ALGEBRA : JURNAL PENDIDIKAN.
SOSIAL DAN SAINS
ISSN : 2807-663X
e-ISSN : 2807-629X Journal Homepage : https://ejournal.
id/index.
php/algebra Volume 5 Nomor 3 .
THE VISUAL IDENTITY OF PROTECTIVE GLASSES OR GOGGLES ON THE MAIN
CHARACTER OF THE DIGIMON FRANCHISE SERIES
Ricky Darmawan1.
Hendrike Priventa2.
Umi Handayani3.
Rosalina Wahyu Riani4 1234Program Studi Sastra Jepang.
Fakultas Ekonomi.
Hukum dan Humaniora.
Universitas Ngudi Waluyo.
Semarang.
Indonesia Correspondence Email: rickydarmawan@unw.
ABSTRACT
Visual symbols in popular culture play a crucial role in conveying ideologies, constructing identities, and representing specific social structures.
One of the most consistent symbols in the Digimon anime franchise is the use of gogglesAiprotective eyewear exclusively worn by male protagonists.
This article aims to analyze how goggles are represented as a symbol of hegemonic masculinity, a visual signifier of leadership, and a cultural icon within media and fan communities.
The research employs a descriptive qualitative approach using Roland BarthesAo semiotic theory, supported by R.
ConnellAos concept of hegemonic masculinity.
The object of study includes seven main Digimon series, from Digimon Adventure .
to Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters .
Through narrative and visual observation, the study finds that goggles function as a symbolic marker of leadership, passed exclusively among male characters, and never assigned to female ones.
This reinforces a visual and ideological structure that dictates who is deemed worthy of leadership.
In popular culture, goggles have become a recognizable icon that transcends the text, manifesting in cosplay, merchandise, and fan art, thereby influencing fansAo social imagination regarding gender and authority.
Thus, in the Digimon universe, goggles are not merely an accessory but an ideological device that normalizes masculinity as the default for leadership.
This article underscores the importance of reading visual symbols in anime as part of the meaning-making process and the reinforcement of social values within childrenAos entertainment media.
Keywords: Digimon.
Hegemonic-Masculinity.
Leadership.
Semiotics.
Popular Culture.
Yayasan Amanah Nur Aman Ricky Darmawan et.
all | The Visual Identity of Protective Glasses or Goggles on The Main Character of The Digimon Franchise Series INTRODUCTION Efforts to elevate and introduce the culture and value system of Japanese society can be found in various popular cultural products such as games, manga, and animation.
Anime in particular is an effective medium in representing values such as respect for parents or senior figures, a culture of shame and apology for mistakes, collectivity, a hierarchy of seniority .
, moral responsibility, optimism, and independence.
These values are often conveyed not directly, but through visual symbols, character expressions, and storylines that are full of semiotic meaning (Dewi.
Anime as part of filmAithat is, audiovisual works born from the process of constructing social realityAihas transformed into a vehicle for storytellers that are rich in cultural and ideological As a work of visual literature, anime heavily records and constructs social phenomena that develop in society, including gender issues and gender representation.
In this context, films and anime are not just entertainment media, but also a means of social communication that forms the collective consciousness and social values of society (Fajria, 2.
In the era of cultural globalization.
Japanese anime has become one of the popular mediums that is very influential in shaping the perception of identity, social values, and gender representation in the younger generation.
Through its narrative and visual power, anime becomes not only an entertainment product, but also an ideological instrument that conveys and reproduces certain social One of the themes that often arises in shounen anime is masculinity which is packaged in the form of tough, brave, and dominant male characters.
This representation is often visualized through the typical visual elements attached to the character, one of which is the protective glasses .
worn by the main character in the Digimon series.
Since the release of Digimon Adventure in 1999, goggles have become a consistent visual element used by male main characters.
Characters such as Taichi Yagami.
Daisuke Motomiya, and Shinkai Haru, appear as the leaders of the DigiDestined group who not only guide the direction of the story, but also carry the values of heroism, courage, and leadership.
