“I Am Michi!” : Identity Politics in Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis

Abstract

Although Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis is primarily concerned with questions of science, the text subtly questions the politics of identity through the liminality of the artificially created Michi. As an artificial being, Michi is neither male nor female, neither human nor robot. This thesis examines how Michi's identity is shaped and determined by the perceptions of the citizens of Metropolis, both human and robot, as well as by the critical reader, to see if Michi has a place in Metropolitan society and what it means for both the citizens and for Michi.