anime

Tezuka characters

- During his career, Tezuka headed the anime production studio "Mushi production", which translates as Bug Production. An homage to his boyhood interest in insects - In 1994, the city of Takarauka opened the museum in his memory. Postage stamps were issued in his honor in 1997. In 2006 and 2007, his artwork was the subject of an exhibition called Tezuka the Marvel of Manga. - The exhibition, which originated in Australia, was held at the San Francisco Art Museum and featured imagery from all of his creations.

cosplay

- Forrest Ackerman wore the first futurist costume to the first world, Science Fiction Convention called the Worldcon in New York in 1939. - Ackerman dressed up like a "star pilot" and his friend Myrtle Jones, who's seen here wore a costume from the 1933 film, "Things to Come". - The idea of dressing as a comic book or science fiction hero quickly became a convention tradition, initially people had to make their own costumes and conventions featured sessions on how to create wigs, costumes and design accessories associated with a specific character. While cosplay occurs at conventions around the world, the best cosplay occurs in Japan. Many Japanese cosplayers have acquired celebrity status. - In Japan, cosplay doesn't occur only conventions. In many cities, cosplayers meet in parks to show off their expertise and their passion. - In the Harajuku district of Tokyo, Japan, is famous for its cosplay. The word "Harajuku" is used for Gwen Stefani's perfume products and song. During the early 80's of Japan, before anime and manga, became the worldwide phenomenon that others are now. Japanese teenagers engaged in cosplay in Harajuku and the public spaces, but rather dressing like characters the teens dressed in 1950s American pop culture attire --- boys in jeans and white shirts and black leather jackets and girls in poodle skirts and saddle shoes. The emphasis of the Japanese cosplayers today is on imitating a particular character, as close to being exact as possible. Rather than making own costumes, however, Japanese cosplayers typically buy authentic costumes which are commercially produced. Since so much cosplay in Japan occurs outside of conventions, there's not as much emphasis on competition among the cosplayers. Cosplay in Japan is seen as a hobby, especially for young women, dressing as Inu Yasha and a Gothic Girl, etc., something to do on a Sunday afternoon with friends. - There were very difference approaches towards cosplay between America and Japan. For America, people make their own costumes, original concepts and designs are encouraged. There are sessions at anime conventions on with wig making, costume making, and acting at American conventions, intended to help cosplayers learn how to look like professional actors. the clothes are all commercially produced. - Cosplay is a very important aspect of anime conventions. Show called, "The Heroes of Cosplay TV show on the Syfy channel". The series followed a number of male and female cosplayers as they compete at conventions across the country. YaYa Han is a professional cosplayer who frequently judges cosplay contests - in costume, of course. Han also competes alone of with an occasional partner, wearing elaborate and professionally made costumes. She even has her own line of cosplay accessories that she sells -- or rather her husbands sells -- at conventions. In addition to YaYa, the featured contestants include Victoria Schmidt, Holly Conrad, Jessica Merizan, Monica Lee, Chloe Dykstra, Riki LeCatey, and Jessie Lagers. The show follows the members of the group, some of whom work as partners and others as solo competitors, as they create their costumes and travel to various conventions to compete for monetary prizes and prestige. Some of those prizes are pretty good in value and some cast members are professional costumers and some are looking to break into the costuming industry and others are just fans. - As the audience watch that each player in this skit created her own outfit from scratch. The idea of grown-ups dressing in costumes didn't begin with the cosplaying conventions in the 20th century. Masquerade balls were very popular in the 15th century Europe, among the aristocracy. In the 17th and 18th centuries, carnival was held in Venice, Italy and in France, where initially, the wealthy dressed in elaborate costumes and masks but eventually the celebrations became public. With members of all classes participating in the festivities, in two examples such as, Made Gras in New Orleans and Carnivale in Rio. Which is celebrated in the animated film Rio, are part of the tradition as well as the song "Oh, Des Golden Slippers' plays in the background.

Meiji Era

- 1868 and 1912 - An era when rapid changes occurred in Japanese society as a Japanese embraced Western technology and rose to world power status. - Japan imported foreign experts to help synthesize Western tech and military strategies. The country sent significant numbers of students, aboard to study as well. ~ 3 Italian artists were brought to Tokyo in the late 19th century to teach Western art traditions such as linear perspective and technical drawing to art students. Now used to for scientific drawing and map making necessary for Japan's modernization. - Japan gradually took control of much of Asia's market for manufactures; importing raw materials and exporting finished products.

the castle of cagliostro

- 1979 - Hayao Miyazaki - Directorial debut, Lupin III, a romantic action-adventure tale that combines an appreciation of slapstick comedy with a sophisticated sense of characterization and pace. - A film directed by Miyazaki, who was taking a break from his standard formula and have the audience intended for adults. - Many of the themes he would develop in his later movies, are sketched out in this lighthearted caper set in a European Never-Never Land of ancient castles and modern intrigue. - Based on Monkey Punch's mangas but Cagliostro stars a princess in distress and a lovable rogue who steals hearts as easily as he steals jewels. - The dramatic finale has a satisfying sense of retribution and a bittersweet twist kind, souring the film's overall sense of fun. ~ characters of Lupin III and his partners in crime were originally created by the manga writer and artist Monkey Punch * A lovable rogue, Lupin, was based in part on a western literary character Arsene Lupin, a gentleman thief. ~ The brainchild of French novelist Maurice LeBlanc, Arsene's exploits on the Riviera and elsewhere in High society kept French readers intrigued at his daring nature and incompetence of the police of the 1920's. ~ characters really appealed to Monkey Punch, who made his character a Japanese descendant of Arsene - Lupin III had a well-established screen history before Miyazaki made The Castle of Cagliostro, including several TV episodes written and directed by Miyazaki himself under an assumed name. ~ Fans of Lupin III expect to see Lupin, his sidekicks Jigen and Goemon, his nemesis Inspector Zenigata, and his rival and on-again-off-again lover Fujiko. - Miyazaki used the mythology of LeBlanc and Monkey Punch as well as historical sources in his version of the story. - The antagonist, for example, is Count Alessandro of Cagliostro.

Barefoot Gen

- 1983 - Keiji Nakazawa - loosely based on Nakazawa's experience, whom was an ardent campaigner for wold peace - Prior to his death in December of 2012. - Began with the suffering everyone endures during war, --- food shortages, the absence of family members, children whom were sent away from the city to avoid potential bombings - Gen's family suffer more, since the father rejects Japan's military propaganda, believing as the greed of the rich ruling class and his entire family is treated as traitors. - Gen was on his way to school on August 6th and survived the bombing, since he was behind a wall, which protected him from the blast. - serialized in 1973-74 and subsequently became 2 anime films and 3 live action films/tv series - A manga written by Keiji Nakazawa in 1973 that depicted the events of the bombings of Hiroshima. Told by the perspective by a six year old boy and the aftermath while struggling to live with his family.

Yayoi Kusama

- A Japanese contemporary artist who influenced anime and manga - Born in 1929, into a prosperous family, Kusama began drawing her distinctive dot patterns by the age of 10. She spent much of WW II, working in a parachute factory, which she claims killed her mind. Kusama's parents tried to discourage her artistic career; after the war that almost happened. - known for her paintings, collages, soft sculptures, performance art and environmental installations. All that reflect her obsessions with patterns and repetition. - A conceptual artist influenced by pop art, abstract expressionism, minimalism, and surrealism. Her work spans fine at as well as popular culture. - The Kyoto Municipal School of Arts, where she was a student, judged her drawing as not passable. As a result, her family expected her to enter into an arranged marriage and be a typical Japanese housewife, which she resisted. - Kusama attributed such family pressures, as the beginning of her own mental illness. Early in her career, she covered surfaces - walls, floors, canvases - with polka dots, which became her trademark. - The installation is called Hymn of life: Tulips and Dots Obsession. Kusama dubbed the fields of polka dots "Infinity nets", saying they originated in her hallucinations. She noted, quote, a polka dot has the form of the sun, which is a symbol of the energy of the whole world and our living life, and the moon, which is calm, round soft, colorful, senseless and unknowing. - Polka dots become movement, a way to infinity. - Kusama moved to NY in 1956, following a long period of correspondence with the artist, Georgia O'Keefe. In NY, she became a leader of the avant-garde art movement, creating happenings to protest the Vietnam War and made large installations. - In 1973, Kusama returned to Japan during to ill health. During her prolific career, she's exhibited with Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns. - Kusama represented Japan at the Venice Biennale in 1993 and in 1998 to 1999. In a major retrospective of her work, toured the U.S. and Japan. Today Kusama lives by choice in a Tokyo mental hospital, where she continues to work. - Kusama with her dots has influenced contemporary Japanese graphic artists, fine artists, and manga/anime artists. - Yoko Ono has cited her as a major influence in her work. In 2009, Kusama partnered with KDDJ to launch a new lineup dubbed iida. Standing for innovation, imagination, design and art, designing several commercial portable phones. Including ones shaped like handbags and a dog, all embellished with her trademark polka dots. - These limited editions sold for between $1,000 and $10,000. Advertising for the objects claims that iida is quote creating a place where the splendor of art and life's sense of wonder can be shared with many more people. - the venture was so successful that in 2011, Kusama created artwork for six limited editions lip glosses from Lancome. That same year, she worked with Marc Jacobs, whom had visited her studio in Japan. In 2006, on a line of Louis Vuitton products, including leather goods, ready-to-wear accessories, shoes, watches, and jewelry.

NERV

- A mysterious organization in whose logo includes a fig leaf and the words "God's" in his heavens, all's right with the world" - overseen by Gendo Ikari, Shinji's estranged father and the guiding force behind the EVAs. It is his responsibility to ensure that the EVAs defeat the angels, assisted by Captain Misato Katsuragi, the pilot trainer who wears a cross at her throat. - NERV's underground command center is controlled by the magi -- a network of three computers named Melchior, Balthazar, and Caspar, located in "Dogma Central".

Lupin III

- A thief with a heart of gold and care for his gang, including: ~ Daisuki Jigen ~ Goemon` ~ Fujiko Mine - story is based on French author Maurice LeBlanc's series of novels about a suave thief, Arsene Lupin. - The original manga series was written and illustrated by Kazuhiko Kato; Monkey Punch. - Which first appeared in Weekly Manga action, on August 10, 1967 and then spawned a media franchise of all sorts. Even live-action film and theatrical release has also been considered. - Each project within the franchise has its own individual plot. - The original TV series and film, The Castle of Caligostro, was worked on by Hayao Miyazaki

Cowboy Bebop

- Another TV anime series that reached older audiences. The director, Shinichiro Watanabe, wanted viewers to have an experience of watching it, like its the year 2079. Though doing this hides the flaw that the plots ripped off from generic shows like: ~ Route 66 ~ space mafia and hippies ~ Space Truckers - A tale of futuristic bounty hunters in space, whom bear no resemblance, although Boba Fett or Sam Wesell from the Star Wars epic. A believable blend of film noir, martial arts films, cool jazz, and sic-fi that varies wildly in tone, from comedy to tragedy, episode to episode. - Made in a deliberately 1970's retro style, and posits a solar system that one part Chinese diaspora and two parts wild west. City spaces taken form Kung-fu films with Neo architecture in the style of Blade runner and one horse frontier towns in the middle of the Martian desert. - First shown in 1998 and considered to be a Japanese animation masterpiece. - It premiered with a total of 26 episodes. The anime was among the most influential anime shown in America because it tackled the philosophical concepts of existentialism, loneliness and nihilism. It was also adapted into two manga series.

maus

- Art Spiegelman's graphic novels that explore the realities of war in the West. - Which looks at his father's experience in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. - All characters are animals: ~ jews as mice ~ Germans as cats - similar to Barefoot Gen, Spiegelman's graphic novel is an unsettling look at war, done in an unconventional medium that brings the experience to a wider audience.

