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What Is Anime In America

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The Sophistication of Anime In America
Japanese animation, called anime for short, landed its first major hit in America with an animation called Astro Boy. This animation was black and white and was created just like any other animated film would have been at that time, hand drawn and taken frame by frame. Now however, current anime has surpassed its predecessors and is full of colorful characters and backgrounds that are appealing to the eye. Anime has also grown beyond targeting children and is now more targeted towards “viewers with double-digit ages and triple-digit IQ’s” or young and old adults, as stated by Patrick Drazen, author of the book “Anime Explosion!: The What? Why? & Wow! Of Japanese Animation.” Even so, people still consider …show more content…

Acting as a base manga paves a way for anime to flourish into society and also acts as a guide for an anime’s storyline. However, anime doesn’t just depend on manga; manga also depends on anime. Patrick Drazen, author of the book “Anime Explosion!” agrees with Chambers on the fact that "many Japanese anime begin life as comic books," and even goes on to say, “This has several advantages, including the goodwill and familiarity of an audience that already knows and cares about the characters. It also enables the viewer who is familiar with the manga story to fill in the blanks” as they see the counterpart anime (Drazen). Chambers also approaches anime as a completely different subject addressing how anime and manga are two completely different art forms. This view can be true with new technologies emerging around the world, and the method of making hand-drawn anime being replaced by other methods such as CG (computer graphics). An article written by The Associated Press details small interviews with people in Anaheim's Anime Expo, which is considered the largest convention of anime and manga in American. Here, Oliver, an anime director from Los Angeles, states that, "CG is becoming increasingly less expensive to do, and mass produce” (The Associated Press). Also taking a stance on the difference between anime and manga The Associated Press addresses how “unlike hand-drawn anime, CG features ultra realistic, fluid movements and seamless shadows and light.” With new methods replacing the old it is very viable to say that anime has deviated a small portion from its original hand drawing method. In fact, this deviation is enhancing the features of new anime and, is creating a more realistic and sophisticated animation

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