Art has been used to investigate, defend, or challenge persistent cultural traditions and ideas throughout history and across many different cultures and civilizations. In dynastic China, a great deal of literary works contain ideas and practices from Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Social mores and national morality have been progressively formed by the concepts and points of view presented in these writings. Often emphasizing the need of filial piety, loyalty, and community peace, these works served as forums for social criticism and moral instruction. Similar stylized but critical depictions of the feudal eras are found in Japanese period film, especially in the Jidaige ki genre, which delves into the strict bushido and samurai ethos. In both traditions, art functions as both a mirror of and a powerful means of challenging and changing cultural beliefs. They help to understand the complex interactions between modernity and tradition, which shapes and reflects changing cultural identities.

Chinese dynastic literature, comprising mostly of poetry and prose, usually reflected the prevailing social mores of the period, which were based on Confucian ideas that emphasized the importance of family, social rank, and devotion to the state. One of the Five Classics, "The Book of Songs" (Shijing), is a prime example of how literature formalized these conventions; it uses poetry to exemplify values like loyalty and filial devotion (Lewis 2001). Novels composed during the Ming and Qing periods expand upon these ideas, but they are often given in a more nuanced form in subsequent works. As an illustration, Cao Xueqin's "Dream of the Red Chamber" is a critique of societal expectations that is told through a narrative full of personal tragedies that show the human costs of inflexible social rules (Wang 1989). However, it is Masaki Kobayashi's "Harakiri" that delivers a searing indictment of Japan's feudal past. In the film, traditional samurai principles are subverted, and the film reveals the hollowness of bushido when it is confronted with human misery. The story, which is propelled by Hanshiro Tsugumo's pursuit of justice, emphasizes how the societal structures that are preserved by the samurai ethos frequently overlook the wellbeing of individuals, thereby revealing the hypocrisy that lies beneath the facade of honor (Masaki 1962). The change in tone of the narrative highlights how Jidaigeki is able to simultaneously criticize and appreciate conventional conventions.

There is a complex relationship that exists between preserving cultural traditions and questioning them, and Jidaigeki and dynastic Chinese literature both give light on this dynamic. Jidaigeki filmmaking, which is characterized by its more direct approach, is a reflection of Japan that has witnessed the collapse of its traditional systems. The Chinese literary tradition, on the other hand, subtly integrates criticism into narratives that, on the surface, appear to support Confucian principles. For instance, the film "Harakiri" questions the basic tenets upon which the social structure of medieval Japan was built through the use of Tsugumo's story. In this way, the flaws of the honor code—which values appearances more than internal consistency—are exposed. In the years following World War II, the cultural atmosphere in Japan was believed to have been more open to publicly opposing conventional norms and values (Richie, 2005; Mellen, 2019). This is essentially very different from Chinese writing customs, which often use metaphor to hide its critique.

In sum, examining these many artistic expressions more closely will help one understand how various civilizations dealt with the challenge of upholding cultural standards while also experimenting with new ones. There are many literary works from the Chinese Dynastic era that subtly challenge social injustices while nevertheless upholding Confucian principles. Conversely, the jidaigeki subgenre of historical films, which openly criticizes the then-dominant traditional social conventions, captures the disillusionment that Japan felt following the war. These are some instances of how art could capture the attempts society tries to strike a balance between tradition and modernity. Through these conversations, I have learned the significance of the historical background of each culture in influencing the expression and interpretation of these issues as well as the thin line that needs to be walked between honoring tradition and promoting artistic development. The knowledge I have gained from these lessons also enables me to approach future conversations about the evolution of art with a more educated and receptive mind.