The words “overrated” and “underrated” have become terms that are used quite liberally these days; however, it may not necessarily be that these terms have cheapened, but rather, the eyes of the critics tend to be exposed to far more than their predecessors. Anyway, that being said, one of the most criminally underrated pieces of anime media is a 2001 supernatural sci-fi that shows the damning effects of the Anthropocene on the Earth, a title that boasts one of the best anime soundtracks ever made, despite its relative obscurity. Chikyuu Shoujo Arjuna (Earth Girl Arjuna, sometimes Earth Maiden Arjuna, or just Arjuna) is a 2001 ecological masterpiece that shines for its art, characters, soundtrack and its ecological themes that go beyond “keeping things green”. The series follows the eponymous Juna Ariyoshi, a 16-year-old girl who is killed when she is involved in a motorcycle accident with her boyfriend Tokio.
Juna experiences various aspects of being a soul teetering between life and death – she sees her own dead body, her mourning mother and, the terrifying fate of the injured, dying Earth. Juna hears a voice calling out to her, giving her a chance to continue living if she accepts the role of the Avatar of Time, an individual tasked with defeating wyrm-like beings called the Raaja and protecting the planet. Of all the media concerning “avatars” that have gained fame, Earth Girl Arjuna is one that is particularly important – almost as important as bending or blue people.
Plot
16-year-old Juna Ariyoshi is a normal high school girl living in Osaka. She goes to school, does archery as an extracurricular activity and hangs out with her boyfriend Tokio in her free time. After failing to hit the target in archery practice again, Juna wonders what it means to "become one with the target", before telling Tokio that she wants to go out to the beach. They get onto Tokio's motorcycle and take a long ride to the sea, with the golden rays of the setting sun illuminating them and the path; however, things take a terrible turn when Tokio loses control of the motorcycle and Juna is heavily injured.
At the hospital, Juna is able to clearly see her own unconscious body, and soon realizes that her soul is in the sensitive boundary between life and death; with her body no longer being able to hold on, Juna dies in the presence of Tokio and her mother. As her soul zips further and further away from the site of her death, Juna is shown a host of disturbing images; images that show the Earth as it dies, before she sees them: the Raaja, monstrous beings that cause immense destruction. She is given an ultimatum: die peacefully as she has, or gain a second chance at life by accepting the role of the Avatar of Time – the spiritual protector of the Earth. Not fully understanding what it all means, a scared Juna chooses life and is quickly sent hurtling back into her body and immediately dispatched to her first mission as the Avatar of Time.
Characters
- Juna Ariyoshi
The series protagonist, Juna dies on one hot summer day, and sees the dire fate of the planet before she is enlisted to be the spiritual protector of the Earth who is capable of connecting with life on the planet. She doesn't quite get her role at first; however, with help from the former Avatar of Time, as well as the mysterious organization known as SEED. Her journey in the series sees her go from regular girl to an individual who has formed a perfect empathic connection with the Earth.
- Chris
The aptly named Chris is the former Avatar of Time, a telepathic and empathic young man whose body has been battered from his time serving as the protector of the Earth. He is part of the SEED organization and with their influence, he can better perform his duties. He can barely walk and can't talk using his voice, so he gets assistance from a young telepathic girl named Cindy with all kinds of mundane things.
- Tokio
Rich and spoiled, Tokio is a teenage boy who is deeply dependent on the way the world works. As such, Tokio serves as a kind of commentary on the current state of humanity and its over-reliance on the various structures that have come to deeply injure the planet and taint the world.
- Teresa
Born biologically male, Teresa is the most seen SEED operative in Earth Girl Arjuna, and they serve as a locus of motivation for Juna and other characters throughout the series. Despite not having any kind of telepathic or supernatural powers, Teresa is very good at her job and capable of giving advice even to someone in a position as unique as the Avatar of Time.
Themes
Directed by Shoji Kawamori, the legendary creator of the Macross franchise and the classic isekai Vision of Escaflowne (1995), Arjuna is an anime that carries a particularly strong message surrounding climate change, the environment and ecology, as well as spirituality and the disconnectedness of people from nature in the modern age.
In a 2016 interview with Anime News Network, Kawamori explained that it wasn't a title that he conceptualized with the aim of creating something with a strong message, but rather, he saw it as an exploration into a narrative in which a normal high school girl gains perfect empathy with the Earth – the ability to feel everything the Earth feels (the Arjuna opening theme is the aptly named Earth Resonance, a soundtrack that doubles as the theme to Juna's reawakening and, in her words, "the beginning of a new era."
Inspirations
Earth Girl Arjuna is largely inspired by various things; however, there is an undeniable influence of Hindu spirituality and mythology present in the series, with terms like "Arjuna", "Ashura" and "Raaja" being in the series' lexicon, not to mention Juna's post-transformation appearance, which greatly borrows from the depictions of devas and devis seen throughout. "Arjuna" actually refers to one of the protagonists of the Hindu epic known as the Mahabharata. In this story, Arjuna is one of 5 royal brothers from the Kuru Kingdom, and he has a chief role in the Mahabharata War, a struggle for the throne contested by two related groups. He is given supreme knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita by his mentor, Krishna prior to the war. Translating to "Song of God", the Bhagavad Gita is a 700-verse epic poem within the Mahabharata that is perhaps the most revered Hindu texts, infamously quoted by Robert J. Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb.
Chris, Juna's mentor is named for his portrayal of some form of "Christ Consciousness" – the awareness of one's higher self as part of the greater whole; the discovery of self-realization and unity with the divine, which relates to his ability to empathize in ways that are radical. This concept is also referred to as "Krishna Consciousness" by some. Chris's body is battered because he had been accepting the Raaja, which are the manifestation of the Earth's pain, into his own body; effectively allowing them to run amok within him. It's clear through Chris's interactions with Juna that the biggest takeaway from Earth Girl Arjuna is the constant reminder that the individual is part of a greater whole, a chain of interactions that enable all kinds of systems to take place. The series' climax is especially dark as the outbreak of a special genetically-modified plastic-eating microbe effectively leads to the total collapse of Japan with world leaders calling for the nation's abandonment despite Juna's requests as the Avatar of Time.
Classic
One of the best things about Earth Girl Arjuna is how re-watchable it is. Each new viewing presents a whole new set of perspectives, which is evident of a classic; however, above the inspired storyline and important message it presents, Earth Girl Arjuna is enjoyable because on some level, it is a story about coming of age, about responsibility to the self and the collective, and it is about empathy. The soundtrack is the work of the legendary Yoko Kanno, known for her work on the Cowboy Bebop opening, with help from Chinatsu Yamamoto and the legendary singer/voice actress, Maaya Sakamoto. Unlike most series, Arjuna had several ending theme songs, much like this Fall 2022 title, and each presented a different set of visuals and audio in relation to the events taking place in the series. Overall, Earth Girl Arjuna does way too many things too well to go as underappreciated as it has, but it is a brilliant series that is thought-provoking, no matter how many times you watch it.