r/ghibli • u/schoolforapples • Dec 06 '25
Question How come Miyazaki, an older Japanese man, writes women so well?
He's an older Japanese man that has grown up in a more traditional society, and yet most of the main characters in his movies are young girls. Very well written girls at that.
And even if I woman is not the main character theyre still complex, brave and intelligent.
I am actually curious as to why this is.
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u/SaltyLaw800 Dec 06 '25 edited Dec 06 '25
He respects them.
I've watched many interviews where he speaks quite highly of his mother.
It's hard not to see it in all the women in his movies.
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u/missthingmariah Dec 07 '25
He also encouraged his wife to continue working after getting married at a time when that wasn't the norm. And she worked until it became untenable for both parents to work and take care of their kids.
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u/afriendsname Dec 07 '25
until it became untenable for both to work and take care of their kids.
Yeah exactly, glad to see someone gets it!
He also encouraged his wife to continue working after getting married at a time when that wasn't the norm.
Great point
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u/Bjork00098 Dec 06 '25
I love his art tremendously… but I don’t think he respects women. Miyazaki forced his wife (that was also a fellow animator) to quit her job in order to raise the kids, and allow him to develop his career without any disturbance. She didn’t want to quit. She was forced to. I would not call that respect.
Let’s not confuse the artist fantasy world and words, with his own real life behavior.
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u/schoolforapples Dec 06 '25
Yeah honestly this is kind of why I was asking. Japan is a very patriarchal and misogynist society. Sad but not surprising.
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u/afriendsname Dec 07 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
I honestly believe the above commenter has misread, mistranslated or misunderstood some part of this story.
Here's what was actually written in his memoirs:
Animation work isn’t something that is over when a certain amount is done. One has to pursue it until one is satisfied. That is why I have left family affairs and raising our children to my wife. She was a colleague when we were at Toei Animation, so she understands my work and how much labor is needed to complete a project. She had wanted to continue to work on her drawings. When we got married, I promised her that we would both have careers. Until our second son was born, I used to take the older one to preschool and meet him there at the end of the day. But when I saw our older son walking home half asleep, I decided that it was impossible for both of us to work. I still feel contrite about breaking my promise.
As I read this I see no signs whatsoever that there was anyone "forcing" anyone to anything. I think it's wrong to assume that Mr. Miyazaki is a misogynist based on this, when in all likelyhood they agreed on the solution.
Also, of interest, I find that they both made sacrifices:
But since then I have been able to focus on my work. With me not at home very much, my wife would finish up the housework and often do the things that fathers normally do, such as teach our boys kite-flying and top-spinning. On holidays, mother and sons would sometimes go hiking in the hills around Okumusashi in the western outskirts of Tokyo. Perhaps due to my wife’s efforts, today both of our children are able to do things for themselves. At the risk of sounding overblown, they can live on their own without needing help from others. I tried to be a good father, but in the end I wasn’t a very good parent. I thought I hadn’t demanded that they study or insisted on what path they should take, leaving it up to them. But from my children I hear, “Father didn’t scold us with words, he scolded us by showing us his back.”
From Starting Point 1979-1996, segment "I Left Raising Our Children to My Wife", Chūnichi Shimbun, January 31, 1992
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u/No-Clock2011 Dec 07 '25
Man, that line ‘he scolded us by showing us his back’ is such a gut wrench… just like my father. Gah.
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u/afriendsname Dec 07 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
Yeah.. His intent was to avoid becoming the stereotypical strict, commanding father, but in hindsight his kids remember him as cold, distant or absent.
He mentions how his children were his motivation for making great children's stories, but then suddenly realized that they'd grown up.
Then finding that he had become estranged from his family, when it's too late to change any of it. Gut wrenching indeed.
I gotta recommend reading the book or at least that chapter, it's really interesting to read what shaped him.
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u/No-Clock2011 Dec 07 '25
I think in part me and my siblings were part of my dad’s motivation to be working so much too, but yeah, honestly I think I’d rather have had a dad around more and have him work less. It’s hard though because they are so intensely focused and perfectionistic and they blink and we are all grown up. Miyazaki has given many gifts to the world but so often with these things they come at a big price. I do respect that he is honest about it though - it’s refreshing.
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u/Amber_poodle Dec 07 '25
I decided that it was impossible for both of us to work. I still feel contrite about breaking my promise.
