The Crossover of Anime and Japanese Theatre

Kayson Carlin

Bowling Green State University

October 10, 2018

 

The Crossover of Anime and Japanese Theatre

            Perhaps the most recognizable Japanese theatre performance is Kabuki, known for it’s lavish costumes, make-up, and dramatic effects. In the late 1960’s, a new sub-genre called Super Kabuki was birthed, sometimes referred to as the “Hollywood” of Japanese theatre. Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke formed his own company with the idea of modernizing Kabuki. Ennosuke trimmed dialog, sped up the delivery of lines, and alternated fast-moving action scenes with slower ones that reveal emotion and characterization. He employed modern set, costume, and lighting designers, and revived theatrical trickery like quick costume changes, cascades of real water on stage, and flying on wires over the stage and out over the audience (Hornby p.517). This type of freedom in creativity and performance matches particularly well with anime, which commonly employs fantastical settings, complex physical actions, and deep characterization on screen. Using techniques and stunts from Super Kabuki, anime stage adaptions have found it’s niche within Japanese theatre.

Within a few years of the emergence of Super Kabuki, anime and manga were introduced to the stage. In the early 1970’s, the Takarazuka Revue, an all-female performance troupe, saw declining popularity in their productions. Fearing the end of the company, they sought after new, popular stories and adaptions to bring in greater audiences. In 1974, the Takarazuka group unveiled one of the first anime adapted performances ever; Riyoko Ikeda’s Rose of Versailles (1972). This led to an increased interest in not only theatre, but the respective source material as well. For the next 30 years, Japanese theatre would see more popular culture, such as anime and manga, make it’s way to the stage, including the supremely popular Sailor Moon in the mid-1990s. However it wasn’t until 2003, with the production of Prince of Tennis the Musical, that theatre saw such an influx of anime derived adaptions. “If you see a video clip of this musical it becomes abundantly clear who the audience is: every major event in the show is met with a chorus of screaming female voices. And the production knew who the audience was, too: there were even completely unnecessary “locker room” scenes that seemed to exist just so the protagonist could be seen taking off his shirt (Sevakis, 2017). Prince of Tennis attracted a large female audience, due to “fanservice” scenes not originally included in the manga or anime, and “arguably made it into a phenomenon” (Sevakis, 2017). Despite it’s relatively low budget, it proved to be a success and garnered demand for more adaptations.

One major overlap of stage and anime that should not be ignored, is super sentai performances, dating back to 1975. Super sentai refers to a group (literally “taskforce”) of heroes in masked disguises that fight evil, demonstrating the power of teamwork and justice. Though “Super Sentai” is technically a brand name, there are many live shows directly inspired from it, and always aimed at children. These shows often involve dramatic action scenes and exaggerated acting, as seen in super kabuki. Many times, after the super sentai performances gained enough of a fanbase, animated specials would be produced for capitalization, eventually leading to full anime series for broadcast. One facet of acting that originated in kabuki, found its way into sentai, and then took place in anime, is the concept of “mie”. Mie is a pose struck by an actor, who then freezes for a moment (Japan Arts Council, 2018), to draw attention to an important part of the play, such as the introduction of a new character, showcase powerful emotions, or even to display their costume. This transferred to sentai shows, as performers (mostly protagonists) would do a mie when they entered the stage, highlighting their arrival. Children would often call the hero’s name, similar to a kakegoe in traditional kabuki. This aspect then made its way to the animated product, and then other anime, providing a visual cue to viewers. One example is Sailor Moon, in which all the main characters have their own signature pose when they arrive to fight the bad guys. These poses then became a trademark of certain characters and turned into a tool for merchandising. Although most anime nowadays has strayed from specific posing of their characters, mies can still be seen in many superhero anime.

When talking about theatre adaptations of anime, it’s important to recognize there are three main types of adaptions; super kabuki, stage plays, and musicals. While they may seem similar, each has its own uniqueness in how it interacts with anime and popular culture. Super Kabuki is actually a trademarked name, so very few anime and manga-based performances are specifically described as super kabuki due to licensing issues. Two of the more famous ones are Naruto: The Live Spectacle (2018) and Super Kabuki II: One Piece (2015). The former is extremely faithful to the style of the original manga, while the latter combines traditional kabuki aesthetic with anime designs. For example, the majority of the actors in Super Kabuki II: One Piece have white, painted faces with bold make-up (AnimeSamurai, 2016) to further pronounce facial features. Even the costumes are reminiscent of traditional kabuki outfits, though expertly meshed with the modern style of the anime character’s; Luffy’s trademark red jacket is replaced with a red happi, incorporating historical Japanese culture.

Stage plays are the most commonly performed anime-based theatre production. Like any artistic medium, the stage play provides fans with a new experience, emphasizing interactivity and real-life immersion into the characters and their stories (Nora, 2018). These productions are given more freedom to stay faithful to the source material, in terms of costume design, action scenes, and story progression. In Yona of the Dawn (Tsubota, 2018), stage design and direction are more similar to western stage plays. There are multiple layers of backgrounds for characters to appear on, as well as hidden exits for actors to disappear at the end of their scene. Music and sound effects are prerecorded as opposed to performed live, despite the fact that traditional instruments such as the koto and shamisen can be heard in the background. The same is true for another stage play, InuYasha (Takahashi, 2017). Though the setting takes place in feudal Japan and the score is entirely composed of shakuhachi (bamboo flute), koto, and the like, the music is prerecorded for convenience. It’s also worthwhile to note that some scenes contain prerecorded dialogue for the actors to lip sync; this is usually done during a scene with complex choreography to prevent the actors from using all their stamina, as well as provide better audio quality to the audience.

There’s no limit to the type of adaptions produced; 2018 will see a stage play about scantily-clad girls fighting evil with magical katanas (Animate Times, 2018). A new play of the science fiction series, Gundam 00, will debut in 2019 (Sunrise, 2018), though it’s not yet known if the signature giant robots will be large puppets or projections.

