Anime is a distinctive style of video animation originating from Japan that has recently been making its way into mainstream American culture. This is reflected in its growing prominence across social media, cinema and streaming platforms.
But prejudices people hold towards anime as a fictional medium lead to an excessive stigmatization that undermines its merits. Anime is often seen as this eccentric world that offers nothing but mere entertainment reserved for an enjoyment of Japanese culture, odd characters with big eyes and excessive pervertedness or violence.
What many critics don’t realize is that anime – with its profound messages, complex storytelling and versatile use of the visual form – is on par with many famous literary classics and films. In some ways, it even surpasses them.
Joe Yang, who runs the YouTube channel, Pause and Select, started making video essays on anime because he felt that there wasn’t enough discussion on its value as a social system.
“[Anime] can grapple with very complex philosophical or ideological themes,” Yang said. “[But] as the material starts sifting over into the West, you’re also going to start getting other things that, for the most part, do not line up with the whole idea of anime as a thinking form.”
Anime is often a reflection of the distinct cultural, social and historical contexts they are brought up in. When anime is taken out of context, it’s disconnected from any real-world applications or significance.
Mina Kaneko, an assistant professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures, teaches a course on anime and manga. Kaneko explains that people tend to be dismissive towards anime because they restrict its relevance to a Japanese context. There’s a lack of familiarity with anime’s distinct visual and storytelling style that feels different from what Western viewers are used to.
“Isn’t it a value to seek things that are different from maybe the visual culture that you’re used to or familiar with?” says Kaneko. “[Anime] speaks to so many different kinds of people from different kinds of ethnic, cultural, national backgrounds, linguistic backgrounds.”
Anime often mirrors real-world problems and carries significance far beyond Japan. Students in Nepal, Indonesia and the Philippines have raised the Straw Hats Flag from, “One Piece,” as they overthrew or protested their own governments, invoking the anime’s message of resisting oppression.
Now, despite how anime should be engaged with on an intellectual level, it is important to recognize that there is an incredibly wide variety of anime and manga. Not all shows have to be complex or deeply philosophical to be worthy of engagement. Some anime contain excessive fan service, or suggestive content included to please fans that does not seem to advance the plot. However, that doesn’t justify dismissing anime in its entirety or confining it to a narrow definition.
“Just because something is fan service or is deemed to be fan service, does not necessarily preclude it from being analytical,” Yang said. “[It’s] a discussion about why are they depicting this? How are they depicting this? And what does it tell us?”
To get a better sense of anime’s diversity and depth, people should put aside their preconceived notions and just go watch some anime.
An abundance of biblical references are seen in “Death Note,” the story of a highschooler who finds a book that wields the power to kill those whose names are written in it. What starts off as a noble ideal of purging the world of evil quickly descends into the blind abuse of power, leading viewers to question the nature of justice and morality.
“Monster” is about a talented surgeon, Dr. Tenma, who sacrifices his career to save a young boy, only for him to grow and become a nihilistic criminal that harms many people. The show blurs the line between good and evil in relation to human identity and questions the value of human life.
One of Studio Ghibli’s most political films, “Princess Mononoke,” is inspired by the Yugoslavia Wars. The film explores the clash between humanity and nature, represented by forest spirits called “kodama.” Neither side is clearly presented as the villain while examining how political conflict and industrialization damage both the environment and humanity.
Real life literary figures, including Osamu Dazai, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe, inspire some of the characters of “Bungo Stray Dogs.” The show follows an agency of detectives with super powers who solve mysteries and fight crime. The show offers a very human depiction of mental health and illness, as it doesn’t ignore nor define its characters by their struggles. Instead, it portrays how they live, cope and contribute to society while growing as people.
Even from a critical lens, anime is a medium worthy of serious discussion and engagement that can lead to valuable and enlightening conversations. It is a versatile medium that stretches creative boundaries with its characters, storylines and cultural references, offering an amazing viewing experience that can’t be found in other media.
