∀ Gundam – Gender, Self, and Society

Intro - ∀ Gundam

∀ Gundam (Pronounced "Turn A" Gundam), is one of the best anime I have ever seen; one of the best shows I have ever experienced. This is for a lot of reasons: the characters are deep and compelling, the plots is a slow-burn war drama, the pace and direction of the show is masterful--it is firing on all cylinders. Throughout its 50 episode run it explores a lot of themes with a huge cast of characters, but today I want to talk about what I found so personally engrossing: the characters of Loran Cehack, Kihel Heim, and Dianna Soreil, and how their actions and relationships through the show explore themes of genderfluididty, the self, and the arbitrariness of societies divisions.

There are heavy spoilers for this show, so be warned. Also this one of my longer posts, so read the rest below the break! (I have also made a video essay based on this post).

Part 1 - The Moon vs. The Earth

Loran Cehack

Loran Cehack is the central protagonist of ∀ Gundam. He is one of three young adults from the Moon sent to Earth to test if it is habitable by their people. What happened in the "Dark History" is unclear, but those on both the Moon and the Earth are aware of some great apocalypse from a long-gone past. Earth has by now recovered from the Dark History, and Loran finds himself in an America on the brink of industrialization. He is quickly employed by a wealthy family, the Heims. He works first in their mines and then as a chauffeur once it is apparent he is skilled at operating machines. This skill due, of course, to his training as a mobile suit pilot on the Moon. After two years, he has become enraptured with Earth's beauty and Inglessian society (Inglessia is one region in America--there are no United States here).

Queen Dianna Soreil

Dianna Soreil is the queen of the Moonrace. Unseen for the first steps of the story, she is worshiped by her people and Loran in particular. Once she is aware that the Earth is habitable, she leads her "Dianna Counter" to Earth--a group of civilians and a military personnel intent on re-establishing a home on Earth after thousands of years of absence. Their military capabilities vastly outmatch those of Earth, but Dianna does not want to lead a conquest; she wants to negotiate a place on earth for her people. Unfortunately, her military is inexperienced and often disobedient and the militias of Earth equally undisciplined. Conflict, displacement, and death result, and negotiations repeatedly break down as the situation turns from settlement, to fiasco, to war.

As the invasion unfolds and Dianna's plans unfurl, Loran unearths a unique mobile suit from the Earth--the titular ∀ Gundam. He becomes its pilot and sides with Earth, using the gundam's power to defuse and deescalate the skirmishes that occur between the Dianna Counter's army and the Inglessia militia. The presence of the Turn A forces a series of negotiations between both sides as Earth scrambles to unearth more machines to match the Moonrace's might.

"Laura Rolla"

To obscure his identity to the Moonrace, and to help hide his heritage from the people of Earth, Loran adopts the public persona of "Laura Rolla," a woman pilot; partially at the insistence of Lord Guin, the head of Inglessia. The ploy works, allowing him to move back and forth between the lines of conflict. It does not last long, however--he is honest to a fault, and wants more than anything for both sides to sit down and talk things out. He confesses to his Moonrace heritage when tensions mount, hoping to be a model of peace.

Kihel Heim

Kihel Heim is the daughter of Loran's employer. She at first plays a minor role as a secretary to Lord Guin. However, when Queen Dianna lands it is revealed that she is nearly identical in appearance (as you can see to the left). Several characters remark on this, but it first appears to be of little real consequence--until they switch places in secret.

What stars as a prank quickly spirals out of control--the pair stay swapped for an entire 17 episodes. They return to their respective homes, and work to remain undiscovered. Dianna befriends Loran as Kihel, getting to know the Heim family and acting to aid the negotiation efforts when she can. Kihel Heim acts as Dianna--trying to assert control over her army as both sides become increasingly unmanageable.

These pieces--the Loran/Laura personas, and the melding of Dianna and Kihel--are what I focus on in the following 2 parts. Both arcs weave throughout the shows run, building themes of identity with in society and the fluidity of the self.