The third category of anime theatre is musical adaptions. While some are akin to stage plays with musical numbers thrown in, a substantial amount are centered on a specific singer and/or band. These are unique because they’re based on Japan’s “idol culture”. Recent years have seen a surge of fictional girl groups and boy bands, especially when it comes to mobile games. Players can dress up the singers, tap along to their songs, and unlock stories that progress the over-arching plot. As the mobile game’s popularity increases, so does the chance for an adaption of either anime or live-action musical. More often than not, the games are developed into anime series, followed by musical stage performances featuring the voice actors from the original game. This is something to note because the themes and narrative are exclusively music-centered, as opposed to a storyline in which songs are simply added to further development. As an example, High School Star Musical, or Starmyu (NBC Universal Entertainment Japan, 2016) is about a group of boys who attend a high school for rising stars in music and dance. The songs are performed only when the characters are giving some sort of concert within the script, as opposed to a seemingly random musical number that appears in western musicals. This differentiates anime musical adaptions from other types of anime-inspired theatre, because it specifically focuses on the music as a way to sell the product (i.e. the anime, game, or merchandise of a favorite singer). In a way, this could be described as “idol theatre”, as it is always about an idol group of some sort rising to stardom.

Production for anime-inspired theatre is usually taken on by large troupes in major cities, such as Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka. This is because acquiring the rights to said anime can be difficult and expensive, as the licensing belongs to either the original manga artist or the animation studio. At this time, it is unknown how negotiations are made in terms of profit/sales and financing between the theatre and license holders. Some theatres, such as Himawari Group, specialize in only a few anime based productions of Rurouni Kenshin (2019), and Free! Dive to the Future (2018). Most of their performances however, are non-anime based (Himawari, 2001). On the opposite spectrum is 2.5 Dimensional Musical Association, an organization that only does productions based on anime, manga, and video games. 2.5 Dimensional Musical Association, also known as 2.5D Theatre is described as “theatrical presentations based on Japanese manga, popular animation, and video games. The meaning implies such theatrical shows exist somewhere between 2D, the realm of manga, anime, and video games, and 3D, the realm of the theater” (Japan 2.5 Dimensional Musical Association, 2013). Though the name of the company explicitly includes “musical”, there are also performances of stage plays, comedy, and drama. Previous productions include Sengoku BASARA (2009), Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (2013), Death Note (2015), and Touken Ranbu -Online- (2017). 2.5D Theatre also employs cutting edge technology in their shows, such as drones, holograms, and video projections. They even offer special glasses that will translate the play directly on the eye piece as subtitles, in one of four languages (F. Corinna and F. Gali, 2016). Technological advancements can propel theatre, especially in the case of anime, where realism is not of great concern.

Different types of theatre itself has also influenced a variety of anime series. Kabuki-bu (2017) is a recent series that focuses on a boy attempting to create a kabuki club at his high school. Another recent series, Hanayamata (2014), centers on a blonde-haired foreigner who comes to Japan to learn dances such as kagura and yosakoi. The story follows her efforts to get Japanese locals interested in the traditional art. Bungaku (puppet theatre) is represented in Puppet Master Sakon (1999), though is not centered on the art itself, rather taking a supernatural mystery route. Series such as Glass Mask (2005) and Kaleido Star (2003), involve theatre more explicitly as both settings take place in acting and performing troupes, dealing with the challenges that arise when on stage. Theatre, both western and eastern, greatly influence the narrative and composition of Princess Tutu (2002), in which episodes are displayed as if it were a stage play. Even anime without an obvious element of Japanese theatre can sometimes find ways to sneak in this cultural aspect. For example, in Macross Frontier (2008), a science fiction story about fighting aliens in giant robots, the main character comes from a prestigious kabuki family where he is famous for his female roles. Furthermore, it takes place in a hybrid city of Tokyo and San Francisco, displaying characteristics of Japanese theatre as well as Chinese opera and American plays.

Interestingly enough, the west has seen some Japanese anime and manga on its own stages. In 2014, Company One in Boston, Massachusetts, debuted Astro Boy and the God of Comics, based on the internationally famous manga artist Osamu Tezuka and his 1950’s manga (Aucoin, 2014). When looking at theatrical productions of pop culture in both America and Japan, there’s a contrast between audience’s expectations. Westerners are familiar with plays that rely heavily on dialogue and technical realism, with little in the way of acrobatic choreography. After all, if they wanted to see action, wouldn’t they go to a movie instead? These plays clearly require a suspension of disbelief that is not often asked of Westerners (Sevakis, 2017). Japanese audiences, on the other hand, have familiarity in imagining and expressing what isn’t tangible. A good example is the use of fans, particularly in kabuki and rakugo, where the fan can be used in place of the actual object, such as a weapon. For Western audiences, it would be much more acceptable to have the actual prop, but in Asian theatre it is considered perfectly believable. Such techniques ‘transcend the nature of what is possible’ (Ivanova and Vickery-Howe, 2017), allowing for the fantastical side of anime and manga to show through. they carry a tremendous expressive potential because they engage the audience’s spatial, interpersonal and linguistic aptitudes which allow them to create meaning by drawing simultaneously on images and movement, gesture and body language, acoustics (chant and rhythm) and dialogue (Ivanova and Vickery-Howe, 2017).

The crossover between anime and theatre is a strange, but not a completely uncalled for practice. Given the immense popularity of anime, in both Japan and overseas, it was only a matter of time before it made its way into other creative aspects. Just as theatre has been influenced by anime, so has anime by theatre, as the arts are irrevocably intertwined. It could be argued that this has a negative aspect; some claim that combining a high culture entertainment as theatre with popular culture only brings down its sophistication, and should be kept “pure”. Others argue that incorporating pop culture breathes fresh air into theatre, which risks growing stale. When done well, however, anime and performing arts can have a symbiotic relationship. It definitely encourages appreciation for the craft of theatre and for the anime fan, it brings them closer to the stories and characters they love (Nora, 2018). After all, both are mediums used by storytellers to invite others into another world.

