Week Five

Is it a high or low cultural genre, according to Napier (2005)?

What was seen to be only available in Japan (anime) was now being exported to other countries such as Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, Europe, etc. According to Napier, anime is a high cultural genre. Of this he says “Japan has been known for such “high cultural” products such as haiku, zen, and the martial arts, the Japan of the 1990’s began to develop a new export, animated films and videos – anime”. (Napier, 2005)

Anime is growing rapidly, TV channels are devoting time for anime to be aired for the public; video stores have devoted whole sections for anime; when the popular TV show (at that time) was airing – Pokemon, KFC had a toy-give-away included with their children’s meals. However, animation wasn’t always a popular culture. It was mainly for children, and its attention was always distracted by “Japan’s superb live-action cinema” at the time. (Napier, 2005) Not only in Japan did this happen but also in the west where Otomo Katsuhiro’s – Akira , when first looked at was seen as something for children. But as more anime films were produced and exported out of Japan, it became more noticed and also, it was seen that anime was for everyone. Of this Napier (2005) states “anime cuts across generational lines to be embraced by everyone from children to grandparents”.

I think that it is a high cultural genre, not only in Japan but in other countries, also, the fact that the majority of work that is produced within Japanese studios are animation says a lot about its demands from people who enjoy animation within and out of Japan viewed by all ages making anime, a high cultural genre.



What is the ‘shojo’ and how often does it function in anime?

Anime doesn’t refer to technology and stunning art forms alone, but also includes Shojo. Shojo means young girl, it is produced for young girls aged 12 and 13. The director of Mononoke – Miyazaki has created his female characters to be shojo-like in terms of their age and general appearance. In his films that are more of a timeless-dreamland type, shojo’s or heroine characters are “active, independant, courageous and inquisitive”. But later on he declared that he was ascertained to fend off representing female characters as “play toys for Lolita complex guys or as pets”. This is evident in one of his films – Princess Mononoke where San’s blood stained face defiantly confronts the viewer. The image would seem to connote a wholly savage disposition. Yet, the cause of San’ ferocious appearance is actually a deeply nurturing act, namely her attempt to suck a bullet out of the Wolf God’s body. (Cavallaro, 2006)


Reference

Cavallaro, D. (2006). Introduction. In The Anime Art of Hayao Miyazaki. London: McFarland & Company.

Napier, S. (2005). Why anime? In Anime: from Akira to Howl’sMoving Castle (pp. 3-14). Hampshire: Palgrave/ Macmillan.