New Straits Times (Malaysia) 

March 25, 2000 

SECTION: Reel stuff; Pg. 5 

LENGTH: 655 words 

HEADLINE: Why anime is tops in Japan 

BYLINE: By Wong Joon Ian 

BODY: 
   ANIME buffs should try to catch a Japanese animation film festival now 
being held at the auditorium of the National Library in Kuala Lumpur. 

The festival is a unique opportunity for Malaysians to appreciate some 
of the best short works by Japan's leading animators including Suzuki 
Shin'ichi, Ito Yuichi and Shima Yumi. 

The critically-acclaimed feature-length film Tombstone for Fireflies by 
Takahata Isao will also be screened. 

Most of them will be shown for the first time ever in Malaysia, and 
since this film festival is a one-time-only event, every anime fan should 
try to attend. 

The festival was, in fact, the result of requests by Malaysian anime 
fans who wanted to see more animated films at the Japanese Foundation's 
weekly movie screenings. 

The first screening of the festival was a short film titled The Bubble, 
by Shin'inchi. The film represents Shin'inchi's fascination with 
metamorphosis and transformation. It begins with a boy blowing a soap 
bubble which rapidly morphs into a host of interesting figures, scenes and 
shapes. 

In the lecture after the screening titled "Japanese Animation - Past and 
Present", Shin'inchi said he created The Bubble for Japan's national 
broacasting station NHK. It was originally meant to be part of an 
animation collection which would be swapped with films from other 
countries. 

With this in mind, The Bubble was deliberately made without dialogue. 
However, its effectiveness has not been diminished, highlighting 
Shin'inchi's skill in an art he has taken over 30 years to master. 

Throughout his life, he has been involved in art in some way or another. 
He had his cartoons, also known as manga, published in magazines when he 
was still in secondary school. In 1956, he began his career in animation 
by joining Otogi Productions. 

Seven years later, he started his own company, Studio Zero. Some of the 
works produced by Studio Zero include episodes of Astro Boy, Cyborg 007 
and the much-loved robot cat Doraemon (or "Xiao Ding-Dang" to some). 

However, the anime boom of the 60s led to many artists being unable to 
cope with the demand. Many of the original artists at Studio Zero, 
including Fujiko F. Fujiro, Doraemon's creator, left to focus on drawing 
comics instead of animation. This frenetic pace of production led to the 
development of a technique which would come to define anime. Three frames 
per second were used instead of the conventional 24 in order to save time. 
Today, this method remains in use and is the hallmark of Japanese 
animation. 

Anime is now a vibrant art as well as a booming industry. The Japanese 
regard it as an essential part of their culture, along with manga. In 
Japan, cartoons and comics aren't just for children; they are in fact a 
means of obtaining information. 

Shin'inchi also said that due to the long history of manga in Japan, 
children who grew up reading it went on to produce as well as demand more 
of the same in adult life. 

As a result, manga and anime have cemented their place in Japanese 
society. 

On the excessive sex and violence found in some anime, Shin'inchi noted 
that Japan is a very free country and those scenes are included if the 
animator believes them to be necessary. The assumption by foreigners that 
cartoons and comics are only for children leads to their outraged 
reaction. 

Currently, Shin'inchi is involved in a Unesco project with our own 
celebrated cartoonist, Datuk Lat. This project began five years ago and 
involves the use of animation to speak out on issues which affect Asia. 
Although he has not had the chance to see very much local animation, 
Shin'inchi likes Kampung Boy very much. He hopes to return to Malaysia 
soon to collaborate with more artists, especially the young people. 


The Japanese animation film festival ends tomorrow. Admission is free. 
Please contact the Japan Foundation at 03-2162104 for screening times. 
                                

GRAPHIC: (STF) - Leading Japanese animator Suzuki Shin'ichi offers an insight 
into the popularity of anime at a Japanese animation film festival, writes Wong 
Joon Ian. Picture - Shin'ichi ... Founder of Studio Zero.