Simms - Chihiro's Strength

Haku the River Spirit

One of the reasons I enjoyed Miyazaki's films is that he shows the different types of heroines that can be seen in anime and how they may differ from those in Western animation. Chihiro is a female protagonist who differs from the ones that we saw in previous films mainly because Spirited Away focuses on her development as a character. I think that what makes Chihiro different from San and Nausicaa initially is that when her character is first introduced she doesn't really have any responsibility. She's only ten years old and is still dependent on her parents. One of the themes that is seen in Spirited Away is how important responsibility and hard work is to developing one's character. Chihiro is put into a situation where she does not have her parents to help her and must depend on getting a job from Yubaba if she hopes to save them. At first, Chihiro is not use to the hard work, but as the story continues she not only takes on the responsibility of her work, but she also saves the bathhouse from No Face.

She also takes on a mission to help the person who took care of her when she was first brought into the spirit world - Haku. When Haku is cursed after stealing from Zeniba, Chihiro is not responsible for saving him, but she still takes on the task on setting things right with the witch because she believes Haku is a good person. Chihiro's strength and compassion saves Haku from Zeniba's curse, but also breaks the one that was put on him by Yubaba and Haku is able to remember his name.

Spirited Away also shows the importance of respecting the older traditions in one's culture. At the beginning of the film, Chihiro doesn't know what a Shinto shrine is and she is unaware of the importance of the spirit world. Furthermore, even her parents are shown to disrespect the gods by eating the food that was meant for them, and this results in them being turned into animals. It was interesting to see the Shinto elements that were at work throughout the animation and how Spirited Away shows that anything can have a kami and a place in the spirit world.  

Simms - Nausicaa's Stance Against Violence

Nausicaa

San and Nausicaa are both heroines that are tasked with the mission of ending a battle between humanity and nature. Though both of them have a stronger connection with nature than the people around them, San and Nausicaa differ in their opinions about humanity and how they choose to fight against the forces of hatred and destruction. While San wants revenge against humans and wants to drive them away, Nausicaa just wants to find a way for the humans and the creatures of the Toxic Jungle to live in harmony. Nausicaa doesn’t try to deny her humanity like San does, as seen with her connection to the people of the Valley of the Wind and by the fact that she saved Asbel. Nausicaa is trying to save her people and the Toxic Jungle from being destroyed. Also, unlike San, Nausicaa does not really use hatred and violence to try to reach her goal of protecting the things that are important to her. She is able to separate herself from the various power struggles going on between neighboring cities. After the death of her father, the princess preferred to use nonviolent means to try to stop the Tolmekians, Ohmu, and Pejites from causing further harm to the Valley of the Wind. Throughout the film, there is not one scene where she uses violence to try to stop and enraged Ohmu. Nausicaa does not encourage her people to engage in a fight against the Tolmekians, claiming that she did not want any more killing. Even when she is trying to stop the team of Pejites that are carrying the baby Ohmu towards the Valley, her action of flying calmly towards the ship with her arms outstretched is able to make the young man with the gun hesitate over shooting.  It is shown that Nausicaa’s kindness and courage makes the people of the Valley care for and look up to her. Nausicaa is the type of leader who is willing to go through any lengths to protect her people, as seen when she makes the ultimate sacrifice for the people of the Valley of the Wind and allows the Omhus to trample her. This sacrifice eventually leads to the Ohmus and the Tolmekians leaving the Valley in peace.

Simms - Fantasy in Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle

I thought that Sophie was an exciting heroine for the film because even though she didn’t start out having much confidence in herself, throughout the movie she started to become a stronger character with a determination to help those that she had become close to. The time she spent in the castle gave her a freedom she was probably craving and a chance to show that she can overcome many obstacles. It was also interesting to see how love started to affect her life. She was able to see through many of Howl’s flaws and realize that he is a caring and powerful wizard. It was interesting that each time she seemed to have confidence in herself and her love for Howl, the curse that was put on her would start to reverse. It’s interesting how Sophie’s presence is able to make Howl a better person throughout the film. He starts out as a vain wizard who usually runs away from his problems, sometimes with horrible consequences. However, Sophie isn't afraid to call him out on those flaws and show that she can be there for him. She gave him something worth fighting for. I think that both characters grew throughout the movie. Howl learned that he couldn’t always be selfish and run away from his troubles (hurting others in the progress), and Sophie became more strong-willed and gained confidence in both her actions and her appearance.

While part of this film dealt with the character development and love between the two main characters, much of the film dealt with the instability and danger magic presented. Much of Howl’s Moving Castle was focused on the curses and spells put on many of the characters. It mainly affected their appearance, but the magic also had an effect on their personalities as well, like how The Witch of the Waste was consumed by greed because of her magic. The whole war was fueled mainly by destructive powers. However, magic was eventually able to reverse many of the problems that it had caused. Miyazaki is able to bring out many different elements of magic and fantasy in all of his movies, and it’s seen in the beautiful artwork and story. Howl’s Moving Castle is another example of power and love in the fantasy genre.