Week 6

According to Napier, how does this anime problematise traditional (or conservative) constructions of gender, class and race?

Napier (2005), calls the anime of Princess Mononoke, a film that mixes facts and fictions which is also an important element of this film. This film mainly involves two aspects. One; the female characterization and two; the “supernaturalization” of nature. (Napier, 2005)

In regards to these two aspects Napier (2005), states that the female characters being dominant in this film are evident that “in Princess Mononoke Miyazaki not only undermines a plethora of female stereotypes from conventional Japanese culture and from the anime world itself but also moves away from his own previous female creations. (Napier, 2005, p. 237-238)

Miyazaki (2006), emphasises on the female characters of the film, as the three main characters are all female. Eboshi, the leader of tatara, San, the human girl who joined the wild nature and Moro San’s adoptive wolf mother. Napier (2005, p.238), states that the “female characters have traditionally been of great importance throughout Miyazaki’s work”. However, in this film the female characters departs from his more typical heroines. This is due to the fact that while Miyazaki’s other films like Nausicaa or little girls of Totoro the female character present in these films are shown to be independent and self possessed creations but they still have female gender aspects like sweetness and cuteness. As Napier (2005, p.238), states that “cuteness is such as important part of contemporary Japanese culture”. However, this cultural construction is not present in all these main female characters of Princess Mononoke, which problematizes the traditional constructions.

In Princess Mononoke the female characters possess a gender-neutral or ambiguous characterization which differs from the traditional female stereotype. Moreover, Napier (2005), suggests that Miyazaki might have been playing with genders by taking in account both culture and nature. By analysing the characteristics of the female characters of Princess Mononoke, it is apparent that all these female possess traditional characteristics of a male as there are no male heroes in the film with the exception of Ashitaka.

Napier (2005, p. 240), affirms that “by making the character a woman and one who can both destroy and rebuild, the film problematic facile stereotyping of technology, armaments and industrialized culture as evil”. Also, when such negative connotation or element would be disturbing to see in a male wild child, when seen in an attractive young female, it would be even more disturbing and surprising (Napier, 2005).

It is not so much of race and class issue in this anime of Princess Mononoke. However, Napier (2005), states Miyazaki’s notion that he and perhaps “other Japanese are the spiritual decendants of the glossy leafed forests” (Napier, 2005, p. 242) before Japan was dominated by the “rice culture”. It shows that once the rice culture arrived, it started to destroy the wilder nature and by 20^th century it was completely gone. Moreover, Miyazaki still believes that these forests still exist, spiritually.

Furthermore, by acknowledging Eboshi’s humanity the film connotes cultural positions where technology and industry are shown to be wrong. Miyazaki problematizes the issue “by making Tatara not just a site of industrial production but a site of weapons manufacturing” (Napier, 2005, p. 246). In addition these weapons also includes tatarigami (boar) which has long lasting curse on humanity.

Princess Mononoke challenges the traditional history of Japan and also the genre relationship of the Japanese society. In comparison to the Japanese history which is masculinist, but when only authoritative guidance comes from a female wolf and the female leader of weapons manufacturing community it could create problems. Further, these independent female characters have not been given typical happy endings; instead they are busy in prioritising their own worlds such as San with her natural world and Eboshi with her industrializing community.

According to Napier (2005), Miyazaki’s strategies problematize many of accepted myths of Japanese culture. Miyazaki blends the concept of real with fantastic. Hence it is clear that the main aspects in Princess Mononoke which problematize the traditional construction is mainly gender and some historical aspects also come into play.

Reference:

AUT Screening: Miyazaki, H. (Director). (2006). Princess Mononoke. Tokyo: Studio Ghibli Productions.

Napier, S. (2005). Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.