Since the 20th century, America has been subject to waves of feminism, from the suffrage movement to the women's liberation movement of 1970s. This growing demand for equality in the United States led to a growing demand for positive female role models in cinema, particularly in films aimed at children. Disney responded to this call by creating more three-dimensional female characters, including Pocahontas, an environmentalist or indigenous "Indian" princess, and Mulan, a cross-dressing soldier. Professor and fairy tale expert Jack Zipes explains in Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales, Children, and the Culture Industry that "any other filmmaker who has attempted to adapt a fairy tale for the screen, whether either through animation or other means, had to measure up to the Disney standard and try to go beyond”; a statement like this illustrates this deep connection that has arisen over time between fairy tales and Disney, as well as the near-monopolistic control of the fairy tale entertainment industry; In the modern era, fairy tales are usually associated with Disney and vice versa. For this reason, it is imperative to analyze the didactic messages embodied by Disney; especially since many of these heroines are dubbed as models. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Disney films aren't the only animated films to center around a heroine. Born on January 5, 1941, Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animation director known for his vibrant, fantasy films that revolve around a strong young female protagonist. Despite coming from a country historically much more oppressive towards women, Japanese animated films, particularly those by Hayao Miyazaki, illustrate some of the strongest female role models on screen today. In Miyazaki's films, unlike those of Disney whose heroines are never completely freed from this restrictive sphere of masculine power, his heroines are capable of assuming and occupying positions of power. Manuel Hernández-Pérez in “Animation, branding and authorship in the construction of the “anti-Disney” ethos” explains that “Miyazaki's female characters are not eroticized and are rarely involved in romantic relationships”, unlike Disney where Romantic interest is shown as a simplified path to happiness, which is a damaging idea because it is a form of escape from reality. Comparing Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, 1984, and Princess Mononoke, 1997, with Disney's Pocahontas, 1995, and Mulan, 1998, we see that Miyazaki's heroines are realistic women in a realistic world facing consequences. realistic and that the future of feminism is undeniably Japanese animated films. In addition to featuring female protagonists, these four films have other similarities that make this Japanese-American animation comparison possible. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Mononoke, and Pocahontas all have apparent ecological themes. And all four films place their heroine in a unique position of influence and leadership in an armed conflict between opposing groups in a fantasy world, or in Disney's case, a somewhat historical world, where spirits or magic play a role. role. Although all four heroines act in leadership roles in their respective films, they vary in terms of acquiring such power, its extent, as well as its duration. The San of Mononoke, Nausicaä, and Pocahontas are all royalty of one sort or another, and because of that, one couldto think that they would all have some respect. Of these three heroines, Nausicaä is the youngest and also the most powerful. She proves competent with her weapon and tools. Miyazaki illustrates her feminine traits, as demonstrated by her girlish laughter, but also shows her as valiant, as shown when she rushes to protect her older mentor from an Ohmu, a massive and dangerous insect-like creature . Nausicaä is often portrayed in a way that illustrates her freedom and independence. She is not afraid to fly alone on her glider or collect the materials needed for her village in a poisonous forest, which she also does alone. She is a competent, beautiful and strong woman. Pocahontas is introduced to the audience in the same way as Nausicaä, in a forest. But Pocahontas is presented in a way that implies immaturity since in the first few minutes of the film she is shown making a perfect dive off a steep cliff into the waters below and overturning her canoe. sister in an act of girlish mischief. From the beginning of the film, it is Pocahontas' youth and competence that are highlighted, which seems somewhat contradictory as the film progresses as her potential as a leader is complicated. Pocahontas indirectly pushes her tribe and the English colonists to the brink of war due to her secret meeting with John Smith. Unlike Nausicaä, Pocahontas only acts to save her people because she is the one who put them in danger. Pocahontas's actions that she takes to protect her tribe require not only the approval of her father but also the intervention of John Smith, her lover, to be complete. It was John Smith who ended the quarrel between opposing groups by taking the bullet intended for the Indian chief. Disney's Pocahontas has little power in her world. Her father even