I've always loved the scene in Howls Moving Castle where Sophie cries into the wind, loud and ugly, and when she's done, she's done. No withholding, no shame about whos watching, no apologies after. She acknowledges how hard and stressful the journey has been, and cries about it. When she's done crying, the journey continues. It makes me want to be that in tune with my needs, no matter what they are, and express them shamelessly.
Sophie was definitely very charming and it was great to see her build her confidence and acceptance of her age. Miyazaki’s character feel like people dealing with an actual problem or insecurity that they ultimately learn to overcome, not just a device used to deliver a message that rings hollow.
Shame might be one of the main struggles of modern society without people realizing it. I believe Miyazaki, coming from a society built on honor and shame, tries to picture a world where we can explore the complexity of life freely without shame getting in the way (of these characters and people in them); because perhaps it is shame which leads to this uncontrollable confusion so prevalent today. I find that his work reflects the reality that life isn't black and white but rather complex and that that's okay, we can just accept it for what it is; this thought makes me feel the way Sophie did, that acceptance of reality for all of it's contrast and that it's not really anybody's fault, we all take what we're given and there's no one answer for everything; this makes me rest into my spirit. Life is a mix of order and chaos and that's the beauty of it, it's perfect because it's not.
There's a quote from Miyazaki about love that I'm surprised wasn't in this video lol. It sums up the relationship between the male and female protagonists, and his views on love between them, so perfectly. “I’ve become skeptical of the unwritten rule that just because a boy and girl appear in the same feature, a romance must ensue. Rather, I want to portray a slightly different relationship, one where the two mutually inspire each other to live - if I’m able to, then perhaps I’ll be closer to portraying a true expression of love.” In looking for this quote (because I wanted to copy/paste it so I wouldn't get it wrong lmbo) I also found this one from him, which seems very apt, and relates to what you were saying in the Lofi Girl segment. “I would like to make a film to tell children "it's good to be alive".”
From 6 to 10 y.o, I was suicidal and depressed because of horrible things my father did to us. My mom and I used to watch all the GHIBLI movies at this period. At the begining she insisted we watch them, before i would start to ask for it myself. Having no father to look up to and no real role model, I realise now that those movies really gave me a perspective and a role model. They really inspired me. I didn't know Myazaki said ''I would like to make a film to tell children "it's good to be alive'', but when i read your comment and saw the quote, i really got shivers. In hindsight, i really think they played a role in saving me. To this day, whenever i rewatch the movies, or even just think about them, i get a feeling of empowerment and security. So thank you mom And thanks Myazaki and GHIBLI, deeply !
- Kiki taught me about proper work-life balance, about rest and recovery from burnout - Sophie taught me about courage and not caring what others might think of me, so as to not be a passive observer in my own life - Sheeta and Pazu taught me about selfless love, kindness, and how understanding can bring together the most unlikely friends - Ashitaka and San taught me that it’s never too late to start over, to make peace. People say “well, that’s the way it’s always been, that’s the way it’ll always be, there’s no use trying to change things” but that’s not true, there’s always a way to reach a peaceful resolution. The forest may burn but there will be growth there someday.
Shizuku taught me to prioritise your creativity correctly. You're ALLOWED to be creative and have goals, but sometimes things like school have to take first place. You can write outside of school hours. But you can do your dream. It's OK if your first attempt isn't the best. Baby steps. You will improve, you will find your inner gems. We learn from her mistake but also her determination.
Chihiro taught me to see the good in others, even if it seems like there is none. She also taught me that it's okay to let your emotions out, because mental strength is the best kind of strength.
Porco Rosso taught me to let go of guilt and trauma that may have not been my fault and to forgive myself (and also that fascism is bad, which is based)
Umi Matsuzaki taught me to let go of somethings and keep trying in what you believe in. She also taught me to stay strong when it feels like nothing is working out. (No its NOT just about a boy)
Important note about the theme of aloneness for the sex workers in Mononoke is that in feudal Japan most prostitutes were sold into sex work by their families, which adds extra meaning to Eboshi buying their contracts and giving them a home with husbands and valued work as the smiths of Iron Town. Just as with the lepers, Eboshi lifted them out of ostracism and gave them family, value, and community
This is one of the reasons Princess Mononoke is my favorite Ghibli film. Both female characters representing each side of the fight (San and Eboshi) have very valid reasons to fight the war they’re fighting, and you can feel the weight of the consequences if either side “loses.” Sure, we can all empathize with the environmental side with San, but Lady Eboshi took in the outcasts of society and gave their lives purpose, in a time in history when the people she took in (sex workers and leppers) would have suffered even more so and had no opportunities for agency in their lives. It’s not like a lot of films with an environmental message that’s just “man bad, we must save the earth,” it asks the serious question, “what happens to the people who are just trying to get by when we destroy their livelihood in order to save the earth?” And it doesn’t shirk that question, it tackles it with the full weight it deserves.
I work in the cosplay community as a photographer. Nearly every single female anime character has been turned into a purely sexual being by cosplayers with scantily clad versions of them. But you hardly ever, ever see that with Ghibli's female characters. They're just not seen in that way and i think your essay gets to the heart of why.
I think a key point here is is that none of the charaters are erotic. Beautiful, but not erotic. Depicting/dressing up the characters up like that feels like an insut. But the intresting/remarkable thing is that its not because the characters are "pure" or "innocent", they are not deprived of eroticism, rather that eroticism simply plays no role in the storys that they are part of.
The reality is that women in anime are just used to please male audiences. Miyazaki actually expressed his disappointment when it comes to anime in an interview. It's not just the cosplayers, they literally dress as the character who appears that way.
@@grAnita- And we are Happy with that. Get your Feminazi views out of our Escapism and Entertainment!!! 😠😠 In all Seriousness, I feel like many Anime pEople are entrenching themselves further due to the Feminazis making Women Uglier with Horrible personalities to beat the "male gaze". Except the Only one Feminazis are defeating is themselves by being Spiteful. Men will literally accept Non sexualized but Pretty Women. We aren't that hard to please Ladies. 😅 Give us a well Rounded character and its even better.
@@eliasheid947it's definitely not this alone. Kobeni from chainsaw man isn't sexualized and doesn't wear revealing clothing at pretty much any point within the series, yes a bit part of the anime community sexualizes the living hell out of her
@@grAnita- I agree that Miyazaki is exceptional, I still have my critiques. He really struggles with not adding female stereotypes to his characters for ex. Only his recent film, the Boy and Heron is the first movie where his Female lead doesn't cry. There is not one other film where his female charactes don't cry. But there are many films where his male characters cry, but many where they don't. Because "women cry to express emotion" And other tradional traits, that are purely female are given because she is female. But I give credit that women's place in his stories are never invalidated.
A possible substitute for “not neurotic” I think would be “contented”. It usually means happy and at ease, but also means willing to accept something and satisfied.
tbh, although it might not be the best description, "not neurotic" feels like the perfect way to describe it because it's in reference to the real world. The aesthetic is so calming because it's a break from the chaos of our surroundings and our minds. That said, I do think that "content" is the goal; I just do not think it captures the emotion quite right as to why it's so appealing. Some extra thoughts I had: The women portrayed in the movies don't seem content. There is still something they are going after although they have no inner conflict. That's what I really like about them; they are driven and seeking something, and I like them especially because it's not inner peace that they are missing.
Japanese culture has great esteem for a children's book published in 1908 by Canadian author, Lucy Maud Montgomery. That book is called Anne of Green Gables, and Anne Shirley inhabits all the characteristics you defined. She is shunned as an orphan, she lives in a rigid world, she doesn't dwell on past injustices but instead tries to see it through compassionate eyes. She is archetypically feminine yet breaks gender barriers by striving for academic success. She is filled with drive, duty, low fi bliss, strong opinions about right and wrong, and a desire to love and be loved. She changes as she matures, but the greatest change happens to those around her when they experience her joy.
I love Anne of Green Gables (a 40-year-old Polish woman here, haha). As a character, she feels 100% like an actual human being - and a human being that you could very well transplant right into our times and she'd fit right in without any changes to her character necessary. Hell, you could literally transplant her whole story to modern times (an adopted child in a small community, struggling in her new circumstances and gradually finding acceptance and love while pursuing academic dreams and literally aspirations, while at the same time dealing with insecurities about her looks, friendships and first loves, and also generally being a normal teenager who likes fashion, etc. etc. etc.)... Now that I think about it - I wonder how it's possible that we don't have a modern adaptation yet!
Fascinating comment! I am curious if you have seen "Anne with An E"? It is a Netflix adaption of Anne of Green Gables. Sadly only three seasons. If you have what you think of it? There are definite changes to Anne's story but I think the essence is still there, in all the ways you so eloquently listed above.
I think this lack of inner conflict is also why so many people feel nostalgic about Ghibli films, even if they haven't watched them as kids. I didn't grow up with Ghibli, but do get a very strong feeling of nostalgia from these movies. It's because they capture this feeling of childhood. This lack of conflict and this unbothered way of how children look at the world, it is the same how many of these characters look at the world. They still have this childlike energy (which doesn't mean they are childish or not mature) which we would love to have as adults.
I disagree, I think many female ghibli protagonists do have a lot of inner conflict, and that's what makes them feel real. Kiki's burnout/depression, Shizuku's insecurity towards her writing and feeling like she'll never be as good as her boyfriend, Anna's intense self-esteem issues/social anxiety, each protagonist has her own inner turmoil to deal with and it's an important element that makes their stories so interesting, but it isn't all they are and they're able to overcome each hurdle which is why it doesn't feel like they're completely burdened
Miazaki women are so much more accurate to REAL women; they are unquie individuals, who cannot be summarized in a couple of adjectives and descriptors. And I love them for it!!! They follow their morals and values; and that is what they make the decisions they do, not because they value a personality trait such as determination, but because the actions they do are based on things they love/value. San doesn’t WANT to fight, but she does want nature to thrive and that is based on her love of her family, and because she cares about them she is willing to sacrifice things. They aren’t written based on personality traits but off of their values and code of ethics.
I also want to build off of this agreeing with your point about isolation and closed worlds and such; the values they have are based off of how the world they live in works; they got those values because of how the world treats them and how they see others being affected by the world around them. Their values are tied into the world building.
A lot of the time when a female character fails is because they aren't a real character. They're either a prop: Mom, sister, clerk, assistant, secretary, the female soldier, etc. Just a thing to spice the narrative up. Or maybe they are a Mary-sue who just makes sure the plot moves on without a hitch. This even works in places you wouldn't expect: The only reason people point of objectification is if the character is nothing but a sex object, maybe at best used as a tool for gags with the pervert character. But if she has real character, hopes, dreams, morals, values, opinions AND she's sexy? That's just everyone's favourite character and a classic.
@@jesustyronechrist2330I agree with what you mean. I want to add, when they are made a character for building their world, is what makes any character, no matter the gender, beautifully well written.
The funny thing is that Miyazaki women achieve everything that modern hollywood tries to achieve with their female characters. The big difference is that Miyazaki women never try to put others down to make themselves look greater. Edit: Thx so much for the thousand likes!
I don’t think that is necessarily the big difference. In Hollywood women just simply are not written well, either they are too girl boss and it comes off as fabricated or you as the audience simply don’t know anything about the character other than that she is a women.
@@Urjoking831 “the problem isn’t this specific problem in the bad writing, the problem is bad writing” is how you sounded. Please, consider writing better.
Especially not traditional women, or men. True strength should be independent from gender firstly; and then can your strength (within your gender) be fully realized.
I think what else really sets Ghibli women apart is the fact that they have so many qualities about them that make them feel like they're real people. Western storytelling plays up the drama and the fantastical, and by no means are Ghibli films lacking in either of those traits, but the characters always feel so grounded in their worlds. They're a part of that world. Myiazaki is such a master at building these worlds into believability that the story genuinely begins and ends as if it truly was just another day in the world and what sells it is the way the characters interact with each other and the world around them. I really liked your point about how the women have a duty and a purpose to fulfill and they're just DOING it. Just another day, just another task, and yet that lofi vibe permeates the whole thing. I love these films and I have so much respect for Miyazaki. Well done on this video!! Super cool and fascinating!!
When I watched nausicaa for the first time, I cried at how beautiful of a person she was. Her kindness, her way of looking past biases about her forest and it ultimately being the thing that saves her life- the journey she went through hit me in a nerve that almost felt hidden deep within me. I’ve never seen another character like her. She’s relatively underrated compared to other ghibli heroines but she made the biggest impact on me.
I'd encourage you to read the manga, if you haven't already. It's a beautiful work drawn by Miyazaki in the same art style as the movie, and far more in-depth. Very brutal story, though.
Nausicaa is my favorite Miyazaki heroine and in general she is one of my all time favorite heroes. I love how kind she is, bud capable as well, like she is fully aware of the danger around her but tries to handle it in the best way she can. As a man, I am inspired by her and want to be like her, that is the power of a great character.
Watched Nausicaa again last night and was just so impressed by her, I just haven’t seen another character quite like her. The scene where she literally burns her leg in acid to save a dying creature and somehow manages to keep going after that just punches me in the gut every time. She is by far one of my favorite characters of all time.
@@rootbourne4454 yes she is not a girl boss, she is not a conventional hero either, she realizes that some people and bugs are dangerous, so she never underestimates anyone but that doesn't stop her from caring. One more thing i like about her is that we see she is a skilled warrior capable of killing multiple enemies and that terrifies her to the point her pacifism seems more like self restraint.
The vibe I get from Miyazaki movies is romance, but not in love romance but the old fashioned meaning "a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life." I'm not finished watching yet but thank you for the lovely videos! Edit* Finally finished the video and you ended up bringing it up later. Great minds think alike lol
This is an EXCELLENT analysis. I've been on this side of Yt for years, and I've grown frustrated with how many channels have popped up without any regard for analysis (sorry, but your opinion may have analysis in it, but it is not analysis per se) and that would be alright if they didn't think it was analysis, but actually called like it is: reviews, rants, whatever. And this video is SO GOOD. You broke down not one, but multiple movies and truly found the essence of these Ghibli movies. I cannot think of anyone expressing it better than you. So thank you! I'll now go watch everything you've ever put out and you've got a subscriber for life.
I am a 24 year old man, father, husband and when I last watched Howls moving Castle, I was 6 or 7 years old, so I hardly remember it. I watched it again recently with my kids, and when I seen Sofie get cursed to be an old lady, I felt scared. Seeing her, this, now, old lady, venturing willingly, without a second thought into what I’m told is a dangerous location, I felt empowered. The idea this girl who just went through something utterly awful, losing her youth and her life effectively, and not just perceiver, but show such resolve, just took my breath away. It seems like such a small scene in action but as someone who at a young age was very afraid of both dying and growing old, this old woman showed more courage and determination than I ever could. I know I would’ve broke down, hid away somewhere, and tried to at least die peacefully and quietly, with some dignity. Seeing that scene really made me feel stronger, like I could be strong like her in that moment. And that is something I can’t fully put into words, aside from what I said above. That’s not just good female characterization, that’s good writing.
@@wickedarctiinae413224 years old is actually a really normal age to have children. At least, for older generations. It’s rare for newer generations due to a variety of factors.
