A book by Philip Brophy taps the peculiar charm of Japanese animation, writes Cefn Ridout
August 16, 2006
ANIME (animated films) and manga comics have long displaced tea ceremonies and Zen as Japan's foremost cultural exports. In 2003, anime accounted for 60 per cent of all broadcast animation worldwide and the industry is projected to become a global entertainment behemoth worth more than 10 trillion yen ($115 billion).
Not bad for what was, barely 15 years ago, primarily a direct-to-video niche market.
What went right? Breakthrough successes such as the television series Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh and feature films such as Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira and Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning Spirited Away tell only part of the story.
Full Article is here
Monday, August 28
American fiction franchises adopt manga influences
By Wilma Jandoc
It seems like everything's going for that Japanese look these days.
Three well-known series of American fiction get this treatment with Harlequin Romance's Ginger Blossom manga line; graphic novels drawn in Japanese-manga style that bring to life teen detective Nancy Drew, celebrating 75 years of the 18-year-old's exploits; and a "Star Trek" series by various artists and writers that follows the crew of the original USS Enterprise.
All three translate well into manga form, though not without a few flaws.
Full Article is here
I have to admit, Star Trek manga idea did not jive very well with me. It is just strange to combine these 2 concepts together. Really, really strange.
It seems like everything's going for that Japanese look these days.
Three well-known series of American fiction get this treatment with Harlequin Romance's Ginger Blossom manga line; graphic novels drawn in Japanese-manga style that bring to life teen detective Nancy Drew, celebrating 75 years of the 18-year-old's exploits; and a "Star Trek" series by various artists and writers that follows the crew of the original USS Enterprise.
All three translate well into manga form, though not without a few flaws.
Full Article is here
I have to admit, Star Trek manga idea did not jive very well with me. It is just strange to combine these 2 concepts together. Really, really strange.
Anime and manga fans get no respect, writes Jen Gerson
Aug. 27, 2006. 01:00 AM
JEN GERSON
Say what you will about Stephen Harper, Canada will be spared the indignity of an anime-loving head of state.
The people of Taiwan were not so lucky. In 2004, former president Lee Teng-hui dressed up as the stubborn kendo master Heihachi Edajima from a popular Japanese comic book series Sakigake!! Otokojuku. With flowing martial arts robes, bamboo sword and sidekicks in tow, Lee strutted his stuff for publicity pictures.
At this year's Fan Expo Canada lovers of anime and manga, Japanese cartoons and comics respectively, will be out in force. And they'll be eliciting groans from the more established echelons of sci-fi and fantasy geekdom.
"To a lot of people, (anime fans) are on the lower rungs of the nerd ladder," says Dave Alexander, from Rue Morgue, a magazine that showcases the horrific and macabre and also hosts the Expo's Festival of Fear wing. "Closed quarters do not make a good arena for giant props ... when you're walking around in a crowded convention centre and you see a guy with a sword made out of papier-mâché twice the size of his body, it can be pretty annoying."
Full article is here.
Even in Malaysia, anime fans were tend to be viewed with derision and laughter from general public. You can say it is geek discrimination.
JEN GERSON
Say what you will about Stephen Harper, Canada will be spared the indignity of an anime-loving head of state.
The people of Taiwan were not so lucky. In 2004, former president Lee Teng-hui dressed up as the stubborn kendo master Heihachi Edajima from a popular Japanese comic book series Sakigake!! Otokojuku. With flowing martial arts robes, bamboo sword and sidekicks in tow, Lee strutted his stuff for publicity pictures.
At this year's Fan Expo Canada lovers of anime and manga, Japanese cartoons and comics respectively, will be out in force. And they'll be eliciting groans from the more established echelons of sci-fi and fantasy geekdom.
"To a lot of people, (anime fans) are on the lower rungs of the nerd ladder," says Dave Alexander, from Rue Morgue, a magazine that showcases the horrific and macabre and also hosts the Expo's Festival of Fear wing. "Closed quarters do not make a good arena for giant props ... when you're walking around in a crowded convention centre and you see a guy with a sword made out of papier-mâché twice the size of his body, it can be pretty annoying."
Full article is here.
Even in Malaysia, anime fans were tend to be viewed with derision and laughter from general public. You can say it is geek discrimination.
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