Report on Feminism in Asian Horror Films

The movies have detailed how the female characters are powerful and striving in the society as in the movie some characters frightened us or made us uncomfortable because of the women's character as they were smart but they faced issues. Moreover, women are sexually objectified or targeted. In the movies, there are proper stories and characters are made to portray specific stories or experiences of their own. With the Asian horror protagonist in the movie, there is a focus on the women character that she is a strong mother and possesses the abilities to fight in the society. Although there is focus upon relationships within this movie, focus is more on the abilities and potential that the woman possesses. Overall, it can be said that Asian horror movies portray women as strong and powerful. They have the capabilities which are necessary for a woman to fight in the society and stay firm on the ground

Introduction of Feminism in Asian Horror Films

Feminism in Asian horror films is strong and characters are made to appear as if they are struggling in the society but they have the power to take revenge when it is necessary. Asian horror films are the most women-centric films on social media platforms. In Asian movies, women are the central characters; female characters are portrayed as they have a sense of character depth rather than physical strength. These women are shown as they are powerful and beyond the female sidekick or male gaze. Feminism in Asian horror films exists because there are female protagonists mostly and these women are not stereotypical kickass-woman types. These modern Asian horror films are not based on the male love interest there is the focus on featuring the female protagonists so that stronger relationships can be shown. The Asian horror movies portray woman’s deepest self, deviance because society is told that ghosts in these films are the women who are rape victims or the girls who faced issues of poor abortion. With the best utilization of varying media strategies, authors write stories in order to get the attention of the people and tell them about the stories of these women (Fleming, 2019).

Feminism in Asian horror films also portray many societal pressures that women and the ghosts faced in Asian societies or throughout the world. It is also displayed in these movies that some women are repressed by rules. The East Asian horror films are far away from the LGBT genre and portray realistic female characters that are strong and have more physical strength. The ghosts in films are also women and they mostly take revenge or oppress people. The ghosts in movies represent real women where there are social forces or there are pressures and obscurity on women. In the modern world, the cinema is quite strong and it is women-centric when seen in the Asian Horror films because it is appreciated, however, the female characters in the movie may make us frightened as well as uncomfortable because of the women's character. However, the Asian horror raises the question about how women are treated in society and what is in the women's minds. Consequently, Asian horror movies portray women as strong and possess the capabilities of taking revenge from people when necessary (Peirse, 2013).

Analysis of Feminism in Asian Horror Films

Male and female roles as in cinema of Feminism in Asian Horror Films

It is focused that in western culture, equal behavior is done with both the sexes; and there is an analysis for both male and female roles as in cinema there are 30% of women, who got speaking roles. These Western horror movies speak as often as men and it is just taken as that for women horror movies are just platforms. It is noticed that equal treatment in the horror film is there for men and women, however, in the Asian horror there is the persisting of the femininity and horror movies are more about the thinking that how women are speaking regarding the feminist issues of unfair working conditions as well as the romantic relationships. Asian horror films affecting women today because of their discussion of the problems based on some of the outdated societal practices as the ghosts that are featured in the horror movie can make most of us uncomfortable (Teo, 2013).

Movie dark water of Feminism in Asian Horror Films

There is the long-term femininity and thrillers are progressively about the reasoning that how ladies are talking concerning the women's activist issues as in the movie Dark Water there is the movie related to the relationship of a mother’s as well as her daughter. However, a mother was a messy divorce woman and keeps her daughter in her custody. In the movie, there is again a focus on the women character that she is strong in her character as the movie has two important male side characters example, her ex-husband and the one who comes to aid her when her husband left her with daughter and trouble. There was a focus on the male/female relationship rather than the sexual as the women and that helping men does not have any sexual relationship.

In Asian society, it is the stereotyping that women and men can never be friends so in the movie it was concerned that that man helps her and her daughter without the sexual undertones. The movie was based on the female ghosts and the mother, daughter; however, these three characters were enough to get the viewer’s attention. There were only two male characters thus movie was lack of male protagonist. It was one of the most popular Asian horror films as it only has the female as the protagonist.

In Asian horror films, there are concerns about women's deeper issues they are facing in the society in the present and there is something in the movie that can be difficult for us to forget. As in the horror movie Dark Water’s, there was the mother-daughter relationship and it was most realistic because based on strong women character and real family situations in the repressive society. There was the emotional abuse and harassment in the movie as focused on the image or displays of her ex-husband with the mother.

Whispering Corridors series, Wishing Stairs

There are overruling laws in Asian society based on feminist issues; therefore, there is much focuses on women's protagonists. In the movie women of Asia are presented to be smart and intelligent because they are strong in character. However, homosexuality is also presented in the Asian movies as an all-girls high school series name Whispering Corridors series, Wishing Stairs focuses on homosexuality better the Yun Jin-sung and Kim So-hee and all other girls in high school. Yun Jin-sung and Kim So-hee have two-sided love rather one-sided love. So-hee says to Jin-sung that then became the famous dialogue that “All I want is you,” There was the tenuous relationship between two girls and there were also the pressures of jealousy in the female environment (Balmain, 2008).

Movie Tag/ featuring a kickass woman of Feminism in Asian Horror Films

Asian horror films could be explained as the slasher films streaming as there are also concerns regarding the featuring a kickass woman. However, in the movie Tag, there is also a focus on female friendship that how women are treated in society. However, the movie was interesting because there is a focus on the horrific situation that how the schoolgirl stuck in the issues and what can be some random or unpredictable alternate reality for her, the movie was amazing as it makes one intrigued enough till the end.

