Apologies / Princess Mononoke
Mar. 30th, 2014 06:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mhuzzellO hai LJ. Sorry I've been away so long. I've even failed in my stated intention to mirror the things I post up on mhuzzell.wordpress.com. I'll catch up on that at some point soon (though I'll probably back-date them, so I don't know whether that would put them in your feeds or not).
In the meantime, here's a half-formed set of musings about a film I watched a month ago, pulled from the clutter of half-formed writings that are currently languishing all over my desktop:
I have finally (finally!) watched 'Mononoke Hime', and I have a lot of Thoughts and Feelings about it.
One, the most surface-level, is simply "OMG THIS IS SO GOOD WHY HAVE I NOT WATCHED IT BEFORE? WHY DID NO ONE MAKE ME??" Or rather, why did I not take their recommendations sooner? I have a lot of friends who are really into Studio Ghibli as a thing, and at their urging I've been starting to explore them, though 'Mononoke Hime' is only the second I've seen. The first, 'The Grave of the Fireflies', was also impressively beautiful, though I was amused to see that the writer, when questioned, was all, "What? No, this isn't an anti-war film. It's about how young'uns in Japan need to respect their elders, who lived through it!" -- and fair play; it's not an anti-war film. It's a film depicting an anti-war reality.
Similarly, I was impressed by the implicit gender politics of 'Mononoke Hime', although I don't think it could be called 'feminist' by any reckoning. It's just that it was so refreshing to see women in so many prominent roles. The two main human adversaries, the industrialist and the forest-dweller, are both women -- as is Moro -- while the male protagonist is relegated to the role of Strong Female Character. One result of which, besides it just being nice to have female characters who are neither Totally Super Awesome nor Totally Super Evil, is that in the nature vs. industry dichotomy, neither side gets gendered. I'm not sure if the whole "nature=women, industry=men" trope is a thing in Japan, but I think if Eboshi had been a man, western audiences would almost certainly have read that into it.
That was what struck me most while I was watching it, but in retrospect, I've been thinking more about the actual subject matter. I can feel the reactions of two selves, thinking about it. 'Mononoke Hime' was first released in English in 1999, when I'd have been eleven or twelve. Had I seen it then, I'd have identified very strongly with San, even though now my perspective is more like Ashitaka's. I hated humans, then. I thought we as a species were bullshit. And I don't really blame myself. I grew up in an area that was heavily forested, but with human settlements expanding all the time -- another prominent memory from that year is of encountering three men and a large machine felling trees in the woods behind my school, and having an, um, altercation. Now there are no woods behind that school. The population quintupled between my birth and my majority, and it's still growing -- and still, as far as I know, with almost no urban planning, no infrastructure for the expanding population, just more and more and more suburban developments, pustulous little clusters of cul-de-sacs with insultingly ironic names. One built right next to where I used to live drained so much silt into the wetlands downhill from it that ecologists said they'd take about a century to recover; it was named "Harmony".
I'm writing this from a train, heading north up the east coast of Great Britain. Somewhere between London and Peterborough, I saw a forest out the window. Not a large one, but still, a proper forest, not just one of these constricted little copses that are more often granted that name here. I got so excited that I had to text someone to tell them about it. Then, I got terribly sad that the mere fact of seeing a forest in England was remarkable enough to warrant excitment. That most of what I see out the window are fields, with little stands of trees here and there among the hedgerows, and every now and again, straight rows of poplars, planted for windbreaks. Windbreaks! In a country that used to be nearly 100% forested! Now, the largest expanses of trees you'll see all in one place are nearly all in plantations. Which, please remember, are not forests. They are monocultures. They are as ecologically empty as cornfields. (Although I'd still rather have cornfields than highways and strip malls.)
In the meantime, here's a half-formed set of musings about a film I watched a month ago, pulled from the clutter of half-formed writings that are currently languishing all over my desktop:
I have finally (finally!) watched 'Mononoke Hime', and I have a lot of Thoughts and Feelings about it.
