Research On Female Characters In Chinese Mythological Adapted Animated Films

Since its inception,animated films have been widely loved and closely watched by audiences.As an important component of animated films,animated female characters not only embody the creators’ imagination but also carry the cultural content and zeitgeist of the time,reflecting the status and social position of real women.China has a tradition of adapting classic mythology stories that resonate with people’s hearts,and animated films based on local mythology have been prevalent throughout the century-long history of domestic animation.Various female characters in Chinese mythological animated films not only add to the narrative of the films but also become the highlights of the films due to their innovative adaptations that align with the spirit of the times.Female characters in Chinese animated films based on mythological themes have their origin in classical mythological texts and have undergone generations of adaptations,reflecting national characteristics and possessing both historical and comparative research value.Therefore,this paper surveys and examines the Chinese animated films based on mythological themes from the 1940 s to the present,as collected from existing online resources,with a focus on the female characters portrayed in these films.Utilizing literature research,content analysis,and comparative research methods,this paper conducts quantitative and qualitative analysis on 61 female characters in 29 sample films that meet the research criteria.By examining the aesthetic features and shaping strategies,this paper vertically and horizontally compares female characters in Chinese animated films based on mythological themes from different developmental stages spanning from 1941 to 2022,from five analytical dimensions: character features,character participation,character value and self-awareness,film style,and adaptation degree.This paper mainly discusses the aesthetic characteristics of female images in domestic mythological adaptation animation films in terms of external and internal imagery,film style and character adaptation,and shaping strategies in terms of film participation,film narrative techniques,personal value and self-awakening awareness.It is found that although the current female image of animated films adapted from domestic mythological themes is still limited to a certain extent by the deep-rooted influence of male-centric culture,under the development of the times,global cultural integration and the deepening of feminist thought,the female image has shown a continuous development trend,and has a positive mapping relationship with the social status and social role of the real female image.Therefore,this paper puts forward the shortcomings of female image portrayal based on the current situation of domestic mythological theme adaptation of animated films,and gives modern adaptation strategies and suggestions for female images for them,and makes an overall outlook for the future female image setting of domestic mythological theme adapted animation.This article explores the female characters in Chinese animated films based on mythology,which not only inherit the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation but also showcase China’s unique characteristics and style through the integration of national and era spirits.The purpose of this study is to provide further supplementary and improvement for the research on female characters in Chinese animated films and to offer reference significance for the future creation of female characters in animated films,including mythological adaptations and beyond.