The self-contradiction and double identities in understanding anthropomorphic Sino-figures in Chinese post-colonial animation criticism studies

Abstract

Chinese post-colonial critics in the field of animation focus on the Chinese images in Hollywood films such as Kung Fu Panda and Mulan. However, their studies, based on the China–West binary discourse mode, show a tendency of self-separation. In particular, anthropomorphic characters in the two animated films are frequently endowed with contradictive cultural identities and interpretations within the post-colonial framework. To a large extent this self-separation is caused by the aesthetic features and conventions of animation. Due to the absence of real-person actors in animation, the racial identities of animation characters could be visually unrecognizable, which prevents post-colonial critics from employing the race that the actor/character belongs to. This lends weight to the Western conspiracy claims of ‘cultural colonization’ and reduces the validity of these studies.