 Part 2 - Loran or Laura?

Loran, sometimes Laura. He is very gender. He can be read as genderfluid, and the show uses his performance to frame gender as constructed; as a social act not tied to biological sex. As feminist theoriest Simon de Beauvior asserts in The Second Sex: "One is not born a woman, but rather becomes one."

Kihel helping Loran/Laura act as a lady

In their seminal work Gender Trouble, philosopher Judith Bulter notes that, even more specifically, one "becomes" a woman "always under a cultural compulsion to become one." In Turn A, Laura emerges from several compulsions faced by Loran, but though he is compelled to his womanhood, he still retains the agency to deconstruct and discard it as it suits him.

Upon their first meeting, Lord Guin is the one who christens Loran as Laura--well before any Moonrace has set foot on Earth. Guin asserts that the young man "just looks like a Laura to me," when questioned by other characters.  Guin is also the one to suggest "Laura" make a public appearance for the sake of negotiations: Dianna is hosting a ball as a gesture of good faith. Guin has effectively 'named' Laura, marked her body as that of a woman, and uses his position to bring her existence as a woman into reality--he is the major compulsion for Loran to become Laura. Loran later shares another compulsion he feels: he sees the Laura performance as a "mission" to be carried out due to loyalty to Inglessia, and to help prevent further conflict.

More instruction

We see the acts of Laura's construction explicitly: To prepare for the ball and adopt his role as a "lady", Loran receives instruction from Kihel Heim. She teaches him how to hold himself, how to act, and how to dress, much as (we can assume) her mother must have taught her. Loran works diligently to prepare, and Laura's appearance at the ball helps solidify her mythology in the minds of the Moonrace. The show, through Loran/Laura, constructs gender as a performance which is reproduced onto bodies through practice and instruction, not a natural or default state.

When we look at Loran as a character, there are interesting complications to the view of Laura as 'compelled.' Loran voices no objections when Guin calls him Laura, and never seems to be bothered by Guin's strange habit until much later in the show. He adopts Laura as a performance, then as a separate facet of his person. In his own words,"Laura is a Moonrace, but Loran is a citizen of [Inglessia]." This encapsulates his genderfluidity: Loran flows between identities when he sees one or the other as appropriate. He is loyal to both Queen Dianna and the Earth, and sees it as his job to help bring about peace between each faction. Later in the show, as his facade is torn away and the characters become aware that Loran/Laura is one person, he starts to discard the Laura persona. At two points he outright rejects it, and both are instances when Lord Guin urges him to act against his morals. "I'm not your Laura!" he shouts. His rejection shows he never truly internalized what he has been 'compelled' to do by his adoptive society. 

Characterizing Loran as fully 'genderless' is a stretch, but in contrast to the dressing, training, and naming of Laura by Lord Guin, Loran is never shown to perform masculinity in the same manner. The social expectations of masculinity exist in the show, and Loran is referred to as a man, but he often defies traditional masculine roles in his actions and attitudes. He is empathetic, peace-seeking, strives to be pacifist, and at one point rejects a romantic relationship in favor of a more nurturing, maternal role. A proto-Steven Universe in many ways. Loran, within his androgyny, is accepted by both the cultures of the Moon and Earth. Laura, explicitly a woman, is the moniker his enemies use against him in battle, and it is weilded by Lord Guin even after Loran rejects the label; Laura is othered through her compelled femininity.

All that aside--I do LOVE how Laura is presented. There is no embarrassment or shame, it is never played as a joke, and the character design and cinematography make it clear that Loran is absolutely killing it as Laura. When he chooses to be Laura, he is comfortable, and she strives to be the best woman she can be.

The way Loran expresses gender is well summarized when Butler's writes: "Gender is a complexity whose totality is permanently deferred, never fully what it is at any given juncture in time," and thus "identities... are alternatively instituted and relinquished according to the purpose at hand... without obedience" to the power structures that define those identities.

