Spirited away: cultural analysis and symbolism

¶ … Asian media, specifically anime and animated movies like "Spirited Away," impact Saudi youth?

Argument

Anime or what some may consider, Japanese animation, is one of the main aspects of Japanese media. It has reached millions of people worldwide and inspired fashion, movies, and even an entire city, Akihabara. Hayao Miyasaki's "Spirited Away" is what some consider one of his best works. The magic of this animated film has brought countless fans into the realm of anime and Japanese animation. With its themes of connection, the spirit world, and memory, it has generated meaning and depth within its growing audience. The creator, Hayao Miyasaki, is a traditional artist, focusing on strong images and themes of love, good and evil, and childhood to portray his character and tell his stories. These stories have brought him and Japanese animation in general, increased success, with "Spirited Away" becoming the most popular Japanese animated film to date. "Spirited Away" has become so popular and well-known, the movie has crossed over internationally with people from different cultures becoming fans. The Saudi culture for instance, with its recent liberation on media, has come to know of the animated film with Saudi fans relating some aspects of the film to Saudi culture such as song and dance and the transition from childhood to adulthood, the value of work, the use of food, and the power of names and words. These themes not only resonate with Saudi fans, but also has a lasting impact on some who have become true fans of the genre. However, because Japanese culture is often shown throughout various animes and anime movies, some Saudi fans cannot relate nor connect as much as Americans for instance. So the question of whether or not anime can impact Saudi fans as much as any other fans becomes the central focus.

Support for Argument

Even though anime is widely recognized, it is often not as far reaching as expected. Countries like Saudi Arabia have restrictions on certain media. Something like "Spirited Away" may not be as popular there vs. An approved anime like Captain Majid or "Captain Tsubasa." Captain Tusbasa is not only an acceptable anime in Saudi Arabia, it is also broadcasted there. The anime centers on a young soccer team and its captain, Tsubasa Oozora. The show has wholesome themes with few references on religion, gambling, alcohol consumption, or any other negative aspects of society. It focuses on hard work, competition and friendship, themes important to Saudi culture.

"Spirited Away" this paper's case study was written and animated by Hayao Miyazaki. Hayao Miyasaki was born Bunkyo, Tokyo, on January 5th, 1941. The company Toei animation, sparked Miyasaki's career in animation in 1963 which led to a lengthy and ongoing career of award winning animated films and features. Miyasaki specializes in anime style films. (Napier 287) His occupations include film director, animator, screenwriter, and manga artist. He mostly known for his film work, but also known for his manga. Some of his work from this genre include People of the Desert and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind which became an anime film on March 11, 1984.

Many of Miyasaki's anime films have become classics. Some of his latest additions: "Howl's Moving Castle," "The Secret World of Arrietty, and his last film, "The Wind Rises" have continue to give this amazing and well-known animator success. (Ellis 22) "The Wind Rises," based on Miyasaki's manga of the same name, is a fictionalized account of Jiro Horikoshi a designer of the Mitsubishi A5M and its replacement, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. These two aircraft, used during World War II by the Empire of Japan contribute to Miyasaki's continual themes of flight and history in recent years. It also contributes to disconnect from Saudi fans who might not relate to the WWII themes nor the political aspects of some of his movies.

"If film and the visual mass media in general can indeed help to "write history" and "create national identity," the question of who speaks for the past in these industries becomes of particular importance." (Napier 467) Miyasaki has evolved throughout his films, from fantasy and monsters, to spirits and demons, and more recently, aircraft and war. Miyasaki is also known for his traditional animated style. Each frame was drawn by hand lending to the beauty of his films which lend to the appeal that some Saudi fans have attributed to their desire to view his work. Online presence is also an important to consider when discussing influence and popularity. Saudi Arabia has some restrictions on media however its youth view certain movies and shows online. As Darling-Wolf mentions: "While recent analyses have helped to challenge commonly-held stereotypes of fans of popular cultural texts as freakish individuals 'without a life', few studies have focused on texts produced and/or consumed outside the United States and Europe" (Darling-Wolf 507).

