Animism and anthropomorphism have long been methods that humans use to deal with a complicated and changing world. It is infused within every aspect of human life from art to science to religion. In Japan we find that the Shinto religion itself is based on animism. Shinto is infused into the fabric of Japanese life and we find examples of animism and anthropomorphism in Japanese animated productions. I look at three films, My Neighbor Totoro, The Cat Returns and Haruka and the Magic Mirror to examine how Shinto Animism pervades the storylines and creative direction these films take. My contention is that animated productions in Japan incorporate Shinto into their films as a form of reassurance and education for their viewers, as a way to reaffirm the belief of Shinto. This is done via the use of anthropomorphism, which creates a unique dissociative space that removes the feeling of heavy-handed discourse and instead filters Shinto belief structure effortlessly through anthropomorphic characters.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:CHENGCHI/U0001487014 |
| Creators | Hagen, Richard. |
| Publisher | Long Island University, The Brooklyn Center. |
| Source Sets | National Chengchi University Libraries |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Rights | Copyright © nccu library on behalf of the copyright holders |
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