Laura: Inspiring. Beautiful. Life changing.

The above notion of fluidity is applicable more generally to the whole plot of the show. Many characters "institute" and "relinquish" identities to achieve their wants. Again and again, characters shift sides, form new alliances, ignore orders from superior officers, betray, forgive, and double-cross. Early on, Loran slips between both sides, freely giving information to the Moonrace only to turn around and fight against them when they act on it. Characters form an ever-shifting web of loyalties and drives, so much so that classifying the conflict as between two "sides" is oversimplifying to the point of being incorrect. There are innumerable sides: the militias of America, the citizen of Inglessia, the mobile suit pilots, the Dianna Coutner's army, the Moonrace settlers, a gaggle of Earth-straded hippies who worship Dianna, two additional political factions on the Moon--the characters that compose them are constantly shifting, moving from one alliance to another like grains of sand draining through a labyrinth.

This fluidity is a key theme--the separation between the people of the Earth and the Moon is fleeting, arbitrary, brought on by circumstance, poor communication, and stupid decision after stupid decision. War, as much as gender, is a social construct--soldiers are compelled to embody certain rules, expectations, and actions. When Dianna starts to settle the Earth, she is disrupting the society of Inglessia, and the soldiers in its militia respond to her threat. They are trained to fight an enemy, and to see those outside of Inglessia as 'other.' The soldiers of the Dianna Counter are much the same: seeing Earthers as barbarians and savages, belittling them because of their less advanced technology, and expressing an entitlement to land that is not theirs. However, once the war is on, soldiers' loyalty wavers. Multiple officers and footsoliders switch sides, or disobey orders, or act on impulse--neither Dianna nor Guin have any real control over their militaries. The wants and needs and humanity of individuals often takes over, and they bend or break the confines of their social role to suit personal desires--much as Loran rejects the gender assigned to him when asked to do something that goes against his morals.

In the grand scope of the show, Laura is a minor plot point. However, she is also first real demonstration of fluidity within the show. Its culmination--the mixing of personas and the possibility for unification and reconciliation--are expressed through the other character(s) of Dianna Soriel and Kihel Heim

 Part 3 - Dianna & Kihel

Kihel Heim escorting Dianna

So, that brings us to the princess and the pauper: Dianna Soriel and Kihel Heim. These are two identical women with vastly different social roles, who switch places and find themselves trapped in their mirror's identity. Their ties to Loran's fluidity, I hope, are already apparent. Kihel become Dianna, Dianna becomes Kihel, and as the war drags on the differences between them further diminish. They present an entrancing character study, and show how individuals are (un)able to affect the social structures that lead to disasters such as war. The show is doing a lot with these two--and I have a lot to say about them! First, let's pull from some theory:

The French philosopher Luois Althuser, in a paper on what we now call 'social reproduction theory', wrote that in order for an economy or society to successful reproduce itself--in order to assure that the existing society continues to exist--it must (re)produce people who fill all the roles within that society. He focuses explicitly on schools as the modern locus of reproduction, saying that:

"[C]hildren at school also learn the ‘rules’ of good behaviour, i.e. the attitude that should be observed by every agent in the division of labour, according to the job he is ‘destined’ for: rules of morality [and] civic and professional conscience, which actually means rules of respect for... the rules of the order established by class domination."

In Turn A, no system of schooling is shown, but other such ideological state apparatuses (as Althusser names them) do exist--Kihel instructing Loran on how to behave like a woman is one such example. Kihel's instruction is the apparatus through which Loran 'becomes' a woman, as she is the one instilling the 'rules' of womanhood into him. In a similar vein, Dianna and Kihel's efforts to stop the war are hindered by the ideological apparatuses within their respective cultures. Kihel and Dianna switch places, but because they must then follow the respective 'rules' of their social statuses--the 'jobs' they are 'destined' for--their subsequent efforts do very little to change the course of the Earth/Moon conflict.

