‘Nothing dirty about turning on a machine’: Loving your Mechanoid in Contemporary Manga

Abstract

Relationships between humans and humanoid machines, like robots, androids and physical embodiments of computer programs, render permeable the boundary between human and machine, nature and culture, born and made. Artificial intelligence entities are shown with a capacity for emotional development and on the other hand people become cyborged under social and familial pressures to perform the roles expected of them and basic communication is through the mediation of technology.