Anime’s Obsession With Europe: A Brief History
Have you ever wondered why so many anime are set in Europe or have European aesthetics? Well, I took a long journey to find out why.
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Mentioned video on RPG games and their origin’s and the influence of D&D: https://youtu.be/387xHP-uLU8?si=uawLDwDbh4p2Mij1
Other videos you may enjoy:
The Greatest Redemption Arc Ever Written | Avatar The Last Airbender’s Zuko: https://youtu.be/mu2m2kx-LbA
Why Pixar’s Up Is a Masterpiece: https://youtu.be/J9zC52v1Ex4
Fan Theory: Joe Gardner Was a Lost Soul: https://youtu.be/OcxgvGhxwbA
Fixing a Failure in Feminism | Wonder Woman 1984: https://youtu.be/MCNn7XjQV4I
Toying With Expectations: Why Spider-Verse Is So Good: https://youtu.be/gqmBooyS0Lw
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
2:45 The History of Japan & Anime
5:30 The 1960s & Early Anime
10:03 Heidi & The Rise of Studio Ghibli
17:45 The Modern Era of Anime
21:55 Conclusion
Footnotes:
1. Frederick Schodt, Manga! Manga!, p. 92
2. Hayao Miyazaki, Starting Point: 1979-1996 p.137
3. Hayao Miyazaki, Starting Point: 1979-1996 p.137-8
4. Dani Cavallaro | The Anime Art of Hayao Miyazaki p. 37
Bibliography:
– Oscar García Aranda | Representations of Europe in Japanese anime: An overview of case studies and theoretical frameworks
– Jonathan Clements | Anime: A History
– Cobus van Staden | Heidi in Japan: What do anime dreams of Europe mean for non-Europeans? https://www.iias.asia/sites/iias/files/nwl_article/2019-05/IIAS_NL50_24.pdf
– Rebecca Suter | Orientalism, Self-Orientalism, and Occidentalism in the Visual-Verbal Medium of Japanese Girls’ Comics.
– Frederik L. Schodt | Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics
– Deborah Shamoon (2012) | Passionate Friendship: The Aesthetics of Girls’ Culture in Japan
– Marco Pellitteri | East of Oliver Twist: Japanese Culture and European Influences in Animated TV Series for Children and Adolescents https://www.academia.edu/11877294/East_of_Oliver_Twist_Japanese_Culture_and_European_Influences_in_Animated_TV_Series_for_Children_and_Adolescents?source=swp_share
– Patricia Pârvu | Norse Culture as a Source of Inspiration for the Vinland Saga Phenomenon https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2023-02-03/norse-culture-as-a-source-of-inspiration-for-the-vinland-saga-phenomenon/.194252
– Dani Cavallaro | The Anime Art of Hayao Miyazaki
– Andrew Shaner | Defining Steampunk Through The Films of Hayao Miyazaki https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/98-233/docs/ThesisSP11_ShanerAndrew.pdf
– Clothilde Sabre, (2016) | French Anime and Manga Fans in Japan: Pop Culture Tourism, Media Pilgrimage | https://contents-tourism.press/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/IJCT-Vol.-1.1-Sabre-2016.pdf
#studioghibli #anime #frieren
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For the record, Japan did not need european influence to be militaristic; they were plenty good at that themselves
Because it's the greatest continent by any metric
I watched most of the anime listed in the video in a Month of june i can't believe that i watched them without noticing that they depict a single common setting and then this video came into my feed . It must be fate
Thats why most of the artists of wall scenery depict europe majestic and beautiful in 2000 . I had many scenery wallphotos that shows the beautiful landscape of europe and i always thought if these places actually ever exist. Now, i got to know that it was a trend before 20's to make landscape and nature scenry depicted from Europe
8:42 Japan first Tomboy
Heidi was my childhood aired in early German TV Times of the 2000 haha
heidi is a mandated book that childen of class 3 or 4 have to read in my school in india. i didn't know it was an anime tho. i did get the chance to read it thru my lil bro which was fun haha
no mention of berserk which puts the Golden age ark in the 100 years war between france and england?
I loved heidi
0:15 heidi was switzerlands childhood for literally three generations now and I cant describe my pride in knowing that heidi a girl represting my grandparents has spread across the world
One Piece is a clear example that the Japanese only know Europe. All of their islands are set in real European cities. What's more, the very idea of pirates and sailing the seas is purely inspired by European history, even though many other cultures have had a tradition of sailing.
its simple just like EU or the west loves japanese culture and style the japanese love the european culture and style
I grew up in the late 80s watching Heidi, Marco, Rémy, Angel, and Candy—shows that I shared in common with my mom and aunt, who had also watched them during their adolescence. I was fortunate to have access to other classic anime series on a daily basis as a child, like Gatchaman, Gekkō Kamen, and Tetsujin 28. They were great companions during a time in life that was much harder than it is now.
Japan's political System is based on Germany's (Preusen's) political System
Omg Heidi was my childhood as a girl in Greece in the 90's 00's
lovely essay! Thank you for the insights!
no jjba? why? it has so much about my country, italy
2:17 White guy ends up in "insert different country" is literally american version of isekai (japanese guy ends up in different world usually based on medivial europe) 😂
O shit, I remember but don't remebber this how Heidi in South Africa growing up, if that makes sense.
I think it was in Afrikaans so when the FM radio on TV broke, cause could tune in for English and vice versa, so stopped watching.
Why did Japanese fascination with Europe start? Them two atomic bombs.
They want to be white.
I believe that there are 3 reasons
1- psychology
As as sociologists say “The vanquished always want to imitate the victor”, Europeans were the superpower of the world without competitors.
2- Europeans
Europeans are genetically attractive specially when compared to East Asians. This is just reality.
3- Japanese people
Japanese people are so submissive in weird and unexplainable way, we all can see this, and it’s not because they were colonised by Europeans, there are other regions, like the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, who were conquered but not showing the same level of, sorry for saying this but it is reality, mental spontaneous defeat and slavery.
This is my opinion but I think that the points I addressed are objective and not subjective and it’s a recognized observation that I noticed by all people on earth not just Europeans.
Because Europe kicks fucking ass, is the cradle of civilization and everything useful ever invented comes from either an European or someone of European blood.
So the US basically forced Japan to open is borders and let them influence the culture and economy. Sounds rapey.
Finally an answer to my question!! I'm not a stark anime fan but a decent one and I've noticed the preoccupation with European or euro-like cultures. Let's dive deep!😊
easy they wanted white dollars.
Gooo
When i was a kid i watched heidi but another animation of it i never knew it was an anime