Weeks 5 and 6
Princess Mononoke
1) What is the ‘shojo’ and how does it often function in anime?
2) According to Lent (2000) what place does animation occupy in Asian societies? How different is this across Asia (i.e. comparing Japan and China)?
3)Is anime a high or low cultural genre/media, according to Napier (2005)? What are some of its subgenres?
4)Does Anime confront social issues? Gender roles in Princess Mononoke.
1) What is the ‘shojo’ and how does it often function in anime?
ReplyDelete‘Shojo’ is a Japanese word, means ‘girls’, particular the young age of female. In anime, according to Miyazaki states that Shojo anime is the project about female characters to be strong and powerful. In addition, Shojo mention friendship, romance, dreams, fashion, mostly the theme is very positive and energetic. For instance, Ai Yazawa, one of the famous cartoonist, her “NANA” the series of shojo manga is popular in Asia. The story of “NANA” is shown a friendship of two girls have the same name “NANA”. The reason why “NANA” is able to be successful is Ai Yazawa showing two different types of Asian female characters, one NANA is a punk music star, fashion, rebel. The other NANA is more like typical asian female, quite, well-behaviour. They are represent two kinds of personality,but they are both strong, dare to chasing their dreams, their love. There are some other examples of Shojo anime character, likes Sprited Away(2001), the first Miyazaki’s animation that I watched, the main character is a young girl named Chihiro fighting to a dark magic witch and save her parents. Sawako Kuronuma from Kimi ni Todoke(2006), Sawako is a not confident high school girl, but she chasing to happiness romance and fell in love with a school idol guy Shota.
Shojo is a stage of show female power and breakdown the stereotypes of female characters, especially Asian female. In most of animation, female characters are cute, pretty, tiny and usually protected by male characters. However, in Shojo anime, female is a powerful, brave and carry the whole story. For example, Princess Mononoke by Miyazaki, San is a girl warrior protect the forest and fight Lady Eboshi and her army. Even San is short and skinny, seem like a weak body, but actually she is brave, no fear, wild and kindness, she is indestructible. This is able to change the typical stereotype of female characters, female not always need male to protect, not always weak, even they are beautiful. Female is strong enough to fight for themselves and be a main character of the story. This is Shojo anime function.
Reference
http://www.anime-planet.com/anime/kimi-ni-todoke
http://www.anime-planet.com/anime/nana
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shōjo
Wikipedia and anime-planet are not valid acedemic sources.
ReplyDeleteYou make good use of examples to make your case.
In paragraph two you state that Shojo breaks Asian female stereotypes. Is it not rather that shojo reflects Japanese stereotypes. and that Miyazaki breaks with the typical representation of this "type."
Q: Does Anime confront social issues? Gender roles in Princess Mononoke.
ReplyDeleteA: The genre of Anime came into being in the 1950s, a form of animation primarily for the Japanese market as it employs several cultural references unique to Japan (Lahiri, 2014). Anime blends Japanese culture and aesthetic values with western nuances and as of late has been considered by many viewers as a "serious form of art" (Lahiri, 2014). It is often a more mature form of animated story that showcases drama, romance and profound philosophy. Of note are the films by Hayao Miyazaki which "contain the depth of creativity, philosophy and values relevant to modern times" (Lahiri, 2014). Miyazaki established 'Studio Ghibli' in 1985, a film studio which produced numerous films that have become pop culture and anime phenomenon, but are also "works of astounding creativity that carry deep social, environmental and aesthetic undercurrents" (Lahiri, 2014).
In particular the 1997 film 'Princess Mononoke' evokes issues around gender and the roles of men and women. Miyazaki created films that "embrace nuance rather than simplistic binaries" (Bellot, 2016), most importantly in Bellots case, the gender binary. In Western animation, it is overwhelmingly common to have defined heroes and villains as well as clear demarcation between what male and female characters can achieve and how they should look and act (Bellot, 2016). But as Bellot (2016) points out "Miyazaki softens these distinctions" and allows for defiance of stereotypes and for characters to be more complex and not fit into one definition or trait. San is a character who defies cultural stereotypes of femininity by being the wild, angry and violent 'wolf-child', while Lady Eboshi reenforces that idea that female characters can be complex and multidimensional beings and can be strong and ruthless while also being kind and generous as she rules her town and clears the surrounding forests but also takes care of the people of her village. Both characters show us that there are no limitations to what a woman can be or achieve despite what Western media tends to portray.
