How did anime change over the years?
Summery
I will be researching how has anime change over the years, this will include historical and contemporary influences, the founders, the first anime studio, changes in the indrusty, the evolution of production techniques ect.
Historical and contemporary influences
Astro Boy was not only the very first anime, but it was also the very first manga. Astro Boy’s original Japanese name is Tetsuwan Atom, and the manga was created by Osamu Tezuka. Astro Boy first appeared in Shonen magazine in 1952, and was subsequently adapted into an animation in 1963, before being picked up by Mushi Production and turned into an animation. It was the first anime series to appear on Japanese television, running from January 1, 1963 to December 31, 1966, with a total of 193 episodes. Astro Boy was first announced on March 12, 1963, and premiered on American television in June of the same year. Since Osamu Tezuka was heavily influenced by Disney you can notice some of the similarities between anime and Disney, few of the similarities are childlike features and large eyes, Disney used to signify those features of cuteness, these artistic trend has been used for years in the anime community.
What was the first anime studio?
The Mushi Production was founded and led by Osamu Tezuka. Osamu Tezuka had a rival with Toei animation. Moshi Production was known for its over seas work which is traditionally animate tv projects. Later on Mushy production was disbanded because of financial difficulties, in 1973 it was declared that they were bankrupted and their assets were divided.
Why did I choose this theme ?
The reason I choose this theme is because I want to become a concept artist for games, I thought It’d be a great idea to research into anime art and its GCI since companies that do games or anime’s they use a lot of GCI, therefore since i want to go into a industry that use CGI I waned to research about it more. The biggest influences for me is Hajime Isayama he is the illustrator and the creator of one of my favourite anime [Attack on titan].
Changes in industry
How did the animations change over the years?
Anime inspiration has always come from a multitude of sources. It was customary in the 1960s and 1970s for anime to be based on classic literature, particularly Western literature. Heidi, Girl of the Alps (Alps no Shojo Heidi) is a classic 1970s example. Modern anime is far more likely to animate manga’s, light novels, or video games. Anime studios also come up with completely original ideas, which can sometimes become entire genres. We were introduced to more genres such as sports and mecha anime {Robots, cyborgs, androids, and space stations} with also new animation techniques such as CGI.
Artists such as Osamu Tezuka and Hayao Miyazaki employed aggressive marketing techniques to help anime gain a following outside of Japan. Tezuka’s films focused on character development and plot, whereas Miyazaki’s films included intricate, beautiful landscapes that elevated the genre in the eyes of a global audience. In the United States, however, anime did not take off until the 1990s, when the internet allowed shows like Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z to become household names.
Anime was traditionally targeted towards rigid male and female audiences until the mid 1990s. Female-oriented anime like Sailor Moon was created for a female audience, whereas male oriented series like Yu Yu Hakusho were created for a male audience. Of course, there are males who appreciate Sailor Moon and girls who enjoy Yu Yu Hakusho there certainly are but the shows were not created with a co-ed, broad audience in mind. While there were still lots of shows tailored to one gender or the other, anime with a broad appeal began to emerge. Pokémon in the 1990s mixed action-packed combat with relationship building, ensuring that the game appealed to both men and women. Despite being a female-oriented anime, Puella Magi Madoka Magica garnered a wide range of viewers in 2010.
Evolution of production techniques
Let’s talk about animation and artwork. If we look at an anime from the early 1980s or earlier, such as Space Battleship Yamato, we can observe that the artwork was not particularly detailed. They didn’t have high tech equipment or a digitalized sketching system, we’ll put that aside for now. The eyes in Star Blazers: Generation Y were solid-colored, faintly detailed, and boring. The characters’ anatomy was not even close to being good. If we look at previous shows, we can see that In terms of artwork, there was little difference between Disney cartoons and Anime. The eyes were black-and-white, and the physique was cartoonish. However, by the late 1980s, the artwork and animation had progressed significantly.
In anime, the artwork and animation have received an increasing amount of attention, effort, and progress. Not only did we get good art, but we also got a variety of styles. Violet Evergarden is a good example for oarthouse; Mushishi, Lovely Complex, and Welcome to the NHK are examples of smooth and restrained art. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Death Note have art capable of captivating people even in this era, despite the rough edges. Promare, Kill La Kill, and Demon Slayer are examples of lighthouse animation. Even anime with traditional animation, such as Kaguya-Sama and Psycho-Pass, may provide visual delight. However, the more anime that is released, the more we learn about it.
Strong artwork and animation can improve the quality of a show, but they are not required for a good show. Panty and Stocking, Aku no Hana, and Kaiba were all created with this mindset in mind. They have a distinct sense of style when it comes to art. They aren’t particularly awful, but they could have been better.
