[Note: So I was rummaging around in my old files and I came across this interesting essay. I wrote this in the spring of 2011 in my Junior Year and I wanted to share it with y'all cause it has some very intriguing information that may catch some attention (Seeing that mostly all of you love anime on here). Though I'm missing my references (aksdjkljfgsadlkjg, so mad about that, and hence the random numbers by some sentences) you can look up the information yourself on Google if you feel like it. :3 Enjoy the reading.] Anime Absorbing Americans Japanese cartoons (also known as “anime”) have affected the American pop culture since the 1960’s. Anime had existed in Japan since the Twentieth Century, starting with traditional drawings and comics that dealt with the political, social, and historical views of Japan’s culture. Since then, those drawings and comics slowly became popular animations for younger children and adults to watch in the Japanese culture. Gradually, these new animations drifted overseas to the United States. In 1963, it was believed that Astro Boy was the first anime show to appear on American Television. (1) Also to appear on American TV were anime shows such as Robotech, Battle of the Planets, and Voltron. (2) However, Americans found these shows strange because of the different styles of the characters and the plot lines to these shows. American producers even edited the script to change the names of some of the characters and the dialogue from the original anime show so that it was more “Americanized”. It was not until the 1990’s when the new anime show Pokémon came on air in America that some Americans started to truly embrace anime. Pokémon became very popular among the young American audience, and thus opened the doors for other anime shows. These shows were Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon, and Yu-Gi-Oh! (3) Since then, anime shows have grown and developed over the years, spreading to other countries around the globe and it’s becoming one of the top forms of entertainment for all ages and genres. What exactly is anime? The term anime is the Japanese word for “cartoons” adapted from the English word “animation”. (4) Anime is its own form of entertainment, and it’s directed at all ages and genres. Anime does not have just one form of entertainment, but can have many forms for its audience. The general genre of anime is action, comedy, science-fiction, romance, sports, mystery, adventure, drama, fantasy, slice of life, psychological-thriller, space adventures, etc. (5) The Japanese people are attracted to this form of entertainment, and it’s very popular in their culture. Why? Ask John says that: “Asian cultures including the Japanese… have developed pictographic written languages and refined exquisite visual aesthetics in performing arts… A sense of visual design seems to have permeated the collective subconscious of Asia… Asian cultures seem to gravitate toward a greater comingling with nature, soft smoothness and flow, and a sense of transience.” (6) The Japanese people like to have a variety in their lives and not stick to just one or two things. In America, the usual cartoon genres are slapstick comedies, mild/simple diversions for kids, mature comedies and satires for adults, action/super hero adventure, general family-friendly entertainment, etc. (7) As soon as Pokémon was introduced to the American audience, the American people noticed that this anime show was different from the rest of the cartoons that were on air. It actually had a story to follow, the characters were drawn differently then other cartoon shows, and it involved its viewers so they felt like they were part of the show. At first, the anime shows in America were more directed at the children audience, so most believed that all anime were for kids. However, as Americans’ taste in anime grew, so did the demand for more anime to be introduced to the American society grew as well. That’s when anime shows for older children and adults were launched into the American culture. Shows like Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece have many scenes of intense violence and blood, alcohol and smoking references, foul language, and the suffering and deaths of characters. (8) These shows put on a light in the minds of American parents to what anime really is. Some parents see all anime shows as violent and even pornographic; even though that’s not the case most of the time. Why do the Japanese people put so much violence and real life situations into shows directed at younger and older children? “The Japanese culture believes that children will have to deal with the cruel facts of life, no matter how negative it may seem to be.” (9 ) So, the best way to introduce the harsh reality of the real world is to introduce it through animated shows. On the other hand, some Americans believe that if their children are introduced to the darker aspects of life, they could become traumatized or corrupted. (10 ) So, in order to protect their children from these violent anime shows that are just for them, the American television edit out scenes of blood, violence, or other questionable content that make it to American TV. But anime that’s given to a TV-PG or higher rating can get away with having explicit blood and violence, sexual references, and bad language. The anime that’s directed to teenagers and adults appear straight on home video, or Cartoon Network’s late-night show, Adult Swim. (11) Aside from the darker aspects of anime, Americans are also attracted to anime because the characters within the anime seem realistic and some of the characters could match with real live people. A creator of an anime always fully develops their characters before putting them within a story plot and defines each individual with their own conflicts, flaws, motives, and a personality that reflects on the character’s background history. Creators draw their audience in by making characters seem realistic and believable even if they’re total fantasy. Ask John says: “American cartoons will place characters in a situation. Anime places situations around characters. Many anime shows have a continuing story, while very nearly all American cartoons are episodes created specifically to be a series of individual stand-alone stories rather than small pieces of a whole. Even in the case of anime series that are