Japanese Animation

Jacey Simpson, FTV History of Animation, 08/05/25

Introduction
Japanese animation which also well-known as anime, is a new branch of
storytelling, different from our own in the United States, but nonetheless, an
industry of film that merges detailed visuals with complex narratives that fit
the culture, captivating audiences from around the globe. It originated from
Japan, and provides a plethora of intriguing genres ranging from romance like
A Silent Voice, to even science fiction such as Akira with every dystopian
themes. This presentation will explore anime’s developments over the past
50 years, which includes its unique, creative aesthetics and cultural values.
Anime’s global impact is rooted in its unique design approaches, influential
authors, and many different adaptations to technology and society as it has
changed over time. Different from animation in the United States, anime
made an emphasis on very deep, aesthetic settings and emotional depth
rather than design fluidity, or unique tonality. By examining these differences
and changes in their industry, this presentation will unveil how anime has
shaped pop culture around the world
History of Japanese
Animation
Anime’s history spans from way back in the early 20th century, with Japan’s
first ever animated films making an appearance in 1917, such as Namakura
Gatana that was a primitive-like animation drawn only with chalk. However,
the 1960’s highlighted anime’s most notable era, seeing iconic animations
such as Osamu Tezuka’s famous animation Astro Boy, showcasing a
cinematic story with especially engaging visuals. With this release, the
production of Astro Boy introduced a remarkable feature of Japanese
animation in that the time it takes to release new episodes was days, much
less compared to Western animation studios. During World War II, there
were some additional workforce changes in the animation industry, breaking
the line between gender norms. Finally, post World War II, Japan
experienced some challenges in the animation industry, specifically in
occupation as it served as a blockade to the development of a nationwide
design style given that the media was controlled by higher power. The same
circumstances applied to other countries as well such as Czechoslovakia and
France.
Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki is the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, and nurtured anime into an aesthetic
style of art with touching narratives, and timeless visuals that pushed animators to
preserve traditional methods of design. In the 1980’s, Miyazaki produced many notable
films such as Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and My Neighbor Totoro (1988) that
set a new standard for anime blending rich, hand-drawn environments. Miyazaki’s hard
work was often times seen as a painter’s canvas given that every frame was beautiful from
every edge. His work was imbued true details, luscious forests, and mysterious creatures
that always portrayed curiosity and energy rather than common themes of creatures like
horror or glum. He focused heavily on complex characters driving very emotional
dilemmas in morality, which greatly influenced the world of anime on narrative depth.
Spirited Away released in 2006, won Miyazaki’s first Academy Award, showcasing his
creative ability to nurture and merge universally known stories with Japanese culture,
further supporting Japan’s relevance and engagement across the various nations. Even
after CGI made its way into the animation industry, Miyazaki insisted on maintaining
traditional ways of design and aesthetics which he envisioned to be the soul of his art, and
by sharing his need for such careful design and vision, Miyazaki refrained from use costly
animation techniques that inflate the production budget. With all of his work, his influence
grew beyond just Japanese animation, changing the scene for many other filmmakers and
artists around the world, inspiring them to prioritize their art of storytelling and design
instead of profit and trends. Furthermore, Miyazaki established a foundation for animators
to express the freedom of animation in all of its creative glory, providing his audience with
a gallery of classics to be inspired from.
Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka was another influential Japanese manga artist who inspired millions, and
often referenced as the “father of manga” or the “God of manga” in Japan due to
pioneering multiple techniques and defining new genres for the industry. In 1947, he began
what is widely known as the manga revolution with his New Treasure Island, then later
publishing some of the most groundbreaking series in history such as Astro Boy, Princess
Knight, and Kimba the White Lion. Early during his success as a manga artist, his passion
grew with his realization that he could use his art to push society to care for the world, a
very noble motivation to his stunning work. Tezuka’s drawings inspired a new approach to
the design of characters, portrayed through some such as Atom in Astro Boy with
expressive eyes, playful anatomy, and unique visual language. Down the road of his
career, Tezuka founded his own production company, Tezuka Productions, streamlining his
process for animation showcasing his ability to create efficient, cost-effective episodes
while still maintaining a clear sense of quality and care for their work. What set Tezuka’s
work from Western culture of around the same time was that, as mentioned before, while
the western culture prioritized clean, modern designs with impactful storytelling to lead
engagement, Tezuka focused on a new narrative approach revolving around an
imaginative, cinematic environment and techniques that enhance the motion of his
scenes. For example, Tezuka initiated the technique, Deep-focus cinematography which
would take advantage of depth of field to create an illusion of motion. By incorporating
new techniques into his art, Tezuka quickly stole the eyes of the world, shaping the rapid
development of animation technology in Japan.
Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira
Katsuhiro Otomo is another Japanese animanga artist who is most famous for his
production of Akira released in 1988. Within this animation, he demonstrated a clear
ambition and vision for the future of anime. This movie, strikingly achieved to produce
Akira within a budget of $10 million which is nearly unheard of in the animation industry,
especially in western animation. For some perspective, The Little Mermaid produced by
Disney had a budget of over $40 million and Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki was given a
budget of almost $20 million. Many might assume that given such a low budget, quality
must have been a sacrifice for this animation, but shocked the world when showcasing a
variety of quality features to denote such as fluid motion, detailed, dystopian
backgrounds, and captivating narrative to maintain audience engagement all with the
smart use of hundreds of thousands of detailed animation cels. Akira, is a cyberpunk-like
story with psychic powers and a struggling society driving mature themes to take away
from which proved that even cartoon animations can convey complex, thoughtful
meanings. The history of Akira’s success paved the way for an anime boom in the 1980s.
His use of creative techniques, taking advantage of camera angles and zooms further
proved him worthy of his throne, inspiring millions, such as Hollywood to adapt to these
new, innovative techniques, and regular audiences to which we can now see vase
communities centered around the love for anime. Otomo’s Akira pushed anime out of its
shell as a niche form of entertainment, to a globally respected branch of film and art.
Conclusion

Much like the development of animation over in the western culture, Japan has
made its own fair share of developments in the same industry, facing different
challenges effectively from World War II, yet still climbing its own ladder
towards global recognition. Through visionary creators who value efficiency
and tradition just as much as quality, Japan has earned its animation style,
anime, a spotlight for film. Additionally, through advancements and innovation
such as Osamu Tezuka’s motion illusions, Katsuhiro Otomo’s distinct camera
techniques, and Hayao Miyazaki’s preservation of tradition, anime has been
both a large contributor to the future of animation for several nations, and to
their economy achieving groundbreaking results from the audiences abroad.
Not only have the results managed to manifest such success, but due to their
interest in maintaining cost-effectiveness through detailed animation cels and
careful use of costly techniques, those results have never been brighter.
 References

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• Miyazaki:, Hayao. “DIGITAL ARTS BLOG.” DIGITAL ARTS BLOG, 2 Feb. 2025,
www.digitalartsblog.com/artist-spotlights/hayao-miyazaki.
• Wikipedia Contributors. “Osamu Tezuka.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Oct. 2019,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osamu_Tezuka.
• Wikipedia Contributors. “Anime.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Aug. 2025.
• Cavalier, Stephen. The World History of Animation. London Aurum, 2011.