Some more things to think about, to follow on from Weeks 8-9!!
1. In this paper we have considered Herge's The Blue Lotus as an example of orientalism, that is, the way the 'East' is constructed in western discourse. Miyazaki lived for a spell in Italy and almost half of his feature-length films - Castle of Cagliostro (1979), Laptua: Castle in the Sky (1986), Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), Porco Rosso (1992) and Howl's Moving Castle (2004) - are set in Europe. Yet Miyazaki's Europe is a kind of imaginative reconstruction with fantasy elements that defamiliarises actual European settings and culture while remaining somehow remain indelibly Japanese. See the article I gave out by Dani Cavallaro (2006), pages 167-70.
Did you note any effects of such - what could be termed - 'Occidentalism' in Howl's Moving Castle? How might Europe function imaginatively for a Japanese audience? How do you think it works for a western audience? (Whew! That's my longest question yet :)
2. According to Cavallaro how successful was Howl commercially and critically?
3. What 3 major differences does Cavallaro identify between the book (a European fantasy novel by Wynne Jones) of the same name?
4. What does Cavallaro tell us about the technical aspects of Howl's production in terms of the animation technique and special effects?
Nice to see some smiles after this screening ＼（＾ ＾）／
What did you like (or not like, if that's the case) about Howl?
As Paul mentioned that the term of "Occidentalism" refers to the way the East is constructed in the Western World such as the Japanese audiences had seen/viewed Europe or the French setting in Howl's moving castle has drawn attention to the audience of the 19th centuries during the World War I setting period but with a future technology function imaginatively as well as for the western audience.(Cavallaro, 2006)
Well, orientalism is the west's construction of the east, occidentalism the east's construction of the west.
Orientalism tends to have a negative association because of the history of economic and cultural imperialism, though the ascendancy of the west seems to be drawing to a close now...
Hi guys and Paul, I found these stories of anime very interesting, I went to border store (wandering around), found Princess Mononoke, unbelievably expensive so i guess i will borrow from Paul. Cavallaro states that Howl's had become very successful and break many records and Miyasaki himself had won a Golden Lion award and he was the very first japanese director and very first anime who had received a wicked cool award(2006).
I think that Miyasaki did really well too,consider Miyasaki is an asian director and plus he was able to bring out the positive and negative part between Occidentalism and Orientalism which I have never seen it before in the anime.
What did I like about Howl's and did not like ? 1. I like the way Miyasaki created Calcifer talking and able to eat any left over food(I wish I can have Calcifer in my restaurant), the moving castle was a clever idea of Miyasaki and the artist which you never know where is he actually walking to but the castle just keep moving according calcifer's power and the WWI setting just make me feel like i'm in the dark world of the witch or the world of cursed.
2. I did not like the way that the story ended so fast with happy ending....i mean happy ending is good but i was expecting more of the adventures until everyone finds out where Howl's heart is.
3. I like the creations of the monsters, the witches and the king's armies mixing together in this anime because it makes me feel like i'm not actually in the WWI period but also in the future world technology as well.
Hi Jan, Sorry for my late response. As you mentioned, Miyazaki tends to put European scenery in his films. So my image of foreign countries were like his films when I was a kid. As far as I know, one of the scenes in Laputa was adapted from Waitomo Cave's glowworms.
Now, I'm trying to answer Question 3: "What 3 major differences does Cavallaro identify between the book (a European fantasy novel by Wynne Jones) of the same name?"
Accoding to Cavallaro (2006), "whereas Jones used the Welsh moorlands as her main source of inspiration, Miyazaki and his art department drew most of their imagery from a French region endowed with a quintessentially fairy-tale flavor" (p.167), so one of the main differences is the location and the scenery.
Cavallaro also says "the film concurrently visualizes actual elements of 19th-century culture and society, and images of later epochs as envisioned at the time." (p.168) So, I guess, the novel is not in the 19th century and this is the second difference.
The final difference is that "while Jones's novel merely alludes to the protagonist's country, Ingary, being under threat from neighboring realms, Miyazaki's Howl makes war one of its pivotal themes." (p.170); therefore, novel doesn't mention the war significantly although the film does.
Hello Jan, I haven't yet been to Waitomo Cave either, but my friend told me that the cave was exactly the same as one of Laputa's scenes. The scene is that Pazu and Sheeta go into the mine shaft and meet Uncle Pom. When Uncle Pom breaks the stone, the mine shaft twinkles.
