Spirited Away: Feminism In Disney Movies

I could never deny that I am a huge fan of Studio Ghibli movies.

Their movies are simply magical—the elements that are put into the movies create a beautiful combination beyond comparison.

From the surface, one could witness the stunning hand-drawn animation, the graceful voice acting—not to mention the impeccable soundtrack music that never fail to perfectly match the tone of the movies.

But there’s another reason why my love for the movies runs really deep—the intrinsic values underlying those elements.

When I was younger, I was always exposed to Disney movies. Needless to say, it became a big part of my childhood. It’s no doubt that Disney has made some great, inspirational movies judging from their success during the Disney Renaissance

However, there is one other element I want to point out that is prevalent in all the movies—feminism. Some of the female protagonists in the films (e.g Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle, Sheeta from Castle in the Sky) appear to cut their hair short purposely or after a certain incident—symbolizing coming of age, independence, courage, and female prowess. Other than that, the movies feature female characters completing monumental tasks; even having the story revolve around them. In Spirited Away, power is mostly placed on women—Yubaba and Zeniba, Chihiro’s struggle, and Rin along with the other bathhouse workers. In Castle of the Sky, captain Dola as a female pirate shows her support to Sheeta in order to work in the ship and make effort to fight against the government. In Porco Rosso, Fio is shown to be a talent at constructing planes although at first the main character even doubted her. In addition, Porco Rosso himself was a complex character—as he was in the middle of a conflict where it was tough to discern the good from the evil (during the rise of fascism in Italy). By involving real-life politics and the humane struggles faced by the characters, the movies display the dynamics that are supposedly involved in real