Nowadays, most of people know the word call
animation. Animation means that the process of creating illusion of motion and
shape change by means of the rapid display of a sequence of statics images that
minimally differ from each other. Animation is developed by Japanese in many
areas. People call Japanese animation as ‘Anime’ and it is enjoyed internationally.
Then, is Anime a high or low cultural genre? What are some of its subgenres?
Napier (2005) mentions that Anime is a
popular or mass culture in Japan, and in America it exist as a sub culture. However,
the situation may well changes. “Anime is a popular cultural form that clearly
builds on previous high cultural traditions. Not only does the medium show
influence from such Japanese traditional arts as Kabuki and the woodblock
prints (originally popular culture phenomena themselves), but it also makes use
of worldwide artistic traditions of twentieth century cinema and photography.”
(Napier, 2005). Napier (2005) says anime is fascinating variety of genres, its
mixture of traditional and modern elements, and its disparate assemblage of
subjectivities.
Napier (2005) use three major expressive modes
to examine Anime as cultural genre. The first part is ‘Apocalyptic’. Napier (2005)
says that “the apocalyptic is the most obvious mode since a vision of worldwide
destruction seems to be a staple across all culture.” It can also range beyond
material catastrophe to include more intimate forms of apocalypse. The second
part is ‘Festival’. Napier (2005) comments that “For a brief moment norms are transgressed
or actually inverted.” It is about transform shape, figure, and space. It also
makes medium to feel extreme and sometimes grotesque. The last part is elegiac.
Napier says that “The elegiac mode, with its implications of loss, grief, and
absence, may at first seems a less obvious mode to Western viewers, who are
used to emotions being
painted with broad brush in animation.” The
elegiac is an important parts in both anime and cinema. Napier (2005) uses
these three modes to define Anime go beyond any distinction between high and low
culture"
In conclusion Anime is fascinating variety
of genres, its mixture of traditional and modern elements, and its disparate
assemblage of subjectivities. Anime is neither a low nor high cultural genre.
Anime goes beyond any distinction between high and low cultural genre.
Napier, S. (2005). Why anime? In Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle (pp.3-14). Hampshire: Palgrave/ Macmillan.
Good post Jae Hwan. You have understood the Napier reading and you have also expressed a little of your own opinion here. The only thing missing is any reference to the primary text (Princess Mononoke). But otherwise good.
ReplyDelete