A Mouthful of Terror: The Gothic and the Consumption of the Body in Japanese Manga.
The use of food in gothic literature often signifies metamorphosis, both physically through the bodies of the characters and internally through the characters' morals and spiritualities. Alessandra Pino notes that the depiction of food in gothic novels can provide insight into aspects of the plot and storytelling as well as the character’s social and societal position (Pino 9). The Paprikash featured in Bram Stoker’s Dracula may indicate Jonathan Harker’s othering on his journey toward inevitable change at Dracula’s Castle, while the vegetarianism of Frankenstien’s creation seems indicative of his empathy and potential kindness, which contrasts with his description as a monster (Pino 2023). In manga, the consumption of matter - particularly human or same-species flesh - is a common trope which serves as a catalyst for this gothic transformation of plot and narrative as well as the transmutation of the body, providing a tantalizing quandary of transgression: how far might an audience be willing to connect with a character who will willingly bite through taboo to gain power?
In A mouthful of Terror I discuss the gothic aspect of transformation and transgression through the consumption of the body in Japanese manga—from a nibble of hair in My Hero Academia, to a full body feast in Attack on Titan.