Anime Animation and Cartoons

I have a secret fetish. Shhhhh. Cartoons! Yes, I admit it. When my husband’s not home I might sneak a peek at the cartoon channel to see if Bugs Bunny or Looney Tunes might be on. I adore classic toons. Forget South Park or King of the Hill or even the Simpsons; they don’t interest me in the least. Give me Bugs and Daffy, Sylvester and Tweety, Pepe Le Pew or even Wile E Coyote and The Road Runner. No matter how many times I might see the same old cartoons, they still make me laugh – heartily.

Animation is really the more technical term for ‘cartoons’, referred to in Japan as anime. English-speaking countries tend to think of anime as Japanese animation, like comic books are manga. I love anime, my first being Leo the White Lion, called Kimba in English-speaking countries.

Don’t get me wrong, Disney has been great, and still is. I love their classics like ‘Dumbo’ (my favourite) and ‘Pinocchio’ and the relatively more recent additions like ‘Aladdin’ and ‘The Lion King’. The only disappointment with Disney films is that they almost always contain songs and I hate musicals. A theme song is fine but people, or even cartoon characters for that matter, breaking out into song is just not for me.

Animation, in my experience, doesn’t have singing and dancing within the movie and, although most Japanese anime have similar characteristics like the eyes and shading, the movement and the ‘reality’ they capture is extremely impressive. What are the similar characteristics of the eyes, you might ask? They are usually drawn quite large with a twinkle of light within.

My favourite animation would have to be the ‘Gibli’ (sometimes spelt Ghibli or Jiburi) Collection created by Hayao Miyazaki. It has a certain style and character all on its own, not the drawings but the overall ‘feel’ of the animations. He is able to capture the true likeness and character of children, as an example, how moods can change so quickly. Perhaps what I’m trying to convey is that he captures the very essence of the characters and portrays them so believably well.

‘My Neighbour, Totoro’ (TONARI NO TOTORO) will probably remain my most revered anime. It delves into the fantasy world of children and the mysteries of the unknown, pulling at heart strings along the ride into his world. Unfortunately I don’t think the English version does the characters the justice they deserve. I have been fortunate enough to learn enough Japanese in order to have seen the original version of ‘Totoro’. Perhaps the cultural aspects are missing from the English version, where some expressions cannot be equally translated or interpreted.

As for manga, I was addicted – yes, I am full of admissions today – addicted. What can I say? I was ‘into’ art and loved the way some of the comics were drawn in Japan. My all time favourite manga was a series called ‘City Hunter’ by Tsukasa Hojo. It was an action-packed comic about a private investigator and his long-suffering partner but, rather than just being violent, it was humorous. The main character, Ryo, had flaws. The series, to my utter delight, was turned into a television anime, which even had its own full-length anime movie. Apparently it was made into a Hong Kong movie starring Jackie Chan, which I haven’t seen and most likely will not. Why? Perhaps because I do not want to have the original version ‘tainted’ in my mind and memory. Not that I dislike Jackie Chan, by all means, I think he’s great. Again, I don’t think that the portrayal in another language can express the original thoughts of the creator.

Perhaps the answer to anime in other languages might be to have them subtitled but then children wouldn’t have the pleasure of enjoying animation. Maybe the translations and cultural interpretations have been expressed to the best of their abilities and I am just being fastidious. I would love the entire world to enjoy anime, especially the ‘Gibli/Ghibli/Jiburi Collection’ and if it is at the cost of a little cultural misinterpretation, so be it!