Ask John: What’s Your Take on the Word Japanimation?

Question:
What do you think of people who call anime “Japanimation?”

Answer:
Since you’ve asked for my personal opinion, that’s what I’ll relate, but I’d prefer to discuss my opinion of the term “Japanimation” itself rather than stereotype the people that use the term. I’ve never liked the phrase “Japanimation” and do not use it myself. I prefer either the term “anime,” or the phrase “Japanese animation,” although “Japanimation” does essentially mean the same thing.

My first encounter with the term came in the mid 1980s, when it was much more frequently used than it is now. When I started watching import anime, it was difficult to go to a convention screening room and not hear a dozen people say, to the effect, “It all looks like Go-bots/Transformers/Robotech” or have at least one person snort, “It’s that Japanimation crap.” While certainly not all people that have used the term have used it derisively, for me, the word “Japanimation” sounds intrinsically demeaning and derogatory. First of all is its inclusion of the abbreviation “Jap.” While, in the usage “Japanimation,” it simply refers to animation from Japan, the term “Jap,” is inescapably connected to the racist insult “Jap” which originated during World War II. Even though the term “Japanimation” may not be intended to sound demeaning or offensive, it does, at least to me. Furthermore, the term has always inexplicably sounded immature and sarcastic to my ears. Considering that I’ve always strived to promote the positive cultural aspect of anime, I’ve always preferred to use either the proper Japanese name for the genre, “anime,” or use the objective phrase “Japanese animation,” which is free of implied or surrounding suggestion.

The term does still appear in conversation and print occasionally, but with the increasing awareness and popularity of anime in the West, the word “Japanimation” seems to be decaying into a a relic of the early days of the American anime invasion.