Okja… Okja… OKJA…!!!
- Andrea Ayala
- Jul 10, 2017
- 7 min read
Basically 90% of the script of the movie Okja; little girl calling out Okja, the super pig of Mirando Corporation, that other viewers describe it as a Hippo Pig.
Well, come to think of it, it does look like a Hippo Pig. But try to look at Okja’s photo closely after watching the movie and you would see that Okja’s looks more like a dog pig then a hippo pig.
Anyway, Ever since this debuted in Netflix, Okja has been all over my facebook wall. Friends watching Okja, friends sharing reviews and comments about Okja, Okja here, Okja there… Okja everywhere.
So finally I watched it (Coz I have run out of Doctor Who Season 10 episodes and the new GOT won’t be on till next Sunday) so here’s Lucy Mirando the new CEO of the Mirando Corporation. She brings this sunny cheerful eccentric vibe compared to her twin sister Nancy, which she describes her as evil and people are afraid of. She also described her grandfather and father as controversial CEOs of the company. She introduces herself as the new CEO with a marketing show about her super pig. That they are big, less secretion and less foot prints on the environment, non-GMO and naturally breed. In short, these super pigs are organic. There are 26 super piglets that have been distributed around the world where there is a Miranda office and each branch will select a local farmer to raise the super piglet. Whichever raised the best super pig wins her New York super pig contest. And this contest will be held in 10 years’ time.
Fast forward in 10 years, Okja the super pig given to a simple farmer in South Korea living on top of the mountain has grown bigger than a hippo and has grown close to the farmer’s “granddaughter”. Okja has become his friend and that is where the farmer made a mistake. In the first place he shouldn’t have allowed his granddaughter to name the super pig nor make it a pet. Because when Mija (the granddaughter) looked through her photos with Okja, it clearly showed that the farmer just let Mija treat the super pig as a pet. He wasn’t really honest to Mija. It wouldn’t have been difficult for Mija to separate with Okja. Like c’mon, their main source of income is farming, he should have taught Mija not to be attached to the farm animals.
So when the time came that the Best Super Pig will be declared, Dr. Johnny Wilcox, a showbiz veterinarian, declared Okja as the best super pig. The Mirando Company then took Okja to bring her to New York for the super pig festival. Now, most reviews about this movie describe this scene as Mirando people kidnapping Okja, but in fact, it’s not a kidnapping. Mirando in the first place owns Okja and they are simply taking away their property, it is neither a kidnapping nor stealing.
Anyho, when Mija found out about this, she left home to go to Seoul to bring back her friend. In the process of her trying to get her friend back, the ALF (Animal Liberation Front a.k.a PETA in real life) ambushed the transport truck of Okja and caused a commotion along the streets of Seoul that has gone viral. They managed to get Okja with the help of Mija. Jay, the head of the ALF, explained to Mija that what they are going to do is to replace Okja’s harddisk that the Miranda Company installed underneath his outer ear and put a video camera instead. This is to record and expose all the animal cruelty that the Mirando Company is doing to its livestock. But Mija was tricked by their Korean companion, Mija wanted to just bring them back to the mountains. But instead, K, the Korean ALF member translated it as Mija agreeing to their plan. The members were happy and they abandoned the truck by jumping off a bridge leaving Mija captured by the police and Okja back to the Mirando Corporation and flown to New York City.
Since it has casted some bad publicity for the Miranda Company on what happened on the streets of Seoul with Okja. With the help of Frank (an Associate in the Miranda Corporation), Lucy thought of bringing Mija to New York as part of the publicity in presenting Okja on her Super Pig Festival.