CLAMP

- Art team of Satsuki igarashi (designer/artist), Nanase Ohkawa (designer/head writer), Mikku Nekoi (artist) and Apapa Mokano (artist). - Three of the women attended high school together in Osaka, then all four begin their career of writing dojinshi, or self-published comics. The women initially partied together and drew together, eventually creating a vast empire. The women work as a co-operative and all of their work is done in-house by who is ever best at a particular task. - The word "CLAMP" means pile of potatoes, which is possibly a reflection of the fact their early works were far from serious in tone. - Best known for its use of humor in its manga and anime, as well as its stories of female empowerment. - The works have the fluid delicate artistic style similar to shojo manga, but the stories have a distinctly darker tone. Due in part to the women's love of horror films, their combined efforts resulted in works of extraordinary energy and beauty through creating most popular shojo series such as: Magic Knight Rayearth. - Unlike it's less than successful series, Miyuki-Chan in Wonderland, dismissed as a CLAMP aberration, as a failed opportunity to gain male fans. However, it was considered a iconic feminist series as it visually speaks about objectifying women, especially during the modern era. Miyuki, dressed in the requisite sailor shirt and skirt --- pleated skirt of a Japanese schoolgirl uniform, running late for school. Racing down the street, Miyuki was quickly distracted by a voluptuous scantily clad women dressed like a playboy bunny. Who careens down the street on a skateboard, the two tumbling into an open manhole. Beginning the adventure by being pulled through her mirror by her own reflection, Miyuki finds herself in a sex obsessed Wonderland. Where Carroll's characters are all portrayed as voluptuous women. Cheshire Car as blonde bombshell, Tweedledum and Tweedledee are Chinese martial art sexperts, and the Red Queen is a Bondage Queen. Miyuki was lured by a very sexy Humpty Dumpty into a game of strip chess between Miyuki and her own reflection. To which she wins and flees back home for school. - A monthly serialized manga which was made into a TV series, in 1994, that ran for 15 months and then released in the US as a direct video.

Rose of Versailles

- Created in 1972 by Riyoko Ikeda - Nippon TV - 1979 - an influential show on later series, along with Utena. - a story of French nobility in the days leading up to the French Revolution. ~ main characters, Marie Antionette, her dashing Swedish lover Hans Axel Fersen, and Commander of Palace Guards, Oscar Francois De Jarjuyes. * Oscar's actually a woman whose general father raised her as a man. Loved from afar by Andre, a handsome stablehand. - Despite the writer intending Marie as the centerpiece of the story, fans of the show made Oscar as the star. - The idea of a female hero stroked a core in Japan of the early 1970's. - The themes and ideas found in the early stories are examined by modern directors and writers in both anime and manga.

manhwa

- As a result of influences, two types of comics developed: Son-jeon manhwa, or sentimental comics, and Myong Rang manhwa, or funny comics. - With the coup orchestrated by General Park Chung-hee in 1961. Came censorship that, among other things, prohibited girls and boys from being depicted in the same comic strip. - The censorship was lifted after Park's assassination and the manhwa culture really began to flourish. - Manhwa differs from manga in several ways such as: ~ read from left to right ~ Use Korean folk tales and legends as the basis. ~ characters' faces tend to be more expressive and more normal, naturalistic appearance. Eyes are not large, hairstyles are realistic, chins are squared off, and face have asian ethnicity - Popular genres include martial arts, especially taekwondo; film noir sci-fi stories - characters in dark suits and sunglasses (Men in Black); fantasy stories featuring gods and goddesses, school dramas are popular. - Western influences manwha such as Western history and use of Christianity. For example, the depiction of the Mysterious Female Templar, which were Crusaders during the Middle Ages. - The Korean animation industry began with hand held flip books, which grew into a multimillion dollar industry that produces animation for Western studios and local consumption.

red comics

- As the next evolution, as to what happened was that in post war Osaka and other cities throughout Japan - manga were printed on cheap paper like newsprint in large books that had red covers - This tradition started back in the 10th century w/ publication of popular illustrated novels - Since the Japanese economy was shambles after WW II, these comics were available to rent for a minimal cost in different stories. Eventually evolved into serialized manga, much like you see in Shonen Jump.

komiks

- Began in the Philippines of the 1920's - strongly influenced by American comics, the results of American occupation of the islands beginning in 1899 after the Spanish-American War.

Masamune Shirow

- Born in 1961 and began his adult life as a high school teacher before becoming a manga artist and finally an animator. - His works are such as listed: ~ Black Magic M-66 (1983): the story of two top secret military androids programmed to terminate their inventors granddaughters. Heavily drawn by Terminator and Aliens and the film used more than 20,000 cells. Although Shirow did not have the funds for the elaboratly designed robots. ~ Appleseed (1983): the predecessor of Appleseed Ex Machina, was released. Tells the story of a robot-controlled society, where hangs exist almost as birds in a gilded cage. Despite the fact that the series was produced by Gainax Studio, the initial animated work was flawed. Featured "Japlish" (Japanese and English), combined on many signs * The heroine uses conventional firearms in this advanced world, and eats a lot of fast food. ~ Ghost in the Shell (one of his best works) - A prolific graphic artist who has done multiply important works, including fantasy, that reflect his interest in "blades" or swords. Despite some of his works done digitally, most of them were done completely in an analog style. - Fully subscribes to the iconography of the female form developed by Osama Tezuka.

X/1999

- CLAMP - manga - 1992 - Their myriad of imitators debuted in a time of financial, economic, and social crisis In Japan. A time when since society was reevaluating the place of Western culture in Japanese society. Their use of christian symbolism as a means to define "the Other". That which is threatening Japanese culture, as a storytelling device makes them cautionary tales about the importance of retaining Japanese cultural values while importing selective ideas from the West

Hiroshima

- City of Japan that was bombed by an American atomic bomb on August 6. Then followed by August 9 that Nagasaki was bombed. - The bomb droppings resulted in the immediate deaths of more than 200,000 people. The number of deaths that a followed due to cancer, birth defects, etc. makes the toll considerably higher. - Peace park of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have memorials, which stress the importance of peace and hope that this fate will never befall another nation. - A witness to the bombings was Keiji Nakazawa.

magic knight rayearth

- Clamp - 1994 - A magical romance which combines elements of Shonen and shojo manga and links that magical girl heroines with elements of fire, water, and air - Not a light-hearted fare of many other CLAMP works ~ characters are complex, with multi-faceted personalities. They inhabit a wonderland that is not illogical and irreverent like Alice's. The world is rather a dangerous but fantastical place filled with epic sword fights and magnificent beings. - A series which that geared towards a younger age group but appeals to older readers. Intended for older elementary and Junior high school women and girls students - Emphasizes ideas such as ~ fate ~ sacrifice ~ grim destiny - The story of three girls - Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu - who just graduated from high school or Junior high and facing the end of their friendship as each one will attend different schools. ~ Despite their fights and differences, the close friends wish for their friendship to always stay. The wish was granted though they traveled to an alternate world called Cephiro, where their adventure and magic abounds ~ Cephiro was seemingly destined to be destroyed unless the three girls work together to defend the dimension and the Earth. ~ Each girl becomes a deity, receiving magical power to use for good. The three learn lessons of self-confidence, self-reliance, and the importance of teamwork. ~ Some of the battles include a feline spirit, a beetle being, a giant fish, and a prawn like ascot. - contains many Japanese specific references, several of the people and places are named for Tokyo tower and car brands. Yet also bears references to Alice in Wonderland

CGI

- Computer Generated Imagery. - Computer drawn animation also became more common in the past 5 years. As production companies began drawing their cells with digital imaging software. - Fully computer generated films, such as Final Fantasy, have changed dramatically

Hello Kitty

- Created by Ikuko Shimizu - first appeared in 1974 until 1976 when the Yuko's job was taken over by designer Setsuko Yonekubo. - started out as an image on a vinyl coin purse, and only later was given a character context within which she could act out stories - drawn as a young white funny cat wearing a red boy by her left ear with no visible mouth and staring blankly at the viewer. Feminist cited the apparent attractiveness of a female character who lacks the means of expression, or apparent thought processes. - actual name is Kitty White, no relation to to Snow or So. She has a twin sister named Mimmy, who wears a yellow bow worn by her right ear. Their parents are George and Mary White, who live in a suburb of London, and are so anthropomorphic and have a pet cat named Charmmy Kitty. Hello Kitty has a boyfriend named Dear Daniel. - medium is a merchandising icon of the Sanrio Company - mimics the cast amount by making it a statement about consumerism and consumption. By painting the assemblage white, he is commenting on the "vanilla" nature of consumer culture.

Star Wars

- George Lucas - live action film - 1977 - an epic space opera that has spanned four decades (soon to be five since we're making the next three) and exhibits influences from a number of sources. - Many websites claim that the film was the first to make use of the opening crawl, that bit of printed verbiage that sets the stage for each film. It was an inspiration from the 1940's Flash Gordon film series, Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film Metropolis, - In 1973, Lucas wrote a 13 page treatment called The Star Wars, which was to be a loose remake of a Japanese filmmaker, Akira Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress. - In turn it has spawned other media, such as novels, TV series, video games, cartoons, and comic books. Which these supplements the original trilogies form as expanded, richly detailed Star Wars universe. - In turn, Star Wars has had a major impact on modern global popular culture. It has been parodied on TV and in films, such as Spaceballs and music by Weird Al Yankovic with Yoda and The Saga Begins. Even by the Govt. in the form of the Strategic Defense Initiative, the system of lasers and missiles envisioned to intercept incoming ICBMs and nicknamed Star Wars. - influences of the Star Wars' universe: Toshiro Mifune's The Hidden Fortress, Buddhism (shown in the force, inspired by the entire Buddhist Cosmos --- all of the energy generated by the release of millions of people up on their final release from the cycle of reincarnation. ), Westerns, Fantasy ( creatures like customers at the Pos Eisley Cantina), Sci-fi ( space travel, alien worlds, and robots), The supernatural (the force was used for mind control), and samurai culture (Luke's Jedi costume, Darth Vader's mask, and lightsabers). The Westerns certainly, in the way Harrison Ford wears his gun and boots.

My Neighbor Totoro

- Hayao Miyazaki - 1988 - An early idea pitched in the early 1980s, but the origin of the story began much earlier. - Central character, King Totoro, was a figment of his imagination, inspired by his childish imaginings of fearsome creatures living in the forest. ~ based on the film, opening the floodgates. The dominant image of the film is the largest Totoro, called O'Totoro or King Totoro ~ There are elements of a number of creatures of nature and folklore in Totoro; related to the tanuki. - Miyazaki had a difficult time getting this film made, due to the fact that Totoro's appeal isn't really apparent until seen in motion. - Producer Toshio Syzuki came up with a unique pitch to help the film. So the film should be shown as part of a double bill with The Grave of the Fireflies, directed by his partner Isao Takahata. ~ It was an unusual pairing -- a very solemn war film and a story about two little girls and a monster in modern Japan. - The result turned out far better than anyone ever dreamed.

From Up On Poppy Hill

- Hayao Miyazaki - 2011 - based on a 1980s shojo manga of the same name by Tetsuo Sayama and Chizuru Takahashi. - Miyazaki did the planning and wrote the screenplay for the film himself, though the film was actually directed by his son Goro. - The film has a watercolor retro feel which complements its interesting story line. - Set in 1963, a time when Japan is shaken off the devastation caused by WW II and preparing to host the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. ~ A friendship between high school students Umi and Shun begins to develop into more --- until a secret from their past changes the two. - This film is a departure from earlier Miyazaki films. ~ The protagonist is a girl, a teen on the brink of adulthood by facing adult situations than most other protagonists do. Though Umi is strong, capable, and levelheaded and faces the difficulties she confronts with determination and courage. ~ The sea plays a key role and the female protagonist lives in a boarding house with her grandmother and siblings in the port city of Yokohama, South of Tokyo. ~ Every single day Umi hoists a series of signal flags, meaning "I pray for safe voyages" atop the flagpole on the hill outside her home. Her father was a Korean war soldier whom was killed. ~ After learning that she and Shun may be siblings. They spend a considerable amount of time in the harbor, trying to learn the truth about their backgrounds.

