Difference in Animation in Japan and the United States
Difference in Animation in Japan and the United States
William Bowles
ANT101
Jodi Stoneman
October 25, 2010
Difference in Animation in Japan and the United States Animation varies greatly between Japanese culture and that of the United States. While animation is usually revered as entertainment for children in the United States, Japanese animation, or “anime” as it is referred to both in Japan and in the West, is a form of media that is enjoyed by people of all ages. Unlike the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Spongebob Squarepants, both popular American animations in their times, anime focuses more on drama and varying genres with some even being pornographic in nature. The differing cultures of the United States and Japan can be considered the attributing factor to the substantial differences in their respective animation styles. Anime is considered a pop culture phenomenon. Many critics and scholars argue as to whether this form of entertainment is actually “art” or simply a sociological phenomenon. Critics of animation argue whether anime, while extremely popular in Japanese culture today and increasingly so in the West, should be held up alongside famous Japanese traditions such as haiku and woodblock prints. Many see anime as nothing more than a phase of entertainment that will lose its social backing and eventually fade from existence. However, anime is an increasingly strong market today and shows no signs of disappearing anytime soon.
The History of Anime Anime differs greatly from the animation found in the United States today. Browsing a video store in Japan, one might find videos ranging from classic love and betrayal stories, to stories leading up to the apocalypse, and anything in between. Originating in 1945, the first anime featured film Momotaro umi no shinpei (Momotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors) was actually designed as propaganda by the Imperial Navy. Its main focus was to lift the spirits of the Japanese children in the
William Bowles
ANT101
Jodi Stoneman
October 25, 2010
Difference in Animation in Japan and the United States Animation varies greatly between Japanese culture and that of the United States. While animation is usually revered as entertainment for children in the United States, Japanese animation, or “anime” as it is referred to both in Japan and in the West, is a form of media that is enjoyed by people of all ages. Unlike the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Spongebob Squarepants, both popular American animations in their times, anime focuses more on drama and varying genres with some even being pornographic in nature. The differing cultures of the United States and Japan can be considered the attributing factor to the substantial differences in their respective animation styles. Anime is considered a pop culture phenomenon. Many critics and scholars argue as to whether this form of entertainment is actually “art” or simply a sociological phenomenon. Critics of animation argue whether anime, while extremely popular in Japanese culture today and increasingly so in the West, should be held up alongside famous Japanese traditions such as haiku and woodblock prints. Many see anime as nothing more than a phase of entertainment that will lose its social backing and eventually fade from existence. However, anime is an increasingly strong market today and shows no signs of disappearing anytime soon.
The History of Anime Anime differs greatly from the animation found in the United States today. Browsing a video store in Japan, one might find videos ranging from classic love and betrayal stories, to stories leading up to the apocalypse, and anything in between. Originating in 1945, the first anime featured film Momotaro umi no shinpei (Momotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors) was actually designed as propaganda by the Imperial Navy. Its main focus was to lift the spirits of the Japanese children in the
References: MacWilliams, M. W., & Schodt, F. L. Japanese Visual Culture : Explorations in the World of Manga and Anime. 49-50. Retrieved on October 25, 2010, from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/docDetail.action?docID=10292199&p00=anime Science Fiction Studies. Vol. 29, No. 3, Japanese Science Fiction (Nov., 2002), pp. 453- 474. SF-TH Inc. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4241110 Science Fiction Studies Vol. 29, No. 3, Japanese Science Fiction (Nov., 2002), pp. 489- 491. SF-TH Inc. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4241113