@@wickedarctiinae4132 Sure, 24 years is considered fairly young for parenthood in today's Western society (though that's not necessarily true in other places in the world, and we don't know where the OP is from), but hardly unheard of, so why fixate on that minor detail instead of focusing on the very heartfelt, in-depth and on-the-point comment that he wrote about Sophie (about whom, incidentally, I agree with him completely: she's a fantastic character who grows into so much strength while remaining so utterly and believably human and vulnerable)?
Have you watched The Cat Returns? It's not strictly a Miyazaki, but it's sorta like a spin off of Whisper of the Heart. Haru is interesting because she does have a lot of inner conflict and suffers with self-doubt. But when someone else needs help she will leap into action without hesitation. Her growth is all about her becoming that aspirational, chill, "lofi girl" type of person. The last scene of the film she just exudes that kind of aura, and it's such a huge contrast to how she was at the beginning of the story. Maybe that's why CR was always my favorite Ghibli? I wanted to experience that growth myself and become that kind of person. It also definitely helps that the English voice cast has Cary Elwes, Anne Hathaway, and Tim Curry lol
I feel like his “different writing style”, has mostly to do with how he writes kids and young adults, in general. For example; when you watch movies like From up on Poppy Hill, it’s by no means magical, extravagant or exciting. However, the way he writes the main character is one with respect, empathy and strong morals. He has so much respect for young people, specifically girls and young women and it’s been very refreshing and hopeful to see growing up.
From Up on Poppy Hill was actually mostly written by his son, with Miyazaki Senior helping with the script. That's also the reason why the film has a lot of themes regarding a respectable but absentee father, if you are aware of the strained relationship between the father and son 😅 Other than that, I agree with everything else you said! I think a lot of his good writing stems from his detailed observations of people in general. So you don't see his characters as caricatures, but as living beings.
Thats extremelly interesting that you say that, because... imo he also really, really respects old people as well? like, he has a lot of old people in his movies as well, and they arent meant to be grumpy or racist or bad like we sometimes portray old people, he portrays them as people, in a diferent way than young people, but still
I adore Nassica because of how empathetic and good hearted she is. So many people who try (and fail) to write female characters just make them reallly mean spirited and emotionless?? But Nassica is just really genuine in wanting to help both people and insects. And even though she's kind she's strong. Not weak. I really looked up to Nassica as a kid and still do now
While I was writing my first novel last year I wanted to take careful consideration that my female characters weren’t being made into caricatures of how “strong women” were portrayed in western movies/shows/etc. So I took inspiration from not only the amazing women in my life but also the beloved female characters in the studio Ghibli films who never seemed to fit a particular box but were always viewed as whole characters
I honestly recommend not worrying it about unless female characters have the same personality syndrome. For example, I have a female character who falls into a “strong woman” however people love her. It’s about how you write them.
@@IsabellaMathewI couldn’t agree more. I think that’s the beauty of writing in itself, every writer brings something different to the table, whether it's a particular style of prose, a distinct sense of humor, or a unique world-building approach. It's this diversity of voices and approaches that keeps the art of storytelling so captivating and ever-evolving
33:39 Why Sofie and Howl fall for each other I think mostly because it made sense in the book, but the story in the book is VERY different from the Ghiblli version (not only because it's longer and twistier). The popular description is that the movie is Howl's version of the story where he is super cool, Sophie's family make a blink and you miss it appearance and We Don't Talk About Wales. The book is the story told from Sophie's POV, and it describes Howl as a disaster himbo wizard coward from the strange other world "Wales", and at the end she and her family have to rescue him. EDIT Forgot to mention, the scarecrow is also better explained in the book. It doesn't really make sense in the movie because the entire Magical Frankenstein subplot is cut out but it made sense in the book.
In my opinion, the best writer of female characters besides Miyazaki is the deceased writer Satoshi Kon. Because he has always written unique female characters, the most famous of which are Prefect Blue, Paprika, and Millennium Actress. And other other works.
The way I feel about the lofi girl vibe you described, is being present. In all of the examples you showed the characters are fully immersed in a sort of "be here now" attitude (at least from our perspective). It's a difficult to grasp kind of zen usually, but you described it well I think with a lack of neurosis or worry/distraction. They are simply where they are and nowhere else.
I really liked that you addressed that in western media romantic love and "love at first sight" are depicted as the pinnacle of happiness and what we must all aspire to in order to find our happily ever after. I myself am asexual (not aromantic though) and am quite bothered by the focus being so heavily on romantic relationships that stem from sexual attraction. The depiction of relationships in Miyazaki movies that come from mutual respect and appreciation or even are just platonic in nature is kind of "refreshing", for lack of a better word. It is just nice to see more credit being given to different kinds of relationships.
While I agree with you I will say that it is not the fact that western movies are wrong rather they don’t represent how everyone feels love or romantic feelings.
I am actually lucky enough to be taking a studio Ghibli class! I am planning on writing my thesis about female protagonist in Miyazaki‘s works, and how their ties to nature defy stereotypical woman’s links to nature. This video was helping me a lot and I really really really appreciate it! It’s so great to see people, agreeing, and understanding that these childhood heroes are great not just because their women, but because they are flushed out like real human beings! I absolutely love and adore these characters, they were my inspiration since childhood and I’m so glad that you are discussing this! Thank you so much again
Chihiro is my favorite heroine out of the Ghibli movies I've seen if she wasn't such a compelling character to me it wouldn't be one of my favorite movies ever. I could easily put myself into her shoes and see my child self in her. Being alone in a new world and having a job with no prior experience of that kind of responsibility. It feels exactly what it is to transfer from being a kid to a teenager. She is still treated like a child ,but she has responsibilities and duties she needs to do. She's scared and confused, but she makes it her own and grows in maturity because of it. Her arc is why I can watch the movie over and over and still appreciate it every time.
I do believe that the term for the "non-neurotic" state of mind you described is "ikigai". As stated, the Miyazaki women are remarkably free of inner conflict. This is because most of them have found an inner state of mind, a purpose, a flow that allows them to work toward their goals free of doubt. That is ikigai. It's more than just a venn diagram. It's a step toward enlightenment.
The easy way I see it is that he does not take away their femeninity to make them "stronger" sure give them masculine traits but they are clearly women at heart, which is never a bad thing
@@aliquida7132 There are some females out there though who act like men. My friend does. Like not all women are feminine and not all women have feminine brains.
This is how strong female characters should be written. They're especially compelling when their femininity is what helps them overcome their flaws, not be Mary Sues which lack flaws indefinitely.
@@evelynn1173 But what exactly is a female trait and a male trait? Your friend is not less a women just because she "acts like a men". So maybe she doesn't act like a man, but does things that are normally associated with man. What is a women trait or a male trait different from just a human trait? Being femine or masculine is something that I'm question a lot in my life.
This video helped me a lot with my therapy. I was lost on who I am and what I want, but your deconstruction of these girls and young women showed me where I want to start my journey. Years of overthinking finally end and I can start to use my energy on defending my morals without shame, being respectful to people but especially myself, and not assuming the worst every second of my life. Thank you.
I'm currently on a second watch for taking notes because I too feeling lost since I can remember, saw so well articulated my struggles but also my core. I may not have the qualities of all these women, but something has clicked when I watched the video
I love how Studio Ghibli characters, regardless of sex, gender, age and even species, all feel so human. They have human traits, not defined by their stereotypes and that feel so refreshing to see, like Miyazaki writes the soul of the character first then writes their gender and other stuff..they feel somewhat mytical and nearly other-worldly in that sense. Like his characters, both villians and heros, feel like angels and other fantasy leaning living things than like people.
Man, I've always adored your channel but this was a new level. You put perfectly into words what I myself have felt makes ghibli girls different from western female characters. Shizuku is my personal ghibli favorite, along with Fio for almost exactly all the things you described here. So glad someone else thought of the notion of "unashamedly but not egotistically doing whatever the hell I want" as another form of empowerment for women. Never understood how western film (or hollywood specifically) has such a hard time implementing it... I'm also very appreciative of you as a creator and analyst for simultaneously seeing through gender norms while not advocating against traditional feminity or masculinity. Thank you for your incredible work, looking forward to more ghibli videos!
This 100%. Schnee is rapidly approaching my favourite video maker on TH-cam right now. Always an excellent take based on a genuine understanding of the material and superbly articulated.
It's primarily an American thing. The goal of getting to the top by pulling others down. This is how they define success. Always talk of 'overcoming', 'winning', 'out competing'. You don't get the crown, except by standing on a corpse. Characters in these movies achieve success by pulling other up. Making the world work together. By solving a problem; not eliminating the problem.
@@JOCoStudio1 Yes, agreed. It's been one of the most refreshing channels I've encountered since Arcane came out. Nothing political, no bashing or dismissiveness, just a shitton of interesting thoughts and feelers handed out for free
@@KnugLidi Might be an american thing, at least it looks like modern day America (and Canada) channels that mentality way more strongly than Europe. You find it where I'm from too, but again, might be cause Northern Europe is way more americanized than they like to admit. And yeah, pulling others up, solving a problem. That's all I ever wanted in stories, really. People who are actually satisfied with the opposite (a lot of which is produced today) seem to often lack empathy for others in general
@@emmablomskog3593 There is a big difference between how the US channels it and how Canada/northern europe do. The lack of empathy is a big issue. Just look at the differences in maternity leave!
I remember someone explaining love and relationships in ghibli films as like, soulmates in the purest sense. It's not necessarily romantic, instead it's that 2 people connect on a spiritual level, either with a shared purpose, or their individual purposes coming together. Like when some people say "soulmate" they do mean it in a romantic/sexual sense and have the attitude that true soul mates would burn the world just for each other, but ghibli soulmates would never do that. Ghibli soulmates instead would save the world together, even if that meant being apart.
Regarding Kiki: I think she suffers from inner-conflict, but I don't know if she's quite "spiritually lost." She has that certainty and purity of purpose Miyazaki's women usually have from the outset. The conflict arises when her spirit bumps up against a world that isn't as magical as she is. This results in her briefly losing her literal magical powers, but the film resolves with her finding a place in the world where her inner-light can be allowed to shine. She adapts, she grows up, but she doesn't compromise. She might not be able to talk to Jiji anymore, but she's still Kiki.
Someone asked Miyazaki why Jiji didn't talk at the end when she overcame her spiritual burnout and save the day, to which he replied "maybe he was speechless"
Just sayin' the characters of Kiki and Sophie were originally written by women. Not to take away from the point of the video - with which I do ultimately agree. But I don't think many people know Kiki's Delivery Service and Howl's Moving Castle are fantastic books that anyone who already loves these stories should read. Howl's in particular holds up for YA and is sooo, so good. Diana Wynne Jones crafted such a lovely story and she deserves a nod.
I absolutely love Miyazaki's view on love, it's reallyy refreshing and inspiring to see in a world that's based on love at first sight or just physical things. I think it's very important to give attention to your own spirituality, goals and capabilities in order to truly love and attract people that are either in need of help or simply want to understand you. Or already appreciate you as you!
I agree so much with this. That depiction of love made me develop a hatred towards romantic films or books, it felt like a lust instead of love in my point of view. I still remember how I hated a book my school forced my grade to read because of how fake and stupid its portrayal of love was, and then another book, that my school also made us read, that wasn't even about a love, but showed a healthy relationship that truly felt important to the mc.
I notice how in Miyazaki's love stories, there isn't even need for two people to ever, even for one second, to flirt with each other and instead the focus on so many other things, which not only makes them the more real and true to feelings, but gives them purity and innocence as well
This is one of the best analysis videos I’ve ever seen not just on this subject but in general for fiction/character study. I was genuinely moved to tears a couple of times because you described something so perfectly and it truly resonated with me as a person and my interests. Wonderful job, schnee!
About your whole section regarding love, you managed to put into words what I, an asexual, have always adored about Miyazaki's relationships since childhood. Kisses and sex aren't the driving force of these relationships, it's about simply helping each other. making each other happy in the mundane aspects of life, making each other feel valued as a person living in society. I don't want to have sex, and I'm not wild about kisses, but I want to hug my future spouse with the same level of enthusiasm as Ponyo hugs Souske. I want to feel as supported and cared for as Sophie cares for Howl. It's looking at the SOUL of a person and wanting to have them in their life, united not by superficial interests or ideals, but in the simple desire for wanting to meet and connect with people who are just living life. EDIT: it's for this reason Nausicaa was and still is my favorite Ghibli girl to this day. She just wants to help people, and no person is excluded from her love, even those who are terrifying or hate-filled. She faced down an army of rage-blinded bugs and still won. Brilliant video, schnee. Please keep it up with the Miyazaki essays, cause TH-cam really needs more of these videos.
This EXACTLY! I am not a romance movie person, but Ghibli makes me feel giddy. At the end of the movie I feel in my heart that the couple love each other in such a way that I could only dream of. The pure support and admiration, and LOVE is so deep that it's almost magnetic.
I'm not asexual but the absolute strongest love I've ever felt is not when sex comes first. It's when we get to know each other in such a deep way, wether that is from working together in a team, or relating to each other through hobbies or life experiences. To feel immence respect and admiration NEVER comes for me when it's all about sex either. I feel like this guy not understanding why people here fell in love is actually quite sad. Makes me wonder if he even ever even had a teacher that he loved and respected without wanting a sexual relationship with, or a close friend.
I'm aroace and I 100% agree! Miyazaki films deal with romance and relationships in a refreshing way that we don't see a lot. And its absolutely beautiful One day I'd love to have a partner (whether it's a platonic, romantic, or something in between) that I could go on adventures with. Where we'd be there for each other and work together. I want a relationship similar to how they're portrayed in these films.
The term you're looking for with that Lo-fi Girl vibe is Flow. It's a state where something Isn't so hard it becomes frustrating, isn't too easy that it becomes boring, and is enjoyable enough to keep all your attention. Flow is the next stage above focus
That lo-fi vibe you're trying to describe really reminds me of definition of Zen, at least from my rigid knowledge of it. Clearness of mind, being true to yourself, fulfilling your duty to yourself, not because someone told you to, and being in peace about it. Considering this ideology is very prominent in Asian cultures by different names I think it's fair assumption that it is an inspiration for Miyazaki's stories and it's a missing piece in western media. Also interesting how it transformed into a "lo-fi vibe" for us when Zen stripped out from all religious practices around it. Though it might be a leap in conclusions on my part 😅.
I practiced Soto Zen (the wall observing kind) for a few years and I agree with you. That relaxed, but very focused activity is reportedly part of Samurai training. It’s definitely part of Scientology training which I have done.
thank you for mentioning many different heroines from miyazaki's films, especially nausicaa and fio! i feel like people never really talk about the miyazaki's movies that arent just the really popular ones, so this is a breath of fresh air (especially nausicaa GOD nausicaa is such a great film that not enough people are talking about)
Nausicaa is my all time favorite Miyazaki film, to this day I rewatch like I’m watching it for the first time and it still has such a powerful effect on me. Nausicaa is one of all time heroes and I love her getting some attention.
I love the way Miyazaki writes women. I'm a girly-girl, and I hate how "girl power" movies in the USA make me feel like I should be ashamed of that. Girls are shown as masculine or tough--and even the ones who aren't masculine are still now allowed to have weaknesses or real growth (especially in animated films), and they're not really allowed to ask for help--ESPECIALLY from a guy. I can't relate to that. That isn't only the opposite of girl power, but also the opposite of being human. Everyone needs help sometimes, and everyone is imperfect and needs to grow. But Miyazaki writes girls in a way that we can still feel girly, yet powerful while still not being ashamed when they need help. Being "strong" isn't about not asking for help or being literally, physically strong. Asking for help isn't a weakness.