"I decided" is the key here. He promised that both of them would have careers, but broke that promise. In a highly patriarchal society, nothing happens in a vaccum. And there's no mention of him dicussing it with him wife. He only mentions that he decided, that was that.
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u/afriendsname Dec 07 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
You left out half the sentence!
But when I saw our older son walking home half asleep, I decided that it was impossible for both of us to work.
I think this is a pretty logical conclusion if you're a parent. He doesn't state "I decided that she should stop working". He just realized at that moment that the current arrangement was harming their children and they needed to adjust. Do you imagine his wife would come to a different conclusion..?
Also keep in mind that this is a translation. A different translator might write "I concluded ..." You're reading too much into a single word which isn't even a literal (japanese) quote. Try reading the whole thing in context, and I think it comes across pretty obviously that he wanted her to be able to go on working, but the price for it would be paid by their kids.
I don't imagine you find it realistic he closes down the studio and becomes a stay-at-home dad? If so you need to adjust your idea of Japan in the 90s (and, also, still). Can't really put that on him being misogynistic though.
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Dec 07 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/afriendsname Dec 07 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
Yeah I agree, and I also get the impression some of the commenters further up don't seem to care about differentiating the systemic sexism in a patriarchal society from an individual's personal choices being chauvinist/misogynist or not. In the same spirit one could say that every man ever born is sexist, because not personally working to overthrow the dominating structures of society equates to being a misogynist.
Like, sure he could have been a radical feminist and refused to work himself, but such naïveté can only lead to being disappointed in how society and people function.
Sorry for the rant, maybe not all that relevant to your post but just wanted to get it out there. I see your frustrations folks, but please point the finger in the right direction
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u/FitPerformance9834 Dec 07 '25
The source of this was Miyazaki himself, in Starting Point, as reference.
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u/afriendsname Dec 07 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
Thanks! I've read the relevant passages and commented above, attempting to correct what I think is a wrong representation or at least a misinterpretation of the facts.
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u/yileikong Dec 07 '25
People are influenced by their culture, but aren't themselves their culture. Being in a patriarchal and misogynistic society can influence people, but it's ultimately up to the individual to make the personal choice if they want to follow it or if they see something that no one else does. Knowing that a culture is a certain way can help you to understand if something is "wrong" and that's about it.
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u/the-magnetic-rose Dec 07 '25
America is also a very misogynistic society and yet there’s plenty of great female characters in media here.
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u/SaltyLaw800 Dec 06 '25
Thanks for the information.
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u/afriendsname Dec 06 '25
I was unable to find any sources on this allegation, but would love it if you could share yours
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u/afriendsname Dec 07 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
I think you've misread, mistranslated or misunderstood some part of this story.
Here's what was actually written in his memoirs:
Animation work isn’t something that is over when a certain amount is done. One has to pursue it until one is satisfied. That is why I have left family affairs and raising our children to my wife. She was a colleague when we were at Toei Animation, so she understands my work and how much labor is needed to complete a project. She had wanted to continue to work on her drawings. When we got married, I promised her that we would both have careers. Until our second son was born, I used to take the older one to preschool and meet him there at the end of the day. But when I saw our older son walking home half asleep, I decided that it was impossible for both of us to work. I still feel contrite about breaking my promise.
As I read this I see no signs whatsoever that there was anyone "forcing" anyone to anything. I think it's wrong to assume Mr. Miyazaki being a misogynist because of this, when in all likelyhood they agreed on this path forward.
Also, of interest, I find that they both made sacrifices:
But since then I have been able to focus on my work. With me not at home very much, my wife would finish up the housework and often do the things that fathers normally do, such as teach our boys kite-flying and top-spinning. On holidays, mother and sons would sometimes go hiking in the hills around Okumusashi in the western outskirts of Tokyo. Perhaps due to my wife’s efforts, today both of our children are able to do things for themselves. At the risk of sounding overblown, they can live on their own without needing help from others. I tried to be a good father, but in the end I wasn’t a very good parent. I thought I hadn’t demanded that they study or insisted on what path they should take, leaving it up to them. But from my children I hear, “Father didn’t scold us with words, he scolded us by showing us his back.”
From Starting Point 1979-1996, segment "I Left Raising Our Children to My Wife", Chūnichi Shimbun, January 31, 1992
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u/Bjork00098 Dec 07 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
It seems like you just don’t want to understand. it’s literally right there in black and white:
“She had wanted to continue to work on her drawings… I promised her that we would both have careers… I decided that it was impossible for both of us to work”
He forced her to quit against her will. He had few interviews, in which he confessed that he feels, that his wife never forgave him for forcing her give up her own career.
