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)


Animation is a vastly growing genre. It has over-ridden Japanese culture and taken over to be known as a 'phenomenon of pop culture' by the way that it stimulates it's audience to look at contemporary issues in a way that older art forms can not. According to Lent (2000), Animation fitted to Asian societies and their mass media. The animation has helped politically allowing the governments to support their goals, this is seen particularly in countries like China, Vietnam and the Philippines. In Economic terms, Animation has found it's niche in Asia. It has been molded to fit Asian societies through the use of indigenous art style and techniques. I think the use of Asian art helps the Asian community identify and relate better to Animation in a way that Western or European T.V shows could not. Animation or Animae, dominates Asian society. 

In Japan, animation is considered as 'high cultural products'. By 1990, more than half of the releases from Japanese studios was animation. It is known as 'mass culture' in Japan. (Lent, 2000). Chinese animation is also considered 'high' in it's culture. Chinese animation is considered second to Japan in using western themes in it's animation. I think that both China and Japan consider animation a 'high culture' that has taken over their societies, however Japan is the leader in Animation. Being the first Asian country to have its own animation studio and also to be more modernized and ahead of other Asian countries. In saying that some other Asian countries such as Korea and Taiwan where Animation is also popular in their society some times found Japanese animation to expose too much violence and sexual content going as far as to lodge a complaint, which has lead to a more culturally based production of animation from Japan. (Lent, 2000).

References

Lent, J. A. (2000)."Animation in Asia: appropriation, reinterpretation, and adoption or adaptation". Retrieved 10 October, 2014. From http://tlweb.latrobe.edu.au/humanities/screeningthepast/firstrelease/fr1100/jlfr11c.htm

Lent, J. A. (2000). Animation in Asia: appropriation, reinterpretation, and adoption or adaptation. Retrieved 21 June, 2006, from AnimeResearch.com