What place does animation occupy in Asian society? Princess Mononoke/Anime - Rowan Moss

According to Lent (2000), what place does animation occupy in Asian societies? How different is this across Asia (ie comparing China and Japan)? 

Animation, or indeed Anime specifically, is regarded very differently from place to place even within cultural blocks such as Asia and the West. It is a medium that has been met with the skepticism that any budding phenomenon would, especially when it has such a remarkable effect on popular culture.

According to Lent (2000) animation in Asia was seen as childish and not to be taken seriously, mostly owing to its origins in Disney which was made for children. However, it contained some undeniably "adult" themes such as sex and violence, as can be seen in Princess Mononoke for example when Ashitaka effortlessly removes the heads of his foes, and received some backlash because of it. Again according to Lent (2000) Singapore is a good example of this backlash, where it wasn't until 1994 that Singaporean authorities allowed some animation with sex and violence to be shown, and even then only after midnight. At the same time, however, anime such as Princess Mononoke and Akira started to forge a way to popular culture for all anime to follow. They lead us to today, where anime is seen as important cultural capital in Japan especially. Admittedly, it is only the truly seminal works of Studio Ghibli and the like that break through generational lines, but, compared to the west at least, Anime is enjoyed by a wide variety of peoples. This is mostly due to a few important pieces creating respect for the medium in its entirety. 

Although Anime is very popular in Japan how does it fare in other Asian countries? Certainly it does seem that Anime holds a place of greater importance in popular culture in Asia than it does in western society, as I have learned first hand. Despite this fact Anime was not always seen in a positive light across Asia. In Korea, for example, Anime was banned for fear of Japanese cultural imperialism (Lent, 2000). Amid concerns of cultural dominance and corruption of innocence Anime has thrust itself into the minds and hearts of many Asian countries. It seems that this is due to the unique presentation of instantly recognizable and relatable themes, as seen in Princess Mononoke. Themes such as the dying environment (perhaps a big concern to Chinese viewers), love and loss, home and fighting for it all transcend cultural barriers, despite the very Japanese motifs; such as the samurai and general Japanese paraphernalia. In fact, these motifs only further the intriguing nature of Anime, appealing to our sense of curiosity rather than our fear of the unknown. This is true of nearly all Anime and is why it is so popular, even outside of Japan.         

In summary, Anime is a bizarre combination of the strange and the familiar, a quality which allows it to touch the imaginations of people from around the world, while still seeming somewhat alien and fascinating. Anime also takes on a special relationship with the rest of Asia, where it is post respected outside of Japan.

Miyazaki, H. (Director). (2006). Princess Mononoke. Tokyo: Studio Ghibli Prodictions.     

Lent, J. A. (2000). Animation in Asia: appropriation, reinterpretation, and adoption or adaptation. Retrieved 21 June, 2006, from AnimeResearch.com