Lecture 9 'The Circle of Life'

This lecture was partly about ideology and what it means and partly a comparison between western animation e.g. Disney and Pixar and Japanese animation.

He showed us extracts form Bambi (Disney) and My Neighbour Totoro (Studio Ghibli) and compared the two. He talked about the way the western animation always had an underlying theme telling children that home is safe, stay with your parents and you will be safe, don't wander into the open on your own. The anime however seems to express the idea that when you leave home and explore the unknown you will have a thrilling adventure, that its OK, the exciting things happen when you are free from your parents.

This really made me think, i can believe that this is true for some Disney and anime but it cannot be an absolute rule. It is certainly true for the Studio Ghibli film 'Spirited Away' when a young goes through a portal and finds herself alone in a magical and disturbing world.

This is also true for the Disney film 'Pinocchio' where the wooden boy is safe while at home but when he gets taken away he has to endure some truly horrific events including being eaten by a whale and nearly turning into a donkey.

I don't think these rules are without exception though for example 'Peter Pan' is a story about some children who are invited away from home by a boy and a fairy to a magical land where theyhave an adventure.
However, being brought up on Disney i do understand what Bill meant by this. Sometimes when i watch anime films i get scared for the characters because they put themselves in dangerous positions so willingly, something you rarely see in Disney. I find myself wanting to tell them not to go through the spooky door or wander off with a monster because i have been brain washed by Disney into thinking that these actions will lead to danger. In anime these actions lead to adventure an excitement.