Japanese Animation and New Media
Lecture Two
Cinematism and animetism, as discussed in detail in the book, are tendencies, different way of harnessing and directing the force of the moving image. As such, they never exist in a pure state but are always mixed.
The following clips from Steamboy (Otomo Katsuhiro, 2004) are good examples of the interplay of cinematism and animetism not just within a single film but also within a sequence.
When analyzing animation in terms of cinematism and animetism, you need to look closely at the dynamics of movement as well as composition of the image (how it is drawn). While this approach is empirical, it is not entirely quantifiable. Measurement of the frequency of cinematism versus that of animetism, for instance, will not provide the ultimate truth of the animation. This is because any film or animation will make certain moments and sequences more important to its overall tenor or tone or affective impact. So your empiricism will not be that of classical empiricism that depended on measuring parameters and creating one-to-one correspondences between an affective state and technical device. This empiricism is modern empiricism that implies a measure of intuition.
Steamboy is also an interesting film because, as a variation on steampunk, it highlights questions about techno-scientific modernity, reminding us that these anime techniques are not neutral and indifferent forms of expression. They shape how the film thinks technology at the level of image and movement. This is something that we’ll begin to talk more about in subsequent lectures. But first we need to consider something of the specificity of animation, and how the use of the animation stand has an impact on the interplay of cinematism and animetism.
