“I am the teacher”: new masculinity and the mythical hero in the manga Great Teacher Onizuka

Abstract

The objective of this work is the analysis of Japanese comics Great Teacher Onizuka, created by the artist Tōru Fujisawa and published in Mexico in 2006 by Editorial Vid. Through the analysis of image and text, we analyze the way in which the main character, Onizuka, is building like a hero according to the theory of heroic adventure, the mythological cycle and characteristics assigned Joseph Campbell to the mythical hero. On the other hand, we want to examine the way in which the protagonist transgress stereotypes of masculinity based on figures powerful physical appearance, which embody a set of moral values and, through different attributes and actions contribute to shaping the male identity linked to violence in the patriarchal system. We intend to visualize how the character of Onizuka although it plays a mythical hero, represents a break in the schemes of masculinity by showing an alternate model of “being a man”.