#3 arrows

Animation/Adventure. Moana is chosen by the ocean to save her island. The theme is finding who you are. The songs are great.

Some spoilers below about the characters and the relationships.

The characters

Moana, 16, is the main character. She’s the daughter of the chief of Motunui, a Polynesian island. She’s torn between her love for her people and her longing to explore the seas. She’s daring, caring, and determined. She’s fierce, and she’s proud of who she is. “I am Moana” is one of the lines of the movie that stays with you, and it’s exhilarating to see someone who has such a strong sense of self.

Maui is the male lead. He’s a demigod who’s centuries old. He stole the heart of Te Fiti a thousand years ago, which cursed the islands with darkness. Moana has to find him and make him restore it. He thinks he’s great and is kind of an asshole for most of the movie, but he’s so ridiculous and non-threatening, you can’t help but find him charming and like him anyway. His introduction song is amazing.

Moana’s grandma is also an important character.

The relationships

There is no romance whatsoever.

Although Moana shares most of her screentime with Maui, I would argue that her most meaningful relationship is with her grandma. Her grandma has always encouraged her to listen to her inner voice, and her support is what propels Moana on her journey.

Moana and Maui. I was very surprised by their relationship. I wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be a father figure or a love interest. Turns out, he’s neither. For most of the movie, they have an antagonistic relationship. Or rather, Maui is antagonistic towards Moana. He keeps throwing her off the boat and talks down to her. What makes them work as a pair is Moana’s strength. At no point do you feel like she’s in danger, so while on paper he sounds terrible, he doesn’t seem so awful on screen. Maui tires of trying to get rid of her and gets on board with their mission. They gain an understanding and an appreciation for who the other is. It’s a good partnership. They help each other believe in who they are.

My rating on the arrow scale (from 0 to 5) 3 arrows – aromantic-friendly

A 3/5 might seem like a bad rating, but on my scale anything above a 0 is a step in the right direction. The reason I’m only giving it a 3 is because I want to make a distinction between a movie that simply lacks romance (3) and a movie that rejects romance (5). The age and gender of the characters are also factored in, as well as the target audience.

I think the movie did a great job of portraying relationships that don’t usually get the focus. The grandmother-granddaughter relationship really stood out. The male-female relationship went from antagonistic to supportive without having to become romance. And I liked how long it took for Maui to fully get on board. It felt realistic and made it so much more rewarding. I’m probably not properly expressing this, but there’s something about their dynamic that just works. Maybe it’s because of how imperfect their friendship is, or how open both characters are with their feelings, or something in the general execution.

Aside from that, the movie touches some universally appealing themes like finding who you are and believing in yourself. It also says that while it’s important to know your history, it’s okay to break from tradition and follow your dreams. The ending was a bit convenient for Moana, but I like a happy ending, so I don’t really mind.

Can anyone be read as aromantic? For sure. Moana and Maui don’t have any love interest, so they could be. Especially Maui who has lived for more than a thousand years and doesn’t seem to find his own company lacking as he is mostly solitary and does his own thing. He just wants to be accepted as he is.

I would recommend this movie to people who like - Movies without romance - Female protagonists - Delightful family movies with nice songs

In Shocking Finding, The Bank Of Japan Is Now A Top 10 Holder In 90% Of Japanese Stocks

By Against Crony Capitalism

April 26, 2016

  In Shocking Finding, The Bank Of Japan Is Now A Top 10 Holder In 90% Of Japanese Stocks

    You think the stock markets are still really “markets?” Ha, ha, ha, ha, and ha.

(From Zerohedge)  

While the Bank of Japan’s name is nowhere to be found in regulatory filings on major stock investors, the monetary authority’s exchange-traded fund purchases…