Growing up with animation

During a child’s formative years, what could be the single most media related influential factor? For me, the answer has always been cartoons (comic books included), or, using more Japanese-oriented terms—animations and manga books. I mean, of course a child is only as good as the product of his/her parents, schools, peers and overall surroundings, but these things take a backseat to the one thing that speaks most directly (and often most effectively) to a child – cartoons. A child is, after all, a child. And an adult is, often case, just an extension of his childhood. You want to make a kid listen? Better say it through cartoons. You want to send a message? Preach a lesson? Say it through cartoons. But as soon as cartoons become overtly educational, it becomes tedious. Good cartoons never try to teach, but they always get the job done anyways. And some cartoons just aren’t educational, but they remain top on many kids’ list of favorites for years, if not for their lifetimes.


China is by no means anywhere near the front of the line when it comes to the cartoon industry. For decades, the two obvious cartoon/anime powerhouses have been Japan and the States. Us post-eighty’s generation (I’m strictly speaking, post-seventies, but I consider myself post-80s) grew up watching many imported cartoons from these two countries. But for us, we still cherish the memory of some decent domestic cartoons. I doubt the same is true for post-nineties and the millennium generations. Their formative years, and inner psyches, to the best of my knowledge, have been dominated by imported cartoons.


Domestic cartoons have never been as good as they once were in the eighties. Many of which I watched dozens of times whenever they were being shown on TV. To name a few:

Legend of Sealed Book/天书奇谭
 
The three fox-demons are especially memorable: the croak fox clad in black -- the treacherous leader of the group;
the vixen fox clad in pink;and the retard Taoist fox who can't even speak intelligibly, =)
 

 
Havoc in Heaven/大闹天宫
 
I believe Havoc in Heaven made use of the best animation techniques Chinese animators possessed at the time.  This animation inspired Japanese animators who later made big names for themselves, notably, Osamu Tezuka （手冢治虫）。
 
 
 
 

Monkey King and the White-bone Demon/三打白骨精
I shuddered every time I watched this as a kid.
 
 

Magic Paint Brush/神笔马良
 
The story of a kind-hearted young man who stood up to corrupt local officials with the help of a magic paint brush.
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Sage of Mt.Lao/崂山道士
 
I always felt sorry for the young Taoist who lost his hard-earned skill of walking through walls after his heart harbored the thought of using this skill to do evil deeds, like stealing things.
I wish we will see more puppet animations of this sort.
 

Nezha Conquers the Dragon King/哪吒闹海
Nezha is my favorite Chinese animation.  It is so genuinely Chinese in its making in every aspect and in the message conveyed.  And Nezha in this film is such an endearing character.  I really think I can write a 20-page paper on the subject of "On Filial Piety in the Chinese Culture -- an in-depth study of Nezha".
 
These titles are familiar to probably every post-eighties born in China. We grew up watching them, feasting on them with our young minds and enthralled by their intricate storylines, three-dimensional characters, images drawn with exquisite care, and occasionally insinuating lines or gestures we were too young to understand. But these were cartoons that had us on our knees, cartoons that have altogether vanished for over two decades now, cartoons that can be (proudly) labeled “Chinese”.  


That marked the conclusion of my love affair with domestic cartoons. Ever since then, I’ve been immersed in, predominantly, Japanese animation. Animation is, simply speaking, a way of life for the Japanese. I learned just earlier today that lately there has been an “anime-nized” version of Japan’s Constitution published in Japan, on the cover of which are several anime girls with, what else, generous boobs, blond, blue(??) and reddish-brown curly hair, and they are clad in rather dubious outfits. So, the Japanese obvious takes animation very seriously. And I think that is the precondition to making good animation. Animation permeates every nook and cranny of the Japanese society. And I will give you a big round “O” and a look of contempt if you still hold the notion that Japanese animation are exclusively for kids. The ones I grew up watching contain stuff that are, by conventional standards, definitely not suitable for young children, but we watch them anyways, and we love them anyways, and most of us turn out to be okay adults. To name a few:

Doraemon （機器貓/小叮噹）

One of my favorite childhood animes, along with 一休and花仙子.

DNA


This anime wouldn't have made my list of most memorable animes other than the fact that this is the first anime I watched as a "grown-up", hence it represented an initiation for me.  DNA has a very strong sexual undertone.  I probably wouldn't care for this anime now, but back then, I wasn't very selective.

Rurouni Kenshin （浪客劍心）
I lost count how many times I've watched Kenshin (anime and manga).  Kenshin's archenemy is a mummy-like guy called Shishio Makoto (志志雄真实), back then I had no sympathy for this ultimate villain, of course.  But now, I can't help but wonder whether there might be a shred of truth in what he believes.  Though without a doubt, I will always be a staunch supporter of what Kenshin stands for. =)

Yu Yu Hakushou（幽遊白書）


You know, I never really had a thing for "girl anime", its always combat animes or animes with enticing story lines that draw me in.  and btw, my favorite character from Yu Yu Hakushou is Hiei （飛影）

Ranma ½ （亂馬1/2）

This is one of those animes that doesn't take itself too seriously.  I love watching Ranma while eating, it always gives me a good appetite. =)

Hikaru no Go （光之棋）

If I have to name one Japanese animation that means the most to me, it would be Hikaru no Go.  It brought out the writer in me.

 Cowboy Bebop

Talk about an anime that boasts attitude!

 Samurai Champloo

Life is but a chance encounter
Stale Dango
The Gaze of sunflower samurai

Mushishi(蟲師)

This is not anime, it is philosophy

and of course, animated movies by Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli

Sometimes I wonder why Japanese animations get all the applause and attention. I mean, we just can’t help but love them. The answer is of course manifolds, I could probably write a thesis paper on this. But to wrap up in a nutshell, I’ve always felt that Japanese animations, at least the ones geared more towards younger audience, are made with the clear understanding that kids are NOT dumb. Just because animations are more likely to be watched by kids (barring, possibly, Japan), does not mean animations should be dumbed down and scrutinized for inappropriate content with a fine-toothed comb. If an animation is politically correct to the letter, it is probably unwatchable.

And that's just one of the notable problems with Chinese animations today. They are too condescending, and they are so appropriate for kids, “protecting young hearts and minds from the ugliness out there” that they have become irrelevant and ridiculous. Kids nowadays are simply too smart/sophisticated (be it a good thing or not) for these animations. Secondly, they are Japanese-animation wannabes but fail miserably. This is truly sad, and it’s only a peep-hole revealing a sorry larger picture -- China today is in a culture-void, a ship that simply can’t find its anchor (but, another time perhaps on this). Look back to the eighties, we had something we can truly call our own, animations that have a timeless quality.