Saladin: The Animated Series sebagai wacana Orientalisme

Abstract

This article analyzes the discourse of Orientalism in Saladin: The Animated Series for the first episode entitled Rising Star. Edward Said (1978) in his book Orientalism: Western Conceptions of the Orient (1978) opposed Western perspectives on the East and analyzed postcolonial literary works in historical and social contexts, and describes orientalist discrimination in speculating and specifying data sources for particular interests. This study draws on a series of animations directed by Steve Bristow that showcased the leading Islamic figure of the crusade, Sultan Salahuddin al-Ayubi (1137-1193) or known as Saladin by the Western world. Taking the personality of an Islamic character to be the main character in the animated series is something to be proud of, but the fact about Sultan Salahuddin al-Ayubi’s personality has been distorted in Saladin’s character. This study looked at the orientalist attacks on the personality of Sultan Salahuddin al-Ayubi and found that the Saladin’s character was portrayed as physically weak, shallow-minded, and disobedient to his father. The whole of this first episode shows the misrepresentation of facts and the distortion of the image of Salahuddin al-Ayubi.