Post-War Manga and Animes Comments on Japanese Society - Essay Example

Running Head: Post-war Manga and Anime’s comments on Japanese Society Post-war Manga and Anime’s comments on Japanese Society [Institution’s name] [Course name] [Professor’s name] [Date] Post-war Manga and Anime’s comments on Japanese Society Just like Looney tunes have become synonymous with the American population; similarly Animes and Manga are synonymous with and have been greatly popularized by the Japanese society. However, before we delve deep into the aspect of how Japanese mangas and Animes represented post-war Japanese society, the substance of this prose will define exactly what exactly is an Anime and Manga. An anime refers to Japanese animation, whereas, Manga is s form of print cartoons and in simple words, a Manga is a common name for Japanese comics and Animes is a common Japanese term for Japanese cartoons. Japanese Manga and Animes have a huge fan following in Japan and it has a sizeable amount of followers on a global front as well. Even though, Japanese Animes and mangas is more like art form involving a stylized exaggeration in the representation and formation of character. Unlike normal cartoons, Japanese Animes have strong plot and does not have the same element of slapstick comedy involved. Animes and Mangas have a strong plot and there visual characteristics may involve a strong influence of Japanese Calligraphy in the brush strokes used to draw various characters. (Brenner, 2007) The various physical aspects of the cartoon characters shed light on the cultural aspects and influences of the artists. Japanese anime and Manga characters may have true to life features, however their physical proportion and the size of their heads may vary according to the nature of their character. The most striking feature of Japanese anime and Manga characters is their eyes. Anime and Manga characters have large eyes and the pioneer of this style of drawing was Osamu Tekuza, who adopted this style of drawing his characters after he was greatly impressed by the technique used to draw Disney cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Betty Boop. (Hu. 2010) The inclination of the artist to draw large eyes has often demonstrated the artists’ and the Japanese society’s obsession with Western features. However, through the aforementioned description it is abundantly clear that an Anime is equivalent to a regular cartoon but there are significant variations in how it is produced and the plot of the cartoon is designed, which is much more mature compared to the plot involved in American animations. Manga, which simply a name for Japanese comic book has inspired several Animes. These Animes does not only revolve around a much more mature protagonists and antagonists but their plots and sub-plots discuss more weighty issues faced by the society. The substance of this prose will examine the plots of Animes and mangas that were developed by creators during the post-war era in Japan. (Brenner, 2007) As we all know that the World War II was an epochal period in the history of Japan that redefined Japanese culture. As mentioned earlier, Animes were not just mere form of entertainment for the young population, but were meant to signify the changes and revolution that took place and are rapidly taking place in the Japanese community. As the war had a significant amount of impact on the dynamics of the Japanese society, the aftermath of the nuclear disaster seemed more pronounced on the thematic pattern followed by the Animes and mangas and they artists incorporated a strong element pertaining to nuclear apocalypses and the plot largely focuses on how the disaster affected adolescents and youngster as a result of the attack. (Napier, 2005) Despite the solemnity the subject of war usually radiates, according to film scholar Jerome Shapiro the playfulness in the Animes is an essential feature of their aesthetic sense and storytelling sense, he states: “Richie’s description of aware is substantially incomplete and misleading… Mono no Aware… is only half of a very complex aesthetic, one that must be balanced by playfulness, which shapes the Japanese response to the bomb. This ‘spirit of playfulness which exists as an essential component of Japanese art to the same extent as seriousness, or perhaps even more so,’ is precisely what is missing from Richie’s (but not only Richie’s)… argument.”(Fernandes, 2009, p.2) Some of the notable Animes that deal with the aggression and brutality that was inflicted upon the Japanese people during the World War II are Graves of the fireflies, Barefoot Gen 1 & 2. All these aforementioned Anime films show intense apocalyptic anxiety in the protagonist and propagated strong abhorrence towards the institution of war. One highly distinct aspect of these post-war Animes and mangas was that even though their rivalry with and nuclear bombings done by the American Forces has rendered the entire country dilapidated; however, despite that none of the Animes or mangas carried an anti-American message, but instead they condemned the entire institution of war in general.(Napier, 2005) These Animes and mangas commemorate the intense catastrophe as a result of the nuclear bombing and usually these anime films and series have a typical storyline that involves the protagonist dealing with a number of hardships in a post-apocalyptic world. The 1988 anime Akira and 1984’s Nausicaa of the valley of the wind are the best examples to demonstrate this point, whereby elaborate scenes of nuclear wars are shown. In Nausicaa, the world has become uninhabitable as a result of the contamination of the water and the mergence of deadly spores that has been wiping out the world’s entire population. Similarly, Akira shows a war-torn neo-Tokyo and a scenario of the world after the third world war. Here again, the plot shifts its focus that how young people’s lives are affected by these events as Akira the protagonist develops psychic powers due to exposure to nuclear radiation and subsequent government experimentation. The theme does not overtly discusses and portrays how Japan was badly affected during the second world war but the main theme of these animated movies and series was to divert the audience’s attention and prioritizing survival, instead of brooding and blaming your adversary for what happened. It further shows the harsh consequences that were faced by the Japanese due to the use of Nuclear Weaponry.