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Breathing life into that which has none. Animation (anime) comes from the Latin word “anima” meaning “spirit” and is a necessary component to the otaku lifestyle. There are surely people who value anime so much that they think it’s even more important than brushing their teeth. But please, make sure to brush your teeth. If you don’t, you are sure to get cavities!
The use of anime first appeared in Charles-Émile Reynaud’s Pauvre Pierrot (1892) and Georges Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon (1902). In the 100 years after this, anime went through a bewildering evolution from monochrome to color to 3D CG.
This evolution could even be seen in Japan. Three years after anime was first broadcast on TV in 1953, the anime studio Toei Douga (now known as Toei Animation) was born. In 1961, mangaka Osamu Tezuka founded Mushi Production. The commonality between these two companies was that they were based in Nerima, Tokyo. As such, Nerima is known not only as the birthplace of Japan’s color anime films, but also Japan’s anime industry.
Both of these companies support Japan’s anime industry, with Toei Animation known for such works as Dokidoki! PreCure, Dragon Ball, and One Piece, and Mushi Production known for such works as Atom Boy, Princess Knight, and Kimba the White Lion. Other anime-related companies in Nerima, such as Dogakobo and Dwarf, have reached 90, making Nerima the municipality with the most anime-related businesses in Japan. As such, there is a strong link between anime businesses and education, with pros in the industry being dispatched as teachers at elementary and middle schools and work experience classes opening. Also, efforts are being poured into anime culture inside Japan and abroad through things like a collaborative Seibu Railway trail designed after the main character of Galaxy Express 999 and an anime industry exchange agreement with the French city of Annecy 1.
The event “Nerima Anime Carnival” held on Nov. 9 and 10 is an example of this. Though it began in 2007, this was the seventh time it has been held. Many people of all ages attended the event, which was held at an event center in Toshimaen. At the event were live discussions by popular anime seiyū, anime screenings, workshops on creating anime, cosplay performances, and more. The schedule over the two days was packed. It was a place for people from all over the area to become connected with anime and learn about the industry.
The event has grown year after year, as one sponsor says “similarly to Pikachu’s evolution into Raichu.” The sponsor went on to say, “This year is the 50th anniversary of the first TV anime. This is also a festivity for looking back at the history of anime.” As such, a memorial video of the monochrome anime Astro Boy, one of the first anime to be broadcast, even touched on this. The sponsor continued by stating, “We aren’t just honoring old works, we are raising people with a knowledge of anime culture and they will go on to create new anime.”
We believe that the actions of Nerima are connected to the development of anime, and we patiently await the next masterpiece anime to be created.
^1^ Annecy is a city in the Rhône-Alpes region of Southern France. It is the capital of the Haute-Savoie department. It is 448 meters above sea level. Every year in June, it is home to one of the world’s largest anime film festivals, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival,
as well as a trade fair.
This is Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.
