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The Acceptance of Anime as a Universal Medium
Anime is a word taken from the Japanese abbreviation of "animation". It refers to animated films originating from Japan and is exemplified by very stylised characters and often flamboyant subject material. Animation in Japan is far more universally accepted than it is in western culture; it is considered a medium as reputable as any other with any age group catered for by the vast quantity of examples in circulation today.
Western culture has associated animation with a more youthful audience since it's inception and, perhaps more relatively, the 1937 Disney success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Hand drawn films thereafter followed a similar format of fantastical content aimed at entertaining families. To a large extent, this approach has never strayed in the West with animated films more often than not delivered with a young audience in mind. This early association is one of the primary causes for the differentiation between Western and Eastern animation and the success of the medium with different age groups.
Convincing a Western audience today that Anime is an art form on a par with live-action cinema is very difficult. Cultural perception has restricted the medium's development in the West but in Japan it flourishes and has spawned some of the most imaginative films of recent years. Spirited Away by Studio Ghibli and, to a lesser extrent, also Howls Moving Castle have received worldwide acclaim and garnered impressive box office numbers but commercial success was perhaps only because they appeared to cater for younger audiences.
Animation has some obvious benefits as a medium over live-action filming. With an animation every frame of action is viewed as a still piece, so the result has always received incredible attention to detail. Accomplished artists will not only replicate the flow of movement but are able to infuse the action with a style impossible in live film. Artistic endeavour is usually at the fore and the absence of a camera enables unparalleled visuals. Animated action can portray the image from any angle; it is completely limitless in terms of what it can display on screen.
Live action will inevitably display more detail but an animation can be more dynamic with no more effort than a fairly static scene. The unlimited visual scope of animation naturally lends itself to fantastical content and Anime has really taken hold of science-fiction in particular. Japan's obsession with technology has married perfectly with animation resulting in many wildly imaginative films featuring fictional creatures, futuristic landscapes, giant robots and paranormal inventions.
Western audiences appear to have particular trouble accepting the medium as capable of an emotional, mature story. A live actor on screen is clearly easier to identify with and perceive emotion. These are elements where animation usually has to take a back seat. The nature of an animation relies on the audience using their imagination and, to an extent, filling in some blanks to complete an image of a character much like you would fill in blanks between cells in a comic book. Animators today are incredibly skilled at recreating facial movements and expressions but for time, budget and practicality reasons they must only create a simplified image.
Creating an emotional involvement is perhaps the greatest factor in determining the credibility and maturity of any medium. Becoming emotionally involved in an animated story is heavily reliant on dialogue, voice-acting, characters and story development. These elements are no more handicapped than with any other medium. So to appreciate Anime you must balance the detachment from reality (confined by the image) with the story-telling, the dynamic presentation and the visual artistry.
Suspending your disbelief has always been a crucial part of enjoying a film with fantasy or science fiction subject material but this is perhaps also a crucial part of enjoying Anime as a whole. Even with a contemporary setting and factual content, the style of Anime visuals are a restriction to many people in relating to and enjoying it. Perhaps all it takes to change perceptions is the right feature release with a critical and media buzz, or perhaps Japan is a cultural anomaly which will remain isolated and eventually die out.
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