ANIME — MANGA
Today, we talk about Anime. So what is Anime and what’s so unique about it? Why is it so famous in Japan? How has its recognition shot up in India suddenly?
We’re here to answer these questions that, if we’re being honest with ourselves here, not many people asked. But it does not stop us from answering it. So here we go.
Mangas are Japanese comics or graphic novels.
Remember Animax that had our childhood occupied all the time with shows like Captain Tsubasa, Samurai X, Tiger mask, Gundam, to name a few? And then came Cartoon Network with shows like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto.
So these are animes indeed. Anime is the Japanese-style animation adaptation of Mangas.
How is it any different from cartoons?
The basic difference is the animation style; Cartoons are mostly designed to entertain only kids whereas anime has its own audience from kids to elderly people. Yes, you heard me right, even adults watch Anime. The uniqueness of Anime is the variety of genres that exist, such that every age group can enjoy.
So unique, that a genre exists only in Anime!
Slice of Life Anime and Manga talk about the life of an individual, how he/she lives his/her life naturally, and also about the simultaneous events that happen in his/her life.
Even though modern-day comics are colored, Mangas are famous for their black and white color drawing and the detailing. Meanwhile, Manwhas are what you can call modern-day Mangas, they are basically colored Mangas adapted by South Koreans. In recent times, its recognition among the fans has been increasing because of the detailing given by colors to the drawings.
Alright, it’s ok if you’re confused now so we’ll keep it simple.
Mangas are Japanese comics in black and white while Manhwas are colored Mangas and Animes are the animated version of these comics.
As anime is originated from Japan, it is natural for it to be celebrated over there. But, it is not the only reason for it. People are crazy about anime in Japan such that they celebrate a few animes like One Piece, Bleach, Naruto, etc. with Golden statues, festivals, events, and much more. Why is that? Why are they celebrated in such a manner? Some of the reasons are it talks a lot about their culture, food, their values and priorities, families, friendship, patriotism, and even as a coping mechanism.
With anime teaching the younger generation about the food and culture, it reduces the burden on the elder generation on teaching it to them. Have you ever wondered how Japan is in a very good economic condition even after getting hit with a nuclear bomb? The answer is overworking. People in Japan tend to overdo their work such that people die every year due to overworking which is commonly known in Japan as ”Koroshi”. So they use these animes and mangas to get themselves away from their work pressure as if a gateway to escape from reality so that they can turn up to work every day.
How did anime get its recognition in India so suddenly?
The answer is simple — the internet and smartphones. With the spike in accessibility to free internet and a huge consumer base in smartphones, Indians started looking for a variety of shows and tried revisiting their childhood animes, which spiked up their interest and love for anime. But these are not the only reason. Few other reasons are Games and the promotional strategies by Japan.
Through many MMORPG(Massively multiplayer online role-playing games ), people started watching anime for the storyline. Apart from this; for the past two years, there have been various events like anime-cons and Japanese Film Festivals happening across India which has attracted many others to watch anime.
During 2019, two anime movies were released in India, namely Dragon ball super: Broly, and Tenki no Ko(The weathering with you). Especially the movie Tenki no Ko: the creation of Makoto Shinkai attracted a huge crowd of people that Makoto Shinkai himself had come for the release in India. Yet again, it was a Slice of life genre anime movie which caught the attention of the crowd. Also, their culture of respecting their elders and emphasizing humility and gratitude are some of the few aspects which attract the Indian community as they are relevant and relatable.
Let’s get back to the old times
What happened to Animax? Animax was banned in India due to claims that it contained gore content and violence in the shows that were telecasted. So where to watch Anime now? Just like English series have their own OTTs, anime also has their own OTT like Crunchyroll, Funimation Now, Hulu, etc., apart from the standard OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
With Anime’s popularity and recognition increasing all over the world, recently Japan’s Ministry of education has approved the establishment of the Department of Anime and Manga from 2021, with 80 students as starting mark to learn to create and Manga drawing. The admissions are said to open from December 1, 2020, while the first entrance exam is said to be on December 19, 2020!
Coming to the end of the article, we would like to quote a shocking fact on anime:
If you are a fan of The Fast and the Furious series of movies and wondering why the 3rd part of the movie series was so irrelevant, let me give you the answer to it — One of the directors of the movie series, Justin Lin, was a fan of a downhill car racing anime called “Initial D” and the Tokyo drift is said to be a contribution to it.
If this article made an impact on you and you are looking for some Sol (Slice of life) Anime recommendations, here they are:
Kimi no Nawa, Space brothers, Sangatsu no lion, Clannad, Silver spoon, Daily life of High school boys, Great teacher Onizuka, Toradora, My roommate is a cat, Wotoko no koi wa musukashi and Re: life.
These are some of the best Slice of Life Anime, if you're looking for wholesome Anime, go for them.
