Ask John: Will Anime always be Original and Traditional?

Question:
Will anime always be original and traditional? Like for another generation, new anime will remain similar to live action movies and reality based? None will ever be fantasy like Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry? I think they’ll all be just like the ones today. What do you think?

Answer:
If I’m interpreting your question properly, I believe you’re asking if anime will maintain its traditional and contemporary themes and storytelling style. That’s a valid question. However, I think that your assumption that anime is always based on reality is slightly mistaken.

In order to predict whether anime will remain true to itself, it’s necessary to define exactly what the characteristics of anime are. By definition, anime is Japanese animation. More relevant to this discussion, anime is a type of animated film that’s influenced by first-hand Japanese aesthetics. I use the term “influenced by” instead of “inspired by” to distinguish between authentic Japanese animation and foreign animation patterned after anime. To explain further, it may be more concise to explain what anime isn’t. Anime isn’t defined by any singular visual style. Big eyes and bright colors don’t make anime. A strict recreation of “reality” likewise doesn’t define anime. Anime like Kemonozume, Dead Leaves, and Fuujin Monogatari are anime, but they don’t look anything like the standard perception of anime. Series like Dameko Doubutsu, Shiawase no Okojo-san, Animal Yokocho, and Mori no Rascal star talking animals, so they’re certainly not “reality based,” but they’re still anime.

The difference between American cartoons like Looney Tunes & Tom and Jerry and Japanese animation isn’t distinguished by superficial appearance or superficial content comparisons. The difference lies in attitude and execution. Even in anime set in a fantasy world staring talking animals, viewers can still relate to the characters because the characters have realistic motivations. Loony Tunes and the mishaps of Tom and Jerry are amusing, but viewers don’t understand and share character motivations and decisions in these shows. Tom the cat chases Jerry the mouse because that’s his role – that’s what a screenwriter has decided that the character will do – not because the character is acting on logical, believable, personal motivations. Anime is not always set in reality, but empathetic human emotions, reactions, and rationality always infuse anime, which makes anime feel more realistic. Being able to relate to characters in anime and understand their motivations and emotions makes anime feel more realistic than typical American cartoons which don’t utilize believable, empathetic characterizations.

Now that the concept of anime’s “realism” being a result of its emphasis on believable character personalities has been established, we can move on to a discussion of whether anime will maintain this characteristic. For as long as modern anime has existed there have been anime that recreate reality and anime that depict totally made-up alternate worlds and societies. I can’t imagine any reason why that would change in the future. Anime is the way it is because viewers enjoy watching it. Drastically altering the fundamental literary style of anime seems totally unnecessary. Artists are comfortable writing and drawing stories featuring characters with complex, believable personalities and conflicts that audiences can relate to. Japanese viewers seem to enjoy and prefer anime which they can immerse themselves in and believe in. I can envision future evolutions in the anime industry, such as increasing globalization and foreign influence possibly manipulating the subtleties of anime, but I can’t envision a total revamp of anime’s fundamental characteristics.

The anime film “Highlander: The Search For Vengeance” provides an excellent example of subtle changes in anime. Anime films developed entirely by Japanese artists at Madhouse, including Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, X, and Jubei Ninpucho, have absorbing plots and sympathetic, involving characters. Madhouse’s Highlander film, which was based on a foreign script composed by the Hong Kong based Imagi Entertainment, feels uncharacteristically blunt and superficial. Its characters are simplistic, one-dimensional plot devices rather than fully fleshed-out believable characters. In effect, the film looks like anime, but doesn’t feel like anime because its dialogue, characters, and character development (or lack thereof) don’t have the depth and believability that typical original Japanese anime creations have. But even if the Highlander anime is an example of the future of anime, you probably have little to worry about. Should anime increasingly evolve with more international input, I think we’ll see future productions develop more adept writing and possibly a more globally accessible tone. But I don’t think we’ll see anime become drastically simplistic or totally unbelievable. Anime is attractive because it’s sophisticated, intelligent and literate. Those are among the fundamental characteristics of Japanese animation, and I don’t think those characteristics will ever change, regardless of how anime evolves.