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), what place does animation occupy in Asian societies? How different is this across Asia (ie comparing China and Japan)?

According to Lent (2000) the influence of Walt Disney in the early 1900’s characterized many of the stories and styles of animation across Asia. Many animators such as Osamu Tezuka from Japan and James Wang from Taiwan were happy to be recognized as the ‘Disney’ of their countries (Lent, 2000). The occupation of animation in Asian societies has had huge impact in terms of economy and production (Lent, 2000). Through mass media, anime has become a global market that has evolved from the imitation of Walt Disney in the early 1900’s to stylized illustrations that in Japan, embody pop culture and in China, focus on pleasing and educational stories that showcase national pride (Lent, 2000).

The Wan brothers of China, after observing American animation, created Uproar in an art studio (1926) and then their first full-length animated film, Princess with the iron fan (1941), these were created with a very western style, with many features like large expressive eyes taken from Disney and the Fleischer brothers (Lent, 2000). While western style had huge popularity, the imitation could not last and the Wan brothers understood the need to create ‘Chinese’ animation that was culturally Chinese through the inclusion of tradition, values, way of life and the application of Chinese techniques such as ink wash and folded paper, which emphasized the uniquely Chinese adaption (Lent, 2000). The political change in China reduced the production of animation to stories that involved political campaigns and government goals, which highlighted morals and values, for example One night in an art gallery (1978) centers on the enemies of the state. Other popular and chosen themes are folklore and mythology; the animation Havoc in heaven (1964) is adapted from the classic Chinese literature Journey to the west (Lent, 2000).

In comparison to China, Japan has developed anime into a pop culture phenomenon that has affected mass media (Napier, 2005). One of Japan’s earliest and recognized animators, Osamu Tezuka, drew inspiration from Disney, and the appearance between Kimba the white lion (1966) and The lion king (1994) sparked interest over the similarities, which could suggest that as Tezuka was open about his fondness and imitation of Disney, Disney might have also found an inspiration in Tezuka’s work. Another Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki attracted global audiences through his works from Studio Ghibli, such as Spirited away (2001), put Japanese anime on the map. Anime has found its place within Japanese society; it has become an essential product with close ties to manga, video games, and cosplay. While there are vast differences between Chinese and Japanese animation, the incorporation of history, tradition, religion, mythology and pop culture has established its place in society.

Lent, J. A. (2000). Animation in Asia: appropriation, reinterpretation and adoption or adaption. Retrieved 8 September, 2014 from http://tlweb.latrobe.edu.au/humanities/screeningthepast/firstrelease/fr1100/jlfr11c.htm

Napier, S. (2005). Anime and local/global identity. In Anime: from Akira to Hows moving castle (pp. 15-34). Hampshire: Palgrave/Macmillan.