 

 

References

A., Nora. “Of Song, Dance, and Anime: A Look At Anime Stage Play Adaptations.” 15 February 2018. Akibento. <https://akibento.com/blog/2018/02/15/song-dance-anime-look-anime-stage-play-adaptations/&gt;.

Animate Times. 舞台『刀使ノ巫女』メインビジュアル解禁. 5 10 2018. <https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1538722857&gt;.

Aucoin, Don. “Company One’s ‘Astro Boy’ a sci-fi parable with punch.” 22 July 2014. The Boston Globe. <https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2014/07/21/company-one-theatre-astro-boy-and-god-comics-sci-parable-with-punch/8UZZbOgXmMeUUc7fkvSBmK/story.html&gt;.

F., Corinna and Gali F. Blog and News. 2016. <http://animeonstage.com/?page_id=22&gt;.

Himawari. 事業紹介. 2001. <http://www.himawari.net/about/company.html&gt;.

Hornby, Richard. “Kabuki Goes Hollywood.” The Hudson Review 61.3 (2008): 516-522.

InuYasha. By Rumiko Takahashi. Tennozu Galaxy Theater, Tokyo. 19 April 2017.

Ivanova, Maggie and Alex Vickery-Howe. Dramaturgy of Mobility: Crossover and Fusion. Melbourne: La Trobe University, Theatre & Drama, 2017.

Japan 2.5 Dimensional Musical Association. 2.5D AiiA Theatre. Shibuya, 2013. Brochure.

Japan Arts Council. Mie. 2018. <http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/dglib/modules/kabuki_dic/entry.php?entryid=1272&gt;.

NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan. Shuffle Revue. n.d. 7 October 2018. <http://star-mumu.com/sr/&gt;.

Samurai, Anime. “Anime Stage Plays.” YouTube, 11 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVhXmWqxTKXcqbvd1yOCs2Oc_dgDCv668&gt;.

Sevakis, Justin. Answerman. 8 February 2017. <https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2017-02-08/.111904&gt;.

Sunrise. 舞台『機動戦士ガンダム00』. 27 August 2018. <http://www.gundam00.net/stage/&gt;.

Takarazuka Revue Company. History. n.d. 10 October 2018. <http://kageki.hankyu.co.jp/english/history/index.html&gt;.

Yona of the Dawn. By Fumi Tsubota. Dir. Takuya Matsumoto. EX Theater Roppongi, Tokyo. March 2016.

Religion in Anime

Kayson Carlin

Bowling Green State University

April 9, 2018

 

Animated movies have been made in nearly every major country with a film industry. The technique of moving drawn images progressed differently in parts of the world, but none quite as uniquely as Japan. It even has its own name, to which everyone knows exactly what is being described – anime. Unlike the common western idea that all animated pieces are meant for children, anime is intended for any age group whether it be housewives or salary men, and is widely accepted. From emulating Walt Disney’s early cartoons to exploring modern socio-economical issues, anime has evolved to become the most popular medium used today in Japan. It’s no surprise then that many aspects, including religion, can be seen clearly in movies and series, as well as inferred through metaphors.

Since anime is a Japanese visual medium, it makes sense that it would contain references to the traditional Japanese religion, Shintoism, both subtly and overtly. Shintoism and its practices are evident in everyday life in Japan; whether it be visiting temples on holidays, providing offerings to roadside shrines, or simply carrying around an Omamori or Good Luck charm. These same things can be seen in many anime, reflecting real life while giving nods to Shinto beliefs. Some anime, however, focus explicitly on Shintoism, creating stories around the religion. One such anime is Kamisama Hajimemashita (Suzuki 2012), known in English as Kamisama Kiss. In it, a homeless girl named Nanami Momozono meets a land deity (tochigami) after saving him from a wild dog. In response to her kindness, he blesses her with some of his power, and tells her she may live in his shrine. He then disappears, leaving Nanami to figure out how to be a proper deity with the help of various spirits and yokai.

Kamisama Kiss not only displays Shinto themes in the setting, but is continued throughout the storyline. In the beginning, Nanami is a weak kami with little power because hardly anyone believes in her. As a matter of fact, hardly anyone knows she exists at first, which threatens her own existence, as kami gain their power through the beliefs and prayers of their followers. Slowly her divine power increases as she helps more people, granting their wishes, and performing rituals. In one particular scene, Nanami must purify the grounds of the shrine as it becomes polluted with a thick miasma due to her absence (Swale). This is in accordance with Shinto beliefs such as the accumulation of negative energy when things are not looked after properly, including sacred objects and the environment.

Supposedly in stark contrast to the pagan-like Shintoism, is the Western religion Christianity (and Catholicism as a sub group). Anime has an almost bizarre obsession with Christianity when it comes to including this religion, by either representing it with dark undertones, or portraying it as over-the-top ridiculous. In the latter, it is rarely serious in terms of it’s connection with God, the Bible, and various practices. Instead, it simply includes it as characterization. For example, in Chrono Crusade (Moriyama 2003), the main character Rosette is a blonde-haired, blue eyed, Catholic nun. Usually Catholic nuns wear extremely conservative robes, and follow a strict set of morals set by the Bible and church. Rosette, on the other hand, wears a long dress with slits running up the side of her legs, drinks alcohol, and is prone to violence. These examples are only a few when looking at the overall anime itself.

Chrono Crusade takes place in 1920’s America, following a young woman named Rosette Christopher who travels the country exorcising demons while searching for her long-lost brother. She is supported by the Catholic church, and finds companionship in Chrono, a friendly demon she befriended when she was young. This anime has an explicit Christian background, even though there are some aspects which deviate from common belief and practices. This is evident in the mere existence of the demon Chrono, who supposedly aids the church, when in reality, anything or anyone demonic would be immediately denounced by Christians. Other Christian elements are also present, such as the use of holy water against evil beings, and the presence of the Twelve Apostles.

