If you were late with your previous entries or feel you need extra credit for whatever reason, comment on any of the numbered blog entries (LBGTQIA+ YA, Hayao Miyazaki, Adventure Time.) The more you do, the more extra credit you accrue.
Post reactions ( minimum 250 words) to the reading linked below. Students are encouraged (but not required) to additionally respond to other student reactions.
"The Fantastic Worlds of Hayao Miyazaki." A new book by Tufts professor Susan Napier analyzes the Japanese anime director’s films—and his life. Click heading to read article.
"Hayao Miyazaki and the Art of Being a Woman" by Gabrielle Bellot. The famed Japanese animator and director created heroines who defied feminine stereotypes and showed me how to be at home in my own skin. Click heading to read article.
"Hayao Miyazaki's 50 Favorite Children's Books." Click heading to review list.
"The Animated Life." New Yorker staff writer Margaret Talbot discusses the animator Hayao Miyazaki’s films, his influences, and his temperament. Click heading to read interview
1 comment:
Hayao Miyazaki is a mastermind, and I think anyone who disagrees with that statement has never truly allowed themselves to be sunk into one of his movies. Aside from the breathtaking, hand-drawn art, his storytelling, world-building, and characterization are immaculate. Take Howl’s Moving Castle, arguably one of his most famous works. He creates a world of magic mixed with the horrors of reality. A woman being nearly assaulted on a walk is then coupled with her taking a walk in the clouds. A walking castle with a door that opens to different worlds is juxtaposed with an ongoing war. You are quickly introduced to Turnip Head, Sophie’s companion to the castle, and Calcifer, a witty flame later discovered to be Howl’s heart. Sophie starts off bumping heads with Calcifer, but eventually, Howl remarks that ‘Calcifer has never been so obedient’, showing that Howl’s heart is melting for Sophie. Just as Calcifer listens to Sophie, Howl would do anything for her. Howl remarks that ‘a heart is a heavy burden,’ explaining why his heart is in a hearth rather than his chest, but Sophie, through her relationship with Calcifer, helps Howl carry on in life. While Howl and Sophie have one of the more traditional romances of the Studio Ghibli movies, oftentimes, two characters will have a different type of relationship. Hayao Miyazaki said in an interview, "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 l'm able to, then perhaps I'll be closer to portraying a true expression of love.” A paramount example of this is Spirited Away. In Spirited Away, Chihiro's parents’ greed upsets the spirits, and Chihiro, with the help of Haku, starts working at a hot spring for spirits to save her parents. Chihiro and Haku continue to fight on in their lives to help the people they love, and each other. At the end of the movie, Haku and Chihiro embrace each other, except this isn't a romance—in fact, Haku is a centuries-old River Dragon—yet they part ways knowing that they both helped each other reach new heights and become a stronger person than they ever could have imagined being.
Post a Comment