The Female Leads of Studio Ghibli – What Makes Them Strong?

*WARNING: this post is Humor-Free.

Let’s face it, it is not by accident that most, if not all, of Studio Ghibli’s productions are critically acclaimed, and Hayao Miyazaki is credited as the leading film director in feminism among many other things. Over the years, the studio has given us diverse female leads with unique stories and realistic personalities.

Each one of them is different. Each one of them is strong in their own way. And all of them have proven that “strong” is not about wielding a sword nor immense intellect nor being the savior of world.

It’d take pages and pages to talk about each female lead individually but we managed to narrow down a few factors that contribute to the strength of these female characters, things that we always need to see more in female leads (and male leads too) these days.

*Our site is mostly about C-dramas and similar topics but hey… we’re also all about strong fictional characters, so it’d be a crime not to say something about Studio Ghibli.

THEIR PROBLEMS ARE RELATABLE.

As much as we’d like to relate to someone who’s got the love bulb in their head switched off, or someone who’s too beautiful that she is incapable of chasing guys away, we just can’t.

The female leads of Studio Ghibli are young girls/women who face with problems we have all come across at least once in our lives. No matter if she’s a witch, a spoiled school girl, a writer, or a bamboo sprite, no matter if it is a fantasy story or one that takes place in modern time, these characters all go through emotional ups and downs that young girls can identify with.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya – a fantasy story that takes place in Japanese imperialistic time – tells the story of a fairy descending from the moon to experience the hardship of life. As unrealistic as that sounds, Kaguya’s journey consists of the wonder of childhood, the difficulty of raising a child, the pain of having to leave everyone you love behind and begin a new life, the realization of what you truly treasure and how it is never the same for anyone, etc.

THEY HAVE DEVELOPMENT.

In other words, their stories have a point; their adventures help them grow as humans. Shizuku (Whisper of the Heart) dreams to become a writer. She sets out to make this dream come true only to realize that the reality about this career she dreams of is not at all what she imagined. But through hardship she finds determination and inspiration, those which help her get closer to achieving her dream. Is there the presence of romance in her story? Of course. It’s just not ALL that her life consists of. It is the growth in her character and mind that makes her story.

THEY HAVE FLAWS.

Studio Ghibli female leads are in no way flawless characters. The have insecurities, they have frustrating moments, they make mistakes, they fail. But they get back on their feet and learn from their mistakes. That is what make these characters so realistic and relatable. And when we say “flaw” we mean real flaws, not quirks that make a character look cuter in the audience’s eyes – clumsy and bad at cooking, for instance – but ultimately bear no serious consequences.

Let’s look at Chihiro from Spirited Away, Studio Ghibli’s most successful film. Chihiro is spoiled and afraid of many, many things. This proves to be one giant of a problem when she is trapped in a world of witches and men with spider legs. Not only that, she has to rescue her parents who are also imprisoned in this world. In the end, fear is something that still resides inside Chihiro, but the maturity she has obtained throughout her journey enables her to deal with fear – her flaw – differently.

ACCEPTING HELP FROM OTHERS IS NOT A BAD THING.

Getting help from other people?? Oh… the horror, the shame! If you need help, how are you strong? Getting help from a man? Who ever thought of that humiliating idea?!

Well, Studio Ghibli disagree, and they are right. No one achieves success without help, no one knows the right thing to do right away without guidance. Acknowledging that one needs others’ help and being grateful for that help form realistic relationships that make one stronger.

Anna (When Marnie Was There), an introvert who has trouble connecting to just about anyone, freezes and runs away whenever someone approaches her. Among many things, her journey teaches us that everyone needs a friend and if you look around, help is not that scarce.

Does anyone want to watch an overpowered character who is excellent at all things, who possesses unrivalled intelligence and can defeat any enemy in the blink of an eye, who never fails and is loved by every single person she meets? The answer is NO. (Or maybe yes? We don’t speak for everyone out there!)

THEY ARE NOT “STRONG FEMALES”, THEY ARE STRONG PEOPLE WHO HAPPEN TO BE FEMALES.

Being strong in a Ghibli movie has nothing to do with being able to beat up a bunch of bad guys, being better than men, or making men look stupid. It is about being the hero/heroine of your own story, overcoming your fears – be it the fear of meeting people, or the fear of height – and growing as a person. They are strong independently of the idea of surpassing men, or surpassing anyone for that matter. They are strong because they stand up for their beliefs, take control of their own destiny, and dare to pursue their dreams.

If you’ve watched Studio Ghibli’s movies, which one is your favorite? Let us know below.

If you haven’t seen any… well then, what are you still doing here?!!