By: Rachel Liao
Charles Solomon’s Japanese animation article, For the Most Complex Heroines in Animation, Look to Japan, was published on June 24, 2022. For those of you who have watched Japanese animation films, the first word that probably comes to mind is: Anime. Although the word is not directly stated in the title, the article’s content leads to this idea. This article mainly explores the roles that women play in particular films, and how they compare to the American classics. As someone who has watched a lot of anime, I gather that women can express themselves in any way and be anybody they want to be in these films. I rate Solomon’s article five out of five because he does a greater job of describing the films with vivid imagery that is captivating for the reader. Solomon also stays on topic and makes reasonable comparisons.
First, the author does a great job with his ability to create images in readers’ minds. Although anime is a genre of animated films, these programs can be summarized, providing the main idea of an episode. Solomon’s summaries are succinct and clear. Despite having a picture to show the main character, Solomon’s description of Mamoru Hosoda’s “Belle,” with Suzu and the background, allows readers to picture the entire film easily. In other words, we can imagine every scene that the author describes, which is why I rated it so highly.
Solomon’s writing is also very consistent. For other writers, their stories can shift from one place, one topic, or one character to another. This type of inconsistency would give the reader an uncomfortable feeling, sometimes being unable to comprehend all of the messiness that creates one story. However, in this article, although Solomon shifts from one film to another quite quickly, he remains on the same topic. This type of consistency is also extended to his depiction of women. As a result, reading his work can give readers smooth and tranquil feeling, which is why I enjoyed going through all of the content.
Lastly, the author’s comparison between two films is logical. Normally, other writers may compare an article to another, but find out that the two have nothing in common. In other circumstances, an article or a film may be compared to another. Although the content may be similar, the writer may yet again compare two different scenarios. However, in this passage, when Solomon compares Keiichi Hara’s “Miss Hokusai” with Rapunzel in “Tangled,” although one is a Disney classic and another is an anime film, they both are connected through their similar artistic abilities. In Keiichi’s Hara’s “Miss Hokusai,” the lady kept her artistic culture, while Rapunzel in “Tangled” abandoned her skills after she escaped from her evil mother’s tower. This is the final reason for the high rating.
In conclusion, these are the three reasons why I gave the article, For the Most Complex Heroines in Animation, Look to Japan. by Charles Solomon, a five out of five. The author does a great job of describing the films so that he creates a type of imagery for the reader. Without this, the content would be boring, and this article would’ve been set aside only to be put on display and collect dust. However, Solomon was aware of that and created this wonderful article. Solomon also stays on topic and makes reasonable comparisons. By staying on topic, he creates a calm and enjoyable sensation for any reader, since everything flows smoothly together. Furthermore, by making reasonable comparisons, especially with a Disney movie as famous as “Rapunzel,” Solomon makes the article even more enjoyable. Although the anime films listed in this article may not be as famous as anime like “Demon Slayer” or “Your Lie in April,” the research the author conducted to find these films, create summaries about them, and compare scenes with other is evident. Without the background investigation, Solomon would not have done such a great job in writing this passage. As a result, consider checking out any well-known anime films if you haven’t, or watch the films Solomon recommends in his article!
Sources cited:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1656284719014x984517939433084800/For%20the%20Most%20Complex%20Heroines%20in%20Animation%2C%20Look%20to%20Japan%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf