have biceps or pecs / I don't have super car like Batman". He's conscious of who he is and his capacities. That's what makes him a hero. The hero of honesty and self-conscious; a different hero, but still one.