pressures her to settle down and get married, something Nausicaä's father would never ask her to do because she is too valuable for domestic life. Pocahontas is shown to need the grounding effect of a family to fully integrate into her tribe. And it could be argued that Pocahontas was not created to be a role model for women, as she was appropriated for a white male audience. Pocahontas: Her True Story describes how the real Pocahontas was a political adversary at just 12 years old, the age she met Captain John Smith, not in what appears to be her twenties according to Disney, and led negotiations between her father and the English settlers. , only to be kidnapped by them (1995). She is described much like Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, a wild and formidable woman with a full-bodied body, ready to wield spears and arrows. But instead of praising Pocahontas for her obvious power and intelligence, Disney chooses to eradicate these accomplishments and portray her as a domesticated, sexualized caricature of her heritage. Similarly, with Mulan, a hero carrying the enemy's sword as well as the emperor's crest, upon returning home, is judged for bringing home a sword and not a man, although he saved all of China. Disney emphasizes the fact that being a hero won't bring honor to one's family, but being a wife will. It is clear from this comparison with Disney that Miyazaki supports independent female characters, who are not limited by their beauty and female stereotypes, but rather are able to be jacks of all trades and not feel obligated to become servants. A common element in Disney princess films. is that there is a tendency to use romance as a sense of finality, a conclusion to conflicts that have arisen and sometimes a way to show acceptance of the heroine. But Miyazaki is “skeptical about the ruleunwritten theory that, simply because a boy and a girl appear in the same film, a romance must ensue and is intended to depict a slightly different relationship, one in which the two inspire each other to live and, they can, so perhaps…be closer to representing a true expression of love.” Hayao Miyazaki creates "strong women who are brave, empowered girls who don't hesitate to fight for what they believe in with all their hearts, and most importantly, they will need a friend or supporter, but never a savior because any woman is just as capable of being a hero as any man. Whereas with Disney, it is clear for both Mulan and Pocahontas that they never leave this sphere of male domination. Mulan argues that one should strive to be a "man", reinforcing masculine stereotypes and oppression of feminine traits to become a hero. Pocahontas isn't even the hero of her story; the man she is in love with is. Disney princess films revolve around men although the female characters are the protagonists of the story, while Miyazaki creates female characters who are unquestionably competent heroes. Miyazaki shows real women in a real world in the sense that it has real consequences. Miyazaki's films do not share the Disney tradition of happy endings intended to satisfy the audience. Often, her heroines and characters dwell on the mistakes and losses that have occurred; this is clearly illustrated in Princess Mononoke. Upon San and Ashitaka's return of the forest spirit's head to its rightful place on its body, the common expectation, perhaps due to the Disney model, would be that the spirit would come back to life, but in this case, that is not the case. Miyazaki's films are different from Disney's on this fundamental point; These are not happily ever after films. Miyazaki’s heroines suffer loss; they face their fears and learn about the trauma associated with war. There's no kiss, romance, or magical surprise that makes all the bad things go away. Miyazaki's heroines must find a way to continue their lives. They are a true role model because they move forward like real people when they go through difficult times. Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is an example of what the consequences could be if people don't realize the consequences of their actions. Princess Nausicaä, because of humanity's mistakes, must face a polluted world in which she tries to protect both humans and the creatures that live there. Nausicaä strives to find a way for humans and creatures to coexist, while some people try to enjoy the natural environment. In this process, Nausicaä never compromises her femininity and does not need a prince charming to make everything go well. Miyazaki's heroines use their strength of character through a compassionate understanding of those who oppose them in the film rather than seeing them as enemies to be defeated. Miyazaki in these films advocates for people to respect and care for all living things because life is neither promised nor permanent; people's actions have consequences, whereas in Disney's Mulan, Mulan never faces emotional difficulties. All of her bumps in the road were purely physical, even though she went to war where she should have killed people and did. This lack of recognition of emotional loss also manifests itself in Pocahontas when Pocahontas' actions indirectly lead to Kocoum's death. Pocahontas reacts to her death under the.