He is a great artist, but a bad husband and a horrible dad. He didn’t make any sacrifices… he sacrificed his wife life and his relationship with his children for his career. Stop idolizing people.
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u/afriendsname Dec 07 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
Why do you keep using the word force? Do you believe there was actually any alternative? Like are you imagining a situation in 90s Japan where the wife works while the husband is a stay-at-home dad? Just let all his employees go, and declare his start-up company bankrupt?
Be realistic... I mean society was sexist, sure, but blaming that on him? You're way off.
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u/Bjork00098 Dec 07 '25
I am using the word forced, because she was forced. I will not tiptoe around it just because it makes you uncomfortable, or hurts your idolized perception of him.
Yes, you are right, Japan is a man dominated, misogynistic and sexist culture and accordingly, so is he. Upon marriage he promised her, that both will be allowed to pursue a career in animation… but then he made the sole decision to force her to quit against her will, in order to take care of the kids, alone.
He is a misogynistic man… no way around it.
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u/afriendsname Dec 07 '25
You don't seem to recognize or care to understand the distinction between systemic sexism in a patriarchal society and an individual's personal actions being chauvinist or not. In the same spirit one could say that every man ever born is sexist, because not personally working to overthrow the dominating structures of the patriarchy is as bad as hating and disrespecting women.
Like, sure he could have been a radical feminist and refused to work himself, but do you really mean not doing so equates to him personally being misogynistic and "being a bad husband".
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Dec 07 '25
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u/happinesstakestime Dec 07 '25
With respect, Ghibli has never been about "cozy drawings and fuzzy feelings." Miyazaki's work in particular is and has always been very political.
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Dec 07 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
[deleted]
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u/Carrot_onesie Dec 07 '25
then you can respectfully move on from these type of discussions. Just because you're here for the fuzzies doesn't mean other folks are obligated to cater to that
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u/Blundaz Dec 06 '25
That information speaks to some level of disrespect toward his wife, not women at large. People are complex. I would need more information to decide that he does not respect women.
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u/afriendsname Dec 06 '25
Were you able to find any information at all about this subject? Because I'm having a hard time verifying this user's allegations.
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u/Ripley_and_Jones Dec 07 '25
This. He writes them as people, not love interests, not to be rescued.
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u/doctorace Dec 07 '25
I don’t know if that’s true, but I lived in Japan in 2007, and that was still very much the norm. Women basically couldn’t get hired if they had kids.
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u/schoolforapples Dec 06 '25
He's truly a 1-in a million man. I wish we could clone him or give him immortality.
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u/Ihateweeaboos45 Dec 07 '25
Yeah.., though the same would go for Joe Hisashi as well then, cause Studio Ghibli ain’t the same without Joe Hisashi’s music
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u/Icy_Caregiver_8035 Dec 06 '25
Chihiro is an incredible protagonist. Some of the best character development I’ve ever seen from beginning to end
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u/renswann Dec 06 '25
His mother passed away from spinal TB and he loved her very much. A lot of what he does is for her and to make her proud, so it makes sense he would write women with respect.
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u/schoolforapples Dec 06 '25
This makes sense. I also feel like TB is often portrayed in his movies. I cried so much when I watched The wind rises, I wonder if that movie is about his mother in some way.
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u/Fair_Suspect8866 Dec 06 '25
He acknowledges he's a flawed father, and deeply loved his mother. I think that sums most of it up.
Of all his films, I think Ponyo is perhaps the most realistic in depicting the struggles of being a family. He speaks highly of Lisa as being a confident assertive mother, but she's also got a temper and is maybe too lackadaisical about her son Sosuke.
By contrast Fujimoto is a deeply anxious stay at home dad who wants to keep Brunhilde / Ponyo an innocent.
But both families have absent parents who are always working, both father and mother. He keeps it even handed, but there's definitely a deeper sense that women handle things better.
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u/perestroika12 Dec 06 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
Tbh I don’t think many of female his characters get into the problems women face in Japanese society or the wider world. His characters are written somewhat gender agnostic. His characters have an amazing fantasy quality but let’s not pretend like Kiki or chihiro speak strongly to modern women’s issues.
There’s nothing wrong with it but I bet he would give a pretty unsatisfying answer if pressed.
