Beatriz's Research Diary
A Closer Look at Miyazaki Films
BRAINSTORMING
April 4th, 2021 - Post OneAt the beginning of the year, the idea of conducting a research project, remotely nevertheless, was extremely daunting. I have never attempted a large-scale writing project like this before, which makes it both scary and exciting. There's smaller technicalities that make me apprehensive, such as a lengthy page requirement or the possibility of an extensive workload, but ultimately what I want to conquer is the habit of second-guessing myself. I see the research project as a culmination of all the skills and humanistic truths that we have learned over the past two quarters, as well as the chance to cultivate my increasing curiosity into something that is meaningful. I want to pick a primary source that I haven't formally worked with this year, which causes me to be a bit nervous about creating an original interpretation; however, I view the idea of evolving my own argument as a challenge that allows me to make my own contribution to a scholarly, academic conversation.
The following are some primary sources and topics I am considering for the research project, which embody the concepts I've found to be interesting alongside those I want to learn more about:
Uncaged Art
One of the most intriguing topics we have covered this year has been animalization and othering. I find that this tends to feature in political acts such as war or colonization in order to justify subordination. There are several instances where 'othering' has occured in recent years, including mass incarceration, the War on Terror, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which are all of interest to me. The instance that has been most personal to me is the animalization of migrants that has led to and justified their detainment in human cages. This idea is reflected in the exhibit comprised of art created by migrant children where they identify with birds as a symbol of both freedom and detainment. Within the analysis of this art exhibition, I could use what I've learned about the process of animalization to tell the story of those who have been caged.
Coding and Cultural Studies
Over the course of the year, I've become fascinated with the idea of representation and 'coding' as well as its implications. I'd like to study this within some form of media - whether it be film, video games, comic books, etc. What interests me most about this topic is the idea that cultural production fosters implicit ideals and ideologies. I'd like to analyze something that has been familiar to me in the past but takes on a new meaning now that I'm able to see it through a different lens. Some primary sources I've been considering are war posters, news stories, or films that can be analyzed with race and feminist theory.
Princess Mononoke
Environmentalism is a topic that I've wanted to know more about, particularly how human intervention is scrutinized and how animals fit into the overall picture. I also find the opportunity to write about film very exciting, and these two concepts could be combined in an analysis of Princess Mononoke. The film has many elements that have the potential for a great argument, from talking animals to ecofeminism. It also fits quite nicely within our conversation regarding children's film and animation. Exploring a topic and art form I'm not entirely familiar with would maximize my learning and be a fun challenge.
After collecting my thoughts about connections I can make between my favorite concepts I've learned and objects of study, I feel less intimidated by the overall research process. UCI Libraries' "Pre-search" simulation gave me a possible roadmap as to how I'll navigate my curiosity about specific primary sources, my search for secondary sources, and keep an open mind for potential "artifacts" that may not have come up in my initial search. My next step will likely be to do a small search of secondary sources around each artifact to set up the appropriate lens to see my source through and make sure my project is viable. I expect to really dive in deep into analyzing my object of study in order to not only learn about its own meaning, but how it relates to the world that is beyond it.
NARROWED TO ONE
April 18th, 2o21 - Post One, Part TwoI have selected the Studio Ghibli feature film, Princess Mononoke, as my object of study. I have been a fan of the animation studio ever since I watched Ponyo for the first time when I was nine, which has sparked my love for other films such as Spirited Away or Whisper of the Heart. I found comfort in the peaceful scenery and heartfelt stories of the films without ever realizing just how complex and meaningful they are. I watched Mononoke-hime (its Japanese name) on a boring day in quarantine. With a combination of my brother and I's unruly commentary and the previous silliness of Porco Rosso (which we had just watched before - it was Studio Ghibli marathon), the significance of the narrative and all of its nuances had slipped by me. It wasn't until I had began thinking through primary sources that I realized that this was the perfect Ghibli film for my research project.
At first, it was only the talking animals and ecological themes that struck me, but as I looked closer new avenues of inquiry appeared, among them a nuanced conflict between beings and characters stuck between opposing worlds. As I push forward with these ideas, I have decided to take a multidisciplinary approach with potential lenses of ecofeminism, environmental ethics, and liminality. What was initially intriguing was San's role in the conflict as a human who was raised by animals. I would also like to further examine the relationships between human beings and both their speaking and mute animal companions. One of the many research questions I have been considering concern the complex interplay between environmentalism and industrialization, as well as how the film establishes environmental responsibility. As I continue to rewatch the film, as well as documentaries that grant a glimpse into the inner workings of Miyazaki Hayao and Studio Ghibli, I hope to find new ways to analyze and connect to the material in a way that supports a meaningful argument that changes the way I view the role of humankind in the natural world.
