According to Lent (2000), what place does
animation occupy in Asian societies? How different is this across Asia (ie
comparing China and Japan)?
According to Lent (2000), animations were
dated back through the various uses of indigenous artistic styles and creative skills
such as paper-cut, paper fold, and ink and wash in China, or shadow theatre in
China and Japan. Furthermore, animation has localized plots based on religious
or folkloric stories and literary. Animation appeared in Asia in 1923. At that
time, many kinds of Chinese animations were influenced by American cultures. China’s
first animation is Uproar in an art
studio (1926). It was also influenced by Western styles. China made first
full length cartoon film: Princess with
the iron fan in 1941. This film motivated Japan’s premier animator and inspired
other Asian countries to do the same. Within the essence of anime there is
always a global culture identity that is intertwined to western themes. Since
then, countries like China and Japan set out a race in animation to showcase
their prowess along with respective country cultures and values. According to Lent
(2000), Hong Kong made a ‘Hong Kong Disneyland theme park’ to build up its economical
standing working with 'Disney' (A western animation company). In spite of this,
China, Vietnam and the Philippines use animation as a political tool in order
to served governmental and bureaucratic goals. However, China and Japan
continue to try to make relation to various Medias and make animation such as
manga and anime that gives audiences what the Asian people want, which are the popular
cultural and international views and morals of Chinese and Japanese cultures.
Especially, manga and anime in Japan belongs to ‘masses. As a notable example,
we might find Howl’s Moving Castle (2004).
Napier (2005, p.4.) suggested “That is cultural phenomenon worthy of being
taken seriously, both sociologically and aesthetically.”
References:
Lent, J. A. (2000). Animation in Asia: appropriation, reinterpretation, and adoption or adaptation. Retrieved 28 August, 2014, from http://www.latrobe.edu.au/screeningthepast/firstrelease/fr1100/jlfr11c.htmNapier, S. (2005). Anime and Local/Global Identity. In Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle (pp.15-34). Hampshire: Palgrave/Macmillan.
Ok Sunmin, thanks for the post. You have engaged with the secondary text and started developing an informed argument. Good. You mention the use of animation to reinforce political ideologies in China, Vietnam and the Philippines. Do you think this is the same in Japan? Also, I wonder about your statement 'gives audiences what the Asian people want, which are the popular cultural and international views and morals of Chinese and Japanese cultures.' I'm not so convinced the people of China are looking for the same internationalised content. I agree that the Japanese are. However, it might be interesting to know if China's young people are - perhaps that is something that is changing very quickly.
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