Whether depicted in Japanese Horror, Japanese Noodle Western, or Asian American Musicals, the importance of complex characterization with regard to the main female protagonist figure is vital to a successful plot development. In various genres relating to Asian film, particularly the ones mentioned above, the female figure is portrayed as somewhat of a troubled or helpless woman who is in need of rescue and assistance from a male counterpart. The larger theme of finding a strong sense of self-identity while battling internal conflicts, as well as the fears and anxieties that arise within Japanese culture, are universal elements of characterization and mise-en-scene directly portrayed in various types of Chinese and Japanese films. Further, …show more content…
The film begins with Chinese immigrant Mei Li and her father arriving by cargo ship to San Francisco to meet her fiancé, wealthy nightclub owner Sammy Fong, in an arranged marriage. At one point in the film, Mei Li explains how she had to immigrate to the United States quickly in order to find a husband and get married before becoming too old. This submissive, anxious, and somewhat helpless mentality of being dependent on a male is a common theme illustrated in various Asian films, as noted above with regard to both Tampopo and Dark Water. In Flower Drum Song, Mei Li dedicates her entire self worth and validation to the man her father chooses as her husband, which is one explanation for her comment regarding her desire to get married quickly. Although the final scenes of the musical end with a double marriage between the men and women not assigned for them through arranged marriage but rather the ones chosen in a more modern sense, Mei Li’s journey of attempting to turn away from cultural anxieties and finding a sense of guidance from a male counterpart was at the heart of this film. As cultural anxiety and fear is a common element of mise-en-scene and plot development within Japanese and Asian films, this mentality transfers over to Asian American musicals, particularly illustrated through the characterization of Mei Li in Flower Drum