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May 9, 2023 24 tweets 9 min read Read on X
It's time to do a psychology deep dive on Kana Arima, from Oshi no Ko. Kana's transformation and character development so far can be understood through various psych theories and concepts. I am thrilled to do this so let's dive in! (As of Episode 4) #OSHINOKO #推しの子 #anime
Family dynamics and attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969): Unstable relationships with family or the industry may contribute to Kana's initial arrogant and rude behavior and her strong drive to succeed in the industry. This may also cause her to develop an insecure attachment style. Image
A big portion of this may come from Kana’s own power and control being taken from her or being pushed to act can be traumatic for social development. This can cause individuals to seek power by any means whether by adjusting with their surroundings or by downplaying others.
Social learning theory (Bandura, 1977) explains how Kana's transformation could be attributed to learning from observing others. Exposure to Aqua's performance provided her with a model of what it means to understand what the director wants and establishes a parataxic distortion.
As Kana grows she faces two key milestones, Erikson's developmental theories (1950) which shed light on her character development through the Industry Vs Inferiority and Identity vs. Role Confusion stage. Image
Industry vs Inferiority specifically goes over school ages 6-11 in which Kana must ask herself How can I be good? During this time children cope with new internal and external demands in which succeeding leads to competence and failure leads to feeling inferior.
Couple this with our understanding as to how she was slowly being pushed out of the entertainment industry by people not picking her anymore for her parts and you have an individual who is going to hit fight or flight mode quickly. Image
Identity vs Role is for teens asking who they are and where they are going? This is a key area for Kana to develop a sense of self, personal and public identity. Failing at this stage means a weaker sense of “self” while success means being able to stay true to herself.
This might mean Kana trying new things and finding what she truly wishes to do and in the process finding aspects of herself. Her transformation from an arrogant child actress to a kinder person reflects a resolution of this conflict.
If we were to go forward in time and if the character follows this development theory the next one would be Intimacy vs Isolation which questions; Am I loved or wanted?
This would focus on Kana trying to see her developing feelings for Aqua. Can she accept the dark side of Aqua that we know or does she love the aspects she’s put on a pedestal?
Self-concept development (Rogers, 1959) plays a key role in Kana's journey as she matures. As her self-concept evolves, her behavior and attitudes change, leading to a more empathetic and humble personality.
Kana's development of feelings for Aqua despite her initial distaste can be seen as cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957). As she ages, Kana may resolve this dissonance by changing her beliefs or attitudes towards him.
Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory (1979) considers the influence of multiple environmental factors on Kana's development as she ages, including her immediate relationships (microsystem), interactions between environments (mesosystem), and societal expectations (exosystem). Image
Kana's behaviors and emotions as she grows older, such as "all-or-nothing thinking" and determination to succeed at all costs can be explained by Cognitive distortions (Beck, 1976). Image
This may be dangerous as again if not properly addressed can cause an Kana to make an rash decision which may put her career in jeopardy in the future.
Defense mechanisms (Freud, 1926) could explain Kana's initial arrogance and sharp tongue as unconscious strategies to protect herself from anxiety or uncomfortable emotions. Image
Projection: Kana might have projected her own feelings of inadequacy onto others, causing her to be rude and difficult to work with.
Rationalization: Kana could have used rationalization to justify her initial arrogance, convincing herself that her talent justified her behavior.
Jung's archetypes (1959) can help us explore Kana's character development through the Persona (public image) and the Shadow (darker, unconscious aspects of personality). Acknowledging and integrating her shadow as she grows older can foster emotional balance Image
Maslow's hierarchy of needs (1943) contextualizes Kana's behavior in her striving to meet needs such as safety, esteem, and self-actualization throughout her life. Achieving these needs can contribute to her personal growth and development. ImageImage
I do want to remind everyone that my job is to analyze behavior and an individual's mental health journey. I am not making predictions but rather taking the information given along with the psychology present and going over possible scenarios that someone may do.
When I get anything right it’s not because I'm a wizard, it's just psychology and it's all praise to the author for genuinely caring about the characters and writing them in a fashion to which they may fall in line with concepts of psychology.
In conclusion, understanding Kana Arima's character through these psychological theories and concepts offers a multifaceted perspective on her psychological development and behavior in the context of relationships, personal growth, and motivations
Follow for more psychological threads on Oshi No Ko!

I hope this helps in understanding the character more. Thank you for reading this thread and practice some self care.

