Anime’s inspiration abounds

An old drawing style in Japan is being reintroduced as new in
the United States, and USC anthropology research scientist Mizuko
Ito presented the development of this Japanese animation and its
emerging forms Monday afternoon at the UCLA Faculty Center to a
group of about 50 students and professors.

The increasing popularity of Japanese animation, more commonly
known as “anime,” has attracted enthusiasts, some of
whom create personal artwork based on their favorite anime
productions.

Though the number of anime artists started out small, Ito said
it has grown considerably and will likely continue to increase as
more people are introduced to this art form.

“The level of amateur production will keep growing,”
Ito said.

She said since the production of art from anime by individuals
has acquired considerable popularity, academics should view anime
fan art as its own unique art form.

“It is important for academic institutions to acknowledge
popular culture (such as anime),” Ito said.

Surveys have shown that some students are taking Japanese
language classes not out of necessity but from a pure interest in
learning Japanese and the culture behind anime.

Some anime followers write their own fan fiction in response to
anime series they enjoy, while others draw illustrations of their
favorite characters.

An increasing trend among anime enthusiasts is the creation of
anime music videos, or AMVs, which take segments of anime and
splice them to the beat of a song. Some fans spend months on a
single video only a few minutes long to attain the level of
professionalism they want.

The fan fiction, drawings and music videos are sometimes
uploaded to various Web sites that experience visitor traffic in
the thousands.

Increasing interest in anime and the subsequent creative work
has resulted in gatherings of fans at anime conventions which
exhibit the creative works people have developed.

“Anime is becoming much more mainstream, expanding about
20 percent every year,” said Rachel Cody, a research
assistant who works with Ito.

Cody said for one of the largest anime conventions, called Anime
Expo, the number of attendees has grown from 20,000 last year to
25,000 this year.

In addition to its growth in popularity, anime content has
expanded, drawing influence from cultures beyond the one in which
it was originally conceived, Ito said.

While anthropology has traditionally centered on studying people
in real life, the interaction that goes on over the Internet and in
front of the computer in private rooms has lead her to research
their online interactions.

Her study of the chat log of anime enthusiasts reveals their
dedication to form anime organizations with other people with
similar interest.

There still remains much to be learned about the rapid growth of
anime art in American culture, said Katynka Martinez, an assistant
researcher working with Ito.

“We’re just in the starting phase, and we still have
much to research,” she said.

Though Martinez researches anime and believes she still has much
to learn, some students say they could never gain the level of
knowledge regarding anime work that Martinez has.

Students at the event held a variety of opinions about
anime.

“I don’t know much about it. I think it’s a
typically Japanese thing,” said Thomas Buelter, a chemical
engineering post-doctorate student.

Joe Liao, a second-year Design | Media Arts student, said that
anime is part of a culture that will continue to develop.

“Anime is similar to video games. It’s a culture
particular to this generation,” Liao said.