How exciting to see this video from you! I really loved the how Arcane writes women & men videos. Your analysis' are always very insightful and so valuable.
Bro you are an amazing writer, the amount of emotionl depth and intelligence you show is pure gold. It's so difficult to express emotional behaviour especially to thinker types. I have been in discussion about how to write strong women for sometime and we could only muster motherly strength. The amount of angles you have presented was exactly what we were looking for. Absolutely amazing watch, much appreciated for your insight.
Miyazaki's women have grit. They keep their cool in tough circumstances. They do their duty. They push forward. They are humble. They are usually examples of charity. A lot of Christian gospel principles, honestly. I think that The Wind Rises should definitely be addressed in an essay about love, too--it contains his only adult romance to date. It's beautiful, made him cry when he wrote it.
I love what you said, especially about these heroines having grit, not to mention they earn their happy endings and never once do I stop to think them being women can keep them from being inspiring to me as a man.
I find that this feeling, this vibe you’re talking about, is very much about the perspective we have on what we’re doing in our lives. You could say I’m working a draining minimum wage job, have to take an hour’s commute by buses that are never on time, and the changeover I get always leaves me waiting out in the cold. But I actually like to get out of the house a bit earlier than I need to, take my time with the commute, sometimes walk parts of it, grab a bite to eat on the way or sit at the park reading, regardless of weather - because I don’t treat the commute as part of the job. It’s these moments that I consciously take care to enjoy that could be considered mundane and tiring that I most enjoy in the day. I learned this from my mom. She told me she started appreciating moments like these afer a friend she went on vacation with asked her why she was stressing so much during the long drive to their destination, because haven’t they started the holiday already?
The phenomena of "romantic/sexual attraction love beeing the ultimate thing" isn´t that old acually (I also can only speak for western society here). Actually bevore 1850 this posessive love was often thrownd upon, having been seen as naive juvenil form of love and not as profound as other majour deep connections. Most mariages bevore that were made out of political reasons (in the upper class) or to secure the amout of farm land in a family. Anthony Gaddens has a grait book about this (something like change of intimacy - sorry, I only know the title in German for shure). With the fall of big multi generation families and more individualisation by creating the working class without the big network of family relationships our current image of love was formed to compensate for emotional need wich were all put in this one person that is supposed to make you whole.
@@gabrote42 "Wandel der Intimität", but now I'm almost through with it and have to say it was super hard to read. The language is super complex, also the structure jumps all over the place. I had difficultys holding all the thaught strings together in my head - may also just have been because a lot is going on in my life otherwise... And olso over time I found it's outdated in some ways (the book was written in the 90s). It's purely written in a binary gender concept and also seems a bit out dated in general.
This is single-handedly the best breakdown of what makes Miyazaki movies what they are in a writing sense at a time when I see so many try to do the same and fail. Great job!
I have always adored how love in studio ghibli films extends beyond the conventional, narrow idea of romance that is what dominates western media. True love exists between all of these characters, just not the specific brand of love that we tend to idolize. Chihiro and Haku for example definitely love each other, and the fact that it isn't a conventional romance doesn't cheapen it at all. The shared feelings of mutual peace, harmony, understanding, and acceptance are what make this love the pinnacle of human emotion, and that is simply so much more impactful than physical attraction (also not everyone feels sexual or romantic attraction, but everyone does experience the love outlined above. Miyazaki's love is just more universal)
19:42 They are tho. Haru is full of self doubt. Sophie is very insecure about her looks. Shizuku is insecure about her writing. Anna has low self-esteem and social anxiety. Chihiro is cowardly. All of these female protagonists have these human flaws they have to come to terms with and overcome and show growth and that's what makes them good characters. Flaws like this are important and are a big reason why many western female protagonists fall flat; because they weren't given any to overcome.
You know how people often say you should write a well rounded character first and then start to think about their gender and so on? I feel like Miyazaki went one step ahead in that he always manages to create female characters who still shows very feminine traits but are complex enough to not be defined only by them. They still have their love interests, their nurturing nature, their traditional feminine roles as caretakers but the story gives both protagonists and villains enough to do that they feel like real people with connections and struggles. I can't help but compare these to the new trend of somewhat stripping female characters of every feminine trait possible in order to try and create independent and "strong" protagonists. As if femininity and strength can't coexist... edit: typo
I actually think it's a terrible advice and it should only be used for male writers who just cannot fathom writing a female character. For women and good male writers the other way around IS much better!
@K.C-2049 I do not think strong female characters is a problem, because it's possible to be strong while being feminine...Sarah Conner from T2 is for me the Quintessential strong female lead because because she still cares, the issue with norm-breaking is that for the vast majority women aren't like that and as a result people cannot relate to them. It's very possible to write soft and nurturing father's and people gravitate readily towards them Phil from modern family is the best example I can think of where he is a very kind and nurturing but is still strong when he needs to be because that what will always be expected of a man. The issue in those strong female leads is that they just do not feel like real characters, Ray and Captain Marvel would never work even if they were men.
THIS WAS THE BEST VIDEO I'VE SEEN ON THIS PLATE , I was so happy to see a video about Studio Ghibli that was almost an hour long lol, I spent I think 5 days watching this video and taking notes little by little,Which resulted in 6 full pages💀This video helped me a lot to realize things, things that I liked in movies but didn't know how to use,This made me love this studio and their care for their viewers even more, thank you for the amazing content and passing on this knowledge to me ❤
about the romance/love thing, i love how miyazaki shows different types of love built from different types of relationships. when i was watching ponyo, i saw ponyo and sousuke's love as friendship or/"found sibling" love, and i thought the adults thinking romantic love is the highest form of love hilairious. and then i freaked out when people said ponyo and sousuke are romantic interests.
their love for each other was more pure than to get limited to romance or lust or adult kind of relationships. Two kids that see the world in innocent way and their love was spiritual and strong and whatever shape it's gonna have in adulthood...only time says
Please make more Miyazaki + Ghibli videos forever, this was wonderful. Would love to see an entire video on the men of Miyazaki actually. I am a woman but just had a baby boy so think about the roles of boys in media a lot lately.
I love Miyazaki's MALE roles as much as the female roles... whatever the plot, there is room and a role for the men, too. And by giving them that space and ability, it makes it possible to enjoy the female characters even more.
I realized there’s a sense of pride to doing everyday things. I used to think I had to be famous, make it rich or be renown for something. But then no, I realized that there’s pride in seeing my daughter happy, there’s pride in seeing a house clean and tidy, there’s pride in completing an essay on time. I like how you put it as duty because that is literally what it is. I don’t need to be that strong, independent woman who needs no man. I’m happy being married to my best friend, being a mother, a student, just doing what I need to do every day.
When Marnie Was There was the most confusing use of the love theme. I gotta rewatch that movie because even though I knew there was no way it was going to be gay it was really hard not to read so many of the interactions as romantic 😂 It's hard to just pick one favorite protagonist from Ghibli but Kiki stands out because of her inner struggle with burnout. It's funny that in this video it does show that a lot of Ghibli protags don't struggle internally but with Kiki we just see how that inner struggle looks like on the outside. She does get a little lost so she turns to a friend for help and she gets out of that with more of that returning to inner harmony. I guess it's special in the sense I shows that keeping that inner harmony isn't always inate. Sometimes the neurotic world gets to you and you have to replenish yourself by getting away from it. Yubba kinda also does this with her "twin sister" when she's away from work she gets away from all that neurotic energy that she's essentially a completely different person.
That's an interesting analysis about kiki and yubaba, I think it makes them feel more reachable in some way... Like we don't all have this psychological and emotional strength to get through depression and burn out but it's ok, even if the craziness of the world gets to you there's still hope to find harmony again, sometimes a break is all you need. Also yeah Marnie is very confusing, I was a bit frustrated by the ending even though it's still beautiful because there's forgiveness, acceptance and love, the girls did look very lesbian. *Spoilers* Then again Marnie was only seeing her love interest and the main character might be lesbian, she just didn't know she was with her grandma.
@@cid_of_krebsI don’t know I think it’s pretty clear to me that Anna is gay but she was just working through her trauma and abandonment issues with a girl going through similar things. I think that story is more deep than just “turns out the love interest was her dead grandma the whole time!” I think it does explore explicitly queer themes in an unconventional way.
It's a pity these kinds of essay videos don't get all the attention they deserve. You clearly put a lot of thought into this and it's a great analysis.
Taeko Okajima - Only Yesterday I don't think she's talked about enough. It's the only Ghibli film that made me sob in the credits!! There's so much to unravel with her. From the way that she's drawn to make her look older, although she's only 27. That shouldn't be considered old. To the vacation choices she makes. How she reconciled with her past. It's a slow burn but it should be talked about more.
I love your insight so much. I always loved Miyazaki women characters because they were so refreshing from the Western female leads I was used to. I had just about oversaturrated my book palette with YA novels and thankfully discovered Ghibli movies. Immediately, I was amazed and entranced by how different the women were portrayed, but I also couldn't put it into words as how they were different. You were able to and so well. Thank you so much!
I think calling the way lofi girl is as not neurotic is a profoundly perfect description. What you described as the idea she embodies, as not anxious, present, aware, relaxed yet dutiful could also be summed up as living life in a state of mindfulness. Being non judgmentally aware of the present moment and living in it. What's really cool is that in psychology we know that high levels of a trait called neuroticism is strongly correlated with low mindfulness. So in the reverse high mindfulness is associated with low neuroticism. I don't know if this was intentional but you described an actual phenomenon in psychology and I think perfectly summed up what people aspire too.
Fantastic video! So many great points. If you want a word other than 'not neurotic,' 'mindfulness' is a good one that I think fits almost exactly what you were describing - existing in the present moment without letting the past or the future have control of your thoughts. Once you've practiced mindfulness for a long time, it becomes easier to be more like Miyazaki's characters (at least theoretically) - better understanding your own values and being able to stand up for them without worrying about what others think. Listening to this video made me want to be better at it so I can have an existence more like Miyazaki's characters, too haha. Thank you for the video, it was wonderful!
A month ago while staying at a friends house I was introduced to 'Spirited Away'. I love many genre's of film but never got into anime. I am not sure if the Ghibli films are considered anime or not. Anyway...I was blown away!!! I was first mesmerized by the background art which I find incredible. I did want to ask some fans a question. I'm a 62 year old? woman and in the early 80's watched the movie 'Heavy Metal', always loved animation especially when coupled with rock music. For those who have seen 'Heavy Metal'...do you find any similarities with 'Nausicaa'? The dove in HM compared to Nausicaa's plane? the artwork? the type of animation? HM came out in 1981, N came out in 1984. Thanks for this video. I feel like I've found a whole new, beautiful world in these Ghibli movies. Better late than never!!!! much love.
It's not a secret there were numerous influences in the comics community in the '70 and '80, heavily connected across continents for basically the first time in history, and Miyazaki was not immune to it. One of the most seminal artist in that sense in Moebius. If you check Arzach you'll notice it definitely inspired a big portion of Nausicaa and Heavy Metal as well in style, atmosphere and themes
Studio Ghibli is an anime. If an animation is made by a Japanese production by Japanese producers and animated by Japanese in Japan, it is ANIME. You should check all the anime produced by World Masterpiece Theatre. Start with Heidi, Girl of the Alps (1974). All anime from this production are all endearing like Studio Ghibli. Hayao Miyazaki used to be a key animator in World Masterpiece Theatre. Try Satoshi Kon's anime. They're all good! Akira too!
I think Shizuku might be my favourite Ghibli protagonist, since she is so relatable to certain struggles I have had all my life. I'm not a girl, and she isn't the most talented writer, but I find her so empowering just by watching her arc of realising she doesn't need to perfect, and just through the incredible depiction of her struggles.
Your discussion about work really hit me. I'm recovering from burnout after some very intense years of illness and overwork, and what I really miss about life before it got bad, is the serenity and contentment I found in my work. I miss it even when I'm resting, it's something I'm yearning to get back to- but because of the way I am right now I can't have it back just yet.
I'm vibing with your video so much on an intellectual and analytical level - you're so right that word choice is really important here, and especially distinguishes what I feel are more intuitively authentic feminine traits from Western values that attempt to place what are ultimately patriarchal values onto women. For instance, when you explained how a Ghibli heroine simply does what needs to be done, no matter the task, because it HAS to be done, I felt that in my *bones* as a woman, and as a descendent of centuries of women who have faced hardship. At the same time, I emotionally resonated with this video very strongly. I think all women will have a different relationships to their womanhood, but I think mine especially aligns with how you represent Ghibli heroines. This type of character is how I like to view my femininity in all aspects of myself, and is why I love and embrace my gender so strongly. And how comforting it is to be seen, recognized, represented, and valued! Especially when the real world is so often like Miyazaki's worlds - isolating and discouraging people like me in the effort to be spiritually honest and fulfilled. Thanks for the video!!
Inner strength, self love and respect, mental and emotional growth, and love + respect for the world. All the heroines in Miyazaki's works are strong in the sense of themselves (or even grow into a strong version of themselves throughout their movie, like Chihiro or Kiki, or Sophie, and so on) and it's beautiful. I'm so happy I found this ^^ and *ugh* Miyazaki's works will never die, they are so good ♡
Wow... The depth in which you understand Miyazaki's work is absolutely fascinating and the way you're able to organise such abstract concepts so concisely aaaaaaaa love it so much!!! Thank you so much for providing such valuable content :)
This entire video is just fantastic. The character analysis was so interesting as a writer and gave me so much insight into new types of characters and arcs to write about, and what a character without much inner conflict can look like. It's so cool, and it's not really an archetype I've seen outside of Ghibli movies! Also, I'm aromantic and I seriously appreciate your section on the meaning of love in Miyazaki films. So much of our community seeks out conversations on what love can look like, and how romantic love is not the "ultimate" form of love, and that love is not life's only meaning. Your video perfectly summarized my thoughts on that and made me realize one of many reasons why I love Miyazaki films so much. Great video!
