In order to effectively answer this question, we would need to define the term “art form” and build from there. Looking at dictionaries, there are multiple definitions of the term art, and in this case, I would like to define the art form as a creative expression that tangibly or intangibly gives us a means to understand/see/hear, one’s own or the greater societies, religious/cultural/personal beliefs and or values.
Art is universally described as a subjective topic. What might be beautiful and artistic to some may mean the complete opposite to another. One cannot judge another person on such views because everyone is different in their own right. Before visiting the exhibit KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime, Manga, and Video Games I did not think much of anime let alone think of anime as a serious art form. When I think of anime, I think of childhood “fads” such as Pokemon or Sailor Moon, both of which were huge and iconic figures while we were growing up. It is safe to say that I am a little biased when it comes to anime because I grew up with the notion that anime can be a little childish. This is probably one of the reasons why I never took to it as a teenager and even now as a young adult. Upon entering the exhibit I will admit of being very skeptical about what I was going to see. However, I kept an open mind, and after exiting I think my preconceived notions of anime have changed and therefore think of anime as a true art form. Continue reading
What is considered a serious art form? Perhaps it is artwork that has a general standard of what the subject matter should be and the style in which it should be presented. An example of a serious art form may be mandalas because they are supposed to reflect spirituality, as well as have patterns and geometric shapes. However, anime, which is Japanese animation, and manga, which are Japanese comics, do not appear to have “rules” about what they should look like. The exhibit Krazy!: The Delirious World of Anime + Manga + Video Games at the Japan Society showcases a wide variety of anime and manga genres and styles. The Japan Society’s collection of manga is more diverse than that of anime though. The manga displayed there feature human characters and even machines as the main characters, whereas the anime there only has people in it. Both manga and anime use many art styles, but manga appears to combine more styles than anime. Therefore, manga can be practically based on any subject and style. There is no clear set of “rules” to adhere to in creating manga. Hence, manga is not a serious art form. Continue reading
Anime is a serious art
Whether or not anime can be considered a serious form of art really depends on the person, but if you ask this person then here is my answer: OF COURSE IT IS!!! However what is anime? At first glance anime may seem to be just another children’s cartoon show, but if one looks into it deep enough one may find out that it is so much more. Just as art itself can mean different things to different people, so can anime. Growing up here in the USA many people here tend automatically classify anything animated as being kid stuff. And who can blame them, practically every cartoon we’ve ever made, or imported from another country, was made for kids in mind, or hacked up and butchered for kids in mind (i.e. Sailor Moon, Voltron, and many others.) The Japanese however chose not to limit themselves to just children and have produced some of the most incredible works of art that has raised the bar for many aspiring artists to go and surpass. Anime has gone from telling simplistic stories to showcasing marvelous adventures that throw our imaginations in overdrive and challenges us to do better and be better than we already are. It has now inspired many premiere artists such as Murakami Takashi and Simone Legno, the creator of the Tokidoki lifestyle brand. Recently the Japan Society has opened a new exhibit named “KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime + Manga + Video Games” that is dedicated to the world of anime, manga, and video games and showcases some of the best works within the anime world.
According to dictionary.com anime is “a Japanese style of motion-picture animation, characterized by highly stylized, colorful art, futuristic settings, violence, and sexuality”. Most people think that art much be set to be a certain form like paintings, sculptures, drawings. Anime usually won’t come to one’s mind when the term “art” is mentioned. Though this is the case, anime can’t be neglected as just any children cartoon a kid watch day to day or TV screen with moving figures. Anime is a serious art form. It is a unique kind of art by itself. It combines all aspects and kind of art to form the art of animation. Animation will be considered a serious form of visual art.
During my visit to the Japan Society, I learned that anime is a serious art form. The word “anime” is taken from half of Japanese language meaning animation, and anime can be released by television broadcast, video, and online. That is why Japanese anime is very popular and well known all over the world for their animation in term of their style, sound, and character design. Continue reading
Anime has its own aesthetic details that Japanese artist have created to express a unique visual style. Japanese artist use anime’s distinct aesthetic details to develop their story telling abilities by using exaggerated stylizations of eyes, body language, emotions, and overall characteristics of each individual character. I believe that anime is considered an art form and has gained a large audience for its manga and anime animations. Continue reading
Is Anime Art?