One, the most surface-level, is simply "OMG THIS IS SO GOOD WHY HAVE I NOT WATCHED IT BEFORE? WHY DID NO ONE MAKE ME??" Or rather, why did I not take their recommendations sooner? I have a lot of friends who are really into Studio Ghibli as a thing, and at their urging I've been starting to explore them, though 'Mononoke Hime' is only the second I've seen. The first, 'The Grave of the Fireflies', was also impressively beautiful, though I was amused to see that the writer, when questioned, was all, "What? No, this isn't an anti-war film. It's about how young'uns in Japan need to respect their elders, who lived through it!" -- and fair play; it's not an anti-war film. It's a film depicting an anti-war reality.
Similarly, I was impressed by the implicit gender politics of 'Mononoke Hime', although I don't think it could be called 'feminist' by any reckoning. It's just that it was so refreshing to see women in so many prominent roles. The two main human adversaries, the industrialist and the forest-dweller, are both women -- as is Moro -- while the male protagonist is relegated to the role of Strong Female Character. One result of which, besides it just being nice to have female characters who are neither Totally Super Awesome nor Totally Super Evil, is that in the nature vs. industry dichotomy, neither side gets gendered. I'm not sure if the whole "nature=women, industry=men" trope is a thing in Japan, but I think if Eboshi had been a man, western audiences would almost certainly have read that into it.
That was what struck me most while I was watching it, but in retrospect, I've been thinking more about the actual subject matter. I can feel the reactions of two selves, thinking about it. 'Mononoke Hime' was first released in English in 1999, when I'd have been eleven or twelve. Had I seen it then, I'd have identified very strongly with San, even though now my perspective is more like Ashitaka's. I hated humans, then. I thought we as a species were bullshit. And I don't really blame myself. I grew up in an area that was heavily forested, but with human settlements expanding all the time -- another prominent memory from that year is of encountering three men and a large machine felling trees in the woods behind my school, and having an, um, altercation. Now there are no woods behind that school. The population quintupled between my birth and my majority, and it's still growing -- and still, as far as I know, with almost no urban planning, no infrastructure for the expanding population, just more and more and more suburban developments, pustulous little clusters of cul-de-sacs with insultingly ironic names. One built right next to where I used to live drained so much silt into the wetlands downhill from it that ecologists said they'd take about a century to recover; it was named "Harmony".
I'm writing this from a train, heading north up the east coast of Great Britain. Somewhere between London and Peterborough, I saw a forest out the window. Not a large one, but still, a proper forest, not just one of these constricted little copses that are more often granted that name here. I got so excited that I had to text someone to tell them about it. Then, I got terribly sad that the mere fact of seeing a forest in England was remarkable enough to warrant excitment. That most of what I see out the window are fields, with little stands of trees here and there among the hedgerows, and every now and again, straight rows of poplars, planted for windbreaks. Windbreaks! In a country that used to be nearly 100% forested! Now, the largest expanses of trees you'll see all in one place are nearly all in plantations. Which, please remember, are not forests. They are monocultures. They are as ecologically empty as cornfields. (Although I'd still rather have cornfields than highways and strip malls.)
Matured position
Date: 2017-07-19 12:05 am (UTC)http://blowjob.adultnet.in/?tweet_jaquelin
sex belladonna dog bondage orgasems free vid pics gallies phonerotica virgin sex joe's leg from survivor
Pictures from collective networks
Date: 2017-07-19 09:27 am (UTC)adult babygirls chastity belt dildos panty briefs
http://sissyabuse.blogporn.in/?view.mariam
shoe saddle about transgender america poverty floral shorts men who like young women po rn gay biology definition dictionary men fucking dolls porn
Pictures from community networks
Date: 2017-07-19 10:15 am (UTC)http://porn.smurf.erolove.in/?post-damaris
snatch porn friends mom porn videos paasswords porn porn mom and son movies free junkie xxx porn
Hardcore Gay photo blogging post