On the other end of the spectrum when it comes to Christian representation is Neon Genesis Evangelion (Anno 1995), which is famous for it’s religious symbolism and imagery, such as the Tree of Life being shown in the opening credits (Thouny). While the story itself centers on teenagers defending Tokyo from supernatural beings by piloting giant robots, certain aspects draw upon Christian mythology. The background for the series begins when mysterious, supernatural beings known only as “Angels”, suddenly appear over Tokyo, destroying much of the city. Shortly after, explorers discover an ancient artifact nearly identical to the Angels, beneath the Earth’s crust, and dub it “Adam”. From this artifact, scientists developed bio-engineered robots to fight the Angels, naming them EVAs. This is a reference to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve, in which Eve is made from Adam. Towards the end of the series, it is revealed that another artifact had been found much earlier than Adam, and contained the genetic code of humans. This artifact is referred to as Lilith, named after Adam’s first wife in Jewish myth, and is kept nailed to a cross resembling the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (Redmond). Like Jesus during his execution, Lilith is also speared in the torso by the Lance of Longinus, or Holy Spear, as stated in the Bible.

Other references to Christianity can be seen in the supernatural creatures, Angels. Angels can take a wide variety of appearances, from humanoid forms to gigantic wheels with eyes, to floating decahedrons. Each Angel also has a name; Zachiel, Ramiel, Israfel, Iblis, etc, referring to biblical angels, and angelic beings in the Qur’an (Thouny). Upon defeat, they explode into “holy light”, leaving behind the image of a cross in their wake. These instances further the connection to Christianity.

Despite being one of the three main religions in Japan, Buddhism is an uncommon theme in anime. Most representation comes from secondary characters who fall under the Buddhist monk archetype, such as Miroku from InuYasha (Takahashi 2000) and Shima from Blue Exorcist (Katou 2011). These two do not display a connection to Buddhism through their words or actions, instead just using it as a label. One of the only explicit representations of Buddhism in anime is Saint Young Men (Nakamura 2012), featuring Gautama Buddha as a main character. The movie follows Buddha and Jesus Christ as they vacation in Japan, living together as room mates. Within the narrative, there is reference to Buddha when he lived as a human on Earth, about his perseverance and asceticism. He can also be seen glowing when he says something pious, while his face turns into the image of the “Laughing Buddha”, commonly pictured in Zen Buddhism. In one scene, Buddha and Jesus go to Tokyo Disneyland to ride a rollercoaster, although neither of them have been on one before. Jesus is excited to try it, however Buddha has serious doubts because it’s frightening and dangerous. As they fly down the first hill, there is a close-up of Buddha’s reaction on the ride; his right hand is positioned in front of his face while his left hand is resting under his chest. This is called a mudra, specifically the Abhaya mudra (Lotus Sculptures). This pose is used to invoke protection peace, and most notably, to dispel fear. Essentially, Buddha is attempting to calm his fear of the rollercoaster.

Through these four anime, different approaches and representation can be seen in regard to religion. East Asian religion such as Shintoism is casually referenced and alluded to, while Western religion such as Christianity is often a main focus or setting. Other religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam are hardly represented, if at all. The reason for this is not yet certain, and may include things such as target audience, or simply lack of familiarity when concerning Hinduism and Islam. All of the aforementioned examples portray religion in either a positive (Kamisama Kiss, Chrono Crusade, Saint Young Men) or a neutral light (Evangelion). It’s evident that East Asian religion will continue to play a part in anime for decades to come.

 

 

Bibliography

Lotus Sculptures. Buddha Mudras: Hand Positions of the Buddha. n.d. Web. 19 April 2018. <https://www.lotussculpture.com/mudras.html&gt;.

Redmond, Dennis. “Anime and East Asian Culture: Neon Genesis Evangelion.” Quarterly Review of Film and Video 24.2 (2007): 183-188. Web.

Swale, Alistair. Anime Aesthetics. Waikato, New Zealand: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. Print.

Thouny, Christophe. “Waiting for the Messiah: The Becoming-Myth of Evangelion and Densha Otoko.” Mechademia 4 (2009): 111-129. Web.

Wasylak, Katarzyna. “Need for Speed: Anime, the Cinematic, and the Philosophical.” Children’s Literature Association Quarterly 35.4 (2010): 427-434.

 

 

SHAFT: A Visual Journey

Kayson Carlin

Bowling Green State University

February 20, 2018

 

SHAFT

When discussing animation, one attributes certain styles, themes, and techniques to individual production studios. While there exists multiple creative positions within a studio, the talents of all individuals are pooled together to create the final project. Of course, some people influence the work much more heavily than others, but in the end the final product is attributed to a specific studio. As such, many animation companies begin to form their own “markers”. Not only is this apparent in America, where features are described as having “Disney quality” animation, the same is true for Japanese anime. To the eye of a standard consumer, many anime may look alike, if not exactly the same. And while this is a result of Japan’s notion of uniformity, there are also animation studios that strive to be different from the rest. A prominent company that has successfully stood out from the myriad of anime studios, is Studio SHAFT. Through the use of highly stylized design properties, and mixed animation techniques, Studio SHAFT has earned a rightful position at the top of the industry food chain.

Although the first production of Japanese animation took place as early as 1917, the animation industry did not emerge as such until Toei Animation, Japan’s first large-scale commercial studio (then called Toei Douga), was founded in 1956 (Morisawa p.265). Years later in 1963, animation began being broadcasted on a weekly television network, Fuji TV, and gave rise to a studio called Mushi Productions, founded by Osamu Tezuka. In these weekly broadcasts, Mushi Productions gave life to Tezuka’s most famous manga series; Astro Boy. However, Tezuka’s creative vision could not be quelled, pushing for higher budgets and production values which could not be responsibly met, leading to the studio’s bankruptcy in 1973. The dissolution of Mushi Productions led to its creative body branching into several smaller production studios throughout the 1970s, many of which eventually grew into some of the finest production studios in the industry today (Morisawa p.265). One of these production companies, Studio SHAFT, began as a modest animation hub, producing less than a dozen works from 1975 to 2004. However in 2004, a man named Akiyuki Shinbo joined the team, greatly influencing the studio’s signiture style with his unique artistic expression, and forever changed SHAFT’s art direction.

