So we watched Princess Mononoke this week and I really liked it! The best parts were Xavi’s snoring and the part where the wolf grabs Ashitaka’s head and starts shaking him around! Sooo funny! But anyway, one of the most interesting characters in the anime is Lady Aboshi. In a way, she has two sides to her personality because she’s kind yet destructive. She rescues several prostitutes and lepers, the outcasts in society, and they become some of the most productive and powerful people in Iron Town. However, the effect the “sustainability” of Iron Town has on the surrounding environment is horrible and many of the animals and plant life either die off or are in danger of dying. Lady Aboshi is also kind of greedy because even though she knows her actions will destroy the environment, her dream of expanding Iron Town holds more weight than the habitats in the forest.
What strikes me as really interesting about Princess Mononoke though is the powerful role women have throughout the movie. Lady Aboshi is the leader of Iron Town and the men in the town support her. The women in the town are in charge of creating the iron, which is the town’s main resource. Also, San’s mother, the wolf goddess, is also shown to be smarter and wiser than the boar god. Some people may think that women’s roles in this anime may be a sign that women may be getting better, or more prominent roles in media, but I think it’s slightly strange that Lady Aboshi is a lead female character but she’s portrayed as having evil intentions. And her plans are also foiled. It kind of makes me wonder if women have unsuccessful roles in the anime on purpose or something. I don’t know, but it’s just something I thought of.
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| Lady Aboshi and San fighting. GET IT |
I agree that Xavi's snoring and the part where the wolf bites Ashitaka's head and shakes him around were definitely some of the highlights of the film. It is sad that because of this I giggled throughout the entire movie, even at some inappropriate times. I also find it interesting that the women in the movie have such powerful roles. Plus, the entire town is basically run by women. The men seem to be almost inferior to the women. Also, I totally overlooked the wolf goddess and the fact that she is wiser and more powerful than the boar god.
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