It’s no secret that the depiction of females in film has always been controversial. In many older American films such as Snow White or Cinderella, the main female protagonist is shown shallowly with no real personality or depth, waiting patiently for their very own Prince Charming. However, if there’s one place that can write female heroines with complex personalities that have both strengths and weaknesses, it’s Japan.
The majority of the world knows the Disney sensation, Beauty and the Beast. The 1991 release of the movie turned heads all across the United States when it showed female protagonist Belle as an independent and savvy individual. Compared to the movies that came before it, Beauty and the Beast was the first to break the fairy-tale mold and depict an ambitious and intelligent woman as the main character. But director Mamoru Hosoda chose to take it a step further by making protagonist Belle more relatable to the audience.
In Hosoda’s Belle, the main character is high schooler Suzu. She’s an introverted young lady whose online existence dominates the majority of her life. She shows complexity in her character through her mother’s death where her mother had drowned trying to save a child. Suzu mourns her mother’s death but is also angry at her mother for attempting to save “a kid whose name she didn’t even know.”
The “Beast” in this adaptation is an adolescent named Kei who endures through abuse from his father. He and Suzu try to protect his younger siblings from his ruthless parents.
Hodosa said in an interview that, “Similarly, what we tried to do in ‘Belle’ is not build a character, but build a person: someone who reflects the society in which we live.”
In Hayao Misayaki’s award winning anime Spirited Away, protagonist Chihiro goes through much character development throughout the movie. She begins as an immature adolescent, still underdeveloped and childish. Throughout the movie she builds character and strength. This is shown through a much unexpected aspect of the movie: her running. According to New York Times reporter Charles Soloman, “Early on, she runs like a fussy child, eyes half-closed. Later, when she goes to save a friend, she runs all out, knees and elbows pumping.”
The majority of the world knows the Disney sensation, Beauty and the Beast. The 1991 release of the movie turned heads all across the United States when it showed female protagonist Belle as an independent and savvy individual. Compared to the movies that came before it, Beauty and the Beast was the first to break the fairy-tale mold and depict an ambitious and intelligent woman as the main character. But director Mamoru Hosoda chose to take it a step further by making protagonist Belle more relatable to the audience.
In Hosoda’s Belle, the main character is high schooler Suzu. She’s an introverted young lady whose online existence dominates the majority of her life. She shows complexity in her character through her mother’s death where her mother had drowned trying to save a child. Suzu mourns her mother’s death but is also angry at her mother for attempting to save “a kid whose name she didn’t even know.”
The “Beast” in this adaptation is an adolescent named Kei who endures through abuse from his father. He and Suzu try to protect his younger siblings from his ruthless parents.
Hodosa said in an interview that, “Similarly, what we tried to do in ‘Belle’ is not build a character, but build a person: someone who reflects the society in which we live.”
In Hayao Misayaki’s award winning anime Spirited Away, protagonist Chihiro goes through much character development throughout the movie. She begins as an immature adolescent, still underdeveloped and childish. Throughout the movie she builds character and strength. This is shown through a much unexpected aspect of the movie: her running. According to New York Times reporter Charles Soloman, “Early on, she runs like a fussy child, eyes half-closed. Later, when she goes to save a friend, she runs all out, knees and elbows pumping.”
