The Aesthetic of Japanimation

One minute a Pokemon, next minute an Oscar! Japanese animation has been around for decades, but its presence in American culture is reduced to various children's shows or late-night adult presentations. Now, there are definitely many markets for this medium, however, I feel only in the last 10 years or so has Japanimation become more and more integrated.

Not only has the medium won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, Japanimation is consistently leading the eye of many animators, especially those mousy artists at Disney. The contributions of Studio Ghibli via its founder Hayao Miyazaki have been pivotal to catapulting Japanimation into mainstream success, especially for younger audiences.

The Japanese obsession with the "cute," reflective of googly eyes and anthropomorphic creatures, is no longer the defining aspect of the medium. Lush, inventive landscapes, enthralling story lines, and sociopolitical themes are now present in much that Japanimation has to offer.

If you're new to the art form, I suggest the following:
1. Spirited Away, 2002 Best Animated Feature (winner)
2. Howl's Moving Castle, 2005 Best Animated Feature (nominated)
3. Princess Mononoke, Studio Ghibli release
4. Kill Bill Vol. 1, Oren Ishii flashback scenes are dynamite
5. Paprika, Blu Ray version is pure eye candy
6. Fullmetal Alchemist, TV show on Adult Swim 
7. Ghost In The Shell, Cyberpunk sub-genre forerunner

Make sure to catch Ponyo, a Studio Ghibli release and frontrunner for this year's Oscar Animated Feature race, on DVD and Blu Ray March 2, 2010.