A striking feature of anime done by SHAFT is their use of color, space, and background in the designs of both characters and environments. Minimalist and often abstract/interpretation-friendly backgrounds are one element of this, clear in works from Bakemonogatari (2009) to Nisekoi (2014) to Madoka Magica (2011) (Creamer 2017). Geometric lines and shapes fill buildings and architecture to create a neatly uniformed space within the world environment. However, in place of a flowing, natural landscape, or intricate, bustling city street, the characters will be placed on a two-dimensional space with shapes, lines, silhouettes, or abstract objects such as scissors. This is especially true when dialogue is taking place, even sometimes replacing whole backdrops with stylized live-action photos, or holding on a single image of road signs during exposition. Such stylizations often interrupt the viewer’s immersion, making them acutely aware they are merely watching a screen.

Along with background art, colors work as a semiotic element in SHAFT’s animation, for various emotions and artistic styles (Dai p.37). Basic color pallates paint the world, with heavy focus on bold, contrasting degrees of color. This creates a dynamic feel to the scenes and characters. Reds, blacks, and yellows dominate most of their work, as the nature of each anime is fairly straight forward. The exception to this is Madoka Magica, which starts off using pastels, and slowly adds in more black to demonstrate the narrative getting darker with each episode. This was used to lure viewers into a false sense of security, portraying the anime as cute magical girls saving the day. In reality, Madoka Magica delved into the psychological aspects of having power, the consequences of using it, and the eventual death of one’s humanity.

Studio SHAFT’s most notable design in their animation is the presence of on-screen text. At any point during the episode or movie, text will appear on abstract backgrounds or “cards”, either static or scrolling. What’s interesting is that unlike normal captions with a few words, these captions can be a literal wall of text. The viewer is bombarded with a surplus of information (Wasylak p.432). In some cases, the text is shown so briefly that the viewer cannot even begin to read it unless they pause the video every few seconds. Sometimes, the captions refer to a character’s mood or serve as a comment for the situation, but mostly they are just unrelated babble. The captions in the background or on the cards usually consist of a lot of tiny lines written in small font and are displayed in motion or appear only for a second (Wasylak p.432). Given the limited space, text appears as mostly kanji, a complex writing system of symbolic characters. Interestingly, Akiyuki Shinbo has chosen to use obscure kanji as much as possible. For example, sono (which roughly means “that”) is usually written in hiragana, but they chose to use kanji instead (The Visual Medium 2012), leaving even native Japanese speakers confused. In the case of Bakemonogatari, which centers on a young man with a knack for running into supernatural women, the source material from which the anime is adapted is a series of novels. This fact is reflected with the on-screen captions, occassionally plucking sentences or paragraphs straight from the original novels and displaying them as text. In contrast, Goodbye, Mr. Despair (2007), a parody of school life featuring a depressive, paranoid teacher, sometimes uses text as an explanation to certain jokes, pop culture references, and puns. Given that the Japanese language is complicated even for native speakers, puns can be misunderstood so having just a brief explanation is helpful. However when watching Goodbye, Mr. Despair, it, like Bakemonogatari, only provides flashes of this text, leaving viewers needing to pause the video in order to read the comments. This also jars viewers out of their complacency when watching, bringing attention to the fourth wall, and the separation between audience and screen.

Japanese anime, in general, is mostly limited animation that aims at reducing the overall number of drawings (usually there are twelve drawings per second) when compared to full animation (approximately eighteen to twenty-four drawings per second) as in Disney movies (Wasylak p.428). On average, the standard format of half-hour television animation in Japan is composed of approximately 300 “cuts”, resulting in a jerkier motion (Morisawa p.267). This can be beneficial, as anime uses more static images and an absence of movement that is akin to manga graphics, on which many anime is based (Wasylak p.428). Studio SHAFT is no exception, but instead uses aforementioned stylistic choices to replace actual animation. Limited animation favors graphic design and character design over character animation (Wasylak p.429), which is evident in the make-up of SHAFT’s worlds. CGI is rarely implemented, reserved only for extremely complex movements of both foreground and background. The animation techniques in So Long, Mr. Despair indicate a strong tendency toward manga style (Wasylak p.432), as the source material was originally a manga (graphic novel). The images are composed as if they were manga frames, and onomatopoeic sounds in the anime are accompanied with their written form (Wasylak p.433), akin to sound effects and speech bubbles. While this could be described as design choices, it can also apply to the technicality of the series, making it less taxing for animators, and reducing production costs.

In the anime community, there is what’s referred to as a “SHAFT pose” when describing character movement. These character poses may look cool, but are usually nearly impossible for a real human to pull off. The mose famous of these poses is the “head-tilt”, in which a character is facing away from the camera and tilts their head backwards to look into the lens with their chin towards the air. This is arguably SHAFT’s most trademark style that informs audiences that they are indeed watching a SHAFT production. The head-tilt has appeared in every single anime they’ve produced since 2004 (Swale p.77). In context with the narrative, the character who performs this pose is most often archetyped as mysterious, being deceitful, or possessing knowledge that the protagonist or audience does not have. For example in Madoka Magica, the character Akemi Homura, who is actually a time traveler, frequently stands in this head-tilt pose while providing cryptic warnings to the protagonists of what horrors lie before them.

Yet another commonality between SHAFT works is the ratio of animation to dialogue, described by some as a “spoken novel” (Swale p.79). As discussed previously, animation is limited, and static images are widely employed to substitute for movement and action. As a result, anime by SHAFT is dialogue heavy, taking the focus away from the sparse animation, and putting it on exposition, character development, and character design. This opens the door to multi-dimensional characters who are relatable and engaging to viewers. Such dynamic characters are strongly evident in Madoka Magica, where despite all the characters fighting for the same thing, each has a different history and resulting outlook on the world that conflicts with the main “good guy” protagonist. Viewers can understand the reasoning behind their actions, and care what happens to them even if the line of moral ambiguity is reached. So while restrictive animation can potentially harm shows, SHAFT has found another door to open via its characters to enrich the series as a whole.

