Guyot - Before Mako Came Yoko

Before Mako CameYoko

Comparative Studyof

Pacific Rim and YokoTsuno

(SmashwordsEdition)

Natacha Guyot

Text Copyright 2015-2017 NatachaGuyot.

All Rights Reserved.

Cover Design by Cwiney .

Table ofContents

Dedication

To everyone who believesrepresentation matters .

Introduction

In 2013, the female character MakoMori, portrayed by Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi, from GuillermoDel Toro ' sScience Fiction movie (Telotte 16-24), Pacific Rim , provoked extensive fan engagement.Much praise was given to the character not only for herpersonality, but also because her narrative was unique. Mako waseven considered a ground-breaking protagonist with regards to theBechdel test, to the point where a Mako Mori test was discussed asa second option for movie analysis. The Bechdel test is a set ofguidelines to define how a movie approaches female presence in itscast, based on the number of female characters, amount of dialogs,and nature of interactions. The test was developed by Liz Wallaceand later featured in Alison Bechdel's comic Dykes to Watch out For (Geek FeminismWiki). This is how the Mako Mori test differs from the Bechdelone:

The Mako Mori test is passed if themovie has: a) at least one female character; b) who gets her ownnarrative arc; c) that is not about supporting a man's story. Ithink this is about as indicative of "feminism" (that is, minimallyindicative, a pretty low bar) as the Bechdel test. (Chaila2013)

Yet, a character very similar to Makoemerged decades prior, in the comic book series Yoko Tsuno , created in 1970 by Belgianauthor and artist Roger Leloup. The Yoko Tsuno audience and fandom don't exist on a scaleas large as more famous comics, such as those created by DC Comicsor Marvel; the series only recently gained English translations in2007. It doesn't take anything away from the liveliness of thefandom and has definitely showed how a woman of color with anindependent spirit can win readers over. Yoko Tsuno continues to be an ongoing series,with the twenty-seventh volume in the making. The series has alsobeen translated into sixteen different languages. So, it does havea degree of influence in other countries' media landscape, even ifnot on a scale as wide as an American blockbuster like PacificRim , whichnow has at least one sequel installation confirmed.

Three main arcs of comparisons between Mako Moriand Yoko Tsuno will be explored in the following sections. Bothhave female characters who stand out as diverse members, throughtheir gender, ethnic background, and as women of color. They alsocombine combat and scientific abilities with compassionate natures.Finally, they both have or develop composite families and innercircles.

A Woman of Color as Lead FemaleCharacter

Female leads in mainstream media havefar less benefiting and more stereotypical representations thantheir male counterparts, despite an evolution over the past decades(Tasker 132-152). There is still room for improvement but somerecent steps have been taken to balance the scales. More movieswith female leads have been produced. Such media prove that a mainfemale character, whether in a choral cast or when the officialprotagonist is a male, can have significance. Mako Mori is likethis, for the central hero of Pacific Rim is the white male Raleigh Becket.

Mako and Yoko share not only looksand an ethnic background, but also their origins, personality andspecialty. This is bewildering for any reader of the comic bookseries when watching the blockbuster, to the point where RinkoKikuchi, who portrays Mako, would be a perfect choice for Yoko if ascreen adaptation of Yoko Tsuno ever happened. She seems like she is right out ofRoger Leloup's drawings.

Mako Mori is a fascinating characteras she remains part of the main cast, and has personal agency. Sheisn't the overall lead, which is a drastic difference from YokoTsuno, who has been the lead in the comic book series since thelaunch of the eponymous series more than forty years ago, in The CuriousTrio (1970).The long lasting existence of the series shows how a woman of coloris not only worthy of being a lead, but can also draw a consistentaudience over the course of decades.

This of course poses the question ofHollywood female lead movies and how Pacific Rim could have been as meaningful and poignantwith Mako as the overall lead, instead of Raleigh. Given her tiesto another important character, Stacker Pentecost, it would haveworked well. After all, several female led blockbusters have donevery well at the box office in the past years, notably with titlestapping into the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres, such as The HungerGames franchise (2012 - present) or Disney's Frozen (2013). Yet these titles starredwhite female leads, which was also the case in Ridley Scott'siconic movies Alien (1979) and Prometheus (2012), and not women of color. In light of this, and whenone considers the success of the Yoko Tsuno series, it is still arguable that Pacific Rim could have switchedroles between Mako and Raleigh.

Given the diverse fictionalenvironments both Mako and Yoko were introduced in, Mako takinglead in the Pacific Rim narrative would have been even more natural than how Yokofirst appeared. Del Toro's post-apocalyptic settings include peoplefrom multiple backgrounds and countries. In the earlier Yoko Tsuno volumes, Yoko movedfrom Japan to Europe, making her an outsider, and then has multiplejourneys to Asia later on. Of course, it can be argued that Leloupintroduces the Vinean alien species right from the first volume,thus being more inclusive of Yoko as a human being, and not riskingturning her into an exotic diversity token.

Yoko was the lead, not only through the storybut also from the obvious signifier that the series title offered.Yet her situations among men, including her new professionalpartners, Vic Video and Pol Pitron, wasn't so different fromMako's, at least until the trio encountered the Vineans. It is atthat point where two other crucial female characters becomerecurrent in the whole series: Khany and her child sisterPoky.

It is interesting to note how Yokocould have been random as a diversity figure, especially given thecontemporary and European setting the Japanese engineer firstshowed up in. Yet, Leloup beautifully established her as hisseries' protagonist, building her as a compelling character readersfrom all backgrounds, ages and genders could care for. Such acomparison with Pacific Rim shows once again how Mako could have been the movie'sprotagonist, especially in a setting that was futuristic and moreculturally diverse than the earlier Yoko Tsuno stories.

Neither female character exists tosupport a man's story. Both have their own narratives anddevelopment arcs (Ests 1-22). By stepping away from a burgeoningromance between Raleigh and Mako for most of the movie, Pacific Rim rejected a classicromantic plot move, which probably waits for the sequel even beforeit was officially confirmed. Raleigh and Mako had solid chemistryand not only because they were compatible as Jaeger pilots,allowing them to save the day together. The movie doesn't losesignificance, and maybe gain even more thanks to a subtle approach,especially as the main 'couple' embraced at the end of the film,instead of kissing.

This different path from atraditional romantic approach relates Mako even more to Yoko. Theseries YokoTsuno alsostayed on the edge, dancing with the possibility of a loverelationship between Yoko and her professional partner and friendVic Video. Multiple hints have been furthered by fans believingthese two as a couple, but readers can enjoy the long serieswithout looking at Yoko and Vic through a romantic lens.

In both Yoko Tsuno and Pacific Rim , there is mutual respect, trust, and carebetween the two duets, which are built throughout the narrative.Although the romance is mostly subtle, it doesn't prevent certainappreciation more akin to romance. Raleigh tells Mako that shelooks good the first time he sees her in the Jaeger pilot suit. Atthe end of The Prey and the Ghost (1982), Vic compliments a summerdress Yoko wears when she lightly complains about how a femalefriend keeps offering her new ones as thank you gifts. The amusingdetail is that right after she mentions this, Vic says he mighthave something she likes better, such as a space suit. Thesemoments have their place without disturbing what can be consideredas simple friendship. In a way, Mako's spying on Raleigh, includingonce when he is shirtless, is the most visible sign of possibleattraction beyond curiosity, which in a way can be consideredfeminine empowerment as the situation is easily reversed inHollywood.