GAINING PERSPECTIVE
May 2, 2021 - Post Two
As I delve deeper and deeper into my research project, I find that my mind constantly wanders back to my object of study – not in a stressful, overbearing manner, but in a way that entices curiosity and new developments. This active process of simply thinking about my research reminded me of an excerpt that I read about the scientific method, in which the scientist mulls over their ideas while doing everyday, mundane tasks. I'll instantly pull out my phone, engage in yet another search on Google Scholar, and find a new way to see Princess Mononoke. I think this stage, where you suddenly see something that wasn't there before and ideas start to fall into place alongside one another, is one of the most exciting parts of analysis - apart from the actual writing, of course.
It is not my intention to suggest that this process so far has been entirely uncomplicated. There are moments where I feel like factors in my interpretation could be a mere imitation of another's or the idea of counterarguing a scholar with established, credible work seemed impossible. As I began my search for secondary sources, I was worried about finding both my voice in the scholarly dialogue and enough evidence to augment my argument without interfering with my own line of thinking. I have found great insight into the art of animation and the film's environmental elements, but there was little focus on how the representation of animals and their conflict with human beings made an impactful difference towards its humanistic truth. I then realized that this was my way into the conversation.
I plan to pursue my initial line of thinking regarding liminality and environmental responsibility, however, since rewatching the film and reading through different scholarly positions, I have gained new insight into what it means to be animal in the world of Miyazaki. I have also read through an interview with the filmmaker about his ecological perspectives, which ultimately transformed certain elements of my interpretation. He states: "It's not bad people who are destroying forests." The film attempts to answer the following question: how can humans, who have a need for modernization and progress, coexist with nature, who is perceived as a sacred entity? There is no perpetrator in the film, just two forces who have needs that fundamentally clash. Moving forward with this concept, the battle between humans and animals as well as their individual representations becomes increasingly complex and nuanced. New ideas I've gained from scholarly insight so far, such as the abject animal, natural disaster heroine, and plasmatic bodies, will enhance my perspective. Similar to almost every project I've taken on, I started out pretty lost and intimidated, but I'm ready to buckle down and get to work.
EPIPHANIES
June 5, 2021 - Post ThreeI had watched Princess Mononoke three times and read various articles, books, and essays before reaching a point where my ideas felt disorganized and disjointed. I developed claims and concepts drawn from different disciplines that couldn't seem to connect, and I felt as if my paper had no direction. I had recently raved about Studio Ghibli films to a friend and brought up that Ponyo was my first and favorite feature film from the animation studio. As I returned to my research project, I couldn't get my mind off of the endearing film. It was then that I realized the number of parallels that could be drawn between Princess Mononoke and Ponyo. At first glance, these films seem to be the complete opposite of one another. One depicts a violent war between humans and animals that ends at a crossroads, while the other is a playful tale about a boy and his fish with a happy ending. Looking deeper, the two films share the same ecological storyline: humanity and nature experience a growing unrest, and a strong bond between a boy and a girl provides the possibility of settling it. Once that single connection was established, there was no way that I could not include Ponyo in my paper.
Adding a second film seemed a bit stressful to me at first, as it'd been a while since I had seen Ponyo and most of my scholarship was centralized on the concepts of Princess Mononoke. I couldn't pass up the chance to write an analysis on one of my favorite films, so I took on the challenge. Little did I know I would find myself on a similar path just a week later. I was excited to see Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind on the reading list for the Spring, as it is one of the few Ghibli films I hadn't seen yet. As Professor Schwab's unit had just begun, I started to think about the film and what little I knew about it when it suddenly hit me: Nausicaä is set after the apocalypse! This very simple and obvious fact led me to discovering the missing piece to my project (which should not have taken me as long as it did - after all, my instructor had been encouraging me to watch the film). It was incredibly significant that the three films were set in different time periods and in the midst of varying environmental catastrophes. I realized that Miyazaki had laid out his own narrative continuum, where he explores the human-nature relationship at each of its distinct stages - before, during, and after ecological, anthropogenic crises.
It has been a lot of fun to write about films that I hold very dear to me. Although there were some stressful moments through the process (lets face it, I am a perfectionist), I enjoyed connecting the dots between each film and diving into the ideology of a director that I admire. I'm gonna miss rambling on and on about Studio Ghibli, and I feel as if my analysis allowed me to see the films in a different light as well as gain a greater appreciation for them.
– Hayao Miyazaki