Analysis Of Grave Of The Fireflies

As any cliché artist would say, “I started drawing a lot when I was younger;” but not me –I can’t remember when I started to enjoy the arts. I have always been driven to create and express myself. I painted scenery to calm my nerves, draw intricate objects to focus on details, and draw dynamic poses to allow development of my eye. The mountain of used sketchbooks fills its’ own bookcase, dating back to early elementary years when I would create little stories much like a comic book. Despite my deep love for the arts, I always loved animation much more. Animation is the perfect blend of drawing and creating visual aid, while elaborately designing a storyline and plot to engage the audience –animation lets the average audience member to feel

In many people’s opinions, animation means funny and humor and designed for children. The content of the animation is nothing more than fairy tales, legends, fables, etc. Animation even becomes a symbol of Disney cartoon. However, if we re-examine the animation from another point of view, we will find that it has grown out of a single commercial mode constraints. Some of the animations are complicated, obscure and abstract. Variety kinds of visual images in it stimulate the audience's optic nerves. This is the salient features of experimental animation. Experimental animation belongs to the field which between film and pure art. Innovation is the soul of it. In the production process, the

For decades animation has been a pinnacle for entertainment, but most of the content created since the dawn of animated entertainment have contained excruciatingly problematic aspects

What images come to mind as you reflect on your childhood? Playgrounds, blackboards, and soccer balls may be among the warmest of memories. Yet for many mermaids swim their thoughts, princesses get swept of their feet, and lions roar to their loyal place in the animal kingdom. There is no doubt that today’s entertainment has most of its touch using classical influences. Walt Disney has produced animated films that have captured the heart and imagination of audiences of all ages around the world through the magic of storytelling and imagery. Many of us appreciate the imagination and magic that Disney puts into its animations with out knowing they are based off of classical and traditional storylines

The author of Animating Revolt and Revolting Animation, Judith Halberstam, uses rhetorical strategies to speak to her point that animated movies can be used to reach a wide ranging audience to convey deep underlying messages in a way that is entertaining for all. The author points out how Pixar movies brings non-traditional characters to life and faces them against real life struggles but does so in a happy ending manor that captivates audiences. This is accomplished by the author introducing a plot line from a Pixar movie that illustrates a struggle or classic battle and then describes the characters that are in the struggle and how they live through it. The author then describes an actual real life struggle and relates it back to the animated movie.

Animation has a variety of differences between Japanese culture and the culture of the United States. While animation is usually made for the sole purpose of entertainment for children in the United States, Japanese animation, also known as anime as it is referred to both in Japan and in the West, is a form of media that is enjoyed by people of all ages. Unlike the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and SpongeBob Square pants, both very popular American animations shows in their times, anime focuses more on drama and other non childlike qualities. The differing cultures of the United States and Japan can be considered the main factor to the huge differences in their own respected animation styles.

In recent years, animated programs have dominated the world of film and TV in both America and Japan. These programs, known as cartoons and anime, are some of the most popular forms of entertainment today. Anime and cartoon shows, such as One Piece and Family Guy, have been running for decades and are very well known among society. Animated films such as Disney’s The Lion King and Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away have also thrived and even surpassed animated television shows in some instances. Both American and Japanese animation industries have flourished, and their cartoons and animes continue to grow in popularity. However, similarities and differences between the two soon arise when compared closely; these observations are often what lead fans to prefer one style over the other as well as shape pop culture.

Animation; an art form with the ability to tell a story and convey a multitude of emotions along with information. Animation can be found almost everywhere in media from commercials, to movies, to games. Every single animation need an animator or a team of animators to create it. There are many kinds of animation: 2D, 3D, motion graphics, visual effects. Each of these categories may have multiple people working on them using their own special skills to produce the final product. The reason for researching this occupation is because of my fascination and respect for the craft. I admire the art of storytelling immensely and the creativity that goes into it.

In a world where technology is rapidly developing and evolving, it is sometimes hard to keep up with the changes that are made. When looking back on changes that are made it is particularly interesting to look at the development of animation over history. Today when one thinks about animation it is impossible not to think of Disney and their major motion pictures. The Shreck films, Finding Nemo, and Happy Feet, to name just some of the dozens of animated films Disney has produced, raked in million upon millions of dollars at the box office, and have been hit films with people in all age groups.

Traditionally, animated films have been made for and consumed by children, with the plotlines and themes being relatively basic and forthright. However, recent years have seen the release of animated films that explore significantly more adult themes and thought provoking ideas. Perhaps the most confronting example of adult themes in an animated film is in 2016’s ‘Zootopia’. The film forces viewers to think about concepts such as racial segregation, nature vs. nurture and the debilitating effect of stereotyping. Although Zootopia features anthropomorphic animals, it is easy to draw a connection between the film’s prey vs. predator narrative and racial divide in our own society.

An animated movie is a drawing, painted, or digitally created film that uses stop-frame cinematography to simulate movement. The best example of an animated movie is Spirited Away. This film came out in 2001 and was directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The film revolves around Chihiro, a girl who must grow up quickly and save her parents from a spirit world. The theme of the film is that there is both good and evil in the world and part of growing up is finding the line between good and evil. In almost every animated film you will find a family friend theme and a fast paced story. This is mainly because most animated films are aimed toward children and families. As a result of this, animated films usually revolve around growing up and taking responsibility, or other themes that will benefit children. Spirited Away is the best example of an animated movie because it is fast paced, has great themes, and is engaging to both children and adults. When children watch Spirited Away they will love the themes or growing up and taking responsibility and exploring the fantasy world inside the film. Adults will also

The technological factors in the animation industry are not really favorable. Though there are several supportive technologies, there is constant rapid change, resulting in quickly obsolete technologies. Consequently, keeping up with the dynamism of animation technologies becomes difficult.

Media has grown to be accepted as a very important teaching tool and is even being used with that exact purpose, education. As Henry A. Giroux said about animated films, “I soon found that for my children, and I suspect for many others, these films possess at least as much cultural authority and legitimacy for teaching roles, values, and ideals as more traditional sites of learning…” But what we see now is this ‘teaching tool’ schooling the public about school itself.

The film Grave of The Fireflies directed by Isao Takahata is based off true events and is set in Japan during World War 2, we have seen many movies set in the time of world war two however there are few movies which are portrayed from the losing side Japan. The movie follows two kids witnessing a bombing of their home, which subsequently killed their mother due to her being burned by the fire bombs. The movie is shown through the perspective of the boy’s ghost as it follows the life of himself and his younger sister through hardship and war. We see how the boy must step up to take care of his sister due to their mother’s death and the father who is at war, we see the bond between the brother and the sister goes beyond this life as the sister’s ghost watches over him and waits for him in the afterlife. I am going to be analysing two scenes in the film which shape the film because they have the most importance or detail in them.

When one thinks about the cartoons of the past, like TigerSharks, ThunderCats, and G.I. Joe, one will remember the rich story lines, the wild character profiles, and the inspiring battle cries of "Yo Joe" and "Thunder, Thunder, ThunderCats, Ho!!" With technology changing every day, a new form of animation has arisen. This new form is called "Japanimation" or "Anime." It is slowly becoming a part of this culture just as much as hamburgers and pizza. It still has a long way to go, but it is slowly creeping into the American genre of animation.