SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN

THE DESIGN SCHOOL

FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT

NAME: JONATHAN LIM WEI JUN

STUDENT ID NO: 0321119

FILMS SELECTED: SPIRITED AWAY X PRINCESS MONONOKE

WORD COUNT: 992

ENGLISH 2 (ELG 30605)

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: COMPARE – CONTRAST ESSAY

LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA

SUBMISSION DATE: 1ST OCTOBER 2015

SPIRITED AWAY vs. PRINCESS MONONOKE

By Jonathan Lim

Animation has brought about many great films for the pleasure of many. Though conventional thoughts regard animation as nonsensical and inane material prevents movie goers from watching them. However, Hayao Miyazaki, Japanese animator and filmmaker, has changed the game since 1984 with his astonishing art styles and empathy filled scenes in his films. His philosophical perspective towards animation has altered the mind set of many including myself towards animation films. He exemplifies his work with amazing films such as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.

Spirited Away tells a tale about impatient and impetuous 10-year old girl, Chihiro, who is later given the name Sen, trapped on an enormous floating bathhouse with mystical creatures and spirits. Her only means of escaping the bathhouse is getting her name back from the owner of the bathhouse, Yubaba, a witch. She also has to rescue her parents who have morphed into pigs with the help of other eccentric characters in the bathhouse. While in Princess Mononoke, revolves around the prince, Ashitaka as his arm has been cursed by a mad boar god. He travels to foreign lands looking for a cure and stumbles upon San’s (or Princess Mononoke), a girl raised by the wolf god. Ashitaka discovers San’s struggle against the emergence of mechanization. He then decides to aid San to prevent the destruction of the forest, animals and the spirits that dwell within it. Albeit the difference of the plot and story, both films elucidate similar elements as creations from Hayao Miyazaki. As both films contain similarities between character development, setting and character art styles.

The maturity and development of a character is essential to any film. This element elucidates stages of the character’s journey throughout the film. In Spirited Away, Chihiro or Sen who starts out as a very petulant and impetuous character, “a 10-year-old girl named Chihiro, who isn't one of those cheerful little automatons that populate many animated films.” (Roger Ebert, Spirited Away Review, 2012). However, as she surmounts problems she faces during her captivity in the floating bathhouse, Sen gradually develops a sense of maturity. To exemplify this, Sen becomes altruistic by sacrificing a gift herbal cake she planned on using to return her transformed parents back to normal to calm an enraged lonely spirit namely, No-face. Sen comments: “I was saving it for my parents, but you can have it.” On the other hand, San or Princess Mononoke, has been raised by wolves her whole life. This lead to her misanthropic attitude and to her belief that she is a wolf. Until she falls in love with Ashitaka, she is seen to have acknowledged her human side through his affection. Alas, they are unable to lead the life of the other and only see each other occasionally.

In both films, Hayao Miyazaki places the film’s setting in ancient Japan. Although, both films are of different time periods, he captures the essence of ancient Japan through the animated workings of the films. The setting in Spirited Away brings Chihiro/Sen into the Spirit Realm where the surrounding environment is that of the Meiji Period. By the way of illustration, Yubaba is seen dressed in Western clothing and her office lavished with European furniture and embellishments. Whilst other lower classed characters are dressed in Japanese kimonos including Sen. On the other side, Princess Mononoke explicitly fills the setting with ancient Japanese culture and architecture. For example during their period, the core setting takes place at the village Iron Town where head of the town, Lady Eboshi favors the women in the village. Hence, this theme conflicts the traditional male hegemony in ancient Japan as a twist in the story. Another example is when Ashitaka takes a

tour around Iron Town, taking notice to the village’s premodern architecture and surrounding the village are high pointed tree trunks lined to form a wall to protect themselves from samurai enclaves.

Studio Ghibli, the animation film studio Hayao Miyazaki used to work for has always been well known for its beautiful art styles and bizarre characters. They are so eccentrically and artfully designed that “some fantastical beings have the ability to make you feel like you’re being transported to far away worlds.” (whatculture.com, 2015). Spirited Away brings spirits and elemental gods to life with colorful palettes suited to their personalities. A malodorous stink spirit turns out to be a river god with a skeleton face as a head and a lithe water body after Sen cleans him. Hayao Miyazaki was inspired by personal experience to portray the polluted river god, he said: “I cleaned a river once, my local river. And there really was a bicycle. It was stuck in there. Ten of us wrapped a rope around the bars and slowly pulled it out. We really cleaned up the river, and the fish are back. And that’s why I added that scene.”(mentalfloss.com, 2014). In comparison to that is the forest god from Princess Mononoke. The forest god appears as a deer with many antlers during the day and at night transforms into a giant glowing translucent body known as the “night-walker”. Asides the night-walker, the kodama (tree guardian) are tiny ghosts with features such as expressionless faces and making a rattling noise when they crank their heads side to side. These characters are intrinsic Hayao Miyazaki’s films as they are the stuff that makes his work so unique.

All of Hayao Miyazaki’s work has simply been awe inspiring all around the world. Because of his style, technique and philosophy to generate these great animations, his name is plastered on the wall as perhaps the world’s greatest animators and film directors. Hayao Miyazaki still continues to draw animation although retired. Even still, his films will always astonish people as his films captivate the audience with empathy, amazing characters and his philosophy. Hayao Miyazaki continues to surprise his audience after his retirement, he states “In order to grow your audience, you must betray their expectations.”

REFERENCES

1. Spirited Away Movie Review & Film Summary (2002) | Roger Ebert. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2015.http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-spirited-away-2002

2. Princess Mononoke Movie Review (1999) | Roger Ebert. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2015.http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/princess-mononoke-1999

3. Miyazaki’s Spirited Away: Growing Organic Characters. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2015.http://storyforgeproductions.com/miyazakis-spirited-away-growing-organic-characters/

4. 20 Best Studio Ghibli Characters. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2015.http://whatculture.com/film/20-best-studio-ghibli-characters.php/4