An Introduction to the Many Themes and Issues in Anime

Anime themes are universal. They mostly involve political issues, human emotions, and fantasy. The genre has accomplished this through creative storytelling and audience relations to the character. Also, it has pulled in issues and ideas that would not be allowed to air in the United States and therefore has not been seen by many, but for the few series that have made it over they have begun to show Americans that cartoons are not just for kids. Political issues are one of the main ideas of Anime.

The genre has utilized this to relay the message of political issues more easily to a larger audience of viewers. This is what makes Anime different from American cartoons where there is no real strong message being sent. American animation mostly comprise of comedic family oriented ideas that appeal to children. An issue such as excessive police force was used in one of Animes more popular movies. The movie The Tank Police is a perfect example of this.

The people in the movie live in an apocalyptic future where the world has gone dark and criminals are run the streets. When the world turned bad the police were overwhelmed and beaten back to their bases. In order to return order to the streets the Governor gave the police their request for more firepower.

The police in return got powerful battle tanks and massive sorts of armaments. Once order has been returned the police did not stop using their tanks, but used them continuously to subdue any sort of criminal with unnecessary amounts of force.

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Unnecessary destruction of property takes place due to the excessive force being wielded by the police. Issues such as this are apparent in todays society where the police believe they are above the law and can get away with anything. Another political issue that is present in the genre is the controversy over cloning and what dire effects may come of it. The series Saber Marionette J addresses this issue. A seeding pod was launched headed towards a new planet called Terra II. However, some unseen force destroyed the ship before the crew could escape, leaving only a few survivors. Three hundred years later, Terra Il flourishes as an all-male society achieved only through advanced cloning.

They were able to create variations in the genetic code to have diverse looking clones. Marionettes have taken the place of females; these are mechanoids similar to half-human half-machine. They are devoid of all feelings to ensure obedience. Also they are the only beings to carry out all tasks on the planet. Political issues are strong in the genre, but it cannot continue without an important factor that would make their audience care Human emotions play an important factor in the understanding and development of the story. What gives this theme such an imperative, strong grip is its endless boundaries that it crosses and how the audience feels related to not only the story, but the characters as well. An example of this is Dragon Ball Z. It is a series that has been on for ten years with a large fan base. The series takes the audience through the meaning of tradition and family. Each character has his or her own story that reveals how emotions tie into the story.

Gokus heritage as a Saiyen comes with the values and responsibility of cultural tradition. He refuses to accept these values because of his lessons on Earth and what it means to be human. People who have immigrated to other countries are forced to make the decision of accepting their new way of life. They are confronted with conflicting views of whether or not they should take their traditions or leave them behind. This is the case with Goku, who confronts his own people who criticized him for not embracing his Saiyen heritage. In their eyes he is weak and feeble. The desire of family is also present in the series. Every character in the show has siblings, parents, or offspring. All of them play an essential role that makes their better half act out in one way or another for the sake of love. Gohan, Gokus son watches out for his father and is willing to risk his life for him no matter what. Gohan looks up to his father as an invincible force that can overcome any feat.

The same is with young children who look up to someone who is a fatherly figure that can overcome any obstacle. Human emotion ties in well with this genre just as the fantasy behind it. What really captures the audience is the fantasy. Once one has witnessed the mysticism and power behind it he or she can see what makes Anime so much better than American cartoons. Fantasy is the human imagination unrestricted by reality and is free to go where it pleases. It contains the supernatural and mysticism. Fatal Fury involves human beings wielding incredible powers and using them to fight a God. This movie takes viewers through a fantasy filled ride with unexpected twists and turns and a solid story to go along with it. Laocorn, a descendent of Gaudeamus, is searching for his ancestor’s armor that made him nearly invincible against the Romans. He wants that same power and the only person that immediately opposes him is his twin sister Sulia.

Unfortunately, she can’t stop his army, so she finds Terry Bogard and gains his assistance along with Andy, Joe, and Mai. Now they are trying to get to the pieces of armor that Laocorn doesn’t have yet. This is the only way to prevent the reemergence of the God of War. The fighting is unbelievably fantastic, with creative attacks, and beautifully rendered environments. Without a doubt, the best fantasy filled scene in the movie is at the very end where it comes down to the Terry Bogard and Laocorn who has finally collected all the pieces of the armor. The duel between the two would astound any newcomers to the genre and make them want more. What really gives the fantasy its resilience are the endless creative ideas from the animators imagination. With no restrictions stopping them, the never ending flow of ingenious thoughts will keep coming to astound and mesmerize the genres fans. Anime themes are universal. They comprise of political issues that arise, human emotions and their impact on an individual, and, finally the fantasy behind the genre the gives all the aforementioned themes their unique feel and power. A majority of people may consider Anime a kids thing. I say to them that they cannot judge what they have not experienced. I have watched countless number of Anime shows and movies and cannot begin to say which one is the best. All I can say that I would recommend this genre to anyone who still thinks cartoons are for kids. Some Anime may seem to be targeted to young children, but if one were to sit down and watch one of Animes best they would have a better understanding of why it is so popular overseas and here in America. Not only that, they even may find an Anime that they can relate to in more ways than one.