Masaaki Yuasa is one of the most celebrated directors in anime today, and for good reason. His dynamic, fluid style of animation, which creates a look and feel of real movement in all of his projects, is unlike that of any of his peers. He often applies his style to odd narratives with odd art styles, which serves to accentuate the difference between the work that he produces and that of his contemporaries.
To what extent is his dynamic style of animation integral to the stories that he chooses to tell? Are the manga versions—in cases where there are such—sufficient in and of themselves, or are his animations more whole works? Are they fundamentally different? What commonalities exist between disparate entries of his canon such as Mind Game (2002) or the Tatami Galaxy (2010), Devilman Crybaby (2018) or Ping Pong (2014), his contributions to Space Dandy (2014) or to Adventure Time (2014)? Yuasa seems to be concerned with growth, change, and self-overcoming, but is this interest expressed in his style as well as in the plots that he works with?
It is widely believed good art-style is the one that is most pleasing to the eye, while this true to certain level art-style has more to it then beauty. Art-style when used properly can do more than just make an anime look beautiful . It can be used as a tool of visual communication and world building. For example the wacky art-style used in one piece perfectly complements its odd unrealistic setting, it also gives a good insight into the characters(Ussop is a liar hence has a Pinocchio nose,Sanji has tall legs signifying his use of legs as his weapon of choice). On the other end we have death note, it has a more subtle and realistic art-style suggesting grounded story,its grey tones are similar to that of neo-noir suggesting the vibes of the crime drama it is. So in this light exploring art-style as a tool that can perfectly compliment and complete the story is some thing that needs to be done.
You may want to consider the works of Masaaki Yuasa, which are all heavily stylized. From Ping Pong (2014), to the Tatami Galaxy (2010), to Devilman Crybaby (2018), the use of color, art style, and dynamic animation style are all vital to the storytelling and, a case could be made, to the setting itself. This is most striking, in my opinion, in The Tatami Galaxy (2010), which uses color and stylized representation of the setting (through photographs on top of drawn panels) to striking effect. – C.W.B. Bryson6 years ago
This is a proposition for the analysis of making choice and facing consequence in the anime (or the manga) series 'Tokyo Ghoul'. The character of Ken Kaneki can be taken as the main vehicle for exploring the philosophical idea of personal choices and the effects one has to face based on them. It can also be explored from a psychological stance, especially through delving into the divided identity of the protagonist in 'Tokyo Ghoul:re".
initially kaneki decides to stick with the delusion that he can live as a human even though his body is of a ghoul. he chooses to stay weak and naive. as a result he is taken by jason and tortured till his very psyche is fractured and split. he then flips then jumps from one side of the spectrum to the other far end. – SKala6 years ago
Anime reboots in the past decade have been common. Some of the most successful anime series among Western audiences have been remakes of older series: Fullmetal Alchemist was notoriously remade into Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood by Studio Bones and experienced substantial commercial success. Hunter x Hunter was remade in 2011 and brought a new generation to love the series. Devilman Crybaby by studio Science Saru remade the 1972 cult hit Devilman and became a critical success and quickly a cult fan hit on Netflix. Dragon Ball Z Kai, a remake of the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, experienced popularity domestically and abroad. But others have suffered: Basilisk: The Ōka Ninja Scrolls, and Berserk (2016) were critically panned. Mixed critical and fan reviews met Sailor Moon Crystal. This year, shoujo series Fruits Basket is due for an entire series reboot that promises to capture the nostalgia of the older series. What makes an anime reboot successful–is it the popularity of the source material, the production studio, or just passionate fans? This article will examine the history of full-series anime remakes, their popularity, and their critical reception, to show that not every series should be remade. For those that have been deemed successful, this article will look at common elements that contributed to their success and how they might be applied to future reboots.