People like in Saudi Arabia, are not obsessed otaku fans who use the internet to indulge in their fantasies. They use the internet to access what they cannot locally, regionally, or even nationally. As Barber states: "In sum, the internet is run in a non-hierarchical, diffuse manner. Another related issue has to do with access and those who are excluded from participating in this communication revolution. Although the internet has the potential to overcome…" (Baber 185). Looking to the internet to access media like anime is not too uncommon on a global scale. Even though it occurs much in less in countries like Saudi Arabia, it still provides access to material otherwise inaccessible.

The internet plays an important role in many people's lives, not as much as Asians. "Most internet users live in Asia (330 million), followed by Europe (243) million) and the United States (185 million)" (Kim 20). Because of this many Asian anime companies adapt their shows to suit the needs of the audience. This is why perhaps, Saudi culture is rarely reflected in anime, thus making it less relatable to Saudi youth. When looking at "Spirited Away" and Miyazaki's reason for making it, one can see not only the origins but also the lack of connection it could pose for those who the movie was not aimed for.

The purpose behind "Spirited Away" was to make something ten-year-old girls would like. Hayao Miyazaki and his family stayed in a mountain cabin with five girls during his annual summer vacation. These girls, whom Miyasaki regarded as friends, inspired him to want to make a film they would enjoy. His films prior were meant for small children and teenagers, ("Kiki's Delivery Service" and "My Neighbor Totoro") but young girls, around ten, did not have a film that spoke to them. To help him generate ideas for the film, he read sh-jo manga magazines like Ribon. These magazines were the kind the girls took with them when they went to the mountain cabin. Although somewhat useful, a lot of the information in these magazines did not offer what Miyasaki felt the girls needed, a female heroine they could look up to.

Evidence

When looking at the symbols in "Spirited Away" it's important to see what they were and what they signified. Several authors such as Lim have analyzed the ideas surrounding "Spirited Away." "The inter-related ideas of consumption and waste; the delicate co-existence between nature and humans; traditional conceptions of nature; spirituality and interpretations of the environment;" (Lim 149) the movie begins with a young girl and her parent moving to a new place. She is in the car looking out onto the landscape. They stop near a village and decide to follow the smell of cooked food.

The food, the first real symbol introduced into the film, plays a role throughout the story. (Mayumi 3) The food turns Chihiro's parents into pigs and later on a piece of matter ingested by another character, a spirit named No-Face, expels everything No-Face consumed and returns him to his original state. Food symbolizes transformation and sin. The parents transform, No-Face transforms. At first No-Face ingests anything he can, including other spirits and becomes a giant monster, after he ingests the ball, he reverts back.

Food represents sin because the parents became gluttonous and greedy when consuming the food much like No-Face when he became a ravenous monster. The film represents greed in many forms from Yubaba's need for money and luxurious items and the physical representation of the pigs Yubaba keeps. Greed plays an important in not only the development of the antagonist, Yubaba, but also the protagonist, Chihiro or "Sen." "Sen" is able to counteract the effects of greed by being selfless and caring for others as she did with No-Face and even Yubaba when she helped her baby.

Names also play a significant role in "Spirited Away." Yubaba, when she gets spirits to work for her, removes some of their name. Haku is the Kohaki River and Sen is Chihiro. The loss of a name, the loss of an identity is what keeps the "prisoners" of Yubaba chained. The names act as a way to make the people or spirits affected, lose their memory and themselves.

Much like with names, Miyasaki uses a recurrent theme throughout his films of stories of bildungsroman or "coming of age" where characters are in their formative years and experience something that changes them for life, it matures them and prepares them for what is to come in adulthood. (Satoshi 27) People often miss out on learning important lessons in life. Miyasaki creates these stories to help teach children the importance of things and morals such as hard work and identity. Doing things that are difficult, but help a person grow for the better is seen throughout "Spirited Away." The first instance is when Chihiro has to get a job working for Yubaba. At first she cries and bemoans working in such a place, but later comes to realize she has to work in order to free her parents and escape from the spirit world. A perfect example of hard work in the film is when Chihiro has to clean a giant bathtub for a disgusting, and dirty spirit. She was the only one assigned to the task and when the spirit submerged itself in the bath produced putrid and foul sludge. Even though the situation seemed horrendous and disturbing, Chihiro weathered it and was rewarded by the "polluted river spirit" with a magic emetic dumpling.

