Animation is probably one of the most attracting and fantastic aspects of Japan. Many foreign visitors come to Japan to explore Japan's anime culture. Above photo is the animation and game store in Shibuya, Tokyo. Numerous animation serieses and games are displayed for sale.
Tetsuka Osamu is probably the one who opened the Japan's anime world. He made Atom, or Astro Boy, one of the first animations in Japan. While no one was willing to invest in the field of children of that time period, Osamu was the first one to make the animation's broadcasting on television. His first and the most famous work, Atom, was broadcasted from 1963 to 1966.
Tetsuka Osamu is probably the one who opened the Japan's anime world. He made Atom, or Astro Boy, one of the first animations in Japan. While no one was willing to invest in the field of children of that time period, Osamu was the first one to make the animation's broadcasting on television. His first and the most famous work, Atom, was broadcasted from 1963 to 1966.
Afterwards, many followed Osamu's path in making animations in Japan. Because of its worldwidely popular animations, many unique cultures developed as well. One of the most surprising is costume roleplay, or cosplay. Cosplay is a type of entertaining art, in which artists wear certain costumes to imitate animation characters. It is thought that cosplay actually is originated from Europe, but it is more popular in Japan today.
Harajuku area in Tokyo is probably the most popular place for cosplay in Japan. Cosplayers displaying various costumes are common scenes in Harajuku. Cosplayers not only dress up like manga characters, but also they actually "play" the characters' spirit. Many cosplay events are held in Harajuku region each year, attracting many fans.
I think this is a good start to the topic. I feel there's more here to be said though. Osamu has done some nice interviews on his vision for Astro Boy, and how he thought the character represented the Japanese people post WWII. Or perhaps the evolution of Anime from then to now. Dig a little, enlighten us. Keep going.
ReplyDeleteAs R.A. said in his comment, this is a good start... I think you should concentrate on Astro Boy rather than introducing cosplay into the mix. The timing is right for Astro Boy with the release of the movie this weekend. Have you seen it?
ReplyDeleteAgain, try to focus on one particular topic in these posts and provide quality observations. Links would be helpful as well.