How does anime differ from other animation around the world?

What kinds of skills would one need in order to become an animator?

Key Term: Muromachi Art - is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1337 to 1573.

 Many Chinese paintings were imported to Japan during the Muromachi Period.  Japanese artists working for Zen temples and the shogunate were greatly influenced by the Chinese paintings

 Subject Matter  Modified use of color: Instead of bright colors, paintings generally only had black and white or different tones of a single color  Ink and wash paintings  More sense of deep space

Key Term: Momoyama Period - is the final phase of the Sengoku period in Japan ( ).

 Art style characterized as “robust” (strong/tough), “opulent”(wealthy/luxurious), and “dynamic” (lively/vibrant).  Strong use of gold on architecture, paintings, garments, and furnishings  Meanwhile, there was a “counter-aesthetic” influence from the military elite, encouraging “rustic simplicity”  Foreign influence became more prevalent  Arrival of European merchants  Hideyoshi’s invasion of Korean peninsula

Key Term: Edo Period - period between 1615 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when Japanese society was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate.

 At this time there was a flow of artistic creativity.  Schools of painting, decorative arts such as ceramics, lacquer ware, textiles, and metalwork flourished.  This is due to now less preoccupied people, that can now concentrate on other things like art besides war, money, and jobs.

 Ukiyo-e known as "pictures of the floating world," first emerged in the seventeenth century.  It is also known as woodblock printing.  This new art form was created for the urban townspeople.  Affordable artwork.  Mass-produced  Were available to everyone.

 Pictures of the afterlife and animals started appearing on temple walls and are similar to modern manga.  From there, manga started to branch out to many other subjects.  The manga drawn on wood blocks in the 1600's was known as edo. Above: Example of Edo. Below: example of Animal Scrolls, choujuugiga

Key Term: Manga- a style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels, typically aimed at adults as well as children.

Key Term: Woodblock Print - a block of wood, especially one from which woodcut prints are made.

 At first, artists specialized in depicting famous Kabuki actors, women.  By the 19th century they also produced designs featuring landscapes, legendary heroes, and nature studies.

 Painting was popular during the Edo period.  Flat planes  Strong linear outlines  Gold-leaf background  Many paintings depict nature due to the religion of Confucianism. Very philosophical with nature.

 In 1815, the term “manga” came into existence. “Man" meaning “in spite of oneself” or “whimsical”, and "ga" meaning picture.  The next kind of manga, emerging in the 16th century, were ink brushed illustrated prints with captions, but it lacked a progressive story. Hokusai’s Great Wave wood block, a very famous manga.

 Because of the censorship in Japan during the late 1920's and early 30's the Japanese government began to intimidate artists and publishers.  The result was the closing-down or extreme censoring of magazines.  Tezuka debuted with a comic book in 1947, “New Treasure Island”, an Akahon (a cheap "Red Book").  Akahon was an industry that provided entertainment to the poor children of post-war Japan. New Treasure Island sold an unprecedented 400,000 copies. Tezuka’s “New Treasure Island”

 In architecture, the construction of Tokyo Station was made full of bricks and pseudo-European style. They were built in the urban area.  Today, about over 3,000 trains go through Tokyo Station

End of World War II, 1945

 Artists work moved away from local developments into mainstream world art.  Tendency for certain color combinations  Art during this period was supported by merchants.  This originated postwar genres, specifically installation art, conceptual art, performance art, and wearable art.

 American art and architecture largely impacted Postwar art.  Japanese feared to build skyscrapers because of earthquakes.  Technology advanced, Japanese were able to build taller buildings.  Buildings consisted of more artistic outlooks.

 Japan has largely contributed to the world of entertainment  Impacted fields such as commercials and graphic design

 Cartoons from America led to the creation of anime.

Key Term: Anime- a style of Japanese film and television animation, typically aimed at adults as well as children.

 In 1963 Astroboy came out as a television series. This was the first anime.  Astroboy was a robot that wished to be a real boy.  The next hit was Speed Racer In

The golden years of anime It was at this time when anime started becoming a hit in America. There were several highly popular films put out in the mid 80s: Miyazaki's "Nausïca of the Valley of the Wind", “Castle in the Sky"; Urusei Yatsura: "Only You" and "Beautiful Dreamer" The first video players/recorders came out during this time.

By the 1990s anime was influencing and influenced by Western culture. From leaps were made in the technology of animation. Finally, US anime licensers, those that legally bring anime to US fans, are gaining a foot hold in the American market.

 Anime can sometimes be based on manga or manga can be based on anime.  Merchandise stems from anime and manga.  The toys and items are made in the image of the characters.  Contribute to the success of the anime/manga.

 Shojo: manga/anime that are made with a female audience in mind.  Dealing with romances.  Dealing with problems girls can face in daily life, or activities girls are interested in.  Shonen: manga/anime that are made with a male audience in mind.  The main characters often go through battles to become stronger.

 Mecha: anime/manga with large robots.  The robots are either independent or controlled by humans  The main plot usually revolves around the humans in the robot.

Video: Ukiyo-e