Particularly focused on the fans of Miyazaki Films (Like me!)
I will not hesitate to say that I believe that Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli films are some of the most beautiful works of art ever made. I think it's important to note that I am a big Miyazaki fan myself and I therefore have no small amount of bias about this subject. As I read this article I was able to relate to many of the themes, including a love of the artwork, the ambiguous ideas of good vs evil and the fascinating characters. I think the increased number of anime fans in the United States is a sign of our increased willingness to embrace art from other cultures, to better understand each other. I will use several Studio Ghibli films to prove my point.
(I have to warn any readers of this post: SPOILERS MIGHT BE AHEAD. I have seen nearly every Miyazaki film that has come out and so I will talk about many of them liberally, flinging out spoilers to enhance my points. In addition, if YOU (yes, YOU reading this, right now) have little to now knowledge about Studio Ghibli films, you may soon become very confused. You have been warned!)
I feel obligated to say that my favorite of Miyazaki's films is Laputa: Castle in the Sky (pictured above) and I was a little disappointed that it was only mentioned once in the article. It is almost a perfect film, from the adventure, to the characters to the music... I could fanboy for hours about this film, but I will restrain myself. I was interested in the idea that this film, Castle in the Sky, might not be as popular among the community of fans discussed in the reading.
I hypothesize that the reason for the lack of discussion is the lack of controversy. Castle in the Sky is almost an atypical Miyazaki film simply because it DOES have a clear villain and two nearly perfect heroes. The good guys love nature and peace and the bad guys love technology and violence. The film is filled with black and white themes, rather than grey ones. Both main characters are dragged, unwillingly on an adventure brought about by greedy human beings. In addition, it does not show many elements of Japanese culture that the other films would be more revered for: Spirited Away has the exotic bathhouse setting and Princess Monoke has a battle between Eastern nature gods, monks, miners, and an exiled prince. I think the discussion about Castle in the Sky has been reduced simply because it is a simpler film.
However, I wasn't trying to turn this post into an attack or defense for one of my favorite films. I think it really proves my main point rather well. The fans of Miyazaki films discussed in the reading, are from all different age groups, occupations, countries, and religions. They are united by a love of Studio Ghibli films and I believe that their interest in the more controversial films is very telling. Films with unclear messages are more fun to talk about and deeper characters with interesting morals make for more entertaining debate.
These discussions show a willingness of people from tons of different countries to attempt to understand each other. After all, the article points out the Studio Ghibli films and most anime in general, are aimed at the native Japanese audience first. I think the idea that Americans, Europeans and people from around the world are attempting to understand these films on their terms is admirable. After all, countries around the world watch American films and it is only fair that we should take a look at the works of other countries. I would wager that Japanese works like anime and manga are the largest source of foreign culture that the United States receives. This helps broaden our horizons and increase our own creativity.
As much as I love a simple adventure film like Castle in the Sky, I understand the further "discussablity" of these other films. I believe that movies that challenge you to interpret messages on your own or understand different cultures are the best kind. A film that draws you in with gorgeous visuals but keeps you coming back for the complex morals and culture differences are expanding your comfort zone, bit by bit. Not to get all sappy at the end, but I think increased understanding of other cultures is the key to the future. It's why I study anthropology.
Note - I haven't seen Castle in the Sky. That being said - I now want to watch it and see if it really is as simplistic as you say. Most notably, you say, "The good guys love nature and peace and the bad guys love technology and violence." This sentence suggests that the film sets up technology as inherently evil and nature as inherently good. This is far from a simplistic or incontrovertible claim.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have never watched an anime movie (besides the one we watched in class), this article definitely inspires me want to watch Castle in the Sky. The writer emphasizes understanding other cultures, which is important in being conscious worldly citizen, writing, "After all, countries around the world watch American films and it is only fair that we should take a look at the works of other countries." Movies are a great way to understand different cultures! I am also taking a African Literature class this semester in which the professor emphasizes the differences between stories in American culture and African culture. For example, the hero in American (or Western) stories is typically a good looking male with no flaws, but the African hero is generally one who has struggles and is imperfect. You can learn so much about the values of different cultures by studying the literature.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in the claim made,"I would wager that Japanese works like anime and manga are the largest source of foreign culture that the United States receives", any stats to back this up? Care to elaborate on this?
