Animation and subjectivity : towards a theory of framerate modulation

17 May 20208 May 2021 ~ matteowatz ~ 16 Comments

In my previous essay dedicated to Thomas Lamarre’s concept of animetism I argued that when studying animation, we shouldn’t just take into consideration space (how objects are distributed and move across the frame), but also time, which I believe is key to understanding the essence of movement. Indeed, movement is not just motion through space, … Continue reading Animation and subjectivity : towards a theory of framerate modulation

Beyond Manicheism : the politics of Brand New Animal

10 May 20208 May 2021 ~ matteowatz ~ 9 Comments

It’s probably no secret by now that most of the work done by the Hiroyuki Imaishi-You Yoshinari team contains some sort of political commentary ; however, when looking quickly at works like Kill la Kill or Promare, one might be led to believe that this commentary rests on a simple-minded manicheism : bad fascists/capitalists are … Continue reading Beyond Manicheism : the politics of Brand New Animal

Postmodern Media : Memes and Database Consumption

3 May 20208 May 2021 ~ matteowatz ~ Leave a comment

Memes are everywhere. That’s their most striking feature, really : wherever you go on the Internet, you’re bound to find something that more or less resembles it, from an image macro, to a twisted boomer comic or a completely surreal image that you do not fully understand nor wish to. Memes have become somewhat of … Continue reading Postmodern Media : Memes and Database Consumption

Before and after Akira : the themes and motifs of Otomo’s shorts

26 Apr 202027 Nov 2021 ~ matteowatz ~ 2 Comments

Katsuhiro Otomo’s work in animation is mostly and rightly remembered for his 1988 masterpiece Akira, especially in the West where it has become part of the SF and animation canon. However, just like his career as a mangaka goes beyond Akira, his contribution to anime does not only come down to this behemoth of 80’s … Continue reading Before and after Akira : the themes and motifs of Otomo’s shorts

Gender roles in Gundam and Macross

17 Apr 20208 May 2021 ~ matteowatz ~ 8 Comments

In a previous essay about otaku identity and militarism, I mentioned that the issue of gender was a central one to understand the development of otaku identity, and most notably, its construction as a dominantly male, SF-oriented narrative. Most of Japanese feminist and queer anime criticism (most notably the work of Mari Kotani) has sadly … Continue reading Gender roles in Gundam and Macross

On animetism : or, the importance of sakuga to theory

8 Apr 20208 May 2021 ~ matteowatz ~ 3 Comments

Thomas Lamarre’s The Anime Machine is undoubtedly one of the most important books dedicated to animation, and especially to anime. It manages to be at the same time a historical overview of anime and its techniques, a thorough analysis of some of its most prominent artists, and a compelling theory of animation and media in … Continue reading On animetism : or, the importance of sakuga to theory

Animating terror : Noroi the white weasel

1 Apr 20208 May 2021 ~ matteowatz ~ 1 Comment

Anime is infamous for its unsuccessful attempts in the horror genre : even though violence is often depicted, the feelings of fear and terror are rarely provoked in the audience. The explanation you most often see comes from the medium itself, animation : because we know, more than in live-action cinema, that what we see … Continue reading Animating terror : Noroi the white weasel

Militarism and otaku identity : from Gundam to Macross

19 Mar 202025 Aug 2020 ~ matteowatz ~ 6 Comments

I would roughly say that, in English-translated works, there have been two general historical accounts of the phenomenon called “otaku” : the first, embraced by Toshio Okada, reads in otaku practices the expression of something specifically Japanese. For example, Okada roots otaku’s obsession with encyclopedic knowledge in 18th century Edo period art criticism and trade. … Continue reading Militarism and otaku identity : from Gundam to Macross

Defining anime – Part 3

13 Mar 20208 May 2021 ~ matteowatz ~ 2 Comments

Anime as relations of production What have we learned from our general overview ? That anime is difficult to define, obviously ; more precisely, that it is a shape-shifting phenomenon that changes depending on where you look at it from. This means that a definitive and all-inclusive definition is probably impossible. However, one can always … Continue reading Defining anime – Part 3

Defining anime – Part 2

5 Mar 20208 May 2021 ~ matteowatz ~ 1 Comment

Is anime what’s on the screen ? While the formulation of this question might seem strange, as it is obvious that anime, as animation, is something that we look at, quite a large part of academic studies has chosen to approach anime indirectly. To put it simply, many scholars chosen to discard an approach of … Continue reading Defining anime – Part 2