Anime is far more than just a serious art form. It is one of the few arts that incorporate other aspects of art. As opinionated as it may sound, anime is by far one of the most intriguing arts created. After the afternoon visit to KRAZY at Japan Society, the structure of the museum stood out because it portrayed the anime world or the Japanese world. Anime reveals the Japanese culture in a cartoon world. People may think that anime is just another form of cartoons, but just like cartoons, anime has pre-drawn sketches, paintings, etc. Another words, anime is carefully planned out before it is set as an animated world and broadcasted on television. If it was not serious art, then paintings of cartoon characters or all of those abstract paintings would not be considered serious art.
Just like art is known to most people as paintings, sculptures, hand-made creations, anime are just hand-made creations or drawings printed in books or put to life on television. Audiences view it, enjoy it, and purchase it like other forms of art. Whether or not one thinks anime as serious art really depends on how one interpret art. Every anime has its story. Many teach valuable lessons. Some are just there for people to enjoy. Some audiences take anime very seriously. According to the anime art gallery on display at Japan Society, every bit of anime that was ever created has individual sketches and outlines. The characters are carefully drawn with detailed features and physiques. Every sketch of every character can be well compared to the painted portraits of Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh, etc.
Examining closely at the sketches and drawings of the anime characters, each character also has their individual personality. It is as if the artists wanted to make an animated world of reality. Anime artists create their anime stories and characters because it is where their passion lies, but the stories that come along can somewhat be associated with life. This is where the seriousness comes in. Paintings, drawings or any form of art may or may not always have meanings to them, but they serve a purpose, and their purposes are to entertain and inspire those who are interested in viewing the art.
Anime is carefully drawn, according to the sketches on display in Japan Society. The sketches are digitally drawn. The artists then animate the characters, the scenery, the movements, and matches the lip-movements with sound, and chose the best music for specific scenes. Anime can be considered to be a hand-sketched movie, unlike those with real actors and actresses in them. It takes a very long time to get a certain amount of anime episodes together before opening them up to the public, whether it’s the mangas or the anime shows. If artists would spend so much time creating anime, there must be a certain amount of seriousness put into the work. The meaning of serious art can be defined differently according to different artists. The Place Promised in Our Early Days, by Makoto Shinkai, created in 2004, was an anime that held the true meaning of childhood dreams and promises, which many people have. The anime characters in the show were well drawn and well-placed in the anime movie. Anime is definitely serious art because time is put into creating it and marketing it. Many anime teach life lessons and inspirational aspects in life to those who view them.