By Sahara Suzuki,
The animated film "Wish" was released in Japan last month to celebrate Disney's 100th anniversary, paying tribute to the studio's classic repertoire while at the same time portraying a spiritual "revolution" that rejects conservative values.
While critics lauded the attempt to shake up the status quo, the film has garnered mixed reviews on social media, with some arguing that it failed to satisfy their version of a fairytale or went too far in what they saw as political messaging.
Many Disney fans appreciated the homage to past works, while others complained of "the 100 Easter eggs," or nostalgic centennial references to objects or familiar phrases purposely made throughout the film, saying they found them distracting.
The story is set in the kingdom of Rosas on an island in the Mediterranean Sea where King Magnifico manages and grants his subjects' wishes. Some are fulfilled, but in fact, only the ones he finds convenient for maintaining power over the kingdom. Magnifico stores the rest away, like an overprotective parent.
Asha, a 17-year-old girl who realizes Magnifico's deception when her grandfather's 100-year birthday wish (another Disney centennial reference) goes unanswered, wishes on a star to have the citizens' ungranted wishes returned to their rightful owners.
Released in Japan on Dec. 15, 2023, "Wish" began trending on X (formerly Twitter), with a series of posts such as "It is a work full of courage," among other positive appraisals.
The film attracted 430,000 theatergoers in the three days through Dec. 17, and its box-office revenue exceeded 600 million yen ($4.1 million), catapulting it to the top of the rankings in Japan.
It was released in the United States over Thanksgiving weekend in November, with 49 percent of 206 critics giving it positive reviews on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.
In explaining the genesis of the film, Chris Buck, the film's co-director, said in a recent exclusive interview with Kyodo News in Tokyo that he and his team had pinned stills from past Disney films going back a century on a bulletin board.
"You saw this common thread, which was a character wishing on a star. So to us, it felt like the movie had to be about wishing. What we loved about it is taking it a step further. So this time when the character makes a wish, the wish comes down to Earth. The entertainment possibilities are quite exciting from there," he said.
Buck added that he was inspired by the enthusiasm for social change among the younger generation, including his own adult sons, to create Asha -- a somewhat socially awkward but strong character who has become what audiences have come to expect of the Disney heroines in recent years, to the chagrin of some audiences.
But Buck said that like the younger generation, Asha is a character who is determined to never back down. "She's like 'Nope, we need to make a change. We need to do what's right because there's something not right about that city right now that can't have their wishes.' So she wants to have them back, so they can pursue them themselves."
While Disney's tales of beautiful young princesses uniting with their "Prince Charming" have garnered tremendous support over the years, they have also been criticized for reinforcing the patriarchal stereotype of male domination and female exploitation.
"Snow White," "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty," are among many of the studio's titles that fall under this category.
However, in the 21st century, films such as "Frozen," which depicts the bond between two sisters while painting the prince as the villain of the story, began to appear. Damsels in distress no longer need a prince to come to their rescue.
Tetsuya Motohashi, a professor at Tokyo Keizai University and author of "The Past and Future of the Disney Princess," sees "Wish" as an extension of this trend, but new in its focus on "class."
Disney's films have so far focused on stories of royalty and nobility, but "in this film, ordinary people unite in solidarity through song and rebel against the king," Motohashi said.
Furthermore, he says, Magnifico, in managing wishes, mirrors the giant tech companies of today that store people's information away to use as they please. "It shows pretty good foresight into the dangers of our information society," he said.
Even so, Motohashi admits to being torn between Disney's past storytelling of the princess who eventually meets her prince to live happily ever after and characters such as Asha, who stand up for themselves and their friends to gain independence.
"I wonder if girls will be able to dream even if the main character isn't a prince anymore?" Motohashi mused.
On social media, there have been some critical comments about the film's "message being too political" or others who "do not agree" with the story's premise.
However, the film's directors argue there is no doubt that creating diversity through new challenges is the strength of Disney today, and for the foreseeable future.
Co-director Fawn Veerasunthorn, who hails from Thailand, said, "There is a wonderful thing about the appealing characters and believable imaginative worlds which I hope doesn't change. I think there will be many new filmmakers who can speak to the stories that matter to them, which is a wonderful opportunity to offer diverse storytelling as the world connects so easily now."
When Asha wishes on a star, it descends from the sky to perform a miracle, and the citizens rally to overthrow Magnifico in the end to reclaim their sealed wishes, which they pursue with renewed conviction to fulfill on their own -- not as external magic seen at the start of the film but from within through their rebellious songs, explained Veerasunthorn.
"Once they can sing it out loud, they receive the power back, and there is no longer the need to be showy or flashy because the strength lies in your ability to recognize that power. They say, 'I don't need an external thing, it's already within me,'" she said.
Related coverage:
FEATURE: Emergency helicopter innovations extending lifeline to those in peril
FEATURE: New film ensures slain Japanese doctor's Afghan legacy lives on
FEATURE: China's Ultraman obsession growing as superhero franchise makes mark
