Talking Japanese Popular Culture
Research Project Proposal
Title of project:
The gender which mostly prefers to watch Hayao Miyazaki’s animations
INTRODUCTION
The animation industry is one of the most bustling and successful industries in Japan. Japanese animation has gained international acclaim because of its unique styles that mostly features original Japan-based culture and contents[1]. The year 2002 saw by far the biggest success of Japanese animations as sales rose from 186 to 213.5 billion yen[2]. However, this declined to 191.2 billion yen in 2003. Japan Economic Monthly (2005)[3] explained that the reason for the decline of sales is because of the lack of quality anime films in 2003. The report shows that the main factor why the sales of Japanese anime rose in 2002 was because of the film ‘Spirited Away’, created by renowned Japanese anime creator Hayao Mizayaki. Mizayaki is also the creator of previous hits such as ‘Princess Monopole’, and the latest, ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’, which was released in 2004[4].
Animation director Hayao Miyazaki is a regular in box office, in Japan and around the world. His first success as an animation director was ‘Princess Mononoke’, which received the Japanese equivalent of the Academy Ward for Best Film and was the highest-grossing (about USD0 million) domestic film in Japan’s history at the time of its release.[5] Given his many success, there is much to be fascinated about how his films attract the audience. In research, there is much to be explored, for instance, the appeal on his films on different types of people. Gender is one of the few things that can be explored. Miyazaki’s films may have different appeals depending on the gender of the consumer.
According to Sherwood’s (2006)[6] research about the structure of Miyazaki’s films, Miyazaki has a unique style of frequently using children protagonists, especially girls. Sherwood states that “Miyazaki’s choice to film through the eyes of protagonists who are young girls creates a critical distance for an adult audience, preparing them to accept the narrative and its structure on its own terms”[7]. Miyazaki does not resort to the traditional storytelling of hero versus villain but rather tries to portray his story in the eyes of young girls who are naïve about almost everything in this world. As mentioned in Sherwood, Miyazaki introduces themes of the orphan, homelessness, grace, and love, and then through those elements, cultivates a rapport with his audience, so that they will stay with him as he manipulates the form of the hero’s journey in all three narratives to bring about alternate forms of dramatic resolution.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
According to Sherwood, the protagonists in Miyazaki’s films do not victoriously defeat evil by fighting it, but rather by overcome and transform it through understanding. This indicates that there is less violence or action in Miyazaki’s film, a characteristic that may not appeal the general male population. In the study of Queasier-Pohl et al (2005)[8] about male preference of action and adventure video games, the researchers concluded that their results support previous findings that males prefer action and adventure films and games while girls do not like this genre, and prefer romance films and games with more logic than action. Thus, the objective of the research is to determine which gender mostly prefers to watch Miyazaki’s animations.
METHODOLOGY
The research will be based on descriptive strategy as it aims to acquire accurately the opinions of the respondents at the time of research. The research will aim to test a particular hypothesis and theory. The hypothesis is that males do not prefer Miyazaki films because of its lack of violence.
Survey is the data collection approach to be used in the research. In the research, 10 males and 10 females will be surveyed using a ranking questionnaire.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
It is expected that the research will succeed in proving the hypothesis to be true as previous research already indicates that males prefer to watch and play violent movies and games. Miyazaki’s films will appeal most to females because its themes revolve around struggle, grace and love.
Bibliography:
1) Web (2006). Films, TV Series, and Other Works (online). Available at: http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/films/#film_g_m [Accessed: 04/20/06].
2) Internet Movie Database Inc. (2006). Biography for Hayao Mizayaki (online). Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594503/bio [Accessed: 04/20/06].
3) Japan Economic Monthly (2005). Japan Animation Industry Trends. METRO Japan Economic Monthly, June 2005
4) Queasier-Pohl, C., Geyser, C. and Lehmann, W. (2005). The Relationship Between Computer Game Preference, Gender and Mental Rotation Ability. Personality and Individual Differences, In Press.
5) Sherwood, A. (2006). Characterization, Narrative Structure and Mythopoeia in the Films of Hayao Miyazaki. Regent College, Vancouver
[1] Japan Economic Monthly (2005). Japan Animation Industry Trends. METRO Japan Economic Monthly, June 2005
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Hayao Miyazaki’s Web (2006). Films, TV Series, and Other Works (online). Available at: http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/films/#film_g_m
[5] Internet Movie Database Inc. (2006). Biography for Hayao Mizayaki (online). Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594503/bio`
[6] Sherwood, A. (2006). Characterization, Narrative Structure and Mythopoeia in the Films of Hayao Miyazaki. Regent College, Vancouver
[7] Ibid p.5
[8] Quaiser-Pohl, C., Geiser, C. and Lehmann, W. (2005). The Relationship Between Computer Game Preference, Gender and Mental Rotation Ability. Personality and Individual Differences, In Press.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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