The grandious and ambitious style of Studio SHAFT betrays its humble beginnings as a small production company, that slowly released films over a 30 year period. Thanks to Akiyuki Shinbo, the major creative force that forever changed the face of SHAFT, works such as Bakemonogatari, Madoka Magica, and Goodbye, Mr. Despair have brought the studio away from the perception of being one in a hundred. They stand apart, as a pioneer in alternative storytelling due to the incredibly unique, and sometimes bizarre art direction and design. Using their design strengths, they open up a world of possibilities in not only narration but characterization itself, bringing to life otherwise limited animation. SHAFT has truly made a reputation for themselves as a production studio that innovates new ideas for a changing market. Audiences can be sure of certain markers when watching a series or film with the SHAFT logo stamped on it, and are guaranteed a strange yet complex ride through visual storytelling.

 

 

References

AnimePlanet. Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Rebellion. 2011. 2 2017.

Creamer, Nick. The Secret of Studio SHAFT. 18 January 2017. <https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2017-01-18/the-secret-of-studio-shaft/.110526&gt;.

Dai, Boyao. “Investigating Visual Differences Between Japanese and American Animation.” Rochester Institute of Technology (2016): 6-42.

Morisawa, Tomohiro. “Managing the unmanageable: Emotional labour and creative hierarchy in the Japanese animation industry.” Ethnography 16.2 (2015): 262-284.

Swale, Alistair. Anime Aesthetics. Waikato, New Zealand: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. Print.

The Visual Medium. Shaft Style. 2012. <http://the-visual-medium.blogspot.com/2012/01/shaft-style.html&gt;.

Wasylak, Katarzyna. “Need for Speed: Anime, the Cinematic, and the Philosophical.” Children’s Literature Association Quarterly 35.4 (2010): 427-434.

 

Film Genealogy of Magical Girls

Kayson Carlin

25 April 2017

Bowling Green State University

 

Building A Genre Using Magic and Love

Over the past century, film has gained incredible momentum, from audiences watching a 46 second reel of workers leaving a factory, to multimillion dollar blockbuster hits that employ cutting edge technology. Auteurs were made, genres were discovered, and technology advanced. Throughout all these years, film has been intertwined with history, economics, societal expectations, cultural customs, religion- everything you can think of. The result is somewhat like a family tree; each movie, director, genre, etc is connected in some way or another, either directly or somewhere far down the line. Of course, the same can be said for everything in this world. But in this paper, I will look at a specific genre of animation, and how it connects to the bigger picture of film’s overarching genealogy, with an emphasis on Japan.

Animated movies have been made in nearly every major country with a film industry. Dating back to the early 19^th century, animation has been used to not only create spectacular visuals but to tell a narrative, or story as well. The technique of moving drawn images progressed differently in parts of the world, but none quite as uniquely as Japan. It even has its own name, to which everyone knows exactly what is being described – anime. Unlike the common western idea that all animated pieces are meant for children, anime is intended for any age group whether it be housewives or salary men, and is widely accepted. From emulating Walt Disney’s early cartoons to exploring modern socio-economical issues, anime has evolved to become the most popular medium used today in Japan.  Anime contains many different genres and sub-genres, but one of the most prominent is a genre known as “mahou shoujo” or magical girl. This genre originated in Japan in the early 60s, and although it has found footing in other countries, it is still uniquely Japanese. Though there are girl superhero films in the west, magical girl anime films feature elaborate transformation sequences and characters with more girlish, feminine appeal (Saito). These films are generally produced for a younger female audience, and features a “feel good” atmosphere. Themes of magical girl films tend to include love, friendship, magic, and happiness. There are, of course, later magical girl films that challenge not only the common ideas, but the entire construction of the genre.

In order to understand the history of the magical girl genre, first one must look back to World War II. The origins of this genre started in manga– a form of Japanese comic that came about during the war to provide some relief to citizens. Directly after the war, books and magazines boomed because they could be published with minimal labor, and used cheap material which was often recycled (Prough). Children rapidly consumed popular manga because it captured the whimsical life that they longed for, but couldn’t fully have. As the children grew up, publishing companies continued to churn out titles to match their consumer’s age. Eventually by the early 60s, those same kids were old enough to begin creating manga of their own (Prough). Initially it was mostly men authors who enlisted the help of their wives, but in the late 60s and early 70s there was a surge in female authors. This was because of influence from the feminist movement, which promoted female empowerment. Since these women had spent years working in the background of their male counterpart’s shadow, they too were skilled at creating manga and were finally making their way into the light of day. Encouraged by pro-female ideology, women authors began writing girl-centered manga, and one way to express their independence was giving the girl characters some sort of magical power. This was used as a metaphor for how “powerless” women felt under male oppression. By giving the character magical powers, they were literally giving them power to be strong on their own. By this time, anime began to adapt manga to capitalize on it’s popularity, which included the magical girl genre.

Prior to 1960, a vast majority of artists, writers, and filmmakers were men, and featured heavily on male-centric narratives. It wasn’t until the mid 1960s that positive female-centric stories were widely available, created by women themselves (Saito). A major contributing group to female visibility and empowerment, which later lead to the start of the magical girl genre, were the members of the all-female, Showa 24. The Showa 24 (named so because most of the members were born in 1949, the 24^th year of the Showa era according to the traditional Japanese calendar) created numerous manga with female protagonists, and female character driven plots which garnered the attention of women readers, who could identify with not just the characters, but the themes as well. Their artwork and layout was inspired from film, treating each panel as if it were a frame from a camera, adding diverse views of characters (Newitz). One creator in particular, Moto Hagio, is considered the “founding mother” of modern female manga, due to her unprecedented take on female-centric characters at the time, presenting them as complex human beings (Lunning). Later in the decade, the work of the Showa 24 would intersect deeply with the feminist movement, and come to be accepted as the original influence on magical girls, whose core values are empowerment, femininity, and friendship.

