Kaze Tachinu is Miyazaki's criticism against resurgent Japanese nationalistic past.

Kaze Tachinu, latest movie from maestro, Hayao Miyazaki has generated controversy for lack of cuteness and very somber tone - in fact some people felt it is a veiled criticism of current Japanese crawl back to nationalism that cost the nation so dearly in World War 2. In fact some quarters in Japan hit back at the film maker, asking him to stay away from politics.

"Right after you see the first successful Zero flight there's a scene where the ground is littered with smashed planes, which is his message right there." - a poignant statement to me.

I haven't watch the movie yet but this views have gave me a lot of pause for thought and needless to say, makes me more intrigued about it than ever.

anime

How much an anime episode cost (2010)?

A typical 20-30 min anime episode in Japan cost breakdown:

Original work - 50,000 yen ($660)
Script - 200,000 yen ($2,640)
Episode Direction - 500,000 yen ($6,600)
Production - 2 million yen ($26,402)
Key Animation Supervision - 250,000 yen ($3,300)
Key Animation - 1.5 million yen ($19,801)
In-betweening - 1.1 million yen ($14,521)
Finishing - 1.2 million yen ($15,841)
Art (backgrounds) - 1.2 million yen ($15,841)
Photography - 700,000 yen ($9,240)
Sound - 1.2 million yen ($15,841)
Materials - 400,000 yen ($5,280)
Editing - 200,000 yen ($2,640)
Printing - 500,000 yen ($6,600)

Source: Media Development Research Institute Inc.

Values were adjusted to 2010 USD inflation so the total is around USD 145,000 per episode. I wonder if there is any difference between pre and post March 11th tsunami in costing. AFAIK, any sales of Bluray/DVD that passes 4000 unit tends to get sequel. Best indicator is sales of 1st volume in first week itself since it will establish general trend onwards for particular series.

In Amazon Japan for example, Magica Puella Magi Madoka vol 1 Bluray is selling at 5,826 yen now (76 USD).

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Madoka cosplay spotted in The Economist!

Ah!

Link

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Miyazaki talk with R.Kelts at UC Berkeley 2009

Still cranky after this years, the old man hasn't lose much of his spirit. Hee. Kelts wrote for Japanese newspaper on pop culture, specifically anime scenes nowadays.

anime

The analysis of manga market in USA

This paper outlines the historical development of the US manga (Japanese comics) industry from the 1980s through the present in order to address the question why foreign cultural products become popular in offshore markets in spite of cultural difference. This paper focuses on local publishers as “gatekeepers” in the introduction of foreign culture. Using complete data on manga titles published in the US market from 1980 to 2006 (n=1,058), this paper shows what kinds of manga have been translated, published, and distributed for over twenty years and how the competition between the two market leaders, Viz and Tokyopop, created the rapid market growth. ......

Full Text

Pokemon and Pikachu as business entity

This amusing title talks on how softpower Japan conquer the world using Pikachu as their spearhead in early 2000. The rise of Pikachu and Pokemon, how it conquered the world by enticing children plus not to mention the massive collective headache by the parents thanks to this simple, unassuming game.

I still remember the story where Mexican church denounced Pokemon as subversive anti Christian and burn the cartridge in front of his parishioners. Not to be overshadowed, the mullahs of Saudi Arabia went a step further by claiming it has Star of David in the content, therefore it is an Israeli propaganda in converting Muslim youth to uncouth, unIslamic life.

I personally knew few anime comrades who wanted to skewer Pikachu for sullying anime with hyperbole crass commercialized cuteness. As for me, I won't watch it but I won't go as far as having murderous thoughts. Ha!

But this article is entertaining to read.

Pokemon Capitalism

Manga and Visual Novel as Teaching Tool

This journal describe the positive power of visual narrative to help modern kids in their quest of education. Since current generation of students were exposed to multimedia like Internet, console gaming and PC which highly visual instead of traditional textual medium like books that old timers (me!) used to. The authors described what happened to the focus group in San Diego school when they run this field study using these teaching tools.

Article

Law on fansubbing of anime and copyright issues

Of Otaku and Fansubs: A Critical Look at Anime Online in Light of Current Issues in Copyright Law

Jordan S. Hatcher
opencontentlawyer.com

Script-ed, Vol. 2, No. 4, 2005

Abstract:
The advent of digital technology and increased global connectivity has, to put it mildly, caused some ripples for the entertainment industry specifically and copyright law generally. In the aftermath, many are searching for new ways to incorporate the benefits of digital copies and the internet while minimizing the harms. To some, the anime industry and its fans offer examples of how an industry can benefit and even grow from allowing copyright infringement. This article examines the anime industry in-depth with this suggestion in mind and places the industry among current copyright policy debates, such as those suggested by Lawrence Lessig.