Initially, Dianna's replacement goes unnoticed. However, Kihel-as-Dianna seems to have very little impact on the direction of the war (she does deescalate key moments, but we get the impression Dianna would have as well). As Loran must perform in a certain way to pass as Laura, so too must Kihel perform as queen to pass as Dianna. The role of queen, then, is shown as socially constructed, compelled by the people around her. Her officers, guards, and soldiers are loyal to their queen, but they also have expectations of how she should act, and what actions would be appropriate. Her Lieutenant, Harry Ord, is the only character to catch on to Kihel's charade when she (from his perspective) breaks the "rules" of being queen and fails to play her expected role. In episode 18, after a speech rescinding the Dianna Counter's move to declare a fiefdom on Earther's territory, Harry lets her know he has seen through her, saying that "Not even a commoner like... Kihel Heim would be naive enough to have such thoughts, Queen Dianna."

However, Dianna herself is witness to that speech. She vocalizes that "Lady Kihel Heim has expressed the feelings of my own heart even better than I myself could have." Would Harry have reacted the same way if the 'real' Dianna had given the same speech? Would the early battles have played out any different if they had not switched places? The impression we (or at least I) get is no--Kihel and Dianna both survive/pass as queen only when they perform to everyone else's expectations--to the social and cultural norms and power structures already in place. The role of queen subsumes the identity and wants of both women, even as they grow increasingly united in their purpose.

We're going to pause the deep analysis for the next few paragraphs---I absolutely have to gush about these two simply as characters in a show.

I am not normal about what goes on between Kihel and Dianna. Like, it was a quirky plot beat when they first switch. It was a princess and pauper tale. Neat! Funny! I wonder how it will play out!

But then--but then--they reunite in episode 27.

After weeks and months and 17 episodes of being apart (35% of the show's runtime), they are finally back together. They are in the same place, alone, speaking frankly for the first time since they started the whole farce. And this is how they greet each other:

(Higher quality here)

Ah-!

The hugging. The holding. Their faces are inches apart. They hold hands, and they do not stop holding hands for the rest of the scene. Dianna puts a finger to her lips and lingers on her cheek. Other characters get married, confess love, kiss, and get pregnant in this show but hardly a single other couple gets a scene as intimate as this.

I cannot help but read these woman as utterly in love with each other. It's enthralling. This scene altered by brain chemistry. It made me publish erotic fanfic for the first time in my life. I am mad for them.

AHH~!!

These woman are have become one person; the turning of their bodies showing their interchangeability. They trust each other totally--and what else could result? They were each entrusted with the others' lives, their relationships, their history; everything that composed their selves. And they took care of it. They acted as their own people, but as each other's roles. And they each acknowledged it, they each revel in it--at this meeting it becomes clear: their identities have merged, in a very real, tangible sense, and they will always now be in harmony.

If the self is composition of parts--of our experiences, memories, bodies, social positions, relationships, values--what now separates Dianna from Kihel? Sure, one cannot recall the other's past, but the facts of their memories? They have both learned them. They can both perform as Kihel and Dianna. They can both maintain the same social relationships. Their bodies are nearly identical. And the two value each other's identities, so embody the values of whichever identity they inhabit. 

Even after other characters become aware of their switch; even after explicitly saying who is "Kihel" and who is "Dianna," the two are unable to be told apart. This confusion is played up by the women--example in the exchange below. It is one of many small moments of mixing identity that occur after their reunion:

At several points, other characters acknowledge that Kihel and Dianna are "one," and here they express that idea--publicly announcing themselves as each other; as two and one at the same time. Loran in one body performs two identities, two roles. Kihel and Dianna form one complete identity spread between two separate bodies, who in turn perform the role of queen. There is no Dianna who is not also Kihel now. There is no Kihel who is not also Dianna. Both may be Queen Dianna or secretary as it suits them.

It's beautiful. It's strange. It's a radical act of self love. It's the most intimate thing I've seen since gem fusion.

