History of Manga and Anime
According to Japanese culture scholar Susan J. Napier, manga (Japanese graphic novels) and anime (Japanese animation) are Japan's single greatest contribution to global culture. While Americans tend to view these art forms as being primarily for young people, the Japanese, with their more visually oriented culture, view manga and anime as art forms accessible to everyone from middle-aged salary workers and children to women of all ages. Although both manga and anime are products of the 20th century, their origins lay in traditional forms of Japanese art such as kabuki theater and woodblock prints.
Other People Are Reading
-
History and Development of Manga
-
A modern woodblock print. Some scholars trace the origins of manga back to the Edo Period (1600 to 1868) of Japanese history, specifically to the "kibyoshi," a popular type of book illustrated using woodbloack prints. These books contained strictly erotic or humorous content and featured humans, fantastical creatures and even references to celebrities of the period. Manga appeared in its modern form after the close of World War II, and one of the most popular early manga, "Astro Boy," appeared in 1952. As the form evolved, acceptable topics expanded from Astro Boy's robot tales to include stories focused on female heroines, technology, erotica and even nonfiction topics such and dating etiquette. Because manga books cover such a wide range of topics, a huge portion of the Japanese population reads them; consequently, manga is an extremely influential artistic medium.
Development of Anime
-
Anime evolved from manga. Anime evolved directly out of manga. Since manga, like its Western counterpart the comic book, is told in a serialized manner and uses panels, it transferred well to the serialized nature of television. In 1963, the first anime series, "Astro Boy," based on the manga of the same name, debuted on Japanese television. The popularity of anime television shows in the mid-1960s led to increasing opportunities for animators to work in the film industry. In the 1970s, animation studios primarily produced films based on anime television shows, but with the 1980s and 1990s, more original material found its way onto Japanese and, eventually, Western movie screens.
-
Common Genres and Themes
-
A young shoujo heroine. Initial anime series like "Astro Boy," with its emphasis on robots, were aimed at children, principally boys. However, as the art form progressed, more genres were formed and popularized. For instance, "shoujo," anime and manga focused around a young female character, became very popular in the 1960s and continue their popularity today. "Hentai" anime deals with erotic and/or pornographic themes, while the "yaoi" genre deals with homoerotic themes and is a popular genre with young women. Anime and manga also delve into complex themes and issues such as man's relationship to technology, the search for identity in a modern world, and coping with history.
Anime in America
-
Anime has become quite popular in America. Many contend that anime made its first introduction to American audience with the popular, although briefly broadcast, series "Speed Racer," which ran from 1967 to 1968. In the 1990s, the overwhelming popularity of series such as "Pokemon," "Dragon Ball Z" and "Naruto" cemented anime in the mainstream American mindset. Anime films such as "Akira" (made in Japan in 1988 but released in American in 1990) introduced adult audiences to the distinct style and complex themes of Japanese animation. Today, legendary Japanese anime director Hiyao Miyazaki has achieved huge critical and financial success in the West with films such as "Princess Mononoke (1997)," "Howl's Moving Castle (2004)," and "Spirited Away," for which he won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Continuing Issues and Debates
-
Manga and anime are somewhat controversial. Among cultural studies scholars, the value of anime and manga is somewhat contested. Since these art forms are an expression of mass media, many see their popularity as a denigration of the richness of Japanese culture. But those who believe Japanese animation and manga are worthy of intellectual exploration cite the complexity of the themes dealt with in many of these films, as well as the influence these works of art exert on the cultural imagination. Many people outside the academic world worry manga and anime negatively influence the masses and that people who passionately read and watch (called "otaku") are especially likely to commit crimes or under-perform in school. Of course, this negative criticism has done little to stem the tide of popularity both manga and anime continue to enjoy.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit manga styled lady samurai image by Anastasia Serdyukova from Fotolia.com "woodblock print"- japanese street fashion image by Tamara Kulikova from Fotolia.com Angry one image by AirMan from Fotolia.com manga styled samurai girl image by Anastasia Serdyukova from Fotolia.com Japanese Animation Eyes image by Infs from Fotolia.com graffiti - street art image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com
More Like This
Comments
-
When I took an animation class in high school, my teacher talked about Japanese anime versus American animation. She said that modern anime looks derived from the first full-length Disney film, Snow White - in that cartoonists in Japan wanted to emulate the big doe-eyed look of Snow White herself.
