Learn about various attributes of Anime and its cultural effects

Attributes

The Anime is fundamentally characterized by the use of limited animation, flat expression, the suspension of time, its thematic breadth, the presence of historical figures, its complex narrative line and above all, a peculiar neotenic style of drawing, with characters characterized by large and oval eyes, with a very defined line, bright colors and reduced movement of the lips.

Plot

Among the notable characteristics in the genre, the development of complex plots during a certain number of episodes stands out, the characters are presented in depth and with defined personalities. Much of anime is structured in television series with defined episode numbers dealing with a specific plot that may involve complex concept work.

In the 1970s, anime began to take a different direction in the world of animation. While Western productions were characterized by being directed towards a child audience, anime dealt with more complex themes such as existentialism and sometimes used more mature language, some scenes of violence and sexual scenes. Several times the demographic objectives often affect the ideological contexts of the work: for example in the shōnen , in the action series , moments that happen in adolescence are taken like friendship, companionship, fights, adventures, sacrifice for love. In the seinen that is also for an adult audience, more mature themes such as political, sexual, or scientific are taken. Which, with the exception of kodomo, can also be part of other demographics, only seen in more depth in this one. It must also be taken into account that when a manga or light novel series is very successful, it is common to adapt it to anime, so it takes elements from it.

Romanticism

It takes elements of fantasy and the supernatural. The relationships that the characters have, such as friends or family, are also taken into account. Most of the anime series can have some emotional and ideological connotations. Images can create a suitable background for the transfer of your emotional thoughts. In series aimed at a female audience, more importance is given to the feelings of the characters, although it is also no stranger to series aimed at a male audience, where the characters are commonly desperate for a person in particular (something that It can be both drama and romantic comedy), the best example of the expression of feelings is the Candy Candy series. And also the sacrifice of love that a person makes for his partner, a concept that is handled in action series, when a female character tries to be rescued from the opponents, the duel between the main character and his enemy occurs. There are also several romantic genres, where they can be given in different ways as the series takes. Onegai Teacher, which is about a love between a teacher and one of her students.

Realism

Although fantasy over real events is more predominant, some series have been influenced by the realism movement, even literary works have been adapted to anime. The stories told through this medium can be produced by combining various film genres, as such there are a large number of themes, they can describe historical events, such as those cited later. Something that does have to be taken into account is that Japanese culture and traditions are reflected in the anime. The popular ideas of the characters are: the persistence, the unwillingness to surrender of very powerful people or circumstances to face in life.

There are also series with historical drama, which narrates different events in Japan, such as Rurouni Kenshin (also known as Samurai X), or also in Europe, such as the film Steamboy, where part of the characters are fictitious, but others may be part of the story. Something that is also taken into account is politics, that even the first anime films were publicity for the war, where also the mecha genre, with examples such as Super Dimensional Fortress Macross or Mobile Suit Gundam, have been part of a domain of different places and ideologies within the series, the abuses committed in authority (which is present in the opposing characters) are also seen. Another very distinguished element is existentialism, where the characters try to analyze their history, and the different events they have gone through, can be seen in a very profound way in Ghost in the Shell. You can also try disasters, for example Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. Also in more mature anime like Nana you can sometimes appreciate realism and not be so fanciful.

Humanity, nature and technology

What has been said about the Shinto tradition is also useful in illustrating how the complex debate about the relationship between nature and technology has long been important in Japanese society (but also worldwide). And this is reflected in the anime. For example, the film Taro Peach, the divine warrior of the seas, shows a relationship between the environment, being represented by animals on an island, and technology, being part of World War II propaganda, where also the great development of technology has been part of the postwar period. Also within the genres of science fiction are the mecha (giant robots), where it can be explained how technology instead of being a positive development, begins to be a great source of devastation, paradoxically the damage caused is recovered by the same technology. Another concept is Cyberpunk, where Akira 's movie is considered a pioneer. Also in the Ghost in the shell series , the concept of humanity is mixed with technology, and humanity is taken for granted, usually accompanied by themes of existentialism. In another sense, man-technology, in particular, is also the face through which in anime he takes a transposition of modernity and, ultimately, resulting in an inseparable combination of old and new.

Cultural references

Cultural references as historical figures in anime is a mixture of mainly Japanese and Western cultures. From the western genre, it rescues some archetypes of characters, presentation in chapters of the same duration and animation techniques, among other things. To this he adds traditional Japanese concepts such as an emphasis on everyday life and a modernized traditional Japanese drawing style. In addition, other types of mythologies can be presented, such as Greek, Chinese, Scandinavian (if examples were taken, they would be the Saint Seiya, Dragon Ball and Matantei Loki series respectively).

Bushido

Another factor that drives the anime is the traditions, the anecdotes and situations that, without a doubt, are the martial ethics that is basically due to the complexity of the code of conduct that consists of the bushidō, the way of the noble warriors. Stories in anime, in particular, tend to combine aspects of bujutsu and budō that provide the right capable of demonstrating fighting, but also to represent the path of morality and of leading education. In some cases, the hero can also be deified as in Greek mythology. However, since bushidō is connoted by the presence of qualities of moral leadership, such as justice, a sense of duty, loyalty, compassion, honor, honesty, and bravery, it is well to remember that its origin culture is not only presented in the anime, which in some way focuses on combat, or directly on the conflict set in Feudal Japan , but it is also presented in the modernity of Japan.

Senpai-Kohai

In the way of the budōka there is a rule that you cannot start without a guide, either from a parent or a teacher, it doesn't matter, what the street indicates with your behavior. In Japanese society, it is usually represented by the pair senpai-kōhai (tutor-worker, veteran-trainee), where the former is "the one who started first, and the second, who started later". This report, implying the respect and devotion of kōhai towards the senpai, but also that they are indeed in a position to advise and guide in life, can almost be determined in each social context, from theschool to work, from sports to politics, and also, it is reflected in anime, where many times the characters are taught by a teacher.

The sense of duty

In the sense of duty presented in the anime by the Japanese, the true strength is in not caring about your own personal happiness in order to achieve ideals and fulfill a duty, it is a quest to try to find an inner path. The visits have the duty to pay a debt, which can be against the king, the parents, the ancestors and even against their name, but in the stories of many people they come to be against the whole world, the respect in which the protagonist, often beyond his personal feelings and the isolation implied by his inevitable diversity, takes responsibility for his own sacrifice, which is inspired by the military history of Japan. However, morality is a term that is where the universe is considered by Japanese to be amoral and indifferent.

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