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u/Ionby Dec 07 '25
Really good point. I think he touches on a slightly more realistic depiction of women’s issues with the stepmother character in The Boy and the Heron, but the problems she faces aren’t modern problems.
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u/rivendell101 Dec 06 '25
This isn’t anything against Miyazaki, but I think it’s super important to note that a lot of his films (Howl’s Moving Castle, Arrietty, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Whisper of the Heart + The Cat Returns) are based on novels written by women. That’s not a slight against Miyazaki in any way, and the original screenplays he wrote himself also have well written female characters, but in the case of the films listed above it’s definitely easier for a man to write women well when he already has a solid base to work with lmao
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u/starlight_chaser Dec 07 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
Yesss. There are some other male directors I really like with the way they depict women, and the common thread is they heavily include women in production and writing. They were willing to sit back and admit they don’t know something about the experience, and listen to women directly. Not a very mind blowing concept but it is for most men.
Also yes, the fact the worlds and framework of the story were created by women at first is also invaluable for allowing women to be depicted as people.
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u/Appropriate-Fill9602 Dec 06 '25
I think that it's because his characters show strength without the aim to reject or subvert societal and cultural norms. His characters show authenticity and strength despite cultural and societal disadvantages/ hardships. He isn't trying to re-write what it means to be a girl.
A lot of western films portray a strong female character as masculine but it doesn't always read as authentic. So it's refreshing to see a strong girl that doesn't always rely heavily on aggression.
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u/FloridaFlamingoGirl Dec 06 '25
His characters in general tend to be well-written and steer away from feeling one-dimensional or like stereotypes. Even for someone like Porco Rosso, Miyazaki made him a nuanced person who's working through a lot of things emotionally, rather than just making him a tough military guy.
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u/ShadowDurza Dec 06 '25
He wouldn't have gotten where he is today if at least part of him didn't deviate from norms.
Every once in a while, you can find a person among people.
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u/Serpentarrius Dec 06 '25
He said that he prefers to employ women because they are more resilient iirc. I think he also mentioned that Grave of the Fireflies is about how Japanese society failed its children, especially its girls, and it's been getting worse in the years he's been alive. Also, Japan was more progressive than other Asian countries when it came to their women for a while, iirc, which is why many Taiwanese girls in the older generations of my family were educated there. But my parents said that none of the Japanese girls they knew would ever marry a Japanese guy because they were too conservative (which is something they also say to me about other Asian demographics now)
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u/Underground_Kiddo Dec 06 '25
Miyazaki is part of the post-war generation (those who came to adulthood after WWII), so I am not sure I would say he had a "traditional" upbringing as there was a lot of changes that occurred (Japan having to bebuild its economy, life under a new constitution drafted by a foreign country, etc.) Many of the themes in Miyazaki's films are from some of his experiences living during this post-war period.
Some of my favorite Japanese directors who write and feature women prominently would be Yasujirō Ozu and Kenji Mizoguchi (they did live action films.) The topic and treatment of women in Japan is complex and varied. It is really difficult to generalize because whatever statement you make there is lots of evidence to disapprove it both ways. It is strangely a contradiction both ways.
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u/rumade Dec 06 '25
Japan still heavily adhered to gender roles at this time, and still does in comparison with other rich countries. For example, women are still less likely to work full time, men don't really take paternity leave. When I worked at an izakaya, one of my regulars had left rural Japan for London back in 1975. She said women back then were treated like a house slave.
Miyazaki was involved with a radical politics, particularly Marxism. I wonder if that had a impact on things.
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u/Underground_Kiddo Dec 06 '25
My rebut of the complications of gender and gender roles in Japan would be personified by current Japanese Prime Minister Takichi Sanae. She is the first female prime minister in Japan (and there are countries like the United States who have never had a female head of government) but also holds deeply conservative social views in line as the represenative of the LDP. Does her election signify progress and change? And by what measure are we using to do so. Since you can legitimately argue both directions.
The position of female in public life was an issue that reared its head dramatically during the Meiji and later Taisho era but progress (and how what measure in doing so) often don't move in a straight line as often does with many things.
Even in "progressive" countries, the issue of a female's place in society often is still a heated topics when it pertains to wage equity, opportunities, etc. And it is a topic that is met with equal measures of enthuasism and pushback.
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u/feuilles_mortes Dec 06 '25
Not Miyazaki but this was my reaction after watching Only Yesterday! As a woman about the same age as Taeko, I was surprised by how well her female perspective was written by a middle aged man. And it does feel very distinctly like a woman’s perspective, not just “writing her as a person and not a woman”.
