The first time I saw a Miyazaki film, I was hiding in the back hallway of my aunt's house because I had just seen a little girl's parents get turned into pigs.
Terrified that my cousins were showing me an animated Japanese horror film, I hid. Little did I know that this film was just the start of a growing love for Studio Ghibli movies. I don’t fully remember if I finished the movie that day, but Spirited Away was my first glimpse into the world of film-making genius, Hayao Miyazaki.
This story of a young girl named Chihiro starts off with her moving to a new city away from all that she’s known. Sad and frustrated, her dad makes a quick stop on their journey to their new house to check out what he thinks is an abandoned theme park. When it turns out to be a land of spirits, Chihiro is taken in to work at a bath house after her parents have been turned to pigs for eating the spirits’ food. This wild ride of a movie is nothing short of a masterpiece because of its complex world building, well-developed characters, and, specifically, outstanding animation.
Although my love of stories moves through many other fandoms, it has grown and developed thanks to Miyazaki’s many films. Before starting my class on feminist rhetoric, I began listening to a podcast called Kinda Funny in Review where the Kinda Funny podcast crew would go through movie series or an entire director’s list of movies and review them each week. Currently, the crew is in the process of reviewing each of Miyazaki’s movies, so my boyfriend and I have taken to watching one movie a week and listening to the podcast for that movie. While the crew may be mainly made up of middle-aged white men who love video games, their differences arise in their experience with Studio Ghibli. Some of them have seen little to none of the films while others are watching the films for the hundredth time, bringing a wide variety of perspectives.
When we started the first movie, I asked if we should watch it with English subtitles in Japanese or just English dubbed, but I ended up just pushing "Play." We watched Castle in the Sky with English subtitles and the English dub, so I was amazed to see just how different they were. This prompted me to wonder why American filmmakers would change the English dubs so much from the original Japanese to English translation, leading me to research more on the movies and watch more of the movies in an attempt to comprehend the mind of Hayao Miyazaki and what his movies have to offer the world.
Another aspect of Miyazaki's movies that didn't occur to me originally was the consistent use of realistic female protagonists. While I used to think of Chihiro from Spirited Away as a whiny, young girl from the movie, I now recognize that her intentional fearfulness, which changes to courage and confidence, is what makes her realistic and relatable in her coming-of-age story. The strength of San in Princess Mononoke or Sheeta in Laputa: Castle in the Sky or Satsuki in My Neighbor Totoro or Sophie in Howl's Moving Castle is so present and more moving than most animated female protagonists. While I have yet to see all of his movies, the female representation makes these movies worthwhile for me.
Most recently, I found my new favorite movie, which I plan to discuss more in full in its section. Nausicaä of the Valley and the Wind gave me a character whom I truly wanted to emulate. In the past, I have thoroughly enjoyed the childishness of Chihiro in Spirited Away, the ferocity of San in Princess Mononoke, and for the longest time, the steadfastness of Sophie in Howl's Moving Castle. Sophie has been the favorite for me up until recently because she is such an independently strong character. Even when dealing with a difficult curse on her life, she realistically struggles but also pushes through.
Although these female heroines are all endearing and strong in their own ways, Nausicaä's persistence to always do what is right for the world and for her people is what really impressed me about her story. It is in stories like hers that I find myself becoming enraptured. I find myself wanting to be more like Nausicaä and focus on making the world a better place. She never questions the difference between what is right and what is easy, and her self sacrifices prove that her noble title suits her. While I may not intend on becoming a princess myself, I hope to be a role model for my students and potentially future children and to show that there is always good and hope in the world to strive for.
The depth and intensity of Miyazaki's stories always leave me breathless. Some kind of important integral and human truth has been impressed upon me during this time of experiencing this movie. While it may not always seem clear when sitting down to watch the movie, the way the movie sits with you in the end and even later on is how you know that the truth is there. The differences between Miyazaki's films and the typical Hollywood movies are clear enough to set my expectations high from the beginning. I look forward to continuing through these movies and their respective podcasts through the next few months.