Second, you’ll need to select a style that matches the tone or may be employed to advance the plot. Shinsekai Yori, for example, has a simple yet effective aesthetic that works well with a sombre tone. However, in order to keep the audience at bay, it can burst out and give us memorable scenes. In addition, we have the Tatami Galaxy and Mononoke, both of which feature a strange but gorgeous animation.
In modern anime most anime studios use CGI, CGI stands for computer generated image which is a special visual effect that is created on a computer software. CGI in anime is a mixture of CGI and 2D animation, for example Golgo 13 was the first anime to use CGI, the scene that uses CGI is where a helicopter fly’s over the city, the reason they used CGI is because they wanted to save money. Another example in anime that used CGI is Cowboy Bebop, when you watch the clip you can instantly tell the difference between 2D and CGI. People didn’t like the idea of using CGI in anime since some people would describe it as ‘rough, it was stiff and sometimes ugly’ [Anime Debate]Quora. (2021)
Ethical Issues In Media
How has society shaped CGI in anime
Berserk might be one of the most gated Anime that uses CGI. There is a big argument about CGI since 1983 from when Golgo 13 first came out, there are people who disagree with having CGI in anime and then theres the ones who dont mind it at all, one of the reasons why some fanbases might dislike GCI is because of how unnatural it looks especially when the GCI does blend in will with the animation. Here is a example of berserks CGI.
Some people like the look of CGI because of Land of the Lustrous, this is a anime that mostly only uses CGI and people love it. The series received positive reviews from critics, with many calling it one of the finest of the season and a watershed moment for CG anime, proving to naysayers that an action series could be done successfully outside of a 2D production. The writing was also praised, with critics praising the likability and intrigue of the characters and world. It received a number of accolades and nominations, primarily for its aesthetics.
Ufotable, the studio behind the Demon Slayer anime, is reportedly known for combining traditional 2D and 3D animation. In anime, the usage of CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) might appear weird or even offensive at times, but Ufotable uses it to create incredible visual effects. This is one of the reason why Demon slayer has gotten so popular.
Political Influences
Anime fans will notice that the Japanese have distinct hierarchical phrases and suffixes depending on who is speaking and who is being spoken to.
Language evolves constantly in the United States, Japan, and elsewhere. Words and phrases either go out of style or become fashionable. Some things that were formerly unproblematic to say have now become controversial. The terms “n” word and “chink” are no longer used casually in the United States because they are pejorative and insulting in historical context.
What software do they use to create CGI
The applications they use to create CGI is Autodesk Maya is for 3D animation), then they use Z-Brush for 3D models, then Adobe After Effects for Special Effects.
Conclusion
When I first started this research, I wanted to learn more about how anime has evolved over time, if CGI has improved with time, and how the art style or quality of an anime affects its viewers. Finally, I have a better understanding of how CGI has evolved in anime, as well as how anime art has evolved over the decades. I’ve discovered that it doesn’t matter what the anime’s visual style or quality is as long as it has a decent storey line, people will watch it. I also discovered who the founder of the first anime was and what tools they used to create CGI.
Bibliography
Historical and contemporary influences
Quora. (2021). Why is CGI anime so hated? Is it still worth watching? [online] Available at: https://www.quora.com/Why-is-CGI-anime-so-hated-Is-it-still-worth-watching [Accessed 21 Jan. 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Anime – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime#:~:text=Three%20Tales%20(1960)%20was%20the,manga%20of%20the%20same%20name.> [Accessed 18 February 2022].
Evolution of production techniques
Lindwasser, A. (2020). How Anime Has Evolved Though The Years. [online] Ranker. Available at: https://www.ranker.com/list/how-anime-has-changed-and-evolved/anna-lindwasser.
How did the animations change over the years?
www.allanimangas.com. (n.d.). Anime and Manga Art Styles Evolution History. [online] Available at: https://www.allanimangas.com/2021/01/anime-manga-art-style-evolution.html.
How has society shaped CGI in anime
animehunch.com. (2021). What Is CGI In Anime? Why Is It Used? Is It Good Or Bad? – Animehunch. [online] Available at: https://animehunch.com/2021/03/19/what-is-cgi-in-anime-why-is-it-used-is-it-good-or-bad/ [Accessed 18 Feb. 2022].
Political influences
Japan Today. (n.d.). Does anime need to start being more politically correct for overseas audiences? [online] Available at: https://japantoday.com/category/entertainment/does-anime-need-to-start-being-more-politically-correct-for-overseas-audiences.