In this blog, I will be discussing Susan Napier’s opinion on anime as well as mentioning some of the anime subgenres. I will mention Dragon Ball, Pokemon and Akira.
Anime refers to Japanese animation has a long-standing history in japan having been established in 1960 to 1970 (Mountfort, 2020) and according to Susan Napier also has a wide-ranging public perception. Susan Napier describes the medium as a “complex and fascinating medium,” Napier believes there is value in studying it (Napier, 2005). Going further Napier makes a point in discussing the deeper messages that can be discussed through the anime medium such as social and political issues (Napier,2005). Susan Napier doesn’t make a direct verbal call on whether or not Anime is a high or low cultural medium but it is clear throughout her reading that she holds the medium to the high regard and as such, I believe I can comfortably say that Susan Napier holds anime to be a high medium. Something I can’t argue with on a personal level just because of the sheer number of sub-genre within the anime medium.
As mentioned in the above paragraph Anime contains a multitude of sub-genres with the target audiences for each genre often finding little in common in the text they consume.
For example, there is the action genre within anime that in itself has varying degrees of sub-genres directed at specifically different audiences. You have the Kids actions such as dragon ball an action where the characters don’t die despite their earth-shattering battles and when they do die often it is not for the long term as they are revived (Raymond, 2020). Similar is the action-adventure kid’s subgenre where you find characters belonging to the series Pokemon (Webb, 2019). Going on an adventure with friends the main character ash not aging out of his tenth year of life despite being that age in 1997(Webb, 2019). The targeted audience of these two action subgenres differ from the target audience of the anime Akira (Otomo, 1988) a film seeped in action it is better fitted into the cyberpunk subgenre this film rather imagines its heroes in a cynical light where consequences not only occur but have a lasting impact with one of the characters, Yamagata, literally dying but unlike in the previously mentioned subgenres there is no revival rather a makeshift fun real is held, Kaneda destroys his motorbike in attempt to send it to the afterlife with him,(Otomo, 1988). Viewers of the kid’s action subgenres would have a different viewing experience compared to the more adult-targeted cyberpunk action.
You can also find hentai, strictly adult content based around sex (Cheeky Kid, updated January 2018), you’ll at the same time find harem anime focussing on many female characters fighting for the affections of a single male (Cheeky Kid, updated January 2018) Historical anime focussed on events I Japanese history (Cheeky Kid, updated January 2018) and just to top it off parody anime within which references are made to various anime which vary in the sub-genre.
All to say yes anime is wide-ranging containing a multitude of subgenres which then allows for Susan Napier to state that anime is a high medium.
References
Cheeky Kid (auth). (updated January 2018). A complete list of anime genres with explanations. Retrieved from https://reelrundown.com/animation/Anime-Genre-List
Mountfort, P. (lect) (2020). Pop genres anime 1 Akira [PowerPoint]. Blackboard. https://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/
Napier, S. J. (auth). (2005). Anime from Akira to Howl’s moving castle: Experiencing contemporary Japanese animation. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Otomo, K (dir). (1988). Akira. Japan: Toho
Raymond, N (writ). (2020). Dragon ball: every time the main characters have died. Retrieved from https://screenrant.com/dragon-ball-main-characters-heroes-deaths/
Webb, K (writ). (2019). After more than 1,000 episodes and 22 films, ash ketchum is finally a pokémon master. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com.au/ash-ketchum-pokemon-master-alola-league-champion-anime-series-2019-9?r=US&IR=T#:~:text=Despite%20being%20on%20the%20air,10%20years%20old%20since%201997.
Pop Genres 2020 