Since the 20th century, America has been subject to waves of feminism, from the suffrage movement to the Women's Liberation Movement of the 1970s. This growing demand for equality in America has resulted in a growing demand for positive female role models in films, particularly in films aimed at children. Disney answered this call by creating more three-dimensional female characters, which included Pocahontas, an “Indian” or indigenous ecologist princess, and Mulan, a cross-dressing soldier. Jack Zipes, professor and fairy tale expert, explains in Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales, Children, and the Culture Industry that “any other filmmaker who has attempted to adapt a fairy tale for the screen, whether through animation or other means, he had to measure himself against Disney standards and try to go beyond”; a statement like this exemplifies this deep bond that has manifested itself over time between fairy tales and Disney, as well as the near-monopolistic control of the fairy tale entertainment industry; in the modern age fairy tales are generally associated with Disney and vice versa. For this reason, it is imperative to analyze the educational messages embodied by Disney; especially since many of these heroines are considered role models. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Disney movies aren't the only animated films that center around a heroine. Born January 5, 1941, Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animation director known for his fantastical and vibrant films that revolve around a strong young female protagonist. Despite coming from a country that has historically been much more oppressive towards women, Japanese animation, particularly that of Hayao Miyazaki, illustrates some of the strongest female role models on screen today. In Miyazaki's films, unlike those of Disney, whose heroines are never entirely free from this restrictive sphere of male power, his heroines are able to assume and maintain positions of power. Manuel Hernández-Pérez in “Animation, branding and authorship in the construction of the 'anti-Disney' ethic” explains that Miyazaki's “female characters are not eroticized and are rarely involved in romantic relationships”, unlike Disney where the interest romantic is shown as a simplified path to happiness, which is a harmful idea as it is a form of escapism. Comparing Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, 1984, and Princess Mononoke, 1997, with Disney's Pocahontas, 1995, and Mulan, 1998, one can see that Miyazaki's heroines are realistic women in a realistic world who face realistic consequences and that the future of feminism is indisputably Japanese animated films. In addition to having female protagonists, these four films have additional similarities that allow for this comparison of Japanese-American animation. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Mononoke, and Pocahontas all have obvious ecological themes. And all four films place their heroine in a unique position of influence and leadership in an armed conflict between opposing groups in a fantasy, or in Disney's case somewhat historical, world where spirits or magic play a role. Although all four heroines act in leadership roles in their respective films, they vary in terms of their acquisition of that power, its scope, and its duration. San from Mononoke, Nausicaä, and Pocahontas are all royalty of one kind or another, and because of that you would think they would all get some respect. Of these three heroines, Nausicaä is the youngest and also the most powerful. She is shown competent with her gun and hersinstruments. Miyazaki illustrates her feminine characteristics, which are demonstrated by her girlish laugh, but also shows her as valiant, as is shown when she rushes to protect her older mentor from an Ohmu, a huge and dangerous insect-like creature. Nausicaä is often portrayed in a way that illustrates her freedom and independence. She is not afraid to fly alone on her glider or gather the necessary materials for her village in a poisonous forest, which she also does alone. She is a competent, beautiful and strong woman. Pocahontas is introduced to the audience in a similar way to Nausicaä, in a forest. But Pocahontas is presented in a way that implies immaturity as in the first few minutes of the film she is shown performing a perfect dive from a steep cliff into the waters below and proceeds to capsize her sister's canoe in an act of girlish mischief. From the beginning of the film, Pocahontas' youth and competence are emphasized, which seems somewhat contradictory as the film progresses as her potential as a leader is complicated. Pocahontas is shown to indirectly push her tribe and the English colonists to the brink of war due to her secret meeting with John Smith. Unlike Nausicaä, Pocahontas acts to save her people only because she was the one who put them in danger. The actions Pocahontas takes to protect her tribe not only require the approval of her father but also the intervention of John Smith, her lover, to be complete. It is John Smith who puts an end to the feud between opposing groups by taking the bullet intended for the Indian chief. Disney's Pocahontas has little power in her world. Her father even pushes her to settle down and get married, something Nausicaä's father would never ask her to do because she is too