References:
Bellot, G. (2016). Hayao Miyazaki and the art of being a woman. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/10/hayao-miyazaki-and-the-art-of-being-a-woman/503978/
Lahiri, H. (2014). Reality through fantasy: Miyazaki Hayao’s “anime” films. The Asia-Pacific Journal, 12(39). Retrieved from http://apjjf.org/2014/12/39/Hiranmoy-Lahiri/4191/article.html
1) What is the ‘shojo’ and how does it often function in anime?
ReplyDelete4) Does Anime confront social issues? Gender roles in Princess Mononoke.
2) According to Lent (2000) what place does animation occupy in Asian societies? How different is this across Asia (i.e. comparing Japan and China)?
After reading Lent (2000) I have chosen to address these three questions combined. Animation or Anime in Asian societies is placed very highly, and most young people associate with it.
Anime first appeared outside Japan in 1990, and it was first established in Japan in the 1960’s and 70’s. The animated films and videos began being exported throughout the western countries. Anime is a popular or mass culture in Japan, but in America it is a sub culture. Animated films are more important and well regarded in Japan than in the West.
“Anime in Japan is truly a mainstream pop cultural phenomenon.” (Lent 2000).
This describes its high status in Japan, it is recognized and is in the mainstream of culture.
Anime is said to hold themes that address the nightmares of society. It is “the ideal artistic vehicle for expressing the hopes and nightmares of our uneasy contemporary world.” (Lent 2000). Anime is a barrier breaking platform that challenges audiences, which is why some people either love or hate it.
This could lead to say that the hopes and nightmares it is expressing, are the social issues and gender role portrayals and reversals. In Princess Mononoke the Shojo- young girl is shown through the princess San. She is strong and leads most of the action, she is also the heroine of the story. There are three main female leads, Lady Eboshi and Moro, San’s wolf mother. These gender roles are somewhat reversed, as during 1997 when this film was released, most of western film had male leads, and as the hero of the story. Anime had the ability to create this new category, even if it was through animation.
The Shojo in anime often functions as a portrayal of a young girl.
“In its fascination with gender roles and gender transgression- seen in lighthearted terms in romantic comedies or Shojo (young girl) narratives and more bleakly in occult pornography- anime encapsulates both the increasing fluidity of gender identity in contemporary popular culture and the tensions between the sexes that characterize a world in which womens’ roles are drastically transforming.” (Lent 2000).
The shojo is a way of bringing forward this female role to show that women can be strong and independent, such as in Princess Mononoke. The male character Ashitaka, gets over powered by San as the movie goes on and the audience is introduced to her.
“Perhaps many of anime’s most important characters are female because it is so often the female subject who most clearly emblematizes the dizzying changes occurring in modern society.” (Lent 2000).
Women are becoming equal with men, and it is being reflected in anime films. When portrayed as strong characters, women and men can see that this is how society should be. Anime led the way and still does with its challenging of gender roles.
ReplyDelete3)Is anime a high or low cultural genre/media, according to Napier (2005)? What are some of its subgenres?
Generally speaking, high culture is a “set of products, especially in the arts, of a higher status, held in the highest esteem” (Flybring, 2011). Low culture, on the other hand, emphasizes “display value” and often lacks in originality (Benjamin, 2008; p. 12). With regards to content, works of high culture enable the audience to interpret the piece with a critical and reflective perspective (Benjamin, 2008; p. 33). To determine whether Anime falls into the category of high culture I will be referring to the first two chapters of Napier's Anime: from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle (2005) and how it relates to the case study, Princess Mononoke (Miyazaki, 1997).
According to Napier, westerners may be shocked to discover popularity of Japanese anime among adults because they are used to cartoons directed towards children. A lot of anime work deals with high cultural concepts, and Napier suggests this is why it has struck a chord with people of all ages. Aesthetically, anime adopts classic art forms from “previous high cultural traditions” such as Kabuki (Napier, 2005 p. 4). When it comes to narrative, the issues are often explored “In surprisingly complex ways . . . familiar to readers of contemporary high culture”(Napier, 2005 p. 4). A perfect example of this is Hayao Miyazaki's, Princess Mononoke.
