Going back to basics

Lately I’ve been trying to follow the newest anime to come from Japan.  To be honest, I’m not that impressed.  The characters designs seem flat, stories non-existent, and music is subpar.  Mind you these are just my personal observations so they shouldn’t be taken literally.

I’ve been in the animation industry for over 10 years and I have seen trends come and go.  To me, the main constant is a good story.  My generation and previous generations were amazed by the work of such talented artists, such as Osamu Tezuka, Hayao Miyazaki, Leiji Matsumoto, Monkey Punch, Masumune Shirow, Range Murata, Rumiko Takahashi, and Kenichi Sonda to name a few.

That being said I have decided to learn from the great masters, such as Osamu Tezuka (comics) and Hayao Miyazaki (Animation).  Young artists can learn a great deal from these great masters.

Tezuka’s story were so complex and interesting that you had to read it more than once to get the full body of the story.  I am currently reading “MW.” The people of Vertical Inc in NYC have translated this brick of a manga with great care.  The story of the manga deals with the politics, religion, and the battle between good and evil.  I won’t give too much away, but is a great manga to read.  I would suggest you read it during the day.  It might give you nightmares.

Hayao Miyazaki has been taken the baton of great animators, such as Max Fleisher and Walt Disney.  His stories, character designs, and backgrounds have been admired from not only Japanese artists, but also artists abroad, such as John Lassiter of Pixar.  I for one am looking forward to watching Miyazaki-san’s newest film, “The Borrowers.”  Thought I suspect the film will not make a stateside release until a year after the initial Japanese release.

Much can be said about the great masters works.  At the end it is the ability of the artists and writers to make what they feel is right and go with it.  Like generations of the past the same adage is always true, hard work pays off in the end.