Don’t fight! You need to work together!
This article will be more of a personal one than others, covering my thoughts on anime and a defense of anime (and animation in general) as an important and respectable medium. This will probably turn into more of a half-hearted rant and a stream of consciousness-style piece, so bear with me if you will. Shortly following this will be another article featuring a short list of anime-related terms and tropes along with definitions, which I will be referring to in many of my upcoming anime reviews.
Anime has always been a touchy subject since the industry expanded beyond Japan’s borders. I personally love anime, for its diverse methods of storytelling and the fact that most series actually end. When compared to live-action TV shows, which are typically cancelled before their time or far overstay their welcome, anime is generally planned much better. I am not an avid watcher of American cartoons, but I also will not proclaim anime as the better medium or vise versa.
Whether it’s a series, film or anime-styled video game, there are those who will immediately dismiss it as low-brow, fanservice-filled crap based on the anime art style. Or even worse, they will assume its kiddy fare, based solely on the fact that it is ANIMATION AT ALL. This kind of thinking is quite infuriating to me, but has a legitimate source in common misconceptions that popular media and culture have drilled into their heads.
The first misconception is quite rampant, despite being defied repeatedly. It is the idea that all animation, regardless of content, is and should be targeted towards children. In North America and a host of other countries, that idea is unfortunately reinforced by most of the animation produced there. Shows such as The Simpsons and Family Guy, and (somewhat) more mature animated films such as Rango have stood against this misconception, but have ultimately done little to change it. The problem is that even adult-oriented animation tends to be comedic in nature: rarely is an American cartoon both serious AND mature, mainly due to the bottom line of cost versus risk. Producers are simply unwilling to make mature content, sticking to the safer option of children’s programming that MIGHT throw in a couple jokes for the parents so they don’t get bored.
The idea of animation only being for children was in fact born out of the late 1950’s, when the age of theatrical animated shorts came to a close due to the comparatively lower cost of live-action film and TV. Animators turned to the small screen as a result, and produced lower-quality animation to cut their cost. The success of shows like Scooby-Doo made them realize that children were their best source of income, and pandered almost exclusively to them with low-cost animation and series that amounted to 30-minute commercials for toys and related products. Within 10 years, the idea that animation was only for kids had been driven into the mind of the public, and was there to stay. This is despite the fact that the majority of animation up until the mid-50’s was intended for adult audiences.
Cartoons used to have class, you know.
I think that before the “animation is for kids” mindset can truly be broken down, someone has to take a risk, and try to make a big hit out of a serious, mature animated series or movie. I think such a feat would be possible if the young adult market is targeted: series like Family Guy and FX’s Archer have proven to be successful in that regard. Cable channels like FX and Spike boast a high young adult viewership that could prove key in making serious animation successful. As for film, I think that filmmakers that have had previous success with animation, or popular filmmakers that are inspired by animation, such as the Wachowski Brothers, might be able to create a barrier-breaking animated film. The problem of course would be convincing studios to take on such a project. Another idea would be to take inspiration from the past, and create short-form animation to be shown before films like in the 30’s and 40’s. These would be serious, mature shorts that could establish a base for a full-length feature if they become popular. Considering the number of people who enjoy watching movie trailers in theaters, and how short-form animation could be seen as another form of trailer, I think that this could be an effective way to create more interest in adult animation.
The second misconception held by the general public directly concerns anime (which I’ve barely even talked about yet). This is the idea that anime is full of violence and sexual content, and only for socially awkward nerds and obsessed fans with rooms full of action figures. Now this misconception is mainly born out of the fact that most people have had very limited to no experience with anime at all, and their only knowledge of the medium comes from occasional films that manage to get released outside of Japan and throw-away jokes on sitcoms. Thus they tend to stay away from anime in general, while silently agreeing with the mainstream’s ill-informed opinions on the medium. Even if they DO watch anime, it will usually be one of the few dubbed series that air during the day such as Pokemon or Naruto, which are highly edited in order to target children. So they’ll mindlessly lump anime under the first misconception of all animation being for kids.
These people are not real ninjas.
The second misconception cannot exist without the first being partially shattered: biases against animation in general and anime often relate to each other. Assuming that the first misconception has been broken down, the second misconception could be broken if a mature anime film was released in theaters worldwide, or if a mature series was aired in primetime on American TV. The only anime films that received wide theatrical releases in the U.S. to my knowledge have been Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away, both PG-rated films that were localized by Disney. Many anime series that fit the “mature” moniker have in fact been aired on American TV, but they typically have been aired on channels like Cartoon Network, and are heavily edited for content. Any mature series that are not edited for a young audience have generally aired late at night, ala Adult Swim and the Syfy channel. Targeting an adult audience in primetime would certainly be a risk, but given the right series, could be successful.
Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, Monster, Durarara!!, and Outlaw Star are just among a handful of series that could appeal to a wide audience. They have the capability to draw in established fanbases of live-action series like CSI, Grim or science-fiction in general, which feature similar elements of action, politics and mystery. All of these have even aired on American TV before, though Monster was only 8 episodes into its run on Syfy when they cut all their anime programming. These types of series can allow fans of live-action programming to transition into anime that appeals directly to their love of a specific genre, and break down their expectations of the anime medium. Any genre that exists in live-action exists in anime, thus there is an anime out there for every crime show fan, sci-fi junkie and so on.
