Research Log #1

Welcome to spring quarter everyone! We have finally reached the final quarter of Humanities Core, cue the celebratory music! But don't celebrate just yet because fortunately and unfortunately, we still have a research paper to conduct. In an attempt to do this year's theme of worldbuilding justice, going ahead we will be exploring and researching the worlds built within selected art mediums as primary sources and the impacts of differing aspects within each—such as films, literature, and much more. 

As evident through my clearly heavily Ghibli-themed digital archive website, it would be an absolute shame for me to not consider multiple Studio Ghibli films in my quest in exploring potential primary sources. So without further ado, let us commence on the grueling research journey ahead by first considering our potential primary sources!

Howl's Moving Castle / ハウルの動く城 (2004)

Prominent throughout many of Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli films, Howl's Moving Castle contains many war elements that reflect Miyazaki's personal stance on the Iraq War that was ongoing on during 2004 and his personal experience with World War II. The most significant aspect of the film that I am interested in honing in on is the human response and ways of coping during times of war, specifically through art mediums such as films.

As we continue to face times of war currently and inevitably in the future, understanding how Miyazaki reflects his stance on war through this film can allow us to deeper realize how humans themselves find ways to cope with or understand war. Using film analysis techniques learned through previous Humanities Core units, I hope to utilize my knowledge of elements such as sound, mise-en-scene, and many other film elements in order to understand the stage that Miyazaki sets in this film. 

I have decided to work with the primary source, Princess Mononoke! Although I hold both primary sources near and dear to my heart, contrary to the advice of Dr. Walsh—my seminar lecturer-to avoid researching an artifact I am personally attached to, I have chosen Princess Mononoke for a multitude of reasons with some influenced by personal bias. First and foremost, as environmental and technological advances diminish or further, I am interested in exploring how Miyazaki's unconscious message to humanity has changed throughout time alongside these changing issues. 

With the epidemic of artificial intelligence use within academic settings such as UC Irvine, discussing the pros and cons of using artificial intelligence is now more important than ever. With abuse of A.I. use becoming more prevalent in academia, exploring how the advance of human technology affects critical thinking and our understanding of the world around us is required and understanding why people turn to A.I. and how to safely prevent abused of it is something that I am interested in exploring. 

As we face climate change, it is also important to explore how a trending human technology is affecting the natural world we inhabit. Artificial intelligence, known for making life easier, is slowly affecting us in the background of its positive impact. In order to ensure that this aspect of A.I. is explored in its human impact, we must acknowledge the effects running in the background and ensure they are understood by a general audience, even if it is just me or a few people coming to the realization the negative impact of A.I. on our environment and translating Miyazaki's message through Princess Mononoke.