Date: 2017-07-19 05:40 pm (UTC)http://teen.gay.sexy.blogporn.in/?post-bryan
Pictures from collective networks
Date: 2017-07-20 02:32 am (UTC)google maps download for android xxx v free download google store for android free download www 9apps com android download game for free android
http://bsdm.apps.android.purplesphere.in/?dispatch.jaclyn
android game top 100 sexy vdeyo how to develop for android live streaming tv app download free mob games
Unencumbered galleries
Date: 2017-07-20 05:43 am (UTC)adult toys erotic romance publishers erotic sayings sexy videos mallu erotic
http://playboy.net.erolove.in/?johana
erotic traveler sexfilm most erotic movie the erotic networks erotic christmas
Public pictures
Date: 2017-07-20 07:18 am (UTC)http://hotties.pictures.erolove.in/?entry-monserrat
super man meet foreigners adult film rating tris stratus xxx movies california ban trans fat improvement lichelle marie cumshots compilations
Full-grown galleries
Date: 2017-07-20 07:22 am (UTC)strategy games android free download android oyunlar download apps browser android site para baixar apk gratis adult andriod apps
http://apps.android.telrock.org/?gain.dana
the latest android phone rpg adventure games for android free download android market music for free to download andriod porn apps
Callow Poke out
Date: 2017-07-20 10:52 pm (UTC)http://busty.net.erolove.in/?private_allyssa
erotic oil the life erotic free erotic wallpaper erotic hd
Grown up galleries
Date: 2017-07-21 04:10 am (UTC)http://singles.dating.twiclub.in/?entry.destiney
women dating younger guys dating services los angeles speed dating caen gay dating sites nyc where to meet young singles
New spot
Date: 2017-07-21 03:15 pm (UTC)erotic thesaurus female erotic literature erotic mobile games erotic korean romantic erotic movies
http://sexstory.erolove.in/?aubree
download erotic games erotic photoshoots erotic sketches erotic pants erotic tantra
My unfamiliar website
Date: 2017-07-21 11:46 pm (UTC)http://dating.club.adultnet.in/?entry.kate
real sex sites cupid online dating site free men looking for woman african men dating african dating nigerian
My brand-new website
Date: 2017-07-22 02:41 am (UTC)best kush in the world womens shoes size 11 formal wear
http://feminisation.xblog.in/?view.piper
christian women of influence dimensions of poverty high thc marijuana real old women having sex pink pencil skirt fucked old men green feminism dating marriage
Lusty men photo blog
Date: 2017-07-22 06:50 am (UTC)http://hot.gay.teen.porndairy.in/?post-riley
Adult galleries
Date: 2017-07-23 01:29 pm (UTC)http://teachersex.purplesphere.in/?post.alexus
best erotic thriller erotic entertainment erotic hindi movies erotic parties free adult sex
My supplementary website
Date: 2017-07-23 06:16 pm (UTC)http://arab.girls.tv.yopoint.in/?entry.rachel
tesla colorado flop suzanne stripoping
Grown up placement
Date: 2017-07-23 10:40 pm (UTC)http://sunni.muslim.purplesphere.in/?entry.jayde
sicily sciencetist household evening ideal
New Project
Date: 2017-07-23 10:43 pm (UTC)erotic seduction erotic short film erotic paranormal romance erotic hug sex videos
http://booty.net.erolove.in/?riya
erotic fiction publishers erotic paperbacks hindi erotic movies adult sites sex show
Public pictures
Date: 2017-07-24 04:12 am (UTC)erotic tales mature erotic writings erotic film festival online sex
http://latin.erolove.in/?amara
fetish erotic weight gain mallu erotic hotsex erotic wiki
My new website
Date: 2017-07-24 11:17 am (UTC)http://asianshemales.replyme.pw/?page.katharine
shemael shemeal sex movies sex videos freeshemale.com ebony shemaled
My unfamiliar website
Date: 2017-07-24 09:14 pm (UTC)http://dateme.sexblog.pw/?profile.rayna
best sites for sex toys dating overweight various dating sites swingers northwest free dating sites in durban
Adult site
Date: 2017-07-25 07:53 pm (UTC)http://onstrapon.purplesphere.in/?profile.violet
erotic chinese massage erotic flowers romantic erotic books erotic jobs erotic mobile game
Adult galleries
Date: 2017-07-25 08:31 pm (UTC)http://bbwdating.erolove.in/?entry.vivian
adult dating network jobs classified ukrainian single women russian girls online gay dating sites for relationships
My supplementary website
Date: 2017-07-26 12:47 pm (UTC)http://sexypic.erolove.in/?entry.alysa
xxx super star girls dog fuck russian watch drgon ball z evolution online in hindi dubbed father and daughter sex video indian sex scandals
New Poke out
Date: 2017-07-26 12:50 pm (UTC)http://asianshemales.replyme.pw/?blog.precious
shemals sex movie free pron vidos.com ebony shemaled freeshemale movie transexual sexy pics