Infinite Fantasia
A Defense: Anime and Animation
June 13, 2012 in Anime, Articles, Commentary | Tags: adaptation decay, adult animation, adult swim, america, animation, anime, bias, cartoons, disney, japan, looney tunes, monster, naruto, otaku, pokemon, rant, sci-fi, shonen, short films, short-form animation, Syfy, Syfy channel, U.S. | Leave a comment
Don’t fight! You need to work together!
This article will be more of a personal one than others, covering my thoughts on anime and a defense of anime (and animation in general) as an important and respectable medium. This will probably turn into more of a half-hearted rant and a stream of consciousness-style piece, so bear with me if you will. Shortly following this will be another article featuring a short list of anime-related terms and tropes along with definitions, which I will be referring to in many of my upcoming anime reviews.
Anime has always been a touchy subject since the industry expanded beyond Japan’s borders. I personally love anime, for its diverse methods of storytelling and the fact that most series actually end. When compared to live-action TV shows, which are typically cancelled before their time or far overstay their welcome, anime is generally planned much better. I am not an avid watcher of American cartoons, but I also will not proclaim anime as the better medium or vise versa.
Whether it’s a series, film or anime-styled video game, there are those who will immediately dismiss it as low-brow, fanservice-filled crap based on the anime art style. Or even worse, they will assume its kiddy fare, based solely on the fact that it is ANIMATION AT ALL. This kind of thinking is quite infuriating to me, but has a legitimate source in common misconceptions that popular media and culture have drilled into their heads.
The first misconception is quite rampant, despite being defied repeatedly. It is the idea that all animation, regardless of content, is and should be targeted towards children. In North America and a host of other countries, that idea is unfortunately reinforced by most of the animation produced there. Shows such as The Simpsons and Family Guy, and (somewhat) more mature animated films such as Rango have stood against this misconception, but have ultimately done little to change it. The problem is that even adult-oriented animation tends to be comedic in nature: rarely is an American cartoon both serious AND mature, mainly due to the bottom line of cost versus risk. Producers are simply unwilling to make mature content, sticking to the safer option of children’s programming that MIGHT throw in a couple jokes for the parents so they don’t get bored.
The idea of animation only being for children was in fact born out of the late 1950’s, when the age of theatrical animated shorts came to a close due to the comparatively lower cost of live-action film and TV. Animators turned to the small screen as a result, and produced lower-quality animation to cut their cost. The success of shows like Scooby-Doo made them realize that children were their best source of income, and pandered almost exclusively to them with low-cost animation and series that amounted to 30-minute commercials for toys and related products. Within 10 years, the idea that animation was only for kids had been driven into the mind of the public, and was there to stay. This is despite the fact that the majority of animation up until the mid-50’s was intended for adult audiences.
Cartoons used to have class, you know.
I think that before the “animation is for kids” mindset can truly be broken down, someone has to take a risk, and try to make a big hit out of a serious, mature animated series or movie. I think such a feat would be possible if the young adult market is targeted: series like Family Guy and FX’s Archer have proven to be successful in that regard. Cable channels like FX and Spike boast a high young adult viewership that could prove key in making serious animation successful. As for film, I think that filmmakers that have had previous success with animation, or popular filmmakers that are inspired by animation, such as the Wachowski Brothers, might be able to create a barrier-breaking animated film. The problem of course would be convincing studios to take on such a project. Another idea would be to take inspiration from the past, and create short-form animation to be shown before films like in the 30’s and 40’s. These would be serious, mature shorts that could establish a base for a full-length feature if they become popular. Considering the number of people who enjoy watching movie trailers in theaters, and how short-form animation could be seen as another form of trailer, I think that this could be an effective way to create more interest in adult animation.
The second misconception held by the general public directly concerns anime (which I’ve barely even talked about yet). This is the idea that anime is full of violence and sexual content, and only for socially awkward nerds and obsessed fans with rooms full of action figures. Now this misconception is mainly born out of the fact that most people have had very limited to no experience with anime at all, and their only knowledge of the medium comes from occasional films that manage to get released outside of Japan and throw-away jokes on sitcoms. Thus they tend to stay away from anime in general, while silently agreeing with the mainstream’s ill-informed opinions on the medium. Even if they DO watch anime, it will usually be one of the few dubbed series that air during the day such as Pokemon or Naruto, which are highly edited in order to target children. So they’ll mindlessly lump anime under the first misconception of all animation being for kids.
These people are not real ninjas.
The second misconception cannot exist without the first being partially shattered: biases against animation in general and anime often relate to each other. Assuming that the first misconception has been broken down, the second misconception could be broken if a mature anime film was released in theaters worldwide, or if a mature series was aired in primetime on American TV. The only anime films that received wide theatrical releases in the U.S. to my knowledge have been Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away, both PG-rated films that were localized by Disney. Many anime series that fit the “mature” moniker have in fact been aired on American TV, but they typically have been aired on channels like Cartoon Network, and are heavily edited for content. Any mature series that are not edited for a young audience have generally aired late at night, ala Adult Swim and the Syfy channel. Targeting an adult audience in primetime would certainly be a risk, but given the right series, could be successful.
Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, Monster, Durarara!!, and Outlaw Star are just among a handful of series that could appeal to a wide audience. They have the capability to draw in established fanbases of live-action series like CSI, Grim or science-fiction in general, which feature similar elements of action, politics and mystery. All of these have even aired on American TV before, though Monster was only 8 episodes into its run on Syfy when they cut all their anime programming. These types of series can allow fans of live-action programming to transition into anime that appeals directly to their love of a specific genre, and break down their expectations of the anime medium. Any genre that exists in live-action exists in anime, thus there is an anime out there for every crime show fan, sci-fi junkie and so on.