[EDIT: of course I typed this whole essay out before actually watching the rest of the video, so naturally I just repeat a lot of what you already said in your great video, haha] For me the thing that makes Miyazaki women feel so authentic and real is that, in his stories, all these "strong-hero" qualities are perfectly blended with other circumstances that the characters find themselves in. In fact, they're often the RESULT of their circumstances and how the characters faced them. For example - Chihiro is undoubtedly very brave, but she's also a very young girl thrown into a world she doesn't know or understand, so her courage is expressed in a way that's appropriate for this situation: she's not going to suddenly go and have a sassy stand off with Yubaba like she doesn't care. Sophie gains more confidence THANKS to her ageing course, because she inhabits a world where beauty in a young woman is paramount, so it's only as an old woman freed from the expectations of beauty that she finds more freedom to express her true self. For lady Eboshi, who knows the suffering of women sold into prostitution, it's natural to focus more on the male/female societal tensions and work to empower the women in her care - but for San, who doesn't know the dynamics of the human society, it would be stupid to make such distinctions. The distinction that she makes instead is between all humans and all animals. She doesn't even seem to think about herself in terms of "a woman". These characters are parts of their worlds so these qualities are expressed in ways appropriate to their situations. Meanwhile in the West we tend to prefer "the lone hero" type of storytelling and it comes with a risk of having (though of course not always!) heroines that embody these qualities in a sort of abstract way, even if it clashes with their journey as a character - like: "strength means being able to fight, so we'll make her a great warrior even though technically there's no reason why she should be able to fight so well".* * Though I do think this problem is more indicative of studio bosses not understanding different types of strength and reverting to ham-fisted solutions (then they wonder why the audiences don't like these characters haha). One example of a strong female character in Western media who fits the Ghibli mode is Eowyn from the Lord of the Rings: she can fight, because she's royalty from a fighting culture. She has all the strong characteristics and yet she's forced to stifle them because of the gender roles in her culture, and it's understandable that she resents her limitations - and yet she accepts them (till the time comes) because that's what she's been surrounded with her whole life (she doesn't go and argue sassily with Theoden or Eomer). Her frustrations and her sense of being locked in a cage are palpable and understandable. She ends up as a unique hero, but her story and character are also clearly shaped by her society. So, I guess, what it all comes down to is (as always): people like characters that are well-rounded, multi-dimensional and make sense in their respective circumstances, not just representations of abstract traits that get plastered onto a character regardless of anything. Who would have thought! ;-D
These movies are at the very top, of my favorite media to consume. This video is incredible, as with everything else on this channel. I really want to write more (i write a LOT, just not really fiction which is what i love), and this channel always makes me want to do that. Thank you so much. Really. Cant wait to watch the boy and the heron. One of my favorite Miyasaki movies is the wind rises, primarily because of all the airpanes. When it comes to a character, the pirate captain from Laputa, when i think about it, fits the vibe and characteristics that you describe pretty well. Love the character.
As a woman I love Miyazaki men and women because their entire character isn't reduced to their gender. They do the things because their arc requires them to do so, not because they're the only man or woman who can, but because they have the key for the problem. Especially in today's society, no one wants a deep connection, they want a quick hookup. No one wants partnership, they want someone to submit to them.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’ve always had this certain feeling about ghibli/miyazaki movies which I couldn’t quite place, but this video has helped me place it, I think. I have a problem relating to the female characters. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just a different experience I had to get used to before truly being able to enjoy these amazing films. After watching this video, I think what it comes down to is that the women feel sort of „other“ to me. It’s true that they have a sense of strength and satisfaction (or at least contentment) which I would love to possess personally, which makes them strong people and interesting characters, but at the same time it feels very foreign to me. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t live in a world with sexism and cultural gender roles, but they always seem, if not accepting of those roles, at least accepting of their existence within this world. They never doubt themselves or their goals and have no inner conflict over fulfilling them in any way. It seems natural to them and they do it because they want to, not because it is expected of them. In some cases the sexist system and expectations seem to even be just accepted as good and natural. Like I said, I don’t know if it’s just a hang-up I have, or if other women-aligned people feel the same. Ghibli women feel mythical to me. Almost not quite human. (The exception are young girls, which are children first and women second) This is why I don’t go into ghibli movies with the expectation of seeing relatable women, but to see interesting and beautiful stories. Anyway, very good and interesting video. I’m always happy to see your name pop up in my inbox.
I really like this take on the characters and especially when you mentioned there is little, to no, sexism in the movies. I think the reason why I enjoy the characters so much, as a woman myself, is because there isn’t backlash for acting feminine, there isn’t criticism from the male characters, or society, or even from other female characters. They definitely feel “mystical” to me too and I think it’s because I want to live a life where I’m not constantly being judged for acting like a woman or not acting like a woman, and just… exist freely, with a spirit untouched by society. They feel like woman who aren’t afraid of where they live, and are instead, free to simply be. I don’t view the movies as woman accepting the sexist system. Obviously the female characters have traditionally feminine traits, but why is that so bad? Do we have to act like men? Do we have to have masculine traits to be deemed a thought out character and to be valid in our society? Why can’t we be different, and happy, and free? Why is a woman being happy to be a woman so horrible?
@anndonfarrell4274 I don't think a woman being happy to be a woman is bad at all. Quite the opposite. I just think the worlds themselves contain some inherent bias, which is not questioned in the movies: women are one way, men are a second, different way. I don't agree with that. I think that aside from societal expectations, we are the same. So, while the women themselves don't really experience sexism, their worlds are created by someone with his own biases. The women are fulfilled by any task they do, no matter what gender connotations those might have to us, but to me it feels like there is still an undercurrent of "women are inherently more loving/spiritual/organised/pretty/kind/accepting/etc". Those are all nice things, but not inherently feminine to me. On the other hand, it might very well also just be me projecting my own feelings and fears onto this piece of art.
I think there is something interesting going on with "relatability" in how you see the Ghibli women... I think it has to do with the American fixation with self-esteem. The Ghibli women are motivated by duty to themselves and self-respect. If your personal sense of strength and satisfaction is based on self-respect, you have a much firmer footing than if your drive to maintain your self-esteem is prompting you to show your strength and win the esteem of others.
@MNkno I'm not American, but I think I know what you mean. Nevertheless I disagree. I think the "duty" You're talking about might be precisely the problem for me. In a sexist society, in which women have historically been reduced to their "womanly duties", them fulfilling these duties is seen as the only natural thing, even when they are fulfilling them in exceptional ways. Like I said, I don't necessarily think the Ghibli movies are actually depicting sexism (most of the time), but there is still a subliminal/low key vibe which rubs me the wrong way.
I feel like the emphasis on duty as opposed to individual achievement may also be tied to the culture Miyazaki's work was made in. Traditionally, Japan is very collectivist, which can explain why many of these characters are driven by wanting to help those around them instead of their own egos. While eastern collectivism definitely has its issues, I think it has had a positive influence on Miyazaki's character writing and more creatives (especially from the US) should be taking notes.
Am I delusional or Vi from Arcane almost fits as a Miyazaki character by your description? She's fairly masculine but never abandons her role as a caretaker for people who depend on her. She has strong inner believes and acts upon them without fear. She's trying to "heal her sister from a curse". She was alone for a long time and now is trying to adjust to a new world and finding new friens, while remaining ttue to herself. etc.
I think Vi has too much inner conflict, fear, and doubt to be a Miyazaki-style heroine. Like, she has plenty of fear, in particular; she just handles it by being reckless and impulsive, because punching usually works. Also, your description should fit Gwen solidly, too, if it fits Vi. But the thing is? They both believe that they have *so much* to prove to the world.
That part in the middle about work. There's a guy that solved this over one hundred years ago called Karl. And it's pretty much the fault of the economic system that creates jobs where we're alienated from what we're doing and our communities.
Don't know if this was intentional or happenstance but I was in fact getting a low fi vibe from your video shortly before that reveal in your narrative. Your videos are brilliant. And yet, I think this one raises the bar.
The segment on love made me realize why I was able to connect so deeply and relate to these movies on such a personal level. It's obvious now that you said it, so much so I'm surprised I didn't notice it before, so thank you!
"So I'm exaggerating a bit.." No. No, you got it. For about 10 seconds you personified my inside voice perfectly. 😮💨 Little guy is like a bad parent. Wants what's best for me, but just goes about pushing in the worst way.
@9zetsu Not really. My IRL parents are remarkably good, to the point it's akaward for some of my friends with less happy pasts that I have no inherent qualms about inviting my parents over to my home, or having them over to social functions. I've had to learn to, on purpose, make separate social times for my parents and friends just because of how not-the-norm it is for most adults to have good relationships with their folks, and how that discomfort speads to other people's parents as well.
@EgoEroTergum that doesn't mean anything. Many people have good relationships with their parents despite having neurotic problems or even personality disorders. Our parents just didn't have enough knowledge about psychology to provide healthy upbringing for us. Judgemental voice in your head will always be your meaningful adult. You just need to dig a little in your childhood to discover instances where exact words were said.
@9zetsu Possibly, but since *I* am now the meaningful adult in my life, I don't see any constructive end to dredging up past mistakes from otherwise wonderfully functional people. I feel that that voice is best addressed directly, through physical fitness, sleep, and diet; as contrary to popular belief, your bodily actions set your mood, and your mind just retroactively credits itself. Perception is a self-fulfilling illusion, and the only way I know to change it, is to get out in front.
@EgoEroTergum you're right. You are an adult now. I'm not suggesting you confront your parents about your childhood. I'm suggesting to try addressing this issue (if it even is one) through therapy. Healthy habits are good, but it's not a direct approach in any way. It just helps =). Anyway, I'm just a random guy, I might be wrong, so have a nice day, and good luck.
I love this video so much. Every re-watch is fucking goated, and it's making me assess both media characters, and my own, with new eyes. Stellar work! 🖖🏾✨
Right of the bat, I love this take, wow! You've put into words a question/problem that I couldn't myself. Really curious to see the rest of the video hahaha, so I'll dive right in!
A woman glossed over in this is Sheeta. She, like Nausicaa, disgrees with every other character in her story about Laputa itself. Some characters think Laputa is a cool gizmo, some a source of treasure, and others a weapon of conquest. She is the only one to recognize that Laputa, at least the man-made parts, destroyed it's own people, and should be forgotten. She also exhibits the "I have a job to do" characteristic when she joins the Dola gang, and cares deeply about the "monsters" around her like the robot and the pirates. (As an aside Dola exhibits many qualities seen in Yubaba, Eboshi and the other women). But otherwise she seems to be the lost MC, not Pazu. She is listless and sort of resigned to her fate even well after meeting Pazu. And like Kiki seems to have quite a bit of inner conflict. This is a trait I don't think any of the other Ghibli women really have the: a listlessness or lost feeling about them like some of the men do.
Spent a good 10 minutes trying to find a comment about Sheeta, as she's SEVERELY underrated (she's my favorite Miyazaki character by a long shot; Nausicaa being close second) So thank you for writing this 🙏🏼
There is something so refreshing about the admiration Miyazaki shows towards women. You can be a warrior and still take care of people. In fact, that can be a very important part of being a warrior. You can do anything and still find a way to care for others, and it will always be a good thing. So much of western feminism feels as though it condemns women for not being the girlboss achetype, for not being aggressive and demanding respect, in other words, for not being traditionally masculine. It's paradoxically patriarchal. Women are powerful and valuable members of our community just as they are and they shouldn't need to surpress parts of themselves to fit some mold of what people think is strong and valuable. That should be reflected in our characters. Authenticity is the word.
Agreed, Western feminism is usually just toxic masculinity practiced by certain women. I mean, there is nothing wrong with women who prefer to express themselves in masculine ways (like myself for example), but if society expects EVERY woman to be like that while condemning those who genuinely love and embrace their femininity, then we've got an issue. JUST. LET. PEOPLE. BE. THEMSELVES!
It may feel that way because many people misuse the term "feminism". Feminism (in this context) means having the option to choose and be respected either way - not to be forced into specific roles and behaviours. Promoting anything else is not feminism. When people are being loud and assertive (despite it not being their natural personality) it may be a way for them to reclaim what they were denied. That's valid and understandable. Often it's the "only" way to be seen and get paid. That being said, it's wrong to put each other down - whether because of fake-feminism or the never-ending favouritism towards certain personalities. You're right. A lot of it is stems from patriarchy/sexism. That's why actual feminism and acceptance are so important. Unfortunately, we're far from the time where people can simply BE. In case you're annoyed by the wave of "beat everyone up"-female characters in American media (I'm assuming you're American because the term "girlboss" is not really used in other western countries - unless it's a joke), you could watch media produced in other countries. Less extreme, less "we need to show how cool we are"-stuff. 🤷♀️ Well, if you're fine with subtitles.
I’m not sure if anyone has already mentioned this, but Miyazaki calls the quiet moments in between everything “Ma”. It supposedly means “empty or negative space”, like the moments between clapping your hands. Clapping your hands with no space between each clap would not only sound completely neurotic, it’s kind of impossible. You need the pauses and the pulling away to keep clapping, otherwise you’re just pressing your hands together and nothing is happening.
You put into words so so much appreciation that is hard to speak into words - you somehow pick these strands of "here's WHY this is great" out of some jumbled yarn of love for these media. This made me cry. Thank you for what you do!
I've always loved the scene in Howls Moving Castle where Sophie cries into the wind, loud and ugly, and when she's done, she's done. No withholding, no shame about whos watching, no apologies after. She acknowledges how hard and stressful the journey has been, and cries about it. When she's done crying, the journey continues. It makes me want to be that in tune with my needs, no matter what they are, and express them shamelessly.
me stoo so MUCH
Literally one of my favorite scenes ever makes me feel all the emotions that I need to feel.
Sophie was definitely very charming and it was great to see her build her confidence and acceptance of her age. Miyazaki’s character feel like people dealing with an actual problem or insecurity that they ultimately learn to overcome, not just a device used to deliver a message that rings hollow.
Shame might be one of the main struggles of modern society without people realizing it. I believe Miyazaki, coming from a society built on honor and shame, tries to picture a world where we can explore the complexity of life freely without shame getting in the way (of these characters and people in them); because perhaps it is shame which leads to this uncontrollable confusion so prevalent today.
I find that his work reflects the reality that life isn't black and white but rather complex and that that's okay, we can just accept it for what it is; this thought makes me feel the way Sophie did, that acceptance of reality for all of it's contrast and that it's not really anybody's fault, we all take what we're given and there's no one answer for everything; this makes me rest into my spirit.
Life is a mix of order and chaos and that's the beauty of it, it's perfect because it's not.
Yess, such a mood!
There's a quote from Miyazaki about love that I'm surprised wasn't in this video lol. It sums up the relationship between the male and female protagonists, and his views on love between them, so perfectly.
“I’ve become skeptical of the unwritten rule that just because a boy and girl appear in the same feature, a romance must ensue. Rather, I want to portray a slightly different relationship, one where the two mutually inspire each other to live - if I’m able to, then perhaps I’ll be closer to portraying a true expression of love.”
In looking for this quote (because I wanted to copy/paste it so I wouldn't get it wrong lmbo) I also found this one from him, which seems very apt, and relates to what you were saying in the Lofi Girl segment.
“I would like to make a film to tell children "it's good to be alive".”
I love that. ^^ He gets it!
This is so cool! I definitely feel this way watching the movies but can never manage to summarize it❤
They definitely show a lot of uplifting moments for the people around them, male or female.
A great view on relationship story goals and growth.
This is Whispers of the Heart in summary and is my favorite animated romance films!
From 6 to 10 y.o, I was suicidal and depressed because of horrible things my father did to us. My mom and I used to watch all the GHIBLI movies at this period. At the begining she insisted we watch them, before i would start to ask for it myself. Having no father to look up to and no real role model, I realise now that those movies really gave me a perspective and a role model. They really inspired me.
I didn't know Myazaki said ''I would like to make a film to tell children "it's good to be alive'', but when i read your comment and saw the quote, i really got shivers. In hindsight, i really think they played a role in saving me. To this day, whenever i rewatch the movies, or even just think about them, i get a feeling of empowerment and security.
So thank you mom
And thanks Myazaki and GHIBLI, deeply !
- Kiki taught me about proper work-life balance, about rest and recovery from burnout
- Sophie taught me about courage and not caring what others might think of me, so as to not be a passive observer in my own life
- Sheeta and Pazu taught me about selfless love, kindness, and how understanding can bring together the most unlikely friends
- Ashitaka and San taught me that it’s never too late to start over, to make peace. People say “well, that’s the way it’s always been, that’s the way it’ll always be, there’s no use trying to change things” but that’s not true, there’s always a way to reach a peaceful resolution. The forest may burn but there will be growth there someday.
