Della Putri Febrina – Hybridity in Popular Culture: A Transnational Analysis of American Adaptations of Japanese Movies in 21st Century HYBRIDITY IN POPULAR CULTURE: A TRANSNATIONAL ANALYSIS OF AMERICAN ADAPTATIONS OF JAPANESE MOVIES IN 21st CENTURY Della Putri Febrina [email protected] Abstract American popular culture has developed from time to time in producing the products. In the progress, the popular product has been modified to satisfy the taste of the consumer and Hollywood is being the one of popular product’s makers which applies modifications in manufacturing movies; and the result of the development is hybridity seen in Hollywood movies. This paper is written under American Studies discipline, by applying Transnational American Studies as the basis of the study. Furthermore, the research also used the theory of hybridity in constructing the analysis which concerned about American adaptations of Japanese original movies, namely The Grudge, Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, and Godzilla. The method used in this paper is the qualitative research which comprises the library research by analyzing the three movies as the primary data and the information of the production as the secondary data. As the result, there are some conclusions met in the analysis. The first conclusion is the three movies definitely adopt American and Japanese narratives and build a new sphere where the two nations living under the same frame. The adoption includes adoption of values, language, and iconic figure in Japan. The second conclusion relates with the changing of values and taste in Hollywood and shows that Hollywood has power in shifting the values of the original movies which is full of eastern values to be the ones which embodied American values. In short, it can be said that the three American adaptations studied in this paper triggers the emergence of American movies with Asian narratives. Keywords: Hybridity, transnational, popular culture, adaptation Introduction 1989, p.23). Thus, it is apparent to say that America popular culture is famous in American popular culture gains its across the world. There are music, fashion, reputation because American is succeeded movies, books, and many more types of in producing popular products. Some American products which gain any apparent examples may be taken from the followers and consumers around the growth of chain fast food restaurant such world. Fiske mentioned in Understanding as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and KFC. The Popular Culture that “to be made into following American fast food restaurants popular culture, a commodity must also are successful in gaining many consumers bear the interests of the people” (Fiske, in the world and it triggers the opening of 75 RUBIKON Volume 4 / Number 1 February 2017 many branches in many parts of the world. latter involve a partnership between Hence, there is particular phenomenon can several companies based in multiple countries (Kraidy, 2005, p.101). relate with the branches of those fast food restaurant, especially in relation with the The statement puts hybridity and branches outside American. The fact that adaptation in the similar position as the these branches also adapt to the local two concepts which works together to face culture to create menus that can satisfy the the globalization in the 21st century. costumers and that fact is eventually Hence, the practice of American products brought some impacts in the development in adapting and hybridizing becomes the of the American chain fast food restaurant. starting point of the paper in analyzing One of obvious impact is the variety of how American alters the taste and value of menu in each branch of American chain popular culture product which has fast food restaurant. different values. Forni in Chaucer’s Afterlife: In this study, the writer uses Adaptations in Recent Popular Culture American adaptations of Japanese movies explained about the concept of adaptation because it is interesting to see the change that “adaptation is never simply imitation that can be happened in the adaptations. It but necessarily requires an interpretation is clear that American and Japanese have of the prior work in order to make the text different values and taste in presenting the relevant, comprehensible, and appealing to culture. Yet, the phenomenon of new audiences” (Forni, 2013, p.23). Later adaptation between American and on, the mechanism is supported by the Japanese movies has been doubled around need of producer to meet the expectations 1990s until present. It was started with the from the audience and how taste invasion of Japanese Horror in America, influences this kind of method as later also which begins with the Ringu, Ju-on, Rinne, mentioned by Kraidy, Uzumaki, Noroi, and so on. The hype is In this environment program-format strong in America that the Hollywood adaptations and co-productions are urges to adapt the movies and makes the increasingly common; the former American version of those movies. It gives