After the swap

At the start, Dianna asks Kihel to wear her clothes because pictures of herself are "not quite like seeing the real thing." How honest she is being is unclear--Kihel happily complies, but thinks that Dianna "must be quite lonely." Her hunch is borne out as the show goes on: Dianna has suffered great loss in her past and has no one in her life she truly trusts. She ultimately just wants to retire to the Earth and enjoy its beauty, having grown tired of following the rules and performing as Queen.

Kihel Heim, on the other hand, takes to being Queen immediately. Her first act after donning her regalia is to imitate Dianna, impersonating a haughty command. The queen is delighted: "That was great, Miss Kihel!"

On the day of their switching, the pair pay a visit to the Heim family home. It was damaged by a skirmish, and Kihel's own father killed. Dianna, as Kihel, grieves in front of his grave, begging for forgiveness and wishing him peace. Kihel, as Dianna, is witness to this, along with many others. She does not break character, only thinking "Thank you, Dianna," as tears slip down her cheeks. "That really did come from deep in your heart." This moment solidifies the emotional bond between the two. Dianna shows here she is able to stay true to Kihel's very self, and care for her life in her stead.

Over the following episodes, Kihel proves that she, in turn, will stay true to Dianna's self. She staves off war as much as she can, preventing any "irreparable sins" from being committed in Dianna's name.

These acts--the shepherding of each other's lives---culminate at the moment of their reunion. The two hold each other like lovers, needing no pretense and showing no discomfort at physical intimacy from then on. As the show continues, the two frequently lean on each other for emotional support, take turns playing each other, and are even shown once to help dress each other (see left). As stated above they have become one identity, and it is through this convolution of selves that the absurdity of Turn A's conflict is illuminated.

"And yet our eyes, our noses, and our lips are all the same. There is now no physical difference between the people of Earth and the Moonrace. We are all part of the same humanity." These words are the culmination of Kihel-as-Dianna's speech in episode 18. The resolution to the Earth/Moon conflict is this realization--all humanity is the same, and all people deserve their humanity acknowledged. The Dianna Counter returns to the Moon, the militia of Earth return to their states, and the two planets become partners, no longer vying for territory or control. Some people naturalize to the Earth, but only on an individual level.

The ultimate solution to Dianna's colonial project is to stop it; to acknowledge the sovereignty and agency of people, their culture, and their land, and partake in the Earth not as a queen or a dominating force, but as a guest, as a citizen. People must see past and discard those social rules and roles that lead to separation and domination, and acknowledge our shared humanity.

Conclusion - The Whole of Humanity

Call it "Turn A" b/c it TURNS out they gAy

As the identities of Kihel and Dianna mix and mingle so too do the people of the Earth and the Moon. As Loran is fluid, so is the whole of humanity. War and conflict occur when that fluidity is ignored; when people are separated, othered, and not given the same love as one ought to give oneself.

This othering is a result of social structures and expectations and, ultimately, always ends in oblivion. The ∀ Gundam, as is later revealed, is not only the most powerful Gundam, but was designed as a reset button for human progress. When war and strife overwhelm humanity, the "solution" it offers is to wipe the slate clean: erase all "technology" from the solar system and hope the next cycle of humanity does better. This nihilism is rejected by Loran outright. He sees the Turn A as a tool, not a weapon, and his last act in the Turn A is to take the power it has, to take the potential for ultimate destruction, and seal it away forever. Using his power to negate his power; discarding his role as a soldier, and refusing to fulfill the ∀ Gundam's promised 'destiny.'

Loran shows us that our differences are so often only on a surface level, and Kihel/Dianna portrays how one might truly come to know the "other". Both highlight the absurdity and cruelty of the show's conflict. For how could you ever war against another people, knowing you are both people? Knowing they might as well be you? 

 

Works Referenced:

1. Butler, J. (2007). Gender Trouble (pp. 11-17). : Routledge.  

2. Althusser, L. (1971). Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses. Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays. Hosted at: https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/althusser/1970/ideology.htm