Nausicaä taught me to be kind and empathetic.
Shizuku taught me to prioritise your creativity correctly. You're ALLOWED to be creative and have goals, but sometimes things like school have to take first place. You can write outside of school hours. But you can do your dream. It's OK if your first attempt isn't the best. Baby steps. You will improve, you will find your inner gems.
We learn from her mistake but also her determination.
Chihiro taught me to see the good in others, even if it seems like there is none.
She also taught me that it's okay to let your emotions out, because mental strength is the best kind of strength.
Porco Rosso taught me to let go of guilt and trauma that may have not been my fault and to forgive myself (and also that fascism is bad, which is based)
Umi Matsuzaki taught me to let go of somethings and keep trying in what you believe in. She also taught me to stay strong when it feels like nothing is working out. (No its NOT just about a boy)
Important note about the theme of aloneness for the sex workers in Mononoke is that in feudal Japan most prostitutes were sold into sex work by their families, which adds extra meaning to Eboshi buying their contracts and giving them a home with husbands and valued work as the smiths of Iron Town. Just as with the lepers, Eboshi lifted them out of ostracism and gave them family, value, and community
I love Lady Eboshi. I never viewed her as a villain. She just does what she thinks is right for Iron Town.
duuude, im loving all this miyazaki-talk recently, these movies were like 80% of my childhood. what a nostalgia trip!
Yes yes yes yes
This is one of the reasons Princess Mononoke is my favorite Ghibli film. Both female characters representing each side of the fight (San and Eboshi) have very valid reasons to fight the war they’re fighting, and you can feel the weight of the consequences if either side “loses.” Sure, we can all empathize with the environmental side with San, but Lady Eboshi took in the outcasts of society and gave their lives purpose, in a time in history when the people she took in (sex workers and leppers) would have suffered even more so and had no opportunities for agency in their lives. It’s not like a lot of films with an environmental message that’s just “man bad, we must save the earth,” it asks the serious question, “what happens to the people who are just trying to get by when we destroy their livelihood in order to save the earth?” And it doesn’t shirk that question, it tackles it with the full weight it deserves.
This is why Ghibli films are beloved and a movie like The Marvels flops.
I work in the cosplay community as a photographer. Nearly every single female anime character has been turned into a purely sexual being by cosplayers with scantily clad versions of them. But you hardly ever, ever see that with Ghibli's female characters. They're just not seen in that way and i think your essay gets to the heart of why.
I think a key point here is is that none of the charaters are erotic. Beautiful, but not erotic.
Depicting/dressing up the characters up like that feels like an insut.
But the intresting/remarkable thing is that its not because the characters are "pure" or "innocent", they are not deprived of eroticism, rather that eroticism simply plays no role in the storys that they are part of.
The reality is that women in anime are just used to please male audiences. Miyazaki actually expressed his disappointment when it comes to anime in an interview. It's not just the cosplayers, they literally dress as the character who appears that way.
@@grAnita- And we are Happy with that. Get your Feminazi views out of our Escapism and Entertainment!!! 😠😠
In all Seriousness, I feel like many Anime pEople are entrenching themselves further due to the Feminazis making Women Uglier with Horrible personalities to beat the "male gaze".
Except the Only one Feminazis are defeating is themselves by being Spiteful. Men will literally accept Non sexualized but Pretty Women. We aren't that hard to please Ladies. 😅 Give us a well Rounded character and its even better.
@@eliasheid947it's definitely not this alone.
Kobeni from chainsaw man isn't sexualized and doesn't wear revealing clothing at pretty much any point within the series, yes a bit part of the anime community sexualizes the living hell out of her
@@grAnita- I agree that Miyazaki is exceptional, I still have my critiques. He really struggles with not adding female stereotypes to his characters for ex. Only his recent film, the Boy and Heron is the first movie where his Female lead doesn't cry. There is not one other film where his female charactes don't cry. But there are many films where his male characters cry, but many where they don't. Because "women cry to express emotion"
And other tradional traits, that are purely female are given because she is female. But I give credit that women's place in his stories are never invalidated.
A possible substitute for “not neurotic” I think would be “contented”. It usually means happy and at ease, but also means willing to accept something and satisfied.
They're very mindful too. Mindfulness!
I was thinking the same thing.
@@estellamurphy7660 i also thought mindful, or embracing the moment.
Radical acceptance?
tbh, although it might not be the best description, "not neurotic" feels like the perfect way to describe it because it's in reference to the real world. The aesthetic is so calming because it's a break from the chaos of our surroundings and our minds. That said, I do think that "content" is the goal; I just do not think it captures the emotion quite right as to why it's so appealing.
Some extra thoughts I had: The women portrayed in the movies don't seem content. There is still something they are going after although they have no inner conflict. That's what I really like about them; they are driven and seeking something, and I like them especially because it's not inner peace that they are missing.
Japanese culture has great esteem for a children's book published in 1908 by Canadian author, Lucy Maud Montgomery. That book is called Anne of Green Gables, and Anne Shirley inhabits all the characteristics you defined. She is shunned as an orphan, she lives in a rigid world, she doesn't dwell on past injustices but instead tries to see it through compassionate eyes. She is archetypically feminine yet breaks gender barriers by striving for academic success. She is filled with drive, duty, low fi bliss, strong opinions about right and wrong, and a desire to love and be loved. She changes as she matures, but the greatest change happens to those around her when they experience her joy.
I love Anne of Green Gables (a 40-year-old Polish woman here, haha). As a character, she feels 100% like an actual human being - and a human being that you could very well transplant right into our times and she'd fit right in without any changes to her character necessary. Hell, you could literally transplant her whole story to modern times (an adopted child in a small community, struggling in her new circumstances and gradually finding acceptance and love while pursuing academic dreams and literally aspirations, while at the same time dealing with insecurities about her looks, friendships and first loves, and also generally being a normal teenager who likes fashion, etc. etc. etc.)... Now that I think about it - I wonder how it's possible that we don't have a modern adaptation yet!
❤
Akage no Anne is one of my favourite anime. It's adapted by World Masterpiece Theatre and directed by Isao Takahata, the co-founder of Ghibli
@@AW-uv3cbI mean the 1979 adaptation has aged fine
Fascinating comment! I am curious if you have seen "Anne with An E"? It is a Netflix adaption of Anne of Green Gables. Sadly only three seasons. If you have what you think of it? There are definite changes to Anne's story but I think the essence is still there, in all the ways you so eloquently listed above.
I think this lack of inner conflict is also why so many people feel nostalgic about Ghibli films, even if they haven't watched them as kids. I didn't grow up with Ghibli, but do get a very strong feeling of nostalgia from these movies. It's because they capture this feeling of childhood. This lack of conflict and this unbothered way of how children look at the world, it is the same how many of these characters look at the world. They still have this childlike energy (which doesn't mean they are childish or not mature) which we would love to have as adults.
They have a high level of openness, which allows them to grow psychologically. I think that's why we admire them so much and want to be the same way.
Porco made me nostslgic for a time and a place I've never been to and I'm pretty sure never actually existed.
I disagree, I think many female ghibli protagonists do have a lot of inner conflict, and that's what makes them feel real. Kiki's burnout/depression, Shizuku's insecurity towards her writing and feeling like she'll never be as good as her boyfriend, Anna's intense self-esteem issues/social anxiety, each protagonist has her own inner turmoil to deal with and it's an important element that makes their stories so interesting, but it isn't all they are and they're able to overcome each hurdle which is why it doesn't feel like they're completely burdened
Miazaki women are so much more accurate to REAL women; they are unquie individuals, who cannot be summarized in a couple of adjectives and descriptors. And I love them for it!!! They follow their morals and values; and that is what they make the decisions they do, not because they value a personality trait such as determination, but because the actions they do are based on things they love/value. San doesn’t WANT to fight, but she does want nature to thrive and that is based on her love of her family, and because she cares about them she is willing to sacrifice things. They aren’t written based on personality traits but off of their values and code of ethics.
I also want to build off of this agreeing with your point about isolation and closed worlds and such; the values they have are based off of how the world they live in works; they got those values because of how the world treats them and how they see others being affected by the world around them. Their values are tied into the world building.
A lot of the time when a female character fails is because they aren't a real character.
They're either a prop: Mom, sister, clerk, assistant, secretary, the female soldier, etc. Just a thing to spice the narrative up. Or maybe they are a Mary-sue who just makes sure the plot moves on without a hitch.
This even works in places you wouldn't expect: The only reason people point of objectification is if the character is nothing but a sex object, maybe at best used as a tool for gags with the pervert character. But if she has real character, hopes, dreams, morals, values, opinions AND she's sexy? That's just everyone's favourite character and a classic.
I completely agree op!
@@jesustyronechrist2330I agree with what you mean. I want to add, when they are made a character for building their world, is what makes any character, no matter the gender, beautifully well written.
Miyazaki is better at feminism than Hollywood and mainstream feminists! 😄
I think the main difference here is that Hollywood is trying to write women while Miyazaki is writing people.
I see it more like Hollywood is writing man and then giving them a female body while Miyazaki actually writes women.
Women are in fact people
@@korrasg1320 That is true. But they write what they think men are. And sadly they think men are spartan killing machines. And that is just not true.
Simone de Beauvoir is still right.
@@korrasg1320 He writes women how I wish women were. Unfortunately in the west they often are how they are depicted in Hollywood movies.
The funny thing is that Miyazaki women achieve everything that modern hollywood tries to achieve with their female characters. The big difference is that Miyazaki women never try to put others down to make themselves look greater.
Edit: Thx so much for the thousand likes!
I don’t think that is necessarily the big difference. In Hollywood women just simply are not written well, either they are too girl boss and it comes off as fabricated or you as the audience simply don’t know anything about the character other than that she is a women.
And they feel natural, Hollywood women feel forced, I love Arcane but I admit sometimes Vi felt a bit forced to be the badass woman
@@Urjoking831 “the problem isn’t this specific problem in the bad writing, the problem is bad writing” is how you sounded. Please, consider writing better.
Especially not traditional women, or men. True strength should be independent from gender firstly; and then can your strength (within your gender) be fully realized.
@@corrinflakes9659 he also explained the bad writing in his comment... or did you just skip over that part?
I think what else really sets Ghibli women apart is the fact that they have so many qualities about them that make them feel like they're real people. Western storytelling plays up the drama and the fantastical, and by no means are Ghibli films lacking in either of those traits, but the characters always feel so grounded in their worlds. They're a part of that world. Myiazaki is such a master at building these worlds into believability that the story genuinely begins and ends as if it truly was just another day in the world and what sells it is the way the characters interact with each other and the world around them. I really liked your point about how the women have a duty and a purpose to fulfill and they're just DOING it. Just another day, just another task, and yet that lofi vibe permeates the whole thing. I love these films and I have so much respect for Miyazaki.
Well done on this video!! Super cool and fascinating!!
When I watched nausicaa for the first time, I cried at how beautiful of a person she was. Her kindness, her way of looking past biases about her forest and it ultimately being the thing that saves her life- the journey she went through hit me in a nerve that almost felt hidden deep within me. I’ve never seen another character like her. She’s relatively underrated compared to other ghibli heroines but she made the biggest impact on me.
I'd encourage you to read the manga, if you haven't already. It's a beautiful work drawn by Miyazaki in the same art style as the movie, and far more in-depth. Very brutal story, though.
Nausicaa is my favorite Miyazaki heroine and in general she is one of my all time favorite heroes. I love how kind she is, bud capable as well, like she is fully aware of the danger around her but tries to handle it in the best way she can. As a man, I am inspired by her and want to be like her, that is the power of a great character.
Watched Nausicaa again last night and was just so impressed by her, I just haven’t seen another character quite like her. The scene where she literally burns her leg in acid to save a dying creature and somehow manages to keep going after that just punches me in the gut every time. She is by far one of my favorite characters of all time.
@@rootbourne4454 yes she is not a girl boss, she is not a conventional hero either, she realizes that some people and bugs are dangerous, so she never underestimates anyone but that doesn't stop her from caring. One more thing i like about her is that we see she is a skilled warrior capable of killing multiple enemies and that terrifies her to the point her pacifism seems more like self restraint.
I will second ernic11's recommendation, the manga is the anime but more in-depth, everything from the world to the plot to Nausicaa the character.
miyazaki's movies have such an aroaspec view on romance and love and i am so obsessed with it. like yes please that's exactly what i want.
The vibe I get from Miyazaki movies is romance, but not in love romance but the old fashioned meaning "a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life." I'm not finished watching yet but thank you for the lovely videos! Edit* Finally finished the video and you ended up bringing it up later. Great minds think alike lol
This is an EXCELLENT analysis. I've been on this side of Yt for years, and I've grown frustrated with how many channels have popped up without any regard for analysis (sorry, but your opinion may have analysis in it, but it is not analysis per se) and that would be alright if they didn't think it was analysis, but actually called like it is: reviews, rants, whatever. And this video is SO GOOD. You broke down not one, but multiple movies and truly found the essence of these Ghibli movies. I cannot think of anyone expressing it better than you. So thank you! I'll now go watch everything you've ever put out and you've got a subscriber for life.
thx my friend 🙏
I am a 24 year old man, father, husband and when I last watched Howls moving Castle, I was 6 or 7 years old, so I hardly remember it. I watched it again recently with my kids, and when I seen Sofie get cursed to be an old lady, I felt scared. Seeing her, this, now, old lady, venturing willingly, without a second thought into what I’m told is a dangerous location, I felt empowered. The idea this girl who just went through something utterly awful, losing her youth and her life effectively, and not just perceiver, but show such resolve, just took my breath away. It seems like such a small scene in action but as someone who at a young age was very afraid of both dying and growing old, this old woman showed more courage and determination than I ever could. I know I would’ve broke down, hid away somewhere, and tried to at least die peacefully and quietly, with some dignity. Seeing that scene really made me feel stronger, like I could be strong like her in that moment. And that is something I can’t fully put into words, aside from what I said above. That’s not just good female characterization, that’s good writing.
24 year old father?
@@wickedarctiinae413224 years old is actually a really normal age to have children. At least, for older generations. It’s rare for newer generations due to a variety of factors.
@@wickedarctiinae4132 Sure, 24 years is considered fairly young for parenthood in today's Western society (though that's not necessarily true in other places in the world, and we don't know where the OP is from), but hardly unheard of, so why fixate on that minor detail instead of focusing on the very heartfelt, in-depth and on-the-point comment that he wrote about Sophie (about whom, incidentally, I agree with him completely: she's a fantastic character who grows into so much strength while remaining so utterly and believably human and vulnerable)?
@@AW-uv3cbyeah, it's quite normal in my place. Still young but, normal
I like how you describe it. Sometimes I felt the same in some movies. That feeling when you could do the same as the MC and like nothing can stop you.
Have you watched The Cat Returns? It's not strictly a Miyazaki, but it's sorta like a spin off of Whisper of the Heart. Haru is interesting because she does have a lot of inner conflict and suffers with self-doubt. But when someone else needs help she will leap into action without hesitation. Her growth is all about her becoming that aspirational, chill, "lofi girl" type of person. The last scene of the film she just exudes that kind of aura, and it's such a huge contrast to how she was at the beginning of the story. Maybe that's why CR was always my favorite Ghibli? I wanted to experience that growth myself and become that kind of person. It also definitely helps that the English voice cast has Cary Elwes, Anne Hathaway, and Tim Curry lol
Oh my god! I loved The Cat Returns
I feel like his “different writing style”, has mostly to do with how he writes kids and young adults, in general.