I'll be Live Analyzing Episode 5 on Thursday 5/11/23 6pm pst on Twitch!!

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More from @psyculturists

Jun 14, 2023
A Psychological Deep Dive: Akane. Specifically on how social media bullying can profoundly affect one's mental health and why viewing through an empathetic lens is essential to understanding her character, society, and social media's impact. #OshiNoKo #anime #推しの子
Akane is a multifaceted character, a victim of the fierce scrutiny of the online world. Her struggles with bullying & shaming on social media platforms give us a stark picture of its effects on mental health.
Akane's experiences with cyberbullying reflect a clear disruption of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Online shaming threatens her psychological and safety needs, key elements for self-actualization (Maslow, 1943). Image
Read 19 tweets
Jun 2, 2023
@OtakuEspiritu I think some only think of psychology as mental illness rather than the study of the mind and behaviors. Psychology encompasses so much more than that, for example;

Relationships/Attachments, Ecological Factors and interplay on individuals, family systems
And much much more. An author doesn’t need to focus 1000% on writing the psychology elements simply by writing good characters and building out that world they’re touching on the concepts at play in psychology.
Often times it’s shocking to see individuals downplay the effects of mental health or psychological elements in a story as for some it may not fit their narrative. I wonder often if it’s due to a defense mechanism or maybe not fully realizing what psychology entails.
Read 4 tweets
Apr 22, 2023
After watching Episode 2, let's talk about Aqua from #OshiNoKo, a character whose trauma has led to a manipulative personality and affected his attachment style. This thread will explore the psychological underpinnings of his behavior. #anime #推しの子 #manga
Aqua is a complex character with a tragic past that profoundly impacts his relationships and actions. His trauma (His Death, Death of Ai) has caused him to develop a manipulative personality, often using others to achieve his goals in episode 2(Hulber, 2018).
Bowlby (1973), states that early life experiences with caregivers shape our attachment style and influence our relationships throughout life. Aqua's traumatic experiences with his family, particularly parataxic distortion of AI, has shaped his attachment style. ImageImage
Read 20 tweets
Apr 5, 2023
I found the attachment between Eris and Rudeus in the first season of Mushoku Tensei fascinating. Let's take a deep dive into their evolving relationship and explore why Eris had to leave Rudeus. (Only covers S1) #MushokuTensei #Psychology #anime #manga
Eris and Rudeus start off with a rocky relationship. Eris, often resorts to violence to express her emotions. Rudeus, on the other hand has low self-esteem due to his past life experiences. This dynamic sets the stage for a rather tumultuous bond (Eisenberger & Lieberman, 2004).
However as they spend more time together their relationship begins to evolve. Rudeus helps Eris improve her behavior and develop her skills, while Eris provides Rudeus with companionship and a sense of belonging (Bowlby, 1969). Their mutual experiences foster a strong connection. Image
Read 14 tweets
Apr 4, 2023
Let's discuss how (Earthdeus) Rudeus, the protagonist of MT experiences and deals with trauma, and how it impacted his introspective journey towards healing in Season 1.

This'll be a long one so hold on to your seats.

#MushokuTensei #anime #psychology #rudeus #manga
To understand Rudeus's trauma, we must first discuss his life before reincarnation. Rudeus experienced severe bullying/sexual abuse in school. C-PTSD can have long-lasting effects on mental health and social functioning. (D'Andrea et al., 2012)
Trauma disrupts the brain's ability to process emotions and social cues, leading to difficulties in forming and maintaining relationships (Van der Kolk, 2014). Sexual Trauma may find deviant ways of expression and for Rudeus, his manifest through shame and hypersexualization
Read 12 tweets
Apr 3, 2023
First of many small breakdowns of psych topics let’s start with Subaru’s parataxic distortion of Emilia. Parataxic distortion is a psychological phenomenon in which an individual's perception of reality is distorted by their filters, past experiences, and emotions.
Subaru strongly attaches himself to Emilia as the first person who showed a sense of empathy to him. Emilia is a kind, caring person who might resemble what he idealizes in his mind. He projects his desires onto her and creates an image of her that is distorted by his emotions. ImageImage
As a result, Subaru's perception of Emilia is skewed. He believes that she is someone who will always be there for him, no matter what. He becomes anxious/fearfully attached to her and starts to act as the one who must save her and the white knight if you will. Image
Read 10 tweets

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