Art is a form of expression; it is the application of human creativity and imagination captured within in a visual representation produced to be appreciated for their beauty and emotional power (according to MacDictionary, © Copyright 2005-2007 Apple Inc.). There have been several different opinions on whether to consider Japanese animation as an art form as it is, considered by some, a cartoon or comic. Japanese anime is used to entertain but because entertainment isn’t its sole purpose, as there are stories behind a majority of anime having incredible depth and the drawings are done with such detail, it should be considered an art form. Anime is the imagination captured with in this visual world (influenced by Japanese culture) the created to be appreciated for its aesthetic appeal and content. In the KRAZY: The Delirous World of Anime + Manga + Video Games exibition they support said concept—that Japanese anime is an art form and a representation of a social culture that has permeated into the culture of American and other countries.
There are many opinions on the internet regarding the matter of whether anime is a form of art or not. Before handling this matter, one must first consider what constitutes as art. According to Britannica Online, art is defined as “the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments or experiences that can be shared with others.” If asked what art is, the first thing that comes to mind is a painting, a drawing or a sculpture. Moving into the 21st century, many artists have traded their brushes, pencils and scalpels for something more hi-tech – animation. Here lies the birth place of the most popular Japanese export globally known as anime. Does anime possess the qualities that would make it a serious art form? The answer is no. This is because unlike what is known as art; many anime movies lack purpose, creativity and most importantly innovation. Continue reading
Though some may feel that Japanese animation is not a serious form of art but I think that anime is definitely a serious art form. As with other types of art forms, where artists have to go through various steps to achieve the final piece of work that they had worked hard planning, working through, and finalizing, anime artists has to go through the same, if not, similar course of action to achieve their final piece of work. Continue reading
Dictionary.com defines art as “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.” Anime, according to Dictionary.com is defined as “a Japanese style of motion-picture animation, characterized by highly stylized, colorful art, futuristic settings, violence, and sexuality.” So, if art is a way to express yourself creatively, why isn’t Anime a serious form of art? Just as any art form Anime has its own aesthetic principles, each artist has his/her own style, and it tells a story. Continue reading
Anime is an art form in every sense of the word. Anime has always been successful at expressing emotion through interesting use of color. In many well know anime movies such as Akira, the drawing and detail projects the feeling of the art. The way the lines move slightly against the shadow of the figure walking down the block expresses the feeling at that very moment. Continue reading
Defining the meaning of art can be a quite difficult task. People over the past and today have identified art as different and abstract forms of communication, whether it’s done through paintings, colors, or other visual techniques. However, there was never a set of guidelines developed to say something is or is not a piece of art. Art could be something made of crafted wood, a sculpture made out of plastics or clay, random pictures drawn on a sidewalk, as well as words shaped and distorted in unique ways. It doesn’t have to follow a certain structure nor does it have to be in a certain shape. From those reasons, suppose the true definition of art lies behind the ideas of the creator(s) that crafted the piece. Everything can be art in one person’s eyes while being something meaning less in another person’s mind. I personally think that since art can take any form, it certainly can be used to describe an anime. Seeing that so many different things are involved in creating an anime, I must disagree with the statement “Amine is not a serious art form”. Continue reading
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. Continue reading
Contrary to the statement above; anime is and can be considered a serious art form. Art is revolution; a form that diversifies itself from the existing, lending itself to imitation. Anime influences can be found anywhere in our day, from television, Internet, and merchandising, even in fine art galleries. It has reached the world with its multitudes of structure and genre. The Japanese art variety created a new way to view traditional art. Anime is most definitely a serious art form by the transformation and reformation it has created in our world. Continue reading
See the exhibit KRAZY!: The Delirious World of Anime + Manga + Video Games at the Japan Society. For directions, see http://www.japansociety.org/. Admission is $8 with your student ID, and is free on Fridays from 6-9pm.
Based on the exhibit, write a 500-word (approx. 2 pages, double-spaced) persuasive essay that takes a position on the following statement: Anime is not a serious art form. Continue reading