ANIME can shape political consciousness by giving audiences fictional worlds through which they can understand complex realities, UST creative writing alumnus Franz Austin De Mesa argued in an essay published by Hong Kong-based Cha: An Asian Literary Journal.
In his essay “A Look Back on Anime: Memoir, Poetics, and Literary Hedonism,” De Mesa reflected on the influence of Japanese animation on his childhood and its lasting impact on how he understood reality.
“Sometimes, reality can be extremely complex that we gravitate towards fiction because it’s much [simpler],” he told the Varsitarian. “It has order. It has structure.”
De Mesa recalled seeing the black flag inspired by the hit anime series “One Piece” during the “Baha sa Luneta” mass protest over the alleged multibillion-peso flood-control mess on Sept. 21, 2025, the 52nd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.
The flag, associated with the series’ Straw Hat Pirates, has been used by protesters as a symbol of resistance.
De Mesa said fictional characters and narratives could help people articulate calls for justice, particularly when real-world institutions failed to meet public expectations.
Beyond political expression, De Mesa examined how anime could inform creative writing by drawing audiences into unfamiliar worlds without necessarily catering to their preferences.
“There are a lot of different lessons that you can pick up in fiction that can be applied or most definitely must be applied to reality,” he said.
De Mesa said compelling works reflected their creators’ visions and passions, inviting audiences to explore unfamiliar narratives, philosophies and perspectives.
Anime also shaped De Mesa’s relationships with family members and friends, whom he considered important in making his stories more meaningful.
His sister first introduced him to anime through her collection of compact discs, sparking a shared interest that they continue to bond over.
De Mesa and his siblings would watch and discuss ongoing series, including “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War,” based on the final story arc of Tite Kubo’s original “Bleach” manga, and the romantic comedy “You and I Are Polar Opposites,” based on Kōcha Agasawa’s manga of the same title.
“There’s this community of people who are in the same boat as you. That they’re all watching this simultaneously and all theorizing, analyzing the episode as it comes,” he said.
De Mesa was a recipient of Gawad Ustetika, the Varsitarian’s annual literary competition in 2026 and 2022.
He earned his degree from the UST Creative Writing program and is pursuing a master’s degree at the UST Graduate School.
Founded in 2007, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal publishes essays, reviews, fiction, creative nonfiction, photography, poetry and visual art in English. Psalmuel D. Reyes
