What is Anime Anyway?
Anime is the Japanese word for "animation". In English, this term is often used along with other words (such as "Japanimation") to refer to Japanese animation. There are many differences between Japanese and American animation. Anime contains not only children's and entertainment shows, but also a lot of more serious drama, science fiction, and/or interpretive works. The most popular movie ever produced in Japan, Mononke Hime, is an animated movie. Anime is interesting and unique not only because of its medium, but also because of cultural differences in storytelling which are also seen in Japanese novels, movies, and plays. Anime is also a part of American and Canadian popular culture. If you watched cartoons when you were little, it is likely that you've seen anime. Anime popularized in American culture include Voltron, Robotech, Star Blazers, Battle of the Planets, G-Force, Macron One, Saber Riders, Force Five and more recently Eagle Riders, Sailor Moon, Dragonball, Teknoman, Ronin Warriors, Pokemon, and Samurai Pizza Cats. To pronounce the word anime (in English), just say "animation" and stop at the "ay" sound. It sounds something like annie-may.
Common Questions about Anime
I hear anime is violent and sexually explicit. Is this true?
Anime is a medium, not a genre. Anime, much like movies, can be of many genres.
Just because some movies is violent or sexually explicit doesn't mean all movies are violent
and sexually explicit. This sort of faulty logic could also lead people to believe all
movies are Pauly Shore movies simply because Pauly Shore is in one movie.
So what's the deal with the big eyes?
Japanese animation style uses the motif of big eyes to represent youth in character
designs. This is common in many anime characters, but there exists a large contigent
of anime characters who do not have big eyes (eg. Macross Plus, Ninja Scroll, etc). In
fact, there are some popular anime character designs don't even have opened eyes at all
(Yakumo from 3x3 Eyes). Other character designs, like those by CLAMP, have incredibly
huge eyes. The trend was begun by Osamu Tezuka, the "Father of Anime," whose characters of the 1960s imitated the wide-eyed Western look and whose style propagated through subsequent anime.
Why do the characters in anime look white but speak Japanese?
Anime characters have races relative to context, not necessarily white. The
reason why the characters speak Japanese is because anime comes from Japan. Likewise,
why are the characters yellow in the Simpsons, yet speak English?
How Do I Learn More?
One obvious way is by attending some club meetings and events. There is not only exposure to translated works, but also many of the club members are quite knowledgeable. You also might want to take some related classes at the U of L. Not only are they a lot of fun, but you can also learn a lot more about an interesting culture. The Department of Modern Languages offers courses in Japanese language under the course heading JPNS. Japanese 1200, the beginner course, is offered in the fall, with a continuation, Japanese 1300, being offered in the spring. There is also a second-year course, Japanese 2850, being offered for the first time in Fall 1998. The Modern Languages home page is here, but it doesn't yet contain anything about Japanese... The Department of Modern Languages also offered a course in Japanese film study (MODL 2850A) during Spring 1998, which was quite popular. This course is currently being offered as JPNS 2850B. A course on Japanese culture, which is taught by an exchange professor from Japan, is offered as IDST 2008A. There are many resources on the web with information about anime. Here are some which have been recommended by club members:
A brief history and primer to anime. Includes a variety of cultural perspectives about Japanese animation.
A variety of articles written by Eri Izawa, on topics such as anime stereotypes, supernatural themes, environmentalism, and gender relations. Also contains Rei's art, series information, and links.
Contains the unofficial Hayao Miyazaki Web, a great source for learning about one of Japan's foremost animators, his studio and colleages, and their works.
What About Other Clubs?
To the best of our knowledge, JAMS is the only organized Japanese animation club in Lethbridge. Here are some links to other clubs not too far from here:
Alberta Clubs:Anime Alberta is a province-wide group of anime clubs, including those below.
BAKA (Banzai Anime Klub of Alberta) Alberta's largest club; U of Alberta, Edmonton
DOA (Dedicated Otaku Anime) University of Calgary
JAWS (Japanese Animation Watchers Society) Alberta's oldest club; CalgaryNot-too-far-from-Alberta Clubs:UMAnime Club University of Manitoba; Winnipeg, Manitoba
UBC Anime Club University of British Columbia; Vancouver, British Columbia
UVAC University of Victora Animation Club; Victoria, British Columbia
ADP (Anime Discovery Project) University of Washington; Seattle, Washington, USA