It all came to me when I realized that Joseph Campbell's "Hero of a Thousand Faces" model was essentially about opposition to foreign influence. The hero leaves his society and is sent to face an external threat. Everything along the way, both the good and the bad, is cast in familial terms. Everything's the Mother, or the Father, or something from the Bible, like the Belly of the Whale. It's insular to a truly disgusting degree.

There is, however, another half to this equation, which is receptivity to the patterns of one's native culture. That's what shojo's about. It's about dating and family, building up momentum for another turn of the wheel. That's why Miyazaki's protagonists are girls, because his films are about promoting traditional values as defined by the context. And that's why I like Utena, because it's about breaking the cycle.

Last edited by Overlord Morgus (12-23-2011 06:02:28 AM)