A Coffee Vending Machine and its Sword, if the name sounds a bit weird, you are feeling right. A South Korean short film released in 2007, it explores a not-so-deep plot about a boy who reincarnates as a coffee vending machine and fights his enemies who pop in and out…
Category: Reading between frames
Opinion
The full spectrum of being a dad in animation films
Fathers hold an essential position in the family hierarchy and are seated at the top in a patriarchal setting. Animation movies often reflect this setup, even in anthropomorphized stories, making father figures unquestionable. Animated dads are often depicted as decision-makers not just for their own lives but also for the…
Opinion
Can Studio Ghibli Be Creepy?
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…
Opinion
Normalizing Periods in Only Yesterday, The Studio Ghibli Way
Periods are a biological function necessary to carry life forward, yet they remain taboo. In many Indian cultures, a woman is “untouchable” if she’s on her period. She’s deemed dirty and banned from the kitchen as long as she bleeds. Male members, who are often clueless about periods till they…
Listicles
The not-so-popular political and historical animation films, Part 3
You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here. In this section, I write about a Japanese film that tells the story of a little girl from Amsterdam who changed the world, as well as beloved French comics adapted into films that challenge capitalism, discuss labor rights, and feature…