Hayao Miyazaki is hailed as a feminist icon. His films are complex and center on adolescent girls living independent, joyous, responsible lives. Women relate to the dry and layered characters while soaking in the magic of a master animator.
However, there are some instances in a few of his films that made my soul cringe. Unlike popular anime, which often relies heavily on the hypersexualization of women, Miyazaki trudges the opposite route. I know, a bare minimum, but a crucial bare minimum.
Two instances breach his code.
Pirates’ interest in Sheeta
One of my favorite Studio Ghibli films, Castle in the Sky, is an extraordinary coming-of-age tale set in a European-inspired setting, featuring elements of steampunk and religious themes.
As Pazu and Sheeta set out to discover Laputa, they eventually team up with the group of male pirates led by their pirate mother, Dola.
A no-nonsense woman, Dola quickly appoints duties to Sheeta and Pazu as they board her airship. Sheeta is shown the kitchen, which is cluttered with a pile of dirty plates, and is instructed to cook food. Pazu joins Dola’s husband, who keeps the airship running.
While Sheeta is trying to do her chores, she is constantly interrupted by the male pirates who come knocking at her door. They appear to be much older than she. One pirate helps her peel potatoes while the other is with the dishes, and another stands knocking at the door holding flowers.
It doesn’t look like the pirates showed up to help her because she needed it. Additionally, each new pirate is shown to begrudge the discovery of an existing pirate in the kitchen.
Sheeta is shown to be oblivious to their advances. A prepubescent girl would not think about older men hitting on her.
Nausicaä’s leggings, or lack thereof
In many ways, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a prequel to Castle in the Sky. Sci-fi themed, the story revolves around a princess meeting a boy and features numerous animation scenes that were later refined and reused in the latter film.
One of the most debated topics is whether Nausicaä is wearing leggings or is she butt naked. There are many scenes in which she’s flying in her glider while her legs stay parallel to the footboard.
Nausicaä’s dress floats in the sky, and it almost looks like she’s butt naked. Later, she also sits in front of a male character, Asbel, with parted legs while he is seated a little below her level.
One could guess where I am going with this, assuming the viewer thinks that Nausicaä was naked.
Studio Ghibli is one of the few studios in the world with microscopic attention to detail, so it’s unlikely that the choice of color for Nausicaä went unnoticed till post-production.
Final Thoughts
Ghibli films are beautiful on so many levels. The god-like attention to detail will be difficult to replicate for future animators, provided they are adequately paid and funded.
While the poster boy of Studio Ghibli has definitely raised the morale of women worldwide, it is only fair to point out where the film falls short for women.
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