ReplyDeleteBeyond that, as a Miyazaki fan myself, I find no simplicity in any of the Studio Ghibli films. Castle in the sky has some very interesting themes that fall in line with what one might normally expect from a Miyazaki film. The balance of technology and nature is a key theme throughout and that is far from simple in my opinion. Just think back to the scenes with the rusted robots in the fields, covered in grass, and expand on that. Also, the amazing cultural aspects of Laputa as a civilization were captivating. The importance that is placed on the coexistence of humans and nature, and the outcomes, both good and bad, from that relationship is one of the most amazing parts about Castle in the Sky.
(PART 1)This is not going towards my three comments but I am the author of this post and I just wanted to respond to a few of the comments here.
ReplyDelete1. When I was saying simplistic, I hope it didn’t come across as me saying it was bad. Castle in the Sky really is one of my favorite films and I love it because of the sort of simple adventure it has to it. I think this makes it not terribly controversial, and therefore not super discussable. And I think you are right about the “nature being good and technology being bad” angle as not being very simple at all. I think what I was trying to say was simple for a Miyazaki film, or at least keeping within the trends of his films. Many of the main themes of his films include pollution is bad and living a simple farming life and holding animal life sacred is good. I think what I meant that the Castle in the Sky theme is “simple” is that it has the same sort of theme that most of his films have, which is not a bad thing by any means. Thank you for helping me understand my own argument! Haha!
2. I hope I have inspired you to watch Castle in the Sky! It really is a great film to watch on the biggest screen you can get. The glorious 80s style synth soundtrack and awesome visuals make for an awesome time. As for your comment on understanding the films of other cultures, I totally agree! I think the Miyazaki heroes are so cool because they have a blend of each. For example, Pazu the male main character of Castle in the Sky has extraordinary traits that could make him “too perfect” to some audiences. But at the same time, he is interesting because of his flaws as well, such as he is easily fooled and perhaps too trusting. Well rounded characters are far more fun to watch and read about.
(PART 2)
ReplyDelete3. I have no stats or information to back it up but I said it because I believe it makes sense. With the growth of the whole “nerd culture” with reading manga and watching anime, the U.S. translates tons of both of these works of fiction. Some other influences on American culture could be considered… I dunno British pop music, Indian Bollywood films or Mexican soap operas. But at least to me, I think anime and manga might the biggest of these right now, affecting more people, from mainstream games and movies like Pokémon to Hollywood films that are based on Japanese work, like the Matrix or other martial arts movies. Just a hunch anyway, but that’s why I said “wager”, rather than “know for a fact.” But I would love to research this if I had the time, discovering whether I’m full of it or not! Hahaha!
As for your second paragraph, I would infer that you are also a big Miyazaki fan and have thought about Castle in the Sky quite a lot. Similar to first comment, you pointed out that the Studio Ghibli debate, whether nature is good and tech is bad, is far from simple and I think you are absolutely correct. I’m not really sure what I was trying to say, but I’ll take a stab at it. It will probably be long so I apologize for being so long winded!
I think Castle in the Sky might be simpler as far as the debate goes because the actual characters themselves are pretty simple. Pazu and Sheeta are young, innocent and good while Colonel Muska is for the most part, irredeemably evil and nature hating. The world that Castle in the Sky shows us IS less black and white, but I would argue that the characters are rather simple, light or dark. During the destruction of the military base, character actions like Sheeta being SUPER UPSET that the robot is zapping and killing everyone, even the people that are holding her captive, shows that she cares about life and peace more than anything else, i.e. life is more important than tech. A parallel-ish scene occurs in Laputa itself when Muska is searching for the giant crystal that powers the whole castle. He starts destroying roots, ripping up grass that has grown in the room and swatting at flies buzzing around him. He is pursuing this dangerous weapon and is more than willing to rip a few trees to get to it. Sheeta stands in the background during these scenes and glares at Muska disapprovingly because she cares about nature WAY more than the Laputan tech. I like how you mentioned the rusting robot scene, because it does show the complex debate of nature vs technology that the film is showing. But I believe that the characters are simpler, either being mostly good or mostly bad.
If you have read this far, then kudos to you! Thanks for taking the time to read my response and feel free to leave me another comment if you want to talk any more about it. I’m a huge nerd when it comes to this film and I would gladly discuss it further with anyone who wants to debate.