Akira & Ranma 1/2

The piece by Susan Napier sheds light on the anime phenomenon-- namely Akira and Ranma 1/2. She goes into detail about the theme of transformation, or "metamorphosis" as she refers to it. Both anime tell the story of adolescents going through great ordeals in their lives, and in both cases those ordeals being incorporated into physical transformations.

What struck me about the article was my ability to identify with the subject matter which the animes (I'm not sure what the plural for anime is). It may seem like an obvious connection to make, but I would have been able to realize that the situations which it treats are relatable. The subject that I am referring to is growing up, of being a young adult and all that comes with it.

Most importantly the theme of the role of gender and sex in society is talked about a great deal by Napier and it is one that seems to be a universal theme. Though the role of the male and female sex have been portrayed frequently throughout history the portrayal through anime is very different. The animated aspect of it is something which is new to viewers. I believe that it has to do with the inability to grasp it, which is due to our being used to viewing and processing information entirely on the aesthetics of it's presentation. Anime is a completely different medium of receiving information.

Though anime is very popular among a lot of people, most do not ever find themselves watching it. People rather watch Will & Grace or Friends. And the question of why? is on that does not seem can be answered easily. If you think about it anime and sitcoms are not THAT different. Both are dolled up information (because God forbid we take in any information which is not aesthetically pleasing.) And yes, they all concern different subject matter, it's all the same (let's be honest.) The only real difference is the way the they go about presenting the information.

To expound on the previously mentioned theme of transformation, or metamorphosis, the exceedingly grotesque displays of transformation in anime is what some followers seem to enjoy most about it. Some find it to be unbearable to watch or deal with, but then again, so is life (sometimes). So for the watchers of anime it could be said that though anime may be some sort of escape for them it is their way of dealing with actual life and not a sitcomed, diluted version of it. Even if one were to argue to say that anime is an extreme way of portraying life, that can also be said about sitcoms. But at least with anime (animation) it comes with the territory. The only difference between Dawson's Creek and Akira/Ranma 1/2 is that Akira and Ranma are a form of conter-culture and are yet more identifiable (I don't know about you, but I don't know any blonde haired, green-eyed guys, or a girl who lives across a small mass of water who uses a canoe to get around.)

Here's the link for the movie (I watched it, it's pretty good.)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2402751682668296100&q=akira&total
=14000&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=2

If the link doesn't work just Google "Akira" on Videos