Female Role Models in Japanese Anime

I just read an article Disney, Miyazaki, and Feminism: Why Western girls need Japanese animation by Christine Kraemer（http://inhumandecency.org/christine/miyazaki.html）, in which the writer includes an interesting fact that although America has a more obvious tradition of feminism, we find stronger female role models in Japanese anime than in American animation. This is a surprising contrast, especially when you take into consideration all the efforts America women have made to fight against sexism, and that Japanese women are historically facing more oppression from public. It is true that in American culture more positive female characters have been created in respond of women's liberty movements, but neither Mulan nor Indian prince Pocahantas can entirely free themselves from the men-oriented society.

Unlike female roles in Disney who struggle to be leaders or show the potentials of leadership, women in Miyazaki's films are natural leaders themselves. In Japan anime has become a medium of artistic expressions, and it has a wide range of audience from children to adults. This may partly account for the difference in portraying female roles between Disney and Miyazaki. In America animation is still a genre mostly target at children and teenagers, resulting in a more conservative and even simplified way in shaping characters; while in Japanese anime, women characters are tend to be less stereotyped, and wider range of audience makes it possible for pioneering individuals to convey their own ideas towards feminism without considering target audience. More social and historical reasons may as well contribute to the fact, and feminism in animation is an interesting topic that I may continue to keep my eyes on.