The Sagawa/Hartevelt feedback loop
The story of Issei Sagawa is one of pathological consumption—of flesh, but also of images, flickering simulacra of the Perfect Woman as filtered through Japanese media and a disturbed mind. Through the cyclic and fickle nature of media, an otherwise invisible man became an anti-hero, gaining a legacy as a proto otaku (obsessive and occasionally homicidal fans of manga, anime, gemu video games and pop idols), living to this day on the outskirts of Tokyo and the margins of our cultural consciousness.