According to Lent (2000), what place does animation occupy in Asian societies? How different is this across Asia (ie comparing China and Japan)? Is it a high or low cultural genre/media, according to Napier (2005)?
According to Lent (2000), only a few years ago, anime was only popular in small groups of fans of science fiction. It is now becoming almost mainstream. Japanese television studios produce approximately 50 anime series each year, and obviously anime films are a lot more important in Japan than in the West, coming to “about half the tickets sold for movies”. For example Princess Mononoke broke all records in box office in 1997, to reach the highest grossing film ever in Japan, where it still remains the highest to this day. Anime in Japan is definitely seen as a mainstream pop cultural phenomenon, unlike cartoons in the West. Viewers of anime range from kids watching Pokemon, to teens and adults who love things like Akira. Even though anime is looked down on by conservative Japanese society as they think it is socially unhealthy, it is still widely watched by children to grandparents who are fans. Manga (Japanese graphic novels) and anime are widely encountered throughout Japan. Rather than cultures of the West, Japan is a lot more pictocentric, as shown in the use of anime and manga which easily fit into a contemporary culture of the visual. Anime and manga are used for education, adornment, and commercial enterprise, which show how hugely it is spread through the Asian society. Anime is something that is great for Japanese culture, as it is an incredible contemporary Japanese art form with distinctive narrative, and visual aesthetics that emphasises traditional Japanese culture and amazing art and media. It offers various insights into Japanese society issues, dreams and nightmares through this use of media. People from the West may be surprised by anime's global popularity as they grew up watching children’s cartoons, that adults now watch. However, anime’s complex storylines challenge these older viewers with their dark tone and content that surprises these people that see cartoons as childish or innocent. This also is not the case anymore as many anime films contain a lot of nudity and violence. Westerners are against this as they believe because it is animated, it must be seen by children and therefore is inappropriate. The fan base for anime has widely spread over the globe, and is no longer just popular throughout Asia. It has succeeded remarkable in places such as America, Europe, and Canada, as it is approachable in it’s universal themes and images.
References:
Lent, J. A. (2000). Animation in Asia: appropriation, reinterpretation, and adoption or adaptation. Retrieved 21 June, 2006, from AnimeResearch.com
Napier, S. (2005). Why anime? In Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle (pp.3-14). Hampshire: Palgrave/ Macmillan.
Hi Savannah,
ReplyDeleteI think anime succeeds because it is accessible. It challenges with complex story lines and the detailing of characters and settings, yet it is capable of telling a story that can appeal to many nationalities and ages. I agree with you that people from the West are often surprised by how popular anime is. It seems to be a genre that is developing and evolving into a number of sub groups.
Thanks Max, I completely agree with your comment. It definitely does seem to be a genre that is developing and becoming more recognised !
DeleteGood, Thanks Savannah, I tend to agree that western viewers are often bound by their own paradigm of animation being primarily for children. But I wonder if that is changing. Can you think of an animated western movie that was for adults?
ReplyDeleteYes I think it may be changing, obviously not all Westerners will agree but I think some do. Is Dante Lam's "Storm Rider Clash of the Evils" an example of a Western animated movie for adults?
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