While everyone is preparing for the said festival, the ALF were watching what Okja is seeing live through the camera that they placed under her ear. There, they saw the cruelty of the Miranda Corporation’s slaughterhouse and Okja being breed by another super pig (which the ALF and some viewers reaction said a rape scene of Okja)
On the day of the festival, the company was having a parade of men and women wearing pig attires and a huge balloon that looks like Okja. Add up that they dressed up Mija with a somewhat traditional Korean semi dress matching Lucy’s baby pink semi traditional dress on stage. However, the festival didn’t end up successful; the ALF was successful in tapping on the LCD screen on stage and showed the video photage they got from Okja. It turned into a riot when Okja attacked Mija for not recognizing her and the ALF did their own damage. Clearly Lucy’s marketing plan in bringing the corporation into a positive outlook in the public has gone down the drain. Nancy then stepped in to remind Lucy how a looser she is and have Frank call the NYPD along with their hired private security to apprehend the ALF members and control the situation. She then instructed Frank to give the go signal in slaughtering their super pig and begin selling it in public. Frank was unsure of the success after what happened on stage and on what people have seen on the screen, but as Nancy said… “People buy it when it’s cheap.”
Jay and K together with Mija escaped from the rounding off at the festival. They took Mija to the slaughter House of the Mirando Company and there she saw Okja up on the conveyer belt lined up to be slaughtered.
This is how they kill the animal. They shot the animal on its forehead. I don’t know if this is a gun like equipment or they are shooting some kind of drug into the system of the animal to kill it.
Mija met Nancy while Okja is about to be shot. She begs her to give Okja back to her, but Nancy said no. She said that it’s her property and that people would pay for a hefty price for it dead. So Mija used the solid gold pig that her grandfather gave her to buy Okja alive. After inspecting its authenticity if it’s really pure solid gold, Nancy accepted Mija’s payment to buy Okja alive and ordered her men to escort her and her purchase out of the premises.
Now, this is the most tearful scene in the movie. Mija along with Okja walks down a path surrounded by a lot of super pig being lined up for slaughter as they hear the gun shot and the cries of the super pigs. Then there’s this two super pig that pushed their piglet out of the electrical fens to try to save their piglet by giving their piglet to Okja. Okja saved the piglet by hiding the piglet in her mouth. You see the sad and hopeful look of the papa and mama super pig as they watched their piglet being saved. In the end, Okja and Mija together with the new piglet and her grandfather continued living peaceful up on their farm mountain.
Now, I read somewhere that when this movie was shown for the Cannes Film Festival some of the audience booed when the Netflix original logo came to screen, but got a 4 minute standing ovation when the movie ended. I also read some reactions from people who saw the movie. Someone said that you would think twice after watching through the end when you eat your next meat. Some said, it’s a movie to promote going Vegan. I watched the movie and I won’t go vegan. I love my pork; they taste delicious even if it’s not healthy for the heart.
There are some points I want to point out in the movie. I already pointed out one, the do not name your livestock and make it a pet. Having a farm as a source of income, Mija should have known that sooner or later, Okja will be slaughtered and sold as meat. Second, I also mentioned earlier, there is no kidnapping here. Mirando Corporation owns Okja and they are just simply taking it back. After all, they spent money for it; they financially assist the farmers on whatever they need to raise the best super pig. Third, I grew up in a culture where Lechon is ever present in every celebration and parties. I have seen my dad and cousins slaughter the pig that is to be roasted and served in complete form on our dinner table. If you people think that shooting a pig in the head is animal cruelty, I just could imagine how you would react on how we do it here in our country. You probably be horrified or something. But hey, it didn’t scared me for life or turned Vegan or worst, turn Hannibal LOL
This is Lechon btw.
Also, this movie tackles about people who are so conscious with the food they eat. Non-GMO, Lucy said, their super pig is all naturally breed. To be honest I have heard about non-GMO before but I never really fully understood it, so I googled it. GMO - Genetically Modified Organisms, so when you say non-GMO, then that means this organism is not genetically modified. This super pig is a creation of Mother Nature, no splicing here or there from other animals to create this super pig.
Oopps.. wrong super pig ^^j
Yeah… non-GMO. Just look at it. Does that look like a normal pig to you? How gullible can people be in this movie that they actually believe that this super pig is non-GMO?
Now, I think this movie is about Corporations exploiting consumer’s gullibility with their marketing strategies in selling their products. Animal Rights group that turned extremist and again, if you have a farm, don’t name your livestock and treat them as pets. Also, there are humane ways to slaughtering animals for your consumption, look for the Halal seal of approval.
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