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I'm actually enjoying doing my final year project - anime online retailing... ;)
I get to research about the overview of the anime industry globally. By understanding the industry, I've attained a passion for anime.. I'm on my way into becoming an 'otaku' (an obsessive die heard anime fan)!
Read on.. for fun and knowledge. \^o^/ Ganbatte ikimashio!
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Today, Japanese animation (anime) is a recognized media and viewed globally. In the early 20th century (1900s), motion picture and audio are still new. Forays of western artists into film industry were followed by those in the East, Japan included. This is the era in which first animated film were born, idea of cartoon was just making its way off newspapers pages and into films.
In 1914, Japanese cartoonist begin own experiments with animated motion pictures. This is in pursuing of Walt Disney Studios and Fleisher Brothers, top producers of animated in the United States. Walt Disney and Fleisher Brothers produced masterpieces in cartoons that set standards for cartoon medium for years to come. Despite the initiative in the experiments, Japanese were slow to get into the realm of animation due to normal conservatism in Japan at that era.
Anime only started blooming during Second World War where Osamu Tezuka, a factory worker during war and an aspiring doctor was influenced by early animation of Walt Disney & Fleisher Brothers. Birth of Japanese animation (anime) was from Tezuka’s passion for animation. Tezuka was the first person to do novel length drawn story, “Shintakarajima” or New Treasure Island in 1947. Tezuka wanted to show liveliness in his drawings therefore he focus on his own style of drawings where unusually large eyes in anime character is able to display a range of emotions of Tezuka’s characters. His style is later on has influenced many future anime and manga artist and has become a trademark of Japanese animation. In 1963, Japan produced international success, “Testuwan Atom” or best known in the United States as “Astro Boy”.
In 1970s, there was a change in Japanese animation medium, the trend in this era was “mecha” or mechanism in anime the plot elements consist of giant robots and machines. The plot of this era heavily lean towards the good guys versus the bad guys thus adding expansion of characterization in anime. The most famous anime at this time was a series called “Mazinger Z”. In 1979, a series “Mobile Suit Gundam”, that tells the story about war between Earth and Space colonies has created a healthy merchandising market of models served to bolster anime series popularity known as “Gundam”.
The 80s is where the anime boom starts kicking in globally. Japanimation as international newspapers refers anime with few such as “Speed Racer” have paved it way into popularity. A horrendous cut for public consumption such as ‘Robotech’ movie was made from bits and pieces of three original mecha series in Japan. This era also give birth to yet a bundle of sub categories in anime. Rumiko Takahashi’s prominent figures introduces romantic and comedy field, and on the hand, Go Nagai and others worked to develop anime for adults, breaking the concept that animation was only for children. This era also witness two milestones in history of anime as “Akira” that was produced in 1988, was first in worldwide acclaim and in 1995, “Ghost in a shell” helps to solidify Japanese animation as ultimate alternative medium to conventional animation. By this time, a healthy fan based have grown in international market, the biggest is in the United States. The anime phenomenon has also hit Asian countries such as Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. In parallel with the growing fan cult, markets for anime related merchandizes has also starting to pave it way to support the fan craze.
Today anime is alive and continuing to evolve and grow. In Japan, new series is shown in television channels everyday. Even in the situation of economic recession that befalls Japan in 2001, anime industry is not badly affected, thanks to the support of die-hard fans and passionate production house of anime. Internationally, especially in the west, anime movement has grown to new heights at the start of 21st century. Companies such as Bandai Entertainment, Viz Video, ADV Films and Pioneer have become larger and more profitable than previous years with ability to release many anime series and related merchandizes. Internet boom has also served to fuel awareness in anime worldwide. Rightstuff.com and Animenation.com is one of the largest online retailers that serves fans for anime related merchandizes.
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Uuuhhh... I really hope I can ace the project!!
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