precious for domestic life. It is shown that Pocahontas needs the grounding effect of a family to be fully integrated into her tribe. And one could argue that Pocahontas was not created to be a role model for women as she was adapted for a white male audience. Pocahontas: Her True Story describes how the real Pocahontas was a political adversary at just 12 years old, the age she met Captain John Smith, not when Disney says she was 20, and conducted negotiations between her father and the English colonists. , only to be kidnapped by them (1995). She is described much like Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, a wild and formidable woman, ready with spears and arrows. But instead of praising Pocahontas for her clear power and intelligence, Disney chooses to eradicate these achievements and portray her as a domesticated, sexualized caricature of her heritage. Likewise, with Mulan, a hero who carries the enemy's sword along with the Emperor's coat of arms, upon returning home he is judged for bringing home a sword and not a man despite saving all of China. Disney emphasizes the fact that being a hero will not bring honor to his family, but a bride will. It is evident from this comparison with Disney that Miyazaki supports independent female characters, who are not limited by their beauty and feminine stereotypes and are instead capable of being a jack of all trades and not ashamed of domestic life. A common element among Disney princess films is that there is a tendency to use romance as a sense of finality, a conclusion to conflicts that have arisen, and sometimes a way to show acceptance of the heroine. But Miyazaki is “skeptical of the unwritten rule that just because a boy and a girl appear in the same feature, a romance must arise and wants to portray a slightly different relationship, one in which the two inspire each other to live and, if able to do so, thenperhaps… be closer to portraying a true expression of love.” Hayao Miyazaki creates “strong female protagonists, courageous, self-reliant girls who don't think twice about fighting for what they believe in with all their hearts and, most importantly, need a friend or supporter, but never a savior because every woman is as capable of being a hero as any man. While with Disney it is clear that both Mulan and Pocahontas never leave this sphere of male domination. Mulan argues that one must strive to be a "man", reinforcing male stereotypes and oppression of female traits to be a hero. Pocahontas isn't even the hero of her own story; the man she is in love with is. Disney princess films revolve around men despite female characters being the protagonists of the story, while Miyazaki creates female characters who are unquestionably competent heroes. Miyazaki shows real women in a real world, meaning it has real consequences. Miyazaki's films do not share the Disney tradition of happy endings to satisfy the audience. Often her heroines and characters are left to dwell on the mistakes and losses that have occurred; this is clearly illustrated in Princess Mononoke. Upon San and Ashitaka's return of the Forest Spirit's head to its rightful home on its body, the common expectation, perhaps due to the Disney model, would be that the spirit would return to life, but in this case this is not the case. Miyazaki's films are different from Disney's in this fundamental way; they are not happily ever after films. Miyazaki's heroines experience loss; they face their fears and become familiar with the trauma associated with war. There is no kiss, romance or magical surprise that will make all the bad things go away. Miyazaki's heroines must find a way to move on with their lives. This is a real role model because they carry on like real people have to do when they go through hard times. Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is an example of what the consequences could be if people didn't realize the consequences of their actions. Princess Nausicaä, due to humanity's mistakes, must face a polluted world in which she attempts to protect both the people and the creatures that inhabit it. Nausicaä strives to find a way for people and creatures to coexist as some people try to take advantage of the natural environment. In this process, Nausicaä never compromises her femininity and doesn't need a Prince Charming to fix everything. Miyazaki's heroines harness their strength of character through a compassionate understanding of those who oppose them within the film, rather than seeing them as enemies to be defeated. Miyazaki in these films asks people to respect and care for all living things because life is not promised or permanent; people's actions have consequences, whereas in Disney's Mulan, Mulan is never shown facing any emotional hardship. All her obstacles in the way were purely physical despite her going to war where she was supposed to and killing people. This lack of recognition of emotional loss is also shown in Pocahontas when Pocahontas' actions indirectly lead to Kocoum's death. Pocahontas reacts shocked to his death, but gets over the loss within minutes. Unlike Disney, Miyazaki does not gloss over human emotions and experiences, as they are important to recognize in order to grow, and illustrates that there is no repeat button to change the past. Please note: this is just an example. 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