“Somewhere in the city, a fight continues. Our hero, Son Goku, rises from underneath a pile of rubble. He is hurt badly, but his injuries seem so minor that he hardly even notices the blood. Looking around, he finds his youngest son, Son Goten, passed out on the ground, wounded. Angered by the sight, Goku faces his opponent. Now he’s pissed!
Gearing for battle, Goku stands up and belts out an overpowering cry, “Yaaaah!” Suddenly, his messy head of black hair shoots straight up, magically turning blonde as a golden aura glows all around him. And despite this sudden transformation, Goku’s enemy shows no surprise. Instead, he only smirks and continues the long and heated battle. They kick, punch, and throw each other to the ground as though they were both rag dolls.
Eventually, Goku wins by creating a large energy ball in his hands, which he shoots though his opponent’s stomach. Goku has saved the world—possibly even the universe—from total annihilation. However, Goku doesn’t think about this. His only thoughts are of the injured Goten, whom he takes into his arms and flies back home like Superman carrying Lois Lane back to Metropolis.
It’s not something that Americans see every day, is it? But in Asian countries, this is just another episode of “Dragon Ball Z,” one of the world’s most popular Japanese cartoons, which you can see on Channel 9 Saturday morning. For decades, Japanese animation (or anime, as it’s typically called) has been enjoyed in Asia by people of all ages, growing into one of the most popular and powerful portions of its entertainment industry. Although anime has been in America for years, lately it has really caught on.
You might have seen such eighties hits as “Voltron” and “Robotech,” better known to fans as “Macross.” In the past few years, cable television has been broadcast popular anime movies, including a censored version of the violent anime classic “Akira.” MTV even jumped on the bandwagon by bringing back the 1960’s anime series “Speed Racer” (known in Japan as “Mach Go-Go-Go”).
Comic books come to life
Watching most Japanese cartoons is like seeing one’s favorite comic book come to life—only better! The action, surprising violence, dramatic music, side-splitting comedy, unabashed sexual innuendoes, smart dialogue, and amazing graphics fascinate in a way that makes “Beavis and Butthead” an unpleasant memory and any given Disney movie seem like pure child’s play.
“The cartoons are so well done. They [the animators] put so much time into the music, the graphics, [and] the way the cartoons are put together. It totally outclasses any cartoon that America can ever make,” said Ryan Cheung, a junior at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School.
Some high schools have anime clubs
At Cheung’s school, there is even an anime club. For years, students who share Cheung’s passion for Japanese animation have gathered every Friday, during lunch, to watch popular cartoons like “Ranma 1/2,” “Tenchi-Muyo!” and “Oh My Goddess!” Every once in a while, the club also organizes an anime marathon, showcasing both classic and more recent Japanese cartoons. These marathons typically run from four o’clock in the afternoon until three o’clock on the following morning. Although this may sound extreme, Cheung claims that the time flies by so quickly that people hardly notice how much time has passed.
With so many television-watching youths becoming die-hard fans, the anime trend did not go unnoticed by the networks. In 1995, following in the footsteps of the popular reemergence of “Speed Racer,” the UPN network began running the cartoon “Teknoman” (known as “Tekkaman Blade” in Japan) as a Sunday morning show. Like “Robotech,” “Teknoman” is one of many futuristic adventures about interplanetary warfare, where the warriors battle in large machines called mechs or mechas.
They cancelled Teknoman and Sailor Moon
Sadly, UPN has cancelled “Teknoman,” as well as “Sailor Moon,” another one of the world’s most popular cartoons.
“Sailor Moon” focuses on a group of teenage girls called the Sailor Scouts. Led by the sometimes ditzy but always sweet Sailor Moon, the Scouts battle evil energy-sucking aliens from a distant galaxy. Despite its female focus, “Sailor Moon” won over children and young adults everywhere, taking the world by storm. Fans have lapped up “Sailor Moon” merchandise like young children in America have gone for Power Ranger toys, another Japanese concoction. According to anime dealer/fan Anthony Foronda, “Sailor Moon’s” international marketability alone saved the Ban Dai toy company from bankruptcy.
Too violent for the US?
Despite the increase of anime in mainstream television, most anime fans have discovered that some of the best cartoons aren’t shown on TV because of their violence and graphic contents. Cartoons such as the action movie “Plastic Little” contain too much nudity and violence for young viewers, and others are explicit enough to make Madonna blush. Ironically, the freedom of expression shown in the violence and nudity is another reason why some anime fans love the cartoons. Many fans, such as Jared Witzer, 18, Westchester High School, feel that the American versions of several anime classics such as the gore-riddled “Akira” are too censored.
“I like the original, uncut versions [of the cartoons]. When the nudity and violence are out, it takes away from the plot,” Witzer said. “[Americans] are so scared of the human body that we don’t take pleasure in its form.”
Despite this censorship, anime stores such as Bonzai in West Los Angeles and Neo Tokyo in Whittier offer otakus (anime fans) uncensored versions of his or her favorite TV series or movie, as well as a wide range of cartoon paraphernalia from magazines and poster-sized scroll pictures to figurines and backpacks. And since many Japanese cartoons are based on comic books, the comics sell like hotcakes as well. In fact, the “Dragon Ball” series is said to have outsold the Bible, according to AnimeUK, a British magazine.
Although anime-oriented items have become a hot market in Asia, and are rapidly heating up in America, the cultural influence doesn’t stop there. Many opening and ending theme songs from anime cartoons burn up the Japanese charts and make the “Friends” theme song sound about as hip as Garth Brooks singing Jimi Hendrix.
Dragon Ball Z inspired a haircut
Anime even made the fashion world turn its head when a popular character from “Dragon Ball Z,” the handsome, lavender-haired Trunks, caused boys across Asia and even the United States to run to the barber shop for a stylish Trunks-like cut. (So if you have a similar hairdo, whether you knew it or not, you copied it from a cartoon!)
But luckily, you don’t have to cut your hair to enjoy Japanese animation. Instead, just head over to a video store and check it out for yourself—there’s an anime cartoon for everybody. As for me, I’ll be glued to the TV as Son Goku saves the universe once again.
Special thanks to Anthony Foronda for his help.”