“Globalization in Animation: The Influence Between Japanese and American Animation”

Matt Jones

Post Nine

“Globalization in Animation: The Influence Between Japanese and American Animation”

While the trend of Globalization in media is nothing new, it can be exemplified in the convergence of animation between Japan and the United States.

A)           Luca Raffaelli in his essay comparing the animation of Disney, Warner Bros., and that produced in Japan offers examples of the similar aspects between them as well as key differences, as well as possible explanations for those differences. 

               

   Disney animation is typified by a reliance on sound to allow for an increased complexity and realism.  “Walt Disney realized that by investing a lot of money, artists, time, and effort he could revolutionize cartoons... Audiences will no longer merely laugh at their gags but, through them, will be moved, suffer, feel sympathy.”  (115)  Disney sought to do more than merely make his cartoons funny, he sought to make his cartoons relatable and as a result his creations, specifically Mickey Mouse became a beloved part of culture.  Disney characters were given a level of maturity and introspection that was missing from other animated characters.  Disney films offer a happy ending after the characters learn to work together against a common enemy.  The characters act serious, or as serious as they can in a film full of madcap adventures, and obeyed basic laws of physics (they may have fallen from great heights, but they still fell.

     

     In contrast, Warner Bros. cartoons featured characters who defied the laws of gravity and stopped in mid air.  The cartoons frequently drew attention to their artificiality by having a narrator or even characters address the audience, commenting on the cartoon that they inhabited.  And, as in the majority of animated films of the day, the films relied on conflict between characters to propel their story.  While Disney films had conflict in the form of an evil villain, the Warner Bros. cartoons relied on adversarial relationships between its main characters to set the story. 

    Finally, animated films produced in Japan feature characters who are orphans or without a family.  Technology  and children who must learn to obey the rules of society often play a major role. 

            

    In Brian Ruh’s essay, “Early Japanese Animation in the United States”, the author traces the history of Japanese animation and it’s exportation to the United States.  Early Japanese animation was heavily influenced by the animation that was being produced in America and in turn it was then exported to America.  The first Japanese animated film to be broadcast in the United States was shown on September 7^th, 1965 on WNEW.  The broadcast was altered with a narration that explained an accident as the result of a technologically advanced highway.  This was not present in the original show, as the Japanese culture was not afraid of technology, instead, the embraced it.  This could be a reason why so much of the animation produced in Japan heavily features futuristic technologies. 

                 

B.)          I watched a video that was kind of fun for this week.  It was a “mashup” containing the audio from the trailer for the Cohen Brothers film The Men Who Stare at Goats (Cohen Brothers, 2009) along with scenes from the anime series Full Metal Alchemist.  This mashup was created as a student’s final project. 

The video is actually very well done, as the character’s mouths are synced with the audio.  There is no real substance in the video, however, in light of the readings this week regarding the copting of animation between the United States and Japan.  

C)            To be completely honest, nothing was furthered regarding my paper this week.  Between an increased workload and an illness, my paper has remained at a stalemate.