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wp2 Revised
wp2 Revised
Jennifer Tran
Academic Writing
March 7, 2021
With the rising age of digital media, animation has soared to major popularity over recent
years with many realizing the major cultural impact that it has. The globalization of animation
has elevated it beyond just its own unique artform with many fans noting the major influences
that it has had on other forms of media and the ways it can showcase storytelling in and of itself.
The goal of this literature review is to showcase the importance of animation in modern society
from multiple perspectives. Bringing together academic and non-academic sources allows for
broader thinking about the relationship between real-life and animation and how that relationship
In the academic article “Animation: The New Performance?” Teri Silvio, an associate
research fellow at the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, writes about animation
from an anthropology perspective, discussing how it may very rival live-action media in its
cultural influence. Silvio first stresses the impact that live-action media has had on culture noting
that “performance emerged as a major concept for linking popular aesthetics to social
structures”1 and thus pointing out that scholars have analyzed animation in this same way. Many
popular live-action movies and shows have also been adapted to have their own animated
version. The buildup of digital communities has brought about the nature of self-expression
through the use of animation, not just in movies or shows but also through the concept of role-
playing in video games or using emoticons, all examples of the huge variety that animation
brings. Animation has brought about new ways to express ourselves and communicate with one
another.
Within the vast genre of animation, there are many films and projects that have the power
to influence and inspire others, whether through storytelling or animation style. With one
1 Silvio, Teri. "Animation: The New Performance?" Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 20, no. 2
(2010): 422-38. Accessed February 2, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43104272.
specific example where in the Youtube video “Satoshi Kon - Editing Space & Time”, the
channel Every Frame a Painting, goes over the work of one specific man, the japanese filmmaker
Satoshi Kon. The narrator and creator of the channel, who only says his name as Tony,
specifically discusses the way in which Kon edited his movies with the imagery and scene
transitions that are showcased in his films. Like in Silvio’s article, the idea that real-life and
animation influence culture in similar ways is expressed in Tony’s video as he notes that Kon
drew his inspiration from the way he used “matching scene transitions” which was a trend in
famous shows like the Simpsons and sci-fi films.2 What Kon did, however, was take this method
of editing and go far and beyond expectations, using different elements to make the scene
transitions more complex and add to his themes of blending together dream and reality. Many of
his imagery and transitions were then replicated in popular live-action films such as the world-
renowned film Inception, where if you compared many frames side-by-side it would almost seem
as if it had been plagiarized, showcasing how influential his films were that they influenced
Every Frame a Painting’s Youtube video, although very informative in and of itself, is
mostly an analysis taken from an outsider’s perspective of someone else’s work. If one wanted
the viewpoint of a filmmaker on their own work then W.R. Miller’s interview with the japanese
filmmaker Makoto Shinkai would provide someone with a better idea. The benefit of reading an
interview like this is because generally as a consumer, you can not readily detect nuance and care
put into movies so being able to get the perspective of a creator is invaluable. Makoto Shinkai is
a well-known filmmaker who is well-known for his most popular work Your Name which
received wide-acclaim and in 2019 he did this interview about his most recent work Weathering
2 Every Frame a Painting. “Satoshi Kon - Editing Space & Time.” July 24, 2014. YouTube video,
7:36. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz49vQwSoTE
with You. In this interview he goes over his inspiration to be an animator and the process it took
to storyboard for the movie. For Weathering with You one of the key ideas that he wanted to
express for the movie was the major issue of climate change and his worries about having to live
in a “crazy world” in which consequences may not be reversible. These are ideas that he can
uniquely convey through his stylized animation and that’s what Shinkai himself explains makes
Though Shinkai Makoto took climate change as an inspiration to make Weathering with
You, many animated works are specifically made to comment on and address real-world issues.
One of which is presented through the academic article “Magic, "Shōjo", and Metamorphosis:
Magical Girl Anime and the Challenges of Changing Gender Identities in Japanese Society”
written by Kumiko Sato, a Japanese professor at Clemson University. Within this article Sato
describes how magical girl anime has grown and evolved over the years, citing many popular
series such as Sailor Moon and Precure. The genre for magical girl anime had been initially
viewed as a way to empower young girls and combat gender norms3 during a time where women
were starting to break free from oppression with the idea of creating a strong young female
protagonist that fights evil. Writers, in their own way, adapt and reshape genres4 and this is
evident through Sato’s analysis of the way creators have evolved the magical girl genre in anime.
Although Sato has also analyzed the genre itself has also somehow incorporated heterosexual
norms within its presentation as it evolves. In spite of that the article is able to showcase that
people have used animation to present and tackle more serious societal topics in a unique way.
3 SAITO, KUMIKO. "Magic, "Shōjo", and Metamorphosis: Magical Girl Anime and the Challenges of
Changing Gender Identities in Japanese Society." The Journal of Asian Studies 73, no. 1 (2014): 143-64.
Accessed March 7, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43553398.
4 “GENRE in the WILD: Understanding Genre Within Rhetorical (Eco)Systems.” Go to the cover page of
Open English @ SLCC. Open English @ SLCC, August 1, 2016.
https://openenglishatslcc.pressbooks.com/chapter/genre-in-the-wild-understanding-genre-within-
rhetorical-ecosystems/.
Though many of these previous articles deal with asian animation and its global influence
and acclaim, animation in the western world has also gained a well-renowned reputation. This is
noted in the review for the movie Into the Spiderverse by Matthew Lamar. This review allows
for a more personal opinion on the impact of animation rather than an analytical one. Lamar
provides his own opinions on the movie and one of the core things that makes it such a
masterpiece lies in the animation. He states himself that animation can do things visually that
live action can’t do, and each animated work has an undeniable and unique character that isn’t
found in live action.5. Animation holds a special place in his heart, even if animated movies have
the reputation for children. This idea was similarly conveyed by Shinkai Makoto in his interview
in the previous interview. Animation being a unique mode of storytelling is an idea that is shared
globally. This review is able to convey that idea differently by giving off a more personal feeling
to someone reading, since it is someone just simply sharing their opinion rather than an analysis
further and further. Because of this evolution many people have begun to realize the cultural
impact that animation has on our modern society. Analyzing these academic and non-academic
articles allows us to see and analyze this influence through different perspectives. Animation is
able to have the power to provide it’s unique way to present and tell stories and comment on
real-world issues. This has not gone unnoticed by others, many taking inspiration from other
works to create their own stories or share their own perspectives and it will probably keep doing
5 LaMar, Matthew. “Pop Culture Corner: The Unmatched Power of Animation.” Royals Review.
Royals Review, May 8, 2020.
Works Cited
Silvio, Teri. "Animation: The New Performance?" Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 20, no. 2
LaMar, Matthew. “Pop Culture Corner: The Unmatched Power of Animation.” Royals Review.
Miller, W.R. “INTERVIEW: Makoto Shinkai, Director, ‘Weathering With You.’” Animation
Every Frame a Painting. “Satoshi Kon - Editing Space & Time.” July 24, 2014. YouTube video,
7:36. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz49vQwSoTE
SAITO, KUMIKO. "Magic, "Shōjo", and Metamorphosis: Magical Girl Anime and the
Challenges of Changing Gender Identities in Japanese Society." The Journal of Asian Studies 73,
“GENRE in the WILD: Understanding Genre Within Rhetorical (Eco)Systems.” Go to the cover
rhetorical-ecosystems/.