Ask John: Is Japanese Live Action Film Undermining Anime?

Question:
How do you feel about the Japanese movie industry and its recent growth? Do you feel it’s imposing slightly on anime?

The reason why I ask is when viewing the Animatrix, one of the Japanese animators comments on the Matrix as, “a live action anime,” which it was most definetly aiming for. The individual went as far as to say, “What are to become of us animators?” faced with the reality that crazy action and plot is no longer “impossible” in live action.

The Japanese movie industry is growing, and Korean movies are getting bigger than ever. Is this growth just a trend? Will all Japanese movies dissapoint, not reaching their full potential like Returner or Azumi? Or does the Japanese movie industry seem like it’s slowly moving in on anime? Look at Casshern, Devil man, and Cutie honey. I can’t help but wonder if these are only the beginning or merely a temporary struggle of Japanese cinema to beat out Hollywood.

Answer:
I recall hearing speculation about the impending demise of the anime industry when I first began watching imported anime in the mid 1980s. Twenty years later, the anime industry hasn’t collapsed yet. I may be the one mistaken, but I believe that the vast number of critics and predictions out there presume that Japanese animation is a trend or a boom industry. I think they overlook the fact that anime has an innate, unique appeal to the senses which sustains it. No matter how spectacular live action film gets, it’s still live action. I think one of the characteristics that anime fans like about anime is its art – its look. At least with all of the films released so far including even upcoming films like Devilman and Cutey Honey, there has never been a live action film that actually looked like anime. Live action movies aren’t filmed in primary colors and don’t have characters with giant, saucer eyes. Live action movie can adopt the action and spectacle of anime, but can’t adopt the actual 2D “cartoon” look of anime. While it’s not the only characteristic of anime that fans enjoy, the look of anime is one of the things that will sustain the art form. As long as viewers enjoy seeing animated painted illustrations, anime will continue to exist.

Whether or not anime will continue to thrive in the way it does now is an altogether different matter. The April 29th episode of TBS Network’s News 23 program documented the shrinking number of Japan’s anime industry employees and the industry’s low pay and long hours, and also interviewed Korean animators that hope to equal or surpass the quality of Japanese animation within another five years. Japan’s animation industry may indeed be facing a shake-out in the future, but as long as there are anime fans in Japan, there will be Japanese artists that want to make anime a career. So the threat of live action film making is only one of the threats to the continued growth of Japan’s anime industry, and not the most significant threat. It seems as though the lure of better paying, less stressful jobs in the Japanese marketplace and cheaper labor and focused competition from South Korea’s animation industry are the biggest threats to Japanese anime industry right now.

But it’s undeniable that the Japanese film industry has been looking to the manga and anime industries for inspiration lately, and may be encroaching into the cinematic realms traditionally tread by only anime. Japanese films like Alive, Dragonhead, Cutey Honey, Casshern, Tetsujin 28, Devilman, and Azumi are all sci-fi or fantasy based on manga. Films including Juvenile and Returner are heavily influenced by anime. Korea has produced titles like Volcano High School. And America has the Matrix trilogy. I can’t say for certain that the anime industry is being influenced by the increasing number of effects heavy live action films being produced, but I do wonder if there’s any connection between the dramatic increase in the number of decidedly non “effects heavy” anime being produced lately. Many fans have noticed a dramatic increase in the number of dating simulation games turned into anime recently, including Kanon, Green Green, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito, Memories Off, With You, Mizuiro, Popotan, Kita He, Da Capo, Happy Lesson, and the upcoming Wind: A Breath of Heart, Air, Tsuki ha Higashi ni Hi ha Nishi ni, Akane Maniax, and several others. (Not to mention romantic dramas like Maria-sama ga Miteru, Koikaze, Onegai Teacher and Ai Yori Aoshi which aren’t based on simulation games but have a similar tone and pace.) Of course these anime are produced in response to estimated fan demand, but one may wonder if this fan demand is influenced by the fact that Japanese fans get their dose of sensationalistic action from live action movies now and turn to anime for other genres or types of entertainment.

Considering that many of Japan’s recent sci-fi and fantasy spectacular films have been based on anime or manga, I don’t think that Japan’s live action film industry is really a significant threat to its anime industry. (Keep in mind that this is a theory from a foreigner who’s not intimately familiar with the daily trends of Japan’s entertainment industry.) When we also look at directors including Mamoru Oshii and Keita Amemiya moving from immediately prior work on live action films to working in anime (Oshii going from Avalon and Killers to Innocence. Amemiya going from Mikazuki and Ultraman to Mahou Shoujo Tai Arusu.) and Hideaki Anno directing Anime Tenchou followed by the live action Cutey Honey then going back to anime again to direct Re: Cutey Honey, we find a symbiotic relationship between Japan’s film industry and the anime industry. I think that because we already have anime films like those of Satoshi Kon, which are often cited as animated live action films, and live action Japanese movies based on anime and manga, Japan’s live action film industry and its anime industry compliment each other. When anime films like Detective Conan can still open in the top box office position in Japanese theaters, I don’t think the Japanese studio system would be eager to totally usurp or undermine the anime industry. Considering that we presently have action and fantasy anime like Ghost in the Shell, Godannar, Fullmetal Alchemist, Gantz, Kyo Kara Maoh, Gravion, and Kenran Butosai, and upcoming titles such as Samurai 7, Soukyuu no Fafner, and Sousei no Aquarian on the way, I wouldn’t say that fantastic (in the literal sense) anime is soon to be replaced by live action.

My suspicion is that Japan’s live action film industry isn’t consciously trying to compete with or outdo America’s film industry. First and foremost I suspect that Japan’s film industry is simply trying to give Japanese theater goers what they want to see. The proliferation of manga and anime, and the continued support of sentai hero shows and giant monster movies should attest to Japan’s ongoing fascination with the fantastic. Doubtlessly the international success of the Matrix trilogy and Lord of the Rings trilogies have also encouraged Japan’s film industry to put more support into producing similar fantasy films for Japanese and potentially worldwide release. I don’t think there’s any particular organized conspiracy to exterminate anime. Nor do I think that Japan’s film industry is trying to lead the world’s fantasy film output. The Matrix and Lord of the Rings have legitimized science fiction and fantasy films and proven that such films draw viewers and profits. I think that Japan’s film industry is simply going where the money is, which happens to be the territory that a lot of anime has mined for years.