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There’s a lot more depth to anime than “Naruto” and battle-monster shows would have you believe.
The Japanese take a very unique, stylized approach to cartooning, but negative stigma brought on by anime’s most nuanced work has turned people away from an entire art form before even giving it a chance.
The Japanese play an integral part in the evolution of adult-oriented narrative art. With their sophisticated approach to an unsophisticated art form, artists and writers such as “Astro Boy” creator Osamu Tezuka are among Walt Disney, Tex Avery and the Hanna-Barbara team as the most important figures in animation history.
Most people fail to understand that a lot of Japanese animation is targeted toward specific age groups. There’s a big difference between “Dragon Ball Z,” an action cartoon where guys in orange jump suits shoot balls of energy from their hands, and “Paranoia Agent,” a series about a mysterious rollerblading attacker who somehow improves the lives of the people he assaults.
Cultural misconception is an issue, but the bigger problem with appreciating anime is a lot of it sucks. Whenever you get tricked into watching some cheesy cartoon where the hero looks like an androgynous emo kid and the dialogue sounds like it was written by a third grader, it ruins your anime experience for life.
Like anything that stays too close to its genre, the setting in bad Japanese animation dominates the plot and characterization. Cliche references to destiny and feudal honor make it feel as if the cartoon is constantly reminding you it came from the Land of the Rising Sun.
What makes bad anime bad is what makes all art bad. The worst westerns and action movies suffer from the same problems. It just seems as though Western culture is inundated with anime’s lowest common denominator because it is the cheap and harmless stuff that corporate America loves to shove down our throats. Because of them, “Pokemon” and other battle-monster shows are killing the Saturday morning cartoons my generation may have been the last to truly enjoy.
The most creative and successful anime rejects its more boring and obvious themes while retaining its stunning visual approach. A perfect example is Katsuhiro Otomo’s landmark film “Akira,” a phenomenal, futuristic story rife with political tension and magic realism.
So the next time you see a cartoon character with bangs draped over his eyes, give him a chance. You may be surprised.
Earl can be reached at
entertainmenteditor@theorion.com
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