The purpose of this essay obviously is to serve as a historical overview of Japanese animation. At this time, the resources (pecuniary and academic alike) available to me are somewhat limited.
Throughout the article, I will try to exclude occasionally incorrect and outdated resources where possible and focus upon using credible sources. There is an underlying difficulty in this, namely that many sources, despite being academic, having academic domains, are ’quasi-academic’. Their authors seem to use information acquired from peers without tracing whether it is authentic or not.
Another problem is the age of some of the resources. They are relatively old, which is not necessarily a problem, but it can be issue when considering the misconceptions and available knowledge of those times. Of course, there are many wonderful, high quality essays out there, such as those listed on Rei’s Anime and Manga Page, or Richard Coombs’ historical essay.
All in all, there is, unfortunately, little information pertaining the roots of anime, and luckily a moderate amount regarding its post-war history. There is one more issue the reader will have to forgive me for. It is the inclusion of non-academic domains. There is a number of these that are actually very informative, but I will try to keep their number as low as possible.
The earliest example of Japanese animation was discovered in 2005. A three second short animation, drawn upon celluloid. It depicts a boy writing 掻ååç (moving picture). This was produced circa 1907. Animation itself is a western invention, which was pioneered in the early 1900’s and gradually developed the grand industry it now has. The notion of mangais no mystery to any of us, and it has, for decades, been an essential part of the Japanese world.
So, as logical, after the reception of animation technology, Japanese artists used manga a foundation from which they built individual anime. But let us not jump ahead so much. The history of pre- war anime can be broken up into two ’generations’ in accordance with the artists who served as the flagbearers and forerunners of these. The forefathers of anime.
The First Generation of Anime
Very few of the first generation titles made it unfortunately. Once the studios produced them, they were shown in cinemas, the reels sold on to smaller cinemas and afterwards disassembled and sold to whoever bought it, but mostly collectors.
A most prominent figure of anime is Shimokawa Oten, he used a number of animating techiques aimed at reducing production expenses, but unfortunately not one of his works persisted. He could only create five short animations before, due to medical issues, he had to return to his old occuptation ? to being a cartoonist. His equally famous contemporary, KÅchi Jun’ichi is thought to be the most technical animator of the first generation.
The watercolour artist entered the industry in 1912, but was only employed later on in 1916 by Kobayashi Shokai. His filmography includes fifteen titles, which is astonishing considering he was a first generation artist.
The last pillar of the first generation was the maverick Kitayama Seitaro, who worked as a lone wolf. He even founded his own studio, but had to close it down later on due to economic issues. His famous 1917 film, An Obtuse Sword was recently found in 2007, in an antique shop.
The Second Generation of Anime
Animation was gradually becoming mainstream, up until the time when the first child protection acts were enacted, and all works came under censorship.
Titles with educational utility, on the other hand were greatly supported by the Ministry of Education. It was essentially Kitayama Seitaro who had sown the seed of the second generation.
Following the great KantÅ earthquake, a number of his pupils, whom he taught animation, went on to pursue their own fame, and build animation companies of their own.
The Pre-WWII Era
In the 30s militarisation took its toll, and nationalisation of the country commenced. Under government control, artists were urged to produce animation in the new expressly nationalistic vein. The anime industry, alongside Fujifilm started to become a grandiose industry thanks to being introduced into the Pre-WWII ’Propaganda-Machine’. Smaller studios were clused, or merged with larger ones, which shortly led to the domination of the industry by three titans.
The pecuniary support now was coming from the military, it held the reins, and dictated what the artists must produce, which consisted mainly of films showing the Japanese prevailing over their foes.
At this time, the west was faced with economic depression (how ironic), but despite the economy, Disney demonstrated a strong influence on Japanese animation, but the titles produced during this period were merely imitations of that of Disney.
The Japanese animation industry for example could not afford to deviate from the orthodox ’minimal animation’ principle, and sound supported animation was entirely out of the question. At least for a few more years.
The WWII Era
The war era has seen rapid improvement in terms of quality. By this time, animation already established a large industry around itself. Despite the troubling economic reality, Japan was eager and willing to invest into this well-developed industry.
The flagships of the era were a Chinese title, Princess Iron Fan and Momotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors. It was around this time, with Monotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors, that Japanese animation began the transformation into anime. The real breakthrough came in the form of the Tale of the White Serpents, a colour title that marked the reception of Disney animation into the Japanese industry.