(Fernandes, 2009) It may not be accurate, if people label Mangas and Animes as being downright apocalyptic in their theme and storyline. On the contrary, Animes and mangas are just highlighting a significant belief of Japanese in the Apocalypse and they do not show the characters waiting for the world to end, but rather focus on the points that advocate that the world should end at some point. These post-war Animes also shed light on the schism between Japanese religious views and Christianity; particularly highlighting the difference between the perceptions of death. As the Japanese culture is obsessed with the existence of good and its antithesis evil, they have also incorporated a strong element concerning death, gore, grotesquery, revenge and negativity. However, at the end of all of these negativities are overcome with kindness, goodness and loyalty. All these post-war Animes have a common root that is from the attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the America during the Second World War in August 1945. Though, several apologies has been issued since, that fateful event but no apology is capable enough to reverse the calamity and undo the damage the damage that was done to the people then still causes the people to battle the effects of the nuclear bombing. Despite the massive calamity and catastrophe that left thousands of people devastated and dead, the event did act as a stimulus that completely revolutionized Japanese cinema and animations. (Feleppa, 2004) The event not only stirred the people’s creativity to express them cathartically but there are dozens of contrasting views that were encompassed in all the animated and non-animated series and films. The aforementioned parts of the prose discuss the general thematic pattern, essence and post-war sentiments of the people that all the films and series encapsulated, but the following substance will discuss the range of genres that have emerged in the post-war era in Japan. From science-fiction to monster movies and spiritual fantasy, the sentiments were expressed in a multitude of settings and this shows the diversity of thought that emerged as a result of the war. (Brown, 2006) The apocalyptic note that were encompassed by these Animes were obviously created to do so in order to carry a cautionary message for the people; as the people’s own sense of mortality and security has been seriously threatened and considering, the unsettled relations between the countries these days and then, Japanese artists took on an oracular role. There stories were meant to prepare the people as they foretold the world’s evident end. The aforementioned film scholar again commented on the sentiments of the people towards bombing in the following words: “... In effect "This happened; it is all over and finished, but isnt it too bad? Still, this world is a transient place and this too is sad; what we feel today we forget tomorrow; this is not as it perhaps should be, but it is as it is." This awareness of evanescence and the resulting lamentation has a term in Japanese: mono no aware [translatable as "sympathetic sadness" or "inescapable sadness of living"]. It indicates a feeling for the transience of all earthly things; it involves a near-Buddhistic insistence upon recognition of the eternal flux of life upon this earth. This is the authentic Japanese attitude toward death and disaster (once an interval has passed).”(Feleppa. 2004) As it is described by Richie, the Second World War was not only a spur to the creativity of Japanese people but also resulted in a spiritual revolution amongst the people and there came an uncanny resemblance to Buddhist ideology and doctrines and even resulted in the contemporary society of members of Japan adopting them. Hence, these post-war mangas and Anime does not only describe the ordeal of the people but also discuss the spiritual revolution that was brought about by it. The classic good vs. evil fight that is the main plot of Japanese animated and non-animated usually stems from Buddhistic beliefs in “Mappo” or the ends days of the world when the world would fall into complete chaos as people go further and further away from the teachings of Buddha and at that last possible moment the advent of the Maitreya Buddha; a saviour would navigate the world out of chaos and start a new world order. This is the typical scenario that is sketched by all the Animes and mangas and these are not only meant to be cautionary or foretell the advent of the saviour but are meant to reinforce the belief in the above mentioned spiritual teachings. (Macwilliams, 2008) Bibliography Brenner, R.E. 2007, Understanding Anime and Manga, Libraries Unlimited, California. Brown, S.T. 2006, Cinema Anime: Critical engagements with Japanese animations, Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire Hu, T.G. 2010, Frames of anime: culture and image-building, Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong: p, 80 Fernandes, A.T. 2009, ‘Hiding Hiroshima: Blowing away atomic responsibility’, Rhode Island College, Rhode Island: p. 2 Feleppa, R. 2004, Black Rain: Reflections on Hiroshima and Nuclear War in Japanese Film in Cross Currents’, Spring2004, Vol.54 Isuue1, p106-119 Macwilliams, M.W. 2008, Japanese Visual Culture: explorations in the world of Manga and anime, M.E. Sharpe, New York: P.p 181-183 Napier, S. 2005, No more Words: Barefoot, Gen, Grave of the Fireflies, and victim in anime: From Akira to Howls Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation, Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire Napier, S. 2005, Waiting For the End of the World: Apocalyptic Identity in Anime: From Akira to Howls Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation, Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire Read More