For example; when you watch movies like From up on Poppy Hill, it’s by no means magical, extravagant or exciting. However, the way he writes the main character is one with respect, empathy and strong morals.
He has so much respect for young people, specifically girls and young women and it’s been very refreshing and hopeful to see growing up.
I think up from poppy hill was written more by his son, than him, but I do completely agree! She's such an amazing protagonist.
From Up on Poppy Hill was actually mostly written by his son, with Miyazaki Senior helping with the script. That's also the reason why the film has a lot of themes regarding a respectable but absentee father, if you are aware of the strained relationship between the father and son 😅
Other than that, I agree with everything else you said! I think a lot of his good writing stems from his detailed observations of people in general. So you don't see his characters as caricatures, but as living beings.
He always romatizice the innocence of youth and childhood wonder
Thats extremelly interesting that you say that, because...
imo he also really, really respects old people as well?
like, he has a lot of old people in his movies as well, and they arent meant to be grumpy or racist or bad like we sometimes portray old people, he portrays them as people, in a diferent way than young people, but still
@@NijiKonohana my favorite Ghibli movie. It's SO underrated!
I adore Nassica because of how empathetic and good hearted she is. So many people who try (and fail) to write female characters just make them reallly mean spirited and emotionless??
But Nassica is just really genuine in wanting to help both people and insects. And even though she's kind she's strong. Not weak.
I really looked up to Nassica as a kid and still do now
While I was writing my first novel last year I wanted to take careful consideration that my female characters weren’t being made into caricatures of how “strong women” were portrayed in western movies/shows/etc. So I took inspiration from not only the amazing women in my life but also the beloved female characters in the studio Ghibli films who never seemed to fit a particular box but were always viewed as whole characters
What’s the name of your book?
@@mr.g2508 it’s “The Collective: Forsaken Faith”
I honestly recommend not worrying it about unless female characters have the same personality syndrome.
For example, I have a female character who falls into a “strong woman” however people love her. It’s about how you write them.
@@IsabellaMathewI couldn’t agree more. I think that’s the beauty of writing in itself, every writer brings something different to the table, whether it's a particular style of prose, a distinct sense of humor, or a unique world-building approach. It's this diversity of voices and approaches that keeps the art of storytelling so captivating and ever-evolving
@@Nyzahnewton ☺️
33:39 Why Sofie and Howl fall for each other
I think mostly because it made sense in the book, but the story in the book is VERY different from the Ghiblli version (not only because it's longer and twistier).
The popular description is that the movie is Howl's version of the story where he is super cool, Sophie's family make a blink and you miss it appearance and We Don't Talk About Wales. The book is the story told from Sophie's POV, and it describes Howl as a disaster himbo wizard coward from the strange other world "Wales", and at the end she and her family have to rescue him.
EDIT Forgot to mention, the scarecrow is also better explained in the book. It doesn't really make sense in the movie because the entire Magical Frankenstein subplot is cut out but it made sense in the book.
My new Stand, [Disaster Himbo Wizard]!
In my opinion, the best writer of female characters besides Miyazaki is the deceased writer Satoshi Kon. Because he has always written unique female characters, the most famous of which are Prefect Blue, Paprika, and Millennium Actress. And other other works.
Ugh, his death still hurts. I remember hearing the news like it was yesterday.
@@mischr13Same💔, we have lost a writer and a person who will never be repeated.
Mamoru Hosoda also does quite well. "Belle" is a lovely movie with an amazing heroine.
Still haunt me he is gone rn
Shout out to Tokyo Godfathers.
The way I feel about the lofi girl vibe you described, is being present. In all of the examples you showed the characters are fully immersed in a sort of "be here now" attitude (at least from our perspective). It's a difficult to grasp kind of zen usually, but you described it well I think with a lack of neurosis or worry/distraction. They are simply where they are and nowhere else.
I really liked that you addressed that in western media romantic love and "love at first sight" are depicted as the pinnacle of happiness and what we must all aspire to in order to find our happily ever after. I myself am asexual (not aromantic though) and am quite bothered by the focus being so heavily on romantic relationships that stem from sexual attraction. The depiction of relationships in Miyazaki movies that come from mutual respect and appreciation or even are just platonic in nature is kind of "refreshing", for lack of a better word. It is just nice to see more credit being given to different kinds of relationships.
While I agree with you I will say that it is not the fact that western movies are wrong rather they don’t represent how everyone feels love or romantic feelings.
@@Mialikesthings Yes, I agree. That's a good way to put it.
I am actually lucky enough to be taking a studio Ghibli class! I am planning on writing my thesis about female protagonist in Miyazaki‘s works, and how their ties to nature defy stereotypical woman’s links to nature. This video was helping me a lot and I really really really appreciate it! It’s so great to see people, agreeing, and understanding that these childhood heroes are great not just because their women, but because they are flushed out like real human beings! I absolutely love and adore these characters, they were my inspiration since childhood and I’m so glad that you are discussing this! Thank you so much again
Chihiro is my favorite heroine out of the Ghibli movies I've seen if she wasn't such a compelling character to me it wouldn't be one of my favorite movies ever. I could easily put myself into her shoes and see my child self in her. Being alone in a new world and having a job with no prior experience of that kind of responsibility. It feels exactly what it is to transfer from being a kid to a teenager. She is still treated like a child ,but she has responsibilities and duties she needs to do. She's scared and confused, but she makes it her own and grows in maturity because of it. Her arc is why I can watch the movie over and over and still appreciate it every time.
chihiro really reminds me of coraline in this way. neil gaiman feels in some ways pike he’s on the same wavelegth with characters.
I do believe that the term for the "non-neurotic" state of mind you described is "ikigai". As stated, the Miyazaki women are remarkably free of inner conflict. This is because most of them have found an inner state of mind, a purpose, a flow that allows them to work toward their goals free of doubt. That is ikigai. It's more than just a venn diagram. It's a step toward enlightenment.
The easy way I see it is that he does not take away their femeninity to make them "stronger" sure give them masculine traits but they are clearly women at heart, which is never a bad thing
Yes. A "strong female character" in western film is basically... a standard male hero with a female body.
Miyazaki makes the feminine traits strong.
@@aliquida7132 There are some females out there though who act like men. My friend does. Like not all women are feminine and not all women have feminine brains.
@@aliquida7132yikes. I know you meant well, but the phrasing "feminine brains" just irks me so much.
This is how strong female characters should be written. They're especially compelling when their femininity is what helps them overcome their flaws, not be Mary Sues which lack flaws indefinitely.
@@evelynn1173 But what exactly is a female trait and a male trait? Your friend is not less a women just because she "acts like a men". So maybe she doesn't act like a man, but does things that are normally associated with man. What is a women trait or a male trait different from just a human trait? Being femine or masculine is something that I'm question a lot in my life.
this video literally takes all my thoughts of Ghibli films and puts them in format! Especially the part when u talk about the "ghilby peace vibe"
This video helped me a lot with my therapy. I was lost on who I am and what I want, but your deconstruction of these girls and young women showed me where I want to start my journey. Years of overthinking finally end and I can start to use my energy on defending my morals without shame, being respectful to people but especially myself, and not assuming the worst every second of my life. Thank you.
I'm currently on a second watch for taking notes because I too feeling lost since I can remember, saw so well articulated my struggles but also my core. I may not have the qualities of all these women, but something has clicked when I watched the video
I love how Studio Ghibli characters, regardless of sex, gender, age and even species, all feel so human.
They have human traits, not defined by their stereotypes and that feel so refreshing to see, like Miyazaki writes the soul of the character first then writes their gender and other stuff..they feel somewhat mytical and nearly other-worldly in that sense.
Like his characters, both villians and heros, feel like angels and other fantasy leaning living things than like people.
Man, I've always adored your channel but this was a new level. You put perfectly into words what I myself have felt makes ghibli girls different from western female characters. Shizuku is my personal ghibli favorite, along with Fio for almost exactly all the things you described here. So glad someone else thought of the notion of "unashamedly but not egotistically doing whatever the hell I want" as another form of empowerment for women. Never understood how western film (or hollywood specifically) has such a hard time implementing it... I'm also very appreciative of you as a creator and analyst for simultaneously seeing through gender norms while not advocating against traditional feminity or masculinity. Thank you for your incredible work, looking forward to more ghibli videos!
This 100%. Schnee is rapidly approaching my favourite video maker on TH-cam right now. Always an excellent take based on a genuine understanding of the material and superbly articulated.
It's primarily an American thing. The goal of getting to the top by pulling others down. This is how they define success. Always talk of 'overcoming', 'winning', 'out competing'. You don't get the crown, except by standing on a corpse. Characters in these movies achieve success by pulling other up. Making the world work together. By solving a problem; not eliminating the problem.
@@JOCoStudio1 Yes, agreed. It's been one of the most refreshing channels I've encountered since Arcane came out. Nothing political, no bashing or dismissiveness, just a shitton of interesting thoughts and feelers handed out for free
@@KnugLidi Might be an american thing, at least it looks like modern day America (and Canada) channels that mentality way more strongly than Europe. You find it where I'm from too, but again, might be cause Northern Europe is way more americanized than they like to admit. And yeah, pulling others up, solving a problem. That's all I ever wanted in stories, really. People who are actually satisfied with the opposite (a lot of which is produced today) seem to often lack empathy for others in general
@@emmablomskog3593 There is a big difference between how the US channels it and how Canada/northern europe do. The lack of empathy is a big issue. Just look at the differences in maternity leave!
I remember someone explaining love and relationships in ghibli films as like, soulmates in the purest sense. It's not necessarily romantic, instead it's that 2 people connect on a spiritual level, either with a shared purpose, or their individual purposes coming together. Like when some people say "soulmate" they do mean it in a romantic/sexual sense and have the attitude that true soul mates would burn the world just for each other, but ghibli soulmates would never do that. Ghibli soulmates instead would save the world together, even if that meant being apart.
Regarding Kiki: I think she suffers from inner-conflict, but I don't know if she's quite "spiritually lost." She has that certainty and purity of purpose Miyazaki's women usually have from the outset. The conflict arises when her spirit bumps up against a world that isn't as magical as she is. This results in her briefly losing her literal magical powers, but the film resolves with her finding a place in the world where her inner-light can be allowed to shine. She adapts, she grows up, but she doesn't compromise. She might not be able to talk to Jiji anymore, but she's still Kiki.
Jiji gets a girlfriend though so it all kind of shakes out.
Someone asked Miyazaki why Jiji didn't talk at the end when she overcame her spiritual burnout and save the day, to which he replied "maybe he was speechless"
@@guadalupeestrada410 Ha! I hadn't heard that. Good answer
Of course, the English dub has a line for Jiji 🤦♂🤦♂🤦♂
Just sayin' the characters of Kiki and Sophie were originally written by women. Not to take away from the point of the video - with which I do ultimately agree. But I don't think many people know Kiki's Delivery Service and Howl's Moving Castle are fantastic books that anyone who already loves these stories should read. Howl's in particular holds up for YA and is sooo, so good. Diana Wynne Jones crafted such a lovely story and she deserves a nod.
I absolutely love Miyazaki's view on love, it's reallyy refreshing and inspiring to see in a world that's based on love at first sight or just physical things. I think it's very important to give attention to your own spirituality, goals and capabilities in order to truly love and attract people that are either in need of help or simply want to understand you. Or already appreciate you as you!
It is easier to understand as you age with your partner.
I agree so much with this. That depiction of love made me develop a hatred towards romantic films or books, it felt like a lust instead of love in my point of view. I still remember how I hated a book my school forced my grade to read because of how fake and stupid its portrayal of love was, and then another book, that my school also made us read, that wasn't even about a love, but showed a healthy relationship that truly felt important to the mc.
I notice how in Miyazaki's love stories, there isn't even need for two people to ever, even for one second, to flirt with each other and instead the focus on so many other things, which not only makes them the more real and true to feelings, but gives them purity and innocence as well
This is one of the best analysis videos I’ve ever seen not just on this subject but in general for fiction/character study. I was genuinely moved to tears a couple of times because you described something so perfectly and it truly resonated with me as a person and my interests. Wonderful job, schnee!
About your whole section regarding love, you managed to put into words what I, an asexual, have always adored about Miyazaki's relationships since childhood. Kisses and sex aren't the driving force of these relationships, it's about simply helping each other. making each other happy in the mundane aspects of life, making each other feel valued as a person living in society. I don't want to have sex, and I'm not wild about kisses, but I want to hug my future spouse with the same level of enthusiasm as Ponyo hugs Souske. I want to feel as supported and cared for as Sophie cares for Howl. It's looking at the SOUL of a person and wanting to have them in their life, united not by superficial interests or ideals, but in the simple desire for wanting to meet and connect with people who are just living life. EDIT: it's for this reason Nausicaa was and still is my favorite Ghibli girl to this day. She just wants to help people, and no person is excluded from her love, even those who are terrifying or hate-filled. She faced down an army of rage-blinded bugs and still won.
Brilliant video, schnee. Please keep it up with the Miyazaki essays, cause TH-cam really needs more of these videos.
This EXACTLY! I am not a romance movie person, but Ghibli makes me feel giddy. At the end of the movie I feel in my heart that the couple love each other in such a way that I could only dream of. The pure support and admiration, and LOVE is so deep that it's almost magnetic.
Can we be soulmates?
I'm not asexual but the absolute strongest love I've ever felt is not when sex comes first. It's when we get to know each other in such a deep way, wether that is from working together in a team, or relating to each other through hobbies or life experiences. To feel immence respect and admiration NEVER comes for me when it's all about sex either. I feel like this guy not understanding why people here fell in love is actually quite sad. Makes me wonder if he even ever even had a teacher that he loved and respected without wanting a sexual relationship with, or a close friend.
I love it when a good asexual essay attracts a pack of ace folk lol. I agree :)
I'm aroace and I 100% agree! Miyazaki films deal with romance and relationships in a refreshing way that we don't see a lot. And its absolutely beautiful
One day I'd love to have a partner (whether it's a platonic, romantic, or something in between) that I could go on adventures with. Where we'd be there for each other and work together. I want a relationship similar to how they're portrayed in these films.
The term you're looking for with that Lo-fi Girl vibe is Flow. It's a state where something Isn't so hard it becomes frustrating, isn't too easy that it becomes boring, and is enjoyable enough to keep all your attention. Flow is the next stage above focus
That lo-fi vibe you're trying to describe really reminds me of definition of Zen, at least from my rigid knowledge of it.
Clearness of mind, being true to yourself, fulfilling your duty to yourself, not because someone told you to, and being in peace about it.
Considering this ideology is very prominent in Asian cultures by different names I think it's fair assumption that it is an inspiration for Miyazaki's stories and it's a missing piece in western media.
Also interesting how it transformed into a "lo-fi vibe" for us when Zen stripped out from all religious practices around it. Though it might be a leap in conclusions on my part 😅.
I practiced Soto Zen (the wall observing kind) for a few years and I agree with you. That relaxed, but very focused activity is reportedly part of Samurai training. It’s definitely part of Scientology training which I have done.