This time, the Disney influence actually materialised itself as the reception of the Disney vein, and this style reigned for the coming years, which ended when Japanese animation completely transformed into anime.
The primary pillar of animation during the Disney years was none other than Toei, the giant studio in a monopoly situation. But this monopoly was coming to an end with the appearance of an artist iconised and almost worshipped in the industry.
Dr. Tezuka Osamu
Dr Tezuka was a medical doctor, who became a cartoonist. He has always been a Disney enthusiast, which influenced his style. The first work Tezuka has published was a New Treasure Island, but his breakthrough had to wait until the release of his principle work, Astro Boy. He revitalised the whole manga industry with his multi-dimensioned stories before doing essentially the same with the anime industry.
Dr Tezuka was working under a contract with Toei for a brief period of time, he directed the production of the multi-market film Monkey King. The master foresaw the future of television, and decided to exploit it. He founded his own studio, Mushi Productions, and took the most logical step, he decided to animate his most popular manga, Tetsuwan Atomu (1963). It was none other than Tezuka Osamu who granted anime its modern day ’personality’.
The ’soul’, previously thought to be exclusive to live-action films, was bestowed upon anime. His multi-layered characters and plots created what we may today consider to be the spirit of anime. With primordial fury, Tetsuwan Atomu set out to conquer Japan, but what it in fact conquered was not Japan, but nearly the whole world. NBC licenced Tetsuwan Atomu and the TV fever was about to engulf the whole of Japan.
Studio after studio, Japan has started to awaken to the potential of television. Very interestingly, Tezuka is the author of the first adult animation film, Cleopatra, Queen of Sex as well. A truly multi-dimensioned personality. Dr Tezuka Osamu was not only a creator, but a lover of animation and cartoons. Until the moment he drew his last breath, he was advancing the goals of animation.
The 70s in General
The constant cycle of death and renewal is part of the industry. It was in the 70s end that Toei turned away from anime and Mushi Productions went bankrupt.
The fresh talent previously burdened with carrying the two giants scattered into the wind, and much like the pupils of Kitayama Seitaro, these young artists went on to build their own future, and ’infect’ the industry with new vivid visions and lucid hallucinations. What these young men and women built was the Miklagard, the Constantinopolis of anime.
The blindening bright sparkle, that illuminated the industry and laid the principles of anime for years to follow. From this Golden Age of anime were born the titles that later set out to conquer the Ivory Tower.
Mecha Anime
Like many other great things, our favorite robots were born in the 70s as well. This decade in general was the gifted child that popularised sci-fi anime.
Titles such as Mazinger Z, Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, Space Battleship Yamato, and Mobile Suit Gundam pioneered this sub-genre of anime. These two last titles are very similar in effect to Star Wars. They were, essentially, the first two anime space operas.
The success of the space opera in anime is astonishing. Even to this day, the production of Gundam has not stopped, instead Gundam is currently much more of a large franchise. Yes franchise, because there are very few things that cannot be acquired in with a Gundam picture painted upon them.
The Golden Age of Anime
A distinctive subculture began to develop. The otaku were born. Eager, zealous, but not yet frowned upon, they were avid readers of magazines such as Newtype or Animage. In the 80s, two artists started to gain ground. Miyazaki Hayao and Takahata Isao. Some of their films, such as Miyazaki’s Laputa: the Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) and Porco Rosso (1992) and Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Only Yesterday (1991) and Pom Poko (1994) gained worldwide fame. Another notable artist is Mamoru Oshii, who is responsible for Urusei Yatsura (1982), the anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi’s manga.
At the same time, the otaku culture (Read: Otaku No Video Anime Review) gave rise to something unexpected: Gainax. Daicon Films was a doujin circle which produced films for conventions, but with such talent that they were put in lead of the grandiose Wings of Honneamise.
The Golden Age has also seen the emergence of the OVA, or Original Video Animation, which contained much more specific substance, and addressed a much more specific audience. Our so adored hentai has seen a rise in popularity with the emergence of OVA as well.
