Is there a 'girly' animation film I can buy for DD that won't make this feminist mother spew bile?

[ClairityVerity]

I have finally conceded that I should let DD indulge in pink/ sparkle/ fairy-type things from time to time, safe in the knowledge that she WILL grow out of it. Now that she has healthily embraced her older brother's love of kung fu/ cars/ dinos, I no longer worry about her being sucked full-bodied into a vortex of fluffy pink inspidness which will eat the feistiness from her soul and turn her into some vile, sappy creature like this .

So! All our DVDs so far have been bought with DS's tastes in mind (though he does love a bit of Ben & Holly - HA! So much for his Mr Tough Guy image...). Can anyone recommend an animation film I can buy for DD alone, that won't have me reaching for the incinerator?

TIA!

Check out some of the Studio Ghibli films

How old is she?

Brave is pretty good if she is four or five.

I've hear films like Brave and Mulan have pretty feisty heroines though haven't seen them myself.

How old is she?
My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service both have strong female leads. Kiki even has a main character who is pregnant and runs her own business. DS will probably like them too.

I second Ghibli. Spirited Away is fabulous.

And obviously give Disney a wide berth

Really...? Just let them watch age appropriate films. They watch a few times then get bored. Hilary Clinton grew up in Disney era too. Why do you appear to think everyone becomes a ditz? Seems a limiting view too, just from opposite end.

YY To Studio Ghibli films, My Neighbour Totoro is a beautiful film and Kiki's delivery service is fab, Howl's moving castle is another one worth checking out. My DCs watched all these from a young age. No pink or sparkles but plenty of magic!

On the Disney front: Brave and Tangled are pretty good too, oh and Princess and the Frog - all strong, positive female characters.

Another vote for Spirited Away here. It's a wonderful film with a female heroine.

Whoops! Forgot to say she's three.

Minnie - DVDs in our house get rewatched until they bleed.

Mulan - good choice, they loved that one when we got it out of the library months back!

Are there any Ghibli films suitable for a 3yo?

Definitely look into Studio Ghibli. How old is she? Some of theirs might be a bit dark for young children, I'm thinking especially Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

Spirited Away is absolutely lovely though, it's a fabulous film.

Tangled actually isn't bad for a Pixar Movie, either.

Not Spirited Away, that's too scary!

My Neighbour Tortoro & Kiki have been tried by my sensitive 4 year old & passed.

Arietty by Ghibli is perfect for non-vomit-inducing female lead. Also Totoro - epic film. Spirited away quite frightening IMO.

My girls (12 and 9 now) have grown up with Studio Ghibli films and really enjoy them. Aside from the 2 mentioned above, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are good but probably for older children, there's loads of others.

For younger children - Ponyo is good.

From Disney, Mulan and Brave have excellent feisty heroines, Lilo and Stitch is good too but quite old, not sure if it's still available. We also enjoyed Tangled (a version of Rapunzel) and the Princess and the Frog. More traditional tales, but not insipid.

Brave or Epic. Yes, the bears are a bit scary in Brave, but my younger two were 5 and 7 when they first watched it and loved it (and no nightmares).

I think Spirited Away is too freaky for a three year old. Dd really like Return to Neverland at that age. Sure it's got Peter Pan in it, but Wendy's daughter Jane is a pretty feisty character.

Hasn't your son watched any films with female leads?

oops, took too long to post. But Ponyo is for younger children I think, as is Totorro and Arrietty, based on the Borrowers book. If you like the style you can get the other Studio Ghibli films for when she's older.

All the films here are things I have been happy to sit through with my children, unlike (say) Barbie movies which my eldest DD liked when younger.

Tangled is great.

Okay, well she does fairly well with scary (she's often braver than 7 yo DS with scary scenes, bless her - and him!). So I think it'll be Mulan and Brave as I want her to grow up identifying with strong female characters.

Part of me wants both of them to at least see the other shit so they have a broader education...at some point I might borrow a vomity princessy DVD from the library and then compare and contrast their wet characters with the stronger ones they'll have seen 100 times by then. Though maybe age 3 is a tad young for that sort of feminist essaying, huh?

I'll keep Ghibli at the back of my mind for when she's a couple of years older.

Thanks so much for your advice, folks!