Spirited Away

- Hayao Miyazaki, who is best known for his work of fantasy of his 2001 film "Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi" or "Spirited Away". Which won the first academy award for animated film. - Main themes of the film are responsibility, heroism, and authenticity drive. - The heroine, Chihiro, a jaded and cynical 10 year old, transformed when her parents drive through a tunnel and the other side is an alternate reality. Chihiro's parents eat food that was set out as offerings to the gods and turned into pigs. - Chihiro was to be renamed San to reverse the spell, which Miyazaki indulges in a pun that Americans typically don't understand. "Sen" is another way of pronouncing the first character in Chihiro's name, while some have linked the film with Homer's Odyssey: * Both have people turned into swine * the hero(ine) is send on a quest ~ Miyazaki felt that Japanese children are losing their roots, valuing materials more than their ancestory. So he makes sure that they know about their native traditions and remind adults to pay attention to the gods. He is clear about the film's origin, which he sees as a descendant of Japanese folktales: * Sparrow's Inn, in which a callous act leads to demonic torment. ~ a therapeutic hot springs for spirits, monsters, and witches. The building, resemble Meiji-style architecture with numerous Buddhist and Shinto references. Small sculptural representations of Drama, the Japanese name of Bodhidharma (the founder of Zen Buddhism) are prevalent throughout the film.

mitsuteru yokoyama

- His first manga, Sword of Otonashi, was published in 1955. Yokoyama produced more than 200 titles of manga, including ninja action series like Red Shadow and the Masked Ninja action stories like Babel the Second, and the first magical shojo manga, Sally the Witch. - Though two manga honors made his reputation, such as ~ two chinese epic romance novels into manga called "The Water Margin and Romance of the three kingdoms" ~ mecha genre in general

apocalypse

- Humanity is struggling to rebuild its society after the second impact, which resulted in catastrophic environmental changes on Earth and a massive loss of life. In the midst of the chaos, yet another disaster strikes -- the arrival of 17 angels.

Ranma 1/2

- Written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi, popular with all ages in the U.S., despite intended audience of elementary to junior high aged boys. - 1987-1996 - One Half was one of the most popular gender bending stories created by Rumiko Takahashi. - Ranma promised his sisters, the youngest feisty sister won by drawing short straw. Ranma tries to keep his sex changing a secret, often posing as his own sister, Ramna-chan. - The martial artist hero, 16-year-old Ranma Saotomoi, from a splash with cold water, he turns into a girl, and when she (he) gets splash with hot water, she (he) turns back into a boy. The sex change presents Ranma with difficulties, resulting in posing as his sister, Ranma-chan. It occurs since Ranma and his father Genma fell into a magical pool while training in China. - the stories in the series revolves around teen school and home life, with a magical element providing injections of fantasy.

Takarazuka Revue

- Ichizo Kobayashi, the father of the Takarazuka Revue, who contributed to the growth of the Hankyu Railway. He also opened the Hankyu Department Store as Japan's first department store built inside a train terminal. - Motto: "Modesty, Fairness, and Grace", which comes from Kobayashi's teachings of performing arts. - opened in 1914 - the First performance was on April 1, 1914 in a theater built in the converted indoor pool; lid over the pool served as audience seating, changing rooms were the stage. - From 1923-1933, the theater company put on the first Revue in Japan and the Takarazuka Revue became a phenomenon. In 1927, was a performance of "Mon Paris", the first revue in Japan. - From 1934-1950, war approached and the Revue bravely staged performances during the dark era. - From 1951-1961, it's popularity exploded and the company became busy entertaining in both Japan and abroad. In 1955, a wireless microphone was used for the first time in Japan during a performance of "Kismet" by the Flower troupe. - From 1962-1981, the revue staged broadway musicals and in 1974 was the first performance of "The Rose of Versailles". - From 1982-1994, the theater company enjoyed growth and opened the new Takarazuka Grand Theater. - From 1995-2014, the Revue began to grow in popularity and took on new challenges.

Rumiko Takahashi

- In the 1980's, the development of anime storylines as a significant expansion in the genre, improvements in productions techniques, and the rise of news talents in writing and illustration. - In 1981, Takahashi created Urusei Yatsura. ~ a story of a young high school latch who ends up married to an alien princess - the series, directed by Mamoru Oshii, added new elements of absurd humor and fantastic situations to anime and produced the first anime pinup girl --- Princess Lum, an alien with the power to electrocute the hero if he goes near another girl. - one of the female Mangakas that would be known in both sides of the world. One of the most dominant mangaka in the business creating 3 of the most beloved series in Japan. ~ Ranma 1/2, ~ Inuyasha & Maison Ikkoku. * Inuyasha became one of the most popular anime in the 20th century especially in the West where it competed with DBZ.

angel

- Japan and the rest of the world was attacked by an unknown alien machine, called a shito. ~ the word means apostle or disciple, but english translation is "angel". - That creature was destroyed in an explosion, actually creating the second impact. - After 15 years, the Angels have returned and conventional weapons are useless against them, except the huge "metal suit".

tanuki

- Japanese Raccoon, with its playful spirit and magical powers. - links to the owl: ~ round eyes ~ arrow marks on chest ~ hooting sound played on an ocarina

anime

- Japanese style of animation that arose in the late 1900s and appears in comic books and cartoons. Like manga, anime comes in a variety of storylines and originally no intended for export to the west. - Unlike american cartoons, theres a type of anime intended pretty much for any sex, age, or social class ~ shonen (boy stories) ~ shojo (girl stories ~ seinen (men's stories; 17-40) ~ redesu (ladie's erotic stories) ~ hentai (erotic stories) ~ saijin (men's erotic stories) ~ yaoi (women's erotic stories)

Alice in Wonderland

- Lewis Carroll's famous children's story and it's sequel Through the Looking-Glass - published in November of 1865 and illustrated by Sir John Tenniel. The sequel published in 1871, and translated in 100 languages. - Carroll is the most quoted English author after Shakespeare. The first children's novels intended only to amuse rather than to teach or serve as a morality tale, set children's imaginations free. Showing them that one's desires can be fulfilled in fantasy. - Carroll captured the chaotic, unstable, confusing world of the Victorian child by parodying the adult world. Turning it into a fantastic illogical irreverent enigmatic place where impossible things happen - Carroll uses language as a weapon of social commentary, his non-sequiturs, puns, and poetry creating a timeless world in which Alice fans self-confidence and respects. As she interacts with a cast of incredible characters in encounters that operate unexpectedly and seemingly without rules. - young, blonde Alice, in the Walt Disney version, is the eternal ingenue who is straightforward, curious, and honest. Alice does not fit in and experiences difficulties with the language, imagery, and creatures she encounters in Wonderland. - The white rabbit, who is Centennial depiction here who she follows down the rabbit hole, which represents adults society and it's shortcomings secretive conventional and prim and proper with his white gloves and fan. The white rabbit cowers before those in power and is contemptuous of those without it. His rigid adherence to a schedule evidenced by his constant consultation with his pocket, captures Alice's attention and lead her into an adventure. - Some of the other magical creatures Alice encounters are the Cheshire cat, the hookah caterpillar, the Red Queen, and Dinah Alice's cat companion. - It appears in the form of plays, movies, rock songs, and animation --- some faithful to the original story. Others as parodies and still others as a basis for new versions of the familiar story. - The Alice sculpture seen here at the Tea Party can be found in New York's Central Park. - Jefferson Airplane's song "White Rabbit" reminds us that one pill makes you larger and another makes you small. That the Summer of Love wasn't the first time people saw others as 10 feet tall.

Ghost in the Shell

- Mamoru Oshii - 1995 - Based on a popular manga by masamune Shirow, a shorter narrative that deals with one basic issue: species reproduction in a cyborg society. ~ How does that occur? ~ What gets reproduced? ~ In what sense does a cyborg species have historical continuity into the future? - The film attempts to describe a completely new form of reproduction for the new kinds of beings that will emerge from the increased cyborgization of the world. Replication is a reproductive process of the cyborg, where a living brain is encased in an entirely manufactured body. She is infinitely repairable as long as her brains remains intact. By reproducing, Kusanagi will have carried out one of the defining characteristics of an actual life-form, proving that she is more than a machine. While both of these stories have very different final messages, neither Evangelion's commentary that the human body and will, when linked to a mechanical device, are ultimately re-inscribed as the only truly effective force for resistance. Even if for a short time, nor that of Ghost, that surveillance can be resisted only by abandoning the body altogether, moving to the next level of evolution, is particularly optimistic. The film opens with Major Kusanagi Motoko, a special security forces officer and protagonist, hooked into the Net through the four sockets at the back of her neck. Motoko has a special defense team --- Division Nine of the Security Branch of the Department of the interior. Motoko wonders whether her own ghost is real and original, or whether everything she thinks she knows about herself as completely artificial, like her body. In the last sequence, the audience witness an unusual reproductive act, performed by two voluptuous female torsos, minus arms and legs lying side by side. ~ A colleague talking to her over the net remarks that there's a lot of static in her head that day. Motoko comments about having her period, which alerts the audience to the fact that reproductive sexuality is at heart of this film. Though despite that Motoko has a female body, her gender has no meaning in her cyborg state. * The reference is significant, since the audience learns that Motoko has a purely mechanical body. Interspersed with opening credits, Kusanagi is shown being created in the lab. There's one assumption that she is incapable of impregnation and gestation of an embryo. Her postmodern, reconstructed body, is not enhanced to meet her desires, but her maximize her competence. To put it short, Kusanagi was a created being with work in mind, a nude female in form. The only boric component is her brain, which provides her with a "ghost" memories, consciousness, and self-identity. - For the uncyborgized, natural body humans all possess, a ghost is a matter of course, so we have somewhat kind of memory behind us. For the radically altered humans like Kusanagi, the original "ghost" is the only thing that distinguishes that cyborg human from a pure android, which presumably doesn't have emotions and memories. - Kusanagi was brought in to deal with a specific problem --- the Puppet Master, an individual who carries out terrorist attacks by hacking his way into the ghosts of chosen people through their implanted prosthetic links to the Net, reprogramming their ghosts and making them perform terrorist acts. Ultimately, we learn that the Puppet Master began life as a computer program that somehow became sentient and was then forced by its makers to abandon the Net and enter a completely manufactured body. In her hunt for the Puppet Master, Kusanagi watches as people are told that their memories of family, friends, job. Their whole lives have been artificially implanted into their heads. - Kusanagi's body was reduced to a low state when she battled to rescue the "female" android body into which the Puppet Master had fled. She is linked technologically to the Puppet Master, and merged into a single entity that is capable of traveling the Net but retaining Kusanagi's subjectivity. - The EVA unit. Examines and rejects old forms of species reproduction in favor of cyborgian and cybernetic alternatives.

Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade

- Mamoru Oshii (Screenplay) - 1999 - directed by Hiroyuki Okiura - The film also serves as a modern tragedy, where the fates are replaced by the will of institutions that shape the fate of the individual through policies and practices. ~ Its a fitting tale to decry the end of the aggressive Japanese State -- and a warning to those who would revive the state. Due to the horrors Japan suffered with the dropping of the atomic bombs. - takes elements from one of Japan's WW II partners but places then a unique setting - Can be read as a modernized version of Little Red Riding Hood, the old dark version were fuse at heart is a wolf in human clothing. The allusions to red hooded cape are obvious. ~ Kei also serves as a Red, one who believes that Fuse is the grandmother of the story. He failed to recognized that he, in fact, is the big bad wolf. - set in a parallel Japan in the 1950's, a police state where elite anti-terror units are trained to behave like dogs. Each supporting the other at the expense of everyone else. - The brigade members wear uniforms that are reminiscent of Nazis, marking it as an outgrowth of WW II. - The anime opens with an anti-government protest in Tokyo interspersed with images of a young girl walking alone. The girl, Nanami Agawa, is revealed to be a terrorist courier called the Little Red Riding Hood by the police. ~ Nanami's role was to deliver bombs to set locations in satchels, as it was flinged into the crowd by her contact. Escalting the protest, anti-right squad members start to break up the riot. - In the film, the police are more of an elite military squadron than regular policemen. ~ Their First Assault Platoon is part of a Panzer Corps, driving armored vehicles and carrying submachine guns. * Panzers, are tanks from WW II, as the girl attempts maneuver through the rioting city. She is captured and blows herself up with no warning. * The man, Kazuki Fuse, who confronted her but did not killed her. He quickly becomes the scapegoat for her death, and meets a woman named Kei, who claims to be Nagami's sister, as they began a relationship. Kei is supposed to trap Kazuki in a plot to disgrace his unit. - Although at the end, Kazuki must choose between his loyalty to his pack, the Wolf Brigade, and the woman he loves. - Depiction of terrorism makes it especially pertinent in post 9/11 world.

