Ghibli Sidekick: Dola

Film: Laputa: Castle in the Sky (English title)
              Tenku-no Shiro Rapyuta (Japanese title)

Voices: Cloris Leachman (English Disney dub)
                  Rachel Vanowen (Streamline English dub)
                 Kotoe Hatsui (Japanese)

The Character

Despite its cliched elements and 1980s style, Laputa is in fact quite a clever film, in particular in comparison to other films, especially other Ghibli films. This mainly comes from two major characters; Mushka and Dola (and her pirate gang). In the beginning, with Mushka, we think that he is protecting Sheeta and as time goes on, he graduates to pure villian. There is nothing complex about his actions: he wants Laputa purely for his powers and he is manipulative about it.

When it comes to Dola (and her gang), they never change their tactics and yet in the view of the audience, they turn from villain to sidekick and become perhaps the best characters in the film. They are pirates through and through. They want the treasure of Laputa and they are willing to risk their lives to get the crystal which will lead them to the crystal. I have seen many films featuring pirates and  what I find interesting in the film is that the pirates are very honest. Despite the fact they are basically thieves, they are not manipulative, unlike Mushka who does not care how and what he does to get what he wants.

What is interesting about Dola is that she is the only female of the pirate crew and yet she rules the roost with an iron fist. Three of the pirates on board are her children and she in particularly has control over them.

Even though she is elderly, she has a fiery soul. She has a hot temper and is boisterous as well. She is bossy and her crew are quick to obey her. She is a smart lass as well. It is she who makes Pazu realise that Sheeta was trying to protect him from the army after she dismissed him from the fortress they had been taken to. Although she will deny it, there is softness inside her. It is true that when Pazu and Sheeta are brought onto the pirate ship, they are put to work immediately. However, she does get maternal with them. During the storm, she is protective of Sheeta for being in the kite with Pazu but Sheeta is just as defiant as Dola. When Dola states that Sheeta cannot do it because she is a girl, Sheeta is quick to retaliate that Dola is as well.

All I can say is that I would love to be a member of her crew.

The voices behind the character

I actually like Kotoe Hatsui. In fact compared to Cloris Leachman, she sounds more “granny-like” but her voice carries the feistiness of the character. What else can I say?

Okay, now onto Rachel Vanowen. I don’t think I’ll go into this one as I have mentioned before that the Streamline dub is awful. Vanowen is no different. Yes, she gives Dola the Granny touch but her voice is too scratchy that it is almost unbearable to hear; it reminds me of the feeling you get when someone scrapes against a blackboard. She is unnatural and there is no soul to her performance.

As for the Disney dub….well, as I have mentioned before, there is justification as to why the overall Disney dub has mixed reviews. Some are just off and some are just perfect. Cloris Leachman is perfect. Out of all the English Ghibli dubs for FEMALE characters, she ranks as one of the best, if not THE best! She, along with Mark Hamill as Mushka IS the reason why this dub is definitely worth a listen to. Not only is her voice spot on but she is absolutely funny, her comic timing is perfect. Anyone who has seen a certain film called “Beverley Hillbillies” (well most of us may have seen it but blanked it from our minds with good reason) will know that Leachman was perfect as the feisty Granny and she pulls of the same attitude in this film. It’s just a shame her performance in “Ponyo” is not up to the same standard but that is for a completely different entry.

Ghibli Princess: Sheeta

Film: Laputa: Castle in the Sky (English title)
          Tenku-no Shiro Rapyuta (Japanese title)

Voices: Anna Paquin (English Disney dub)
               Lara Cody (Streamline English dub)
               Yokozawa Keiko (Japanese)

The Character

This may sound like a bizarre thing to say but when it comes to think about this character and writing down points about her, I found it really hard to express myself. In the end, I realised that one of the reasons is the way she is shown in the film. I have seen most of the Ghibli films out there (except for Ocean Waves and My Neighbours the Yamadas) and I think that in all the Ghibli films, the story is not centered on a particular person. There is always one or two main characters but they do not become the focus of the attention all the time. With Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, although the title character is the main character, she is not the main focus. There is a story going on around her and how she saves the day. With Princess Mononoke, the focus is not completely on San or the main Prince, Ashitaka. It’s about a war between Gods, beasts, demons and humans. San and Ashitaka have a hand in bringing things to a norm. But like Nausicaä, the film is not completely fixated on the title character and getting deep in her. Not everyone is chasing after her.

And yet, in Laputa: Castle in the Sky, it seems like every faction is after Sheeta. In the beginning, there is the Army and Mushka and then it’s Dola’s pirate gang. Then Pazu becomes fixated on her. Through the film until the battle at the castle, it seems like the focus is completely on this one character rather than a journey. To me, it has a Mary-Sue aroma around her.

Also, Sheeta has an inner complexity. Okay, most of the Ghibli characters has a complexity but nothing on Sheeta’s level. It seems like everyone in a Ghibli film has a purpose or a category to fall into. Not Sheeta. She doesn’t fall into one particular category.

