Definition. . .
a style of animation originating in Japan that is characterized by stark colorful graphics depicting vibrant characters in action-filled plots often with fantastic or futuristic themes.
A New Movement. . .
As the "Golden-Age" of Japanese Cinema (1950's thru 1960's) came to a close, a new movement of Japanese film sprang forth. The (AH-nee-may) movement is sometimes referred to as the "Second Golden Age of Japanese Cinema."
The talented directors of the "Golden Age" had golden budgets and would fill the theaters during their film era. Three of those were:
Kenji Mizoguchi (Born May 16, 1898 - Died Aug 24, 1956)
Yasujiro Ozu (Born Dec 12, 1903- Died Dec. 12, 1963)
Akira Kurosawa (Born March 23, 1910 - Died Sept 6, 1998.)
After this "Golden Age" was gone, the theaters were not always filled; even though there were some talented directors during this time.
A new era emerged. . .
"Anime" arrives. . .
Japanese film has never been more popular than it is right now. In the United States, cities such as Seattle, WA have immense anime sections in book and video stores. For more than a decade, fans have been exchanging anime over the internet and trading bootlegged movie files in an underground movement of crazed followers.
Coming into the light, and catching on on all over the world, anime is on the rise from the sparse theater crowds after the "Golden Age" film era. Japan's film scene is full of anime features and films. An estimated 60 percent of Japanese film production is anime now.
In Japan, the box office gets a large percentage from anime features. In America, Disney movies get the most box office action; but that is changing as anime is catching on. Anime covers many subjects such as issues of growing up for teens, childhood stories, adult subjects and horror stories.
Origin of Anime. . .
"Anime" could have derived from the Japanese "ukiyo" - the woodblock prints of the 19th century. Here, the artists conveyed movement with crude drawings. Sword fighting, dancing geishas, water movement were all in the form of line drawings.
Westerners struggle to create live-action cinema where the Japanese are more interested in evoking a particular mood through the careful use of color and expression. The best way to appreciate anime might be a series of still drawings. Manga comic books (a large producer of comic books for adults and children in Japan) states that the Japanese public does not favor movement over composition as a principle of expression.
The following is a video trailer of "Princess Mononoke"
"Princess Mononoke" was the highest grossing film of any kind in Japanese history, in 1999. Directed by: Hayao Miyazakki "Titanic" finally topped it.
Hayao Miyazaki (referred to as "the Walt Disney of Japan" rolls up his sleeves and draws his films himself! Mr. Miyazaki sometimes animates his characters flat with only a suggestion of dimension by solid wash shading.
"Spirited Away" in 2002 outgrossed "Princess Mononoke" when it was released in July 2001. A few of his other films are "Kiki's Delivery Service" (1989); "Castle in the Sky" (1986); "Warriors of the Wind" (1984) and "The Castle of Caglicatro" (1979)
Following is a video trailer for "Spirited Away"
These are more photos "Princess Mononoke"
"My Neighbor Totoro" is another movie drawn by Miyazaki
"Animation unleashes the mind. These movies are so alive, intelligent and inventive that adults may get more out of them than children." Roger Ebert
"Totoro" is a children's film made for the world we should live in, rather than the one we occupy. A film with no villains, no fight scenes, no evil adults, no kids fighting, no scary monsters. No darkness before the dawn. A world that is benign. A world where if you meet a strange towering creature in the forest, you curl up on its tummy and have a nap. It has been voted the best family film of all time, right behind "Toy Story" and ahead of "Shrek."
quote by Rober Ebert "It makes me smile and smile and smile."
Ebert also says, "Great animation can make the mind sing."
"Realistic films show the physical world: animation shows its
essence."
You can find a good collection of anime streaming on Netflix and other streaming networks.
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For further animation study here are some great links:
http://www.rogerebert.com for reviews by Robert Ebert
http://www.imdb.com movie database
http://www.criterion.com
http://www.filmsite.org AMC film site
http://www.otakuusamagazine.com Oraku (voted best anime magazine in the U.S.
http://www.youtube.com #anime "Top 20 Anime Every Fan needs to Watch"
You might also be interested in these blogs:
Martial Art Movies
http://earthoceanfire.blogspot.com/2017/12/martial-art-movies.html
The Golden Age of Italian Cinema
http://the-golden-age-of-italian-cinema.html
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