Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens is a Japanese animation TV series that brings together drama, romanticism, and comedy all in one. Kannagi is about a boy named Jin Mikuriya who uses wood from the sacred tree of Kannagi and carves a statue of a girl. The statue comes to life as a goddess, whose name is Nagi. Both Nagi and Jin work together to remove impurities that are congregating in the town. There are numerous symbols, references to beliefs, and tie-ins to the Shinto religion throughout Kannagi. Whether they are intentional or not, they are still present and can be used for analysis.
The main characters in Kannagi are Nagi, Jin, Zange, and Tsugumi. Nagi is a goddess whose duty is to cleanse impurities. She meets Jin when she is brought into the story, and Jin helps her in her battle to cleanse the impurities. Jin Mikuriya is the boy who summoned Nagi by using wood from her sacred tree to make a carving. Jin has taken Nagi into his home and they become friends. Jin goes crazy with the thought of an attractive young girl in his home. Tsugumi was just introduced; she goes to school with Jin and is a longtime friend of his. Zange is Nagi’s sister and is also a goddess. She is under the disguise of a Catholic nun who listens to people’s problems. She presents herself as a nice and caring individual, but in reality she torments Nagi.
Nagi and Zange are both goddesses set out to destroy impurities. Because Nagi’s tree was cut down, she has a slight disadvantage compared to Zange. Zange also takes the role of a Catholic nun because Catholicism is a strong religion in the west and she wants to appeal to the masses and be even more powerful over Nagi. Zange is not a good representation of Catholicism. Catholics are forgi...
... middle of paper ...
...ruggle between Nagi and Zange is a classic feud between sisters, but it shows that Zange is the lesser of the two sisters because she does not portray Shinto or Catholic values. The presence of shide paper helps solidify Nagi’s purification processes and gives support to the value of purifying impurities in the Shinto religion. Kannagi is a great anime show for learning more about Shinto and understanding its basic values and ideas.
Works Cited
Davies, Roger J., and Osamu Ikeno. The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture. Boston: Tuttle Pub., 2002. Print.
Nobutaka, Inoue. "Ritual Implements and Vestments." Encyclopedia of Shinto. Ibaraki Prefecture, 6 Feb. 2005. Web. 03 Feb. 2014. .
Varley, Paul. Japanese Culture. 4th Edition. Honolulu: History of Hawai’i Press, 2000. Print.
In Joy Kagawa's "Obasan" there are a variety of characters, each with their own drives, morals, and personalities. However, In Naomi Nakane's life two characters in particular are very important and integral pieces to forming this novel. These two characters are Obasan, or Ayako Nakane - Naomi's aunt by marriage, and Aunt Emily Kato - Naomi's maternal aunt. With their importance to the novel being noted, further analyzation of these two members reveals much about their personalities, and in turn, why they chose the paths in the novel that they did. Much can be revealed from comparing and contrasting Joy Kagawa's characters Obasan and Aunt Emily, and in this analysis although there are many similarities in morals and characteristics, the differences
In his 1996 chapter of “The Grand Shrines of Ise and Izumo: The Appropriation of Vernacular Architecture” of the Architecture and Authority in Japan, William Howard Coaldrake explores the history and the purpose of the Grand Shrines of Ise and Izumo.
It is a symbol of refinement not only because it sets Atsumori apart from other warriors as he embodies both bun and bu, both highly prized attributes of the time, but because of what is represents. The flute was passed down through the Taira clan as a gift from the retire Emperor Goshirakawa and represents the proximity of the Taira clan to the Imperial family. In highlighting the importance of the flute, it also reflects the beauty of the fall of the Taira. In both the Tale of Heike and the noh play Naozane is taken aback and amazed by Atsumori the warrior, who is the embodiment of bun and bu, and the grass mower, who is the embodiment of bun. To think that a man of such young age and class could master something as beautiful as the flute moves Naozane. The flute also symbolizes a world that Naozane can never hope to reach, although he has defeated Atsumori, an aristocrat, he will never truly defeat him because Atsumori’s higher
Shintoism is a polytheistic religion that believes the world was created by “Kami” (deities or spirits). Although Kami are thought to be invisible presences, they are treated as persons and are given names. Kami are not believed to be living beings in a distant realm; rather their presence is felt as powers in or near this world. Two of these Kami, Izanami (“female who invites”) and Izanagi (“male who invites”) are said to be the creators of the Japanese Islands, as well as three major
The story explains that mongooses are curious, so Rikki spent his time exploring everything in the house. When exploring outside, Rikki meets a bird that explains to him that one of his babies fell out of the nest and was eaten by Nag, the cobra. That night, Rikki overhears the cobras’ plans to kill the family, so that Rikki would leave and they could take over the garden. Nag sleeps in the bathroom overnight, planning to kill Teddy’s dad in the morning; Rikki attacks him, causing the father to wake up and shoot Nag, saving the family. Rikki also helps save the family by distracting Nag’s widow, Nagaina, as she was about to attack, eventually killing her as well. The family was very thankful, as he had saved all of their lives.
Riichi, Yokomitsu. Shanghai. Michigan: The Center for Japanese Studies, The University of Michigan , 2001.
Ogawa, D. (1993) The Japanese of Los Angeles. Journal of Asian and African Studies, v19, pp.142-3.
Enchantment of the World, Japan p. 70. 18 Davidson, Judith. Japan - Where East Meets West, p.74. 19 p. /.99. 20 p. 111.
Savas, Minae. "Feminine Madness In The Japanese Noh Theatre." Electronic Thesis or Dissertation. Ohio State University, 2008. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. 11 Mar 2014.
Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke is a development of Japanese animation that can be seen as a romantic fable of two characters that were brought together through one cause; however, Miyazaki’s film can be seen as a Japanese cultural production. It is seen as a cultural production because it shows elements of Shinto through the Kami and the use of water for purification, as well as the female stereotype reversal that was quite dominant in the time of the Heian period. The characters in Princess Mononoke interact with the kami (gods or spirits) when they are in sacred sites or areas that assist in the contact. In Princess Mononoke, the mountain is the place where the characters make contact with the kami, which is their Shinto shrine because
Western Washington University (2011). US / Japan culture comparison. Retrieved February 9, 2014, from www.wwu.edu/auap/english/gettinginvolved/CultureComparison.shtml
Roberts, Jeremy. Japanese Mythology A to Z (Mythology a to Z). New York: Facts on File, 2004.
She some time ago left the universe in darkness and chaos. Amaterasu sent her grandson to calm Japan, giving him the sacred mirror, sword, and jewel, which became imperial motifs. In Japanese mythology, there are a lot of things that can make up a myth. Japanese myths frequently include serpents in them. There are tales of women turning into snakes.
Ohnuki-Tierney, Emiko. "The Ambivalent Self of the Contemporary Japanese." Cultural Anthropology 5.2 (1990): 197-216. Print.
Lakunle was a poor village school teacher who had greater admiration for Sidi, “THE VILLAGE BEAUTY WHO WANTED EVERYMAN TO LOOK AT HER SO, SHE MADE A SHOW OFF” when carrying a pail of water, through her way of walking and improper dressing which did not cover the parts of her neck and shoulders. Sidi wanted to attract Lakunle also and “BEING LITTLE INFLUENCED BY HIS LOVE BUT DID NOT ACCEPT HIM FULLY AS HE WAS NOT ENOUGH TO PAY A BRIDE-PRICES FOR HER”.