Within popular culture, the representation of women has often been controversial, due to the use of their gender and attitudes towards them. In the majority of anime themes, women have been drawn for their sensuality and sexual constraints. Their role was to be dominated by their male counterparts. This reinforced the stereotypical role of women which is passive and sensitive. Why is popular culture important? It influences people's thoughts and shapes their attitudes and behaviors. In the late 20th century, Japan saw the rise of feminist movements eager to change the female historical narrative. How did Japanese women become independent? The article will demonstrate that the empowerment of Japanese women modified their representation in animated films at the end of the 20th century. More specifically, it will analyze the female characters of Ghost in Shell, Princess Mononoke, Naussicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Patlabor. The reason behind these chosen films is that they each have a strong female character that has many differences and similarities, when compared to each other. Additionally, they were made over a ten-year period between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. Structurally, the article is divided into three sections: Japanese women's empowerment, female characters strength and women's identity. The first section will introduce the rise of the feminist movement in Japan and explain the historical context. The second section examines the development of strong female characters and how they contribute to the empowerment of Japanese women, through the analysis of the four films mentioned. Finally, the third... middle of article... subsequently, the identity of Japanese women within popular culture would transform with the empowerment of Japanese women. They create a new type of identity, “feminine masculinity”, which reinforces the inversion of gender roles and the alternative world it induces. In a patriarchal society, characters must be able to influence and inspire the audience to gain confidence and challenge the status quo. From another point of view, gender is a form of social construction in that it required the feminine side of masculinity to have a balanced world and to explain it. However, the line between ideal and reality will always be thin, as films are meant to represent the world's ideal alternative to solving social problems that are not directly addressed. Reality is simply supposed to be inspired and understand the problems of society..