Furthermore, to help stimulate the
industry, most fansubbers and fansub
distributors agree that if/when an
anime becomes available on the
commercial market, they will halt
distribution of those anime in the
fansub format.)
Anyway, fansubs no doubt
led to an increase in anime exposure.
I was able to obtain many popular
Japanese titles that came highly rec
ommended, including “Fushigi
Yuugi,” “Vision of Escaflowne,”
“Yuu yuu Hakusho,” and
“Marmalade Boy,” to name a few. In
this way, it became brutally clear to
me how much more was out there.
Had I been limited to “Sailor Moon”
as a representation of all that is
anime, I would have made a grave
mistake. However, this notion is
common. Many people today brush
aside anime as a gawk-fest filled with
busty, leggy catwomen, but that is a gross misrepresentation
of the genre. Sure, there are entire series dedicated to the
aforementioned qualities, which have die-hard fans (take
“Goldenboy” for example). The injustice comes when one
thinks that’s all there is to it.
Any true anime fan will tell you that there is anime
out there that can suit anyone’s interest. In Japan, anime is
taken as any other industry, just like the U.S.’s movie indus
try. It’s not even as die-hard popular there, as it is with
many anime fans
“■ * i in the States. The
major injustice is
in the ignorant
generalization of
all anime. Rather,
anime is like any
other form of
entertainment.
Miyazaki’s work
exemplifies
(6) the dramatic
and beautiful aes
thetic elements. Beyond that, there is “shoujo,” for girls,
and “shonen,” for boys, but not necessarily limited to. Much
of the popular anime, however, is like any popular
Hollywood movie—composed of many varying but inter
twined elements that appeal to a- wider audience. “Fushigi
Yuugi” is a consented favorite, loved by both genders, not
just girls, for which it was orignally intended, as it compli
ments humor with drama, action with romance. And like
any genre of entertainment, one doesn’t have to like all
aspects. Some prefer rap, some prefer country; some prefer
comedy, some prefer horror. Most recently,
with the explosion of “Pokemon” in the
late ‘90s, another phase emerges through
out America. Although to many older
anime fans, “Pokemon” is merely a ploy
hatched by advertisers and the anime
industry, the show has allowed anime to
reach new heights in North America. Even
with a U.S. release and Hollywood talent,
Miyazaki’s latest work, “Princess
Mononoke,” was eclipsed by the
“Pokemon” explosion. ’Wfiere years ago,
the Sailor fan network couldn’t even get
i|the FOX network to listen to their pleas,
Today, one can find multiple anime on
|basic cable. The market today is aimed at a
younger generation, due to “Pokemon,”
but nonetheless, the supply is beginning to
accommodate demand. The selection
grows continuously, in any video store, as
well as on the small screen. Now, the
Cartoon Network has Toonami®, with
almost three hours of anime, the WB has
“Pokemon” and “Cardcaptors,” and Fox an increasingly pop
ular “Digimon.”
If there was ever a time for anime lovers, that time
is nowl E W
UNC-CH offers the Carolina Otaku
Uprising, an association for fans by
fans., for moreinfo, go to
http://www. redrival. com/coup/
(7)
For years now, North Carolina has hosted its own anime
convenion: Animazement. This year, Watase Yuu, creator of
Fushigi Yuugi, among other anime, will be a guest. The
convention will be May 25-27, 2001, in Durham! For further
info, go to http://www.animazement.org/
^
(8)
(5) Escaflowne, courtesy of Janie’s Vision of Escaflowne Image Gallery at http://www.angelfire.com/sk/escaflowne/
(6) Princess Mononoke, courtesy of the Official US site at http://www.princess-mononoke.com/
(7) Pikachu, courtesy of the Pikachu Center at http://titan.spaceports.com/~maya/
(8) Fushigi Yuugi, courtesy of Brawling Boys at http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/highrise/4420/
EW - 2S