Early Days

In the early 20th century the film industry was emerging and provided new opportunities for illustrators, particularly in the United Sates which resulted in the standard setting success of such animation houses as Disney and the Fleisher Brothers (Popeye, Betty Boop and later, Superman). Japanese artists were strongly influenced by these early works of American animation. However, while the first flickers of Japanese animation can be dated to 1914, the cultural isolation of the Japanese hindered the evolution of the medium until after World War II.

Manga and anime developed slowly for ten years after the war, before maturing into a medium that has since defined a countries creative expression of the 20th century. This expression is two-fold, and examines new frontiers through a unique visual language and a narrative form previously reserved for live action television and film.

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American Influence

Early manga, and consequently, anime, was heavily influenced by the American animation as characters were drawn with huge eyes to draw in the audience, similar to Mickey Mouse and the original Disney characters. These large eyes originally evoked high levels of sensitivity and emotion in female characters, but have since become the trademark anime facial expression. The term “super deformed style” is used to describe characters that look toddler-like, and are often used for logos and advertising. While most of the characters look Caucasian, there is no connection to race. Black-hair characters are usually more trust worthy and true, while blonde characters must be watched for their deviant ways.

Narrative Development

On the narrative side, two significant elements have been included since its beginnings that have help to establish a devoted and diverse audience. Unlike American animation, which is episodic and consequently finite, anime adopted from live-action television the concept of a continual story line running from episode to episode. This allowed the viewer to invest in the development of the characters and continually track their adventures.

Concurrently, anime encompassed a wide range of themes derived directly from the cultural and social atmosphere of the ever-changing times. It is this combination that has awarded anime with an audience not restricted by age or interest, but engrossed by the fantastic reflection of their lives.

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