From: jkim@jingoro.Eng.Sun.COM (Jun Kim)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime
Subject: Re: an honest answer would include .. [was: Why is Anime so popular?]
Date: 12 Aug 92 18:02:40 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
NNTP-Posting-Host: jingoro

In article <1992Aug12.055301.27482@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> bn981@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Ryan Mathews) writes:
>
>>> 
>>> 			*** SUPERIOR ANIMATION ***
>>
>>No.  If you want technically superior animation, go watch Disney.
>
>Sure, if you don't give a damn what's being animated.  If you're
>willing to watch superiorly animated cute fluffy cuddly animals,
>cute people, and cute talking inanimate objects, Disney's great.
>
>If you want superior animation in a feature that isn't concerned
>with holding down a "G" rating, you ain't gonna find it on this
>continent.

One thing I'd like to add is that I get much more of a sense of "realism"
from anime than US animation.  Now, you can argue "what's so real about
boomers or hardsuits?" but anime makes me feel that if there _were_ 
such things as boomers or hardsuits, they just might look/behave like
Sonoda intended... it's kind of like watching a very good sci-fi flick
vs a bad one.  A bad one is not very good at feeling "real" while 
something like "Aliens" can draw us into the story better because it feels
more "plausible".  That's why I'm drawn into anime more cuz it's more like
watching good entertainment and not only watching good animation.

Speaking of animation, I'd say that what Disney attempts with their
animation is probably more difficult, but I'm not sure if the casual viewer
is going to appreciate the extra effort.  Complex motions and view changes
may be technically challenging, but the bang-for-the-buck effect on the
audience is small.  Again people feel that "it's neat that they can do
that with animation" instead of getting more involved with the story.
I'm actually more pleased to see attempts at being more "realistic"
(again assuming some sci-fi leaps of faith).  The animation of Tetsuo
falling off his bike is excellent:  that looks like how I'd imagine it.
Iczer 1 falling to the ground after being hit looks like how I'd
envision someone landing after a hard blow.

Lastly, I'm really not so sure about the "G" rated comment...  I don't think
that there is anything hindering "G" rated films from becoming great.  I'm
sure we can all think of great anime flicks which fall under the "G"
rating (or close anyway).  Personally, I really liked (aka "got into")
Beauty and the Beast because I felt the emphasis of that film was the 
story and the story was good.  Same goes for Kiki.  I really don't think
sex and violence (as mentioned in some other post) is really necessary
outside of extreme action features... and they're not the only flicks that
are good.  In fact, I really don't find the need for excess S&V that I see
creeping into anime now.  Gunbuster, for instance, is a flick that I like
alot, but in the last episode, when Noriko pulls out Gunbuster's generator (?)
did she really have to rip her uniform to reveal her breast?  I thought 
that act was one of the low points of the series.  I'm just not a fan of 
over-done things, I guess.  Of course, anime offers fans the versatility of 
showing S&V when necessary, and _that's_ definately a plus for those action 
type scenes we all know and love... :)


--
Jun Kim                                         jkim@jingoro.Eng.Sun.Com
Sun Microsystems
Mountain View, CA                               "Oboete imasu ka..."