Big eyes, colorful hair, and intensive poses, Anime have more than ever been included in western content. From games to cosmetics, music videos to merchandising campaigns, its inspiration has been incorporated into international pop culture. Take a look at our consideration about this topic to understand and create starting this style!
This style became popular mostly because of the 60’s animations, when Speed Racer, Princess Knight, Dragon Ball, Astro Boy, Knights of the Zodiac, and Sailor Moon were in an exhibition on TV channels. The Pokemon franchise launched at the beginning of 2000 - the biggest franchise in history - invoiced about 92 billion dollars in product licensing until 2019 - surpassing in numbers the franchising Batman, Spider-Man, and Harry Potter together. These animations were established in the international trade and were present for many generations, yet with all these movie remakes launched nowadays inspiring the 2000 children.
Although many people think that “animation is for kids”, Anime actually works, since its beginnings in mature content, even in fiction or fantasy genres. The cyberpunk's great success Ghost in the Shell launched in 1995 is an animation movie that tells the story of an agent consciousness which was implanted in a robotic body. At the same pace, the series Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin), CowboyBebop, Perfect Blue, are also examples of mature animation successes. Even though these are animations, their contents still question the reality of life, bring the discussion of honor, freedom, technology, and generate emotion.
Therefore, the main public varies to different social groups, ages, and genders. The dramatic elements, super cute and funny, please an audience beyond the children. This loyal audience which “breathes” this universe and its characters generates new sales demands for different products, brands, and services. For sure the international pop culture did not only embrace the Japanese animation content but mostly its visuals and values.
The influence of anime in business market
In Japan and other eastern countries, the licensing of characters in different products like plush or makeup comes before any production series or movie. Sanrio company, for instance, owner of Hello Kit and Gudetama, works exclusively with characters licensing for distinct products - school items, clothes, and definitely animation is not their main focus. It is known as the 10th biggest licensing brand in the world earning more than US$ 4 billion per year in business and sales. In Japan, fictional characters are similar to celebrities, they are included in the city's daily life as in events and public spaces and act as a source of inspiration to creativity.
The makeup brand Colour Pop, for instance, recently launched the huge success Colour Pop X Sailor Moon and brought about the series aesthetic and characters to the product - it was such a big hit that the stock was over in less than 24 hours after the first launching.
Sailor Moon X ColourPop
Anime distribution is accurately being a dispute target among the main streaming platforms. Sony Animation, the franchise producer of “Hotel Transylvania” and owner of Funimation - the main distributor of Asian content in the east - bought the streaming Crunchyroll for US$1.175 billion, the biggest anime platform out there.
Speaking about streaming, after the arrival of Disney +, Netflix and Prime Video platforms started to distribute and endorse animated productions facing more mature content. Bringing to life again, for example, old productions like “He-Man” and “She-ra” or financing new ones like “Invincible” e “Your Name” - and this is where Japanese animation can be easily encountered in streaming platforms.
To the left, a traditional illustration of She-ra, and to the right the adaptation produced by Netflix
While in the western the main animations were mostly for the kid's audience, anime kept - since its beginnings in manga - the content set for a mature audience, and nowadays bringing to the old generation nostalgic animations, remembering their childhood. Is it easily noticed a trend among the studios, with productions of remakes or sequels to Japanese animation adored by the young community in the 70s to 90s, for instance, Knights of the Zodiac and AstroBoy.
The retro aesthetic came back with references to 70s and 90s anime. Acting as a source of inspiration for brands and artists that pretend to work and instigate a diverse public, in order to attend to this high demand of nostalgia inside the business market in general, not only in audio-visual business.
Illustrations of the 3D adaptation aside the traditional. Above Astroboy and below Knights of the Zodiac
But how to identify the influence of anime inside other productions? Globalization and mass communication made it harder to see the origin of all visual influence out there. We have separated some examples of how and when this aesthetic is used in different products - and how its characteristics converge to the products emotional values.
The Downy softener merchandising, the corean characters of TinyTan assume a form influenced by the Kawaii culture, which in japanese means “cute”.
