Report Analyzing Japanese Robot Anime Now Available in English

[roseofbattle]

Report Analyzing Japanese Robot Anime Now Available in English

A report describes the changes in robot anime over the years from Astro Boy to Neon Genesis Evangelion.

A recent translation by AltJapan Co., Ltd., has made a report, titled "Japanese Animation Guide: The History of Robot Anime," covering the history of robot anime in Japan available for English-speakers to read. The Japanese government first made the report available last year through Media Arts Current Contents, a government-affiliated portal covering manga, anime, and video games. Written by anime critic Ryusuke Hikawa, writer Daisuke Sawaki, and Sunrise's head of cultural promotion Koichi Inoue, the report is 90 pages long and was commissioned by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs. The English translation does not include the third chapter.

Hikawa opens the report with a preface on the background of anime in postwar Japan and its expansion in the 1970s, as well as its spread of influence today. "Japanese Animation Guide: The History of Robot Anime" seeks to properly depict the past and current state of anime culture.

Robot anime is one of the largest and most popular subgenres of Japanese animation. It includes several large franchises like Gundam, Macross, and Evangelion. Its popularity has spread outside of Japan and even inspired movies like Pacific Rim.

The first chapter focuses on robot anime's cultural history from its rise in the early 1960s to its ebb in the mid-1980s. The second chapter examines the relationship between anime studios and toy makers, and the final chapter offers a long list of robot anime shows and movies in chronological order.

"Japanese Animation Guide: The History of Robot Anime" originally available in Japanese [http://mediag.jp/project/project/images/JapaneseAnimationGuide.pdf] from Media Arts Current Contents. Future reports along a similar vein are possible for the future, Hikawa notes in the preface, pointing to the magical girl subgenre as another field that could be analyzed to "convey the richness of Japanese anime culture to future generations."

Source: Anime News Network [http://mediag.jp/project/project/images/JapaneseAnimationGuide.pdf]


Permalink

 

[EndlessSporadic]

Modern robot anime is pretty bad in comparison to shows like the classic Gundum Wing.

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

Anyone else get confused and thought this was about the translation of an anime about a Report Analyzing Japanese Robot?

...

Why do I feel so alone?

 

[Karadalis]

Modern robot anime is pretty bad in comparison to shows like the classic Gundum Wing.

Its GundAm ;P

And yeah.. the problem with gundam nowadays is that it allways retells the same old story of
Emo boy or boys piloting super advanced military machines that can level entire cities in a matter of moments to fight and obliterate everyone and everything to end a war... as if thats everything it takes to end a war.

It has come to the point that the villains have better motivations then the so called heros... (kept for gundam age.. less we talk about that the better, that series was simply mind boogling stupid)

The problem with the gundam franchise is that its main focus is to sell gunpla kits... plastic modell kits for the many machines in the series.

The gundam franchise shifted from a anti war story to "how do we sell the most modell kits" heck the entire current series is focused around the Gunpla hobby and despite being a fun little series its more or less one huge commercial. (well atleast this time its honest in what it sets out to be)

And personaly the 8th MS team beats all other gundam series. XD

Wish they would make more series about the Wars and the people entangled in said wars instead of Emo teenagers that listen to much linkin park and would NEVEr ever be allowed to even get in touching distance of these machines of mass destruction.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

Modern robot anime is pretty bad in comparison to shows like the classic Gundum Wing.

Its GundAm ;P

And yeah.. the problem with gundam nowadays is that it allways retells the same old story of
Emo boy or boys piloting super advanced military machines that can level entire cities in a matter of moments to fight and obliterate everyone and everything to end a war... as if thats everything it takes to end a war.

It has come to the point that the villains have better motivations then the so called heros... (kept for gundam age.. less we talk about that the better, that series was simply mind boogling stupid)

The problem with the gundam franchise is that its main focus is to sell gunpla kits... plastic modell kits for the many machines in the series.

The gundam franchise shifted from a anti war story to "how do we sell the most modell kits" heck the entire current series is focused around the Gunpla hobby and despite being a fun little series its more or less one huge commercial. (well atleast this time its honest in what it sets out to be)

And personaly the 8th MS team beats all other gundam series. XD

Wish they would make more series about the Wars and the people entangled in said wars instead of Emo teenagers that listen to much linkin park and would NEVEr ever be allowed to even get in touching distance of these machines of mass destruction.

