Research Log #2

DECISION TIME: Princess Mononoke or Howl's Moving Castle?

In the previous research log, I briefly discerned my interest in two films: Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle—both masterpieces directed by Hayao Miyazaki and both animated films are near and dear to my heart. But in the end, I decided to go with PRINCESS MONONOKE! 

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

There were a few reasons behind why I decided to go with Princess Mononoke despite the fact that Howl's Moving Castle is my favorite Studio Ghibli piece of all time. 

1. As a student, I've observed firsthand the positive and negative impact of technological advances in educational settings. 

❧ In choosing Princess Mononoke, it is inevitable that I analyze the impact of humanity's technological advances, both positive and negative. In order to analyze how the film has communicated this message over the years of its existence, it will help to bring in firsthand experience and evidence that I can provide from being in a setting that glorifies and uses today's technology at a high volume.

2. AI plays a major role in how Princess Mononoke's message is communicated in current trends. 

❧ Because Princess Mononoke—created in 1997—is almost 30 years old, it is inevitable that its message has changed evolved over the course of its existence. In connecting it to today's most significant technological advancement, artificial intelligence, I will intersect the film and AI in order to analyze the film's message and how it is relevent to today's technological issues.

Provisional Research Questions!

As Princess Mononoke is a film as complex as a film can get with its hidden meanings, messages, and themes, it was difficult to decide what aspect of the film I wanted to hone in on. Although I could do an in-depth film analysis, I feel that it negates the purpose behind my intentions to truly break down the film at a deeper so level. If I truly want to achieve that, then through this paper I must bring attention to specific aspects and study them to a deeper level. So what are some different aspects I can choose to look at and the questions I can ask about them?

1. How has AI defined the delicate balance between humanity and the natural world as communicated through the film, Princess Mononoke? 

2. How has the message behind Hayao Miyazaki's 1997 animated film, Princess Mononoke, transcended time and still remain relevent with its current audience?

3. Is the message behind Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke an environmental protest, influenced by an innate Japanese appreciation/worship of nature, or both?

4. What allegories do the characters of Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke present in retrospect of the current environmental and technological state of the world?

In reflection of my learning experience...

This quarter has been, without a doubt, Humcore's most interesting in fun in terms of learning topics and get started on our research paper! Being able to learn about video games from Professor Ruberg and hearing from past successful Humcore student writers have definitely inspired by journey towards starting my research paper and the learning process overall of how to conduct research in general. Their ways of research have opened my mind to the possibilites of what can be interpreted through mediums such as games, film, and literature. 

Going ahead, this research paper will inevitably be a big challenge to take on! I can already foresee disorganization of my thought process which leads to disorganization of my paper itself. In order to combat this, I plan to ensure I have a well formatted and well thought out annotated bibliography and secondary source digital storage. 

As we partake in this final act of interacting with worldbuilding, I would like to wish all of us best of luck in our research journies and a huge thank you to the faculty who supported us along the way, especially my lecturer, Dr. Walsh! Have fun everyone!