The team

- Many commonalities among all of the giant robot series that continue even to today, from the very beginning, to today. - One that is common of the composition of the team, a group of people at the story's core. The team is usually composed of: ~ older male scientist ~ a youthful pilot ~ a young woman ~ the best friend ~ the screw up ~ the hero ~ a woman ~ the big beefy guy ~ a child ~ a lone wolf - Another commonality is the design of the robot's head. Many resemble the kabuki, or helmets worn by high ranking samurai during Japan's feudal era. ~ The horse, crescents and other ornaments are not the only influences from Japan's feudal past. - Although hand-to-hand combat, was taken from the martial arts tradition, is also crucial in these giant robot anime. Frequently this close order combat, all in 3D space, includes the use of: ~ swords ~ spears ~ axes - there is a resemblance between the Gundam and the samurai armor. The 1980's brough about 2 growing revolutions in U.S. broadcasting: ~ videotape recorders ~ cable recorders - Large blocks of air time suddenly opened up and broadcasters scrambled to I've viewers something new to watch on TV. More than a few anime series filled the void. One of them was: ~ Go Lion; later renamed Voltron * which mixed two anime genres into a new hybrid. It started with the formula for the science team --- The hero, a woman, a child, the big beefy guy, and the lone wolf. - Voltron put the team inside five lion shaped giant robots whose mission is to free the galaxy from the forces of evil, in just 52 episodes.

Transformers

- Marvel Productions - 1984 - The series was born in an instance of collaboration. A joint American Japanese TV series, that depicts a war of giant robots that transforms into vehicles, animals, and other objects - Written and recorded in America and produced for American audiences in 1984. It was actually animated in Japan and South Korea, based on a line of transforming for toys that were originally created by Japanese toy manufacturer Takara. - They were ultimately redone by Hasbro for sale in America. Hasbro organized an enormous promotional campaign for the film; advertising included prequel comics, toys and books and product placements. The first time that a cartoon was developed based on a toy. Transformers' pilot introducing Optimus Prime's Autobots and Megatron's Decepticons, transplanting them form their homeworld Cybertron to Earth, where they warred over Earth's resources. - The mini series concluded with the Autobot's defeat of the Decepticons, --- but the battles had to continue with the series earning a second season, one in this case that was 49 episodes long that featured expanded character development in single episode tales. - Season 3, again, introduced some new characters and some not so hot stories. Season 4 continued that same trend. By the fifth season, this is 1988, 15 original episodes were repackaged, as was the original movie. - In 2007, the live action film was a huge box office success despite mixed fan reaction, grossing $708 million worldwide. Sam Witwicky is a teen who becomes involved in a war between two races of alien robots who can disguise themselves By transforming into everyday machinery. The filmmakers wanted a realistic depiction of the story and created a complex design aesthetic for the robots, stressing their "alien nature". Both GM and the U.S. military lent vehicles for the production. A sequel premiered in the summer of 2009 and Peter Cullen, Voice Actor of Optimus Prime, reprised his role in both films. A third film, Transformers: Dark side of the moon, was released in 2011 and Transformers: Age of Extinction premiered in the Summer of 2014. - The animated film was released in 1986. It featured the voices of such notables, as Eric Idle, Judd Nelson, Leonard Nimoy, Casey Kasem, and Robert Stack, as well as Scotsman Crothers and even Orson Welles. Takes place in the year 2005, 20 years after the events of the TV series' second season and serves as a bridge to the third season. - It has a decidedly darker tone than the TV series --- the Decepticons are very menacing, killing without hesitation. Several major characters meet their end in the great battles that are raged. - The film met with largely negative reviews; critics unfamiliar with anime style especially panned the animation style.

Arsene Lupin

- Maurice LeBlanc, French novelist - The characters of the anime adaptation were created by the manga writer and artist, Monkey Punch. As he was fascinated of the series and made a Japanese descendant. ~ A lovable rogue was based in part on a western literary character, a gentleman thief. - The brainchild of LeBlanc, the rogue exploits on the Riviera and elsewhere in high society kept French readers gasping at this daring and chuckling at the incompetence of the police of the 1920s.

EVA

- Name of the mechanical suit in Evangelion, which was designed and deployed by a special international team. Similar designs like conventional fighting robots, that can be only piloted by 14 year olds. - Each one and its pilot must achieve a high degree of bio-electrical synchronization in order to function, something that can take months to perfect. They are able to move with no power source - Only two are in existence such as, a prototype model piloted by a mysterious girl named Rei and the first test model of the first test pilot is not found. - Aspects, within Neon Genesis Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell, explored human sexuality involving bodily conjoining, intimacy, and penetration/permeability played out through a cyborg subject. - Ghost in the shell, examines and rejects old forms of species reproduction in favor of cyborgian and cybernetic alternatives.

Dots Obsession

- Yayoi Kusama - acrylics - 2006 - Kusama dubbed the fields of polka dots "Infinity nets", saying they originated in her hallucinations. She noted, quote, a polka dot has the form of the sun, which is a symbol of the energy of the whole world and our living life, and the moon, which is calm, round soft, colorful, senseless and unknowing. - Polka dots become movement, a way to infinity.

Tobor the 8th man

- One of the earliest manga stories of a robot with a twist; murdered by criminals. Serialized in Weekly Shonin Magazine between 1963 and 1966 and appeared on Japanese TV as a series between November of 1963 and December of 1964. - Tobor the 8th man is the earliest cyborg superhero and served as an influence on robocop films. Ultimately only 8 Japanese TV cartoon series were sold to us TV stations during the 1960's. Despite 40 such productions were made in Japan between 1964 and 1967. - American interest in Japanese animation declined to almost zero and disappeared from American TV for many years, primarily due to increased quality of U.S. cartoons as well as to stricter American morality standards; especially those against violence. - Another issue was the fact that Japanese animation series were not sold directly to the 3 major TV networks: ~ CBS ~ ABC ~ NBC - Though instead were syndicated to smaller, privately owned stations around the country. - Detective Yokoda's body is retrieved by Professor Tang and taken to his lab where Tan performs an experiment that transfers Yokoda's life force into an android body. - Yokoda was reborn as the armor-skinned android 8th man, able to dash it impossible speeds as well as shape shift into other people. He fights crime and brought his murders to justice. He smoked "energy" cigarettes to rejuvenate his powers, which were carried in a case on his belt. - He gives himself a new identity as a detective, hachiro Azuma, keeping his real identity a secret. That identity is only known to Tan and his police chief boss Chief Tanaka. - Even Azuma's girlfriend Sachiko and friendly Ichiro didn't know that he really is Yokoda and an android.

Yoko Ono

- One of the most influential artist and widow of Beatle John Lennon, an artist, musician, author, peace activist, a true member of the 1960's till 70's avant-grande art movement. Which was credited with popularizing feminism in Japan. - As an aristocratic child, her family moved back and forth between Japan and the U.S. due to her father's work. She and her family experienced tremendous hardships during WW II, such as her father imprisoned in a concentration camp during the time. - During the early 1950's, Ono attended Sarah Lawrence College and associated with artists and poets - Boehmians - of whom her parents were disapproved. As an artist loosely associated with the Dada-inspired group, Fluxus, she created feminist conceptual and performance art in Manhattan during the 1960's. - One of her best works is "Cut Piece", which was first performed in Tokyo in 1964. In the existentialist piece, Ono knelt on the stage wearing a draped garment and then audience members cut the fabric away until she was nude. By completing her artwork, viewers and participants complete her identity as well. In addition to being a commentary on identity, the piece was a commentary on gender and sexism issues, human suffering, and loneliness. They were all issues that were addressed in a variety of important anime, such as Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed Ex Machina, and Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Astroboy

- Osamu Tezuka most famous work directly from manga to TV - the story of a little boy robot built by a brilliant scientist as a replacement for his dead son. - remains popular to this day, that even in 2009 was the U.S. CGI action superhero film loosely based on the manga. The franchise is actually credited with beginning the marketing and film tie-ins that are ubiquitous today. - an exciting, effecting storyline, the first in a long line of animated features of humanoid robots. That was depicted in a spare but effective graphic design. With his spiky hair, big eyes, rocked fists, and rocket feet. - astro boy was a new robot for a new japan who can see good and bad intentions within people. He was presented as a black and white adventure story concerned with love and friendship. Credited with having 100,000 horse power and programmed to be forever good. - Much similar to the blue fairy in Pinocchio, Astro spent time in a circus with a cruel ringmaster. Then, adopted by a kindly professor who inspired his crusade against evil. - debuted as a manga in the 1950s in Japan, as a 193 episode half hour animated TV series in 1963, titled Tetsuwan Atom in Japan. The show was produced in Tezuka's own production show, received very high critical and popular claim and led to the first craze for anime in Japan. - the company that aired hat show chose anime since the characters lacked ethnicity specificity, even though the characters were Japanese in origin. This made it easter to translate their Japanese names into western names. Plots could also be rewritten fairy easily to suit U.S. references; 104 episodes of Astro boy were licensed to run in the U.S.

tranzfor Z

- Poitras mentions the anime, based on the manga, maligner Z, which was licensed by marvel comics as Shogun Warriors. - In the 1986 Transformers: The Movie, was voiced by notables such as: ~ Orson Welles ~ Eric Idle ~ Leonard Nimoy

Inu Yasha

- Rumiko Takahashi - animated film - 2000 - The historical, story-oriented piece began as a weekly manga series in 1997. Though 2000, aired as a 38 episode, half-hour TV series. Which was later edited together with some story line changes, for video release in the West. - Much like Rayearth, the premise is a girl who falls into another world and meets a cat who helps tells the story. - Kagomi Higurashi is a 15 year old schoolgirl who, while trying to rescue her pet cat, falls down a well and ends up in 16th century feudal Japan. A place of mythical and magical monsters abound, is where she meets the story's title character, a dog-eared half demon she had impaled with magic arrows onto a tree as a previous incarnation of Kikyo, a powerful shinto woman guarding with the Jewel of Four Souls. - unlike Alice inspired characters, Kagome is not a magical girl and must use her intellect and willing to work with her partner in order to succeed her quest. - The jewel has the power to turn people into demons and amplify demonic powers. It was shattered into a hundred pieces to prevent its use for evil purposes. The shards scattered to the four winds, Kagome frees her former foe before understanding and remembering her previous life. - The two form an uneasy truce in order to find the pieces of the jewel. Along the way, they encounter many creatures such as Mistress Centipede. In a homage to another famous Western literary and film icon, Kagome comments, "Toto, I think were not in Tokyo any more." - The feudal fairy tale has also been made into a theatrical musical and a Sony PlayStation game. Original series ran on Cartoon Network in the year 2002. - Takahashi achieved success as an artist as age 21 with her wacky boy meets alien rom-com, "Urusei Yatsura". Produced some of the most beloved series, including Maison Ikkoku, Prince Lum, and Ranma 1/2. - By 1995, a hundred million copies of her compiled works has been sold in Japan alone --- almost one per household.

Urusei Yatsura

- Rumiko Takahashi (age 20) - 1981 - a manga series that would go on to sell more than 21 million copies and establish her as one of Japan's premiere storytellers - The wacky boy-meets-alien romantic comedy/school with sci-fi elements, based on a foundation of slapstick - literally sprinkled with puns and metaphors that are difficult for Americans to understand - Takahashi creates shojo stories with shonen art style. Characters are strong and independent, while stories contain plenty of action.

paranoia agent

- Satoshi Kon - 2004/2005 - mini series, directed by Satoshi Son - Producted in-house at Madhouse, an unusual occurrence since most series outsource much of their production work to the other studios. - A story of a social phenomenon in Musashino, tokyo, caused by a juvenile serial assailant named Li'l Slugger, a baseball cap wearing juvenile who travels on golden inline skates and attacks people with a gold colored metal baseball bat. - The show, like all anime series, was a team effort; Kon created the storyboards for the first and last episodes himself. Themes of darkness and adulthood provided some controversy when it aired on TV in the West --- Cartoon Network tried it only after midnight. - The series examines the human psyche and archetypes within the framework of Japanese modern popular culture, as well as issues of personal and cultural identity. Kon takes a look at the globalization and urbanization of Japanese culture. the struggle that Kon had was the limitations on budget, scheduling and manpower, while maintaining of desired quality. - The plot of the series bounces among a larger cast of people affected in the same way by the phenomenon, usually being either Li'l Slugger's victims or detectives assigned to apprehend him. - As each character becomes focus of the episode, details are revealed and their secret lives and the truth about Li'l Slugger. The series examines the human psyche and archetypes within Japanese pop culture and issues of personal and culture identity, but also makes extensive use of hip hop and street culture. - Detective Keichii Ikari is one of the two police detectives assigned to investigate the attacks. He yearns for the good old days; a less complicated life, and considered as old fashioned. The enigmatic Li'l Slugger appears as a grinning, rolling with his golden inlay skates and attacks people with a gold colored metal bat.

