Midwest Journal of Undergraduate Research 2022 - Issue 13 - Gothic Themes and Monsters in Dark Fantasy Manga - Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan and Koyoharu Gotouge’s Demon Slayer

Aug 21, 2026

Exploring the concepts of abjection, monster theory, and Gothic-postmodernism, this article analyzes the relationship between humans and monsters in Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer. Both manga use Gothic motifs and intertextuality to create mythic dimensions, while psychologized landscapes become abjection sites that express characters’ fears and desires. Although the heroes aim to destroy monstrous figures, the narratives reveal that abjection often challenges these efforts. The study argues that the Gothicized worlds collapse the human/monster divide, showing that society manufactures the very monsters being fought and invites empathy toward the Other.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time37 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Abjection, Monster Theory, and Gothic-Postmodernism

Theoretical Frameworks Used

Midwest Journal of Undergraduate Research 2022, Issue 13 117 Gothic Themes and Monsters in Dark Fantasy Manga: Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan and Koyoharu Gotouge’s DemonSlayer Julie Dam University of North Carolina at Charlotte Julie Dam graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in December 2021, with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She was a member of the English Honors Program and a staff writer for the Niner Times campus newspaper. Julie is a second-generation Vietnamese American and the first person in her family to earn a Bachelor’s degree. Her interests include reading and analyzing diverse books, manga, and webtoons. She hopes to write her own stories that would contribute to Asian representation in literature and digital media. She would like especially to thank Dr. Elizabeth Ray Gargano for her mentorship and encouragement throughout the development of this project. Abstract Exploring the concepts of abjection, monster theory, and Gothicpostmodernism, my article seeks to analyze the complex relationship between humans and monsters in two popular darkfantasy manga: Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama and Demon Slayer by Koyoharu Gotouge. The settings and characters of both works combine several Gothic motifs and devices. More specifically, the use of intertextuality gives the manga a mythic dimension and the psychologized landscapes are sites of abjection that reflect the characters’fears and desires. The heroes in each manga attempt to destroy the monstrous characters that plague their world, but the truth often challenges their abjection. The Gothicized worlds undermine the dichotomy between humans and monsters or the deep-rooted idea of good and evil. Humans become monsters. Monsters turn out to be humans. These contradictory ideas demonstrate how we need to probe at the reality of our world, our creation of monsters, and our feelings of abjection toward them. The two manga attract readers with their art and fascinating plotlines, but they also address various forms of the Other in society, humanize the so-called monsters, and provide a space for us to empathize with them. 118 Dam Introduction Japanese comics, or manga, soared to popularity in the post-World War II period with influences from American comics and cartoons. Manga take on a wide range of genres, from action and fantasy to romance and drama, appealing to readers of all demographics. Manga have been translated into many otherlanguages and have attracted a global audience in the last several decades. Within the fantasy genre of manga is a subgenre of dark fantasy works that incorporate mature themes and elements of horror and violence. Dark fantasy manga often feature monstrous characters that afflict human society, not unlike those of Gothic fiction. Our fascination with monsters can be attributed to their “function as an alter ego, as an alluring projection of (an Other) self”(Cohen 17) . In this paper, I analyze the manga Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama and Demon Slayer by Koyoharu Gotouge, examining the postmodern intertextuality that gives thema mythic dimension, as well as the characteristically Gothic, psychologized settings that enhance the emotional intensity of the characters by reflecting their inner state. I also explore the division between humans and monsters in these two manga using the lens of abjection. As my thesis demonstrates, the protagonists of both manga attempt to abject and destroy the monstrosity around them, but they ultimately find that society created the very monsters they are fighting. When humans turn out to be monsters or when humans must ally with monsters to fight another evil, the wall between the two breaks down. Manga aim to make us aware of how we Other people and how we actually find ourselves in the Other. They reflect our society and fuse different cultural traditions that exist in modern settings, creating an intercultural ethos that reflects an increasingl

FAQs

What theoretical lenses does the article use to analyze Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer?

The article draws on Julia Kristeva’s abjection, Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s monster theory, and Maria Beville’s Gothic-postmodernism to examine intertextuality and the human/monster divide.

How does the article explain the role of Gothic devices in these manga?

It argues that Gothic motifs, intertextuality, and psychologized settings create mythic dimensions and intensify emotional conflicts by reflecting characters’ inner states.

What conclusion does the paper reach about the boundary between humans and monsters?

The paper concludes that the wall breaks down: humans can become monsters, and monsters can be revealed as human; society is ultimately shown to have created the monsters protagonists attempt to destroy.

Aug 21, 2026

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