2/11/2014

ANIME

What is Anime?
According to OED online:
A genre of Japanese or Japanese-style animated film or television
entertainment, characterized by a distinctive visual style involving
stylized action sequences and usually featuring characters with
distinctive large, staring eyes, and typically having a science-fiction or
fantasy theme, sometimes including violent or sexually explicit material; a
film or television programme of this genre.

words first traceable reference in English - 20th Feb 1985

Manga
Japanese comic strip or
book

Ukiyo-e wood prints &

traditional Japanese art

popular across ages &

social groups (manga caf)

varied genres: sports, sci-fi,

thrillers, pornography

often adapted into anime

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Identifying basic types of

anime / manga categories
kodomomuke (directed at children)
e.g. Doraemon, Hello Kitty,
shjo (girls 10 -18)
e.g. NANA, Sailor Moon
josei (adult women)
e.g. Paradise Lost
shounen (boys under 15)
e.g. Dragon Ball, Bleach, Naruto, One Piece
seinen (young men from 15-24)
e.g. Ghost in the Shell, Akira

Fans of Anime
Susan J. Napier in ANIME FROM AKIRA to PRINCESS MONONOKE
states:

1. rabidly fanatical fans of anime are called by the pejorative term

otaku

2. anime in Japan is truly a mainstream pop cultural phenomenona

cultural staple[for] children to grandparents

Otaku culture has in turn spawned:

merchandising
fan-fiction
fan-subbing
cosplay
themed cafes & hotels
conventions

Origins of Animation in Japan

PRE-ANIME
Many debates about the start of Japanese animation - Masumoto
Fragment (1907???)?

Magic lantern technology (utsushi-e) in the1800s

reflected pictures
similar to wayang kulit (shadow puppets)
different lanterns used to project different characters
use of a benshi (live narrator)
use of choir & live musicians

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Early Japanese Animation (1917-1921)

use of paper cuts before drawing

comic strip artists became animators (ref Winsor McCay)

early pioneers include Oten Shimokawa (1st?) , Seitaro

Kitayama, Junichi Kouchi

They:
were inspired by Hollywood animation in narrative, form and
technique

were innovators of early Japanese animation industry and techniques

had to content with increasing censorship laws

realised the potential of appealing to adult audiences

The Pioneers
Oten Shimokawa -> political caricaturist and cartoonist -> copied
Winsor McCay. -> produced 5 films and gave up, returning to his
former work.

Junichi Kouchi -> got into trouble with the censors - Chamebo: Kukiju
no Maki (Playful Boys Air Gun) 1917. His other work Namakura
Gatana (Dull Sword) 1917 is one of the few remaining works left from
that period.

Seitaro Kitayama -> deeply influenced by Fleischer Brothers ->

worked under Shozo Makino in 1917 -> left Nippon Katsudo Shashin
(Japan Moving Pictures) to start his own and first animation studio in
Japan.

Kitayama Eiga Seisaku-sho

(Kitayama Film Factory)
founded in 1921 by Seitaro Kitayama and was Japans first
dedicated animation studio
mainly produced subtitles, graphics, instructional & educational
videos
The Great Kanto Earthquake1923
often seen as unimportant to animes history
allowed for the continued use and further innovation of a
makeshift-like multiplane camera invented by Kitayama and
refined by Noburo Ofuji
Notable works:
Kiatsu to Mizuage Pump (1922, Air Pressure and the Water Pump)
received imperial praise
Koku Eisei (1923, Oral Hygiene) for Lion Brand toothpaste company

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Second Generation Animators

rise after the Kanto Earthquake

greatly influenced by Fleischer brothers and Disney

Led to copying of styles from Hollywood animation -

Yoshitaro Katatok

They were:
1. Sanae Yamamoto (worked for Kitayama initially)
2. Yasuji Murata
3. Noburo Ofuji (earliest to use the multiplane camera)
4. Kenzo Masaoka

Development of Animation in Japan

Narratives

Sound & Music

Cel animation

Colour

Narratives
mainly Japanese myths & folktales

started to include sports Yasuji Muratas Dobutsu

Olympic Taikai (1928, Animal Olympic Games)

talking animals copied Hollywood

changed after the war

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Arrival of Sound & Music

benshi lost their jobs

inclusion of subtitles to replace benshis role

animators began to synchronize music and include

dialogue (talkies) to visuals

Kenzo Masako - Chikara to Onna no Yo no Naka

(1933, In the World of Power and Women) 1st talkie

active competition with the influx of Hollywood

animation

Cel Animation
until the mid-1930s, Japanese animation generally used
cut-out animation instead of cel animation because
celluloid was too expensive (esp due to WWII)

Kenzo Masako was the first to use cel animation in his

talkie

Full cel animation - Masakos Chagama Ondo (1935, The

Dance of the Teakettles)

Did not use pegs & perforations initially due to woodblock

printmaking skills

Colour

black and red initially, but mostly monochrome

Ofujis paper-cut animation had colour due to the paper!

sound drove the use of colour due to increased realism

Ofujis Princess Katsura (1937) was painted red, blue, yellow by

hand, and frame by frame

Expensive gimmick

Colour -> introduced after WWII (late 1950s)

