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The Mako Mori Test
Jun. 3rd, 2016 01:16 amFairly sure I forgot to mention this when I came across it a couple of weeks ago. It's discussed here, though I first came across it in a piece by Foz Meadows.
It's a parallel to the Bechdel Test, but covers some areas it misses:
Does the story include
a) at least one female character;
b) who gets her own narrative arc;
c) that is not about supporting a man’s story.
Mako Mori is a character in Pacific Rim, which fails the Bechdel test as she's the only significant female speaking role, but she does have a full narrative arc of her own (and gets to beat up the male lead). She's played by Rinko Kikuchi, the actress everyone was pointing to as the obvious choice to play Major Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell when Hollywood claimed no Asian actress could carry off the part a few weeks ago.
I don't think it completely supplants the Bechdel Test, but it's definitely got a point WRT character agency.
It's a parallel to the Bechdel Test, but covers some areas it misses:
Does the story include
a) at least one female character;
b) who gets her own narrative arc;
c) that is not about supporting a man’s story.
Mako Mori is a character in Pacific Rim, which fails the Bechdel test as she's the only significant female speaking role, but she does have a full narrative arc of her own (and gets to beat up the male lead). She's played by Rinko Kikuchi, the actress everyone was pointing to as the obvious choice to play Major Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell when Hollywood claimed no Asian actress could carry off the part a few weeks ago.
I don't think it completely supplants the Bechdel Test, but it's definitely got a point WRT character agency.
