Looking at Napier and Cavallaro (2006), discuss how anime is culturally ‘located’ – in the East or West, or somewhere else?
From its creation in China around 1923 (Lent, 2000), anime has influenced Japanese society to the point where it seems to have become culturally engraved in Japanese society. Whether it’s being displayed through advertisements, cosplay, television, stores, etc. It’s become so prevalent that you simply can’t avoid it. No society has widely accepted anime as much as the Japanese. I was surprised to learn that it was created in China since whenever Anime is mentioned, people immediately assume Japan. Napier states that “The ‘culture’ to which anime belongs is at present a ‘popular’ or ‘mass’ culture in Japan, and in America it exists as a ‘sub’ culture” (Napier, 2005). Now contrasting this with America, I wouldn’t be shocked if there were a large number of people that have never seen or heard about Anime before as Japans influence only extends so far. As for China anime appears to exist as a sub culture also. I believe that in the west and China, anime lacks the popularity due to different cultural values. This is what leads me to form the opinion that worldwide, anime is culturally located in Japan and Japan alone. It is the centre of the universe for all things anime and I don’t see it changing any time soon.
“Given the dark events that have permeated Japan’s twentieth century, it is hardly suprising that many of anime’s most important texts, from Miyazaki Hayao’s 1985 Nausicaa to Anno Hideaki’s 1997 Evangelion, are not simply dystopian but deeply apocalyptic, suggesting a society with profound anxieties about the future” (Napier, 2005). Looking specifically at the film Princess Mononoke (Miyazaki, 2006), it’s easy to compare the fighting, character values, and the destruction of the forest in the film to WW2 Japan and the consequences that their actions resulted in. Maybe the destruction created in the film isn’t on the same level as the destruction caused during WW2, but the harsh lessons learned are relatively similar. Even though the story line is rather cliché and predictable, it still remains an important lesson considering the mistakes from the past.
Napier, S. (2005). Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle. Hampshire: Palgrave/Macmillian.
Miyazaki, H. (Director). (2006). Princess Mononoke. Tokyo: Studio Ghibli Productions.
Lent, J. A. (2000). Animation in Asia: appropriation, reinterpretation, and adoption or adaption.
Thanks Sam. Nice response. I agree that it is in Japan (primarily) that Anime is most broadly ingrained as a cultural phenomenon. Two students in another of my groups (both of Chinese extraction) have pointed out that Anime has started to become hugely popular for the younger generation in China (something that is not mentioned in the Napier article - but which has probably changed in the last 9 years) - I found that very interesting and thought you might too. Your accademic writing is very good and you develop and express your opinion clearly. However, you should give some thought to what Prof. Mike Johnson said in his lecture this week - By using "I" in your argument, you place yourself in front of your argument. You might like to look at a more formal presentational style by using words like 'arguable' or 'I could be argued..' etc. In any case, a good response. Personally I think the environmental messages in Mononoke go well beyond a warning about the past (although you are right about that being part of the message).
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