Just what English-speaking anime/manga fans mean by 'angst'?

I know pockets of English-speaking anime/manga fans who are into angst. They speak of angsty shows and characters angsting about something. It seems to me when they use the word angst, they mean something different from its dictionary definition, which is -

angst [noun]: a feeling of anxiety and worry about a situation, or about your life.

Note that angst is supposed to be a noun borrowed from German, and not an adjective (angsty) or a verb (to angst). For better or worse, angst is a special anime/manga terminology - I don't think I have ever seen the word angst used as an adjective or a verb except by anime/manga fans.

Nor can I think of an equivalent Japanese word that means angst the way English-speaking fans use the word. A Japanese-English dictionary would give the meaning of angst as 心配, 不安, 苦悩, 罪悪感 and 苦悶, but these words seldom surface in discussions among fans. Is angst a quality that is appreciated by English-speaking fans but goes by and large undetected in Japanese fandom? Just what do English-speaking fans mean by angst?

Of course, most anime/manga fans appreciate emotional intensity provided that it is not cliched. I for one would define angst as:

A feeling of profound and intense emotional suffering that has a strange beauty of its own.

For me, if it is not beautiful, then it is not angst - just emo.

In that sense I think the following series qualify as angsty:

• Angel Sanctuary (the manga, forget the anime OVA)
• Oniisama E (by a wide margin)
• Le portrait de petit Cossette
• Le Chevalier D'eon

But that's just my opinion. I would love to hear from you all: How would you define angst? What are the most angsty shows you have seen? Who are the most angsty characters? What are the most beautiful things that are ever angsted about in anime? 

Comments

[Michael Brazier]

The word "angst" does involve emotional suffering, but in English usage it generally means a self-conscious sort of suffering, usually exaggerated. People who are "angsting" are, it's implied, spending their time bemoaning their situation and contemplating its awfulness, instead of doing something to improve it. The word is not a compliment.

[absolute0]

True, the term "angst" is often used by anime/manga fans to denote some form of anguish. According to Wikipedia, "angst", in it's original German meaning means "the fear of possible suffering and a behavior resulting from uncertainty and strain which is caused by pain, loss, and death". Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, attributed a different meaning to "angst". To him, it describes "a profound and deep-seated spiritual condition of insecurity and despair in the free human being". I think this definition of angst is the kind of angst that is found in anime.

There are many anime that have existentialist themes. I think best examples of these would be Neon Genesis Evangelion and Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou.

[w]

I think I would agree more with Kirkegaard's definition of angst as quoted by absolute0. Personally I cannot accept a word like "beauty" being the difference between angst and emo, it sounds too personal and my own personal tastes and ideas of beauty change so much sometimes yet my idea of angst doesn't exactly. The more I think about that definition the more it seems to sound like what I think about angst... or well, as it seems for now.

I think if Haibane Renmei didn't have angst I must have been watching the wrong show all this while. Although it might seem like emo at first, I think once I personally tried to remove my prejudices before rewatching and successfully put myself in the shoes of the characters, the unique and mysterious situation the characters were in (and what it means) made it more angst than emo for me.

[Wabi Sabi]

Michael:

I am aware of the derogative meaning of 'angst' as it is used by other fans. I guess I should have mentioned it in the main post for reference. Thank you very much for bringing it up here.

But not all 'angst' is negative like that. I think there is an aesthetic quality to 'angst' (especially in anything by Ikeda Riyoko) which is why I tried to come up with my own definition above.

absolute0:

I looked at Wikipedia before I wrote the main post too. I am aware of how Kierkegaard used the word, but it is still not quite close to what I find attractive about 'angst' in anime/manga. So again, that is why I tried to come up with my own definition above.

w:

Kierkegaard's definition is a fine one. The 'free human being' bit makes me wonder about something else which is an entirely different topic though - are characters really free human beings in the universe they dwell? There is usually a *heavy* stress on fate and destiny in anime/manga, like Akizuki Youjirou as the Eternal Assassin in Iroha and countless others.

As I said, I shied away from using it because it doesn't quite describe the sort of angst I have in mind.

[Ialda]

My vote goes to Eva, too. But generally it's the older stuff which is angsty : Dezaki/Sugino (Remy, Black Jack OAV), Leiji Matsumoto (Cockpit, Harlock movie, Sennen Joh), Night on the Galactic Railroad, Maeterlinck no aoi tori... Saint Seiya ? Catharsis doesn't appeal anymore to the public, it seems.

[Neohybrid_kai]

Hm, I think angst related to something bitter, be it in a bittersweet story or just plain bitter. I don't know about the relationship with beauty but I think beauty can exist in many form.
My favorite angst anime so far were Le Portrait de Petit Cossette, AIR, X and Saishuu Heiki Kanojyo. Watching angst anime has its own pleasure for me, its like when you have a problem and crying, then you feel great after that.

[Wabi Sabi]

Ialda:

I agree that older stuff tends to be more angsty. Maybe it's because older shows tends to have One Big Unifying Idea (returning to Terra in 'Toward the Terra' etc). The heavier that One Big Unifying Idea weigh in the show, the more angsty it gets. Newer shows tend to be more diversified in focus, IMHO.

Neohybrid_kai:

Personally, I am attracted by angst in anime/manga probably as some sort of psychological compensation for my real-life personality. I am really good-tempered - I never raise my voice and never get too angry or upset about anything. A friend once said that I am of robust mental health. Sure, I used to have my share of adolescent psychodrama as well, but I think I grew out of that after I left university. I think that is what is means to be a well-adjusted adult.

Nowadays, with some shows like Iroha, I would keep saying throughout: 'they had *better* come up with an ending that makes me cry or punches holes in my heart, after all the emotions I have invested in the show'. It's like living vicariously in a way. I am not sure if I should call this sad, but it is certainly true in my case.

So I think I understand what you mean by pleasure in watching angst.

[Snoop']

The first time I came accross the word "angst" was on the Anime-Keep forum, when a timer complained about the "angst" of the Count (Gankutsuou) in ep.18 (the famous armor-suit duel). I somehow understood it as a mix between the German word "Angst" and the English word "anger", making it something like "rage tinted with deep sorrow". Such are the misteries of language... ^___^;

Later on I looked up in the dictionay but found no relevant entry, so mu understanding of "angst" remained as is, until today...

Speaking of angst and emo, has anybody among the regular contributors watched Boogiepop Phantom ? Unfortunately, that is a show that would probably be labelled as emo nowadays...

On a side note, I agree about being "attracted by angst in anime/manga probably as some sort of psychological compensation for my real-life personality". I am a reserved and affable person in most real-life situations (except with close friends, muahaha), which is why I love stories portraying overly tormented people (anime : Gankutsuou, Paranoia Agent, etc. ; books : Dostoievski, Shakespeare, etc.), with a thick layer of awesome coolness, if you please !

[Wabisabi]

I like angst defined as "rage tinted with deep sorrow".

Interesting, 'Angst' in German can be used in the plural 'Ängste'.

Now I wonder if anime fans will ever say 'angsts' in the plural to mean that a show or a character just piles on angst after angst... ^-^

[Neohybrid_kai]

Ah, that's it.
"..I would keep saying throughout: 'they had *better* come up with an ending that makes me cry or punches holes in my heart, after all the emotions I have invested in the show'.."
Actually I feel the same thing when watching Red Garden, but the ending..

[Wabisabi]

I dropped Red Garden after 2 episodes, so I wouldn't know...