episodic, the characters develop and change from episode to episode; Anime therefore engenders more person involvement between the show and the viewer than typical American cartoons do.” (12) And this is quite true. In shows like Looney Toons, Tom and Jerry, Family Guy, and Scooby Doo, they have stand-alone individual episodes that usually have no connections to one another and the characters are still the same as the show goes on. (13) Anime characters, on the other hand, grow and develop as the story goes on and may end up having a different personality than before, just like how an actual human grows and responds to life. (14) Even the sub-characters within the anime change and grow like the main characters around them. Another quality that draws Americans to anime is the humor within the show. Anime has a special way of introducing comedy within the show, even though it may have extreme drama and violence, without the humor seeming out of place. The jokes fit into the scene of the show and keep the audience interested. Characters also poke fun at other character’s quirks and personality flaws to not only add comedy to the show, but to also show that the characters have faults like real people. (15) On the other hand, American shows use crude humor and sarcasm to portray their humor within their shows. Sometimes characters in American cartoons use these quick jokes to diverse from a serious moment, reminding people that what they’re watching is all fantasy. (16) Anime, on the other hand, tries to keep it as real as possible for its audience even though the characters are cartoon. Not only do the characters interest the American audience, but the story of the episodes as well. Story writers plan out what’s going to happen in the story thoroughly from beginning to end, and will only make minor changes if they feel like its absolutely necessary. Anime shows with progressed story lines will leave viewers with questions and subplots that’ll only be solved if they keep watching the anime. This means that most anime shows require dedication from its audience to stick with the story and watch it from beginning to end. Usually if a viewer jumps into an anime in the middle the season, the viewer is likely to be lost. (17) Some suggest that it is best to watch the first episode and plow through the anime in order. Japanese shows also sets up scenes of foreshadowing within the shows. Anime characters that viewers saw earlier in the show, but really didn’t make an appearance the first time around, may appear again in the show many episodes later. Anime even uses events earlier in the show that really don’t make sense at first, like a character’s flashback for instance, but will make sense later in the show if the viewers continue to watch the anime. Anime is also set up differently from other cartoon or other animated shows. Instead of recording the voices first for the characters and then drawing the animation to fit with the voice, the animation is drawn out before recording the voices. (18) This is because anime producers in Japan are on a tight budget, and doing the artwork first then recording the voices is a lot cheaper than the other way around. This is good in a way, because this allows the artists to focus on details within the anime and create beautiful settings for the characters to roam around in. Artists can also focus on facial expressions made by the characters, and other little details that take time to draw out. When one watches an anime show twice or three times in a row, each time they will pick up details they never notice in the anime before. However, it all depends on the style of the anime. Some animes are simple while others are quite complex in detail. Also, doing the artwork first and then the voices help the voice actors when they actually record. Sometimes it’s a challenge to match with the speed of the character’s lips when they’re moving and it takes a lot of patient and effort, but this allows voice actors and actresses to get to know their characters more and become part of them during the recording sessions. (19) Not only that, but all the voice actors in the show are in the same room together when they record. This allows the voice actors to interact with one another, and it helps them to put real feelings within their character. What also catches the eye of American people with anime is how the anime shows are set up. The general set up of an anime is: 1. Opening song 2. First half of the episode 3. Commercial break 4. Second half of the episode 5. Ending Song 6. Next Episode Preview (20) The opening song for an anime show is basically a miniature music video that consists of scenes from the anime show, or clips of characters doing their own thing outside of the show. Usually the song is sung by famous Japanese singers, and these singers use anime to promote their music. Aside from that, it also creates a feel for the anime before it starts so that the audience can be part of it. If the anime has an on-going story, the opening song and the clips will change every season or so. How long do anime shows usually last? It all depends on how popular these shows are. If viewers show an interest in the anime, it will continue another season. If it gets past two seasons, then the anime can continue for however long it wants to until it starts fading out of popularity. There are thirty to seventy new animated shows that are produced in Japan every season; so there’s a great competition between producers to see how long they can make their shows last. This is where the variety of different genres of anime is born. In conclusion, it seems that Americans are leaning towards anime because it’s something new and different. Something that has great variety and stories that is shared. Not only that, but anime fans can relate to these stories and even to the characters. They become a part of them even though sometimes it’s out of this world. It stimulates imagination, and it even inspires writers to make their own stories. Thanks to Astro Boy who appeared to us in the 1960’s, anime has become very popular today in American’s pop culture. Works Cited Page [At least I had some saved]1. http://animeyume.com/main_site.html Article: What is Anime? 2. http://www.animenation.net/blog/2001/02/07/ask-john-is-anime-the-same-as-cartoons/ Article: Ask John- Is Anime the Same as “Cartoons?”
