Stephanie Rothrock: Student Choice: 2: Inuyasha and Myazaki

Since these are allowed to be random choices, I wanted to incorporate the little bit of anime that I like with this class.

Inuyasha is a cartoon about a girl (Kagome) who ends up in the Feudal era of Japan. She finds Inuyasha, a half demon boy and awakens him from a spell. In a past life, Kagome was believed to be a priestess named Kikyo, one who guarded the sacred Shikon No Tama, the Jewel of Four Souls. This jewel had extraordinary power and had to be kept constantly purified. Demons sought out the jewel to gain power and Inuyasha was no exception. He was tired of his half demon status. In the end, Inuyasha was bound to a tree by a sacred arrow. Kikyo died, taking the jewel with her to the netherworld and later it resurfaced within Kagome. After the jewel splits, both Kagome and Inuyasha must pair up. They have to gather the shards of the jewel to prevent them from falling into demon hands.

This show reminded me a little bit of BladeRunner. While there are no machines present, the demons are hunted down and killed without mercy. This is interesting considering the depth given by the Japanese story line. These demons are not demons in the way that we know them. While many of them are vicious, they are more akin to earth spirits. They represent elements or animals rather than evil. There is also an aristocratic air to the series. One who is human is not of the same rank or world as a demon. Both see themselves as higher, despising the other. Half-demons are frowned upon and rejected by both worlds. Inuyasha in particular is ostracized by his half brother Sesshoumaru, a full blooded demon lord. He views Inuyasha's human blood as filth and sees him as a lesser being, one who should respect him.

I also saw a few different symbols within the show. Kikyo, Inuyasha's first love represents death. She is forcibly brought back and so is only partially alive. She roams the world, unable to fit in. She is truly a lost and lonely figure.

I felt like certain films by Myazaki could also be related to our class. Princess Mononoke centers around a war between the spirits of nature and the industrial world of man. The beasts fight to preserve their territory and their rage becomes an evil in the land. Meanwhile, man tries to force his way through destroying the sacred.

I really liked the metaphors in Howl's Moving Castle, another Myazaki movie. A man's heart is taken over by a demon but not in all the way one might think. Calcifer is a fire demon, bound to Howl. He is a lovable character who merged with Howl as a falling star. Howl effectively transcended the normal world around him by absorbing a sacred element.