The dumpling along with the effects of the dumpling helped her deal with the other task she faced. Haku was stuck doing errands for Yubaba and ended up cursed by her twin sister for stealing a seal. The curse almost killed him, but because of Chihiro's love and hard work, he was saved. Chihiro went so much as to go to the twin sister, named Zeniba, to return the seal and set things right with Zeniba.

The journey of Chihiro, often seen in coming of age stories is all too familiar with audiences. Children faced incredible odds to become strong and mature adults. Chihiro faced many obstacles in her pursuit of saving her parents. She faced near death, the possible death of her parents, and a cruel witch with fantastic powers. After she finished her journey and lost the memory of her experiences, she was able to go face the real world, the reality of her future with confidence and certainty.

Since Miyasaki is Japanese and was born, raised, and lives in Japan, he has put a lot of the Japanese culture within the movie. The bathhouse for example is common in Japan. People go to bathhouses to relax and clean themselves. The clothing of the workers and spirits in the bathhouse are reminiscent of traditional Japanese clothing. Additionally the spirits in the film remark on the Japanese religion, Shinto.

Shinto is the main religion in Japan. (Tamura 62) The basis for Shintoism is that everything in nature has a spirit and therefore has a basis in animism. Two spirits in the movie are rivers. One is the polluted "stink" spirit river and Haku, the Kohaku River. Shinto religion follows that the spirits from nature are powerful and thus shape the natural world. Another aspect of Japanese culture included in the film is the use of traditional Japanese houses & tatami mats. In Japan, people used tatami mats in traditional homes. This straw matting is commonly used on the floor (Teasley 274) Characters in "Spirited Away" always took off their shoes before entering any house or building. In Japan people do this to show respect for the homeowner and to separate outside life from home life. A specific example in the film of characters taking off their shoes, happens when Chihiro gets led by Rin to Yubaba. She spontaneously removes her shoes and socks until she needs to go outside.

Sake, a staple drink in Japan, is used periodically in the film in its bathhouse scenes. In Japanese culture, sake a rice-wine plays a significant role in the Shinto religion. People drink sake to mark various life-stages. For example, during marriage, the husband and wife must drink sake. During festive occasions, sake is a popular drink of choice. In Spirited Away, when the river spirit named Kawa No Kami has all the filth removed from it, gold appears on the floor and Yubaba announces, elated, "Sake on the house tonight!" signifying celebration.

Intellectual Importance

Saudi culture and Japanese culture, although different has some similarities, especially when it comes to "Spirited Away." The Saudi culture emphasizes loyalty, importance of family, respect, and friendship. Chihiro valued her parents and saw the need to aid them demonstrating loyalty. She showed respect when she removed her shoes. She risked her life to help her friend Haku, proving her value of friendship. Many positive aspects of "Spirited Away" can be attributed to Saudi culture, just like Japanese culture. Even if the Saudi culture is different and Saudia Arabia, is a distant country from Japan, it still shares common beliefs and traditions that can be seen in any culture.

Because "Spirited Away" had universal aspects of love and friendship, many Saudi Arabians have become fans of the movie. Although there does not appear a large presence in terms of Saudi fans of "Spirited Away," internationally speaking, it has become a major hit with many people from many countries having watched the film. The film hasn't made much of an impact on Saudi fans as certain media has just recently been allowed into Saudi Arabia, but speaking from a personal perspective, it has moved me in such a way that has made this film not only memorable but a treasured classic.

Contribution

One way I determined the impact of the film and anime and manga in general is by performing a survey where I asked five young people if they watched anime, know of Hayao Miyasaki, have watched "Spirited Away," if it relates to Saudi culture, and if the genre has left any lasting impact on their lives. Although most of the answers relayed they knew of anime, have watched anime, know of Hayao Miyasaki, and have watched "Spirited Away," they did not emphasize they were big fans. Nor did they express popularity in Saudi Arabia for the genre. Some attribute it to lack of availability of anime titles and manga. Unlike in America, where they have stores dedicated to anime clothing, movies, and merchandise, Saudi Arabia lacks these kinds of novelties.