The commercial produced by Studio Ghibli of the biggest japanese food company Nishin, any product is shown, besides the kitten playing with a butterfly.
In “Ariana Grande – R.E.M. Fragrance” commercial, has the concept use of “giant robots” or war machines, from the famous idea used in Mecha genre in anime, massively reproduced in media probably because of the Godzila franchise.
Characteristics of Japanese Art
The way conflicts are represented in Japanese animation carries an emotional weight that Western animation hardly ever explores. The matter of “seeing the natural beauty around you”, in which each element has its emotional reasons for being there and existing, is increasingly present in successful narratives, such as the movie “Soul”. The characters, in turn, face conflicts in their universes that dialogue with their weaknesses.
Japanese culture conveys its values and perceptions imprinted on visual elements such as ceremonies, kanji writing and traditional art. This would be no different in anime. Traditionally, for Japanese animation studios, the stroke technique should not interfere with the viewer's immersion in the narrative itself, but rather, overvalue the characters' reactions and the scene setting. If we go deeper, the Japanese artistic base itself differs from the Eurocentric Western one. Unlike traditional European art, classical Japanese art did not seek to represent reality perfectly, but to convey sensations, even if it needed to distort perspective and human figures.
To the right “Nakahara in the Sagami Province” and to the left “The Great Wave of Kanagawa”, both works by the Japanese Edo period painter Katsushika Hokusai
Another significant factor in the international recognition of Japanese animation was the first foreign achievement at the Oscar in 2001 in the Best Animated Film category, the film produced by Studio Ghibli, “Spirited Away”, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The film, which earned more than $277 million at the box office, has become a world reference when it comes to anime.
The great master of Japanese animation, Hayao Miyazaki, does not always start his works from a narrative, for example. His creation process usually starts with a single drawing and, from it, he conceives the characters, the universe and, finally, the story. For him, the perfect character doesn't exist, but his values and personality should be clear and need to convey a feeling. Anything that creates a sensation is usually memorable. The image itself has the power to convey, in a much more detailed and sensitive way, the concept of a scene or brand than a literal description.
The essence of Japanese art is expressed in the appreciation of emotions before the representation of reality; it's about sharpening the feeling before the message. Anything that conveys a feeling tends to be memorable.
Ideas and feelings are consolidated in an image, as well as brands. Logos are representations of all the values and sensations that a brand would like to convey, and personifying the brand, often represented not only by the symbol but in virtual assistants, for example, also carries this essence. We've already reflected on the successful elements to personify the brand in characters (check the link).
To create a brand personification or a concept video, it is necessary to go deeper into the sensations that the brand conveys. Close your eyes and think about your favorite brand. What does it feel like? Sweetness, agility, confidence? What colors do you see? What kind of clothes would the character wear? Is he formal, clumsy or cute? It almost feels like we're thinking about someone's characteristics.
Apart from the technique, it is necessary to deepen in which sensations and values the brand would want to transmit to the audience so that the artists transform into illustration, colors and moviments. Anyway, turn into life.
Virtual Youtuber and ambassador of anime content from Netflix, N-Ko.
We still have a lot to learn from and exchange with oriental culture. Ancient wisdom can help us a lot in dealing with the hyper-connected postmodern culture, eager for more and more content. There are thousands of ways to tell a story. Sometimes, you need to let the lines flow and find the feelings related to what you want to go through, so that the illustration itself tells you what your story is. Regardless of the technique or style, the creation process also greatly influences the final result. For an increasingly connected world, knowing the different styles and processes is always enriching. But keep in mind that feelings will always lead the entire chain of development of your product, brand or character, influencing its meaning and significance, whether for art, or for our physical world.
Know more:
Hobby Insider – How Japan’s Pop Culture Conquered the World
Consulting Club – Animação Japonesa: De Indústria Estagnada a Mercado Atrativo
Quartz – How Japan’s Global Image Morphed from Military Empire to Eccentric Pop-Culture Superpower
Veja São Paulo – Coleção de Maquiagem da Sailor Moon Será Relançada pela ColourPop
Consumidor Moderno – Como a Neurociência Pode Ajudar a Criar Anúncios Memoráveis