The goggles they wear are not just a complement to fashion, but a symbol of social status in the narrativeAionly certain characters are "worthy" to wear goggles, and those characters are always men.
This raises critical questions about how anime represents and distributes leadership values based on gender.
In this context, goggles can be understood as part of the construction of hegemonic masculinity, which is a form of masculinity that is seen as ideal and dominant in a society.
According to Connell .
, hegemonic masculinity is a male model that is idealized in a patriarchal society characterized by dominance, courage, power, and a denial of weakness.
The Digimon series represents this model consistently, by placing the male figure using goggles as the center of power, decision-maker, and rescue figure in precarious situations.
While female characters, while often portrayed as intelligent or emotional, are rarely given major leadership space even more, they never wear goggles as a visual symbol of authority.
The goggles symbol also works in the realm of character visualization.
Its placement on top of the head or forehead resembles a crown or helmet, reinforcing the impression that the wearer is the leader or "king" of his group.
In the study of Japanese popular culture, this kind of visualization is commonly used to mark the main characters in the action genre.
Head accessories have a function not only as aesthetics, but also as a semiotic device that conveys a message of authority and readiness to face challenges.
On the other hand, the absence of goggles in female characters reflects how leadership symbols are constructed as masculine exclusive rights.
Furthermore, goggles also serve as cultural symbols that live outside the narrative.
It has become part of the visual identity of the Digimon franchise, recognized across generations and reproduced in various forms of cosplay, merchandise, and fan communities.
In this context, goggles are not only a sign in the story, but also a cultural artifact that carries an ideological value: that to be a leader is to be male, active, strong, and visionary.
Fans who adopt these attributes not only imitate the character's style, but also the leadership and masculinity values associated with it.
Based on this phenomenon, this study considers it important to analyze how goggles work as symbols of hegemonic masculinity in the Digimon series, as well as how this visualization plays a role in shaping gender-based leadership structures.
This study will use a qualitative-descriptive approach with Connell's theory of masculinity as the main analytical knife, as well as refer to the theory of visual semiotics to examine the symbolic meaning of the attributes of goggles.
The aim of this research is to uncover how popular media such as Digimon not only reflect existing social values, but also actively shape and maintain gender hierarchies through seemingly simple, yet meaningful, visual symbols.
Yayasan Amanah Nur Aman Ricky Darmawan et.
all | The Visual Identity of Protective Glasses or Goggles on The Main Character of The Digimon Franchise Series RESEARCH METHODS This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach to examine the symbolic meaning of the visual attributes of goggles in the Digimon anime series, particularly in relation to the representation of masculinity, leadership, and popular culture symbols.
The qualitative approach allows researchers to examine visual and narrative elements that cannot be quantified numerically, but have a depth of ideological meaning, especially in shaping social constructions and gender representation in Japanese media.
The method of analysis used is semiotic analysis developed by Roland Barthes, which divides the meaning of signs into two levels: denotative and connotative.
The denotation of goggles as protective glasses becomes the starting point of the reading, which is then followed by a connotative analysis to uncover the ideological meaning of goggles as a symbol of leadership, courage, and masculinity that is consistently represented in the Digimon narrative.
To strengthen the reading of gender construction in this anime.
Connell's theory of hegemonic masculinity is also used, which emphasizes the dominant masculinity model in patriarchal societies, which is attached to values such as authority, courage, and strength.
The data sources in this study cover seven main series of the Digimon franchise released between 1999 and 2016, namely Digimon Adventure .
Digimon Adventure 02 .
Digimon Tamers .
Digimon Frontier .
Digimon Savers .
Digimon Xros Wars .
0Ae2.
, and Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters .
The selection of the entire series was based on the consistency of the appearance of the goggles symbol as a visual attribute of the male main character, as well as to see if there was a change or strengthening of the symbolic meaning of the goggles as the series progressed and the production context changed.
The units of analysis in this study include the visual design of the main character, scenes that show authority and decision-making, important dialogues that mark the social position of the characters, and the relationships between characters that show the distribution of roles based on popular masculinity.