Downloadable Article

Quite up to date and erudite discussion from law's point of view on fansubbing, especially with Berne Convention definition of copyright. USA and Japan are signatories of the Treaty hence technically fansubbers were in direct violation of the said treaty.

However some people might argue the treaty was outdated and needs to be revised to reflect grey area between legitimacy and illegal in copyright issues posed by fansubbers potentially.

Ghibli Museum and Miyazaki the Man

The building that houses the Ghibli Museum would be unusual anywhere, but in greater Tokyo, where architectural exuberance usually takes an angular, modernist form—black glass cubes, busy geometries of neon—it is particularly so. From the outside, the museum resembles an oversized adobe house, with slightly melted edges; its exterior walls are painted in saltwater-taffy shades of pink, green, and yellow. Inside, the museum looks like a child’s fantasy of Old Europe submitted to a rigorous Arts and Crafts sensibility. The floors are dark polished wood; stained-glass windows cast candy-colored light on whitewashed walls; a spiral stairway climbs—inside what looks like a giant Victorian birdcage—to a rooftop garden of world grasses, over which a hammered-metal robot soldier stands guard. In the central hall, beneath a high ceiling, a web of balconies and bridges suggests a dream vision of a nineteenth-century factory. Wrought-iron railings contain balls of colored glass, and leaded-glass lanterns are attached to the walls by wrought-iron vines. In the entryway, a fresco on the ceiling depicts a sky of Fra Angelico blue and a smiling sun wreathed in fruits and vegetables.

A very nice article that discusses about Studio Ghibli, the legacy, despair and hopes from its most illustrious son, Miyazaki on animation in Japan.

Article in Japan Focus

History of Fansubbing and Piracy of Anime

When Piracy Becomes Promotion

How unauthorized copying made Japanese animation profitable in the United States.

The global sales of Japan’s animation industry reached an astonishing $80 billion in 2004, 10 times what they were a decade before. It has won this worldwide success in part because Japanese media companies paid little attention to the kinds of grassroots activities—call it piracy, unauthorized duplication and circulation, or simply file-sharing—that American media companies seem so determined to shut down. Much of the risk of entering Western markets and many of the costs of experimentation and promotion were borne by dedicated consumers.

Source

A brief and succinct account on how fansubbing in USA started and one of the engine of anime popularity today. Interesting article.

Gender Equality and Softpower in Japanese sociology

One of the most unexpected leading advocate of gender equality in Japan is manga and anime which lots of females working as professionals. Some of them of them even become very renowned artist in this field (notably novelist of ToraDora! Yuyuko Takemiya, CLAMP, Rumiko Takahashi and Kannagi's unfortunate Eri Takenashi) using softpower of their trade to break gender barriers despite hordes of male dominated works populating the domestic industry.

Before 2001, there is no law to protect females from domestic abuse and Japan was ranked 39th in UN 70 nations study of gender equality.

Thanks to various depiction of strong females with strong personality in free expressive anime/manga setting, the myth of ever smiling, submissive Japanese woman is dwindling fast. However, these archetype also have to contend with "moe" mutation hence producing some of the most schizophrenic anime females we seen lately.

There is growing demand for non-typical characterization and international fans might do their part as well.



Source Article

Sino-Japanese soft power war in comics

This paper was based upon a study of a Hong Kong-based comic enterprise entering the PRC comics market. By taking the advantages of cross-border production in Suzhou and Shenzhen, the enterprise is supposed to produce comic content related to Chinese mythic stories in the direction of the mainland cultural authority.

PDF link to the article.

An interesting look at soft power war between Japan and China over creation of content based on Chinese mythos like Romance of 3 Kingdoms or Legend of Condor Heroes. Under increasingly assertive China, there is a push against Japanese style manga on same content lately. This is a byproduct of increasingly uneasy geopolitical relationship between 2 Asian giants in shadow of increasing US withdrawal from active protection of Japan after World War 2.

