Trans Allegories in Film: 'Nimona' (2023)
Animation as a medium of storytelling can be thought to be open to all ages and as I hope my reading will reveal, 'Nimona' could be interpreted as a transgender story.
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The Jungle Beat animals think it’s the best thing ever when an alien arrives in the jungle bringing with him the power of speech. They also surprisingly think it’s the best thing ever when they find out that he’s been sent to conquer them.
Viewers find there is no clear representation of any minorities, as many actors are white men. Though women are cast as female animals, they only play minor roles. They also see that all of the characters are jungle animals, except the purple alien.
The main topics and themes of Jungle Beat are species. As seen in many scenes, viewers easily distinguish the two different groups: the jungle animals and the aliens. The jungle animals live in the jungle habitat, and the aliens live in outer space. The jungle animals know nothing about space and technology, as they never experienced technology in their habitat.
The names of the jungle animals reference the different types of animals in the jungle. Trunk references the elephant's trunk, and Monkey literally references a monkey. The alien's name references the type of language aliens use to speak.
Things change when the jungle animals visit the spaceship the aliens use to travel through outer space. The head alien wants to conquer the jungle animals' home, but the alien disagrees, as he now learns what it's like to have friends. His character change is symbolized by his color change from purple to yellow, as it represents the change from gloom to happiness.
The Jungle Beat animals think it’s the best thing ever when an alien arrives in the jungle bringing with him the power of speech. They also surprisingly think it’s the best thing ever when they find out that he’s been sent to conquer them.
Animation as a medium of storytelling can be thought to be open to all ages and as I hope my reading will reveal, 'Nimona' could be interpreted as a transgender story.
Stranger Things season 4 ups the ante to the max! The show’s scope has been expanding for the past three seasons, and boy do they give us a spectacle to behold. As much as I love spectacle, this season occasionally buckles under the weight of its own ambition.
Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-winning musical translates beautifully to the screen.