Western one: Karyn Kusama Jennifer’s Body

Considering another the Western horror film by Karyn Kusama Jennifer’s Body it is focused that there is the focus on the male viewers are heterosexual concerns are there, however, the Asian horror creates  the movies on the motives to predict women power only and not like western film that involves or engage the people of all genders. There is an all-gender often in Western horror films. Women watch more Asian horror movies example, in 2018, the female percentage of horror films 29.2 and the male percentage of horror films 7.4 (Womenandhollywood.com, 2018). Women have more emotive than men, however, in the feminism is present in the Asian horror films because women are characterized as they experience the deep emotion compared to the men there is more focus on the female vengeful spirit because they can depict the fear and be victims in the better and moreover, there are ghosts in Asian horror that are also women.

Movie to catch a virgin ghost

As in the movie Final Girl movie which is American movie, there was a theme related to the virginal brunette that was concerned throughout the film. However, in the movie Final Girl; there was a female protagonist with so many qualities of the women in a slasher film and the last girl left alive. Unlike the Asian horror do named “To Catch a Virgin Ghost” like Final Girl also has the more engaging themes that explore different virginal offset and the final girl handled herself as she knows how to react in the lethal ways. There was the sexually objectified blonde woman who was targeted. As the Asian horror protagonist, there was the intelligence rather than brunette or sex to express. In Asian horror movies, there is a focus to explore homosexuality, shame, suicide and in movies women in East Asian culture or society can be concerned or focused as they are bounded by the norm of societal expectations. As the ladies today gave their talk of the issues dependent on a portion of the obsolete cultural practices.

It can be said that there are films that are essential and focus on sentiments of women that how they struggle the movies are based on the segregation, aggressive behavior at home therefore, these film are well-acknowledged Asian frightening film. Example, To Catch a Virgin Ghost focuses on the diamond stealing and based on the issues that women still face in society, there are horror movies that got accomplishment as women life delineated and quality is there in light of the fact that women solid impacts can be seen (Harrington, 2019).

Homosexual or homoerotic relationships of Feminism in Asian Horror Films

The Karyn Kusama Jennifer’s Body was based on the female-centric environments as there were homosexual or homoerotic relationships between the all-girls schools; the perfect candidate was depicted in that Asian horror movie and it also has the lesbian scenes. However, as compared to the Western horror tends regarding homosexual or homoerotic relationships it is concerned that it’s only done for the lure and there was the response to the imagined male audience. The horror movies audiences tend to be mostly female because the female has an interest that what going in society and how women can be strong or take revenge. Consequently, despite the stereotype, some women are fans of horror movies.

Female protagonist: movie shutter of Feminism in Asian Horror Films

There are movies on East Asian ghost and again the protagonist reflected the female counterparts, they as the ghost were overlooked as well as ignored in the society or too horrifying or too vengeful. As in the films like Shutter, there was a female protagonist; she was the ghost who seeks revenge from a man who did wrong to her. However, the ending is devastating as she left the man that wronged her because she loved her. She took help from the protagonist Jane’s, it was the ghost’s tragic story and the women Jane faced the trauma. She was living characters as a ghost’s revenge is never accurate or exacted. The ghost then leaves the man because of love. Thus, the typical ‘strong female character’ is depicted in the movie that what women can do for her love and incase if she wants to take revenge. The movie was memorable and devastating and there were feelings of horror as she pulls the audience to notice the strong charter of women and focus on celebrating female strength or kickass woman type.

American remake of the Japanese horror film

Asian horror movie realizes financial success based on the feminism in Asian horror films. The movie called Ringu (Hideo) is the American remake of the Japanese horror film. However, the movie got the success because it was the well-accepted Asian scary film that was also based on the ghost women that Asian women still face the discrimination, domestic violence or sexual harassment, and thus the movie socially admired as based on femininity regarding the role of the ghost women in the old Asian films. The movie got success in the pan-Asian market because it has the style of horror films as the Asian genre and then become successful in the American market based on the gendering imageries and imaginations. The movie got success as women life depicted and strength is there because women's strong influences can be seen. With the best use of audiovisual techniques, visual as well as the narrative special effects can be seen in the movie (Lee, 2015).

Conclusion of Feminism in Asian Horror Films

It can be concluded Feminism in Asian horror films is the major concern of the writers or filmmakers, because movies are getting famous based on the aspect. Several movies are focused on female characters that are powerful and striving in the society as the best example of Dark Water’s, is given above that the mother-daughter relationship is more realistic because based on strong women character and real family situations in the repressive society. Besides the emotional abuse and harassment, she still handled situations. There is also discussion regarding the Yun Jin-sung and Kim So-hee they have two-sided love; the tenuous relationship between two girls can be observed under the female environment.

Consequently, stereotyping regarding Asian societies can be seen in the movies but still or despite it there are some women are fans of horror movies. However, it is also concluded that the Asian horror movies audiences tend to be mostly female because the female has an interest that what going in society and how women can be strong or take revenge. There are discussions relating to the living characters as a ghost’s taking revenge; the love, hate, grudges can be seen as ghosts left a man because of love.

References of Feminism in Asian Horror Films

Balmain, C. (2008). Introduction to Japanese Horror Film. Edinburgh University Press .

Fleming, K. (2019). Asian Horror: The Women-Centric Cinema We’ve All Been Waiting For. Retrieved from http://www.ehimeajet.com/?p=1049

Harrington, E. (2019). Women, Monstrosity and Horror Film: Gynaehorror. Taylor & Francis Limited.

Lee, H. (2015). Transformations of the Monstrous Feminine in the New Asian Female Ghost Films. Diogenes , 62 (1), 100-114.

Peirse, A. (2013). Korean Horror Cinema. Edinburgh University Press.

Teo, S. (2013). The Asian Cinema Experience: Styles, Spaces, Theory. Routledge.

Womenandhollywood.com. (2018). 2018 STATISTICS2018 STATISTICS. Retrieved from https://womenandhollywood.com/resources/statistics/2018-statistics/