Comparative Analysis Between Carpe Diem and Japanese Ma through Disney and Ghibli’s Animated movies
Abstract
The Western idea of Carpe Diem and the Japanese idea of ma as they are portrayed in Disney and Studio Ghibli animated films are compared in this research. The study looks at how cinematic signals and narrative structures create culturally distinctive perceptions of time, action, and moral values using Christian Metz's film semiotics and Zepetneck's comparative literature paradigm. In order to examine Carpe Diem as a temporal ideology that sees time as a finite motivating factor propelling urgency, bravery, and quick action, the research focuses on two Disney movies: The Lion King (1994) and Mulan (1998). On the other hand, an analysis of Spirited Away (2001) and Howl's Moving Castle (2004) reveals the Japanese notion of ma, which emphasizes deliberate delay, patience, and meaning gained from unhurried experience and views time as a natural flow to be experienced rather than chased.The findings demonstrate that these differing constructions of time shape contrasting models of character agency: Disney narratives privilege decisive, action-oriented heroism, while Ghibli films foreground moral growth through stillness, restraint, and temporal openness. This study concludes that animated films function as culturally embedded semiotic systems through which divergent ethical orientations toward time and action are communicated to audiences.
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