Data collection was carried out through visual and narrative observations of each series, by documenting the emergence of goggles and their relationship to narrative function and group The analysis process was carried out in four stages.
First, identify the visual symbols of the goggles and their placement in the character design as well as the narrative.
Second, the interpretation of the meaning of goggles uses Barthes' semiotic approach, both denotatively and Third, the application of hegemonic masculinity theory to interpret the role of goggleswearer characters in the social structure of the DigiDestined group and the accompanying gender Fourth, contextualize popular culture by looking at how goggles as symbols are also adopted by fan communities outside of text, through the practice of cosplay, merchandise, or fan art.
With this framework, this study seeks to uncover how the goggles symbol works not only as a repetitive visual element, but as a cultural sign that contains an ideological message about who deserves to be a leader in the Japanese media imagination.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The Digimon series presents a consistent visual pattern: the male main character always wears goggles as a marker of leadership.
More than just an accessory, goggles serve as ideological symbols that represent power, narrative authority, and masculinity.
In the context of popular culture, these symbols form a social construct about who is worthy of leadership and how leadership is visually This discussion will unravel three main aspects: the representation of hegemonic masculinity in the narrative, the function of goggles as visual symbols of leadership that are not gender-neutral, and their impact in the media and popular culture.
All three show that small symbols such as goggles have a big role in conveying the power structure and identity in the Digimon anime.
Maskulinitas Hegemonik dalam Waralaba Digimon The representation of masculinity in the Digimon franchise from its debut series in 1999 to Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters .
shows a consistent pattern in building gender-based Hegemonic masculinity in this context is represented by the male main character who narratively holds the role of the main leader, protector, and driving force of the storyline.
This concept refers to the thought of R.
Connell .
, who stated that hegemonic masculinity is a dominant Yayasan Amanah Nur Aman Ricky Darmawan et.
all | The Visual Identity of Protective Glasses or Goggles on The Main Character of The Digimon Franchise Series form of masculinity constructed as an ideal by patriarchal society.
It includes characteristics such as rationality, physical strength, courage, decision-making, and emotional mastery.
Figure 1.
Yagami Taichi .
and Shinkai Haru .
with goggles In almost every season of Digimon, the male protagonists Taichi.
Daisuke.
Takato.
Takuya.
Masaru.
Taiki, and Haru are identified as ideal masculine figures, who have high confidence, courage to face great threats, and are able to lead the group in stressful conditions.
Even in the case of characters like Masaru Daimon (Digimon Saver.
, masculinity is expressed to the extreme through physical and aggressive actions.
This behavior is not only seen as a form of masculinity, but also as a moral requirement to become a leader in the digital world.
On the other hand, female characters with no inferior qualities, such as Rika (Tamer.
or Akari (Appli Monster.
, are not given space to be the main leads and are never shown wearing visual goggles symbols.
This emphasizes the strengthening of dominant masculinity norms and restrictions on women's access to leadership Figure 2.
Takuya Kanbara's Character (Digimon Frontier.
In Digimon Frontier, when all characters can transform into Digimon, leadership is still given to the male character (Takuy.
, even though the transformation is equal.
This shows that masculinity is not only attached to physical power, but also to positions of authority that are symbolically This representation strengthens the gender imagination that positions men as determinants of narrative direction and women as emotional or moral accompaniments.
Goggles as Visual Symbols of Leadership and Power The goggles symbol or protective glasses became one of the most iconic visual elements in the Digimon franchise.
It is not just a visual property, but a semiotic sign that contains a message of leadership and authority.
In Barthes's semiotic framework, goggles can be read as a system of signs that have both a literal meaning .
and an ideological meaning .
At the denotative level, goggles are simply an eye-protection accessory often associated with adventure or work teknis.
Namun dalam konteks narasi Digimon, goggles adalah tanda kepemimpinan yang hanya It is owned by a male main character, and indirectly functions like a crown, a symbol of the throne of leadership in the world of digital fiction.
In Digimon Adventure, the giving of goggles from the character Koushiro .
ho originally had the.
to Taichi becomes a very important symbolic power transition.