The film, set in the early years of the iron age, deals with a number of intellectual themes, namely, the conflict between man and nature. While defending his village from a former boar god turn demon, our protagonist, Ashitaka receives a scar from it which leaves him with the curse. After finding out that the boar had been shot, and the bullet was the cause of the curse, Ashitaka sets out on a Journey to see if his curse can be lifted. He finds himself in the midst of a battle between San, who was raised by wolf gods of the forest, and Lady Eboshi; the industrialist leader of Iron Town who has been stripping the forest trees to feed her furnaces.
The set up may seem to be alluding to a cut-and-dried narrative, portraying San as the hero and Lady Eboshi as the villain, but the film diverges from this simplistic outline. Instead, Miyazaki does not lead the audience to root for one side or the other. Even though some of Lady Eboshi's motives are called into question, it is shown that lepers and former prostitutes, groups who typically face adversity, are actually benefiting from her work in Iron Town. Unlike conventional environmental conservation films, Princess Mononoke does not try to force any message down the viewer's throat. Instead, Miyazaki takes a more nuanced approach, showing that both sides are just fighting “for their share of the new emerging order”(Ebert, 1999).
A lot of animes more prominent texts are ones that deal with apocalyptic themes such as Miyazaki's Nausicaä. Napier (2005, p.29) suggest this is because of a post-war Japanese society “with profound anxieties about the future.”He points to the “alienating aspects of an urbanized industrialized society” and how this has contributed to the “pervasive darkness of many anime” (Napier 2005, p.29). Although Princess Mononoke is by no means apocalyptic, it does highlight uncertainties for the future that has arisen from the development of human technology.
It is important to recognise that anime is a broad genre which incorporates countless different styles and subgenres and so I think it is not wise for me to label the entire genre as that of high culture. In saying that, Miyazaki does a masterful job of incorporating true Japanese historical experiences with mythology. I personally think his work should be regarded as high culture because it fits Napiers description of being “both culturally traditional and representative of the universal properties of human imagination”(Napier 2005, p.34).
References
DeleteBenjamin, Walter (2008, orig. 1936). The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, ʻGreat Ideasʼ (trans. J. A. Underwood). London: Penguin Books.
Ebert, R. (1999, October 29). Movie Review. Retrieved September 13, 2017, from http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/princess-mononoke-1999
Flybring, J. (2011). “Is it still possible to distinguish between ʻhighʼ and ʻlowʼ culture? Referring to examples from art and/or media.”. [ebook] Available at: https://johanflybringessays.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/low-culture.pdf [Accessed 7 Sep. 2017].
Napier, S. (2005). Why anime? In Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle (pp.3-14). Hampshire: Palgrave/ Macmillan.
3) Is anime a high or low cultural genre/media, according to Napier (2005)? What are some of its subgenres?
ReplyDeleteIn order to answer the question of whether anime is a high or low cultural genre it is important to firstly recognize that Japan is world-renowned for its “high” cultural arts, this can be extended to other Asian countries as well and these “high” arts include haiku, the martial arts and zen to name a few (Lent, 2000).
The question that Napier (2005) poses is how should anime be regarded in almost a juxtaposition to the richness of Japans culture? Napier (2005) argues that given the diversity of anime in its delivery of multiple mediums – from children’s shows as “fun”, all the way to thought-provoking cinema such as Princess Mononoke. In comparison to the western style science fiction, anime can also be seen as an “intellectually challenging art form”. This can be seen through anime films such as “Ghost in the Shell” where technology, culture and discussions on moral ambiguity all fuse together to access complex issues.
This has resulted in the development of the subgenre “mecha” – short for mechanical, this subgenre predominantly focuses on a “high tech” setting where cyborgs and robots exist either on their own or co-exist with humans – this is an important reflection on the worlds technological advancements and Japans own society.
Japan was also one of the first non-western societies to be fully industrialised, the population is highly educated and has a rich and ancient cultural history. This is important to take into consideration. A westernised perspective of anime may consider it to be a "low" cultural genre due to the connection between animation and children's shows but should be regarded highly. This is because anime is used in Japan as a medium to reflect society and cultural practices which may not be as accessible as other mediums (Napier, 2005).
Napier, S. (2005). Why anime? In Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle (pp.3-14). Hampshire: Palgrave/ Macmillan.