8th MS team was pretty awesome, and I think had some really great story moments. Personally, I think that was the last good Gundam series since afterwards it go weird and pretty damn stupid.

Wing will always be my favorite though.

I will agree about the motivations behind the series now because I do own some of the Gundam models and they're kinda cheap and shitty. They don't stand very well either, and I have to constantly fix them if I accidentally bump into it, and I'm talking gently here.

They really should go back to the war themes since I think that's when the series really shined. Great villains, great heros, and even great questionable characters. I don't know when that's gonna happen, but it might be soon since it's pretty bad when Gurren Lagenn (not knocking the series since it's great) tells a better story involving the same themes than the actual series that was once great for it.

 

[FalloutJack]

Gundam shows are always enjoyable. You just have to remember to work your way around the idealistic and heavyhanded political parts and go straight for the bloody giant robot combat.

Of course, more than most Gundam (I saw MOST gundam), I prefer Big O. Eva? Too confusing. It IS hard to find good giant robot anime THESE days, but I think a nod for Gargantia should be done. Till then, GURREN LAGANN AWAAAY!!!

 

[FPLOON]

Anyone else get confused and thought this was about the translation of an anime about a Report Analyzing Japanese Robot?

...

Why do I feel so alone?

*give you a hug* It's okay... I had to do a double take before clicking to read further...

OT: Well, it looks like I have something to read tomorrow (or today, I guess) before I go back to re-watching Gundam 00...

It IS hard to find good giant robot anime THESE days

*sighs*

We'll always have the classics, I guess...

 

[Gilhelmi]

I always thought that the "Robot Anime" was (originally) to save money on animation, since people do not expect Robot to move as much or have moving lips. The other reason (more recent) was to show violence, without showing violence.

 

[Hutzpah Chicken]

I've always been more of a Dragonball fan, but I do remember Gundam Wing quite vividly from the early days of Toonami. Nobody has been able to back me up on this, but was there not a Gundam series where the pilots controlled their bots via the pilot's own movement? I remember it, but nobody else does...

 

[GundamSentinel]

Modern robot anime is pretty bad in comparison to shows like the classic Gundum Wing.

Its GundAm ;P

And yeah.. the problem with gundam nowadays is that it allways retells the same old story of
Emo boy or boys piloting super advanced military machines that can level entire cities in a matter of moments to fight and obliterate everyone and everything to end a war... as if thats everything it takes to end a war.

It has come to the point that the villains have better motivations then the so called heros... (kept for gundam age.. less we talk about that the better, that series was simply mind boogling stupid)

The problem with the gundam franchise is that its main focus is to sell gunpla kits... plastic modell kits for the many machines in the series.

The gundam franchise shifted from a anti war story to "how do we sell the most modell kits" heck the entire current series is focused around the Gunpla hobby and despite being a fun little series its more or less one huge commercial. (well atleast this time its honest in what it sets out to be)

And personaly the 8th MS team beats all other gundam series. XD

Wish they would make more series about the Wars and the people entangled in said wars instead of Emo teenagers that listen to much linkin park and would NEVEr ever be allowed to even get in touching distance of these machines of mass destruction.

While I absolutely despise some of the more recent Gundam series (Age, Gunpla Builders and Build Fighters), Gundam still has some strong productions. Gundam 00 was good (at least the first season was, the second again went into predictable overpowered nonsense) and Gundam Unicorn, that's currently running, has the potential to be one of the best Gundam series. The first 6 episodes were easily on par with 8th MS team and 0083.

But yeah, some of the recent series (I think it really started with Gundam SEED Destiny) were only there to sell more plastic and play upon nostalgia. They were just bad and I want nothing to do with them.

I've always been more of a Dragonball fan, but I do remember Gundam Wing quite vividly from the early days of Toonami. Nobody has been able to back me up on this, but was there not a Gundam series where the pilots controlled their bots via the pilot's own movement? I remember it, but nobody else does...

Yep, that was G Gundam. And it was actually a pretty good series. Silly and crazy, but earnest in its intentions.

 

[Hutzpah Chicken]

I've always been more of a Dragonball fan, but I do remember Gundam Wing quite vividly from the early days of Toonami. Nobody has been able to back me up on this, but was there not a Gundam series where the pilots controlled their bots via the pilot's own movement? I remember it, but nobody else does...

Yep, that was G Gundam. And it was actually a pretty good series. Silly and crazy, but earnest in its intentions.

I'm glad I'm not remembering something that never happened!