New York International Children's Film Festival New York, NY
Erica Kanesaka
Assistant Professor of English, Emory University
The Klutzy Witch— Kawaii + cuteness
Program Description
Trust us! In this talk with Erica Kanesaka, Emory University Associate Professor and Cute Studies expert, you’ll be enlightened and charmed by this exploration of cuteness and how it functions in Japanese culture.
Presented At
New York International Children's Film Festival New York, NY
Film Synopsis
The klutzy apprentice witch Fûka she breaks the seal of a dark witch who once almost destroyed the world.
Fukka is a lovable but clumsy apprentice witch and princess of the Silver Castle who, unlike her classmates, still needs some practice with her beginner spells. Despite her lack of natural majesty, she aspires to be just like her mother, the Silver Queen, legendary master of all things magic. When she accidentally breaks the seal of darkness and is transported to a spooky amusement park, nervous Fukka will have to complete a series of tests in order to defeat an evil witch. Luckily for Fukka, childhood friends Karin, gentle princess of the Green Castle, and cheeky Chitose, prince of the Blue Castle, are there to help. But in the face of danger, hot-headed Chitose and stubborn Fukka can’t seem to keep it together. It’s up to patient Karin to find a path to harmony so the trio can go from clumsy to clever.
About the Speaker
Erica Kanesaka is an Assistant Professor of English at Emory University. An interdisciplinary scholar, she specializes in Asian American literary and cultural studies, with a focus on the racial and sexual politics of kawaii and cuteness. Her other areas of interest include childhood studies, transnational feminisms, feminist disability studies, and feminist science and technology studies. She is currently at work on a book project—a collection of essays written for a general audience that mixes cultural criticism with personal narrative to reflect on the resonances of kawaii and cuteness for Asian American feminist politics.