Tokyo Godfathers

- Satoshi Kon - animated film - 2003 - the story is patterned after rah 1948 John Ford Western, The Three Godfathers (1916 silent version and 1936 release). Both based on novels of Peter B. Kane, an american novelist who worked between 1904 and 1940. Kane is credited with 110 films, writing scripts between 1914 and 1952. - One x-mas eve, three homeless people, Gin, a gruff middle aged hobo; Hana, an okama or gay man, and Miyuki, a runaway girl --- discover an abandoned newborn lost searching in some trash. - Accompanying the baby is a note asking the finder to take good care of the infant and a bag containing clues to the parents identity. Using the clues, the trio sets out to find the baby's parents. Even though Hana wants to keep the baby, along the way the audience learns that Gin used to have a family before he became an alcoholic and his wife and child died by sickness. The real story behind Gin's loss of family, a case of mistaken parents, and family reunions. - The group suffers through a number of trials during their efforts to reunite the baby, including a kidnapping, Hana's hospitalization.

Yaoi

- Shares conventions of traditional shojo --- beautifully draw and physically beautifully characters featured in complex romantic stories. - Crucial difference is that the main characters are almost always male and the main focus of the stories is on male-male romance. ~ They run from gauzy subtle romances to hardcore erotica. Narratives are often dramatic, taking place in exotic European countries among wealthy members of the nobility. ~ Now, yaoi are fan fiction or doujinshi, written by female fans who often base the writings on established characters or series --- such as Star Wars, Star Trek novels. That examine alternate storylines for popular characters --- others are original stories. - A popular genre in Japan and West. Reading yaoi can be seen as a liberating experience and not offered by the majority culture. ~ Allows the reader to be a voyeur into an erotic relationship that is outside the reader daily experience. - In Japanese culture, beautiful boys allow women to imagine themselves as one of the characters, having dream like adventures and relationships with beautiful men. ~ The women are able to take on a different form of identity not only terms of gender, but in terms of cultural practices as well. Women use the genre not only to explore their own inner lives, but to expand their outer connections with the world. - Gender bending and cross dressing, for the matter, didn't only occur in erotic manga and anime, but have been present since the early days of the art forms.

Puccha

- Stella Lai - acrylic on canvas - 2000 - Born in Hong Kong, earning her BFF in graphic arts form the California College of Arts and Crafts. She lives and works in the San Francisco Bay area. - Lai's works reflect on the status of women in Asia, as well as the consumer culture of her home in Hong Kong. Her work is characterized by a great amount of detail, intricate repetitive patterning and right colors. - She has stated that manga and anime have been important influences on her work, especially the idea of kawaii. though "Kawaii" has a dark underside, an edge that gives it a sinister sense.

gigantic tetsujin 28-go

- Still well-known today as Gigantor, aka Tetsujin 28-go or Iron Man 28 in Japan - created by Mitsuteru Yokoyama in 1956 for the Shonen comic magazine - At the same time, the 1960's, other anime featuring robots became popular in Japan and Giantor was a pioneer in anime and robots in general. - The series was seen in the U.S. in 1965. Gigantor was a 30 foot tall robot under the command of a stalwart 12 year old boy and his intrepid allies. - the story of Gigantor began in the final days of WW II, with Japanese scientists attempting to build an army of giant robot warriors to help turn the tide of the war in their favor. - An allied air raid destroyed the top secret research facility and all but one of the robots, number 28. One of the original scientists perfect him and decides to use him for the good for the entire world. - Boy detective Shotaro Kaneda, a friend of the scientist's son, becomes Iron Man 28's custodian, aiding police and pitting him against violent criminals and mad scientists. - The animated, imaginative series is set in the year 2000, with 52 episodes of the show were shown on American TV in 1964. A character that was just very big and strong with no other capabilities and controlled by a joystick on a small box, kind of similar to a toy car.

Gundam

- Sunrise Studios - 1979-2014 - 2 years after the release of Star Wars, Yoshiyuki Tomino, debuted an animated mecha series that would forever redefine the "super robot" genre with Kudo Senshi Gundam, or mobile suit Gundam. - Initially the show received only lukewarm reception, though theatrical release of 3 Gundam films sparked tremendous interest in the series, especially merchandising. - The show's greatest effect was the fact that it produced a subtle shift in attitude, toward a robot realism that fascinates audiences. Despite it featuring all conventions of the genre, from transformation/fusion robot piloted by its creator's offspring to the weekly fight format. - The spotlight moved from the pilot hero to a wider view, including the world in which he lived.

Mr. DOB

- Takashi Murakami - acrylic on canvas - 1993 - His character Mr. DOB, is one of his best characters from a cartoon monkey popular in Hong Kong. Though mixed with a kinship with Mickey Mouse and Warhol's early pop work. Mr. DOB has many forms -- inflatable balloons, paintings, sculpture, toys -- and many faces. Mr. DOB's name is derived from the Japanese expression "Doboshite! Doboshite! Doboshite!", which loosely translates to "Why? Why? Why?". - Mr. DOB is always done in capital letters --- so Murakami's self-portrait of the Japanese people, at times sweet and innocent, at other times evolving into something monstrous -- with jagged teeth and multiple eyes. - He's frequently seen as Murakami's alter-ego. Murakami creates his art in a workshop environment.

Miss Ko-ko

- Takashi Murakami - fiberglass and acrylic paint - 2005 - 6 feet tall sculpture is really the figure that made his name in the West. She's been sold in smaller versions, including an 18 inch size for incredible amounts of money. - Ko-Ko is the symbol of Murakami's thesis --- that the Japanese characters divided between the sweet and the soft outside and a harder, perhaps seedy, interior.

Little Wanderers

- Yoshitomo Nara - fiberglass - 2001 - Nara's comment on the ubiquitous notion of cute, as "kawaii". - He merges Western influences with traditional Japanese art forms while exploring new concepts of Japanese identity - His collections of figurines are derived from anime and manga characters, that allude to psychological situations. - The figures' closed eyes indicate a dreamlike state, a way of not seeing the world. In other words, a way of escape. Pup in the cup was available as a small figure, as well as in this larger-than-life-sized sculpture.

Superflat

- Takashi Murakami - His style of art, which he terms "Superflat", responds to a variety of influences, including anime and kawaii. The concept of Superflat began in the late 1990s to describe the flat, static aesthetic of Murakami's work. Though he soon developed it into what he considered to be a cultural concept and a philosophy, applicable outside the world of visual art. It can be used to describe the condition of contemporary Japanese society and the world of the future. According to the Superflat Manifesto, which was first presented at Murakami's 2000 exhibition of the same title (Superflat). That is "Society, customs, art, culture all are extremely two dimensional. It is particularly apparent in the arts that this sensibility has been flowing steadily, beneath the surface of Japanese history. Today, the sensibility is most present in Japanese games and anime, which have become very powerful parts of world culture." - Murakami equates this idea of super flat with actually the collapse of a number of layers from a computer graphic into one layer. He sees the layers of Japanese culture --- pop, erotic pop, otaku, westernization --- as melding into one. Superflat serves as a strategy to expand the contemporary art market in Japan and to introduce contemporary japan to the Western world. Even attempting to understand the confusion of a generation who didn't experience firsthand the devastation of WW II but were handed down the post-war defeat experience. Culture and questions of national identity during a period of mass economic growth and Americanisation.

My reality

- Takashi Murakami - The most important and best contemporary artist, known for his work of My Reality. One with a global reputation, in the My Reality show, Murakami exhibited paintings, scultpure, and video installation.

Angry girl

- Taro Chiezo - 2001 - acrylic on canvas - included Sailor Moon, which combines a Western view of modernity with contemporary Japanese culture by juxtaposing an icon of American modernism -- Abstract Expressionist painting -- with a computer generated image (CGI) of an anime icon. - Sailor Moon, the leader of anime's first of all-female group of superheroes, worries about racing the world while pondering what she is going to wear on her day Saturday night. - She and the sweetness of Hello, Kitty reflect the Japanese concept of high school girl culture, which presents young girls as innocent and shy while simultaneously seductive and sexually powerful. - In this work, she holds a power want topped with a bright red sphere, which is reminiscent, with those yellow rays coming out, of Japan's national flag.

SPEED RACER (aka: Mach GoGoGo)

- Tatsuo Yoshido - animated series - 1967

SPEED RACER (aka: Mach GoGoGo)

- Tatsuo Yoshido - animated series - 1967 - Created by Tatsunoko Productions in 1966 and featured Speed's younger brother, Spritle (American version of his name). A chimp named Chim-Chim, his girlfriend Trixie, and the mysterious Racer X. - All characters appear to be Western, Speed does fall into the typical shonen anime characterization of a teen boy with superior skills. In this case, car racing who faces adversity through a multitude of villains. Though always trying his best, he must often receive help to achieve his goals. - centered on Formula One automobile racing. The manga was authored by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida who lived from 1932 to 1977. The TV series was directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa, by Tatsunoko Productions. - The central character is a young race car driver named Go Mifune. The large M on the hood of the Mach 5 was assumed by American viewers to stand for the Mach 5. Although, it as well as the character's name was an homage to Japanese film star Toshiro Mifune, as well as the emblem of Mifune motors. There are a number of plays on words associated with his name Go, which in Japanese is a homophone for the number five. - This multiple meaning, mili-lingual wordplay became popular in Japanese culture at the time the show aired. Major editing and dubbing changed Mach Go Go Go into Speed Racer, including the song's melody and English lyrics. The original series has a number of secondary characters, including Speed's younger brother Spritle, a pet monkey named Chim Chim. In the American version, Sparky the mechanic and Speed's girlfriend Trixie, who frequently flew around in a helicopter during a race, helping Speed. She also drives a Mercedes - The show also has a mystery driver, the enigmatic Racer X, who drives car number nine, the shooting star. Racer X is a heroic, mysterious character whose secret identity is that of Rex Racer, Speed's older brother who had a falling out with his father years before and who the family believed died in an accident. Throughout this series Racer X sacrifices winning races to protect Speed from drivers and those who try to harm him, leaving the scene unnoticed before his identity can be discovered. - Yoshida got his inspiration for Speed Racer from American films such as, Viva Las Vegas and Goldfinger. By combining Elvis Presley's race car driving image, including the neckerchief and his black pompadour, and James Bond's gadget filled Aston Martin. - A live action version of the story by the Wachowski brothers, which was released in 2008 and produced in Germany. American remakes of Japanese films are a trend of the 21st century, such as the Ring, Godzilla, and even current ones such as Ghost in the Shell. The 2008 film has a twist since the original was a cartoon. The Wachowski brothers wanted to make a family friendly film that would appeal to a wider audience, than just to anime fans. In this version, Speed Racer is a young man with natural racing instincts whose goal is to win a cross country car race that took the life of his elder brother Rex. There is an intrigue of corrupted rivals and cheating, but with the support of his family, rival racer X, and girlfriend, Trixie, Speed is out to save his family business and the racing sport itself. - an anime film featuring Go Mifuna, or Speed, and his ultimate driving machine. The Mach 5, Speed Racer combines Grand Prix racing with adventure as Speed and Company race through the countryside.

The Buffalo Boy's flute

- Te Wei - 1963 - A third animation technique, which dates to the 1960s, is essentially Chinese painting in motion. Characters move through beautiful landscapes done in soft shades of gray, black and pale mineral colors. - the most famous piece that tells a story of gifted flute paltry who dreams of a beautiful mist-filled valley.

Kimba the White Lion

- Tezuka also designed the 1960's manga hit Jungle Emperor. It was retitled as Kimba the white lion, which debuted in 1964 as an animated series in Japan. - In a reversal of influences, Kimba is the bassi for the most poplar Disney animated film of all time-The Lion King. - In Tezuka's story, Kimba's father was killed by a hunter, who captured his pregnant mother. in route to a zoo in the west, kimba escapes by jumping overboard. He returns to the jungle where he befriended by a wise mandrel counselor, a parrot and a shy deer. - Kimba resolves to keep the jungle peaceful by ridding it of his evil, scarred lion adversary and his bumbling hyena minions. - In jungle emperor, Kimba who was originally called Leo, grows up, has an heir, and eventually lays down his life to save his realm. - In the U.S., the anime version was heavily censored when it aired on American TV later in the 1960's. Kimba remains a club and the his adult self was popular enough in Japan to become the mascot of this Seibu Lions baseball team. - When the Lion King was released, the Disney company initially denied any familiarity with Tezuka's works, although individual animators admitted that they were fans. After the Lion King's release, anime fans posed frames from the both Lion King and Kimba showed marked similarities. - Tezuka's family graciously noted that Osamu would've been flattered by the homage from this hero's animation company.

