“MI VECINO TOTORO – Clip #2 Subtitulado “Paraguas””. YouTube, uploaded by Vértigo Films, 2018, Web.
The video “MI VECINO TOTORO – Clip #2 Subtitulado “Paraguas” shows a scene from the animation “My Neighbour Totoro” and can be found on YouTube. It was uploaded in 2018 and served as a good visual representation of the relationship between the main characters. It can be viewed as trustworthy since it is taken from the primary source, e.g., the animation movie itself, and reflects on the argument of the paper, complementing them.
This source emphasizes how a girl and a being from a legendary universe form an extraordinary relationship. The emotional center of the movie—and what keeps viewers watching—is the complexities of their relationship. Totoro is awkward yet represents excellence, he inspires admiration as well as a sense of dependability and security among the movie’s protagonists (“MI VECINO TOTORO – Clip #2 Subtitulado “Paraguas” 01:15–02:11). In the video, the importance of being curious, compassionate, innocent, and linked to both civilization and the natural world is shown. Since Totoro is a woodland creature who represents nature, his connection with the girl represents a quest for kinship between a person and his environment.
This source will be utilized in the paper to represent the unique relationship between characters through visual lenses. It strengthens the argument of the paper and provides inside through the dialogue between the characters and their relationship with each other. The use of this video source emphasizes narrative and conceptual rhetoric impact and will strengthen the overall impact of the paper’s argument.
Li, Chenmei. “A Brief Analysis of the Characteristics of the Application of Language and Literature in Japanese Animation.” Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences vol 4, no. 5, 2021, pp. 69-73.
The next source, an article titled “A Brief Analysis of the Characteristics of the Application of Language and Literature in Japanese Animation,” is written by Chenmei Li and is a great representation of the application of different instruments of rhetoric in the Japanese animation. It was published in the Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences and is a trustworthy source, exploring the multilayered system of Japanese animation school through various devices.
Japanese animation gives close attention to the complexities of character depiction, and the animation is full of original ideas. This richness owes to soundtracks, theme synthesis, and character art (Li 70). Japanese animation is very rich in regional elements. In Japanese animation, both language and literature have unique features. The cultural traits and practices of Japan will be largely represented in Japanese animation. Viewers may vividly appreciate the distinct Japanese culture of harmony through animation in My Neighbour Totoro (Li 71). At the same time, this animation also captures the Japanese culture’s concern for and respect for the environment.
This paper will be utilized in the research to strengthen the argument of the uniqueness of the Japanese animation school. The animation language and raising serious environmental concerns is a special characteristic of many Japanese products (Li 73). It can be looked at as a cultural phenomenon, which is confirmed by this source’s assumptions and conclusions. My Neighbour Totoro and its protagonists, as it was emphasized in the source and approved by the research argument, is a perfect representation of it. The rhetorical impact of the article is aimed to reflect on the deepness of the seemingly childish product. The narrative implications of the source will benefit the overall representation of the paper and its argument.
Lin, Eddie. “Fans Have a Dark Theory Behind the Story of Totoro.” Nextshark, 2018, Web.
The third source, a short article titled “Fans Have a Dark Theory Behind the Story of Totoro,” was published in 2018 on the popular website NextShark. Lin Eddie, the author, presents the other side of the Totoro story and its repercussions. It is the least credible source since it has no official information and is compounded by the so-called fan theories or speculations. However, this disclosure of the story is worth attention, and the work of the author, compounding thousands of fan web pages, can be considered as credible.
Eddie delves into the popular fan theory that, in reality, Totoro is a sort of grim reaper who is supposed to follow the soon-be-dead people to their rest. The overall setting of the animation, according to this theory, reflects on the murder of a 16-year girl in the 1960s, while the victim’s sister later committed suicide (Eddie). The animation’s village and its similarities to Sayama (a place where the murder took place), as well as similarities of the plot, led the fans to speculate further. The key evidence of the article is Satsuki sees Totoro because “her death is imminent” due to her decision for suicide (Eddie). The mirroring of the real-life story thus became the key premise of this theory, even though Studio Ghibli official’s official dismissed it.
This source can be used as an alternative way of reflecting on the Totoro, its relations with the main characters, and its overall repercussions. It complicates the analytical argument by completely reshuffling the purpose of Totoro, but at the same time, it gives even more depth to the animation itself. The rhetorical impact of this source is conceptual in nature since the narrative was officially dismissed. Even though this source will be beneficial for the paper.
Napier, Susan Jolliffe. Miyazakiworld: A life in art. Yale University Press, 2018.
In the book “Miyazakiworld: A life in art,” Professor Susan Napier creates an intriguing and complex image of the universe that Miyazaki has constructed. It was published in 2018 and is one of the most credible sources one can find in the academic world about Miyazaki and his legacy. It owes much due to the rich sources utilized by Napier, including interviews with Miyazaki himself.
Using the filmmaker’s life and tale to describe what she dubs “Miyazakiworld,” Susan Napier brings the reader inside these universes. Napier never avoids possible criticism or controversy in Miyazaki’s work while exploring the legacy of the artist (Napier 213). Her narrative of his worlds is clear and fascinating. Napier explains how Miyazaki drew inspiration from his own European experiences for many of the cinematic worlds he built (Napier 247). She bases her narrative on a variety of main and secondary Japanese sources, research conducted in English, and even an in-person conversation with Miyazaki. By taking this method, Napier is able to weave a tremendous quantity of information into a seamless story.
This research is one of the crucial pieces in the paper’s argument since Napier’s work is one of the most complex on the topic. It strengthens the paper’s assumptions and complements them with details and profound research. The particular importance of this source is the utilization of Japanese sources, which are hardly accessible to a researcher. The main rhetorical impact of the source is its cohesive narrative, which impacts the overall impact of the paper. Its clearness and simplicity provide readers with the ease of delving into the argument and the settings in which it was constructed.