Here is the website which shows Waitomo Cave's glowworms.
Personally, I like the way that Miyazaki describes "love". For example, when Sophie screens Howl from Madame Suliman's blame, she returns to a nomal 18-year-old girl. And when the scarecrow is kissed, he returns to a human.
But I don't like the ending: the war finishes Madame Suliman's speech even though Howl fights seriously.
Hi guys, Sorry about so late to join you. I also like the “love” what Miyazaki has described in the anime, not only between Sophie and Howl, but among the people in Howl's Moving Castle. For example, the little boy who living in Howl’s moving castle loves Sophie and Howl very much, he worries about Howl’s injured or not, and when Sophie has to leave, he is not like to let her go. So the “love” of human beings describing in the anime that is impressive to people who are interested in it. As a fan of the anime, I do not like the castle in Howl’s Moving Castle, I think it is not beautiful enough, especially when Sophie met it the first time, it is so ugly. This is just my personal view of it. Hope you guys enjoy it：）
Hi ladies, As Jocelyn said, I also prefer Spirited Away or other Miyazaki's films rather than Howl. Compared to Howl, Laputa, Kiki and Nausicaä are more beautiful and less serious, I feel.
Now, I'm answering Question 4: "What does Cavallaro tell us about the technical aspects of Howl's production in terms of the animation technique and special effects?"
According to Cavallaro (2006), "Howl uses a number of computerized tools and techniques, including digital composition and layering, 3D rendering, morphing, particles systems, texture mapping, digitalpainting, ray tracing and computer-generated atmospheric effects." (p.165). So, what I understand from this passage is that Miyazaki didn't use to use "high technological" tools to make films. But because technology has developed, he now can make his work much closer than "real" people or scenery.
Wow, another great movie made by Miyasaki. As Paul asked that "Did you note any effects of such - what could be termed - 'Occidentalism' in Howl's Moving Castle? How might Europe function imaginatively for a Japanese audience? How do you think it works for a western audience?" Fistly, the term occidnetalim can be generally decribed as the scholarly knowledge of Western cultures and languages and people. So that, we cann simply understand as the western type. As we can see that castle is always firstly settled in European countries such as England and France. So that I think the backgroud of story use of refence basing on the European history in 19th centry. As we can see that there are couples of Japanese comic use European as the reference to describe the story. So that Miyasaki use either Japanese and Westen type and match them perfectly for the story. I do think the Europe function imaginatively and really work for the Japanese audience. Moveover, I think it works for the western audience as well because the story is basing on the European history. And aslo that we can see the changing of today's cultural life and it's kind of leading trend that the eastern cutural and western's kind of getting more close and became combined some days later. As Pual mentioned that it's "negative association because of the history of economic and cultural imperialism".
What did you like (or not like, if that's the case) about Howl?
Well, I did like Miyazaki creat some special characters more than the human such as the talking fire, really creative and make the story more colourful, funny and attractive to the audiences attention. The moving castle personified as the human not only the castle and moving like human, got legs and arms.
I didn't like some plot of story because I think the plot is quite similar compare with Miyazaki's other works like spireted away. The two main characters love each other and the boy always have special supernatural power and can be transfered to the monster and the girl saved he.THerefore, as we can see. the plot of story have nothing so much different and special in the content.
haha, It's seems like that we all have agreement that we prefer Spireted away more than the Howl's moving castle.compare with howl's moving castle. The love between two main characters in Spireted away is more beautiful, greatful and innocence. also that the plot of Spireted away is more unique
I do agree with you that I like the way as well which Miyasaki describe the term " Love", during the whole movie, we can feel the sense of that Sophie and Howl do kind of love each other, especially for Sophie. But sometimes they hide love and reveal it in the deep of heart and not express. As we can see that, their love can be considered as not disposed to expressions of feeling of love which is reserved love. Sometime this kind of love is more strong than any other kinds of love.
Re: Jocelyn'
You commented that the there is also love among the Sophie, Howl and little boy who's living in the castle. I think their love is only the friendship, nothing exceeding this relationship. And also that he's so caring of Sophie and Howl. I think they are more like a family. However, you commented that the castle itself is so ugly, but I have to say that the surface looking of the moving castle is not really important. I think it looks ok and quite old fashion looking.
15 comments:
Some more things to think about, to follow on from Weeks 8-9!!
