Moral monsters and religious corruption: an analysis of Nagabe’s The girl from the other side: Siúil, a Rún (2017)

Abstract

The purpose of the research presented is to examine the familial bond between Shiva and Teacher in the The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún while delving into the connection religion makes between monsters and immorality. Academic journals and books provide contexts on what defines a monster in literature, religious systems, and Japanese culture. An interview with the creator of the manga by Minako Nakamura provides insight into his intentions when designing his characters. Furthermore, the research will also primarily rely on Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s monster theory and the concept of dualism for its analysis. Upon assessing these sources, it becomes clear that designated monsters are not always morally inferior. Despite the clear contrasts between light and dark throughout the manga, it subverts expectations through making monstrous Outsiders less prone to “evil actions” than devout humans following a deity of light. The paper is a useful addition to the existing discourse about literary monsters, as it examines a found family dynamic and a story in which the monsters are empathetically more human and moral than society.