My 10 yen on Japanese culture and Anime - Part 1 Anime

 The fairly recent discussion on Talula's LiveJournal has made me ponder a few things about prejudice against Anime and also against the Japanese culture. I'm not claiming to be commenting on any particular person's viewpoint or opinion. I'm not stating that certain people are prejudiced in these matters but rather that some aspects of some of the comments reminded of some conversations or statements I have heard over the years on the subjects of Anime and Japanese culture. I feel I would like to respond to the general impression I have gathered that some, if not many, people hold some slightly prejudiced views on these topics.

Firstly, anime. I personally am no expert on the matter since I have really only started watching Anime for the last couple of years and I'm very aware that there is a wide range of Anime out there that I haven't seen and as such cannot make a comment on.

I think it is fair to say that a common perception of anime is that it is Hentai and/or strange and/or graphically violent or sexual. To a certain extent I held that belief several years ago. The only Anime I had seen parts of was Urotsukidoji - Legend of the Overfiend which is disturbing and Hentai in my opinion and despite the fact that I only saw about 5 minutes of it, it was enough to put me off watching any other anime for a while. Bad.

The next Anime I saw was Akira, which is considered by many to be an 'important' Anime. At the time I could appreciate the artwork and aspects of the story but I really just didn't get it. Large parts of the movie (especially the ending) eluded me and I left the film feeling a bit like I had just seen a cartoon made by Aliens who were trying to make a film for Earthlings, but it really defied Earth logic and conventions of storytelling. I re-watched Akira last year, and actually enjoyed it. It made sense to me. I'm not sure if it is because I had become more fluent in the language of anime and thus got more of the subtle nuances or because it had a better translation on the subtitles/dubbing.

When I was living in Brooklyn with Matt and his brother, we watched some Anime occasionally. The Ghost in the Shell was the first anime the really impressed me. It was visually stunning, intelligently crafted and had an excellent SF story that wasn't over-simplified or patronisingly explained. Since watching a lot more Anime I find I often prefer their approach to SF and fantasy stories. I think they are far more inclined to just tell and story and let the background and ideas unfold themselves in their own time. I sometimes find it a little annoying the way Hollywood SF and Fantasy movies can assume their viewers are too stupid to work things out for themselves. Many often hammer the background/main idea with cheesy plot exposition or, worse yet, having some characters have the "But why is this happening and what's going on?" conversation.*

My fandom of Anime was cemented when I saw Miyazaki's films such as Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, The Cat Returns etc. They are all cute, charming, beautiful with magical/fantasy aspects but also the characters, stories and themes are complex. A lot of the stories or ideas are based in fairytale but they are layered with far more interesting characters than any Disney film and some, particularly Princess Mononoke, are thought-provoking.

Since then I have come to appreciate many different kinds of Anime. Anime can be any genre or fusion of genre, and the stories often appeal to all ages. The distinction between children's and adults' movies and shows is often unclear and frankly, doesn't matter. I would easily list various Anime amongst my favourite TV shows and movies.

Anime is hard to generalise about because the range of Anime out there is so broad. Some of it is slow, others are fast-paced. Some Anime is humourous and has you laughing until your sides hurt, some Anime is poignant, touching and can break your heart - more than one Anime has reduced me to a crying mess. Some of it is OTT fantasy or SF and some is cemented in reality and 'real issues'. Sure some Anime is graphically violent or Hentai but an awful lot of it isn't!!!

I don't necessarily like all Anime but that is kind of the point.

My main point is that people really shouldn't generalise about Anime because really it such a broad and diverse artform that any generalisations are bound to be incorrect for some Anime.

I understand that it's easy to gain a bad first impression of Anime - I know I did. I would encourage people to have an open-mind and give Anime a go. There is probably something out there you'd appreciate. If not, then try to be sensitive and not make hugely negative generalisations about Anime. Some Anime is very important to me and other fans; any book, film or work of art that has touched or moved us becomes special and holds a sacred place in our hearts. To insult Anime offends fans because some Anime has become very special to us.

Personally, Fruits Basket alone got me through some very stressful and nasty times in my first year of teaching.

I love my favourite Anime and beware any who slight it. You might as well say all novels written in the English language since 1960 are post-modern trash.

Disliking a particular book, or film, is a matter of personal opinion and taste; disliking an entire artform is unfair and bigoted and best done in the privacy of one's own home.

Tune in next Blog for: My 10 yen on Japanese Culture and Anime Part II

* Hollywood remakes of Japanese horror films are also guilty of this crime against intelligent audience members. Case in point: The Ring - Japanese version: the video is a creepy series of uncomfortable images. Some have physical links to Sadako's death, others are more to do with the emotional discomfort. The Ring - Hollywood version: The video had some disturbing images, and some others which were blindingly obvious 'clues'. The code of the clues are usually pretty simple so that even Bush-voters can work them out. For example, image of 'a ladder going up to a loft in a barn' is important because Samara's room was 'a barn loft with a ladder going up to it'. To further clarify when the heroine arrives at the aforementioned barn, there is a flashback to the shot of the 'ladder going up to the loft' and then she turns around to see the 'ladder going up to the loft'. Amazingly enough she works out to climb up the ladder and seize the next cryptic clue.