ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the cyberpunk genre, as this genre incites viewers to ponder about the limits of embodiment and the dialectical positioning of humans and artificial creatures. It examines the shortcomings of some theories of spectatorship that highlight the centrality of vision in cinema while they neglect the viewer’s affect. The chapter aims to develop an enactive approach to perception in animation that distinguishes the embodied spectator from the abstract spectator of traditional film theory. It identifies examples of augmented perception in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The chapter explores techniques that simulate forms of perception extended by technologies such as avatarial experiences. It analyses sequences where the subjectivity of human and nonhuman agents starts to fuse. The chapter looks at emotional engagements with nonhumans and the questions they raise about our acceptance or rejection of marginalized people. It also explores how the interactions with the animated world can reshape the viewer’s understanding of the body’s limits.
