You may be wondering how I got to where I am today in terms of skills and the answer is practice and a lot of tutorials! The site I go to for reference pictures and a step-by-step tutorial is DeviantART. DeviantART is a website for artist of all kinds from photography, traditional drawing, and painting to digital art. The site itself has advanced over the year and as of today I feel it has become more professional. They have added new pages for online-portfolios and tutorials. Many artists, like me, use them to improve their style and techniques.
Another resource I and other artists use to improve our skill is how to draw books. My personal favorite is “How to Draw Manga” by Tadashi Ozawa. In the book it gives instructions as well as detailed step-by-step visuals on how to draw different things in anime and manga. The subject matter in each book can range from how to draw women, men, fighting, robots, perspective, animals, samurai and clothes. These books have really improved my art as well as my technique.
Is anime in some way essentially Japanese? How does it establish or emerge from a specific cultural context, society, or history? Does it present or represent a Japanese (vs. American, e.g.) identity? Or, how does it transcend (or not) cultural boundaries? Consider the current worldwide popularity of the medium. Explore the connections between the medium (of Animation) and its origin and audience (Eastern or Western). Make an argument for or against the “Japanese-ness” of Anime, considering how things like dubbing into English and writing for English-speaking markets changes the nature of the product.
In developing your argument, make reference to (refer to the ideas of, quote, discuss) the following:
Price – “Cartoons From Another Planet.”
At least one of the other critical articles posted to “Encounter 5 [Part 2].”
At least one anime series from each section (use mine or find your own that would fit!).
At least one source that you have found (that I did not provide you).
Author a response of at least 1,000 words.
Japanese Identity Leave it alone!
“Anime is deeply embedded in all aspects of Japanese society: folklore, legends, history, religion, moral assumptions, and aesthetic standards…” (Price, 156). The reason for this is “… that anime is created with only the Japanese audience in mind”(Price, 156). Even though anime creators have this intent many still feel this art form can transcend cultural-barriers and is an important part of what anime is. The issue of the “Japanese-ness” in anime is something I believe can transcend cultural boundaries. Anime should be left alone in its natural state, if you take out all of the cultural references, religion, language and overall content your insulting the creators and its people. Anime, however, can also be less culturally infused.
There have been many people who say Anime is essentially Japanese and I agree with that to a point, not all Anime is. The show called Fullmetal Alchemist is one of those Anime`s that is not drenched in Japanese themes. The lead characters names are Edward and Alphonse Elric, non-Japanese names, and they use alchemy, a science used in many different countries and are in a time that is their own and not specific. For the most part this show may be considered “American” Now, I am not saying that all Anime is non-Japanese ,in fact, most of it is Japanese culture infused.
The show Inuyasha is a good example. The story is set between present day Japan and the warring feudal era, the time of samurai and demons. The main character Kagome must travel to the feudal era, through a magical well, to help a half-demon collect a sacred jewel. In this show some demons look human, like in Japanese folklore, while others are monster-like.
The well she travels through is part of another Japanese belief. The characters eat Japanese food, encounter famous Japanese legends and is all around full of Japanese customs. Many believe these cultural aspects can be understood even if you do not know the culture that well.
Miyazaki, a famous anime artist,believes that no matter what culture you are anime can be understood by all people. Miyazaki was once asked if he was surprised that children audiences understood and loved the pace and cultural references in his movies. He simply replied,” no. Not really. It just means that Japanese and American children are alike.” even though there are vast cultural differences (Princess Mononoke in U.S.A., 1999). Crispin Freeman, a voice actor for Animes, also holds this sentiment but on a religious aspect.
You can watch it here!
Start the video at 4:24!!! I couldn`t figure out how to cut it, sorry!
Crispin Freeman attended many conventions and programs to understand more about anime. After many of these lectures he began to see how anime artist use ” [t]he religious mystic to achieve an experience of radical unity with the divine” (Lunning, 274). Freeman believes that through the art of anime we as a people, no matter what culture, can come together. So in this sense anime is a way of understanding Japanese culture as well.
Anime is a great way to show some of the Japanese customs, beliefs and cultural ways, since it is so influenced. The characters will often “attend Shinto festivals, eat Japanese food, and sleep on futon on tatami floors”(Price, 156). If a Japanese reference is made or there is a Japanese object you do not know of, usually the creator will add in a way to explain it. The T.V. shows or movies also add in the Japanese language, even in the American versions. Often characters will add prefixes to the end of names. In fact the way of speaking is a good window into their culture. The use of Sama at the end of a characters name shows a sign of respect. Usually in manga, in the back of the book, there will be a dictionary for all the Japanese terms. So, anime, I feel, has some learning value to it when incorporated with its natural culture. The culture aspect is also a natural part of anime, since it is from Japan it should have Japanese themes.
Our cultures influence greatly what we incorporate into our art and writing. A European artist might draw a famous man with more modern clothing to fit his society, while a Japanese artist may draw him with a kimono on, even though that is not the correct way to portray that person. We always put in some element of our society into out works. So it is an inevitable part of human nature to add what is natural to them in their programs. So, when you suppress or take that out of the show it takes away from the artists ideas.
Many anime shows are “Americanized” when brought over seas. I feel that doing that to an artist or writers work is wrong. By doing that you are taking away what the artist had in mind and by changing the picture or words you could change the meaning. Some ways that anime is “Americanized “is simple item switches. For example, cigarettes are replaced with suckers; some Japanese food is switched with American food, mature content may be edited out and “[a]lcoholics were now translated as drinking water instead of sake…” even if the bottle is labeled sake in Japanese characters (Price, 161). Word choices in the dialog are also changed when translated into English, thus furthering the original focus. Many anime artists, including Miyazaki; feel such changes are incredibly rude and unorthodox. Miyazaki even made a point of it by making a contract with Disney stating that, unless overviewed, they could not produce his movies. He did not want the Disney animators changing his vision.
In conclusion anime should have it cultural roots intact, even when coming to America. Anime, with its cultural richness, can help us break cultural barriers and teach us more about each other. Japanese animation can teach us more about religion and what it means to us and about what we have in common. Anime needs its heritage and cultural material should stay and not give in to big corporations. As Miyazaki put it, “[on the future of hand-drawn animation] I’m actually not that worried. I wouldn’t give up on it completely. Once in a while there are strange, rich people who like to invest in odd things. You’re going to have people in the corners of garages making cartoons to please themselves. And I’m more interested in those people than I am in big business” (Hayao Miyazaki). If people do not give up in anime it will thrive in its natural state!
Works Cited
Arakawa, Hiromu. “Fullmetal Alchemist.” Fullmetal Alchemist. Aug. 2001. Television.
Price, Shinobu. “Cartoons from Another Planet: Japanese Animation as Cross-Cultural Communication.” The Journal of American Culture 24.1-2 (2001): 153-69. Print.
ced with suckers; some Japanese food is switched with American food, mature content may be edited out and “[a]lcoholics were now translated as drinking water instead of sake…” even if the bottle is labeled sake in Japanese characters (Price, 161). Word choices in the dialog are also changed when translated into English, thus furthering the original focus. Many anime artists, including Miyazaki; feel such changes are incredibly rude and unorthodox. Miyazaki even made a point of it by making a contract with Disney stating that, unless overviewed, they could not produce his movies. He did not want the Disney animators changing his vision.
The timeline of a Wannabe Mangaka 