What is Anime?!?!
With amazing plot, exceptional animation, and some of the most unique themes I have ever seen, anime never ceases to amaze me. Almost every anime out there is different. According to Wikipedia, "Anime is Japanese animated productions usually featuring hand-drawn or computer animation often characterized by colorful graphics, vibrant colors and astounding themes." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime) With a huge variety of animation, plot, and genres to work with, hundreds of new anime and ideas come out of Japan every year. In spite of all of this diversity, there are recurring trends in anime which identify it as such. This can be attributed to the fact that anime derives from a common history. The earliest commercial Japanese animation dates to 1917, and production of anime works in Japan has since continued to increase steadily. The characteristic anime art style emerged in the 1960s with the works of Osamu Tezuka and spread internationally in the late twentieth century, developing a large domestic and international audience. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime) One recurring element is to have the characters have freakishly big eyes even when the overall character is drawn on a more realistic scale. Another thing that animes tend to have in common is the use of line work as shading. This technique makes the anime look like pencil and ink drawings as opposed to American cartoons which appear more like paintings. Most of the characters, particularly the women, have idealized heart shaped faces, and hair appears spiky, jagged or vine-like, with a sense of energy conveyed by the line work. Female bodies tend to be drawn as highly sexualized and voluptuous. Historically, males, though they tended to be conventionally attractive in anime, were drawn as fully clothed. Recently, however, anime has evolved to pander to the desires of a female audience, and males have been drawn as muscular, shirtless characters. It is obvious even from a casual, superficial viewing of anime that its content is radically different from most animated productions on the American market.
When we think about cartoons, we usually picture them as children's shows. However, Japanese animations are directed towards both child and adult audiences. This allows there to be a huge variety of plot lines and content. Within the broad general categories of comedy, fantasy, horror, science fiction, romance, action and adventure and drama, anime has even more specific categories which reflect the audience that the material is intended for.
When we think about cartoons, we usually picture them as children's shows. However, Japanese animations are directed towards both child and adult audiences. This allows there to be a huge variety of plot lines and content. Within the broad general categories of comedy, fantasy, horror, science fiction, romance, action and adventure and drama, anime has even more specific categories which reflect the audience that the material is intended for.
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GENRE
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AUDIENCE/INTENT
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CONTENT
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(http://myanimelist.net/info.php?go=genre) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seinen_manga) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josei_manga)
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Anime not only has it's own genre unique to itself, but also unique archetypes that can be found in almost every anime. When you think about a fairy tail,, what do you imagine? The hero, the sidekick, the villain, and the victim. Just like a fairy tale, anime has their own archetypes with unique personalities and appearances.
Archetypes
What Dere are you? Personality chart.
(http://tammypain.deviantart.com/art/What-Dere-Are-You-Game-367718960) |
Personality
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In spite of the fact that most of the cartoons produced in the West are directed at children, anime shows that this art form is something that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and interests. Though anime has it's stereotypes and repetitive themes, it redeems itself with diverse and unique genres and archetypes. Anime uses everything from comedy to action to perverted drawings to captivate its targeted audiences. In many cases, it takes a darker turn and uses more real world problems for plot. This wide variety of genres that appeals to older audiences while still providing entertainment to younger audiences, ensures that anime will thrive for years to come. With unique animations and an equally unique culture to back them up, anime is a powerful visual medium. It captivates me at every turn and has become a large part of my daily life.
