“Becoming” is the central concept in the works of Deleuze and Guattari, in their refutation of a coherent selfhood. Steve Baker (2000), in the vein of Deleuze and Guattari, stresses that “becoming-animal” provides a creative escapism for human beings from a repressive society. As Deleuze and Gauttari claim that “becoming-animal produces nothing other than itself. What is real is the becoming itself” (121), Baker defines “becoming-animal” as “human beings’ creative opportunity to think of themselves other-than-in-identity.” (125-126).
Fashion and Liberalization
Yuko Yamaguchi, chief designer of Hello Kitty since 1980, describes the cat as her “alter ego” in the early days, but as its popularity soared in the later years, her role turned into a “supervisory” one (Benson & Bremner 2004: 78). Despite these differences, her alliance with the character has earned her satisfaction, and enabled her to transgress her traditional role as a woman in a highly creative way. “Becoming-Kitty” is also enjoyed by Kitty’s fans. According to the sales manager of Just Diamond, which sells Kitty jewelries, most of their customers are young women in their twenties and thirties. The manager of Kilara describes two broad categories of clothes available at their store: ones with huge Kitty logos and ones with much smaller logos, the latter catering to the needs of young women who feel too embarrassed to go to work with a big Hello Kitty, but feel cute, independent and free in clothes with small logos.
Recently Hello Kitty costumes tailored for parties, including Halloween. Cosplayers don the whole set of Kitty costumes, wear a Kitty mask or hat. Others wear a headband with a pair of Kitty ears on top, and remain “normally” dressed otherwise. Indeed, such variations point to a recent trend in Japan and other Asian countries, which is the blurring of distinction between costumes based on characters from anime and manga and “original” costumes. The infinite ways with which Kitty fans mix and match fashion and accessories necessitate a re-definition of “cosplay”: no longer are these “cosplayers” seen at parties: women in Kitty fashion are found anywhere, anytime. Cosplaying is no longer “a form of escapism,” used exclusively by introverted people who would find it hard to relate to other people if they do not pretend to be some famous characters.
Becoming, Difference, Transgression
As Deleuze argues, difference is the essence of all beings, and it is only when beings are repeated as something different, that their disparateness is preserved. Besides the infinite variety of Kitty fashion and its mix and match, it should be noted that Kitty itself “returns” with in different attires, its designs having undergone many metamorphoses. In the past, she rode on rocking horse, big white swan and the Pegasus, and even donned the skins of other animals. Quite recently, she was dressed up as Lolita and Sailormoon, and as funky rock stars. Hence she enables those who ally with her to generate versions of the “becoming-animal-becoming-animal” and “becoming-animal-becoming-human," even transgressing genders. In a latest design, she becomes "Oh Jesus," thus taking its transgression to its extreme.
It is not too much to argue that Hello Kitty “itself” becomes the very epitome of “becoming,” as it infinitely traverses the borders between human and animal, male and female, god and human.
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