Finley (2023) Defamiliarizied Gender in the Works of Hayao Miyazaki

Argues that Miyazaki’s films portray unconventionally strong female protagonists through defamiliarization, stating that the films Spirited Away and Kiki’s Delivery Service borrow from and rejects elements of Japanese culture to create characters and settings that evoke the defamiliarization of gender, e.g. in genderbent references to folklore and historical figures. Contains close analysis of the original Japanese text, noting the effect of particular kanji on the representations in the film. Analyses how Miyazaki creates female protagonists who do not conform to expectations of wife and motherhood, through alterations not reversals of gendered roles. Contains closer analysis of the characters of Chihiro and Kiki as positive feminist characters, but also several other male and female characters whose gender is ‘defamiliarised’ through genderbent references. This thesis would be useful for those interested in the subversion of gendered roles and representations, or the impact of Japanese language and cultural influence on the presentation of character’s identity.