I love that Miyazaki doesn't just write a female character - he writes a character who happens to be female.
thank you for mentioning many different heroines from miyazaki's films, especially nausicaa and fio! i feel like people never really talk about the miyazaki's movies that arent just the really popular ones, so this is a breath of fresh air (especially nausicaa GOD nausicaa is such a great film that not enough people are talking about)
Nausicaa is my all time favorite Miyazaki film, to this day I rewatch like I’m watching it for the first time and it still has such a powerful effect on me. Nausicaa is one of all time heroes and I love her getting some attention.
Another Nausicaa fan! Have you read the comic he made? The movie is only the first quarter of it!
@@skycat404 I just purchased the hardcover manga collection
And the soundtrack! Incredible.
I love the way Miyazaki writes women. I'm a girly-girl, and I hate how "girl power" movies in the USA make me feel like I should be ashamed of that. Girls are shown as masculine or tough--and even the ones who aren't masculine are still now allowed to have weaknesses or real growth (especially in animated films), and they're not really allowed to ask for help--ESPECIALLY from a guy.
I can't relate to that. That isn't only the opposite of girl power, but also the opposite of being human. Everyone needs help sometimes, and everyone is imperfect and needs to grow.
But Miyazaki writes girls in a way that we can still feel girly, yet powerful while still not being ashamed when they need help. Being "strong" isn't about not asking for help or being literally, physically strong. Asking for help isn't a weakness.
How exciting to see this video from you! I really loved the how Arcane writes women & men videos. Your analysis' are always very insightful and so valuable.
Bro you are an amazing writer, the amount of emotionl depth and intelligence you show is pure gold. It's so difficult to express emotional behaviour especially to thinker types. I have been in discussion about how to write strong women for sometime and we could only muster motherly strength. The amount of angles you have presented was exactly what we were looking for. Absolutely amazing watch, much appreciated for your insight.
Miyazaki's women have grit. They keep their cool in tough circumstances. They do their duty. They push forward. They are humble. They are usually examples of charity. A lot of Christian gospel principles, honestly.
I think that The Wind Rises should definitely be addressed in an essay about love, too--it contains his only adult romance to date. It's beautiful, made him cry when he wrote it.
I love what you said, especially about these heroines having grit, not to mention they earn their happy endings and never once do I stop to think them being women can keep them from being inspiring to me as a man.
@@AndreNitroX You're welcome! I hope that we can see many more good examples in media like them. If not then I'll go write some myself instead =D
@@MrBoponpa go do it!
Oooh grit is a good word, I can’t believe it wasn’t included.
It should be said that American women love to scream too much, at least in Hollywood movies.
I find that this feeling, this vibe you’re talking about, is very much about the perspective we have on what we’re doing in our lives. You could say I’m working a draining minimum wage job, have to take an hour’s commute by buses that are never on time, and the changeover I get always leaves me waiting out in the cold. But I actually like to get out of the house a bit earlier than I need to, take my time with the commute, sometimes walk parts of it, grab a bite to eat on the way or sit at the park reading, regardless of weather - because I don’t treat the commute as part of the job. It’s these moments that I consciously take care to enjoy that could be considered mundane and tiring that I most enjoy in the day. I learned this from my mom. She told me she started appreciating moments like these afer a friend she went on vacation with asked her why she was stressing so much during the long drive to their destination, because haven’t they started the holiday already?
The phenomena of "romantic/sexual attraction love beeing the ultimate thing" isn´t that old acually (I also can only speak for western society here). Actually bevore 1850 this posessive love was often thrownd upon, having been seen as naive juvenil form of love and not as profound as other majour deep connections. Most mariages bevore that were made out of political reasons (in the upper class) or to secure the amout of farm land in a family. Anthony Gaddens has a grait book about this (something like change of intimacy - sorry, I only know the title in German for shure). With the fall of big multi generation families and more individualisation by creating the working class without the big network of family relationships our current image of love was formed to compensate for emotional need wich were all put in this one person that is supposed to make you whole.
Thanks I'm a strong and decisive woman
What is the german title?
@@gabrote42 "Wandel der Intimität", but now I'm almost through with it and have to say it was super hard to read. The language is super complex, also the structure jumps all over the place. I had difficultys holding all the thaught strings together in my head - may also just have been because a lot is going on in my life otherwise...
And olso over time I found it's outdated in some ways (the book was written in the 90s). It's purely written in a binary gender concept and also seems a bit out dated in general.
@@J_to_the_F As an avid reader of research papers, Homestuck, SoIaF and Blindsight, amongst others, what you just said is a selling point. Thank you
This is single-handedly the best breakdown of what makes Miyazaki movies what they are in a writing sense at a time when I see so many try to do the same and fail. Great job!
I have always adored how love in studio ghibli films extends beyond the conventional, narrow idea of romance that is what dominates western media. True love exists between all of these characters, just not the specific brand of love that we tend to idolize. Chihiro and Haku for example definitely love each other, and the fact that it isn't a conventional romance doesn't cheapen it at all. The shared feelings of mutual peace, harmony, understanding, and acceptance are what make this love the pinnacle of human emotion, and that is simply so much more impactful than physical attraction (also not everyone feels sexual or romantic attraction, but everyone does experience the love outlined above. Miyazaki's love is just more universal)
Totally agree. :) There are other forms of love that are just as valuable. Not all love has to be romantic love.
19:42 They are tho. Haru is full of self doubt. Sophie is very insecure about her looks. Shizuku is insecure about her writing. Anna has low self-esteem and social anxiety. Chihiro is cowardly. All of these female protagonists have these human flaws they have to come to terms with and overcome and show growth and that's what makes them good characters. Flaws like this are important and are a big reason why many western female protagonists fall flat; because they weren't given any to overcome.
You know how people often say you should write a well rounded character first and then start to think about their gender and so on? I feel like Miyazaki went one step ahead in that he always manages to create female characters who still shows very feminine traits but are complex enough to not be defined only by them. They still have their love interests, their nurturing nature, their traditional feminine roles as caretakers but the story gives both protagonists and villains enough to do that they feel like real people with connections and struggles.
I can't help but compare these to the new trend of somewhat stripping female characters of every feminine trait possible in order to try and create independent and "strong" protagonists. As if femininity and strength can't coexist...
edit: typo
great formulation!
I actually think it's a terrible advice and it should only be used for male writers who just cannot fathom writing a female character. For women and good male writers the other way around IS much better!
@@KaterynaM_UA I mean I've seen women writing abysmal women too. So I wouldn't say it only applies to men 😅
They are Literally making Women in Video Games Uglier on Purpose.
In extreme cases we got Abby from TLOU that looked like a Man.
@K.C-2049 I do not think strong female characters is a problem, because it's possible to be strong while being feminine...Sarah Conner from T2 is for me the Quintessential strong female lead because because she still cares, the issue with norm-breaking is that for the vast majority women aren't like that and as a result people cannot relate to them.
It's very possible to write soft and nurturing father's and people gravitate readily towards them Phil from modern family is the best example I can think of where he is a very kind and nurturing but is still strong when he needs to be because that what will always be expected of a man.
The issue in those strong female leads is that they just do not feel like real characters, Ray and Captain Marvel would never work even if they were men.
THIS WAS THE BEST VIDEO I'VE SEEN ON THIS PLATE , I was so happy to see a video about Studio Ghibli that was almost an hour long lol, I spent I think 5 days watching this video and taking notes little by little,Which resulted in 6 full pages💀This video helped me a lot to realize things, things that I liked in movies but didn't know how to use,This made me love this studio and their care for their viewers even more, thank you for the amazing content and passing on this knowledge to me ❤
about the romance/love thing, i love how miyazaki shows different types of love built from different types of relationships. when i was watching ponyo, i saw ponyo and sousuke's love as friendship or/"found sibling" love, and i thought the adults thinking romantic love is the highest form of love hilairious. and then i freaked out when people said ponyo and sousuke are romantic interests.
their love for each other was more pure than to get limited to romance or lust or adult kind of relationships. Two kids that see the world in innocent way and their love was spiritual and strong and whatever shape it's gonna have in adulthood...only time says
Please please please do more ghibli! I love your analysis!!
Please make more Miyazaki + Ghibli videos forever, this was wonderful. Would love to see an entire video on the men of Miyazaki actually. I am a woman but just had a baby boy so think about the roles of boys in media a lot lately.
I love Miyazaki's MALE roles as much as the female roles... whatever the plot, there is room and a role for the men, too. And by giving them that space and ability, it makes it possible to enjoy the female characters even more.
I realized there’s a sense of pride to doing everyday things. I used to think I had to be famous, make it rich or be renown for something.
But then no, I realized that there’s pride in seeing my daughter happy, there’s pride in seeing a house clean and tidy, there’s pride in completing an essay on time. I like how you put it as duty because that is literally what it is.
I don’t need to be that strong, independent woman who needs no man. I’m happy being married to my best friend, being a mother, a student, just doing what I need to do every day.
When Marnie Was There was the most confusing use of the love theme. I gotta rewatch that movie because even though I knew there was no way it was going to be gay it was really hard not to read so many of the interactions as romantic 😂
It's hard to just pick one favorite protagonist from Ghibli but Kiki stands out because of her inner struggle with burnout. It's funny that in this video it does show that a lot of Ghibli protags don't struggle internally but with Kiki we just see how that inner struggle looks like on the outside. She does get a little lost so she turns to a friend for help and she gets out of that with more of that returning to inner harmony. I guess it's special in the sense I shows that keeping that inner harmony isn't always inate. Sometimes the neurotic world gets to you and you have to replenish yourself by getting away from it. Yubba kinda also does this with her "twin sister" when she's away from work she gets away from all that neurotic energy that she's essentially a completely different person.
That's an interesting analysis about kiki and yubaba, I think it makes them feel more reachable in some way... Like we don't all have this psychological and emotional strength to get through depression and burn out but it's ok, even if the craziness of the world gets to you there's still hope to find harmony again, sometimes a break is all you need.
Also yeah Marnie is very confusing, I was a bit frustrated by the ending even though it's still beautiful because there's forgiveness, acceptance and love, the girls did look very lesbian.
*Spoilers*
Then again Marnie was only seeing her love interest and the main character might be lesbian, she just didn't know she was with her grandma.
@@cid_of_krebsI don’t know I think it’s pretty clear to me that Anna is gay but she was just working through her trauma and abandonment issues with a girl going through similar things. I think that story is more deep than just “turns out the love interest was her dead grandma the whole time!” I think it does explore explicitly queer themes in an unconventional way.
It's a pity these kinds of essay videos don't get all the attention they deserve. You clearly put a lot of thought into this and it's a great analysis.
Taeko Okajima - Only Yesterday
I don't think she's talked about enough. It's the only Ghibli film that made me sob in the credits!!
There's so much to unravel with her. From the way that she's drawn to make her look older, although she's only 27. That shouldn't be considered old. To the vacation choices she makes. How she reconciled with her past.
It's a slow burn but it should be talked about more.
I love your insight so much. I always loved Miyazaki women characters because they were so refreshing from the Western female leads I was used to. I had just about oversaturrated my book palette with YA novels and thankfully discovered Ghibli movies. Immediately, I was amazed and entranced by how different the women were portrayed, but I also couldn't put it into words as how they were different. You were able to and so well. Thank you so much!
I think calling the way lofi girl is as not neurotic is a profoundly perfect description. What you described as the idea she embodies, as not anxious, present, aware, relaxed yet dutiful could also be summed up as living life in a state of mindfulness. Being non judgmentally aware of the present moment and living in it. What's really cool is that in psychology we know that high levels of a trait called neuroticism is strongly correlated with low mindfulness. So in the reverse high mindfulness is associated with low neuroticism. I don't know if this was intentional but you described an actual phenomenon in psychology and I think perfectly summed up what people aspire too.
Fantastic video! So many great points.
If you want a word other than 'not neurotic,' 'mindfulness' is a good one that I think fits almost exactly what you were describing - existing in the present moment without letting the past or the future have control of your thoughts. Once you've practiced mindfulness for a long time, it becomes easier to be more like Miyazaki's characters (at least theoretically) - better understanding your own values and being able to stand up for them without worrying about what others think. Listening to this video made me want to be better at it so I can have an existence more like Miyazaki's characters, too haha.
Thank you for the video, it was wonderful!
A month ago while staying at a friends house I was introduced to 'Spirited Away'. I love many genre's of film but never got into anime. I am not sure if the Ghibli films are considered anime or not. Anyway...I was blown away!!! I was first mesmerized by the background art which I find incredible. I did want to ask some fans a question. I'm a 62 year old? woman and in the early 80's watched the movie 'Heavy Metal', always loved animation especially when coupled with rock music. For those who have seen 'Heavy Metal'...do you find any similarities with 'Nausicaa'? The dove in HM compared to Nausicaa's plane? the artwork? the type of animation? HM came out in 1981, N came out in 1984.
Thanks for this video. I feel like I've found a whole new, beautiful world in these Ghibli movies. Better late than never!!!! much love.
Lol, I think my main take away from heavy metal was that all the women in it except for the last one were like:
"👁👄👁" 😂😂😂
It's not a secret there were numerous influences in the comics community in the '70 and '80, heavily connected across continents for basically the first time in history, and Miyazaki was not immune to it. One of the most seminal artist in that sense in Moebius. If you check Arzach you'll notice it definitely inspired a big portion of Nausicaa and Heavy Metal as well in style, atmosphere and themes
Studio Ghibli is an anime. If an animation is made by a Japanese production by Japanese producers and animated by Japanese in Japan, it is ANIME.
You should check all the anime produced by World Masterpiece Theatre. Start with Heidi, Girl of the Alps (1974). All anime from this production are all endearing like Studio Ghibli. Hayao Miyazaki used to be a key animator in World Masterpiece Theatre.
Try Satoshi Kon's anime. They're all good! Akira too!
I think Shizuku might be my favourite Ghibli protagonist, since she is so relatable to certain struggles I have had all my life. I'm not a girl, and she isn't the most talented writer, but I find her so empowering just by watching her arc of realising she doesn't need to perfect, and just through the incredible depiction of her struggles.
Huge women fan, can’t wait to watch this video
we love the womens here
Love your videos!
I’ve never seen the Miyazaki effect discussed and dissected so well before! Loved all of this❤
I know she’s not a Miyazaki character but I’d love to see a Kaguya video. Her story is my favorite in all of Ghibli
Could you talk more about that?
@@wickedarctiinae4132Tale of Princess Kaguya. It adapts one of Japan's oldest and most celebrated tales
I think she is about the meaning of Humanity and her story is really sad 😥
Movie broke my fuckin heart
Your discussion about work really hit me. I'm recovering from burnout after some very intense years of illness and overwork, and what I really miss about life before it got bad, is the serenity and contentment I found in my work. I miss it even when I'm resting, it's something I'm yearning to get back to- but because of the way I am right now I can't have it back just yet.
I'm vibing with your video so much on an intellectual and analytical level - you're so right that word choice is really important here, and especially distinguishes what I feel are more intuitively authentic feminine traits from Western values that attempt to place what are ultimately patriarchal values onto women. For instance, when you explained how a Ghibli heroine simply does what needs to be done, no matter the task, because it HAS to be done, I felt that in my *bones* as a woman, and as a descendent of centuries of women who have faced hardship.
At the same time, I emotionally resonated with this video very strongly. I think all women will have a different relationships to their womanhood, but I think mine especially aligns with how you represent Ghibli heroines. This type of character is how I like to view my femininity in all aspects of myself, and is why I love and embrace my gender so strongly. And how comforting it is to be seen, recognized, represented, and valued! Especially when the real world is so often like Miyazaki's worlds - isolating and discouraging people like me in the effort to be spiritually honest and fulfilled.
Thanks for the video!!
this is something abt this essay that makes me click on it every time since I just know its going to be the most jaw-dropping writing of my life.
Inner strength, self love and respect, mental and emotional growth, and love + respect for the world. All the heroines in Miyazaki's works are strong in the sense of themselves (or even grow into a strong version of themselves throughout their movie, like Chihiro or Kiki, or Sophie, and so on) and it's beautiful. I'm so happy I found this ^^ and *ugh* Miyazaki's works will never die, they are so good ♡
This is one of the most thorough and thoughtfil breakdowns Ive encountered covering a ghibli film. Thank youfl for creating this!
Wow... The depth in which you understand Miyazaki's work is absolutely fascinating and the way you're able to organise such abstract concepts so concisely aaaaaaaa love it so much!!! Thank you so much for providing such valuable content :)
This entire video is just fantastic. The character analysis was so interesting as a writer and gave me so much insight into new types of characters and arcs to write about, and what a character without much inner conflict can look like. It's so cool, and it's not really an archetype I've seen outside of Ghibli movies! Also, I'm aromantic and I seriously appreciate your section on the meaning of love in Miyazaki films. So much of our community seeks out conversations on what love can look like, and how romantic love is not the "ultimate" form of love, and that love is not life's only meaning. Your video perfectly summarized my thoughts on that and made me realize one of many reasons why I love Miyazaki films so much. Great video!
[EDIT: of course I typed this whole essay out before actually watching the rest of the video, so naturally I just repeat a lot of what you already said in your great video, haha] For me the thing that makes Miyazaki women feel so authentic and real is that, in his stories, all these "strong-hero" qualities are perfectly blended with other circumstances that the characters find themselves in. In fact, they're often the RESULT of their circumstances and how the characters faced them. For example - Chihiro is undoubtedly very brave, but she's also a very young girl thrown into a world she doesn't know or understand, so her courage is expressed in a way that's appropriate for this situation: she's not going to suddenly go and have a sassy stand off with Yubaba like she doesn't care. Sophie gains more confidence THANKS to her ageing course, because she inhabits a world where beauty in a young woman is paramount, so it's only as an old woman freed from the expectations of beauty that she finds more freedom to express her true self. For lady Eboshi, who knows the suffering of women sold into prostitution, it's natural to focus more on the male/female societal tensions and work to empower the women in her care - but for San, who doesn't know the dynamics of the human society, it would be stupid to make such distinctions. The distinction that she makes instead is between all humans and all animals. She doesn't even seem to think about herself in terms of "a woman". These characters are parts of their worlds so these qualities are expressed in ways appropriate to their situations.
Meanwhile in the West we tend to prefer "the lone hero" type of storytelling and it comes with a risk of having (though of course not always!) heroines that embody these qualities in a sort of abstract way, even if it clashes with their journey as a character - like: "strength means being able to fight, so we'll make her a great warrior even though technically there's no reason why she should be able to fight so well".*
* Though I do think this problem is more indicative of studio bosses not understanding different types of strength and reverting to ham-fisted solutions (then they wonder why the audiences don't like these characters haha).
One example of a strong female character in Western media who fits the Ghibli mode is Eowyn from the Lord of the Rings: she can fight, because she's royalty from a fighting culture. She has all the strong characteristics and yet she's forced to stifle them because of the gender roles in her culture, and it's understandable that she resents her limitations - and yet she accepts them (till the time comes) because that's what she's been surrounded with her whole life (she doesn't go and argue sassily with Theoden or Eomer). Her frustrations and her sense of being locked in a cage are palpable and understandable. She ends up as a unique hero, but her story and character are also clearly shaped by her society.
So, I guess, what it all comes down to is (as always): people like characters that are well-rounded, multi-dimensional and make sense in their respective circumstances, not just representations of abstract traits that get plastered onto a character regardless of anything. Who would have thought! ;-D
These movies are at the very top, of my favorite media to consume. This video is incredible, as with everything else on this channel. I really want to write more (i write a LOT, just not really fiction which is what i love), and this channel always makes me want to do that. Thank you so much. Really.
Cant wait to watch the boy and the heron. One of my favorite Miyasaki movies is the wind rises, primarily because of all the airpanes. When it comes to a character, the pirate captain from Laputa, when i think about it, fits the vibe and characteristics that you describe pretty well. Love the character.
This has got to be my favourite analysis you've done, schnee! Will come back to this one ❤
As a woman I love Miyazaki men and women because their entire character isn't reduced to their gender. They do the things because their arc requires them to do so, not because they're the only man or woman who can, but because they have the key for the problem. Especially in today's society, no one wants a deep connection, they want a quick hookup. No one wants partnership, they want someone to submit to them.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’ve always had this certain feeling about ghibli/miyazaki movies which I couldn’t quite place, but this video has helped me place it, I think.
I have a problem relating to the female characters. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just a different experience I had to get used to before truly being able to enjoy these amazing films.
After watching this video, I think what it comes down to is that the women feel sort of „other“ to me. It’s true that they have a sense of strength and satisfaction (or at least contentment) which I would love to possess personally, which makes them strong people and interesting characters, but at the same time it feels very foreign to me. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t live in a world with sexism and cultural gender roles, but they always seem, if not accepting of those roles, at least accepting of their existence within this world. They never doubt themselves or their goals and have no inner conflict over fulfilling them in any way. It seems natural to them and they do it because they want to, not because it is expected of them. In some cases the sexist system and expectations seem to even be just accepted as good and natural.
Like I said, I don’t know if it’s just a hang-up I have, or if other women-aligned people feel the same. Ghibli women feel mythical to me. Almost not quite human. (The exception are young girls, which are children first and women second)
This is why I don’t go into ghibli movies with the expectation of seeing relatable women, but to see interesting and beautiful stories.
Anyway, very good and interesting video. I’m always happy to see your name pop up in my inbox.
Same.
I really like this take on the characters and especially when you mentioned there is little, to no, sexism in the movies. I think the reason why I enjoy the characters so much, as a woman myself, is because there isn’t backlash for acting feminine, there isn’t criticism from the male characters, or society, or even from other female characters. They definitely feel “mystical” to me too and I think it’s because I want to live a life where I’m not constantly being judged for acting like a woman or not acting like a woman, and just… exist freely, with a spirit untouched by society. They feel like woman who aren’t afraid of where they live, and are instead, free to simply be. I don’t view the movies as woman accepting the sexist system. Obviously the female characters have traditionally feminine traits, but why is that so bad? Do we have to act like men? Do we have to have masculine traits to be deemed a thought out character and to be valid in our society? Why can’t we be different, and happy, and free? Why is a woman being happy to be a woman so horrible?
@anndonfarrell4274 I don't think a woman being happy to be a woman is bad at all. Quite the opposite.
I just think the worlds themselves contain some inherent bias, which is not questioned in the movies: women are one way, men are a second, different way.
I don't agree with that. I think that aside from societal expectations, we are the same.
So, while the women themselves don't really experience sexism, their worlds are created by someone with his own biases. The women are fulfilled by any task they do, no matter what gender connotations those might have to us, but to me it feels like there is still an undercurrent of "women are inherently more loving/spiritual/organised/pretty/kind/accepting/etc". Those are all nice things, but not inherently feminine to me.
On the other hand, it might very well also just be me projecting my own feelings and fears onto this piece of art.
I think there is something interesting going on with "relatability" in how you see the Ghibli women... I think it has to do with the American fixation with self-esteem. The Ghibli women are motivated by duty to themselves and self-respect. If your personal sense of strength and satisfaction is based on self-respect, you have a much firmer footing than if your drive to maintain your self-esteem is prompting you to show your strength and win the esteem of others.
@MNkno I'm not American, but I think I know what you mean.
Nevertheless I disagree. I think the "duty" You're talking about might be precisely the problem for me. In a sexist society, in which women have historically been reduced to their "womanly duties", them fulfilling these duties is seen as the only natural thing, even when they are fulfilling them in exceptional ways.
Like I said, I don't necessarily think the Ghibli movies are actually depicting sexism (most of the time), but there is still a subliminal/low key vibe which rubs me the wrong way.
I feel like the emphasis on duty as opposed to individual achievement may also be tied to the culture Miyazaki's work was made in. Traditionally, Japan is very collectivist, which can explain why many of these characters are driven by wanting to help those around them instead of their own egos. While eastern collectivism definitely has its issues, I think it has had a positive influence on Miyazaki's character writing and more creatives (especially from the US) should be taking notes.
Am I delusional or Vi from Arcane almost fits as a Miyazaki character by your description?
She's fairly masculine but never abandons her role as a caretaker for people who depend on her. She has strong inner believes and acts upon them without fear. She's trying to "heal her sister from a curse". She was alone for a long time and now is trying to adjust to a new world and finding new friens, while remaining ttue to herself. etc.
I think Vi has too much inner conflict, fear, and doubt to be a Miyazaki-style heroine. Like, she has plenty of fear, in particular; she just handles it by being reckless and impulsive, because punching usually works. Also, your description should fit Gwen solidly, too, if it fits Vi. But the thing is? They both believe that they have *so much* to prove to the world.
That part in the middle about work. There's a guy that solved this over one hundred years ago called Karl.
And it's pretty much the fault of the economic system that creates jobs where we're alienated from what we're doing and our communities.
Exactly! 👏🏾✨
Don't know if this was intentional or happenstance but I was in fact getting a low fi vibe from your video shortly before that reveal in your narrative. Your videos are brilliant. And yet, I think this one raises the bar.
The segment on love made me realize why I was able to connect so deeply and relate to these movies on such a personal level.
It's obvious now that you said it, so much so I'm surprised I didn't notice it before, so thank you!
"So I'm exaggerating a bit.."
No. No, you got it.
For about 10 seconds you personified my inside voice perfectly. 😮💨
Little guy is like a bad parent. Wants what's best for me, but just goes about pushing in the worst way.
It's because he is basically the voice of your actual parent
@9zetsu
Not really.
My IRL parents are remarkably good, to the point it's akaward for some of my friends with less happy pasts that I have no inherent qualms about inviting my parents over to my home, or having them over to social functions.
I've had to learn to, on purpose, make separate social times for my parents and friends just because of how not-the-norm it is for most adults to have good relationships with their folks, and how that discomfort speads to other people's parents as well.
@EgoEroTergum that doesn't mean anything. Many people have good relationships with their parents despite having neurotic problems or even personality disorders. Our parents just didn't have enough knowledge about psychology to provide healthy upbringing for us. Judgemental voice in your head will always be your meaningful adult. You just need to dig a little in your childhood to discover instances where exact words were said.
@9zetsu
Possibly, but since *I* am now the meaningful adult in my life, I don't see any constructive end to dredging up past mistakes from otherwise wonderfully functional people.
I feel that that voice is best addressed directly, through physical fitness, sleep, and diet; as contrary to popular belief, your bodily actions set your mood, and your mind just retroactively credits itself.
Perception is a self-fulfilling illusion, and the only way I know to change it, is to get out in front.
@EgoEroTergum you're right. You are an adult now. I'm not suggesting you confront your parents about your childhood. I'm suggesting to try addressing this issue (if it even is one) through therapy.
Healthy habits are good, but it's not a direct approach in any way. It just helps =).
Anyway, I'm just a random guy, I might be wrong, so have a nice day, and good luck.
I love this video so much. Every re-watch is fucking goated, and it's making me assess both media characters, and my own, with new eyes.
Stellar work! 🖖🏾✨
yoo already a new vid, hype! always happy to get a new way to look at my favorite movies
Right of the bat, I love this take, wow! You've put into words a question/problem that I couldn't myself. Really curious to see the rest of the video hahaha, so I'll dive right in!
A woman glossed over in this is Sheeta. She, like Nausicaa, disgrees with every other character in her story about Laputa itself. Some characters think Laputa is a cool gizmo, some a source of treasure, and others a weapon of conquest. She is the only one to recognize that Laputa, at least the man-made parts, destroyed it's own people, and should be forgotten. She also exhibits the "I have a job to do" characteristic when she joins the Dola gang, and cares deeply about the "monsters" around her like the robot and the pirates. (As an aside Dola exhibits many qualities seen in Yubaba, Eboshi and the other women).
But otherwise she seems to be the lost MC, not Pazu. She is listless and sort of resigned to her fate even well after meeting Pazu. And like Kiki seems to have quite a bit of inner conflict. This is a trait I don't think any of the other Ghibli women really have the: a listlessness or lost feeling about them like some of the men do.
Spent a good 10 minutes trying to find a comment about Sheeta, as she's SEVERELY underrated (she's my favorite Miyazaki character by a long shot; Nausicaa being close second)
So thank you for writing this 🙏🏼
this might be the first video essay that's helped my depressive thoughts. Big ghibli fan, loved the analysis
love the analysis schnee!!
this is an amazing video- so well worded and constructed. thank you!
There is something so refreshing about the admiration Miyazaki shows towards women. You can be a warrior and still take care of people. In fact, that can be a very important part of being a warrior. You can do anything and still find a way to care for others, and it will always be a good thing. So much of western feminism feels as though it condemns women for not being the girlboss achetype, for not being aggressive and demanding respect, in other words, for not being traditionally masculine. It's paradoxically patriarchal. Women are powerful and valuable members of our community just as they are and they shouldn't need to surpress parts of themselves to fit some mold of what people think is strong and valuable. That should be reflected in our characters. Authenticity is the word.
Agreed, Western feminism is usually just toxic masculinity practiced by certain women. I mean, there is nothing wrong with women who prefer to express themselves in masculine ways (like myself for example), but if society expects EVERY woman to be like that while condemning those who genuinely love and embrace their femininity, then we've got an issue. JUST. LET. PEOPLE. BE. THEMSELVES!
It may feel that way because many people misuse the term "feminism".
Feminism (in this context) means having the option to choose and be respected either way - not to be forced into specific roles and behaviours.
Promoting anything else is not feminism.
When people are being loud and assertive (despite it not being their natural personality) it may be a way for them to reclaim what they were denied.
That's valid and understandable. Often it's the "only" way to be seen and get paid.
That being said, it's wrong to put each other down - whether because of fake-feminism or the never-ending favouritism towards certain personalities.
You're right. A lot of it is stems from patriarchy/sexism.
That's why actual feminism and acceptance are so important.
Unfortunately, we're far from the time where people can simply BE.
In case you're annoyed by the wave of "beat everyone up"-female characters in American media (I'm assuming you're American because the term "girlboss" is not really used in other western countries - unless it's a joke), you could watch media produced in other countries.
Less extreme, less "we need to show how cool we are"-stuff. 🤷♀️
Well, if you're fine with subtitles.
I’m not sure if anyone has already mentioned this, but Miyazaki calls the quiet moments in between everything “Ma”. It supposedly means “empty or negative space”, like the moments between clapping your hands. Clapping your hands with no space between each clap would not only sound completely neurotic, it’s kind of impossible. You need the pauses and the pulling away to keep clapping, otherwise you’re just pressing your hands together and nothing is happening.
“we love gwen obviously” WE LOVE THE REST TOO
I could do without a couple of those characters
@@10thletter40not without vi tho
@@ThroughTheDespair or katniss
You put into words so so much appreciation that is hard to speak into words - you somehow pick these strands of "here's WHY this is great" out of some jumbled yarn of love for these media. This made me cry. Thank you for what you do!