Document Type
Senior Honorable Mention
Award Date
Fall 2013
Course Name
Gender Studies
Teacher
Dr. Leah Kind
Abstract
I’ve loved anime ever since I was a little kid. I remember staying up late every Friday night to watch Toonami with my older brother. However as I’ve grown up, I’ve begun to resent the one sided femininity displayed by the majority of female anime characters. Anime is notorious for its stereotypical portrayal of female characters. Girls are usually naive and wide eyed, rushing stupidly into trouble only for the brave hero to pull them out of it. My frustration with carbon copy female heroines had gotten to the point that I considered putting my love for anime to rest. Then, one Saturday during sophomore year, I watched the movie Princess Mononoke, and I was practically spirited away. The animated film Princess Mononoke provides a beautifully rendered alternative to anime’s usual gender codes. In multiple instances throughout the film, female characters violate gender norms by acting as both leaders and warriors. Princess Mononoke challenges partisian female gender roles with its richly textured female characters, each of whom embody a typically masculine trait.
Recommended Citation
Olowu, Karen '14, "Deconstructed Gender Norms in Princess Mononoke" (2013). 2013 Fall Semester. 5.
https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/fall2013/5