Human–Nature Relationships in East Asian Animated Films

Abstract

Our relationship with nature is complex and exploring this extends beyond academia. Animated films with powerful narratives can connect humans with nature in ways that science cannot. Narratives can be transformative and shape our opinions. Nevertheless, there is little research into non-Western films with strong conservation themes. Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese filmmaker that is acknowledged as one of the greatest animated filmmakers and master storytellers globally. The themes of environmentalism, feminism and pacifism resonate throughout his films. His underlying message is that humans must strive to live in harmony with nature, whilst presenting us with the socio-cultural complexities of human-nature relationships. I review five of Miyazaki's films that explore human-nature relationships. One film was released with a special recommendation from the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) and the other won an Oscar. I explore the lessons that we can learn from these films regarding human-nature relationships, and how to create powerful narratives that resonate with audiences and transcend cultural barriers.

Semiotics and audiovisual narrative in animated series and films. A systematic review of the literature between 2012 and 2022

“…Asimismo, Tawakkal et al [37] concluyen, a través de su artículo de investigación sobre la película Raya and the Last Dragon, que el atractivo de la animación puede ser utilizado para presentar mensajes morales que tienden a ser imitados por la audiencia. Lo cual, finalmente, conlleva a los últimos dos artículos de esta categoría pertenecientes a Ivchenko [38], con su análisis de la película animada Zootopia; y Pan [39], por su parte, con el estudio de películas anime de Hayao Miyazaki para presentar un mensaje discursivo sobre el ecologismo y el impacto negativo del ser humano hacia la naturaleza.…”

La relación ser-humano-naturaleza en el largometraje de Hayao Miyazaki: Nausicaä del Valle del Viento, desde el principio de armonía confuciano

“…Esta segunda es la línea hegemónica de trabajo, donde destacan tanto posiciones descriptivas como críticas. A nivel descriptivo encontramos los trabajos de Carbullido (2008), DeWeese-Boyd (2009), Bigelow (2009), Mumcu y Yilmaz (2018), Chan (2015), Cavallaro (2015), Reinders (2016) y Pan (2020), quienes destacan la influencia sintoísta (en un sentido débil, espiritual, no institucional) en la concepción de la naturaleza y de las relaciones entre los seres humanos con ella.…”

Algae, Gobiidae Fish and Insects that inspire Coastal Custodian Entities - Digital models for a real-virtual space using TouchDesigner

“…In the fictional dimension, Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli) creates complex characters: guardians of nature (Princess Mononoke), humans' representative (Eboshi), or mediators between nature and humans (Prince Ashitaka). Through them, Miyazaki explores ecological issues such as natural disasters or integration of human activities and a way of expressing the relations that reinforce the interdependency and reciprocity among nature, culture and technology (Pan 2020).…”