The Portrayal of Fujiko and Clarisse in Lupin III The Castle of Cagliostro PDF

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This essay analysis the portrayal of women in Hayao Miyazaki's anime film "Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro"...

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The Portrayal of Fujiko and Clarisse in Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro The portrayal of female characters in anime has its complexities. Although some female characters are portrayed as weak, servile and passive, other female characters are seen as assertive and independent. In the film Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, the two female protagonists, Fujiko and Clarisse both appear to conform to the stereotype of women being weak, servile and passive yet at the same time, both characters also demonstrate the ability to take on the role of independence and capability through various ways. Clarisse is initially seen as a victim at the beginning of the film. In the scene where Lupin is unconscious from the fall and Clarisse gets captured, Clarisse is seen to be quite meek in this scene as she does not even attempt to escape, she simply accepts her fate and allows her captors to capture her. This supports the portrayal of females being passive victims. Also, in the scene where Lupin and Daisuke are sitting in the restaurant, and the waitress tells them that Count Cagliostro “has a reputation as a playboy,” this portrays Clarisse as a sexual object who is controlled by the Count, and that she is constantly servile to the Count’s sexual demands, this adds to the problem of the portrayal of women in anime, in that they are controlled by men, leading to them becoming victims of sexual assault (Miyazaki, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro) . Furthermore, in the scene where Clarisse tells Lupin that she will “never be able to escape the Count,” it is indicated that the Count has been able to control her to the extent that even when somebody does want to help her escape, she still believes that she will not be able to escape, and that she will always be the possession of somebody else rather than be her own person (Miyazaki, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro). Although Clarisse does appear to resemble the traits of a meek, passive victim, there are also times where she demonstrates the capability of being strong and independent. In the scene

where Lupin drops down the trapdoor, Clarisse has the courage to stand up to the Count when she calls him a “cold-blooded murderer” and pushes him away, a different side to her character is shown here as she stands up for what she believes in (Miyazaki, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro). Another example of Clarisse being assertive is when the Count threatens to kill Fujiko and Lupin as he is lying face down on the top of the cliff, Clarisse throws herself in front of Lupin and is willing to sacrifice her own life so that both Lupin and Fujiko can live. A sense of irony is portrayed in this scene; whilst it may seem to the audience that Clarisse is willing to be obedient and give the ring to the Count, at the same time she is doing it because she knows that Lupin and Fujiko will live, so it can be inferred that Clarisse is in a way hero despite her passive tendencies. Her character gradually grows in confidence and develops more assertiveness throughout the film. This is demonstrated when she jumps on a gun in order to stop Lupin from being shot and then actually physically confronts the Count as she attempts to resist him. A further example of Clarisse developing into a more confident , independent character is in the scene when she removes her crown after Lupin has rescued her from the wedding. When Clarisse removes her crown, it represents her freedom and detachment from the Count, and this scene is crucial to showing the viewer how she has evolved into an independent person. Furthermore, when it is revealed that Clarisse saved Lupin’s life when he was younger, it shows that she is capable of helping somebody else other than herself, and that in a way, she is equal to Lupin because she saved his life just like he saved her life. In a way, Clarisse does add to the problems of the portrayal of women in anime because she is still rescued despite her passive tendencies, this can give out the wrong message to young females that even if they are passive in an unpleasant situation, they will always be saved, as was the case with Clarisse. However, at the same time, the portrayal of Clarisse also works against the problems of the portrayal of women

in anime, because it is shown in the film that she is in an abusive relationship with the Count partly because of her passive tendencies, so this can give a message to young females that if they are passive and meek, they may well end up in the position that Clarisse ended up in, therefore, they should refrain from such tendencies. Another way in which the portrayal of Clarisse works against the problem of the portrayal of women is through the transformation of her character, whilst she is seen as initially underconfident, throughout the film her confidence grows and this is represented well when she removes her crown as she is freed from her abusive relationship, this gives the message to young females that even if they are in an unpleasant situation because of their passivity, there is still a chance that they can get out, if they change their personality and become more assertive, in the same way that Clarisse became more assertive as the film went on. Initially Fujiko appears to be servile to the Count and this falls into the stereotype of female characters being passive, however, when it turns out that she is actually a spy, it shows that she has confidence in herself and is aware of what is going on around her and her character is transformed. This is further demonstrated in the scene when she encounters Lupin for the first time in the film and is not flattered by his sweet talk, fully aware that he came for Clarisse. This scene shows her out to be equal if not one step ahead of her ex-boyfriend in terms of intellectuality because she knows what is going on. Fujiko’s independence is shown when she reveals to Clarisse that she left Lupin, this shows her confidence, that she didn’t feel as if she had to be with a man to feel complete, and that she could be strong and independent whilst single. This gives the message to the audience that a woman does not have to be with a man who she doesn’t want to be with, and shows that Fujiko has self-respect. This is very much juxtaposed with Clarisse’s position where she is forced to be in a relationship with somebody who she doesn’t want to be with. Fujiko’s capability and independence is further demonstrated in the

scene when Fujiko is able to stand her ground and combat against the Count’s guards and assassins which enables Lupin and Clarisse to escape. This scene shows that Lupin had to rely on Fujiko for help which supports the notion that a female does not always have to rely on a male for support and that it can be the other way around, thus working against the problem of portraying women as always having to rely on men, so Fujiko’s character is a representation of feminism. Fujiko’s character is largely seen as independent and assertive and undoubtedly works against the problems of the portrayal of women in anime. Clarisse’s character is less obvious in working against the problems of the portrayal of women in anime. Although Clarisse does initially demonstrate servile tendencies which add to the problem of the portrayal of women in anime, it can also be inferred that her character in fact works against the problems of the portrayal of women in anime through the transformation of her character. Both characters demonstrate the ability to work against the problems of the portrayal of women in anime through very different paths they take throughout the film.

Works Cited Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro. Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. Toho, 1979. DVD....