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Impact of WWII
Japan became aggressive in 1931 (in China)

Japans hero ->Momotar (

patriotism
) or Peach boy -> domestic consumption,
lapsed into propaganda -> 1939 Film Law (Eiga-h)-> licensing & mandatory
nationalist works -> Momotar vs Mickey Mouse (1934)

Mitsuyo Seo-> Momotar series -> Momotar no Umiwashi (1943,

Momotars Sea Eagles), Momotar Umi no Shinpei (1945, Momotars
Divine Sea Warriors)

Americans & British demonised in these animated works-> hairy, ugly

demons etc

Special Film Unit (1939) -> The Shadow Staff-> Sji Ushio, Rin Masutani
(E.D.) & Iwao Mori (D)-> Th Cultural Film Department & Nihon Eigasha->
war instructional animation -> inspired & first to see Chinese & American
animation

POST WWII

atom bomb - trauma on the Japanese
psyche & important touchstone for anime
and manga

common themes in manga and anime can

be traced back to the war and The Bomb

conflict between man and technology,
threat of apocalypse etc..

strong anti-war messages

themes engaged indirectly through other

stories and places

POST WWII
Kenz Masaoka estd Shin Nihon Dga-sha (New Japanese
Animation Company) in Nov 1945

500 animators then -> trained more in a series of fortnight lectures ->
sparked formation of new animation companies

4 majors and 1 minor -> Th, Daiei, Shchiku, Nihon Manga Eiga-
sha & Nichid Eiga

lack of resources -> money and cels -> mainly advertising and
education

animators were fired as they were seen as collaborators, pay was

paltry -> huge strike ensued -> Nihon Manga Eiga-sha collapsed ->
Nichido absorbed them -> Toei eventually bought Nichido

Rise of Osamu Tenzuka & Mushi Pro

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Toei Doga (Toei Animation)

Japan Animated Films (1948) -> Toei Animation (1956,
bought by Toei Co. Ltd)

well known for: Dragon Ball (1986) & Sailor Moon (1992)

started out to become the Disney of the East continued

to do so till the mid 60s

produced first colour anime feature film -> Hakujaden

(1958,The Tale of the White Serpent)

Hakujaden
 Wan bros Princess Iron Fan (1941) & Disneys Fantasia
(1940) inspired Mitsuyo Seo, Ushio Soji -> chinese
mythology -> markets (HK, Taiwan, US, Brazil)

 inspired by Snow Whites commercial success

 musical numbers
 animal sidekicks

 US: Panda and the Magic Serpent (1961)

Osamu Tenzuka
god of manga aimed to move
to anime =>discouraged by
Yokoyama of Otogi Pro (small
animation firm)

Godfather of modern anime,

Japanese Walt Disney

inspired by Hollywood (watched

Snow White 80 times, Bambi
50 times) -> copied the large
eyes from Disney -> became a
convention
1. made anime characters
more global, white
2. more nuances in
expressiveness through the
eyes

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Mushi Production
(Bug Production)
left Toei Animation in 1961
-> founded Mushi Pro

strikes at Toei -> absorbed

animators that left and paid higher
wages (katsudon*)

team had the skills were able to

produce Hanna Barbera like
animation

known for Tetsuwan Atom (1963,

Astro Boy) & Kimba the White Lion

Innovations under Tenzuka at Mushi Pro

cost cutting & hence limited animation as the
only option

cel animation saving techniques -> image

bank, sectioning & stop images -> 1,000 to
1,200 cels per episode (industry =10,000)

sound effects to add to realism + stretches

frame

more complex storylines that expanded the

series (manga + anime)

working with advertising, corporate sponsors

Meji Seika, Fuji TV,

Tetsuwan Atom
(1963, Astro Boy)
inspired by Mighty Mouse

birthed in Toei Animation

created the future of anime, esp sci-fi,

mecha

found profitability in TV

sold the series overseas (NBC, USA)

drove innovation in the technical &

business aspects of anime

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Tatsunoko Pro
founded by Yoshida & his 2 brothers in 1962

formerly adapted live-action into manga

planned to work with Toei Animation (vertically

integrating his manga into TV spin offs) -> deal
fell through due to copyright

known for experimentation in anime

Tatsunoko Pro
Style innovations:
developed a more angular realist line style -> different from Mushi
Pros Tezukas rounded style

focused on depicting documentary level detail in machinery ->

Ketsudan (1971, Decision) -> animentary on war esp, Pearl Harbour
etc

bullets -> speed lines refined & used -> Mach Go Go as prime
example

created the sci-fi formula for anime from live action => seen in Kagaku
Ninjatai Gatchaman (1972, Science Ninja Team Gatchaman) -> SF+
Transformation +monsters + group of heroes

first to use scanimation -> animes first computer animation in Uchu

no Kishi Tekkaman (1975, Space Knight Tekkaman)