Please let me assure readers I do not say this as a bad thing but let me explain. Sheeta is brave. She has got guts!! In the beginning, she whacks Mushka on the head and then to get away from Dola, gets out of the window and proceeds to walk along a narrow ledge on the ship to escape, regardless of the danger factor. And despite falling, later she will risk her life again climbing up a ship to get to Pazu, knowing she could slip and fall to the ground again.

 Despite that, she is not totally brave. She is kidnapped three times by Mushka (although technically the third time, she charges at Mushka to stop him from shooting Pazu). To be fair, she is only rescued once. The crystal saves her the first time when she falls and Dola saves her the second time. She saves herself the third time by putting her own life on the line by saying the final spell.

She also seems to wear her emotions on the sleeves and seems more succumbed to them more than other Ghibli Princesses. Despite not knowing him very long, she develops a bond with the lead, Pazu and would only give into Mushka’s demands when Pazu’s life is put in danger. I believe this could be that her only family was dead before the film starts. It is unknown how long she has been living in the mountains alone but it could have been long enough for her to understand loneliness and that she craved any sort of companionship.

Despite being seen as ‘weak’ for most of the film, she is anything but. One of my favourite moments is when she is put on kitchen duty on the pirate ship. After getting over the initial shock over the mess in the kitchen, she determinedly rolls up her sleeves to get to work and she does it in style.

Later, during the storm, she insists on being with Pazu in the kite, despite what Dola says and shows her quickness and smarts by calling Dola on the phone before Dola has even finished talking. In the words of Louise, “She is good.”

Like Nausicaä, she seems to be in touch with nature, most likely due to her upbringing in the mountains. This possibly explains her speech with Mushka when she is in the throne room. She understands Laputa more than Mushka ever could, especially why the city was left abandoned in the sky.

The throne room scene shows another significance in Sheeta’s development in the film. There are three stages to Sheeta when she encounters Mushka. In the first on the ship, she is a mute and eventually attacks him from behind. The second time shows him bowing to him in the room of the robot purely to save Pazu. The third is in the throne room where she stands her ground, stating he will never get the crystal and that they both die together. Shortly afterwards, Mushka shoots off her pigtails as if to scare her but there is some symbolism to this new “haircut”. Pigtails are associated with little girls and now they are cut off, it represents her journey into young womanhood and maturity.

 

The voices behind the character

I think what makes it hard to express Sheeta is the voices that portray her and I mean all three of them!!! To be fair, Laputa is one of the most hotly debated dubs in terms of the English dub but I think when it comes to Sheeta, with all three dubs, she is probably the reason, along with Pazu on why the English dub is weak.

However, all three dubs are weak when it comes to Sheeta. Yokozawa Keiko is pretty realistic when it comes to portraying Sheeta as a child except, like the Japanese dub, she is guilty of screaming a lot, particularly in the throne room but I will talk about that scene on its own. Cody tries to copy Keiko but instead, all we get is a whiny high pitched robot. Out fo the three dubs, she is by far the worst.

Now, for Anna Paquin, I can honestly see why some fans would be against her. I think when it came to Pazu and Sheeta, actors were chosen deliberately so they sounded more like in their mid teens rather than their mid-teens and in a way, some of the characters’ innocence is lost in that. Lets face it, pigtails are not that convincing on a teenager. However, this symbolism could actually be in her favour for that, despite her teenage years and her bravery and maturity, the pigtails still show that she is still a vulnerable child and the departure shows she has finally grown up.

Despite her maturity, Paquin brings a sweetness to Sheeta. However, she seems to switch accents, particularly to an over-the-top stereotypical British accent. However, she also shows vulnerability for the character as well as a strong head on her shoulders (and to be honest, she did a better job in that film than she did in Steamboy, a film I personally stopped watching after 30 minutes and have never gotten back to it because it is so atrocious).

In my opinion, for all three, their crowning glory is the the throne room scene. Even though Lara Cody’s dub is the worst, this is her best moment, as well as Keiko and Paquin. However, Keiko and Paquin spoil the moment when Pazu enters. Keiko’s screaming at him to leave and Paquin doesn’t sound convincing enough to be desperate. Despite that, they rule over Cody anytime.

Ghibli Villian: Mushka

 

Film: Laputa:Castle in the Sky (English title)
          Tenku-no Shiro Rapyuta (Japanese title) 

Voice: Mark Hamill (English Disney dub)
            Jeff Winkless (Streamline English dub)
            Minori Terada (Japanese)

The Character

Ah yes, my favourite anime villain par none. Amongst most anime villains, particularly those created by Hayao Miyazaki, there is a sense of complexity about them, like they are not all bad or they are seen as good in some eyes and bad in others. In Princess Mononoke, it is Lady Eboshi. In Ponyo, it is Fujimoto. In the non-Ghibli anime film, X, it is the Dragons of the Earth (especially in this one as although we are meant to root for Dragons of the Heavens, the Dragons of the Earth make a strong argument and you want them to win).

