in view of the now rather volatile western comic and movie industry with regards to infiltration of supposedly "politically correct" and "social justice" views. i think it is time to step back and just appreciate once more the beauty that is anime, manga and doujins.
japan is truly something else. despite their economic situation, their creative industry is still going strong.... though workers' benefits and situation could obviously be better, especially for the game devs and animators but regardless. they're going very strong. for every one creator that is sunk by the corporate machine, 10 others are still going at it with a vigour that often belies their age.
the proliferation and spread of anime and manga has not stopped and the way its going, will never stop. you really must stop and appreciate the ingenuity that is put into the writings. this is not saying its just the japanese are good at it. the pool includes south koreans and whoever else is doing manga and animes of their own. however, i would like to point out that it seems to be a relatively quiet sort of thing that was created and introduced by the japanese. this unfiltered creativity that doesn't use anybody's lens but the creator's own mind. it is a refreshingly pure thing to behold truly.
some mangas and anime are just for fun and that's fine. others have serious stories and themes. the most important part? they are usually able to tell their stories without having anything like an agenda hidden in it. for manga world, it isn't so much the need to show the world what sort of suffering a girl or person of colour goes through. for them, it is the story that is important, the dramatization and not the attempt to rub any sort of message into someone's face. i appreciate mangas and anime because of the free way they express themselves. this appears to be something precious that the western comic industry has lost, this ... creative expression for the sake of creative expression. if its any wonder why manga and anime is still going strong.
i think, if it is one thing that the western comic world needs from the eastern side is this: real freedom. back in the 60's western comics had all sorts of different and wacky superheroes. there were cool ones and then there were those that made absolutely no sense and of course tanked. but the important part was that the creative juices were flowing. this period was full of ingenuity and is the main reason you have an ungodly huge library of heroes. if the japanese can so effortlessly foster an atmosphere of pure creativity, could the west not do the same?
i believe that the salvation for western comics then lies in europe. america has strangely become a land full of strictures and restrictions. the only acceptable place for fresh ideas in america is on the internet. so then, scratch that. the salvation of the western comic book creativity doesn't lie just in europe, it lies in the free content creators who reside on the internet.
the net is vast and infinite, it should be a great many decades to come for online comics. just stay away from the traditional media and i think we'll all be happier for it.
japan is truly something else. despite their economic situation, their creative industry is still going strong.... though workers' benefits and situation could obviously be better, especially for the game devs and animators but regardless. they're going very strong. for every one creator that is sunk by the corporate machine, 10 others are still going at it with a vigour that often belies their age.
the proliferation and spread of anime and manga has not stopped and the way its going, will never stop. you really must stop and appreciate the ingenuity that is put into the writings. this is not saying its just the japanese are good at it. the pool includes south koreans and whoever else is doing manga and animes of their own. however, i would like to point out that it seems to be a relatively quiet sort of thing that was created and introduced by the japanese. this unfiltered creativity that doesn't use anybody's lens but the creator's own mind. it is a refreshingly pure thing to behold truly.
some mangas and anime are just for fun and that's fine. others have serious stories and themes. the most important part? they are usually able to tell their stories without having anything like an agenda hidden in it. for manga world, it isn't so much the need to show the world what sort of suffering a girl or person of colour goes through. for them, it is the story that is important, the dramatization and not the attempt to rub any sort of message into someone's face. i appreciate mangas and anime because of the free way they express themselves. this appears to be something precious that the western comic industry has lost, this ... creative expression for the sake of creative expression. if its any wonder why manga and anime is still going strong.
i think, if it is one thing that the western comic world needs from the eastern side is this: real freedom. back in the 60's western comics had all sorts of different and wacky superheroes. there were cool ones and then there were those that made absolutely no sense and of course tanked. but the important part was that the creative juices were flowing. this period was full of ingenuity and is the main reason you have an ungodly huge library of heroes. if the japanese can so effortlessly foster an atmosphere of pure creativity, could the west not do the same?
i believe that the salvation for western comics then lies in europe. america has strangely become a land full of strictures and restrictions. the only acceptable place for fresh ideas in america is on the internet. so then, scratch that. the salvation of the western comic book creativity doesn't lie just in europe, it lies in the free content creators who reside on the internet.
the net is vast and infinite, it should be a great many decades to come for online comics. just stay away from the traditional media and i think we'll all be happier for it.