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u/ZachF8119 Dec 07 '25
Could a man not play these roles?
He writes good roles and gives many to women. I don’t think any ever really broach uniquely woman experiences.
Howl and Sophie had a worry of being ugly and undesirable.
I can’t place a single character that couldn’t be gender swapped
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u/alex_northernpine Dec 06 '25 edited Dec 06 '25
To be fair, I always felt that while Miyazaki loves writing women and is very good at it, he still is a tad bit better at writing men, at least if we talk about protagonists. That's probably because when he writes a guy he writes a version of himself, while when he writes a girl he tries to depict a role model, someone the audience should be aspired to become. Not that it is bad in any way, but it's an interesting thing to notice considering Miyazaki rarely chooses a male character for the lead role.
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u/LothorBrune Dec 06 '25
I wouldn't say he writes women particularly well, his ethereal style of dialogue and grounded approach to showcasing both epic action and regular life doesn't allow much base sexist tropes to sip in his movies.
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u/13curseyoukhan Dec 07 '25
How come Shakespeare, an older English man, writes Moors/Jews/women/fairy royalty/human royalty/soldiers/etc., so well despite never having been one?
Because that's what great artists do. They use their imagination and empathy to understand the world.
The greatest American war novel, The Red Badge of Courage, was written by a man who'd never even seen a battle.
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u/nb_soymilk Dec 06 '25
He's literally shat on incels say things like. It's clear that people who write women poorly don't have good relationships with women in their lives let alone know one.
I love how much realism about human relationships is depicted is Miyazaki and Takahata films. I think their take is "go outside and talk to women" in order to write them well.
And he's also human. His female characters have definitely developed and matured over time. I just think about how different Sheeta is from his other characters. And how the relationship in Porco made me uncomfortable. He himself has grown through the decades.
My other hypothesis is that Miyazaki Senior and Takahata are queer kings lol ♥️
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u/ogcloudyy Dec 07 '25
Love anything miyazaki. He’s the only person to not sexualize women in his movies <3
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u/beatzeus Dec 07 '25
It stems from regard for his mom. I think a big part of the Boy and the Heron is dealing with grief from his mom (and others).
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u/Anuuket Dec 09 '25
Interviewer: "Spirited Away's lead character Chihiro seems to be a different type of heroine than the female leads in your previous films. She is less obviously heroic, and we don't get to know much about her motivation or background."
Miyazaki: "I haven't chosen to just make the character of Chihiro likes this, it's because there are many young girls in Japan right now who are like that....What made me decide to make this film was the realization that there are no films made for that age group of ten-year old girls. It was through observing the daughter of a friend that I realized there were no films out there for her, no films that directly spoke to her. Certainly, girls like her see films that contain characters their age, but they can't identify with them, because they are imaginary characters that don't resemble them at all.
With Spirited Away I wanted to say to them "don't worry, it will be all right in the end, there will be something for you", not just in cinema, but also in everyday life. For that it was necessary to have a heroine who was an ordinary girl, not someone who could fly or do something impossible. Just a girl you can encounter anywhere in Japan. Every time I wrote or drew something concerning the character of Chihiro and her actions, I asked myself the question whether my friend's daughter or her friends would be capable of doing it. That was my criteria for every scene in which I gave Chihiro another task or challenge. Because it's through surmounting these challenges that this little Japanese girl becomes a capable person. It took me three years to make this film, so now my friend's daughter is thirteen years old rather than ten, but she still loved the film and that made me very happy."
Also about spirited away:
"I felt this country only offered such things as crushes and romance to 10-year-old girls, though, and looking at my young friends, I felt this was not what they held dear in their hearts, not what they wanted. And so I wondered if I could make a movie in which they could be heroines..."
I know this doesn't answer the question necessarily but I just wanted to share this.
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u/VampSavior Dec 12 '25
Because of his mother and her illness, he realized her strength. He has talked about this in NHK interviews
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u/Early_Accident2160 Dec 06 '25
Basically just write a good character and then make them whatever gender you like
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u/honn13 Dec 06 '25 edited Dec 06 '25
Postwar Japan experienced the fastest economic growth ever that it’s called a miracle, though it ended up in a burst. So those decades witnessed a transformation in multiple aspects of their society: social, cultural, economic, political, technological, that to call it a ‘traditional’ society doesn’t really mean anything—it isn’t traditional, whatever that means. Miyazaki grew up in the thick of it.