1. In this paper we have considered Herge's The Blue Lotus as an example of orientalism, that is, the way the 'East' is constructed in western discourse. Miyazaki lived for a spell in Italy and almost half of his feature-length films - Castle of Cagliostro (1979), Laptua: Castle in the Sky (1986), Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), Porco Rosso (1992) and Howl's Moving Castle (2004) - are set in Europe. Yet Miyazaki's Europe is a kind of imaginative reconstruction with fantasy elements that defamiliarises actual European settings and culture while remaining somehow remain indelibly Japanese. See the article I gave out by Dani Cavallaro (2006), pages 167-70.
Did you note any effects of such - what could be termed - 'Occidentalism' in Howl's Moving Castle? How might Europe function imaginatively for a Japanese audience? How do you think it works for a western audience? (Whew! That's my longest question yet :)
2. According to Cavallaro how successful was Howl commercially and critically?
3. What 3 major differences does Cavallaro identify between the book (a European fantasy novel by Wynne Jones) of the same name?
4. What does Cavallaro tell us about the technical aspects of Howl's production in terms of the animation technique and special effects?
Nice to see some smiles after this screening ＼（＾ ＾）／
What did you like (or not like, if that's the case) about Howl?
As Paul mentioned that the term of "Occidentalism" refers to the way the East is constructed in the Western World such as the Japanese audiences had seen/viewed Europe or the French setting in Howl's moving castle has drawn attention to the audience of the 19th centuries during the World War I setting period but with a future technology function imaginatively as well as for the western audience.(Cavallaro, 2006)
Well, orientalism is the west's construction of the east, occidentalism the east's construction of the west.
Orientalism tends to have a negative association because of the history of economic and cultural imperialism, though the ascendancy of the west seems to be drawing to a close now...
Hi guys and Paul, I found these stories of anime very interesting, I went to border store (wandering around), found Princess Mononoke, unbelievably expensive so i guess i will borrow from Paul. Cavallaro states that Howl's had become very successful and break many records and Miyasaki himself had won a Golden Lion award and he was the very first japanese director and very first anime who had received a wicked cool award(2006).
I think that Miyasaki did really well too,consider Miyasaki is an asian director and plus he was able to bring out the positive and negative part between Occidentalism and Orientalism which I have never seen it before in the anime.
What did I like about Howl's and did not like ?
1. I like the way Miyasaki created Calcifer talking and able to eat any left over food(I wish I can have Calcifer in my restaurant), the moving castle was a clever idea of Miyasaki and the artist which you never know where is he actually walking to but the castle just keep moving according calcifer's power and the WWI setting just make me feel like i'm in the dark world of the witch or the world of cursed.
2. I did not like the way that the story ended so fast with happy ending....i mean happy ending is good but i was expecting more of the adventures until everyone finds out where Howl's heart is.
3. I like the creations of the monsters, the witches and the king's armies mixing together in this anime because it makes me feel like i'm not actually in the WWI period but also in the future world technology as well.
Hi Jan,
Sorry for my late response.
As you mentioned, Miyazaki tends to put European scenery in his films. So my image of foreign countries were like his films when I was a kid.
As far as I know, one of the scenes in Laputa was adapted from Waitomo Cave's glowworms.
Now, I'm trying to answer Question 3: "What 3 major differences does Cavallaro identify between the book (a European fantasy novel by Wynne Jones) of the same name?"
Accoding to Cavallaro (2006), "whereas Jones used the Welsh moorlands as her main source of inspiration, Miyazaki and his art department drew most of their imagery from a French region endowed with a quintessentially fairy-tale flavor" (p.167), so one of the main differences is the location and the scenery.
Cavallaro also says "the film concurrently visualizes actual elements of 19th-century culture and society, and images of later epochs as envisioned at the time." (p.168)
So, I guess, the novel is not in the 19th century and this is the second difference.
The final difference is that "while Jones's novel merely alludes to the protagonist's country, Ingary, being under threat from neighboring realms, Miyazaki's Howl makes war one of its pivotal themes." (p.170); therefore, novel doesn't mention the war significantly although the film does.
hi Hisako, I've never been to Waitomo Glow Worms Cave but if you can find out which scences in this anime i would like to look at it.
Hello Jan,
I haven't yet been to Waitomo Cave either, but my friend told me that the cave was exactly the same as one of Laputa's scenes.
The scene is that Pazu and Sheeta go into the mine shaft and meet Uncle Pom. When Uncle Pom breaks the stone, the mine shaft twinkles.