Princess Knight

- Tezuka was credited with creating the iconography of female character, Princess Sapphire, with: ~ large round eyes ~ long legs ~ skinny waist ~ spiky hair - The first shojo story of a young woman, Princess Sapphire of Silverland, born with two; a man's and a woman's , who dresses as a boy in order to inherit her father's kingdom. The King tells the world that Sapphire is a boy, guaranteeing that his kingdom will not passed to the corrupted Duke Jeralmin. Sapphire was raised as a prince, how to ride, to sword-fight. - Though when Sapphire falls in love with charming Prince Franz Charming, facing dilemma. Which could reveal her true sex and then ruin her father's plans and her country's future as well as own future. Though, staying as a man would mean that she had to give up on love forever. - The manga established many themes and styles of later shojo, including its affinity for androgynous looking male heroes. The physical characteristics of the women characters were directly influenced by western cartoons like Betty Book. - it was made into a 52 episode TV series in 1967 and dubbed into english, shown in the U.S. sporadically due to legal and distribution problems. First to be produced and colored. - Thanks to heaven above, where the mysterious and mischievous cherub Tink is responsible for giving babies hearts. - The idea came from the Takarazuka Review, a lavish all-female stage review that played in Osaka, and Tezuka had the chance to watch many productions during his youth.

Harajuku

- The Tokyo neighborhood with the most cutting edge fashion. - In Japan, cosplay doesn't occur only conventions. In many cities, cosplayers meet in parks to show off their expertise and their passion. - In the Harajuku district of Tokyo, Japan, is famous for its cosplay. The word "Harajuku" is used for Gwen Stefani's perfume products and song. During the early 80's of Japan, before anime and manga, became the worldwide phenomenon that others are now. Japanese teenagers engaged in cosplay in Harajuku and the public spaces, but rather dressing like characters the teens dressed in 1950s American pop culture attire --- boys in jeans and white shirts and black leather jackets and girls in poodle skirts and saddle shoes. The emphasis of the Japanese cosplayers today is on imitating a particular character, as close to being exact as possible. Rather than making own costumes, however, Japanese cosplayers typically buy authentic costumes which are commercially produced. Since so much cosplay in Japan occurs outside of conventions, there's not as much emphasis on competition among the cosplayers. Cosplay in Japan is seen as a hobby, especially for young women, dressing as Inu Yasha and a Gothic Girl, etc., something to do on a Sunday afternoon with friends.

convention

- The first Star Trek convention was held also in NYC in 1972. The organizers expected only a few hundred fans to show up, but thousands showed up and a new industry was born. - anime cons focus primarily on anime and manga and Japanese popular culture. One of many associations is cosplay or costume play, which is the art of dressing up as a character from anime, manga, comics, video games, movies, or books. - Not all conventions are as large as Comicon. Many smaller regional and state conventions can be found across the country and around the world. - The first American comic convention was held in NYC in 1965, with about 100 people attended this con, which featured Lone Ranger artist Tom Gill, who talked about how to draw comics. Phil Seuling supplied soda for this first event and saw cons as an opportunity for the creators and the fans to interact and soon became an important figure. - In early con planning, fans sold and traded comic books, changing the comic industry forever. As readers became actively involved in the industry and got to know who the artists were who created the characters they loved.

Osamu Tezuka

- The first great manga artist and anime; considered to be the god of manga as he used it in storytelling - 1928-1989 in Osaka as eldest brother of 3 - was inspired by his mother and drew comics during his second year of elementary school - "Osamushi" was his pen name after he found a bug during his youth. - After WW II, he created his first manga, Diary of Ma-chan, and then Shin Takarajima, or New Treasure Island; that started the golden era of anime. ~ Astro Boy ~ legend of the forest

Chihiro

- The heroine of spirited away - a jaded and cynical 10 year old, transformed when her parents drive through a tunnel and the other side is an alternate reality. Chihiro's parents eat food that was set out as offerings to the gods and turned into pigs. - Chihiro was to be renamed San to reverse the spell, which Miyazaki indulges in a pun that Americans typically don't understand. "Sen" is another way of pronouncing the first character in Chihiro's name, while some have linked the film with Homer's Odyssey: * Both have people turned into swine * the hero(ine) is send on a quest

Neon Genesis Evangelion

- The most critically successful TV anime of the 1990's, designed to be the last word on the giant robot genre. - This show, with its deft handling of human drama, captivated adults. Western religious symbolism is a role in the storyline; such as angels. The symbolism serves as a way of designated the alien designating alien invaders as "others", those who are not Japanese. - In this series, the story takes place after a meteor strike wipes out half of Earth's population. Aliens, called the Angels, are sending bioengineered weapons to destroy the remaining Earth population. Each one are named after biblical angels. - The series ending was different due to censorship and financial problems. It was followed by many lackluster films, many of which touted the finale in 1997. It was a shocking apocalypse, taking the themes to their logical conclusion. Though it wasn't, especially with the 2014 sequel "Evangelion 3.0". - The experimental Evangelion project fights these invaders with giant cybernetic organisms that can only be piloted by children born after the meteor hit. - theres the team: ~ head scientist (Gedo Ikari) ~ Shinji (pilot) ~ Misato (sisterly) ~ Asuka Langely (hot headed) ~ Rei Ayanami (clone) - WW II is replayed from the Japanese P.O.V., like in Star Blazers, as the surviving Japanese must save Earth from destruction. The organization saving the Earth is called NERV, the computers that control the complex seen is named after the biblical "three wise men". - Misato wears a cross and angel weapons explode in cruciform shape, while symbolism from Kabbalah and Masonic emblems appear in both manga and anime.

Takashi Murakami

- The most important and best contemporary artist, known for his work of My Reality. One with a global reputation, in the My Reality show, Murakami exhibited paintings, scultpure, and video installation. - His character Mr. DOB, is one of his best characters from a cartoon monkey popular in Hong Kong. Though mixed with a kinship with Mickey Mouse and Warhol's early pop work. Mr. DOB has many forms -- inflatable balloons, paintings, sculpture, toys -- and many faces. Mr. DOB's name is derived from the Japanese expression "Doboshite! Doboshite! Doboshite!", which loosely translates to "Why? Why? Why?". - Mr. DOB is always done in capital letters --- so Murakami's self-portrait of the Japanese people, at times sweet and innocent, at other times evolving into something monstrous -- with jagged teeth and multiple eyes. - He's frequently seen as Murakami's alter-ego. Murakami creates his art in a workshop environment. - He created Hiropon Factory to produce his art, modeling it on Andy Warhol's famous factory. He sees the creative process as a communal enterprise that reflects the larger society. Within his studio, artists move seamlessly through multiple roles. - Murakami himself is a businessman and the CEO, international curator and artist with a Ph.D. in painting. By making Mr. DOB, a commercial enterprise and associating him with entertainment and popular culture, he creates his own commercial objects. Taking pride in his use of traditional Japanese printing techniques like in woodblock prints and formal qualities, like the flatness of the picture plane and the deliberate use of line and composition. - Initially, Murakami wanted to be commercially successful. He just wanted to make a living in the entertainment world. As his popularity increased, his motivation changed, as Murakami want to express himself through his art. He does recognize the importance of marketing to the success of an artist, and he markets himself ceaselessly. - His style of art, which he terms "Superflat", responds to a variety of influences, including anime and kawaii. The concept of Superflat began in the late 1990s to describe the flat, static aesthetic of Murakami's work. Though he soon developed it into what he considered to be a cultural concept and a philosophy, applicable outside the world of visual art. It can be used to describe the condition of contemporary Japanese society and the world of the future. According to the Superflat Manifesto, which was first presented at Murakami's 2000 exhibition of the same title (Superflat). That is "Society, customs, art, culture all are extremely two dimensional. It is particularly apparent in the arts that this sensibility has been flowing steadily, beneath the surface of Japanese history. Today, the sensibility is most present in Japanese games and anime, which have become very powerful parts of world culture." - Murakami equates this idea of super flat with actually the collapse of a number of layers from a computer graphic into one layer. He sees the layers of Japanese culture --- pop, erotic pop, otaku, westernization --- as melding into one. Superflat serves as a strategy to expand the contemporary art market in Japan and to introduce contemporary japan to the Western world. Even attempting to understand the confusion of a generation who didn't experience firsthand the devastation of WW II but were handed down the post-war defeat experience. Culture and questions of national identity during a period of mass economic growth and Americanisation.

Dallos

- The rise in importance had a tremendous impact on anime, which revived old favorites and gave studios room to make dollars with less risk. - Direct to cassette animation, known as OVA or OAV, began in 1983 with the space opera called Dallos. Considered to be an unremarkable rip off of Robert Heinlein's "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" ~ it deals with the fight for independence by a group of lunar colonists from an oppressive Earth. - The rise of a OVA/OAV led to a new development in anime as well: ~ the sexually explicit erotic story, a genre that long existed in manga not in anime. - the first erotic direct to video anime was a two story set: ~ redding snow ~ girls tortured with roses - This was followed by the Cream Lemon series

Battleship Yamato

- This is a Japanese version essentially of the original Star Trek series. It replaces pioneer explorations of space with oblique references to WW II, such as: ~ a desperate suicide mission ~ hounded by enemy vessels that are all painted in red, white, and blue. ~ the ship's name is most obvious during its heyday. - the Battleship Yamato was the most advanced ship of its time. It was sunk a battle to hold off the U.S. attack on Okinawa in 1945. - Star Blazers changed the way people thought of Sci-Fi, since it showed that anime was not just for children. it's first season, which contained 26 episodes, which followed the yamato's year-long voyage out the galaxy and back again. - As the popularity of the franchise became clear, primarily due to the outcry over the second film, a second season was produced, followed by a TV film featuring yet another new enemy. - Yet another dying race decides to alter Earth for their own purposes. In this case, the Earth is being flooded and Yamato is filled with radioactive water and detonated by Captain Okita (who had been cryogenically frozen after his death in the first season). To save the Earth again. - a 90 minute film version of Yamato outperformed Star Wars at the Japanese box office, leading to the production of a second movie that intends to end the story. It ends with pieces of the Yamato sinking beneath the waves in space. Okita went down with his ship in a heroic fashion. - another theatrical film followed with a third TV season as well. The saga finally ended in 1983 with the fifth theatrical film, Final Yamato, in which the Gamilon Empire is destroyed by a collision of galaxies. - In farewell to Battleship Yamato, the crew thwarts another alien invasion and results in the destruction of the Yamato and its crew.

hamtaro

- Totoro Hamtaro, created by manga artist, Ritsuko Kawai in 1997 and published in Shogaku Ni Nensei, a magazine for school children. An animated series quickly followed in 2000. - The show was imported into the U.S. in 2002 on Cartoon Network and became popular like Pokemon by a merchandising campaign that ranges from books to videos to stuffed animals and toys. - The story centers around the adventures of Laura, a fifth grade Japanese school girl and her pet hamster, Hamtaro. Whom leaves his cage to have adventures with his friends of the Ham Ham clubhouse, as his owner leaves for school. ~ each hamster is based on a real type of hamster and given a defining quality, such as: * Hamtaro the golden hamster

Princess 9

- a 26 episode anime broadcast in Japan in 1998, as the story concerns the trials of nine girls at the Kisaragi school for girls. Who form a baseball team for the purpose of playing on an equal footing with boys' teams at the most prestigious tournament in Japan. ~ Their goal is to qualify for, and ultimately win the tournament. ~ They're led by a pitcher Ryo Hayakawa, the daughter of Hidehiko, a former pitching star in Japan. Based on a real life professional baseball player, Masaaki Ikenaga of the Nishitetsu Lions. Who was a star player both in high school and the pros until convicted in a scandal and banned from the sport in 1970. - The soccer manga/anime Captain Tsubasa, which was initially serialized in Shonen Jump in 1981. That sparked a soccer boom in Japan. The series begins with Tsubasa's team winning several National Youth Soccer tournaments and three middle school championships. That follows him on his adventures as a professional soccer player. - Sports anime are not restricted to boys' sports.