entails the adaptation to local parameters of tastes and style of a birth to The Ring, The Grudge, One popular program format gleaned Missed Call, and Pulse which are known from a different culture, whereas the as American version of Japanese Horror 76 Della Putri Febrina – Hybridity in Popular Culture: A Transnational Analysis of American Adaptations of Japanese Movies in 21st Century movies. However, this paper will not only This story of the loyalty dog is eventually focus one genre of movie, but also other based on the real dog in Japan which genres movies, namely Science Fiction receives much recognition among and Melodrama. It is important step for Japanese. The dog is also the symbol of finding the contributions of the two genres faithfulness in Japan society as the figure in some adaptations such as Shall We is immortalized in Shibuya station and Dance, Hachiko, The Edge of Tomorrow, there are many stories about Hachiko and many others. As a result, this paper written in the book such as Turner’s chooses three adaptation movies with Hachiko: the True Story of a Loyal Dog, different genre as the objects of the study, Newman’s Hachiko Waits, and namely The Grudge, Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, Wroblewski’s The Story of Edgar and the 2014’s Godzilla. The Sawtelle. The last movie is Godzilla, considerations in choosing these three which eventually has been adapted into movies are because these three movies are American version in 1956 by the name of heavily depicted the three iconic figures in Godzilla, King of Monsters! and being Japan which was Onryou, Hachiko, and remade for the second time under the same Godzilla and the fact that the three movies name in 1998. The movie that is used as gains huge impression in America. the object of the movie is eventually the Starting with the adaptation named third installment of Godzilla adaptations. The Grudge¸ the movie can be considered Basically, it is vital to put this movie in as crucial moment in Japanese adaptation study because the movie has a huge movies. Compared with the other two, the success in America. It reaches a bigger sales can be considered as the smallest, profit than the 1956’s Godzilla and 1998’s which is only $325,680 Godzilla as it hit $200,676,069 for the (boxofficemojo.com). However, the movie domestic sales and $328,400,000 for sets a franchise in America adaptations foreign sales (boxofficemojo.com). In and has another interesting fact, namely correlation with the three movies, the The Grudge is remade by same director of writer wants to analyze if the practice of the original movie, Takashi Shimizu. adapting and hybridizing undergone in the Meanwhile, the second object, Hachi: A American chain fast food restaurant also Dog’s Tale is adapted from Hachiko happened in the American adaptations of Monogatari which was released in 1987. Japanese movies. Hence, it is worthy to 77 RUBIKON Volume 4 / Number 1 February 2017 see if the hybridity seen in the three the data is only in the descriptive manner, movies has constructed a new system of with no numerical involvement. As adapting movies in Hollywood. It is Creswell (2003) stated that, because American and Japanese have Qualitative research is a form of different values, compared with the other interpretive inquiry in which researchers make an interpretation of genuine American movies which mirror what they see, hear, and understand. American values or the adaptations that Their interpretations cannot be come from European countries. separated from their own backgrounds, history, contexts, and Generally, the paper aims to analyze prior understandings. After a American adaptations regarding to the research report is issued, the readers change of taste and value in Hollywood. make an interpretation as well as the participants, offering yet other The writer argues that the American interpretations of the study (p. 212). adaptations of original Japanese movies have changed values beneath the original Therefore, the research is done by the Japanese movies. Thus, the movie can be interpretation of the writer in analyzing the appropriate to be presented with American research and how the collection of data audience. In the same time, the adaptation enriches the understanding of the writer in brings the emergence of hybridity in conducting further studies about American popular movies. Also, the transnational perspective in American adaptation of Japanese movies triggers a popular culture that related to American question if the taste of Hollywood begins adaptations of Japanese movies in 21st to take interest in eastern value as century. As the primary data of the paper Hollywood have made some American is three movies which are adaptations of adaptations of Japanese movies, such as Japanese movies, namely The Grudge, The Grudge, Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, and Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, and Godzilla, the Godzilla which are the objects of the data involves the close reading about each study.