Here is the website which shows Waitomo Cave's glowworms.
http://www.waitomo.com/waitomo-glowworm-caves.aspx
When you see this, you will know which scene.
Personally, I like the way that Miyazaki describes "love".
For example, when Sophie screens Howl from Madame Suliman's blame, she returns to a nomal 18-year-old girl. And when the scarecrow is kissed, he returns to a human.
But I don't like the ending: the war finishes Madame Suliman's speech even though Howl fights seriously.
Hi guys,
Sorry about so late to join you.
I also like the “love” what Miyazaki has described in the anime, not only between Sophie and Howl, but among the people in Howl's Moving Castle. For example, the little boy who living in Howl’s moving castle loves Sophie and Howl very much, he worries about Howl’s injured or not, and when Sophie has to leave, he is not like to let her go. So the “love” of human beings describing in the anime that is impressive to people who are interested in it.
As a fan of the anime, I do not like the castle in Howl’s Moving Castle, I think it is not beautiful enough, especially when Sophie met it the first time, it is so ugly. This is just my personal view of it.
Hope you guys enjoy it：）
Hi ladies,
As Jocelyn said, I also prefer Spirited Away or other Miyazaki's films rather than Howl.
Compared to Howl, Laputa, Kiki and Nausicaä are more beautiful and less serious, I feel.
Now, I'm answering Question 4: "What does Cavallaro tell us about the technical aspects of Howl's production in terms of the animation technique and special effects?"
According to Cavallaro (2006), "Howl uses a number of computerized tools and techniques, including digital composition and layering, 3D rendering, morphing, particles systems, texture mapping, digitalpainting, ray tracing and computer-generated atmospheric effects." (p.165).
So, what I understand from this passage is that Miyazaki didn't use to use "high technological" tools to make films. But because technology has developed, he now can make his work much closer than "real" people or scenery.
Hi,guys
Wow, another great movie made by Miyasaki. As Paul asked that "Did you note any effects of such - what could be termed - 'Occidentalism' in Howl's Moving Castle? How might Europe function imaginatively for a Japanese audience? How do you think it works for a western audience?" Fistly, the term occidnetalim can be generally decribed as the scholarly knowledge of Western cultures and languages and people. So that, we cann simply understand as the western type. As we can see that castle is always firstly settled in European countries such as England and France. So that I think the backgroud of story use of refence basing on the European history in 19th centry. As we can see that there are couples of Japanese comic use European as the reference to describe the story. So that Miyasaki use either Japanese and Westen type and match them perfectly for the story. I do think the Europe function imaginatively and really work for the Japanese audience. Moveover, I think it works for the western audience as well because the story is basing on the European history. And aslo that we can see the changing of today's cultural life and it's kind of leading trend that the eastern cutural and western's kind of getting more close and became combined some days later. As Pual mentioned that it's "negative association because of the history of economic and cultural imperialism".
What did you like (or not like, if that's the case) about Howl?
Well, I did like Miyazaki creat some special characters more than the human such as the talking fire, really creative and make the story more colourful, funny and attractive to the audiences attention. The moving castle personified as the human not only the castle and moving like human, got legs and arms.
I didn't like some plot of story because I think the plot is quite similar compare with Miyazaki's other works like spireted away. The two main characters love each other and the boy always have special supernatural power and can be transfered to the monster and the girl saved he.THerefore, as we can see. the plot of story have nothing so much different and special in the content.
Re:Hisako
haha, It's seems like that we all have agreement that we prefer Spireted away more than the Howl's moving castle.compare with howl's moving castle. The love between two main characters in Spireted away is more beautiful, greatful and innocence. also that the plot of Spireted away is more unique
Re: Hisako
I do agree with you that I like the way as well which Miyasaki describe the term " Love", during the whole movie, we can feel the sense of that Sophie and Howl do kind of love each other, especially for Sophie. But sometimes they hide love and reveal it in the deep of heart and not express. As we can see that, their love can be considered as not disposed to expressions of feeling of love which is reserved love. Sometime this kind of love is more strong than any other kinds of love.
Re: Jocelyn'
You commented that the there is also love among the Sophie, Howl and little boy who's living in the castle. I think their love is only the friendship, nothing exceeding this relationship. And also that he's so caring of Sophie and Howl. I think they are more like a family. However, you commented that the castle itself is so ugly, but I have to say that the surface looking of the moving castle is not really important. I think it looks ok and quite old fashion looking.
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