Doujinshi

- a self-published fan work such as a manga or art book. Made by amateurs to the publishing scene, but published artist are also know to dabble as a way to release works that aren't suitable for general publication. - divided into two main categories: ~ originals ~ spin-offs - types of doujinshi such as: ~ Boys love/Shounen Ai ~ Yaoi; erotic stories of male loves ~ hentai; erotic stories ~ parody/gag; poking fun through humor ~ what if; exploring alternate story lines of original material ~ mecha/material; putting characters from original works in military uniforms and tanks - Although it covers all types and genres of doujinsji regardless of fandom such as video games, manga, anime, etc. ~ Though "Doujin", means same person, is the group that publishes the doujinshi.

Hibakusha

- a survivor of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - translates literally as "bomb-affected-people" - there were two kinds of victims such as victims exposed directly to the bomb and its immediate aftermath, exposure within a 2 kilometer radius who rented the sphere of destruction within two weeks of the explosion, exposure to radioactive fallout generally, and those exposed in utero, whose pregnant mothers, belonging to any categories. - Many hibakusha not only suffered ill health due to radiation exposure and surviving a nuclear bomb, but also were subjected to discrimination at the hands of fellow Japanese. In 1945, little was known about the effects of radioactive contamination, and rumors spread that radiation exposure was akin to an infectious disease. Already traumatized by their experience of the "unforgettable fire" they fell victim to discrimination and were often found ineligible for work and marriage.

Leiji matsumoto

- born in 1938 in Kurume, Japan. Responsible for a number of an important dramatic anime and manga including: ~ Space Pirate Captain warlock (1978 & 1979) ~ Galaxy Express 999 (1979) - his tales of heroism, courage, humanity, and suffering, all set against the panorama of space. Which captivated viewers and influenced future generations of artists. Matsumoto got his big break with Otoko Odeon, a series that chronicled the life of a ronin; a young man who is preparing himself for university exams, which was done in 1971. ~ The series was both a critical and popular success. Matsumoto has gone on the supervise creation of a number of music videos as well as other manga and anime. - his characters tend to be tragic figures, tall, slender, fragile-looking women with strong wills. - During the 1970's and 80's, the giant robot continued as a major trend in anime. While human-like robots continued to be popular, a new form emerged that would be expanded in later decades. - There were robots capable of transforming in other machines or segmenting into many parts. Each part had a pilot, who would recombine the units into the major giant robot of the story for the climactic battle. - His beloved cat Mi-Kum often makes appearances in his work and actually keeps renaming his cats every time he gets a new one. He's up to Mi-Kum four or five by now. He made his debut in 1953, drawing romantic shojo manga. Although he claims he dislikes the genre. - His wife, miyako Maki, who created the doll: Licca-chan, the Japanese Barbie, is also a manga artist. - Now it wasn't until the 1960's that he had the opportunity to publish in shonen, or boys magazines.

Katsuhiro Otomo

- born in 1954, Otomo headed to Tokyo up high school graduation, intent on becoming a manga artist. Otomo made his anime debut as a character designer of Harmagedon. - Otomo published his first manga in 1973, and by 1979 was working on sci-fi-fi manga, many of which were published in Shonen in serial magazines. - Otomo became the first "name" in Japanese animation board, though he actually has played a somewhat more minor role in anime in the years following Akira's release. - Otomo worked on his most acclaimed and famous work, Akira. An anime film that was different for the original manga, yet was regarded by critics as one of the greatest animated films ever made. ~ It took 8 years to complete and eventually culminate 2,182 pages and artwork. - He continued to work on many projects, including: ~ Steamboy (2004) ~ Freedom Project (2006) ~ SOS! Tokyo Metro Explorers (2007 release) - Otomo was decorated as a French Ordre des Arts des Lettres member in 2005. Who became the 4th manga artist ever inducted in the U.S. Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 2012 and awarded the Purple Medal of Honor from the Japanese Govt. in 2013. - He received the Winsor McCay Award at the fort first Annie awards in 2014.

Satoshi Kon

- born on October 12, 1963 in Kushiro, Hokkaido but passed away on August 23, 2010 by pancreatic cancer - Attended Musashino College of the Arts and initially wanted to become a fine arts painter. After working with Katsuhiro Otomo on the Manga World Apartment Horror, he changed careers to the anime industry by working as a set designer for Roujin A in 1991. - director of five films for Studio Madhouse, such as read in Drazen. ~ His films are characterized by psychological complexity, realistic character and background designs, and the blurring of fantasy and reality. It also deal with subject matter not usually found in animated films, such as urban culture, homelessness and modern morality. ~ Kon teamed with Mamoru Oshii and Makoto Shinkai to create the 2007 NHK tv production Ani*Kuri 15, for which he created the short Ohayo. The same year Kon helped establish and served as a member of the Japan Animation Creators Association known as JAniCA. ~ In 2010, he worked on another project called Dreaming Machine, but he abandoned the project upon his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and so the production was halted. ~ The head of Madhouse Studio vowed to complete the project. ~ Otomo is a major influence on Kon's work. He also worked mamouru Oishii's Patlabor 2: the film and segments of severally animated tv series. ~ one of his films, Millennium Actress, debuted at the FantAsia Film Festival in 2002. ~ Made his directorial debut with the murder mystery Perfect Blue, which was followed by several other successful films. First shown at the FantAsia Film Festival in Montreal in 1997 where it won an award for Best Asian Film. ~ A filmmaker of many works such as: * Millennium actress (2001): a complex narrative story of a documentary filmmaker exploring the life of an elderly actress. Done in a play within a play style, where the lines between reality and cinema blur. In the film, director Genya Tachibana works on a documentary of an actress named Chiyoko Fujiwara, who withdrawn from public life in her elder age. * Perfect Blue: A young female protagonist whose public persona is that of a virginal sweet-voiced pop star. Whom outrages her fans when she announces her career change to being an actress, from the wholesome titillation to full on exploitation. Scenes such as stripping on camera and enacting a rape scene for a tv show, an event which soon echoed in her personal life, resulting a change in her persona. As her fans invade her life, both online and in person. * Paranoia Agent (2004): A story of a social phenomenon in Musashino, tokyo, caused by a juvenile serial assailant named Li'l Slugger, a baseball cap wearing juvenile who travels on golden inline skates and attacks people with a gold colored metal baseball bat. The plot of the series bounces among a larger cast of people affected in the same way by the phenomenon, usually being either Li'l Slugger's victims or detectives assigned to apprehend him. As each character becomes focus of the episode, details are revealed and their secret lives and the truth about Li'l Slugger. The series examines the human psyche and archetypes within Japanese pop culture and issues of personal and culture identity, but also makes extensive use of hip hop and street culture. * Paprika (2006): Kon's final film. A story, based on a science-fi novel, of a small group of scientists who developed a machine that monitors people's dreams and allows to enter dreams and change them.

Kenkoy

- cartoonist Tony Velasquez and writer Romualdo Ramos - 1929 - Francisco "Kenkoy" Harabas - Velasquez is considered to be the founder of the Filipino comic industry. - Kenkoy was a comedic figure who wore baggy pants, suspenders and patent leather shoes, which are known as charol shoes. He had dark, "ironed" hair. - described as a caricature of a Filipino who tried but didn't succeed in keeping up with the American occupiers. He courted and ultimately married, Rosing. A woman from Manila who represented the ideal romanticized Filipino woman who is shy, sweet, caring, and very jealous. - Kenkoy's surname Harabas translates as "reckless", which describes his actions and the nickname has come to mean joker or jester in Tagalog. - The comic first appeared in a literary magazine and soon was translated into a number of the regional languages found throughout the Philippines. - The character in the comic actually spoke pidgin, a mixture of Spanish, English, and Tagalog. - The series was very popular for decades and in the 1960's, Kenkoy went "mod", changing to a polo shirt, wide leg pans and converse sneakers. However, he maintained his trademark slicked back hair style, Rosing. However, through all this remained as the traditional Filipino.

WorldCon

- convention attending is a time honored tradition dating back to the 1930s. - The first American sci-fi convention, was held in NYC in 1939, while the first British convention was held in 1937 --- had a whopping 20 fans attend. - sci-fi author Ray Bradbury attended (back row right). - The first American comic convention was held in NYC in 1965, with about 100 people attended this con, which featured Lone Ranger artist Tom Gill, who talked about how to draw comics. Phil Seuling supplied soda for this first event and saw cons as an opportunity for the creators and the fans to interact and soon became an important figure. - In early con planning, fans sold and traded comic books, changing the comic industry forever. As readers became actively involved in the industry and got to know who the artists were who created the characters they loved.

Catbus

- credited with shapeshifting abilities in Japanese legend, lends some genes to the Totoros and their companion - a nod to Alice in Wonderland --- the ability to vanish at will and the huge, infectious grin - Rides are reminiscent of Susan and Lucy's ride through Narnia on Aslan's back in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but without the dark underside found in many of C.S. Lewis' writings.

pokemon

- debuted in Japan in April of 1997, coming to the West in December of the same year. - had many different names that provide aspects of each game, such as: ~ Pokemon: Orange Island on episode 82 ~ Pokemon G in episode 118 for Gold and S, for silver. ~ Joke League Championships in Season 4 ~ Pokemon Master Quest in Season 5 - the first film reached theaters in 1998 with Pokemon the movie: Mew vs. Mew 2 - the 1996 anime, created by Satoshi Tajiri, that otaku snootily disregard, preferring that anime remain outside of mainstream culture. Its success has enabled more obscure anime to be release here. ~ Based on the creator, Satoshi Tajiri's childhood fascination with collecting insects---similar to Osuma Tezuka---that evolved cross hybrids of different animals. Tajiri didn't go to college after high school, instead he decided to invent the game. - Pokemon are a unique group of creatures, invented by a Japanese company called Game Freak. it's Japanese name is Poketto Monstaa or Pocket Monsters. - For centuries, boys in rural Japan would gather up beetles and have them fight each other. - Based on the popular series of video games, Pokemon Players, known trainers, battle their pokemon against the pokemon that they encounter. Winner of a match is the trainer whose pokemon caused their opponents to either faint and be captures to be used by their new owners or flee. - Most appealing aspects are the interactions between the pokemon and players. In order to progress through the game and find all pokemon, a trainer like Ash must talk to non playable characters, other trainers and even trade pokemon with friends.

sci-fi

- fans and scholars consider sci-fi to be the major genre of anime, from Astro Boy to the early 1960s to modern day. - Sci-fi was traditionally a male-oriented as it can be done in animation without the need for a huge special effects budget. ~ Japan has been using older cell techniques and putting out many more well-crafter and entertaining stories at a fraction of the cost of these CGI productions. - Sci-fi in the west and in anime has many subdivisions: ~ space adventures ~ robots ~ fantasy - fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets.

harem comedy

- genre in anime and manga such as, Urusei Yatsura, Ah? My Goddess , Love Hina where a shy, socially awkward man could end up with a beautiful, voluptuous woman. - A shy, usually nerdy young man finds himself often surrounded by lovely lithe women after whom he loves, but can never attains. - Though there's no female version of harem comedy. For one thing, female characters in shojo stories tend not to be the omni competent heroic types in American comics, such as Wonder Woman.

manhua

- impromptu sketches in Chinese - Chinese comics originally produced in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, often influencing Chinese translations of Japanese manga - Widely accepted that Feng Zika, the author of Zikai Manhua published in 1920s, was the first to use the Chinese word in China. - the word expanded its meaning to include art forms that were previously called caricature and comic strip in China

Male anime figure

- not influenced by the west and being credited with creating the iconography for the male manga figure such as: ~ slight build ~ pointy chin ~ spiky hair - which was based on traditional Japanese male physique. - He used few lines to convey significant expression, which comes from native Japanese artistic traditions, much seen in Yamato-e paintings from the Heian era.

kawaii (cute)

- one of Japan's primary contributions to global culture. - Doesn't need to be all fun and fuzz, but rather ironic. In fact, treated with just right amount of awareness. - Can be downright subversive, the irony influences the extreme edges of Japanese fashion: ~ young/hip shown in magazines; cute little t shirts and clunky shoes and carrying lunch boxes. - character designs call to the heart, the most primal impulses. ~ modern artists such as the female design studio, Clamp and Junko Mizuno challenge intellect with childlike image on the nature of sensuality and maturity.