An interesting fact that should be known is that while the magical girl genre is uniquely Japanese, it was actually an American television series that planted the idea of adding magical powers. Bewitched (1964-1972), which featured a witch using magic in everyday situations, became a surprising hit in Japan. The popularity of this show largely contributed to the rise of magic appearing in creative works, especially with female characters. As stated previously, women with magical powers intersected with the feminist movement, as these characters were given control over their lives, as opposed to previously male-dominated positions.

In more recent  history, the roots of the magical girl genre has been prevalent in the works of Naoko Takeuchi, the creator of Sailor Moon (1992-1997). Inspired by the shows of the 60s and 70s, Takeuchi revolutionized the magical girl genre in the mid 90s (Newson). She combined aspects of male-oriented film, with female-oriented ideology. For example, a popular genre in the 1980s and 90s was super sentai– basically a team of mostly male superheroes that fought together for the common good, such as Power Rangers. Takeuchi took her individual magical girls and turned them into a sentai team, while adding more action not typically seen in girl’s films (Kotani). This broadened the audience demographic, putting the magical girl genre in the spotlight as it’s popularity exploded among male and female viewers. Not only did it create a worldwide boom, it’s effects can still be seen decades later.

Today the influence of the magical girl genre can be seen in western productions, mostly animation. Those who were initially introduced to Sailor Moon as children, were slowly exposed to more “mahou shoujo” works as Japanese companies could capitalize on the globalization. As a result, those children are becoming adults who work in the film, television, and media industry. More and more you see the influence of this genre spring up, especially in television shows. Rebecca Sugar, the creator of Steven Universe (Sugar 2013), an insanely popular series on Cartoon Network, credits magical girl anime such as Sailor Moon and Revolutionary Girl Utena (Ikuhara 1997) for her influences on everything from style to characters, visuals and plot devices. This is incredibly evident as there are scenes that directly pay homage to various magical girl films. The Disney Channel is currently airing Star vs the Forces of Evil (Nefcy 2015), which can be considered the first fully western magical girl series. The show comes complete with transformations, sparkles, and magical attacks. In fact, the creator has been reported as modeling the main character after Sailor Moon herself (Lunning). It can also be argued that Disney has taken cues from magical girls, such as in Frozen (Buck & Lee 2013). Elsa is the only female character to have supernatural and/or magical powers, while her sister Anna is without. While singing “Let It Go”, Elsa is seen transforming into a different outfit using her snow powers, akin to typical magical girl transformations. The overall theme of Frozen is love, friendship, and female empowerment, traits shared by the mahou shoujo genre. As time goes on, it’s clear this genre will continue having an impact on film, television, and media.

Overall, the magical girl genre is extremely fascinating. There are so many aspects and cultural conditions which brought about this unique genre. During my research, I could easily see each stepping stone that made it into what it is today. I believe that magical girls can go beyond anime, because of its core values and themes of empowering women. It can even be used as a tool to promote gender equality. Slowly but surely its influence is spreading across the globe, making its way into film, television, art, even literature. Not just the magical girl genre, but all anime has the potential to cross cultural lines to bring about new perspectives, just as western film has influenced the rest of the world. It really is a two-way street, or perhaps a multi-directional street, in terms of what the world can achieve by bringing their ideas together in a display of astounding creativity.

 

 

References

Kotani, Mari. “Metamorphosis of the Japanese Girl: The Girl, the Hyper-and the Battling Beauty.” Mechademia, Vol. 1, Emerging Worlds of Anime and Manga (2006): 162-169.

Lunning, Frenchy. Women Who Changed Free Expression. 31 March 2015. 17 April 2017.

Newitz, Annalee. “Magical Girls and Atomic Bomb Sperm.” Film Quarterly (1995): 2-15.

Newson, Victoria Ann. “Young Females as Super Heroes: Super Heroines in the Animated ‘Sailor Moon’.” Femspec (2000): 57-81.

Prough, Jennifer S. “Straight from the Heart.” University of Hawai’i (2011): 25-56.

Saito, Kumiko. “Magic, Shoujo, and Metamorphosis.” Journal of Asian Studies (2014): 143-164.

Reflection on Madoka Magica: Rebellion

Kayson Carlin

20 February 2017

Bowling Green State University

 

Connecting the Magia

The “mahou shoujo” genre has existed since the early 1960s, when female empowerment was dominating the globe. Over the years it has gained popularity with children, especially young girls who are enticed by the magic and elaborate outfits. Themes of love and friendship have been the main focus of these films, and there are those that argue that there is nothing more beneath the surface of children’s animation. This belief was challenged with the release of Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Gen Urobuchi, 2011). What started as a cute, magical girl story became a dark deconstruction of ideas and themes present in the genre.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica features a young girl, Madoka, who is presented with a contract to become magical, by a mysterious fantasy-like creature. Anyone who accepts must fight monsters known as “witches”, in return for one wish, big or small. The film follows Madoka who befriends various magical girls, but cannot decide whether to agree to the contract herself. Meanwhile, one magical girl, Homura, is intent on interfering with Madoka and her friends at every step.

Having been released in 2011, Madoka Magica has an updated look compared to classics such as Sailor Moon (Naoko Takeuchi, 1991) or Cardcaptor Sakura (CLAMP, 1996). A current popular animation style is “moe” or “cute”. In this style, characters have soft features, large pupils, and not much attention to small details. Often times, a pastel color palette is used. This is used more for stories with young girls, everyday life, and feel good stories. At first glance this style seems to fit with magical girls, but as the film progresses it proves a stark contrast to the dark atmosphere and questions of morality. Symbolism, imagery, and allegories are rampant in this film, highlighting not only the main characters but the witches and monsters as well.