In this age, studios were well-funded, the industry really prospered. This allowed for the creation of such experimental titles as Mamoru Oshii’s Angel’s Egg (1985), Take the X Train (1987), Neo Tokyo (1987) or Robot Carnival (1987). But the Golden Age of anime was coming to its end. Tezuka Osamu’s death, and the domestic failure of Akira delivered the blow which crippled the mighty titan. Thus came 1453 and Constantinopolis was no more, and even today, the question is whether the legend is true, and the priests will reapper?
The Post-Apocalyptic Anime Industry
The sun has set seemingly. The anime industry changed radically. The whole world had become the targeted audience. Artists were expected, at all times, to work with the international audience in mind.
Ghost in the Shell and Neon Genesis Evangelion proved to be flickers in the dark in this dark age. The 1995 release of Neon Genesis Evangelion led to a great schism between fans, Hideaki Anno, the director of the series and the film End of Evangelion (additionally Death and Rebirth, and currently working on Rebuild of Evangelion), singel handedly divided the otaku into two groups, those who love and those who detest the series.
Evangelion also gave birth to a number of anime -to a certain extent- copying it. Such as RahXephon, Brain Powerd and Gasaraki. Evangelion laid a new standard for the inclusion of the psychological overlook of characters in anime. It added an additional, new layer of drama and suspense to it. Much emphasis was placed on the otaku culture (this still stands true), and many titles revolved around ’fanservice’ solely.
Whether this is a change for the better, or otherwise, is a hard question, but undeniably, this change is a fact. The most recent developments of anime seem to be rather more interesting. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, which I have covered in my review, seems to have resurrected the super robot genre from its ashes.
The Ivory Tower
I consider Akira, Ghost in the Shell and Neon Genesis Evangelion to be the most prominent titles representing the Ivory Tower. It is not an official terms, merely, my choice to use it. The reason I use it is because these three productions are very relentless. They do what they must, and that is to devastate the audience. They are, in a sense, very sophisticated. They deal with a world of their own, dark, cruel dystopic universes, but do it without losing sight of the emotion dosage.
The first of the three was Akira, the work of Katsuhiro Otomo, released in 1988, the Japanese reception was not very warm, and the anime has never gained much fame in Japan, but it was a milestone for the world history of anime, for it could be said, that with Akira, it had begun. It was Akira that had finally won the title ’anime’ for animation originating from Japan.
The worldwide reception of the anime was astounding. It can be considered to be one of the most popular titles, even now, in 2009, 21 years after its release. I will skip the very complex, cyberpunk world of Ghost in the Shell, and go right to Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Evangelion proved without doubt that anime is a medium, not a genre, not ’cartoons for children’ as many, to this day percieve it. Anime is a medium ready to bear anything, and the only restricting factor is the creators’ imagination. And without a doubt, Hideaki Anno’s imagination proved to be extraordinary.
I have covered a wide range of materials in this paper, yet it does not feel finished, it is not conclusive. I will, in the future, attempt to work on the history of anime, either through updates, or subtle little changes made to this writing. My own view is that animation technology is becoming more and more mainstream. The industry currently is being flooded with all sorts of mediocre productions, but there are some very fine titles too.
I really do hope that the two priests mentioned above in the context of Constantinopolis will reapper, and yet another era of prosperity will begin. Again, Hideaki Anno has returned to his masterpiece, and only the gods may tell what will he come up with this time. But on the other hand, there is something saddening: anime keeps improving, yes with every passing day it looks better, but the viewer may ask ’So where is the substance spoken of above?’, and indeed, it is a very fine question. They are there, overshadowed by giants spanning hundreds of episodes, but they are there nevertheless.
We can all find the masterpieces sutiable for ourselves: intellectually challenging or morally satisfying ones. Masterpieces with mind-blowing plots, with those subtle biblical references or crime enigmas the viewer hungers for. They are there. Keep looking patiently, and you will find Parnassus.
’As widely varied as any library’s book collection, anime carries something for everyone. The young, old, or anyone in between can find something in almost any genre to smile at, cry about, or whine to. As an art form that continues to influence more than just Japan, anime astounds all who enjoy it. Even those who do not carry the label of an otaku can still find something worth watching. As the future draws closer, one will continue to wait and to watch, to see what else is brought about by the great and fantasic minds of men like Tetzuka, Myazaki, and Anno. For now, and forever. Anime will live on.?’- A Brief History of Anime by Richard Coombs
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