Think about any beloved property from the past from any medium. Can that beloved property be revisited with new and fresh ideas brought to the table? If the answer is yes, then a remake shouldn't be out of the question. If the answer is no, then it should be left alone. That's pretty how I think about remakes or reboots and the same can be applied to anime. Maybe some aspects of an older anime are outdated or could be improved upon, while unsuccessful remakes don't quite capture what fans liked about the original in the first place and don't really introduce interesting ideas. – cbo10946 years ago
Remakes and reboots really need to capture the spirit of the original work if they are to be seen as doing anything other than riding the coattails of the original: otherwise, they may as well be a completely new series. As an example of a bad reboot, Nurse Witch Komugi R took what made the original special and exchanged it for generic magical girl tropes. Such moves are likely to both offend fans of the original and fail at standing out among the ample competition from past and present – LaPlant06 years ago
Anime and manga is filled with the trope of abusive, neglectful parenting. Incredibly popular anime and manga have featured characters suffering from some history of emotional or physical abuse from their parents. Memories of this abuse tend to drive their motivation and goals. A few examples include Gaara, Hinata, and Naruto from Naruto, Shinji from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Historia Reiss from Attack on Titan, Todoroki Shouto from My Hero Academia, and almost all the Zodiac characters from Fruits Basket. Examples abound, and some of the most well-loved characters have horrible family histories. This article seeks to examine the prevalence of this trope, the psychology behind abuse, the importance of its depiction, and why it might resonate with readers. It also looks at how abuse is depicted in a visual medium, and how that affects how the character is interpreted by the audience.
(Since there are so, so, *so* many examples of abusive parents in this medium, I'm curious as to whether I should hone in one one series instead of doing a broad sweep. Let me know what you think!)
I agree that there's many examples that can be used for this topic, which is great as it will provide a lot of content that can be analyzed and addressed. Rather than just focusing on one series, it might be interesting to reference multiple examples from different animes and mangas. However, try not to be too broad when referencing multiple examples - you'd still want to go into depth and analyze each example thoroughly. Doing so could possibly reveal similarities and/or differences to how abusive parents are portrayed in these mediums and what this might mean on a greater and thematic level. – jay6 years ago
It also might be important to ask what the effect of the abuse may have on the characters (within) the stories themselves. How do the characters deal with their abuse. How does it change them. – Jiraiyan6 years ago
Considering that you may be an avid fan of anime and you've seen many an anime in your lifetime, it is possible you might have stumbled upon 'Devil's and Realist,' written by Madoka Takadono. This anime is an essential piece of occult literature, which revolves around the school life of an affluent aristocrat in the 19th century England, William Twining, who in the beginning tries to procure a financially stable position with a full ride scholarship. However, Twining has a secret, he is actually King Solomon, and he doesn't even know it. King Solomon was the King of Isreal, whose roots are seen in biblical scriptures and in the writings of the occult. Having control over demons with the seal of his ring, he was the ruler of the underworld and the keeper of ancient wisdom. This anime follows the exact story of Solomon with a parallel to a skeptical human boy. Although this anime is pure fiction, it revolves around a provocative topic. Overall, 'Devils and Realist' is a tantamount part of occultism, and occultism is inextricable to this series. Focusing on the biblical and esoteric story of King Solomon, this article analyzes the correlation between this anime series and the occult.
The thesis of this article is thus, "Occultism is inextricable to the anime series, 'Devil's and Realist' which has its roots in the influence of esotericism." – Mindovermatter6 years ago
In both the anime and the manga, Full Moon wo Sagashite opens difficult topics of what it means to live, to sing, and how hope and human relationships tie through all this through the story of Mitsuki. Although a bright and colourful and at times brimming with cuteness, this anime/manga brings up difficult topics. How does music and hope tie in with life and death in this story and why does it make it so appealing to audiences?
Ghost in the Shell (1995) and Akira (1988) are each widely acknowledged for their impact on the cinematic world as well as for propelling anime into the global world of popular culture. However, each of these films emerge from or are, perhaps loosely, based on accompanying manga series. While each manga series was published and had its "original run" prior to the creation and release of each film, the plots of the anime versions of both Akira and Ghost in the Shell in some ways present vastly different storylines and themes. Analyze the ways in which each anime film overlaps with or diverges from its respective manga predecessor and the significance of these similarities and differences.