Yomiuri Group
Vertical integration
owned a real life baseball team
Yomiuri Giants

fictionalised team into manga form with

its publications division

owned Nippon TV that produced the

Star of the Giants anime TV series

Note: directly sponsored by tsuka

Chemical Holdings to push energy drink
Oronamin C

indirectly drove production to be geared

more towards adults

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Innovations at
Nippon T.V, Yomiuri Group
Xerography & Deformation
Xerography by Ub Iwerks of Disney (1959)
Printing animators pencil lines onto cels -> automation of tracing
process -> Tadao Nagahama

Star of the Giants was first to use this tech

 creation of more complex art styles due to efficiency
 allowed for deformation -> ball flattened when moving
(supersonic?)
 hyper reality of movement deformation, impressionistic speed
lines became possible

anime achieved a new look due to this technology

Uchu Senkan Yamato

(1977, Space Battleship Yamato)
first anime film to make it big

started as TV series in 1974, became a movie by combining

elements from a few key episodes, with additional animation

Mixed media marketing strategy -> otaku, newspaper, magazines,

week long radio adaptation, theme song requests

first social manifestation of anime fandom as culture

eclipsed the popularity of Star Wars in Japan (2.3 million ticket

sales, 0.9 billion yen)

Spawned other TV series & sequels all the way into the 80s (Be
Forever Yamato, Final Yamato etc TV series was also released in
the US as Star Blazers)

MERCHANDISING MECHA
some early works were essentially advertisements e.g Morinaga
Milk Chocolate Tusagi to Kame (1918, The Hare and the
Tortoise) -> Dentsu Film Company

from autonomous robots to pilotable robots / module

combination

Mazinger Z (1972), Getter Robo (1974), Transformers (1985)

-> Bandai (toy company)

collapse of Mushi Pro led to formation of Sunrise in 1972

->Bandai -> parent company

sold million of toys because of Kido Senshi Gundam (1979)

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Television Golden Age in the 80s

proliferation of manga, anime films and TV
series

international popularity & distribution,

especially to the US

Distribution and production of anime in

different forms and formats
OVAs, or Original Video Animation
released directly to the video market
without release on TV or in theatres
Different levels of quality:
best quality: Film, good quality: OVA, lowest
quality: TV

expanded the variety of anime films

Varieties in Anime
Mecha: Gundam sequels, Gundam ZZ
Comedy: Orange road, Ranma 1/2
Pornographic: Cream Lemon, Wandering Kid
Children: Doraemon, Akazukin Chacha
Contemporary crime/action: Lupin III, City
Hunter
Horror: Vampire Hunter D, Mermaids Forest
blood and gore: Baoh, Devilman
Sci-Fi: Akira, Ghost in the shell

Animes Digital Era

(1983- )
Tatsunoko Pro spear-headed digital-animation in 1987 ->
IG Tatsunoko -> became IG Pro

digitised cel animation, allowing for 2D & 3D animation

increase in bigger budget anime feature films

the move towards naturalism in anime hit a wall in 2001

with Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

stylistically, animation made with 3D tool were shaded to

resemble 2D cel shading

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counter to Hollywood, holding onto hyperrealism

artwork (skill) and fantasy identified as main pillars of anime,

hence the use of limited animation

cheaper option -> digital limited animation

IPads and smartphones continue to support the profitability of

anime series

gaming and the internet - tie in to online games, limited box

sets, merchandise and toys

streaming, online fansubbing and fan fiction add to popularity

of anime series

Studio Ghibli
founded by Hayao Miyazaki in
1985 & based in Tokyo

due to success of Nausica of

the Valley of the Wind (1984) in
Toei Company

Princess Mononoke (1997)

earned 10.7 billion yen (est 35%
of box office revenue)

Spirited Away (2001) recognised

with an Oscar in 2003 for Best
Animated Feature

JAPANESE ANIME &

HOLLYWOOD ANIMATION

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Core deviations from

Hollywood Animation
much more variation in anime:
extensive use of stylization
more realistic approaches (e.g. Only Yesterday or Jin Roh)
do not distinguish nationality, cultural odourlessness (e.g.
Pokmon)

auterism much more pronounced

distinctive styles or specialize in particular kinds of stories

common conventions
Narrative:
 deviates from CHC style
 adult audience
 more variation in types

Limited budget & animation:

 Compensates realism with aesthetics of drawing/shading and
camera angles

Exaggerated physical features:

 large eyes
 big hair and elongated limbs
 colouring of eyes for depth

Manga Traditions in Anime

facial expressions are used to denote moods and
thoughts

speed / action lines (action or sudden expression

changes)

dramatically shaped speech bubbles, and

onomatopoeic, exclamatory typography

borrowing of manga in the background and panel

layouts

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Concluding Thoughts
 Hollywood pursues depth -> veers towards realism /
naturalism whilst anime upholds its lateral roots ->
manga tradition

 has its own rules and realities created by its insistence

in remaining faithful to manga aesthetics, tradition and
history

 anime -> manga heritage, otakus as base audience->

foreign success though desired, remains secondary

 artistic skill & true creativity -> artisanal principles &

respect -> perhaps keys to success?

Toy Story and Spirited Away

1. What are the differences in the way animation is used in
both films?

2. How are they different?

3. How do these differences affect the way we understand or

respond to the films?
4. How does each film's use of animation reflect the
conventions of Hollywood cinema and Japanese anime?

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