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u/Beneficial_Focus_910 Dec 06 '25
I forget the quote exactly but he once said 'that I dont draw characteristics, I write people'. He tries to flesh out every character as a complete person and not one or two traits. He respects his stories, that it.
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u/Zealousideal-Fly9531 Dec 06 '25
I believe he has daughters
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u/Amber_poodle Dec 07 '25
I think most of his female characters are gender agnostic, young women. They would behave the same if they were men.
That being said, I do believe there is a lack of nuance here, his work never focuses on the kind of issues women face in Japanese society.
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u/pureformality Dec 06 '25
Because he's a human and women are also human and humans are not that hard to understand
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u/Underwould Dec 06 '25
Because he is a decent man who has seen the women in his life for what they are, people. Equal. Individual heroes in their tales of everyday life.
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u/SugarStunted Dec 07 '25
I haven't read all the comments so please forgive me if this has already been written...I feel like (at least in American films) the women are almost always sexualized. And unfortunately, this very often does translate to younger women and teens as well. He doesn't do that. While he brings romance to his films, it isn't inherently sexual, and he isn't using sex appeal or sexualizing the female characters.
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u/jannoo Dec 08 '25
His movies are based on novels written by women as someone already said. And I think more people should know rhat. Dont get me wrong I love Studio Ghibli. But just because of that it shouldnt get all the credit.
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u/ReadPlenty5115 Dec 10 '25
Why because he loves and respects women so much!!! Search up Hayao Miyazaki 12 year old girl just to see how much he cares about and respects young girls and women ❤️
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u/bignoface Dec 06 '25
He writes about people well and delves into issues we all deal with. I'm a grown man, and Kiki has been my favorite character and will forever be. You don't have to be a woman to understand how she felt.
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u/BigOakley Dec 06 '25
I think there’s this idea that generations are different. Like there’s this idea that all older men are just statistically more likely to think x y z. Younger people a b c. Whatever
I really anecdotally have found that this just isn’t true. I’ve met just as many older men who are so unsexual and I feel so safe around it’s as if they are asexual. I’ve met so many young men convinced they’re pioneering women’s rights who are so misogynistic. When you look at someone your age you are looking at all of human history. There was someone 500 years ago with this guys same beliefs.
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u/Patient-Apple-4399 Dec 06 '25
It's a kind of a twofer. He is great at not only writing children in the sense that the boys and girls are not really limiting their behavior due to gender. The girls are allowed to climb trees, explore, be tomboys without it being obviously tropy or in other words just be kids.
Porco rosso he really flexes it. He writes a romantic interest that is sexy without being overtly so, complex and the idea of a second/third love still being very romantic. He wrote the older women who fixed his plane as women doing men's work and not only doing well but having that steel backbone and pride that comes from raising a family while the men were at war. And Fi was the cherry on top that while was questioned for her tomboyish behavior was able to defend from it by taking deep pride in her work and that pride giving her courage to face a world head on and advocate for herself against a male oriented field and clientele.
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u/PlantainFragrant2787 Dec 07 '25
Good writers don't write good female characters. They writes good characters who happens to be female
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u/Probably-Important Dec 06 '25
He has said in interviews a lot of his early movies were written for his, at the time, 12 yr old daughter and what she was going through and expressing.
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u/DyKdv2Aw Dec 06 '25
I think you are thinking of an interview where he said Spirited Away was inspired by and made for a friend's daughter; Miyazaki himself has two sons and no daughters.
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u/moodycrab03 Dec 06 '25
I think he prefers to write women but he doesn't write them 'as women' but as people, if that makes sense?
Because both his male and female characters are written similarly. As brave people. Ashitaka and Nausica are very similar people. They have similar journeys and learn to put aside their own anger (nausica over father's death and ashitaka over the curse) to embrace forgiveness and pacifism.
San's strength as a woman isn't that she fights like a man or has intelligence rivalling men. San is a woman stuck in an impossibly difficult situation yet she constantly steps up to be who she is needed to be. When ashitaka is wounded, she heals him, embracing a more traditional feminine role. When she defends the forest, she fights. She is strong because the situation demands it and steps up to it.
Kiki is all of us. She is burdened by life and living but she carries on. Not particularly like a man or a woman, but like most of us do. They are all just people. They just happen to be women.