By JD Mills
To download movie clips, just click on the pictures scattered throughout the site.
What is anime? Anime literally means "animation" in Japanese. It is very
different from American animation however. Anime is not your average Saturday morning
cartoon. Anime is different in at least five ways from western animation. Anime is made
for all ages and types of people in Japan, whereas in the west, animation is commonly seen
as " kid's stuff. " In anime, a series is meant to be watched in order, not in
random re-run episodes. This helps the viewer relate to the mental progression of the
character through his/her life trials. In anime, main characters frequently die. Happy
endings are not required, some anime tells a tragic tale. The art, the most distinctive
feature, is also highly different. Characters usually have rounded, huge eyes as well as
other exaggerated features. Characters are often drawn in funny ways to express their
state of emotion. In short, Japanese animation is a far more complex and expressive art
form than the cartoons of the western world(Otaku World 1).
Anime, surprisingly, was originally influenced by the Disney style of animation. Animators in Japan loved the big, expressive features of the Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse. Most evident of this influence today is the huge eyes often found in anime characters(Welch 1).
One of the first and most significant pieces to venture into this new medium of art was
named "Tetsuwan Atom." It told the story of a boy with an atomic heart, and
spawned the "First Wave" of anime(Welch 1).
| The "Second Wave" of anime came fast. Though selection was limited to only a few genres,(predominately racing and sci-fi) it began to gather some fans. The second wave of anime titles included Speed Racer, Eagle Rider, and Space Cruiser Yamato. These titles were to be forever known as the ones that changed animation in Japan and the world forever(Welch 1). |  |
After the "Second Wave," a growing interest began to surround anime. Developers began to move to areas other than sci-fi, especially a new genre name shouju(literally, young girl). This new genre was targeted at adolescent girls and included titles such as Dirty Pair and the ever popular Sailor Moon, an anime about teenage sailor-suited superheroines(Welch 1) .
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During the 70's, anime finally began to blossom. Such classics as Captain Harlock, Space Pirate, and Gundam appeared. Gundam was a huge success, mainly because of it's unparalleled character development, its dramatic tension, its wild technological ideas(heroes were equipped with skyscraper-sized war machines), and the introduction of the newtype. The newtype is especially important because it can be found today in many different shows, in the US or Japan. The newtype by definition is a being more powerful than the average human, a protector of the innocent, a superhero. A good example today would be the Dragon Ball Z series, where Goku, the main character, saves earth several times from beings bent on destruction(Welch 1). |
The 1980's were known as the Golden Age of anime. Anime had finally begun to appeal to
mainstream Japan with "run of the mill" characters. The viewer was now able to
relate to the experiences of the protagonist. Now that there was something for everyone,
anime was being bought like crazy. Probably the most important piece during this time was
Robotech(Welch 1).
| Robotech is a story of a multi-generation war waged by humans, genetically created beings, alien races, and an evolved hive species fighting with giant machines, bio-mechanical systems and reconfigurable mecha. Its story is on a scale in which whole worlds and races and the very fabric of the universe lay in jeopardy. Robotech is considered the high point in anime. It sported very appealing things such as outstanding character evolution, incredibly detailed art, and a compelling storyline(The Robotech Page 1). |  |
Most important to the Golden Age of anime, however, was that anime had finally begun to appeal to mainstream Japan. Shows with run-of-the-mill characters began appearing all over the place. This made it easier for the viewer to relate to the experiences of the protagonist, and thus anime began to atract a much larger viewing audience(Welch 1).
One must understand that up until this point, all anime was produced for and realesed
onto the big screen. Enter the OVA. OVA is an acronym that stands for Original Video
Animation. OVA was based on a radical concept of using the newly emerging VCR as a media
format. Now, animators with lots of ideas but little money could bring there masterpieces
to life,spend less than half the money, and gross just as much as in a theatre! A mad rush
of animators, producers, directors, etc. ensued. These people began to flood the anime
market with all types of titles. The most significant of the era was Akira(Welch 1).
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Artist-writer Katsuhiro пtomo began telling the story of Akira as a comic book series in 1982 but took a break from 1986 to 1988 to write, direct, supervise, and design this animated film version. Set in 2019, the film richly imagines the new metropolis of Neo-Tokyo, which is designed from huge buildings down to the smallest details of passing vehicles or police uniforms. Two disaffected orphan teenagers--slight, resentful Tetsuo and confident, breezy Kanada--run with a biker gang, but trouble grows when Tetsuo start to resent the way Kanada always has to rescue him. Meanwhile, a group of scientists, military men, and politicians wonder what to do with a collection of withered children who possess enormous psychic powers, especially the mysterious, rarely seen Akira, whose awakening might well have caused the end of the old world. Tetsuo is visited by the children, who trigger the growth of psychic and physical powers that might make him a superman or a supermonster. Because of this storyline, as well as intencse action scenes and outstanding art, Akira is seen as the most mind bending sci-fi anime of all time(Amazon.Com-Akira 1). |
Unfortunately, because of the "mad rush," the market became oversaturated. Many talented animators began to turn to television, a medium that demanded more and paid less. The OVA had seen its boom; that was over now.(Welch 1)
The 1990's are known to anime followers as the Third Wave. Though the OVA had all but
died, there were still many mediocre productions. This trend continued through the 90's
but there were three big hits. The first to grace the big screen was Neon Genesis
Evangelion.(Welch 1)
| At the turn of the millennium the inhabitants of Earth are nearly completely wiped out by a mysterious supposed meteorite strike on Antarctica. Roughly half the population dies as a direct result of the strike, and the rest are left to struggle for survival amidst the rising savage seas due to melting of the polar ice. Now the year is 2015. As the remnants of the human race cower in subterranean cities, a deadly war is being waged for what is left of the planet, and for what lies there within. On one side are the mysterious alien beings known only as the Angels, on the other, the special agency NERV and mankind's last hope for survival, the awe-inspiring Evangelions. The next hit to leave its mark on anime history was Ghost in the Shell.(Welch 1) | 
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The smash hit, Ghost in the Shell, appeared in 1995. It boasted a combination of superb traditional anime combined with 3D graphics. That and its storyline made it the highest grossing anime in history at the time.The film is set in the not-too-distant future, when an unnamed government uses lifelike cyborgs or "enhanced" humans for undercover work. One of the key cyborgs is The Major, Motoko Kusanagi. She finds herself caught up in a tangled web of espionage and counterespionage as she searches for the mysterious superhacker known as "The Puppet Master." The final true masterpiece of the 20th century, and currently highest grossing anime of all time, was named Princess Mononoke.(Amazon.com-Ghost In The Shell) |
| Released in 1997 and set in medieval Japan, Miyazaki's original story envisions a struggle between nature and man. The march of technology, embodied in the dark iron forges of the ambitious Tatara clan, threatens the natural forces of the Great God of the Forest and the spectral spirits he protects. When Ashitaka, a young warrior from a remote village clan, kills a ravenous, boar-like monster, he discovers the beast is in fact an infectious "demon god," transformed by human anger. Ashitaka's quest to solve the beast's fatal curse brings him into the midst of human political intrigues as well as the more crucial battle between man and nature.(Amazon.com-Princess Mononoke) |  |