Comicon

- one of the many associations of anime cons is cosplay or costume play - Held every summer in San Diego, began as the Golden State Comic Book Convention in 1970. With about 300 fans in attendance, the 2012 attendance at the four day event topped 130,000 people. Many of whom came dressed as their favorite character. Originally Comicon showcased comic books, sci-fi, and fantasy stories, film and TV. Eventually expanded to including horror, animation, anime, lots of toys and collectibles. - Here in Arizona, we have Phoenix Comicon, late May or early June. In Tucson, the convention is called Con-Nichiwa, which is a play on words for the Japanese word "konichiwa" that translates to "Good Day", typically held in March. Another Arizona convention, called Anizona, which began in 2005 and last for three years and features cosplay, karaoke, a costume, ball, anime actors and voice actors, and film screenings. The con offers a scholarly look at anime in addition to traditional convention programming. Comiket, which was centered on fan published manga or dojinski, began in Tokyo in 1975, making it the first official anime convention. About 700 people attended that first con, and had grown to more than 100,000 attendees. - anime cons focus primarily on anime and manga and Japanese popular culture. One of many associations is cosplay or costume play, which is the art of dressing up as a character from anime, manga, comics, video games, movies, or books. - Not all conventions are as large as Comicon. Many smaller regional and state conventions can be found across the country and around the world. - The first American comic convention was held in NYC in 1965, with about 100 people attended this con, which featured Lone Ranger artist Tom Gill, who talked about how to draw comics. Phil Seuling supplied soda for this first event and saw cons as an opportunity for the creators and the fans to interact and soon became an important figure. - In early con planning, fans sold and traded comic books, changing the comic industry forever. As readers became actively involved in the industry and got to know who the artists were who created the characters they loved.

Rurouni Kenshin

- one of the most popular ad enduring samurai stories written by Nobuhiro Watsuko - 1994-1999 - first serialized as a manga in Shonen Magazine and then became a TV series and a film. - The story set 11 years after the Media Restoration began, when most of the revolutionaries have become corrupted as the govt. officials as they originally opposed. - foreign influences became a stronger influences in japan. While the samurai have lost many of their past rights. - Himura Kenshin is a former member of the revolutionary group, Isshin Shishi, a reformed assassin who now uses a reverse bladed sword; a dull sword, to avoid ever killing again. ~ Himura falls for Koaru Kamiya, the impoverished daughter of a swordsman whose school has fallen on hard times. HImura helps her search for her father's killer, a man who claimed to be the infamous killer named Hitokiri Battosai. ~ Myojin Yahiko is a young boy descended for a samurai family. Sagara Sanosuki, a former political activist who accompany the two on their quest.

Pikachu

- pokemon franchise, created by Satoshi Tajiri, in 1996 - a mouse like pokemon given to Ash Ketchum by his mentor, Professor Oak. - Certain electrifying characteristics in the form of special abilities; Thundershock and Thunderbolt - A short film was included in the 1998 pokemon film called Pikachu's summer vacation.

soft power

- post-war cultural products like Godzilla and Hello, Kitty, and featured commercial products, anime references, and fine art. Such products, including electronics, such as TVs, computer components, and stereos. - the export of subtle global Japanese influence to the rest of the world.

Lewis Carroll

- published in November of 1865 and illustrated by Sir John Tenniel. The sequel published in 1871, and translated in 100 languages. - Carroll is the most quoted English author after Shakespeare. The first children's novels intended only to amuse rather than to teach or serve as a morality tale, set children's imaginations free. Showing them that one's desires can be fulfilled in fantasy. - Carroll captured the chaotic, unstable, confusing world of the Victorian child by parodying the adult world. Turning it into a fantastic illogical irreverent enigmatic place where impossible things happen - Carroll uses language as a weapon of social commentary, his non-sequiturs, puns, and poetry creating a timeless world in which Alice fans self-confidence and respects. As she interacts with a cast of incredible characters in encounters that operate unexpectedly and seemingly without rules.

OVA

- stands for Original Video Animation, also can be termed as OAVs. - Many have a very limited audience due to content, such as sex, drug use, etc. - Considered too risky for general theatrical release or television. - the use does allow filmmakers to experiment with new techniques that potentially can lowers costs of production. Several have gone on to achieve tv success and even theatrical success. ~also used by Western animators, such Fleischer brothers and Walt Disney.

mecha

- stories that feature mechanical devices, many which are robots, as seen with Gigantor; early robots were radio controlled but by the mid-1970s ~ pilots soon controlled the robots from an internal cockpit. - Perhaps the ultimate series is on of the Gundam iterations---Mobile Suit Gundam. Which has appeared in several TV series, theatrical releases and direct-to-video stories. ~ one of the series' central themes is that of civilians doing the best that they can in times of war. Gundam combines elements of Star Wars with space colony politics and a sublet metaphor of Japan's baby boomers.

Star Blazers

- the animated version of Leiji Matsumoto's Uchu Yamato, or Space Cruiser yamato. The series had an impact on the U.S. and Japan. For the first time, this series had a 26 week story arc that captivated older viewers, due to character interactions and space battles. The series' themes usually involve the brave sacrifice, noble enemies and respect for heroes lost in the line of duty. - debuted in Japan in 1974. The story is set in the year 2199, the evil emperor Despair, who rules the race. The "Gamilons" orders earth to be destroyed, by bombarding it with radioactive bombs. The radiation he released dried up the Earth's oceans, exposing many old shipwrecks including that of the WW II battleship, Yamato and its attendant escorts. - Humanity lives in refuges built deep underground, but the radiation is slowly infiltrating their safety areas. Earth's space fleet is hopelessly outcast by the Gamilons and all seems lost until a mysterious space. Probe is retrieved on Mars, blueprints for a faster-than-light engine are discovered in the blueprints - Captain Okita, the ship's leader, is the heroic father figure for the group. The young pilot, Susumu Kodai has a grudge against the captain, but comes to recognize the burden of command and difficult decisions he faced with making. - A message from Queen Starsha from the planet Iscandar offers a device that can cleanse the Earth of the radiation damage. A starship is secretly built, within the hull of the former WW II battleship and a special crew of 114 members. Sent on a hazardous journey to get help for Earth. - The show's use of pacing and camera angles like live action films, and sci-fi themes, captivated audiences.

Kill Bill

- written and directed by Quentin Tarantino - animated sequence - 2003 - Tarantino hired an anime artist to create the animated sequence, believing that it would give an air of authenticity to the film. - The live action film that was released in two two hour volumes. It is an epic revenge drama, with many homages to spaghetti westerns, Hong Kong, Marital arts films, Japanese samurai Movies, and anime - The Lone Wolf and Cub manga series are echoed in the character of the Bride and her daughter. The Americanized version of the series Shogun Assassin, is actually watched by two of the characters within the film.

Sailor Moon

- written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi, 1992-1997. There are echoes of Power Rangers in the "Monster of the week" fight sequences that occur in the series. - The story sets in Azabun Juban, a real Tokyo neighborhood. - Themes of Buddhism occurs in reincarnations of sailor moon, tuxedo mask, and the other scouts. ~ The saving grace from being banned is the strength of its plots. The show's refusal to speak down the audience and its honest and earnest portray of romance. Not to mention its courageous to show portrayal of death. ~ The show became popular due to its visually stunning scenes and how both manga and anime appeared at the same time. The show occurred along with the rise of the internet. It's popular can be attributed to one major factor of a female empowering fantasy. ~ the First season TV ended with a harrowing assault on evil Queen Beryl, in which the entire cast is killed off---temporarily. - creator, Nakoto Takeuchi, made a manga called Codename Sailor V or Five in 1990. Sailor V, a teen girl, who moonlights as a sailor- style hero. Her editor asked to rewrite in business orientated writing, such as a five girl team and merchandise tie-ins. The result is Sailor Moon. The uniforms are modeled after British midshipman or midi blouses. - Tsukino Usagi is a 14 year old gluttonous, whiny klutz who has to save the world, while keeping up with homework and chase after her love interest. Hardly a role model. ~ Her name is "Tsuki no usage" meaning the rabbit of the moon, alluding to the folk tale, which explains the craters of the moon form a rabbit silhouette rather than man in the moon of the west. Rabbits were believed to be the vial of the elixir of immortality in taoist beliefs. The creature features predominantly in Sailor moon. - villain name's are after minerals/gems or earthy elements. ~ Queen Beryl ~ Rubeus ~ Emeraldas ~ Jadeite ~ Malachiite ~ Nephrite - names of Usagi's friends correspond to the powers they call upon and their associated planets. ~ Mizuno Ami (Sailor Mercury); "Mizu" is Japanese for water. Indentified as Suisei, the water star in Japan. ~ Hino Rei (Sailor Mars); "Hi" is Japanese for fire. Identified as Kasei, the fire star in Japan. ~ Kino Makoto (Sailor Jupiter); "Ki" is Japanese for wood. Identified as Mokusei, the wood star in Japan. ~ Aino Minako (Sailor Venus); "Ai" is Japanese for love. Associated with roman goddess of love, from West mythology. ~ Though she encounters, Luna, a talking black cat who grants Usagi powers to save her friend Naru. Usagi saved her friend but still has her klutziness. - The world of a pubescent girl is magical and frustrating. There's a thrill of first love and teachings values such as: ~ importance of valor ~ compassion

Vampire Hunter D

- written by Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Yoshitak in 1983. It had been released in manga, anime, two art books, a video game, and a lot of memorabilia. - D, a lone wolf character, wanders through a far-future, post-nuclear Earth that combines the best of pulp fiction genres: ~ Western ~ Sci-Fi ~ Horror ~ Fantasy, with a little myth and occult - The planet, once terrorized by elegant but cruel nobles (vampires) is slowly returning to human control. - D is one of the independent hunters-for-hire eliminating supernatural threats and a vampire and human hybrid. Who renowned for his skill and grace, yet feared and despised due to his mixed lineage. - The antagonistic vampire is Count Magnus Lee, reference to Chris Lee.

Akira

- written first as a manga and then written and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo and released in 1988 in Tokyo, Japan. It became an anime featuring conspiracy theories, telepathic and telekinetic freaks, and wild motorcycle rides across a neon-lit film noir landscape. - Neo-Tokyo stands on an artificial island of Tokyo Bay. - Motifs in the film weighed against the historical specter of nuclear destruction and Japan's postwar economic revival include such as: ~ youth culture ~ juvenile delinquency ~ psychic powers ~ social unrest ~ a future uncertainty - The film, which is set in the year 2019, as an aftermath destruction by nuclear explosion that resulted WW III. It pays homage to the sci-fi film Blade Runner. In post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, it tells of how a motorcycle gang, led by 16 year old Shotaro Kaneda, who engaged a rival gang in a fight. - One member named, Tetsuo Shima, chased rivals into an abandoned old city and finds a child, named Takashi, with wizened features. Takashi has been freed from a government facility by resistance against those who try to recapture him. - Tetsuo becomes mixed up with the government for his psychic powers, which are reminiscent of the secret government project called Akira. Which relates to the explosion that previously destroyed Tokyo. Hoping to ease his violent hallucinations and pain, Tetsuo escapes captivity. - Meanwhile Kaneda learns that Akira once tried to manipulate all energy in the universe and destroy Tokyo in the process, beginning WW III - The film ends in one setting, an Olympic Stadium that was built in 1964. Where all people who were chasing Tetsuo come together. As Tetsuo found Akira in a cryogenic chamber, there was only severed limbs. Though Akira arrives as a energy sphere and entrapped Tetsuo and the espers. Akira caused an explosion upon Neo-Tokyo once again, only leaving Kaneda and company alive to start a new beginning. - It is a story about scientists fighting terrorists for control of an apocalyptic energy source. It owes its sensibilities to Otomo's perspective on 1960s counterculture: ~ rioting students ~ crazed bikers ~ gangs and corporate intrigue - It was a major turning point of rate acceptance of anime in the west when it was shown in U.S. in 1991. It ran significantly over budget and few filmmakers could afford to compete with its stunning visuals, Which was the reason about the film's success. Especially for it's meticulously detailed scenes, lip-synched dialogue, and super fluid motion that results more than 160,000 animation cels. - A visual tour de force, including experiments in digital and analog animation that stunned audiences worldwide. The film enjoyed greater success abroad than in Japan when it was originally released.