The influence of Herman Hesse’s 1919 novel, Demian, on Moto Hagio’s 1974 shojo manga, The Heart of Thomas

The influence of Herman Hesse’s 1919 novel, Demian, on Moto Hagio’s 1974 shojo manga, The Heart of Thomas, is evident in Hagio’s exploration of religion, gender and Nietzschean philosophy. Drawing inspiration from Demian, Hagio introduces intellectual elements that enrich the thematic depth of the work and cement its place in manga history. This essay explores these echoes of Demian in Hagio’s work, analyzing how the fusion of large academic concepts and shojo aesthetics elevates The Heart of Thomas into a unique contribution to both manga and larger philosophical discourse.

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