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The Shaman’s Daughter

The Shaman’s Daughter

Representation Score

6.7/10

Good

2021

18+

Director

Yusuke Isaka

Runtime

140 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film offers a fresh take on supernatural stories by blending them with domestic realism. It stands out by challenging traditional gender and spiritual authority norms. While it lacks explicit markers for race or LGBTQ+ identity, it excels in giving female characters significant roles and deconstructing religious fears through everyday activities. The film presents a balanced approach to spirituality and situational ethics, moving away from rigid storytelling structures.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Shaman’s Daughter have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The story focuses on a romantic relationship between Kengo and the spirit Sayuri. However, there is no direct depiction of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight relationships.

How does The Shaman’s Daughter portray gender?

Fair

Umihana challenges traditional feminine stereotypes by being an eccentric and active force in exorcisms. Female characters like Kaika play key roles in driving the emotional conflict.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Shaman’s Daughter?

Fair

The film operates within a specific Japanese cultural context. It does not show multicultural casting but engages with spiritual traditions outside of Western religious norms.

How does The Shaman’s Daughter represent religion and culture?

Good

The film addresses fears of the afterlife by presenting spiritual interactions through domestic activities like cooking. It emphasizes subjective morality over strict religious doctrine.

Does The Shaman’s Daughter include disability representation?

Fair

The narrative explores altered perceptions through Umihana’s eccentricity and Kengo’s ability to see spirits. These characters navigate their unique situations with significant influence, avoiding typical portrayals of disability as a burden.

Present on Screen

  • Challenges traditional gender roles by giving female characters active and driving roles in the plot.
  • Addresses religious fears by framing the afterlife through domestic, everyday interactions like cooking.
  • Provides characters with altered perceptions a significant role in driving the story, avoiding typical portrayals of disability as a burden.

Limited or Absent

  • Lacks explicit representation or exploration of LGBTQ+ identities and non-straight relationships.
  • Shows limited evidence of multicultural casting or racial diversity within its Japanese framework.
  • Does not provide clear markers of multi-layered identity beyond the central romantic plot.

Official Synopsis

Kengo, who is saddened by the loss of his girlfriend Sayuri in an accident, meets an eccentric high school girl, Umihana. Her father, Shaman Tetsushi, makes Kengo see Sayuri's spirit and begins living with Sayuri again. Sayuri is cute. It's a ghost, but I'm not scared at all. On the contrary, he enthusiastically teaches the recipe to Kengo, who cannot cook, until he can reproduce the same taste as Sayuri. Even though I can see the dream of music and the spirit of my lover so clearly, I can't grasp it. Even though he had such itchy days, he was still happy. However, one day, a so-called love triangle incident occurred in which the prayer's daughter, Kaika, liked Kengo. Umihana had a bad taste of exorcising anything, whether it was a demon or a kind-hearted spirit.

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