In Adventure 02.
Daisuke becomes the new leader, and he gets similar goggles, reinforcing the narrative of symbolic succession.
A similar phenomenon occurred in Xros Wars, where TaikiAiwho didn't start out as a formal group leaderAiwas quickly recognized after being seen wearing goggles.
This is where goggles are no longer just objects, but rather sign structures that govern the distribution of power in the story.
The Yayasan Amanah Nur Aman Ricky Darmawan et.
all | The Visual Identity of Protective Glasses or Goggles on The Main Character of The Digimon Franchise Series audience understands that the characters wearing goggles are the holders of control, even before they take an important action in the story.
Interestingly, the shape of the goggles has also undergone a visual evolution, following aesthetic and technological developments over the years.
If at first the design resembled a mechanical protector (Taichi.
Daisuk.
, then in the era of Savers and Appli Monsters, the design became more streamlined, functional, and even integrated with digital features.
Despite this, the symbolic meaning remains: the character who wears goggles is a leader and a masculine.
This symbol became exclusive, because it was never worn by a female character.
Even characters like Rika (Tamer.
who have high tactical abilities and dominant personalities are still not given access to the symbol.
This symbolization signifies that visual authority is gender-limited, creating symbolic boundaries that reinforce patriarchal social constructs within the text.
The Impact of Goggles in Popular Culture and the Reproduction of Gender Values Beyond text, goggles have become visual icons of the Digimon franchise, known across generations and appearing in various derivative products.
In popular culture practice, this symbol is alive and reproduced through cosplay, trinkets, fan art, and online fan communities.
Characters wearing goggles are automatically recognized as the leader or central figure, reinforcing the association between visual attributes and social structures in the story.
The reproduction of goggles symbols in the realm of fandom shows how fictional texts work as agents of social value-making.
In the study of media and popular culture, this is known as the process of naturalization of ideology in which values such as hegemonic masculinity, visual dominance, and the limitation of gender roles are accepted as something "natural" because they are constantly represented repeatedly and consistently.
Children and teens who grow up with Digimon form the understanding that leaders are brave men who wear goggles, and that leadership roles are visually only given to masculine figures.
Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa anime, sebagai produk budaya populer, tidak netral secara Ideological.
Digimon as an entertainment text has become a terrain where the values of gender, authority, and power are distributed and reinterpreted.
Goggles, in this case, are visual devices that convey a narrative of hegemonic masculinity and limit alternative representations of leadership from other perspectives.
Even in Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters, which brings new technology and digital generations, this symbolic structure remains unchanged, with the male main character still wearing goggles and becoming the center of the narrative, while the female character remains in the supporting circle.
Thus, goggles are not only visual style icons in Digimon, but also serve as a discourse tool that reinforces certain social structures.
He shows how small, seemingly simple objects harbor big ideologies that play a role in shaping the way we see the world, who leads, and how power is characterized in contemporary visual culture.
CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that the symbol of protective eyewear .
in the Digimon franchise is not merely an additional visual element, but an ideological marker that represents authority, leadership, and dominant masculinity both visually and narratively.
Through a semiotic approach and hegemonic masculinity theory, it was found that from Digimon Adventure .
to Digimon Universe:
Appli Monsters .
, male main characters wearing goggles were always positioned as firm, brave, and central leaders, while female characters were never given the same symbolic access despite having leadership qualities.
Goggles serve to mark the social hierarchy within the DigiDestined group while legitimizing the patriarchal structure in children's media representation, even being passed down across generations of characters as an exclusive symbol of leadership.
Furthermore, goggles have been internalized as a cross-generational symbol of popular culture and influence social perceptions of gender roles in leadership and authority, thus confirming that visual symbols in popular media are not neutral but rather help shape the discourse of identity, power, and gender structures in society.
Yayasan Amanah Nur Aman Ricky Darmawan et.
all | The Visual Identity of Protective Glasses or Goggles on The Main Character of The Digimon Franchise Series BIBLIOGRAPHY