Mushka (or Muska) is not like that. Yes, he is complex and holds secrets but he has no heart at all. By the end, he cannot be seen as good from any point of view. He does what he does purely for power and for his own gain. He has his minions and when he finally gets what he wants, he is not hesitant to dispose of them. I swear, if this guy wasn’t created by a Japanese anime genius, he could be mistaken for a stereotypical American villain.

The wierd thing with most anime villains is that they tend to be bad at first and then show some good in the end. Take Lady Eboshi from Princess Mononoke. Yes, she is trying to destroy the forest to mine for iron and expand her city BUT she also takes in prostitutes and lepers from the streets and gives them jobs. In Laputa, there is the pirate gang. At the start, you think they are the villains and Mushka is the good guy trying to protect Sheeta. By the middle, you realise that the pirates aren’t evil and they just want the city’s treasure. However, they are not malicious or evil. They are honest and do not want to mainpulate. By the middle, their position changes from villain to sidekick and really good sidekicks. They are considered the best characters in the film.

Compare with Mushka. The viewers’ view of him changes from bad to worse as the film progresses and what is interesting is that out of all the Ghibli villians (and I have seen all but two films), he is the only one of TWO villians to be punished for his demise. All the other villians either call a truce, change their character completely and gain some redemption. It seems the message in the Ghibli world is learn a lesson about being good and you will survive to the end of the film. Mushka doesn’t and he pays for it dearly.

 

The voices behind the character

Oh boy this is a good one to do because I have had the honour of watching all three main versions: the original Japanese dub, the 1980s English dub made hastily by Streamline and the more famous, underrated and mostly debated Disney dub.

First of, I’ll start with the original Japanese version. I’m sorry to say but I actually saw this one after buying the DVD. The first version I saw was the Disney English dub so this may have affected my judgement on this version. Minori Terada is hard but not dull at all. He plays Mushka as the emotionless person he is and he gives him an authoritative tone.

Next is the Streamline dub. My God! I only got to see this thanks to You Tube and I wish I could clean my brain out. Seriously. Whoever says the Disney dubs are bad should definitely see this and call THIS the worst. I thought the cast from the film X was bad until I saw this. The whole cast was bad in this dub but the thing is that Mushka is meant to be bad and somewhat scary but Winkless does not do this. He sounds bored and well the dub overall was done in a rush so it is possible that the actors were told to do it in one take and left it at that, regardless the imperfection of it all. The thing is with Mushka is that when he finds the real treasure of Laputa and when he shows Sheeta the robot, he is meant to be emotional, something that Winkless does not do. And it has to be said. He says the worst line I have ever heard in a line: “Now say bye bye!” He is holding a gun at SHeeta and he says that!? Is he serious? The scriptwriter should hang his head in shame for that! Yes you laugh the first time you hear it but after that, it’s just cringey. You can watch it to judge for yourself but be prepared to regret it.

The Disney English dub of Laputa is a hotly debated dub. Most of the Disney dubs are like Marmite: you either love them or you hate them. However, some may just have the most perfect voice casting possible that it justify the average casting for the rest of the film? In The Cat Returns, it is Carey Elwes as the Baron (although he was awful in Porco Rosso). In Howl’s Moving Castle, it was Billy Crystal as Calcifer and Christian Bale as Howl. In Laputa, there are two: Cloris Leachman and Mark Hamill. Regardless of the mixed views on the rest of the cast, there seemed to be an overall, almost unanimous opinion on Laputa: Leachman and Hamill are superb.

Out of all the versions, Hamill is definitely the best Mushka. Hamill has become famous for two thing: Star Wars and voiceovers, the latter which he is brilliant at. He is famous for doing some of the best voiceovers in animation, in particular his villians. His most famous are the Joker (Batman: The Animated Series) and the Hobgoblin (the 1990s Spiderman TV series).

Whilst Terada is authoritative and Winkless is just not worthy enough to mention, Hamill gives Mushka a level above Terada. As well as being authoritative, he makes Mushka slimy, oozing with seduction. For example, he tells Sheeta to stay down or she’ll be hurt. In the Japanese version, he is not that caring. In the Streamline dub, he is even less caring but Hamill’s Mushka is caring and this is the first sign that you think he’s the good guy which makes the realisation he’s a baddie more shocking. In his next major scene with Sheeta and the robot, he has you totally convinced that he wants to stop Laputa’s power from going into the wrong hands when in fact, it is he that should be prevented from gaining the city’s power. Sheeta is lured into his power like a snake to Adam and Eve. When he finds Laputa’s power, he was so emotional and almost crazed and of course, the laugh. He definitely has the best laugh which is very chilling and all I can do is point and say “The Joker!”

One line that always get to me is when Sheeta is running away from him and he is telling her to be reasonable, you get a hint of Luke Skywalker. He was trying to be calm and seductive again. He is brilliant all the way through!

What can I say, Hamill was perfect to me. He is by far the best in the dub, alongside Cloris Leachman and out of all the English Disney dubs, he was one of the best, if not the best all the English Ghibli dubs!