The main antagonists in Madoka Magica are entities known as witches. These beings have a wide variety of physical forms and corrupt people with their misery, causing death and disaster. Each witch has their own alternate space, like a dimension pocket, where they reside. The imagery within these spaces are trippy and overwhelming, such as dandelions with mustaches and giant scissors that cut cake. At first it seems random, used only to exaggerate how unnatural the witches are, until it is revealed that each witch is actually a former magical girl who has fallen into despair. Each alternate space the witch occupies correlates to their original wish. For example, one witch has the appearance of a mermaid and resides in a dimension filled with instruments, music symbols, sheet music, and the like. This is influenced from her wish that turned her into a magical girl. A boy that she liked was hospitalized, never to play the violin again, until she wished for his health. Upon recovery, the boy started playing but never thanked her and instead started dating her best friend. Her story parallels Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid, in which she suffers for a man who ultimately rejects her for someone else, which is why she’s portrayed as a mermaid. While initially thinking her wish was selfless, she realized she had used it to try to manipulate the boy into liking her, turning it into a selfish wish. This brings about the question of if the wishes made by the magical girls are moral, and whether or not they lead to their downfall.

An interesting theory to consider, is that young girls gaining magical powers is an allegory to female sexuality. In this case, becoming a magical girl represents losing their virginity. Each character embodies different portrayal their sexual situation. The main character, Madoka, is seeing all her friends doing it but is hesitant to get directly involved herself. She is seen as the “pure virgin” who is insecure and afraid of taking that step. Mami is a mature, older girl who knows everything about being a magical girl, suggesting she is the sexually experienced one. Sayaka made her wish for the benefit of her boyfriend, implying that she “did it” for the one she loved. One girl, Kyoko, who was born into a poor family, became a magical girl in order to feed and provide for her siblings. This can be seen as an allegory to prostitution, or even human trafficking, as it was in exchange for money and food. The character of Homura represents a darker take. Her power is the ability to time travel, as she tries and fails to desperately fix the events of the past. Thus, she represents the girl who was raped, trying to erase the past but never succeeding. Given that magical girls eventually devolve into witches, it can be said that witches embody adulthood, sex, and the corruption it brings to those who are considered innocent.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica surprised its viewers by the dark, gritty tones it took on while attempting to have the exterior of a children’s show. It has gained a huge following of adult fans who find the deconstruction of the magical girl genre to be revolutionary. To this day there are still people who are actively speculating and arguing the different theories and ideology of this film. There is so much to look at and consider, which makes it an enjoyable, thought-provoking watch.

Reflection of Sailor Moon SuperS: Black Dream Hole

Kayson Carlin

1 February 2017

Bowling Green State University

 

In the Name of the Moon

Animated movies have been made in nearly every major country with a film industry. Dating back to the early 19^th century, animation has been used to not only create spectacular visuals but to tell a narrative, or story as well. The technique of moving drawn images progressed differently in parts of the world, but none quite as uniquely as Japan. It even has its own name, to which everyone knows exactly what is being described – anime. Unlike the common western idea that all animated pieces are meant for children, anime is intended for any age group whether it be housewives or salary men, and is widely accepted. From emulating Walt Disney’s early cartoons to exploring modern socio-economical issues, anime has evolved to become the most popular medium used today in Japan. The film I’m looking at, Sailor Moon SuperS: Black Dream Hole (Hiroki Shibata, TOEI Animation, 1995), is more representable as a children’s film than a hardcore ideological driven statement. Nonetheless, it is a part of a franchise that revolutionized anime films and even the country of Japan itself.

Sailor Moon SuperS: Black Dream Hole features the main protagonist Sailor Moon, along with her fellow Sailor Guardians as they battle an enemy who wants to drain energy from the Earth to use on their own planet. To do this, the shadowy villains and their queen lure children into never ending nightmares via hypnosis. The subsequent energy from fear is harvested to fuel an evil empire, and it’s up to Sailor Moon and the Guardians to save the world.

Given that Sailor Moon is animated, there is bound to be aesthetic and stylistic markers. In terms of the art and animation, it is representative of the 1990’s anime look. Hair has stacked volume, and bright colors are splattered onto every piece of clothing. The facial structure of the characters is sharp and defined with heavy shadows. More focus is placed on action rather than soft visuals that are pleasing to the eye. The mise-en-scene of Black Dream Hole uses dark colors to portray that the villains are affiliated with the night and the darkness that it brings. In contrast to this, the “good guys” i.e. Sailor Moon and the Guardians, are associated with light and purity. Even their attacks are nothing more than brightly colored streams of light. This enforces the theme of light vs dark, good vs evil.

Sailor Moon is a genre known as “mahou shoujo” or magical girl. This genre originated in Japan in the early 60s, and although it has found footing in other countries, it is still uniquely Japanese. Though there are girl superhero films in the west, magical girl anime films feature elaborate transformation sequences and characters with more girlish, feminine appeal. These films are generally produced for young girls and features a “feel good” atmosphere. Themes of magical girl films tend to include love, friendship, magic, and happiness, of which Sailor Moon SuperS: Black Dream Hole incorporates all. There are certain anime tropes that are present such as the protagonist having blonde hair, which indicates she is “different” or “special” from the rest of the dark haired population. Sailor Mars is characterized by her long, silky, black hair, which is seen as the perfect standard of Japanese beauty. As such, she is often shown in traditional Japanese attire or participating in culturally significant activities like Shinto prayer.

Since Sailor Moon is the epitome of the magical girl genre, then it is also representative of what the magical girl genre produced: the feminist movement in Japan. Other films may have come before in the 60s and 70s to aid in women’s rights, but Sailor Moon had appeal to a greater audience. It took the feminist ideas of girls being friends, women standing up for themselves, and being their own people and combined it with the mass appeal of transformations and magic. It features girls in short skirts that aren’t sexualized for the male gaze, and “frees” them from traditional conservative clothing. The characters are their own complex people, shown as powerful women instead of damsels in distress. These are some of the things that made Sailor Moon a symbol of feminist movements.

Despite Sailor Moon SuperS: Black Dream Hole being a standard for children’s animated films, there is depth to the franchise. There are, of course, later magical girl films that challenge not only the common ideas, but the entire construction of the genre. Sailor Moon is just one example of a classic Japanese film genre.