Hong Kong has their own dyanamic comics industry that has soulful influence from Japan in storytelling and character archetype styles; some of them become famous enough like Storm Riders which is vastly popular with Overseas Chinese in South East Asia. But it is not entirely 100 percent carbon copy has it has own unique Chinese penchant for melodrama and vision of values.

Some MMORPGs like Perfect World is also an interesting synthesis of this, many promotions of this title is drawn in anime/manga style with notable character designs like Werefox (kitsune 狐 in Japanese folklore or Chinese 狐狸精) despite it is created by Chinese company. It is a backhand acknowledgement that Japanese soft power is immensely strong in a way.

The Economist "Infantile Capitalism"

At the centre of Takashi Murakami's new exhibition is a shop. Even Andy Warhol never went that far

AMONG the many rooms that make up this grand retrospective of the work of Takashi Murakami, Japan's best-known contemporary artist, one is especially provocative. It is not the gallery with the wide-eyed cartoon-like figures in bizarrely erotic poses. Nor is it the atrium, with its towering sculpture of a colourfully grotesque, pointy-headed alien, surrounded by adorable marshmallow-like sentries. The biggest buzz is about the space right in the centre of the Brooklyn Museum's 18,500 square-foot (1,700 square-metre) show: a fully operational Louis Vuitton shop, where visitors can buy their very own luxury handbag covered in Mr Murakami's playful designs for upwards of $650.

Full Article

A thought provoking article and worth to read. Basically Murakami thrives on this but yet making strong statements against the pop culture of Japan especially anime aspect since he felt it gutted the very soul of Japan. His most salient point is lament that Japan have lost its masculinity and it is manifested so strongly in the pop culture notably anime/manga output.

Soft Power Discussion no 3

An old article from CNN, talking about Japan's soft power; a sort of continuation from previous entry.


'Soft power' part of balancing act

By Geoff Hiscock
CNN

(CNN) -- Soft power, or the art of influencing people to like you, is a growing part of Japan's perennial balancing act with the world.

For a taste of Japan's soft power, look no further than "Gedo Senki" (Tales from Earthsea), the blockbuster animated movie that has just knocked "Superman Returns" from the No. 1 spot in the Tokyo box office stakes.

The Earthsea stories come from the pen of American fantasy writer Ursula K. Le Guin, but it is Japan's anime (animation) world that has most fervently embraced her characters.

Anime and its print sister manga (comics) are part of Japan's huge otaku (think fan or nerd) culture that is fixated on fantasy, robots, dolls, swap cards, video games, role playing, costumes and other such accoutrements.

And while geekdom in Japan is a big business, it is even bigger globally, with scores of anime and gaming-related conventions tracked by international sites such as www.otakuworld.com.

In September alone, for example, fans can attend Dragon-Con in Atlanta, Animania in Sydney, Australia, Fumettopoli in Milan, Italy and Connichi in Kassel, Germany.

The otaku world is but one of the many projections of cool Japan. From fashion to food to film and a dozen other cultural avenues, Japan is a global player.

Fashion designer Nigo, architect Tadao Ando, novelist Haruki Murakami, baseball star Ichiro Suzuki, footballer Hidetoshi Nakata and actor/singer Takeshi Kaneshiro are just some of the skilled exports who provide a "soft power" counterpoint to Japan's underwhelming performance in the international political arena.

Full article is here

Soft Power Discussion no 2.

Akaha, Tsuneo. "Debating "Soft Power" in Japan's Security Policy: Implications for Alliance with the United States"

Abstract: In this brief analysis, we will look at the ongoing Japanese discussion on soft power and consider its implications for the U.S.-Japan alliance. We will first discuss the concept, as developed by Joseph Nye, its potential and limitations as an instrument of national policy. We will then examine how the Japanese are using the concept in discussing their nation's security policy. In the process we will identify some indicators of Japan's soft power. We will then explore the implications of Japan's interest in expanding its soft power for its security alliance with the United States.

This article discusses the correlation of cultural trade between economic and military superpowers of current day. How bridging cultural can do for expression of cooperation and collective security in the region made possible by larger acceptance of popular pop trade namely anime, jpop and movies from Japan. A bit overstretch but this Japanese interpretation of Joseph Nye's idea of soft power concept. This time, it is other way around, with Japanese soft power vis-a-vis USA exportation of rap, Hollywood and consumer goods like Levis.

