#arete hime

[luhalalusce]

I'm gonna be a weeb for a sec here: Princess Arete is available on youtube temporarily and it's really worth a watch. Great story, great animation.

[animefeminist]

Two Clever Princesses, Two Feminist Fairy Tales: The Clever Princess vs Princess Arete

There has been much thought and discussion on what does, and does not, constitute a “feminist” story: whether it includes any tale with a proactive woman or girl protagonist, a story where characters of any gender can participate in the narrative fully, or a world that depicts non-patriarchal societies and systems. There are many nuances to consider, and there is no one “proper” way to tell a story with feminist themes and intent—different writers will approach feminist topics in different ways across times, genres, and mediums. Shifts in tone and mood can also transform the context of a story and allow it to engage with its feminist themes in different, but still equally meaningful, ways.  

The 2001 anime film, Princess Arete, is a loose adaptation of Diana Coles’ short story “The Clever Princess”. Both stories follow a young princess named Arete, who has lived in a castle her entire life and has next to no experience interacting with the outside world, and yet has grown up to be an extremely clever girl—to the chagrin of her father and prospective suitors. Later, a powerful wizard named Boax comes to the castle to claim Arete’s hand in marriage, which the king readily agrees to.  

What they don’t know is that Boax marries Arete because it was foretold that she would be the cause of his demise; he, therefore, wishes to make the princess suffer and ensure his morbid fate will not come to pass. Of course, Arete, the titular clever princess that she is, is much smarter and braver than Boax anticipated. With the help and kindness of several different people, Arete is able to overcome various obstacles and wins back her freedom. While both the book and the film follow this general plotline, the two pieces of media approach the narrative in vastly different ways.

Read it at Anime Feminist!

[holy-cucumber01]

Princess Arete

Genre : adventure, fantasy, drama

Аnime film : 115 min

[filliteapot]

[anime--food]

Arete Hime - Movie

[plagueminion]

Princess Arete ⚪ 2001 ⚪ Studio 4°C

[filliteapot]

[filliteapot]