Some Thoughts on Character Design

This was a shot from the opening sequence of Mononoke Hime.




I am very struck by this shot because I can see and feel clearly of the desperate attempt to cling onto survival when the girl brandishes her weapon. It is not a "glory moment". She does not wish for confrontation, but the very fact that she had a weapon equipped (in an earlier shot) tells of their hunting jobs, or the potential risks that the girls have to defend against. Her stance is probably that of sacrificial protection..she did not help out her mates, but instead chose to block the monster's path from them. Had Ashitaka (the male lead) not be there, would she, a little girl forced to raise her blade, be the one to kill a fallen god, and suffer the curse? Or to be devoured in return by the maddened monster?

Like, since the advent of MMOs I have seen the same old femme fatales with blades, swords, glaives, guns, in a "I-look-cool" pose with some cleavage and all, but have the artist behind ever ever thought about why on earth is this woman (or man, or alien) holding the weapon in the first place? Fear? For what? Fighting for anything? I don't pretend to have not fell for the same trap as well. There are some tutorials, or writer's guide that asks a wannbe creator to answer a list of questions to get a grasp of the so-called personality, and the next thing we know we have the stereotypical "strong-willed woman" fighting for something or "young girl oblivious to her tremendous power". But how does the "strong-willed woman" that has a weapon in her hand demonstrate any determination beyond that of an unarmed, frail mother who supports her children? If it is an extension of desire, a visual metaphor, how does it show that? I am perhaps getting at, again, the saying "Context Is King", or image stroytelling (which I had been told again and again to improve on but never remembered) ...

I am reminding myself over what Miyazaki said about "decorations", about how we would tend to go crazy over making interesting looking shiny armour, war-torn textures, funky-looking weapons, down to the race, shape or filling in a "character personality" sheet for a new character just for the sake of it - rather than patiently nurturing the roots of the plant, paying attention to the theme.

Beyond technical achievements, which is admirable in itself, I want to have more of these revelations.. the time to have deeper thoughts into the why of the what I do.