Full article here

Spirituality in Anime for Consumption

This paper attempts to account for the cross-cultural phenomenon of the popularity of anime, Japanese animation, among the younger generation in the U.S. It focuses on the religious aspects of the ¡°cultural difference¡± accounts of the phenomenon considering audiences cultural consumption of the media as the process of integration of cultural resources into their everyday (religious) lives. This study argues that anime's cultural manifestations of ¡°integrative spirituality¡± of Japanese culture well correspond with the young spiritual seekers who are characterized by the subjective, autonomous, reflexive construction of religious identity from a variety of sources instead of a religious tradition. Their cultural consumption of anime, which is based on their dismissive attitude toward both organized religions and American popular culture, contributes to the construction of their alternative religious identity.

A paper that is exploring religious connection and influencing agents between USA and Japan using anime as medium. Pretty insightful discussion, moreso considering how different the main religion of the said two nations. I do distinctly remember some outcry amongst Christian fundamentalist when Princess Mononoke was aired; citing it is pagan heresy that is unsuitable for pious, God fearing kids in America.

Looking at this angle, the writer to bridge these 2 but it is very open subject, not easy to be pigeonholed at all.

Spirituality in Anime Full article

Using Anime as teaching tool

The Impact of Popular Culture Fandom on Perceptions of Japanese Language and Culture Learning: The Case of Student Anime Fans

This research examines the impact of popular culture fandom on perceptions of foreign language and culture learning within a Japanese studies context, using the example of student ‘anime’ (Japanese animation) fans. Anime, described by Tominaga (2002) as “presently one of the most popular expressions of Japanese culture in America,” was chosen for its apparent popularity among students of Japanese. This dissertation presents the results of a study that qualitatively describes the phenomenon of anime fandom as it relates to a sample of ten Japanese language students’ perceptions of the Japanese language and culture and of language learning.

Full article here

Using anime as teaching tool in language programs is main scope of discussion here, using popular meme for academia is always a good thing. Afterall academia suppose to reflect what a society is and this discussion is manifestation of it. I always believe in practical and close to life type of higher education. Since anime is becoming more and more of a global phenomenon, perhaps it is time for Japanese language program to consider it as legitimate tool to teach the difficult language?

Animation, Anime and Cultural Logic of "Asianization"

I stumbled upon this sample page in Google Books here. It is part of essays in The Essential Science Fiction Television Reader and contained some really interesting stuff.

Go ahead and enjoy the reading.

A discussion on anime and Mac Donalds.

JAPANESE ANIMATION: A POST-MODERN
ENTERTAINMENT IN GLOBAL CONTEXT
Kiyomitsu YUI


The base for the Anime industry is the Manga industry in Japan. In 1995, Manga accounted for 40 % of the entire number of publications in circulation in Japan including journals and books.

And the all the weekly comic Journals within the top 10 circulation have more than a million circulations. In 1996, seventy--five million dollars worth of Japanese Manga and Anime were exported to the USA (Iwabuchi, Koichi, 2001, p.35 ).

In 2001, more than 100 TV animation programs were broadcasted in Japan. Doraemon and Sazaesan have been on the air for some 30 years. In the entire world market, it is said that the share of Japanese Anime amounts to can be 60 %, with a whole scale
market value of approximately one thousand billion yen. In August 1996, the
Journal of American Billboard Ranking announced that No.1 selling video in
America was a Japanese Anime entitled “Ghost in the Shell”.

The PDF can be accessed here.

If you are curious what I do mean by McDonalds and Anime, read this discussion.

Inside the Robot Kingdom

"It is about robots and Japan, and in the larger sense, about technology and culture. Like most people, until recently my image of robots confused science fiction and real life. I have always been fascinated, however, by the way robots in all forms-- in fantasy and industry-- are so celebrated in Japan. Around the end of 1984, while touring some factories in the United States, and seeing so few industrial robots at work, I began to realize that "robots"-- in all their various forms-- can really be seen as a symbol of a larger relationship between people and technolgy. To understand why America was having trouble with robotization and other steps on the road to the twenty-first century, and why Japan seemed to be more successful, it would be necessary to look beyond the machine. This led to my interviewing people with all kinds of different connections with robots in both nations, touring factories, attending international conferences, and reading hundreds of books, magazines, and journals and, especially, the daily industrial newspapers of Japan."

Source

This book talks about Japanese singular obsession with robots and it is penned by one of the most famous author who also translated Gundam novels, Frederick L.Schodt. The book maybe old but some ideas are still fresh and relevant; if any English speaker seeks to understand the robot craze in Japan might want to start with this book first.