Ask John: What Makes an Anime a Masterpiece?

Question:
In your recent question, you were saying that Elfen Lied is not a masterpiece, so I was wondering which anime are masterpieces and how can you define that an anime is a masterpiece?

Answer:
Anime is a cinematic art, therefore it should be critiqued with both the standards used to analyze literature and those used to critique visual art. And as is the case with all types of art, anime must be subjectively compared to applicable objective standards. For example, although anime often tells a story, it’s unfair to criticize anime only as a story and totally disregard its visuals. Likewise, some anime are purely visual without story and therefore shouldn’t be expected to live up to literary standards.

Narratives are judged by the effectiveness of their characterizations, plausibility, affectivity, and their intelligence, along with more intangible elements like beauty and wit. Cinema must be examined with not only these traits, but also judged for effective mise en scene, editing, and music. I’ll explain these points in detail before applying them to examples.

In order to be convincing and entertaining, a story must be believable. Believability is established through characterization and verisimilitude (similarity to reality). Characters in a story need to be fleshed out with individual personalities. They should seem like real people who have their own opinions, attitudes, and emotions. Readers or viewers need to be able to believe that fictional characters are real, living beings in order for those characters to convey any impact. Likewise, stories themselves must allow for suspension of disbelief. Although we may know that humans aren’t traveling through space or able to fly, a well written story allows us to ignore reality, temporarily set aside our disbelief, and accept the story. Events in stories that occur without logical explanation or preparation, or circumstances that defy simple common sense defy belief and spoil the believability of a narrative.

Once a story has established itself as convincing, it can move on to achieve other effects. A story that’s merely believable is merely adequate. Good stories will create a mood or affect the reader or viewer’s emotions. Affectivity refers to a story’s manipulation of emotional response. Intelligent stories can also challenge a viewer or reader’s rational mind. A story that makes one think is generally considered superior to one which leaves no rational impact. Narratives that allow the reader to investigate the story- ponder its nuances, recognize subtle hints, unravel symbolism- are usually considered superior to stories that either have little depth or are too obvious.

Finally, a critic can evaluate the art of a story. The way a story unfolds, its dialogue- what’s spoken and what’s left unsaid, degrees of subtlety, and virtually any other unique qualities of a story that contribute to its overall effect should be considered in a critical analysis.

Cinema adds movement, sound, and visuals to a story, so those elements must also be considered. The cinematic term “mise en scene” refers to everything seen on screen in a single moment, including the color and position of objects on screen. The literal make-up of a shot in animated film is even more important than it is in live action film because absolutely everything seen in animation is artificially created and therefore the work of artists. With live action, the position of a tree or house may be natural. The visual impact of film shouldn’t be underestimated. Are characters attractive or believable within their setting and compared to each other? Is the background art detailed and convincing? Is the animation quality smooth or stilted and jerky?

Beside the visual impact of anime, a critic needs to consider vital supplemental characteristics. If a film flows naturally or is easy to follow, it probably has good editing. If a narrative is fractured, is that condition intentional or not? If it is, does it achieve it’s goal? Music should enhance a film, not distract attention. An excellent score breaths life into a film by imposing an emotional reaction upon viewers and drawing them into the film’s story.

As I mentioned, the status of “masterpiece” is subjective and has some leeway. For example, Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle can be called a masterpiece, but it’s not quite as brilliant a movie as Miyazaki’s Nausicaa or Totoro or Mononoke, which are also masterpieces. I referred to Elfen Lied as just short of being a masterpiece because I think it failed to meet the full potential it seemingly set for itself. But other fans and critics who have a different opinion of the show, or whose standards may be slightly lower than mine may quickly affirm Elfen Lied a masterpiece.

In my discussion of Elfen Lied, I compared it to works including Fushigi Yuugi, Berserk, SaiKano, and Graveyard of Fireflies. I consider those titles masterpieces because they excel in every criteria of criticism. I consider titles like the Evangelion and original Ghost in the Shell motion picture flawed masterpieces because they fall short in some qualities, but overwhelmingly make up for their shortcomings in other areas. Certain anime titles like Akira, Cowboy Bebop, Utena, and virtually all of Studio Ghibli’s major works, are near universally acknowledged as masterpieces. I happen to also consider anime titles like Serial Experiments Lain, Jin-Roh, Kurau ~ Phantom Memory, Azumanga Daioh, Bubblegum Crisis OAVs 5 & 6, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack, and countless others “masterpieces” because they meet or exceed my highest expectations and standards.

There’s no defined, universally agreed upon limited number of anime masterpieces. What is and isn’t a masterpiece is subjective. And new, brilliant anime debut all the time. I don’t think that critics should be hesitant to label something a masterpiece if it’s genuinely deserving. Critics should, though, be careful not to confuse subjective appeal with objective artistic credibility. For example, I’m an obsessive fan and rabid collector of classic Dirty Pair, but I don’t consider Dirty Pair a masterpiece. The fact that an anime may be a cinematic masterpiece doesn’t necessitate that it will be well liked, and just because an anime is tremendously popular doesn’t mean that it’s an artistic masterpiece. As with all adjectives applied to anime, labeling something a masterpiece is a useful tool for assisting discussion, but such terms shouldn’t necessarily limit or define what you do and don’t watch, collect, or enjoy.